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CNN Live Event/Special
J.D. Vance Headlines Third Night Of RNC, Source: Biden "Receptive" In Discussions About His Future. Aired 8-9p ET
Aired July 17, 2024 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[20:00:35]
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: We are live in Milwaukee getting closer to the main event of this third night of the Republican National Convention, the debut speech by Donald Trump's new running mate, Senator J.D. Vance.
This will be an early and significant test of the party's enthusiasm for Vance, once a Trump critic and now the top prospect to lead the MAGA movement into the future.
Welcome to CNN's convention coverage from inside the arena, where tonight's program is underway.
I'm Anderson Cooper along with Jake Tapper.
And Jake, you will have a ringside seat at Vance's speech at your position close to convention floor.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Hi, Anderson.
The 39-year-old, first-term Senator from Ohio, is promising to make a forceful case this evening for Donald Trump's reelection.
He also plans to make his high-profile convention speech in an introductory way, introducing himself to the American people. We're told that Senator Vance will focus on his personal journey rising from nothing as he has put it to success, reaching this extraordinary moment in American history where he accepts the Republican vice- presidential nomination.
Senator Vance will be introduced by his wife, Usha, a trial attorney, daughter of Indian immigrants. The Vances capping tonight's program, which includes remarks by North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, a top VP contender who lost out to Vance, as well as a primetime speech by the former president's oldest son, Donald Trump, Jr.
At this moment, a celebration for Republicans, we do have some breaking news on the Democratic side, a new setback for President Biden, a diagnosis of COVID in the midst of increasing pressure from fellow Democrats for him to exit the 2024 race.
The president abruptly calling off an event in Nevada. His schedule now appearing uncertain at this intense moment of turmoil from his campaign. You see him on your screen there. It looks like he's having some difficulty getting up the stairs.
Let us get more on this breaking news from the Democrats. Jeff Zeleny has that.
Jeff, what are you picking up? What are you learning?
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jake, we know as President Biden is flying back to the East Coast tonight, after testing positive for COVID, as you said, and cutting his trip to Las Vegas short.
We know that he is facing potentially a new moment in his campaign. He's been hearing for the last several days, from Democratic lawmakers, officials, and others about their concerns about his path forward here.
I'm talking to a senior Democratic adviser tonight who is telling me this, he said, he believes the president is being, "more receptive to these calls of concern."
He goes on to say this, "The private conversations with the Hill are continuing," this adviser tells me. "He is being receptive, not as defiant as he is publicly." He goes on to saying, talking about Vice President Kamala Harris, who initially he wondered how she may fare in a campaign should it come to that?
I'm told now he is asking questions saying, "Do you think Kamala can win?"
Again, this adviser offers caution saying this: "It is still unclear where he's going to land, but he seems to be listening."
So, Jake, what we do know, this is a new moment for President Biden. Tomorrow marks three weeks since the debate in Atlanta, as you well know. He's heard so much concern from across the Democratic Party. Time is running short.
The Democratic National Committee was thinking about starting their nomination process next week, that is now on hold, that will not get and until August 1st.
So, there is a bit of time for the president to make this decision. But hanging over all of this is the same thing as it has been for the last three weeks. If not him, who?
But tonight, as the president flies back to the East Coast from Las Vegas, it is certainly a new moment for him and his potential candidacy -- Jake.
TAPPER: All right, Jeff Zeleny, thanks so much.
And I'm here, ring side with Dana Bash and Chris Wallace. There is something that was just in Peter Navarro's speech, Peter Navarro who just did some prison time for contempt of Congress violation and was a top adviser to Donald Trump. He made this argument and I've heard it a few times and it's certainly
not in keeping with the -- let's bring the temperature down idea that we've been hearing. And that is, this idea that they keep coming for Donald Trump and tying the "they," whether its impeachment or prosecutions of Trump, tying that "they" to the shooting on Saturday.
And again, we still do not know the motives for the shooter, for his twisted and sick act.
[20:05:08]
But the idea that somehow, the House Committee looking into January 6 --
DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR AND POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: No.
TAPPER: -- or these prosecutions or whatever are in any way appropriately grouped with an assassination attempt is very dangerous language.
BASH: It's very dangerous language, but also as we talk about that, and obviously we are at the Republican Convention. If I may, I just want to take a moment to digest what Jeff just reported about President Biden because this is a shift. This is different.
He is being told that the president is receptive. So, different from what you have been hearing, from what I have been hearing, from what you have been hearing, which is he's dug in. He doesn't want to listen.
Our reporting about the fact that he is been having very combative conversations with House Democrats who are desperate for him to listen to their concerns and their fear, that it's not just him who could lose, but the House and the Senate as well.
And this seems to be a potential, again, he was very cautious, but a potential turning point that there's even a remote possibility that the doors opened this much is something we have not heard up until right now.
