Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Defiant Biden Defends Candidacy Despite Flubs And Doubting Democrats; Israel Says Hamas Ceasefire Demands At Odds With Deal Blueprint; Kenya's President Fires His Cabinet After Nationwide Protests. 17 Democrats in Congress Call for Biden to Step Aside; Some Older Voters Stick with Biden Despite Age Concerns; Migrants Hope Power Change Will Allow for Homecomings; Study: 44 percent of U.S. Adult Cancer Deaths May be Preventable; Hero Truck Driver Rescues Baby Abandoned Near Highway. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired July 12, 2024 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:00:27]
KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to all of you watching us around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: I believe in the best qualified to govern. And I think I'm the best qualified to win.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: The U.S. president makes his case trying to quiet concerns about his candidacy both at home and on the world stage.
Political shake up in Kenya, deadly nationwide protests forced William Ruto to fire his cabinet. And a new cancer studies suggest that many deaths are avoidable, giving us the power to make wise lifestyle choices.
ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Kim Brunhuber.
BRUNHUBER: It was billed as a make or break moment for U.S. President Joe Biden the most important news conference of his political career, but it hasn't stopped anxious Democrats from calling on him to exit the race for the White House.
Biden answered reporter's questions for nearly an hour at the end of the NATO Summit. He touted his foreign policy accomplishments and the improving U.S. economy. And he admitted that his schedule is sometimes too hectic and he needs to do a better job of pacing himself, but he insisted he's not giving up the fight against Donald Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BIDEN: And I think I'm the most qualified person to run for president. I beat him once and I will beat him again. I'm going to do this for my legacy. I'm in this to complete the job I started.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Now the press conference wasn't without a major gaffe. In just the first few minutes Biden misidentified his own vice president, listen to us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What concerns do you have about Vice President Harris's ability to beat Donald Trump if she were at the top of the ticket?
BIDEN: Look, I wouldn't have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president. And I think she was not qualified to be president. So let's start there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: 17 Democrats in Congress are now calling on Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, including Jim Himes, the ranking member on the Intelligence Committee.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIM HIMES, U.S. HOUSE DEMOCRAT: But this is the moment and in the next 96 hours, perhaps is the moment to set aside the poetry, the loyalty and the love and ask yourself a hard question, which is, are you sure he's going to win? Because you're not just gambling your own political reputation, you are gambling the future of the United States of America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: More now from CNN senior White House correspondent Kayla Tausche.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAYLA TAUSCHE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: In a high stakes press conference, President Biden unapologetic in his decision to seek a second term, saying that the gravity of the situation demands he finished the job while acknowledging he has much more work to do to allay the concerns of voters.
BIDEN: I'm just going to keep moving, keep moving. And because look, I got more work to do. We got more work to finish. There's so much -- we made so much progress.
TAUSCHE: Biden was far less defiant than he was in recent days, taking an opportunity to exalt his vice president suggesting that she could serve as president on day one, and that even she could beat Trump though he said his team hasn't given him data to prove that he could it. Biden's team in the wake of this press conference relieved that he had an opportunity to talk about substance and personality and even hit back at his opponent and an opportunity he missed on the debate stage.
But Democrats aren't sold some texting tonight saying it was better, but not a homerun. And in the coming days his party will continue assessing his candidacy. Kayla Tausche, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Concerns about his future aside, President Biden got down to the business at the NATO Summit. On Thursday, he launched what's been called the Ukraine Compact joint effort by the Alliance to support Ukraine's long term security. That includes boosting its future military capabilities and supporting them in case of another Russian aggression down the line. Biden said he's keeping the promise he made about drawing the line from Moscow. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: I made it clear. I will not bow down to Putin. I will not walk away from Ukraine. I will keep NATO strong. That's exactly what we did. Exactly what will continue to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Ukraine has lined up tens of billions of dollars in future aid from NATO during the summit that ended on Thursday. But Kyiv is also asking for a free hand to use Western weapons to bring the war back home to Russia. Fred Pleitgen has the details.
[01:05:07]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The Ukrainians have shown themselves to be quite satisfied with some of the assurances and pledges they've gotten from the NATO Alliance at that meeting in Washington DC. Of course, the U.S. announcing another security assistance package, Joe Biden, the U.S. president announcing that on the sidelines of a meeting with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and part of that package, it is a surface to air missile system, a patriot that is made in the United States and that's extremely important for the Ukrainians.
And of course, the U.S. President had said that the NATO alliance would give Ukraine another five strategic surface to air missile systems. Those very important as the Ukrainians face and increased Russian missile threat. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the Alliance for its support. But he also says that the Ukrainians believe that restrictions on the use of Western weapons for instance, striking Russian territory needs to be lifted.
