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Billionaire Donor Wants Harris To Fire FTC Chair Lina Khan If Elected; Trump Attacks Harris On Her Age, Way She Laughs; U.S. Men's Gymnastics Team Wins First Medal Since 2008; All Eyes On Team USA As Women's Gymnastics Aim For Gold; Security Forces Protecting Haitian Leader Provider "Cover" Fire After He Leaves CNN Interview; Protests Erupt In Venezuela Amid Election Fraud Accusations; The Group Behind A Massive Effort To "Clean" Voter Rolls. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired July 30, 2024 - 07:30   ET

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

[07:30:00]

MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: -- but Vice President Harris, she already finds herself in the middle of a tug of war, with one side being the CEOs and the wealthy donors, and the other being progressives.

Now business leaders, they're hopeful that Harris is going to move a bit towards the center maybe dial back some of the fighting about corporate mergers and the blame of, about inflation on corporate greed.

Yale professor Jeff Sonnenfeld, he told me that he thinks that CEOs are quote, wildly excited about Kamala Harris. Progressive groups, they are suspicious of billionaire donors and big business, they're trying to preempt a shift by Harris towards the Center on Regulation and trade and energy, and the way this is playing out already is a fight over Lina Khan. She's the chair of the Federal Trade Commission, perhaps one of the most consequential Biden regulators. She's won some fans on the left for her willingness to confront big oil and big tech. She's even won some praise from Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance.

Now, CNN has learned that just this morning, more than 20 pro-consumer groups have fired off a letter to Harris and they're calling for Harris to publicly support Lina Khan. This letter was signed by a public citizen, NACCP and a number of other groups. Let me read you in part what they wrote to Harris. They said, quote, you have made clear that you're running a people powered campaign fueled by hardworking Americans. Keeping those optics untainted sends a signal to the public about whose side you are on.

This pressure is in direct response to comments made to CNN last week by billionaire Reid Hoffman, the LinkedIn co-founder and Democratic mega donor raised some eyebrows by publicly saying Harris should replace Lina Kahn. Take a listen to what Reid Hoffman said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REID HOFFMAN, LINKEDIN CO-FOUNDER & DEMOCRATIC DONOR: I do think that that Lina Khan is -- is -- is, is a -- is a bad, is -- is a -- is a person who is not helping America in her job and what she's doing. And so, I would hope that Vice President Harris would -- would replace her.

I do find it entertaining that she's the precise person that JD Vance supports. Lina Khan, who is, you know, essentially trying to limit various forms of American business in ways that I think are, are -- are not or outside the scope of her job. I think antitrust is fine, but I think just waging war is not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

EGAN: Now, it's worth noting that Reid Hoffman sits on the board of Microsoft, a company that has repeatedly and is currently battling the FTC. Another Lina Khan critic is billionaire Barry Diller. Last week, he told CNBC that he believes Lina Khan is a quote, dope. And he said that he would publicly lobby Harris to replace Lina Khan. But listen, he's also got a stake here. CNN has learned that the FTC has multiple investigations into Barry Diller's company IAC.

So, listen, listen, we're going to continue to see this play out this tug of war over the economic agenda of Kamala Harris.

John?

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Just one of the things she has to deal with nine days into her presidential candidacy. Matt Egan, thanks so much for being with us.

Kate?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: So, in a new interview with Fox News, Donald Trump had a lot to say. He was asked to clarify some of his new controversial comments in which he told the conservative Turning Point Action Summit this weekend that in four years Christians won't have to vote.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Christians are not known as a big voting group. They don't vote. And I'm explaining that to them. You never vote. This time, vote. I'll straighten out the country. You won't have to vote anymore. I won't need your vote. You can go back to (INAUDIBLE).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Trump also repeated a new Republican talking point, accusing Democrats of -- Democrats of committing a coup and pushing Joe Biden out of the presidential race.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: They staged a coup against the President of the United States. They went in and they told him, you're leaving, you're way down in the polls. They threw him out. This was a coup, the first one, of the President of the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: And then there is a series of issues that he seems to now have with Vice President Kamala Harris.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I would rather run against her than him. I think she's easier than he is. She got rid of the laugh. I noticed, I haven't seen that crazy laugh that she gets, she's crazy. That laugh, that's the laugh of a crazy person. She's 60 years old. A lot of people, I didn't realize she was 60. I thought she was a little younger, but she's 60.

