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Trump's VP Pick J.D. Vance Headlines Night Three of Republican Convention; Interview with Governor Doug Burgum (R-ND) about J.D. Vance; Nancy Pelosi Allegedly Told Biden in Private Polls Showed He Could Not Win. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired July 18, 2024 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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LAURA COATES, CNN ANCHOR: All right. We need to talk about what happened tonight when the MAGA heir apparent, he took center stage today. We've got you tied right here from the CNN political grill right here in Milwaukee on day three of the Republican National Convention. The very day when Senator J.D. Vance accepted the Republican vice presidential nomination.
Now his speech tried to give you a little bit of this and a little bit of that, saying sometimes reintroducing himself and of course his biography, his childhood in Appalachia, his lower middle-class to the Marines to Harvard trajectory. It also highlighted his deep distrust of Washington and his prescription for ridding the swamp of a fever. He says that solution is Donald Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. J.D. VANCE (R), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: from Iraq to Afghanistan, from the financial crisis to the Great Recession, from open borders to stagnating wages, the people who govern this country have failed and failed again.
President Trump represents America's life last best hope to restore what, if lost, may never be found again. A country where a working class boy born far from the halls of power can stand on this stage as the next vice president of the United States of America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Well, the Republicans in the room they did not hold back their excitement. They haven't throughout this entire convention, frankly. Whether it plays for Republicans outside the room who say that some no longer recognize their party, we don't yet know how it resonates. But we do know that there is quite a split screen happening. One that is maybe delighting Republicans and the other ticking off Democrats, who desperately want to turn the page because while Democrats are in the middle of a kind of a "Game of Throne" style back and forth over who should be their nominee, Joe Biden, the president, is publicly insisting that he is the nominee, end of story.
But CNN reporting tonight says that there are two key pieces of information that might be signaling a kind of sea change. One, Joe Biden has gone from saying that Kamala Harris can't win to asking, can she win? That may seem like a small turn of events, but it does show that he may be more open to possibilities, that it is not him. And number two that former House speaker Nancy Pelosi has apparently privately told the president that the polls show he cannot win versus Donald Trump, and that it will get worse that Biden staying on the ballot will somehow sink any hopes of Democrats winning back the House. But I can't help but wonder which came first, the conversation about him staying or people actually wanting to have that conversation.
We'll get to all of that, but first, let's begin with the convention and joining me now is North Dakota governor and former Republican presidential candidate, Doug Burgum. He spoke tonight at the RNC.
Governor, thank you so much for being with me this evening.
GOV. DOUG BURGUM (R), NORTH DAKOTA: Laura, great to be with you. Quite a party CNN throws here.
COATES: I mean, we tried do what we can, but it may pale in comparison to the excitement inside of that convention hall when Senator J.D. Vance took to that stage. People were wondering up until the very last moment whether he would in fact be that vice president running mate. Your name was on that list, Governor. What is your reaction seeing that he is now the Person who will be there?
BURGUM: Well, it's all positive because I think President Trump made a great pick with J.D. Vance. You heard his speech tonight. And what an incredible personal story. I had an opportunity to meet his mother, who is -- when I met her she's in recovery and she'll be celebrating 10 years next January. The first lady of North Dakota is also in recovery. We're both celebrating his mom and he even said, look, if we win this race, Mom, maybe we can celebrate your 10th anniversary recovery at the White House.
And that was one of the moments tonight when most people were up on their feet. I think this tells us one thing for sure is the, you know, the open borders, the hundreds of thousands of fentanyl deaths that have occurred under Joe Biden, that this is an issue that crosses all party lines. The disease of addiction. And I think he's got a great message. And then of course serving in the Marines. He's got the -- certainly he's got the approach which hey, we're backing the blue, we're backing the military.
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But also his identification with the working people, the people that have built America in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, that was a reoccurring theme throughout the night. And those are states that we need to win, and then he kept talking about the energy workers in Ohio and Pennsylvania and President Trump, if we unleash American energy, what that's going to do for the economy of those two states.
So he was going right at the blue wall for the minute J.D. Vance started talking until the end and he's got a great story I think that's going to resonate across those five states.
COATES: You know, it was a very powerful and poignant moment when his mother stood up and received the cheers from the crowd and the chants of J.D.'s mom and speaking about it, and there was a moment I think that many people wondered whether Senator J.D. Vance would be able to expand the base, you know, you want 100 days out for elections to have a vice president pick who can do that. Do you think that he will be essential to bringing in more voters in the rust belt and beyond given his policy positions?
BURGUM: While I think when you're the vice president, your policy positions he might had as a senator go by the wayside and he was --
COATES: Do you really think so?
BURGUM: Yes, and he said very clearly tonight, you know, that I'm serving President Trump, honored to be his pick, and President Trump's policies absolutely. The coalition of the Republican Party now is common sense and working class families. If you're someone in our country who gets a paycheck, you're getting crushed by inflation, interest rates, all of these things that are economically -- real wages down under Joe Biden.
