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The Lead with Jake Tapper

Sticking Points In Interviews With Trump, Vance, Harris & Walz; Harris Defends Changing Stance On Fracking Ban; NHL Star Johnny Gaudreau, Brother Killed In Crash; Key Decisions Ahead As Trump Seeks to Delay Trials, Sentencing. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired August 30, 2024 - 16:00   ET

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

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Two airline passengers in China got so fed up with a toddler's nonstop crying on a flight that they locked the one-year-old in the plane's bathroom.

[16:00:03]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: The little girl was on the plane with her grandparents and after three hours of crying, the two passengers took her to the restroom to, quote, educate her. They said they had the grandmother's consent, even posted a video of it. You saw some of the frames there which has since been taken down.

The airline has now apologized for the incident.

Yeah, just not -- not the way to handle that.

KEILAR: Huge outrage in China online because of this, we should mention and that's it.

THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER starts right now.

(MUSIC)

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN HOST: The first ballot for the presidential election get mailed out in one week.

THE LEAD starts right now.

The race for the White House looks significantly different today than it did just 24 hours ago. Trump, Vance, Harris-Walz, all on camera, all staking out their policy positions as the first Americans get ready to cast their votes.

Plus, as he courts voters on the campaign trail, Trump's lawyers are preparing for a consequential few weeks in the courtroom. What you need to know about latest legal challenges and Trump's upcoming sentencing.

And a heartbreaking story we've been following all day and unimaginable tragedy takes the life of one of the NHL brightest stars and his younger brother. We'll be joined by the former coach of Johnny and Matt Gaudreau about the legacies they leave behind.

(MUSIC)

MATTINGLY: Welcome to THE LEAD. I'm Phil Mattingly, in for Jake Tapper.

Within the last 24 hours, we've seen revealing interviews from all four presidential and vice presidential candidates, Trump-Vance, Harris-Walz, all making the pitch to voters, while trying to clarify where they actually stand on some major issues.

We learned a lot, but at the same time, we didn't always get the clearest answers. Here's how Vice President Kamala Harris responded when CNN's Dana Bash asked why she has changed positions on some policy since 2019, including no longer supporting a ban on fracking.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES & 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: My values have not changed. We can -- we can grow and we can increase a thriving clean energy economy without banning fracking.

My value around what we need to do to secure our border. That value has not changed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: Harris's running mate, Tim Walz, was then asked why he is fudged a few details about his personal life including during a 2018 event discussing gun violence, where he said he carried a weapon of war, in war. A reminder, Walz served honorably, but never saw combat.

Here's how he answered for that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. TIM WALZ (D-MN), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I certainly own my mistakes when I make 'em. I won't apologize for speaking passionately, whether it's guns in schools or protecting reproductive rights.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: Now, the same time, Trump and Vance, they're making their own headlines in other interviews. Trump dropped not one but two bombshells on reproductive rights. First, saying Florida's six-week abortion ban is too short, indicating he may vote to overturn the state's six-week abortion ban.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT & 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think the six week is too short. It has to be more time. And so that's and I've told them that I want more weeks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: Now, separately at a rally, he proposed a major IVF initiative. Listen. Under the Trump administration, your government will pay for all your insurance company will be mandated to pay for all costs associated with IVF treatment.

Now, that, of course, is the same politician who often brags about installing a Supreme Court that overturned Roe versus Wade.

And senators in Trump's party, including his running mate, Senator J.D. Vance, recently voted to block a bill that would guarantee access to IVF nationwide. Many in the anti-abortion community are up in arms over Trump's abortion interview, leaving it up to Vance to try and explain it all.

Here's how that went this morning with CNN's John Berman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I think all the president is saying and, of course, he's going to make his own announcement on how he's going to vote on the Florida bill is that he thinks that there should be more than six weeks and he's been very consistent in that. He says he doesn't like just six weeks. He obviously doesn't like late term abortion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: Then, Vance was asked about something Vice President Harris said in her interview that shed liked to see politics become more about lifting people up. Vance said the Trump campaign believes in, quote, having a conversation with fellow Americans. Here's what Berman asked him in response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: You were talking about Donald Trump's social media. Would you describe his posts over the last 40 hours is lifting people up, quoting, re-posting QAnon statements, re-posting these misogynistic memes about Vice President Harris and Hillary Clinton? That's the kind of open discussion that you think is lifting people up?

