Return to Transcripts main page
CNN This Morning
Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) is Interviewed about Biden; Trump Selects Vance as Running Mate; Johnson Used Old Speech. Aired 6:30-7a ET
Aired July 16, 2024 - 06:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:34:36]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LESTER HOLT, NBC NEWS: Do you feel like you've weathered the storm on this issue of whether you should be on the ticket or not?
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Look, 14 million people voted for me to be the nominee in the Democratic Party, OK? I listen to them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: The public calls for President Biden to bow out of the 2024 presidential race have quieted in recent days, of course overtaken by news of the assassination attempt against Donald Trump.
[06:35:05]
But private efforts to nudge him out continue, according to reporting from CNN's John King, with several Democratic lawmakers allegedly urging Biden advisers to consider how staying in race could damage the president's legacy. Something that Biden said last week is not relevant to his decision-making.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm not in this for my legacy. I'm in this to complete the job I started.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: One Democratic congressman who has so far held back on calling on Joe Biden to step aside is Ohio Congressman Greg Landsman, but he's been thinking about it. Here's what he told me last week.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. GREG LANDSMAN (D-OH): I'm getting closer and closer to appreciating that - that as much as I - I respect Joe Biden and - and - and what he's done, that what - what would Clooney said yesterday was really powerful in that he saved democracy in 2020. He's got to do it again in 2024.
I want to go back home and check in with folks, you know, maybe one last time.
However, you know, it's becoming increasingly likely that - that this is - this may be just too high of - of a hill for him to climb.
HUNT: I tell you what, come back Monday after you have talked to people back home, you know?
LANDSMAN: Sure. Yes, no problem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: All right, and joining me now is Congressman Greg Landsman, who, to his credit, made good on his word to show back up and tell us what - what he actually thinks.
So, Congressman, you went home. You talk to people. You've seen the events of the last week. Are you ready to tell President Biden that you think he should step aside?
REP. GREG LANDSMAN (D-OH): Well, no, the - first and foremost, that what we all witnessed on - on Saturday was this - an attempted assassination on, you know, president - former President Trump's life. And it's a - it's - it's not OK. None of us should be OK about it. And - and that overtook, as you can imagine, the - the - the conversations that - that I was having at home.
I spent most of Sunday with constituents talking through what it means. And, you know, overwhelmingly, I heard folks say, you know, we really do need to dial it back. I mean people should be leading with their convictions and - and fight for what they believe in. But to do it with strength and kindness and, you know, a thoughtfulness that we don't always see. And that's what we're expecting of - of the president. And I think he - he is - he's shown that. And the same thing with Mr. Trump. And he has said, look, you know, his - his speech is going to be about unity.
The frustrating part of yesterday was that, you know, those of us in southwest Ohio know Mr. Vance. That's not who he is. He's not a unity pick. And - and Mr. Trump had many options. So, it was unfortunate that at a time when we all need to come together and - and be as thoughtful and careful in our rhetoric, not our convictions, but our rhetoric, that somebody like Mr. Vance, who's known for turning up the temperature, that's what he does, that that was unfortunate.
HUNT: Sir, I mean, what was your sense of - of how President Biden handled the interview he did yesterday with Lester Holt. He did say it was a mistake to use the term "bulls-eye" when he was talking about Donald Trump. Obviously, he did use that before this happened. Context matters.
But he also didn't necessarily - you know, I think one of the - the private criticisms Democrats have had, and certainly some public, they have been skeptical of his ability to really prosecute the case against Donald Trump.
LANDSMAN: Yes.
HUNT: And there certainly are plenty of examples of the former president turning up violent rhetoric, the way that he has talked about violent - other violent, political attacks, including Paul Pelosi.
Did the president's interview give you more confidence that he is the right person to be at the top of the ticket or not?
LANDSMAN: I was glad that the president said that that language was a mistake. I mean that's character. That's taking responsibility and saying, I'm - I'm going to do better. And, you know, I - I'm hoping we'll see the same from Mr. Trump.
This is really important. I mean, you know, we have to be able to have these really tough conversations.