They were up over $4,000 per family under President Trump. So we've gone from the Trump economic miracle to this malaise that we're in now, and that J.D. Vance is going to be in a position to really speak to those workers, and like we saw earlier this week, the head of the Teamsters endorsing President Trump. And I think, again, when you see truck drivers, it's not just the economics, it's the fact that Joe Biden has got a war on American energy.
And the guys that are driving these 18-wheelers, they're not going to ever be driving an electric 18-wheeler because half their load would have to be batteries and it doesn't work in cold weather across these states, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio. So J.D. is representing the policies of President Trump. I think he's going to mow a path all the way through those states.
COATES: I do wonder. I mean, obviously you have a kindred spirit. You've said in the past with Donald Trump about your business acumen and that, and J.D. Vance has a different obviously role that he has played including in Silicon Valley. Certainly he's had the working class background.
I do wonder to what extent his past professional experiences either alienate or draw in other voters on that point. But let me ask you, because a lot of the conversation has been about the vice president pick, and there is a vice president right now, Kamala Harris, who is being talked about on the other side of the aisle as potentially topping the ticket.
One, what do you make of the Democrats having this conversation about a change in ticket possibly late in the game? And also, what would it look like for the policy positions of Trump against a Kamala Harris presidential candidate? BURGUM: Well, the chaos on the Democrat side I don't even know how to
describe because, you know, every day who's going to be the candidate, who's going to be the vice president, what will the process be to try to select one. Every day that that party doesn't know who they're supporting is another day closer to the election day in November. It's another day lost of fundraising. It's another day lost to the building party unity.
So every day there's that chaos that's good for President Trump and it's good for America because I believe President Trump's policies are unleashing U.S. energy, closing the borders, stopping the wars, turning around inflation, getting our economy going. Those things are good for everybody. They're good for independents, Democrats, good for Republicans.
COATES: But would a match-up with Trump and Harris, would the platform fundamentally changed do you think to address her capabilities?
BURGUM: I don't think it's about Vice President Harris' capabilities. I mean, one thing Americans know that one of the things that she was asked to do was to be the borders are and the border is one of the biggest issues that Americans are facing. You know, in 2016, it might have been about immigration. Now it's about public safety. Now it's about national security.
I don't think that she has an answer on that any better than Joe Biden does, and certainly she doesn't have the background of saying, hey, I've got a plan on how to turn around the economy because she's tied to the policy, Joe Biden has said I'm going to raise everybody's taxes. I mean --
COATES: Well, he has said that the wealthy should pay their fair share and he's pointed to corporate America in particular for that reason. But on the issue of immigration --
BURGUM: And I agree with that.
COATES: Well, I know you have in the past. Yes.
BURGUM: Yes. And the -- but when the President Trump's tax cuts went in the share of taxes paid by the wealthy went up. And so it's all a talking point that the wealthy should pay more. They are paying more, they've paid more since those tax cuts. There was so much money that was repatriated back to the U.S. when those corporate tax credits went down.
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That's part of the reason why the average working family in America benefited economically from the Trump's economic miracle. And so when you get -- when you actually look at the numbers, it's just a fact. People were better off under President Trump.
COATES: Well, certainly there are for some economic successes that this administration can tout. But I do recognize that there is the economy overall and there's the personal economy of every individual. And they see their grocery carts, and they have different considerations when they think about the administration, but on the issue of immigration, I really am wanted to know your opinion on this.
Immigration as an issue has eluded successive presidential administrations. I mean, to suggest that one person could fix the border is a fool's errand. What precisely do you think could be done to try to change it if the Trump administration were to come back in to power?
BURGUM: Well, I think number one is just go back to the policies. When President Trump left office that January, when he left office, that was the lowest illegal immigration that we've had in a long time. And I think the chart just shows it going down and then it shows it going up back up, but now it's what millions a year. And I've been down at the border. I think actually more times. I know I watched the news.
More times that either Harris or Biden because we've had North Dakota National Guard down there. I think it's one of the most under-reported stories every day. You know, there's something else going on, we report on that. But at the border with the crossings that are happening, people on the terror watch list, the amount of people that just come through, get processed, they're given a court date that's 2028, 2029. We have no idea.
It's not even computer work. They're given paperwork. And how do we sort out where 10 million people are in our country? And so it is just -- it is absolutely, I don't know how you have national security in any nation in the world unless you have border security and of course we're a place where people want to come, where the American dream, but we have to make sure that we're doing that in a way.
And I don't think the Republican Party is ready to have a discussion about fixing legal immigration until we secure the border. With the border secure, I think then that conversation has started.
COATES: Well, that's part of the concern in Congress. Many elect -- many voters have said when will the conversation be complete, even when there is negotiations on the table.
But, Governor, thank you so much for joining.
BURGUM: Thank you, Laura.
COATES: A pleasure to speak to you.
BURGUM: Great to be with you. Thank you.
COATES: Thank you so much. Enjoy.
Well, you know now J.D. Vance had a lot to say about his background and he did. He set up a pretty stark contrast he believes with President Joe Biden. Listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VANCE: Joe Biden has been a politician in Washington for longer than I've been alive. 39 years old. Kamala Harris is not much further behind. For half a century he has been the champion of every major policy initiatives to make America weaker and poorer.
