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Vice President Nominee J.D. Vance Addresses Republican Convention; President Joe Biden Under Pressure To Drop Out Of Presidential Race; Fact-Checking False Or Misleading Claims All Right Day Three Of RNC; Nancy Pelosi Privately Tells Joe Biden Polls Show He Can't Win; President Joe Biden Tests Positive For COVID Amid Calls To Exit Race; Russia Welcomes Vance's Position Against Aid to Ukraine; Republican Senators Blast Secret Service & FBI After Briefing; Jack Smith Appeals Dismissal of Trump Classified Documents Case; Nasdaq Has Worst Day Since 2022 as Dow Tops 41,000; U.S. Military Ends Gaza Floating Pier Mission; 16 Killed in China Shopping Mall Fire; Study Shows Mediterranean Heavily Polluted by Plastic, Chemicals. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired July 18, 2024 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:00:00]
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and to everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church.
Just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. J.D. VANCE (R), U.S. VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The most important thing that we can do for those people for that American nation that we all love is to reelect Donald J. Trump president of the United States.
Donald Trump's new running mate takes center stage at the RNC singing the former president's praises and pitching a new future to working class Americans.
This as President Joe Biden is now sidelined by COVID. And facing more pressure from within his own party to quit the race.
And later, how a deadly cocktail of toxic waste stretching across three continents is impacting the planet.
ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.
CHURCH: Good to have you with us and we begin this hour with the most enthusiastic day yet of the Republican National Convention. While in contrast, U.S. President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID amid growing doubts about his political future. First in Milwaukee where Donald Trump once again got a rousing ovation.
He will speak to delegates Thursday night officially accepting his party's presidential nomination. But Wednesday night belong to Trump's vice presidential running mate J.D. Vance.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VANCE: I stand here humbled, and I'm overwhelmed with gratitude to say I officially accept your nomination to be vice president of the United States of America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Vance told delegates about his modest upbringing in rural Ohio, and pledged to fight for forgotten working class Americans. The senator from Ohio attacked President Biden on the economy, trade and foreign policy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VANCE: Joe Biden has been a politician in Washington for longer than I've been alive, 39 years old. Kamala Harris is not much further behind.
For half a century, he's been the champion of every major policy initiative to make America weaker and poorer.
Things did not work out well for a lot of kids I grew up with. Every now and then, I will get a call from a relative back home who asks, did you know so and so. And I'll remember a face from years ago, and then I'll hear they died of an overdose. As always, America's ruling class wrote the checks. Communities like mine paid the price.
For decades, that divide between the few with their power and comfort in Washington, and the rest of us only widened from Iraq to Afghanistan, from the financial crisis to the Great Recession, from open borders to stagnating wages, the people who govern this country have failed and failed again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Meanwhile, President Biden will spend the next few days isolating at his home in Delaware after testing positive for COVID. He says he feels good and his doctor described his symptoms as mild.
A source told CNN privately Mr. Biden is being more receptive to calls for him to quit the presidential race. According to a senior democratic adviser, he has gone from saying Kamala can't win to do you think Kamala can win, referring of course to his vice president.
With the apparent change in tune comes as more Democratic lawmakers call on President Biden to exit the race. On Wednesday, perhaps the biggest name so far, Adam Schiff, the representative from California, who's now running for the U.S. Senate became the 20th congressional Democrat to publicly make that call.
There's also reporting from ABC News that the Senate's top Democrat Chuck Schumer has advised the president he should drop out. Schumer spokesperson called that idle speculation and it appears a driving force behind the movement to convince Biden to step aside is former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as CNN's MJ Lee reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: CNN has learned that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has spoken again with President Biden in recent days, and that Nancy Pelosi told President Biden that polling shows the president cannot defeat Donald Trump and that the president would destroy Democrats chances of winning the House in November if he were to continue seeking a second term.
[02:05:08]
The president responded, we are told by our sources by being defensive about the polling and told Pelosi, he has the polling that shows that he can, in fact, win. At one point we're told that Pelosi asked Mike Donilon, the president's senior adviser to join the call to talk over all of the data.
Now, none of our sources would say whether Pelosi in this conversation explicitly told the president that she believes that he needs to leave the race.
This would mark the second known conversation between Nancy Pelosi and President Biden since the debate at the end of June. The White House would not comment on the contents of this conversation as CNN is reporting, they only said that President Biden is the nominee of the party, he plans to win.
And a Pelosi spokesperson told CNN that the former House Speaker has been in California since Friday, and that she has not spoken to President Biden since. It is impossible almost to overstate the importance of Nancy Pelosi in the entire conversation that is happening right now about President Biden and his future. She is somebody that has incredible sway within her party and probably has the best pulse of what her colleagues in the House are thinking right now than almost anybody else.
MJ Lee, CNN at the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Larry Sabato is the director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics. He joins me now from Charlottesville, Virginia. Great to have you with us.
LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Thank you, Rosemary.
CHURCH: So, let's start with the breaking news. President Joe Biden just diagnosed with COVID and now apparently receptive to discussions about his political future. This coming of course after Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer told the president, his candidacy imperils the party's ability to win Congress. So, where's all this going? And if not Joe Biden, then who?
SABATO: This is really a tremendous breakthrough for those who've been trying to convince Joe Biden to step aside. And it's tough to do, imagine having slogged through all of that politics to win a second term and having slogged through the first term with a lot of accomplishments, and then suddenly, you're told you're not needed anymore. And it's the end of his political career, basically.
Now, will he do it in the end? We still don't know. But it's pretty clear that the dam is starting to break.
The fact that Democratic leaders finally ginned up the courage to tell him what just about everybody else knows that if he heads a Democratic ticket, it's going to lose not just the presidency, but probably the Senate and the House too.
Now that he has heard them say that, and there will be more over the next few days. I think he's going to think long and hard about it and may well come to the decision that makes the most sense, not just for the Democratic Party, but for him.
CHURCH: And Republicans apparently prefer that Joe Biden remain at the top of the Democratic ticket, presumably because there are polling shows that Donald Trump can beat Joe Biden easier than any other possible nominee. Is that the case?
SABATO: I don't know whether it's that they think they can beat Biden more easily than others. But they have geared their whole campaign around opposing Joe Biden. They have loads of things in the campaign ads and presentations of all sorts and speakers who are going to fan out across the country to attack Biden, and it's possible that Biden will no longer be the opponent. So, a lot of that may have been wasted.
Now, they'll say, if it's Kamala Harris, for example, that she is simply a representative of Joe Biden, and they will probably try and use the same attacks, but it may not work. You know, Harris is going to be much more energetic, and she is what people have been asking for, a new face, instead of these two very old faces.
CHURCH: And meantime, of course, back at the Republican National Convention, night three saw Donald Trump's V.P. pick, J.D. Vance, take to the stage and share his life story, one of humble beginnings. How will that story resonate with voters? And what about his stand on more divisive issues like abortion and Ukraine?
SABATO: J.D. Vance's life story, his resume is much more appealing than some of his actual positions. He is very strongly anti-abortion and has made statements at times opposing abortion for any reason, including rape and incest. This will not sell well.
Now, he's trying to back up and change his views to match Donald Trump's. The problem is, you have a videotape and whatever means you use to record people today. And they've got everything that they can use against him.
[02:10:13]
And it's not just that, he's taken some pretty radical positions on a wide variety of things. So, it won't be as easy as the story he's telling. The story is interesting. But the story isn't necessarily relevant to the issues in this presidential campaign.
CHURCH: Yes, of course, because voters care about the issues here. And Republicans have been focusing very much on immigration and crime at the RNC, avoiding these more divisive issues for the party like abortion.
So, how likely is it that the party will try to soften their stand on abortion bans? And how critical is this issue now for mobilizing voters on the Democratic side?
SABATO: Certainly, the Republicans and Trump in particular understanding how divisive this issue is, it's trying to use the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade to say, well, you see, it's up to the 50 states now, we don't even have to talk about it.
But he's going to be held accountable for the fact that his three appointees to the Supreme Court were the key votes in overturning Roe v. Wade, he cannot escape this particular issue or the other social issues.
So, you got to remember at a convention, everything is sweetness and light and rainbows and unicorns. But that isn't going to last very long. And then you start getting the other side of the story.
The only thing people will remember is they were exposed to this new nominee J.D. Vance. And they saw Donald Trump and the aftermath of the assassination attempt. Those are the two lasting images from the campaign, but they're going to be a lot more images that may well be substitutes for what people already know.
CHURCH: So, Larry, overall, how would you assess day three of the RNC and what are you expecting when Donald Trump takes to the stage Thursday night?
SABATO: A lot of speeches today by lots of people for different reasons. It was kind of family night and veterans night, Goldstar families and it was -- it was a lot of different things appealing to constituencies that Trump needs and the Republicans need.
But again, I don't think it was that memorable. Now, J.D. Vance's speech, at least in part may be memorable. His book has a shot to the top of the -- of the sales list again, Hillbilly Elegy. But we got -- we got to remember, only a tiny portion of Americans have actually read it.
So, you can exaggerate the importance of these things. But the story is useful.
CHURCH: Larry Sabato, always good to talk with you and get your analysis on all things political. Appreciate it.
SABATO: Thank you so much, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Night three of the Republican National Convention saw numerous false or misleading claims throughout the evening from speakers including Donald Trump's vice presidential pick J.D. Vance, and others.
CNN's Daniel Dale separates fact from fiction.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANIEL DALE, CNN REPORTER: There were a whole lot of false or misleading claims on night three of this convention.
