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CNN International: Paris Olympics Kicks Off With Opening Ceremony On Seine; Israeli PM Netanyahu Meets Donald Trump In Florida; Harris: Time To Get Gaza Ceasefire And Hostage Deal Done; Obamas Endorse Harris For President In New Video; Older Pennsylvania Democratic Voters Re-Energized With Harris Replacing Biden. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired July 26, 2024 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:31]
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: It is 8:00 pm in London, 9:00 p.m. in Paris, 3:00 p.m. here in Washington. I'm Jim Sciutto.
Thanks so much for joining me today on CNN NEWSROOM. And let's get right to the news.
Let the big games begin. A cloudy forecast could not eclipse a stunning opening ceremony still underway for the Paris Olympics. Thousands of athletes from all over the world parading in boats down the River Seine, waving as they pass France iconic landmarks from the Eiffel Tower to the Louvre.
The star-studded performance, also playing homage to the city's history, romance, its literature, its fashion, kicks off two weeks of fierce athletic competition, and global sportsmanship.
The show did go on even after what police are calling a coordinated sabotage on the Paris railways and arson attack that set off major travel disruptions this morning.
Plus, here, in the U.S., former President Donald Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago. This for the first time since Trump left office.
We're going to have more on how the presidential race could reshape that relationship, U.S.-Israeli relations, as well as the war in Gaza later this program.
First, I do want to go to Paris, begin there, senior correspondent, Melissa Bell. She is at the games for us.
But following this attack, I imagine attempted to disrupt the games and the start here. What do authorities about it at this point?
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR PARIS CORRESPONDENT: Jim, for the time being, the investigation continues, what happened was about 4:00 a.m. French time, the series of attacks, not just in Paris, but its strategic points on the rail network that essentially crippled huge, huge parts of Frances high-speed train lines. And when you look at the map of where those sabotage attacks happened
some of them involved cables being cut, others involved arson you really get an idea that this coordinated attack aimed at to cripple those trying to get into Paris taking out several of the main lines.
Now, here that's just behind me, train's traffic is slowly starting to resume and that is the case in parts of France while there has been seriously disrupted for much, they even impacting some of the athletes who are hoping to get here to take part in that opening ceremony that's already been spectacularly dampened by the rain that you can see around me.
For the time being the investigators are trying to figure out exactly how it could have happened to people who organized Paris 2024 Games, Jim, felt that they had every base covered, the security is extremely tight as you'd imagine. But these attacks happening as they did so far away from Paris, in the middle of the night, were simply something that hasn't been anticipated.
Its effect though has been serious, not just for those athletes who are trying to get to Paris for trains were carrying them, two of them failed to arrive but also for the many hundreds of thousands, millions of French people trying to get in and out of France for their annual holidays.
Lots of speculation about who did it, but little question about the timing just hours ahead of an opening ceremony when the eyes of the world were on Paris, Jim.
SCIUTTO: Yeah, it's a good time to cause mass maximum disruption. Melissa Bell, thanks so much for covering.
Well, there are more than 10,000 athletes representing more than 200 countries competing at this year's Olympic Games. That includes megastars like Symone Biles, Katie Ledecky, LeBron James, Sha'Carri Richardson from this country. But lot of new athletes hoping to make it to the podium for the first time.
Following it all, CNN sports analyst and columnist for "USA Today", Christine Brennan. She's covering her 21st Olympics. That is amazing. I'm extremely jealous.
First, just give us an impression of the city in this moment and during what -- what are truly unique and remarkable opening ceremonies.
CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: Yes, Jim, I started when I was in kindergarten, right?
SCIUTTO: Of course.
BRENNAN: That's 1984, of course, yes. Don't we all?
But no, this is unfortunately it is pouring rain behind me and so I know there's going to be a lot of conversation about the fact that this is the worst I've been here a week, and this is the worst weather by far, nothing even close to this. So that -- that's a shame, raining on the French parade.
But, you know, Paris is Paris, right? And if anyone can overcome a rainy, miserable night, it would be the city of Paris and I really applaud them the president, Emmanuel Macron was talking about on Monday when we all met with him that this would -- Paris would be an open theater, you know, the center ever would open up to the world, but it has.
[15:05:00]
And I applaud them for giving it a try, bringing the athletes down the Seine, it's so unique, so different, so completely opposite of what we see in a stadium which has been wherever you Olympic opening ceremony has been until this moment.
But it is -- it's again, it's admirable that they're doing this on the hundredth anniversary of their first Olympics in Paris in 1924. And so, I think as I said, if any city can overcome the rain and still put on an amazing Olympic Games, it would be this city of Paris, right?