Things did not work out well for a lot of kids I grew up with. Every now and then, I will get a call from a relative back home who asked, did you know so and so. And I'll remember a face from years ago and then I'll here, they died of an overdose. As always America's ruling class wrote the checks. Communities like mine paid the price. For decades, that divide between the few with their power and comfort in Washington and the rest of us only widened.
From Iraq to Afghanistan, from the financial crisis to the great recession, from open borders to stagnating wages, the people who govern this country have failed and failed again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Well, look, my panel has a lot of thoughts on all of this. We've got Bryan Lanza, Ashley Allison, Mark Preston, and Harry Enten.
Good to have you all here. You know, listen, many people have read book that he wrote, "Hillbilly Elegy." They may have seen the movie with Glenn Close. There may have been those who do the cliff note version of it. I do wonder as he reintroduced himself to the country, do you think people have a better sense of who he is and like him?
MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, let me say this. I didn't find his speech energizing. I didn't feel the crowd pulling it down. But what I did see is somebody who's probably relatable to a lot of folks across the nation.
Now whether or not they like his politics remains to be seen, but, you know, even though it was kind of a -- it wasn't a mediocre speech, perhaps the delivery wasn't as strong, I still think that he was likeable. I really do. And I think that he will -- his personal story is going to touch the hearts of probably a lot of people across this country.
COATES: Well, we met his wife. We saw his mother. We learned a lot about what's going on. What -- you know, when it comes to likability, this is the word that many pollsters hate to hear, about the likability aspect of it.
But, Ashley, let me ask you about this. Which is more important to voters you think? Likability on that stage or policy?
ASHLEY ALLISON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I've been saying for a while that what seems to be happening in politics right now is there are facts and then there are feelings. Right now the voters are feeling they're struggling, but the facts are under Donald Trump, the median household income in Middletown, Ohio, where J.D. Vance is from was $42,000. In 2024 under Joe Biden, it is $63,000.
That means people under Joe Biden are making more. The poverty level under Donald Trump was 22 percent in that hometown. Under so Joe Biden, it's 19 percent. So the facts are things are better for people. The reality, though, is that people are not feeling it. And so that is the challenge that Joe Biden and this administration has constantly felt is that they haven't been able to say, you might not be feeling the direct impact, but I am fighting for you.
J.D. Vance talks about I'm from Ohio. I went to Ohio State. I think we missed each other by three months, literally. It's a matter of Ohio is a labor union town. J.D. Vance voted against the Pro Act which would protect labor protection. J.D. Vance voted against NLRB, the National Labor Review Board restrictions to help protect workers. So when we talk about who is fighting for the working people, I would agree Democrats haven't done a good job in conveying that message. But the facts are clear that it's Democrats, and it's not going to be J.D. Vance and it's not going to be Donald Trump.
COATES: But why do you laugh at that? I saw you smirk a little bit, Bryan.
BRYAN LANZA, FORMER DEPUTY COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, TRUMP 2016 CAMPAIGN: Listen, America is unaffordable for the working class and the middle class. And that's a direct result of result of Joe Biden's policies. So you --
COATES: So what about the numbers she just said?
LANZA: Let me finish. So she can cite whatever number she wants, but if you can't afford anything, the number doesn't matter.
ALLISON: Facts. I'm citing facts.
LANZA: I'll double check the facts.
ALLISON: Go ahead. You can Google.
LANZA: But if you're going to say America feels better, because the economy is better, people don't feel that and they don't feel that because --
ALLISON: I didn't say they feel better. I said facts versus feelings.
LANZA: I understand you're angry.
COATES: I hear you. I want to hear your point, and I'm going to come back.
(CROSSTALK)
LANZA: What I would say is --
ALLISON: I'm not letting you put words on my mouth.
LANZA: We have an affordability crisis and Joe Biden has not addressed it. He's actually made it worse. And so going back to the original point. It's great that you say that the race -- the salary has gone up, and I'll double check it, but if inflation goes up higher than that, nobody feels it. And that's why they don't feel if. Joe Biden has not just a number one issue on the economy and that's inflation. For 40 months he's failed to hit his own target of 2 percent.
How? He said, it's 2 percent. Said it was transitional. 40 months he has failed. 30 months is almost the equivalent of his entire term. When is he going to stumble on it and get it right? People want to know what he's going to do with inflation and for 40 months he's failed and that's what J.D. said. He's failed the working class communities, he's failed the middle class community by not addressing the most important issue, and that's inflation.
COATES: Well, you know, they both have raised interesting point about this feeling versus fact dynamic. And, you know, I do wonder from both their positions why the disconnect, how do voters try to close that, and of course, politicians we're 100 and I think nine days away from the election.
HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA CORRESPONDENT: I feel the great frustration that's going on with my Democratic friend over there. And it reminds me of sort of what I see on Twitter, or I guess now X, oftentimes, Republicans will say something about the state of the economy and how people feel. And then Democrats will answer with a graph from the Web site Fred, and it's essentially showing no, the economy is better than you think it is. And it just falls short.
