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Democrats Kick Off National Convention in Chicago; Harris Delivers Remarks in Surprise Appearance on DNC Stage; Clinton Pushes for Harris to Break Hardest Glass Ceiling; Biden Passes the Torch to Harris on First Night of DNC; Blinken: Israel Accepts Bridging Proposal, Now Up to Hamas; One Dead, Six Missing After Tornado Hits Luxury Yacht. Aired 4:00-4:30a ET

Aired August 20, 2024 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. (D) AND U.S. PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation. We are forever grateful to you.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I love the job, but I love my country more. In 2024, we need you to vote, and above all, we need you to beat Donald Trump.

HILLARY CLINTON, 2016 U.S. DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: This is our time, America. This is when we stand up. Let's go win it!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Live from London, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Max Foster and Christina Macfarlane.

CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and a warm welcome to our viewers joining us from the United States and all around the world. I'm Christina Macfarlane. Max has the day off.

It's Tuesday, August 20th, 9 a.m. here in London, 3 a.m. in Chicago, where U.S. President Joe Biden reflected on his legacy as he passed the torch to Kamala Harris on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention. He also lashed out at his former rival.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Donald Trump promised infrastructure week every week for four years, and he never built a damn thing.

He says we're losing. He's the loser. He's dead wrong.

The brave service members who gave their lives to this country, he called them suckers and losers. Who in the hell does he think he is?

Who does he think he is? (END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Forceful words from the U.S. president as he made his case for electing Harris, the vice president firing up the crowd as well with a surprise appearance on stage. The United Center in Chicago erupting in cheers as Harris came out to make brief remarks on opening night. The Democratic presidential nominee looked to strike an optimistic tone with a message of unity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. (D) AND U.S. PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: We all have so much more in common than what separates us. Let us fight for the ideals we hold dear. And let us always remember when we fight, we win.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Hillary Clinton also delivering a rousing speech at the DNC where she referred to the proverbial glass ceiling that she failed to break during her 2016 run for the White House. She said now is the time to break through.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, 2016 U.S. DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Nearly 66 million Americans voted for a future where there are no ceilings on our dreams. Millions marched. Many ran for office. We kept our eyes on the future. Well, my friends, the future is here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: More now on the night of the Democratic convention from CNN correspondent Julia Benbrook in Chicago.

Oh, sadly, we can't show you that just right now. But let's move to other scenes at the convention where thousands of protesters marched through Chicago as the convention kicked off voicing their opposition to the war in Gaza.

Police say four people were arrested after breaching a security fence near the convention site and some tried to bring down a second fence. They say protesters also threw water bottles and other items at officers. But authorities say there was no threat to the attending those attending the convention and they are committed to maintaining law and order throughout the week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY SNELLING, SUPERINTENDENT, CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT: We're expecting large protests throughout the city for the rest of the week. We're prepared for that. We hope for the exact same outcome for every protest, that everyone gets to express their First Amendment rights.

We don't have any incidents. If that occurs, then we've had the most successful Democratic National Convention that we can imagine. Our job here is to make sure that we keep the DNC safe, keep our city

safe and keep our people safe. We have no idea what they would have done if they got onto the other side. But as I said before, we're not going to tolerate anyone who is going to vandalize things in our city. We're not going to tolerate anyone who are going to commit acts of violence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: The Chicago area has one of the largest Palestinian communities in the U.S. Protest organizers were hoping at least 20,000 people would turn out for Monday's march, but it appeared the crowd was much smaller.

Some Republicans have been urging Donald Trump to lay off the personal attacks against Harris and focus on policy.

[04:05:00]

But ahead of the Democratic National Convention, Trump repeatedly insulted her intelligence during an interview with CBS News.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Well, I don't think she's a very bright person. I do feel that. I mean, I think that's right.

I think I am a very bright person, and a lot of people say that. I don't think she's a very bright person. And you know what? Our country needs a very smart person. And I don't think she's a very smart person. So I'm not looking to -- I don't consider that an insult. That's just a fact.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Well, Trump did a better job of staying on topic during a visit to a manufacturing facility in the battleground state of Pennsylvania. CNN's Phil Mattingly was there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF U.S. DOMESTIC CORRESPONDENT: The political spotlight may be very firmly on Democrats and Vice President Kamala Harris throughout the course of this week, but the Trump campaign has made very clear they are going to try and still get their message out. Counterprogramming in swing state after swing state after swing state throughout a five-day blitz.