SCIUTTO: Well, listen, they say if it rains on your wedding day, it's good luck. So let's hope this is good luck for the Paris Olympics. So a lot of athletic stories here, of course. It is Olympics, start with some of the American athletes competing at top form. Symone Biles, clearly at the top of her game going in, but of course, after recovering from mental health struggles. Caeleb Dressel, he's returning the pool after he took time off for his own mental health.
So, you have some comeback stories here in the midst of this.
BRENNAN: We do, Jim, and they're great stories and you know, just like in professional sports, you know, you get on a first-name basis with people, LeBron, you obviously, Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, you know, that we get to know these athletes.
Well, 12 Olympians now, they've been able to be paid for a generation, they can be professional athletes in that sense, and they keep coming back. And so the story lines enter familiar to Americans. And I think even all the more compelling in terms of what we want to see and we know what they've been through.
And here they are again no one bigger than Simone Biles, of course, 2016, the star where the stars the Rio Olympics and then had that incredibly difficult time. The Twisties, a mental health issues, but fought back for a bronze medal right at the end in Tokyo with, and the balance beam and then has come back, and now at 27-years-old is on top of her game again, the greatest of all time.
And I think it's always important to mention she is also the most famous survivor of the worst sexual abuse scandal in sports history. Of course, the horrors of Larry Nassar saga. And yet she's so open in talking about that. So, what a remarkable person on the field of play, and also, of course, what a remarkable icon and role model off the field of play.
SCIUTTO: There are so many stories. We're not going to cover them all today or even over the course of the next couple of weeks. I love seeing the refugee team competing there once again as they came down to Seine, countries, big and small. France itself as host, they have one of their own massive stars in Leon Marchand, twenty-two-year-old swimmer.
Tell us other stars you're going to be watching this Olympics.
BRENNAN: Yeah, certainly, Marchand, definitely, and the pressure, the weight of the world on his shoulders in France, I think he will do very well, but it is not easy when the whole nation is holding its breath for every moment that you're in the pool. In this case, I go back to Cathy Freeman at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and I've never seen a stadium that just held his breath and in awe of a runner as she was winning her gold medal in Australia, you know, 24 years ago.
So those stories are remarkable. You know, women, this is a women's Olympics. You know, the quality, the parity, same number of women as men. And so, a young U.S. women's soccer team that was reeling after last year and to see that team and how it will well perform without some of the big names we know from the past.
I think some of the young swimmers and the -- you know, we'll see whether someone like Katie Ledecky, as we talked about, also 27 and years old, that she can hang on. Or if these young women who idolized her kids are now in a position that they might challenge her, especially course 400 meters, but maybe, which is tomorrow, and then the 800, and the 1,500 later.
So I do love those stories, as you said, at both the, you know, and the essential upset of, say, men's -- U.S. men's basketball. There are so many things out there. It is certainly not a slam dunk by any means that the U.S. men or the U.S. women will win the gold medal in a basketball though we think it will.
SCIUTTO: And it's better, right? You want to see competitive games. You also will have, even though you've been to 20 some-odd Olympics, you're going to have some new sports to cover, skateboarding, surfing, breakdancing, sevens rugby, a favorite of mine.
I love when they expand the menu at the Olympics as well.
BRENNAN: Well, and they're doing that, I agree. And they're doing that to try to, you know, increase TV ratings with a younger generation that isn't watching sports or caring about sports the way their parents or their grandparents did, right? And so, I think that's one of the, you know, key things moving forward to attract that interests, and to keep young people watching because, you know, grandma and grandpa, the old days of watching the Olympics from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. and you just sat there and you watch those days are long gone.
And so, breakdancing, breaking as it's called, even 3-on-3 basketball, it's such a different thing from regular 5-on-5 basketball. And the whole point there, if anyone's wondering why these new sports are there, it's to appeal to people who are, say, 25 and under, they're trying to get some of them to watch the Olympics away their parents and their grandparents did. [15:10:03]
SCIUTTO: Well, listen, I remain jealous of you, but I'm happy you're there. And if you know, if you if you feel a little bit sick and you need a replacement, you're welcome to give me a call.
Christine Brennan, enjoy the Olympics.
BRENNAN: Great. Thank you, Jim. Thanks so much.
SCIUTTO: Still ahead, former President Trump's meeting with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. The two meeting for the first time since Trump left office more than three years ago.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: Welcome back.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has wrapped up a meeting with former President Trump at Mar-a-Lago amid increasing international pressure for a ceasefire deal, relations between Netanyahu and Trump, who claims he was the most pro-Israeli president, he's prone to such claims, have soured since the final months of his presidency.