And I think it comes down to you can talk about income growth. You could talk about all these different statistics. Low unemployment. But at the end of the day, it's the inflation factor. It's the inflation factor that all of us are feeling. You go to that supermarket. You compare to what the prices are now versus five years ago pre-pandemic, pre-Joe Biden getting into office, and it just the argument isn't working.
But I do want to bring this back a little bit and talk about J.D. Vance and talk about the fact that he's from Ohio. I remember when Ohio was a competitive state on the presidential level.
ALLISON: Me too.
PRESTON: Not very long ago.
ENTEN: It wasn't very long ago.
ALLISON: 2012.
ENTEN: And the rise of J.D. Vance, the rise of the Republican Party in the state of Ohio is reflective of Donald Trump's reach with the white working class communities and now increasingly working class communities and people of color as well. And that is part of the big reason that Donald Trump is ahead in this election right now.
I think that's also part of the reason that J.D. Vance was in fact selected as VP because it's reflective of that rise.
COATES: Well, Mark, I mean, is it going to make a difference? I mean, will he really be able to get and bring out those voters in that rust belt?
PRESTON: Look, I -- vice president doesn't --
COATES: He's going to say no.
ENTEN: No.
PRESTON: Doesn't win you an election.
ENTEN: No, it doesn't. Weve had this discussion.
PRESTON: Right.
ENTEN: How many times have I gone on air on this network and I showed this table in which it says, OK, extremely important to your 2024 vote, number one is protecting democracy, nearly 50 percent or over 50 percent? The economy number two, well into 40s, and then down in the list, I can get down on the floor, it's Trumps VP pick, like 14 percent.
COATES: Yes. But you know why -- I don't want to cut you off, but you know why I don't believe -- I know I don't believe the fact that the VP pick is irrelevant for the fact that, say, a Nikki Haley spent much of her campaign saying that a vote for Biden is a vote for her, and frankly age is such a huge issue in this campaign. It's an important point to raise.
PRESTON: So, OK, so look at it this way. I believe that the debate really hurt Joe Biden specifically with white men. You could argue, well, Democrats lost white men, but they still have the white men that are supporting him, and the more of white men that you lose you have to pick that up somewhere else. You're going to pick it up with African-American, you're going to pick it up Asian Americans, Hispanics, whomever, OK.
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I think J.D. Vance tonight kind of made an appeal to that white and, forgive me for saying this, kind of bro vote. You know that, I think that, but it works. But it works. I mean, you walk around that convention hall today, I mean, there were bros everywhere. It was like a fraternity party for like 25-year-olds.
COATES: Wow.
LANZA: But also, I'll say the polling shows that the Democratic Party is having a problem with their young vote, you know, the 35 and under. You know, J.D. appeals to that. And why are they having that problem with the 35 and under? If you look at the data, it says they don't feel hopeful about tomorrow. That is a direct result of Joe Biden's policies. It's not a result of Donald Trump's policies. It's a direct result of the last three years that the young people have lost hope.
J.D. has the appeal to that and he's a hopeful appeal. So he's this guy who picked himself up from severe poverty, bootstraps, and achieved success. People under 35 are looking at it and say, maybe it still exist, but it clearly doesn't exist under Joe Biden.
COATES: Well, I mean, COVID may have had a little something to do with people feeling a little bit hopeless the last couple of years.
ALLISON: Exactly.
COATES: We have more to talk about, everyone. Please stand by.
There's big, big news on the other side of the aisle tonight. A possible inflection point and the efforts by some Democrats to push Joe Biden out of the race, including a major move by Nancy Pelosi. Plus a stunning scene on the convention floor, a group of Republican senators chasing down the head of the Secret Service. There's the footage.
We'll be back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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COATES: Well, we're back at the CNN Political Grill here in Milwaukee, and we have some pretty major breaking news involving a Democratic candidate in what appears to be a possible tipping point for President Biden's state.
CNN reports the former House speaker Nancy Pelosi has privately told Biden that the polls show he cannot win in November. and that he will take down the House along with him. We're told that Biden responded with defensiveness, which frankly is expected given that he is the incumbent who's got the delegates.
And this all of course also comes as we learned that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has expressed similar concerns. However, we're also learning that Biden has become a little more receptive about the future of the ticket, even asking advisers, do you think Kamala can win?
On top of this, Biden is suddenly off the campaign trail. Why? Maybe Mercury is retrograde, I just don't know. But he tested positive for COVID-19 today and he is back home in Delaware for the next few days.
We've got Bryan and Ashley with us. They've made up, don't worry about it. Also, Kaitlan Collins and Phil Mattingly are also here as well.
I got to ask you, guys, first of all, the fact that this is happening, I mean, I joked about Mercury and retrograde. But Dems can't catch a break. Now, the president has COVID.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR, "THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS": Yes, it's because also, you know, we've talked to White House officials and Phil knows this as well, we both have covered President Biden from the White House, is that they were really hoping to hit a few homeruns in this stretch. Tomorrow we have three weeks since the debate, it's hard to think of that. And they were hoping to have him out on the trail, doing interviews, showing that he is capable and that it was just that one bad night.
