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CNN International: Kamala Harris Accepts Dem Nomination For President In Historic Speech; Trump Reacts To Harris Speech With Criticism, Complaints; RFK Jr. Expected to Exit Race, Has Expressed Trump Endorsement; Indian PM Modi Meets President Zelenskyy In Ukraine; Ukraine Speeds Up Pokrovsk Evacuations As Russians Close In; Ukraine Confirms Attack on Ferry At Russian Port; Official: Body Of Last Victim Has Been Recovered; CIA Director Expected to Attend Gaza Ceasefire Talks; CNN Tracks One Third Reduction In Gaza Safe Areas; CNN Speaks To Undecided Voters After Harris Speech; Source: Secret Service Never Used Local Radios For Trump Rally; Severe Flooding Claims 36 Lives In Bangladesh and India; Thailand Plane Crash: Nine People Believed Dead In Small Plane Crash; Iceland Volcano Erupts For Second Time Since May. Aired 8-9a ET
Aired August 23, 2024 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:00]
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: the party's over.
SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: It's over.
BERMAN: And if you walk on the floor right now, it has that sticky, like, insane feel to it.
John Berman with Sara Sidner here at Chicago. Kate Bolduan is in New York. The final chapter of this unprecedented political summer has now been written and it is now time to figure out what it all means.
What has changed besides everything --
SIDNER: Literally.
BERMAN: So this was Vice President Kamala Harris accepting her party's nomination, which was not --
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers all around the world. I'm Fredricka Whitfield, and this is the "CNN Newsroom."
Just ahead, the race for the White House is in high gear, Kamala Harris accepts the democratic nomination for President with a rousing speech in Chicago as both sides now shift to another level with just 74 days until Election Day.
Plus, divers in Italy locate the body of the last missing person from a super yacht that sank off the coast of Sicily. We'll have an update from the scene.
And then new reporting reveals fresh communication failures between local police and the U.S. Secret Service in the hours before the assassination attempt on Donald Trump.
In a speech full of policy ideas and personal stories, Kamala Harris officially accepted the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, Thursday night. Harris set out clear differences between her path forward and the one laid out by Donald Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I know there are people of various political views watching tonight, and I want you to know, I promise to be a president for all Americans. You can always trust me to put country above party and self, to hold sacred America's fundamental principles, from the rule of law, to free and fair elections to the peaceful transfer of power.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Harris recounted her childhood, raised by her immigrant mother and her decision to become a prosecutor to protect victims of fraud and abuse. She promised as President to protect reproductive rights and take action on immigration that Donald Trump derailed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: I refuse to play politics with our security, and here is my pledge to you. As President, I will bring back the bipartisan border security bill that he killed and I will sign it into law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Harris said, Donald Trump's tariff plan would amount to a tax hike for most Americans. She vowed to pass a tax cut for the middle class.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: I will bring together labor and workers and small business owners and entrepreneurs and American companies to create jobs to grow our economy and to lower the cost of everyday needs like healthcare and housing and groceries.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: CNN's MJ Lee has more from inside the convention center.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: For four days, there was a jubilant celebration here in Chicago, culminating in Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday night formally accepting her party's nomination for the presidency.
HARRIS: On behalf of the people. On behalf of every American, regardless of party, race, gender, or the language your grandmother speaks, on behalf of my mother and everyone who has ever set out on their own unlikely journey. On behalf of Americans like the people I grew up with, people who work hard, chase their dreams and look out for one another, on behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on earth. I accept your nomination to be President of the United States of America.
LEE: But despite all of this, the confetti and the balloons and the celebration, I am told that the Vice President remains clear eyed about what could come next after Chicago. I spoke with somebody who recently spoke with the Vice President, and they said that even though the Vice President with them didn't use the word honeymoon, the idea is definitely there.
The idea that the honeymoon period that we have seen over the past month or so could come to an end at some point. And that there's a recognition by the Vice President and others on down in the Harris campaign that the enthusiasm and the momentum that have fueled Harris' quick ascension to the top of her the party's ticket, that those things could wane for reasons that may or may not be under the Vice President's control.
But for the time being, Thursday night, the partying, the celebration, all of those things continuing in Chicago, including with the Vice President heading over to the Queenie's Supper Club here in the United Center, where she was going to be greeted by supporters. And also, there's something else she is celebrating tonight, her 10th wedding anniversary with Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff. MJ Lee, CNN in Chicago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[08:05:00]
WHITFIELD: All right. Republican challenger Donald Trump watched Kamala Harris' speech closely during his visit to a U.S.-Mexico border town in Arizona on Thursday, and he posted about it in real-time on his Truth Social platform.
