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Polls Show Harris Surging; Trump Hits Trail in Michigan and Wisconsin; Harris and Walz Sit for Interview; Possible Change of Venue for Kohberger Trial. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired August 29, 2024 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

KATIE POLGLASE, CNN INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER (voice over): Put to X all of our findings. We sent them a full list of all of these accounts. We received no response.

But we did notice that just in the last 24 hours or so before publishing, the majority of these accounts were taken down, which is rather interesting.

And it's also worth noting that at this stage there is no indication that the Trump campaign are involved.

Back to you.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: So revealing at so many levels. Katie Polglase, thank you so much for sharing that report.

Brand new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR: Major momentum for the Harris campaign. New polling shows she is surging in key swing states as she and running mate Tim Walz prepare to sit down in just hours for an exclusive CNN interview.

And they would, quote, burn the courthouse down. Bryan Kohberger's defense team says that a mob mentality in Moscow, Idaho, is why the murder trial should be moved. A critical hearing happening very soon.

And before you make lunch, check your fridge for some recalled deli meat. Another person has died in what's now the deadliest listeria outbreak in over a decade.

I'm Rahel Solomon, with John Berman. Sara and Kate are out today. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

BERMAN: In just a few hours, Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz sit down with our very own Dana Bash. An exclusive in the first interview for the Democratic ticket. New polls from key swing states in the sunbelt show how close the race is and really how much it has changed. A virtual tie in Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, and North Carolina. That's a huge, huge swing from a few months ago when Trump led President Biden in all of them. Now of note, these polls show that Vice President Harris, the sitting vice president, is tied or has an edge on the issue of who can bring change.

CNN's Priscilla Alvarez in Savannah, where the Harris-Walz team continues their bus tour.

Priscilla, what's the latest from there?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, John, campaign officials are keenly aware that the polls you mentioned still show the vice president within a margin of error. So, there is no clear leader. But it has informed these aggressive strategies that we're seeing them employ in states like Georgia, a crucial battleground state that it's not only notable that the two are here, but also significant where they have been visiting. And that is south Georgia, those rural counties that typically lean Republican. But that is where the campaign chose to kick off this bus tour with two stops yesterday. The vice president expected to have more today. And that strategy, according to senior campaign officials I've spoken with, is essentially peeling off those votes from Republicans while also doing well in metro Atlanta. So, in these rural counties, it comes down to losing by less. And by doing that they think they have a path to victory in a state that President Biden only won by less than 12,000 votes in 2020.

So, the vice president, or vice presidential nominee, Tim Walz, were taking these stops yesterday to meet with voters, high schoolers, as well as voters at a barbecue restaurant. Today, the vice president will be headed to some small businesses before participating in a rally in the arena behind me. So, yet another opportunity for her to appeal to voters with the campaign knowing that this is going to be a state that they're going to want to notch a victory in, in November. It's not going to be easy. That is according to every campaign official that I've spoken with. But what these stops do tell us, or provide a window into how they are strategizing, and that is by going and opening offices in these rural parts of the states with hopes that they can take those votes from Republicans.

What does the Harris campaign see as the stakes for this interview, this big interview with Dana Bash in just a few hours?

ALVAREZ: It's significant. It's a compressed race because, of course, the vice president became the top of the party's ticket not long ago, but also an opportunity for her to lay out her policy vision and her contrast from former President Donald Trump. This time, however, in an unscripted moment. And she will likely also be pressed on how she has evolved on certain issues. And we know the issues that are top of mind for voters, immigration, the economy, abortion, healthcare. And so those are all things that the two have answered in scripted, choreographed moments on the campaign trail, in the Democratic National Convention.

But now it's answering the questions. And in the beginning of the administration, the vice president had a few fumbles when it came to interview. So, now we're in a different moment, a different candidate. And so seeing how she does today is going to be important for allies and observers who are still looking for a lot of answers on her policy stances and also where she may distinguished herself from President Joe Biden.

[09:05:04]

John.

BERMAN: A big day. It all starts right where you are in Savannah.

Priscilla Alvarez, thank you so much.

Rahel.

SOLOMON: All right, John.

And as for Donald Trump, well, he heads to the Midwest soon today where his campaign says that he's supposed to focus on the economy. But while you were sleeping, Trump was posting and posting a lot on Truth Social about his legal cases. Will he bring more of this up today?

Let's bring in CNN's Steve Contorno, who is traveling with Trump today.

So, Steve, what's the latest where you are?

