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President Biden Explains Decision to End Campaign; Benjamin Netanyahu Addressed Joint Session of U.S. Congress; Typhoon Gaemi Leaves Trail of Death and Destruction; Maduro and Opposition Candidate to Wrap Up Campaign Rallies; Biden Delivers Oval Office Address on Withdrawing from Race; Harris Campaign Memo Lays Out Path to Victory; Trump Attacks Harris as 'Radical Liberal'; Tips for Being a Tourist in Paris. Aired 12-12:45a ET
Aired July 25, 2024 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Nothing, nothing can come in a way of saving our democracy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: U.S. president Joe Biden tells the nation he ended his bid for a second term to save American democracy from Donald Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: When we stand together something very simple happens. We win. They lose.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: The Israeli prime minister addresses the U.S. Congress, pleading for American support to defeat Iran, and its axis of terror.
Typhoon Gaemi makes the loop-the-loop, and wallops Taiwan twice. The now deadly storm just hours away from mainland China.
ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with John Vause.
VAUSE: The oldest president in U.S. history, Joe Biden, has made the first, what will likely be many farewells. In a primetime address from the Oval Office, Mr. Biden said serving as president had been the privilege of his life.
He never mentioned his Republican opponent Donald Trump by name but implied the Republican nominee was a threat to American democracy and defeating Trump was more important than his own personal ambition, which is why he ended his bid for a second term and said the time was right to hand leadership to a younger generation and end the deep divisions within the Democrat Party.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: You know, in recent weeks it has become clear to me I need to unite my party in this critical endeavor. I believe my record as president, my leadership in the world, my vision for America's future, all merit a second term. But nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition.
So I decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. That's the best way to unite our nation.
Great thing about America is here kings and dictators do not rule. That people do. History is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of America lies in your hands. You just have to keep faith, keep the faith. And remember who we are. We are the United States of America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: This was perhaps the most important speech President Biden never wanted to make. It was heartfelt at times. He also voiced his unwavering support for his chosen successor, Vice President Kamala Harris, saying she is tough, experienced, and capable.
His speech came just weeks after a disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump and after a weekend self-isolation because of COVID. The president released a letter to America Sunday announcing an end to his campaign. A White House adviser says the public remarks from the Oval Office was scheduled for Wednesday, allowing the president's voice more time to recover.
Allan Lichtman is a presidential historian and distinguished professor of history at American University. He joins us this hour from Los Angeles.
Thank you for being with us.
ALLAN LICHTMAN, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: My pleasure.
VAUSE: So the president packed a lot into just, what, 11 minutes. He explained why he was ending his bid for a second term, his plans for the remaining months in office. So in the bigger picture here, where does this moment and this national address by President Biden fit within the context of U.S. presidential history?
LICHTMAN: This is absolutely extraordinary. We have never before seen a sitting president who was also voted as the nominee of the party by 87 percent of Democratic primary voters, being openly trashed by members of his own party, right out there in public. It was a very sad spectacle. And now we've seen something else that we've never seen before. The presumptive nominee and the sitting president withdrawing at the 11th hour just prior to the party convention, and handing off the nomination to his vice president.
VAUSE: There were some heartfelt moments, as you say, during this speech by -- all addressed by President Biden. Here's one of them. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: I've given my heart and my soul to our nation like so many others. I've been blessed million times in return with the love and support of the American people.
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The great thing about America is here kings and dictators do not rule. That people do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: As to that last part, Biden never mentioned Donald Trump by name, but there does seem to be a very clear contrast between the 45th president who lost but refused to go, and the 46th president who won but stepped down for a greater good.
LICHTMAN: The contrast could not be clearer. First of all, Biden is, in pointing out he's not just been the president for the past three and a half years, but he has devoted his entire life of so many decades to service to the country. And by passing on the baton to Harris, he's actually continuing, not repudiating that service. And clearly without being explicit about it, which is totally unlike Donald Trump who rants and raves, he is drawing a contrast between Donald Trump who has no respect for American institutions and American democracy, and is not a selfless public servant, but someone who is in it for himself.
