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The Lead with Jake Tapper

Now: Harris Speaking With Reporters In Michigan; Now: Kamala Harris & Liz Cheney Campaign Together In Michigan; Israel Official: Israel Will Strike Hezbollah "Until It Collapses"; Sean "Diddy" Combs Facing Seven New Lawsuits. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired October 21, 2024 - 16:00   ET

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

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES & 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: -- and I think everyone knows that the current federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, which means that the person who was working a full day and working full weeks will make $15,000 a year, which is essentially poverty wages.

[16:00:20]

So there is a big difference between Donald Trump and me on a number of issues, including this where I absolutely believe we must raise minimum wage and that hardworking Americans, whether they're working at McDonalds or anywhere else should have least the ability to be able to take care of their family and take care of themselves in a way that allows them to actually be able to sustain their needs.

The other issue that has come up recently, and it has been the issue of what we are saying again, about Donald Trump just being frankly hostile to the whole notion and importance of Social Security. There are many these seniors in our country that Social Security is their only form of income and now an independent agency has reviewed Donald Trump's theory about Social Security and his policies and has indicated that his policy would actually render the Social Security fund empty, essentially in six years.

Again, if you look at it from minimum wage to Social Security, Donald Trump clearly does not understand the needs of working people with Social Security being rendered insolvent in six years, what that would mean for the seniors of America is catastrophic and then lastly on the issue of contraception, I'm very pleased that our administration today announced a rule that would essentially allow folks to get contraception over but the counter.

And as we know, my policy is about making sure that Americans have what they need in terms of their reproductive health. And Donald Trump you just look at his plan in 20 -- his Project 2025, but actually restrict access to contraception, which would just contribute to the public health crisis he's already created.

I'll take any questions.

MODERATOR: Let me start with Erica Green with "The New York Times".

REPORTER: Madam President -- Vice President, sorry, would you please speak to your messaging today for sure as you go through the suburbs and you're trying to reach swing voters, among them are women -- white women who wanted for Donald Trump in the last two elections.

Can you talk about your messaging to them, which are hoping to break from today?

HARRIS: So today, I am spending the day with former Congresswoman Liz Cheney. We are traveling to three states to talk with all American about what is at stake in this election, but doing it through the lens of a very important point that what is at stake in this election is so fundamental that it really does cross partisan lines. We are talking about whether you will have a president United States to take seriously their duty and their oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States.

And there is a clear distinction here, which is that I will, and he will not as evidenced by many statements he has made, including his intention to be a dictator on day one, his intention to weaponize the Department of Justice against his political enemies. And then you just look at what the people who know him best and worked with him in the Oval Office, in the White House, have said about him, which is he is unfit to serve and would be dangerous if he were president again, and he even by the former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff has been called a fascist to his core. I am quoting.

So what we are talking with folks about today is what I've been talking with folks about since I've been on campaign trail these last 70-odd days which is this is a choice for the American people. And it is a choice between whether we're going to chart a new way forward that turns the page on the division, the hate, the chaos of Donald Trump. But also, and maybe even more fundamentally, do we have a president of the United States who stands behind the seal of the president of the United States, taking seriously their oath and their duty to uphold the Constitution of the United States and abide by the rule of law.

And so, I'm out here talking with folks to remind them of what's at stake. And I'm very pleased and honored that so many people are showing up to these events to have this conversation because I think they know regardless of who they voted for in the last election and the party with which they're registered to vote on some issues. We just have to all be Americans and put party aside.

MODERATOR: We're going to Colleen with the "AP".

HARRIS: Hi.

REPORTER: Hi. Madam Vice President, do you think that Republican voters and specifically women voters will be more likely to vote for you because of the fall of Roe and are the Republican votes key to winning the blue wall states?

So I look at what happened in the midterms and in special elections to guy my thinking about this issue. And what we saw is in so-called red states and so-called blue states when the issue of the freedom of a woman to make decisions about her own body is on the ballot, the American people vote for freedom, regardless of the party with which they are registered to vote.

And I do believe in a such a fundamental issue which is understanding you don't have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government should not be telling women what to do with their body so I do believe it is a compelling issue, especially when we consider the fact that for so many of us, our daughters are going to have fewer rights than their grandmother and America's strength -- one of the attributes of our progress has been the expansion of rights, not the restriction of rights. And that's what we're seeing happen and it has happened because Donald Trump created this situation when he's hand- selected three members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention they would undo the protections of Roe versus Wade, and they did as he intended.