VANCE: Oh, John, I think if you look at Donald Trump's full campaign appearances and yes, his social media appearances, what you see is two things, a guy with an agenda to lower prices and bring back American prosperity and a political candidate who isn't stodgy, who likes to have some fun and likes to tell some jokes. I do think that's how you lift people up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: So there you have it, interviews with Trump-Vance, Harris- Walz, whether he walked away from them, more certain about where you stand or more confused, the race certainly looks different today than it did yesterday, just at this time.

[16:05:11] CNN is closely following what both campaigns are doing today.

Jason Carroll is in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, with the Trump campaign, and Priscilla Alvarez is here with the latest on the Harris campaign.

We begin, Jason, with you. The former president, moments away from this Pennsylvania rally.

Do we expect to hear him talk more about abortion and IVF as he did yesterday?

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good question, and it's unclear if the former president will talk more about his idea plan is, you know, as you heard there from our John Berman in trying to question his running mates on some of these issues that there still seems to be some ambiguity there when it comes to IVF in terms of how this is going to be paid for, where is this money right to come from.

And so, it's unclear at this point if you'll mentioned that here right at this rally, but we do know that he is on all unlikelihood going to talk about some of the things we've heard him mentioned before, with his crowds like this one in Pennsylvania, namely that he says he's the best candidate to handle the economy, he's the best candidate that can preserve jobs, especially in the fracking industry, which is so important to so many people here in the state of Pennsylvania who rely on that industry.

Also, probably, we are in all likelihood waiting to hear the former president once again, encourage people to get out there to vote. But there seems to be, again, some mixed messaging when it comes to even simple act of getting out to vote. The reason why I mentioned this is because just this week, as you know, Phil, the campaign launched this new website which shows voter how they can easily get their mail-in ballots.

In the jumbotron here, it's up absolutely right now as we speak where it says, make a plan to vote, and it also talks about mailing your ballot in vote. May not sound out of ordinary for a candidate to say, hey, get your people out to vote, but you have to remember that just this week on Monday, when Trump was in an interview, he was saying that he was not in favor of mail-in voting. This was in an interview with Dr. Phil. He said mail-in ballots shouldn't be allowed.

And so, at this point, I can't say how you can have it both ways. We'll see what happens when Trump takes the stage just a few moments from now -- Phil.

MATTINGLY: All right. Our thanks to Jason. Always a little difficult in the rally atmosphere to hear what's actually going on.

I want to turn now to Priscilla Alvarez.

Priscilla, the vice president, not on the trail today, but obviously reproductive rights have long been a focus for Democrats and certainly in the wake of what we heard from the former president last night. PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: This is a galvanizing issue for Democrats. They see it that way. And just to remind our viewers, they had actually put Vice President Kamala Harris on the trail earlier this year when she kicked off her reproductive rights tour. And so that was a clearest indicator yet that the campaign was seeing it as such a key issue when they could bank on and putting her on it to be the voice of it.

Now, the campaign taking a bit of a similar page from that playbook, and they're going to launch their own productive rights bus tour with at least 50 stops. Now its going to start Tuesday in Florida estate that came up yesterday has come up a lot of times because it abortion is on the ballot there with Senator Klobuchar and the campaign manager.

This tour is going to include a lot of surrogates. Its going to be they say going include celebrities. It's also going to include Gwen Walz, who also has her own personal story with infertility. And she had this to say about what Donald Trump was saying on IVF and J.D. Vance saying, let me be clear, Donald Trump is the reason that fertility treatments are at risk.

So expect that this is going to be the message from her, from those who participate in this bus tour as they move forward because they do see it as an issue that resonates with voters. It comes up at all of the rallies that the vice president has done, and it is issue she's very familiar with having done that tour.

And by the way, Phil, I was in Arizona with her when she coined the Trump abortion ban and that became the talking point for Democrats, too. So, more of that expected in the coming weeks.

MATTINGLY: Certainly an issue they're happy to elevate on the political stage.

All right. Priscilla, stick around.

I want to bring in the panel.

We start with Scott Jennings mostly because he's not sitting around the table with me, just going to get him out of the way -- I'm kidding, Scott.

