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CNN This Morning
Harris Secures Enough Delegates to Win Nomination; Potential Vice-Presidential Candidates Back Harris Bid; Another Day of Excessive Heat & Fire Weather Out West. Aired 6-6:30a ET
Aired July 23, 2024 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[06:00:00]
KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: It's Tuesday, July 23. Right now, on CNN THIS MORNING.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. AND (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have doors to knock on. We have people to talk to. We have phone calls to make. And we have an election to win.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Vice President Kamala Harris says she's ready to put in the work, and after just two days, she's already the presumptive Democratic nominee.
Plus, this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J.D. VANCE (R), VICE-PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: But my friends, Kamala Harris is a million times worse.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Donald Trump's team already on the attack, trying to gain the upper hand against Harris.
And one by one, other Democratic hopefuls line up to pledge their support to Kamala Harris.
Plus, this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Trying to secure that all-important youth vote. How Harris's team is trying to reach out to Gen Z.
All right, 6 a.m. here in Washington. A live look at the White House. It's what all the fuss is about.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Kasie Hunt. It's wonderful to have you with us on this Tuesday morning.
Well, that was fast. Kamala Harris now her party's presumptive nominee after securing the backing of thousands of Democratic delegates less than 48 hours after Joe Biden exited the race and endorsed his vice president.
During her first visit to campaign headquarters atop the ticket, Harris walked out to the Beyonce song, "Freedom," a source telling CNN, Harris got permission from the superstar's team to use that song on the trail.
That music, the energy. Let's just say it was a striking difference from what we saw when Joe Biden visited his campaign headquarters back in February. It's a difference that really underscores the change that we have seen in this race in the last 48 hours.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And the guy we're running against, he is -- he's not for anything. He's against everything.
HARRIS: Hear me when I say I know Donald Trump's type.
BIDEN: We cannot -- we cannot -- we cannot lose this campaign for the good of the country.
HARRIS: We have doors to knock on. We have people to talk to. We have phone calls to make, and we have an election to win.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Donald Trump seems unhappy about the state of things. Overnight, he took to his Truth Social platform to post this: quote, "The Democrats lied and misled the public about Crooked Joe Biden. They also misled the Republican Party, causing it to waste a great deal of time and money."
"The Atlantic's" Tim Alberta wrote this under the headline "This is Exactly What the Trump Team Feared." Alberta says he asked the co- managers of Donald Trump's campaign what they feared most about President Biden, about this election. Now, this was back around Super Tuesday.
"'Honestly, it's less him,' Chris LaCivita told Alberta, 'and more --
"'Institutional Democrats,' Susie Wiles said." She jumped in and finished LaCivita's thought.
A Republican source familiar with the Trump's -- campaign's posture told me that they've been polling Trump against Harris for weeks and acknowledged privately to me that this is a very different race now than it was with Biden, even if they are publicly insisting nothing has changed. My panel is here. Joining me now is Zolan Kanno-Youngs, White House
correspondent for "The New York Times"; Elliot Williams, former deputy assistant attorney general in the Obama administration; Karen Finney, former spokesperson for Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign; and Mike Dubke, the former White House communications director for Donald Trump. Welcome to all of you.
Karen Finney, let me start with you, because you have really been at the center of so much of what we have seen unfold on this national stage in the -- in the course of the last 48 hours.
Because look, this -- this transition could have been really messy. I mean, this was a massive risk to take. Right? Changing out the top of this ticket with just, you know, weeks to go until November.
However, it's clear. I mean, all the headlines are, look, she's already -- she's gotten the delegates. There's no real credible person stepping up to say that they want to challenge her for this nomination. It seems to be moving forward.
Obviously, plenty of bumps in the road to go. But -- but take us behind the scenes in terms of how this was kind of pulled together, why it came together the way it did. We are still waiting for Hakeem Jeffries and Barack Obama. What are we going to see next on that front also?
KAREN FINNEY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, also Schumer is going to, I believe -- and Hakeem are going to come out probably today.
And we saw last night a group of donors -- women donors actually, which was great to see, some of the big donors of the party -- come forward and make clear that they're going to lead the charge in terms of the big donors.
And we're seeing small-dollar donations.