VAUSE: And in March of 1968, though, the 36th president of the United States, LBJ, also addressed the nation from the Oval Office. Here's part of what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LYNDON B. JOHNSON, FORMER UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: Accordingly, I shall not seek and I will not accept the nomination of my party for another term as your president.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: You know, Lyndon Johnson spoke about 40 minutes and then added that last line, which at the time, you know, was a shock to the nation, but there are -- what are the similarities here between 2024 and 1968?
LICHTMAN: You know, I remember being utterly shocked by that announcement watching it way back in 1968. But here's the difference. Lyndon Johnson, when he stepped down, there was no orderly transition. In fact, there was a real brawl within the Democratic Party, marked of course by the great tragedy of the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy and when the explosion of social unrest at the Democratic convention of 1968.
And the result was the nation got Richard Nixon, who prolonged the war in Vietnam for five years, and almost killed off our democracy. If the current Supreme Court immunity decision had been in effect in the 1970s, our democracy may have died back then.
VAUSE: And just very quickly, we're out of time, but are you willing to make one of your famous predictions about the outcome? Because you've got it right, you know, in the last 40 years apparently. You know, or it's a good track record. For 2024 a prediction perhaps? Harris or Trump?
LICHTMAN: I said I will not make a final prediction until after the Democratic convention, but Democrats, a lot would have to lose for them to suffer defeat. On my key system, it takes six keys to count out the White House party. The Democrats are only done some three, and there are only four questionable keys. Third party, social unrest, foreign-slash-military failure and success. Three of those four keys would have to fall to predict a Democratic defeat. Possible, but not highly likely.
So I haven't changed what I've been saying for many, many months that a lot would have to go wrong. It could, but a lot would have to go wrong for the Democrats to lose this election.
VAUSE: Allan Lichtman, thank you. Appreciate your time.
LICHTMAN: My great pleasure. Take care.
VAUSE: For the fourth time, the Israeli prime minister has addressed a Joint Session of U.S. Congress more than any other foreign leader. And for almost an hour, he focused on the threat from Iran, he talked about total victory over Hamas in Gaza, but made very little mention of Israeli and American hostages still being held in Gaza by the militant group Hamas.
Benjamin Netanyahu also falsely downplayed and deflected the role his government has played in causing widespread civilian casualties and suffering in Gaza. He also criticized the International Criminal Court, which has a warrant out for his arrest for war crimes, alleging that Israel is starving Palestinians. Netanyahu suggested accusations of genocide by the court were antisemitic.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NETANYAHU: The ICC is trying to shackle Israel's hands and prevent us from defending ourselves. And if Israel's hands are tied, America is next. And I'll tell you what else is next. The ability of all democracies to fight terrorism will be imperiled. That's what's on the line. So let me assure you, the hands of the Jewish state will never be shackled. Israel will always defend itself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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VAUSE: The Israeli prime minister also disparaged protesters opposed to the war, calling them Iran's useful idiots. After his speech, protest erupted near Union Station, the main rail station in the U.S. Capitol. Some burned flags and effigies of Netanyahu and a pro-Hamas slogan was spray-painted on a monument.
The White House called the scenes disgraceful. Nine people were arrested and the Secret Service is investigating reports that protesters gained access to the hotel where Netanyahu is staying, the Watergate, then released bugs and pulled fire alarms. Among the bugs were maggots.
CNN's Jeremy Diamond has more on the prime minister's speech. He reports in now from Tel Aviv.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Israeli prime minister certainly struck a bipartisan tone, as he sought to shore up support for Israel during his remarks to Congress. The Israeli prime minister thanking both President Biden as well as former president Trump for their support for Israel. He also sought to kind of bring the U.S. into Israel's war against Hamas, saying, our enemies are your enemies, our fight is your fight, especially as he sought to broaden Israel's war against Hamas as a battle against Iran at the end of the day.
