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Interview With Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA); Interview With Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD); Kamala Harris Set to Accept Democratic Presidential Nomination. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired August 22, 2024 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:48]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: All right, today, the Democrats make it official in Chicago. It's the final day of the Democratic National Convention here at the United Center.

Tonight, Vice President Kamala Harris will accept her party's presidential nomination.

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN HOST: Democratic heavyweights have spent the last week telling voters that she is going to meet this moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: She will be a president respected by world leaders, because she already is.

MICHELLE OBAMA, FORMER FIRST LADY: Kamala Harris is more than ready for this moment.

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Kamala will be that president. Yes, she can.

DOUGLAS EMHOFF, SECOND GENTLEMAN: She's ready to lead.

GOV. TIM WALZ (D-MN), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Kamala Harris is tough, Kamala Harris is experienced and Kamala Harris is ready.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIP: Welcome to a special edition of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Abby Phillip live at the DNC here in Chicago.

ACOSTA: And I'm Jim Acosta. It's great to be with you once again.

PHILLIP: Hey, Jim. Good to have you.

ACOSTA: And it's set to be a historic night behind us, as Harris will be the first black woman and first Asian American person to accept a major party's presidential nomination in its history.

PHILLIP: We have got a lot coming up this hour. Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser is going to be here, also with us, California Senator Alex Padilla, and later:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATT FRIEND, COMEDIAN: So I'm here with failing Michael Cohen.

MICHAEL COHEN, FORMER ATTORNEY/FIXER FOR DONALD TRUMP: Not failing.

FRIEND: Michael, you betrayed me like a dog. It is really a horrible thing, what happened. What would you like to say to my face? Because you're a snitch. It's nasty what you did. You treated me horribly, and you know what happened. What would you like to say, Mike?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And comedian and impersonator Matt Friend will join me here in Chicago to have some fun, and we hope he does not choke like a dog.

And a little inside joke there. We will explain later. But -- and he's on set, and we're hoping he will stay quiet, because Abby and I have to have a serious discussion now.

PHILLIP: Right. I'm not sure we can count on that.

ACOSTA: I don't know if we can count on that.

But we can show -- show a cut shot of Matt Friend. He's a...

(CROSSTALK)

FRIEND: I try and make you laugh.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIP: Matt, AKA Donald J. Trump Jr.

ACOSTA: There's just no way he's going to stay quiet this entire time. This was a bad idea on the part of our producers.

FRIEND: Horrible idea.

ACOSTA: But, Abby, I did want to ask you about this, because, all this week, we have seen the emphasis shift. I mean, President Biden liked to talk about how there's an existential threat to democracy in America.

PHILLIP: Yes.

ACOSTA: And we haven't heard the word democracy thrown around as much as we have freedom.

PHILLIP: Yes.

ACOSTA: Why do you suppose that is? And does Kamala Harris need to put some meat on that bone tonight, talk about that?

PHILLIP: Look, there are -- have been Democrats for a while, Jim -- I'm sure you have been hearing this -- who have been a little bit worried about the democrat -- the democracy message from the beginning.

I mean, of course, they are concerned about that. Of course, they do believe that Donald Trump is a threat to democracy. But the concern was, it's hard to explain it to voters. What exactly does that mean?

And what we heard last night, what we have heard all week, is a reframing that around the idea of freedom, talking about what it means in people's neighborhoods, in their families, in their doctor's offices. And I think the reception to that among some Democrats has been relief.

And it's been only possible, I think, mainly possible because they were able to have a flip at the top of the ticket.

ACOSTA: Yes.

PHILLIP: So it made sense to change the message if there was going to be a message changed and to do it at that moment.

ACOSTA: And folks are worried about democracy, but they're also worried about economic freedom, reproductive rights, and so on.

PHILLIP: Yes.

ACOSTA: So it gets back to those kitchen table issues. Perfect analysis, Abby, as always.

And our first guest to talk about this a little bit more is Democratic Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland.

Senator, you decided not to run for reelection when your term ends this year. What's it been like watching this? I mean, have you been surprised as to how your party has been able to pull this off? I mean, what about the old saying about Dems in disarray?

SEN. BEN CARDIN (D-MD): I know. It's been a shock.

ACOSTA: Yes.

