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CNN International: Harris And Trump Clash In Fiery Debate; Taylor Swift Endorses Kamala Harris After Debate; 63 Percent Of Watchers Say Harris Won Debate, 37 Percent Say Trump. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired September 11, 2024 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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ERICA HILL, HOST, "CNN NEWSROOM": Top of the hour here, thanks for joining us on CNN Newsroom. I am Erica Hill in New York.
Two major stories for you at this hour, the debate fallout, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump facing off for the very first time, the big takeaways, the fact checks, and how the campaigns are hoping to use those moments moving forward. Plus, remembering one of the darkest days in American history and honoring the lives lost 23 years ago.
In what is arguably one of the most unpredictable presidential races in U.S. history moving into a new phase today, on the heels of last night's contentious showdown between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. The two meeting for the first time on the debate stage. The Vice President actually introducing herself when she went in there for the handshake. From there, the candidates squaring off over abortion rights, immigration and the economy. Harris, at times, appearing to really get under the former President's skin.
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KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S., (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald Trump was fired by 81 million people. So, let's be clear about that, and clearly, he is having a very difficult time processing that.
DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Wait a minute. I'm talking now. If you don't mind. Please. Does that sound familiar?
HARRIS: You're going to hear from the same old, tired playbook, a bunch of lies, grievances and name calling.
TRUMP: We have inflation like very few people have ever seen before, probably the worst in our nation's history.
HARRIS: What we have done is clean up Donald Trump's mess. World leaders are laughing at Donald Trump.
TRUMP: I probably took a bullet to the head because of the things that they say about me. They talk about the democracy. I'm a threat to democracy. They're the threat to democracy.
HARRIS: Why don't you tell the 800,000 Polish Americans right here in Pennsylvania how quickly you would give up for the sake of favor and what you think is a friendship with what is known to be a dictator who would eat you for lunch.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: The night ending with a Harris endorsement from one of the biggest stars on the planet. Taylor Swift posting to her 238 million Instagram followers that she would be voting for the Vice President, and signing off as "Taylor Swift, childless cat lady."
CNN Senior White House Reporter Kevin Liptak joining us now. Kevin, great to have you here. Boy, there has been a whole lot of reaction, of course, the morning after to the debate.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah.
HILL: It's interesting because this is happening, of course -- we're not hearing from the candidates so much because it is September 11th, but we are hearing from their surrogates, and they are really working to capitalize on the moment. The Harris campaign arguably much happier this morning.
LIPTAK: Yeah, very much so. And I think you got the sense of that like literally in the seconds after this debate ended, when they sent out a statement calling for another debate with Donald Trump. That probably gives you the best indication of how they were feeling, as this debate was happening last night. But, I also think you got almost an immediate reaction from the Trump campaign as well when Trump himself went to the spin room there in Philadelphia, and you know, Erica, that's a pretty rare thing for a presidential nominee to go into the spin room after his own debate. And I think both of those reactions give you a sense of how each side was processing what occurred there on the debate stage.
Now, this morning, I think what you're hearing from the Kamala Harris campaign side is that this is not necessarily going to determine the election. They're very careful about guarding against any kind of overconfidence within themselves, but also within their supporters. And in their messaging and in their emails and in their solicitations to their own supporters, they're making the very clear case that this race is not won by any means, that there are a lot of days left in this campaign, and certainly, while they think she had a very, very good night against Donald Trump, they don't want anyone to sort of be lulled into any sort of complacency. They do say that this race is still very much a close one, and that she remains the underdog.
On Trump's side, what you're starting to hear is certainly going after the network and the moderators that organized that debate, ABC News, Trump saying that they should lose their license for some reason, giving you a very clear indication that he does not think that that debate went particularly well for him.
[11:05:00] Of course, in public, he is saying that he won, and certainly his campaign is saying that they think that he did a great job. But, in an interview this morning, he himself suggested he may not be willing to do a second debate, and I think that probably gives you every indication of how he thinks this debate went for him. Of course, the most important question is how this debate resonated among voters, and in particular, the very small slice of undecided voters in the seven battleground states that will determine this election. Of course, we've seen some focus groups, the voters think that Harris won the debate. But, I think the real sort of effect that this will have on the race is still a few days out. It will still take a few days for this to really sink in and for us to get a good gage of how this race might be affected, if at all.
HILL: How it might be affected, if at all, and if it is affected, whether the candidate who is seeing the bump can actually take that and run with it, because we have 55 days to go, as you noted. Kevin, appreciate it. Thank you.
Well, as we see, we wait for some of those other numbers. We do have some early numbers from registered voters who watched the debate, as Kevin was mentioning. And among those voters, they broadly agree Kamala Harris outperformed Donald Trump. Take a look at this CNN poll. 63 percent of debate watchers say the Vice President turned in a better performance than the former President.
