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CNN Republican National Convention; Trump To Formally Accept GOP Nomination After Assassination Attempt; Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) Discusses About The Changes In Former President Donald Trump After The Assassination Attempt; New Pressure On Biden As More Dems Call On Him To Exit Race. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired July 18, 2024 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:00]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Welcome back to CNN special live coverage of the Republican National Convention. I'm Boris Sanchez coming to you live from Milwaukee. My good friend and co-anchor Brianna Keilar is live for us in Washington, D.C.

In just hours from now, Donald Trump will, for the third time in his political career, take the stage and accept the Republican nomination for president. His speech tonight is expected to be very different from what was originally planned before he was nearly killed at a rally on Saturday. We're told the former president is personally writing portions of the speech himself.

Let's get the latest from CNN's Kristen Holmes.

Kristen, what more are you hearing about how Trump is preparing for this big keynote address?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, not just writing portions of it, but also dictating portions of it. He's been running different parts by various allies. I spoke to one person who spoke to him who said that he's going to lean heavily into what happened on Saturday in particular, that this - that he believes that there was divine intervention, that he is lucky to be alive.

Remember, Donald Trump is not a religious or spiritual person, but this, according to his senior advisors, this attempted assassination has changed him in that respect. We do know from a number of allies that he has continued to talk about the fact that he think that - he thinks that God was watching over him.

Now, when it comes to what exactly he's going to say, one senior campaign advisor said this to our colleague, Alayna Treene. Said, "He's writing the speech himself. It will be in his words, from his heart. It won't be a typical political speech; it'll be about unity and bringing the country together."

Now, what Donald Trump's version of unity is remains to be seen. He is someone who has been known in the past for his divisive rhetoric, but he has told those around him that he wants this to be a more upbeat speech, that he wants this to be a symbol of unity. Again, we will wait and see what happens when he takes the stage tonight.

SANCHEZ: Kirsten Holmes, thank you so much for that preview.

Let's discuss now with Republican congressman Brian Mast of Florida.

Congressman, it's great to have you on. We appreciate you being with us. What are you expecting from former President Trump tonight, especially as we get this reporting that people close to him see him as being changed by what happened on Saturday?

REP. BRIAN MAST (R-FL): Look, I sat with the president, myself, Steve Scalise. We were sitting with him a couple nights ago. And as three survivors, we were having a conversation. And I'm not going to give all the details of that, but he is a person that is forever changed by the fact that he now has an alive day, an attempt, a very serious attempt on his life and that does change you.

He will forever have a look in his eye that cannot be taken away because of that experience. And that will be reflected in every speech in every moment of his life from here forward. And as was discussed in the intro, I expect there to be a reflection on that day, how that carries him forward, you know, how that reflects to him on the time that we have and the time that he has to work on this country.

SANCHEZ: Congressman, I have to say up to this point, one of the most emotional moments of the entire convention was hearing from Gold Star families last night. They named their loved ones and the audience here was not only receptive, they were chanting the names of their loved ones. Those killed at Abbey Gate during a suicide bombing and the withdrawal from Afghanistan. What did that moment mean to you as a former serviceman?

MAST: I know those families well. I see them in D.C. often. We have a lot of time together. You saw the emotion from them and the reason even a couple of years later that there's still so much emotion. None of us - most of us can't put ourselves through losing children. But the reason that's still so much like an open wound is because of the Biden administration.

You have an administration that goes through every day saying, well, the withdrawal was a success. Nothing went wrong. You know, don't believe what you saw with your own eyes. There was nothing that could have been done better. This was, you know, couldn't have been prevented. Nothing could have stopped this. That keeps this an open wound for those families day in, day out.

SANCHEZ: There is something notable to me about their effort to describe their relationship with Donald Trump as someone who cares about service members, as someone who held their hands through a very difficult time, in part because there's this contrast.

And we don't need to get into the details. I know you've heard of former top military officials who worked with Donald Trump who've come out on the record and put their names to statements that they say that they've heard him say things about people that have sacrificed everything for this country, calling them suckers and losers. There's also, in the past, his criticism of John McCain, saying he likes people that weren't captured.

I'm wondering how you sort of balance those two narratives of Donald Trump's view. Donald Trump loves our veterans, loves our military, doesn't want to see them engaged in war without the most serious of purpose, doesn't want to see war take place without the calculation of how do you take care of those that go to war after they come home.