Yesterday, Netanyahu had separate meetings with President Biden and Vice President Harris as well.
Alayna Treene joins us now.
So Netanyahu actually requested this meeting with Trump, who himself had been reluctant to speak with him throughout the war in Gaza. Could you explain what the background of that is and how today's meeting went?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: I can. And I will just say, watching these photos come out from this meeting was pretty remarkable. The smiling, the handshaking, the acting like the years of their fraught relationship and the criticism, mainly lobbed by the former President Donald Trump at Netanyahu, you can really see that today. They were, you know, making nice and at least in the photos that we're seeing, it's unclear exactly how that conversation went inside the room.
But, look, to talk about their relationship, I -- Donald Trump, you mentioned he said he was the most pro-Israel president in modern history. That's something he claims frequently on the campaign trail as well as privately. And while in the White House during the Trump administration, him and Netanyahu both frequently touted their strong and close personal relationship.
Netanyahu, even once went as far to say that Donald Trump was the best friend that Israel ever had.
[15:15:04]
However, that did change toward the end of the Trump administration and shortly after he had left office for two reasons. One is that Trump felt that Netanyahu was being disloyal when he congratulated Joe Biden on winning the 2020 election and saying that he looked forward to working with him and one interview with "Axios", Trump actually said F him, I'm not saying the full word, about Netanyahu regarding that.
And he also -- he still says to this day, Donald Trump, he still believes that Netanyahu betrayed the United States when Trump claims was pulling out of an airstrike at the 11th hour that ultimately killed the Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.
So there's a couple of reasons for that. Now, like I said, this is the first time these two men have met since Donald Trump departed the White House in -- in over three years ago, and so, very significant today. And, of course, comes at a very critical moment both in the middle of the Israel-Hamas war, but also in the 2024 election cycle.
Now as for what happened today, we did get a bit a readout. It's kind of what you would expect from Donald Trump's team. He said that they had a great meeting. It touted all of the work that Donald Trump did while in office for Israel, including moving the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, et cetera. And he also said that if he is elected, he will do what he can to bring peace to the Middle East.
However, we did have a chance as well for some of our reporters, including our own Kristen Holmes, to ask some questions at the top of that meeting.
Take a listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT & 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think her remarks were disrespectful. They weren't very nice pertaining to Israel. I actually don't know how a person who's Jewish can vote for her but that's up to them. But she would certainly disrespectful to Israel, in my opinion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TREENE: Now, Jim, clearly some very sharp attacks from Donald Trump and I will note that Harris's own husband is Jewish. She has been very firmly behind Israel as recently as yesterday when she was speaking with Netanyahu.
SCIUTTO: Yeah.
TREENE: But this is Donald Trump trying to show that perhaps he may be, you know, give Netanyahu a longer leash. That's something that many Israeli officials I know have told us that they believe would happen if Donald Trump were re-elected.
And so, it looks like the to our reworking that fraught relationship toward a more professional relationship moving forward.
SCIUTTO: We should be clear as well that Jewish members of Congress and the U.S. president as well have leveled similar criticism as have Israeli, some Israelis, including senior Israelis of the conduct of the war in Gaza.
Alayna Treene, so good to have you.
TREENE: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: Joining me now for more. "Washington Post" columnist and author of "Chaos Under Heaven", Josh Rogin.
Josh good to have you on.
JOSH ROGIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Good to see you, my friend.
SCIUTTO: So I want to play just for folks who hadn't heard them, what Harris said after her meeting with Netanyahu. Have a listen. I want your thoughts on the other side.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As I just told Prime Minister Netanyahu, it is time to get this deal done. So to everyone who has been calling for a ceasefire and to everyone who yearns for peace, I see you and I hear you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: She went on to say that there needs to be greater attention to the civilian casualties in Gaza, which as I mentioned earlier something President Biden and others have said.
Is there anything fundamentally wrong with what she said? And do you see a move from Biden's position on Israel there just a slightest?
ROGIN: Right. No, I think what Vice President Harris is trying to do based on my reporting is to backup Biden's policy, but also establish the fact that there's room for her to disagree with it.
I mean, she's a candidate and she's also a Biden administration official, but this seemed like a difference in tone, if not substance, then the than the words that other administration officials views and my reporting shows that they're doing this because they know that she has to appeal to a more progressive and younger and Arab American and African American audience that is very affected by Biden's Israel policy.
Of course, Trump is going to make some hay out of that.
SCIUTTO: Of course.
