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Kamala Harris's Presidential Campaign Manager Says Expanded Universe of Voters Now Open to Democratic Party in Presidential Election; Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) Interviewed on Why She is Not Attending Congressional Address by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired July 24, 2024 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Is there one moment that you can point to right now of fatal error in the plan and the communication. Or does it seem like this is headed toward just a systemic failure?

JONATHAN WACKROW, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: It seems like this is moving towards a systemic failure, right? There's not a single point of failure here. What we're seeing is overlapping failures that compounded the situation and worsened it as time went on. I mean, we're hearing reports that the shooter was up on the roof for anywhere for two to three minutes, potentially. I mean, that is alarming to hear. However, if the law enforcement officers or the Secret Service were actually covering that roof, that would not have been a problem.

So I think when we start laying out the timeline of when this threat or suspicious individual that then transcended into a threat, as that timeline really starts to codify, we understand what that pre-attack behavior actually was, we're going to find more either communication errors, breakdowns, or just a misunderstanding of what their role and responsibility was in the overarching security plan.

BOLDUAN: Yes. Still more to learn even as we learned so much. Jonathan, great to see you. Thank you.

A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: New details on a presidential address the likes of which we have not seen in more than 50 years. President Biden speaks from the Oval Office for the first time since giving way to Vice President Harris.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to Congress today. Why dozens of lawmakers say they will skip the address.

And this morning the director of the FBI testifies before lawmakers as new bodycam video shows the moments immediately after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

I'm John Berman with Sara Sidner and Kate Baldwin. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL. BOLDUAN: And breaking overnight, a bullish new campaign memo fresh

off the presses from Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign. How her campaign operation now plans to go about defeating Donald Trump. The campaign looking beyond the blue wall, the states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, which was seen as really the only and very narrow path to victory for Joe Biden. Harris's campaign chair, Jen O'Malley Dillon, saying in a campaign is not only going on offense there, but also re-expanding the map to what she calls an expanded universe of swing voters, a universe she argues is now opened up with Harris at the top.

At the same time, President Biden is preparing for an address to the nation that will echo through history, an Oval Office address explaining why he is not seeking reelection, and also laying out in his words what lies ahead.

CNN's Arlette Saenz is at the White House. She's joining us now. Arlette, let's focus in on this new -- the new moves by the Harris campaign. What more are you learning about what their strategy is in this moment?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kate, the Harris campaign argues that this 2024 race is now more fluid than ever as Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to be at the top of the Democratic ticket to face off against Donald Trump in November.

Now the Harris -- now Harris campaign manager, or campaign chair, Jen O'Malley Dillon, released a new memo this morning outlining how they see the electoral path going forward. They believe that Harris can expand the support the Democrats drew in 2020, appealing specifically to Latino, black, and young voters. And they also a real opening for Harris with undecided voters in this campaign, with O'Malley Dillon arguing that there is a, quote, expanded universe of winnable voters. They believe that they can win these voters on issues. They believe these are people who have leaned towards Democrats and they can get on board in this election.

Now, as far as the battleground states, the campaign stresses that they are going to go on offense in all of the battleground states, a bit of a difference from what we heard two weeks ago from the Biden campaign when they explicitly said that the clearest path to victory was through the blue wall, those states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

Now, Harris made her battleground state debut as a presidential candidate just yesterday in Wisconsin, and it was there where she really previewed a lot of the message that could be playing out over the course of the coming months as she faces off against Donald Trump. She really leaned into her past experience as a prosecutor in making her case against Trump, while also trying to focus on issues like abortion rights and also expanding economic opportunity for the middle-class. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, (D) VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: A future where no child has to grow up in poverty --

(APPLAUSE)

[08:05:00]

HARRIS: -- where every worker has the freedom to join a union -

(CHEERING)

HARRIS: -- where every person has affordable health care --

(CHEERING)

HARRIS: -- affordable childcare, and paid family leave.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: Now, back here at the White House, President Biden is preparing to deliver one of the most important and historic speeches of his presidency. He will speak from the Oval Office this evening to really give Americans more of an insight into why he decided to bow out this race, but also chart his plans for the months ahead. Of course, Biden is heading into a lame duck presidency, but he insists he is not going anywhere and wants to remain engaged and actually get some things done on both domestic and foreign policy issues going forward.

BOLDUAN: Arlette, thank you very much. So much happening today. Sara?

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: And this is another thing. Later today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address lawmakers on Capitol Hill in hopes of shoring up support for Israel's ongoing war in Gaza. U.S. and Israeli officials have voiced some optimism about the prospects of a ceasefire and hostage deal, but Netanyahu's visit is also being met with plenty of criticism. Dozens of Democrats in both the House and the Senate have said they're not going to be there for the speech, protesting the ongoing war because of its heavy civilian casualties in Gaza, and, of course, the humanitarian crisis that it has caused.