He criticized Harris for talking a lot about her childhood and accused her of lying about Project 2025, the conservative blueprint for the next Republican President, which Trump has distanced himself from.
And he went on Fox News after Harris wrapped up. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (via telephone): There was a lot of complaining. She didn't talk about China, she didn't talk about fracking, she didn't talk about crime. She didn't talk about 70 percent of our people are living in poverty. She didn't talk about the trade deficit. She didn't talk about child trafficking that she's allowed to happen, because she was the border czar, she presided over the weakest border in the history of our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: And a quick fact check on what Trump just said. Harris did mention China in her speech. She said she will make sure, I'm quoting now, "That America, not China, wins the competition for the 21st century and strengthen, not abdicate, its global leadership," end quote.
All right, so with the convention done now, what comes next for Kamala Harris? Let's bring in CNN National Political Correspondent Eva Mckend for more on this. So major night for Harris. Next step, they're going to hit the ground running?
EVA MCKEND, CNN U.S. NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, were still waiting to learn from the campaign where the Vice President and the governor will head to next. But it is instructive that they did not even take a day off this week, actually holding that big rally with thousands of people in the battleground state of Wisconsin while the Democratic National Convention was happening. So that just gives you a sense of them trying to use every single day that they can.
We also learned last night sort of what their theory of the case is going to be on the campaign trail in the weeks ahead. We heard the Vice President argue a country over party in what seemed like a message directly for Independent and Republican voters. She said that a defining goal of a future Harris presidency would be uplifting the middle class. She talked about the importance of fighting for reproductive freedom. We know that freedom is a major theme of her campaign.
And then she forcefully made the case against former President Donald Trump, arguing that he wouldn't be able to stand up to dictators because he is an aspiring dictator himself. So those are the things that we are likely to hear over the next couple of weeks as they make their case in this condensed period, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right. Eva Mckend, thank you so much. All right. Donald Trump is hoping to seize some momentum, while he's in Nevada and Arizona. Robert Kennedy Jr., the leading third party candidate in the race, will also be in Arizona. It is widely expected that Kennedy will announce that he is dropping out of the race and he may endorse Trump for President. Trump has only said that it's possible that he and Kennedy will meet on Friday.
CNN's Steve Contorno is tracking developments inside the Trump campaign for us. Good morning to you, Steve. So Trump teased ahead to a possible meeting with RFK Jr. today, a big possible. How likely is it?
STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Well, that is certainly the hope of the Trump campaign. And they enter today believing that it is likely, though not guaranteed, that if RFK Jr. does drop out, he will endorse Donald Trump. As you said, Donald Trump suggested it's possible the two will meet today. There is a spot for a special guest at Trump's rally in Arizona later today, though, we were all just fooled by a special guest at the DNC yesterday, I'll point out.
However, this is something that Trump's campaign believe can help them, especially in some of these very tight battlegrounds. If this race comes down to a few thousand votes, they hope that RFK Jr. support will convince some of those antiestablishment conservatives or those moms who have gravitated towards RFK because of his views on the environment or his anti-vaccine stances.
And this is something that they have been working on behind the scenes for quite some time. Donald Trump Jr., Tucker Carlson and some others have been trying to sort of keep lines of communication open between the Trump campaign and RFK Jr.'s campaign, laying the groundwork for a potential endorsement. We're told that it is still something that is heavily under consideration.
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However, there are people within RFK's orbit who would prefer him to stay in the race and also would prefer him not to endorse at all. So we'll have to wait and see exactly what transpires later today.
WHITFIELD: OK. And also on Trump's schedule today, he'll be in Las Vegas later on this afternoon, heading to Arizona for a second rally. What do we expect the goal of his message will be?
CONTORNO: Well, it's been a very active week for the former President, probably the most active week I've seen from him on the campaign trail, at least since the Iowa caucuses. He's had events in battleground states, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.
Today, he'll have events in two different states, one in Vegas, where he's expected to talk about his proposal to get rid of taxes on tipped wages. And then he'll hold a more traditional rally this evening in Arizona.
And, you know, as much as these events all week long have been billed as sort of a policy centric topics and that they've been hoping to sort of keep the former president on that message, it's been also very clear he's been watching the DNC closely, pretty much every morning or afternoon.