[06:40:08]
And - and they are tough conversations. And doing it in a way that is responsible. And my job, you know, in addition to serving the 700,000 people here in southwest Ohio is to try to model that, which is to say, yes, we have a big conversation about democracy and the need to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Bill, to protect voters, to protect our elections. We have to restore freedom. We've got to build an economy around people that I represent, not - not billionaires. And to do it in a way that says, look, you know, we're in this together. There are folks that disagree, but we're going to make our case and we're going to do it again with conviction, but also with kindness. And - and so the, you know, the president is saying, hey, I should have said that says a lot.
I will say, you know, my concerns about the president's ability to make this case against Donald Trump, I've expressed those concerns until leadership, and that's where it is. You know, they - they will make the decision or he will make the decision hopefully with - with their input.
HUNT: Yes.
LANDSMAN: But now, you know, at least for this week, you know, all eyes are on former President Trump. And, you know, we're - we're - we're genuinely glad he's OK. That was terrifying. And as somebody who's from southwest Ohio, who grew up at around the same time and probably five miles from JD Vance, we're both from Butler County, you know, I - it's an issue that he chose somebody who is divisive and uses incendiary language. That is a problem. And I think most Americans are going to say, that's not what we want right now.
HUNT: All right, Congressman Greg Landsman, very much appreciate your perspective. Very interesting. I did not know you and JD Vance were from the same county. So, we'll keep that in mind going forward. Thank you so much for your time. I really appreciate it.
LANDSMAN: Thank you.
HUNT: All right, coming up next here, a bandaged Trump appearing at the RNC. We're going to have more on what Trump told us former White House - his former White House doctor about what happened the day of the shooting.
Plus, Trump's new right-hand man. We are analyzing the decision to pick JD Vance as his running mate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I could have done better. But you, you got to decide if you want to be somebody or not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: That from the book that JD Vance wrote, the movie of it. As we've been talking about all of this, our guests are behind me. Georgetown University students from across the political spectrum, getting an up-close look at their first major party convention. They've been helping us get our guests here at the CNN Politico Grill.
Let's - we ought to give you guys a round of applause for getting up so early. Come on. I couldn't do this in college.
We'll be right back on CNN THIS MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:47:14]
HUNT: All right, 46 minutes past the hour. Here's your morning roundup.
Donald Trump walking into the RNC last night, his ear bandaged, just days after an assassination attempt. During a podcast interview, former White House physician, the congressman, Ronny Jackson, offered this update on Trump's injuries.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. RONNY JACKSON (R-TX): Yes, it's far enough away from his head that it - there was no concussive effect from the bullet. And it just took the top of his year off. A little bit of the top of his ear off as it passed through.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Jackson says that he changed Trump's bandage before the RNC, and that the former president shouldn't need any further treatment.
Senator Bob Menendez's wife's federal corruption trial has been delayed indefinitely. Her trial has been postponed multiple times due to her ongoing treatment for breast cancer. Jury deliberations will resume in Senator Bob Menendez's federal corruption trial today.
The special counsel's office plans to appeal yesterday's ruling by a federal judge dismissing Donald Trump's classified documents case. District Judge Aileen Cannon sided with Trump's legal team that the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith violated the Constitution.
The fact that this is way at the bottom of our news roundup tells you just how much news we are, in fact, grappling with today.
And, on that note, let's turn back to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY FALLON, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON": Vance is an Ivy League educated attorney. That makes sense. Trump got a VP and a lawyer for the price of one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: After months of VP speculation, it is official, Donald Trump and JD Vance will top the 2024 Republican Party ticket. Not long ago, the first term senator, Yale educated lawyer and bestselling author there was a self-described never Trump guy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JD VANCE (R-OH), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (October 2016): I'm a never Trump guy. I never liked him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: I never liked him.
But now, as Trump's running mate, Vance has changed his tune dramatically and is turning his past criticism of Trump, or trying to turn it into, a selling point to try to convince others, welcome others, into the MAGA movement.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JD VANCE (R-OH), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't hide from that. I was certainly skeptical of Donald Trump in 2016. But President Trump was a great president, and he changed my mind. And I think he changed the minds of a lot of Americans.
