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Harris and Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) Sit Down for First Interview as Democratic Ticket; Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) Tries to Clear Up Controversies Over Military Service, Fertility Treatment; TSA Says, 17 Million Travelers Expected to Fly Over Labor Day Weekend. Aired 7- 7:30a ET
Aired August 30, 2024 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[07:00:00]
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: CNN's exclusive interview with Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz, fracking, reproductive rights, Israel, the economy, weighing in on all the issues with just 67 days to go until the election.
RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR: And this morning, J.D. Vance responds. We talk with the running mate of former President Trump right here on CNN New Central.
And it is the start of the Labor Day holiday weekend. You can expect huge lines at the airport but also some much lower gas prices as you hit the road.
I'm Rahel Solomon with John Berman. Kate and Sara are out. This is CNN New Central.
BERMAN: All right, new this morning. The big takeaways -- swoop in with the camera. The big takeaways from Vice President Kamala Harris and her first interview in her historic presidential bid, Harris, who just 40 days ago really took over the ticket, sat with her running mate, and for 27 minutes defended and defined her run to CNN's Dana Bash and the world.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: If you are elected, what would you do on day one in the White House?
KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Well, there are a number of things. I will tell you, first and foremost, one of my highest priorities is to do what we can to support and strengthen the middle class. When I look at the aspirations, the goals, the ambitions of the American people, I think that people are ready for a new way forward in a way that generations of Americans have been fueled by hope and by optimism.
I think, sadly, in the last decade, we have had in the former president someone who has really been pushing an agenda and an environment that is about diminishing the character and the strength of who we are as Americans, really dividing our nation. And I think people are ready to turn the page on that.
Day one, it's going to be about, one, implementing my plan for what I call an opportunity economy. I've already laid out a number of proposals in that regard, which include what we're going to do to bring down the cost of everyday goods, what we're going to do to invest in America's small businesses, what we're going to do to invest in families.
BASH: So you have been vice president for three and a half years. The steps that you're talking about now, why haven't you done them already?
HARRIS: Well, first of all, we had to recover as an economy, and we have done that. I'm very proud of the work that we have done that has brought inflation down to less than 3 percent, the work that we have done to cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month for seniors. Donald Trump said he was going to do a number of things, including allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices, never happened. We did it.
When we do what we have done to invest in the American people in bringing manufacturing back to the United States, so that we created over 800,000 new manufacturing jobs, bringing business back to America, what we have done to improve the supply chain so we're not relying on foreign governments to supply American families with their basic needs, I'll say that that's good work. There's more to do, but that's good work.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOLOMON: And Donald Trump and Republicans also came up a lot last night, including three standout moments, the first of which was her answer on immigration and the record surge of border crossings under the Biden-Harris administration's watch.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Joe Biden and I and our administration worked with members of the United States Congress on an immigration issue that is very significant to the American people and to our security, which is the border. And through bipartisan work, including some of the most conservative members of the United States Congress, a bill was crafted, which we supported, which I support.
And Donald Trump got word of this bill that would have contributed to securing our border. And because he believes that it would not have helped him politically, he told his folks in Congress, don't put it forward.
[07:05:06]
He killed the bill, a border security bill that would have put 1, 500 more agents on the border.
BASH: So you would push that legislation again? I just want to ask about --
HARRIS: Not only push it, I will make sure that it comes to my desk and I would sign it.
BASH: You had a lot of Republican speakers at the convention. Will you appoint a Republican to your cabinet?
HARRIS: Yes, I would. Yes, I would.
BASH: Anyone in mind?
HARRIS: No one, no one in particular in mind. I got a, I got 68 days to go with this election, so I'm not putting the cart before the horse. But I would. I think it's really important.
I have spent my career inviting diversity of opinion. I think it's important to have people at the table when some of the most important decisions are being made that have different views, different experiences. And I think it would be to the benefit of the American public to have a member of my cabinet who is a Republican.
BASH: I want to ask you about your opponent, Donald Trump. I was a little bit surprised. People might be surprised to hear that you have never interacted with him, met him face to face. That's going to change soon But what I want to ask you about is what he said last month. He suggested that you happened to turn black recently for political purposes, questioning a core part of your identity. Any --
HARRIS: Same old tired playbook. Next question, please.