After a DNC, he'll sort of recap his thoughts on what happened the day before. And we expect to see that from him again today. He's already been posting on Truth Social kind of in real time his thoughts on Vice President Harris' speech last night, sort of a bizarre array of stream of conscious thoughts. And he went on Fox News afterwards to share that view as well as you played for our listeners earlier, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, Steve Contorno, thank you so much tracking the Trump campaign. All right, just weeks after hugging Russia's President, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been embracing Ukraine's wartime President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This is a trip which India calls landmark and historic and one that will be closely watched in Russia as Moscow's assault on its neighbor grinds on.
In July, Kyiv condemned Mr. Modi's Moscow trip to meet with Vladimir Putin. And during that visit, Russia launched a deadly strike on a children's hospital in Ukraine. And a short time ago, we have heard confirmation from Kyiv that it had attacked a Russian ferry said to be carrying fuel tanks. And Kyiv is also urging thousands of Ukrainian civilians to leave the eastern city of Pokrovsk as Russian troops get closer. All right, before we get to what's happening on the battlefield, I want to bring in now CNN's Mark Stewart for the latest on the meeting between the Indian and Ukrainian leaders. Mark, you know the significance of this visit, India, calling it historic. What do we believe is the mission here?
MARC STEWART, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right, Fredricka. It's interesting. We've been looking at the messaging over the last 24 hours since the Indian Prime Minister has been on the move. We've heard a lot about dialogue, about diplomacy, about the need for peace and stability in the region.
In the last few hours, we're now hearing a message of compassion. I want to show you some images now that the Indian Prime Minister is on the ground in Ukraine. Among the first items on his agenda was to travel with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with President Zelenskyy to a memorial to honor some of the children who have been killed in this conflict. One particular poignant moment is an image of the two leaders hugging.
It's also a contrast, though, because it was just weeks ago in the summer when we saw Prime Minister Modi and Russian leader Putin hugging. It's a visit that was met with criticism. This is now an image which is a contrast to all of that.
The Prime Minister -- the Indian Prime Minister also making some remarks via Twitter, and I want to read them to you, expressing his feeling now that he is on the ground in Ukraine, saying, quote, "Conflict is particularly devastating for young children. My heart goes out to the families of children who lost their lives. And I pray they find the strength to endure their grief."
This is a very complicated relationship between these two nations. We have heard Prime Minister Modi call for a ceasefire with Russia, yet he has not condemned the Russian incursion on Ukraine and the military action.
In addition, India has not participated, has not gotten involved with any of the resolutions involving Ukraine at the United nations. So we have these very difficult -- these very difficult points that are -- going to have to be discussed between these two leaders. They have talked several times before, most recently during the G7 in Italy on the sidelines there. But this was a direct invitation by President Zelenskyy to Prime Minister Modi.
[08:15:00]
Finally, Fredricka, I should point out these two nations have had very long diplomatic ties, dating back to the early nineties. Other issues are being discussed on this visit. Other issues will be discussed and there is hope that agreements will be signed, dealing with everything from community support to some drug control issues. Those are things, Fredricka, that we'll be looking forward to in addition to this bigger discussion about the Indian position on this conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
WHITFIELD: All right, CNN's Marc Stewart, thank you so much for that.
All right. Right now I want to bring in CNN's Salma Abdelaziz. Salma, what are you learning about the situation on the ground right now in Ukraine and the evacuations from the eastern portion of the country?
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. So let's begin with that claim of responsibility that was issued just a few hours ago by Ukrainian forces, saying that, yes, they did attack this ferry that was in the Black Sea, a Russian ferry. It's important because this port, the port of Kavkaz where this happened, is one of the main ports for Russia in the Black Sea.
Not only does it export goods, but very importantly, it brings oil into Crimea. And apparently that's exactly what this ferry was doing when it was struck by Ukrainian forces. According to Russian troops, that ferry did sink. There were no casualties. But you have that video, of course, of smoke billowing, the fires that were -- that were sparked in the Black Sea. So yet another indication of just how vulnerable Russia's forces are to any attacks by Ukrainians.
And of course, that vulnerability stretches all the way up into Russian territory itself, where in Kursk, Ukrainian forces are continuing that surprise offensive that they launched two weeks ago, but now say they are facing stiff resistance from Russian troops who have been able, of course, to redeploy and rearm.
But Ukrainian officials are most worried about a very different diversion in a different location, and that's in eastern Ukraine in Pokrovsk Square. I know you played those images earlier, those very distressing scenes of families now forced to flee. Local officials saying everyone needs to get out of Pokrovsk in the next two weeks because Russian troops are advancing so quickly.
Local officials saying that some families are going so far as to hide their children from these mandatory evacuations. So they're absolutely pleading with people, Russian troops are coming, get out, get to safety.