[15:05:06]

He's the man that you see photos of him embracing, hugging, kissing the American flag because he loves this place that much and the people that defend it. He's embraced me. He's given me hugs. When he sees veterans or service members that are hanging out, eating somewhere, on guard somewhere, hey, did you guys get a meal? Hey, do you guys have what you need? How's your accommodations? Is there anything that I can help with?

He takes care of it out of his own pocket, and he does it to no fanfare. He doesn't talk about it with the media. It just happens all the time because it's what he does off the cuff. Because he sees somebody and wants to know that they're alright and knows that they served our country and absolutely wants to make sure they're all right. That's his heart every day.

SANCHEZ: And you have never experienced what others have described as his former chief of staff, John Kelly, for example?

MAST: Never. He loves our veterans. He loves our military. He doesn't want to see them put into harm's way without the most serious of national security considerations at play. This is a man that loves our men and women in uniform to his core.

SANCHEZ: To that question about American involvement abroad in conflicts, there is some debate within the Republican Party about the future of foreign policy, not only in Ukraine but potentially in Taiwan as well. We heard the Republican nominee for the vice presidency, J.D. Vance, sort of talk about foreign policy a little bit in his speech last night.

I wonder, what do you think the election of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance might mean for Ukraine and support from NATO allies and also for Taiwan in the potential of a Chinese invasion there?

MAST: Look, I'm going to juxtapose this to American media, all right? The fact is American media gaslit the American people by pretending as though Joe Biden is not in the cognitive state that he is. Anybody that was acting like that was a surprise, wasn't truly reporting to the American people what we could see going on with Joe Biden every day.

Now, why I tie this into national security is this, foreign intelligence agencies, they don't have the luxury of gaslighting their leaders that they answer to, whether Chinese intelligence, Russian intelligence, you name it. They tell the - their leaders about what the leader of America is actually doing, what's their state, what's taking place with them. Do they assess that something is going to happen or not?

When Donald Trump comes in, they will tell their leaders, Vladimir Putin, whatever Donald Trump says to you is his red line, that is his red line. If he says it's 24, 48 hours, if he says it's 30 days, whatever he says to you, that is a true red line that you can count on, you can roll the dice if you want, but know that he is not bluffing you. That makes a difference in American foreign policy. That's something that we can get behind, is that there's a national security objective versus Biden administration, where the most serious objectives for them are political security objectives, and I could back that up with proof all day.

SANCHEZ: What would you say to foreign leaders, NATO allies, who are concerned that the United States might leave the alliance if Trump is elected?

MAST: Look, Donald Trump - again, you don't have to look at what you think Donald Trump will do. Look at what Donald Trump did already. He didn't end the NATO alliance, he strengthened the NATO alliance and made sure that people were putting in what they committed into NATO. If you want America's support, make sure that you put in your support that you committed to so that we can be a stronger organization.

But don't go to Russia to get all of your energy if you're saying to the United States of America, we need to use our time, troops, and treasure to protect you from Soviet expansion, which is the purpose of NATO-Russian expansion. Don't do that. Don't go to them for your energy, you're goods, you're this, if you want our help. That doesn't make any sense.

SANCHEZ: Congressman Brian Mast, we have to leave the conversation there. Appreciate your perspective, sir. Thanks for being with us.

MASAT: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Yep.

The contrast between the two parties could not be more stark right now. This moment in the race for the White House, clearly defined by Republicans celebrating their nominee, while many Democrats are frustrated with theirs. Sources say that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has told President Biden that polls not only show that he cannot win, but that he'll keep Democrats from taking the House if he stays in the race.

On top of that, right now, Biden is sidelined from the campaign trail. He's isolating in Delaware after coming down with COVID.

CNN Senior White House Correspondent, MJ Lee, joins us now.

MJ, give us the details on this conversation between the former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the President.

MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, our understanding, Boris, is that Nancy Pelosi and President Biden spoke again within the last week or so. And Nancy Pelosi, in this phone call, told the President that polling shows that he cannot defeat Donald Trump in November and that he could really bring down the House with him if he continues seeking a second term.

Now, what our sources have said is that the President responded by being defensive and by pushing back and saying, look, I have seen polls that show that I can win and that at one point in the conversation, and I think this sort of captures the tense nature of the conversation, Pelosi asked that Mike Donilon, the President's senior advisor, also get on the phone so that they can discuss the data.

[15:10:07]

Now, this would mark the second known conversation between Nancy Pelosi and the President ever since the debate. We know that they spoke in early July as well, but none of our sources, to be clear, indicated whether the former House speaker told the President in this private conversation that she believes that the President needs to get out of the race.

