Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

2024 Election Set to Make History; Trump Already Casting Doubt on Election Results. Aired 11:30a-12p ET

Aired November 04, 2024 - 11:30   ET

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

[11:33:23]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: In Georgia, Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger just wrapped up a press conference a few moments ago where he assured voters the state is ready for tomorrow's ballot count.

More than four million people have already voted in Georgia, but his office is facing a slew of allegations, many from within his own party.

CNN's Nick Valencia joins us now from Lawrenceville, Georgia,just north of Atlanta.

Nick, you're inside an election center where they are processing ballots, getting things ready for Election Day. Walk us through what's happening there.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jim, this is an absolutely fascinating look at democracy in action.

So many people wonder what election workers are up to in the days leading up to the election. This right here is what they're doing in Georgia, which is one of the states where you can preprocess absentee ballots by mail.

And this is a machine that helps with that process. It actually physically separates the ballot from the envelope. Once that happens, it goes over to this group of volunteers over here. You see them sorting them into batches for -- by precinct.

And then they're separating into batches of 50, after which they're taken down the hallway this way, where they're stored until tabulation is officially allowed. That's on Election Day.

There's a lot of other things happening here to remedy the disinformation. And one of those things is holding on to the empty envelopes of those ballots in case they need to counter a dispute for one of those ballots, also everyday activity.

A phone bank is happening there, questions, comments, concerns. They're receiving those. And then there's registration of new voters. Of course, those voters aren't going to be allowed to vote on Election Day, but that's a process that happens anyway. If that wasn't enough, you have this room over here. This is the war

room. That's where the board of elections is going to be. A lot of talk about the boards of elections here in Georgia, two Republicans, two Democrats and an independent on this board of election. They, of course, are in charge of certifying the election.

[11:35:01]

And this is something, Jim, that I found super interesting. This is a new addition this year to the election cycle, a "Zen Den." It's going to be stressful. This is a peaceful place for those election workers just a step away during this process.

And I want to introduce you to one of the people that's going to be very busy tomorrow here.

Zach Manifold, you're the election supervisor. I was just talking about disinformation and the -- already, you saw a Russian campaign of disinformation last week.

You know, there are people out there, despite what you say, they just don't believe you. What are you doing to combat disinformation in Georgia?

ZACH MANIFOLD, ELECTIONS SUPERVISOR: Well, and we're tackling that all year long.

I think -- we have a full outreach staff that's doing 30 to 40 events out in communities, meeting with people, putting that face to who's really behind elections. We're working with our social media team, like you said, last week trying to hurry up and knock down that fake video that popped up here in Georgia.

So we're constantly -- it's nonstop. And then here at the office, as you can see, it's purposely built wide open. You can actually see the life process of a ballot coming in our door from the mail all the way through the process, all the way following up front to get scanned and tabulated.

VALENCIA: This isn't some sort a shadowy process run by shady individuals here. These are your neighbors.

You wanted -- you were talking off camera about who's working and who is volunteering here tomorrow?

MANIFOLD: Yes, I always tell people to remember who you see when you go to your polling location.

At the end of the day, there's 2,000 volunteers here just here in Gwinnett County that I need grandparents, PTA parents, your firefighters, your teachers. Those are the people volunteering on Election Day. That's who you're going to see in a polling location, not so much the staff here that's behind the scenes working all day, but that -- those people.

Your community is who runs your elections. VALENCIA: And just very quickly. We only have a few seconds. You said there's a potential for 60 percent of the votes to be counted all by 8:00 p.m. tomorrow? So it could be smooth process is potentially what you're expecting.

MANIFOLD: Correct.

We had such a large turnout in advance voting this time, record number. A hundred -- 300,000 voters came through advanced voting.

VALENCIA: Unreal, right.

MANIFOLD: We think probably 60 to 70 percent of the votes will be posted, the advanced, in person. And absentee by mail, that should be up by about 8:00. So that will give a pretty good first indication, and then the long slog continues.

The first precinct shows up about 8:30. Probably the last one comes in about 11:30 to midnight, so...

VALENCIA: Well, we will be here for every step of the process. Thank you so much. You have a busy day ahead of you. Good luck.

MANIFOLD: Thanks.

VALENCIA: Jim, a super fascinating look at what goes on.

This is, as I mentioned, democracy happening here in action -- Jim.