CHRIS WALLACE, CNN HOST: But look at the situation, his political support is falling away. There's a report from ABC News that Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader came in sometime in the last couple of days and said, it would be better if you dropped out.
We're told that the financial support is dropping away. The big donors across the country have basically said we're not putting any more money into the Biden campaign with a situation that it is. And then, on top of everything else, with all the concerns about his mental acuity, to now have COVID and I must say it was, you know, the metaphor wrote itself.
The caption wrote itself, as you saw him like a very old weak man, struggling to get up the stairs of Air Force One. If he isn't rethinking it, you'd have to say he's out of touch with reality. I'm not saying he's going to drop out. We don't know that, but there's an awful lot that is piling up. One, you know, blow after another that you would think how -- have him and his inner circle rethinking the viability of this campaign.
TAPPER: Yes, and the Governor of Texas Greg Abbott is speaking right now. Let me throw it back to Anderson -- Anderson.
COOPER: Jake, thanks very much.
I am here with the team. David Axelrod this report, Jeff Zeleny reporting. Do believe that this is some sort of a shift? This idea that the president has been asking, you know, do you think Kamala Harris could win?
DAVID AXELROD, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think that -- I think that that is a question that he has asked, but at this point, it's a question really about him and whether he has any chance in this race. And something has happened, Anderson, in the last several weeks between the debate, the events of Saturday, and the assassination attempt, and the way president -- former President Trump reacted to with the iconic photo.
It has crystallized something that has sent the numbers spiraling to the degree they can in a very polarized country. So, look, there are three things that you look at.
One is polling and the polling is getting worse. The battleground, which is getting larger, there were seven battleground -- maybe six or perhaps seven battleground states to start. Now, you have 11 or 12.
And then, money. Do you have the resources to compete? And that money has dried up. And now donors are not talking about how do we shore up the president? They're talking about how do we shore up the House? How do we shore up the Senate? And that's where they're shifting their resources.
This is inexorable and I don't say this with any pleasure at all because I worked with Joe Biden. He has served his country well for most of his life, and this is not the coda that he wants on his career.
And I think that's what people are telling him that he can help improve the chances of winning a race that he says is existential, but the way he has to do it is to exit. And look, there will be a discussion about whether it's the vice president or not. She certainly is the likely candidate, maybe not the certain candidate, but what is certain is he is not in a position to win this race any longer.
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN HOST: And he has not helped himself at all with these interviews that he's done recently.
Thats one thing that I'm getting the sense of from talking to people.
[20:10:03]
His comments have reinforced the idea that he is not connected to what's happening in the battlegrounds, not just at the presidential level, but as Axelrod was talking about further down down-ballot.
The people that I'm hearing from, still believe that the Democrats could go into August with an undecided convention. I don't want to use the word contested. But the question is, will they go in with a clear nominee? Many people that I'm speaking with believe at this moment that they likely will not.
COOPER: John King, what are you hearing?
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: To David's point, the White House, the president in his interviews, and the top Biden aides in their conversations back to the Democrats who say, please convince him to get out of the race has been stopped. The president is not going to do that. They were hoping that that will stop it. In the president's public comments, it has not stopped it.
Some of the same Senior Democrats are calling back again and again and again, to David's point, the data is getting progressively worse and it's all being sent to the White House.
We have zero indication the president is ready to say, okay, let's talk about this. But people who are in touch with his inner circle say the conversations with them in the last 24 hours are a little bit different. That they're not as defiant. They're not getting told, shut up, they're not getting told, go away, they're not getting told you're the problem by asking us to do this.
Now, does that mean the president is getting the message? We don't know that. We do know -- I mean, it's sad, the president of United States has COVID, but we now know he's off the road. He's going to be back in Delaware. His wife has going there as well.
So, if there are going to be these conversations and people are going to try to break through with him in the place, he is most comfortable, home in Delaware would be the place to do it.
KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: There is something going on too, Anderson, with Nancy Pelosi, the former House Speaker, who is someone who has had a long relationship with Joe Biden.
What Adam shifted this morning, where he came out and made this call, is being widely interpreted by everyone --
COOPER: He said the president should --
HUNT: Adam Schiff said that the president should step aside, and that's being widely interpreted as a signal for where Nancy Pelosi is in this time. And she is someone who has credibility with him, that perhaps others don't. She is same age as he is --
AXELROD: Yes.
HUNT: He respects her. Her political instincts are second to none. She is widely respected there.
And that call that President Biden did with House Democrats and people -- the conversations that I'm having, it's been seen as something of a turning point, particularly back-and-forth that the president had with Congressman Jason Crow, who has been very outspoken on January 6th is a very well-respected --
COOPER: This was a call shortly before the assassination attempt, correct?