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: We want to win if we want to prevail, if we want to save our country, and to defend it, we need to lift up all the limitations. I spoke about to do with partners, with U.K. leader, with United States president, with Secretary, all of that.
PLEITGEN: Another very important announcement for the Ukrainians was the Alliance saying that F-16 fighter jets provided by several European countries should be in the skies above Ukraine this summer that of course, key for the Ukrainians as they face that increased Russian missile threat, with a flurry of Russian missiles hitting this country on Monday killing more than 40 people.
One of the things that the Ukrainians were a little bit maybe disappointed by is the fact that while the NATO alliance announced that Ukraine is on an irreversible path to NATO membership, there isn't yet a timeline for when this country will actually be a member of the alliance. Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Kyiv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Fabrice Pothier is the former director of policy planning at NATO, currently CEO of the international political consultancy firm of Rasmussen Global and joins me now from Ales, France. Thank you so much for being here with us.
So the international audience might be viewing Biden's performance at NATO at the conference through a different lens. That said, for anyone watching for signs of his fitness, I mean, this slip up wouldn't have reassured anyone. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: And now I want to hand it over to the President of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination. Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin, beat President Putin, President Zelenskyy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Finland's president told reporters he has no concerns about Biden's fitness, national security. Spokesperson John Kirby told CNN that Biden's fitness hasn't been part of the conversation there. But I mean, if they aren't discussing it openly amongst themselves, it would be hard to believe so how much of Biden's fitness is on their minds do you think?
FABRICE POTHIER, FORMER DIRECTOR OF POLICY PLANNING AT NATO: It obviously matters a great deal, not just because of his own fitness, but because of what it means, which potentially is that the president of -- former President Trump might be able to return to the White House in January. So I think this is where the concern is with the European allies is that they will have a shrug on Trump with obviously much more decisive actions, possibly, and statements vis-a-vis NATO.
BRUNHUBER: Biden looked to draw contrast with Donald Trump on many issues, most of all his stance on NATO. So swirling in the background, as you say, there are concerns that they might have to deal with Trump and how he might want to weaken the Alliance.
But Republican lawmakers have been trying to reassure the European leaders in Washington that they don't have to worry about another Trump presidency that they shouldn't take him literally. So given Biden struggles, how much growing acceptance is there among NATO allies that they might very well have to deal with another Trump presidency and should they take those Republican assurances at face value?
POTHIER: I think there's been already a great deal of work done by the European allies to prepare themselves, possibly for Trump presidency. We saw that with the announcement of this 40 billion U.S. dollar found that NATO to keep on supporting Ukraine. That's part of the Trump proofing measures. The European Union is taking also a series of measures to try to be able to sustain the effort without being too dependent on the United States.
[01:10:05]
However, I think it would be a mistake to just look at Trump proofing. You also have to be to an extent Trump compatible and work with a possible Trump administration on key issues, including how to bring peace and how to end the conflict in Ukraine on Ukrainian chirps (ph). And that's I think the key challenge ahead.
BRUNHUBER: So fascinating that these terms, Trump proofing and Trump compatible have entered the lexicon. I want to turn to China and Russia and the interplay between those two countries. I mean, that's been a big topic. On Wednesday, NATO accused Beijing of becoming a decisive enabler of Russia's war against Ukraine.
I mean, that was a very strong statement joining the U.S. stance on that issue. So beyond the finger pointing, what do you think came out of the discussions on this topic? Certainly expressions of solidarity, right?
POTHIER: Well, I think the pointed language is, is interesting, because it's the first time the alliance is really underlying that China is an enabler of Vladimir Putin's war of aggression against Ukraine. However, that language, that critical language towards China in general and Chinese behavior or globe is already few years old. So this is not fundamentally new.
However, in terms of decision, quite frankly, NATO does not have much more than just making this kind of statement. And NATO is not an operation and actor in the Indo Pacific. All it can do is to kind of use pointed language to call on some key allies, the United States and the European Union, to actually possibly tighten some economic measures to try to put some costs on the Chinese enabling, enabling the Russian war effort.
BRUNHUBER: We'll have to leave it there but really appreciate getting your analysis. Fabrice Pothier, thank you so much.
All right. Still to come. Kenya's President is taking drastic steps to calm anti-government protests that have turned deadly. Plus, Israel's Prime Minister strikes a note of skepticism about the latest negotiations on a ceasefire in Gaza. We'll have those details and more when we come back. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRUNHUBER: Negotiators made progress on the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal during talks in Qatar. Resources familiar with the meeting say there are still tough issues to resolve. Israel says it's sending a delegation to Cairo to continue negotiations. Speaking in a graduation ceremony for new military officers, Prime Minister Netanyahu had this to say about the latest talks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I am committed to the plan to free our hostages but the Hamas assassins continue to adhere to demands that contradict the plan and endanger Israel security as Prime Minister of Israel and out of a sense of national responsibility, I am not prepared to accept these demands.