ACOSTA: Absolutely. Well, we're all going to need a "Zen Den" after it's all said and done.

Nick Valencia, thank you very much.

VALENCIA: Yes.

ACOSTA: well, there will be a line at that door, no question about it.

All right, we will be right back.

Thanks, Nick.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:41:54]

ACOSTA: This weekend, the Trump campaign ramped up accusations of voter fraud in Pennsylvania. That's despite the fact officials there are still investigating potential issues and haven't reached any conclusions just yet.

But joining me now is longtime Republican election attorney Ben Ginsberg.

Ben, I guess your thoughts on Trump pushing these claims ahead of the election, what might be in store for us over the next few weeks if he loses?

BEN GINSBERG, REPUBLICAN ELECTION ATTORNEY: Well, Jim, we have seen this play before. It's what happened in 2020.

There were wild accusations. He had the chance to present evidence in court. And in all 64 court cases that he and his supporters filed, they failed to produce evidence. So I think it is reasonable to assume that this is a prelude to a similar strategy.

But, of course, they're still going to have to come up with real evidence to be able to make their case.

ACOSTA: Right. And have you seen anything to make you question the integrity or trustworthiness of this election so far?

GINSBERG: No, not at all. And we have been traveling around to the most contentious election jurisdictions.

Election administrators and officials are incredibly conscientious about preparing and checking their rolls. In all the preelection litigation that's been filed by the Republican National Committee, some 90 cases, again, there is a lot of supposition, but no hard evidence of any illegal voters on the rolls or any machines not working.

ACOSTA: And I do want to remind our viewers of what Trump said after the 2020 election here with votes still being counted. He was declaring victory. Let's play this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (R) AND CURRENT U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We were winning everything, and all of a sudden it was just called off. We were getting ready to win this election. Frankly, we did win this election.

(CHEERING)

TRUMP: So we will be going to the U.S. Supreme Court. We want all voting to stop.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Ben, I mean, it's pretty chilling to listen to that four years later. He obviously did not win the election.

But what happens if he loses but still declares victory anyway? I suppose this goes to the courts after it goes through the Electoral College, and we see how it plays out.

GINSBERG: Yes, I think there will be a bit of buyer beware also in his allegations.

I mean, again, there are the -- there are echoes of what happened in 2020. He couldn't produce then, evidence then. He will go to court. We will see if he can produce evidence. You should remember what happened in the first week after the 2020 election. There were wild allegations of fraud, Rudy Giuliani before the Four Seasons Total Landscaping Company, the press conference at the RNC, again, really sort of bellicose accusations of fraud, none of which turned out to have any substance.

And so I hope that will figure into voters' consideration of the charges they're going to hear.

ACOSTA: And, I mean, he had a Supreme Court that was stocked with his justices the last time around. They didn't intervene on his behalf.

[11:45:05]

Is that in part because when, you go through -- I mean, you can go through the election process and make any claims you want. But when you go to court, judges at every level possible, they're going to want to see evidence. I mean, that there's just no -- you can't play that game in front of a federal judge.

GINSBERG: No, you can't.

And in 2020, judges appointed by Republican and Democratic presidents alike, including Trump-appointed judges, did what they are supposed to do and look at the facts and the law. And since there were no facts, very few of them actually got around to having to deal with substantive legal issues.

ACOSTA: And I suppose there's just an army -- there are armies on both sides that are ready to duke this out.

I mean, and that -- I mean, you have a lot of boats and vacation homes named after this election, I would assume, after this is all said and done if it's a contentious race.

(CROSSTALK)

ACOSTA: What's that?

GINSBERG: The society of hourly billers is not disappointed with this outcome.

(LAUGHTER)

GINSBERG: But, yes, there will be lawyers on both sides.

And in an interesting -- in an interesting development, Donald Trump has got pretty good lawyers working for him preelection. But he did in 2020 as well. And those lawyers started to peel off and be unwilling to bring cases when there was no evidence. But the Trump campaign insisted that they bring cases.

Many of the lawyers who did bring the Trump cases post-election have run into some problems with their local bar associations for just that, presenting cases without the required evidence.

ACOSTA: That's right, most notably Rudy Giuliani. I mean, that's exhibit A in all of that.

Ben Ginsberg, as always, thank you so much. Really appreciate it.

GINSBERG: Thanks, Jim. Good to be with you.

