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Interview With Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA); Interview With Fmr. Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R-AR); Kamala Harris Set to Campaign With Barack Obama in Georgia. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired October 24, 2024 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:02:12]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: Good morning. You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington.

We are in the final, frenzied days of the 2024 campaign, both candidates in battlegrounds today, Vice President Kamala Harris heading to Georgia, and she is bringing star power. Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen will rally with her tonight in the Atlanta suburbs.

Last night, in CNN's town hall, Harris warned that Donald Trump is -- quote -- "dangerous and unfit for office."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Do you think Donald Trump is a fascist?

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (D) AND U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Yes, I do. Yes, I do.

They also care about our democracy and not having a president of the United States who admires dictators and is a fascist. He's going to sit there unstable, unhinged, plotting his revenge, plotting his retribution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: The former president is firing back, posting on social media that Harris called him Hitler. She did not do that. She agreed with General John Kelly that Trump is a fascist.

Trump also tour into Kelly, calling him a -- quote -- "lowlife" and claiming he is making up stories. Today, Trump heads to Arizona and Nevada.

Let's bring in CNN's Jeff Zeleny.

Jeff, what is the Harris campaign saying about the vice president's performance last night at the CNN town hall? There was some criticism in the party that perhaps she should have had a stronger performance. What are you picking up on?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Jim. Good morning.

I mean, look, I think that town hall formats are never necessarily the vice president's strongest settings. One thing about the upside of her accelerated campaign, she certainly avoided a primary contest, but the downside potentially was, during a primary contest, as you well know, you do hundreds of these town hall settings, taking questions from voters.

Look, she was not necessarily as fluent as some of her advisers might have liked, but I do think she drew a contrast with the former president. And that's what this stage of the campaign is all about. You could hear her throughout her answers, though, with Anderson Cooper there, as well as talking directly to voters, at every opportunity, she would pivot to draw a distinction with her and the former president, some of her sharpest language we have seen yet.

So, look, I think it also was able to shine a light on some of the other questions perhaps about her, about her faith, about her background a little bit more, even talking about grieving the loss of her mother. So I think the value for these is more than just the headlines that we're looking at.

It's what some voters are taking away. And, look, she wanted to debate Donald Trump. He, of course, did not agree to that, so this is what she did.

ACOSTA: Right. I mean, Jeff, she has the task of continuing to introduce herself to voters. You and I know, I mean, that is also a component in all of this, even at this late stage in the campaign.

ZELENY: Sure.

ACOSTA: And Kamala Harris is holding a huge event, apparently in Clarkston, Georgia, today, a town known as the most diverse square mile in America.

I mean, that speaks to the changing demographics in Georgia and why this state is very much in her sights right now.

[11:05:06]

ZELENY: Without question.

I mean, she will be in Georgia later on for her first joint appearance with former President Barack Obama. He's been out on the campaign trail with her extensively. This will be the sixth battleground state.

But choosing Georgia as the place to have this joint appearance is certainly interesting. The diversity of Clarkston is something that it was going to be obvious to people attending the rally obviously from there. But it's also something that she is trying to, to speak to show that Georgia has more opportunity for her.

I was in the Atlanta suburb just a couple weeks ago talking to just the rising influx of Asian American voters. Some support her, some do not. ACOSTA: Right.

ZELENY: But, certainly, this is a new base of Georgia.

But, Jim, we also have to say Bruce Springsteen will be at the concert -- or at the rally tonight. But we're also getting word that she's getting some more star power as she goes on the road. Beyonce will appear alongside her for the first time on Friday in Beyonce's hometown of Houston.

We have known all week that the vice president is going to Texas for a campaign rally and appearance talking about abortion rights. And there's been some speculation that Beyonce would be there. We are now confirming that she will be there on stage with Willie Nelson as well.

Beyonce, of course, allowed the Harris campaign to use "Freedom" as the campaign anthem the moment she ascended to the top of the Democratic ticket just a few months ago. So it was widely believed that there would be a joint appearance. Now that is confirmed. That is happening.

Jim, you remember all the speculation in Chicago at the Democratic Convention.

