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CNN Live Event/Special
Biden Speaks At WH Amid Questions About Campaign; Biden Speaks At White House July 4 Event; The Fourth In America. Aired 8-9p ET
Aired July 04, 2024 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[20:00:00]
DANA BASH, CNN HOST: ... very soon when the sun sets and the fireworks shoot 1,000 feet into the night sky. We're also awaiting the launch of fireworks right here where we are in Washington, D.C. and remarks by President Biden at the White House. This is The Fourth in America live on CNN.
And if you are just joining us, Happy Independence Day. I'm Dana Bash with Boris Sanchez, and that's the U.S. Air Force Band behind us getting ready to perform during the fireworks here in the nation's capital.
Boris, the band was playing earlier for us, really spectacular, and getting us very much in the holiday spirit.
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Absolutely. You got all the chills watching. That makes you feel especially patriotic. And there's still a lot more great music ahead. Can't wait for the fireworks to start popping from coast to coast.
And we are covering them like only CNN can. One of my favorites, the light show over Niagara Falls. It promises to be a truly stunning display again this year. And, of course, we're also heading to the Midwest where fireworks are going to light up the St. Louis skyline and that iconic Gateway Arch, a symbol of the region. Folks in Nashville are also going to be celebrating, Dana.
BASH: That's right. And as they get ready to hear the music of country star Chris Young, we are going to get to enjoy his performance too. And if R&B is more your style, well, guess what? You're in luck. The iconic group En Vogue is performing on the beach in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, tonight.
Performing now with the United States Air Force Band is Grammy- nominated artist Gavin DeGraw.
(Gavin DeGraw with United States Air Force Band performs I Don't Want To Be)
[20:05:00]
GAVIN DEGRAW: This is fun, ain't it? We got a little bit more for you. Thanks for having us today, you all. Give it up for this amazing band, please. (Gavin DeGraw with United States Air Force Band performs Chariot)
DEGRAW: May God bless you. See you later. God bless America.
[20:10:00]
BASH: Amazing.
SANCHEZ: Wow. Wow, what a performance.
BASH: I mean, absolutely amazing. He was on INSIDE POLITICS with me earlier today and this was very special to him because both of his parents served in the military. And has a new album coming out "Chariot 20" comes out September 27th.
SANCHEZ: Yes. You could feel that in the music, how passionate he was about it.
BASH: Right.
SANCHEZ: Yeah, that was fantastic.
BASH: Yes.
SANCHEZ: So after that great performance, what do we do for an encore? How about the first fireworks of the night on the National Mall ...
BASH: That'll work.
SANCHEZ: ... right here in the nation's capital. We are closing in on that.
And we're also about to hear some scorching music on the beach in Fort Lauderdale from En Vogue.
Plus, country's Kane Brown and many other A-list artists still ahead right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:14:39]
BASH: We are coming to you live from the nation's capital on this fourth in America. Last minute preparations are underway for the gala fireworks show that will be launched near the Lincoln Memorial. Get ready for the sparks to fly.
And on the beach in Fort Lauderdale, crowds are fired up for the legendary R&B group En Vogue.
[20:15:03]
You're going to hear their iconic music just moments from now. Let's get back to New York and to our pal, Harry Enten. Harry, you still there? HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: I am still here. We're waiting for the fireworks. They're going to come in a little bit more than an hour. I just want to note, though, last time around, you saw my fantastic blue and white star shirt.
But I want to get in my pants here. This is how patriotic I am, okay? Look at these red pants. I am dressed in a patriotic red, white and blue because I love this country. And we're going to show how much everyone loves this country by those fireworks going on in a little bit more than an hour.
The other thing I'll note, I love this country so much. There was the hot dog eating contest earlier today and so I decided, you know what, I'm going to have to take part in a little bit myself. I'm not going to be able to eat 50 hot dogs. But let's see if I can take a bite, one, and tell you how it is.
I am like a Joey Chestnut, okay? Look at this. Look at this.
SANCHEZ: Finish it, yes, come on.
BASH: Our very own Joey Chestnut.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
BASH: You okay?
ENTEN: Oh, my god.
BASH: Wait, hold on. Are you okay?
SANCHEZ: He's speechless. It's so good.
ENTEN: Guys ...
BASH: Okay, and I don't ...
ENTEN: ... back to you. This is American, baby.
BASH: ... On a different level, let's come back to Washington, D.C. because over at the White House, not far from where we are, you see the Vice President and the President and their spouses. Let's listen in.
