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George Floyd Remembered at Democratic Convention; Trumps Aggressive Response to Protests Condemned at DNC; Sanders Calls on Democrats to Unite and Defeat Trump; Democrats Take Air at Trump in Convention Opener; Strongman Lukashenko Under Pressure to Resign in Belarus. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired August 18, 2020 - 04:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


[04:30:00]

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: With racial injustice a central issue of this campaign, Democrats took time to remember George Floyd, the black man whose death under the knee of a white police officer sparked international protests calling for racial justice. George Floyd's brother honored the many who have died because of hate and injustice. Here's his message to the convention.

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PHILONISE FLOYD, GEORGE FLOYD'S BROTHER: It's a fitting legacy for our brother, but George should be alive today. Brianna Taylor should be alive today. Ahmaud Arbery should be alive today. Eric Garner should be alive today. Stefan Clark, Tatiana Jefferson, Sandra Bland. They should all be alive today. So it's up to us to carry on the fight for justice. Our actions will be their legacies. We must always find ourselves in what John Lewis called good trouble for the names we do not know, the faces we'll never see, those who can't mourn because their murders didn't go viral.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And in the wake of George Floyd's death, people of all backgrounds came onto the streets to present a unified front against police brutality and inequality. One such protest in the U.S. capitol was met with opposing force backed by the U.S. President. The mayor of Washington, D.C., spoke to the Democratic convention about that day.

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MAYOR MURIEL BROWSER (D) WASHINGTON, D.C.: It was here that just weeks ago, Americans donned face masks and safely and peacefully protested the death of George Floyd. But while we were peacefully protesting, Donald Trump was plotting. He stood in front of one of our most treasured houses of worship and held a Bible for a photo op. He sent troops in camouflage into our streets. He sent tear gas into the air and federal helicopters too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Well, the Democratic Party is unified in its opposition to President Trump but is that enough to rally members who disagree with Joe Biden on the issues? Senator Bernie Sanders, who leads a far-left faction of the party, is stressing the common goal.

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SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), FORMER U.S. DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Together we have moved this country in a bold, new direction showing that all of us, black and white, Latino, Native American, Asian-American, gay and straight, native born and immigrant yearn for a nation based on the principles of justice, love and compassion.

Our campaign ended several months ago but our movement continues and is getting stronger every day. Many of the ideas we fought for that just a few years ago were considered radical are now mainstream.

[04:35:00]

But let us be clear, if Donald Trump is re-elected, all the progress we have made will be in jeopardy.

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CHURCH: Mo'Kelly is a political commentator and host of Los Angeles radio program the Mo'Kelly Show and he joins me from Los Angeles. Also joining me is Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, CNN political commentator, epidemiologist and public health expert. He joins me from Ann Arbor in Michigan. Good to see you both.

DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Thanks for having us.

MORRIS O'KELLY, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Thank you for having me.

CHURCH: Mo'Kelly, I want to start with you. The Biden/Harris ticket needs to attract more black voters as well as far left progressives. Given what you have seen so far and what the DNC has lined up for the week, how likely is it that they can achieve this?

O'KELLY: Well, they've made it very clear that not only black voters but black women voters are going to be the engine of the party, not only now throughout this convention into election but moving forward. And they made that very clear with their choice of speakers. As far as who was going to begin and who was going to anchor tonight and also who was going to anchor tonight.

They made it very clear that they've acknowledged and they've maybe seen the error of their ways as far as black women. They vote most frequently, consistently and fervently for the Democratic Party. And they wanted to make sure that America saw that they were not embarrassed in any way to showcase African-American women specifically. Now whether that resonates will be found in the fundraising. Because

we don't have any audience to cheer. We don't have any immediate feedback. But if you see that fundraising tick up, then that means that message is resonating.

CHURCH: Yes, I mean, it's a different arena, isn't it, compared to any convention we've watched in the past. Doctor, I want to go to you because Monday night Bernie Sanders called on voters to remove what he called the most dangerous President. But will this be enough to bring his supporters on board? Because we remember in 2016 when they were so furious about Hillary Clinton becoming the Democratic Party's nominee, they refused to vote and Donald Trump won that election. How likely is it that we'll see something similar happen again?

Well, there are a couple of things that are quite different than they were in 2016. First, there was a space through these unity task forces -- I happen to serve on the health care task force -- to be able to inform the policy platform of both the party and the nominee for president. I think that went a long way to moving the platform left in ways that are really, really critical. They haven't quite gone far enough for a lot of progressives but it is an important opportunity to say, look, we hear you and we understand.

