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The Lead with Jake Tapper
CNN Democratic National Convention; Source; Tonight: Tim Walz Takes Stage To Formally Accept VP Nomination. Aired 4-5p ET
Aired August 21, 2024 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[16:00:35]
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: A live look inside the United Center here in Chicago, Illinois, where night three of the Democratic National Convention is about to get underway. A third U.S. president will be entering center stage, along with the potential next U.S. vice president facing the biggest test of his political career.
Hello and welcome to THE LEAD. I'm Jake Tapper here once again at the Democratic National Convention where all eyes in this massive arena and around the country will soon be on Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris's running mate.
Just appeared here for a walk-through before he formally accepts the vice presidential nomination later tonight, in front of an adoring and roaring crowd of delegates. Governor Walz will be introducing himself to much of the nation after being propelled to the national spotlight, just a little over two weeks ago.
Walz, a former assistant high school football coach and teacher and national guardsmen and six term U.S. congressman is facing some scrutiny over missteps, gaffes, and exaggerations about his life story, particularly his service, which Republican veterans in Congress today are accusing him of, quote, lying about. More on that in a second. We'll see if Governor Walz addresses any of that tonight.
The campaign says a governor will be highlighting values instilled from his upbringing in Nebraska and will say how those roots its helped shape his service in the Minnesota national guard, which he enlisted at the age of 17 and served honorably in the national guard for 24 years. We are also hearing former football players coached by Walz will be on hand tonight, as his name is entered into nomination.
While his star rises in the Democratic Party, people are still talking about the return of the Obamas. Last night, they declared hope is making a comeback. And they brought the house down while ripping in to Republican nominee Donald Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE OBAMA, FORMER FIRST LADY: For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us.
Who's going to tell him that the job he's currently seeking might just be one of those black jobs? (CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: A 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago.
There's the childish nicknames. The crazy conspiracy theories. This weird obsession with crowd sizes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Weird obsession with crowd sizes with some interesting hand motions there, farewell, of course, to the "when they go low, we go higher" diktat. That is not the direction that joke went anyway.
Moments ago, Mr. Trump responded for the first time, hear what he said in a moment, but let's move on to tonight.
Bill Clinton is going to speak. He's the next U.S. president who will do so, marking his 12th consecutive convention speech, a fun flashback for the oldies in the audience. I'm including myself on that.
Mr. Clinton's 1988 address almost destroyed his political career. He bombed as the keynote speaker for then nominee Governor Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts. Mr. Clinton talking for more than twice the amount of time he was supposed to. The restless crowd finally erupting in cheers when he finally wrapped up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Michael Dukakis will never, never, never forget it. In closing --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: He later had to do a massive cleanup beginning with Johnny Carson.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNNY CARSON, TV HOST: My first question is, how are you?
CLINTON: Everybody, at least at home, knows I can give a speech. Now, everybody knows I can blow one. The truth is I did it on purpose. I've always wanted to be on the show in a worse way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Clinton, of course, did recover just a touch. He went on to accept the presidential nomination of his party at the very next convention in 1992, and, of course, won the election.
My colleague Erin Burnett is also here in the convention hall, as there is some big news that CNN has just learned exclusively -- Erin. ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: That is right, Jake. You know, when you talk
about the star power and the energy that has been in the room where you and I are over these past days here. We are learning in terms of the celebrity performers that Pink's going to be performing tomorrow night to close out the convention before Vice President Harris takes the stage, which is obviously going to be a crucial slot.
And Pink has taken and has been given that slot. It is her first major politically set performance, Jake, even though, of course, she has long been outspoken about causes she's passionate about throughout her career, and in that recent excellent "60 Minutes" profile.
[16:05:07]
We have also learned that John Legend will be the big musical performance tonight at Governor Tim Walz's remarks and we did just have the amazing opportunity which I think is the best part of our jobs this week, Jake, is watching the practices. Its almost like your own personal concert.
So, we do get to see some of that, and Kaitlan Collins does as well. She's on the convention floor with political star power there.