ROGIN: But that's her decision and that she's going to back the Biden policy, but also expressed what she really thinks, and that's a tough needle to thread and we're going to see a lot of that coming up as she becomes a candidate.
SCIUTTO: You know, it's not an insignificant both in terms of us domestic politics, but also the U.S. relationship with Israel that, that sort of criticism of Israeli policy towards Palestinians and specifically the conduct of the war is not an outlier position in this country. It's not confined just to the progressive, progressive left, more and more Democrats over there were 80, some odd Democrats who boycotted Netanyahu's speech just on the House side, nine senators.
That has political significance in the country, but also it has dangerous for -- for the Israeli relationship, does it not?
[15:20:04]
ROGIN: Well, I don't -- I don't think you have to be a Democrat or a Jewish American to be very concerned about the way that the Netanyahu government has prosecuted the war. In fact, a majority of Israelis themselves disagree with a lot of the decisions that Netanyahu has made.
So I think there's a reason that the Trump people in the Republicans tried to portray this as some sort of left-wing fringe argument. And, of course, there are some people in the left wing who take it one step further and actually do support Hamas. But the vast majority of people who have legitimate concerns about Israeli conduct in the war have legitimate concerns about Israel's conduct in the war and we're just seeing more people to say that out loud, including Kamala Harris, but no, it does -- I don't think it's a partisan or religious thing to think. I think it's just were reacting to what we all see on the ground every single day.
SCIUTTO: And, listen, Benny Gantz former member of the war cabinet said, you know, as much, which again is opinion you and I've heard from Israelis, too, which is that Netanyahu is placing his own political fortunes over Israel's national security.
I wonder, in the simplest terms, Netanyahu, of course, met with Biden. He met with Harris, he met with Trump in the last 24 hours, natural for an Israeli leader to do that, does he, though, have a horse in this race? Is it clear that he would prefer --
ROGIN: Of course.
SCIUTTO: -- Trump? Yeah.
ROGIN: Oh, absolutely. There's no doubt in anyone's mind that Netanyahu would prefer Trump and the problem is he doesn't know who's going to win. Nobody knows who's going to win. So he can't afford to be partisan at this point. I think you saw that in his speech. He's got to keep the door open just in case Kamala Harris becomes the next press the United States.
But yeah, for his interests, in particular and I'm sure he believes for Israel's relationship with the United States. He thinks Trump is better, but, you know, there's another argument to make, and the other argument is that when the war ends, Netanyahu will be gone and whoever replaces him might not prefer Trump. So that's another part of the calculation for voters. SCIUTTO: Before we go, this on again, off again, or were closer, not so close, hostage ceasefire deal what is your read of the direction of this right now? I know there's some speculation that Netanyahu might wait until the Knesset goes on break and then perhaps make a deal. I mean, is it inevitable or could it blow up again?
ROGIN: Well, you know, Jim, it's really interesting, isn't it, that when Netanyahu originally planned to come to Washington a month ago, it was because he was resisting the Biden administration's pressure to get to a deal. He couldn't have known that when he actually got here, Biden would be a lame duck president and then the deal would be stalled.
SCIUTTO: Yeah.
ROGIN: And I'm sure there are -- there's blame on both sides for why it stalled. But what I can tell you from my reporting is that the pressure, the leverage that the Biden White House thought it had on Netanyahu to push him to do his party and was deals in gone.
SCIUTTO: Yeah.
ROGIN: And now, he's definitely going to wait until the election to see if he can get at a better shake out of President Trump, which she probably would from his perspective. So that bodes poorly for progress in the next four months or so unfortunately, but I think that's realistic prediction.
SCIUTTO: So, you think the deal goes beyond the U.S. election now?
ROGIN: I think if you're Netanyahu and you came to Washington, made a whole speech about how you're not going to change your policies one iota, that you're not going to yield one inch, that's a clear signal to everyone. That he doesn't feel any pressure from Washington, that he doesn't feel any pressure in the Biden administration. And I think his trip to Mar-a-Lago only confirms that.
SCIUTTO: Yeah.
ROGIN: Again, unfortunately.
SCIUTTO: And those hostage families, of course, right after suffer through yet more time.
Josh Rogin, thanks so much.
ROGIN: Anytime.
SCIUTTO: The Biden's administrations handling of the war in Gaza has disenfranchised a number of voters, particularly in the key swing state of Michigan, which has the highest concentration in this country of Arab-Americans.
Vice President Kamala Harris, now the presumptive Democratic nominee, of course, is walking as we just discussed, there, a political tight rope as she seeks to define her own presidential campaign while remaining loyal to President Biden and to his policies.
