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CNN International: Harris Picks Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz To Be Running Mate; Trump Campaign Slams Harris's Choice Of Walz As Running Mate; First Comments From J.D. Vance After Tim Walz Picked As Running Mate. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired August 06, 2024 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:00]

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ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

AMARA WALKER, HOST, "CNN NEWSROOM": Hi everyone. Welcome to our viewers from all around the world. I'm Amara Walker.

Let's get straight to our breaking news this hour, and we begin with breaking news on the brand new Democratic presidential ticket. Vice President Kamala Harris has chosen Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate. A source tells CNN, Walz was a staff favorite of the Harris campaign, and people familiar with the search process say Harris became increasingly comfortable with Walz over the last few days. Walz is a former congressman, teacher and commander in the Army National Guard. He is expected to make his debut as Harris' running mate alongside her at a rally in Philadelphia in just a few hours from now.

Let's turn to Senior White House Reporter Kevin Liptak in Washington. Tell us the why behind this pick?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah. Well, I think officially what you're seeing, the Harris campaign is really pointing to Walz's biography as an example of his appeal to white working class voters who have been increasingly turning to Donald Trump over the last several elections, really trying to put him in that place. And it's clear that they do hope that he can help peel those voters back for Kamala Harris in November, and I think when you talk to advisors, that is one of the top reasons that he was her ultimate selection.

Minnesota doesn't necessarily present a huge win for them electorally. Democrats have won there dating back decades. Instead, I think the hope is that the type of voter that he can appeal to, it stretches across states, from Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, really trying to bolster the electoral map in a way that can help them win.

The other big factor when you're talking to Harris advisors is this idea of chemistry, and they were able to meet in person on Sunday here in Washington at her home. They went and talked for an interview, and what you hear is that they really were able to click. There was a vibe that was just good in that meeting. They didn't necessarily know each other all that well heading into it. But, Kamala Harris was able to determine just from those talks that she was going to find someone who she could serve with, who she, for example, would want to have lunch with once a week if she wins office, that this is someone who she can serve alongside effectively for four, potentially eight years as Vice President, and that was an incredibly important thing as she was making her decision.

Now, the task for the Harris campaign will be introducing him to the American people. He does not have a huge national profile heading into this campaign. That will start tonight in Philadelphia during this joint campaign appearance. We have seen them already put out a TikTok video trying to underscore some of these biographical aspects of Tim Walz's background. For example, he was a teacher. He taught high school social studies and geography. He was the high school football coach. He was also the advisor to the high school Gay Straight Alliance. These are all aspects that I think the Harris campaign wants to emphasize to demonstrate that this is not a career politician by any means, and that he has this appeal that makes him sort of in every man.

There is a certain salt of the earth aspects to him that they really do hope can contrast, for example, with J.D. Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee, but also appeal to a much broader range of Americans than Harris would be able to appeal to on her own. And so, what you'll see over the next several days is Harris and Walz hitting battleground states on this barnstorming tour. They'll be in the Upper Midwest, where he is from, in Wisconsin and Michigan. They'll hit the Sun Belt, Phoenix, Arizona, and Las Vegas, Nevada, all trying to sort of ramp up excitement and continue this streak of momentum that she has been enjoying since she became the Democratic standard bearer about two weeks ago.

WALKER: And Kevin, what about the reaction, at least amongst Democrats? Was there an element of surprise here, given that the other top choice, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, comes from the critical, critical battleground state of Pennsylvania, and what have we heard from him?

[11:05:00]

LIPTAK: Yeah. I think it has been somewhat of a surprise to many Democrats, just given how essential Pennsylvania is to any electoral strategy. It is a real linchpin for Democrats. Kamala Harris, if she is to win November, will really need to win Pennsylvania. I think the hope and the expectation is that Tim Walz will help her do that. Certainly, Josh Shapiro would have been helpful on that front. But, I think this idea of chemistry was more readily apparent to Harris' advisors when it came to Tim Walz than it was with Josh Shapiro.

Now, Shapiro has been conciliatory, certainly. He says he will continue to try and elect Harris to become President. He will be at that rally this evening in Philadelphia. So, certainly, no sore feelings publicly. But, I think it will be an open question and something that we'll try and report out over the next hours and days, is why exactly Shapiro didn't make the cut. There have been some Democrats, for example, the fellow Pennsylvanian, John Fetterman, who were trying to make the point to the Harris campaign that Josh Shapiro was a very ambitious politician, and he had questioned whether Shapiro would be willing and able to serve in a role that is secondary by its nature.

I think if you talk to Shapiro and his supporters, certainly he would have been able to do that. But, that was a question that some Democrats had heading into this contest. I think with Walz, she found someone who very clearly be able to act in her shadow. That is the nature of the Vice President, the nature of the running mate, and I don't think that there are any questions in the Harris campaign today that he will be able to effectively promote her and boost her in that vice presidential role.

