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Harris Speaks Ahead Of Rally with Obama In Georgia; New Georgia Polling Shows Harris, Trump In Dead Heat; Trump Joins Forces With RFK Jr At Rally In Georgia; Union Rejects Boeing's Offer To End Strike; "LA Times" Editor Quits, Accuses Owner Of Political Interference. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired October 24, 2024 - 13:30   ET

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

[13:30:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: -- with a very serious decision. And it includes what we must understand what happened, starting on January 20, in this choice.

Either you have the choice of Donald Trump, who will sit in the Oval Office stewing, plotting revenge, retribution, writing out his enemies list, or what I will be doing, which is responding to folks like the folks last night with a to-do list.

Understanding the need it to work on lifting up the American people, whether it be through the issue of grocery prices and bringing them down, or investing in our economy, investing in our small businesses and investing in our families.

Happy to take any questions.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Madam Vice President, you will be back in Philadelphia, members of your team, on Monday, former President Barack Obama as well with Bruce Springsteen.

HARRIS: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Do you -- can you tell us where you that may be?

And, secondly, any other, as we would say, heavy hitters in your campaign, planning to come the Philadelphia in the lead up to Election Day?

HARRIS: Well, I'm very honored to have the support of former President Obama. As you know, he's been on the campaign trail and has been really wonderful and extraordinary in terms of the time and effort that he's putting into our campaign.

And people like Bruce Springsteen have their support. And of course, he is an American icon. I think it just shows the breadth and depth of the support that we have.

And also the enthusiasm that a lot of people are bringing to the campaign and feel about our campaign.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Any other big names?

HARRIS: I have nothing to report at this moment.

(CROSSTALK)

HARRIS: Stay tuned, however.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Vice president, what do you make of the gender gap in this election? Why do you think you have stronger support among women than the former president?

HARRIS: Well, I have to be honest with you, it's not what I see in terms of my rallies, in terms of the interactions I'm having with people in communities and in -- on the ground.

What I'm saying is, in equal measure, men and women talking about their concerns about the future of our democracy, talking about the fact that they want and the president that believes in optimism and takes on the challenges that we face, whether it'd be grocery prices or investing in small businesses are homeownership.

So I'm not actually seeing that kind of disparity. And I intend to be a president for all Americans. And that includes paying attention, yes, to a fundamental freedom that has been taken away because of Donald Trump, the freedom of a woman to make decisions about her own body.

And in equal measure, to prioritize the economic needs of individuals and families in America. And what we also must do in terms of upholding our strength and standing on the global stage.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Madam Vice President --

HARRIS: You all sort that out.

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: -- a California voter. Do California and other states need to punish drug and drug crimes more harshly?

HARRIS: So I have not yet voted and I have not yet heard had the chance to read through the ballot. I will keep you posted on that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have time for one more question.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Madam Vice president, this topic was brought up last night, but will construction of a southern border wall continue in your administration?

HARRIS: I will tell you that my highest priority is to put the resources into ensuring that our border is secure, which is why I've been very clear, I'm going to bring back up, as president, that bipartisan border security bill and make sure that it is brought to my desk so I can sign it into law.

The biggest issue that we have right now is that Donald Trump has stood in the way of what would have been a proven part of the solution to the bigger problem, which is that we have a broken immigration system in America and we need to fix it.

And we have the tools at hand, but we have, on the other side of this election, Donald Trump, who would prefer to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem.

I intend to fix the problem in a way that is just about practical solutions that are within our arms reach if we have the commitment to do it.

(CROSSTALK)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: All right, we just heard Vice President Harris there in Philadelphia following the town hall last night before she heads down to Georgia.

She was asked if there would be other big names and celebrities. Very clearly there will be, but she wasn't going to give any hints. She said stay tuned.

And she was asked about the gender gap where she said -- she kind of sidestepped it a little, definitely --

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Yes.

KEILAR: -- by saying that that's not a disparity that she's seeing on the trail, the one that we're seeing in the polls.

SANCHEZ: Yes. She said she would be president for all Americans. She -- she made a little bit of news there saying that she hadn't yet voted.

She also talked about an endorsement that she got from two Republicans, the mayor of Waukesha, Shawn Riley, and former Representative Fred Upton of Michigan. Obviously two swing states, blue wall states.

She really focused in on driving the message that we first heard last night at the CNN town hall, comparing what Donald Trump and his allies are promising his supporters, this sort of retribution, describing it as an enemies list, and vowing that, instead, she has a to-do list to help the American people.

We'll, of course, keep you updated with the latest that we get from not only Vice President Harris, but also former President Trump as they are out on the campaign trail right now.

[13:35:00]

We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Vice President Harris is now on her way to Georgia. And the state is one of the battlegrounds that could be key to winning the White House come November 5th.