MODERATOR: We have time for one more.

Andrea of "Reuters"?

REPORTER: Yeah.

Hi. So, Elon Musk is giving away $1 million a day to voters who signed a petition. Do you have concerns about that in the context of law, you know, this was legal framework around elections?

And secondly, a "Reuters" investigation has shown something like 300 cases of political violence already in the run-up to the election. Can you just address what can be done and what the federal government can do to push back against that?

HARRIS: Well, on the first point, I think people are looking into that. On the second point --

REPORTER: When you say people, do you mean the U.S. government?

HARRIS: I mean, I hear that folks were looking into it just based on the stuff you all are reporting.

On the second point, there should be no place in America where we are seeing political violence. And sadly we have seen if we just look back to January 6, when that occurred in a way that was most shocking and brought on because of course, of Donald Trump who incited a mob, a violent mob that attacked the United States Capitol wearing over 140 uniformed law enforcement officers were injured and some were killed and where Donald Trump has still yet to acknowledge the travesty of that day and the political violence that occurred that day.

So I will say and repeat what I think most people understand in America in a democracy we should have no room for, nor should we ever condone it. Any form of political violence in a democracy. People will debate, people will disagree, but not resort to violence and everyone should speak out about that, including and especially anybody who is running for president.

Thank you all.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Welcome to THE LEAD. I'm Jake Tapper. You just heard from Vice President Kamala Harris taking a handful of

questions from the reporters traveling with her in Birmingham, Michigan. The goal for Vice President Harris today has been to win over independent and Republican voters in three blue wall counties in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

She is campaigning with Republican, former Congresswoman Liz Cheney. Meanwhile Donald Trump is spending the entire day campaigning across the state of North Carolina, holding a rally in Greenville. Earlier today, he delivered remarks on the devastation from Hurricane Helene and visited relief workers.

Harris as of late has sharpened her attacks on Mr. Trump as you just heard over his rhetoric, she has been saying he's unfit for office, specifically drawing attention to his remarks, referring to his opponents, including elected Democrat -- Democratic officials as the enemy from within. That law that was originated during a Fox interview that aired on October 13th, when Trump said that the military or National Guard could handle the, quote, radical left lunatics and those he labeled, quote, the enemy from within.

He went on to say the enemy from within includes Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and her husband, Paul.

Yesterday, House Speaker Mike Johnson on "STATE OF THE UNION", became the latest Republican leader to tell me that Trump did not actually say what he actually said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: You know that's not what he's talking about there. What he's talking about is marauding gangs of dangerous, violent people...

TAPPER: No.

JOHNSON: ... who are destroying public property and threatening other American citizens.

TAPPER: No, he talked about Adam Schiff and the Pelosis.

He's literally talking about taking the military...

JOHNSON: I mean, this stuff is over the top. Now, you know my...

TAPPER: ... and using it against Democrats. I mean, he's literally talking...

(CROSSTALK)

JOHNSON: No, he's not. No, he's...

TAPPER: Yes, he is.

JOHNSON: No, he's not, Jake. No, he's not. No, he's talking about using the National Guard and the military to keep the peace in our streets. In the summer of 2020 that my Democrat colleagues call the summer of love, it was crazy. It was mayhem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: OK. Well, look, Speaker Johnson doesn't have to take my word for it as to whom Mr. Trump refers when he says the military, the National Guard should, quote, handle the enemy within because just a few minutes after that interview, Mr. Trump cleared it up again for us, less than an hour after the interview with Speaker Johnson, going on Fox and -- well, take a listen.

[16:10:01]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOST: The enemy within, it's a pretty ominous phase if you're talking about other Americans.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT & 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It is accurate. That's an enemy from within. That's really -- that is a threat to democracy. These are bad people. We have a lot of bad people. But when you look at shifty Schiff and some of the others, yeah, they are to me the enemy from within. I think Nancy Pelosi is an enemy from within.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Okay. Again, he said what he meant. He meant what he said. Trump confirmed that just a few minutes ago, enemy from within equals, his political opponents, even though 15 days until Election Day is still plenty of time for more comments like that. Missteps from either campaign or October surprises. Keep in mind that more than 13.5 million Americans have already voted more than 9.6 million mail ballots have been cast, along with nearly 4 million in-person votes in states that allow that.

