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Nation Marks 23rd Anniversary Of September 11 Terror Attacks; Taylor Swift Endorses VP Harris; Harris Repeatedly Baits Trump During Debate; Harris Calls For Second Debate; House Hearing Underway On Election Security. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired September 11, 2024 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:30:00]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, it really did, Kate. And we should tell our viewers, if they're just tuning in or dipping out of the coverage, that we're providing this morning, when you see the folks on screen with Kate and I right now, many times it's a daughter, it's a sister, it's a wife, it's a husband, it's a loved one who lost somebody 23 years ago.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: I've been listening to a lot of grandchildren.

ACOSTA: Yes, grandchildren.

BOLDUAN: I've been hearing a lot of grandchildren talking to -- and that just shows, we're now 23 years later, grandchildren speaking to their grandparents saying, I wish I knew you, which is something that we have heard more and more obviously over the years.

And this ceremony continues, as we have together have been watching ceremonies at the Pentagon, as well as in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and that is where we are going to see, once again, the potential of Kamala Harris, Jim, and Donald Trump potentially crossing paths again. They were here at this site in Lower Manhattan together. They shook hands in a moment, in a piece of video that is going to be seen over and over again.

From there, Kamala Harris and President Biden, they left to move on to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, the site of the Flight 93 crashing. And Donald Trump and J. D. Vance, they stopped by -- I think we have video of it, they stopped by one of the firehouses here, one of the many firehouses that responded where one of the first responders, when the, -- on September 11th, they're stopping by. It is Engine 4 Ladder 15 stopping by there and then they'll be heading to Shanksville.

So, we will seem, in Pennsylvania and Western Pennsylvania, on that windswept field, if Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will come face-to- face once again.

ACOSTA: Yes. And, Kate, you mentioned the fire stations. I mean, you know, I was there in the aftermath of 9/11, lived in New York in the years that followed and you couldn't pass a fire station in Manhattan or really across the tri state area without seeing tributes to fallen firefighters, those fallen first responders.

You know, when -- remember when we used to say, when others rushed out, they rushed in. And people need to remember that there were firefighters who literally were rushing into the Twin Towers to pull people out to get people out when those towers were coming down. And so, no matter who's stopping by the fire station, however you feel about that politician on this day, every day, we have to take our hats off, we have to pay tribute to these brave people. It's just -- it's remarkable to think about to this day.

BOLDUAN: Yes. Hear, hear to that. That's absolutely right. John Miller pointed out to me 20 years -- 23 years later, we now have the children of some of the firefighters who have fallen. Those children now becoming firefighters and serving as well.

ACOSTA: Incredible.

BOLDUAN: Just that's quite a thing.

ACOSTA: That's -- it's a statement right there in and of itself. Kate Bolduan, thank you so much. Great to see you. Great to talk to you Thanks for remembering this day with all of us. We really appreciate it. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:35:00]

ACOSTA: Taylor Swift's surprise endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris following last night's debate may be dominating the headlines this morning, but the vice president has also enjoyed a boost in support from an unlikely place in recent weeks. Republicans ranging from former Trump staffers to former Vice President Dick Cheney have all thrown their support behind Harris as they look to distance themselves from Trump.

Joining me now, former adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, Olivia Troye. She's part of Republicans for Harris, attended the debate last night and was a guest of the Harris campaign, if I'm correct there.

What did you think? How do you think she handled herself? I mean, one of the things we were talking about earlier is the mics were muted, but the facial expressions were not, and Kamala Harris was putting her facial expressions to use when Trump was saying all sorts of things.

OLIVIA TROYE, FORMER ADVISER TO VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE: Yes, I felt like -- yes, when she was reacting, I felt like she was reacting like the rest of us in the audience were reacting because we were all kind of having this sort of reaction of some of the things that he was saying. And quite frankly, I had a lot of disbelief on some of the things he said on the world stage. And I could just -- I was picturing world leaders around the globe, just watching this develop and sort of being in shock over it.

ACOSTA: Yes. And I want to play this. You know, you express concern about Trump's affinity for dictators. We saw Kamala Harris say that last night, he mentioned Viktor Orban, the Hungarian autocrat multiple times last night. And then he said this about Ukraine. Let's watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID MUIR, ABC NEWS MODERATOR: Do you want Ukraine? To win this war.