It's actually important to be able, again, to admit that you're wrong. And I think I can make a good case to the American people, people who may have been skeptical of the president back in 2016.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Mark Preston, you can see there why JD Vance grew a beard. Those old clips -
MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: I was thinking the same thing. MO ELLEITHEE, FORMER COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, DNC: Yes. Yes.
PRESTON: I was like, wow, he looks like -
MICHAEL DUBKE, FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Different guy.
PRESTON: He's like 15, not he looks like he's like 60.
MATT GORMAN, FORMER TIM SCOTT PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN SENIOR ADVISER: Yes.
HUNT: Yes. Well, and he's still only 39.
PRESTON: Right.
HUNT: How - how do you look at - I mean, look, he's one of the few, I will say, of people who is taking this dead on, right? I mean I don't even - I can't tell you the number of Republicans in the halls of Congress that I have put a microphone in front of and said, you said this about Trump, now you're not doing this, and they either run away or don't want to answer the question or whatever. He is saying, like, look, yes, I did that.
[06:50:01]
Here's why I changed it.
Clearly, Trump buys it, which I'm still kind of surprised by it to be perfectly candid, but are Americans going to buy it?
PRESTON: Look, if you - if you're a Donald Trump fan, you're going to buy it, and you already have bought it. If you're an anti-Trumper, then you're not going to buy it. It's just those - the little nibble on the edges that we've been talking about, you know, over the - over the past hour or so about, is there going to be voters in Michigan and Pennsylvania, you know, Wisconsin, where we sit right now. But, you know, even as the map could expand, you know, for Republicans, does it go into Georgia, North Carolina? I just - look it, I think JD - JD Vance handled it as best as he could.
HUNT: Yes.
Matt Gorman, what is your sort of sense of what he is going to bring to the ticket, if anything, because, again, we do want to underscore, like, it's about the guy at the top of the ticket.
GORMAN: Totally.
HUNT: This doesn't always totally matter. But, in a generational shift like this, Trump's 78-years-old. Certainly we're having - we had that conversation around Kamala Harris. JD Vance is one of the least experienced nominee - vice presidential nominees in history. Just two years into his first Senate term. What's - what do you make of all of that? GORMAN: In many ways it's a Trump legacy pick. He's ensuring that at the very least there will be someone to ostensibly (ph) carry on a torch after these four years are done. I think also, they're doubling down the rust belt states. They view them as increasingly important now. More so than the sun belt states, which I think they feel more confident in. He's a tremendous communicator. And again, expect to hear a lot about his military service on Wednesday night's speech. He would be the first Marine ever to be VP or president. And only one of the four nominees for VP or president to be a vet.
HUNT: Yes.
Mark, you raised what voters are going to think. Sarah Longwell, who - of Republicans Against Trump, she's a friend of the show. She's on - she's on a lot with us because she spends all of her time talking to voters, especially voters who voted for Obama - or, for, excuse me, for Trump in 2016 and then for Biden in 2020, trying to figure out what they're going to do now.
They sent us some clips of what some of those voters had to say right after the Vance pick. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOTER #1: I don't know much about him except I know he was very extremely anti-Trump. And so, it kind of like, speaks to his, like, lack of integrity and sincerity to not really - I mean, maybe he'll explain why he came around and it'll make sense, but I doubted it.
VOTER #2: I don't have respect for people jumping off like that. There's a bunch of people that are anti-Trump and then all of a sudden, they're on it. But again, you look at all the sides and there's similar things going on with the Senate, with a House, with bills, so on and so forth. It's , it's - that's politics in Washington.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: So, Mike, that flip-flop label used to be kind of like the deadliest one in politics.
DUBKE: Sure.
HUNT: But it may or may not matter. Sorry, go ahead.