But Boris, as you know very well, she is somebody that has incredible sway and influence within her party. We know that she has spent weeks taking in incoming hearing from concerned members, and really getting a feel for where everybody in the House Democratic Caucus stands.

And so the fact that she has been so blunt with the President in a private conversation like this certainly speaks volumes.

SANCHEZ: MJ Lee, live from the White House, thank you so much.

As concerns about Biden's candidacy push Democrats into an awkward spot, the Republican Party is coalescing around its center of gravity, whether the fringes want to or not, we'll discuss.

Plus, Melania Trump is set to make her highest profile political appearance in years as the Trump family prepares to make a show of force at the RNC.

And a strange new development in the Trump assassination investigation after the Feds reveal that an online account bearing the shooter's name doesn't actually belong to him. The details straight away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:15:44]

SANCHEZ: Tonight, former President Donald Trump will take the podium. He's expected to formally accept the party's nomination on this, the fourth and final day of the convention. The whole event has been building up to this, his keynote speech.

Sources tell CNN that Trump has been personally dictating and writing portions of the speech. It'll be his first time delivering public televised remarks since his attempted assassination in Pennsylvania over the weekend. Chris Wallace joins us now from here in Milwaukee. Chris, we've heard a lot of talk and reporting about how this attempted assassination, in the view of those close to him, changed Donald Trump. What do you need to hear from the speech tonight that would confirm that for you?

CHRIS WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: Well, you know, first of all, a lot of his supporters, probably the vast majority of the people in this hall, don't need to see it change. They like Donald Trump the way he is. But I'm curious to see, you know, this was a near-death experience. And has it changed him?

I think in two ways, both in terms of personality, he obviously comes off with a certain braggadocio. Is it going to be a kind of kinder, gentler, softer Donald Trump, within reason. He's not going to be Mr. Rogers (ph). And then in terms of policy, you know, he loves to draw really sharp, bright lines between his view of the country and Joe Biden and the Democrats' view of the country.

He's certainly going to make that contrast. Whether he softens the lines a little bit will be interesting to see in the interest of all this talk about unity.

SANCHEZ: It's notable that so far there have been a lot of folks, and specifically family members, and even Gold Star family members, that have tried to humanize the former president and do sort of what you suggested. We heard from his granddaughter, we heard from his daughter-in-law, he's fiance, daughter-fiance-in-law. I'm not sure how to describe Kimberly Guilfoyle.

WALLACE: Yes.

SANCHEZ: But do you think that those moments help drive that narrative that he's different than the way that the media and Democrats have portrayed him to the American people?

WALLACE: That's certainly what they're trying to do to soften the edges, sand them off a little bit. Frankly, we know Donald Trump. We may not know exactly how he is and how he's reacted to this awful shooting event on Saturday, but I, you know, the fact that his granddaughter loves him or his daughter-in-law says he's really a nice guy, I honestly think it's kind of a waste of time.

People know Donald Trump. They like him. They don't like him. I don't think that hearing from a granddaughter that, geez, he's really nice at Christmas, gives nice presents and big hugs is going to make a difference.

SANCHEZ: Yes, candy and sodas sneaked behind her ...

WALLACE: Yes. Yes.

SANCHEZ: ... dad's back, I guess. The other thought I had, Chris, the Gold Star families last night, that was a very powerful moment. I don't think that throughout the three days thus far of this convention, and we'll see what happens tonight. I don't think that we've seen such a moving minute, two minutes, three minutes of folks clearly being emotive at what they were watching. Going back to the ten or so conventions that you've been to, how does that moment compare to others?

WALLACE: Well, that was a dramatic moment. That was a very effective moment and it wasn't just because it was emotional but because it made a point, which was that, you know, they were saying that for all of the talk about his expertise and foreign policy chops that Joe Biden really failed. Failed both in terms of policy in the haphazard way he got out of Afghanistan and failed in a human way in the fact that these families didn't feel they'd gotten a satisfactory response from him.

That was a very strong moment and I think that much more than members of the family gave you a reason or gave undecided voters, and there aren't a lot of them, a reason to feel more kindly towards Donald Trump and less kindly towards Joe Biden.

SANCHEZ: Chris, before we go, I have to ask you about what's happening on the Democratic side. Joe Biden sidelined from the campaign trail even after that disastrous debate and his campaign setting up extra campaign events to sort of put him out before the American people. He's unable to do that right now.

[15:20:00]

There are these reports that Nancy Pelosi, that Democratic figures have directly spoken to him about the potential for him getting out of the race. How do you see this playing out?