Inside Russia. President Putin, although, of course, taking on these attacks from Ukraine, dealing with this assault inside Russian territory, is trying to present strength. Yesterday was Flag Day in Russia, Fredricka, and there were just these huge crowds in Red Square where a concert was held in support of the war, where you could hear people voice their love in support of President Putin. Yet another attempt there to flex muscle, to establish strength at a time when very much this war is being fought on home turf for President Putin.
WHITFIELD: All right. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz, thank you so much.
A Coast Guard official tells CNN the last victims from this week's yacht tragedy, rather, has been recovered. The victim is believed to be Hannah Lynch, the 18 year old daughter of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, who died when the yacht sank Monday. The boat was hit by a tornado. The final victim brings the number of people killed in the incident to seven.
Barbie Latza Nadeau is in Porticello, Sicily and joining us now live. Barbie, the final victim now found, recovered. What's next?
BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: Well, you know, I mean, that is really important, what's next and this is going to be all about whether or not this could have been prevented the deaths of these seven people. You know, we saw this poignant scene behind when they brought the body bag of this 18 year old young woman.
You know, all the divers who've been working so feverishly for five days, trying to find her, you know, standing there watching her brought to shore. Now, of course, criminal investigation, that is the focus. The captain of this vessel is a 51 year old man from New Zealand who we understand is increasingly the focus of the investigation.
Over the weekend, were expecting the prosecuting magistrate, which is how it works here in Italy, to give a statement about where this investigation is. The 15 survivors, with the exception of the one year old baby girl, have been interviewed to talk about exactly what happened in those moments before this ship went down after the tornado struck.
What's really important, though, is to note that there were other vessels out there nearby that did not go down in the same storm. And so they're looking at whether or not the captain didn't do something, if the ship wasn't properly secured for the storm which was predicted.
We've also heard from the ship maker who said his yacht was unsinkable and it could only sink if there was human error.
[08:20:00]
So that will be the focus of the investigation. Eventually they'll have to bring this luxury yacht up to the surface, and that will also be examined at that time to see if there was any mechanical failure or anything else that led to these tragic deaths. Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Barbie Latza Nadeau, thank you so much, in Sicily.
Still to come, Israel is intensifying its military operations in Gaza ahead of ceasefire talks expected to take place in Egypt this weekend. A live report from Cairo straight ahead.
And Bangladesh, no stranger to severe flooding, but some there believe India has made the current flooding much worse. We'll tell you why coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Gaza ceasefire talks are set to resume this weekend in Cairo. CIA Director Bill Burns and top White House envoy Brett McGurk are expected to attend the high level meetings with Israeli and Egyptian officials.
A narrow stretch of land along the border between Gaza and Egypt, the Philadelphia Border, has become a sticking point to reaching a deal. Israeli forces seized control of the area in May.
CNN's Nada Bashir joining us now from Cairo with more on what we are expecting today. Nada?
NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Look, there is certainly a lot of pressure, Fredricka, on these talks. There have been continued calls from mediators, and in particular, from the Biden administration for these talks, for these negotiations to be concluded, for there to be some sort of agreement to bring an end to the violence that we're seeing in Gaza and of course to bring the hostages home.
Now, as you mentioned, these talks are set to focus on those key sticking points that continue to exist. There are still gaps between Israel, Hamas on these final issues. While there is a sense that the broader agreement, agreement has been agreed upon by both sides, it is these final points which really need to be hammered out.
And we know, of course, that the Biden administration has put forward what is being described as bridging proposals, attempts to narrow those gaps between Israel and Hamas that will be the focus of these discussions. According to the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, there is an Israeli delegation present here.
Israeli officials tell CNN that the head of Mossad, David Barnea, is amongst that delegation, and of course, there are senior Egyptian officials as part of these talks. And as you mentioned, senior U.S. officials, the Biden administration's coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, Brett McGurk, and of course, CIA Director Bill Burns is expected to arrive in Cairo today and these talks are expected to continue over the weekend.
And one of the key issues that will be a focus of these discussions, as you mentioned, is the Philadelphia Corridor, that buffer zone between Egypt and Southern Gaza. Now, Hamas has been clear throughout the negotiations. They do not want to see a continued presence by Israeli forces on this corridor on that southern border. They want to see a full withdrawal of Israeli troops in any sort of post war situation.
[08:25:00]
However, while there had been reports that the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had agreed to these terms. The Prime Minister's Office has described these reports as incorrect. The Prime Minister's Office has framed the presence of troops, or at least the presence of security control by Israeli forces along the corridor as being crucial to Israel's long term post war security.