And this kind of just -- you know, the cherry on top of everything where he has struggled to break through I think in those interviews, the one with Lester Holt, the one with BET. These moments where he hasn't really been able to kind of come out and show people that he is the President Biden of 2022 that they saw on the campaign trail then.
COATES: But what are they looking for, Phil? Because men people are criticizing this conversation. A lot of voters were out there saying, let it go, number one, or two, you're moving the goalpost. You said you wanted him to go out there and talk to people. He's doing it. What is the criteria that they think is going to impact it?
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF DOMESTIC CORRESPONDENT: Well, they want the president to make a decision, and the president has made the decision.
COATES: Right.
MATTINGLY: And repeatedly told them of the decision and their response is, no, no, no, that not decision.
COLLINS: A different decision.
MATTINGLY: Yes. We're just going to wait and we're just going to keep asking you to make the decision.
COATES: Think about it. Think about the decision.
MATTINGLY: You're the incumbent, you're the candidate, you've got the delegates, we're going to give you time to make the decision.
COLLINS: This is Phil and his kids.
MATTINGLY: Yes, basically this is me and my kids negotiating it.
COATES: I did seem personal just now. He was like, I don't know about the meal for tonight, but go ahead, fine.
MATTINGLY: But I think what everybody has been waiting for is for him to reach the point himself and know that if you pressure him, if you pressure his team, that they very much get into a bunker mentality of we've always -- you've always told us we are wrong and we've always proven you wrong. And there is a long list of examples.
The problem this time around is that they don't feel like -- the people outside of that inner circle don't feel like they have the time. They're looking at numbers, they're looking at data. The data has totally changed the game for everybody. And now you're seeing leaders, whether it's Hakeem Jeffries or Chuck Schumer or Nancy Pelosi, either privately try and explain to the president what they're hearing from members without getting too far out, or saying kind of ambiguous things on TV that make people say, wait a minute, Nancy Pelosi maybe has some issues here.
COATES: But I hate that.
MATTINGLY: And the hope that he gets there.
COATES: I had to -- I hate -- here, I mean, this is me telling you what I hate, America, but what I hate is that there's all the ambiguity, right? If you have something to say, I'm of the opinion you just say it. Now I know that's not how Washington, D.C. always worked. You can -- everyone is like, Laura, are you kidding me? Yes, that's how the world works.
Ashley, the fact that you're hearing about these private conversations, to Kaitlan's point, too, three weeks after the debate and there's still not the definitive statement that there happened to have received. I mean, the fact that it's Pelosi, that it's Jeffries, that it might be Schumer and others, and Adam Schiff we know has said outward that he go do that, want to step down.
Is that going to be impactful to Joe Biden?
ALLISON: I will just say one of the most frustrating things about Washington, D.C. is people are fake and they don't actually say what they mean and it's why I think our country doesn't get to move forward in the way that it deserves to move forward. Putting that aside, putting aside that everyone is fake, myself thought for the night.
COATES: Let's just go back to it.
ALLISON: One of many perhaps. Look, I knew and I had told some folks if Joe Biden had a rough night at the debate, some things were going to shake up. Did I think they were going to shake for three weeks or we wouldn't know where we were going? No. Here's the thing that I think is frustrating with people who are out in the country, particularly voters of color. What's your plan B? If Joe Biden steps down, what are we going to do? And it feels questionable when it is not that Kamala Harris would be the next person, because she is on the ticket with Joe Biden already. She is his vice president.
[00:30:10]
And yet, you have people polling and not even putting her in the race. That, to me, to some voters, a part of that coalition that I helped build in 2020, feels very disrespectful.
And so, the question is, what are we going to do? I actually don't care at this point. I just want to beat Donald Trump. Because I am glad that he was saved on Saturday, but I disagree with him in every policy way, and I don't think he is the best path forward for our country.
And so, for Democrats to defeat him, we need to decide and go forward. We cannot keep going on this -- through this, not even to the convention. It is very hard, if it's not Joe Biden, for someone to get name recognition on a national stage.
So, these people are not amateurs at campaigning, and they really are not just playing -- it's not just politics right now. This is actual people's lives that they're playing with that -- with the outcome of November.
COATES: Let me ask you, Bryan -- go ahead. PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF DOMESTIC CORRESPONDENT/ANCHOR: Laura, it's just important to note. And I think people need to understand this. And donors, like I'm talking to you.
Kamala Harris is the only other option. Like I'm just going to be completely blunt. And the fact that people are thinking, well, maybe we'll do, like, a five-week sprint or debates, or many debates.
Well, there is one option. There's one option mechanically from a money perspective, from a message perspective, from an operations perspective. There's one option for the absolutely backbone of the Democratic base, which is if you pass the first African-American woman to serve as vice president, what do you think is going to happen -- it's insane. It's -- you correct me if I'm wrong. You're talking about -- it's insane to me.