WALLACE: Well, you know, I have felt ever since the debate, it was not a bad night as the Biden campaigner talked about. It was a disaster and seemed to raise real questions about his fitness for another six months, let alone another four years in office. I, you know, I since would have said, and frankly, if you'd asked me three weeks ago, I would have said that Biden won't be able to stay in and will end up dropping out. I would have thought quicker than it has.

And, you know, if you ask me today, I guess I'd say I think he'll still drop out. But, you know, in the end, it's down to one tough 81- year-old guy who's in Delaware with the closest members of his family and his political family. And if he decides he's not going to drop out, I don't think the Democratic Party either can or will force him. If I had to bet your house on it, I'd bet that he's going to drop out though.

Just - it's interesting kind of after the shooting and the early parts of the convention, it seemed to die down. But now as the convention's about to end, we're getting in a political vacuum again. It feels like it's building up, and it may reach a point of no return. I think we'll know by Monday at the latest.

SANCHEZ: I'm fortunate to not have a house that you could wager, I rent.

WALLACE: Well, I might have gotten you two houses. SANCHEZ: Well, possibly. It is crazy to me. That was three weeks ago. I was trying to remember a moment ago, I was like, was it three? Was it four? It was only three weeks ago. I'll sneak in one more question. Have you seen a news cycle like this?

WALLACE: Well, yes, I suppose. I mean, you know, I'm thinking back, and in fact, it involves conventions and races, 1968, the Tet Offensive in Vietnam, Gene McCarthy almost beating LBJ in New Hampshire, Bobby Kennedy gets in the race and Lyndon Johnson drops out.

I mean, the one thing, you know, people have said, well, maybe it's too late to have a new ticket. You know, as we see now in three weeks how much can change, we're a month away from the beginning of the Democratic Convention. You - if he dropped out by Monday, you could have a whole race and a whole new candidate and a whole new ticket and a whole new sense of excitement and a whole new dynamic to the campaign. So a lot can happen in a very short time in this country.

SANCHEZ: It's been a roller coaster and we're still in the heat of summer, yes.

WALLACE: I think we're right at the top of one hill, but more to come.

SANCHEZ: Chris Wallace, great to be with you.

WALLACE: Always.

SANCHEZ: Thanks.

So Biden's campaign says it doesn't have any plans to move forward without him at the top of the ticket. We're going to speak with one of the first House Democrats to call for him to leave the race when we come back. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:27:32]

SANCHEZ: We're just a few hours from the grand finale of the Republican National Convention here in Milwaukee, where former President Trump is set to give his first public remarks since Saturday's attempted assassination. His wife, Melania, and daughter, Ivanka Trump, are both expected to attend.

Let's discuss that angle with CNN reporter Alayna Treene and Wall Street Journal Senior Political Correspondent Molly Ball.

Alayna, it's been a while since we've seen the First Lady at an event like this. What does her being here mean?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: I mean, this is a huge moment. We actually - she's only done two public appearances so far since Donald Trump announced that he was running for election for the third time, and so this is hugely significant. Now, I would also note, you know, she hasn't been here this entire week. Some people were wondering if she would show up with Donald Trump Sunday evening or Monday night here on the floor, particularly given it came after the shooting over the weekend.

But I think the fact that she's here at all is a big deal because, again, she's been incredibly private throughout this entire campaign. It's actually quite a shift from his past two campaigns. But a lot of that is because his team says that they - you know, she wants to stay home, she dictates her own schedule, she's busy raising Barron, all the excuses. But there has also, of course, been questions about where she is.

Now, tonight, I'm told she's definitely not speaking, neither is Ivanka Trump or some of the other family members who we have not seen yet. Eric Trump will be speaking. But there's a question of whether or not she will appear on stage with the former president at some point.

From what I'm hearing, I believe she will come up, say hello to him, great his - you know, shake hands with him after he speaks, is what I'm hearing.

SANCHEZ: Molly, the former first lady's role has been interesting throughout Trump's foray into politics, given that at her first appearance at the Republican Convention back in 2016, she - her team plagiarized parts of Michelle Obama's speech during an earlier convention. And she's not really playing a large role this time around, though she is, obviously, appearing in the VIP box at least today. It looks like she's potentially going to appear on stage as well. What do you make of her place in all of this?

MOLLY BALL, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I think, first of all, it could not be clearer that she does not like politics. And four years in the White House really drove that home to her, and people around her have said that, right? And she has signaled that in every way possible, as you've said throughout this campaign that she just wants nothing to do with it.

[15:30:02]

But she issued that very long and heartfelt statement on Sunday after the shooting. Really, it was really ...