ACOSTA: Right.

ZELENY: Is Beyonce coming? Is she not coming? An adviser said, look, that would have sort of threatened to overshadow potentially the vice president's own speech.

But, tomorrow, they definitely want to draw attention to this. She will be on stage with Willie Nelson down in Houston, Jim.

ACOSTA: Trying to pull out all the stops and maybe lend a little help to Colin Allred, who is in that surprisingly tight contest with Ted Cruz down in Texas for the U.S. Senate.

Jeff Zeleny, as always. I know we will see you out on the campaign trail in the coming days. Thanks so much. Really appreciate it.

Let's continue this conversation.

Joining me now is Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia of California. He's the national co-chair of the Harris/Walz campaign.

And, Congressman, you have been out on the campaign trail going to places where there's a high Latino voter potential for Vice President Harris. Last night, what did you think about the town hall? Did she accomplish what she needed to accomplish? Were there some moments that you think she would like to have back? What was your assessment?

REP. ROBERT GARCIA (D-CA): Great to be with you.

Look, first, let me just clarify one thing, the analysis that just happened right now. I was actually with all the top staff on the phone checking in with advisers through text last night throughout the debate.

ACOSTA: Yes.

GARCIA: And, to be very clear, the campaign is very happy with the vice president's performance last night. She did a great job.

I was ecstatic that she was connecting with folks and that she made a real clear contrast between what she brings to the table and the dangers of Donald Trump. And I think that her being able to start out and laying out the case as to why Donald Trump is a fascist, is a danger to democracy, the comparisons to wanting to have his generals be more like Hitler's generals and Hitler, I think, is crazy.

And anyone, especially those independents, especially those folks that are deciding here in the last essentially week-and-a-half, two weeks, those are the issues that they're going to make them think about the kind of president that they want leading our country.

And so that contrast is really important. Then, of course, I think her being able to lay out her positions on women's reproductive choice, on ensuring that people have access to Medicare was critical.

ACOSTA: Yes.

GARCIA: So I think she did a great job last night, and she's going to close out really strong in the days come.

ACOSTA: Well, and I do want to ask you about this final message from the vice president. She went aggressively after Trump last night. As you said, she said she considers him a fascist.

We did talk to one undecided voter, obviously doesn't speak for everybody, one undecided voter, who said that that didn't work in that case. Let's listen to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TANEISHA SPALL, TOWN HALL AUDIENCE MEMBER: For a very long time, she didn't stoop to his level. And as of late, last couple of weeks, I have really started to see, like you said, the schoolyard bullying. And I think that's beneath her. She doesn't need to do that. She can run on her policy. She can run on her position.

You don't need to stoop to his level.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Congressman, I don't have to tell you there has been a debate inside the Democratic Party for years now as to how to go after Donald Trump. She has sharpened her attacks.

But people did really like that joyful message when the campaign first launched. Your thoughts on sharpening these attack lines from the vice president.

GARCIA: I think you have to make the contrast. And I appreciate those comments, of course, but you have to make the contrast.

This is not just a typical Republican candidate. This is an extreme candidate who likens himself to authoritarian leaders and wants to be a dictator on day one. It is a serious choice that has to be discussed.

[11:10:08]

And I also will note, I think CNN's very own John King last night talked to other undecided voters who made up their mind last night, who now are leaning and want to vote for Kamala Harris.

And so I think that she had a successful night. Really, obviously, where everyone I think is grateful to CNN and to the opportunity. It's unfortunate, of course, that Donald Trump chose not to debate Kamala Harris last night, which was the original intention, and that he chose not to participate in any sort of town hall with CNN last night.

And so I think Kamala Harris is going out. She's open. She's talking to the media. She's doing town halls. And this last two weeks is going to be critical to the campaign. She is going to be everywhere. And her, of course, folks like President Barack Obama, obviously, the appearance in Texas, really critical.

ACOSTA: Yes.

GARCIA: She's closing her message and making it very clear that there is a choice, a choice between responsibility and optimism, and one of fear and moving us backwards.