Earlier this year, more than 100,000 people in Michigan voted uncommitted in the Democratic primary.
So how are they responding to this change at the top of the ticket?
Joining me now to discuss, reporter for "The Detroit Free Press", Niraj Warikoo, and, Layla Elabed, co-chair of the Uncommitted National Movement, also a sister of Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib.
Good to have you both on. Thanks so much.
Layla, if I could begin with you, you heard a notable tweet from the vice president yesterday, not dramatic, but a notable tweak and language. Do you find that significant how she described the progress of the war in Gaza and her position as it relates to Israel?
LAYLA ELABED, CO-CHAIR, UNCOMMITTED NATIONAL MOVEMENT: Thank you. I think what we're seeing is an encouraging shift in tone away from President Biden's current policy. However, if Harris is serious about a ceasefire and ending the killing of Palestinians, as she stated in her speech, her shift in policy must include end to weapons funding to Israel that are now carrying out war crimes against Palestinians.
[15:25:13]
SCIUTTO: Niraj, I want to play that section of the vice president's comments yesterday, just to highlight them and get your thoughts on the other side. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: What has happened in Gaza over the past nine months is devastating. The images of dead children and desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety, sometimes displaced for the second, third, or fourth time. We cannot look away in the face of these tragedies. We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering. And I will not be silent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Niraj, first to you, but also a bill of your thoughts, Layla, given the views expressed by, for instance, those uncommitted voters during the primary in Michigan, is that enough of a shift do you think to convince them, to convince them to well, take another look at the Democratic ticket?
NIRAJ WARIKOO, REPORTER, DETROIT FREE PRESS: Well, you know, I've been speaking with every American leaders and activists this week and the general consensus that I'm hearing from them is that it's premature. They said they're not yet ready to endorse VP Harris, they want to see more.
They were -- some of them didn't like to speech last night, but they are also concerned about her earlier statement condemning the protests outside of Washington, D.C. It was a little bit too harsh, but they would like to see some substantial policy shifts because over the past eight or nine months, they've been hearing, you know, administration officials saying, we care for Gaza, we care for Palestinians, but it doesn't translate into policy changes.
So for starters, they'd like to see a dialogue. They'd like to see VP Harris come to Dearborn, meet with Arab Americans, and many other presidential candidates have done that. Even George Bush, I remember in October 2000, this is 24 years ago, he came to Dearborn and met with Arab Americans.
So they like to see her have a discussion with them before they make any endorsements.
SCIUTTO: Layla, when you speak to voters as well, and you're highly involved yourself in the uncommitted national movement, given the strong view is that Donald Trump, if elected, would give Netanyahu even more rope to do what he wants to, not just the progress of the war, but even discussions of open annexation of the West Bank, does that calculus factor in that -- yes. Harris may not be perfect, but she's better than Trump on this issue?
ELABED: I think it definitely calculate in this situation, but as we are watching a genocide unfold on our phone screens for the last 10 months, we need more than just a messaging shift or a language shift. We need actual policy that will end the killing and collective punishment and war crimes of Israel and Netanyahu's government that continues to kill and occupy the Palestinian people and we are fearful of another four years of Trump that's why the uncommitted movement has been signaling to the Democratic Party and to the Biden-Harris administration that in order to unite our party and do the moral and ethical thing and have a fighting chance against Trump in November, we need a policy shift now.
SCIUTTO: Yeah. Niraj, you heard speaking with Josh Rogin earlier that it's his view that this ceasefire hostage deal might get punted until after the election because Netanyahu might calculate he would get a better deal then, therefore, one more in his interests, not in the interest of the residents of Gaza, et cetera, without a deal, then you would likely see the war persists there. How might that impact the election if voters in Michigan are still seeing the tragedy play out before their eyes?
WARIKOO: Yeah. Well, some are saying that the every American community could be too potential swing vote. You know, Trump won in 2016, but he only won by about 10,000 to 11,000 votes.
Now, Biden won by a bigger margin in 2020 by about 150,000 votes. But there is a substantial Arab population and a lot of them are upset by what's going on is that they may make them more motivated to go to the polls. But it remains to be seen what the voter turnout will be in the past, sometimes been an issue, but there may be an increased this year.
Another factor is a large percentage of the Middle Eastern community are Chaldeans, who are Iraqi Catholics. The RNC convention a couple of weeks ago, where there was a Russian speaker, she spoke about her Arab identities. So, it will be interesting to see how that plays into this. A lot of them are traditionally been Trump supporters.