Vice presidential pick, J.D. Vance strongly suggested that Donald Trump oppose the 2003 invasion of Iraq that Joe Biden supported. In reality, Trump expressed at least tentative support for that invasion before it happened. When Trump was asked by radio host Howard Stern, six months before the war, whether he was for invasion, he said, "Yes, I guess so. I wish the first time it was done correctly."
And then two months before the invasion, Trump said on T.V. that then President Bush a direct quote, has either got to do something or not do something perhaps but that's woefully (ph) sure, but it's not the words of an opponent of the invasion.
Now, Trump did become an opponent of the war explicitly in 2004. But Vance's suggestion that Trump was on the opposite side of Biden on the question of starting the war of the invasion. And that's not true.
There were other false or misleading claims as well. A former Trump adviser Peter Navarro falsely claimed that special counsel Jack Smith prosecuted him, Smith did not.
Florida Congressman Mike Waltz blasted Biden for allegedly being focused on building electric military tanks. That's fiction. Biden has made no push for electric tanks, though the U.S. Army is moving toward some other kinds of electric vehicles.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich claim no U.S. soldier was killed in Afghanistan in the nearly two year period. Under Trump, there was not a single two year period under Trump where no U.S. troops were killed in Afghanistan.
Various other speakers depicted a country with rampant crime, rampant violence that didn't acknowledge that violent crime in the U.S. today is lower than it was in Trump's last year in office.
Conservative commentator Kimberly Guilfoyle, a Donald Trump Jr.'s fiance declare that Trump handed Biden a booming economy. You might remember what things were like in January 2021 when Biden was sworn in, the unemployment rate was 6.4 percent.
[02:15:06] And similarly, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley claimed the economy was stronger four years ago than it is today. There's just no reasonable basis for that claim.
Four years ago, amid the pandemic, of course, there was 11 percent unemployment, nearly triple the current rate, the economy had just contracted shrunk by an all-time record for a quarter, an annual rate of more than 30 percent.
Daniel Dale, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: U.S. President Joe Biden test positive for COVID as calls mount for him to step aside from his campaign.
Still ahead, we talked to a medical expert about what it means for the 81-year-old president's health.
Plus, Republicans emphasize foreign policy on day three of their national convention. Later this hour, how vice presidential pick J.D. Vance fits into Trump's America First agenda, back with ever more in just a moment.
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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.
U.S. President Joe Biden is giving no hints that he's reconsidering his plan to keep going with his reelection bid. But his senior democratic adviser tells CNN Mr. Biden is, "Being receptive" and has gone from saying Kamala can't win to do you think Kamala can win.
Now, this comes as calls for him to drop out of the race grow stronger. A new Associated Press NORC poll says nearly two thirds of Democrats say Biden should drop out.
Sources now say that even House Speaker Nancy Pelosi privately told Mr. Biden that polls show he can't defeat Donald Trump in November and could also destroy the Democrat's chances of winning the House.
CNN's Jeff Zeleny, has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: A lot of Democrats have been taking their worries and fears to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and we have really seen an evolution of her thinking over the last now nearly three weeks since that debate.
Now, when President Biden said he is going to run, he's not reconsidering, she reopened the door for him. And that allowed some other House Democrats to have conversations with her.
So, she has been trying to handle this behind the scenes, if you will. But what we are hearing is that it hasn't worked. So, they are being slightly more public with it. But she's not alone.
Last Saturday, a key meeting in all of this, history may show this to be a pivotal meeting here depending on what happened.
Senator Chuck Schumer, the Senate Majority Leader traveled to Rehoboth Beach, that's where the president was spending the weekend. He had a private one on one meeting with the president, expressing concerns of Senate Democrats as well, that they do not think that they can win and are worried about him winning in November. This is a different moment here as we hit the three week period.
As for the president, he's back in Delaware. The campaign tells me tonight, he's in this race. He's not changing, and they say he'll be the Democratic nominee. Of course, we'll see about that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[02:20:06]
CHURCH: Another high profile Democrat is joining the call for Mr. Biden to drop out of the race. Congressman Adam Schiff is praising the U.S. president but says he has serious concerns about whether Mr. Biden can defeat Donald Trump.
In a statement, Schiff goes on to say, "While the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden's alone, I believe it is time for him to pass the torch and in doing so, secure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election."
Schiff's statement is noteworthy because he's not in a swing district but running for Senate from heavily Democratic California.
And he is close to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who as we just mentioned, recently voiced her concerns directly to President Biden.
Meantime, some Democrats are saying that Mr. Biden is aware that he faces doubts from within his own party.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): He attracts people who are very loyal to him. But he is hearing on conference calls from governors and mayors, senators, House members and in press conferences, where he's getting asked about these issues and getting pressed about them.
So, I am confident he is well aware of the concerns that you've raised and that others have raised.
SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ): I think the president has shown extraordinary leadership over his 50 years rear and he's facing a real question of what is best for the country. And I think he'll make that decision.