WALKER: All right. Kevin Liptak, really appreciate your reporting. Thank you very much.

Let's bring in our panel now. Maria Cardona is a Democratic Strategist and CNN Political Commentator. Meghan Hays is a DNC Convention Consultant and a former Special Assistant to President Joe Biden. Ladies, welcome to you both.

Maria, let's start with you. What do you think of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz being on the ticket?

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, & DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: I love it. I just got to know Governor Walz, because we both serve on the Democratic National Convention Rules and Bylaws Committee. He is one of the co-chairs. And when we had our very first meeting, Amara, I looked at the Zoom looking for a governor. I didn't see anyone who looked like a governor. I'm like, well, where is he? And he started talking. And there was this guy in a car, and he had a baseball hat on and a t-shirt, and he is like, Hey, Maria, and it was like I was talking to my next door neighbor that I've known all my life. It was really that connection. I could feel it even over Zoom.

So, I totally understand what the Vice President means when you hear that she made this choice based -- obviously based on biography and accomplishment. No question. All of the candidates had that, but that at the end of the day, it comes down to that chemistry, that connection, that gut feeling at her core, with her intuition, if you will, in terms of who is going to be the best governing partner and who is going to have her back every step of the way, no matter what. And I think that Governor Walz checked all those boxes, plus he is a fierce warrior. He is a happy warrior. He can speak to all of those voters across the Midwest that Vice President Kamala Harris knows she needs to appeal to.

WALKER: So, the Walz decision was clearly not based on the electoral map. As you say, he has a compelling biography, and that's why he was chosen, along with the chemistry that he has with the Vice President. But, the bottom line is, Meghan, Minnesota is not a swing state. It's been reliably Democratic. It's voted in presidential elections democratically for the Democrats for the last 50 years or so. Is this a risky choice? MEGHAN HAYS, FORMER SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT BIDEN: No. I don't

think so. Look, when Barack Obama picked Joe Biden, Delaware wasn't a swing state either, right? This is about the character of the person and the character in his biography, and what he brings to the table. He is able to talk to Midwesterners. He is able to talk to folks in those blue states. He is able to talk to folks and working families. He was a schoolteacher for two decades. He was a member of Congress. He was enlisted in the military. Like, he has a record and a biography, and is the type of person and the character that resonates with the American people, and will be able to understand what they're going through, understand their issues, understand their economic issues, and be able to resonate -- will resonate with folks like that.

He is down to earth. We saw that in the last couple of weeks with the weird comment and in the way he has done his TikTok, and he is on TV right now with his t-shirt and a hat on, and he is just -- he is an everyday American that will really resonate with everyday people who are just out there trying to feed their families and get their kids to school and live a great life.

WALKER: I'm wondering, how this contrast is going to look between J.D. Vance and Tim Walz.

[11:10:00]

I do want to play some sound from just last week during this White Dudes for Harris' Zoom fundraiser where we heard the governor talk about -- OK. Never mind. We actually have live pictures here. You can see. I think this is outside the Minnesota Governor Tim Walz's home, Tim Walz's home, and you can see the motorcade leaving there. Obviously, he -- or this is outside the Vice President's residence. What are we looking at, guys? This looks like Minnesota to me. OK. So, he will obviously -- the Governor Tim Walz will be joining Vice President Harris at the rally in Philadelphia, which begins in a few hours from now.

Let's go back to the soundbite I wanted to play, ladies, from this White Dudes for Harris' Zoom fundraiser, where we heard from Tim Walz basically bashing J.D. Vance and his supposed small town values. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIM WALZ, MINNESOTA GOVERNOR: There is one golden rule in the small town, those of you under from small a town, mind your own damn business. We don't need it. I don't know who is asking for this crazy stuff that they're pushing. Who is asking to ban birth control? Who is asking to raise the price of insulin? I'm a Legion club member, and none of the dudes there are asking to cut veterans' benefits like --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: I love how he just uses words like dudes and such. I mean, how is he going to serve as a contrast to J.D. Vance, especially since Walz is a Midwestern governor? That's to you, Maria. CARDONA: I think he will be able to make that contrast super sharp,

because one of the other things that he talks about when he addresses somebody like J.D. Vance is how false he is, is what a phony he is, because J.D. Vance also likes to talk about how he is from a small town in Ohio, etcetera, etcetera, but he is a venture capitalist. And so, he along with Donald Trump, who, as Governor Walz puts it very well, a robber baron, how can those two together ever really understand what working families go through? How can they two together, what they're about -- what they're doing now? They have never been about public service. They have never been about trying to make other people's lives better. They are in it for themselves, both of them.