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Happy Fourth of July, everyone. Happy Independence Day. And today, as we celebrate freedom, as we celebrate the promise of America, we also celebrate and express our gratitude to our service members, to our veterans, to our military families. And we give thanks to our commander in chief, the President of the United States, the extraordinary president of the United States, Joe Biden.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Ho, ho, ho. Happy Independence Day. We've got to do what our founders did. Show the world we're a nation of dignity, honor and just devotion to one another. This is - no, I really mean it. Folks, it's all about democracy. It's all about freedom. It's all about who we are. We're the United States of America, and nothing like it exists in the world. Happy Fourth of July. Enjoy the fireworks. God love you all. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
BASH: President Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, the Vice President Kamala Harris and the Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, a very big celebration happening at the White House, which isn't too far from where we are, Boris. You just heard very brief remarks from the President. Very clearly, though, talking about democracy and freedom.
SANCHEZ: Saying that Americans should do as the founders and show the world that we are devoted to each other, as the President said. His most extensive remarks without a teleprompter since last week's debate, which you moderated, Dana. Obviously, it comes at a critical time for his campaign.
BASH: That's right. And you see him making his way down from the stage into the crowd of people, family, friends, supporters, who are there to greet him and to celebrate the Fourth. Pretty good location. Not a bad place to watch the fireworks, huh?
SANCHEZ: Not a bad view at all. They're going to be watching just south toward the Washington Monument, where we are expecting those fireworks getting ready to blast off as soon as the sun starts going down. That's not the only place, obviously, that we're going to be watching the fireworks. We're also keeping a close eye on New York and cities across the country and some of the musical acts that we're going to have here on CNN as well.
BASH: Yes, and just back to watching the President. He's obviously diving into the crowd there and shaking hands. This is about as classic and typical as American apple pie for a president or any politician to be glad-handing. This is something that we tend to see every single year, no matter who is president. But obviously all eyes are on this particular president at this time.
SANCHEZ: Absolutely. And you actually just saw someone in the crowd. I could read their lips. They were telling the President, we love you. Earlier in the night, he was yelled at apparently by someone in the crowd: "We need you." The President responding quickly: "I'm not going anywhere."
So sending a message clearly to those, even in his own party, that have been expressing doubt about his future as the top candidate for Democrats.
[20:20:03]
Again, this is the President at the White House, shaking hands and awaiting the fireworks at the National Mall. We'll, of course, bring you those live as they happen. Stay with CNN, the Fourth on CNN is back in just moments.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:23:56] SANCHEZ: The sun is starting to set here in Washington, DC. And that means the fireworks will soon launch, soaring some 2,000 feet over America's most iconic monuments. There is nothing quite like it to get in the holiday spirit of this Fourth in America.
BASH: There certainly isn't. But first, let's go to Fort Lauderdale and CNN's Randi Kaye.
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: While the celebration continues for the Fourth of July here in Fort Lauderdale Beach, we are celebrating with En Vogue. Can you believe it? They are about to take the stage here. And they're giving us just a few moments of their time. Happy July 4th. How does it feel to be performing on July 4th here in Florida?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, it feels great. The weather's perfect. We've got a huge audience. We're on the water. It doesn't get any better than that.
KAYE: Absolutely. The crowd has been here all day. And now they are gathered in their seats. They went from the beach to their chairs, but you are going to get them on your - on their feet, aren't you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's the plan. We intend to party today.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
KAYE: They're ready to party, for sure. So listen, you have sold more than 20 million albums. You're back on tour.
[20:25:03]
Is there any chance, I know everybody at home would love to just get a little preview of what you might be doing tonight, maybe a little - a few notes of "Whatta Man" or something?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sure. Yes, okay. Oh, my goodness.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Never going to get it, okay.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right around there?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Okay, yes.
(En Vogue sings)
KAYE: Wow, that is amazing. That is so amazing. What is your favorite thing about July 4th, besides performing here in Florida, of course?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my gosh, we - you know, I'm so used to being with my family. So, you know, we were all talking about that early and we were saying, okay, well, even though we're not with them this year, they'll be watching us on television and we'll still be celebrating, having a good time.
KAYE: Absolutely. It's about patriotism, music, families getting together. I want to ask you, because I think a lot of people wonder, who inspired you for a lot of your songs and a lot of your music? Who are the others that came before you that inspired you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my goodness, we've been inspired by so many, Chaka Khan, Natalie Cole, chime in.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) night.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Emotions ...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Pointer Sisters, The Supremes ...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Supremes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All the greatest.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.