[01:15:08]
BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile, Israel carried out airstrikes in northern Gaza day after ground forces wrapped up a two week operation in Shuja'iyya. Emergency teams have so far recovered 60 bodies but officials feared dozens more could still be under the rubble. Gaza Civil Defense estimates more than 120,000 people have been displaced in Shuja'iyya with 85 percent of buildings destroyed since October 7. Tens of thousands have fled nearby Gaza City since Sunday following the IDF evacuation orders.
The Israeli military has acknowledged it failed to protect civilians in the southern Israel kibbutz during the October 7 Hamas attack.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REAR ADM. DANIEL HAGARI, ISRAELI ARMY SPOKESPERSON (through translator): The IDF failed in its mission to protect the residents of kibbutz, it is painful and difficult for me to say this, the IDF was supposed to protect the residents of kibbutz Be'eri, but unfortunately, we were not there for long hours of fighting for hours. The residents of Be'eri defended their families with their bodies while they were alone against the terrorists.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: The IDF inquiry found the military struggled to assess and respond to the Hamas siege on the kibbutz with forces spread thin that day. The head of the Israeli army said this led to troops waiting outside the gates quote while the massacre continued inside. He said this cannot be allowed to happen again.
The kibbutz Be'eri was one of the hardest hit. Hamas militants killed 101 of its residents, including children, abducted 30 people. A spokesperson for the kibbutz said the finding helps members understand the events of that day but some important questions remain unanswered.
Andrey Kozlov was nearing the end of his shift as a security guard at the Nova Music Festival when Hamas fighters attacked. The Russian Israeli citizen was soon captured and taken to Gaza as a hostage. Now in an interview with CNN because of detailed his months of captivity, the psychological torture he, endured the threats he faced and finally after his rescue, the emotional reunion with his mother.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We all saw the video of when you were reunited with your mother at the hospital. As a mother, it brought tears to my eyes to see how you fell down on your knees. Hugging her. Do you know how difficult I would imagine you do? Those eight months work for them.
ANDREY KOZLOV, RUSSIAN-ISRAELI CITIZEN RESCUED FROM HAMAS: I'm so afraid not to see them.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you thought you'd never see them again?
KOZLOV: I was afraid. I mentioned though, that my mother and father and brother will not hear the words I love you anymore.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: And you can see the full interview with rescued hostage Andrey Kozlov Friday on Amanpour at 1:00 p.m. Eastern, that's 6:00 p.m. in London and 8:00 p.m. in Tel Aviv.
Kenya's president says, William Ruto says, he's forming a new government after a controversial tax bill sparked weeks of violent protests across the country. He's calling it the most extensive transformation in Kenya's history. CNN's Larry Madowo has the latest from Nairobi.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Many Kenyans consider it a win that President William Ruto has been forced to dissolve his entire cabinet say for two, but they said that's just the start. There is so much more corruption in his government that he has to deal with, or he himself has to go.
When we talk to the people on the streets who have been protesting this past few weeks, they told us that the cost of living is too high, that corruption is out of control of the country. And they also want some justice for the dozens of mostly young people who are killed in protests against President Ruto's government. But this today for them is a celebration that they have forced President William Ruto to climb down and listen to the demands. Here's some of their responses.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He has not done anything he promised he's going to do during his campaign. There's nothing he has done up to now. So one of the things that we as the Gen Z want Ruto to go home, literally.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President, has shown himself to be very crafty for some reason. So he doesn't have trust to a lot of people in this country. But if this is going to be for the good cause, then we might give him a chance to redeem himself. MADOWO: What the young people of Kenya protesting have accomplished is extraordinary. It has been discussed in the parliaments in Ghana, in Tanzania and their other African citizens watching as a blueprint to see how they too can hold the government accountable.
But the young people we spoke to on the streets told us they were here to fix this country. They were draining the swamp and this is just the beginning.
[01:20:00]
They forced President William Ruto to abandon that controversial and popular Finance bill that would have raised taxes that forced him to fire his entire cabinet. And there is no stopping there. They want him to tackle corruption head on, the high cost of living, and make sure that the government is truly responsive to the people.
And President Ruto on his part has promised to be responsive to these people. He's promising even more radical changes in his administration. And these young people will be holding me accountable throughout that time. Larry Madowo, CNN, Nairobi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: All right, like to bring in Nicodemus Minde. He's a researcher with the East Africa Peace and Security Governance Program at the Institute for Security Studies. And he is in Nairobi, thank you so much for being here with us.
So what do you make of the President's extreme step here of firing the entire cabinet?