HUNT: I believe that was --
PHILLIP: About an hour before.
AXELROD: Yes, it was, it was. Yes.
PHILLIP: About an hour before.
HUNT: Yes, it was right before, but it got contentious and Crow is not known as someone who would take that kind of a position. He is very well-respected in the House and for the president to kind of have that demeanor, I think sent a real message to House Democrats.
COOPER: John.
KING: In all of these conversations, to Kasie's point, Adam Schiff is a significant senior Democrat in California, probably the next senator from California, so close to Pelosi, wouldn't do it without checking with her.
What people are saying is they're just hoping the White House gets the message. If not, everyone is talking about next week. There will be polling a few days after this convention. Everyone expects it will be even worse for the president.
Plus, there is a private internal polling. Everyone says, we hope the president makes his decision, otherwise, look for early next week to be a tipping point.
COOPER: Van.
VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Look, there are a lot of people who want Biden to stay in. I want to just keep pointing out that there's still grassroots love for Joe Biden. Everybody doesn't agree.
But today is a terrible day. If you just -- if you pull back and look at this thing, strength versus weakness, a bullet couldn't stop Trump, a virus just stopped Biden.
You've got the nominees of this party getting their butts kissed. Biden is getting his butt kicked by own party. The Democrats are coming apart. The Republicans are coming together. That is what's happening. And at some point, this party has to look at the reality of that and move.
AXELROD: Let me just say on Pelosi. Nancy Pelosi, first and foremost, no one understands or feels more strongly about the threat that Trumpism represents than Nancy Pelosi.
She saw it, she faced it down as speaker and Nancy Pelosi is someone who first and foremost says, how do we win?
JONES: How do we win?
AXELROD: How are we going to win?
DAVID URBAN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I'll tell you. I'll tell you.
AXELROD: And so, I think that's the message that she is driving her and I'm sure it's the message that she brought to the president.
COOPER: David?
URBAN: Anderson, I would just say, last night, I saw John at the wall. The number was 3-30 to Trump. If that number is 3-30, every one of those potential US senators, the Electoral College. Every one of those potential US senators, you saw come up there last night will be US senators.
And so, I think that is what the reality is, again that, that pathway, that polling that came out, that showed those states getting bigger and bigger and their chances of holding the House and holding the Senate are just slipping away rapidly and it's like falling down a slippery slope, if you can't get a foothold quickly, you're off the cliff.
SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, it's -- Joe Biden has had the worst three weeks in presidential campaign history, from the debate to today, and Donald Trump probably had the best three weeks.
[20:15:06]
These two things coinciding are freaking out --
COOPPER: By the way, it's insane that the best three weeks includes an attempted assassination.
JENNINGS: I mean, the way this has all come down against Joe Biden. I mean, once again, today, we're going on the air tonight saying, we're praying for Joe Biden.
I mean, the best thing you can say about him right now, he's having good days and there's more bad days than good days.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: Dana, then David, we've got to go.
AXELROD: I do not -- I think we ought to recognize that Donald Trump is unbeatable in this room. He is a colossus to stride this arena.
Outside in the real-world, he is still underwater in his polling. He's not a popular figure --
(CROSSTALK)
AXELROD: -- and if there is a change of candidates, this race changes. There's a reason the Trump people haven't run any debate ads against them.
Tony Fabrizio, who is a pollster was at an event I moderated today and he acknowledged, yes, we are not trying to push Biden out of this race. And there's a reason for that. If the race changes --
JENNINGS: Do you think Harris, changes the race?
AXELROD: I do. I do.
HUNT: Trump has people in the fight.
PHILLIP: I do feel --
HUNT: People think Harris changes the race.
PHILLIP: Yes.
AXELROD: But you may not -- they will test the proposition, Scott, but --
PHILLIP: Absolutely, she does.
AXELROD: -- I think people are looking for a change at the top of this ticket and I think she would represent it.
KING: The conversation to David's point among Democrats, whether it's Harris or someone else is definitely lose with Biden or take a chance and they will take a chance.
URBAN: But John, the four people who showed on that poll yesterday, right?
KING: Yes.
URBAN: Kamala Harris was not in, any of those -- she wasn't in those four.
PHILLIP: But she --
URBAN: Mark Kelly -- it was Mark Kelly, Josh Shapiro --
COOPER: Wes Moore.
URBAN: Wes Moore and there wasn't Kamala.
PHILLIP: But she is still -- but she is still -- the view of it is still that she is still best positioned from a campaign finance position, from Democratic coalition position.
Look, it is a real thing what will happen in the Democratic Party, if it is not given serious consideration that the first Black female vice president is the presumptive nominee if Biden steps aside.
That is a real thing, but also, I think --
JENNINGS: They can't, they can't do it. PHILLIP: Kamala Harris is also the strongest person who is already
established on the best issue for Democrats in this cycle, which is the issue of reproductive rights.