New polling from Marist College shows Trump and Harris in a dead heat there. They are tied at 49 percent in this poll. And our new CNN polling average in Georgia showing no clear leader, with Trump up at 50 percent, Harris at 48.

Joining us now is the president of the Young Democrats of Georgia, Parker Short.

[13:40:00]

And, Parker, last we spoke was at the Democratic National Convention. It's good to see you again here just 12 days from Election Day.

You are talking to voters. You are looking at these polls that are so neck and neck. Do you have concerns right now about Georgia?

PARKER SHORT, PRESIDENT, YOUNG DEMOCRATS OF GEORGIA: Look, I wouldn't call them concerns, but we're the underdog in this fight. And I've been organizing since I was 14. And in Georgia, we've always been the underdogs as Democrats.

But we know how to win. We have two Democratic Senators in Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff. And in 2020, Joe Biden won the state by 11,779 votes.

So I think that Marist polling today shows, as we all know, it is a very close race so every vote matters. And as we're breaking records for the early vote, I think Georges know how important their vote is, and they're going out and making their voices heard.

KEILAR: so yesterday, Harris said that she does think Trump is Fascist. This was a sharper message from her on this topic than we've heard before. Does something like that motivate young people or do you think that's a message that appeals more to older voters?

SHORT: I think that's just the truth. It's not just Kamala Harris saying it. It's John Kelly, who was Donald Trump's chief of staff.

Truly, I think it's just important that we continue to highlight the terrible leader that Donald Trump was, and how now, if he was to regain the presidency, he would have no guardrails.

There will not be people like John on Kelly around him to try and control his worst impulses. Instead, he would be able to be a Fascist, as his own chief of staff described.

So I'm glad Kamala is going out there and tell him the truth about Donald Trump because he is a corrosive force in our politics. And as he continues to divide people, Kamala Harris is continuing to bring people together.

KEILAR: What else do you -- what do you think is driving young people to the polls or will drive young people to the polls in Georgia?

SHORT: There are so many issues. I mean, for me, in Georgia, there is an abortion ban. In 2019, Republicans in the state of Georgia passed a repressive abortion ban that recently led to the death of Amber Thurman because her health care was criminalized by George Republicans.

I think young people know what's at stake. And a, you know, woman born today in Georgia has less rights than a woman born before Donald Trump and Brian Kemp's repressive abortion ban. I think that's important.

Also, I really appreciate Kamala Harris' message about an opportunity economy, allowing young people to buy a home, investing in small businesses and startups.

And also, you know, I hope to be a parent someday. I am just 22, but I think it's very important that we invest in families and parenthood.

And she is trying to make it easier -- easier for Americans to live that American dream by having a family buying a home and creating an opportunity that works for -- an opportunity economy that works for everybody, including the next-generation.

Another big piece of that is climate change. Because if we don't fight back against climate change and build a greener economy, we're going to be dealing with the terrible effects of climate change in our everyday lives.

And that will also be disastrous for our economy if we do not prepare and are not thoughtful.

KEILAR: Parker, I did want to play a moment from Trump's appearance in Georgia last night, where he was joined by Robert F. Kennedy. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Under the Trump administration, we will get the toxic chemicals out of our food supply --

(CHEERING)

TRUMP: -- and we will make our children healthy again.

(CHEERING)

TRUMP: With us tonight is the man who's going to help us get it all straightened out, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

(CHEERING) (END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: I wonder what you think about that. Because topics about food, cooking, ingredients sourcing, those are popular on TikTok and on Instagram accounts for young people.

Do you think a message like that might actually resonate with some younger voters?

SHORT: You know, I think it's really ironic that Donald Trump is talking about that just a couple of days after himself frying french fries in seed oils at McDonalds, a terribly unhealthy fast-food chain, which he has enjoyed and championed his whole life. I think that is a little bit hypocritical.

I think Robert F. Kennedy is a very flawed individual and it speaks to the fact that Trump is surrounding himself with radical extremists. But he does not really walk the walk. He's just saying these things to appeal to voters.

I mean, you look at him in real life and he's actually -- being rather unhealthy. I don't mean to be too critical, but I'm not trying to take health advice from Donald Trump.

And I do not trust him to look out for the health and safety of the American people. Just look at how he handled the Covid crisis. I mean, he told people to put bleach in their bodies. It's extraordinarily dangerous. He has very little sense.

And I think it just proves that he will say anything to get elected. And I truly do think young people have more sense than to be swept up in all of this rhetoric and showmanship.

Because I want an opportunity economy and, as a public policy undergrad, as somebody who is getting their master's degree in public policy from Duke, I see the vision that Kamala Harris is laying out for this country and it excites me.

[13:45:10]

Donald Trump i's trying to take us back. I'm excited to go forward with Kamala Harris.

KEILAR: Parker Short, thank you so much for being with us. We'll be watching this race very closely.

SHORT: Thank you for having me, Brianna.

Go vote, you all.