NICODEMUS MINDE, RESEARCHER, EAST AFRICA PEACE AND SECURITY GOVERNANCE PROGRAM: I think it's a step towards the right direction. Of course, there will be more demands about continuity and justice for the victims. But I think the pressure has yielded and the President had to, to yield to this pressure by sacking his cabinet. And, of course, rearranging his government is a sign over to win back political legitimacy, which he has so far, seems to have lost.
BRUNHUHER: Yes, on that idea of legitimacy, you know, the protesters have been insistent in calling for the president's resignation. Is his position truly under any threat do you think?
MINDE: Well, if these demands continue, then, of course, people would say that his position is under threat. But constitutionally, of course, Kenya be in a democracy and, of course, channels through which a president can be forced to resign, especially or it's through an election where you have to change a president.
But these demands actually are putting a lot of pressure on the president. And the President has to act in certain ways, in order to bring these reforms. And the past week he has been able to constitute, to assent to a bill on the Electoral Commission, so that it can be able to now set the stage for more broader reforms. He has also promised a broader consultation, in terms of inclusivity
and dialogues, and amongst all stakeholders, including the youth. So if he continues with that, probably he's going to save his political seat. But of course, the pressure is still very, very high for the President.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. So presumably, this is a big win for the protesters. And now in those protests, the so called Gen Z protests, some 41 people were killed during clashes with police, many more were arrested.
Do you get a sense that there will be any accountability for the alleged, you know, trampling of human rights here that have been documented?
MINDE: Without a doubt, I think the President has shown that it is high time for him to listen to most of these demands, because there was a time when he actually called these protesters criminals in the access treasonous, which again, I didn't go very done, were very well with the protesters.
So going by his desire to bring this broader consultation, broader reforms, especially now that you're stuck to the cabinet. I think the bright or the wise thing for him to do is also to dig it a bit higher, and bring about accountability and justice for those who lost their lives. I think if he really wants to win back the hearts of the people, there is always thing for him to do. And he has to do it.
BRUNHUBER: Despite these latest moves by the President, do you expect to see any more large scale protests? And do you think that the authorities will handle them any differently?
MINDE: Sure, protests have actually been planned for next week. Of course, it's still early days, where these protesters, the Gen Z is mobilizing through social media. And now they're actually calling for broader accountability, especially on questions of corruption. Now that the cabinet has been sacked. Now they're calling for a return of this loot that has actually been stolen by most of these government officials and public officials.
So with that, you will expect probably more, more protests. But I think with the lessons of the protests from the past two or three weeks, I think the government will deal with the protest a little bit better, especially now that they're in this very, you know, pressure that has come domestically and also international.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, listen to you say internationally. I mean, Kenya obviously has such a huge role on the continent, and as a partner to countries in the West, especially over security issues. So how worried should the international allies be over the political chaos that seems to be engulfing the country that it might reduce their confidence in Kenya as a reliable partner?
[01:25:03]
MINDE: There's a common adage that goes around here that if Kenya sneezes, the rest of the East African countries catch a cold. And this is because of the economic and political significance that Kenya has in the region, especially on issues to do with transit goods, infrastructure, and other forms of finance and training. And of course, Kenya is still an important anchor state, not just in the region, but of course, in the African context, and this in itself, makes Kenya an important nation.
Of course, as you have rightly pointed, these people have saw me observing and be worried about a way in which this can actually be settled once and for all, especially now that the Kenyans are really demanding for greater accountability and political accountability and as well, broader inclusiveness in terms of governance.
BRUNHUBER: Nicodemus Minde in Nairobi, really appreciate getting your expertise on this. Thank you so much.
MINDE: Thank you so much.
BRUNHUBER: U.S. President Joe Biden takes questions from reporters at the end of the NATO Summit. We'll see how nervous Democrats are reacting to his performance and millions of Venezuelans have fled their home country in recent years, but they're hoping the upcoming election will open the door for their return. That's ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM. Please stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:29:44]
BRUNHUBER: Eric Sorensen of Illinois is now the 17th Congressional Democrats urging the president to withdraw his reelection bid. Many in the party are worried about losing their own races with Biden at the top of the ticket.
CNN's Manu Raju reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Now, the number of Congressional Democrats are calling on Joe Biden to step aside in this presidential race is only growing. In fact, in the aftermath of Joe Bidens high-profile Thursday night news conference, Jim Himes, a top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee just moments after that press conference ended, put out a statement saying it is time for Joe Biden to protect his legacy and step aside for the good of the country because he said the country needs to stop what Himes calls MAGA authoritarianism from taking hold.
That is a view among many Democrats, including many who have yet to come out publicly. The question is, will they come out publicly? The expectation that some of them will, it could be a slow trickle over the next several days, designed to put pressure on Joe Biden and try to urge him to step aside from this race.