The first question, Scott, it's been a revealing 24 hours for both the Harris and Trump campaigns, Republicans, very clearly painting Harris as a flip flopper, particularly on that fracking issue. Jason was talking about so critical and the commonwealth in Pennsylvania, which is why I dug into the archives for an old Scott Jennings quote that always stuck out to me. It was from a "Politico" story titled Trump keeps flip flopping his policy positions after meeting with rich people.

You said that -- your quote, and that sort of saying people might say that is craven or it doesn't have any core values or whatever, but he's got to win the election.

[16:10:04]

It's actually very smart observation of things.

Isn't that what the vice president is doing on some level here?

SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah, maybe in what ultimately matters is whether voters believe you. Do they believe you are the liberal Kamala Harris from before, or they believe you're the supposed centrist Kamala Harris from now. You know, I went back and watch the tape of her discussing the fracking issue from 2019. Not only does she say she was against that, she gave good day long speech about how she needed to save the planet for her baby nieces. I mean, it was a really from the heart script that she was reading at some political consultant had handed her.

And now I guess she doesn't need to save the planet for her baby nieces anymore. Maybe they're grown up. I don't know, but its amazing to me that she could go from such a heartfelt position to something that obviously is the opposite of that.

So we'll see, we'll see how voters take it. Maybe -- maybe they won't care. My bet is in Pennsylvania folks are going to need to know a little bit more than what they learned from her last night, which wasn't much of anything at all.

MATTINGLY: Maria, on the other side of this, if you're a Democrat and you're watching Donald Trump very clearly, try and take the issue of IVF off the table, or at least mollified on some level. Also on the six-week abortion ban in Florida where there is not an option on the ballot as my understanding to write, I would like more weeks. It's a yes or no question.

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Right.

MATTINGLY: Are you concerned right now?

CARDONA: No, I'm not concerned because I think voters will see right through him in terms of what he's trying to do. He's trying to clearly muddy the waters because he and his campaign are desperate, knowing just how much this issue of reproductive rights and IVF has been electoral kryptonite for them and that it will continue to be electoral kryptonite for them moving forward regardless of what Donald Trump says, because he cant stop bragging about the fact that he's the one who appointed the three conservative judges on the Supreme Court that were the reason why Roe v. Wade -- Roe v. Wade was overturned.

And since then, Phil, that is when Democrats started over-performing in every single election that happened, including 2022, as we all remember, the red wave. Oh wait, no, we don't -- it didn't happen. And part of the big reason for that is because reproductive rights.

And so, Donald Trump saying, oh, he wants more than six weeks -- there's not more than six weeks on the ballot, so where does he go with that? Now he's saying that he is going to pay or the government is going to pay for IVF. Is that going to be before or after he repeals the Affordable Care Act or as Mexico going to pay for it? So I just think that voters understand just -- not just how much of a flip flopper he is, but how much of a liar he is, and how much of an opportunist he is and that the only thing he is -- he cares about is himself winning this election because he knows if he doesn't win this election, he's probably going to go to prison.

MATTINGLY: Kristi, on the IVF issue, one, it's a very personal issue. Two, most Republicans. You talk to, you understand that this is politically -- this is not a 55-45 issue. This is an 80-20 issue and they've been very cautious with it on some level.

But how the former president framed what he wanted to do last night for those of us who covered the creation of Obamacare and the hundreds of efforts to repeal it since then a government mandate enforcing insurers to pay, how can a Republicans support that?

KRISTIN DAVISON, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, I think what you're looking at here is I think Republicans understand this is a personal issue. This is, you know, just like anything else that we have in health care, Medicare for all, it's not a mandate, it's -- it's a -- I didn't take it so much. It would be a mandate more so the government providing resources for families to have the ability to have a family, which is very difficult as we see across, across the country.

What I do think you've seen the Democrats do -- they tried to catch on to this, you know, demonizing theme of IVF, and every Republican from Trump down, everyone running for Senate, House members across the country have all said, whoa, whoa, whoa, no one is saying that, we want to support women. We want to support IVF, literally in lockstep and it's almost Democrats can't get their head around it. It's like wait a second and then, you know, we want to make this argument against you.