And there are other sticking points which continue to divide Israel and Hamas. One of those key points is the release of Palestinian prisoners. Israel has been pushing for veto power on which Palestinian prisoners are released as part of any sort of ceasefire agreement. That is something Hamas doesn't want to see.
So again, these are all issues which need to be ironed out, hammered out over the course of these discussions. And while there had been some optimism last week following talks in Doha in Qatar, that optimism appears to be fading. But that pressure is continuing from mediators and, of course, from the Biden administration.
We heard earlier in the week from U.S. President Joe Biden saying that the U.S. assessment at that stage was that Hamas may be backing off from a deal. That has been denied by Hamas officials. They say they still want to see a deal, they want to see an end to the violence in Gaza.
But crucially, they want a deal that reflects the proposal put forward by President Biden in late May, a deal which they say they agreed to in early July. But they have accused Israel of putting forward new conditions to try and stall these negotiations that have accused the Biden administration of conforming to Israel's demands.
So clearly a lot to be worked out here. Whether we'll see any success over the course of these weekend discussions remains to be seen. It does feel as though we are somewhere from a final deal at this stage, but that pressure is mounting as the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate.
We're hearing calls now for a ceasefire to prevent the spread of polio in Gaza, the first case recorded in 25 years, according to UNICEF in a ten month old child, a baby. So clearly a lot of concern there.
And of course, pressure from the relatives, family members and representatives of hostages still held captive in Gaza, many of whom have said it is essential to, to get a deal struck in order to ensure the safe return of those hostages remaining in Gaza.
WHITFIELD: My goodness. All right. Nada Bashir, thank you so much.
All right. The talks come as Israel steps up military operations in Gaza. Palestinian officials say Israeli strikes killed at least 22 people in southern Gaza on Thursday. This, as thousands of displaced civilians have been forced to flee again under the latest evacuation orders from the IDF.
The UN says the war has depleted supplies of fuel and around 70 percent of water and sanitation facilities have been destroyed or damaged.
CNN's Nic Robertson looks at some Israeli strikes over the past few days and the increasing desperation among Palestinians in Gaza. And we do want to warn you, his report contains graphic images.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): As peace talks stall, an overnight Israeli air strike in Northern Gaza. Pulled from the rubble charred children, images too horrific to broadcast.
12 dead, no injured, no survivors, according to Palestinian officials. Israel's military says they're looking into the incident. In the past few days, strikes killing families in the north center and Southern Gaza. As diplomacy fails, desperation in Gaza increases. In parallel with the renewed push for peace, Israel's military is pushing into previously declared safe zones.
Over the past month, CNN has tracked a more than one third reduction in the areas supposedly safe from Israeli strikes. Less than 11 percent of Gaza technically safe. But even the shrunken safe zone, no protection for Mahmoud Abu Tyor's three year old niece killed in a tent in the safe area, he says. They attacked us by surprise. All of a sudden a quadcopter came on us and started shooting. We ran away towards the beach, but my niece was killed.
While diplomats shuttle to talks, Gazans are increasingly on the move too, reluctantly responding to increasing Israeli evacuation orders, telling them their sanctuary, not safe. This is the tenth time we've been displaced, he shouts. Where shall we go to? Where shall we go to?
[08:30:00]
We ask all the world, Biden and the others, all the Arab states to find a solution. Abu Mohammed Hajjaj (ph) says the Palestinian people are dying. The people of Gaza are being killed and going through hell.
Absent a peace deal, Gaza's unsafe safe zones appear to face extinction. Gazans themselves caught in a roulette, no good options.
Nic Robertson, CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, a new phase of the U.S. 2024 presidential election now underway. Kamala Harris is the official Democratic nominee, after accepting her party's nomination in Chicago last night. And in a speech that spanned her personal and professional journeys, she also laid out her vision and delivered a searing rebuke of her Republican rival, Donald Trump.
CNN's Gary Tuchman spoke to eight previously undecided voters after the speech to see if anything Harris said has won them over.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Like I said, none of you were ready to make a commitment to any candidate in November. Please raise your hand right now if you're now ready to make a commitment after today.
Wow, I'm just kind of surprised by it. We haven't rehearsed this. I'm going to make that very clear. They will attest to this. Seven of you are now ready. Scott?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I'm going to vote for Kamala Harris.
TUCHMAN: Andy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah. Kamala Harris. Yes.
TUCHMAN: Donna.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm voting for her also.
TUCHMAN: Sean? Sean?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Kamala.
TUCHMAN: Sabrina.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kamala.
TUCHMAN: Patrick.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kamala.
TUCHMAN: Brian.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump.