CARDIN: The energy level here is something I have never seen, and I have attended, I think, 11 conventions now. So the energy level here is amazing, the unity, not only for Vice President Harris, but also for Tim Walz.

You see the incredible unity for message, freedom. We talk about freedom, but freedom involves not just a women's right of -- on reproductive freedom, but also our freedom for our democratic institutions, to love who we want. There's so much that brings us together, and I think the theme of that we're for you, not for I.

[11:05:10]

ACOSTA: And I do want to ask you. We were talking about this in the commercial break a little bit. Tim Walz, I mean, coming on as the vice presidential nominee, he was almost an unknown on a national level just five short weeks ago.

CARDIN: Oh, absolutely. I think he was not known at all.

And I think...

ACOSTA: You didn't really know him that well.

CARDIN: I did not.

ACOSTA: Yes.

CARDIN: And, last night, I got to hear him and see firsthand who he is. And he's so genuine. He relates to so many people. And he gives us confidence that you will be represented, that your government really will be concerned about your issues.

ACOSTA: And I do want to ask you about the war in Gaza. The vice president has had to balance this convention with her day job.

She joined President Biden, apparently, on a call with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to discuss cease-fire negotiations. How do you think she's handling that balancing act? I mean, she's going to have to continue to do that. She's almost running as an incumbent here.

And where do those talks stand, as far as you know right now? It doesn't sound like they're -- we're heading towards a breakthrough, but you never know.

CARDIN: Jim, as the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I have worked with Vice President Harris. I have been kept engaged as to what's happening here.

And I give the Biden/Harris administration credit for bringing about international diplomacy. We need a day after this war to bring peace in the Middle East. And the vice president has been directly engaged in conversations with other countries in the region as to how we can get a security arrangement that can protect against Iran and its proxies and bring peace to the Palestinians and the Israelis.

ACOSTA: And you were saying you are the chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, a very important committee. You have worked with lots of presidents from both parties over the years. Is Kamala Harris up to the task of being commander in chief?

CARDIN: Oh, absolutely. I have been with her on many of these occasions. She is -- she understands the issues. She has the respect of our foreign leaders.

She's ready from day one. She will maintain confidence in the transatlantic partnership and NATO. In her own right,she instills that type of confidence for foreign -- for our foreign leaders.

But contrast to President Trump, there's no comparison here. ACOSTA: Well, and I do want to play a bit of what Trump had to say

about Ukraine yesterday. Let's talk about it on the other side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (R) AND CURRENT U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If we win, I will get that thing settled before I take the office. I will get it settled as president-elect.

I will get that war stopped.

(CHEERING)

TRUMP: With Russia -- yes, we will get that stopped. Ukraine and Russia, we're going to get it stopped, and quickly. It'll be done before I get to office.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Do you have any idea what he means when he thinks -- when he says that he's going to be able to stop the Ukraine on a dime like that?

CARDIN: Well, there's a reason why authoritarian leaders around the world are watching our election very closely.

There's no question that President Trump would admire the type of leadership of Mr. Putin and Russia and the other dictators around the world. He would compromise, I think, our democracy in Europe. And that's why our traditional allies are so concerned about what's going to happen in November.

ACOSTA: And what happens to Ukraine if Donald Trump gets back in the White House?

CARDIN: I think Russia wins. I think he will concede to Russia and allow Ukraine to be sacrificed.

But it will not end with Ukraine. I can tell you, our NATO allies are very concerned about what happens if Ukraine falls. And we have some non-NATO friends that are very vulnerable, such as Moldova and Georgia, that would be very vulnerable to Russia.

ACOSTA: All right, well, Chairman Cardin, thank you very much for your time. And congrats to you on your last convention as a senator and a chairman of the committee.

Appreciate your time very much. Thank you, sir.

CARDIN: Always good to be with you, Jim. Thanks.

ACOSTA: Good to be with you.

PHILLIP: And still ahead this hour, we have still got comedian Matt Friend, and he's become a viral star for his impressions of celebrities and politicians. Matt, before we go, who are you impersonating today?

FRIEND: We got Tim Walz coming up. We got maybe a little Hakeem Jeffries, maybe some CNN people.

PHILLIP: Oh, like who?