DUBKE: Well, no, no. I mean it took down John Kerry. But the - I mean, you can't have it both ways. We can't have people that get new information and then change their minds to be terrible but also it's terrible when people don't change their mind. So, you know, look, converts - converts are sometimes the best apostles. And I think that's what you're going to see with the vice presidential pick here. It is - he has explained it away quite, quite well. The one thing he also blamed the media for, which is -
PRESTON: Well, why not.
DUBKE: Why not do it?
PRESTON: (INAUDIBLE).
DUBKE: That plays to a Republican base. So, all of that is good.
But, you've got to take the man at his word. And I think if he is going - to Mark's point, he's going to bring some energy. He is going to - he can articulate a lot of the policies that this campaign and this second Trump administration will be advocating for. So, from that perspective, it's - he - he - he brings a lot to the table.
HUNT: Mo, Mitt Romney - Senator Mitt Romney, who I don't believe is here, I need to triple check that with his team.
PRESTON: No.
GORMAN: No.
HUNT: Matt knows that he is not here. Yes. And, of course, I - that was actually the first convention I covered was Mitt Romney's Republican convention in 2012. And here we are and he is - he is not here at all. I mean, it's stunning.
He's told his biographer, McKay Coppins, quote, "I don't know that I can disrespect someone more than JD Vance," end quote. And he's explained it this way and he was talking about Vance's switch from someone who was willing to criticize. I mean Romney had thought highly of Vance. He had read Vance's book, "Hillbilly Elegy." He invited him out to - Romney does this summit out in Park City. Vance had come out there. Jake Tapper likes to note also the Vance was once a CNN commentator in the wake of his book becoming, you know, all of this.
PRESTON: Even us.
HUNT: Yes. But Romney - Romney says this of his decision to then go the other way, quote, "how can you go over a line so stark as that - and for what? It's not like you're going to be famous and powerful because you become a United States senator. It's like, really? You sell yourself so cheap?" These comments were made when Vance was running for Senate. Now, obviously, he's going to be a lot more famous. So, maybe it worked from that perspective. But -
ELLEITHEE: Yes, I mean, look, the whole convert thing, I'm actually kind of with Mike.
[06:55:01]
I think, you know, political parties always want to say, I've won people over, right? I'm bringing people over who weren't with me before. And I think parties should celebrate that more often than not.
Having said that, having said that, there's a difference between being converted and bending the knee, right? Saying that, you know, I - I - it - for what appears to be a naked power grab. But I don't think that's a campaign against JD Vance. I think what you're going to see Democrats do, what when Donald Trump's shortlist sort of became public, most Democrats I know were hoping for this pick. They were hoping JD Vance was going to be the guy because he reinforces all of the things they are running against Donald Trump on. He is very anti- choice. He is, in the minds of many Democrats, or foe populous. He - he speaks a populist talk, but actually supports big corporations and all the economic policies that are sort of anti-populous. And he said that he would have done what Mike Pence didn't do on January 6th. That he would have helped overturn the election.
So, Democrats are like, all right, like, I'm OK with this guy being on that. Yes.
HUNT: Yes, that - that January 6 note, of course, the very top line of the Biden campaign's statement that came out within moments of this - of this pick being announced.
All right, we do want to talk about one moment that we saw on the floor of the convention yesterday, because, of course, after Saturday's assassination attempt on former President Trump, many of the speeches at day one of this convention were rewritten to try to make sure that they didn't include inflammatory rhetoric in the wake of that. That is until Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson took the stage and said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. RON JOHNSON (R-WI): Today's Democrat agenda, their policies, are a clear and present danger to America, to our institutions, our values and our people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: "A clear and present danger," he said. Now asked about this, Johnson claimed that he planned on reading a different speech, but that the teleprompter loaded an older version.
Now, who does that remind you of?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You stay classy, San Diego. I'm Ron Burgundy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED), who typed a question mark on a teleprompter? For the last time, anything you put on that proper, Burgundy will read.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Now, OK, there before the grace of God go I. I have to say that.
PRESTON: Yes.
HUNT: But this was quite an excuse.
PRESTON: I can't even read off a teleprompter. Who am I to say anything.
