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Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC) is Interviewed about Harris' Run for President; Biles Leads Women to Gold; Deja Foxx is Interviewed about Social Media Campaigns. Aired 9:30-10a ET
Aired July 31, 2024 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[09:30:17]
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: It could be any time from a few hours to a few days before we learn who Vice President Kamala Harris has chosen to be her running mate. Her campaign has pretty much indicated the decision will come by Tuesday. One person it will not be in North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, who is with us now.
And, Governor, it won't be you because you took yourself out of the running. Why?
GOV. ROY COOPER (D-NC): Well, good morning, John.
Let me say that I am 100 percent behind Kamala Harris in her quest to be president. I am confident that she will win. I don't think I've ever seen this much enthusiasm for a candidate since Barack Obama in 2008 in North Carolina. And as you know, Barack Obama won North Carolina in 2008. I believe Kamala Harris will do the same thing.
She has a wealth of choices. I know personally, and well, all of the governors who are reportedly in condition - in contention here for her selection as vice president. I don't know Senator Kelly that well, but I know that he is a patriot and a strong candidate as well. So, I feel comfortable that this is going to be a strong ticket.
This was just not the right time for me or my state. And I informed the Harris campaign pretty early that I did not want to be in condition - contention for this. But I'm going to go across the country. I'm going to work for her. I'm going to work hard in North Carolina. We have the biggest governor's race in the country. We're trying to break our legislative super majority. I'm not personally on the ballot this time, but I am working as if I were because everything I care about is on the ballot this time.
BERMAN: You say not the right time for you or your state. There could be an open Senate seat in your state in a couple of years. You have your eye on that?
COOPER: Well, we certainly know the importance of the United States Senate. And we know Kamala Harris is going to be president. So, she's going to need some help. I'm not going to make any decisions on that, or potentially other
options for me until I finish my term as governor. I'm going to run through the end of the tape, get these elections done, and then I'll make decisions about that.
BERMAN: So, you're not going to announce it right here this morning at 9:32 a.m. on CNN NEWS CENTRAL? All right, had to try.
COOPER: Too - a little too early. A little too early.
BERMAN: Had to try. Had to try.
COOPER: Yes.
BERMAN: So - so, Governor, last night, in Georgia, the vice president gave about a 20 minute speech. You talked about the crowd there. And one of the things she did that was interesting is she seemed to try to go on offense on one of the issues that has been deemed a weakness to the Democratic ticket, and that would be immigration. She noted how she, as a prosecutor, had prosecuted cartels and prosecuted people who crossed the border illegally. And then she went right after Donald Trump.
Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. (D) AND U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald Trump, on the other hand, has been talking a big game about securing our border, but he does not walk the walk.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: Said, he does not walk the walk.
The statistics from the governor - border, Governor, are what they are. Then under Donald Trump, we can put these up, we can show, I mean border encounters very much lower than they have been under the Biden- Harris administration. So, what walk do you think she's talking about?
COOPER: Well, first, you've got to remember that Donald Trump only thinks about himself. You also got to remember that Covid was occurring under Donald Trump's administration.
But look, we had the strongest border bill in a generation. We had conservative Republicans signed on to do this. We had a lot of progressive groups that were very much again - against it. The Biden- Harris administration was ready to sign it and put it into place and give the resources to the border that it needs to do the right thing, to make sure the cases get adjudicated, to make sure that they had the security that they need.
They were ready to get it done. They had the Republican senators and members of the House to do it. Donald Trump knew that if they got it done this would have a huge impact on the border and this would hurt his campaign. This is all about Donald Trump. She should be on offense because the
solution to this was in legislation that could have been put in place.
[09:35:01]
But for him putting pressure on Republican legislators in Congress, in the Senate, who are going to do whatever he tells them to do, even though they know it's not the right thing.
BERMAN: And speaking of offense, is that what you want to see from the campaign going forward? Is what we saw - how is what we saw last night a reflection of how you think the Harris campaign will run the next 98 days, are we at?
COOPER: Look, she's got to go on the offensive on the issues that matter to the American people. The Republicans are over there trying to divide us. It's pretty clear that J.D. Vance and Donald Trump do not respect women. It's pretty clear that that permeates through MAGA leadership.
She's going to show what a strong woman leader she is, having been a prosecutor, attorney general of California, a United States senator for California, and vice president for the last three-and-a-half years. She's going to talk about things in North Carolina, like helping active military families get child support. She's going to talk about the fact that she and I are working together on a medical debt elimination plan that's going to help 2 million North Carolinians get rid of about 4 billion in federal debt by incentivizing the hospitals. She endorsed North Carolina's plan yesterday.