ACOSTA: All right, good to be with you.

And both candidates are calling this the most important election in American history. It certainly feels like the most anxiety-inducing. Is that hyperbole? We will talk about it with a presidential historian next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:51:29]

ACOSTA: All right, with just over 12 hours until Election Day, polls are showing a razor-thin race to the finish, regardless of who wins the White House.

One thing is certain. This election is going to make history.

Joining me now, presidential historian Tim Naftali.

Tim, what's your prediction? Do you have a prediction at this point, other than just a lot of nerves around the country?

TIM NAFTALI, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Well, I have a gut feeling, but I'm not sure what it's worth.

ACOSTA: Yes.

NAFTALI: I will say this, that this is absolutely going to be a historic election and one that will be remembered regardless of who wins.

If Kamala Harris wins, she will break the last great glass ceiling of our politics. And this will have an effect not only at home, but around the world. Only 31 percent of the countries of the U.N. have ever had a woman head of state. So the United States is an influential country. And if the United States had a woman head of state, that would have enormous benefits for many countries, women in many countries around the world.

If Donald Trump wins the election, then not only will he be the oldest president we have ever had, but he will be the first twice-impeached president to be reelected. He's the only twice-impeached president we have ever had.

But, more importantly, he will be the first person in American history to have come to power after provoking an insurrection. He will also be the second president to have won a campaign based on vengeance. But his vengeance is different from that of Andrew Jackson's.

And, in 1828, Andrew Jackson sought vengeance, but he sought vengeance against John Quincy Adams for losing the 1824 election to him. He didn't seek vengeance against half the country. So either outcome is certain to produce historic consequences for this country. And it'll be an election remembered, I would argue, forever.

ACOSTA: Absolutely, no question about it.

And, Tim, I mean, one of the things that I have noticed covering campaigns -- I have covered presidential campaigns out on the campaign trail since 2004 -- in 2008, you had the financial crisis, really cinched things for Barack Obama against John McCain. In 2012, you had Superstorm Sandy sort of move that race towards Barack Obama when he was running for reelection. He was probably going to win anyway, but it was moving in that direction.

2016, you had the Comey letter. In 2020, we were all dealing with COVID. And so, sometimes, these outside forces have an impact. And I kind of wonder, in this last race of this campaign, whether this crack about Puerto Rico, the Madison Square Garden rally, whether that might be viewed, after this is all said and done, as sort of this big moment.

NAFTALI: I'm so glad you asked me that question...

ACOSTA: Yes.

NAFTALI: ... because rather than have a certain gut reaction, what I have got is a series of questions.

ACOSTA: Yes.

NAFTALI: First of all, will the Joe Rogan vote show up?

ACOSTA: Yes.

NAFTALI: Will the Iowa poll suggest that there's a Nikki Haley vote that is quietly going to Kamala Harris?

Have the pollsters, in an attempt to try to recreate a model that suggests the electorate, have they undercounted the number of women who are going to vote? Or have they once again undercounted the number of Americans without college degrees?

ACOSTA: Yes.

NAFTALI: And what about Arab Americans, particularly in Michigan? Are they going to sit in their hands and not vote as a way of protesting the humanitarian crisis in Gaza?

[11:55:00]

And, finally, what about black men? To what extent will they support in the large numbers -- they will -- a majority, of course, will support Kamala Harris. But how many will support her in large enough numbers to make a difference in Pennsylvania and Michigan?

ACOSTA: Yes.

NAFTALI: And, finally, the question we always have about young people, will they vote? Will young people vote? Or will they just...

(CROSSTALK)

ACOSTA: It's so true. It's so true, Tim.

And we have been showing this number all morning. We probably don't have time for me to show it again, but this ABC poll from over the weekend that showed young women under the age of 30 just in droves siding against Donald Trump for Kamala Harris. There it is one more time. I'm going to show this one more time just because it is, to me, just a mind-boggling metric to look at there.

But, Tim Naftali, sometimes, it's the things we don't see, that we don't appreciate enough before Election Day that ends up making the difference. We will have to see how it plays out.

But, Tim Naftali, presidential historian, thanks, as always. I have got to run.

Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Jim Acosta. Please go out there and vote. It is your right. Exercise it.

Stay with us. "INSIDE POLITICS WITH DANA BASH" starts after a short break.

Have a great day.