And the Israeli prime minister, as he was trying to do all of this, he was also defending Israeli military conduct in Gaza, and he was doing so not always by sticking to the facts. The Israeli prime minister at one point tried to claim that there were practically no casualties, no civilian casualties during the Israeli military campaign in Rafah. That's simply not true. I can think of several strikes in Rafah that did indeed results in civilian casualties.
He also tried to portray overall the Israeli military's fight in Gaza as one that has among the lowest civilian casualty rates in the world, citing -- the one expert that he cited on this issue, a man named John Spencer at West Point, who is a total outlier as it relates to this issue. The majority of experts on this issue including former U.S. generals say that the way the Israeli military is fighting in Gaza, the extent to which it is minimizing civilian casualties is nowhere close to what the United States has done in multiple conflicts around the world, including conflicts were the U.S. itself has acknowledged that it simply did not do as well as it could have in terms of defending civilians.
Now overall, the Israeli prime minister addressed a number of different audiences in this speech. He made nods to the families of the hostages, to a former hostage, Noa Argamani, who was in attendance at his speech, vowing to bring all of the hostages home. He also vowed to destroy Hamas, and it was clear that despite that nod to the hostages, it was that issue of continuing to fight in Gaza until victory that kept on coming up again and again.
The Israeli prime minister vowing we will fight until we achieve victory. And what he's certainly didn't do was say that he is on the verge of reaching a ceasefire agreement and that's very notable because his focus, his emphasis on victory, on fighting until victory certainly doesn't sound like a man who is on the verge of signing a ceasefire agreement. Now it's possible, of course, that he could be trying to mollify his right-wing allies, his right-wing base in Israel before taking that step. But it's also possible that as we have wondered over the course of the
last couple of weeks, whether or not the Israeli prime minister is actually committed to a ceasefire deal that perhaps he does not intend to sign a deal at all. We do know, though, that an Israeli delegation is set to depart to meet with the mediators and submit Israel's latest response. That trip, however, has been delayed.
It was expected to happen on Thursday. It now likely won't happen until Sunday after the Israeli prime minister first meets with President Biden on Thursday.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: To Washington now and CNN global affairs analyst Kim Dozier.
So good to see you, Kim. Thank you for being with us.
KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Good to be here.
VAUSE: So the criticism in part seems to me that Netanyahu barely mentioned the hostages being held in Gaza during this address. Instead, he focused on all-out victory and total defeat of Hamas, and gave every indication he's not ready to sign on to a ceasefire deal with Hamas. So how does that now play into this meeting he has with President Biden on Thursday?
DOZIER: Yes. His only mention of the hostages was to point out a hostage family that had flown with him to Washington, D.C. But beyond that, he didn't sound like a man ready to negotiate. However, a White House official briefed several reporters this afternoon and told us that Biden and Netanyahu will be talking about some of the final aspects of this hostage deal, that the framework is agreed, that it's in place but that some implementation details have to be decided and that they need some give-and-take, both from Israel and Hamas.
[00:15:05]
All of that said, Netanyahu doesn't sound like a man in the mood to agree to anything with Hamas and he's taken some grief (PH) back home from politicians for that as well as from the hostage families. Is it say one thing in public and do another thing in private? Not sure.
VAUSE: Yes, that's the question. How much of this is to appease the right-wing of his coalition? How much is actually genuine and true?
The families of the hostages, though, some of them at least, and other protesters gathered outside the Capitol Wednesday. Here's what the father of one hostage told CNN about Netanyahu's address to Congress.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're coming here to the U.S. You're coming here to speak in Congress. Don't think we'll say, wow, Netanyahu is speaking in Congress, he's a very important man. Well, we don't care about it. We want him to sign a deal. That's all we want. Sign a deal and go to hell.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: It's a very typically Israeli in many ways. And does that reflect how most Israelis are feeling right now about the prime minister?