Although when he made clear in his press conference, he has no so intention of doing so, that he plans to remain a candidate, try to prove to his colleagues that he can do this job and hit the battleground states next week and the like and suggested that it could take some time.
Well, if he changes his mind down the road, it's only going to get harder to replace him. And he suggested that that would not happen.
So what will happen now? That is going to be the big question for Democratic leaders. Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leaders huddled behind closed doors with his colleagues through the course of earlier in the week.
And then in a press conference on Thursday, he said that he would have continued discussions, private discussions with his 213 colleagues about the best way forward.
REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: Democrats are engaged in conversations with House Democrats. At this moment in time, those conversations have been candid, clear-eyed, and comprehensive.
RAJU: Even though Joe Biden has made clear that he is still running Democrats still believe that he might change his mind, which is only going to intensify this discussion about finding a replacement at this key juncture of this campaign. What Democrats fear is slipping away from Biden in the aftermath of that disastrous debate performance that he had about two weeks ago.
So all of this now coming to a head, even though Joe Biden is saying critics can call me to step aside but I am still moving ahead. But what will the Democratic leaders do? What will Hakeem Jeffries do, Chuck Schumer do? And Nancy Pelosi, the former House Speaker.
So far, they've indicated they support Biden but does that mean that they want him to run a relay (ph), come out publicly, and change their approach to all of this, all huge questions of this consequential time in American history.
Manu Raju, CNN -- Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: I spoke earlier with Ron Brownstein, CNN senior political analyst and senior editor at "The Atlantic". And I asked him how he thought the press conference went for Biden.
Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Look, I thought he did very well tonight, you know. It was a it was a Joe Biden performance in that he mangled a few things as he has done for literally decades. But he just displayed a lot more energy and coherence and certainly a mastery of the detail of foreign policy that Donald Trump could not match for an hour.
The problem is, as you know, against the backdrop of that debate, the kind of verbal flubs that have been common for Biden literally for decades, I covered his 1988 presidential campaign. Those kind of flubs now look different, you know, to certainly to analysts and people watching like us, but potentially also to voters.
I think the bigger problem is it's really not clear to me that subsequent good days can erase the impression that was left by what he calls a bad night. I mean, once voters know that card is in the deck and that level of difficulty of expressing yourself and focusing can come out, you know.
I'm not sure it matters to voters whether its once a week or once every two weeks, or once every three weeks. The fact that it's there at all is going to be a concern to a lot of Americans.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, the historical context of Bidens flubs seems completely washed away as you said.
BROWNSTEIN: One Democrat directly involved in the president's reelection efforts told CNN last night that Biden has no path to victory, I quote here, "We are doomed if he runs."
I mean, with friends like that, right? So Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal said, quote, "I still need more data and more analytics that show a path to success about Biden as president."
BROWNSTEIN: Yes.
BRUNHUBER: Now, the president himself in the press conference shrugged off the polls, basically saying the campaign won't really start in earnest until after Labor Day.
So what do you see there in the data? Is there a path?
BROWNSTEIN: Yes. Well look, you never say never. I mean Donald Trump recovered from the Access Hollywood letter in 2016, obviously with another big intervening event from James Comey.
[01:34:47]
BROWNSTEIN: But the reason this debate existed at all was because the Biden campaign and Democrats realized that he was trailing and he was not on a trajectory to win.
You know, if you compare where he is now to where he was in 2020, going into the debate his biggest problem was that he was underperforming with younger non-white voters, black and Hispanic voters, especially men.
And as a result of that, the Sun Belt states where those voters are critical to the Democratic coalition, look to be almost out of reach for him. North Carolina and Georgia in the southeast, Nevada in the southwest, maybe Arizona's a little better, but not much in the southwest.
And that meant that in order to get to 270, he had to sweep Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin -- three states in what I once called the blue wall. He's trailing in all three of those at this point, you know.
And so it is a very difficult path. And especially if you consider, as I said, his biggest problem is younger, non-white voters, the debate solidified -- cemented one of his biggest problems with it. In that New York Times/Sienna Poll 85 percent of people under 45, said that he's too old to do the job of president effectively.
And when you kind of add all this up, I think there are many, there's a growing sense among Democratic professionals certainly, but also elected officials that despite all the challenges Kamala Harris would face, at least she offers an opportunity to kind of reset the, you know, the chessboard and give you at least a difference set of contrast with Donald Trump.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: So despite all those concerns, Bidens campaign is getting traction with an unlikely group of voters, those closer to his age. Nationally voters, over 65 haven't preferred a Democrat in any presidential election since 2000.