Kaitlan, I see you there with Senator Kelly.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN HOST: Yeah, Erin. I will note, Stevie Wonder is on stage right now. He is also, I guess, going to be performing tonight, he's warming up.
Someone who will not be forming tonight, but will be on stage tomorrow night, Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, who is also a finalist for Vice President Harris's vice presidential pick.
And so it's great to have you here.
Obviously, this is a huge moment for Tim Walz. In the list of speakers tonight, he may be the least known to the American people. It's such a critical speech, with so many people watching.
What do you believe he needs to do on that stage tonight?
SEN. MARK KELLY (D-AZ): I think people will realize that he's such a great guy.
I've known Tim since around 2007. My wife, Gabby Giffords, and Tim, they were freshmen together in the U.S. House. So they got sworn in together.
So, I've known him for a while. He's a patriot. He served in the Army National Guard for 24 years. He was a teacher, a coach, in the House of Representatives for 12 years, and then serve two terms as governor.
And he's just a really great person. And he's a great candidate. And I think he's going to be a great leader for our country.
COLLINS: And something we've been hearing from the other side of the campaign trail with Donald Trump and J.D. Vance out today. Senator Vance was criticizing Governor Walz for how many times he's visited China, saying he has this outsized love affair with China, criticizing him for going there with his wife for teaching a course there.
What does your party need to do? How should they respond to comments like that from Senator Vance?
KELLY: Well, that's not only that, his comments about Tim's military service. J.D. Vance should know better. I would expect this stuff from Donald Trump. I mean, that's who Donald Trump is. I mean, he calls deceased service members who lost their lives in combat, he calls them suckers and losers. Total disregard for the Medal of Honor.
And, you know, so I expect this from Trump. I don't expect it from J.D. Vance, so I know fairly well. We serve in the Senate together. He's a marine.
I respect J.D. Vance's service as I do every marine who -- and so it's really disappointing to see this. He -- yeah, he taught in China. He's a teacher and he's a coach. He was probably teaching English, not sure of the details, but, you know, Americans, you know, travel all over the world for different reasons, for different jobs, at different parts of his life.
But his service to this country and his patriotism, to stay in the military for 24 years, I served in the Navy for 25 years, to disrespect somebody like that who has a career of service, it's not what I expected to hear from J.D.
COLLINS: Senator Mark Kelly, we'll see you speaking on stage tomorrow night. Thank you for your time.
KELLY: Thank you.
COLLINS: Erin, and, of course, we will be seeing Senator Mark Kelly tomorrow night. Tonight is going to be a huge list of speakers leading up to Governor Walz, including former President Bill Clinton tonight as well.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Kaitlan. Sorry, I was just -- like the music came on here as Kaitlan finished. It is -- as I said, this is the best part about this is getting to here these practice acts.
All right. Hundreds of miles from the DNC where we are right now, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is in battleground North Carolina, trying to take advantage of this moment to try to get any kind of traction he can in battleground states. His campaign event there comes after Barack and Michelle Obama slammed him in their DNC speeches last night as Jake just played a few moments ago.
Our Phil Mattingly is in Asheboro, North Carolina, where Trump just wrapped up his first outdoor rally since the assassination attempt against him last month.
Phil, so, obviously, an important moment in that regard, and it was billed as a national security speech. Did he stick to that?
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF DOMESTIC CORRESPONDETN: No, in a word. There were certainly national security elements and their key planks from his foreign policy of his first administration that he certainly wanted to wander through, and talk about and focus on in this speech about a second administration. But it was also very clear he is paying very close attention to the Democratic convention or Democratic charade, as he called it repeatedly, including two speakers from last night.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT & 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Did you see Barack Hussein Obama last night taking shots? He was taken shots at your president, and so is Michelle.
You know, they always say, sure, please stick to policy, don't get personal. And yet they're getting personal all night long these people. Do I still have to stick to policy?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MATTINGLY: And, Erin, what's interesting is that was actually the types of conversations he appeared to be recounting multiple times throughout the course of his really hour-plus speech, talking about how advisers were telling him to stick to policy, his Republican allies have, and that he doesn't want to.