These are the things that matter on the ground. These are the things that Donald Trump, not only doesn't care about, but fights actively against. Kamala Harris can go on offense because she's talking about the kitchen table issues that everyday people care about.
BERMAN: Governor Roy Cooper from North Carolina, thank you so much for being with us. When you do choose to make some kind of announcement about what's next, we do trust it will be right here on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.
Thank you so much for your time, sir.
COOPER: Thank you, John.
BERMAN: All right, new reporting that the pool at the Paris Olympics is slow. I've been wondering about this, because all these top swimmers, no real world records now. So, what's in the water? How did they slow down the water here? How can you slow down the - what do you pouring in the water? What is it like slime, make it slower? What's going on here? Stay with us.
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[09:42:00]
BERMAN: This morning, keeping the tri in triathlon. This morning, athletes competed in all three parts - and it takes three to have a triathlon - in the Paris Olympics. The River Seine, it turned out, it was clean enough, at least that's what they said.
Team USA also taking home the gold in women's gymnastics.
Let's get right to Coy Wire, who is there.
Coy.
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: How you doing, John?
Yes, the U.S. women's gymnastics team, I was in that arena last night. And, John, it's not just that they won gold in the team competition, it's how they won it. That's the story. They called this their redemption tour on social media. Simone Biles seemingly poking fun at the critics by writing, lack of talent, lazy Olympic champions. They won silver in team at the summer games last time. Biles had to drop out with mental blocks, and that adversity made them stronger. Biles became this champion for mental health awareness. Her team rallied around her. Redemption tour complete.
Here was Biles after the big win.
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SIMONE BILES, WON FIFTH CAREER OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL: At the beginning of the day, I started off with therapy this morning. So, that was super exciting. And then I told her I was feeling calm and ready. And that's kind of exactly what happened. But after I finished vault, I - I was relieved. I was like, whoo, because, at least no flashbacks or anything. But I did feel a lot of relief. And as soon as I landed vault, I was like, oh, yeah, I'm definitely - we're going to do this.
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WIRE: And as John mentioned, after three straight days of cancellation and postponement of swim practice and competition due to unsafe levels of E. Coli in the River Seine, the Olympic triathlon finally happened this morning, starting with the women, then the men. France's Cassandre Beaugrand and Great Britain's Alex Yee took the gold.
How about the U.S. women winning their first ever rugby sevens metal by winning bronze after a buzzer-beater win over Australia. And they're inspiring people beyond their wildest dreams. Michele King, and investor who owns three international soccer clubs, donated U.S. rugby a $4 million gift this week to support and help grow the sport. They even got visits from future Hall of Famer Jason Kelce this week. They're living it up.
Finally, check this out, John, U.S. gymnast Steve Nedoroscik, who propelled in and pommel horsed the men's team to their first team medal since 2008 this week got to meet a young family with the same eye condition as him. What a shot. The youngster got to trade pins with him too. Nedoroscik went viral online for his nickname, Clark Kent, for his inspirational performance. And now, John, he's using this stage to make some smiles here in Paris. BERMAN: Look, he's awesome. I mean he can do like the Rubik's cube too in nine minutes. That guy, is there anything he can't do?
WIRE: Yes.
BERMAN: Coy Wire, nice to see you. Thank you so much.
WIRE: My job is to hunt him down. We'll bring him to you. Thanks, John.
BERMAN: All right.
Kate.
BOLDUAN: When Coy says that, he accomplishes it. I'm going to hunt him down.
Have you asked, or have been asked, why is Kamala Harris talking about a coconut tree?
[09:45:00]
You are not alone. The viral moments turning into gen z gold, but can they convert that into an electoral win?
We'll be back.
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BOLDUAN: Social media strategy is a critical aspect of any campaign these days, especially a presidential campaign. For the Harris campaign it's widely seen as the key to helping define her as a candidate this time around before her opponents can.
[09:50:01]
What that looked like an Atlanta yesterday was this in part. Harris posted on TikTok a new video with one of her campaign's newest allies, Grammy winning artist Megan Thee Stallion.
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MEGAN THEE STALLION: What's up (INAUDIBLE) reporting live with the future president of the United States.
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. (D) AND U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hey, everybody.
MEGAN THEE STALLION: What do you have to say to the American people?
