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Debby Strengthens to Category One; Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) is Interviewed about the Middle East and Presidential Race; Mark McKinnon is Interviewed about Harris' VP Pick. Aired 6:30-7a ET
Aired August 05, 2024 - 06:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[06:30:00]
KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: A winner with a time of 9.784 seconds. Wow.
All right, Hurricane Debby expected to make landfall in northwest Florida soon. The outer bands of the storm already causing flooding in Fort Myers Beach. Historic flooding expected in parts of Georgia and South Carolina with up to 30 inches of rain possible.
Let's get straight to our weatherman, Derek Van Dam.
Derek, good morning.
What are we seeing?
DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, Kasie, landfall is imminent. And thank goodness it's happening because it's run out of time to strengthen. And just before it could really get its act together completely.
Still a category one Atlantic hurricane, 80 mile per hour winds. Cedar Key right now reporting six feet of storm surge. So, the surge that was forecast from the National Hurricane Center been realized just a couple of feet shy from Hurricane Idalia back in August of 2023. And we all remember how impactful that was for the big bend region.
The eye wall making landfall right now. You can see just as that center of the storm actually crosses land, that's when the official landfall will be made near the Steinhatchee region, or just to the points to the northwest.
There's a lot of rain associated with this system. Flash flooding already occurring and will continue today and will extend right through the early parts of this work week. We're head - we've got a heads-up hear from Savannah to Charleston, particularly on Tuesday when this system feeds into some Atlantic moisture. We could see a record-setting rainfall total that causes catastrophic flooding. So, a big, big story for us.
HUNT: All right. Our weatherman, Derek Van Dam.
Derek, thank you. I really appreciate it.
Coming up next here, Democratic Congressman Jake Auchincloss joins us to discuss rising tensions in the Middle East.
Plus, new polling showing just how much has changed in the presidential race over the past two weeks.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:36:35] HUNT: Today, President Biden set to meet with his national security team in the Situation Room to discuss developments in the Middle East. Several countries including the U.S. now advising citizens to leave Lebanon as fears of a broader regional conflict are growing. "Axios" reporting, "Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his counterparts from the G7 countries on Sunday than an attack by Iran and Hezbollah against Israel could start as early as Monday."
National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby reiterating the U.S.' support for Israel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KIRBY, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL SPOKESMAN: Now, I don't know what they're going to do or when they're going to do it. But we got to make darn sure that we're ready and that we have the capabilities in the region to be able to help Israel defend itself and, quite frankly, defend our own people, our own facilities, our own national security interests.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Plus, the IDF says Israel's Iron Dome successfully intercepting several projectiles fired from southern Gaza just a short while ago.
Joining us now to discuss is Democratic Congressman Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts. He's a member of the House Select Committee on competition between the U.S. and China.
Congressman, always good to have you on the program. Thank you so much for being here.
How concerned are you about this broadening into a wider conflict at this tricky moment?
REP. JAKE AUCHINCLOSS (D-MA): Good morning. Thanks for having me on.
Concerned. Since October, the president has been walking a tight rope in the Middle East. On one side, doesn't want to let terrorists win. We have to defend Israel and make sure that freedom and democracy can flourish in that region. On the other side, don't want an all-out war with Hezbollah, with Iran, with proxy terror forces in Iraq or Syria, trying to contain this onto one front. And that fundamental dynamic has not changed, although it's gotten to be an even skinnier and more swaying tight rope in the last couple of weeks here.
I think the United States is going to have to continue to be ironclad in its defense of Israel's security. The idea that Israel is somehow culpable right now I think is absurd. Israel assassinated two terrorist masterminds who had spent decades killing Israelis and Americans. And the world is safer because of it. And now we need to work with Israel to ensure their security.
We all also need to put pressure on Israel to architect a day of governance strategy in Gaza that is Palestinian lead, and that is consistent with Palestinian security and economic development so that we can get to a negotiated ceasefire and hostage release. That's ultimately going to help cauterize this conflagration.
HUNT: Congressman, I want to also ask you about politics as it relates to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. And one of the places where this is showing up is in the vice presidential search that Kamala Harris is undertaking right now. The Pennsylvania governor, Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, had been considered to be at the top of the list and is now - has been the subject of a number of criticisms in the media from left-wing groups in different instances. There's been a focus, for example, on an old opinion piece that he wrote when he was younger about this issue.
I'm wondering who you think Kamala Harris should select her VP, and what you make of the way people are approaching and criticizing Josh Shapiro in this moment?
AUCHINCLOSS: Those in the overly online left who are attacking Josh Shapiro's pro-Israel positions in a different way than they are attacking non-Jewish beat contenders positions, they're just telling on themselves.