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Rahel, the focus for Donald Trump today is those blue wall Midwest states that he won in 2016 but flip for Joe Biden in 2020. Later today he'll be appearing at a town hall in Wisconsin. And in a few hours he'll be right behind me at this steel plant in Michigan. I'm told he is going to tour the plant and that he will deliver remarks about manufacturing and the economy, inflation. Those are issues that his campaign believes that they can make some headway with voters in these midwestern states that - where the race has been shown to be tightening.

And, you know, obviously, though the question will be, how much will he actually focus on those issues. As you mentioned, he is coming into today's event with those Truth Social posts, where he has controversially been attacking the -- Jack Smith, the special prosecutor in those cases, and several of these other legal cases. Also some inflammatory remarks about his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.

So, the focus today will be on manufacturing per say, but we'll have to wait and see what he actually says at the podium.

SOLOMON: And, Steve, meanwhile in Georgia the focus also there, Brian Kemp, the governor there, he's going to be fundraising tonight for Donald Trump. A few days ago Trump himself was bashing Brian Kemp. So, it's really fascinating that we're at this point. Talk to us a little bit about what's the latest there.

CONTORNO: Yes, to your point, Rahel, a few days ago or a few weeks ago he was calling Brian kemp disloyal, saying that he was, quote, an average governor. And now he - they're sort of kumbaya between these two sides. And here's why this is critical. Georgia is, as Priscilla was just

mentioning, going to be a key battleground in this race going forward. And the concern is that Donald Trump's attacks on a popular governor like Kemp were going to hurt his chances there, just like they hurt Republicans in those runoff races for Senate in 2020.

Kemp, for his part, says that the animosity between the two sides is behind him. Listen to what he had to say earlier this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE DOOCY, FOX NEWS HOST: Just recently as a couple of weeks ago it seemed like Donald Trump was having a feud with you. And now he's thanking you for - for helping he and the Republicans win in Georgia. What happened?

GOV. BRIAN KEMP (R-GA): Well, look, there was a little distraction, obviously on, on their side when it came to Georgia. But, to me, that's in the past. I've been saying that guys literally for over a year now that I was going to support our nominee. That we had to win Georgia. The road to the White House runs through Georgia. And I still believe today we cannot afford four more years of Kamala Harris and Joe Biden.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CONTORNO: Kemp will be putting his money where his mouth is. He is helping raise money for Donald Trump in Atlanta later today.

Rahel.

SOLOMON: All right, Steve Contorno on the trail with Donald Trump.

Steve, thank you.

BERMAN: All right, with us now, CNN political commentators David Urban and Bakari Sellers.

Bakari, first you. And let's take this piece by piece here. This big interview with Dana Bash, which takes place in just a few hours, what do you think the vice president needs to get out of this?

BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I mean I'm not sure that there is a lot to necessarily get out of it. However, I think this is an opportunity for her to continue to lay out policy, continue to look presidential. I think people forget that she's done over 80 interviews this year alone. She's done "60 Minutes." So, this isn't as if it's her first time sitting in front of a camera.

But she has a unique opportunity today to continue to lay out the contrast between her and her future and her presidency and what that would be like versus the chaos that is Donald Trump. And so it's also a good - a good test before you get to September 10, which is probably one of the bigger days, if not the biggest day of this campaign cycle, which is the presidential debate. SOLOMON: David, what are you going to be looking for? And what do you think those who are still undecided, those swing voters, what are they going to be looking for?

DAVID URBAN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, well, let me - let me just Daniel Dale my friend Bakari there. This is literally her first time sitting down for an interview since she's been the nominee. So, a little - a little fact check there.

Listen, what I'm looking for is which - which Kamala Harris is going to show up. Is it the most progressive senator Kamala Harris, is it the banning fracking, getting rid of private health care, making, you know, crossing the border illegally a civil penalty, providing health care and education benefits for illegal immigrants, really progressive positions?

[09:10:07]

Is it that Kamala Harris? Is it the Kamala Harris from the failed Biden-Harris administration, the woman who proudly - who proudly pronounced that she was the last person in the room on the disastrous decision to withdraw from Afghanistan, is at that Kamala Harris? Or is it a different version of Kamala Harris? Is she going to explain to Pennsylvania voters why she for years said that she was going to ban fracking on day one and then miraculously had a conversion on the road to Damascus and is now a supporter of fracking across America.

So, I think voters are pretty smart. You know, they're going to be watching for this thing and saying, just who is this person and who's going to show up? And so I think everyone's going to be waiting and watching. And I know that Dana has a big interview. So, good luck to her.