CNN congressional correspondent Lauren Fox joining us now. Lauren, what can you tell us about, you've got this schism where you've got all these Democrats that are saying we're not going to be there. The vice president is not going to be there, but she is, I know, meeting with Netanyahu for private talks.

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. It's really an incredible moment of political upheaval both in Israel politics and in U.S. politics. And I think one of the messages you are going to be seeing that a lot of members are looking for today is what is Netanyahu's path forward? Many lawmakers who I've been speaking to on both sides of the aisle among Republicans and Democrats want to see a clear explanation for how this war begins to come to an end as well as how Benjamin Netanyahu plans to try and get the remaining hostages back home to their families. That was something that I heard from Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee last night when we were discussing what she hoped to hear.

As you mentioned, there are dozens of Democrats in the House and a handful in the Senate who planned not to attend this speech at all. Notably Senator Patty Murray, who could have been presiding over the speech, will not be attending today. Instead, Senator Ben Cardin, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will preside over this address.

There's also going to be counterprogramming for many members, including Pramila Jayapal, the leader of the House Progressive Caucus, who said in a statement, quote, "Instead of attending Netanyahu's address, I will attend a panel discussion led by the Center for American Progress and other organizations on the path to peace. This event will feature a Palestinian leader, a Jewish Israeli leader, and a former IDF soldier, all of whom are dedicated to finding a path toward peace and security."

And last night in the leadup to this joint meeting of Congress, you saw a number of Democrats go to the floor and express some of their concerns about Netanyahu's policies and his leadership over the last several months. Here's one, Senate Armed Services Chairman Jack Reed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JACK REED (D-RI): Mr. Netanyahu and his government have failed to develop an exit strategy for Gaza. They have no plan for a sustainable future for the Palestinians, and no plan to establish security and rebuild Gaza's destroyed. With Prime Minister Netanyahu in Washington this week, I am again compelled to say that the Israeli government must change its path.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOX: And before Netanyahu addresses this joint meeting of Congress, he will meet with Speaker Mike Johnson. There will also be a photo opportunity for Republican leadership in the House and Senate and Democratic leadership in the House and Senate. Just want to remind everyone that Senator Chuck Schumer, the majority leader, he actually called on Israel to hold new elections to replace Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this year. Sara?

SIDNER: All right, Lauren Fox, thank you so much for that. John?

BERMAN: All right, with us now is Congresswoman Judy Chu of California. Congresswoman, thank you so much for being with us. Will you be attending the address from the Israeli prime minister?

REP. JUDY CHU (D-CA): I will not be attending the address by Netanyahu I am skipping this address because Netanyahu has undermined the peace process, and peace is what we need in Israel and Gaza right now.

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We need to make sure we bring the hostages home. We have to stop the killing of innocent civilians. Now, 38,000 people have died. We need to have an exit strategy. We need to have a ceasefire that will stop the killings immediately. But we also need to have a plan for what will happen after this all ends. We need to establish a two-state solution. And I don't see any of this coming from Netanyahu. In fact, I see him just wanting to continue the war for his own political future because he is facing criminal indictments.

BERMAN: What message does this send if so many members of Congress, Democratic members of Congress, dozens of House members, several senators are skipping a speech from the leader of an historic ally of the United States?

CHU: I think that Speaker Johnson should not have invited him in the first place. This is only going to be divisive. And already, of course, we see enormous protests happening around Washington D.C. It is because Netanyahu does not provide any solution for the future, and in fact, he has engendered more protests because he has encouraged settlers to do violent actions in the West Bank and close off any attempt towards getting a two-state solution in the Middle East.

BERMAN: It does seem as if Vice President Kamala Harris from your state of California will be the Democratic nominee. How do you see her policy toward Israel and the conflict in Gaza as being different from that of President Biden?

CHU: Well, I believe that they are working in unity in that they know that Israel has the right to defend itself. But they have been actually working very hard to get a ceasefire solution. And they have been working very hard to make sure that there is humanitarian aid given to those in Gaza, and that food and medical supplies can be given to innocent civilians so that --

BERMAN: So no daylight, no daylight between Harris and Biden that you see?

CHU: I think that they are working together and have similar goals in terms of achieving peace in the Middle East.

BERMAN: In terms of the candidacy of Vice President Harris, we've seen over the last 24 hours a line of attack coming from Republican calling her a San Francisco liberal. I had Tom Cotton, the Arkansas Republican on yesterday, and I want you to listen to how many times he said it in a short period of time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TOM COTTON (R-AR): She is a San Francisco liberal.

San Francisco liberal.

San Francisco liberal.

A failed San Francisco liberal.

She is a failed San Francisco liberal.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BERMAN: If that had been a drinking game, I would have been plastered by the end of that, Congresswoman. But listen, you know, San Francisco up the beach, up the coast from you. How do you defend her against those attacks?

CHU: She is an American who stood up for the needs of Americans. She has been instrumental in making sure that we got the bipartisan infrastructure bill so that we could get good jobs in America. And she was instrumental in the Inflation Reduction Act, which brought prescription drugs down to only $2,000 a year for seniors and $35 a month for insulin for seniors.