FRIEND: Of course, the big dog. Well, we have got a -- I'm going to debut a little bit of Axelrod, perhaps.

ACOSTA: Oh, wow.

(LAUGHTER)

FRIEND: Maybe a little Tapper. You never know, right?

But we will see.

ACOSTA: That's a tease.

FRIEND: A lot happening. A lot of energy at 9:00 a.m.

PHILLIP: What about Anderson Cooper?

FRIEND: Yes, Anderson Cooper talking to Andy Cohen. OK, that'd be great, yes.

PHILLIP: All right, Matt, looking forward to it.

FRIEND: Thank you.

PHILLIP: See you in the next one.

FRIEND: Let's do it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:14:06]

ACOSTA: We have heard a lot of talk about freedom here in Chicago this week, but last night that talk turned into a rousing call for action, as speaker after speaker reminded the nation that freedom is something you have to fight for.

PHILLIP: Now the Harris campaign is defining itself as the underdog in this race. And, Democrats, they are wary, maybe understandably so, of getting too comfortable with the momentum behind the vice president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. JOSH SHAPIRO (D-PA): We, we are the party of real freedom. Kamala and Tim's names may be on the ballot, but it's your rights. It's our rights.

OPRAH WINFREY, PRODUCER/PHILANTHROPIST: Freedom isn't free. It requires standing up to life's bullies.

GOV. WES MOORE (D-MD): True patriots do not whine and complain. We put our heads down and we get to work.

WALZ: It's the fourth quarter. We're down a field goal, but we're on offense and we have got the ball.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[11:15:04]

PHILLIP: Let's discuss this.

CNN political commentators Ashley Allison and Shermichael Singleton are both here with us.

OK, so, Ashley, a little bit of real talk here. I was thinking at a certain point last night, the freedom message is good. It's important. It works for them. But at some point, are they going to have to take on the economic message?

Because every poll I have looked at says that is the number one issue for voters. And I hear it here and there. I hear about the cost of insulin. I hear about the cost of prescription drugs. But is there enough talk at this convention about what's going in Americans' pockets, how they can afford things, how they feel about their economic future?

ASHLEY ALLISON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I do think that they will do that. I think they have done that in some speeches, but they're connecting.

It's a yes/and. It's not all freedom. It takes me back to 2022. And people were asking voters. They didn't like the direction the country was going in. And people made this assumption that they were talking about Joe Biden, when, in reality, they were experiencing something else because that red wave that everyone assumed was going to happen didn't happen, because they didn't like the direction.

But it was just because they didn't like the direction the Republicans were actually going. And they were able -- and Biden was able in that election to use democracy as an anchor point. I think this is what Kamala Harris is doing now, using freedom.

They pivoted a little from democracy and the word freedom to refresh it, because freedom, it is freedom to be able to make money, freedom to be able to be in a union, freedom to be able to love who you want to love and build a family the way you want to build it. Those are all economic issues, freedom to make choices over your body.

When you talk about it in that way, I think it resonates with the folks. I hear your question, though, about like, grocery store prices and things like that. They are -- she already offered some economic recommendations and I think you will hear that more.

And then coming out of this, the excitement is there. People are going to be on doors. Here we go.

ACOSTA: Here's "Freedom" playing behind us, yes.

ALLISON: On cue, "Freedom," you know?

PHILLIP: "Freedom."

ALLISON: Oh, yes.

SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: That was too perfect.

(CROSSTALK)

ACOSTA: That was. That was almost a mic drop moment.

ALLISON: Thank you, Queen B.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIP: It's almost like Beyonce heard us and was like, no, we're talking about freedom.

(CROSSTALK)

ACOSTA: Yes.

And, Shermichael, pick up on that,if you don't mind, I mean, one of the things that the Democrats did last night, they made a lot of good neighbor appeals. And it almost is sounding as though they're trying to reach to the middle, trying to maybe reach to the center-right Republicans.

SINGLETON: I have been most critical of them as a result of not doing that. And they did make efforts.

ACOSTA: Yes. Yes. Well, let's do a little bit of this and then talk about it. Maybe they will stop playing the music.

(LAUGHTER)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALZ: When Republicans use the word freedom, they mean that the government should be free to invade your doctor's office,corporations free to pollute your air and water, and banks free to take advantage of customers.