And not one Republican is out there saying that we want to make it harder for women to have access --

CARDONA: Well, J.D. Vance voted against it in the Senate only two Republican senators voted for it. And also what you're saying is just not true.

TIA MITCHELL, WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, THE ATLANTA JOURNAL- CONSTITUTION: And also just have a question there, mechanics in there, because really what Republicans have said about IVF, not that they don't support the procedure, but they don't support the disposal of unused embryos, which is often a part of the procedure. And so the nuance is what happens when doctors say, we can't do this if you won't let us has move forward with having embryos that might not be implanted, then where do you go?

DAVISON: Well, I don't -- I don't agree with that. I think that again, that is an argument that the left has grabbed onto it.

MITCHELL: So you don't agree with --

DAVISON: I don't believe that that's what Republicans are saying at all. I don't believe Republicans are saying it all. That's the scare tactic that the left is using. That. If you go and have the IVF procedure, then you're going to somehow get trapped and having 12 children that you weren't planning to have because you have to carry each embryo.

[16:15:11]

I don't think that's at all what Republicans are saying. That's what the left really wants this argument.

CARDONA: Why did they vote against it? Why did they vote against it?

JENNINGS: He didn't vote against it. Let me -- hold on. Let me jump in here. The vote in the vote Senate was manufactured show vote by the Democrats, so that some person could go on television about this time of the year and make up a talking point about having a vote in the Senate. That's all it was.

CARDONA: OK.

JENNINGS: Not a single Republican, from Donald Trump, to any candidate for the Senate, House anywhere at any serious level is running against IVF. Every Republican is running on what Trump has said, which is, we're the Republican Party and we support families and this technology helps people have families, period.

Anything else you hear about this from Democrat is made up and it is a scare tactic and I don't believe there's going to --

CARDONA: What's not made up because Donald Trump is the one who instituted the three judges that overturned Roe v. Wade. The overturning of Roe v. Wade is the reason why IVF is in trouble today.

(CROSSTALK)

MATTINGLY: I want to -- I want to -- I want to Priscilla real quick, although I will say, watching Republicans when they come back to Capitol Hill after recess answer questions about mandates and expanding Obamacare is going to be a journey.

In the wake of the interview last night, how does the Harris campaign feel? Where they think this takes them going forward?

ALVAREZ: Well, they feel pretty good about how it went. Of course, the whole -- for her, what she had to do in that interview is explain or try to explain some of these evolutions of policy positions, fracking, and also border security. Fracking, Pennsylvania big issue. Border security, big issue for all Americans that is coming up on polls as a top issue consistently or among the top issues consistently.

Now, I think there could still be more clarity as to what those positions are actually going to look like. But it was also very telling in how she came across as quite centrist. She was talking about the economy, spent a lot of time talking about what she is dubbed the opportunity economy, when she was talking about border security, it was very much about that border bill which included some of the toughest border enforcement measures in recent memory, which Democrats embraced and probably would not have embraced a few years ago, which in and of itself showed a shift.

And so this was her introducing herself to voters. That's something that all of her allies and advisers say she has to continue to do because people have not gotten to know her in the same way over the last three years, but also an opportunity for her. they thought, to explain where she is today, knowing that one of the biggest attacks that is coming from the Trump campaign is dangerously liberal. So how do you fight against that? And that was some of what we saw.

MATTINGLY: Laying the groundwork, it's a sprint ahead, folks. I don't think any of us get any days off.

All right. Everybody, stick around a lot more to get to.

The former president likely to continue his attacks on Harris's CNN interview when he takes the stage in just a matter of moments. So how is the Harris campaign going to respond? I'll ask one of the co-chairs next.

And new data out today shows progress in the fight against inflation. But what does that mean for your wallet and day-to-day spending? That's ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:22:06]

MATTINGLY: We're back with our 2024 lead.

In her first sit-down interviews since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris defended some of her changes on policies such as fracking.

Joining us now is the co-chair of the Harris-Walz campaign, Congressman Steven Horsford of Nevada.

Congressman, really appreciate your time. The vice president had opposed fracking in 2019. Last night said her position to change the following year when she became Joe Biden's vice president, and she continued to vow -- she vowed to continue to support fracking as president. Clearly on the climate side of things or environmentalist who are concerned about that position, what do you say to voters who are concerned that Harris may change her position on other critical issues?