[16:10:00]
He took an informal poll. The crowd said, go with personal attacks -- Erin.
BURNETT: Yeah, interesting.
All right. Phil Mattingly, thank you very much, in North Carolina.
Jake, as we listen to Stevie Wonder.
TAPPER: Yeah, the timing on that, nice.
Now, I don't have to listen to myself instead of Stevie Wonder.
Let's talk about this all, not Stevie Wonder, as much as I would love to cede the floor to. Little Stevie.
Bakari, let me start with you.
Let's just play some of the sound demonstrating how Democrats are talking about the Republican Donald Trump, who seems from the clip that we just saw from Phil Mattingly in North Carolina, quite perturbed, quite offended.
BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I love that SAT word. TAPPER: So let's run some of the sound.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES & 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It was the same old show the divisiveness and the disrespect.
M. OBAMA: Going small is petty. It's unhealthy and quite frankly, it's unpresidential.
B. OBAMA: We do not need four more years of bluster and bumbling and chaos. We have seen that movie before, and we all know that the sequel is usually worse.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Bakari, what do you think?
SELLERS: So I think that most people just hear it and hear the attacks on Trump, but don't see what the campaign is doing or how the shift is actually occurring because you're seeing a messaging change right now. The message is changing from Donald Trump is this -- this kind of threat to democracy, that this is huge villain.
TAPPER: Mighty ogre, right.
SELLERS: Ogre, yeah, no, he's just a buffoon.
TAPPER: Right.
SELLERS: He's the guy who is out there just vacuuming at 8:30 in the morning on a Sunday when you're trying to sleep or the leaf blower as Barack Obama said. And so, they're just kind of -- you see the shift in policy and its kind of a permission almost for Kamala Harris to adopt this new strategy of not saying that Donald Trump is wrapping his hands around the throat of democracy.
But instead, do you want four more years of incompetence, of buffoonery, of chaos? And that's what you saw last night.
And I thought -- just for a second, I think that there was a lot of pent up angst and just emotion from Michelle Obama over the past eight, nine years that she was able to let go of last night because Donald Trump has just picked at them and called them names and taken them to the mud and tried to otherize them and everything else.
And so last night, I think she finally said, I'm fed up, and let me tell you who this man really is. And she did it with such honesty that it was decently refreshing.
TAPPER: David Urban, one of the other people that we heard from talking about Donald Trump was his former communications director, press secretary, Stephanie Grisham.
And one of the most potentially damaging things she said -- although I don't know if it will actually be damaging, is how she described how Donald Trump describes his supporters. Lets roll a clip of that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHANIE GRISHAM, FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I wasn't just a Trump supporter. I was a true believer. I was one of his closest advisors. Behind closed doors, Trump mocks his supporters. He calls them basement dwellers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: You --
DAVID URBAN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah. I'll say this, Jake I've done more rallies and spent more time with Donald Trump than Stephanie Grisham has at rallies, around real people, around those -- the basement dwellers. I've never heard him once referred to anybody in those terms.
He takes pictures in kitchens we're walking through, the Secret Service take him through, stops. So --
TAPPER: That's not your experience?
URBAN: Not my experience at all over the past -- since 2016, never seen it once.
TAPPER: Uh-huh.
URBAN: So, you know, I just flat out dismiss that.
And then listen, to what President Obama was talking about and Bakari is talking about, listen, completely paint Donald Trump the way you want to paint him, the fact of the matter is that after 32 flawless days of campaigning, he still ahead or tied with this campaign in this building, right?
So, you know, I heard President Obama say, look, this guy takes a punch, it gets back up, so we're going to be prepared to fight and he's like hope is just around the corner. Apparently, he hadn't seen the jobs numbers for today, 818,000 jobs last revised downward --
TAPPER: Right.
URBAN: -- for the first time since 2000 -- biggest revisions downward since 2009.