AXELROD: Yes.
COOPER: Just ahead, more speeches from the convention floor here in Milwaukee. We will hear from North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, who was once a top contender to be Donald Trump's running mate.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:21:13]
TAPPER: Let's get back to our coverage of the Republican National Convention, here in Milwaukee. We are awaiting remarks from a man who was once on Donald Trump's vice-presidential shortlist, Governor Doug Burgum of North Dakota. The man who was ultimately picked of course, is J.D. Vance.
Let us listen right now into the Mayor of East Palestine, Ohio where there was that horrific train wreck. Let's listen in.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
TRENT CONAWAY, MAYOR OF EAST PALESTINE, OHIO (R): Good evening. February 3, 2023 began like any other Midwestern day, but in a heartbeat, everything changed. I'm Trent Conaway, the proud mayor of East Palestine, Ohio.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
CONAWAY: When the train derailed, spewing flames and toxic chemicals to our town, faced a disaster unlike we'd ever seen. And in the chaos, we witnessed a clear contrast between leadership and incompetence. Our first responders didn't hesitate. They raced to the scene, they battled the flames, and evacuated our citizens. And for that, I want to thank every one of them tonight.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
CONAWAY: Unfortunately, the Biden administration's federal response was much different. And constant -- it consisted almost entirely of meetings and press events. They talked and talked, but they delivered little help. Then there was the clear difference between former President Trump and President Biden. For the longest time, the White House was silent, and we never heard a word from Vice President Harris. I guess we weren't their type of folks. No Hollywood elites or Wall Street billionaires live in East Palestine. Just hardworking Americans. (CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
CONAWAY: But Donald Trump cared. First, he called to ask permission to visit, not wanting to intrude. And then he asked how he could help. When he arrived with fresh pallets of drinking water, he met with everyone, from first responders to local officials and residents. He toured the derailment site. He listened to us. And he shared a meal with volunteers at a local McDonald's. His presence was genuine. His concern was real.
After a year of criticism, President Biden finally did show up. His appearance was brief, forced, and scripted. He met with a select few and then left. We needed so much, and he delivered so little. I know a thing or two about train wrecks now, and let me tell you, that's what the Biden administration has been.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
CONAWAY: Before President Biden derails our entire nation, we need to act. We need a leader who values small town communities as much as big cities. We need a president who loves all Americans.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
CONAWAY: We need Donald J. Trump.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
CONAWAY: Thank you.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the governor of North Dakota, Doug Burgum.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
GOV. DOUG BURGUM (R-ND): Hello, Milwaukee.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
BURGUM: And hello, North Dakota. (CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
BURGUM: It feels good to be here. The last time I was in Milwaukee, in this building, standing behind a podium was for the debate and I stood on one leg for two hours. You guys might remember I blew my Achilles the day before.
But to kick things off, I have a question for you. And I need your help answering so nice and so loud that everyone at home can hear you. Are you ready? Who will make America energy dominant?
(CHEERING)
BURGUM: Again, who will make America energy dominant?
(CHEERING)
BURGUM: Again, who will make America energy dominant?
AUDIENCE: Trump!
BURGUM: Well, that's pretty good, but it's after 4:00 p.m. in D.C.
So how about one more time, loud enough to wake up Joe Biden?
Who will make America energy dominant?
AUDIENCE: Trump!
BURGUM: That's right because when President Trump unleashes American energy, we unleash American prosperity, and we ensure our national security.
Serving as a governor with President Trump was like having a beautiful breeze at our back. He cut taxes and he cut red tape. Serving as a governor under Joe Biden has been like a gale force wind in our face. Biden's war on energy hurts every American because the cost of energy is in everything we use or touch every day.
Biden's red tape has raised the price of the gas in your car, the cost of food on your table, the clothes on your back, and it's even raised your rent.
Biden's green agenda feels like it was written by China, Russia and Iran. Let's look at Biden's EV mandates. Where do nearly all the batteries and rare earth minerals come from? China, you know.
And the day that Biden halted permits for clean U.S. natural gas export facilities, just think about the party they must have thrown that night at the Kremlin because Biden's policies are making Russia and Iran filthy rich. And they're using that money to fund wars and terrorism against our allies.
At home, Biden is acting like a dictator. He's using mandates to shut down reliable base load electricity. That's why your electric bills have soared upwards as our nation's electric grid reliability spirals downward.
Four more years of Joe will usher an era of Biden brownouts and blackouts. Imagine no electricity for your fridge, your lights or air conditioning.
President Trump will ensure that there's power for you and importantly that we have the power as United States to beat China in the A.I. arms race.
(APPLAUSE)
BURGUM: Unleashing American energy dominance is our path back to prosperity and peace through strength.