And she has been instrumental in the Chips and Science Act, which will finally bring back semiconductor manufacturing to the U.S. These are American priorities, and Vice President Harris has been in the forefront of that going all over the United States to make sure that these monies are spread across every sector of society, and in fact, in the Midwest where these kind of manufacturing jobs or greatly needed.

BERMAN: Congresswoman Judy Chu from California, thanks so much for being with us today. Appreciate your time. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Plastered. Donald Trump back on the campaign trail and stepping into an entirely new race and political landscape. New details now on how the Trump team is looking to reimagine their playbook to take on Kamala Harris.

And Sunday was just labeled the hottest day in recorded human history for the globe. Now we are learning about hundreds of heat-related deaths in one Arizona county.

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[08:19:25]

BOLDUAN: Donald Trump is back on the campaign trail in North Carolina today, one of the states that the Harris campaign believes is once again now in play for them now with Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket.

One example of how the race has reset and also has the Trump campaign taking a new look at its campaign playbook with a new memo telling Republican lawmakers one issue they need to now laser-focus on is what Republicans call Harris' failed policies at the southern border.

CNN's Priscilla Alvarez is tracking this one. She has much more on this.

So, Priscilla, what are Republicans planning to do with this?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: Well, they are going to call her the border czar. This is something that they introduced back in 2021 when President Biden tapped Vice President Kamala Harris to tackle the root causes of migration in Central America.

[08:20:08]

And over the last three years, they have occasionally use this term, border czar even though that was not her task and they're clearly going to lean into it even more.

And in a show of that, former President Donald Trump just yesterday, held a very rare phone call just to go after the vice president and the administrations immigration policies. Take a listen.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: As a result of her dangerously extreme immigration policies, the largest invasion in history is now taking place at our southern border, and it's getting worse, not better.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

ALVAREZ: The management of the US-Mexico border was going to be a political vulnerability for this campaign from the get-go and they've tried to flip the script on that. But the vice president's task in particular has been lost in a lot of the attacks and criticism.

She was specifically looking at long-term fixes in Central America, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador and she has been shoring up private sector investments into that region.

And I have talked to experts, I've talked to administration officials and they all say that there has been some early success, more than $5 billion have gone to these three countries to try to create jobs and keep people from moving north.

The numbers from those countries has also dipped, but that is going to likely be lost in these attacks by Republicans as she hits the trail and tries to notch that victory in November.

BOLDUAN: Yes, great perspective, Priscilla.

We are going to be looking back on your reporting and your context and your clarity on this issue throughout. Thank you so much -- Sara.

SIDNER: All right, in less than two hours, FBI Director Christopher Wray will be on Capitol Hill to testify on the Trump shooting investigation.

What we are learning from new body camera footage taken in the moment right after the gunfire.

One hundred percent protection against its HIV, the game changing new experimental drug that scientists say could potentially prevent infections. Those stories and more ahead.

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[08:26:33] SIDNER: All right, we have some brand new body camera footage this

morning showing the moments after the man who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump was shot and killed.

We do want to warn you the footage might be disturbing to you.

You see armed officers on the roof in moments after Thomas Crooks was killed. That is the video there, for roughly two minutes, they explain when they first saw the shooter and when they lost sight of him.

Later today, we'll learn more about the FBI's investigation when Director Christopher Wray testifies on Capitol Hill

CNN national security reporter, Zachary Cohen has more on the story.

What are you learning? What are the investigators learning from this footage that has now been released?

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, Sara.

We're really seeing how officers grappled with the aftermath of the shooting in real time.

As you mentioned, you can see the body of the gunman in that video. You can see the trail of blood coming off the roof. But more importantly, investigators are looking at this interaction between the Secret Service agent, you can see in the clip and the local officers that are also on the roof. And as you said, they're talking about when officers first saw the shooter and noticed and reported him as suspicious.

I want to play one moment in particular where the Secret Service agent and these local officers are effectively trying to figure out what went wrong and when the shooter was first identified.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, this is the guy that our -- that the sniper saw?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Beaver County snipers seen an sent the pictures out. This is him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Okay. The bike in the background over here. Was he on that bike?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, we're just treating that as suspicious device.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Correct.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One second. I believe the sniper that seen these an sent the pictures is right inside this building. (END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: So, you can sense the confusion that's happening in the immediate aftermath there. This undoubtedly will come up during today's hearing with FBI Director Christopher Wray as lawmakers and officials in the law enforcement community are still trying to piece together a timeline and understand what went wrong and how to prevent it from happening again.

SIDNER: All right, Zachary Cohen, thank you so much, appreciate it -- John.

BERMAN: All right. Our new polling just in, shows how Vice President Harris is doing among young voters since she entered the race, three days ago.

And 100 percent protection against HIV, the groundbreaking new study results that could transform the fight against that the disease.

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