CNN Senior Data Reporter Harry Enten joining me now to crunch these poll numbers. All right, Harry. Walk me through. We saw the 63 percent to 37 percent. What more did we get from these voters?
HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: Yeah. I mean, look, I got the 63 percent to 37 percent right here. You get a graphic in the screen. I put it up on the magic wall. What I should note what's interesting about this figure, right, who viewers thought want, was this 63 percent, this sample actually leaned more Republican than the nation as a whole. When you asked those viewers before the debate who they thought would win the debate, it was basically a 50:50 split. So, the bottom line is, Kamala Harris came out with an electorate that really wasn't favorable to her, and they say she won the debate.
Now, let's put this into some historical perspective. All right? So, this is the first debate winner margins. These are all of Donald Trump's general election debates. Look, we got it right here, Kamala Harris winning by 26 points. What a difference that is from where we were back in June in that Biden-Trump debate, where viewers thought in that particular debate Trump won by 34 points, basically the exact inverse of what was going on back in June. What we see right here is very similar to the first debate in 2020 when Joe Biden beat Donald Trump in the debate, viewers' minds, by 32 points. Harris' margin, 26 points here, double that of Hillary Clinton back in 2016. Of course, the big question, and Kevin was kind of hinting at it was, what is this going to actually mean for the polls? We don't know exactly yet.
But, here is what I'll note. If we look back at the first debates, right, and look at all the winners of those first debates, did they, in fact, get a poll bump after winning the first debate? You go back to 2012. Mitt Romney won that first debate over Barack Obama. He saw a polling bump. Hillary Clinton won that first debate back in 2016 over Donald Trump. She saw a polling bump. The same for Joe Biden in 2020, and of course, back in June of 2024, Donald Trump saw a polling bump and actually knocked Joe Biden out of the race.
So, basically, if we look back over history, they also debate bump of about two points at least after the first debate. So, we're in such a tight race right now. That could, of course, put Kamala Harris in the lead in the national polls, and maybe put her in the lead in, of course, those key battleground states, of course, Pennsylvania probably being the most pivotal of those. Of course, that was where that debate was last night, but we'll just have to wait and see.
Of course, Erica, you pointed out, you may get a polling bump after the first debate, but does that mean you win come November? Well, not necessarily, not necessarily, because lost the first debate, won the election. George W. Bush in 2004 lost that first debate to John Kerry. He won in November. How about Barack Obama in 2012? He lost that first debate to Mitt Romney and then won in November. And of course, Donald Trump in 2016 lost that first debate to Hillary Clinton, and he went on to win in November.
So, right now, good news for Kamala Harris, based upon the first initial signals. I would, in fact, bet that she get a polling bump. But, who is going to win in November? Erica Hill, if I knew the answer to that question, I would go out and buy a lottery ticket, because the bottom line is, at this particular point, it is simply put too close to call.
HILL: If you get that answer, I'll split the lottery ticket with you, Harry, just saying.
ENTEN: Fair enough, well, 60:40, 60:40, that's how we're going to do.
HILL: It's fine. It's fine. I'm good with that. Appreciate it, my friend, as always. Thank you.
ENTEN: See you.
HILL: Also joining me this hour, Meghan Hays, former Special Assistant to President Biden, as she was the Director of Message planning at the White House, and CNN Political Commentator S.E. Cupp, who is also the host of "Battleground". Good to see you both this morning. Gosh, I've been thinking all about, where did we begin?
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There is a lot of different things we can talk about.
But, S.E., I want to throw this to you. One of the things that I found fascinating is, as Kevin Liptak was just pointing out, the fact that Donald Trump went into the spin room after, that says something. Donald Trump wanted to get in front of a camera again. Donald Trump wanted to work on, one would imagine, his narrative. But, that's because the person who really seemed to understand the medium and play to it, that being TV and the TV audience, S.E., I would argue, is the Vice President.
S.E. CUPP, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Yeah. They both had a bunch of jobs to do last night, and unfortunately, I don't think he accomplished any of his. And she, on the other hand, seemed to accomplish all of hers. One of her jobs was to speak not to her base, not to the far left, but to swing state voters who are undecided. And we heard time and time again on policy and substance. She was sort of tacking to the middle on a number of these issues and pushing back against Trump's attempt to define her as radical and Marxist and far left.
She also was meant to put him into a defensive crouch, and boy, did she. I mean, she laid some bait that was not cleverly hidden. This was like -- these were obvious traps, and he walked giddily into all of them. She knew that revealing his personal attacks, the distractions, this turns off swing state voters who are undecided. She accomplished that mission. He was meant to go in and talk about the issues that resonate with his base, and a lot of moderates, by the way, the economy and immigration. And instead of really drilling down on his policy or even attacking the Biden administration's policies, he really got distracted and went into some very strange territory, territory that I don't think will appeal to those undecided swing state voters.