And I think that that is an argument that Governor Walz can make. He talks about how he grew up in a town of 400 people, how his graduating class in high school was 24 people, 12 of whom were his cousins. And so, as somebody who is a veteran, he is a gun owner, but he fights for middle class families, working class families. He fights for paid leave. He fights for $35 insulin. He fights for the $2,000 prescription cap for seniors.

Every single policy that Kamala Harris and the Biden administration have fought for is something that Governor Walz has been able to deliver to Minnesotans. And so, that is something I think he will be able to make a sharp contrast on, and at the end of the day, I think the vast majority of American people are going to agree, this is a team, Kamala Harris and Governor Walz, is a team that's going to fight for me and my families.

WALKER: The Trump campaign is already labeling Walz as more dangerously liberal than Harris, Meghan. Regarding his policy stances, when it comes to abortion, as we know, he signed into law the right to abortion. He enshrined it into law last year. But, his stance is on abortion and gun control. Tell us more about it, and will that serve as an asset or a liability?

HAYS: Well, it absolutely will be an asset. And just to double down on what Maria was saying about a contrast to J.D. Vance, he actually has a record to run on. He actually has things that he has accomplished for the people in Minnesota to run on. He got kids fed for high school. He is -- the abortion law that you were just speaking on. These are actual things that people care about and have actually made their lives better, and that is something that he can run on and be a value to this ticket.

WALKER: All right. Meghan Hays and Maria Cardona, thank you both for joining me. Appreciate the conversation.

CARDONA: Thanks, Amara.

WALKER: So, as we were saying -- thank you. As we were saying, the Trump campaign is already reacting to the new Harris-Walz ticket. CNN's Kristen Holmes has more of that from Philadelphia. We were just talking about how the Trump campaign is already labeling Walz as being dangerously liberal. KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. And I actually will tell you that just moments before CNN broke the story that Tim Walz had been chosen to be Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate, I was told by a campaign advisor that they hoped that it was Walz over Governor Shapiro, that they had an enormous amount of research when it came to Walz, and they believe that it tied into their messaging on Vice President Kamala Harris.

I will remind you that we have heard Donald Trump and his entire campaign say over and over again that she is quote, unquote, 'radically liberal'. They believe, because Walz has been tied to progressives, that he has become a progressive favorite, that it makes it easier for them to paint this narrative that this is the most liberal ticket in modern history. And I do want to tell you one thing here from the statement they wrote, and this is the reason I'm reading this portion in particular.

[11:15:00]

It goes to the fact of what we have heard from a number of people who know Tim Walz, who described him as folksy, who have said because he was the governor of Minnesota that he has been able to reach out to independents. Clearly, in this statement, there is a portion of it that addressed this ability that Tim Walz has had to reach out to moderates, to independents, and this is what they say.

They say, "While Walz pretends to support Americans in the Heartland, when the cameras are off, he believes that rural America is, quote, 'mostly cows and rocks'. And they tie this to a video from 2017 "From proposing his own carbon-free agenda to suggesting stricter emission standards for gas-powered cars and embracing policies that allow convicted felons to vote. Walz is obsessed with spreading California's dangerously liberal agenda far and wide", again, tying this to Kamala Harris and their storyline that she is a radical liberal, far more liberal than President Joe Biden.

But, the other part of Walz that they are celebrating is the fact that he is not Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania. There was a lot of nervousness, a lot of unease among Trump allies that Shapiro was going to be Harris' running mate. He is not only widely popular in Pennsylvania, they believe that could give her some sort of edge in this critical battleground. And I will tell you from where we are right now. You noted we are in Philadelphia. We are waiting. In just moments. J.D. Vance, the other Republican vice presidential nominee, will be taking the stage behind me.

I spoke to one Republican who said that they were a two-time Trump voter, likely to be a third, but when they heard that Governor Shapiro was possibly in the running to be Kamala Harris' running mate, they said they stopped for a second, that they like Governor Shapiro, that they voted for him in the last election because they believe that he is the strongest for Pennsylvania. They like his demeanor and they believe he is a good politician. So, that gives you some indication of what is happening on the ground here, and why the Trump campaign or at least Trump allies might have been nervous about that Shapiro pick. But, now what we have seen is all of that opposition research that

they spent in the last couple of weeks building up on Governor Walz of Minnesota. Video after video, they are pumping out, saying that he is a liberal extremist. Obviously, it is now going to be in Walz's court to define himself publicly, while he has been in public office for some time. Remember, most of America doesn't know a lot about him. So, again, we are in another race. First it was with Kamala Harris. Now it's with Governor Walz to define who he is to the voters. That will be Republicans working overtime to try to, again, paint him as far left, while on the other side, Democrats try to present him as best for the country and best for the ticket.

WALKER: Fascinating to hear your conversations with those voters that are on the ground. Really interesting.

Kristen Holmes from Philadelphia, thank you very much.