But as Gary Tuchman reports, some older voters in the battleground state of Michigan are sticking with Biden.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Turn the palms to face each other --
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A Tai-chi class at a Michigan senior center. Warren Fritz is part of it.
WARREN FRITZ, DEMOCRATIC-LEANING MICHIGAN SENIOR: I am 83-years-old as of January of this year.
TUCHMAN: He's a proud Democrat and about two years older than President Joe Biden.
After this debate and other things, do you think that Joe Biden should stay in the race or does he pass the baton to a younger Democrat?
FRITZ: I think he should stay in the race. Any day that you have -- one day you have a bad day doesn't define you for the rest of your life.
JANICE RABINSKI, DEMOCRATIC-LEANING MICHIGAN SENIOR: I fully appreciate him. I think he was wonderful as our president.
TUCHMAN: Janice Rabinski (ph) is 76-years-old and is also a loyal Democrat. She says she would never vote for Donald Trump. But regarding Joe Biden --
RABINSKI: I just don't think he can manage for four more years.
TUCHMAN: We've come to the Portage Community Senior Center in Kalamazoo County, Michigan a county where Democrats have won eight presidential elections in a row. We're talking to people who have been loyal to Joe Biden and who are
close to his age. Arthur Roberts, a retired postmaster in Portage, Michigan is 78.
ARTHUR ROBERTS, MICHIGAN SENIOR: I think he should stay.
TUCHMAN: He thinks the debate was just one bad night.
ROBERTS: I believe that experience counts. It's just like with age. You mellow with time, you only get more knowledgeable. You are -- I think he's very knowledgeable.
TUCHMAN: Max Hardy is 74, a retired social worker. He thinks Joe Biden has done a wonderful job as president, but --
MAX HARDY, MICHIGAN SENIOR: Deep down, I would like to see some of the younger stars in the Democratic Party and have Joe gracefully hand over the baton to them.
TUCHMAN: 73-year-old Larry Campbell begs to differ.
LARRY CAMPBELL, MICHIGAN SENIOR: I'm with him 100 percent.
TUCHMAN: Kathleen Penning (ph) and Raymond Simons are also in their 70s.
RAYMOND SIMONS, MICHIGAN SENIOR: I think he should stay in.
KATHLEEN PENNING I think he's our best bet.
TUCHMAN: Several of the seniors feel Joe Biden is the victim of age discrimination.
JOAN STOMMEN, MICHIGAN SENIOR: I am 80. I think he is a very active person. He has a good character. He's done a wonderful job all these years.
TUCHMAN: Inge Neil, who is 76, also thinks Joe Biden has done a wonderful job. But she has a twisted mind.
INGE NEIL, MICHIGAN SENIOR: Ideally it would be if they would switch roles. Kamala Harris would step up and be precedent and he would be the vice president.
TUCHMAN: That's what you would like to see. The switch.
NEIL: He has lots of experience, lots of knowledge, I think he's very bright. I think he still has a lot to offer.
TUCHMAN: Meanwhile, we heard several similar answers from the seniors regarding this question.
The Democratic governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer says, it wouldn't hurt for Joe Biden to take a cognitive test. What do you think about that?
CAROL WISEMAN, MICHIGAN SENIOR: I agree. As long as Trump also takes a test from an independent tester.
TUCHMAN: Opinions clearly vary at the senior center on what President Biden should do.
[01:39:49]
TUCHMAN: But there is an overall recognition here that his debate performance was a big let-down.
Do you think it's a one-off that it wouldn't happen again in another debate performance.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hope so.
TUCHMAN: After we conducted those interviews, we watched President Biden's news conference with seven women who just finished their exercise class. Those seven women are all Joe Biden fans. None of them will vote for Donald Trump, they assured us of that.
But they weren't sure what to make of Joe Bidens debate performance so we asked them what they thought of this news conference. Five of them said it was better than they expected. Two of them say it was the same as they expected. None of them said it was worse than they expected.
This is Gary Tuchman, CNN -- in Portage, Michigan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Panama says it's closing several passages into the notorious Darien Gap at the border with Colombia as part of an effort to stop illegal migration.
Barbed wire blocks at least five trails through the mountainous area that connects South and Central America,. Panama estimates at least 174,000 migrants risk their lives in the first six months of this year, making the treacherous 106-kilometer hike across the Darien Gap in the hopes of making it to the U.S. and Canada.
Now when he took office on July 1, Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino vowed his nation would no longer be a country of transit for migrants.
Venezuela is preparing for a national elections that some hope could change the country's future. For many of the millions who fled under the leadership of Nicolas Maduro, a change in power could bring about some long-sought homecomings.
Stefano Pozzebon has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN JOURNALIST: How do you build a home far away from your home? Sometimes it's just a matter of finding the right people to help. These migrants in Bogota are doing just that, working with a
foundation that provides free classes and counseling to vulnerable Venezuelans and Colombians alike.