Everybody knows who I am. And now people know who she is. She's a radical left lunatic. She'll destroy our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Joining us right now, CNN political commentator and Republican strategist, Shermichael Singleton and Democratic strategist and senior advisor to the Lincoln Project, Joe Trippi.

Shermichael, let's start with what we just heard from Donald Trump right there. I would rather run against her than him. However, you have the new Washington Post reporting, which is that JD Vance is telling donors in a private -- privately that Harris -- that Harris is a sucker punch to the campaign. Here's the quote from the Washington Post from JD Vance. All of us were hit with a little bit of a political sucker punch, Vance said about Biden's withdrawal to the fundraiser. The bad news is that Kamala Harris does not have the same baggage as Joe Biden because whatever we might have to say, Kamala is a lot younger and Kamala Harris is obviously not struggling in the same way that Joe Biden did.

[07:35:37]

The exact opposite of what we just heard from Donald Trump. Which is it?

SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I mean, look, I think it's probably a combination of both, right I think JD Vance would recognize this --

BOLDUAN: They can't be both. It can't be both. In this world, meaning my world, of these two boxes, it can't be, it can't be both. She can't be young and old. She can't be easier to beat than Trump, but harder to beat than Trump. And she can't have lots of issues, but also no baggage.

SINGLETON: Well -- well, this is what I'll say as a strategist, right? I think one can acknowledge that someone is more competitive in certain arenas while still believing that their philosophical and ideological worldview is more palatable to a greater percent of the American populace. Hence that, that difference between Vance, And Trump's version.

Now, maybe I'm articulating it a whole lot better than the former president, but I think JD Vance recognizing that the Vice President has excited a whole bunch of women, a bunch of young voters. I mean, $200 million in a week, 170,000 volunteers. I mean, I have to tip my hat off to Vice President Harris and say kudos to her because those are really remarkable numbers. And as a strategist, I look at her candidate and say, boy, this is someone that is going to be a bit of a challenge.

Now, also as a conservative, I'm thinking that conservatism, economically speaking, on the immigration front, and in terms of foreign policy, are better in terms of moving the country forward for a greater percent of the American people, hence is what I think what Donald Trump was referencing in his own way.

BOLDUAN: In his own way. Joe Trippi, your thoughts?

JOE TRIPPI, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: I just think this looks at this just more evidence of the flailing of the Trump-Vance campaign. They don't know that it was a sucker punch from their perspective and they have no idea how to react. And I think this is another case where I think Donald Trump's got to regret picking JD Vance to be his vice president. It's clear they, they didn't vet this guy. Either they didn't vet him or they knew all the crazy stuff he said, because it's more of his company to come out. And they didn't care.

You know, so I, I just think that that he is real -- we're spending more time talking about Donald Trump's VP pick and things he said including this truth that, that they don't know what they're doing and they feel like sucker punch. It's just a, a remarkable turn of events where Trump is not the center of attention anymore. Kamala Harris is, and they don't know how to handle it.

BOLDUAN: Joe, let's talk about the Democratic VP pick or soon to be VP pick then. We've got North Carolina's governor, Roy Cooper, he's taking himself out of contention. Axios is reporting that organized labor is leading a quiet push for Harris to consider Senator Gary Peters as her running mate. As Axios puts it, securing the Midwest state's 15 electoral votes would be an important part of any path to victory for Harris. And as Michigan Congressman Democrat Dan Kildee tells Axios, I know for sure that one of the reasons his name is in the mix is that labor really wants to have somebody who is undoubtedly pro union, and Gary fits that definition quite well.