That is the choice ahead of us. And I think we're going to hear that in the days ahead.

ACOSTA: And, Congressman, I know you have been spending a good bit of your time in the swing state of Nevada speaking with Latino men and union workers. Those are two critical constituencies in that state.

I have covered Nevada politics. If you don't get those union voters out, you're in big trouble. What is your sense of it right now? How is she doing with those groups? If she can't win Nevada, it could be a tough night for her.

GARCIA: We have always known Nevada is going to be close. I'm there every couple weeks. I'm on the ground in Las Vegas, across the state.

I think one of the things that's really important right now is that we are looking at a very well-organized state. I mean, the Harris campaign has 14 offices open across the state. There are thousands and thousands of organizers and volunteers on the ground. There's a strong staff.

And that machine, that turnout machine is going to make a difference on Election Day. As it relates to voters there, I talked to a lot of union voters, a lot of Latino men actually that are working in construction. And the vice president's plans on ensuring that construction workers are supported, that there's reimbursement for the tools they purchase, that there's access to buying a first home and doubling that for Latino men in -- during her presidency is really important.

And that's, I think, motivating folks to get out and make those decisions. The Latino vote, as we know, is critical in places like Nevada and Arizona, but it's now become even more important in places like Pennsylvania and Georgia. It's a population that is growing.

And so being out there, talking to folks in the language that they understand, talking to them about the community and reminding them that Donald Trump essentially calls us criminals, disregards our communities and our families, and says we're poisoning the blood of this country, those are messages that work and are going to turn voters out for Kamala Harris in the next few days.

ACOSTA: All right, Congressman Robert Garcia, thank you very much for your time. We appreciate it.

GARCIA: Thank you.

All right, coming up: Republican Senator Mitch McConnell not mincing words when it comes to the MAGA movement and Donald Trump. What his comments in a new book could mean for the election in just 12 days.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:17:42]

ACOSTA: Happening today, Donald Trump heads to the swing state of Arizona to talk inflation and the cost of everyday goods.

The former president was in Georgia yesterday in a last-chance attempt to get his message out to undecided voters.

And former Republican presidential candidate and Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson joins us now. He's also a resident fellow at the Harvard University Institute of Politics.

Governor, great to see you, as always.

And it's reminding me that the late Alice Stewart was there in that same program. We just miss her terribly, and I know you were friends with Alice.

But, Governor, good to be with you.

Have you voted yet? I know early voting is under way across much of the country. Have you voted? And can you tell us where you're weighing in on this race?

FMR. GOV. ASA HUTCHINSON (R-AR): Well, I haven't voted yet. I will be voting absentee. I have already applied for it. I always vote.

And whenever you look at the debate last night -- not debate -- it was a cobble of Harris' appearance on CNN. And there's so many undecided voters that are looking at that and saying, I want a reason to vote for you. They have really already made up their mind that Donald Trump is not acceptable. He's flawed.

And they want to have an acceptable alternative. And what worries me is that her answers were not clear enough, specific enough to give people confidence. And that's what she's got to do in the coming weeks.

As for me, I'm not voting for Donald Trump. I'm voting for a Republican. I will write a candidate in. But the issue is, those genuinely undecided voters that we saw last night in Pennsylvania, other states, and what they convinced me of, there really are some undecided voters out there.

And I think it's simply because Kamala Harris has not closed the deal with them yet, and she's got to be able to do that in the coming weeks.

ACOSTA: And if you don't mind, Governor, if I could ask you a follow- up question that. You said you're going to write in a Republican voter.

Perhaps down in Arkansas, that is not going to make a huge difference. But do you think undecided voters or wavering Republican voters who don't want to vote for Donald Trump should do the same thing, or should they cast a ballot for Kamala Harris to make sure that Donald Trump does not get back into the White House?

HUTCHINSON: Well, that's the toughest call for anyone who sees the two candidates as not the ideal direction that we want to go in America.

[11:20:05]

And so they got to make a difficult choice. I think everybody is making it in a different direction. But if you speak specifically of people like me, who are good Republicans, that look at the options, obviously, there's many that say Donald Trump would be dangerous for our country.