BASH: That's it?
HARIS: That's it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BERMAN: And for the first time, we also heard the vice president describe the moment that President Biden told her he was stepping aside in the election.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BASH: When he called you and said he was pulling out of the race, what was that like? And did he offer to endorse you right away or did you ask for it?
HARRIS: It was a Sunday. So, I'll give you a little too much information.
BASH: Go for it. There's no such thing, Madam Vice President.
HARRIS: My family was staying with us and including my baby nieces, and we had just had pancakes. And, you know, auntie, can I have more bacon? Yes, I'll make you more bacon. And then we were going to sit -- we were sitting down to do a puzzle. And the phone rang and it was Joe Biden. And he told me what he had decided to do.
And I asked him, are you sure? And he said, yes. And that's how I learned about it. BASH: And what about the endorsement? Did you ask for it?
HARRIS: And he was very clear that he was going to support me.
BASH: So when he called to tell you, he said, I'm pulling out of the race and I'm going to support you?
HARRIS: Well, my first thought was not about me, to be honest with you. My first thought was about him, to be honest. I think history is going to show a number of things about Joe Biden's presidency. I think history is going to show that, in so many ways, it was transformative.
BERMAN: And we will have much more of this exclusive interview, Governor Tim Walz responding to criticism of his military career and more.
And you can expect record breaking numbers for holiday travel this Labor Day weekend. But the gas prices might shock you in a good way.
In the moment, floodwaters rushed into a library, destroying its historic collection.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[07:10:00]
SOLOMON: Welcome back. This morning, CNN's first of its kind interview with Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris was also a big moment for her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. He responded to recent controversies and Republican attacks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Governor Walz, the country is just starting to get to know you. I want to ask you a question about how you've described your service in the National Guard. You said that you carried weapons in war, but you have never deployed actually in a war zone. A campaign official said that you misspoke. Did you?
GOV. TIM WALZ (D-MN), U.S. VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Well, first of all, I'm incredibly proud to have done 24 years of wearing uniform of this country. I'm equally proud of my service in a public school classroom, whether it's Congress or the governor. My record speaks for itself, but I think people are coming to get to know me. I speak like they do. I speak candidly. I wear my emotions on my sleeves, and I speak especially passionately about our children being shot in schools and around guns.
So, I think people know me. They know who I am. They know where my heart is. And, again, my record has been out there for over 40 years to speak for itself.
BASH: And the idea that you said that you were in war, did you misspeak, as the campaign has said?
WALZ: Yes, I said we were talking about, in this case, this was after a school shooting, the ideas of carrying these weapons of war. And my wife, the English you're telling my grammar is not always correct. But again, if it's not this, it's an attack on my children for showing love for me, or it's an attack on my dog, I'm not going to do that. And the one thing I'll never do is I'll never demean another member's service in any way. I never have and I never will.
BASH: You had to clarify that you had said that you and your wife used IVF but it turned out you used a different kind of fertility in order to have children.
[07:15:03]
And then when you ran for Congress in 2006, your campaign repeatedly made false statements about a 1995 arrest for drunk and reckless driving. What do you say to voters who aren't sure whether they can take you at your word?
WALZ: Well, I've been very public. I think they can see my students come out, former folks I've served with, and they do, they vouch for me. I certainly own my mistakes when I make them. The one thing I'll tell you is of, I wished in this country wouldn't have to do this. I spoke about our infertility issues because it's hell and families know this. And I spoke about the treatments that were available to us that had those beautiful children there.
That's quite a contrast in folks that are trying to take those rights away from us. And so I think people know who I am. They know that record. They've seen that I've taught thousands of students. I've been out there. And I won't apologize for peeking passionately, whether it's guns in schools or protecting of reproductive rights. The contrast could not be clearer between what we're running against. The vice president's position on this has been clear. And I think most Americans get it if you've been through that.