A lot of us are doing everything we can behind the scenes to really talk openly and honestly with the president, with his team about the best way forward. We've had private meetings in D.C. all last week. I don't want to have this conversation in public. I'm just -- I just
think that that's not wise right now while the Republicans are having their convention.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We keep hearing from senior members of your party like yourself, that he'll make a decision. So, look, I understand that this is a bit of rhetoric, but it seems like you and others want him to get out.
BOOKER: Look, we have a great party with good party rules. Right now, he is our presumptive nominee, there is a process going forward when he will be the nominee. That process gives him a lot of chance to evaluate things, to look at facts and make the decisions about what's best for the country. And there are a lot of people talking to him. I trust this man. He has been such a solid leader, he will make the right decision.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Despite concerns of several key Democrats over having President Biden at the top of the ticket, the Democratic National Committee is moving ahead with its controversial plan to virtually nominate Mr. Biden ahead of the convention in Chicago next month.
According to an e-mail obtained by CNN, the rules committee plans to proceed with a previously scheduled meeting on Friday to set in motion the steps for the nomination.
The e-mail also says, "No virtual voting will begin before August 1st." Now, this sets up a deadline for Democrats to resolve questions around Mr. Biden's reelection bid. The plan has led to a furious backlash from some Democrats.
And as pressure builds for Joe Biden to step aside from the presidential race, he has tested positive for COVID again, he arrived in Delaware after Wednesday's announcement and will self-isolate out his residence there.
His doctor says his symptoms are mild and has already received the first dose of the antiviral drug Paxlovid. And Mr. Biden says he is feeling good. The positive test came as many Democrats were hoping to see him on the campaign trail to tamp down concerns about his age.
And for more on the medical analysis, we're joined by Dr. Jorge Rodriguez, a Board Certified internal medicine specialist and viral researcher. Thank you, doctor for being with us.
DR. JORGE RODRIGUEZ, INTERNAL MEDICINE SPECIALIST AND VIRAL RESEARCHER: My pleasure.
CHURCH: So, from a political perspective, of course, this COVID diagnosis could not have come at a worse time for President Biden as he fights off efforts to remove him from the top of the Democratic ticket. But what about medically? He apparently had his last booster shot in September last year. But what does he need to be doing now to recover at the age of 81? RODRIGUEZ: Well, firstly, he's at an age group where in the United States, 76 percent of all the people that have died from COVID had been over the age of 65. So, he has that going against them, as does anybody who is above 65 years old.
However, what he does have going for him is that he's fully vaccinated. So, this is not the same as it was three years ago. And also, that he has available to him as all Americans do the medication Paxlovid, which has been shown to markedly decrease, you know, the severity of COVID.
[02:25:06]
What I'm concerned about, is that in order to show that he is vibrant, and that he is, you know, in good health, that he will sort of abandoned the reality of the fact that this can make him very sick.
So, I just hope that he convalescence as he should, and doesn't have to prove anything to anybody at this time, except to get better.
CHURCH: And Doctor, we're looking at the video now of President Joe Biden going up those stairs of Air Force One, we also saw him coming down the stairs. I mean, he is looking very frail and particularly old, struggling to get up and down those stairs. What are your concerns about his health as you watch him battle COVID and indeed, his own party at this time?
RODRIGUEZ: Well, you know, we're talking about two different things. We're talking about COVID, which actually could exacerbate anything that he has going on.
And I agree with you and I try not to make diagnoses from afar, which is, you know, I have not examined the president. Of course, it would be an honor. But he does look as if there is something neurological that isn't a hundred percent there.
Yes, as we age, you know, our memory gets a little bit worse. And I know that his experience, you know, surmounts a lot of that. But it does appear as if there's something not hundred percent right.
Does that mean that he cannot be a competent president? I think that that doesn't necessarily mean that but with his age, and if there is something else going on, COVID on top of that does increase the risk of something really bad happening.
CHURCH: And how long should the president remain isolated? And what will this mean for him going forward from a medical perspective given, he may decide to continue with his presidential campaigning, and that means a lot of extra work for him?
RODRIGUEZ: Well, if he was my patient, I would tell him that he has to put himself first and foremost. So, you know, the party line is that you can then go out and maybe work with a mask, if you have been without any symptoms, without any fever for 24 hours, that can be three days, that could be five days. I certainly would not put him through an excruciating schedule any sooner than that, and they really have to be very careful that they don't tax him. And even with Paxlovid, for example, there is rebound.
So, if he doesn't rest, the five days may turn into 10 days, may turn into three weeks. So, you have to be very careful.
CHURCH: And on Paxlovid, I mean, of course, he will take more doses of that, presumably, how many more would you suggest at this juncture? And how long should he rest up before he gets out back on the campaign trail?
RODRIGUEZ: Listen, this is not the prescription for Paxlovid. Prescription for Paxlovid to take it for five days.
