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Florida Retirees Rally for Harris; Hundreds Attend Gold Cart Rally for Harris; Some Prominent Republicans Backing Harris; Arizona GOP Mayor Encourages Republicans to Abandon Trump; Wembley Stadium Bans Gathering Outside Swift's Concerts; USA Gymnastics Vows to Keep Fighting for Chile's Medal. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired August 13, 2024 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:30:00]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: You may remember this viral scene from about two weeks ago when hundreds of Florida retirees turned out in their golf carts to celebrate Kamala Harris ascending to the Democratic nominee. They live in the sprawling retirement community known as The Villages, and they hope to keep the momentum going all the way to the polls.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is so exciting. People just feel energized. We have a great person for president. We need to keep it up. We just need to keep it up.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's awesome and she's going to be the first --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's going to be president.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- woman president of this amazing country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Right now, this unlikely group of Harris supporters is once again coming out to show loyalty to Harris in Donald Trump's backyard. Florida Democratic lawmakers are scheduled to hold an event to support the Harris-Walz ticket at their headquarters near The Villages. That's despite the community's very long conservative history. One of those residents is joining us now. Dennis Foley is the vice president of The Villages Democratic Club.

Dennis, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it. And can you give us a sense as to how large this contingent is? I mean, we see the viral video of everybody in the golf carts. They're obviously supporting Kamala Harris. I've been to The Villages before covering political campaigns. I -- it is shocking to me to see this. Are you just -- are you small in numbers, but it looks bigger on video? Is it growing? What can you tell us?

DENNIS FOLEY, VICE PRESIDENT, THE VILLAGES DEMOCRATIC CLUB: Well, we were very surprised. We had 225 people sign up to come to the event and we've had more than 500 carts, according to the sheriff. So, we were, of course, delighted and you heard and saw the energy and the excitement, the enthusiasm, and it resulted in thousands of more volunteers across the State of Florida because the Harris campaign here held 33 or so events that weekend and we were one of them. We're the one that went viral. Everybody loves golf cart parades. So --

ACOSTA: Yes.

FOLEY: -- it was a good day.

ACOSTA: Golf carts are fun. Always enjoy them. But let me ask you this, Dennis. I mean, let's talk about how The Villages is typically portrayed as a pretty conservative community. Is that still the case or is that evolving? What's your sense of it?

FOLEY: Well, they have a huge lead in voter registration. So, yes, it's a bright red county that The Villages is in. But we're making some inroads in terms of talking to no party affiliate voters. And we even had a couple of Republicans in the Gulf Caravan. So, we're just telling everybody keep working, keep the enthusiasm up, get people to sign up to vote by mail, get them out to the polls, get them registered. The work is what it's all about now.

ACOSTA: And are you having conversations, hopefully civil conversations with your Republican neighbors there in The Villages? What are -- what's on everybody's minds heading into this election? And what do Harris supporters in The Villages care about?

FOLEY: I think, you know, there's so many things in Project 2025 and that Trump has said he will do in a second term and Vance now is coming in with his sense worth. We're concerned about everything. Primarily democracy, freedom, and then, for seniors, of course. Social Security and Medicare are important issues. Women being able to make their own choices about health without the interference of the government is huge.

ACOSTA: And right now, Florida Democrats are holding an event at the party headquarters near The Villages. Do you expect more events like this? Are we going to see more golf cart conclaves like this in the weeks to come?

FOLEY: Absolutely. We're -- even this Sunday at the headquarters, we're holding a Kamala Nominon, a big fun event with music and food. Lots of people gathering indoors and outdoors under tents. And we're just going to have a sense of, as we heard others say, joy and enthusiasm because we think we have a winning ticket.

[10:35:00]

ACOSTA: All right. Very interesting. Dennis Foley, thanks very much for your time. Keep us posted on how those how those events are going down there. Very interesting to see what's taking place in The Villages.

FOLEY: Come down and join us Golf Cart Caravan.

ACOSTA: All right. Maybe we will. All right. Save a seat for me. Thanks a lot, Dennis. Really appreciate it.

FOLEY: Thank you.

ACOSTA: All right. It would be great to do a reporting trip down there. In the meantime, it's not just The Villages trying to turn the political tables, some prominent Republicans are now backing the Democrat for president. Two of them join me next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:40:00]

ACOSTA: -- that's been anything but normal, a group of Republicans are set to have a conversation tonight that you would not expect, how to woo GOP voters to support the Democratic nominee for president. So, let's discuss with two people who are going to be on that zoom call. Former Homeland Security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, Olivia Troye. She'll be moderating tonight's discussion. Also with us, Former Republican Congressman and Transportation Secretary under President Obama, Ray LaHood.

Olivia -- Mr. Secretary, talk to you in just a second. Olivia, let me start with you. How big of a challenge is this for a lot of Republicans to do this? I mean, obviously you've got to get out of your comfort zone a little bit.