TUCHMAN: Trump. And finally, Lindsay?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Still probably not voting.
TUCHMAN: So probably you don't like either of them.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nope.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Wow. All right. No doubt the convention was electrifying, it was energetic. Obviously, it was influential. But the Democrats have to keep that momentum. Right?
CNN's Senior Political Analyst Ron Brownstein joining me live from Chicago. Wow, that was something else, huh, to hear from those eight.
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yeah. It really was, you know. And in the longer version of that, Fred, one of them said that he was voting for her because of her confidence, which really enforced, what I believed, watching last night that in many ways the messenger was the message.
[08:35:00]
She certainly had interesting arguments and pointed arguments about Trump and stories about her background. But really, I think the most important thing was her presence, her energy, her strength, her steeliness, the way she projected, her ability to be president.
I mean, we have to remember, we talked about double haters all year. Double haters existed because there was not a majority of Americans who wanted to return Joe Biden to the White House and there was not a majority of Americans who wanted to return Donald Trump to the White House. Her principal job this week was not so much to make the case against Trump, because there's already a majority that doesn't want to reelect him. It was to convince those voters that she was an acceptable alternative. And I thought that was where they put the most emphasis last night.
WHITFIELD: Yeah, I heard you earlier and I took note of the language you used. You said, you know, she radiated change. And that sounds like the thing that stuck with those eight people that Gary Tuchman talked to and seven of them, or at least six of them who have now committed to saying they're going to vote for her, what she radiated, affected and impacted them.
BROWNSTEIN: Yeah. You know, let's remember, like all year, 70 percent or more of Americans have told us they don't want the choice between the two 80 year old white guys, Biden and Trump. They wanted something different. And Kamala Harris, last night, just by her presence, you know, who she is, what she looks like, what her background is. She is something different. She is door number three, you know, after people were rejecting door number one and door number two.
So I thought she was able to put a lot of time and emphasis into reassurance in the way I was just talking about, convincing those voters who are not inclined to vote for Trump, that she's an acceptable alternative. Because she didn't really have to make the case that she is about change. She never talked about her gender or the history making nature of her candidacy. That is just very apparent, the visualization contrast.
I kept thinking last night, I wonder if you did, too, of what Nikki Haley said back in February. The first candidate who ditches their 80 year old nominee is going to have the advantage.
Now, you know, if everything goes well, perfectly for her between now and November, she probably wins Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin by a point or a point and a half. So there's no point at which Democrats can breathe easy, but they are certainly back in the game. And she laid out plausible presentation of who she is that could get her to a winning coalition.
WHITFIELD: Yeah, and that's the blue wall. I mean, it served the Democrats well over the last couple of elections, presidential as well as gubernatorial. And you're saying it's really vital, if not essential, for her to nail those two. What did you call it, MIPAWI?
BROWNSTEIN: Yeah. No, I didn't call --
WHITFIELD: Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Who calls it that? MIPAWI?
BROWNSTEIN: The history is, I coined the blue wall back in 2009.
WHITFIELD: OK.
BROWNSTEIN: And the blue wall referred to the 18 states that voted Democratic in all six elections, ultimately from '92 to 2012. The most states they had won that often since the formation of the modern party system in 1828.
Trump famously knocked Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin out of the blue wall. And when people say blue wall now, they mostly talk about the three states that were actually dislodged from it. Tad Devine, who was a longtime Democratic strategist, ran the Electoral College strategy all the way back for Dukakis in '88, as well as Gore and Kerry, he calls them MIPAWI. Because they move together so often.
They have 44 combined Electoral College votes, and they have voted the same way in every presidential election since 1980, except once. The same party has won the governorship in all three of them in every election for the past 30 years, except once. And, you know, they're very similar economically, similar demographically, and they have remained the absolute fulcrum and tipping point.
The Harris campaign fully believes their odds are a lot better in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin than they are in any of the Sunbelt states. And the likelihood is that they will pick the winner. Again, these states are so intrinsically closed that, like, a two point win is a blowout.
So, you know, it's a tough trench warfare for both sides in them. But, Harris, I think last night, and for the most part, it presented herself in a way that may be acceptable to a lot of those guys (ph).
I thought the biggest missing link was she didn't talk a lot about how she is going to make the cost of living more affordable for people. I know she gave a speech on that last week. But I think coming out of this, that's what she's going to have to kind of fill in, I think, more for voters in those states.
Don't forget, despite all the enthusiasm about her, about all the excitement about not having to choose between two 80 year old white guys, 60 percent of Americans say they are worse off under Biden than they were when he took office. And that is still a headwind she's going to have to surmount.