Maria Alvarez arrived in Colombia seven years ago. She helped create the organization. Making a living as a manicurist is tough but Bogota has been welcoming
Home however, is still somewhere else.
What are your hopes for July? What do you think? What do you dream?
MARIA ALVAREZ, VENEZUELAN IMMIGRANT: I want Venezuela to be free. That everything goes back to what it used to be.
She dreams that one day her son will finally meet his grandparents in Venezuela. He has only seen them in photos.
This month, millions of Venezuelan migrants are sharing such dreams as their home country heads to the polls. Authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro pledging to allow free and fair elections as he campaigns for reelection.
And the Democratic opposition uniting behind a single candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez a former diplomat, who floated the idea of amnesty for former government officials who had been accused of crimes against humanity.
It's the most credible Democratic challenge in a decade. But because more than 7 million Venezuelans like Alvarez have fled the country under Maduro, the upcoming month can make an impact all across the Americas.
Colombia has welcomed more than 2 million Venezuelan migrants in recent years. Many here have found a new home. But for others, these streets are just the beginning of a journey to the north.
Venezuelans were the second largest group of migrants reaching the U.S. southern border last year. Many arrived from Colombia crossing the treacherous jungle to Panama in the Darien Gap and then upward through Central America.
Numbers, some experts fear, might increase should Maduro stay in power.
LAURA DIB, VENEZUELA PROGRAM DIRECTOR, WOLA: There are two reasons why migration will increase. The first is political because it's related. I mean -- AND this is the interesting part of this (ph) is that you cannot disconnect the complex humanitarian emergency from the authoritarian nature of the government.
I think it's difficult to, you know, to put a number to it, but it could be more than 1 million, 2 million Venezuelans leaving the country.
POZZEBON: In Columbia Alvarez is weighing her options. Her cousin crossed the Darien Gap last year. He now lives in the U.S.
And she dreams of reconnecting with him, but she's afraid of the jungle trek with her young son. And abroad, she cannot vote.
Their dream is to go back home. If the government falls, millions will return she says.
Stefano Pozzebon, CNN -- Bogota.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: All right. When we come back a new study shows the massive role lifestyle and behaviors have in our chances of getting or avoiding cancer.
Please stay with us.
[01:44:46]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRUNHUBER: A jury in New York is set to begin deliberations on Friday in the corruption charge of U.S. Senator Bob Menendez. The New Jersey Democrat and his two co-defendants are accused of participating in a years' long bribery scheme.
Prosecutors say the senator tried to use his power to benefit Egyptian military interests, interfere in criminal prosecutions, and secure investment from foreign officials among other charges.
In exchange for his influence, Menendez and his wife allegedly received gold bars, hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, a Mercedes Benz convertible, and other gifts. His wife will be tried separately later this year.
The "Rust" film armorer convicted in the shooting death of a cinematographer says she won't cooperate when called to testify in the trial of actor Alec Baldwin on Friday.
The lawyer for Hannah Gutierrez-Reed says she will rely on the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering questions. She was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter earlier this year in the death of Halyna Hutchins.
Baldwin is also charged in Hutchins' death. On Thursday, a crime scene technician testified that a live bullet was found in another actor's bandolier, one of several discovered onset.
Hutchins lawyer spoke about the family's ordeal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GLORIA ALLRED, LAWYER FOR HALYNA HUTCHINS FAMILY: They want to know everything that happened that led to her untimely death. It's a terrible tragedy. It's difficult because they are in Ukraine they do not speak English,
and often when we are on the phone with them they have to interrupt the call and run to a bomb shelter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to one charge of involuntary manslaughter. If convicted, he faces up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine.
A new study highlights the outsize role behavior and lifestyle can play in developing cancer. The study shows that close to half of cancer deaths in the U.S. could be attributed to preventable risk factors.
CNN medical correspondent Meg Tirrell has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well this new study from the American Cancer Society looks at cancer cases and deaths among adults aged 30 and older.
And it estimates that 40 percent of cancer cases and 44 percent of cancer deaths could potentially be preventable. They say they're attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors.
Now, what are those risk factors? Well, the leading one probably won't surprise anybody. It's cigarette smoking. They estimate that that contributed to 19 percent of cancer cases and 29 percent of cancer deaths in this study.
The next is excess body weight followed by alcohol consumption.
Also a big risk factor up there is exposure to UV radiation; the risk for skin cancer, of course.
They also looked at people's diets, not eating enough fruits and vegetables or eating a lot of red meat or processed meat, as well as cancer-causing viruses.
[01:49:48]
TIRRELL: Now they found that the cancers that were most linked to these potentially modifiable behaviors.