OLIVIA TROYE, FORMER ADVISER TO VP MIKE PENCE AND MODERATING "REPUBLICANS FOR HARRIS" CALL: Yes, and like we all know, party identity is real, right, when you're a lifelong Republican. I was that person that used to go into the voting booth and no matter what was happening on the ticket, I pulled straight R's and voted for straight R's. And I think a lot of people feel that.

And so, I think that's a personal -- very personal conflict. But at the end of the day, given what's at stake in November, I do think that this coalition is set on bridging that gap, reaching out to center right voters, moderate conservatives, and saying this is not the way forward for the party. The party that we used to support isn't there right now. We've got to band together.

ACOSTA: And, Mr. Secretary, we mentioned earlier you were a Republican congressman. I remember covering you when you were in the Obama administration. It was from that quaint time in America when we had members of the other parties serving in cabinets. Would you like to see, if Kamala Harris becomes president, go back to that tradition a little bit that we used to have in this country where you would have a member of the opposing party in the cabinet? Is that healthy for this country?

FMR. REP. RAY LAHOOD (R-IL), FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION UNDER PRESIDENT OBAMA: Jim, I'd like two things. I'd like to go back to the Republican Party that when I was a staffer working for Bob Michael, we had Ronald Reagan, we had George Herbert Walker Bush, we had George W. Bush. These were Republicans that we respected. Didn't agree with them on everything, but we respected them, and we were proud to support them. I was proud to be a McCain delegate. And after I heard what Trump said about McCain, that was it. I mean, just to disparage a war hero, somebody who distinguished himself is just outrageous. The Republican Party that many of us came up through and worked with does not exist, Jim, and we want it back. We want to take it back. The way to take it back is to make sure that Trump does not get elected. The Trump Party exists. The Republican Party does not.

I believe that Vice President Harris, hopefully, she'll follow some of the leads of President Obama and President Biden in terms of reaching out to those experienced, knowledgeable people that can make a difference. And some of them might be Republicans.

ACOSTA: Yes. Olivia, the Republican mayor of Mesa, Arizona spoke at Harris' rally this past weekend in that key battleground state, encouraging voters to put country over party. Let's listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR JOHN GILES (R), MESA, ARIZONA: I have to tell you that I do not recognize my party. I would say in the spirit of the great Senator John McCain, please, please, please join me in putting country over party and stopping Donald Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Olivia, one of the things that we've heard since the Republican primaries, when we saw a decent percentage of Republicans vote for Nikki Haley, for example, even though she had dropped out, is the Harris campaign doing enough to reach out to those Republicans, folks like that mayor who spoke out at the rally, or does more work need to be done?

TROYE: I think that's the point of this coalition. I think on the conversation tonight that we'll be doing in the zoom rally with Republicans for Harris, you'll have people that were part of that coalition that were Republicans for Nikki Haley.

Look, that -- those cheers in that crowd when the mayor said that about John McCain, that tells me that there is a broad coalition there, right? Because that is who we identify when we're moderate conservatives. We want leaders like that. And I think Donald Trump is the antithesis to that. And so, I think -- you know, I think there is opportunity here to reach those moderate voters. I think it'll happen. And I always remind people, look, to the women out there, to the other spouses out there, your MAGA spouse doesn't need to know what you're doing in that voting booth, right?

ACOSTA: Yes.

TROYE: So, it's -- your vote is private. It's personal. I know that people are scared about, you know, what will my friends and family think or they'll judge me, or my neighbors will judge me if I'm voting for a Democrat because I'm a die in the wool Republican, that's fair, but at the end of the day, vote your conscience, your integrity and vote for a better future for the Republican Party. And we get there -- like Roy LaHood said, you know, we get there by defeating Donald Trump.

ACOSTA: Well, and getting back to Arizona, I kind of wonder, you know, in that state, when you have a Kari Lake on the same ticket as Donald Trump and you have a lot of Republicans in Arizona who are very uncomfortable with the way Kari Lake was going after John McCain where there's some residual resentment there and outrage aimed at her.

[10:45:00]

Ray, let me go back to you at poll show that Biden was a popular option for Republicans. A mayor's poll conducted earlier this month finds that only 4 percent of GOP voters are planning to back Harris in November. Obviously, numbers can change. What do you think? I mean, are we just talking to, you know, what the Trump campaign might describe as never Trump Republicans and at the end of the day, maybe it won't make that much of a difference?

LAHOOD: Look, Jim, I've stood for election. This is what a campaign is about. Those of us that have signed on with Vice President Harris for president are going to work very hard to persuade other Republicans. That's what our campaign is about, trying to persuade them that we need to take back the Republican Party and we need to make sure that we put somebody in the White House that will dispose of the person who took the party and transposed it to something that many of us simply do not believe in.

And the way to do that is to persuade people to vote for Vice President Harris. That's what a campaign's about. I've campaigned before. This is a campaign that I look forward to, to convince other Republicans to sign on.