CNN's Alayna Treene is here with the latest on the Trump campaign. Jeff Zeleny is in Michigan where the vice president has said to begin her next event with Liz Cheney at any moment.

Jeff, Vice President Harris, talking more and more about Mr. Trump as we get closer to Election Day. Is that the case so far in her events today, more about the negative of Trump and less about the positive of what of what she wants to accomplish?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jeff, it's certainly a balanced but you heard it really there in real time, Vice President Harris is responding to most everything former President Donald Trump just saying. She's seizing on his every comment and this is why they're trying to convince perhaps some of those reluctant former Trump voters here in the suburbs of America. We're in Oakland County, a critical piece of this battleground map.

And the vice president is going to be on stage behind me here with former Congresswoman Liz Cheney. She's traveling across these blue wall states with her today from Pennsylvania, earlier here in Michigan, Wisconsin this evening to make the case that should its time to turn the page to move forward, and again, using the former president's own words to bolster that case.

But earlier today, Liz Cheney actually said something she has not said before, talking about abortion rights. She said the Dobbs decision went too far, sending a message to some of these voters, particularly women voters, about abortion rights. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FORMER REP. LIZ CHENEY (R-WY): I think there are many of us around the country who have been pro-life but who have watched what's going on in our states since the Dobbs decision and have watched state legislatures put in place laws that are resulting in women not getting the care they need.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: So, Liz Cheney there essentially saying, yes, you can disagree with Vice President Harris on abortion rights on that issue, but you can agree with her on democracy. Jake, it's certainly an open question how many voters fall into that construct there, but that is clearly their message, that the Constitution and democracy and the rule of law is more important (AUDIO GAP) issue.

Again, you'll be hearing this moderated conversation here by Maria Shriver will be asking questions of both Liz Cheney and Vice President Harris here in Wisconsin.

But, Jake, this is a critical part of Michigan. These suburban voters, perhaps one time Republican voters, that Harris campaign believes they could be that sliver that goes but help them win out over Donald Trump again, very much an open question. We'll be seeing a conversation here on stage in the round before she travels to Wisconsin, another critical state. This blue wall is her strongest path to the presidency but certainly not guaranteed -- Jake.

TAPPER: Alayna. Meanwhile, Mr. Trump, President Trump is spending all day campaigning across battleground North Carolina. What is he saying so far today?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: And that's right. He has three stops in North Carolina, Jake, today and then he'll be in North Carolina again tomorrow. That is a sign of how much one that they need to win that state, but also recognize that that state is not guaranteed. I think it's very clear that he is trying to send a lot of time there to shore up his support.

But similar to what Jeff was saying, Donald Trumps strategy is like Harrison some ways and that they are really going after certain demographics of voting voters that they know could really sway the election. They recognize this election is going to be incredibly close and so they are trying to see what they can do on the margins. They are also going after suburban women, that is part of Donald Trump's goal in North Carolina today, but also Black men and Hispanic men.

Now, as for his rhetoric, I think this has been clear over the last couple of weeks now, but Donald Trump, as we get closer to November 5, that he is really ratcheting up that dark picture of America using more personal attacks, more profanity, more vulgar type of language. When I talked to Donald Trumps senior advisers, they tell me that unlike a couple of months ago when they were really trying to pressure him, to focus on the issues more, to have great talking points about the economy and immigration, areas where they believe he polls better than Kamala Harris.

Now they're kind of letting Donald Trump be Trump they say, that some of these anecdotes he tells like the one over the weekend about Arnold Palmer, that is something that is relatable. I'm not sure if everyone sees it that way, but that is the argument that they are making.

[16:15:05]

Now, he's also trying himself, Donald Trump to deliver this message that he will be America's savior. And he kind of repeated that during his stop in Greenville this afternoon. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: This state was once the beating heart of American manufacturing, when it comes see year by year by year, it was being dissipated. Who is being taken over by China after NAFTA, the worst trade deal ever made, and China's entry into the world trade organization, where they were considered a growing nation. We are -- we are a developing nation. We're a developing nation, too. Have you ever seen some of all places. We're developing, too. We're developing more than them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TREENE: Now, if that sounds familiar, Jake, it's because he made very similar comments in Detroit, just over a week ago when he argued that Detroit as a developing nation more than China. Now he's saying that about all of the United States. So, clearly, he is not moving away from some of that dark language -- Jake.