The top one is lung cancer, that connection to smoking. The second is female breast cancer. There are links there both to excess body weight and to alcohol consumption. Skin melanoma, of course, from sun exposure, and colorectal cancer.
Now, the researchers told us that there's actually some good news here, which is that folks think maybe it takes a long time to reverse your risk for these kinds of cancers. But actually changing behaviors they say can start to reduce risk pretty quickly. So on a personal basis, it's the things we hear about all the time.
Don't smoke, maintain a healthy body weight, cut back or stop drinking alcohol, exercise, and of course, use sun protection.
But the researchers here also focused on the importance of things happening from a societal level, policy changes that can make it easier for people to live healthier lives.
For smoking, for example, they said the thing that's been the most effective in reducing smoking rates is making it more expensive through excise taxes.
And they point out that a pack of cigarettes in Missouri costs about half as much as a pack of cigarettes in New York state. And if you look at cancer rates for those two states, they are dramatically higher in Missouri than they are in New York for lung cancer.
And so the takeaway here is there are things we can do to try to reduce our risks, but there are also things that need to be done on a bigger societal level to try to make things healthier for everybody.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Remnants of Hurricane Beryl are flooding parts of the northeastern U.S. When we come back, areas in the storm's wake grapple with the fallout.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRUNHUBER: Fire broke out in the spire of a cathedral in Rouen, France on Thursday morning. Smoke billowed out of the top of the gothic Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral in Normandy.
The cathedral which is an important example of French medieval architecture is currently undergoing restoration work. Firefighters put out the blaze, the damage is now being assessed.
It was five years ago that a massive fire broke out in the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
More than 100 people have been rescued in Vermont from flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Beryl. The storm swept through the state on Wednesday. Emergency responders also recovered a body from the floodwaters. Officials say they believe the man was in a vehicle that was swept away by the water.
Meanwhile in Texas where Beryl hit as a hurricane on Monday, more than a million people are still without electricity. Governor Greg Abbott is ordering an investigation into the state's utility companies to see what issues arose in their response to the hurricane.
Now a truck driver is being hailed a hero for saving a baby he spotted near a busy Louisiana highway, the one-year-old, survived alone for two days. Authorities believe the child was abandoned by his mother after Hurricane Beryl hit the region.
Jim Hummel (ph), reporter for CNN affiliate KADN, has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM HUMMEL, REPORTER, KADN: It was here along I-10 in Calcasieu Parish where truck driver, Reginald Walton couldn't believe his eyes.
REGINALD WALTON, TRUCK DRIVER: I noticed an image to the right over to the right embankment. And I thought maybe it was a doll that someone had thrown out the window or so out the car.
[01:54:43]
WALTON: But as I was passing by, I saw it move and I said, hey, that looks like a baby. So I was doing about 65 or 70 miles an hour so it took me about a quarter of a mile to bring my truck to a complete stop.
HUMMEL: During that time, Walton called 911. When he was able to stop, he then ran back toward what he saw.
WALTON: Sure enough, there was a little boy sitting in -- down the embankment there. As I approached him, he smiled at me and then he stood up and started crying and walked toward me. Once he walked towards me I grabbed his hand and he stopped crying at that point.
HUMMEL: The baby boy was brought to the hospital. And even after two days along busy I-10 exposed to the elements the baby was relatively fine.
STITCH GUILLORY, CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF: We looked at this 1-year- old was that miracle baby because he was still alive. Unbelievable.
HUMMEL: The baby was found alive not far from the Vinton Welcome Center. That's where his four-year-old brother was found dead in the water one day earlier.
The mother of the children 25-year-old, Aliyah Jack of Lake Charles was arrested in Mississippi. Authorities have not yet commented on how the children ended up along I-10. But in a news conference Calcasieu Sheriff Stitch Guillory, praised the truck driver, Reginald Walton for saving the baby's life.
GUILLORY: Thank God that trucker seen him.
HUMMEL: People are -- the sheriff even said thank God for that driver who stopped and called 911.
People are calling you a hero. What do you -- what do you say to that?
WALTON: I don't feel like I'm a hero. I just feel like it was God's will for me to be in the right place at the right time.
(END VIDEOTAPE) BRUNHUBER: At least seven people were injured in Pamplona's running of the bulls on Thursday. The spectacle takes place each day following the annual week-long San Fermin Festival in the Spanish city. Six fighting bulls bred for the purpose led (ph) by six years chase runners through the narrow passageways of Pamplona's old quarter.
Each year many people are injured taking part in the event mostly due to falls. In the past, there have been fatalities. Fortunately, not this time.
All right. That wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back in just a moment with more news. Please do stay with us.
[01:57:03]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