COATES: I've got to tell you, when Phil Mattingly turns the camera and appeals to donors, I mean, it was a moment.
I've got to ask you, Bryan, on this. Let me ask you, because be careful what you wish for. You might just get it.
Is Trump going to want anyone but Biden?
LANZA: Well, yes, we always -- we only want Biden. But the reality --
COATES: Well, that tells you something about your campaign.
LANZA: Well, listen, we only want Biden. But I'll say this, whether it's Kamala or Biden, remember, they were -- they were behind in the polls before the debate.
They were behind before the poll -- the debate, because immigration was failing; inflation was failing. We had two wars, and a third one was about to start. That's why they were losing. That's why they asked for the hail Mary.
So, the policies that Kamala is going to be judged on are going to be the policies of Joe Biden, which have led to these massive failures for the American people.
So, she starts at a disadvantage, in my view.
And not only that. For Kamala Harris to be V.P. -- I'm a Californian. So, you always kind of root for California, regardless of who they are. But for Kamala Harris to become the nominee, she actually said become the president. Because Joe Biden said, I'm only going to step down if the doctor says I should step down.
Well, the doctor says, Mr. President, you should step down. You don't have the neurological fitness to run for president. How are you going to be president?
So, he would have to resign. The pressure would be overwhelming for him to resign, because if doctors say, you can't run for president, and then the Democratic Party says no, no, he can still remain president. Those things don't square, and that becomes a problem for them to solve.
COATES: Let me ask you really quickly, because I know we have to go. But why do you only want President Biden? Is it because you think the campaign is lacking fatally to be able to take on anyone else?
LANZA: Look at the disarray right now. I mean, it's -- as long as Biden's in there, the Democrats are going -- the Democratic Party are going to continue to eat each other through November.
There's going to be another poll that comes out, and they're going to say, see, we told you. There's not going to be as much money as they raised and say, see, we told you so. This is a problem.
So that changes their message going from the rest of the campaigns.
COLLINS: I also think it's uncertain.
LANZA: He can't survive that message.
COLLINS: It's uncertainty. Donald Trump has been tracking this very closely, even while here at the convention preparing to speak tomorrow night. He is worried, not necessarily that he's not sure that he can beat one of the alternatives that have been floated: Vice President Harris, namely.
But it's -- it's uncertainty in the race that it's not as guaranteed is they feel a Joe Biden defeat would be.
LANZA: Well, we have a clear path right now.
COLLINS: Yes.
LANZA: The path, it's a little but windy when it changes.
ALLISON: I just want to say I appreciate -- I said people in Washington D.C. aren't always honest. That -- you saying that you actually want Joe Biden, I have not actually heard a lot of Republicans say that, and I think that that's an important, truthful fact.
COATES: Well, there you have it in the CNN Political Grill.
LANZA: Put them together.
COATES: The truth serum is in every drink, and a cheese curd (ph), too.
Everyone, thank you so much.
Tonight, new reporting that the Biden campaign is daring big donors and lawmakers to back away, even when Phil Mattingly makes an appeal, saying there'll be helping Donald Trump. So that's not scaring those donors. Well talk about it next.
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[38:19]
COATES: Well, new tonight, a stark message for the Biden campaign, and it's not coming from just former Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Top campaign adviser Jeffrey Katzenberg meeting with Biden privately today, warning him that donors' cash is going to dry up amid the increasing doubts around his ability to beat Donald Trump in November.
For more, I want to bring in "Semafor" reporter Ben Smith to the conversation. Good to have you here.
Tell me what went down in this meeting today between Katzenberg and Biden.
BEN SMITH, REPORTER, "SEMAFOR": Well, Katzenberg, who's a huge fundraiser and a real adviser to the family, met with him in Vegas to talk about, among other things, the money -- the challenge of raising money from Wall Street and from Hollywood, which are two big sources of Democratic money.
And I think -- I mean, not a surprise. You look at the state of this campaign, and people have stopped writing checks. And they say money is the mother's milk of politics, and it has just stopped flowing.
COATES: When did they stop? The debate or the polling or both? When?
SMITH: I mean, I think -- I think it's -- it's all the same kind of vicious cycle. But since the debate, everything has been getting harder, and political support is going away. The media is questioning him. And now the money is really drying up.
COATES: You know, you mentioned Hollywood. And I -- and I often wonder what role Hollywood plays in influencing the average voter. What role the influence will have.
Is it concerning that Hollywood, in particular, is starting to sort of pull back? You saw the George Clooney op-ed. We haven't heard, like, the dam break, among others, who have been vocal.
SMITH: Yes. I mean, it's -- you know, I think that's the core power base. And I think what you're seeing, really, in every sector of the Democratic Party is people are reluctant to go out and -- and do more damage to the cause. And they're trying to urge Biden privately to step aside.
I think you saw that with the leak today that Chuck Schumer had, five days earlier, told -- you know, told Biden he thought he should go.
[00:40:04]
And I think that's sort of the usual cycle in politics. You have a private conversation with somebody. And if you don't like what they do, then you leak it five days later.