[06:40:11]
It - there is a strong undercurrent of anti-Semitism to that. It's unacceptable.
Every contender's positions on all policy issues, their track records in elective office, all of that is fair game. That is totally open to be subjected to interrogation and to questioning by the Harris team, by observers. But holding him to a different standard because of his religion just simply isn't who we are as a Democratic Party.
Who we are as the Democratic Party is an institution with a ton of talent, though. It's been the most exciting thing for me these last few weeks is just how deep this bench is. And this is just a - a very small preview of it. People like Gina Raimondo haven't even really been able to demonstrate their talent. My own governor, Maura Healey. This party has so much to offer for the future, for a future of more freedom, for a future of more breathing room for Americans as they make their way through an economy where costs have become a critical issue.
And on the other side of the aisle, you've just got Donald Trump and J.D. Vance offering - offering the past, offering to take us backwards as a country, offering to insult millions of Americans, particularly women, who are going to be the decisive votes in this election.
HUNT: Yes. Congressman, when we look at the swing-state polling, and we can put some of this up for - for people, there has been a clear shift in Harris' - in Democrats' favor when Joe Biden - so this is - this is Harris. Look at those - those numbers on the right for Trump in swing states. This is the model from CBS News. You're seeing a mix of 48 and 50s for Trump in these swing states. We can put up the previous look at this, when Biden was at the top of the ticket, and every single state has Trump above 50 percent, which is, of course, critical.
So, this race has changed. In terms of the veepstakes, Pennsylvania, in particular, is one that Josh Shapiro could potentially help with. Do you think that's what the Harris team should be focused on, winning Pennsylvania, or do you think another factor should be foremost in her VP search?
AUCHINCLOSS: I mean the Harris campaign staff knows the electoral map math extremely well. I'm not going to lecture them on how best to achieve 270. I know they - they know all the numbers.
What they need to do is present somebody, number one, most importantly, who's ready to be president on day one. That's the fundamental promise to the American people. And then, number two, is to help draw this fundamental contrast between the future and the past. It was Nikki Haley actually who said that the first party to change the top of its ticket was going to win. Democrats did it. Republicans didn't. And because Democrats did it, we now get to make this election about going forward or taking ourselves back, and drawing contrast on cost of living and our plans to provide more breathing room.
HUNT: Right.
AUCHINCLOSS: Drawing contrasts on freedom and the rule of law, and the fact that they have a lawless administration in waiting, drawing contrasts on respect for faith, family, and the flag, and J.D. Vance's just litany of insults against the American people and the institutions we hold dear.
HUNT: All right, Congressman Jake Auchincloss for us this morning.
Congressman, thank you very much.
AUCHINCLOSS: Thank you.
HUNT: All right, coming up next here on CNN THIS MORNING -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. (I), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I said, let's go put the bear in Central Park and we'll make it look like he got hit by a bike.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Why RFK Jr. says he dumped a dead bear - a dead baby bear in Central Park. And an Olympic triathlete sick from the River Seine. Oh, yuck. We'll talk about the water.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:47:58]
HUNT: All right, 47 minutes past the hour. Here's your morning roundup.
Asian markets plunging overnight. Japan's stock market suffering its biggest ever one day loss, falling more than 12 percent. The global sell-off intensifying following weak U.S. jobs data. The downward trend continuing here in the U.S. The Dow, Nasdaq and S&P 500 all sharply lower this morning in premarket trading.
North Korea, once again, putting their region on edge. State media now reporting the movement of 250 new missile launchers toward South Korea's border. Experts say the equipment can fire short-range ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
The Los Angeles police have released photos of the suspects involved in the fatal shooting of "General Hospital" actor Johnny Wactor. The images also show a black four-door Infiniti Q50 sedan, which police say was stolen. Wactor, 37, was shot after leaving work at a downtown rooftop bar in May.
Belgium withdrawing from the mixed relay triathlon at the Olympics after one of its athletes, Claire Michel, fell ill after swimming in the Seine. An athlete from Switzerland also sickened. Concerns over the water quality in the river causing a delay in a prior competition. Olympic officials are claiming it has improved.
Isaac, would you go swimming in the Seine?
EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: I would not.
HUNT: Anyone? Anyone?
Well, our Melissa Bell did.
MATT GORMAN, FORMER SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS ADVISER, TIM SCOTT FOR AMERICA: Yes. Yes.
HUNT: I almost asked them to pull that video.
GORMAN: Absolutely not. Absolutely not. It's the most predictable thing ever.
HUNT: Yes, I really don't want E. Coli.
GORMAN: Yes. No.
MEGHAN HAYS, FORMER SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT BIDEN: No.
