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DJ Cassidy Leads DNC Crowd in Dance Party; Lifelong Republicans Speaks at DNC; Donald Trump Returns to North Carolina; RFK Jr. Running Mate Considering Endorsing Trump; U.S. Job Growth Weather than Estimated; Republicans Attacks Walz's Military Service Ahead of DNC Speech. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired August 21, 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: Georgia congresswoman, Nikema Williams, she had a moment as she announced the Peach State's votes. Let's watch that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NIKEMA WILLIAMS (D-GA): Georgia, the home of President Jimmy Carter, the cradle of the civil rights movement, where we fight for our freedom. Extremists in Georgia are trying to silence our voices by kicking Georgians off of the roads and making it harder to vote. But you all, when we send Kamala Harris to the White House, she'll fight for our freedom to vote, our reproductive freedoms, and our freedom to thrive.

In the spirit of good trouble, Georgia cast 123 votes for the next president of the Unites States, Kamala Harris.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LISA RESPERS FRANCE, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: It felt like she stayed on beat, right?

ACOSTA: She did. She was. Absolutely.

FRANCE: Absolutely. And did you catch --

ACOSTA: Something I could not do.

FRANCE: Did you catch Governor -- not Governor, Senator Warnock and Lil Jon doing the little -- you know, they gave each other a little high five, like -- it was so much fun. There was just like so much energy. You cannot watch this and not get your groove on and feel good.

ACOSTA: And what's the story behind DJ Cassidy? Because I was loving every minute of that too.

FRANCE: DJ Cassidy, a lot of people came to know him. He's been around forever, first of all. He's like a premier DJ and producer. But during the height of the pandemic, a lot of people gathered around DJ Cassidy on social media because he would bring artists in to do their hits. He would spin, and then they would perform, and it was absolutely an opportunity for people to come together.

Again, music brings people together. I defy you to watch this and not feel good. And this has just been a constant theme. Joy is a constant theme for this party right now. And DJ Cassidy absolutely brought it.

ACOSTA: And, Lisa, I mean, we were just talking about this with Deja Foxx a few moments ago, the way that -- I mean, this injection of young enthusiasm, the vibes, I mean, you know, we went from Brat Summer and Coconut Tree to DJ Cassidy and Lil Jon at the Democratic Convention. I mean, they are getting the youth vote motivated, it seems.

FRANCE: Absolutely, absolutely. And Lil Jon took his hit where he says, from the window to the wall, and he made it from VP Harris to Walz. And so, you know, I mean, look for all of the remixes because I feel like there are DJs right now in the lab trying to figure out how they can, you know, do their own personal little VP Harris-Walz mix.

You know, this is opening up a whole new lane for creatives in music. Absolutely. Who knew that a playlist for a convention could be this fun? Not me.

ACOSTA: It was so much fun. Very memorable. I mean, whoever decided to do that, came up with that idea needs a pay raise right now.

FRANCE: Absolutely.

ACOSTA: But in the meantime, Lisa Respers France, thanks very much.

FRANCE: Thank you.

ACOSTA: Thanks for making it fun for us this morning. We appreciate it.

FRANCE: A-tail (ph). A-tail (ph) in the house.

ACOSTA: All right. I represent.

FRANCE: I represent.

ACOSTA: All right. We'll be right back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's my pleasure to introduce our party's official nominee for president of the United States, live from my home state of Wisconsin, Vice President Kamala Harris.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[10:35:00] ACOSTA: Scores of Democrats are here in Chicago making the case for Kamala Harris, but last night, an unusual sight on the convention stage as some prominent Republicans offered their endorsement. Trump's former press secretary, a self-described true believer in his agenda, who refused, she says, to peddle his election lies and said, enough is enough on January 6th, she endorsed Kamala Harris. CNN's own Ana Navarro used the story of her childhood to highlight the threat, she says, Trump poses to democracy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANA NAVARRO, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: I fled communism from Nicaragua when I was eight years old. And let me tell you what communist dictators do. They attack the free press. They call them the enemy of the people, like Ortega does in Nicaragua. They refuse to accept legitimate elections when they lose, and call for violence to stay in power, like Maduro is doing right now in Venezuela. Now, you tell me something, do any of those things sound familiar?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: The Republicans at the DNC each came to reject Trumpism -- excuse me, Trumpism in their own unique ways, but their message is the same, their country comes above a party they no longer recognize.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHANIE GRISHAM, FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: When I was press secretary, I got skewered for never holding a White House briefing. It's because, unlike my boss, I never wanted to stand at that podium and lie. Now, here I am, behind a podium, advocating for a Democrat. And that's because the country is more than my party.