The former president and his vice presidential nominee, J.D. Vance, hitting every single major battleground state, all seven of them over the course of the next five days, starting here in Pennsylvania. J.D. Vance was down in Philadelphia. The former president here in New York at a speech that was rather different than what we normally see from him. It was not a big rally. It was not a raucous affair. Instead, it was at a manufacturer. It was policy-based for the most part, and Trump mostly stuck to the script.

Take a listen.

TRUMP: Every policy in the Trump agenda is designed to bring the jobs and wealth back home to America where it belongs and where it's going to stay. Kamala puts America last. I put America first.

MATTINGLY: Now, this format, kind of very tightly coordinated, small crowds, maybe 150 to 200 people max, is actually what you're going to see throughout the course of the week. And if that sounds like something you may have heard of before, it actually tracks very closely with what Republicans have been saying for the last several weeks they want the former president to do.

Stop with the personal attacks. Stop with the rambling press conferences and rallies. Instead, focus on policy contrast issues like the economy, like immigration, where for months now, Trump has had a fairly significant advantage over Democrats.

On Monday, it was the economy. It was energy here in the critical battleground, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He'll be heading over to Michigan, then North Carolina, then Arizona, then Nevada, all states that the Trump campaign wants to win, some of which it absolutely needs to win. Whether or not the former president can continue to stay on message in those smaller events, well, that is part of the counter- programming we're going to have to watch in the days ahead.

Phil Mattingly, CNN, York, Pennsylvania.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: Well, let's reflect now a little more on how the first night of this Democratic National Convention went with our Julia Benbrook. Who was there?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Joe Biden was greeted with a lengthy standing ovation from a crowd chanting, thank you, Joe, when he took the stage at the Democratic National Convention and made the case for the party's historic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.

BENBROOK (voice-over): On the first night of the Democratic National Convention, big names took the stage, making the case for the party's nominee, Kamala Harris.

CLINTON: I know her heart and her integrity.

REP. JIM CLYBURN (D-SC): Kamala Harris is your true battle-tested leader.

ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): Chicago, we have to help her win.

BENBROOK (voice-over): The vice president briefly addressing the crowd with a message for President Joe Biden. HARRIS: Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you will continue to do. We are forever grateful to you.

BENBROOK (voice-over): Later in the night, a historic handoff.

(CHEERS)

BENBROOK (voice-over): Biden described the record they've achieved together.

BIDEN: We've had one of the most extraordinary four years of progress ever, period.

(APPLAUSE)

BIDEN: When I say we, I mean Kamala and me.

BENBROOK (voice-over): And stressed the need to defeat former President Donald Trump in November. His message to Democrats clear.

BIDEN: In 2024, we need you to vote. We need you to keep the Senate. We need you to win back the House of Representatives.

And above all, we need you to beat Donald Trump.

BENBROOK: Tuesday night, we'll hear from former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama.

Reporting in Chicago, I'm Julia Benbrook.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: Well, joining me now from Dublin is Brett Bruen, a former U.S. diplomat and former official with the National Security Council. He's now the president of the international consulting firm The Global Situation Room. Brett, thanks so much for your time.

It was a very late night in Chicago for Joe Biden, who I think took to the stage after primetime.

[04:10:00]

And, you know, getting this speech right for him was a bit of a balancing act. How well do you think he sort of struck that balance between promoting his own record while in office but also helping to set the stage for Kamala Harris to go on and win this election?

BRETT BRUEN, FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL AND STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Well, the speech was a bit illustrative of what we've seen from Joe Biden over the last few months. Saying a bit too long and, quite frankly, a bit too much on the old talking points. But he eventually got there, just with the decision also to withdraw from the race. And I think he will go down in history as an important transition president. And quite literally, you know, he passed the baton after his speech to Vice President Harris. And I think his characterization of the time that he spent five decades in office as giving his best, I don't think anyone would take that away from him or fault him for taking credit for his best effort over five decades.