Teddy Roosevelt encouraged America to speak softly and carry a big stick. Energy dominance will be the big stick that President Trump will carry.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
BURGUM: Yes. President Trump will make sure that America is selling energy to our allies versus buying it from our adversaries.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
BURGUM: Innovation has always been the source of American greatness, and President Trump champions innovation over regulation.
Last year, over that whole year, my wife Kathryn and I traveled all across America. As all of you know, it's rural America that feeds the world, that fuels the world, and defends the world, small towns with a huge impact and rural America is Trump country.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
BURGUM: In North Dakota, we know one thing for sure because we've seen him do it, and that's that the hardest working president in American history is Donald J. Trump.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
BURGUM: President Trump cares deeply about every American -- rig workers, truck drivers, roughnecks, and yes, America's great farmers and ranchers.
President Trump cares deeply about you. We know that he'll fight for us. He'll fight for our families. And we know one more thing, he'll let all of you keep driving your gas- powered cars.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
BURGUM: When President Trump unleashes energy dominance, he will make America affordable again. He will make America strong again.
And when President Donald J. Trump and J.D. Vance together, they will make America great again.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: All right, still ahead, more from the convention floor here in Milwaukee. We'll be right back with our special coverage of the Republican National Convention.
(APPLAUSE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TAPPER: We are coming to you live from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in battleground state Wisconsin. It is night 9:03 and we are counting down to the headline speech tonight Donald Trump's brand new running mate, Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio. My panel is joining with me with more analysis.
[20:35:00]
And Chris, people might not be entirely familiar with J.D. Vance's for personal story, even if they have read "Hillbilly Elegy." That was a few years ago that it came out, maybe they don't remember. But there is going to be a special guest in the box that's going to help highlight his very moving personal story.
WALLACE: Yeah. Just briefly for those of you who haven't read "Hillbilly Elegy" or seen the movie, he was -- came from very humble circumstances in rural Kentucky. The family moved to southwest Ohio; the father left his mother, got into a serious problem with drug addiction and didn't take very good care of him. And J.D. was eventually brought up by his mother's mother and father, the grandfather and grandmother.
Well, in any case, Beverly Aikins, his mother, is going to be in the president's box we are told tonight. He is going to make a special call-out to her, where you might think, well, what is going on there, since she had drug problems and ended up turning him over. She has been sober for ten years and he apparently, in talking about and introducing himself to America is going to pay tribute to his mother and the fact that she has gotten straight and kept straight for a decade.
And I think there's a feeling in the part of the Trump campaign, this could be a very special moment in terms of introducing to an awful lot of people who don't know him, who exactly Donald Trump's running mate is going to be.
TAPPER: And Kristen Holmes, when J.D. Vance submitted the book that became "Hillbilly Elegy," the only part that was autobiographical was the forward, the opening and the rest of it was about policy. And the publisher said, "No, no, no, that first part is the interesting stuff. They would do that book." And that "Hillbilly Elegy" story, his humble beginnings that Chris just discussed, that's going to be a big part of his speech tonight.
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is and what I heard from allies is that they were really encouraging him to lean into "Hillbilly Elegy." I mean, it was widely popular book. It resonated with so many people who read it and they believed that his story is so inspiring, that it will inspire so many that don't know anything about him. And thing to keep in mind here is this is his big introduction into the world. He had 48 hours to prepare the most consequential speech of his entire life. And what they have told them to do is lean into your back story. Your back story is at most important thing that made you who you are and they want to teach people about him.
TAPPER: And it is interesting and this does come, obviously, at a moment when drug overdoses are a major problem in the United States. They went up under Trump, they continue to go up under President Biden, opioid addiction and overdoses and obviously, fentanyl as well. This is going to be something that has -- this is an issue that has touched so many Americans' lives. And J.D. Vance, Senator Vance discussing it so openly could really be very moving.
BASH: Absolutely. That is a big part of his biography, his autobiography, as he is going to give it. It is funny, as you were talking about that, I was thinking because of the tragic reality of addiction in this country, it is very much a -- not just bipartisan, a non-partisan issue. Thinking about Hunter Biden, who is now sober and it is something that President Biden talks about a lot now. You have a personal story of somebody very close to the running mate of the former president, who has similar situation in their family. Obviously, a very different story.