SCIUTTO: Yeah, people forget there are Christians in Iraq. I went to church in Baghdad once still there.
Well, it's good to have you on.
[15:30:00]
I hope we can keep up the conversation because this is certainly going to continue to be an issue in this election and going forward.
Niraj, Layla, thanks so much.
Coming up, the Obamas jump on to the Kamala Harris endorsement train.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE OBAMA, FORMER FIRST LADY (via telephone): I can't have this phone call without saying to my girl Kamala, I am proud of you. This is going to be historic.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: Welcome back.
The final Democratic leadership endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris came in this morning. The video shows the moment former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama called Harris with their decision.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT (via telephone): We call to say, Michelle and I couldn't be prouder to endorse you and to do everything we can to get you through this election and into the Oval Office.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Their endorsement comes five days after the vice president took the reins of the campaign from President Biden. And with this upcoming Sunday marking, 100 days until election day, that's all the Harris team is announcing a weekend of action, an all-out blitz across key battleground states.
For more on what she has planned and the Obama's endorsements, let's bring in CNN White House correspondent Camila DeChalus.
So, Camila, what's on scheduled for the weekend because I imagine there's been a bit of a rollout plan.
[15:35:01]
CAMILA DECHALUS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Jim, the campaign of Kamala Harris tells us that they are having several events over the weekend to just mark 100 days until the election. They have told us that a lot of her campaign surrogates are going to hit the road, really making that message to voters about Harris and her track record and what she has done.
Now for Harris herself, we are told that she's going to head to Massachusetts to attend a fundraiser and also deliver a virtual address at a summit geared towards young voters. And that is very pivotal because what we know at this time is that young voters will play a very important role in this upcoming election cycle. And so, we've heard that several of our campaign surrogates and her advisors are really going to go to this summit, and really tout this message about what that administration has done for young voters and what she will set out to do if she wins in this upcoming election cycle.
SCIUTTO: Do we have any update? And I know it was a tough question on the status of her VP pick?
DECHALUS: Well, at this time, what we know is that she has given the date of August 7th to pick a VP and at this time, we know that they're severely undergoing of Syria's vetting process. The front runners, we are told involve Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. It also includes the Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, and also another person along in this cycle that's really his name has been brought up time and time again, is the North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper for what she has this really a strong relationship with.
So, at this point in time, we don't know who she's going to pick, but we know that she's looking at these three contenders very seriously, and she's going to do a very thorough job vetting them and just ensuring that while she's running for office, that they can be by her side and really proved to be a really strong candidate that sets aside to really what she wants to do if she gets re-elected.
SCIUTTO: Camila DeChalus, thanks so much.
Well, some older voters in the key swing state of Pennsylvania say they are energized by Vice President Harris replacing President Biden on the Democratic ticket. While others not sure the switch will lure in more voters.
Our John King revisited the Keystone State to see exactly how people are seeing this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here we go.
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mahjong requires focus, patience, a clear strategy to build matching sets of tiles, changing course deep into the game is risky, but sometimes even experienced players see no choice but to try.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can I have your joker, please?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Okay. Heads up.
KING: You know how easy it is to swap out a candidate in the middle of the game?
This game ends in a draw.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nobody wins.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nobody wins.
KING: And a visitor brings up another big change.
Show of hands if you think Harris can win Pennsylvania.
So you're more optimistic now than you were with President Biden leading the ticket?
There's a head shake.
PAMELA ALTA, PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: No.
KING: Tell me why.
ALTA: No, I don't think a lot of men will vote for Harris. I just don't.
Whether you're Democrat or Republican, whatever, I just don't think the majority of men are ready for a female president.
KING: These three hands went up pretty quickly. So do you have more energy and enthusiasm about the campaign?
DARRELL ANN MURPHY, PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: Oh, my god, yes.
KING: One more time, show of hands. Who wants to see them debate?
MURPHY: Oh, yeah.
KING: Suddenly, Democrats like retiree and mahjong instructor Darrell Ann Murphy are bursting with energy. Suddenly, they see at least a chance to win battleground Pennsylvania and keep Donald Trump out of the White House.
MURPHY: I don't even like to hear the word Trump.
KING: What do you call him?
MURPHY: The monster.
KING: At this same table five months ago, three of the four thought President Biden was up to the job and they called criticism of his age unfair. But they began to see things that worried them -- Biden's debate debacle left no doubt.
MURPHY: From an experience I know how quickly things can go downhill when you are an older person.
KING: Now, a new challenge. MURPHY: You know, she's at the perfect age. She's committed. She's vigorous, and I overwhelmingly the women I talked to are let's go -- let's go.