HILL: Yeah, territory that his campaign and debate prep certainly did not want him entering.
Meghan, as we look at this, look, Kamala Harris getting a lot of praise this morning, but there are some questions about perhaps a couple of missed opportunities. Part of what she needed to do was introduce herself and her policies a little bit better to the American voters, to those who aren't as familiar with her, and there was a real opportunity there when it came to a question about why she had changed when it came to certain policies, talked about that she would get to all of them. She stuck with fracking, which, of course, is important in the state of Pennsylvania. Should she have done more to explain her changing positions?
MEGHAN HAYS, FORMER SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT BIDEN: Look, I don't think she has as many changing positions as we all would like to believe here and what Donald Trump is pointing her out to be. I think that it's a very short debate. When you break out the timing and the commercials and all the things, I think that her bar was extremely high to me. She had to show that she was presidential. She had to reintroduce herself. She has to talk about her policies. She is never going to be everything to every person. But, she knocked it out of the park last night.
She -- Donald Trump, again, denied the outcome of the 2020 election. He doesn't think that Ukraine should be winning the war against Russia, which sent shockwaves through democracies all around the world. I mean, she showed that she was presidential. She showed that she is willing to take on a bully. There are a lot of things that she accomplished last night that I don't think people were expecting from her and ready to see. But, I do think that she did lay some traps for Donald Trump that he walked into, and not accepting the results of the election again and again, that is something that swing state voters and these moms and these suburban -- in the battleground states just cannot understand. Their toddler has to take responsibility for their own actions, and he just refuses to do it.
And I think the more that they can hammer those types of things home, and over the next 56 days, I think that she will have a very good chance of winning in November. I think she hit the mark of what she needed to do. But, this race is by no means over, and the hard work still is in front of them.
HILL: S.E., this polling that we just went through with Harry, noting that 63 percent of those after the debate said that -- who watched said that they thought she won, Harry noting that they leaned more Republican. I know you were speaking to a lot of people in the state of Pennsylvania ahead of the debate about what needed to happen and what voters were looking for. What do you make of that outcome?
CUPP: Listen, we have to remember that a lot of the people who tune into these big nights, whether they're conventions or debates, are already politically engaged. So, some of those voters, the cake is baked. However, we've also been speaking to a lot of undecided swing state voters who said this debate is what they were waiting for. They wanted to know more about Kamala Harris. They wanted to see these two on a stage together and see how they would react and interact. And if we believe the three percent of Pennsylvania voters who are undecided, or the 18 percent of all American registered voters who say they are undecided, that they were waiting for this debate, I think that endures to the benefit of Kamala Harris.
HILL: Meghan, as you watch where we move from this moment, right, moving into these 55 days of the campaign, what are you going to be watching for over the next, let's say, even 48 hours?
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What would your message to Kamala Harris be in terms of what she needs to do?
HAYS: I mean, I think she needs to get out there and continuing to talk to voters. I think she needs to do more local media. I think that is a one way that people can get to know you. Not everyone is going to have time to go to a rally, take off work. Those are -- that's an extremely rare thing that people are able to do, to be able to go to these rallies and see her in person.
So, I do think having a local media strategy in these battleground states would be extremely beneficial to her. But, I think she needs to continue to talk about the issues and where she stands on things, and I think that's what people need to hear. And I think the more you say it and the more you keep reminding people who you are and the things that they've done, the Biden-Harris administration has done for you, I think people will get to see a real difference, and continue to draw the contrast between you and Donald Trump and the character argument. Nobody wants a President that is going to be extremely volatile and yelling all the time regardless of what their policies are. Nobody wants America to be represented that way and the rest of the world. And so, I think she just needs to keep her -- doing the work and doing
the things that they're doing right now and continue throughout the next 56 days, 55 days.
HILL: I mean, who is counting, right?
S.E., we talked a lot. We've talked a lot in this election. We talked, certainly after the June debate, about the concerns of down-ballot races when it came to Joe Biden's performance in that debate. Where do things stand now? When you're talking to voters, how much are they talking about those other elections? Is their focus more on the top of the ticket or on the down-ballot races, those local races that are going to impact them more on a daily basis?
CUPP: It's mixed, and it depends on the state. Right? If you're in Arizona, a lot of voters are tuning into that Senate race between Kari Lake and Ruben Gallego. If you're in North Carolina, a lot of voters are tuning into the gubernatorial race. And those don't have to portend what's going to happen in the presidential races, and voters know how to separate those politically and in terms of partisanship. So, they are tuned in. But, I think what we're seeing is a very high tune in to the presidential election this year, and that's why these margins are so tight, and that's why I think they're going to continue to be tight right up until Election Day.