HARRIS: We are not going back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: Reporting live. I do - I actually should bring that kind of energy. But how well do fans of viral moments and catchy memes - how well does it translate into actual voter support? Let's talk to somebody who knows. Joining us right now is Deja Foxx. She worked on Kamala Harris' first presidential campaign back in 2019 when you were just 19-years-old yourself, leading the digital team's influencer and surrogate strategy.
Deja, thanks for coming in.
Let's lay the groundwork here.
DEJA FOXX, FORMER HARRIS CAMPAIGN SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIST: Happy to be here.
BOLDUAN: You say that it's not just an electoral battle that we're - that they're looking at. Before that even it's a narrative battle. And for those still uninitiated or not on social media, why is digital social being memorable mean being meme-worthy so important to a presidential campaign today?
FOXX: Right. I mean, when we look at the scope of things, digital is relatively new in presidential campaigns, but even platforms like TikTok, you know, didn't exist just one or two cycles back. And so the landscape is absolutely changing. But it is about meeting young people where they are, where they are consuming their news, where they're building their political opinions that will follow them for the rest of their lives.
And when we look at Kamala Harris in particular, it is about defining her for an audience who may not know her yet. And, you know, as I've gone on TikTok and posted videos of my time on the campaign and what I know to be true of this candidate, I see so many people saying that they feel hope for the first time, that they see her as a real person and that they're excited to get to know her. And this is really the platform to do it when we're talking about young people, and we're talking about first-time voters.
BOLDUAN: It really is amazing when you think about how pervasive TikTok is, that it really is new-ish in terms of the influence in the presidential campaign, even just that, just realizing it does really travel at the speed of light.
Harris out of the gate went viral. The whole Kamala is - Kamala is brat was kind of where it really picked up steam. And then there was the - at the very same time there was also wrapped into this, this viral coconut tree moment. I want to play this for everyone.
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KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. (D) AND U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You think you just fell out of a coconut tree? You exist in the context of all in which you live, and what came before you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: That coconut tree moment, though, taken, cut, redone, millions of times over, set to music, set to different music. This happened last year. It started to regain traction after Biden's poor debate performance. And it also - didn't it start as something of a little bit of a - of a criticism of her, like a little bit of a slap. Then it was slipped into being something positive. How does that happen and how do you capitalize on - on flipping - on flipping a moment like this?
FOXX: Yes, that's absolutely right. This started as something that the right was latching onto, to poke fun at her for her laugh, right, which we know is a gender-based attack. But what we also know to be true is that Kamala Harris is a woman who was raised by strong women who taught her to laugh from her belly. And I think that when we see moments like this go out into the sort of wild, wild west of the internet and be reinterpreted by the people who are there who are not digital strategists, right, but who are likely teenage girls sitting in their bedrooms creating these fan cam edits, making these memes, that we see a reinterpretation through their perspective. And that, to me, is really, really exciting as we look at this election and the power that young people hold, not only at the polls, but in defining the narrative landscape.
And so, young people have really been able to take this on, take something that was sort of a dig and change it into something that's been a viral moment, a way of introducing her to a new group and really something that I think we'll be studying in the future.
BOLDUAN: You're all in for Kamala Harris, of course -
FOXX: Yes.
BOLDUAN: But isn't Trump just as memable (ph) of the measure is saying, like - if the measure of it is like saying quirky things?
FOXX: Sure. And that's why it cannot just be the measure, right? That viral moments cannot be where this ends. As I look to what these moments can do, they are not just about winning the electoral battle, they certainly are not just about getting impressions and viral videos, they're about changing the narrative, and they're about changing the way that the viewers, right, the girls who are scrolling at home on TikTok see themselves, see what it means to be qualified, see each other and the world, right? This is about perspective.
[09:55:02]
And it's - it's a way of changing who gets to create narrative, who gets to tell stories, who gets to create media that defines campaigns. And this is more decentralized than it's ever been. Not only do you not need a million followers to get a million views and change 100,000 minds, but you certainly don't on platforms like this even. So, I think this is a really exciting moment to see how teen girls, young folks take this power into their hands and decide this election outside of just their power at the polls, which is absolutely important, but also their narrative power.
BOLDUAN: Yes, absolutely. And how - and how people can authentically reach out in that way.
FOXX: Yes.
BOLDUAN: Which the authenticity element of it is so critical in what you're talking about and reaching people.
Deja, it's great to meet you. Thanks for coming in.
FOXX: Thank you for having me. Appreciate it.
BOLDUAN: Thanks so much for joining us, guys. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL. "CNN NEWSROOM" with Pamela Brown, up next.
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