TAPPER: Yeah. But talking about the loss of manufacturing in this country is certainly more on message and talking about what Arnold Palmer looks like in the shower.

Alayna Treene, covering the Trump campaign, Jeff Zeleny traveling with the Harris campaign in Michigan, thanks to both you.

We're going to listen a little bit to Harris and Cheney in Michigan when they begin their second event of the day there in that blue wall state. That should start any moment.

And later, a Michigan auto worker who was siding with RFK Jr. in the primaries, hear who he's going with now and why. It's one of many options that underscore why Michigan is a big battleground in 2024. Keep it here. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:20:30]

TAPPER: Back with our 2024 lead, we are just moments away from Vice President Kamala Harris and former Congresswoman Liz Cheney holding their second campaign event of the day. This one is in Michigan, Harris is betting, hoping that there are moderate Republicans or even conservative Republicans who backed Nikki Haley in the primaries are still undecided and willing to contemplate voting for her.

Here's how Haley did in the counties where Harris is visiting today. Waukesha County, Wisconsin, Haley got 13.8 percent of the vote.

Chester County, PA, that's one of the collar counties outside Philly. Haley got more than 24 percent of the vote. That's after she dropped out. And Oakland County, Michigan, where were about to see Harris and Cheney, Nikki Haley got 33.5 percent of the primary vote.

Let's bring in the panel.

Are there any Trump skeptical conservatives here? Yes.

Jonah, so we do you really think that there are -- I mean, one of the reasons this is important for Harris in Michigan is because of all the Arab American, Muslim American voters that are either not going to vote for her or were going to vote third party.

Do you think there are actually still conservative Republicans who don't care for Trump and might vote for Harris?

JONAH GOLDBERG, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah, we should clarify 33 percent of the primary electorate vote is very small subset of your actual electoral vote.

TAPPER: Sure.

GOLDBERG: I --

TAPPER: But, but, but -- obviously, not to interrupt it, but sorry, but Trump won Michigan by like 10,000 votes.

GOLDBERG: Right, exactly.

TAPPER: Yeah.

GOLDBERG: Yeah. Look at the end of the day, I think simply as a matter of, you know raw rank punditry, there have to be because otherwise why is Harris spending these kinds of resources? They must see something in the numbers that make this seem like a good play. And one of the reasons why it might be a good play is look, if you can flip a voter from Republican to Democrat, that actually counts as two votes right away. Whereas flipping never vote -- someone has never voted before into a voter, just really sort of counts as one because you're taking one from their coalition and adding into yours. So just in terms of the criminology of how you judge campaigns about what they think the electorate is going to look like, if they're wrong, it's game over. If they're right, then this could work, but I have no idea.

TAPPER: What do you think?

MARC LOTTER, CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER, AMERICAN FIRST POLICY INSTITUTE: I mean, if they are out there and I'm sure there are, they are out there. My concern though is and I would look I would ask the messaging on it. I mean, it's not like January 6 and Liz Cheney have just come out of nowhere -- or even or even Roe and the Dobbs decision. They're not new issues.

So if you haven't been motivated enough by now on those issues to say, I'm voting for her or I'm not voting for him -- I don't see how, all of a sudden, at the end here, 15 days he's like, oh, yeah, January 6. I don't remember that. That's going to put you over the edge.

TAPPER: But just to play devil's advocate, is it possible its just a permission structure? I mean, there's -- there are Republican Jewish coalition ads playing in a bunch of swing states that feature a bunch of actresses playing older Jewish ladies saying I don't like Trump, but I hate antisemitism and Trump's going to protect us and its permission structure. And I think that's part of what they're doing with Liz Cheney.

LOTTER: Yeah. But I think that might be the answer. I don't -- I don't have that data. My thought would be is that you need to make you need to sell on the biggest issues that might be facing, whether its the economy usually, obviously, immigration crime, those kinds of things are up there and prove it.