KING: Civil rights activist Marvin Boyer organized the Black history display at this museum downtown Easton. The debate changed his mind, too, and in Harris, Boyer sees what was missing in Biden.
MARVIN BOYER, PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: You have to be aggressive because he's coming after you, and I think she's up to the challenge in that regard.
KING: The winner here in North Hampton County tends to be the winner statewide. Every vote matters.
BOYER: It also reenergizes a strong constituency of the Democratic Party, meaning Black females. So I think it's a good thing in that regard.
KING: Do you think America is ready to elect a woman of color its president?
BOYER: There's still racism, misogyny in this country in 2024, no question.
[15:40:03]
Well, can we overcome it with this election, enough that she can be elected? I hope so.
KING: Geology professor Lawrence Malinconico changed his mind after the debate, too. His wife donated to Harris as soon as the news broke, and Malinconico believes students will be much more energized now.
LARRY MALINCONICO, PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: There is an acceptable choice now when before I think there was real skepticism about the viability of President Biden for another four years.
KING: Do you think she can win Pennsylvania?
MALINCONICO: I hope so. I think part of it will depend on her choice of vice president.
KING: You take the country's ready for that, a woman of color as president?
MALINCONICO: I hope so. I'm a little nervous about that.
KING: Are you looking forward to Harris debating?
MALINCONICO: Absolutely.
KING: Why?
MALINCONICO: I'm hoping she should just eat him alive.
KING: Pat Levin became politically active in the 1940s during FDR's third term.
PAT LEVIN, PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: So, no, I've never seen that like this.
KING: She's just a few weeks from 95. Performance, not age is Levin's test and she sadly came to see President Biden couldn't pass it anymore.
LEVIN: I love him. I think he's been just wonderful but he is definitely impaired in terms of his thinking, in terms of his presentation, in terms of his energy.
KING: Simple advice for Harris.
LEVIN: Get into this, into those swing states and show her enthusiasm and her (INAUDIBLE), and her strength, and be able to communicate strongly.
KING: And one defining issue, if anyone seeks her wisdom.
LEVIN: It's democracy. It's actually -- this might be our last free and fair election if we don't win it. We cannot afford to lose this election, for the American people.
KING: A big twist at crunch time in what for Pat Levin will be presidential vote number 19.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: John King was out there doing his reporting.
Up next, the 2024 Olympics are officially underway. Team USA is currently sailing down the River Seine. We'll be live in Paris next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:45:12]
SCIUTTO: Welcome back.
We continue to follow the very rainy opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics. The ceremony kicked off along the River Seine with the colors of the French flag bursting through the sky. Athletes from all over the world sailing along the river in boats.
CNN sports anchor Coy Wire joins us now from Paris.
Coy, I want to -- I want to start with the athletes here. And any particular one you got your eyes on.
COY WIRE, CNN WORD SPORT: Yeah, man. I know not as fast as I used to be, Jim, but for you, I did catch up with the fastest man on the planet, six-time world champion Noah Lyles from Team USA, larger than life personality. I talked to him about the high expectations and pressure headed into these games.
I asked him, what is fear? (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NOAH LYLES, AMERICAN TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETE: Fear -- I think it's better to say what is bravery. There's a lot of people say bravery and fear are two sides of the same coin, but when you have bravery, it's not the absence of fear but the ability to have fear and still go into the unknown, knowing that it's there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: All right. He also told me, Jim, that growing up, he thought making the Olympics was like getting your drivers license, like anyone could get there if you wanted to. But he quickly realized I got to work hard. He sacrificed, dedicate his life. He took bronze in the 200 at the last Summer Olympics.
But this time, Jim, he says he plans on taking home four gold medals for Team USA.
SCIUTTO: Yeah, that bravery fear line is when you'll often hear from soldiers as well. They'll say courage is not the absence of fear, it's ability to overcome it.
All right, on the negative side of the ledger, there's already a scandal there with the Canadian women's soccer coach. What happened?
WIRE: Yeah, the defending women's soccer champions of the Olympic team, Canada, their head coach, Bev Priestman sent home after the team allegedly spied on opponents with drones. Monday, a Canada staff member was caught flying a drone around New Zealand's practice. That staff member and an assistant were sent home Wednesday.
Canada beat New Zealand, Jim, in their opening group stage match 2-1, and they're going to be playing the Olympic champs -- the Olympic champs are going to be playing the host nation France on Sunday. So a lot of eyes are going to be on that game. Some additional drama already here to start off these games.
