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Polls show Gender Gap Widening; Harris to Lay Out Economic Plan; Russia Rerouted Units after Offensive; Steve Anderson is Interviewed about the Ukraine Offensive. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired August 16, 2024 - 08:30   ET

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

[08:30:00]

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Asking how much this moron would be willing to pay in text messages.

When you take a listen to his attorney, he says it is not that clear.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEFAN SACKS, DEFENSE ATTORNEY FOR DR. PLASENCIA: While the U.S. attorney may disagree with Dr. Plasencia's medical judgment, there was nothing criminal at the time. And, more importantly, the ketamine that was involved in Mr. Perry's passing was not related to Mr. -- Dr. Plasencia. That was provided by another party sometime later.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ELAM: And, according to the U.S. attorney, that is true that the actual dosage that killed Matthew Perry came from the woman who was known as the ketamine queen. That would be Jasveen Sangha. She was also arrested yesterday. She was ordered to remain in detention, however, because they argue that she was a significant risk to flee.

What we also know about this is that she was selling other drugs according to the U.S. attorney out of her operation in the San Fernando Valley here in Los Angeles.

The other person that we need to talk about, though, is the personal live in assistant to Matthew Perry because he also has already entered a guilty plea. But they're saying that he injected, Kenneth Iwamasa. He was - he was injecting Perry with this ketamine even including on the day that Matthew Perry died.

So, that's just taking a look at a broad range of how these people all go together. Another person who was getting the drugs, they allege, from the ketamine queen. But just saying that this was really a widespread organization where they were working to basically take advantage of Matthew Perry.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, now three people already pleaded guilty. A lot more to come. It's good to see you. Thank you so much, Stephanie.

Ahead for us, now with Kamala Harris at the top of the Democratic ticket, how has that changed the choice for women voters? The new numbers this morning.

And what a career. A woman finally hangs up her apron after more than 50 years at Whataburger.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONNIE CLAXTON: This is what I'm going to miss, is getting to visit with my good customers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:37:05]

BOLDUAN: With Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket, the presidential race has reset. But how much has it reset in terms of the gender gap among voters? That is what our Harry Enten has been looking at for you this morning and he's here with us now.

So, set the scene. How our men and women are responding to Harris? What's the big reason why Harris is gaining in the poll?

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: Yes, all right, it's the gender gap. It's something we've spoken about in politics for a long period of time. And we're really seeing it here.

All right, let's take a look at the national polls first. This is Democrat versus Trump margin. And I want to point out, this is average across the same pollsters.

Look at Biden versus Trump, women and men. What we see is the gender gap is working in Donald Trump's advantage. He holds a nine-point advantage among men against Joe Biden, and Joe Biden only held a four point advantage among women. But take a look now. Look at how the race has changed. Instead of having a four-point advantage among women as Biden did, look at Harris' advantage. It leaps up to 11 points. In fact, men haven't changed their voting patterns at all. At least in the national polls. A nine point advantage for Donald Trump versus Joe Biden. A nine point advantage against Kamala Harris.

What has occurred is women voters are flocking to the Democratic ticket. Look at that. Look at that. Four points versus 11 points. That is the reason that Kamala Harris has turned this race around.

BOLDUAN: And you said this is nationally, right?

ENTEN: This is nationally.

BOLDUAN: So what about in swing states? ENTEN: What's going on in the swing states? So, let's take a look at

those Great Lake battleground states, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. This is among registered voters. What do we see here? It's a very similar picture. Biden versus Trump, women. Biden has a little bit - a larger advantage in those Great Lake battleground states according to those "New York Times"/Siena College polls at ten points. But again, that surge among women, we're seeing the same thing in those battleground states as we saw nationally, Kamala Harris up 17 points among women. Men, very little change. Donald Trump doing a little bit worse, but still a very clear advantage.

But the same story in the swing states as we see nationally. The gender gap was working for Donald Trump against Joe Biden, and now it's working against him against Kamala Harris.

BOLDUAN: Is this the same, smaller or bigger that - can you like put it in context. I mean is it the same that we normally see? Is that -

ENTEN: Yes, all right, so let's take a look. Let's go through time, particularly here. All right, this is the Democrat versus the Republican for president. Again, these are these kid - key Great Lake battleground states, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. 2020 and 2016 are final. These are the exit polls.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

ENTEN: 2024 is now. Look at the women margin. Look at what's going on here. Look how much better Kamala Harris is doing among women voters.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

ENTEN: It was 11 points, Hillary Clinton, back in 2016, 13 points in 2020. Look at this margin now, 17 points. Interestingly, the gender gap becoming wider over time. It's much wider this year than what we're normally expecting because, in fact, Donald Trump is winning men voters by 15 points. That's better than he did in 2020 in these same states and it's even better than he did in 2016, although just slightly better. But the bottom line here is, Kamala Harris is winning this race right now, at least in these key battlegrounds states, because of what she's doing with women voters. Women voters are energized.