I think we're sort of seeing that cycle. COATES: Is that what you think is happening for the undercurrent of going on, of like, I'm telling you. I'm doing it privately. I'm trying to convey some level of respect to somebody who has been in politics so long? Or is it a matter of, look, it's just not stopping. So now I've got to come out.
SMITH: Yes. I mean, I think you're seeing kind of a growing panic. And you're going to see this become increasingly public, increasingly damaging.
COATES: Tell me about the impact this might have on down-ballot races. And obviously everyone's looking to the presidential election. We're at the Republican National Convention. We're talking about the tickets -- the Republican side.
There's a concern about down-ballot races. And obviously, the impotence of an executive branch without having the legislative branch in their corner. What's happening in the conversations there?
SMITH: I mean, look, we don't know. Right? And it's hard to predict.
But the senator -- you know, the Senate today, we reported, was looking at some polling that showed them starting to slip, you know, around the country and in these very important races, you know, seeing outcomes where Republicans wind up with 52, 53, 54, 55 seats. And that is the nightmare for Democrats.
I mean, I think a lot of them believe that, basically, this country is so divided, so polarized that things can't move that much. And that's the question: I mean, that's what Republicans are going for here, to prove that wrong and say, you know what the country actually can move to a 55-45 Republican victory.
COATES: Do you think there would be a reinvigoration in excitement among Hollywood or Wall Street if it were Kamala Harris on top of that ticket?
SMITH: You know, I think -- I mean, I think honestly, anybody under 80 is going to, like -- there would be some level of people --
COATES: That's a big field.
SMITH: -- coming back to the table?
I think what's happening now is it's sort of like a boycott situation. I think there -- there'll be some level coming back to table.
But of course, there will also be different candidates, different factions. If it's -- if it is very likely to Kamala, there will probably be some stop Kamala faction that rises up.
So, I mean, it's incredibly messy.
COATES: Not what you want to be dealing with this close to the eve of the convention for Democrats or the election.
Thanks so much for being here, Ben Smith.
SMITH: Thank you.
COATES: For more on this entire race, I want to bring in 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang.
Andrew, so good to see you. I was just talking to Ben about this. I mean, you've got Jeffrey Katzenberg, who's now warning President Biden about donor money drying up.
And at the same time, the campaign daring donors not to support the president. I mean, this is a tale of two campaigns in some ways, right?
ANDREW YANG (D), FORMER 2020 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Laura, I met with a megadonor yesterday, and this isn't just the president. He told Senate candidates in swing states, I will not donate to you until Joe Biden passes the torch.
COATES: Really?
YANG: And I'm sure he's getting that feedback from others in the party, where if you're a swing senator, imagine having that phone call, being told you will not get a dime for your campaign unless you get Joe Biden out.
COATES: I mean, that's a tremendous amount of pressure. And I do wonder if that pressure exerted on that particular senator or member of Congress could actually influence a decision by the president.
What would that take to connect those dots?
YANG: We're starting to see it, Laura, where Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, Hakeem Jeffries are taking the concerns from their members to the president.
The donor community has been closing ranks and sending the same message.
I think that Joe Biden is going to do the right thing and step aside, because right now, this is untenable. You can't run a campaign without money. You can't have a nominee that most of the party wants to step aside.
COATES: Well, here's the concern. There were millions of people who wanted him to be the person who is the nominee. And I do wonder what you think that voters will think if it's the donor class, as opposed to voters, who are determining whether he should stay in the race. That could actually backfire on Democrats who are talking about democratic principles, could it not?
YANG: Voters are saying the exact same thing. I think 72 percent of Democrats want Joe to step aside.
And one of the -- the things we have to keep in mind is that there's going to be a ton of enthusiasm for the new nominee, because those voters do not want Donald Trump in the Oval Office next January.
You're going to see, in my opinion, eight or nine figures of resources, not just from big donors, but from grassroots $20 donors as soon as you have a new nominee to take on the Donald Trump-J.D. Vance ticket.
COATES: You know, on the Republican side, you're talking about that ticket. I mean, there are a number of CEOs reportedly feeling scared stiff and spooked about Trump's running mate, J.D. Vance.
I mean, he's worked with Dems like Senator Warren to crack down on big banks. He's praised the FTC chair. And back in 2021, Andrew, he made it pretty clear that he is fine with raising taxes on big corporations.
[00:45:05]
Are these some legitimate fears from these particular donors on the other side?
YANG: No. I think J.D. Vance has presented himself as a bit of an isolationist. So, I know there are folks that are concerned about America pulling back from various -- various commitments internationally.
I do think that there's an appetite for some of the policies you just described. And one of the problems for the Democratic Party is that they have felt like they haven't been championing the working-class population as much as you might hope.
And so, I think there's an opportunity for Republicans to take that case and get some voters from Ohio -- well, Ohio is not really a swing state. But Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, where this election is going to be decided.
COATES: I mean, it was once a state that was a swing state. I know it has changed now --
YANG: It was, yes.