All right. Coming up, what Minnesota Governor and now Democratic VP nominee Tim Walz has to say about Donald Trump and J.D. Vance. That is next.

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[11:20:00]

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WALKER: We continue to follow our breaking news, as we follow this hour. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris choosing Tim Walz, Governor of Minnesota, as her running mate. Sources tell CNN that it was the chemistry that Harris felt with Walz that was a key -- that was key in her decision making, and that she was impressed by his authenticity.

Let's get more now with Larry Sabato, Director at the University of Virginia Center for Politics. What do you think, Larry? Are you surprised that it wasn't Governor Josh Shapiro?

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Yeah. I think most people were a little surprised. After all, Shapiro was the favorite in all the betting markets, and as we know, they're never wrong. Just kidding. In this case, they certainly were. But, look, I think he is a very good pick. I don't think he is going to bring any automatic extra electoral votes to Harris, as Shapiro might have done with Pennsylvania. You never know for sure whether somebody is going to carry a state or not. But, he brings a lot of qualities to the ticket that make it easier for Kamala Harris to sell her brand of the Democratic Party.

And by the way, Walz is not an extreme liberal. I would urge people to look at his congressional record. He was in the House of Representatives for 12 years. There are thousands of votes. I would say he is in the mainstream, moderate, liberal part of the Democratic Party.

WALKER: Interesting. Tell me more about that, because I was just looking at his gun control stance. And I mean, he has evolved on that. I mean, he used to be backed. The NRA used to give him an "A" back when he was in Congress, and then when you he for governor, they were -- I think he said that they gave him an "F" because he was now for gun restrictions.

SABATO: Yes. Well, that that's been pretty typical for Democrats. Democrats used to get almost a majority of the NRA endorsements, or the As and Bs in their record system. But, this all changed when the parties began to split and polarize in the 1990s, and now the NRA is really an ally of the Republican Party. It's big news when they endorse a Democrat. They endorsed one Democrat recently, and it really made news. So, that is not at all surprising. Now, he is a gun owner, and he is from Minnesota, and is in touch with his congressional district, former congressional district, which is disproportionately rural. So, of course, he has familiarity with guns. But, that doesn't mean somebody can't be for reasonable, responsible gun control.

WALKER: What about his stance on abortion? I mean, Minnesota became the first state legislature to codify abortion protections at the beginning of 2023, and of course, that could be an attack line for the Republicans.

SABATO: Well, it will be an attack line for the Republicans. But, there is no question where the American public is.

WALKER: Yeah.

SABATO: Between 60 and 70 percent of the American public favors Roe v. Wade, which was overturned by the Supreme Court. They want some reasonable restrictions on abortion, but certainly not what the Supreme Court approved. They want to go back to the way it was. So, Walz is on the popular side of that, as is Kamala Harris.

WALKER: Do you think that, because this election could be so tight and it could come down to just a few thousands of votes in some of these key battleground states, that Tim Walz could be crucial in just being this effective messenger, being on the ground in some rural counties or towns just speaking to the people?

SABATO: Yeah. Well, Wisconsin and Michigan ought to be on his diet of daily travel, because those are the states that really matter, that fit Walz's profile, where he would be able to communicate effectively the Democratic message.

[11:25:00]

And I suspect you'll see him a great deal in Wisconsin and Michigan. If he did nothing else for the ticket, it would be probably more than enough.

WALKER: We've been talking so much about Vice President Kamala Harris' momentum in this race. There is now, what, just 90 or 91 days left before Election Day. Does this continue to give her momentum? Does it even give her more with the pick of Tim Walz?

SABATO: I think it can and probably should, and we'll get a taste of that tonight. How does Walz go over when he makes his national debut? With all due respect to him, outside of Minnesota, he is a completely unknown quantity. In the other 49 states, they're asking, Tim, who? And that sometimes happens after vice presidential selections. It's not always somebody who is well known. So, we'll know more tonight. But, he certainly has the personality and the -- he is a very congenial person, and you can see why he did so well in rural areas.

WALKER: Yeah. Yeah. He definitely has some of that folksy charm and that appeal to a lot of people.

Larry Sabato, good to see you again. Thanks again.

SABATO: Thank you.

WALKER: So, the pick has in. As we've been saying, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, get used to hearing that name, is Vice President Kamala Harris' choice as her running mate.

Next, more on the most critical decision, one of the most critical decisions of her young campaign.

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WALKER: Welcome back. You're watching CNN Newsroom. I'm Amara Walker.

More now on our breaking news. We're stoked, that's how one member of Kamala Harris' campaign describes her vice presidential pick, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. The freshly minted Harris-Walz ticket will be unveiled at a Philadelphia rally later today. Harris chose Walz, who spent more than two decades in the Army National Guard, over Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly. A source tells CNN, Harris had great chemistry with Walz when she interviewed him for the position over the weekend.