I think the reason why you're still undecided this because you've given her a chance. You want her to convince you that you've got to plan and she hasn't done it yet, which is why you're still undecided.

TAPPER: Yeah, they're still doing persuasion.

And, Ashley, let me ask you because there's a lot of hand-wringing in Philadelphia. There's a very popular mayor, Cherelle Parker, who is an African-American woman, first African-American woman mayor of Philadelphia. And you hear a lot of people in Philly saying, you know, had the Harris campaign needs to be doing more to boost the vote in Philly, instead of going out and trying to get these unicorn moderate Republicans in Chester and Bucks County. What do you think?

ASHLEY ALLISON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah, I would probably be that person on the campaign saying that also, that was worrying me.

But I actually do see this strategy as something that is smart by the Harris campaign, it has to be a "yes and". I think this coalition, this election cycle is going to look really different.

To your point about the independents, perhaps they're still trying to figure out a way, but I think there's as a summary which in that independents are more in tuned into the election, than maybe like a low propensity voter. I think there are still voters that are Republican, that are Democrat and that are independent. They haven't really started to pay attention to this election just in this last month.

And I think this event with Liz Cheney is what she's doing for those folks who might be like okay. Who am I going to vote for? I really don't unlike Trump, should I give her a shot? And then you see Liz Cheney sitting next to her and like, oh, I wasn't expecting that.

So I think is a "yes and", but I also do think the Harris campaign I know many, many surrogates that are going to Detroit, Milwaukee, Atlanta, and Philadelphia, making sure that Black voters are being spoken to, being engaged with, including the candidate herself.

[16:25:08]

So it's a "yes and" here.

TAPPER: Let's also take a look at where were the state of the race is right now, and I could -- I could do this with the Real Clear Politics Average or CNN's average or whatever.

But just looking today, I went to Nate Silver's Silver Bullet Substack and he has Trumps slightly up in Arizona, Georgia the North Carolina. Harris likely up in Michigan, Nevada, Wisconsin, and they're tied in Pennsylvania.

If that were to be the result tomorrow that's basically a Trump win -- I mean, ultimately because she needs the three blue wall states plus Nevada and she doesn't have them right now.

Are you worried about where the state of the race is, right this second? Just be honest.

ALLISON: Yeah, I mean, who isn't?

(LAUGHTER)

TAPPER: Right.

ALLISON: I mean, like, are you human if you think -- sell me the crystal ball that you might have, if you actually think you know what's going to happen in this election. But I will say I have always been skeptical of polls and I fundamentally believe that this election cycle will be the last time that polling is accepted as it is conducted, as it has been for the last 20 years. It hasn't really been a revamping of our polling infrastructure and there has been in the way that candidates engage with voters.

And it has to happen because I just don't think -- I don't know anyone who has ever been polled and I know a lot of people. I know a lot of low propensity voters.

TAPPER: Yeah.

ALLISON: I have never met person, a voter when I have knocking on a door that has ever been polled.

So I'm like, who are you talking to and is it an accurate snapshot?

TAPPER: Let me just also note that all the numbers in Nate Silver is all within the margin of error, every single one of them, any state. And like you could have seven states break for Trump, seven states break for Harris. Nobody has any idea.

I mean, are you confident that Trump's going to win?

LOTTER: I'm more con -- not con -- not predicting. I'm more confident. I won't rest until after it's over with, but he's ahead by considerable margins where he was in '16 and in '20 in all the battleground states. And so since he also has a history of underperforming polls, I think that gives me greater confidence. And when I look at the early voting numbers, the voter registration numbers, all of those are trending in the right direction.

TAPPER: And the big question, of course, is, are the polls and the poll inaccuracies or they're going to mirror what we saw in 2020, which would help Trump or are they going to mirror what we saw in 2022, which would help Harris? We don't know and these numbers are unreliable hundred percent.

As we stand by to hear from Harris and Cheney, please note CNN is preparing a special presidential town hall with Vice President Kamala Harris and voters latest this week. Anderson Cooper will moderate that discussion. It will be Wednesday night at 9:00 Eastern right here on CNN.

Join me and more of my CNN colleagues for special coverage before and after Wednesday's town hall. We did offer one to Mr. Trump and, you know, the phone -- phone lines are open, sir.