Some make the decision that, even though he's flawed, we need the Republican Party to lead and that team, and they're voting for it. I'm not going to be critical of that. I make the choice that I'm -- mine's a protest vote, saying I'm not happy with the nominee of the party. And so I'm writing in someone.

Even though it's obviously not going to make a different in the election, it does reflect a protest.

ACOSTA: Sure.

HUTCHINSON: And many will do that.

ACOSTA: And, Governor, I did want to ask you about your reaction to former Chief of Staff retired Marine Corps General John Kelly's comments about the former president fitting into the definition of being a fascist. Vice President Harris echoed that sentiment last night. Of course,

it's also been reported that Donald Trump, according to General Kelly, said that he would like to have generals like Adolf Hitler. What do you make of all that? When you hear that, what's your reaction to it?

HUTCHINSON: Well, no one spent more time in critical situations with Donald Trump than General Kelly. And so he was in the inside. He's a man of integrity. He's a man that loves our country.

He's sacrificed greatly for our country. And he genuinely believes that he has a responsibility to tell the country that a second Trump presidency would be problematic. And he's the -- it has a ring of truth and believability. I think the question is, does it make a difference?

And the word fascist, I think everybody says that's bad, but I don't think that means much more than that. And it just sounds like name- calling. So I think the other specifics are more important than that specific word. And I think Kamala Harris could have spent a little bit less time on that part of it attacking Trump and making her case in a more positive way.

ACOSTA: And just to follow up on that, it sounds like you would not be willing to describe Donald Trump as fascist, but do you think he is a danger to this country, as General Kelly also said?

HUTCHINSON: From the standpoint of him wanting to bring more power into the presidency, have an autocratic-type leadership, sure, that is a concern.

I'm just as concerned, though, about his policies of high tariffs that penalize consumers in America. Those policies, I worry about, isolationism. So there's policy differences that to me weigh the heaviest. But it's also -- it's a character issue.

And Kamala comes across as relatable. She comes across, even though she's changed positions, she last night I think did a good job of connecting. But she's got to connect in a different way to win those disgruntled voters out there that are still undecided. She's got to win those over. And it's going to take a more positive message.

ACOSTA: And I have to ask you.

Senate Majority -- or Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was also making some headlines this week for his comments. He says that the MAGA movement is -- quote -- "completely wrong" and that former President Ronald Reagan would not recognize the Trump Republican Party.

This is according to a new book that is coming out. Is that a fair characterization, in your view?

HUTCHINSON: Not really. I mean, obviously, I have said Donald Trump is a problem.

But the MAGA movement is expressing frustration with the federal government, frustration with an economy that's not working for them. You got to take those things seriously. Historically, the Republican Party, we have always had an extreme element that has been constrained by leaders that have a broader vision and solutions for our country.

The challenge with the MAGA movement is, you take the frustrating element, the angry element that's out there, and you don't put any constraint on it. Donald Trump embraces it and magnifies it. And, to me, that's the problem.

But Mitch McConnell is speaking from his heart. And I'd hate to think -- it would be interesting to watch what it'd be like with a Trump presidency and Mitch McConnell in the United States Senate.

ACOSTA: It certainly would.

All right, former Governor Asa Hutchinson, as always, we appreciate your time. Thanks so much.

HUTCHINSON: Thank you, Jim.

ACOSTA: All right, still ahead this hour: He admitted under oath there was no evidence to some of the 2020 election fraud claims, and then went right back to making millions off of them, millions of dollars, that is.

[11:25:07]

The fascinating story of how Michael Flynn is still selling the steal, even if he doesn't believe it.

That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: This morning, CNN is learning new details about how one of Donald Trump's former national security advisers has turned conspiracies into cash.

Michael Flynn has spent years making money off the false claim that the 2020 election was stolen, but does he even believe it himself? Flynn was questioned under oath for a deposition about a former Dominion Voting Systems executive.

Eric Coomer brought a defamation suit against Flynn's speaking tour, which promotes election denialism.

Listen to what Flynn had to say.