But when we Democrats talk about freedom, we mean the freedom to make a better life for yourself and the people that you love, freedom to make your own health care decisions, and, yes, your kids' freedom to go to school without worrying about being shot dead in the hall.

PETE BUTTIGIEG, U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: The other side is appealing to what is smallest within you. They're telling you that greatness comes from going back to the past. They're telling you that anyone different from you is a threat.

They're telling you that your neighbor or nephew or daughter who disagrees with you politically isn't just wrong, but is now the enemy. Darkness. Darkness is what they are selling.

The thing is, I just don't believe that America today is in the market for darkness.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Shermichael, your thoughts?

SINGLETON: I mean, I get the message. It's consistent. There's certainly on a message. I will give them that.

I just can't help but go back to that original question that Abby asked Ashley as it pertains to economics. And we have heard a little bit of it, but I'm certainly not convinced that we have heard enough of it.

Now, I'm going to look at the state of Pennsylvania because I think that's the state that's ultimately most critical for the former president. I think a lot of Republicans are spending a lot of time there, a lot of money and resources there.

If you're looking at Bucks County or Luzerne County or Erie, Pennsylvania, some of these real crucial battleground counties within the state, and you look at cost of goods and complaints from the residents there., it is the number one issue.

I mean, let's look at the stats,. Electricity up 32 percent. Groceries up 22 percent. Eggs up 47 percent. Car insurance up 54 percent. Gasoline up 51 percent. And so I understand the motivating factor of saying you have the freedom to choose, et cetera, who you love, who you like, et cetera.

But freedom to have money in your pocket, I think, is still a missing theme here. And how you're going to bring that, how you're going to actualize that, we haven't really heard. I mean, the vice president did release a plan. I will give some credit there.

But a lot of individuals, experts have been skeptical of that plan. We have reported on that plan and talked about the cost on everyday Americans.

ALLISON: So, the first night of this convention, there was a video that really hit home because it was about my hometown, Youngstown, Ohio, and how the Lordstown GM plant closed because of Donald Trump.

[11:20:04]

And I remember growing up in Youngstown, the steelworkers, right, a union town, and every year people being afraid that that plant was going to close.

ACOSTA: Yes. ALLISON: And Obama helped keep it open. And then you have Joe Biden,

the president, and Kamala Harris, the president, who are protecting autoworkers' jobs.

So I do -- again, I understand that there's -- like, there's many factions of the economic message, but they are talking about it in a way, to your question about this neighborly approach.

ACOSTA: Yes.

ALLISON: This morning I walked into the arena for the first time not singing "Freedom," but singing my high school fight song.

(LAUGHTER)

ACOSTA: Right.

ALLISON: And you know why? Because I am from Ohio.

ACOSTA: Yes.

ALLISON: I literally sang. And I was like, do I even remember it? But I did.

And you know why? It's because last night we saw a team come out on stage that are my age, all white men. It reminded me of my high school, of the people I was going to. They are doing that neighborly appeal and talking about the issues that really matter that will play in a Pennsylvania, a Michigan, a Wisconsin, an Ohio, where you have...

(CROSSTALK)

ACOSTA: Did that make you a little nervous, Shermichael...

PHILLIP: Yes.

ACOSTA: ... seeing the football team get on stage, seeing Tim Walz's family, their emotional reaction?

SINGLETON: Not necessarily nervous.

I mean, look, I'm a strategist, right?

ACOSTA: Yes.

SINGLETON: And some of the questions I have been asked, well, what should Democrats do to shore up those non-college-educated whites, some of those white men, where the vice president is struggling, and some of my assessment has been they need to figure out a way to make appeals to those folks.

And so, objectively speaking, I think it's very smart to have those individuals up there. I think it's very smart to talk to small-town America, because I think this race is ultimately going to be decided, whether it's Trump or Vice President Harris, with voters who fit in that category. PHILLIP: Yes.

And, Tim Walz, I mean, his delivery was pretty authentic, I think, in that way. It wasn't sort of grand prose or anything like that. But the connection, I think, was really effective. And, obviously, we have been talking a lot about Gus.

ALLISON: Seeing his family, I think, really helped bring it home in a way.