Look, I think couple things. No. 1, very quietly, with all due respect to President Biden, obviously, there were folks behind the scenes who have just been just thinking about how we'd be prepared in case over the last several weeks, with a thought that, you know, it would be important for support to come out fairly quickly, certainly from as we saw, various organizations: from labor to reproductive rights groups, to environmental justice groups.
And so, folks were sort of getting ready that, you know, if and when it should happen, to be able to move fairly quickly.
And two, recognizing that she would want to get on the phone very quickly with delegates to -- it's all about the delegate count, really, at this point. And that's really what you've seen unfolding over the last, you know, like how many -- I can't even count how many hours it's been. Everything's happening so fast.
You know, to be able to both -- But here here's the other piece that we couldn't have planned for, I'll just say very briefly. Just the level of energy and excitement. [06:05:08]
You and I were talking about this. I mean, there's a call that I'm on pretty much every Sunday. We started in 2020. It's black women. Women with black women. Usually, maybe a couple of thousand people get on these calls every Sunday. We had 44 thousand people on the call. We raised 1.5 million in small-dollar donations in a couple of hours.
So that -- and then last time there was a call with black men, 20,000 people.
So just to see that kind of --
HUNT: Yes.
FINNEY: -- organic excitement, I think was something we couldn't have predicted.
ELLIOT WILLIAMS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: And the interesting thing about that was all the talk about how black people were what propped Joe Biden up, and it was the Congressional Black Caucus. There was the one bulwark that was never going to back down. And black people led to Joe Biden's win in South Carolina, propelled him the presidency.
But quickly, it just seemed that black people galvanized behind the vice president in a way that I don't know if anybody really anticipated.
ZOLAN KANNO-YOUNGS, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": And in my reporting, it's always come down to when it comes to black voters, especially those following the Democratic Party. It's come down to who -- what is the practical option to beat Donald Trump?
And when --
HUNT: They're very pragmatic.
KANNO-YOUNGS: Very pragmatic, right. So when it came in the past couple weeks, when there were concerns that Joe Biden didn't have the ability to beat Donald Trump in November, it was very understandable, if you've been following this, that many black voters, that there would be that energy for a candidate that could come in with energy and have the ability -- also based off of her record, looking at her prosecutorial record -- going up against Donald Trump.
I'm looking to see now, though, if this energy right now is, you know, for the moment, for sort of if people are going to be enthusiastic when you have sort of a switch-up on the ticket, or if that can last going all the way to November.
HUNT: Yes. Well, and certainly, there are going to -- the -- I mean, look the idea that we can sit here and say that we know how this campaign is going to play out after the events of the last two weeks --
FINNEY: You shouldn't believe us. KANNO-YOUNGS: Right. Even in just the past week.
HUNT: Absolutely not.
But Mike Dubke, I did -- I found Tim Alberta's piece very interesting, because basically, the top two folks at the Trump campaign -- Susie Wiles, Chris LaCivita -- they have been running a top-tier campaign by -- I mean, when you compare it to any campaign I've ever -- it is. They have been running a good campaign.
They acknowledged to Tim that their campaign was built to beat Joe Biden, right?
MIKE DUBKE, FORMER WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR DONALD TRUMP: Right.
HUNT: And what they were saying there is that, well, we're actually a little bit afraid of the institution that is the Democratic Party, the machine, running against that. If they were to do something that would make it harder for them.
And Alberta tweeted this yesterday: "The most striking thing I heard from Trump allies yesterday was the second guessing of J.D. Vance, a selection they acknowledged that was born of cockiness meant to run up margins with the base in a blowout rather than persuade swing voters in a nail-biter."
It does seem like they are going to have a tougher road against Kamala Harris than they would have against Joe Biden.
DUBKE: It -- well, whether or not they have a tougher road, I mean, first of all, I'd like to say thank goodness that the Democrats are saving democracy by choosing a candidate in a backroom fashion.
So first --
HUNT: You certainly are -- are --
DUBKE: Second is --
HUNT: -- giving us the talking points.
DUBKE: Secondly -- secondly --
HUNT: I've heard that before.
DUBKE: Yes. Well, here's a new one for you.