KEILAR: All right.

And still to come, Boeing is in a bind after the union rejects its offer to end a weeks-long strike. We'll have details ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) SANCHEZ: Boeing's striking union voted to reject management's latest contract offer only hours after the company said it lost $6 billion in the latest quarter.

Boeing's machinists union signaled that even after nearly six weeks on the picket lines, they are willing to continue holding out for a better deal.

KEILAR: Here was the union president shortly after the union voting results came in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON HOLDEN, PRESIDENT, LARGEST LOCAL IAM UNION AT BOEING: We will push for the members demands as quickly as we can and we remain on strike. Thank you.

(CHEERING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: CNN Business and politics correspondent, Vanessa Yurkevich, is here with details on this.

Vanessa, why did Boeing workers reject the deal? And now what happens?

[13:49:55]

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS & POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. This is the second time in six weeks that they've rejected a deal. The first time, it was by 95 percent of rank-and-file members.

This time, 64 percent. Still a healthy number of the 33,000 union members that now will remain on strike because they voted down this deal.

You can see some of what was on the table, 35 percent in wage increases, a signing bonus, larger contributions to 401Ks, and also the promise to have the next commercial plane built in Washington State.

But what you don't see there is a return to the traditional pension. And that is what many rank-and-file members wanted to see.

Take a listen to a 17-years veteran at Boeing. This woman talks about why the pension is so important to her. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NATALEEN ANDERSON, BOEING WORKER FOR 17 YEARS: I would love to have my pension back. I really -- you know, I'm bitter about it. We're all bitter about it. It felt like a -- well, they stabbed us.

And I'm too far into my career when they took it to actually be able to build a good 401K.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YURKEVICH: And many of these union members gave up their -- their pension as part of concessions when the company threatened to move the production of two Boeing aircrafts to other states.

Now the president of the union says that if Boeing is not willing to work with them on the pension, they need to come up -- come up on wages to at least 40 percent.

They also need to provide better work/life balance, more vacation time, more sick time for these workers at these jobs that are very physical.

And also, they really need to work with the union to come to a deal that members really want. These last two contracts that have been put on the table, clearly, membership doesn't like.

The union president says that he's going to be reaching out to the White House to try to bring Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su back into the mix to try to get these two sides back to the table yet again for a third try on this contract -- Brianna, Boris?

SANCHEZ: We'll see if that helps. What a rough year of headlines for Boeing and no foreseeable end in the future.

Vanessa Yurkevich, thank you so much.

And the editor at the "L.A. Times" is quitting, saying she is standing up, accusing the papers billionaire owner of politically interfering with the editorial board. We'll get into the details in just a few minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:56:06]

SANCHEZ: Some major controversy generating national headlines at the "Los Angeles Times" today. One of the paper's top editors quit, saying that she's standing up after it's billionaire owner block the editorial board's plan to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president.

KEILAR: CNN's Hadas Gold has more on this for us.

Hadas, what are you learning?

HADAS GOLD, CNN MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Yes, some really strong words coming from the editorial page, editor of the "L.A. Times," Mariel Garza.

She said that the board was ready to publish their endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris when the billionaire owner, Dr. Patrick SoonShiong, who bought "L.A. Times" in 2018, stepped in and said they would not be publishing any endorsement.

This, despite the fact that paper has endorsed in other races this year. It's just for president they weren't going to endorse.

I want to read you part of her resignation letter that was obtained by the "Columbia Journalism Review."

She says, "In these dangerous times, staying silent isn't just indifference. It is complicity. I'm standing up by stepping down from the editorial board. Please accept this as my formal resignation, effective immediately".

She also gave an interview to the "Columbia Journalism Review," in which she said that they had spent several editorials talking about why former President Donald Trump is unfit, that he is dangerous. And so this editorial would not be coming out of left field.

Now, we're getting an explanation from the owner, which I do want to post to show what he posted this online.

He said, "The editorial board was provided the opportunity to draft a factual analysis of all the positive and negative policies by each candidate during their tenures at the White House."

And he also talked about how this could have the effect they have on the nation. In the next four years. He says, "In this way, with this clear and non-partisan information side-by-side, our readers could decide who would be worthy of being president."

Except, again, it's not like the editorial board had not been writing several editorials about these two candidates and what they would do in office.

But now it's also turned into a Trump attack. Donald Trump has now used this in an email fundraiser for trying to say even her own California newspaper would not endorse her.

And this is having further effects. We've heard now of subscribers canceling, including some celebrities. This is California. Mark Hamill himself has said he had canceled his subscription over this.

SANCHEZ: They lost Luke Skywalker, it sounds like.

Hadas Gold, thank you so much for the update.

Coming up, cue the Beyonce references. This is Texas and "Cowboy Carter" is taking the floor, joining Vice President Kamala Harris for a rally in Houston. All the details in just moments

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)