TRUMP: I want the war to stop. I want to save lives that are being uselessly -- people being killed by the millions. It's the millions. It's so much worse than the numbers that you're getting, which are fake numbers.

MUIR: Just to clarify in the question, 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 the U.S. best interest to get this war finished and just get it done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Olivia, you were a national security adviser to Vice President Pence. How concerned are you that Trump could not give a straight answer there?

TROYE: No, that's incredibly alarming, and what that tells me is he did not want to go against Putin. That's the message to the American people and the world right there. And when I look at him, I mean, he verified for us that those are his alliances and his loyalties, are to dictators around the world, right, to Putin and Viktor Orban.

He talked about Viktor Orban, I think, in his response like the entire time in a minute. I mean, I think that shows the world that that's who he's mentioning. He didn't mention any other world leader while on the stage, right? He didn't talk about -- he didn't laud anyone else He was looking at this authoritarian like people, and I think he sees himself in this vein. It's disturbing.

ACOSTA: And I want to read some of what the Wall Street Journal editorial board said following the debate, saying, she won the debate because she came in with a strategy to taunt and goad Mr. Trump into diving down rabbit holes of personal grievance and vanity that left her policies and history largely untouched. She always takes the bait.

[10:40:00]

Ms. Harris set the trap. So, he spent much of the debate talking about the past or about Joe Biden or about immigrants eating pets, but not how he'd improve the lives of Americans in the next four years.

I mean, when you've lost the Wall Street Journal as a Republican, what does that say?

TROYE: Yes, I mean, I think it speaks volumes. I think, you know, she was incredibly effective at talking about her vision, her plans for the country to the audience that needed to hear it, which is the people that were tuned in, but she was also incredibly effective of just giving him enough rope, right? I mean, like, she like, go ahead, just let him talk. And I just kept saying, just keep letting him talk and he'll just portray himself to be what he is.

I just say, like, think about having to work in the White House with him, because that's what it was like every single day. Think about watching the person that's supposed to be running and leading our country and behaving in that way, because what you saw last night on that stage is exactly who Donald Trump is.

ACOSTA: Do you think he'll do another debate?

TROYE: I think, you know, he was clearly angry last night. I mean, when he showed up in the spin room, you could see that he was just frustrated about the situation. And I -- you could see the anger sort of developing on stage in the moment. I think that's TBD, to be honest.

ACOSTA: Yes, but we'll see what the poll numbers say, because that might drive a lot of this. If he sees the poll numbers dip, he may want to do another debate. Olivia, stay with me. My panel is back from war on the showdown last night. And Bryan Lanza and Alencia Johnson are back with me.

And, Bryan, let me go back to you. Do you want Donald Trump to do another debate?

BRYAN LANZA, FORMER DEPUTY COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, TRUMP 2016 CAMPAIGN: Yes, I mean, I think they already have one, at least during the Biden-Harris campaign, they already have the third one scheduled later this month. And so if she doesn't want to compete in that debate, I'm certainly not surprised she didn't want to compete in the Fox debate.

ACOSTA: Alencia. What do you think?

ALENCIA JOHNSON, FORMER SENIOR ADVISER, BIDEN-HARRIS 2020 CAMPAIGN: Well, I mean, I think there's history with Fox News not being able to actually fact check Donald Trump. So, I can understand that. But Vice President Harris and the campaign -- well, the campaign said last night that they are ready for the second debate whenever Donald Trump will agree to it.

It's clear -- thank you, Olivia, for your point that he was really upset, which is why he ran to the spin room to try to create and control a narrative. But I actually don't think it helped. I think it harmed him even more. And Vice President Harris was quite disruptive on that stage and disrupting the way in which he always tries to dominate women, right?

And with you sitting here, Olivia, I'm just thinking about the range in which this coalition that wants to not only vote for Vice President Harris, move past Donald Trump. It ranges from Republicans who are tired of him, who have the courage to stand up. You as well as Dick Cheney and Liz Cheney. All the way over to the left to -- there are a lot of uncommitted voters who said they still want to vote for Vice President Harris, they want to see more, obviously, on the issue in Gaza. And then you have Taylor Swift endorsing her.

I don't know what's more disruptive in our politics than a coalition and a candidate that can bring all of them together, and that is Vice President Harris.

ACOSTA: Yes. I mean, Olivia, being in the room, what was that moment like when Trump and Harris went after each other on the issue of abortion?