[08:40:02]

And it is the reason that Kamala Harris turned a deficit that Joe Biden had into a lead.

BOLDUAN: And also, just really quick, when we're talking about the - we do not know, because there's a lot that goes into it, that there - that this is because she's a woman.

ENTEN: Correct.

BOLDUAN: It's - it's just their support for her.

ENTEN: Correct. BOLDUAN: Yes.

ENTEN: We - we don't know - we don't necessarily know the reason. We just know she's doing better with women voters.

BOLDUAN: Right.

ENTEN: Significantly better than Joe Biden was. And better than either Joe Biden or Hillary Clinton did back in 2016.

BOLDUAN: Fascinating. Great stuff, Harry. Thank you so much.

ENTEN: Thank you.

BOLDUAN: Sara.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, for more on this I'm joined by Lance Trover, former spokesperson for Republican Governor Doug Burgum's 2024 presidential campaign, and Democratic strategist and consultant Simon Rosenberg.

Thank you, gentlemen, for being here.

As of July 2024, prices are 20 percent higher than they were in February of 2020, which is - people say, look, they're - it's crushing their personal economies.

So, Simon, what does Kamala Harris need to do today in her first big policy speech, which is on the economy?

SIMON ROSENBERG, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST AND CONSULTANT: Yes, I mean, I think she has to remind folks how much better the economy is today than it was when we came into office and to lay out her agenda for how she wants to continue to create growth and opportunity for America - the American people. Her basic phrase about the economy is we want people not just to get by, but to get ahead, which I think is a very powerful way of talking about the economy. And today she's spending a lot of time talking about how she wants to continue to lower costs and makes life more affordable for working people. It's a very sensible, common sense agenda that she's going to be laying out today.

I think the new thing that is going to be - that's a little bit different from what Biden had been doing is a big emphasis on housing and lowering housing costs by building more housing in America to make housing more affordable across the country. I think that's going to be a really key part of her discussion today.

SIDNER: Lance, does she need to differentiate herself, in your opinion, from Biden?

LANCE TROVER, FORMER SPOKESMAN FOR DOUG BURGUM PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: Well, I think the first thing we need to remember is how we got here. You talked about it just now, prices are up over 20 percent. She and Joe Biden are the reason it's here. Today is the anniversary of the signing of the Inflation Reduction Act, which, as we all know, dumped a ton of money into the economy and lit inflation on fire. So, that's first and foremost. This was like the arsonist calling the fire department today.

And look, a couple of her proposals, no taxing on tips and expanding the child tax credit, are things that the Trump campaign has already called for. But what's most disconcerting to me about this or these like Soviet style price controls that she's going to call for. I mean it's like, you know, hey, the Soviet's called, they want their price controls back. I mean, that is most disconcerting to me (INAUDIBLE) -

SIDNER: Are you talking about the price controls on drugs?

TROVER: On food. On food. She's going to call for government intervention and price controls on food. That's something we tried in the '70s. It didn't work. I mean the Soviets called, they want their economic policies back. I find that very disconcerting. And I think it's something voters should pay attention to.

SIDNER: Let's talk about what Trump has been saying. He had a press conference yesterday. It began pretty tame, talking about the economy, staying on strip (ph). He talked about the high price of things. Again, everything from housing, to food. But he then spent a lot of time on personal attacks. Here's some of that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think I'm entitled to personal attacks. I don't have a lot of respect for her.

Virtually 100 percent of the net job creation in the last year has gone to migrants. Actually beyond a number of 100 percent. It's a much higher number than that.

Kamala is reportedly proposing communist price control. It's a Maduro plan. Like something straight out of Venezuela.

She actually called me weird. He's weird.

She's weird in her policy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: One hundred percent of jobs has not gone just to migrants.

All right, this seems to be a strategy to show that he's doing press conferences, to show that Kamala Harris is not doing press conference. "Axios" put it very succinctly this way, that "the Trump campaign is hoping his press conferences will goad Harris into more unscripted appearances and interviews, where they believe the vice president will stumble. So far, though, Harris isn't take the bait."

All right, so, are these pressers doing what he intends for them to do, Lance?

TROVER: Two and zero. Two and zero. What two press conferences he's done in the last week. How many has she done? Zero. They won't even commit to doing one by the end of August. And I think that's a travesty for the voters in this country that she is not stepping out and taking questions from reporters, unscripted, not in front of a teleprompter, not with a scheduled list of reporters to call on.