BERMAN: On the subject of who is this person, David, how psyched have you been the last 36 hours to see Donald Trump's Truth Social posts, which, you know, spout QAnon reposts -

URBAN: John, you know, I love - I love - I love - I'm loving it, John.

BERMAN: Well -

URBAN: No, it's terrible, John. Listen - John, it's terrible. What Donald Trump should be doing, and - and, you know, I've - I've shared this with him and - and - and I'll share it again with him every chance I see, stick to the issues. If you want to attack Kamala Harris, please let's do so but on the issue of immigration, on the porous border, on the failed economic plans of the Biden-Harris administration. She - you know, let's not let people forget that Kamala Harris is the incumbent here. She's not an outsider. Let's - let's talk about those issues.

BERMAN: But, David - David, you've been saying this - you've been saying this for years. You've been saying this for years. So, at a certain point it might be that he doesn't want to or can't, right?

URBAN: Or maybe I - maybe, John, maybe I'm just ineffective. I don't know. But I'm going to keep trying, I promise you.

SOLOMON: Bakari, let me switch back and turn back to this big interview with Dana Bash. David, as you rightly pointed out, this is their first interview since becoming the nominees. Dana Bash, known for being tough but fair. Some on the right though, you're already hearing, are criticizing Harris for doing this with Walz, saying that Walz is a security blanket. Bakari, do you see that as being a fair critique, or is that some already trying to hedge what could be a good interview for her?

SELLERS: Well, first of all, Dana Bash is an excellent interview or is - tonight's going to be an amazing opportunity for her to continue to do what she does extremely well, which is top-flight journalism. You know, I heard David Urban apparently got his talking points in the email early this morning, running down the list of things that they want her to answer. You hear the - you hear that my friends on the right saying, why do you have Tim Walz besides you? And then you just go back and look throughout history. You saw the joint interview between Joe Biden and Barack Obama. You saw the one that our own Scott Jennings, I believe, put together with Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan. You saw John McCain and Sarah Palin. You saw Tim Kaine and Hillary Clinton. I mean, the list goes on and on and on with joint interviews. Those talking points fall flat.

But there is something there that has to be answered. And I think that it's again a good tune up for the debate. When you're talking about Afghanistan, we were spending, you know, $300 million a day in Afghanistan. I mean we - that's what we were spending at war. And it was a tough decision to withdraw. And the Biden-Harris administration made a tough decision. As president of the United States, you're going to have to make tough decisions. That is what Donald Trump did not do it because he was afraid to make a tough decision.

On the issue of fracking and health care, what happens when you are vice president of the United States is, sometimes you evolve on issues. You understand what governing is. You see how that governing plays out. You have those experiences. You traveled to western Pennsylvania. And what was the position in 2019, you understand today is not a position where the country is. That's how you govern. Like, that is not where the country is, where she was in 2019. The country is right where she is now on this campaign, and she just has to articulate that.

And so I appreciate David's talking points this morning about where she was then, but those are questions, yes, that I believe Dana will have to ask, questions she will have to answer. But at the end of the day, if she comes off tough, if she comes off presidential, if she comes off understanding that it's not just joy, but it's that joyful warrior, that she's going to fight for every American, then look, it's going to be a home-run. And then we know Donald Trump is going to go ballistic tonight on Truth Social and write all of those tweets that David Urban goes - writes for them at night.

BERMAN: And, Bakari, finally, you know, David Urban is sometimes a resident of Massachusetts. We're happy to have you, David. Bakari, you know, you live in the south. You've been in North Carolina. This spate of polls from Fox News that just came out showing the race, you know, basically tied, Harris up a point or two in some of them. You know, Trump up a point in North Carolina. How do you see the movement the last few weeks, Bakari?

SELLERS: Easy. We're underdogs. We're underdogs. This is Donald Trump's race to lose.

[09:15:02]

You know, every vote counts. And now I'm going to start sounding like a really terrible football coach, like every inch counts, every vote counts. Go out there and register as many voters as you possibly can. It's going to come down to turnout on Election Day, all of these really elementary slogans that people have.

But the fact is, Kamala Harris as an underdog and she has to win every single day. And today's a big day to win, not only with her stops in south Georgia, but her rally tonight in Savannah. She has to knock this interview out of the park. Regardless of what she says tonight or how good she does it, "Fox & Friends" and going to say that she was terrible. But we know that's the case. She just has to talk to the American public.