Secondly, I'm also thrilled to watch the sugar high the Democrats are on right now --
FINNEY: And we are --
DUBKE: -- with the choice. Absolutely. I was -- I was -- I was -- I was speaking with some folks on Friday, and the Democratic Party was depressed. That's very different than today. But I will say this: to get back to your question. The -- the campaign
has really been running against the vice president for a while now. They put out an ad about a month, month-and-a-half ago that really targeted her.
I thought there was a, you know, tongue-in-cheek tweet on Thursday saying that they're not going to schedule the J.D. Vance vice- presidential debate, because they're waiting to see who Vice President Harris chooses as her vice president -- presidential candidate.
So, I think they've been prepared for this, and I understand the -- I understand the anxiousness of changing some of your -- some of your -- of your focus, but Biden-Harris is going to become one word. And you're going to hear that from the campaign over and over and over again. Biden-Harris. Biden-Harris. Biden-Harris.
HUNT: Sure. I mean, look --
DUBKE: She's got a record to run on, and they're going to attack it.
HUNT: I mean, I've seen already the -- I mean, the chyrons on FOX News still are Biden, Biden, Biden. Right? But the reality is, I mean, like he's not at the top of the ticket anymore.
I guess -- I'm skeptical that voters are -- are not going to be able to -- like, I think voters will be able to separate the two.
WILLIAMS: And one of the biggest knocks on Joe Biden from the Trump campaign was he's old.
DUBKE: Right.
WILLIAMS: Right? In addition to the -- the record and, you know, typical partisan stuff. But his age was a significant factor that the Trump campaign was capitalizing on. And it was --
HUNT: It was like it was the factor.
WILLIAMS: It was the factor, and it's now off the table. Now, there's all kinds of ways to run against the vice president. I acknowledge that, you know.
[06:10:04]
But -- but when you take that off, it's a very, very different race.
HUNT: I want to play something that -- that J.D. Vance said yesterday, and that's because, you know, I think right now the Democrat, you are all on a high as Kamala Harris is embraced.
This race is about to get really nasty, right, if we know anything about Donald Trump and the way he conducts campaigns. We saw him run against a woman. We know what that was like. She obviously is also a black woman.
J.D. Vance said something yesterday that stuck out to me, because it echoed something I feel like Michelle Obama dealt with when she was the spouse of the candidate, the first black -- eventual black president of the United States, Barack Obama.
This was what J.D. Vance said about Harris, saying that Harris should be grateful -- more grateful for America than it seems like he thinks she has been.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VANCE: If you want to lead this country, you should feel grateful for it. You should feel a sense of gratitude. And I never hear that gratitude come through when I listen to Kamala Harris.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: I don't --
FINNEY: Yes.
HUNT: I think there's more there than just the words that he said.
FINNEY: A thousand percent. And the minute I heard it, I thought, Oh, we're going back to go forward. OK. So, I mean, look, if you got nothing else, I guess you kind of try to retread and attack.
WILLIAMS: Play the hits. Play the favorites.
FINNEY: Yes, play the hits.
But look, you know, shame on him. I've heard Kamala Harris talk very glowingly and lovingly about the United States of America, particularly -- you know, her parents have an immigrant story.
I mean -- but here's the thing. Black Americans, I believe, are some of the most gracious -- you know, we have some of the most gratitude and love of this country because, you know, particularly for someone like her, who's been fighting in civil rights. We are trying to fight for this country to be its best self. And you only do that if you love your country.
But if they want to have this fight on those grounds, let's go for it. Because it's -- I think it's going to really turn off a lot of voters.
But I also think they're going to try to bait us into making this about, quote, unquote, "culture wars" -- which I don't like calling them culture wars, because they're just about who we are -- instead of talking about the economy. And instead of talking about -- you know, again, I think she has a great record to run on.
HUNT: Mike, what was your read on Vance there?
DUBKE: Well, you know, he's talking to a rally. And part of -- part of where you are, you go to extremes in rallies. We've seen that both with Republicans and Democrats. So, from that perspective, I hate when we pull quotes from -- from rally speeches, because they're -- they're meant to -- FINNEY: Well, what else are we --
DUBKE: They're meant to elicit cheers from the crowd.