MACFARLANE: He also, I think, sought to downplay any hard feelings about the manner in which he exited this race. Did you have a sense that he's made peace with that, given what he said on the night?

BRUEN: Well, you know, I think on the one hand, yes, he wants to unify the party. He doesn't want there to be any lingering doubts or division. On the other hand, he's going to have a lot of time after he leaves the White House to reflect and, quite frankly, to perhaps stew a bit on those who he feels may have wronged him.

He, you know, having travelled with him, sat with him in the Situation Room, known to be a pretty stubborn guy and one who has a long memory. Nonetheless, I think that history will treat him favorably and this chapter will be an important one. And ultimately, I think Biden will recognize what he himself has done.

MACFARLANE: One of the most poignant moments of the night, we saw just a clip of Hillary Clinton there, back on stage at the DNC for the first time since 2016, with a powerful message of breaking through the glass ceiling once and for all. I mean, how did that land to the viewers, to the delegates in the room, given that it was really a reminder not just of Kamala Harris's place in history, but her own as well?

BRUEN: It was, and yet, I have to say, there was quite a contrast in what Harris has been able to achieve over the last few weeks in her communications, in really taking it to Trump in a way that Hillary Clinton never could. And, quite frankly, I think it's encouraging for those of us in the Democratic Party who feel like we now have a stronger messenger, a stronger message, and both Harris and Waltz have been able to do things that even my former boss, who will speak tonight, President Obama, never was able to take on the Tea Party, would take on the Donald Trump movement in the way that Harris has over these last few weeks.

MACFARLANE: And it's interesting you mentioning that because it seemed that speakers did not shy away from attacking Donald Trump on stage last night. I believe there were 100, and his name was mentioned 150 times during the night. But one of the biggest attack lines really came over the issue of abortion, and I just want to show our viewers this clip of three women who were speaking on stage last night.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We waited until Amanda was sick enough to receive standard abortion care. Eventually, Amanda's temperature spiked. She was shaking, disoriented and crashing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Something didn't feel right. Two emergency rooms sent me away. Because of Louisiana's abortion ban.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was raped by my stepfather after years of sexual abuse. At age 12, I took my first pregnancy test, and it was positive. I can't imagine not having a choice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: That was three women who had personally faced awful issues related to abortion. We saw them speaking to the DNC last night. How important an issue is it going to be for the Democrats to lean in on this, and how big a liability is this becoming for the GOP?

BRUEN: Well, you need only look at how motivating over the last several years, when abortion has been on the ballot, when some of the politicians, particularly Republican politicians, have been on the ballot and taken a very anti-reproductive rights stance. They have gone down to defeat, including in deep red states. So Democrats know, and particularly with Kamala Harris, who's been an outspoken leader on this, that they have a strong advantage.

And quite frankly, former President Trump has not been able to develop an effective response. He's saying, well, we'll leave it up to each individual state.

[04:15:00]

And what you heard from those testimonies last night is the reality in states, including Kentucky, where one of those speakers was sharing her story, is pretty bleak.

MACFARLANE: Extremely bleak. It does appear that, you know, as you talk about formulating these attack lines, that the Harris campaign are beginning to gather their thoughts together around this, and they clearly have a lot of momentum. But the question is, where do you expect to see, or do you expect to see, any fault lines appear in the next few weeks? And where would you expect that to happen?

BRUEN: Well, the devil is in the details, and I think Democrats have to be careful in how they proceed, rolling out some of these policy platforms. Because Harris has had a bit of a honeymoon, and she hasn't had, quite frankly, the time, nor has her team, to develop her distinct policies from the doctrine of Biden. They've been working on it, and yet it is going to be challenging as they get into the specifics, as they roll out their strategy, to try to maintain that same level of support, because they're also going to be able to give Trump and the Republicans new attack lines, and you can better believe that they are readying that attack at this moment.

MACFARLANE: Yes, it will be fascinating to see how they can keep this momentum going, these good vibes going. But for now, a couple of days left at the DNC.

Brett Bruen, we appreciate your thoughts. Thank you.