And the best part about Kamala Harris today versus where she was in 2019 is she no longer tries to believe that (INAUDIBLE). They are like - they have blockers on. Their social media is not guiding anything. It's what real people are saying on the campaign trail. That's why she's in a different space than she was.

BERMAN: Bakari Sellers, David Urban, great to see you both. Thanks for coming in, guys.

URBAN: Thanks.

BERMAN: So, they would, quote, "burn the courthouse down" if he is not convicted. The message from potential jurors that has defense attorneys clamoring to move the trial of a man accused of killing four college students.

And breaking overnight, Russia launches a new round of large-scale attacks at Ukraine. New reporting on the new plea from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

And a few moments ago, Blue Origin launched a new tourism space flight. We have the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And there she goes. New Shepherd has cleared the tower, on its way to space. With its crew of six, they are screaming up towards the -

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:21:15]

SOLOMON: This morning, a crucial hearing is expected as a court in Idaho considers a change of venue motion for quadruple murder suspect Bryan Kohberger. His attorneys requested the change due to local media coverage of the killings of four University of Idaho students in 2022.

CNN's Jean Casarez explains what residents of Moscow, Idaho, are saying about the case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Moscow, Idaho, a college community known for the University of Idaho and small city life. But on November 13, 2022, that all changed when four university students were fatally stabbed while asleep at their off-campus apartment.

The case got international attention. But to resident of Moscow, this was their community, and now they wanted justice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hope to God that justice comes forth.

CASAREZ (voice over): Bryan Kohberger was arrested and charged with the murders in December 2022. The state is seeking death. Now with his trial set for June 2025, the defense does not want this case to be tried in Moscow. They say their client can't get a fair trial there.

From television to social media, story after story in local newspapers and news stations.

ANNE TAYLOR, KOHBERGER'S DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I'm saying there is pervasive media coverage in this case. It's prejudicial media coverage.

CASAREZ (voice over): The prosecution in a January hearing said it believes this is Moscow's case. They lived this nightmare.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The case should be heard (ph) out here. It's a Latah County case.

CASAREZ (voice over): The court allowed a defense trial consultant to conduct a telephone survey of residents of the county to see if there was bias against Kohberger. Their results, Latah County makes up only 2.75 percent of Idaho's population but has received 36 percent of the media coverage of this case. Ninety-eight percent of the community knows about the case. Seventy percent believe he is guilty, 51 percent have a fixed opinion.

Some responses from the survey included that if Kohberger wasn't convicted, "they'd burn the courthouse down. Outrage would be a mild description." "They would probably find and kill him." "There would likely be a riot and he wouldn't last long outside because someone would do the good ole' boy justice."

Boise, on the other hand, they say has more than ten times as many jurors, a larger courthouse, an airport for witnesses to fly in and out of. The prosecution countered by calling the defense hypothesis "flawed," a random survey of 400 residents was far from the entire jury pool.

Latah County's jury eligible population could easily accommodate a panel of hundreds or even thousands of individuals being summoned for jury duty.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We at least owe Latah County, the people of Latah County, the attempt to seat a jury here first and not just rely on, there's been a lot of publicity. There's been a lot publicity everywhere.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CASAREZ (on camera): And this hearing will begin in several hours. It will likely last all day with witnesses.

You know, Rahel, what they say is that the most important part of the trial is the jury selection. Once you select the jury, that's it.

SOLOMON: Well, any sense of how long it will take for the judge to decide?

CASAREZ: Well, this is a very big decision and it will most likely be appealed if not before, after trial. And so it's going to be a very serious decision.

You want to hear something interesting. Brian Edelman (ph) is one of the experts that the - that the defense is going to put on the stand. He had a survey - and he's nationally renowned - that said that once pre-trial publicity, you hear it, like, for instance, the knife sheath in this case, the prosecution says Bryan Kohberger's DNA was confirmed to be on that knife sheath that was found under one of the bodies.

[09:25:06]

That once you hear that, that attitude you develop, that you cannot change it. It continues as time goes on. And it will be very interesting to see what they do because the prosecution says, we can have a fair jury here. We've got thousands that we can bring in to have a fair jury. It might take a while, but we'll get one. We'll see.

SOLOMON: Well, it certainly will be interesting to see what the judge decides in this.

Jean Casarez, thank you.

CASAREZ: Thank you.

SOLOMON: Well, coming up, Nvidia beat earnings expectations, but will the markets rally behind it? We are minutes away from the opening bell.

And hard to believe but pumpkin spice season is right around the corner, and it's going to cost you more than ever.

We'll be right back.

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