And that's the easiest thing to do, kind of.
HUNT: Well, I suppose.
But, Mo, I mean, this -
DUBKE: Oh, I don't know about that.
PRESTON: No, it's hard. It's hard.
HUNT: Well, yes. I - it's - it is what it is.
Mo, you said this was one of the - like, this excuse, I mean -
ELLIETHEE: There are a few things. I've worked for a lot of candidates who have had to read off prompters, and you actually practice reading off of a prompter, right?
PRESTON: Yes.
GORMAN: Yes. Yes. It's a still.
ELLIETHEE: I mean every one of these speakers is going backstage before they go out there to practice reading on a prompter. It's - it's nerve wracking for people.
Having said that, I know plenty of political leaders, real political leaders, who will see mistakes in prompters, and they will figure it out. They will - they know not to read the bad thing that's on the prompter and they'll ad lib until the right thing gets up there. They'll figure it out. You don't just - if - if that was the wrong speech, he would have known it.
GORMAN: Bill Clinton did it.
ELLIETHEE: Yes. Yes.
GORMAN: After standing (ph) they load the wrong speech in, and he ad libbed for minutes.
ELLEITHEE: For minutes.
GORMAN: Well, that's right. Very true. Very true.
PRESTON: Well, no I - that's - that was a surprise because he wasn't very good at that.
GORMAN: He was not very good at that. And I kept thinking about, like, how many - there's instances (ph) of Joe Biden doing that where it's like, pause, like, last name.
PRESTON: Uh-huh.
GORMAN: It's like, you know. So, it's - you're -
HUNT: Well, Joe Biden's done it - yes, right, exactly.
GORMAN: Teleprompters - yes, teleprompters (INAUDIBLE).
DUBKE: We don't want to have a teleprompter war here.
GORMAN: Oh, no, you're right, but -
DUBKE: Exactly.
GORMAN: Teleprompter is a skill. People -
HUNT: I don't engage in it. Absolutely not. I read one every day and I know I'm going to screw up at some point and I am not criticizing anyone for anything.
DUBKE: No, no, no, I, yes, there for the grace of God, yes.
ELLIETHEE: Yes, I just - I hate the excuse, right? Like, he - the - coming out and saying, I read the wrong thing that was loaded into the teleprompter.
PRESTON: Right.
ELLIETHEE: Like, that's not projecting strength.
HUNT: Well, and let's talk seriously for a second because the reason we're noting this, right? The reason we are talking about this excuse at all is because of the sensitivity around what happened and what everyone is listening for.
And, Mike Dubke, I think the - the - what we saw from the president himself last night in the hall, the sort of look on his face, the demeanor that he had suggests that he is very much in that space, actually.
DUBKE: Yes.
HUNT: And I think the question for all of us who have, you know, covered Donald Trump for a long time, this is - this is an older guy who has been very set in his ways. We have gotten to know who he is. The degree of change that there is there, and the extent to which he is going to stay in the place that this assassination attempt has brought up.
DUBKE: I would actually make the argument that his - his change came before Saturday.
[07:00:06]
After the - after the debate, he was uncharacteristically quiet while the Biden campaign devolved.
HUNT: Yes, but you didn't see - I mean the look that was on his face about this.
DUBKE: No, no, I agree. Look, at the top of the hour, I mentioned the same -
HUNT: I mean that - that is related to Saturday.
DUBKE: I mentioned the same thing at the top of the hour. He physically looks different post Saturday. I guess the point I'm trying to make is, this has been a much more disciplined candidate than we saw in 2016 or 2020.
HUNT: Yes. And, you noted there, there was some emotion there. Some emotion on the face of his son it seemed as well. The moment from last night.
We, of course, are looking ahead to tonight as well on the second day of the RNC as it continues.
Thanks to our panel. Thanks to you for joining us. I'm Kasie Hunt. Don't go anywhere, "CNN NEWS CENTRAL" is going to start in just a moment. And again, our thanks to these Georgetown Hoyas for being up early to join us right here on CNN THIS MORNING.