MAYOR JOHN GILES, MESA, ARIZONA (R): My hero John McCain taught us to put country over party. John McCain's Republican Party is gone and we don't owe a damn thing to what's been left behind. So, let's turn the page. Let's put country first. Let's put adults in the room where our country deserves.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Joining me now is a former adviser to Mike Pence, Olivia Troye. She is speaking at the convention tonight. We've spoken so many times, Olivia, over the last couple of years, but here you are at the Democratic National Convention. You and I've talked about this before. You are a lifelong Republican. You used to vote Republican in every election. Basically, whoever was on the ballot, that's what you did. And here you are at the DNC. It's got to be surreal.

[10:40:00]

OLIVIA TROYE, FORMER ADVISER TO VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE: It's absolutely surreal. I mean, I can't believe we're sitting here in the convention center and I'm about to talk before Democrats, right?

The last convention I went to was in Philadelphia for the RNC. Back in the day, it was -- I was still an RNC staffer at the time, that's how long it's been. So, yes, you know, it's an emotional moment, but I think what you're seeing is all of us coalesce and say it's country over party and we are hoping to pave a better and brighter future for the American people because those of us who have lived it, like Stephanie Grisham said, we know what Donald Trump really is. You know, we've heard all the comments, everything he's done. And I'm here because I truly believe that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are going to take us down a better path.

ACOSTA: And let's listen to a little bit of what your former colleague, Stephanie Grisham, had to say last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRISHAM: I wasn't just a Trump supporter, I was a true believer. He used to tell me, it doesn't matter what you say, Stephanie, say it enough and people will believe you. Behind closed doors, Trump mocks his supporters. He calls them basement dwellers.

On January 6th, I asked Melania if we could at least tweet that while peaceful protest is the right of every American, there's no place for lawlessness or violence. She replied with one word, no.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Yes, Olivia, I mean, you and I have talked about January 6th, the way Former President Trump handled it that day, mishandled it that day, talked about it in that fashion, but the thing that stood out to me, and maybe Stephanie has told this story before, but I had not heard it, where she said that Trump used to refer to his supporters as basement dwellers.

TROYE: Yes, and I was in the room when he said, I don't want to shake hands with those dirty people, those disgusting people. So, I think, you know, you have his former press secretary saying this is what he thinks of his supporters. I personally detest the fact that he speaks of him in that way because it's so disrespectful.

And what I -- I think what really breaks my heart is just how much they rally around someone who really just doesn't care about them, like has complete disregard, has no identification with the middle class or the working class. And I think that's the contrast, right? You have Donald Trump on that ticket, J. D. Vance, who's constantly attacking women. And you have Kamala Harris and Tim Walz who are saying, you know, we know what it's like to work through college. I worked my way through college, like they can identify, right? He was -- you know, he supported farmers, Tim Walz was a coach, you know, all these things that make me think of my dad, honestly. My dad was a lifelong truck driver and I see myself like identifying with this ticket and so different.

But you know, I want to -- I do want to bring something up that Stephanie Grisham talked about last night that was very personal for me. She talks about what Donald Trump said when he went to go visit the ICU when there was an emergency and, you know, there was all a media moment and what he wanted, he wanted the cameras in there, what she's talking about, because I've had that conversation with her, she's talking about the day of the El Paso shooting.

ACOSTA: Wow.

TROYE: And, you know, her and I have talked about that, what she was seeing from her perspective while I was living at -- briefing Mike Pence about what was happening in the Walmart, while also telling people in the White House that my aunt was in that Walmart that day. And so, I -- you know, I say that because as an American, think of me outside of just not a Former Trump official, think about being just a human being in that situation and seeing the president of the United States, hearing him talk that way, and thinking about that fact that, like, these are the people from your hometown community, and that that could have been my aunt in the ICU. She was just very lucky that day that someone pulled her away. She saw the shooter. And to think that that's very real for me and the staff because I know that Stephanie and I have had emotional conversations about that.

ACOSTA: And Olivia, I mean, I suspect that a lot of Trump supporters out there would say, oh, you're a member of the deep state or you're a never Trump Republican. Can you talk about how much you have personally put on the line speaking out like this?

TROYE: Yes, I gave up my entire career. I have -- you know, I spent almost 20 years working in national security as an intel officer. You know, I started my career in Republican politics and then left and sort of decided I -- this is what I want to do. I want to serve.

And, you know, when you serve your country, you serve under various administrations, regardless of politics. And I can say, like, I know that I went in day in and day out, worked hard, was there to truly serve the American people, help Mike Pence, help the administration. And so, like they can accuse us of saying that. All we're doing is telling the truth and everyone that worked with us there knows it. They know exactly what it is

ACOSTA: Do you wish Mike Pence were here?

TROYE: That would be amazing.

ACOSTA: You wish he would say more, speak out more?

[10:45:00]

TROYE: I do. I mean, there's no one else that has lived what Donald Trump and the danger that he is, that he poses more than him. I have seen him in very moments of crisis where he had to navigate, how we were going to handle Donald Trump, and how we were going to not let him derail things that we were trying to do when we were trying to help the American people, especially during times of COVID.