But the other thing that I am really going to be interested in is how he talks not just about how he grew up, his childhood, but his service and the fact that he joined the Marines as -- what was he like? He was just a teenager, 18 I believe, when he went he joined, and how that changed his life. So there is so much -- I mean, look, when you kind of think about writing a character of who is a good person, who has a good story, I mean you could not write a better story in terms of his upbringing, his background, and where he took himself after that story. TAPPER: Some of the most closely watched speeches of the night are still ahead. We are standing by to hear from Donald Trump junior and later of course, as we have been discussing, Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio steps onto the Convention stage. He will speak for the very first time as Donald Trump's running mate, stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:43:25]
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST OF 'ANDERSON COOPER 360': And we are back live in Milwaukee where Republicans are getting ready to hear from their new vice presidential nominee and Donald Trump's potential heir in the MAGA movement, Senator J.D. Vance. We are also following the Democrats. President Biden just diagnosed with COVID, plus new reporting that the president is now receptive to discussions about his political future. Kasie Hunt, you can talk to this, I suppose.
HUNT: Yeah. No, and I will say that reporting from our Jeff Zeleny has really rippled out across the political universe and is generating a lot of reaction and discussion as we are all sitting here doing this. But I actually was also talking to Republican sources here on the ground in Milwaukee, and one of -- a source familiar at told me that they have been testing, as any smart campaign would do, what a race between Donald Trump and a hypothetical Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket would look like, and some of their sort of preliminary findings are that it does actually potentially help them with the Democratic base, the Democrats with their base if it is Kamala Harris and not Joe Biden, particularly among black women.
But for former President Trump, younger white men, especially seem to react better and move more aggressively in Donald Trump's direction if it is Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket as opposed to Joe Biden. But again, this is something that any responsible campaign would be doing given our environment, but it is also --
PHILLIP: There's a lot of addition and subtraction that would happen, right?
COOPER: Yeah.
PHILLIP: Like, it is not a clean -- I don't think for any of the possible --
HUNT: It is a different race, straight up.
PHILLIP: Right -- possible alternatives. It is a clean shift in any one direction. Kamala Harris will add and will subtract.
[20:45:00]
A Gretchen Whitmer would add and would subtract, and that is one of the things that is causing so much consternation underneath the surface among Democrats, is that there's so many Democrats, maybe more than half who want something else, but the alternative is still incredibly murky and most of them right now, even the ones who I am talking to, who believe that Joe Biden is not the best person for the top of the ticket, are still unclear about what the alternative looks like. They are afraid of what the alternative looks like because of the uncertainties. And it is -- I can't -- you can't blame them, right? You cannot blame them.
JENNINGS: I agree with you, by the way, they cannot skip over Harris because it would be a monumental admission that she wasn't qualified when they picked her in the first place. They have to go to Harris; they have to go to Harris.
URBAN: But, here's my question.
JENNINGS: But let me tell you what you are going to, the idea that you are going to something a little better, I mean, if it is a little it is by a smidge. I mean, her approval rating right now is about 38 percent, not much different than Joe Biden. And she would be tied to the worst and most unpopular parts of the Biden agenda.
URBAN: Isn't it simply rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic? You are going to hit the iceberg; the ship is sinking. Does it matter who the captain is?
AXELROD: You know, it is so -- what is so interesting to me is that, I hear my friends desperately --
(LAUGH)
JENNINGS: Give us advice.
(LAUGH)
AXELROD: -- try and advise the Democratic Party to --
JENNINGS: We are not the desperate ones --
(CROSSTALK)
JENNINGS: Axe, we are not the desperate ones in this campaign, right?
(LAUGH)
AXELROD: I think with Joe Biden, the Republican Party clearly doesn't want a change. They want to keep Biden in place.
URBAN: Biden-Harris.
AXELROD: If Kamala Harris is so -- such a vulnerable candidate and would make no difference, I think they wouldn't be as concerned about it. They clearly are. I am not saying that she would necessarily be the best candidate. I am not -- I don't know that that is the case. I do know this, whatever you -- whatever you -- however you play it out on paper or in a projective polling, you have a younger, more aggressive candidate who can take the fight to Trump, which is what you don't have now.
And Trump, you want to talk about vulnerabilities, talk about -- let's talk about a candidate who is underwater nationally. There is no great enthusiasm for Donald Trump. You look at most polling and people don't like the choice generally, which would be the argument for a whole new candidate, but -- so I mean, yeah.
URBAN: If Biden were to get off the ticket, if he just resigns right now and Kamala Harris becomes president, would that be helpful? Would that help your side?
JONES: It's (inaudible). I just want to walk through a couple of things, it is not about whether she is qualified or not. She is as qualified as anybody who has ever served. She was an attorney general, an effective one. She was a Senator, she is a vice president. So she is qualified. The question is, who can win? That's the only question. And I think that Kamala Harris herself, if she could -- look, we are convinced that someone else would have a better shot at winning. She doesn't want Donald Trump to take over this country either.
So the question is, who can win? Now, if you would just ChatGPT, if you were (inaudible), if you were a (inaudible), you would look at this situation and you would come at least one set of conclusions, which is this. Democrats have to win Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. We have a governor in Michigan and a governor of Pennsylvania. So ChatGPT would say at least consider putting forward your two swing-state governors. So it is --
JENNINGS: Wouldn't cause a cratering of African-American enthusiasm?