REP. STEVEN HORSFORD (D-NV): Well, first, it's great to be with you. And Vice President Harris laid out a very clear vision for how we move our country forward -- a new way forward, one that emphasizes the importance and the priorities of putting the American middle-class at the top of her priorities. She talked about the fact that its really time to turn the page from Donald Trump, who's about division and whose character diminishes who we are as Americans.

Now on the issue of the climate, she talked specifically about the fact that her values have not changed and it's because of her leadership as vice president that Congress passed the most historic climate action of any country in the world. She's going to continue to lead on the issues of the environment, making clean water and air accessible, taking lead pipes out of schools and communities, making sure that our children and our families are safe.

Those are her values, and those are the issues that she'll continue to fight for as president of the United States.

MATTINGLY: Congressman, when she talks about a new way forward, I understand when she's talking about turning the page, she's talking going back 8, 9, 10 years, but a new way forward. She's in the current administration. A lot of the issues you just laid out, whether it's lead pipes or clean water, those are central kind of priorities for the Biden administration, too. What -- what have they done wrong?

HORSFORD: Well, they've done absolutely the work that the American people have asked us to do. Look, it's the American people who demanded that this Congress and the Biden-Harris administration, administration take action to lower the cost of prescription drugs? That's why we have a $35 cap on insulin.

It's the American people who called on Congress to take the most aggressive action on climate and the past. The most comprehensive gun safety bill when she talks about turning the page, it's about a new way forward that lifts up all Americans.

She talked about the effort to make sure she represents all Americans by including a Republican in her cabinet -- something that I think speaks to the diversity of all voices, the fact that she respects every faction of America, and that she will lead as president for all of America.

[16:25:10]

MATTINGLY: So you don't view these changes as purely politically motivated? Look, kind of looking at the map, okay, your state of Nevada. And deciding, all right, this is actually where I need to be on policy not because that's what she actually believes.

HORSFORD: Again, her values have not changed and when you look at the record that she has performed as vice president, as United States senator. You can see exactly what she's done to fight for the American people. And as president, she'll be focused on the middle-class, lowering costs, building 3 million more homes.

That's the issue that's important in my district, lowering the cost of rent and making housing more affordable for veterans, for first-time homebuyers, making sure that we have access to child care, and improving or passing the child tax credit at $6,000, which will help every American family with small children, lifting America and middle- class families into the middle-class while Donald Trump is focused on big corporations and the ultra-wealthy, it's the vice president, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, who are about moving our country forward and who are focused on the middle-class. MATTINGLY: One of the most important voices in the House Democratic

caucus, co-chair of the Harris-Walz campaign, Congressman Steven Horsford of Nevada, thanks so much.

HORSFORD: Thank you for having me.

MATTINGLY: Well, up next, the tributes are pouring in after a tragic accident took the life of an NHL star and his brother, the former coach of Johnny and Matt Gaudreau joins us live, next, to reflect on the legacy he left behind.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:31:09]

MATTINGLY: Tributes are popping up and pouring in and honor of the man affectionately known as Johnny Hockey. The New Jersey police say an NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his younger brother Matthew were killed last night while riding their bikes by a man suspected of driving under the influence.

Now, Johnny leaves behind a wife and two kids who were frequent supporters at his games. To add to the heartbreak, the Gaudreau brothers were spending time together ahead of their sisters wedding scheduled for this afternoon.

Here's CNN's Polo Sandoval.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hockey star Johnny Gaudreau and his younger brother, Matthew, killed by an alleged drunk driver Thursday night on the eve of their sister's wedding, where they were set to be groomsmen.

State police confirm the siblings were bike riding and southern New Jersey when they were hit by an SUV.

Sean Higgins is the 43-year-old alleged drunk driver. He was charged with two counts of death by auto police records showing that he admitted to drinking five to six beers before the accident and failed field sobriety test.

Gaudreau, who earned the nickname Johnny Hockey was drafted by the Calgary Flames in 2011 -- signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022, where he tallied a dozen goals and nearly 50 assists the last season alone.

Johnny played the game with great joy, read a statement from his team. The impact he had on our organization and our sport was profound, but pales in comparison to the indelible impression he made on everyone who knew him.