However, others have been known to take it for twice as long for 10 days, even though there is no proof of that, it does tend anecdotally to decrease the possibility of rebound.
So, that's a possibility. You know, that -- and he has -- he's the president of the United States, probably, I mean, he does have access to things that perhaps the common man does not.
So, that perhaps if I were to advise them, would be something that I would advise. I would say, maybe you need to take 10 days of Paxlovid, and not just five.
And again, that's not the recommendation. That is Dr. Rodriguez says, you know, recommendation if I was talking to the president.
CHURCH: And we appreciate you, Dr. Jorge Rodriguez joining us there. Thank you so much.
RODRIGUEZ: My pleasure.
CHURCH: And still to come, J.D. Vance assumes the mantle of the Republican vice presidential nominee and the heir apparent of Donald Trump's America First agenda. So, what does that mean for U.S. foreign policy? We'll take a look.
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[02:31:50]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), UNITED STATES VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Shouldn't we be governed by a party that is unafraid to debate ideas and come to the best solution? That's the Republican party of the next four years, united in our love for this country and committed to free speech and the open exchange of ideas.
(APPLAUSE)
And so tonight, Mr. Chairman, I stand here humbled and I am overwhelmed with gratitude to say I officially accept your nomination to be vice president of the United States of America.
(CROWD CHEERING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: J.D. Vance there becoming the Republican vice presidential nominee at the party's convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Wednesday night. Vance delivered a speech that emphasized the populist direction of the Trump agenda and capped a night that saw Republicans go after what they see as President Joe Biden's biggest foreign policy failures.
Even before Vance's nomination, many of America's closest allies were already dreading the prospect of Donald Trump's return to the White House. By choosing Vance as his running mate, Trump has sent a clear signal that if elected, his America First foreign policy will be back in force. Vance, a junior Senator from Ohio, is a staunch critic of sending support to Ukraine as it tries to defend itself against Russia. He has suggested Ukraine should negotiate with Russia because the U.S. and other allies can't support it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VANCE: We cannot possibly support Ukraine and Israel and our own defense needs in the way that these guys demand. So I think we should focus, I think Israel is a much closer ally, is a much more core American national security interest. And of course, we got to focus on ourselves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Russia welcomed Vance's position on Wednesday. The foreign minister said stopping aid to Ukraine is necessary to end the war. Like Trump, Vance has repeatedly criticized NATO and its European members for not spending enough on defense. In his speech, he criticized Joe Biden on trade and America's 2003 invasion of Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VANCE: When I was in the fourth grade, a career politician by the name of Joe Biden supported NAFTA, a bad trade deal that sent countless good jobs to Mexico.
(CROWD CHEERING)
When I was a sophomore in high school, that same career politician named Joe Biden gave China a sweetheart trade deal that destroyed even more good American middle-class manufacturing jobs.
(CROWD CHEERING)
When I was a senior in high school, that same Joe Biden supported the disastrous invasion of Iraq. And at each step of the way, in small towns like mine, in Ohio, or next door in Pennsylvania or Michigan, in states all across our country, jobs were sent overseas and our children were sent to war. (END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Let's go live now to Amsterdam and to Michael Bociurkiw, former Spokesperson for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and Senior Fellow with the Atlantic Council. Appreciate you being with us.
[02:35:00]
MICHAEL BOCIURKIW, FORMER SPOKESPERSON, ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE: Thank you for having me.
CHURCH: Donald Trump's VP pick, J.D. Vance, officially accepted his nomination Wednesday night and while he didn't mention Ukraine in his speech, we of course know where he stands on the issue, rejecting any U.S. military aid being sent to the war-torn nation. What would a Trump-Vance Administration look like for Ukraine?
BOCIURKIW: Sure. Good to be with you, Rosemary. Well, I am sure that's going to be top of discussion as European leaders gather in the United Kingdom to meet with the new prime minister there. I don't think European capitals have ever dealt with a vice president who claims he comes descending from Hillbilly Royalty. And let's not forget, he is calling his future potential boss, cultural heroin, noxious, and things like that.
But what we do know is that we can surmise, I think is that Mr. Vance will be the kind of pit-bull for Mr. Trump. He will try to shakedown countries like Ukraine, as Trump did earlier on. He will try to extract more spending for NATO from European capitals. And as those clips indicated, that you played, they'll try to shift attention I think from the Ukraine war to a little bit more to Israel, but especially to Taiwan and China.
Now, let's not forget, I mean, the way Trump treated Ukraine when he was president was really obnoxious and terrible. He tried to compromise Mr. Zelenskyy, let's not forget, trying to get dirt on his opponent in exchange for aid to Ukraine. And the other thing we know very well from Mr. Trump's statement I mean says that he is going to claim that he can solve the Ukraine war even before inauguration day. And what we know from statements from Hungary's Mr. Orban is that, that will involve inviting Russia to the table. It will probably involve territorial concessions on behalf of Ukraine. It will mean stopping aid at Ukraine and a number of other issues that will not be in favor of Kyiv.