HILL: Yes. Yes. Well, it may be a bit of a campaign message. I think it's also pretty clear this -- the underdog thing, this is not a decided race by any stretch of the imagination. So, we got a lot to talk about, which keeps us all employed for a little while longer. My friends, thank you both.
HAYS: Thank you.
HILL: Still much more to come on the debate. Amid all the attacks, the candidates, of course, remember. were supposed to be making their case for the White House on that stage. So, how do their promises stand up to our fact check? That's next. Plus, coming together as Americans. You'll hear from the co-founder of 9/11 Day sharing his message of unity and his work to bring this country together for National Day of Service, after losing his brother 23 years ago.
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HILL: 23 years later, the mantra, "never forget" endures, as families, service members, world leaders, pausing to remember the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the thousands of lives lost. Throughout this morning, there have been six moments of silence, from New York to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, to the Pentagon. The final moment at 10:28 a.m. Eastern Time when the North Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed.
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In New York, the families of victims of both the 2001 terror attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing have been reading the names of their loved ones for the past several hours. Earlier today, I spoke with Jay Winuk. His brother Glenn was killed on 9/11. He was an attorney, a first responder, a volunteer firefighter, and EMT. In the wake of his death, Jay founded 9/11 Day. It's a nonprofit which also helped to make September 11 a National Day of Service here in the United States. Here is part of our discussion earlier.
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JAY WINUK, CO-FOUNDER, 9/11 DAY: In the wake of 9/11, when the attacks happened, the nation came together in remarkable ways. We weren't red states and blue states then. We were all Americans, and it didn't matter where you lived or how much money you had or any of the things which typically separate us. We all came together as Americans, and some of us in the 9/11 community wanted to try to create a ritual in this country where at least on 9/11, at least on this one day each year, we put aside our differences. In fact, we embrace our differences, come together as Americans and do good deeds, be kinder to each other, remember what's really important that we're all in this together, and when we work together, we can be very productive and move forward. So, that was really the instigation for this.
Certainly, my brother, Glenn, who was not only an attorney, but a volunteer firefighter and an EMT, lived his life and died in service to others. So, he is my personal motivation for having started this initiative.
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HILL: CNN's Natasha Bertrand is covering events at the Pentagon. Brynn Gingras is in New York down at Ground Zero at the 9/11 Memorial.
Brynn, I want to begin with you. It is always such a moving day here in New York City. I think you can feel it, just as you make your way around the city, and it is certainly something that you sense deep within you when you are there at the memorial. Just walk us through what we've seen this morning.
BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh yeah, Erica. When those bagpipes play, especially, it feels so heavy here. Let me tell you, right now, what's happening is the continuation, the reading of those names of those people who lost loved ones by their loved ones. And it's just remarkable to hear those little stories that come out when they say their loved ones' name. For example, we just heard from a woman who was talking about her father, who she lost, and she told him, you know what, dad? You became a grandpa this year. I mean, it is little things like that that really tug at your heartstrings, because these people are living with this every single day.
Now, look, all the dignitaries have left at this point. Right now, all you can mostly hear is the sound of that water in the reflection pools while those names are being read. And we're just watching, as people, those family members, who this day is about as well, are just taking a moment. I just saw a man sitting on a bench over there for quite a while praying, others putting flags and the names of those who were lost. And not too long ago, during those moments of silence that you mentioned, an entire company from the FDNY saluting during that moment of silence. Remember -- we have to remember the fact that there are hundreds of firefighters that lost their lives after 9/11 just from 9/11-related illnesses, many more suffering from cancer because of that day.
So, there are so many people who are on everybody's hearts today. And certainly, that's what it feels like more than ever, more than anywhere, I should say, down here at the memorial site.
HILL: Yeah. Absolutely. Brynn, I was struck by one of your posts earlier on Instagram. You spoke with a woman who was there, right, for that very reason, but also talk to you about the --
GINGRAS: Yeah.
HILL: -- importance of unity and finding that unity that the country had on September 12th.
GINGRAS: Yeah. Exactly. And that gentleman that you interviewed, Erica, it sounds like they have the same message, right?
[11:25:00]
That's what families want to get out there, is that remember those days, and she said 9/12 when you would see an American flag pretty much everywhere in this country, and everyone came together to rebuild and to also remember but really move forward together. And that's what she would like that message to be out there. And that's why, quite honestly, when we have this memorial remembrance ceremony every year, they made a point, those organizers, that those dignitaries don't get the microphone. It is the family members who get to speak. They can arrive and have their picture moment, just like we saw the President and the Vice President and former President and his running mate. But, this day is about all of those lives lost, and their message is, let's move forward together.
HILL: Yeah. Absolutely. Brynn, appreciate it.
Natasha, the memorial there in Washington, of course, events at the Pentagon, the message similar as well, that this is about the lives lost and it is about too what this has meant in the 23 years since.
NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. Absolutely. And this memorial really began just before 07:00 a.m. today with the unfurling of the American flag on the Pentagon itself. And then it continued, of course, with a moment of silence at 9:37 a.m., which is exactly when American Airlines Flight 77 hit the E Ring there of the Pentagon, that outermost ring of the building, and killed 125 U.S. military personnel, as well as contractors who were working in that area, as well as an additional 59 people who were on that flight itself, a total of 184 people who were killed that day, just from that plane that hit the building there. And we heard from Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, as well as the
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, CQ Brown, remembering the lives lost during this memorial. And Secretary of Defense Austin really reiterating here just how much the force has changed over the last 20 plus years. Only about six percent of those currently serving were actually in uniform at the time of 9/11, and only about 21 percent of the people currently serving as well were not even born after -- were not even born at the time of 9/11. So, really, giving you a sense here of the fact that they're never, obviously, going to forget that day, but also just the passage of time and how the force has really changed over the last 23 years, Erica.
HILL: Yeah. It certainly does put the amount of time that's passed in a different light, when you look at it that way. Natasha, Brynn, appreciate it. Thank you both.
Just last week, 32 names were added to the World Trade Center Memorial Wall at the fire department headquarters in New York. In the years following the 9/11 terror attack, thousands of people, of course, have suffered from severe illnesses from that day, and of course, the days and weeks and months that followed the collapse of the Twin Towers, creating those massive dust clouds filling the air with ash, debris, harmful particles. The New York City Fire Department, of course, lost 343 members on 9/11. Since then, an additional 360 have died from World Trade Center-related illnesses. That means that more FDNY first responders have now died from the illnesses sustained in the wake of 9/11 than those who died on the day of.
We'll be right back.
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HILL: Welcome back. Thanks for being with us here in the CNN Newsroom. I'm Erica Hill in New York.
We are closely following what's happening on Wall Street today. Of course, the economy, a major factor in the upcoming election, and this is the day after the debate. So, there is going to be some talk about that. But, another key number really bringing this to the forefront of the conversation this morning, as we're getting some more data on inflation, and that, of course, is raising even more questions about what this could mean for the Fed and a potential rate cut.
Joining me now, the host of "First Move", my colleague Julia Chatterley. So, in terms of this report, U.S. inflation slowing, that's a good thing. What does it mean in terms of a ripple effect, Julie -- Julia?
JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN ANCHOR, FIRST MOVE: It's a great question, and it is good news, to your point, which doesn't mean that rising prices aren't still painful for people, but the message for borrowers here is that it's good news. As you said, inflation rising 2.5 percent annualized, that was a big
drop from what we saw last month, which is welcome news. It's also the lowest level that we've seen outright in more than three years. What it means on an individual basis just in terms of what it's driving is rent. Housing costs are still an enormous pressure point. They rose half a percentage point on the month last month. Airline ticket prices, another price pressure, after five months of declines, some -- late summer travel, perhaps filtering into these numbers, and car insurance costs continue to rise, and that's a huge chunk now of simply owning a car.
On the brighter side, what's helping bring inflation numbers overall down is energy costs are falling. Oil prices came under pressure again last week. So, that's going to filter in further. According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of gas is down double digits over the past year. So, this is welcome news. Also, if you're a car buyer, your question to begin is the important one, what does this all mean, I think, for the Federal Reserve? I think it is right that they're emphasizing jobs and protecting jobs now rather than inflation. But, I do think what we're seeing in the markets today is disappointment that we're not going to get a big half a percentage point cut next week. In fact, they believe, investors at least believe that we're probably going to get a quarter of a percentage point.
But, don't worry if you're a borrower out there, because I believe there is going to be more to come after next week. But, September 18th, Erica, is the date.
HILL: Well, it is. Listen, it's circled on my calendar in big red, and we have to start somewhere, right? Julia, appreciate it --
CHATTERLEY: Absolutely.
HILL: -- as always. Thank you.
Combative, just one of the words being used to describe the first and potentially the only debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. The gloves were definitely off in Philadelphia last night. The candidates making a number of different claims when clashing over key issues for the American voter, the economy and immigration, of course, are top of mind, and most important for voters, as we know from continued polling. So, in terms of the claims they made, were they fact, fiction, arguments that needed more context? Here is a little bit of what we heard from both candidates, specifically on abortion rights. Take a listen.
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TRUMP: What I did is something for 52 years they've been trying to get Roe v. Wade into the states. And through the genius and heart and strength of six Supreme Court justices, we were able to do that.
HARRIS: I absolutely support reinstating the protections of Roe v. Wade. And as you rightly mentioned, nowhere in America is a woman carrying a pregnancy to term and asking for an abortion. That is not happening. (END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Daniel Dale, I'm not sure if you slept, my friend, coming off the --
DANIEL DALE, CNN REPORTER: Couple of hours.