FINNEY: supposed to do, other than pull quotes from rallies?
DUBKE: No, no. That's fine. No, no. Because they're from speeches and other -- and other positions.
I guess what I would say is that there is a -- there is a real line in the sand, where Republicans are talking about a level of -- a level of patriotism. When Republicans are talking about love of country, it is a little different. It's talking about, you know, our stand -- our standing in the world; that America is a special place.
And when you go to that position, you don't hear that a lot at -- at Democratic rallies, that America is a special place.
Your point, I think, is very well-taken. But there are some -- there are some word differences that Republicans and Democrats use. And I think you're seeing that and pointing that out.
FINNEY: But Joe Biden consistently has been talking about America as a special place and noting that Donald Trump is the one who continuously is talking about America, sort of dumping on America. So, I actually think that's reversed in -- in some way.
HUNT: I mean, I would just say that I think the difficulty you have and -- we invited you here. We're very grateful to have you. But like, it's a hard question to answer for a reason for you, right? I mean, it's like --
DUBKE: No, it's not -- it's not a hard question.
It's -- the setup for it is a -- is -- is such that I'm trying to carefully choose my words --
HUNT: All right.
DUBKE: -- sitting here at 6:13 in the morning.
HUNT: Well?
DUBKE: But -- but I do think that there are different ways -- we have two political parties, and we have -- we have very divergent -- I think both parties and the members of both parties love America. There are just different vocabularies that both parties use.
And in this sense, that I think when you talk about love of country, you talk about love of the flag. You talk about patriotism to a Republican audience. You do it differently than you talk to a Democratic audience.
So, the reason I was bringing up the rally point was that these are words that are used to get the crowd cheering. And the vocabulary is different from both. So, you brought me here as a communicator, and I'm pointing that --
HUNT: Look, I appreciate it.
DUBKE: I'm pointing out.
HUNT: I would just say that, like, our words matter. You know? And what our context --
DUBKE: I think words do matter.
HUNT: And the rally -- or a campaign rally is a place where you are delivering to people who support you the message that you want them to hear.
[06:15:02]
DUBKE: Right.
HUNT: So, I do think it is well more than fair game that we dissect anything that is said at such a rally.
All right. Let's -- let's move on here. Coming up on CNN THIS MORNING, the veepstakes in full swing. One possible contender already taking herself out of the running.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER (D-MI): I am not leaving Michigan. I'm proud to be the governor of Michigan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Plus, fireworks spark a massive fire in California.
And less than 48 hours into her campaign, Republicans already speaking like this about Kamala Harris.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Are you suggesting that she's -- she was a DEI hire?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One hundred percent. She was a DEI hire.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:20:10]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ROY COOPER (D-NC): I think it's really important that we do keep the focus on her this week. The vice-presidential conversation needs to occur later. GOV. ANDY BESHEAR (D-KY) The only way I would consider something other than this current job is if I believed I could further help my people and to help this country.
GOV. JARED POLIS (D-CO): If they -- if they do the polling, and it turns out that they need a 49-year-old, balding gay Jew from Boulder, Colorado, they've got my number.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Jared Polis has a pretty good sense of humor there.
All right. Kamala Harris has just weeks to pick a running mate, and that's honestly a little bit generous. CNN's learned that former attorney general, Eric Holder is handling the vetting of potential running mates.
So far, we know that it includes Arizona's Mark Kelly, Pennsylvania's Josh Shapiro, North Carolina's Roy Cooper, and others.
Kentucky's Andy Beshear, who you see there, did tell CNN last night he has not yet been asked to submit vetting materials.
One governor with presidential ambitions taking herself out of the running for this job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you prepared to take the vice presidency if it's offered, ma'am?
WHITMER: No, I'm not planning to go anywhere.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, if they offered, you will not take it?
WHITMER: I'm not leaving Michigan. I'm proud to be the governor of Michigan. I've been consistent. I know everyone is always suspicious and asking this question over and over again. I know you're doing your job. I'm not going anywhere.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Now CNN's reporting that Harris has secured enough endorsements to win the Democratic nomination.
Panel is back.