U.S. inflation, up to 4.3 percent, highest since 2021. Five out of six of jobs reports -- in the past five or six job reports provides downward.
TAPPER: Downward, right.
URBAN: Eleven percent of credit card holders are now in default. If hope's making a comeback, it's not in that jobs report that's out today. And so, Bakari and the people in this room come Monday that Harris, the Biden-Harris administration, which he was a part of, have to answer for those things.
You can call him a buffoon. You can say whatever. But the American people know those numbers because they feel in their pocketbooks.
TAPPER: Ana Navarro, you have worked on Republican campaigns. You are an adviser to Florida Governor Jeb Bush. You spoke last night here at the Democratic National Committee's convention.
[16:15:03]
What was it like for you speaking to Democrats?
ANA NAVARRO, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: The whole experience has been surreal.
Look, for me, you know, it's been an evolution that started in 2016. I -- I just could not ever support Donald Trump. That was the first time that I voted for a Democrat. I had voted for Republicans my entire life.
And I think I wanted to tell folks yesterday, you can go ahead and put country first. You can put values first, you can put principles first.
It's okay to vote for somebody of another party. You will survive. Your hand will not fall off. You will not be struck by lightning.
And, you know, I understand the struggle that it is for some Republicans because -- and I think people particularly who may not be very politically involved don't understand how hard it is to do something for the first time when you think you're breaking loyalty tradition, habit, you know, everything you've grown up with.
But it's okay. It's okay to do. And so for me, it was all about that. And also, I have -- I have a relationship with Joe Biden. I've known him for over 20 years. I have a relationship with Kamala Harris. I've known her for over seven years.
So it's incredibly exciting. And the optimism it was electrifying from that podium, you -- you really can't see that somehow she's captured lightning in a bottle. And it's just channeling this level of enthusiasm that I haven't felt in a long time from a political -- anything.
TAPPER: You know, it's interesting, David, the -- one of the strengths of the Democratic Party and you mentioned yesterday, I think how Susie Wiles, the Trump campaign manager, noted that she was less than less impressed with Joe Biden, than she was with the Democratic Party per se.
The Democratic Party has former presidents, has stars, has rising stars, et cetera. The Republican Party does not have that because Trump has chased a lot on them out of the party or alienated them, or attacked them. I mean, there -- there is a living Republican president named George W. Bush, who was not welcome. In fact, J.D. Vance's entire speech, he came out to a song that as an anti-George W. Bush song. DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yeah, I mean, what Donald Trump
does have, as he said, he chased those figures out of the party, but he has the voters, he has the Republican Party.
TAPPER: Yes, 100 percent.
CHALIAN: That has very much rallied around him when you -- you know, he fortified the support in the nomination season so quickly, and that sort of catapulted into the general election. When you look at polls, huge percentage, over 90 percent of his 2020 voters are still with him in the party is still with them.
So he does have that, but you're absolutely right. There is not -- he doesn't have -- he changed the Republican Party and remade it in his image. So there's no -- nobody other shoulders he can sort of rely on to help tell his story.
TAPPER: Yeah. It just seems -- it just glaring that this convention is about the Democratic Party. And that convention was about Donald Trump. It seems to me.
URBAN: I would just say real quickly, Jake, that Republican Party already though, was losing, right? We are losing races. We hadn't won Pennsylvania for 30 years with that Republican Party.
SELLERS: He's probably won race.
NAVARRO: But you know something? I don't think this convention is about the party. It's also about the voters and about the people. And I think that, that part of that lightning in a bottle, Kamala Harris has captured in the last 30-some days is because it's organic.
And it's coming from the young people doing this. This is not the campaign doing it. It's the young people, it's the people out there who've taken lead in this campaign.
TAPPER: Thanks one and all.
As Governor Tim Walz prepares to deliver his nomination acceptance speech tonight here in Chicago, he faces controversy over what you might call some unforced errors and so do some of his detractors in the GOP, we might note. I'll explain coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:22:44]
TAPPER: Welcome back to our coverage of the Democratic National Convention.