And Oprah, I thought, was doubling down on that message, too, is that this is about kind of what normal America looks like, which is more inclusive than an excluding of people.

ACOSTA: Yes.

ALLISON: Yes, and it's, like, who her audience was. She went -- and I thought it was interesting, because most people would have thought Oprah would have tried to rally up black women. Black women are there. We get the -- we understand our assignment. We do every election.

PHILLIP: Right.

ALLISON: When she said, I'm talking to all you independents, that was her audience for years. I'm talking to you undecideds. Come on.

Wes Moore did the same thing. He made a plea to those voters that will be super important in deciding and building that broader coalition.

ACOSTA: And I thought it was really important when Pete Buttigieg talked about how a generation ago he might not have been able to have the family that he has today.

PHILLIP: That's right.

ACOSTA: I thought that was a powerful moment.

(CROSSTALK)

ACOSTA: Yes.

SINGLETON: That moment with Walz in his son...

ACOSTA: Yes.

SINGLETON: ... I thought was really, really important for this strategic reason.

Republicans are in a race to define Vice President Harris, to define Governor Walz. But when voters see something like that...

ACOSTA: Yes.

SINGLETON: ... it allows them to sort of dismiss some of their political judgments or prejudices and see a person as an individual, to have that sort of human empathy, empathetic connection. PHILLIP: Yes.

SINGLETON: And once that occurs, it's really, really difficult from a messaging and targeting perspective to negatively change voters' minds about that.

And so I thought that moment was...

(CROSSTALK)

ALLISON: And it was organic.

PHILLIP: And he did not shy away from his military service.

ALLISON: Yes.

PHILLIP: He did not shy away from their fertility journey.

ACOSTA: Right.

PHILLIP: Those are two things that he's been criticized for by Republicans.

ACOSTA: And let's face it. I mean, we were just talking to Ben Cardin about this a few moments ago. A lot of people didn't know who Tim Walz was five weeks ago.

PHILLIP: Right. Yes.

ACOSTA: And so, I mean, yes, they have to put out these policy proposals. They also have to define who these people are who are going to be on this ticket.

PHILLIP: That's right.

ALLISON: And, Gus, I mean, the thing about that, Shermichael, is that it was organic. It wasn't staged. It wasn't performative.

(CROSSTALK)

ACOSTA: It was -- yes.

ALLISON: You could feel -- and, for folks, it made me miss my dad. I mean, it really was one of those things, like, that's my dad too.

(LAUGHTER)

SINGLETON: Like, as a strategist, I'm thinking about the calculation and I'm just like, Jesus, this is brilliant.

(LAUGHTER)

ALLISON: Loving your father is brilliant. Go figure.

(LAUGHTER)

ACOSTA: Yes, a lot of dads, I think, were getting a little misty- eyed.

PHILLIP: Oh, yes.

ACOSTA: Ashley and Shermichael, thanks very much. Appreciate it.

Coming up in just a few moments: Kamala Harris is getting ready for the biggest moment of her political life tonight. We will speak to one of her closest allies after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:28:50]

PHILLIP: Welcome back to our special live coverage from the DNC here in Chicago.

Just hours from now, Kamala Harris will deliver the big finale by formally accepting her party's nomination for the presidency.

Joining me now is Senator Alex Padilla of California.

Senator, you have known Kamala Harris for a long time. You're both from the state of California. What are you expecting to hear from her tonight? What does she need to do to reach the millions and millions of Americans who will be watching her?

SEN. ALEX PADILLA (D-CA): Right.

Look, what we're going to see tonight, what I have been excited about all week is that, through the course of this convention and the campaign, the country will get to know the Kamala Harris that California knows and loves, right?

We have seen her as district attorney in San Francisco, attorney general for the state of California. She was our senator before becoming vice president. She's tough. She's smart. She's thoughtful. But she's also compassionate.

You're going to see the human side of her, the caring part of her that is really at the core of her public service. We go to work to try to help people. And some of the big issues this country is facing are tough. And here is somebody who is tough and smart, but also is focused on the humanity of what we do.

PHILLIP: So we're hearing that, in the speech tonight, she's going to cast Trump's immigration policies as extreme.

I know you probably agree with her on that. She's going to address the border, which Trump has actually tried to weaponize against her.