COATES: -- in a decade or so. But, you know, although Vance, he has claimed to be pro-worker, I mean, last year, he earned, I think, a 0 percent score from the AFL-CIO when it came to backing working people. That's pretty significant.
So how does the Biden campaign use this data to their advantage? Is it a missed opportunity by not talking about it?
YANG: Well, J.D. Vance has any number of positions that Democrats will, I'm sure, be advertising heavily. And he's something of far- right populist.
He has a set of ideas that I think some Americans are going to feel uncomfortable with.
It was a competent picked by Donald Trump, in my opinion, in the sense that, if you're going to win, then you get someone in like J.D. Vance, who's going to be the heir apparent. He's 39 years old. He's friends with Donald Trump Jr.
I thought that he might choose a Doug Burgum, a Glenn Youngkin, even a Nikki Haley or Marco Rubio to try and broaden the base. I don't think that's J.D. Vance's utility.
I think the Trump camp thinks they're going to win. And they think they're going to win, in large part, because their opponent is an 81- year-old incumbent with a 38 percent approval rating.
And that's what I think should change, hopefully, in the next 48 hours.
COATES: What do you think is happening in the next 48 hours?
YANG: I think that Joe Biden is going to be home in Delaware, and people are coming to him. And that he's going to realize that the best thing he can do for the country, his legacy, the party, people that do not want to see Trump have control of the House, the Senate, the White House, and essentially, the Supreme Court.
So, I think that we're going to have a lot of pressure come to bear on the president upcoming.
I happen to know of another Democratic member of Congress who has not gone public yet, who will do so shortly.
But that, to me, is the highest leverage thing that can change in this race.
I'm certainly someone who wishes that Joe Biden will pass the torch. And I think that he's going --
COATES: To who?
YANG: -- to see it the same way if enough people come to him.
COATES: Andrew, to --
YANG: The best thing that --
COATES: -- do you think he should pass the torch?
YANG: This is the greatest opportunity that they have, Laura. Imagine a mini primary where the top six contenders show up for a debate or a forum. That will be must-see TV. Maybe it will be on CNN.
But the ratings will be sky high, because everyone will want to tune in to see who's going to be taking on the Trump-Vance ticket.
And the Democratic Party actually has many up-and-coming governors and other officials.
A poll just came out that showed that there are four governors that are outperforming Joe Biden by five points in the swing states that are going to decide this race. Do you get some of those figures up on stage?
And then there'd be tons of excitement among everyday Americans that at least one of the parties has managed to move on from its octogenarian or near octogenarian.
COATES: I wonder from voters whether you are overestimating or underestimating the role of a contested primary this close to an election. We'll have to wait and see what they say.
I do wonder what you make of Elon Musk's commitment to Donald Trump and the Trump-Vance ticket.
YANG: I think a lot of folks in Silicon Valley think Trump is going to win. They want to be on the winning team. They think that their business interests will benefit. And they're making a decision to back Trump.
Now, I'm someone who does not think that Trump should be back in the Oval Office. And so, it's disappointing. But I know some people in the -- those circles, and many of them feel like they're joining the winning team, particularly in the wake of the debate.
I mean, if you think about it, some of these commitments have been made in the last two weeks.
COATES: Andrew Yang, we will see what transpires. You're saying 48 hours, but Biden is saying he's going nowhere. We'll have to wait and see. Thanks for joining me tonight.
YANG: Thank you, Laura. Great being here.
[00:50:01]
COATES: We are learning tonight some disturbing new details about the gunman who tried to assassinate Donald Trump, including the pictures of politician that investigators discovered on his phone. Lawmakers say they are very unhappy with what they're hearing.
We'll talk about it next.
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COATES: Tonight, a new and downright frightening readout on the investigation into a would-be Trump assassin.
The information comes from a number of places, including a conference call with lawmakers, a private briefing with senators and Congressmen that happened just this afternoon. Here is what we know.
The shooter's search history included pictures of Trump, pictures of Biden, pictures of congressional leaders, pictures of Rudy Giuliani, and pictures of Fani Willis.
The shooter also visited the rally site twice after the location was announced. Two lawmakers telling CNN that, according to cellphone data, he canvassed the Pennsylvania location for seven the 70, 7-0 -- 70 minutes.
The 20-year-old gunman also looked for info on major depression disorders.
[00:55:03]
Republican lawmakers happy what they learned? In a word, no. Quote, "This was a 100 percent cover-your-ass briefing," Republican John Barrasso said afterwards.
The Republicans have called for the Secret Service director to resign. In fact, take a look at this, because lawmakers were chasing the Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle on the convention floor, confronting her with questions.
And Cheatle has agreed to comply with a subpoena now from the House Oversight Committee. She will speak at a hearing next week.
We'll have more on night three from the Republican National Convention here in Milwaukee. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MATT GAETZ (R-FL): We ride or die with Donald J. Trump to the end.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We will be united.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They did not break me. And they will never break Donald Trump.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who will make America energy dominant?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Joe Biden may have forgotten that our children died, but we have not forgotten. Donald Trump has not forgotten.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[01:00:00]