That's Stevie Wonder during a sound check playing a little higher ground behind us on this stage.
Tonight, Democratic vice presidential nominee, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, will take the stage headlining the convention and here in Chicago, how will Governor Walz introduced himself to the American people as he assumes the biggest stage of his life?
Let's bring in Ken Martin. He's the chair of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor Party.
Ken, I want to get your take on how Governor Walz, you think his speech is going to go. But, first, I do want to ask you about what seemed like some unforced errors from the governor saying that he carried a weapon of war in war which he never -- he served honorably was never actually in a war zone, talking about his family's struggle for fertility, he said that an attack on IVF is an attack on his family. They didn't actually use IVF. They use a different fertility procedure.
These seem like unnecessary errors.
KEN MARTIN, CHAIR, MINNESOTA DEMOCRATIC PARTY: Well, look, I mean, the reality is, you know, as it relates to the fertility issue, the governor and his wife struggled with fertility, like millions of Americans do throughout this country.
And the reality is they started treatment. Luckily, they were able to be successful at the IUI, they didn't need to seek out IVF, but under Donald Trump and J.D. Vance's policies and proposals, of course, we would see total bans on IVF around the country. And that's what we're really talking about here.
And the same thing with the weapons of war comment, right? When you put it into context, the governor did carry a weapon of war, right?
TAPPER: Sure, but not in war.
MARTIN: Well, that's correct, but there Saudi as he knows, weapons of war, he's fired weapons of war and training. And the reality is at the end of the day, he knows weapons of war should not be on the streets throughout America.
And that -- when we put it in a context what the governor was saying and what he means is that we need gun control in this country. We need to make sure that weapons of war are not on the streets. We need IVF treatments in this country need to make sure that people who are seeking out fertility treatments can get them successful.
TAPPER: You know him, do you think he understands that these embellishments hurt the message that he's trying to deliver?
MARTIN: I don't think they're embellishments, right? May -- maybe he misspoke, but they're not embellishments. He served. He carried weapons of war. Him and his wife actually sought out fertility treatments. There's nothing that's embellishing his --
TAPPER: He said things that weren't accurate.
MARTIN: Well, that's -- he misspoke and it's not an embellishment to say that we sought fertility treatments.
[16:25:03] Not an embarrassment to say that he actually carried a weapon of war.
TAPPER: So what do you expect the governor to say this evening? How do you expect him to introduce himself to the American people we've certainly gotten a taste of him in doses, but this is the biggest stage he'll ever face.
MARTIN: Well, that's right. But in Minnesota -- and Minnesotans couldn't be more proud obviously tonight. We're going to see our governor who we've known for some time. We've seen him served honorably in Congress for 12 years, of course, and representing the first district so admirably in Congress.
And then as our two term governor, now in his record of success speaks for itself. But what I think you'll see tonight is Tim Walz that the teacher, the coach, the hunter and angular, the kid from small town Nebraska, who instead of moving to the big city like J.D. Vance and forgetting his roots, Tim Walz as always embraced his real roots. He never forgot that he moved to Mankato, Minnesota. He taught there for 20-plus years before deciding to run for Congress.
And what you'll see is a guy that, you know, lives his values, committed to this state of Minnesota. And now, you know, it's been so fun to talk to these delegates here, right? Who are now getting a chance to know that Tim Walz, I've known for 20 years, right?
And the reality is they're so excited. He's an affable, authentic, genuine guy. He's every day working person who they can relate to. And that's what you'll see on stage tonight.
TAPPER: Well, and you -- Minnesota delegation certainly has better seats than you would have had a month ago.
MARTIN: Well, that's absolutely right. There is one benefit.
(LAUGHTER)
TAPPER: All right. So much.
Ken Martin, chair of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor Party, thanks so much.
The Trump campaign distributed an open letter signed by nearly 50 Republican lawmakers who served in the U.S. military. In it, they fiercely go over these embellishments or alleged embellishments that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has made about his honorable military service.
Now, we at THE LEAD have certainly covered these issues as well. You heard me just asking about it, but it is worth noting two of these Republicans signatories are accused of similar embellishments.