Let's turn now to Senior White House Reporter Kevin Liptak in Washington. I mean, it seemed like her decision came down to the wire, and Walz is a relatively unknown name in the country. Tell us more about why he was chosen over Shapiro.

LIPTAK: Yeah. There are a number of factors that her advisors are pointing to, including his experience, his executive experience, what they see as a record of working for families, middle class families. They're also pointing to his biography.

[11:30:00]

This is not someone who has spent his entire career in politics. He worked as a teacher, as a social studies teacher in high school. He was the high school football coach. He was the advisor to the Gay Straight Alliance. So, he has this record of experience that isn't singly working in politics. He is also what they see as an effective messenger against the Trump-Vance ticket. Of course, he and J.D. Vance are both Midwesterners, and they think he brings a credible voice to the debate stage. He is someone who hunts. He is someone who fishes. He is not someone when you see him there. He is not someone who is always wearing a suit and tie. And they think that that is going to appeal to the kind of voters who they need to bring over from the Trump side if they're to win this election, the white working class voters. That is their hope.

That's not necessarily going to be the case. They will have their work cut out for them in trying to bring those people over, but they think they have in Tim Walz an effective messenger on that front. And then, there is also the chemistry factor. And to a lot of Harris advisors, this was the most important contribution. When they sat down for that interview on Sunday at the Naval Observatory, there was sort of a click between the two of them, a vibe that wasn't necessarily there with the other candidates. And what she was really looking for is someone who is going to be loyal, who is going to be trustworthy, that was going to be an effective governing partner if she were to win the White House, and is also someone who she is -- wants to be around and wants to work with for four years, for potentially eight years, if she is to win the White House.

Now, Walz, at this very moment, is on his way from his home in Minnesota. He is expected to get on a plane to fly to Philadelphia and to join Kamala Harris tonight at that big rally that will sort of kick off this joint ticket. Of course, her task and his task will be to kind of introduce himself to the American people in a way that he really hasn't been until now. They will kick off this barnstorming tour. They will be in the Upper Midwest, the places that Democrats hope he will be able to help this ticket. They will then head to the Sun Belt, to Nevada and Arizona, all places where Kamala Harris hopes to be competitive in November.

It is interesting to see the reactions coming in from Democrats. It's almost universally positive. The Obamas say that he has values and integrity. But, one response that I thought was interesting was from Joe Manchin. He is obviously the very moderate, sort of conservative leading Senator from West Virginia. He says that Tim Walz will bring normalcy back to a chaotic and political environment. He calls him -- he says he can't think of anyone better to join this ticket.

So, I think that's an interesting reaction, and gives you a sense of sort of the spectrum of Democrats who are lining up behind this pick, as Kamala Harris begins to introduce him to the American people.

WALKER: Yeah. But, there still was this element of surprise, right, that the Pennsylvania Governor, Josh Shapiro, wasn't chosen because he does come from really what is a must win state for the Democrats.

LIPTAK: Yeah. And he has been conciliatory on that front. He says he will continue to work toward electing Harris and Walz to the White House, and he will be appearing at that rally tonight in Philadelphia. But, you're right. I think there are some Democrats who might be scratching --

WALKER: Kevin, I'm sorry. I got to cut you off there because we have J.D. Vance speaking live from this plane in Philadelphia. Here he is.

SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), 2024 VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: -- day one, suspended deportations, proposed mass amnesty for millions of illegal aliens. She stopped construction of the border wall and she stopped the Remain in Mexico policy that kept a lot of Americans safe. Now, today, we're going to talk to a lot of Americans who have suffered and had children and loved ones who have died because of these border policies. It has led to record fentanyl overdoses in our country. It's led to a lot of migrant crime from people who shouldn't even be here. And it's, of course, driven up the price of housing for a lot of Americans who shouldn't have to compete with 20 million illegal aliens for scarce homes.

Obviously, the big news of the day is that Tim Walz has been nominated as the VP, or is now the presumptive nominee, I should say, for Kamala Harris. My view on it is it just highlights how radical Kamala Harris is. This is a person who listened to the Hamas wing of her own party and selecting a nominee. This is a guy who has proposed shipping more manufacturing jobs to China, who wants to make the American people more reliant on garbage energy instead of good American energy, and has proposed defunding the police, just as Kamala Harris does.

I think it's interesting. Actually, they make an interesting tag team, because of course, Tim Walz allowed rioters to burn down Minneapolis in the summer of 2020, and then the few who got caught, Kamala Harris helped bail them out of jail. So, it is more instructive for what it says about Kamala Harris, that she doesn't care about the border. She doesn't care about crime. She doesn't care about American energy. And most importantly, she doesn't care about the Americans who have been made to suffer under those policies. I'll take a couple questions. I want to hit the road and go to this press conference. Yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible) it is antisemitism, and you said why you believe Kamala Harris didn't choose Josh Shapiro?