CHURCH: And most of America's allies were already dreading the prospect of Donald Trump's return to the White House. But now, we are seeing headline suggesting Europe is looking at Trump's VP pick, J.D. Vance, with anxiety. What are some of those leaders across Europe doing to prepare for the possibility of a Trump-Vance Administration, and what their greatest concern?
BOCIURKIW: Yeah. Sure. Well, I think we saw this in the lead up to that NATO Summit in Washington, D.C., where leaders were working to their credit -- to their credit, very quickly, running against the clock to Trump-proof or future-proof aid to Ukraine. So that means for instance, setting aside tens of billions of dollars in aid that is not reliant on the United States or U.S. taxpayer that much.
Also finally, getting what Ukraine needs in terms of advanced weaponry, those F-16s, more Patriot air defense systems, and also talk now of giving Ukraine the ability to strike further inside Russia. However, that is not enough for Ukraine to win this war. NATO has done things, for example, European leaders setting aside more weaponry, but also sending a senior NATO official to Kyiv, integrating Ukraine's system better with NATO. But things as you know, Rosemary, are very, very bad in Ukraine right now, not only on the frontline, but Ukrainian cities being struck relentlessly. There is not much time left before a potential Trump Administration comes in.
CHURCH: And like Trump, Vance has repeatedly criticized NATO and its European members for not spending enough on their own defense. So, what does Vance's nomination signal to NATO allies, do you think?
BOCIURKIW: Well, you know, we could take that speculation to the extreme and we could remember what Mr. Trump said that if NATO members don't stump up the change for their membership, that he will give the green light to Russia to do whatever they like with these countries, which is an absurd thing to say, of course. It causes a lot of instability. But I think to be honest, Rosemary, European leaders have already kind of baked in or factored in a potential Trump Administration.
Hence, they are making proper moves to become less reliant on the United States for things like aid to Ukraine and here, the feeling -- the fear rather is very palpable. I mean, just a few kilometers from me, yesterday, we had the tenth anniversary commemoration of the downing of MH17 by a Russian rocket, and Europe feels much, much more closer to Russia and much, much more in the threat path of Mr. Putin.
[02:40:00]
So, they will do everything possible to protect themselves from further Russian advance. But again, they are running a bit too late and that drip, drip, drip approach to aiding Ukraine has not worked very well in the past two years to two-and-a-half years.
CHURCH: Michael Bociurkiw in Amsterdam, many thanks for joining us.
BOCIURKIW: My pleasure.
CHURCH: Special Counsel Jack Smith is pushing back after a judge dismissed the Trump classified documents case. Why he says her argument against the indictment is not valid and what Trump's lead attorney is saying about the appeal, that's next here on CNN.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is exactly what you were doing today (inaudible). (CROSSTALK)
SEN. MARSHA BLACKBURN (R-TN): This was an assassination attempt. You owe the people answers. You owe President Trump answers.
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CHURCH: A stunning scene there at the Republican National Convention where several Republican Senators confronted the secret service director over the assassination attempt on Donald Trump's life. Senator Marsha Blackburn shooting you owe the people answers. It comes after Senate Republicans were briefed Wednesday on the shooting investigation by secret service and FBI officials, a briefing some criticized as uninformative. Several Republican lawmakers are now calling for the secret service director to resign.
New video obtained by our affiliate WTAE shows someone resembling the shooter right outside the very building he would later climb to try to kill the former president. And that video was taken about an hour before the incident. Law enforcement tells CNN, the shooters phone contain photos of U.S. President Joe Biden, Donald Trump, as well as other officials and political figures, and sources in that secret service briefings say the gunman visited the rally site at least twice after the event was announced.
Special Counsel Jack Smith is appealing the U.S. district court's decision to throw out the classified documents indictment against Donald Trump. Judge Aileen Cannon ruled Smith's appointment as special counsel was unconstitutional, warranting a dismissal of the case against Trump. The case will now be reviewed by judges from the Eleventh Circuit court of appeals. Our Kaitlan Collins spoke about it earlier with a key member of Trump's legal team.
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KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I'm standing here with Todd Blanche, obviously one of Donald Trump's lead attorneys who was working on that classified documents case. And Todd, great to have you, especially with the news that Jack Smith is now filing an appeal to what Judge Cannon decided on Monday to try to get this -- to throw this case out. Do you believe that this will stand on appeal or do you think Judge Cannon will be overturned?
TODD BLANCHE, TRUMP LEAD DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I think it is going to stand on appeal for sure. I mean, the Eleventh Circuit, which is -- the court is going to hear it. There is no precedent, there is no case that that has ever appeared in front of them consistent with this. And Judge Cannon's opinion, 93 pages, consistent with the law, consistent with the legislative history.