I mean we're 80 some days out to an election and we have a presidential candidate who isn't willing to step in front of the media and answer questions? What does that tell you in terms of what they're doing?

Now, look, I get it. I get to play in what they're trying to do. But - at one point this honeymoon's going to come to an end. Post-Labor Day, voters are going to start keying in. And I think they're really going to start looking at these candidates closely, their economic policies and where they stand. So, I'm not sure the strategy can play out post- Labor Day for sure.

SIDNER: Lance points out 2-0, Simon. But when you watch these press conferences and the way that they go, do they help Trump or is it backfiring?

[08:45:00]

ROSENBERG: No. I mean Donald Trump's performance in the last few weeks have been some of the most disastrous events that we've seen in modern American political history. I mean he's dropped six points in the polls in the last few weeks. Kamala Harris now has a lead in all the battleground states.

We are - you know, the election has changed. And I think it's changed in part because the - with Biden's struggles now not being in the - in the news every day, we've gotten to see a lot more about Donald Trump. And it's been scary stuff. I mean some of the stuff he said yesterday reminded us of how fundamentally unfit and unwell he is. And so I do think this has been a really rough patch for the Trump campaign. I think the J.D. Vance pick was also something that's dragging them down. And somehow they've got to change the fundamental dynamic of this race.

They're bringing in a whole new team to try to shake things up now we've learned yesterday. And they need to do that because right now we're winning and they're losing. And if they don't somehow fundamentally change the trajectory of this election, they're going to lose the election.

SIDNER: I've got to ask you about this investigation that was done here at CNN showing the secretly recorded video of one of the architects of Project 2025. He's also a former cabinet member for the Trump administration and the director of the RNC team that wrote the parties official platform.

Trump says he doesn't know anything about Project 2025. He's said that publicly several times. But here is what one of the architects of Project 2025 said about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Notwithstanding, I - I expect you to hear ten more times from the rally, the president, you know, distancing himself from the left's boogeyman of Project 2025.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Um -

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you're not worried about that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I'm not worried about it. And so, I see what he's doing is just very, very conscious, distancing himself from a brand.

He's very supportive of what we do. And - and - and know that we have an all manner of things that we do that's, you know, even unrelated to Project 2025.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: This is all about politics he says at one point.

Simon, I mean, how does Trump keeps saying he doesn't know anything about this?

ROSENBERG: I mean his agenda is Project 2025. There is no - he can try all day to distance himself from it, but what he's laid out, what he talks about in his press conferences, is the same agenda.

SIDNER: Hang on, Simon.

Lance, do you agree with that, that - Simon, you made this - this, you know, quip that it is about 2025 and his agenda.

Lance, do you agree?

TROVER: Look, the president says he doesn't know anything about 2025. I take him at his word. The media lets Kamala Harris walk back every single one of her positions every day. So, I think we should take the president at his word that he doesn't know anything about it.

SIDNER: All right, Simon Rosenberg and Lance Trover, thank you both so much for talking through this with me. Appreciate it.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: American gymnast Jordan Chiles calling the decision to strip her of her bronze medal unjust. And also ahead, how the appeal process was impacted by a wrong email address.

But first, this week's CNN Hero is Venezuelan violinist and conductor Ron Davis Alvarez. When Alvarez moved to Sweden in 2015, he saw crowds of refugees arriving to the country and he wanted to help. He created his Dream Orchestra. Now that orchestra has grown to nearly 300 refugees, immigrants, and native Swedes of all ages.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RON DAVIS ALVAREZ, CNN HERO: One, two and three and four. Three and four.

Dream Orchestra is open to anyone who want to learn an instruments, especially families who are arriving to Sweden.

And it's an orchestra where the main language is music.

I need one more chair.

We have more than 300 people, kids, parents, youth, more than 20 language, and more than 25 nationalities. And kids who born here. We all need to learn from each other.

This orchestra offer more than just notes. This orchestra offer something for your soul.

Music connects us. Dream Orchestra is a dream, but it's a dream who come true.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:53:37]

BOLDUAN: This morning, U.S. officials say Russia is moving troops from fighting inside Ukraine to combat the Ukrainian strikes inside its own country. Several thousand troops appear to have been diverted to the Kursk region where Ukraine has captured miles of Russian territory.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is take - now takes us inside Russia to show us what Ukrainian troops are facing as they push ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: This is where Russia begins.

It's startling to see the steady flow of military vehicles, that probably an ambulance and armor, just passing through the Russian border point here.

That is the border posts that clearly got heavily hit when Ukraine moved in hard over a week ago. Russia's borders here, company undefended.

And it's also remarkable, the freedom with which the Ukrainian military are moving around here. They simply aren't afraid of the drones that have hampered their every move for the past months.