We'll be right back

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:32:19]

TAPPER: And we're back.

Let's listen in on Vice President Kamala Harris and former Congresswoman Liz Cheney speaking now near Detroit.

MARIA SHRIVER, JOURNALIST: Ands the vice president of the United States.

So let me begin with you, Madam Vice President, did you ever think in your wildest dreams that you would be running for president alongside Liz Cheney, who would be advocating for you, campaigning for you, a member of opposing party, putting herself on the line for you?

HARRIS: So let me just start by thanking everyone. Thank you all for taking time out of your busy lives to be here and have this conversation. And I think we are all here together because we have many things in common. First and foremost, we love our country. We love our country!

(APPLAUSE)

HARRIS: You know, so, Maria, perhaps not.

SHRIVER: Perhaps?

HARRIS: Perhaps not.

But let me say this. So, you've mentioned, you know, my background, so I started my career as a prosecutor and most of my career has been spent outside of Washington, D.C., not in Washington, D.C.

And for most of my career, let me just tell you, I've never once asked a victim of crime, a witness, are you a Democrat or are you a Republican? Never. It never would have even occurred to me to ask that.

What I did ask everyone, are you okay? And when I think about what is at stake in this election, I think that's the biggest question and it is a moment were borne out of our love of our country, borne out of for me, having taken the oath of office to the Constitution of the United States at least six times.

I believe what is at stake in this election is so fundamental for us as Americans. And it is about do we take seriously the importance of a president who obeys the oath to be loyal to the Constitution of the United States. Do we prioritize a president of the United States who cares about rule of law, much less the spirit with which they approach this most powerful position?

There's so much about this last era when I talked about turning the page, that's what I'm referring to. Like the last decade that has been about some powerful forces suggesting that the measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you beat down, instead of what I think most of us believe, regardless of your party affiliation that the real measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you lift up and --

(APPLAUSE)

HARRIS: And so, for that reason, I'm not surprised that Liz Cheney and I are on the same stage 15 days before the election.

(APPLAUSE)

[16:35:11]

SHRIVER: Well, maybe you're not surprised, but I'm surprised and I think a lot of people are surprised.

So I want to know, are you surprised? Are you surprised that you're out here campaigning for a Democrat, campaigning for Kamala Harris against the party that you've been a part of your entire life?

FORMER REP. LIZ CHENEY (R-WY): You know what I would say? First of all, is we all know everyone who watched January 6 knows, you know, what Donald Trump is willing to do. He lost the election. He tried to overturn it and seize power. And then he sat in his dining room and he watched the attack on television. He watched it.

People pleaded with him to tell the mob to leave and he wouldn't and he watched law enforcement officers be brutally beaten. He watched it. That's a depravity that to me. And you know, I think to anyone who's taken the oath of office makes someone absolutely unfit ever to be president again.

Now --

(APPLAUSE)

CHENEY: I could have just said, you know, I'm going to do everything I can to work against Donald Trump. And there are a lot of Republicans who have said that. I have decided and I am very proud and I'm honored to have made the decision to endorse Vice President Harris and --

(APPLAUSE)

CHENEY: And I have gotten to spend time with Vice President Harris. I have had the chance to talk with her about how important it is that we have two strong parties in our country, about the kind of president that I know she'll be, and I think all of us, it doesn't matter what party you're in. We all know this is a good and an honorable and a great nation.

And we have to have leaders. You might say, I'm not going to agree on every issue, but we have to have leaders who take that seriously. We have to have leaders who are going to be sincere and as a mother, I want my children --

TAPPER: Okay. Let me --

CHENEY: -- to know that there is someone sitting in the Oval Office that they can look up to, someone who can be a role model. And I'm incredibly proud and I know that Vice President Harris will be that

SHRIVER: Right.

TAPPER: All right. Let's bring in our political panel.

Maria Shriver, making that point that a Harris Cheney pairing is not expected, not on anybody's bingo card three years ago, but maybe in the era of Trump, it's not entirely unexpected. There is still that Liz Cheney tweet from 2019 attacking Kamala Harris still exists there. Give her credit for not deleting it.

She doesn't agree with her a lot politically.

GOLDBERG: Yeah. I think it would actually be more helpful if she leaned into a little bit more of that because we were talking earlier about permission structure.