What do you think, Joe?

TRIPPI: Well, I mean, we started the segment before with Maddie (ph) and I think talking about you know, deciding between corporate or working people. I think, you know, Kamala Harris has definitely put it pretty clear that working people are going to be her top priority. Peters would be a -- the right to be a member of a union and to, to organize is really important. So, Peters would be a great choice. So too would be Josh Shapiro has -- you know, governor of Pennsylvania. A lot of people are hoping that she picks him. And then Mark Kelly, Arizona Senator, astronaut, fighter pilot. You know, I just think there's like a ton of really good people. And by the way, getting back to the vetting, I think that's part of this too, very serious vetting in a very short period of time. She didn't have the time that Donald Trump had and --

BOLDUAN: Yes. Months -- months (INAUDIBLE) to weeks.

TRIPPI: -- the choices he made versus Bush.

BOLDUAN: Right. Yes. Shermichael --

TRIPPI: Exactly.

BOLDUAN: -- let me play one thing for you on another VP contender. Governor Tim Walz, friend of show, joined a Zoom fundraiser yesterday, dubbed White Dudes for Harris. And I want to play one thing that Walz said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[07:40:08]

GOV. TIM WALZ (D-MN) Keep hammering on these guys. This idea of calling them out for who they are shrink them. Is he a danger to society? Yes. Is he a danger to women's health? Yes. Is he a danger to world peace? Yes. But don't give him more credit than he needs. He's just a strange, weird dude.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: This kind of is the next chapter, version, whatever, of the weird kind of commentary that we're hearing a lot of Democrats take to attack or belittle or Donald Trump. What do you think of this political approach?

SINGLETON: I mean, look, I think it may be -- it may have some resonance Kate with some younger voters. I mean, a lot of young people say things are weird that they don't like or that they find some oddities with. So, I sort of get the point there.

But I think in terms of overall messaging and the issues that most people care about, I think if you're the vice president's campaign or if you're the former president's campaign, you really want to hone on messaging what the future would potentially look like if given an opportunity to lead the country under your administration on the most critical issues, right? A rising cost, how will you tackle inflation, bringing down the cost of higher education, maybe having a program to address trades for young men in particular who are really struggling with ascertaining college degrees.

Addressing the immigration crisis in the country, reforming that process, making it more efficient and also providing a path forward to assessing how the United States will continue to be the leader internationally when we're seeing incredible aggression from China on the economic front, but also in terms of bolstering their military prowess. So, I get the it's weird point, but I think this election will be about substantive issues. And that's what I think most voters, particularly that 4 percent in the middle we'll look forward to it.

BOLDUAN: I can say -- I can promise you this, though. It's definitely --

TRIPPI: Kate?

BOLDUAN: -- just going to get more weird on either side. It's just going to get more weird. And whoever wins that out is going to win that out.

SINGLETON: That is so fair, Kate. So fair.

TRIPPI: But Kate --

BOLDUAN: And you two are the weirdest of them all. Joe, we got to run, though.

(CROSSTALK)

SINGLETON: I'll take that, Kate. I'll take that.

BOLDUAN: We got to go. It's good to see you, Joe. It's good to see you, Shermichael.

Sara?

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: We're actually the weirdest of them all. Let's be honest. Me, you and John. Come on.

BOLDUAN: It is -- we use it endearingly, though.

SIDNER: Just saying. All right.

It's taken 16 years, and finally, Team USA's male gymnastics have clinched their first medal in the team event, bringing home the bronze the last time they did it 2008. Now all eyes on the women's gymnastics team with Team USA favor to take the gold despite a calf injury Simone Biles will compete in all four events, as will her teammate Jordan Chiles.

We've got CNN's Andy Scholes joining us now. Andy, we were clearly not invited to the Olympics, but what can you tell us. What can you tell us about this event? Everybody is going to be watching this.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes. Well, despite not being there, Sara, I'll tell you what, it's been incredible just watching them compete on the television because the images coming out of Paris have been amazing.