KAYE: Of course. And the name, I understand you almost didn't go with En Vogue, is that correct?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right. That's true.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We did, earlier on, we had this name called 4U, because we were thinking it's four of us ...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 4U.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right. We're like, you know what, that doesn't really well, so ...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah. I'm glad we didn't go with it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, we too.
KAYE: Well, listen, we are so excited and the crowd has been waiting all day. As I said, they are lined up and we're going to have some fireworks after you perform, so hopefully you'll stick around for some of that. I know you need to get to the stage, so do that. And back to you, Dana and Boris.
SANCHEZ: I love that a cappella preview, so let's get to it. The iconic R&B group En Vogue performing at the Fourth of July spectacular in Fort Lauderdale.
[20:30:00]
(En Vogue performs Whatta Man)
(SINGING)
SANCHEZ: Some classics from En Vogue. They're actually on tour right now. So when they come to town, you should go check them out.
[20:35:00]
BASH: Can't wait. We are, of course, waiting for the big fireworks right here in Washington, D.C. But we have more music for you right now as we wait. Kane Brown gives us an electric performance from the Summerfest Festival in Milwaukee.
(SINGING)
[20:40:50]
BASH: Kane Brown miles on it. Pretty amazing. We're going to hear more from Kane in just a few minutes, but for now, let's go back to Brianna Keilar, who is at the National Mall. Bri, almost time for the fireworks.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: It is almost time, Dana. And I have to tell you, I think everyone crossing their fingers may have paid off because the crowd is enjoying what is truly a beautiful sunset. The energy is building. It is getting packed here by the Washington Monument is -- we look towards the Lincoln Monument, which is where fireworks are going to be going off here in not too long.
The National Park Service, of course, in charge of this fireworks display. They'll be shooting shells off 2,000 feet above the mall, illuminating all of our gorgeous museums and our monuments. And people here are really excited. I think they were a little worried.
We'd had a heat advisory today. It cooled off a little because of a thunderstorm, which was nice. But then we had this worry that another one was coming in, but it is looking really good. And it has attracted huge crowds. People coming from all over the U.S. But we've also talked to people who are here from other countries as well, and they are just thrilled to see what is really one of the premier displays of fireworks in the country.
They put on such a show in Washington, D.C. And we know that this is going to be a night to remember. So many people looking forward to this. Dana and Boris.
SANCHEZ: Absolutely. And they're in for a treat. I mean, just look at the sun going down right now.
BASH: Look at some great sunset there.
SANCHEZ: Those magenta colors, the pinks and blues. Look at that.
BASH: That's incredible.
SANCHEZ: Yes. We're excited to see these darkening skies too, because soon they're going to get filled up with dazzling fireworks just minutes from now, of course, accompanied by the stirring sounds of the U.S. Air Force Band.
We're also going to see New York City's famous landmarks light up very soon. And later, country superstar, Keith Urban is performing some new music for us. Much more still ahead on the Fourth in America.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:46:38]
BASH: An absolutely gorgeous --
SANCHEZ: Wow.
BASH: -- sunset here in Washington, D.C. Absolutely breathtaking, isn't it? As we, of course, are celebrating America's birthday, the White House is decked out in red, white and blue as we are all about to get a really big gift, one of the biggest fireworks shows in the country that will illuminate the National Mall just minutes from now. You are going to see it and hear it live here on CNN.
SANCHEZ: Just take in --
BASH: I know.
SANCHEZ: -- that view for a moment. That is just stunning and gorgeous. And what a wonderful gift to us celebrating the country's 248th birthday. Let's get you out -- look at that.
BASH: It almost looks fake.
SANCHEZ: It looks like AI.
BASH: It's real.
SANCHEZ: It's real. Yes, it's real. And we were expecting the potential for thunderstorms tonight. So it's that much more special.
We want to get you out to our friend, John Berman, our star-spangled friend, who's in Nashville getting ready to celebrate. He had a shot of Jack Daniels earlier. What do you have in store now, John?
BASH: Called (ph) an A shot -- how do we know it was A shot?
SANCHEZ: Good question.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Look, the bottle is completely full. There is nothing missing from this bottle.
BASH: OK.
BERMAN: -- as far as you know.
BASH: And where's the other bottle?