I don't think they're cutting hairs on IVF or IUI. I think they're cutting hairs on is an abortion ban and the ability to be able to deny families the chance to have a beautiful child.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOLOMON: And Walz was also asked about this iconic moment during the Democratic National Convention with his son, Gus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Governor, a moment that you shared, that the world shared with your son, Gus, you were speaking, the camera caught him, so incredibly proud of you, so emotional, saying, that's my dad.
WALZ: Yes. I don't know as a father, I could have ever imagined that I'm grateful for so many reasons to be on this ticket, but that moment to understand what was really important to have my son feel a sense of pride in me that I was trying to do the right thing. And it was -- you try and protect your kids, you know, it brings notoriety and things, but it was just such a visceral, emotional moment that I'm just -- I'm grateful I got to experience it, and I'm so proud of him. I'm proud of him. I'm proud of Hope. I'm proud of Gwen. She's a wonderful mother, and these are great kids.
And I think the one thing he's talking about the era we're in is, our politics can be better. It can be different. We can show some of these things, and we can have families involved in this. And I hope that there was -- I hope people felt that out there, and I hope they hug their kids a little tighter, because you just never know and life can be kind of hard.
SOLOMON: And, of course, we're going to have much more from that interview throughout the morning and throughout the show.
But also breaking overnight, President Trump is trying to delay sentencing in his New York State criminal trial, as we're learning Special Counsel Jack Smith is taking a slower approach to his election interference case.
And today could be the busiest travel day of the holiday weekend, but there is some very good news for drivers, at least on gas prices, we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[07:20:00]
BERMAN: All right. This morning, it is on. A record number of travelers expected to crowd the nation's airports this Labor Day weekend. The TSA is expecting as many as 17 million passengers over the next few days, nearly 3 million traveling today alone.
CNN's Rafael Romo is now in the world's busiest airport in Atlanta. What are you seeing there?
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, John. Good morning to you. Well, we are already seeing the crowds, but the good news is that people are getting processed very quickly here in Atlanta. And I have good news and bad news for you, John. The good news is that this year, gas prices and airfares are lower than the year before. The bad news is that people can expect to see record crowds and also very contested roads across the nation.
And, yes, the Transportation Security Administration says that today alone, they expect to process 2.86 million people. Officials here at Hartsfield Jackson Airport in Atlanta, the world's busiest, say that between Thursday and today, Friday, they were expecting to process 140,000 people.
Earlier, we spoke to two of those passengers who are already facing challenges, including parking and, of course, making their flight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICHOL RAMIREZ, TRAVELING TO FLORIDA: It was a nightmare trying to find parking here, so much so that I had my fiance loop around and to find a parking spot.
THERESA WATKINS, TRAVELING TO CHICAGO: Hopefully, TSA pre check isn't so horrible. That's how I planned, and also getting here early, getting here as early as possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMO: So, where are all those people going? It seems like the Pacific Northwest is a top destination with Seattle increasing 30 percent in the number of travelers getting there. So, John, a lot of people also going to Orlando, Florida and to New York where you are.
BERMAN: What are the roads going to be like for drivers, Rafael?
ROMO: Very congested, especially starting at noon today. And also officials are saying that if you are traveling back on Sunday, try to get on the road before noon. The good news there is that, according to AAA, gas prices have gone down considerably. Let me just give you an idea, $3.81 per gallon last year, $3.36 this year. John, back to you.
BERMAN: Rafael Romo at Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta, an airport that gets very upset when I say anything other than the fact that it's the most glorious, majestic airport on Earth.
[07:25:01]
Rafael, thank you very much.
Vice President Kamala Harris on her shifting position on fracking.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Do you still want to ban fracking?
HARRIS: No. And I made that clear on the debate stage on 2020 that I would not ban fracking. As vice president, I did not ban fracking. As president, I will not ban fracking.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: Right. Torrential flooding breaks down walls in a library.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BERMAN: All right. Breaking overnight, attorneys for Donald Trump asking federal court to take over his New York hush money case and delay the upcoming sentencing.
[07:30:04]
CNN's Correspondent Zach Cohen is with us now. What's going on here, Zach?