You know, the men's gymnastics team, you know, they've kind of lived in the shadows of the women's team, right? Because of how good the women are. But you know, this year, the men, they went to Paris on a mission to get back on that metal stand. And they're led by 20-year- old TikTok star, Frederick Richard, the Michigan Wolverine junior phenomenal yesterday, especially on the high bar, stick in that landing there. His parents, they were in the crowd. They were just loving it. They could not have been more proud.

Now, Brody Malone, Paul Juda and Asher Hong also were stellar for Team USA yesterday. So that set the stage for Steven Nedoroscik. And if the pommel horse specialist could deliver a flawless routine, the U.S. would meddle. And he got up there, and I tell you what, he delivered. And he knew right after he got off on his dismount, that he had had a flawless performance. The team was pumped up. They mobbed him to celebrate. Now, Nedoroscik he's known as Clark Kent because he wears those thick rimmed glasses. And that certainly was a Superman performance. It got the U.S. the bronze. It was the men's first team medal since 2008 and just their fourth since 1932.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHEN NEDOROSCIK, 2024 OLYMPICS BRONZE MEDALIST: Went up there, did my routine, and during that dismount, I was just, like, already smiling, I think. I slid into the judges and looked at these guys, and they were jumping up and down. I mean, it was just the greatest moment of my life, I think. I'm so happy to have been there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: That was an amazing moment. Now, today is a big day for the women's team as they look to reclaim the team gold. So, three years ago at the Tokyo Games, they got silver. That was after gold in 2012 and 2016. Now, Simone Biles says she's good to go despite tweaking her calf on Sunday. And the U.S. Should be confident today, they had three of the top four all around performers on Sunday during qualifications. But, you know, because of the two per country rule, only Biles and reigning Olympic all-around champion Sunni Lee are going to compete in Thursday's all-around individual finals, leave barely beating out Jordan Chiles.

[07:45:03]

But Biles and Chiles, they're slated to compete on all four events today. Lee on the bars, beam and floor. And then you got Jade Carey on the vault. The women's team final, it starts at 12:15 Eastern.

All right, finally, you know the surfing competition in Tahiti. Look at this. Delivering one of the greatest sports photos of all time yesterday, Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina, he earned the highest single wave score in Olympic history, advancing to the men's quarterfinals. Somehow, after riding the wave, Medina, look at him. He just went airborne to celebrate while also making the number one sign back to the shore.

Photographer Jerome Bouye (ph) capturing that incredible image, Sara. But when I first saw this, I was like, this can't be real because it looks like he's just flying. Just one of the best images I've ever seen. I haven't seen someone floating in the air like that since Berman when the '04 Red Sox won the World Series.

BERMAN: That's right.

SIDNER: That might be true, but you know, to compete with Berman, I want to show you my gymnastics move. You want to see it?

SCHOLES: OK. Do it.

SIDNER: How was that? Was that nice?

SCHOLES: Is that you sticking the dismount?

SIDNER: Yes, that was it.

SCHOLES: You know, I'm not a judge, but I'd give that a decent score.

SIDNER: Thank you, Andy. I appreciate you. The lies are so welcome. Thank you so much.

John?

BERMAN: And I would do a pommel horse demonstration, except I think HR might get involved.

A CNN investigation into a right-wing group that is challenging hundreds of thousands of eligible voter registrations in an effort to block them ahead of the election.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:50:44]

BERMAN: All right. New this morning, dramatic video of the moments following an interview with the interim prime minister of Haiti.

Again, CNN's Larry Madowo is live from inside the multinational security and support mission base in Port-au-Prince. You were right there, Larry. What happened?

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, an extraordinary scene. As we were interviewing the interim Haitian prime minister, we had some shots as we were coming to the end of the interview (INAUDIBLE) rushed out of that now gone viral on social media here in Haiti is of Kenyan and Haitian police (INAUDIBLE).