BERMAN: Look, happy birthday, America. There's no other bottle, as far as you know. Listen, there was some rain here for a second in Nashville, but I don't even know that people noticed. They didn't really notice. They were told to go inside because there was some lightning. But that's not really a hardship here, because what that means is you have to walk into one of the many awesome bars and hockey talks that line broadway here and hear other live music in there. But now everyone's back out. The rain has stopped. This thing is delayed like a couple minutes. That's all.
We're going to see the fireworks soon, and when you talk about fireworks, they brag here about their 8-inch shells that shoot 800 feet up into the air and explode with a diameter of 800 feet, which is pretty good. But here's the real kicker. There are eight pyrotechnicians that sit in a steel bunker for the duration of the show to run the whole thing.
Those guys are pressing all the buttons, Boris and Dana, to make sure that all the things go boom exactly when they're supposed to. And, again, the people here could not be more excited to see it get back and get started. We're going to see the musicians on the stage here in just a minute, guys.
SANCHEZ: I'm not sure there's going to be a brighter light in the sky than John Berman.
BASH: I know.
SANCHEZ: Look at how amazing he looks right now.
BASH: I do want to -- I want to just note that I did have a little costume change.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
BASH: I turned my reversible shirt around. I mean, it's nothing like John Berman's fit, but I also want to know that I changed my shoes too, if you can see it. Can you see?
SANCHEZ: Are you wearing blue heels, John Berman?
BASH: Blue suede shoes. Oh, I just realized, blue shade shoes. That's kind of perfect for where you are.
BERMAN: I Actually -- I don't think you see my belt, but I have a red, white, blue belt right here, belt buckle with the words "carry on it." This is my wife's belt. Oh, you can't see it. That's my wife's name, Kerry.
BASH: Oh my God.
BERMAN: This is her belt that I'm wearing red, white, and blue right there. So, yes, I got it all. I got it all going on.
[20:50:02]
BASH: You sure do.
SANCHEZ: Shout out to Kerry, shout out to his family. John Berman, thank you so much. We want to get you back to Kane Brown because he's got another hit for us from Summerfest Festival in Milwaukee. Let's listen.
(SINGING)
SANCHEZ: A heartfelt performance alongside that fiddle by Kane Brown. Do not miss him out on his in the air tour this summer.
BASH: That's right. Now we want to take you right back to New York. Look at that beautiful view of New York City. We're going to see the fireworks flying there in a very short time. We're also on the brink of seeing a fantastic show right here in Washington, D.C.
The sky is about to light up. Stay right here for all of that. And much more music ahead including Kesha, performing TikTok and other fantastic Kesha hits. Don't go anywhere.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:57:48]
BASH: The crowds are growing. The excitement is building on the National Mall right here in Washington, D.C. That's because we're about to see the nation's capital light up with an awesome fireworks display. It's going to be launched from both sides of the reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial. It's the first fireworks show of the night.
One of more than a dozen you are going to see right here on CNN, including New York. The city's world famous skyline will soon sparkle with so much color, casting a glow right there on Lady Liberty. New York's fireworks extravaganza includes some never before seen pyrotechnics this year.
This is the Fourth in America on CNN. I am Dana Bash. So happy to be here with my friend, Boris Sanchez. We have a front row seat for the amazing fireworks here in D.C. and the performance by the U.S. Air Force Band. They're right behind us.
Let's go to Harry Enten. And Harry, you are also going to have a pretty awesome view very, very high up in New York City.
ENTEN: Oh yes.
BASH: How's it looking there?
ENTEN: Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Oh, yes. In just 30 minutes, the fireworks are going to light up the sky of New York just over my left shoulder over there. The fireworks are going to jump out from the barges. It's going to be a fantastic show.
Let me ask you guys. Guys, my crowd, are you guys looking forward to this?
(CHEERING) The excitement is building in the air, and although John Berman hasn't touched his drink, I've drank mine. Guys, we're excited here. Back to you.
SANCHEZ: Harry, thank you so much.
Let's get to Brianna Keilar, who's live for us on the National Mall. Brianna, the mood has to be outstanding, just given the sunset that we just witnessed.
KEILAR: Yes. And people are so excited for it, and they're here from all over, just talking to people. Poland, Utah, Missouri, China and this lovely couple. Carla (ph), you are from the D.C. area, but you're here with Valentine (ph), who is your husband. You married a Frenchman. What are you hoping to show him tonight?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some lovely fireworks. Hopefully it doesn't rain. And a good time. I'm here with my dad as well.