HILL: All right. A couple of hours. You can go for a couple days on that, joining me now live with the debate fact check. So, in terms of where things came out at the end of that, what was it, an hour and 40 plus minutes, how did we do in terms of facts for each candidate?
DALE: It was a staggering display of dishonesty from Donald Trump, and that is the norm for him in debates, but it's still remarkable.
[11:35:00]
I counted at least 33 false claims from former President Trump over the course of that debate, versus one or two, at least, from Vice President Harris, along with some claims that I call misleading or needed additional context. So, just no equivalence whatsoever. And I want to play perhaps the most bewildering claim that Trump made. It's a claim about migrants in a city in the state of Ohio.
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TRUMP: What they have done to our country by allowing these millions and millions of people to come into our country and look at what's happening to the towns all over the United States. In Springfield, they're eating the dogs. The people that came in, they're eating the cats. They're eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is what's happening in our country. And it's a shame.
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DALE: This claim is debunked nonsense. And if you have not been looking at right-wing social media accounts in the last few days, you're probably quite confused by it. So, let me explain. This Ohio city he is talking about, Springfield, is a faded manufacturing community that has been revitalized in part by thousands of Haitian immigrants in recent years. But, there have been the usual immigration tensions. And recently, someone there posted on Facebook, they had heard a third-hand account. They attributed it to their neighbor's daughter's friend that immigrants are stealing other people's pet cats and cooking them for food.
Now, after this post, numerous prominent Republicans, including Trump's VP nominee, J.D. Vance, who is an Ohio Senator, promoted this obviously dubious claim as if it was proven truth, but in fact, it is nonsense. The Springfield government and its police department both said there have been no credible reports of such a thing happening. And yesterday, before the debate, Vance acknowledged that the cat rumors might turn out false. But then, yesterday night, Trump, you heard, repeated them as gospel, and he added this dog's claim for good measure. Now, let's turn to an economic claim he made. He is proposing across-
the-board tariffs on U.S. imports. And here is what he said about those tariffs.
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DAVID MUIR, HOST, "WORLD NEWS TONIGHT": Do you believe Americans can afford higher prices because of tariffs?
TRUMP: They're not going to have higher prices. What is going to have and who is going to have higher prices is China and all of the countries that have been ripping us off for years. I charge, I was the only President ever China was paying us hundreds of billions of dollars and so were other countries.
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DALE: That's a lot of inaccuracy in rapid succession. So, our CNN colleague, Katie Lobosco, asked the Trump campaign recently for any evidence that his proposed across-the-board tariffs would not raise prices for Americans, and they sent her a study which said that prices for Americans would indeed rise if and when the tariffs were implemented. And that's normal. That is what happens. Tariffs are taxed on imported products. The tariff payment to the U.S. Treasury is not made by foreign countries like China. It's made by the importer who brought the item into the U.S. In many cases, that business passes on some or all of the cost to the final U.S. consumer.
And we have study after study, including one from a bipartisan federal commission that found that Americans bore almost the entire cost of Trump's existing tariffs on China.
So, when Trump says he took in hundreds of billions of dollars from China through tariffs, know that money was from Americans. It's just not true.
HILL: Yeah. Look, they are keeping you busy. Just real quickly too, when we look at Kamala Harris -- you said that Donald Trump was staggeringly dishonest. How honest was the Vice President?
DALE: I thought she was quite accurate. I thought her comments were largely factual. Now, there were some misleading comments. She mischaracterized something she said in 2020 on the subject of fracking. She made a false claim about the state of the labor market that she inherited from the Trump administration in early 2021, and there were a number of claims in which she left out key context. For example, she talked about Trump losing manufacturing jobs. She didn't mention that it was a substantial gain before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. She talked about Trump setting records for the U.S. trade deficit. Did not mention that the U.S. trade deficit has since increased even higher under Biden and Harris.
But, on the whole, this was a largely factual performance from her, and just egregious lie after egregious lie from her opponent, Mr. Trump.
HILL: Daniel Dale, appreciate it, as always. Thank you.
DALE: Thank you.
HILL: Just ahead, U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, is in Ukraine at a crucial juncture in the war with Russia. Details about what President Zelenskyy is now pushing his allies for. That's just ahead after the break. Plus, both Trump and Harris, of course, hoping the debate can help voters make up their minds when it comes to that decision as to who should next move to the White House. Taylor Swift says the debate definitely helped her decide.
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[11:40:00]
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MUIR: Do you believe it's in the U.S. best interests for Ukraine to win this war? Yes or no?
TRUMP: I think it's in the U.S. best interest to get this war finished and just get it done.
MUIR: All right.