[11:35:00]

VANCE: Well, it's not what I believe. It's what the Democratic leadership has said. Many, many people said repeatedly that the reason Kamala Harris was going away from the Josh Shapiro selection is because they were worried about antisemitism. They were worried about certain voters. They were worried about some of the leaders in the grassroots, activists and their party wouldn't take a Jewish nominee. I think it's despicable. I think it's disgusting. But, that is right out of the words of many members of the Democratic leadership. And so, now we have Tim Walz, but again, most importantly, we have Kamala Harris. Her policies have been a disaster, and they will remain so if the American people give her promotion.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Senator --

VANCE: Yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you heard Governor Walz reach out to you? I know when (inaudible).

VANCE: I actually, on the way to the flight in Cincinnati, I guess in Northern Kentucky, I actually called Tim Walz. I left a voicemail. I didn't get him. But, I just said, look, congratulations. Look forward to your most conversation, and enjoy the ride, and maybe he'll call me back, maybe won't. Yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Governor (inaudible). VANCE: Yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Governor and Vice President Harris are expected to take a battleground state tour over the next couple of days.

VANCE: Sure.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Former President Trump won't be making a public campaign appearance until Friday in Montana. Is that a missed opportunity?

VANCE: Look, I think I'm making a number of public appearances over the next few days, just to drive home the fact that Kamala Harris' policy had been such a failure for normal Americans. I know the President is very busy over the next few days. One of the things you got to do is, of course, get out there and speak to people and speak to reporters. A final thing you have to do, of course, is raise the resources. The President is very busy doing exactly that. So, he and I are taking a divide and conquer strategy to this campaign. Sometimes, we obviously do events together. But, I think we're going to use the fact that we have two people who can both get out there and prosecute a message. We're going to hit the road.

I really want to make just one final observation. I know most of you. I like all of you as people, or at least I like the ones of you that I know. I think that you guys have got to do a better job at actually forcing Kamala Harris to answer questions. This is a person who has been the presumptive Democrat nominee for 16 days. She hasn't taken a single real question from a reporter. The American people deserve to get to know the people who want to lead them. And I think it's shameful for Kamala Harris but increasingly for the media that she is taking a basement strategy of running from reporters, instead of getting in front of them, answering tough questions about her record and letting the American people know who she is.

President Trump and I take hostile questions. We take non-hostile questions. We get out there and talk to people because we respect the American people enough to want to persuade them and not to try to run for them. So, I think you guys got to do a better job. That's my humble opinion.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

WALKER: J.D. Vance, Donald Trump's running mate on the Republican side. You heard him there reacting to Harris' pick of Tim Walz, and he said that he actually gave him a call on the airplane there on his way to Philadelphia for a rally to congratulate him, but he got his voicemail and left him a message.

Let's bring in Rina Shah, who is a Republican Strategist, who has been a top advisor for two U.S. presidential campaigns. She is joining me now from Washington, D.C. Rina, it's good to see you. Just want to get your thoughts on how J.D. Vance is labeling the Harris-Walz ticket as basically a tag team of radicals, like clones of each other.

RINA SHAH, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, J.D. Vance on the tarmac right there was a J.D. Vance that I have not seen actually in a couple of weeks. I saw a bit more energy than usual. I saw him pretty excited and animated to take on Walz. And look, that's a good thing, because Trump needed the energy infected into the -- injected into this race. And what J.D. Vance has been unable to do is get people to turn their heads and say, wow, this is a really interesting pick.

Now, today, on the day that we have now learned Kamala Harris' pick, it's a moment in which we have to wonder, how much does this energize the entire Democratic base? Is this going to make sure that people want to turn out? And I say to that, the answer is yes. Walz has been for a couple weeks now seeming to be the darling of the progressive left and that youth vote, that Gen Z vote that put Biden-Harris in the White House in 2020 is energized by Walz. So, I think this was not only a good strategic pick on Harris' part, but I do think this is the one that is most principled for her. She had to go with the person she feels most comfortable with, because presumably, this is going to be the person she trusts the most and is going to be by her side for the next four years.

WALKER: How do you think this contrast between J.D. Vance and Governor Tim Walz is going to be portrayed and play out, given that these two men are both from the Midwest?

SHAH: Amara, I am very much a pragmatist. And look, no part of me has ever been progressive in my policy views. But, I must say, this is a moment that highlights how important people are, not policies are. In Governor Walz, coming from what I consider still very purple Minnesota, where Republicans, there are also pretty pragmatics, pretty centrist, in many ways.