DOZIER: Just about every major poll in Israel shows that about 70 percent of the country wants Netanyahu to resign. Many Israelis believed that Netanyahu has extended the length of the war, drawn it out so that he could get more Hamas leaders killed, and thereby claim some sort of victory and save his own political future.
That is why many accused him of making this trip to Washington to prop up his own political image, and that this is playing as much to the Israeli audience back home saying, you know, look, I'm taken seriously by our major ally. I can get all of these congressmen to stand up and applaud. Israeli hostage families say we've seen this show before, just get our people home, stop drawing this out.
VAUSE: And then he also spent some time painting this picture of Israel as a bulwark against Iran, which was defending the United States and other allies. And he described the conflict in very stark terms. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NETANYAHU: In the Middle East, Iran's axis of terror confronts America, Israel, and our Arab friends. This is not a clash of civilizations. It's a clash between barbarism and civilization.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Many might take issue with that coming from a man who's been indicted by the ICC for war crimes for a war in Gaza, which is like almost 40,000 civilians dead.
DOZIER: You know, that is an argument that Netanyahu successfully used to argue in favor of the Abraham Accords under the Trump administration and it worked, that Israel would unite with a number of Arab nations against a rising Iran but after Israel's response to October 7th, Arab officials that I'm speaking to say, look, we could do that before when the Palestinian cause was just about forgotten about across the Arab world.
But right now, Arab youth, Muslim youth, this is the first thing on their minds. We are not going to be making any sort of peace with Israel and Netanyahu, if he thinks we are, hasn't understood how things have changed.
VAUSE: And this is Netanyahu's fourth address to the U.S. Congress, more than any other foreign leader, more than Churchill. In a tweet, former House speaker Nancy Pelosi said it was by far the worst presentation of any foreign dignitary invited and honored with the privilege of addressing the Congress of the United States. A lot of Democrat lawmakers boycotted in protests over the war in Gaza
and while U.S. support for Israel remains strong, it seems the same cannot be said for Israel's longest-serving prime minister.
DOZIER: Well, what is going on is that the Democrats have asked the White House and the White House has asked Netanyahu time and time again, make your attacks more precise if you feel like you've got to attack certain targets. Get more aid in. And time and time again, they feel like Netanyahu has paid lip service to that and that there's still this carnage, still an unacceptable number of civilian deaths inside Palestinian territory.
And hey, the Israeli Knesset just voted against ever agreeing to any sort of Palestinian state. This is not what Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic Party, want to hear, especially going into a tough election where the left, even the center part of the Democratic Party, is very upset that the Biden administration has continued to arm Israel. So Pelosi had to send a strong message. You know, we know what you're doing, including what we asked you to do behind closed doors, and you just went ahead and kept on smashing things and killing people.
VAUSE: Yes. It is notable that most of those standing those -- the clapping and the applause were Republicans.
[00:20:00]
Kim Dozier, thanks so much for being with us. Good to see you.
DOZIER: Thank you.
VAUSE: Still to come on CNN, after battering Taiwan and the Philippines, Typhoon Gaemi is heading towards mainland China. The very latest on the storm's path in a moment. Also, many in Venezuela seemed to have had enough of Nicholas Maduro saying if he's reelected Sunday, they're packing their bags and leaving the country.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: At least two people in Taiwan and 13 in the Philippines have been killed after Typhoon Gaemi swept through the region. Hundreds more are injured and forecasters will have stunned by Gaemi's unusual path, a loop-the-loop which meant the storm made landfall twice on Taiwan with strong winds and powerful rain.
CNN's Marc Stewart joins us now from Beijing.
And Marc, we know that Southern China is now next in the path here just a few hours away in the area there, which it's heading to is already sort of soaked with rain.
MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There is a lot of concern here in China, John, because of so much flooding that we have seen in recent weeks and even though this typhoon is likely to lose some of its gusto for lack of a better word as it approaches China, what we have seen so far in Taiwan, but in particular in the Philippines is very concerning. Right away I want to go to some video that we he have from the
Philippines. The storm, the typhoon did not necessarily hit the Philippines. It kind of went by it, but the bands of rain and the wind have created so much damage and I wanted to show you some of the images our teams here in Asia have been collecting. The water in some places so high that it's up to people's necks. I saw a picture of a bus that was, you know, well underwater as emergency crews kind of surrounded it.
We've seen a lot of people in boats, a lot of rescues taking place. One, of a child I saw earlier really caught my breath. Of course they, the rescuers themselves are wearing protective gear because this is just that dangerous of a situation hitting Manila, which of course is the major city in the Philippines. Schools and government offices have been close. Flights have been canceled. Everyday life has been disrupted.
And in fact, we're hearing from the president of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Junior. He said on Wednesday that he's called hold on national agencies to provide swift assistance to help all those affected by the typhoon, by these bands of the typhoon.
I also want to focus on Taiwan because the damage there is also significant. Interesting to note that the mountainous terrain in Taiwan kind of caused the storm to take a different path, but it also caused some parts of Taiwan that were not anticipating such heavy rain and wind from dealing with it for many more hours.
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As far as here in China, it is raining. Not related to the typhoon, but there is concern that any additional rainfall will cause problems to what's already been a summer of extreme weather -- John.
VAUSE: Marc, thank you. Marc Stewart, live for us in Beijing with the very latest. Appreciate it.
Ukraine again saying it's ready for peace talks with Russia. During a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Ukraine's foreign minister added only if Moscow is willing to negotiate in good faith. He did stress, however, Moscow has shown no willingness to talk so far. Last week, though, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested for the first time Kyiv would be willing to negotiate.
Russia continues to claim it remains open to talks, but needs to know more about conditions set by Ukraine.
Ahead of Sunday's presidential elections in Venezuela, President Nicholas Maduro and opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez are holding rallies on Thursday, the last day of campaigning. Mr. Maduro has said that if he is not reelected, Venezuela might face a bloodbath. Many Venezuelans say if he stays in power, they'll leave the country, possibly triggering a new wave of migration.
More now from Stefano Pozzebon.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: It's election time in Venezuela. Newsy, flyers, and some crucial explanations.
This is the voting card for this Sunday. You can see there are 12 faces of Maduro, three of the opposition, so they feel that they really need to explain to everybody which person to cross on. Look at these. One, two, three, four, five, six seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, 12, 13 Maduros.
These opposition voters showing a new resolve to take on the Venezuelan strongman.
Aren't you worried about Maduro yesterday saying that it's going to be a bloodbath if he lost?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not a left-wing and the right-wing issue. No. This the federalship government and democracy and freedom.
POZZEBON: But behind the determination, there's also fear.
My plan B is to prepare my bags and leave. I can't keep losing my future here.
Experts are warning of a new migration wave if Maduro wins this Sunday's election, something these supporters are all too aware of.
Who of you has family living abroad?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Colombia.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dominican Republic.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Argentina.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Italia.
POZZEBON: Almost eight million Venezuelans have left the country since Maduro came to power in 2013. Among them, the grandchildren of the opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez.
EDMUNDO GONZALEZ, OPPOSITION PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is a drama that we have, Venezuelans. Eight million Venezuelans abroad with families separated and asking for better life. That's something that we have to find a solution for it immediately.
POZZEBON: On the campaign trail, Maduro has also urged migrants to return home. But not many are listening. Venezuelans were the second largest group at the U.S. southern border last year with migration a central issue in the U.S. election in November.
This is one such family. While Amber Llanes still lives in Venezuela, her uncle moved to Miami. One of the options if Sunday we don't win is to go stay with him, she
tells me. Even if it meant walking all the way to America. Her uncle says that nobody wishes to leave their home but he's thankful for the new life he had built in the U.S.. although it meant not seeing his relatives for four years.