[02:45:00]
It is a really beautifully accurate, well-written decision. We have no fear in front of the Eleventh Circuit. I think the Eleventh Circuit is going to affirm Judge Cannon and then we'll see what happens after that. COLLINS: So when Donald Trump was in office, when he was president,
the Eleventh Circuit did face a case like this with Robert Mueller, a special counsel, and they upheld his appointment. So, why do you think that they will roll differently now?
BLANCHE: Well, that's a D.C. Circuit. So, the D.C. Circuit ruled in a different way than the Eleventh Circuit. Judge Cannon is not bound by the D.C. Circuit and the Eleventh Circuit is not bound by the D.C. Circuit. And if you look at Judge Cannon's opinion, all 93 pages of it, and you can compare that and stack it up against the other opinions that are out there. We are very confident that the Eleventh Circuit is going to affirm. And if it goes to the supreme court, that the supreme court will affirm as well.
COLLINS: But, there are a lot of U.S. attorneys that are not Senate confirmed. So, I think some people may look at this and say, well, why does the special counsel have to be?
BLANCHE: Well, that's not true. There aren't a lot of U.S. attorneys who are not --
COLLINS: There are multiple U.S. attorneys who are Senate confirmed.
BLANCHE: No, absolute -- that's not true. There is a process that happens when there is a U.S. attorney vacancy and you can be acting for awhile and then the judges of that district actually make you the U.S. attorney. It is not -- nothing like what Jack Smith. It is not a situation where the attorney general just says, "Hey, you are a private citizen and you can come and you can sign indictments and you can prosecute people, and you can take away somebody's liberty. You can take away the president of the United States' liberty." That's nothing like a U.S. attorney who is temporarily appointed. And then the judges actually, ultimately approve them if the Senate does not.
COLLINS: So, the big question here is whether or not your team plans to use this decision by Judge Cannon to try to get the case in D.C. dismissed, the election interference case? Do you plan to do so? And if so, when?
BLANCHE: Look, we are -- that case is still stayed. We are looking into what is the best thing to do about that case. As you know, Judge Chutkan and the special counsel have lots to deal with the immunity decision. And so, whether we are going to make motion under the appointments clause, we are still were still thinking through that. We don't know yet.
COLLINS: But why would you think through it if you believe that Jack Smith cannot be in his position as special counsel because he wasn't picked by the president and he wasn't confirmed by the Senate? Why would you not argue that in Washington?
BLANCHE: Well, because there's a D.C. Circuit case that has come out the other way. So in theory, Judge Chutkan is bound by that decision. Judge Cannon was not bound by that decision. So -- and I'm not saying we are not going to do it. We are looking into it. Look, these cases should not have been charged. And any way we can get them dismissed -- the Cannon case, that's dismissed, it is gone. The case in D.C. should be gone as well. And if it is immunity, if it is the appointments clause, we are going to get that case dismissed as well, but we are still looking into it strategically.
COLLINS: Todd Blanche, you are here on the (inaudible). Thank you for joining us.
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CHURCH: Despite his legal troubles, Trump is looking ahead to the November election, but his new running mate, J.D. Vance, could be the future of the MAGA movement. We'll take a look
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USHA VANCE, WIFE OF J.D. VANCE: It is hard to imagine a more powerful example of the American dream, a boy from Middletown, Ohio --
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[02:50:00]
U. VANCE: -- raised by his grandmother through tough times, chosen to help lead our country through some of its greatest challenges. I am grateful to all of you for the trust you've placed in him and in our family.
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CHURCH: Usha Vance, the wife of vice presidential candidate, J.D. Vance, there introducing her husband at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee Wednesday night. Jeff Zeleny has more on the man many Republicans hope will be the future leader of their party.
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JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He is the new heir to the MAGA movement. J.D. Vance takes center stage as Donald Trump's running mate. A young Ohio senator, chosen to reinforce the Trump brand and help carry it forward.
VANCE: We have got to re-elect President Donald J. Trump to the White House, right?
ZELENY (voice-over): The Republican Convention and the campaign is still the Trump show. But Vance has now written into the script and settling into his new partnership with the former president. His journey is a remarkable arch from ferocious Trump critic --
VANCE: I'm definitely not going to vote for Trump because I think that he is projecting very complex problems onto simple villains.
ZELENY (voice-over): -- to ardent Trump loyalist.
VANCE: The president is right. I wasn't always nice, but the simple fact is, he is the best president of my lifetime and he revealed the corruption in this country like nobody else.
ZELENY (voice-over): An economic populist at home and an isolationist abroad, whose views are at odds with some Republican orthodoxy of old, but he is squarely in the mold of Trump.
VANCE: It ain't the death of the American First agenda.
(CROWD CHEERING)
ZELENY (voice-over): The ascension of Vance has been astonishingly swift, elected to the Senate less than two years ago with the help of Trump's endorsement.