[08:40:00]
WHITFIELD: Yeah. And just over 70 days in which to do that before Election Day.
BROWNSTEIN: Unbelievable.
WHITFIELD: It is unbelievable. We'll talk about that one soon, too, because that truncated campaign, I mean, there's just so much, you know, to dissect about that. Yeah. All right, Ron Brownstein, thanks so much.
All right. We're learning new details now this morning about the assassination attempt on Donald Trump and a stunning gap in communication. Sources tell CNN a tactical team of local police officers set aside radios for their U.S. Secret Service partners, but those radios were never picked up. It's just one of the many failings that is emerging from July 13th. CNN's Zach Cohen joins me now live from Washington. So I guess a big question from that was who was supposed to either make the delivery or do the pickup?
ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yeah, Fred. According to local officials, the Secret Service was supposed to pick up those radios and even got a personal reminder to do so and still failed to pick them up before Donald Trump's rally on July 13.
And according to Butler County DA, if they had those radios on hand and they were paying attention, they likely would have heard a warning from local officers on the ground about a man on the roof before Thomas Crooks opened fire, ultimately shooting and hitting Donald Trump in the ear and also killing a rallygoer on July 13 at this rally.
But like you mentioned, this is really just indicative of a broader messy picture of communication failures that happened and leading up to and on July 13. Sources are describing really this complicated web of communication structure that's used by the Secret Service to coordinate with their local officers on the ground during these big events like Trump's rallies and other large security events of this kind.
And it's really something that the Secret Service is going to have to look closely at and they are looking closely at. We know that an internal watchdog is really reviewing the entire structure of how the Secret Service deals with its local law enforcement partners because right now they don't even have a structure in place to communicate directly with local officers on the ground.
That was part of the problem and part of the issue that's emerging as we continue to see investigations move forward -- investigations of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. Look, a task force, a congressional task force also investigating this incident is scheduled to go to Butler, Pennsylvania, next week where they're going to visit the rally site and talk to local officials. I'm sure these communication issues will be top of mind for them as they try to nail down how did this happen and how can we prevent it from happening in the future?
WHITFIELD: Yeah. Pretty incredible. Zach Cohen, thanks so much.
All right. At this hour, millions of people in Bangladesh and parts of India are impacted by widespread flooding. We'll have the latest on the disaster and tell you why officials in India are on the defensive.
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WHITFIELD: All right. Flooding has claimed at least 36 lives in Bangladesh and northeastern India. The disaster has affected millions of people across the region. Students in Bangladesh have been protesting, what they say, was the release of water from a dam in India. Our Anna Coren is in Bangladesh and filed this report.
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ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We are in Noakhali, which is very close to the epicenter of these floods. The next city, really, faint. We are on our way there. But the anger here is palpable. People are walking past saying, India, India, it's India's fault. And that is the message that we are hearing in Bangladesh. That it was India that opened the floodgates to one of its dams just past the border. We are virtually on the border of Bangladesh and India and that has caused this extreme flooding.
You know, Bangladesh is no stranger to flooding. It has them every single a year. And in actual fact, they have developed an early warning system, probably one of the best in South Asia. So the fact that there was no warning on Wednesday night when this surge of water came down the river, you know, Bangladeshis are absolutely furious.
Now, India denies that they opened the floodgates, but it also says that there is an automatic release that is triggered when there is too much water. There has been no apology from India, just further infuriating people here in Bangladesh. But, you know, this is unprecedented. That is what we are hearing from the government, that this is an unprecedented flood situation.
And this is a huge challenge as well, you know, for the interim chief advisor, Muhammad Yunus, an 84 year old sworn in just two weeks ago after the mass uprisings here in Bangladesh, which lasted for over a month and saw the overthrow of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. And I think it's also really important to stress that Sheikh Hasina has taken refuge in India.
So like I say, a huge challenge for the chief adviser. He is called on the military, the army, the navy, for volunteers to come out and help the flood affected people. And the latest numbers that we are getting is 3.6 million Bangladeshis have been impacted by these floods here in the southeast of the country. It is spread over ten districts.
And, you know, the water here -- there were Friday payers just a short time ago. And the people here, they are wading through. This is what they've been living now for days. I think this is really important to note that, yes, houses and have been affected. Livelihoods been affected.
There's been a very low death count so far, but we just saw a baby rushed to a clinic. It had fallen into the flood waters. It was lying on a bed. The bed was surrounded by water. The one year old tumbled into the water. We've just received amazing news that the baby is alive. But the mother walked past. She was, she was screaming, she was crying.