Republican Congressman Ronny Jackson of Texas signed this letter in which he referred to himself as a retired Navy admiral. He is not -- not anymore. The U.S. Navy demoted Congressman Jackson to the rank of captain in 2022 after a scathing watchdog report. It has also been reported many times that Republican Congressman Troy Nehls, also from Texas, used to until recently where a combat infantry been -- infantrymen badge that actually the U.S. Army gave to him in error and revoked. Congressman Nehls has taken off the badge, not because it was wrong for him to wear, he says, but because we in the media are vultures.
How seriously are people in the American public supposed to take this open letter when apparently none of the signatories are concerned, that two of the Republican signatories on it engaged in similar things that they're accusing Governor Walz of doing? Is it possible that this letter is more about politics than actually being offended by what theyre accusing governor Walz of allegedly doing?
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:32:31]
TAPPER: We're back live from Chicago with our special coverage of day three of the Democratic National Convention. Several battleground states, including the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as well as Michigan and Wisconsin, will decide the 2024 presidential race.
And in Michigan, there is certainly a lot more at stake for Democrats.
Joining me now is Democratic Congresswoman Hillary Scholten of Michigan.
Last time you and I spoke, you were one of the very first few House members after the debate saying that Joe Biden needs to step aside?
REP. HILLARY SCHOLTEN (D-MI): Yeah.
TAPPER: You and others were very, very worried about the message, about losing about a shellacking. How do you feel now?
SCHOLTEN: You know, I made my statement, Jake, out of concern for the future of this country, the future of our democracy and out of an obligation that I have to speak the concerns of our constituents. And we continue to hear, especially from our younger voters, but are older voters as well who were watching the presidents deteriorating condition, knowing what it led to and saying this is not what we want going forward.
And, you know, now we have had a monumental sea-change. The energy here is nothing short of electric we are feeling so inspired. We had a volunteer event back home in Kent County, usually draws 150 people, over 400 people came to volunteer, get out the vote it is its democracy in action. It is a beautiful thing.
TAPPER: So, obviously, we still hear some minor protests here from people concerned about the death toll in Gaza. There were some protesters outside, not as nearly as many as had been billed, but obviously people are getting arrested. It's still -- and it's still -- it's still an important issue.
SCHOLTEN: It's, of course, it is.
TAPPER: Do you think that Vice President Harris should change her position on this issue? Although I know that both she and Biden are pushing for a ceasefire? Do you think there needs to be a policy change?
SCHOLTEN: The policy has always been, bring the hostages home and get a ceasefire deal. That has been the policy that remains the policy. And I think it should stay the policy we are hoping this week, Secretary Blinken's visit to the Middle East will bear some fruit.
You know, it's been up and down for many, many months, but we are -- we are hearing from stakeholders back home, absolutely.
[16:35:00]
This is -- this is still a top concern, but the contrast, the contrast between Vice President Kamala Harris, our future nominee, and Trump is one that is -- there's -- there is so much daylight between their two positions. When it comes down to it -- you know, the voters in Michigan, they know who they need to choose.
TAPPER: All right. Congresswoman Hillary Scholten, who -- it was tough. I want to just point out. It was tough for somebody who early Democrats to acknowledge the reality that we all saw, while many others in the Democratic Party were gaslighting the public and whatever you think of whatever people out there think about your policies or whatever, I just want to take a moment to say kudos to you for saying something that was tough.
SCHOLTEN: Thank you.
TAPPER: It's not -- and you don't get a lot of that in public life.
SCHOLTEN: So, you don't. And we certainly, you know, we got pushed back. I got a lot of praise, but I'll just got a lot of pushback from the party at all yell, you know, not -- not without a tongue lashing for sure what to say the least.
But it's always -- it's always important that people in my district are counting on me to do the right thing regardless of what the party bosses may say.
TAPPER: Thanks for being here. Really appreciate it.
SCHOLTEN: Thank you.