Two sides of the same family separated for now with a firm desire to hug each other again here or elsewhere.
Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, Maracay.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: When we come back, as the Harris campaign quickly ramps up, a close look at how the U.S. vice president plans to win other crucial swing voters. More on that in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: An 11-minute televised address from the Oval Office, an unprecedented moment in U.S. history, with President Joe Biden explaining, in part, why he ended his bid for a second term.
[00:31:50]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Nothing -- nothing -- can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition.
So, I decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. That's the best way to unite our nation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Biden's decision to step aside came after fellow Democrats convinced him that, after a disastrous debate performance, his chances of defeating Republican Donald Trump were bleak.
But the president says he'll keep working for Americans for the rest of his term, expanding on familiar themes from his now-over campaign. While he did not mention Donald Trump by name, he referred to what he believes is the existential threat the Republican candidate poses to the U.S.
The president concluded by reiterating his endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris, and his successor, and with a call to action.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: The great thing about America is, here, kings and dictators do not rule. The people do. History is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of America lies in your hands. You just have to keep faith. Keep the faith.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: The Harris campaign continues to vet potential running mates, making the case in a memo that the shift in the 2024 race has created an expanded universe of swing voters.
A new CNN poll shows Kamala Harris has the support of 46 percent of registered voters in a hypothetical matchup. That's less than Donald Trump's 49 percent. That would be less than -- by 3 percent. But that's within the poll's margin of error.
Harris is looking to close that gap. CNN's Eva McKend has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
EVA MCKEND, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kamala Harris pressing forward, now that she's the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When I am president of the United States.
MCKEND (voice-over): Addressing the historically black sorority Zeta Phi Beta in Indianapolis, focusing on winning over women of color.
HARRIS: With your support, I am fighting for our nation's future.
MCKEND (voice-over): And praising her former running mate, President Joe Biden.
HARRIS: He cares about the future. He thinks about the future.
MCKEND (voice-over): Attendees here in Indianapolis say Harris is the right choice.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's been tried and tested. She's served as vice president. She's had a political career. She was a senator. She was an attorney general in California.
MCKEND (voice-over): The vice president's outreach today follows a speech to her own Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority convention two weeks ago. More than 1,500 or her sisters are now sending support to the Harris campaign in the amount of $19.08, in honor of the founding year of their sorority.
HARRIS: These extremists want to take us back, but we are not going back.
MCKEND (voice-over): The Harris campaign also outlining their strategy in a memo today, sharing what they see as their electoral path to victory over Donald Trump.
HARRIS: The path to the White House goes through Wisconsin.
MCKEND (voice-over): Saying they will, quote, "play offense" in the Blue Wall states of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania that Biden was able to flip in 2020, and the Sun Belt states of North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada, where the campaign argues the vice president's advantages with young voters, black voters, and Latino voters offer multiple pathways to 270 electoral votes.
HARRIS: We have an election to win!
MCKEND (voice-over): A new CNN survey of previous poll respondents shows Harris improving on Biden's performance among crucial voting blocs, seen as trouble spots for the president, including women, younger voters, black voters, and Hispanic voters.
Those groups, critical to Biden's victory in 2020, and now Harris's chances in November.
MCKEND: And the vice president not only running a race defined by opposition to Trump, she's also touting the administration's record: capping the cost of insulin at $35, passing the child tax credit, addressing student loans, among other policy issues.
Eva McKend, CNN, Indianapolis.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Meantime, at a campaign rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, Donald Trump shifted his attacks to Kamala Harris accusing her of being a dangerous radical.
CNN's Kristen Holmes was there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Former President Donald Trump wasting no time going after Kamala Harris at that North Carolina rally, at one point calling her Lying Kamala Harris, tearing into her record on immigration and really working to paint her as a radical liberal and sometimes as the mastermind behind some of Biden's policy.