DONALD TRUMP, (R) FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: J.D. Vance is your guy. He will do a tremendous job when you cast your vote.
(CROWD CHEERING)
ZELENY (voice-over): At 39, Vance is the first millennial on a major party's presidential ticket. Born in 1984, three months before Ronald Reagan was elected to a second term, Vance served in the Marines, graduated from Yale Law School, and rose to fame with the best-selling memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy," a book about his troubled upbringing on the edge of Appalachia.
VANCE: You can't do this without your family's support and especially my beautiful wife, Usha. Thank you so much for letting me do this (ph).
(CROWD CHEERING)
ZELENY (voice-over): His wife, Usha Vance will introduce him, giving the country a first look at her too. They met at Yale Law School, married a decade ago, and have three young children.
U. VANCE: I'm not raring to change anything about our lives right now, but I really -- I believe in J.D. and I really love him. And so, we'll just see what happens with her life.
ZELENY (voice-over): The daughter of Indian immigrants, she was raised near San Diego, a registered Democrat until 2014. She clerked for Chief Justice John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh before he joined the supreme court. Many Republican delegates here say they don't know much about him, but like what they see.
ZELENY: What do you think of J.D. Vance?
BARBARA CARLSON, MISSOURI DELEGATE TO THE RNC: I'm just really excited about him. I think he is a great choice. I think it is a younger look. I think it is somebody who can carry the torch. I think that he can carry this message when Donald Trump hands it over, J.D. Vance can take us the next eight years.
ZELENY (voice-over): Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Milwaukee.
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CHURCH: The Nasdaq is looking to rebound in the day ahead after its worst performance since December of 2022. The sell-off comes amid reports the Biden administration is considering plans to impose more sanctions on Chinese tech firms. But it was a landmark day for the Dow, which gained more than 0.5 percent to close above 41,000 for the first time. The Nasdaq lost nearly 3 percent. The S&P 500 was down about 1.4 percent.
The U.S. military is ending its temporary pier mission off Gaza's coast after just a little more than 20 days of operational use. A U.S. military official say the floating pier "has achieved its intended effect of increasing the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza." Now, aid will be brought in through the Israeli Port of Ashdod or through land crossings. The pier has been used to deliver more than 19 million pounds of aid into the Enclave since May, but was plagued with issues due to heavy seas and bad weather.
China's state news says 16 people are dead after a fire tore through a shopping mall on Wednesday. Smoke was seen billowing from the 14- storey building in central China. Initial reports say there were people trapped inside, but rescue operations are now over and everyone is out. State news reports that early indications are that the fire was caused by construction work.
A study by the World Wide Fund for Nature estimates the Mediterranean Sea is heavily polluted by plastic waste. Conservationists say the Mediterranean is particularly vulnerable to plastic pollution since it is semi-enclosed. CNN's Barbie Nadeau has more.
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BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): The Mediterranean Sea evokes dreams of luxurious vacations and total relaxation, but your perfect holiday comes at a price.
[02:55:00]
This seemingly idyllic sea is 87 percent polluted according to a new study by the World Wide Fund for Nature.
PIERLUIGI CAPOZZI, BUSINESS OWNER (through translator): I still see the young people without any problems throw plastic bottles into the sea, throw rubbish on the ground, leave the rubbish, abandon it everywhere, cigarettes, garbage.
NADEAU (voice-over): Under and often above the surface is a deadly cocktail of toxic metals, industrial chemicals, and plastic waste. This enormous body of water, which stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to Asia and from Europe to Africa, has the highest concentration of micro plastics ever recorded, about 1.9 million fragments per square meter experts say. NADEAU: The Mediterranean Sea is incredibly popular for beachgoers who come here to enjoy these crystal clear turquoise waters, but they're not exactly clean. Every single day, 730 tons of plastic waste are polluting these seas.
NADEAU (voice-over): 150 million people live on the shores of the heavily polluted Mediterranean and a further 270 million tourists visit each year. In 2019, water pollution was connected to about 1.4 million pre-mature deaths globally each year, according to "The Lancet" underscoring the risks involved with exposure to polluted water.
The fishing industry is also at risk since micro plastics and the toxic contaminants that attach to them are starting to show worrying health consequences for those who catch fish and those who consume it. Plastic is a forever pollutant according to climate crisis experts, meaning once it becomes invasive, it is here to stay. For now, holiday makers who enjoy this peaceful paradise hope others will do their part to stop spreading the scourge.
FRANCESCO PACELL, TOURIST (through translator): It is so important to keep the beach, the water clean. It is more beautiful. In my opinion, it is very important, especially for fish, animals, with all the plastic that floats around.
NADEAU (voice-over): If humans don't do their part to stop the pollution, the dream Mediterranean vacation will soon turn into a nightmare.
Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, reporting from the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Italy.
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CHURCH: And I'm Rosemary Church. I'll be back with more "CNN Newsroom" in just a moment. Do stay with us.
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