TRUMP: Negotiate a deal, because we have to stop all of these human lives from being destroyed. Putin would be sitting in Moscow and he wouldn't have lost 300,000 men and women. But, he would have been sitting in Moscow -- quiet place. He would have been sitting in Moscow much happier than he is right now, but eventually, you know, he has got a thing that other people don't have. He has got nuclear weapons. They don't have to talk about that.
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HILL: U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and his British counterpart, David Lammy, arriving in Kyiv today, where they're meeting with senior Ukrainian government officials at this critical juncture in the war against Russia. The visit comes as a group of U.S. House Republicans has been urging President Biden to lift restrictions on the use of those U.S.-provided long-range weapons systems allowing Kyiv to strike targets deep inside Russia.
CNN's Jennifer Hansler is at the State Department at this hour with more. So, U.S. officials say here, there is no change on policy that's expected for those long-range missiles. Blinken, though, is in Ukraine. What does the U.S. hope comes out? What is the administration hope comes out of this visit?
JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT REPORTER: Well, Erica, Blinken is really there to try to get a sense of Ukraine's strategy, what it's thinking is long term, both on the battlefield and the political side, and they are hoping that he can glean a sense of how these long-range weapons would fit into that broader battlefield strategy. He is meeting with key Ukrainian officials while he is there, and we expect them to repeat their repeated ask for those long-range weapons to be able to be used to strike deep inside of Russia.
Now, the Secretary of State is there, as pressure is building here in the United States for the administration to lift those restrictions, even from members of the President's own party. The Senate Foreign Relations Chairman, Ben Cardin, just put out a statement today, saying that Vladimir Putin's relentless attacks on Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure is nothing short of horrifying, and that in light of those ongoing attacks, now is the time to ease the restrictions on Ukraine's use of those .US.-provided weapons. Yesterday, we saw a letter from the Ukrainian caucus in the Senate and the House. That is a bipartisan body there on the Capitol Hill. We saw a group of key House Republicans also calling for those restrictions to be lifted.
So, this is a growing chorus here within the United States, Erica, calling for these restrictions to be lifted. The U.S., of course, is not previewing any changes. They have argued that there is no one capability that is going to be a silver bullet in this war, and that they have provided a number of capabilities to assist Ukraine in its fight here. Erica.
HILL: We'll look for more coming out of those meetings. Appreciate it. Jennifer Hansler at the State Department.
An Israeli airstrike has killed a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon on Tuesday. That's according to the Israeli military. Hezbollah responded by -- to that killing by launching dozens of rockets and drones toward northern Israel.
[11:45:00]
The IDF said those attacks did not result in any casualties.
President Biden, meantime, is condemning the death of an American activist killed by the Israeli military in the West Bank last week.
CNN's Nic Robertson is live in Tel Aviv at this hour. So, Nic, the IDF releasing an investigation into her death. What more have we heard from that, and what are we hearing from the U.S.?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, a preliminary investigation. And President Biden is really toughening his language because he was criticized by her family for saying that this was an accident. Now, he says it was a tragic error caused by an unnecessary escalation. He is saying that there should absolutely be full accountability, and that Israel, he says, has accepted responsibility. The language that the IDF are using at the moment is saying that they are investigating, and it's the preliminary investigation that President Biden appears to be talking about.
But, it does seem that President Biden is putting pressure on Israel, because he said, so far, we've had access to that -- or the results of the investigation as it is going forward, but he said how much credibility we put in the investigation will depend on essentially that continued openness and sharing of information as it comes forward.
Now, her friends who were with her at the time say that Israeli forces were 200 yards away up a hill. They believe that she was targeted by a sniper, and this was significantly worse than the President has described it as a tragic error. They believe that she was targeted when she was shot in the head, and the IDF has said that they were shooting towards a significant troublemaker who was throwing rocks, instigating violence.
But, President Biden, it is clear here, he has toughened his language, how much clarity United States gets from Israel in its investigation, how many details will be released? It's not clear. But, I think there is a high degree of skepticism in the IDF's own investigations of its own troops firing on a protester. They have a significantly poor track record and a significantly low credibility standing among the groups, be it Palestinians, be it international protesters and their families and supporters who have been killed when they have been putting in place investigations into those deaths previously.
HILL: Yeah. A lot of questions about those investigations, as you really point out, Nic. I'm curious how some of the comments made during the debate last night are playing in the region today.
ROBERTSON: Yeah. Not a lot of pickup by principal politicians. Opposition leader or one of the opposition leaders, Yair Lapid, commented, he said that he was happy to see that both sides robustly support Israel and its right of defense. There was really nothing new in this debate from either candidate, not so much from the former President, and the details that Harris put forward about Israel's right to self-defense. United States committed absolutely to supporting Israel whatever it needs in that defense, but saying how it proceeds is important, and again, stressing the importance of a path that leads to a two-state solution.