SCIUTTO: Yeah. All right. Finally, I think I could still here the rain behind you. It's wet there. But the ceremony, the shows going on?
WIRE: Look, it is pouring cats and dogs. I'm talking like it is coming mean down in bucket loads, but Paris is still doing their best right now to put on an opening ceremony for the ages. You have Lady Gaga performance. She is rocking this incredible feather motif, French cabernets style Moulin Rouge dancers all around, and yes, these athletes are getting poured on these really fancy, nice outfits, just for opening ceremony bespoke pieces. But now, they're basically all just wearing plastic ponchos, but still smiling and embracing this big moment they've been working years for. I'm sure they're having fun. I'm sure you are.
Coy Wire, thanks so much.
WIRE: Thanks, Jim. SCIUTTO: We're going to have more on Olympic fashion after the break from traditional Mongolian wear, to Ralph Lauren white denim jackets, to all read Lululemon uniforms. We'll have all the details when we get back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:50:59]
SCIUTTO: Well, the Olympics are, of course, a time to celebrate athletic skill and sportsmanship. But when they're held in the fashion capital of the world's style, it's also something to be considered.
The Summers Olympics attractive interests from all walks of the fashion industry, from the fashion powerhouse LVMH, becoming the first official luxury Olympic sponsor, to American legacy designer Ralph Lauren.
I want to bring in fashion journalist and celebrity stylist Joe Zee.
Joe, I mean, it's always funny to watch this, right? And I think they're like the best dressed people in the world when they walk around in that opening ceremony.
Designing the uniform for your home country has to be a huge honor and also a spotlight, right, a selling spotlight. And this year, it seems that the interest is favoring Mongolia's outfits. Tell us why.
JOE ZEE, FASHION JOURNALIST: Absolutely. I mean, I think you look at it. It is a global stage for these fashion designers every four years and it's incredibly honored to be able to be picked to do this.
And you really have a mix of big name designers, as you mentioned, like Ralph Lauren. But then when you look at a country like Mongolia that has taken these sister designers, Michele & Amazonka, who had done these incredible designs that have been really talked about in the industry now, have them being revealed.
I mean, it took them three months to make and were really looking at the colors of Mongolia reflected in this was some elements of traditional dress and then of course, the sort of athleticism as well, and really representing what the country's about here at the Paris Olympics.
SCIUTTO: And great to see that traditional spin with the Mongolian outfits there.
Okay, lets talk about Team USA. As I understand it, Simone Biles actually had a hand in the uniform for women's gymnastics. Tell us exactly how her hand influence that I hear a lot about crystals.
ZEE: There is a lot of crystals on Simone Biles. I think what she's really done as sort of a grown up the idea of what the gymnastics leotard is. A previously was very pink and girly and almost juvenile. And she really pushed it in the direction to make it much more patriotic, much more evolved. And, of course, Simone being Simone, and that we're also in Paris is a
double whammy of making a little bit more glamorous. So the company that made these leotard GK Elite has been spending more than two years and doing this and he to these leotard that Simone is wearing and her teammates carry almost 10,000 crystals on now, in order to really bring that that's in glamour at the same.
SCIUTTO: That's crazy.
Okay. So you've got the stuff you wearing the opening ceremony. Of course, you could just look nice and that. But when you're talking about gymnastics or other sports, you got to wear it when you're performing at the highest level. I mean, that's a hard balance to get right.
ZEE: I mean, it is a very tough balance. I mean, the opening ceremony, of course, the closing ceremony, you can have a little bit more leeway and you see a lot of tailoring and sport (INAUDIBLE) and I think even team China having some controversy with having their women wear heels, though they're just standing on a boat.
But I think the idea is that when you are performing, you really have to balance that idea of performance, patriotism, you know, branding, and also your country and all of those things at the same time. So it is a tall order. But when you get it right, it's really a lightning in a bottle for these brand designers because they can really have that winning effect from a winning team, and really being on this global stage and a great way.
SCIUTTO: Yeah, and you got to sweat, right? I mean, it's got to -- it's got to be able to, like, breathe with you, I imagine.
ZEE: Well, you have to breathe, you have to be able to like be able to move, has to be functional in that way.
And, of course, we're seeing skateboarding and breakdancing be new categories in the Olympics as well. So that's going to enter a new fray in terms of what fashion is for that.
SCIUTTO: And plus, they're all fitter than we are, so they looked great in whatever they're wearing. So there's that as well.
Joe Zee, thanks so much for walking us through it.
ZEE: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: Thanks so much to all of you for joining me today. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington.
[15:55:00]
"Quest means business" is up next. Please do have a great weekend.