TROYE: I think -- you know, I think she was incredibly compelling and I think she was speaking on a very personal level to the American people. I thought she was very effective on that. I could feel the emotion. And look, I am a conservative leaning voter on the issue, but I respect her for the fact that she understands how to speak to all of us and unite us on this issue.

And I'm talking to conservative women across the country. I'm going to Arizona later this week. I'll be there. I was with Republican women last week on the issue of reproductive rights. And look, there is a growing coalition here of people who really are feeling like she has welcomed us into this party. And she's saying like, I'm going to be a president for all of you.

ACOSTA: Yes. And she hit on that issue very early on in the debate, which means a lot of people were paying attention.

And, Bryan, on that point, I did want to ask you about that because, you know, Trump called his answer on abortion, quote, perfect, but when the moderators pressed him on whether he would veto a national abortion ban, he refused to answer.

LANZA: I think he said it in the past that he wouldn't sign a national abortion ban. And I think J. D. Vance has also stated that. I think what he said last night is like, why are we considering something that's not possible.

ACOSTA: But he didn't say he would veto it if it got passed and got to his desk. He didn't say whether he would veto it.

LANZA: Yes. I was answering the question, Jim, thank you for giving me the opportunity. I think what he was saying --

ACOSTA: Well, if you're not going to answer the question, I am going to jump in, Bryan.

LANZA: I'm about to answer the question, but you keep on jumping. When I say I'm about to answer the question, that's the time you let me answer the question.

ACOSTA: Yes. Well, go ahead.

LANZA: And so, as I was saying and trying to answer your question, your deeply thoughted question, I think what he was trying to say last night, and I think what he has said is like, listen, he goes, the country does not support late term abortion. I think 91 percent of the country feels late term abortion is a horrific thing. ACOSTA: No, he said that in some states, they're executing the babies after they're born, which is false. So --

LANZA: Well, yes. Well, let me finish my answer, Jim. I understand you don't want to hear it because it's inconvenient, but I'm still going to answers your question.

ACOSTA: Well, Bryan, if you're not going to tell the truth, I've got to jump in. I'm sorry.

LANZA: No, Jim, do you want the truth? Do you want me to answer your question?

ACOSTA: We want the truth, yes.

LANZA: Yes, and I'm trying to give you the truth with an explanation, but you constantly keep interrupting, which leads me to believe you don't want to hear the answer because it's inconvenient to you.

[10:45:00]

So, for the fourth time I'm going to try to answer this question. You know, what he said about abortion, what his position has always been, he's always been proud of repealing abortion. He said it early on that he gave the list of people from the Federalist Society who were going to return it to the states. And that's what has happened. And he's very comfortable with the states making the decision. He's very comfortable with some states being as liberal as California and taking the position they want to, and he's very comfortable with states as -- you know, as Arizona, sort of being more conservative as Texas.

Where he lies on the issue and what he believes on the issue, it should be pushed back to the states for them to decide. What he says at the national level is that he doesn't believe a national abortion ban is going to hit his desk. I believe that too. I think you believe that having covered the Hill yourself, Jim, you know that there's never going to be any legislation that goes to his desk on abortion because there's never been any legislation to go to the desk of any president since the overturn of Roe v. Wade.

So, as in completing your answer, President Trump has actually stated his position now for -- you know, now for the fifth time where he stands. He has stated in the past he does not support a national abortion ban. J. D. Vance is in the past --

ACOSTA: But he didn't say whether he would veto that. I mean, I'm just -- I let you talk there for like a little a minute or two.

LANZA: I guess it's a little technical word. I guess in my view, when you say you're not going to sign a national abortion ban --

ACOSTA: They're saying C-SPAN, Bryan. And when I ask you a question, whether he's -- you know, why he didn't say whether he would veto it, you can't just go on and on forever. I mean, I did ask you a straightforward question.

LANZA: Jim, I just am confused when I say he's not going to sign the national abortion patent, what does that mean to you?

ACOSTA: You're still not answering the question.

JOHNSON: Well, can I want to jump in here as someone who actually -- in addition to presidential politics, I worked for Planned Parenthood for six years and I know that Republicans have been planning for this moment for decades. And of course, they're not going to introduce a national abortion ban while President Biden is in the White House.