But despite the success in the rank, the true passion appeared to be off the ice, as a loving husband and proud father of two babies, the youngest born this year and carries dad's name. Matthew followed in his brother's footsteps, playing side-by-side with Johnny in Boston College. Coaches there described the brothers as full of joy for the sport.

JERRY YORK, FORMER HEAD COACH, BOSTON COLLEGE MEN'S HOCKEY: If you ask us the name of our favorite players, you know, they've got to be -- both boys are going to be among them.

SANDOVAL: An uncle of the Gaudreau brothers releasing the statement saying: Last night, we lost two husbands, two fathers, two sons, but truly two amazing humans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL (on camera): Sean Higgins, that suspected drunk driver, already made his initial court appearance today. He did not yet enter a plea according to court officials. He's been ordered held until his next court appearance next week, Phil.

But really, as you can imagine, much of the attention remains and on the Gaudreau family. In a single instant, Phil, they went from preparing for their daughters wedding to now having to prepare for the funerals of their two sons.

They feel the love though, and the support they said today. They're getting all sorts of tributes from family, friends, and as you can imagine, plenty of hockey fans as well.

MATTINGLY: Indescribable heartbreak. Polo Sandoval, thanks so much.

Joining us is former Boston college men's hockey coach, Jerry York, a legend in the game, who also coached both Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.

Coach York, I'm so sorry for your loss, for the entire community's loss.

Just to start, how are you today?

YORK: You know, so many great days in this life that we live, but every once in a while, you come across nightmare. And this morning, I got woken up by one of my former assistants, Mike Kavanaugh (ph), who just informed what happened and I was just -- at 6:15 this morning, I was just besides myself.

MATTINGLY: We know -- I mean, obviously, Johnny was any elite hockey player. Matthew was also an exceptional hockey player. You coached them both. Hockey aside, how do you remember them on a personal level?

YORK: Oh I loved their family. You know, Guy, the dad, Jane (ph), the mom, and a little sister, Katie, I mean, they came through every game and to try to imagine what their families going through. It's just so difficult for me, but they were wonderful family and, you know, we have all themes at BC and the other schools have coached that. But we don't have hall of fame parents.

[16:35:01] And I have my own set of hall of fame parents, and, you know, I go often -- who is going to be in this list. But Jane and Guy will always front and center. So, they are hall of fame parents that produced two sons that, you know, left a remarkable mark on Boston College, student athletes, alumni, just terrific young guys.

MATTINGLY: We know this is a very tight-knit community, not just BC hockey or hockey in Boston generally, but the sport writ large. Everyone seems to know each other. Everybody's following everybody's career. What do you think the impact on the community is that these two will leave behind?

YORK: Everybody stand from, you know, Olympic teammates, to Calgary teammates, to Columbus teammates, to all Boston College here. And, you know, every college hocky player, you know, kind of knows each other. It might not, you know, know, the background, you know, every single thing, but they know that join hockey, as they all finally call him and his younger brother you know, Matt, were just hockey people.

They loved hockey. You know, as coach is we always want to have great practices and we tried to do that. But when you have Johnny and Matt step of the ice, they make the practices great. They just do some things with the puck that are remarkable and, God, I miss them already.

MATTINGLY: I -- Coach York, I can't imagine kind of you've been going through, what the entire community has been going through. I thank you so much for your time and for sharing your thoughts and perspective today. Our prayers go out to you, to all the friends and family of Johnny and Matthew. Thank you so much.

YORK: I really appreciate that. Thank you.

MATTINGLY: And much more ahead on THE LEAD. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:41:22]

MATTINGLY: We're back with our political correspondents and experts as we await Donald Trump's rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

Take a look at what we saw in the arena. Jason Carroll was pointing this out earlier, big overhead display are urging people to take advantage of mail-in voting. Trump, of course, not a huge fan.

It has been problematic for Republicans. Kristin Davison, including someone who's at this rally with him. Dave McCormick, who basically behind the scenes are saying, we have to do this. In fact, we do it quite well in Florida. It's part of why Republicans have been successful in the state.

Is this going to end up hurting Republicans? The former president not really having a defined position on this, despite Republican saying yes, please do this. DAVISON: So the whole -- early vote, absentee vote, I think after

2020, Republicans really took a step back what we weren't doing well. It's not so much a messaging tool as much as it is boots on the ground and tactics. This is a really tactical thing to.