Second, you heard Bernie Sanders talk tonight. He put that platform in some clear context, particularly contrasting the fact that right now we have an existential threat to democracy occupying the oval office. Then the last piece that I think is really important is Donald Trump is in fact President. Going into 2016 a lot of people just thought it was impossible for him to win. We have seen what 3 1/2 years of a Donald Trump presidency means. Nobody wants to see another four.

And so, I think progressives recognize that although many of us are frustrated about the outcomes of the primary, we realize the existential threat of Donald Trump. And we realize that there's a lot of opportunity to push for real progressive change under a Biden/Harris ticket. And so, when I talk to progressives across Michigan, a key swing state, they tell me they recognize the responsibility that we have. We have to keep fighting for the democracy that will allow us to build toward Medicare for all and a green new deal and free college tuition. And so, people realize what we need to do and what's at stake.

CHURCH: And so, Mo'Kelly, what do you think the Democratic Party needs to do to be more inclusive when it comes to black voters, female black voters, and far left progressive voters? And can the Obamas, Bernie Sanders and others unite the party and include everyone? Because we can't assume that all of those voters are sitting watching this for starters. Because it is a very different convention to any other, isn't it? You can't assume that people are sitting home watching this.

O'KELLY: Well, if anything, it is a television event. I thought the Democratic party was very clear and specific in showing a multi- lingual, multi-generational, multi-cultural America so everyone could feel a part of something that they actually could not be a part of because of COVID-19. And moving forward, they will have to do that. And one thing I noticed about tonight specifically was the tonality.

It was somber, it was subdued. It was sobering in nature. Americans telling about their difficulties right now. And that's inclusive of African-Americans but it's not exclusive to African-Americans. And I thought that was important to give, if you will, an analogy. They wanted to have more of a PBS feel as opposed to Spike TV or ESPN. It wasn't about celebrity.

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It was about empathy. It was about Americans coming together. And if you can do that, that message will resonate inclusive of African- Americans.

CHURCH: Right, and of course this has got to get to other platforms if the Democratic Party want to see younger people be included here and get interested and engaged in what's going on. So doctor, how much harder will all of this being in the midst of a pandemic, particularly with cuts to the Postal Service making the likelihood of even longer waits in line to vote. How much do you fear that people will go, this is all too hard. I don't think my vote will get counted if I mail it in and they're too scared to line up to vote. Because they don't want to run the risk of getting COVID-19.

EL-SAYED: Well, there is no doubt that COVID-19 hangs as a sector on this entire election season. I do want to echo my colleagues point though, that there was a very different tonality that actually this format of convention allowed for. Which allowed the feel, the tone to be a lot more focused on the real issue at hand rather than a raucous Democratic convention. Which I actually think the DNC to their credit, used to great effect.

Now the question of whether are not this will get out there. You know, the way that we consume information about politics now is so mediated via social media. So a lot of the best pieces will be cut up and moved on to Twitter or Facebook or Instagram. And I think that that's going to be really important to spreading the message.

But to the final point about COVID-19 and the ability to actually go out and vote, we have to remember what actually created this in the first place. Failed presidential leadership. The reason we're all still worried seven months on in this pandemic about whether or not we might get sick if we go out and vote, is because there has been a failed President who has been failing to lead with respect to taking on this pandemic. And so, the keyway to solve this problem is that we need new leadership. And I think people recognize that. So I think you're going to see really bumper voting this year, some of it by mail-in ballot, some of it, people putting on a mask and going and waiting in line. Because this really is existential when it comes to the future of our country.

Mo'Kelly, and Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, thank you to both of you for talking with us. We do appreciate it.

EL-SAYED: Thank you for having me.

O'KELLY: Thank you.

CHURCH: And still to come, a well-crafted convention speech. How much do they matter? And do they create a bump to the candidate. We will speak to a former speech writer about that.

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CHURCH: It was a speech that would propel him to the national stage and ultimately the presidency. When then Illinois state Senator Barack Obama gave the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, it was a moment few could forget and showcased the power of an electrifying address.

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BARACK OBAMA, THEN-ILLINOIS STATE SENATOR: There is not a liberal America and a conservative America, there is the United States of America. There is not a black America and a white America and Latino America, an Asian America, there's the United States of America.

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CHURCH: CNN senior political analyst Joe Avlon joins me now. He's also the author of "Washington's Farewell" and "Wing Nuts" and a onetime speech writer for former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Good to have you with us.

JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Good to see you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So a lot of notable speakers lined up for the week for the DNC convention. We've already heard from some, including from former first lady Michelle Obama. What stood out in her address particularly and what is the key to a great and memorable convention speech?

AVLON: It's such a great and important question. You know, Michelle Obama's actually a great communicator in her own right, and she really has an ability to speak from the heart but to throw some subtle jabs. And I think that the heart of her speech was about character. She said it's the most important thing in a presidency and it's what's most glaringly lacking about this President.