BRUEN: Sure thing. MACFARLANE: Now, the Israel Defense Forces say the bodies of six Israeli hostages were retrieved from Gaza during a military operation overnight. This comes as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has just reached Egypt. He'll be discussing the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release details with leaders of Egypt and Qatar, who have acted as mediators between Israel and Hamas.

CNN International diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson, joins us now live from Tel Aviv. Nic, tell us what more you are hearing about these bodies retrieved by the IDF.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, these are all men, mostly elderly men. All of them, except one, were already believed to have been dead.

However, they are believed to have died over the past couple of months or a couple of months ago. So there was proof that these men were alive when they were held captive. They are Yoram Metzger, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder.

Avraham Munder was the one who was still believed to be alive until today. Chaim Peri, Nadav Popplewell and Yagev Buchshtab. These six, as far as we know, this is the sort of biggest single grouping of bodies that the IDF have been able to recover.

Now, the IDF said that this was intelligence-led, an operation that they had intelligence and therefore were able to follow up on it and recover the bodies. Very significant, obviously, for the families of these loved ones that they now have them back and will be able to give them proper burial. Heartbreaking for all the other hostage families who are still wondering about the whereabouts and the well-being of their loved ones.

And when Secretary of State Antony Blinken was here yesterday talking about the state of the peace talks negotiations at the moment, he said it really was a last chance to bring back some of the hostages. And I think the recovery of six bodies sort of really emphasizes that point.

MACFARLANE: And on that note, Nic, we did hear yesterday, Secretary Blinken saying that Israel had accepted a, quote, proposal to bridge differences when it came to ceasefire negotiations. What more details are we learning about what was involved in that?

ROBERTSON: Well, the stakes, of course, around the visit, not just recovery of hostages, but the risk of an escalation in the region are very, very real. Just as Secretary Blinken was arriving within an hour or so, there was a terrorist suicide bomb in Tel Aviv.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON (voice-over): A terrorist bomb, the first in Tel Aviv in almost two decades, scattering shrapnel, sowing fear, exploding within hours of Secretary of State Antony Blinken's arrival.

The city's alert level raised, Hamas claiming responsibility, America's top diplomat's peace mission here more high stakes than ever, pushing America's bridging proposal to get over talks, disagreements.

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: This is a decisive moment, probably the best, maybe the last opportunity to get the hostages home, to get a ceasefire.

[04:20:02]

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu's office, reporting his two-and-a-half-hour one-on-one meet with Blinken was positive. Netanyahu, the day before, sounding pessimistic.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): There are things we can be flexible on and things we can't, and which we must insist upon.

Desire to make a deal should be directed at Hamas.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): And Hamas, in a statement as Blinken arrived, blaming Israel for the impasse.

The new proposal meets Netanyahu's conditions and is in line with them, especially his refusal to a permanent ceasefire.

Key sticking points, they say, are the Netzarim Junction, referring to Israel's demand to search Palestinians returning to northern Gaza for guns. A red line for Hamas. The Philadelphi Corridor, Gaza's six-mile border with Egypt.

Israel insists it needs to control it to stop Hamas smuggling in weapons. Another red line for Hamas.

Rafah, Gaza's only road crossing to Egypt. The IDF controls it. Hamas wants it back. Israel says no.

Wrapping his day of meetings with Israeli officials, Blinken claiming some success.

BLINKEN: In a very constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu today, he confirmed to me that Israel accepts the bridging proposal, that he supports it. It's now incumbent on Hamas to do the same.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): An incremental step that even if Hamas backtrack on their public objections and agree to the U.S. proposal is still a very long way from actual negotiations on the highly contentious disagreements.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON (on camera): Well, the Hamas spokesperson talked about the proposed bridging plan again overnight, again reiterating that for them it's too much in Israel's favor, saying that they support President Biden's previous statements and the U.N. Security Council resolution a month or so ago, following President Biden's statement. That's what Hamas is saying that they support, while they're saying that they disagree and disapprove of the bridging proposal. They haven't outrightly rejected it, although their language is sounding pretty negative. But, of course, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, while he is in Egypt now and later in the day in Qatar, is expected to press the mediators to have their influence with Hamas, to try to convince them to come on board. Hamas, of course, is really trying to turn the pressure back around and put it on Israel, and it's saying that it's Israel that should modify its position.