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MADOWO (on-camera): Do you fear for your life doing this job?

GARRY CONILLE, INTERIM PRIME MINISTER, HAITI: We don't give it much thought, and it's not just me. I mean, we've been able to put together an incredible group of men and women that have left their jobs and their careers to be able to commit to this. And to be honest, it's rarely part of our thoughts.

Now, I am privileged, I have a whole bunch of men and women that try to make sure that nothing happens. But to be honest, we don't give it much thought. (END VIDEO CLIP)

MADOWO: He doesn't give it much thought, but sometimes things do happen. The reason why the Haitian Prime Minister took us there is because it has recently been liberated, according to the Kenyans and the Haitians, and he's very keen to reopen that hospital. It's the main referral hospital in the country. He did his residency there many decades ago, and he really wants to be able to restore it back to the Haitian people, and that's not possible because that's the reality of the gang violence here.

The reason why this multinational security support mission is in the country to try and restore peace, beat back the gangs. But even as the Prime Minister is trying to make that point to the international community, you still see them fighting back, John.

BERMAN: A tense -- tense time. Larry Madowo, to you and your crew, please stay safe. Thank you.

Kate?

BOLDUAN: Also new this morning, protests are erupting in Venezuela after the re-election of Nicolas Maduro, marking his third six-year term as president. But this election has been marred by serious accusations of electoral fraud. And now the United States and others are calling on the Venezuelan government to immediately release data on the disputed result.

CNN's Stefano Pozzebon is in Caracas with much more on this.

Stefano, what are you seeing now? What's the latest?

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN JOURNALIST: Yes, Kate, we're learning that there will be protests later in today, starting at 11:00 a.m. local time, which is the same as the Eastern time. You can tell that unfortunately, tension is destined to keep growing and growing here in Caracas as the opposition and widespread population. Like, yesterday, we witnessed some of the most violent protests that I've seen here in Venezuela since coming here first in 2016.

And still, like, most of the people that are, that were on the streets yesterday, they were not fighting for the opposition candidate. They were not fighting, being called up, or they were not getting out coordinated. These people were on the street because they felt that they were being cheated on, because they don't believe on the results that the authority -- the electoral authority, which is stacked with government sympathizers have released early on Monday.

But Maduro, on the same time, doesn't appear to be considering any step back. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICOLAS MADURO, VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT (through translation): How do you call this democracy, constitution, terrorism? We have told the militants of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela not to fall for provocations because their goal is by assaulting the headquarters to clash and have, well, bloodshed.

Now it's clear what I was saying, that I have avoided a bloodshed in Venezuela.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POZZEBON: Kate, if there is one lesson that we can learn out of this Venezuelan story, it's that we hear that democracy is in crisis all around the world, where here, where people don't really have any real democracy, well, that's an ideal that is worth fighting for.

Kate?

BOLDUAN: Great point. Stefano, great to have you there. Thank you so much.

[07:55:02]

Sara?

SIDNER: All right. A right-wing group fueled by former President Trump's false allegations of mass voter fraud is teaching people to use an app resulting in hundreds of thousands of complaints on voter registrations. Election officials say these complaints are often overwhelming the system and costing taxpayers a heck of a lot of money.

CNN's Kyung Law dug into the group's efforts and tried to track them down for some answers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANIEL MOSS, VOTER REGISTRATION WAS CHALLENGED: I've lived in Denton for over 24 years. I have been voting here for two decades. As we can see, I am real. I am here. I am talking to you.

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If you're wondering why Daniel Moss is defending his existence, it's because of this list.

MOSS: That's my first name. That's my last name.

LAH (voice-over): Of thousands of voter registrations in Denton County being challenged as ineligible.

MOSS: Finding out that I'm on some sort of hit list of people who shouldn't be voting. I was -- I was pretty pissed off.

LAH (voice-over): How did Moss, a legally registered American voter in the state of Texas and a university administrator, end up having his voter registration challenged? Because of the efforts of one group.