ACOSTA: All right. It is going to be a tough campaign. Lots of days of back and forth ahead. It's going to be a fierce one. Olivia Troye, Ray LaHood, good to talk to both of you. Thank you, Mr. Secretary for your time. Thanks. Thanks so much.

LAHOOD: Thank you, Jim. Always appreciate it.

ACOSTA: Appreciate it. Coming up an appeal denied, but USA Gymnastics vows to keep fighting for Jordan Chiles to keep her bronze medal. CNN's Andy Scholes is following all the twists of this controversy. Andy, still more twists to come. What do you think?

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Well, it looks like it, Jim, because despite saying that, you know, they have conclusive video evidence that they made that appeal in time, the Court of Arbitration for Sports said, sorry. What USA Gymnastics is saying they're going to do next. We'll have that coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:50:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TAYLOR SWIFT, SINGER: Welcome to the acoustic set.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ACOSTA: All right. I've got some bad news for Taylor Swift fans who couldn't score tickets to her upcoming London shows, Wembley Stadium is cracking down on gatherings outside the venue during the concerts there.

Practice known as Tay-gating has become a commonplace during her Eras Tour. We'll after her Vienna shows were canceled last week during -- due to an alleged planned terror attack, Wembley is not taking any chances saying, quote, to support with the safe entry and exit of everyone within the stadium, no one is allowed to stand outside any entrance or on the Olympic steps at the front of the stadium. Non ticket holders will be moved on. So, I wish you luck there on that one.

In the meantime, now to new details in the fight for Jordan Chiles to keep her Olympic medal. USA Gymnastics says its appeal has been denied after a challenge to ruling that stripped Chiles of the bronze for the women's floor exercise. But the battle appears far from over. USA Gymnastics is vowing to continue the fight as support for Chiles pours in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALY RAISMAN, OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL GYMNASTICS: I think it's so unfair. It's so cruel. And I don't think that Jordan should have to give her medal back. The IOC has given more than one medal before and I think that they should do that now. This is -- it's awful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: CNN's Andy Scholes joins me now. Andy, we're all rooting for Jordan to keep that medal. What -- how's it looking?

SCHOLES: I mean, Jim, it is such a mess right now. You know, technically, that bronze medal now belongs to Romania's Ana Barbosu. But Jordan Chiles, you know, she's back in the U.S. with that bronze medal and for now, I doubt she's going to be in any brush to send it back because USA Gymnastics says they will continue to fight for her to keep it.

In a statement, USA Gymnastics said they were notified by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Monday that the rules do not allow for an arbitral award to be reconsidered even when conclusive new evidence is presented. They went on to say, we're deeply disappointed by the notification, are going to continue to pursue every possible avenue and appeal process, including to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, to ensure that just scoring placement and medal award for Jordan. So, you know, that's the next step. They're going to go to the Swiss Tribunal with video evidence that they say they have.

Now, during the competition, you know, coaches have one minute after the routine to file an appeal to the judges' score, and the U.S. appealed Chiles' score and point one at the time was added, moving her into third place, which got her that bronze medal.

Romania's original complaint, they said that U.S. took too long to make that appeal, to which the Court of Arbitration, they agreed. They said it actually -- it was four seconds too long. It's what they said, it's why they were going to strip her of the medal, but the U.S. says they've got video evidence. That it actually was done in 47 seconds.

So, you know, Jim, we're going to have to wait and see what the Swiss Corp. has to say about all this. You know, we often see Olympic medals -- it's all about seconds, right? You win or lose by a matter of seconds. But I mean, it shouldn't be like this. I mean, this seems like such a technicality in the Paris games, Jim. I mean, they were so good. So good.

ACOSTA: Yes.

SCHOLES: And now, we're ending on this sour note. The IOC, they could have just nipped this all in the bud and decided to give them both bronze, which is what Romania wanted from the beginning when they made this appeal, they said, we think that Chiles, Barbosu, and actually one of their other gymnasts who was impacted by an apparent scoring mistake, they think they should have all gotten bronzes, but they decided to go this route and take it away from Chiles and give it to Barbosu. So, we'll see where this goes.

[10:55:00]

But it's just -- I mean, everything, like I said, was so positive. And now, you have this negative staining the games.

ACOSTA: Yes, Andy. I mean, they have done this before, right, where multiple athletes will get a bronze or a gold or a silver. I mean, it's rare, but it happens.

SCHOLES: Yes. And who would be mad about that, right, Jim?

ACOSTA: Yes.

SCHOLES: Everyone is happy in that situation. So, maybe we get there at some point, but right now, it's in the courts.

ACOSTA: All right. I'm going to put that in the Olympic suggestion box. I know you will as well. Andy Scholes, thanks so much. Really appreciate it this morning.

And thank you very much for joining us this morning. I'm Jim Acosta. Our next hour of Newsroom with Wolf Blitzer starts right after a quick break. Wolf still live in Tel Aviv, Israel. Join us in just a few moments for that. Thanks a lot.

[11:00:00]