JONES: No, no, no, it is almost like -- so then, you have to walk through certain things. Is Kamala Harris so popular with black voters that it would cause a cratering? She is probably not that popular that it would by itself cause a cratering, but it would cause alarm and concern among party activists. Could black party activist be convinced to say, look, let's do the right thing, do a discussion here. But it shouldn't be (inaudible).
Then second question would be, could you have a woman, like Gretchen (ph)? Could you have a Jewish person like Shapiro? But you would walk through all of these things and you wouldn't be stampeded by people just saying, if you even considerate it, you're racist. If you even considered it, you are sexist. That wouldn't happen in a rational process and an irrational process, you might come to conclusion that Kamala Harris is the most winnable candidate and you would go from there.
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIP: The problem with that, Van, is that there is not enough time for a rational process.
HUNT: Yes. (Inaudible).
(LAUGH)
PHILLIP: That's part of a problem.
COOPER: John? KING: That's exactly right, in the sense that think of where we are. We are one month to the Democratic Convention. This Republican Convention is a show of unity and they are improving their position. And as of today, they would win and win convincingly. They would take the Senate and they probably would keep the House. That's what Democrats are looking at right now. So, you have a month to the Democratic Convention, which is why Democrats are telling the president, make this decision and make it now. So they can start that process next week. To get it done before the convention because you don't want the convention to be a fight about this; you want the convention to be a (inaudible).
COOPER: What does that process even look like? I mean, just for folks out there, like logistically, what would that look like?
KING: You would have -- you could have --- there's different ways to do it. The Democratic National Committee would have to come up with a process, the party would.
[20:50:00]
The easiest way is actually to do it after the convention because then just the committee picks the candidates, but that would be less democratic.
JENNINGS: The party of democracy, ladies and gentlemen.
KING: That would be -- exactly.
(LAUGH)
JENNINGS: The party of democracy.
JONES: He is not a member of this party, so --
KING: That would be less democratic because they just get -- the national committee picks after the convention if the candidate steps aside. But if you do it before the convention --
(CROSSTALK)
AXELROD: So, you would have a series of forum, the way you would do it is you would have a series of forums across the country. You'd have to find some way to limit or qualify candidates to participate in that. And then the convention would decide --
HUNT: But David --
AXELROD: And Scott is sitting there with this Cheshire cat sheepish smile on his face.
(LAUGH)
JENNINGS: Right.
AXELROD: But the truth of the matter is -- the truth of the matter is that you could argue that, that kind of contest could energize interest and energize a convention, and the person who comes out -- and Kamala Harris because of the nature of the Democratic Party and the delegates and so on, might be the favorite in that process. But if she goes through a process, you could argue that she would be a stronger candidate for having (inaudible).
(CROSSTALK)
JENNINGS: Let me ask you a question.
HUNT: Isn't the deadline -- the actual deadline August 7th though?
PHILLIP: No, it is not.
HUNT: No, it is not the actual convention?
PHILLIP: It is not. That's it -- no, it is not. They can do it at the convention. They are going forward.
HUNT: But then, they are not on the ballot in Ohio.
PHILLIP: No, they are on the ballot in Ohio.
(CROSSTALK)
JENNINGS: They fixed it.
(CROSSTALK)
HUNT: OK.
PHILLIP: Fixed that issue. They are saying that they can't trust the Republicans, they can undo the fix. OK.
HUNT: Let me ask you.
PHILLIP: Maybe, that's possible. But the thing is, they are moving forward as of tomorrow to go forward with a virtual roll call. Some of that is the Democratic Party. They are going to do the virtual roll call --
AXELROD: Their Rules Committee is meeting tomorrow.
HUNT: Yeah.
PHILLIP: -- to have a roll call on --
AXELROD: No, on Friday. Is it Friday?
HUNT: Friday.
AXELROD: Friday.
PHILLIP: -- on President Biden and Kamala Harris. So they are moving forward with that. But part of that is to take this issue off the table, but they don't have to. They do not have to. They can do this at the convention. That's how --
JENNINGS: Let me ask you guys a question. What about Kamala Harris' forays into presidential politics, has it convinced any of you that this would be anything other than a huge dumpster fire? When she ran for president, it was the literal words, her high watermark was --
PHILLIP: I covered her in 2020.
JENNINGS: It was awful. And now, her vice presidency has been awful. What about this (inaudible).
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIP: I covered her in 2020. I think that the way that Democrats see it, is that she has, especially recently, in the last year, 18 months, grown into the role, but I also think that most people around Vice President Harris believes that she has untapped political gifts. She is not -- she didn't accidentally end up on the national stage. I mean, she was going all the way back to the beginning of her political career, Barack Obama thought she was a rising star in the party.