TAPPER: And abortion rights will now be on the ballot in two additional states this November, which Democrats hope will drive turnout for them. Will that be able to save Democrats majority in the Senate?
That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:40:48]
BURNETT: And back here at the DNC here in Chicago. Tonight's theme is "A Fight For Our Freedoms", which is a central message that the Harris campaign wants out there, especially when it comes to abortion rights, which they have put at the center of the Democratic platform.
Just this week, Arizona and Montana now have become the latest states that will let voters decide in November whether abortion access should be enshrined in those state constitutions.
Obviously, that's crucial in terms of trying to motivate turnout. At least nine states now have measures to expand or protect abortion rights this fall on the ballot.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES & 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Just yesterday when he was asked if he has any regrets about ending Roe v. Wade, Donald Trump -- Donald Trump without even a moment's hesitation, you would think you'd reflect on it for a second, said no, no regrets.
We will make sure he does face the consequence in that will be at the ballot box.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: All right. Let's bring in, two of our top political anchors and reporters, extraordinaire, Kasie Hunt, Manu Raju.
All right. So, I mean, you know, it's interesting, Manu, you have talked so much -- and both of you have about the importance of certain states. Montana, that Senate race is crucial and it is a tough one for Tester. He's not here for that reason. Now, abortion being put on that ballot.
What does that do? Does that actually motivate the base such that it is in Montana?
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Look, but this is already an incredibly difficult Senate map for Democrats pressed to hold onto the majority. They essentially have to run the table, including holding onto a very difficulty seat in Montana, Donald Trump carry that by 16 points.
But I talked to the top Democratic campaign chief earlier today, Gary Peters, about the impact that this new ballot initiative in Montana to protect abortion access, how that could impact there chances to keep the majority. He believes, in fact, that it could help and I think save Tester's job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAJU: Do you think that will save the majority, that ballot referendum on abortion?
SEN. GARY PETERS (D-MI): It's certainly very powerful to turn people out, and it's going to be a big reason why people are voting and why they're going to vote but for Jon Tester and other candidates. You mentioned Florida, it's going to turn out folks in Florida, I think that puts in play for us as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RAJU: And that's a big reach for Democrats, to try to start a -- can't pick up a seat in Florida. That already seems very difficult given the makeup of the state, Rick Scott, the incumbent Republican senator, has a ton of money.
But it just shows you the Democratic thinking that ballot initiatives regarding abortion could put Florida in play, potentially Nevada and Arizona, two others swing states both in the presidential and as well in the Senate. They believe essentially will get them over the finish line, whether it gets there is another question.
BURNETT: I remember having this conversation with White House strategist at the beginning of the year, Kasie, right, when Biden was the nominee and the thinking was what states could they get this on the ballot for? Because it could help Biden, and try to -- try to drum up enthusiasm where it didn't exist.
But now, you look at a state like Arizona, swing state, state where Harris has been picking up ground. What does abortion actually do there being on the ballot?
KASIE HUNT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, I mean, I think for Biden, they -- they really needed things that were not Joe Biden did use turn out. Kamala Harris has really engaged the electorate in a new way, but that doesn't mean that this doesn't help her, right? Because what we have seen in state after state after state is that voters are deciding to either support abortion rights outright or to at least limit the number of restrictions on their abortion rights, even in red states like Kansas, right?
And the personal stories around this, I spoke with Kate Cox earlier this morning. She is the woman from Texas. She was part of the roll call here. And she had told her horrifying story of wanting a third child learning that the child was not going to be born alive and being told she couldn't get the care that she needed in her home, state of Texas.
Now, she was here last night with the joyous announcement that she's having another baby. She told me this morning, it's a boy.
These are the kinds of stories that Democrats have been highlighting and are ones that you really make impact with voters.
BURNETT: And we'll see. Of course, getting more and more of these in the ballot.
Thanks so much to both of you. Jake?
TAPPER: Thanks, Erin.
A few simple words can make or break a political convention speech.