Take a listen to just some of what he said.
DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I was supposed to be nice. They say something happened to me when I got shot; I became nice.
They're very dangerous people. When you're dealing with them, you can't be too nice. You really can't be. So, if you don't mind, I'm not going to be nice. Is that OK?
This November, the American people are going to tell her, No thanks, Kamala. You've done a terrible job. You've been terrible at everything you've done. You're ultra-liberal, and we don't want you here. We don't want you anywhere. Kamala, you're fired. Get out of here.
HOLMES: At one point, Trump mocked Harris's attempted to define this race as that between a former prosecutor and a convicted felon, saying he doesn't think that people buy that.
Kristen Holmes, CNN, Charlotte, North Carolina. (END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: So, millions descending on Paris for the Olympic Games. In a moment, we'll tell you how visitors can avoid making those typical tourist mistakes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Well, 15 million tourists are expected to descend on Paris for the summer Olympics.
So now some pointers on how to avoid being a tourist cliche and maybe blend in a little with the locals.
CNN's Saskya Vandoorne has some advice.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN SENIOR FIELD PRODUCER (voice-over): Ahh, Paris. Millions of people flock here every year for the culture, couture, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
How do you avoid being a cliche?
Well, this summer, the Olympics are coming to town --
VANDOORNE (voice-over): -- and in a city that's 7.5 times smaller than New York --
VANDOORNE: -- trust me, it's easy to spot a tourist.
There are a few simple ways to navigate Paris like a local. I'll be your guide. Suivez-moi.
GRAPHIC: 1. Food and Drink
VANDOORNE: A classic faux pas: asking for alternative milk with your coffee. (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
GRAPHIC: Almond milk, please?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
GRAPHIC: Sorry, Madam. I don't have almond milk here.
VANDOORNE: Short (ph) and black, that's the traditional way.
Craving a baguette? What you really want to order at a boulangerie is --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: La tradition.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: La tradition.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
GRAPHIC: Tradition bread every day. Tradition, tradition.
GRAPHIC: II. Travel
VANDOORNE: Those in the know will avoid traveling by car. Paris traffic is notoriously chaotic.
Use a valine, the city's public bike-sharing service. They're pretty much everywhere, and cycle lanes are plentiful.
The city's metros are often super congested and, in the summer, unbearably hot. Try walking instead.
In Paris, it's easy to get distracted, but beware of pickpockets. Don't keep your phone in your back pocket and do keep an eye on your belongings.
If you're lucky enough to be here for the games, the first thing to know is that tourist sites like these have been turned into Olympic venues, so it's probably best to avoid them.
Places like Trocadero, near the Eiffel Tower, right here at Place de la Concorde, Metro stations will be closed, and areas will be shut off to the public.
Make sure you know how to pronounce the event venues properly. This place is called Les Invalides. It's a former military hospital. It's pronounced "ahn-vah-leed."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Les Invalides.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Les Invalides.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Invalides.
VANDOORNE: Not "Invalids."
And lastly, know how to refer to the Olympic Games like a local: Les J-O., short for Jeux Olympiques.
A lot of young people live in the East. That's the cool hipster area, great for a glass of wine on a terrace or some nightlife.
The French capital skyline is a familiar sight, and the Eiffel Tower might be its most famous icon. Try one of its many rooftops instead. That way you're only a stone's throw away from some of these other standing landmarks.
Sante.
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VAUSE: A quick programming note. Be sure to watch our special one-hour program "Aiming for Gold." This Friday, 7 p.m. Paris time, 1 p.m. Eastern in the U.S.
We'll have correspondents on the ground in Paris. We will bring you the sights and sounds of the Olympics opening ceremony.
John Vause, back with more CNN NEWSROOM at the top of the hour. In the meantime, WORLD SPORT is up after a very short break. See you back here in about 17 minutes.
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