MACFARLANE: All right. Nic Robertson live from Tel Aviv. Thanks very much to you, Nic.

Historic flooding in Connecticut has left two dead and prompted hundreds of evacuations over the weekend. Two women were swept away by floodwaters just as emergency officials say they were coming to their aid. The governor declared a state of emergency on Monday to free up resources.

In neighboring New York state, nearly one million people are under flash flood emergency and police are advising people to stay in their homes due to multiple roads being flooded. More rain is expected across the north-east, with some areas bracing for up to three inches.

Now, crews are searching for a second day off the coast of Sicily for six people still missing from the sinking of a luxury yacht. It was struck by a tornado early Monday, killing at least one person. Among the missing, British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter. 15 people were rescued, including Lynch's wife, whose company owned the yacht.

CNN's Barbie Nadeau is following this live for us, joins us from Rome. Barbie, what more can you tell us about these ongoing efforts to recover those who were on the yacht?

BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: Yes, you know, the divers have gone down again after having no luck yesterday trying to get inside that luxury yacht sitting at the bottom of the Mediterranean. You know, the story just becomes more and more tragic as you understand, you know, sort of the survivor's plight. There was a woman with a one-year-old daughter who was able to somehow miraculously pull her out of the waves and save her.

We do have some sound from one of the people who helped rescue these 15 survivors. Let's listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KARSTEN BONNER, CAPTAIN AND FISHERMAN: After the storm was over, we noticed that the ship behind us was gone. We found this life raft drifting. But anything inside? There was 15 people inside.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ah, 15 people.

BONNER: 15 people inside. Four people injured, three heavy injured.

[04:25:00]

And we brought them to our ship.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NADEAU: And, you know, Christina, we also had confirmation from the Sicilian Civil Protection that the chairman of Morgan Stanley International is among the missing along with his wife and prominent U.S. lawyer Chris Morvillo is also among the missing. So we've got, you know, a lot of information we're still waiting for from the Civil Protection authorities hoping those divers can get inside that boat to retrieve what will undoubtedly be, at this point, bodies -- Christina.

MACFARLANE: And as you said, Barbie, the details of this are just so sad, so tragic. I read about the woman who had to hold her one-year- old above her head for up to an hour as the rescue teams eventually came in. I mean, it doesn't bear thinking about.

But in terms of what actually happened and why this ship sank so quickly, do we know any more detail about what prompted that?

NADEAU: Yes, you know, I mean, these are questions that are going to be asked, I think, more intensely after the bodies are recovered and after they've been able to sort of, you know, conclude the search-and- rescue or recovery operation. But, of course, everyone's wondering why in this, you know, weather that this yacht hadn't gone closer to shore. You know, I asked the Civil Protection chief, you know, was there more than one captain, and he wasn't even able to tell me that.

So there are a lot of questions to be answered yet about that sort of dynamic. You know, we do know that this luxury yacht was owned by a company affiliated with the wife of Mike Lynch. So, you know, these were all people who knew each other on this luxury craft.

And, you know, that woman who spoke to local reporters, the one who saved her baby, said that, you know, they were there as guests and, you know, having this fabulous time. But she said that she was on -- had gone out of her stateroom because the child, the baby, was afraid of the waves and the lightning and the thunder. So, you know, it certainly implies that they knew that they were in rough weather.

Of course, these questions, you know, will be answered. There has been a criminal investigation open, but that's fairly standard here in Italy. That gives local prosecutors and investigators access to the vessel itself.

So I think, you know, once these bodies are recovered, once, you know, they've been able to put an end to that aspect of this operation, then the real questions about how this happened will be asked.

MACFARLANE: Yes, the focus, understandably, is now on retrieving those bodies and the dead. Barbie Nadeau from Rome. Thank you.

Now, Ukrainian authorities are trying to get civilians out of the line of fire as Russian forces close in on a key town in eastern Ukraine. The latest from the battlefield ahead.

Plus, a repentant George Santos pleads guilty to federal charges. We'll have details on the disgraced former congressman's plea deal.

And later, some heavy hitters step up to the scale. It's time for London Zoo's famous annual weigh-in.

END