[16:45:00]
Next, some of the one-liners that have been hit historically and some that have really missed their marks.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:50:09]
TAPPER: A zinger from Michelle Obama has likely the secured a spot in the pantheon of all-time memorable political convention quotes. Last night at the Democratic National Convention here in Chicago, the former first lady took Donald Trump's controversial debate night complaint about migrants taking, quote, black jobs, unquote, and she turned it against him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE OBAMA, FORMER FIRST LADY: Who's going to tell him that the job he's currently seeking might just be one of those Black jobs?
(CHEERING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: That -- that line electrified the crowd and it made us think about other lines in convention history that continue to stand the test of time.
Think back, for example, to the 2016 Republican convention when Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who had just lost Donald Trump in the GOP primary in which Trump had nonsensically implicated Cruz's father in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and insulted the appearance of Cruz's wife and much, much more.
So, here's what happened when it was Cruz's turn to speak at the convention and endorsed Donald Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): If you love our country and love your children as much as I know that you do, stand and speak and vote your conscience.
(END VIDEO CLPI)
TAPPER: Vote your conscience was pretty shocking at the time because it was a clear, explicit non-endorsement of the party nominee on the national stage.
These times, especially shocking because Ted Cruz, of course, has become rather devoted to Donald Trump.
Eight years before that, at the Republican National Convention, John McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, made a confidence speech that skyrocketed her out of relative obscurity and scared Democrats.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH PALIN (R), FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: You know they say the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: That line was a knock at some of the sexist questions about her ability to do the job of vice president while raising children, but her star fell nearly as quickly as it rose. John McCain and Palin eventually lost to Barack Obama and Joe Biden, which brings us to Obama's breakout moment.
Back in 2004, 20 years and three weeks ago, when he endorsed Senator John Kerry for president tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Tonight, there is not a liberal America and a conservative America. There is the United States of America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Were those lines then State Senator Obama stole the show. It was clear that he was the future of the party, not so much the nominee, Senator John Kerry.
Here's a one liner from Kerry's acceptance speech that year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA): I'm John Kerry and I'm reporting for duty.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: This was supposed to play up Kerry's honorable military service during the Vietnam war, which was attacked at the time with blatant falsehoods by a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.
Kerry went on to lose to George W. Bush.
Bush's father, George H.W. Bush, delivered this gem at the 1988 Republican convention.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Read my lips: No new taxes. (END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: But Bush Sr. did end up raising some existing taxes which contributed to the loss of a second term for him.
Perhaps the most notable line from the Democratic convention that same year was not from Mike Dukakis, but from Texas Governor Ann Richards who said this about George H.W. Bush.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THEN-GOV. ANN RICHARDS (D), TEXAS: He was born with a silver foot in his mouth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: It was generally perceived that its not a good sign for a nominee of the best line at a convention speech isn't theirs, especially if the best line is from an opponent, which we saw at the 1980 Democratic national convention when after Senator Ted Kennedy challenged President Jimmy Carter and lost, Kennedy delivered a concession speech for the ages.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THEN-SEN. TED KENNEDY (D-MA): For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: More epic one-liners potentially lie ahead. Tonight will be the 12th time Bill Clinton has addressed the Democratic National Convention.
In his 1992 acceptance speech, the former president ended not only with a memorable line, but a memorable musical moment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: I still believe in a place called hope. God bless you and God bless America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: The delegates went nuts as they sang along to his Fleetwood Mac campaign theme song, "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow". It was a real rallying cry for the boomers.
[16:55:03]
Not unlike Beyonce's "Freedom" perhaps, which serves as a campaign song for Vice President Kamala Harris.
Clinton had been tied with George H.W. Bush in the pre-convention "New York Times" polling. He left that convention with an unthinkable lead of 24 points.
So, if you're reading between the one-liners, yeah, convention speeches matter.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TAPPER: We're back here at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, night three. Governor Tim Walz is going to accept the nomination as vice president this evening.
John Berman is on the convention floor -- John.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm right here in the creators platform, Jake. This is something different at this convention. They've credentialed some 200 content creators. They bring them out for ten minutes at a time.