Now that says the border service the FSB, the Russian security services of Russia. And there's a bullet hole above the rules and bullet holes in the rules themselves.

Now, this is what's so startling about this offensive, the volume of western supplied armor that we're seeing passing back and forth. Their passage through here up into Russia unimpeded entirely.

That Rochelle (ph) from Canada.

WALSH (through translator): Did you expect it?

[08:55:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): No, we didn't expect this. There's a task, we're doing it, no more no less. The final result? No one speaks about that now.

WALSH: I was just saying about how frequently they've been going back and forth over the least week or so. And you get a real sense of the euphoria. But ultimately too, the enduring question is, what is all this for? what is the end game? Yes, It's a huge embarrassment for Vladimir Putin, but they're sending some of their best equipment deep into Russia. And I'm sure in the back of the minds of these troops is the question of what ultimately are we going to achieve? And we still don't know the answer to that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: Thank you so much for - Nick Paton Walsh for that great reporting, as always.

And joining us now to talk about this is retired Brigadier General Steve Anderson.

It's great to see you. Thank you for coming in this morning.

It was - I think Nick's reporting there was so insightful, just seeing and speaking with Ukrainian troops as - in this - in what has played out in the last week plus.

What do you make of this?

BRIGADIER GENERAL STEVE ANDERSON, U.S. ARMY (RET.): Well, that was a great report from Nick. And what you're seeing is a significant change in momentum. And that's so important in warfare. What started as a raid has now turned into a major penetration. And you see the Ukrainians are rushing to reinforce that success. That's what we always do in militaries, we try to exploit success. They've established the buffer zone up there and they're taking out a lot of missile firing capability and artillery. I mean that region was responsible for about 2,000 attacks over the last couple of months against the Ukrainians.

So - and the other thing that he didn't talk about was the deep attacks that they conducted on the glide bombs sites. One of them was near Moscow, 600 miles away. So, the Ukrainians are really taking the hurt to the Russian people and they're really putting the pressure on Vladimir Putin. Bully for them.

BOLDUAN: What does Ukraine do now? As Nick kind of posed, on the minds of these soldiers must be, what is the end game? What - where - what happens now? Do - do you - what do you - what do you think? Is it - is it a question of, do they hold ground or keep pushing forward, or what do you think the question is that has to be contemplated here?

ANDERSON: Kate, the question is, what is the center of gravity? What needs to change? The center of gravity for this fight is Vladimir Putin. He is the reason that this war started. And that's why it continues. And until he is either removed from office or he changes his mind, then he will continue to conduct this fight so that the Ukrainians need to continue to apply pressure. I mean this has been a major embarrassment to him. They've had 120,000 Russian civilians that have been displaced. So, they need to keep up the pressure. I mean, how long they will stay up there is - remains to be seen.

There's tremendous risks in establishing a salient like this, where you're exposed on all your flanks. So, they've got to be really careful that they're not - they don't go out there too far and they get entrapped or outrun their logistics or whatever. But this continues to be a major black eye and they're putting pressure on Vladimir Putin, the center of gravity, exactly where they need to apply that pressure.

BOLDUAN: Right. The question - one question being, what does Ukraine do now? But also, as you're talking about the center of gravity on Vladimir - is Vladimir Putin. What does Vladimir Putin do now? I mean there is some talk of - and we heard it from John Kirby speaking to John Berman yesterday of diverting resources from certain places in Ukraine to kind of bolster in the Kursk region. But it's - as Kirby pointed out, it's not like the fighting has stopped within Ukraine.

ANDERSON: Exactly. I mean he's going to have to divert some troops over there to stop that. I mean we've already seen some video evidence and some - some photo evidence that the Russians are establishing trenches in the - in the northern area that - that - of that salient. So, does that mean that they're conceding some ground to the Ukrainians here? I don't - I mean, I'd be shocked if that were the case.

But, I mean, the aura of his invincibility has been shattered, and he needs to take actions immediately to try to restore that. But the Ukrainians aren't playing over - aren't playing into that game. They're going to continue to apply pressure to Vladimir Putin. It's going to be a very, very difficult thing for him to retain power and to satisfy the Russian people while there's been a major penetration to this country, the first one since World War II that he has allowed to happen on his watch.

BOLDUAN: Yes, it is a fascinating moment that we are watching and really literally watching play out in real time.

It's great to see you. Thank you so much.

The next hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts now.

SIDNER: Tax cuts for 100 million Americans, help with housing costs, and lower grocery costs. In just hours, Kamala Harris expected to touch on these things when she lays out her economic agenda. New details on her plan ahead.

[09:00:01]

Donald Trump says he is entitled to launch personal insults against Harris, but can he insult his way back to the White House? We'll take a look at the numbers.

Plus, so long.