I think right after 2021, one of the first major elections was Governor Glenn Youngkin's victory in Virginia and early vote was a huge part of that effort. He won the in-person early vote and part of it was a cultural shift, you know, having events and early voting locations, chasing down absentee ballots, adding people now to the permanent absentee list.

We haven't seen as much success, you know, like that in several states, but I think we're getting there. So I don't necessarily know if one comment here or there is going to make or break the early vote operation, what's going to make or break the early operation is how many boots on the ground Republicans have in Pennsylvania and Arizona and Georgia.

MATTINGLY: What is your sense of that? Because that's a question you hear from folks in the state saying like, were not really sure what the Trump campaign and the campaign says, like were good, we have this set up the way we want it.

DAVISON: Right. Well, I mean, that's the easiest thing to criticize because you cant go there and count them yourself, right? But I mean the campaign, they've put out good numbers. I know there are a lot of groups so they're doing work there, too, and also down ballot in the Senate races. It will be key for them.

You know, there will be a Dave McCormick voter who is probably still undecided on the presidential and to be able to have that data and focus and bank those votes early. Early -- some counties in Pennsylvania start early voting, you know, September 16.

MATTINGLY: Yeah.

DAVISON: So this is happening right now. And so, I don't necessarily think make too much of comments here or there, but I'm sure at the rally in Pennsylvania today, there'll be volunteers there signing people up, asking if they have their ballot and then chasing them down, and that's really when we'll win. That's what you saw in Virginia in 2021 and in places like Georgia in 2022.

ALVAREZ: Well -- sorry.

CARDONA: No, go ahead, go ahead.

ALVAREZ: Well, this is where the compressed race, at least from the Harris campaign perspective it gets really challenging because now, we have early voting around corner and there's still introducing a candidate. They're still trying to define her and policy positions on fracking, and why she may have changed or shifted and her trying to explain that getting out on the trail and notably, in Pennsylvania, shell be on Monday with President Biden. It's going to be the first time that they are out there together since she became the Democratic nominee.

But this I think this early voting push ahead and it's just so notable in this moment because covering the Harris campaign, they really have to get their boots on the ground operation going and something they've been working on, but certainly now there's a different candidate and they don't have all the same down-ballot races that Republicans have. I was just in Georgia and other states, but they don't have those Senate races to bank on and bring people out in the same way.

CARDONA: But the other side of this is that the Biden campaign had already had massive infrastructure in all of these states, and Kamala Harris inherits that. Not only that, she's raised more than half a billion dollars since she became the nominee. All of that is going to boots on the ground, it's going to media, of course, but its going to exactly what you're talking about.

And from what I have heard anecdotally, and some reporters that have done this, the Donald Trump campaign comes nowhere near the kind of infrastructure that the Harris campaign now has.

[16:45:10]

And so, all of the messaging and you're right, she's still introducing herself to voters, but the optimism is the energy and the mobilization, you can feel it. There's a report from Target Smart, the data firm who said that ever since Kamala Harris has become the nominee, registration among Black women is up 175 percent over what it was in 2024. For Latina women, 150 percent over what it was in 2020.

That speaks volumes, not just about the enthusiasm about Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, but about the infrastructure that it exists -- that is going to be able to get that vote out.

MATTINGLY: You have the last word?

DAVISON: That's been happening on the Republican side for months. Donald Trump has been the Republicans have had that in these states.

I think if I'm Kamala Harris, I want -- I want people to vote early before they figure out who I really am. So for them, it's actually a benefit because --

(CROSSTALK)

DAVISON: Rewriting on who she is.

CARDONA: No, that's absolutely not true.

(CROSSTALK)

CARDONA: That's ridiculous.

DAVISON: It's on tape.

CARDONA: So all of this stuff -- all of this stuff speaks to the desperation that Donald has -- MATTINGLY: Why do you guys -- why do you guys waiting to do this at

the end of a block when I have to go to a break, we should have done this at the very beginning.

CARDONA: Donald Trump has absolutely no idea how to run against Kamala Harris, throwing everything and nothing is sticking.

DAVISON: Kamala Harris doesn't know which Kamala Harris she wants to be.