But as soon as Donald Trump, if he had the chance to be in the White House, they would propose it. And Donald Trump has only tried to moderate his position on abortion because it has been a losing issue since the 2022 midterms in blue states as well as red states. And so, women voters, Democrat, independent, and Republican voters know very clearly where Donald Trump stands. He threw his vice president candidate under the bus. He will sign a national abortion ban, and that's why women are galvanizing across the country.

ACOSTA: Olivia?

TROYE: Yes, I'm going to agree. And look, the devils in the details. All you have to look at, look at the plans in Project 2025. It's very clear how controlling they want to be when it comes to reproduction. And to me, it's appalling when you read the text on that, and it says, you know, it refers to monitoring miscarriages and abortions across the country, that is extra level government overreach. I mean, that is not traditional Republican platform values of limited government. Let's be clear about that.

ACOSTA: All right. Olivia, Alencia, Bryan, thanks a lot, guys. Appreciate it.

A final thought on last night's debate, when asked whether he regretted anything about what he did on January 6th, the former president said, quote, "I had nothing to do with that other than they asked me to make a speech." But his words and actions leading up to that day and on that very day plainly say otherwise. The truth is Donald Trump's lies and rhetoric incited that violent mob. There would have never been an attack on the Capitol on January 6th had Trump just accepted that he lost and conceded the race to Joe Biden. It's something he still won't do. Those are the facts. He had everything to do with January 6th and now he's just lying about his line. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:50:00]

ACOSTA: Happening now up on Capitol Hill, a major hearing is underway on election security. House lawmakers pressing some of the nation's secretaries of state on how their offices are preparing for the general election this November.

CNN's Marshall Cohen joins me now to discuss. Marshall, I mean, this is a critically important issue. What are these officials saying? MARSHALL COHEN, CNN REPORTER: Well, Jim, both parties, the election officials from both parties agree on one thing, the election is here. And a lot of people think about November 5th, but these election officials have to get to work very, very soon with ballots being sent out in states across the country just in the coming days and weeks. So, their work is in full swing.

Unfortunately, though, the agreements between the two parties, that was kind of all they agreed on. It descended into some partisan hackery pretty quickly. Republicans who were in charge of this hearing have focused on what they claim is a tsunami of non-citizens, undocumented immigrants voting in our elections. That doesn't happen. It's extremely rare. It doesn't happen in a massive scale.

But they've put that issue front and center. Let me play for you a clip from Frank LaRose. He is the Secretary of State of Ohio. He's a Republican. Here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRANK LAROSE (R), OHIO SECRETARY OF STATE: When we have done our analysis of the voter rolls, we have found in just the last year alone, nearly 600 non-citizens registered to vote. We have removed them from the voter rolls.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: 600. OK. I looked this up before I came on.

ACOSTA: Yes.

COHEN: 600 non-citizens that they found last year. In Ohio, 6 million people voted in the 2020 election. So, you know, this happens. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but it doesn't happen in a way that tarnishes our elections. And also, when it does happen, it almost always gets caught.

ACOSTA: Yes.

COHEN: So, that's the GOP side. They're trying to put that issue front and center. President Trump -- Former President Trump brought that up at the debate last night. So, that's a huge issue for them. But on the Democratic side, Jim, they've been taking those false claims from Trump and the other Republicans and saying that has a real impact on their safety, on their security, their personal wellbeing. They're saying that there has been a deluge of threats from people that are buying the conspiracies and buying the lies.

[10:55:00]

Here is Maggie Toulouse Oliver. She is the Secretary of State of New Mexico. She's a Democrat describing the frightening situation for her staffs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MAGGIE TOULOUSE OLIVER, NEW MEXICO SECRETARY OF STATE: This false information has led to increased threats and harassment to election workers. Many of the people at this table have personally experienced that. This is a vicious cycle that must be mitigated for the good of our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: So, two very different views on how this could all play out. But of course, at the end of the day, they're both -- they're all sworn to do their job to run the election fairly, with transparency, and the work is about to kick off for them.

ACOSTA: Yes, and that number again in Ohio, 600 out of 6 million.

COHEN: 600. That's what he said. He said that they found 600 non- citizens on the rolls.

ACOSTA: A tiny fraction.

COHEN: And in that state, 6 million people voted in the last presidential election.

ACOSTA: Important numbers to keep in mind. Just the facts. Marshall Cohen, thanks very much. Appreciate it.

And thanks to all of you for joining us this morning. I'm Jim Acosta. Our next hour Newsroom with Wolf Blitzer starts after a short break. Have a great day.

[11:00:00]