Again, in mass shooting situations that were actually hate crimes and domestic terrorism here that I had to cover because I was -- you know, I covered that portfolio and how we had to carefully navigate, how do you message in a moment where -- that requires true leadership to the American people while also countering the fact that it's the person sitting in the Oval Office at the time who's actually driving some of the hate crimes and some of these incidents that are happening in the country by the rhetoric that he's using and by the rhetoric that a lot of these more far-right Republican leaders are using? And they're still using it today.

ACOSTA: Yes, well, we'll see you talking about some of this tonight. Olivia Troye, great to see you as always.

TROYE: Thanks.

ACOSTA: Really appreciate it. Thanks so much. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:50:00]

ACOSTA: Just hours from now, Former President Donald Trump will be campaigning in North Carolina. It's been exactly one week since he was last in the state, and today his running mate, Senator J. D. Vance, is expected to join him. CNN's Alayna Treene joins me now.

Alayna, I want to ask you first, though, about these new reports that RFK. Jr. might be dropping out of the race and endorsing Trump. What has the former president said about this?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: He actually made some news yesterday, Jim, with our own Kristen Holmes, who asked him about this on the sidelines of his event in Michigan yesterday. And essentially, Donald Trump said that not only would he welcome RFK Jr.'s potential endorsement, but that he would also be open to considering him for a role in a future administration.

Now, of course, I want to remind you that earlier in the day, yesterday, Nicole Shanahan, RFK Jr.'s running mate, had said that he was considering -- on a podcast, that he was considering potentially dropping out and wanting to seek whether or not he could actually land a role in a Trump cabinet. Take a listen, though, to what Donald Trump told Kristen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Can I ask you about RFK? Because just moments ago, his running mate said that they were considering endorsing you. Have you considered him for a role in the administration? And what role would that be?

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, we haven't, but I would love that endorsement. Because I've always liked him.

HOLMES: Would you also consider putting him in the administration?

TRUMP: You're asking me a very unusual question. I haven't been asked that question yet. I like him a lot. I respect him a lot. I probably would if something like that would happen.

SEN. JD VANCE (R-OH), REPUBLICAN VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: My pitch to him and to a lot of his voters would be, the Democratic Party of my grandparents that supported his uncle, John F. Kennedy, for president has been completely abandoned by the modern leadership of the Democratic Party.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TREENE: So, Jim, there you had at the end there was J. D. Vance saying that he would welcome it as well and saying that he welcomes more Democrats trying to go and join the Donald Trump effort. But look, this is interesting because, of course, RFK Jr. has very progressive views. Remember, Donald Trump's team has been labeling him as a radical liberal for months. And so, this is a big change of heart there.

I'll also just note that RFK Jr. in the past has said that he would also consider dropping out to endorse Kamala Harris and wanting to seek a role in her own potential administration. So, kind of playing both sides there.

ACOSTA: Yes, he's shopping this endorsement around to both campaigns. It'll be interesting to see who bites. It sounds like it's more likely to be Donald Trump who's going to be back in North Carolina. As you said, Alayna Treene, very interesting that he's going back to that state. Alayna Treene, thank you very much.

Some breaking news in the CNN right now. The job growth has been far weaker in the U.S. than originally reported, that is according to new data just coming in this morning. Let's get right to CNN's Matt Egan. What's the headline, Matt?

MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Jim, 818,000 fewer jobs were added during the period between April 2023 and March of this year. We were bracing for these revisions to come out and show that job growth was weaker. And that is what we got. This is probably on the high end of the expectations. Some of the forecasters had been saying, probably around a few hundred thousand jobs, Goldman Sachs had said, maybe up to a million. So, this is on the higher end.

We're seeing some of the biggest revisions downward in sectors that include manufacturing, leisure, and hospitality, professional and business services. Of course, some sectors actually added more jobs than were previously known. Private education, health services, transportation, and warehousing. We look at the market, not a massive reaction from the market.

I think that's in part because this is somewhat backwards looking data. What investors really care about is what happens next. And these numbers out today, they do support the idea that the jobs market has been weaker than we previously thought, and that it has been slowing down. That makes sense because we know the Fed has been working hard to slow the economy down as it tries to fight inflation.

So, I do think that the fact that the economy had more than 800,000 fewer jobs than previously known supports the idea that the Fed is going to start cutting interest rates next month. The question still remains whether or not it's a quarter of a point or a larger interest rate cut. But either way, it's going to lower mortgage rates, credit card rates, and car loan rates. Jim.

ACOSTA: Yes, all of these data points are very important and you have to think it's all being taken into consideration for that critical decision that's coming from the Fed. Matt Egan, thank you very much. Really appreciate it.

EGAN: Thanks, Jim.

ACOSTA: In just hours from now, we'll see Governor Tim Walz take the stage to accept the Democratic nomination for vice president as Republicans continue to criticize his time in the military. Congressman and Iraq War veteran Seth Moulton, Democrat of Massachusetts, joins us next. He'll be here in just a few moments. You're live at the CNN Newsroom.

[10:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: Captivating an audience --

[11:00:00]