CATHERINE ENGELBRECHT, CO-FOUNDER, TRUE THE VOTE: Hi there, I'm Catherine Engelbrecht with True the Vote.

LAH (voice-over): True the Vote, a right-wing organization fueled by the MAGA movement.

TRUMP: All of a sudden in certain states they found all these votes. A totally rigged election.

LAH (voice-over): And the lies that the 2020 election was stolen with illegal ballots.

ENGELBRECHT: Welcome to the IV3 project. You have arrived in the nick of time.

LAH (voice-over): This is the group's online training session for IV3, a user-friendly app pushed by True The Vote, recruiting and training thousands of private citizens on how to submit challenges to local election offices.

ENGELBRECHT: We've got to report what we can and get it as accurate as we can. And it is making an enormous impact.

LAH (voice-over): Adding up to about 700,000 challenges to voters across the country so far. Documents obtained by CNN show many of them use the exact same language. Daniel Moss's challenge came from someone he doesn't even know.

MOSS: I want to say it was Nancy.

LAH (voice-over): Nancy lives in the same county. And single handedly sent in thousands of challenges this year. We asked around for her.

LAH (on-camera): I'm trying to talk to Nancy.

LAG (voice-over): But she did not come to the door.

FRANK PHILLIPS, ZETTON COUNTY, ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR: Nancy sends me something every day.

LAH: Frank Phillips is Zetton County's Elections Administrator. As November looms, it's not just Nancy sending in challenges now.

PHILLIPS: There have been days where I've received a couple thousand names.

LAH (on-camera): Isn't it overwhelming to get thousands of name every day?

PHILLIPS: It can be. I've had to look each of those voters up one by one. Roughly 75-80 percent of the names they give me, we have already dealt with.

LAH (voice-over): And the rest of the names?

PHILLIPS: Well, you would catch them anyway. There's safeguards built into the whole system for any issue you can dream of.

LAH (voice-over): Meaning any of these questionable voters, like the people who have moved away, the system would eventually catch them anyway. More than a dozen election officials CNN spoke with say they're getting the same challenges, many from IV3 users, when there's already a system in place that prevents fraud.

But that's not stopping the leader from claiming this.

ENGELBRECHT: In the space of elections, you know, the fraud has been institutionalized.

LAH (voice-over): True The Vote is based in Texas.

LAH (on-camera): First, we went to try and find True the Vote's office location, the one it lists on its website, as well as federal tax forms. But we didn't find a brick-and-mortar office. Instead, we ended up here at a post office with a bunch of PO boxes.

Next, we came here to this strip mall that the state of Texas lists as the current address for True The Vote. But, looks like it's a business that files income taxes, and it's a functioning office, but no True The Vote.

LIZZIE ULMER, STATES UNITES DEMOCRACY CENTER: These mass voter challenges are definitely a page out of the election denial playbook. There is a bigger picture impact on our democracy, which is that weakening trust in elections and creating an environment where you can cast out or question the results of an election after the fact.

LAH (voice-over): Back in Denton County, Daniel Moss will be allowed to vote. Elections Administrator Frank Phillips found the challenge was wrong. For the people who are making all these endless challenges, he's chosen patience and education.

PHILLIPS: In their mind, they think, hey, you've got thousands of people on your rolls that shouldn't be there, which turns out not to be the case. They come in with a preconceived notion. My job is to explain reality.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER: True The Vote didn't talk to us, but they did send us a statement about its voter app writing, it has quote, developed specialized processes, technologies and methodologies that have been affirmed by experts and courts. But wouldn't specify who those experts and courts are or answer any other questions.

[08:00:15]

CNN spoke with more than a dozen county and state election administrators across the country who say the challenges of the app are repetitive and sometimes playing wrong.

Since the 2020 election, the Texas nonprofit raised nearly $12 million based on publicly available records. All that money, despite having no offices and listing only a handful of employees.

Thanks to Kyung Lah's reporting for that.

A new hour of "CNN News Central," starts now.