You know, this has a human impact. This is not just about houses. This is about lives, people's livelihoods. So Bangladesh is going through so much right now. And, you know, there is a real shortage of boats. So there is a, you know, truck after truck coming down the highway with boats on board to rescue the people who are trapped on their roofs and in their houses.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Anna Coren, thank you so much for that report.
All right, search crews in Thailand are looking for the victims of a small plane crash. The search is hindered by the rough, muddy terrain. The charter flight took off from Bangkok's main international airport on Thursday and soon after it crashed in a mangrove forest southeast of the capital.
Crews had to pump out water to access some areas of the crash site. All nine people on board, including five Chinese tourists, are believed to be dead. No word yet on what caused the crash.
All right. Still to come, the U.S. is dealing with a major surge in COVID-19 infections this summer and the FDA has just signed off on two new vaccines. That story straight ahead.
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[08:50:00]
WHITFIELD: All right. The U.S. is experiencing one of its largest summer COVID-19 waves in two years. The FDA has approved new Moderna and Pfizer vaccines that are expected to be in pharmacy soon. The CDC recommends that everyone over six months old receive both an updated COVID-19 vaccine and a flu shot this year.
CNN Medical Correspondent Meg Tirrell joining me now live with more. Good morning to you. So when will that shot be available or vaccine be available? And then when should we actually get the shots?
MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. So it should be available within days in pharmacies. We heard from Walgreens they're starting their appointment September 6, but these are going to start arriving in pharmacies over the next coming days. So folks who are very eager to get the shot may be able to walk into their pharmacy and find it if it's already arrived there. It is expected to be widely available in September.
As you said, the CDC has recommended COVID vaccines, updated ones, for everybody over the age of six months. But infectious disease doctors say it's really different for everybody based on their own health situations, when it might make sense to get the vaccine. They say for people who are over the age of 65 or vulnerable because they have other health conditions, they may want to go out and get this booster now or a lot sooner.
Whereas other folks who may not be as concerned about severe COVID may want to wait until maybe they get their flu shot in October, for example, because we always do see a large winter wave of COVID at the same time as we see a large wave of the flu.
Of course, a lot of people, as you said, have gotten COVID recently in this summer wave we've been seeing. And so the recommendation there we've heard from experts is you could wait about three months because that infection will give you immunity for about that amount of time, Fred.
WHITFIELD: And so will this -- or is there anticipation that this vaccine would also work against the current variant and the preceding ones, too?
TIRRELL: Yeah, I mean, these strains move fast. We are still in the family of Omicron. We haven't strayed from that. But these new strains come up really quickly. Right now, the one that's prevalent is called KP.3.1.1. It accounts for about 37 percent of cases.
The vaccines target a strain called KP.2, but these are closely related to one another. Experts say they do expect the KP.2 vaccines to protect well against that strain, hopefully other ones that emerge, and certainly better than protection if folks got vaccinated with last year's vaccine.
WHITFIELD: OK. All right. Meg Tirrell, great to see you. Thanks so much.
All right. A volcano in Iceland erupted on Thursday and is still spewing red hot lava. The volcano is southwest of the capital of Reykjavik. It also erupted in May, and there have been a total of nine eruptions in the area since 2021. Pretty incredible pictures there. Thousands of people who live nearby have been out of their homes since November.
Iceland has more than 30 active volcanoes, making it a prime destination for thrill seekers who take part in volcano tourism. Flights to and from Iceland's main international airport have not been affected.
And pretty amazing video out of Florida where two waterspouts right there were seen swirling off the coast, Thursday. Waterspouts or tornadoes over water and can be very dangerous, especially if they come ashore. In addition to these twin funnels, a smaller third funnel can be seen forming at the right. You see it right there, just kind of descending from the clouds. The Palm Beach Police Department posted this video saying it is fortunate, however, that they were seen from a distance.
All right. The Harbor in Sydney, Australia, one of the world's busiest, became the scene of a dramatic rescue operation on Friday. The subject in need of help was a young humpback whale with fishing gear tangled all around its tail. The Harbor is on a migration route known as the humpback highway, where the whales sometimes come into contact with humans there.
[08:55:00]
The 13 meters long whale eluded rescuers at first, but then rescuers attached the orange floaties you see right there to slow it down. And it was finally cut free after an overnight pause. The mammal was last seen heading south where it wants to go. All right. Thank you so much for joining me here in the "CNN Newsroom." I'm Fredricka Whitfield. "Connect the World" with Erica Hill is up next.
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ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the race for the White House now it's really on. Now that both main parties have held their conventions -