On that, Yair Lapid said, as far as he understands, and he is an opposition politician at this moment, the path to a two-state solution is still some years away. So, he sort of discounts that, which gives you a sense of the political temperature here. But, no surprises here for anyone --
HILL: Yeah.
ROBERTSON: -- and no real -- no politicians really getting involved, from what I've heard from ministers here, is what you would expect that this is a U.S. domestic issue, they won't get involved in it, although the understanding, the base understanding here, is that Prime Minister Netanyahu would favor a President Trump as opposed to Harris. But, that's not something he is saying publicly.
HILL: Yeah. Not saying it out loud, but certainly implied.
Nic Robertson, appreciate it, as always. Thank you.
There are, of course, no shortage of opinions about last night's presidential debate, especially among late-night TV hosts really weighing in. We're going to bring you some of those laugh lines just ahead.
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[11:50:00]
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JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW": I just want to say after surviving the PTSD of the last presidential debate, how unbelievably refreshing it is to go back to the same old 'nobody is going to answer any (BEEP) questions'. This is unbelievable. We're back. America is back.
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HILL: Jon Stewart there, of course, on the daily show on Comedy Central. As you would likely imagine, he had plenty to say after last night's Harris Trump debate, as did a number of other late-night hosts. So, here is a little bit more from them, including Stephen Colbert.
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STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT": It's not fantastic when your character reference is an Eastern European strong man. Mussolini loves me. Stalin, Gargamel, the guy from Minions movie, Captain Hook. Captain Hook loves me. He is going to get that Peter Pan and that Tinkerbell, I tell you.
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HILL: There you have it.
One more thing before we go. Throughout the U.S. presidential campaign, even before Kamala Harris got into the race, there have been a lot of questions about who superstar Taylor Swift may end up endorsing.
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Well, the speculation is over. Following the debate last night, Taylor Swift posted her endorsement for Kamala Harris on Instagram, writing, "I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris", going on to list the reasons why. She said it was about the debate. Having watched the debate last night, she said she has done her research. She has made her choice, encouraging others to do the same, to register to vote, and then signed it. She said, your research is yours to do. The choice is yours. She signed it, very importantly, the childless cat lady.
CNN Entertainment Correspondent Elizabeth Wagmeister with me now from Los Angeles. I mean, the sign-off was something.
ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: The sign-off was something. Clearly, that is a nod or a dig to J.D Vance. His infamous childless cat lady remarks have lived in infamy, and little did he know when he made those comments in 2021 that he would be getting the wrath of the Swifties years later. But, that cat lady comment was like catnip for them, Erica.
I mean, this is a huge deal that Taylor Swift has made this endorsement. It's not entirely surprising. She has made her position clear on what she thinks about former President Trump in the past. In 2020, she endorsed the Biden-Harris ticket. So, it's not a shock which way she leans politically. But, the biggest surprise of all was that she made an endorsement, because, as you've said, there was intense speculation for months, will she or won't she? Now, she has.
But, I have to tell you, even before this endorsement, Erica, her presence was looming over this election. Of course, we know that there are hundreds of millions of Swifties around the world and certainly in this country, and they formed a group called "Swifties for Kamala", which was a bunch of Taylor Swift fans who are supporting Vice President Kamala. They have been raising money for her. They have mobilized.
And we just spoke to the political director of "Swifties for Kamala" to get her reaction to Taylor's endorsement. Let's see what she said.
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APRIL GLICK, POLITICAL DIRECTOR, SWIFTIES FOR KAMALA: It's like, wow, it happened. I think it happened sooner than maybe we expected, but it's always welcome, of course. We're all so excited, and we're all even more energized about what the rest of the campaign and leading to Election Day brings us.
[11:55:00]
I think it's an injection of energy in an already really energetic and hopeful movement.
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WAGMEISTER: Thanks to April there for getting on Zoom with us after midnight, after the debate last night. But, this isn't just a group of fans. This is really a community that Taylor has created around the world. And even though she is not affiliated with "Swifties for Kamala", they've really made an impact, Erica. They had an organizing call a few weeks ago, and I have some stats for you. Over 34,000 people joined that Zoom call. The call drove 41,000 voter registration checks. And "Swifties for Kamala", the group, has raised $144,000 for the Harris-Walz campaign. That was even before her endorsement.
Now, I have to tell you, the Harris campaign is already getting on board, Erica. They have made Harris-Walz friendship bracelets, of course.
HILL: Oh, there you go, walking right into the trend there, Elizabeth, and I know you've had some reporting from earlier this campaign season that celebrity endorsements can make an impact. We'll see if this one does. Good to see you. Thank you. Thanks to all of you for joining me this hour. I'm Erica Hill in New
York. Stick with CNN. One World is up next.
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