[11:40:00]

He is somebody that decided just last year to sign into law a universal free lunch for Minnesotan kids. He understands that making America great means investing in our future generation. They're not -- there should not be a single child hungry within these United States. As far as I'm concerned, there shouldn't be a single American hungry. When we have trillions of dollars to send overseas for war, we should be taking care of our own. There should not be veterans sleeping in the streets. And Walz, by that swipe of his pen, saying that I'm going to feed hungry kids, I have goosebumps because I, as a mother, relate to that, and I believe that is the future. When you look at a person and peel back the veneer, he is not just a progressive to me. He is a human, and that's what I'm looking for. I'm looking for more human moments.

J.D. Vance has not been able to show that, and I think that's why it highlights the deficiency on the Trump-Vance campaign part because you need to be able to talk to people, meet them where they are, address their concerns about the future. So, yes, Kamala Harris, in the 16 days, hasn't put out as much policy as I or others would have liked, but she still has time to do that. Let's not forget how heavy this moment has been for her, the past two weeks, having to not just become the presumptive nominee, grab that mantle, do it well, which I believe she has, but to show people she sees the future. And I think by picking Walz, she did that. I do believe, though, I want to add this, Senator Kelly would have

been a fine pick and Governor Shapiro would have been a fine pick. But, the final part to understand is that she was strategic in this pick, because she understands, given recent history, that your running mate does not have to come from a swing state in order for you to win the White House. Look at Speaker Paul Ryan, who was Mitt Romney's running mate from Wisconsin. Look at Tim Kaine from Virginia, who was Hillary Clinton's running mate. Neither of those tickets were successful. Kamala Harris understood that she needs to meet the moment, and that's why she picked Walz.

WALKER: OK. Interesting. So then, do you think that the Trump campaign is breathing a sigh of relief that it wasn't the Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, or do you think they're nervous now that they see in Tim Walz a formidable opponent?

SHAH: Well, the first thing I heard J.D. Vance just say on the tarmac this morning was that Kamala Harris didn't allow for the border wall to be finished. No. It was Trump who didn't finish the border wall when he had a chance to do that while he was in office. So, that's one ding (ph) there at this campaign, the Trump-Vance campaign. Another is by labeling the progressive left Gen Z, those who are a little bit more left again in the Democrat Party, as the Hamas wing. All I've heard is people saying, hey, we ought to reexamine our relationship with Israel. We ought to be careful where our dollars are going, when we're getting streaming images daily, sometimes hourly, out of Gaza. We are hearing this kind of rhetoric from the Trump-Vance campaign because they're scared.

And the final thing I heard Vance use was the word prosecute the case. That's interesting, because neither he or Trump or attorneys, last I checked, not practicing ones, at least, but Kamala Harris was a prosecutor. So, I thought it was very interesting of Vance to say that he and Trump are going to be out there prosecuting the case. What case are they going to prosecute? I think they're still scared, because they understand Walz has the ability to get to Midwestern voters, centrist voters, and those who are even right of center, because he seems quite pragmatic in some of his policy stances.

WALKER: Fascinating viewpoint. Really appreciate having you, Rina Shah. Thank you.

SHAH: All right. Thank you.

WALKER: Still ahead, what does Kamala Harris' pick of Tim Walz be for the U.S. economy? We'll take a closer look at the potential impact on markets.

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[11:45:00]

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WALKER: Welcome back, everyone. We continue to follow breaking news from the U.S. presidential race. Kamala Harris has chosen Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate. Harris and Walz will now face off against former President Donald Trump and his running mate J.D. Vance. The 60-year-old Walz is currently in a second term as Minnesota Governor. He chairs the Democratic Governors Association. And previously, Walz served in Congress for 12 years. A shifting narrative around the U.S. economy could complicate Kamala Harris' bid for the Oval Office.

CNN's Julia Chatterley joining us now from New York with a closer look at Harris and the world's biggest economy, one day after Monday's massive stock sell-off. Hi there, Julia. So, how is the business world reacting to the Harris-Walz ticket?

JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN ANCHOR, FIRST MOVE: It's a good question. Harris, for the most part, at this stage, is a blank slate in terms of policy. The assumption being made, perhaps she means higher corporate taxes. She'll see higher earners seeing higher tax rates as well. But, beyond that, the expectation is it's going to be a continuation of Biden policy, which is why adding Walz is such an interesting one. He has openly said that this administration has been slow or too quiet to promote its own economic successes, something that he has seen firsthand at the state level. Infrastructure is a great example.

So, at this moment in time, perhaps he is an interesting one to add to the campaign trail. He can get out there, talk to the white working class voters, something that Biden struggled with, and say, look, I understand the situation. We need to put in protections. And he has that history. If we look at what he has done in Minnesota, protections for workers. He was a union man himself, a former teacher. He has helped provide protection for Amazon warehouse workers, for gig economy drivers, Uber, Lyft drivers, for example. His policies have worked on supporting working class families. You were talking before the break, free lunches for school children, tax credits, child tax credits. This is what his profile suggests.