And she tried to tie, in fact, the aspects of the Obama legacy to a broader bipartisan legacy of presidents shoring up international organizations. Mentioning Regan and Eisenhower, two Republicans. And saying that, look, Donald Trump has been a stark departure from that and he has an inability to empathize with other people and that's what the presidency is about.

You know, a great convention speech -- and there've been many of them. Ultimately is about trying to put forward a positive vision of the nation and project it forward. Some Democrats sometimes have a hard time embracing patriotism in a full sense. Want someone to keep it at an arm's length, but successful progressives in particular know how to tie their vision to something that's fundamentally patriotic. Martin Luther King did that very well throughout his career and great speeches do. And you're seeing that tone get hit over and over so far in this convention.

CHURCH: Yes, we certainly saw that very much at the start of it, didn't we? And also Republican John Kasich spoke. How significant is it that he's from the rival party and do you think that could potentially change the hearts and minds of other Republicans who may be questioning the direction of their party right now, which of course is clearly the hope here on the part of the Democrats.

AVLON: I think it's easy to forget how extraordinary that moment was. And it wasn't just John Kasich. It was Kristie Todd Whitman, former governor of New Jersey and the Bush administration official. It was Meg Whitman, a businesswoman who ran for governor of California as a Republican, a close ally of Mitt Romney. It was Susan Molinari, a former Republican representative who spoke at the 96 Republican convention.

So it's not just Kasich, but it is so extraordinary and unusual to have that many members of the opposition party line up to say that they cannot support the incumbent President of their own party. Meg Whitman said he's bad in business. John Kasich said he's bad for the soul of America.

Now look, Donald Trump's very popular among Republicans to the tune of around 85+ percent. But there's a large number of influential Republicans who are showing major signs of dissent. And it's very difficult to find folks who voted for Hillary last time who are going to vote for Donald Trump this time. It is not as difficult to find folks who voted for Donald Trump who aren't going to do it a second time. And it's almost impossible to imagine Republicans pulling off anything similar at their convention with this President.

CHURCH: Yes, interesting and just very quickly. Historically, how often has a convention speech moved the needle in any significant way?

AVLON: Look, candidates can get a big bump out of their conventions.

[04:50:00]

John McCain got a bump out of his with a very strong country first speech despite being dragged down a bit by the nomination of Sarah Palin at that convention. Bill Clinton's 92 convention speech is a classic of a genre when he talked about a new covenant. George W. Bush's convention speech, very strong. And Barack Obama in Denver, you know, he is a great orator. And those moments matter. And they can create real bumps. But again, it's about tying the personal vision to a patriotic perception of the country. Tying the past with the present and projecting onto the future. That's what great speeches do. And that's what folks should look for.

CHURCH: John Avlon, great to chat with you. Thanks so much.

Well, the President of Belarus is under growing pressure to step down. Mass demonstrations, demanding new elections. The President says not until you kill me. CNN is on the scene in Minsk. We'll go there after the break.

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CHURCH: Antigovernment demonstrations in Belarus are now in their second week. Thousands of people filled the streets of Minsk for the ninth straight day Monday. Protesting what they call a rigged election.

[04:55:00]

Meanwhile, embattled President Alexander Lukashenko was booed and heckled by factory workers. He says there won't be any new elections, quote, until you kill me.

And CNN's Fred Pleitgen joins me now live from Minsk. Good to see you, Fred. So blunt words from Lukashenko there. What might that signal about his likely next move?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think it's going to be very difficult for Alexander Lukashenko to make a comeback from some of the things that we saw yesterday. And if you're looking behind me right now, Rosemary, you can see that the opposition is continuing to pile on the pressure. That building behind me is actually the national theater of this country. And the director of the national theater just got fired for siding with the opposition. And there's opposition flags now hanging outside the theater. And people here obviously, demanding freedom for all sorts of groups in this country.

We had it yesterday when we were talking with the television workers coming out and saying, they want to report accurately. We haven't now with artists and actors coming out and saying, they want to be able to have freedom as well. So you're seeing one sector after the next being lost from essentially Alexander Lukashenko's grasp.

But certainly, what we saw yesterday when a lot of the workers there were yelling at Lukashenko, that was really a very difficult moment for him. Because of course, that is the industrial backbone of this country. And at the same time, Rosemary, of course all of this is now in a diplomatic realm as well. Where a lot of people are wondering what Russia's next move is going to be. And one of the things that we are looking at today also is that Angela Merkel is set to have a phone call with Vladimir Putin later today to see where all of this goes on the international diplomatic stage as well -- Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes, it's critical to see what Russia does next too, as you say. Frederick Pleitgen joining us live from Minsk. Many thanks.

And thank you for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. "EARLY START" is up next. You're watching CNN. Have a great day.

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