TAPPER: Yeah. GOLDBERG: There are conservatives who don't want to be both a traitor the Republican Party and a trader to their sense of self identification as a conservative. And so I've always thought, and I wrote a column about this that did not please people in Cheney world that making the argument, she's pretty terrible and you should still vote for her because the alternative is worse would be enticing to a different kind of voter. She's not going to do that.

I will say, they are polling and focus grouping so much, Liz is a serious person, they must see something that makes all of this makes sense.

TAPPER: You know what that reminds me of? I'm not comparing anybody to these people, but there was a Louisiana governor's race. You were probably not even born yet between David Duke and Edwin Edwards. Edwin Edwards as a Democrat and he was a crook. And David duke is obviously a horrific heinous Klan leader.

And the bumper sticker was vote for the crook. It's important. I'm not saying anybody's a crook or a Klan leader in this, but I'm saying that kind of idea, like I don't agree with this woman on almost anything but. Do you think that would be a stronger pitch?

ALLISON: I think what Liz Cheney was just saying on the stage there where she was talking to the moms in the room and saying, we want our kids to be able to look at the person sitting in the Oval Office and think that they have character, they have morality, they have these types of things. I actually think that is a more compelling argument to expand the gender gap.

I really do think that the way that Kamala Harris wins this election is through women and women showing up and Republican women, independent and Democratic women showing up and historic numbers because of the overturning of Roe, but also because of what Donald Trump stands for in contrast to women, how he sexually assaulted women, how he speaks about women. So I think that that is a more compelling argument.

TAPPER: The gender gaps and they're on both sides, but the gender gap is real and Donald Trump has really, according to reporting, had a difficult time, you know, understanding why so many women just revolts from him.

[16:40:03]

LOTTER: Yeah, and that's where he needs to lean into the economic message. Because I mean, it's -- yes, you have one issue voters, where Roe and life and abortion are key on both sides, by the way.

TAPPER: Yeah.

LOTTER: But I do think the economic issue matters more and I'm not sure at the end of the day if any of these endorsements are these kinds of events, whether it's Tulsi Gabbard on our side or obviously, Liz Cheney on theirs. They go, oh, remember, the other party supports my candidate, so I'm going to, too. ALLISON: Tulsi Gabbard Gavin and Liz Cheney are not equals.

TAPPER: Well, Tulsi Gabbard is a much better surfer. I'll give her that without -- without question.

Thanks to one and all. Appreciate it.

Much more in our 2024 lead ahead. We're also following new intense strikes by Israel in Lebanon against the terrorist group Hezbollah. The specific targets that makes these strengths different, that's next.

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TAPPER: Topping our world lead today, Israel's foreign minister vowed to strike Hezbollah, the terrorist group in Lebanon, quote, until it collapses.

[16:45:04]

Yesterday, Israel launched some of the most intense strikes on Lebanon since the start of its offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon a month ago, targeting more than 15 buildings that were said to have contained Hezbollah banks. Some of the strikes destroyed entire residential blocks.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond is in Tel Aviv. Matthew Chance is in Jerusalem.

Matthew, this widespread attack on banks in Lebanon shows Israel is not just going after traditional military targets.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, these institutions that are affiliated with the militia group Hezbollah and there was some 15 of them struck, had mainly in the southern suburbs of Beirut, but also in other parts of southern Lebanon and eastern Lebanon as well.

It's interesting because the Israeli military before they carried out these strikes, they warned people in Beirut to stay away from the specific locations they intended to target them, calls that prompted chaos and panic on the streets of Beirut and elsewhere as people struggled to get away from these locations, in the minutes, in the hours before they were actually struck.

It's all part of a plan by the Israeli authorities. They say the Israeli military to undermine the financial resources of Hezbollah. These banks are said by Israel to help in the funding of Hezbollah's paramilitary activity. But they're also widely used by elements of the Lebanese population. And what is Israel says it wants to do is sort of break the trust between Hezbollah and parts of that Lebanese population, Jake.