So, a lot of people around her believed that she has the raw material to be able to do it, but she has not used it in the best way up until this point.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: (Inaudible) quickly hear this from a Democratic member of Congress watching this conversation. This -- let's just see what happens this week. I am getting the feeling now, he may be listening.
(LAUGH)
URBAN: Hey, Joe Biden.
COOPER: Jake, back to you (ph).
TAPPER: Thank you so much, Anderson. We see in the audience there, Lauren Boebert, the Congresswoman from Colorado; the speaker of the house, Mr. Johnson; and also Nancy Mace from South Carolina. Obviously, it is an electric experience here for the Republican delegates, excited to hear from President Trump's running mate, J.D. Vance. You see there in Trump's box, Donald Trump Jr. standing there talking with the governor, the Governor of Virginia, Glenn Youngkin; and Senator Marco Rubio, one of the finalists to be VP, Senator from Florida.
We are expecting that President Trump is going to come into the arena soon to watch his running mate deliver the speech. He has come here, obviously, every night and this is part of the pageantry. Chris Wallace of convention, you see the nominee, but you don't hear from him until the final night.
WALLACE: No, that's right. And for all of the excitement, there's been a good deal, particularly Monday night when Donald Trump showed up here barely 48 hours after he was nearly taken down by an assassin. The highlight and the main thrust of this entire convention will be his speech tomorrow night. We will see what agenda he wants to set forward. He, obviously, as a former president, he has got a record and also a platform. But we'll see the way he wants to contest this campaign, whoever it ends up being against, whether it is Joe Biden or somebody to be announced.
And I tend -- one of the things we are all going to be looking forward to is whether or not the near-death experience that Donald Trump went through last Saturday, whether it has changed him.
[20:55:00]
I don't mean that he is a different person, but whether it has had some emotional impact on him and has perhaps changed the way that he wants to continue his relationship with the American people. I think it is going to be fascinating --
BASH: Here he comes.
WALLACE: -- to watch how that plays out.
(CROWD CHEERING)
BASH: And he is coming in.
TAPPER: And the crowd is cheering right now because the nominee of the presidential nominee, who has yet to accept that nomination, that will happen tomorrow night. Donald Trump is walking into the arena. He has the patch on his ear from the attempted assassination on Saturday. There are delegates here who have now put fake -- not fake, but they have put bandages on their ears, even though they don't have injuries, in homage to their leader, President Trump.
Here he is coming in to the sound of "It's A Man's World." I believe it is James Brown, right? Who sings this. I might be --
WALLACE: You are on your own here.
TAPPER: OK.
(LAUGH)
BASH: I think you are right. I am going to go with yes. You mentioned that -- soaking it in. You mentioned that it is somewhat tradition for the nominee to be at the earlier days of the convention. Not always though, I remember there were times when the presidential candidate would sometimes be campaigning and beam in from wherever they are, being here for a surprise visit, and this is a very specific kind of event for this individual, for this candidate. Obviously, as we talked about, he wanted to make that hero's welcome entrance on Monday.
But also, he loves the pageantry. He wants to be here for every minute that he possibly can be because this is his party, this is his party. What I -- I mean the political party, but also his celebration and there is no strife that we see. And it is a unified Republican Party that he is greeting. WALKER: I have to tell you, I bumped into -- you can see a couple of people down from -- to his right, is his son, Don Jr., who on Saturday night was fishing down in Florida and got the awful word and apparently took him some period of time to get back and to talk to his dad. And when he did and he knew that his dad was in decent shape, his first words to his father were, "But Dad, let's get to the important thing. How is the hair?"
(LAUGH)
WALKER: And he said that the president enjoyed that, and the fact that he had survived his near-death experience.
TAPPER: So let's listen into Donald Trump Jr.'s fiance Kimberly Guilfoyle, a former Fox personality.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE, TRUMP CAMPAIGN ADVISER: And I know that God has put an armor of protection over Donald Trump.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
GUILFOYLE: We are all reminded that love for our nation and the beauty of life itself transcends all hatred and political divisions. I stand before you tonight, more convinced than ever, this is the most important election in our lifetime.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
GUILFOYLE: This election will decide the fate of our great nation, and that is why we must elect President Donald John Trump.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
GUILFOYLE: This is not just a choice between Republicans and Democrats. This is a choice between safety or chaos, wealth or poverty, national sovereignty or open borders.
This election is a choice between Joe Biden's vision for American weakness and Donald Trump's vision of American greatness.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
GUILFOYLE: Donald Trump will once again make our country strong, safe, and prosperous. He will make America feared by our adversaries and respected by our friends.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
GUILFOYLE: And most importantly, he will always put America first.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
[21:00:00]