MATTINGLY: We got 68 days. We're going to keep having this conversation. It's going to be darn good every single day.

Guys, thank you so much.

CARDONA: Thanks, Phil.

MATTINGLY: I really appreciate it.

This focus may be on the campaign trail today, but we are about to enter a crucial few weeks for Donald Trump's legal issues. We're going to break that all down, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:51:11]

MATTINGLY: In our law and justice lead, we are headed into a crucial few weeks for Donald Trump's legal problems, as well as his presidential campaign. On Thursday, Trump's legal team filed a petition to move his New York state criminal case to a federal court and put off the upcoming sentencing for his conviction on 34 criminal counts of falsifying business records. Trump is scheduled to be sentenced on September 18, but -- there is always a "but" -- Judge Juan Merchan still has to rule on another Trump motion, which the Manhattan D.A.'s office is not opposing, to delay that sentencing until after the election.

And just today, the Trump team asked Judge Merchan to refrain from issuing decisions on quote, any substantive motions.

Let's bring in CNN justice correspondent Jessica Schneider.

Jess, I think one way or another, it just doesn't seem like Trump is going to be sentenced in September. Is that fair?

JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: I think that's very fair, Phil. You know, Trump's legal team is pushing on multiple fronts here to avoid this sentencing in just a few weeks.

I mean, just in the last few minutes, as you referenced Trump's team has now filed something else, with the court asking the state court level judge, Judge Merchan, to refrain from any ruling until the federal court tells them whether or not they can actually get the case kicked over to federal court, because remember, Judge Merchan is sitting on two issues right now. He's been asked to completely throw out the conviction based on the Supreme Courts ruling about official acts and presidential immunity.

Trump's team saying that a lot of what was admitted in the trial back in the spring was improper under the Supreme Court's subsequent ruling. And they're also asking Judge Merchan to delay sentencing. Now, they're saying, all right, Judge Merchan, we know that you're going to maybe issues something on September 16. They're also deciding on this sentence syncing issue. You need to put it all on hold while we wait for the federal court to tell us whether or not they're going to take the case.

So, I mean, they are really covering all the bases here, Phil and we've seen them do -- do this for months now and they've been very successful at delaying a lot of the legal cases and legal issues surrounding Donald Trump. But it looks like maybe they'll succeed again this time in derailing yet another part of the Manhattan D.A.'s case.

MATTINGLY: What about the reworked Trump indictment filed by Jack Smith just this week? What's next?

SCHNEIDER: Yeah. So we're actually waiting on a filing tonight from the special counsels office and the Trump team. This is a joint filing. They're going to be describing how they want this case it's to proceed after the superseding indictment was filed earlier this week. You know, it's possible that there's some contention about how exactly this case is going to move forward.

Our team has been told, you know, Jack Smith's team is being somewhat slow about this very methodical, meaning that we might not see a lot of substantive action before the election that's just what about eight to ten weeks away. So that finally will come at some point tonight, given that it's almost 5:00, it actually might come very late in the evening.

But they have to tell Judge Chutkan how they want to proceed in this case, how things might move forward, and whether or not they're in agreement about that. So we're going to see that probably in the next few hours, Phil.

MATTINGLY: Friday night holiday filings. Got to love it.

CNN's Jessica Schneider, thanks so much.

And our last leads are next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MATTINGLY: President Donald Trump holding a rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, let's listen in.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT & 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: -- drug infested nation whether you like it or not. We're becoming a drug infested nation.

So we better get our act together. You know, years ago, centuries ago, China was taken over numerous times by smaller nations, much smaller nation because they were all drugged out from the opium fields and all of that. And then one of their very powerful leaders said no more, and they ended it. And we're going to have to end it too, because were really country that is we're a failing nation in a lot of ways. What they've done to our country is incredible.

What is Kamala -- who's a total lightweight? Did you see her on television last night? This is going to be the president. This is going to be the president of our country. I don't think so.

Sitting propped up in a desk with this guy, this is tampon Tim, tampon.

(CHEERING)

TRUMP: And it's the first interview she's done in like, nobody's ever seen anything like it, and if you're too weak to do a one-on-one interview with a person that was so soft.

You know, I know Dana, she's always, you know, always nasty. She was so nice to the Democrats.