TAPPER: And, Jeremy, you went to a rather shocking event today called -- calling for Israeli settlements to be built in Gaza, which Israel pulled out of in 2005, and most offensive was the fact that it was attended by officials in the Netanyahu governments such as anti-Arab bigot and zealot, the national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Tell us about that.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jake, amid calls for Israel to fulfill biblical promises of greater Israel, calls for all Palestinians in Gaza to be expelled. What we also found were about a dozen members of Netanyahu's governing coalition, including at least three ministers in his government and several members of his own party. And they were calling for these settlements to be established inside of Gaza for the war to continue until those settlements can indeed be established.

The Israeli prime minister himself has said Israeli settlements are not going to happen, but we saw all of these members of his government there. I pressed one of his ministers, who is a member of his pretty about why she is doing this. And if she thinks he can change his mind.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAY GOLAN, ISRAELI MINISTER FOR SOCIAL EQUALITY AND MINISTER FOR WOMEN: First of all, the Likud party is a Democratic Party, a liberal party. We have variety of opinions means, and I came here today from one reason, we have the right and these people have the right to put everything on the table, every tool is legitimate in order to protect ourself and save ourselves.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAMOND: And, Jake, what's so notable about all of this is the fact that it comes as the secretary of state, Antony Blinken is on his way to Israel now to meet with the Israeli prime minister to urge him to try and seize this moment in the wake of the killing of Yahya Sinwar to end the war in Gaza to strike a deal to bring the hostages back.

And instead, what we're seeing today, are members of Netanyahu's own government. Some of the people who hold the keys to power in his government calling for settlements to be established in Gaza and for the fighting to continue until that happens, Jake.

TAPPER: CNN's Jeremy Diamond and Matthew Chance in Israel, thanks to both of you.

Coming up, inside the seven new lawsuits against former music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs. This time, other celebrities are allegedly involved.

Stay with us.

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[16:52:39]

TAPPER: Some ugly stuff in our pop culture lead today. Bombshell new allegations against music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs as he sits in jail awaiting trial on federal racketeering, conspiracy and sex trafficking charges. Combs denies any wrongdoing.

CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister has details from these new lawsuits. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Disturbing details emerging in seven new lawsuits filed against Sean "Diddy" Combs, adding to a growing web of legal troubles surrounding the music mogul, who now faces more than 25 civil suits. One plaintiff identified only as Jane Doe, alleges she was drugged and raped by Combs at a party after the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000, when she claims she was just 13-years-old.

The accuser says that a limo driver, who allegedly worked for Combs invited her to an after-party telling her Combs, like younger girls, and she fit what Diddy was looking for. She said she was asked to sign a nondisclosure agreement when she arrived at the party and after having one drink, she felt woozy and lightheaded. It needed to lie down in a bedroom. It wasn't long until she claims Combs along with the male and female celebrity entered the room. Plaintiff was held down by celebrity A, who vaginally raped her while Combs and celebrity B, a female, watched, according to the lawsuit. Combs then vaginally raped plaintiff while celebrity A and celebrity B watched.

The mention of unnamed celebrities marks the first time since the indictment that claims against Combs have accused other stars of engaging in alleged assault. Combs's parties were known to attract world-famous celebrities.

Another suit filed by a John Doe says at 17-years-old, he was invited to a party in 2022 in Manhattan with Combs. After one drink, he says he felt dizzy, weak, and confused, and witnessed multiple people engaging in group sex, including Combs and another artist, he recognized. Doe alleges that Combs later sexually assaulted him on a bed while others laid next to them, engaging in sexual activities.

Attorneys for Combs did not respond to specific allegations in the new lawsuits, but referred CNN to a previous blanket denial, stating Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone, adult or minor, man or woman.

[16:55:07]

Over the weekend, Combs's team requested that the judge overseeing his criminal case block prospective witnesses and their lawyers from speaking out about their allegations outside of court, arguing that the public accusations will interfere with Mr. Combs's right to a fair trial.

Combs remains in custody in New York as he waits trial in May.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WAGMEISTER (on camera): Now, legal experts that I spoke with say that this continuum of new lawsuits can actually serve as a roadmap of sorts to prosecutors, to further prosecute Combs as he awaits his trial in May, Jake.

TAPPER: All right. Elizabeth Wagmeister, thanks so much. Appreciate it.

One of my next guests is a Republican once considered one of the most conservative members of the U.S. Senate, who now says he's voting for Kamala Harris. That's next.

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