So, at a time when we're talking about the possibility of a slowing U.S. economy, perhaps not continuing to add jobs, perhaps losing jobs, again, this is the guy that you get on the campaign trail and say, look, I believe in greater protections, and this is the way we tackle it. I've got a proven track record. It's an interesting one for me, perhaps not the most obvious, but an interesting one.

WALKER: It really is. What about the investors' perspective on this?

CHATTERLEY: Now, that's a great question. I think investors, and I don't discount this, some of the volatility that we've seen recently doesn't tie to what we've seen on the U.S. election. Investors like certainty. And I think what we've gone for over in the last couple of months is the belief that a Trump versus Biden situation would probably see Trump win to it being absolutely neck and neck. I think probably investors that want to see a Harris win here would have preferred a Josh Shapiro. They'd like to have seen a swing state lockdown like Pennsylvania. So, the margin perhaps, and you can argue that really people vote only for the President and not the Vice President, this is sort of a pick that would bring disquiet, rather than optimism, that she has perhaps strengthened her case at the November election. WALKER: Well --

CHATTERLEY: We'll see.

WALKER: -- a lot of things uncertain these days. So, obviously --

CHATTERLEY: Just one of many.

WALKER: Just one of many.

CHATTERLEY: Add it to the list. Yeah.

WALKER: Exactly. CNN anchor Julia Chatterley, great to have you again. Thanks so much.

Still to come, Israeli jets set off sonic booms over Beirut just before Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah begins a televised address, an update on the tensions ripping the region.

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[11:50:00]

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WALKER: U.S. officials tell CNN, Iran and its proxies are beginning preparations for a retaliatory attack against Israel. The entire Middle East has been on edge for days now after a series of assassinations blamed on Israel, including the deaths of senior Hamas and Hezbollah figures. Two officials say fears are higher right now about Hezbollah taking major action rather than Iran. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah just delivered a televised speech in Lebanon, and Israeli jets flew over Beirut before his remarks, firing flares and setting off loud sonic booms. Hezbollah has already declared a new phase in its months-long cross-border conflict with Israel. Today, it says it fired a swarm of drones at Israeli military targets, and Israel says several civilians were injured.

U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, says the Biden administration is working nonstop to prevent any escalation, and he is calling this a critical moment.

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ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We are engaged in intense diplomacy, pretty much around the clock, with a very simple message, all parties must refrain from escalation.

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WALKER: Let's get more now from CNN's Jeremy Diamond. He is live in Haifa, Israel. What's the latest, Jeremy?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. Well, we are in a region that is incredibly tense at the moment, but also unsure exactly when this retaliatory action from Iran and from Hezbollah will actually come. As you have said, we are in this moment where there is significant psychological warfare happening on both sides, those Israeli jets buzzing over the Lebanese capital, creating those sonic booms, and the -- Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah, acknowledging today that this waiting game, this anticipation, is certainly part of their psychological warfare against Israel, having Israeli civilians and its military wonder when and how significant a retaliation from Hezbollah will be.

We are certainly in the window now for that possible retaliatory action to actually come from Iran and Hezbollah, but it's still unclear exactly when it will come and how significant that will be. There is certainly a flurry of diplomatic activity in this region, as we speak, to try and de-escalate tensions, to try and make Iran recalculate, rethink what it is preparing to carry out against Israel, as it is very clear that there is an incredibly slippery slope that could lead this entire region into a very significant war.

The Israeli government and its military for now trying to telegraph -- trying to project strength, telegraphing that Iran will pay a quote "very heavy price", should it choose to carry out an attack against Israel directly. And we know that the Israeli military is readying, not only to carry out an enormous air defense operation, should it come to that, similar to what we saw back in April when Iran launched 300 drones and missiles at Israel, but also that the Israeli military is now preparing for retaliatory strike scenarios, preparing a series of military options, should a response be required. And so, we are right now just waiting to see how this situation will develop any further, as we have yet to get any clear indication from Hassan Nasrallah's speech today, or from the Iranian government in terms of the scope and timing of their actions against Israel.

WALKER: Yeah. It is a region on edge right now. Jeremy Diamond, thank you very much.

The U.S. military is blaming Iran-backed militias for a suspected rocket attack on an airbase in Iraq, calling it a dangerous escalation.

[11:55:00]

A U.S. defense official says several American service members were injured in the attack in western Iraq. Both U.S. and coalition troops are stationed at Al Assad Base. Iraq's military says it's intercepted a vehicle carrying rockets after the attack.

And that is our time. What a busy news day it has been. Thank you so much for spending a part of your day with me. I am Amara Walker. Stay with CNN. Our breaking news coverage continues with the brand new Democratic ticket. One World is up next.

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