So, look, they only have until August 7, we think, to do this, right? Because there's going to be this roll call vote. I mean, Zolan, what is your sense, the latest reporting? I know you've covered him Harris for a long time, and this is something -- I mean, obviously, there's going to be a focus on swing states: who could help where and what.
But this is also, at the end of the day, a human relationship. And picking somebody that you trust is really important. Where do you think that piece of it lands? KANNO-YOUNGS: No, that's absolutely right. For one, I think you're
going to hear denials right up until, you know, it happens. So, I -- I wouldn't put too much weight on that.
You know, we -- those options that you listed, the vice president has had appearances with some of those people recently.
I was at a rally with the vice president in North Carolina where she was with Governor Roy Cooper. She's had a couple of rallies there.
I know Democrats for a while, although you know, you talk to political experts, you know, who think this is farfetched, thought that they had a chance in pop -- possibly at least galvanizing support and making Republicans spend money in North Carolina and having a contest there.
We know that abortion resonates, as well.
To be clear, we don't know at this point who she is going to pick. She could go and turn towards the Senate and look for somebody pragmatic at a border state, like Senator Mark Kelly, as well, who might be able to neutralize some of the attacks that would come over the border and migration.
Maybe she goes for another younger governor, like a Governor Josh Shapiro or Beshear. All of these are names that Democrats have floated in the course of our reporting.
But we do you know that the vice president, spending that time in the Senate, does have a relationship there. But also, as V.P., she has held these events with each of the governors that you listed.
HUNT: Yes. Well, Elliot, it just seems like the bottom line is, it's going to be white dude.
WILLIAMS: It's going to be white dude. It's going to be a white dude. And -- and it's going to be -- it's going to be a white dude. And there's a few factors that are going to be considered here.
No. 1, like you said, the personal relationship. That gives Roy Cooper a bit of a leg up, because they spent time as attorneys general together.
But also, No. 1, does the public, and will the public see this person as ready to step in as president, if need be, given all of the last several months?
But No. 2, how does this person contrast to J.D. Vance in some way? Because you're going to put them on a stage together.
FINNEY: But going back, Kasie, to what you said, it is a human relationship. And it's got to be somebody that you can work with and somebody that you trust and who can be a governing partner.
And I think she's going to look for someone who can -- who will tell her the truth. Because ultimately, I think presidents recognize that sometimes your V.P. is the only person who is empowered to do that. Maybe your spouse, your V.P.
So, I suspect she'll be --
HUNT: Well, and sometimes the V.P., it doesn't end up working out that way, but yes, helpful when it does.
FINNEY: Yes.
HUNT: All right. Coming up next here, Donald Trump finally getting his golf challenge. Not against Joe Biden, though. OK.
Plus, Vice President Harris, walking onto the campaign trail in style with a little help from Beyonce.
(MUSIC: "FREEDOM" BY BEYONCE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:28:42]
HUNT: All right. Welcome back. A quick-moving fire in California burning over 500 acres and already causing $11 million in damage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(FIRE ENGINES)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: The fire burning close to homes in Riverside, forcing thousands to evacuate. Investigators believe the fire's sparked by fireworks.
Hot and dry conditions have sparked nearly 70 wildfires out west. Let's go straight to our weatherman, Derek van Dam.
Derek, good morning.
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, Kasie, there's a reason why fire -- fireworks are banned in this part of the country, right?
So, this dry tinderbox conditions, mix that in with a spark. And of course, you've got the recipe for a disaster just like this. And you can see the firefighters working overtime to help contain this fire.
There are now 66 active large wildfires over the western U.S. And you can see many of them across the state of Oregon and into California.
Dry thunderstorms -- that means thunderstorms that don't produce rainfall to the ground, but produce lightning and can spark fires quite easily -- are possible today across portions of Montana into Idaho and Eastern sections of Oregon.
Also with the wildfires burning, we have air quality concerns, air quality alerts in place for many states over the Western U.S.
Over the Eastern parts of the country, this is where we're following flooding rainfall potential, at least for the next couple of days across Southeast Texas. Look at Houston: another two to four inches of rain coming your way -- Kasie.
HUNT: All right. Derek van Dam for us this morning. Derek, thank you so much. I really appreciate it.
VAN DAM: All right.
HUNT: All right.
[06:30:00]