HUNT: Like - oh.
DOVERE: It's lovely to stroll past, but (INAUDIBLE).
HUNT: I know, it's beautiful to look at. Yes. OK.
Just so we're all - we're all on the same page.
GORMAN: Yes.
HUNT: All right, let's turn back now to the 2024 race and that incredibly consequential choice Harris, Kamala Harris, is expected to make sometime in the next 48 hours, her running mate. Four years ago this week, Biden named Harris his VP pick. Donald Trump, J.D. Vance both insisting that her choice has no impact on them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't care.
[06:50:00]
Let them do whatever. They still want to have open borders. If she picks Shapiro, she's going to lose the Palestinian vote. And that's fine. Everybody has their liabilities.
J.D. VANCE (R-OH), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't really care who she chooses as a running mate. It's not going to be good for the country. And we're ready, meaning President Trump and I, are ready to take the case to the American people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: All right, joining me now, Mark McKinnon. He served as former adviser to George W. Bush, John McCain, also the creator of Paramount's "The Circus."
Mark, wonderful to have you on this Monday to talk about all of this.
Let's start with the VP pick, especially what's been going on with Josh Shapiro. You heard the Republicans there. Obviously, there's been a lot in the press about Shapiro coming from Democrats and the potential consequences of that choice.
What do you make of all of it, and what do you think she should do?
MARK MCKINNON, FORMER ADVISER TO GEORGE W. BUSH AND JOHN MCCAIN: Hi, Kasie.
Well, what a big week ahead. Man, this race is so much more interesting now isn't it?
HUNT: It so is, yes.
MCKINNON: This - this is - it's so consequential this first pick, Kasie, for lots of reasons. If you don't think a VP pick matters, look at J.D. Vance. He's, you know, he's violated the first cardinal rule, which is do no harm. He's doing a lot of harm.
Look - yes, Shapiro - I like Shapiro a lot. He's a baller. He's a natural man. I've had - we had him on our show and he's just - he's got instincts. He's just - he knows - he knows how to - how to roll. And I think that he's additive.
You know, you ask me who I like. I'm a political guy, right? And you had sort of the (INAUDIBLE) guy saying, well, look who's going to govern. Well, you've got to get there first. Shapiro can get you there.
Is there controversy? Sure. But, you know, you don't throw deep without the possibility of interceptions. And that's - and that's - that's why I like it. I'm a gambler. I think it's a great pick.
So, listen, I think Kelly and Walz or good choices, but they're obviously safe choices. I just don't think you play it safe in an election like this. You've got to go for it.
HUNT: Do you think there's any risk in terms of deflating some of the enthusiasm that has been on display for Harris, or ramifications in places like Michigan?
MCKINNON: I think just the opposite. I think Shapiro, again, I think he just has such incredible instincts and he's so good. And when you see him on the ticket, you see him on - he's a guy that can go out and campaign by himself. I don't think Walz or Kelly are. I mean they're good, solid number twos, but they're not people who can go out there and light it up on their own. Shapiro can. And that's what you need in a VP, particularly in this election.
And I - listen, I think this is also interesting because of the compressed schedule. It's going to say a lot about how Harris makes decisions. This is a tough, tough decision. She's got to make it in such a short period of time. So, it's going to say not a lot about not just who she picks, but how she picks - makes her selection. So, it's really important.
And, like I said, it's, you know, if she picks Shapiro, now I think it's going to say a lot about, you know, her confidence level and her ability to go out there and, like I said, kind of, you know, do some flea-flicker (ph) plays (ph).
HUNT: Yes. Do - do the - do the big bold thing. Yes, it - it's -
MCKINNON: That's what I would do. But listen, I'm - you know, I'm not in the hot seat, so.
HUNT: So, speak - I want to talk for a second about a time when you were doing - doing this kind of work and how it contrasts with what we're seeing today. I want to ask you about what happened with Donald Trump at NABJ and the way he was talking about Kamala Harris.
I want to first play that and then we're going to look at another moment from a campaign pass. Let's start with NABJ.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She was always of Indian heritage. And she was only promoting Indian heritage. I didn't know she was black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn black. And now she wants to be known as black. So, I don't know, is she Indian or is she black?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: So, that's the current Republican nominee for president and how he is talking about the first black woman to top a presidential ticket.
This was the former senator, John McCain, in a moment when he was campaigning against the man who would become our country's first black president, talking about his heritage. Let's watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't trust Obama.
JOHN MCCAIN, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I got it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have read about him and he's not - he's not - he's a - he's an Arab. He is not?
MCCAIN: No, ma'am. No, ma'am.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No?
MCCAIN: No - no, ma'am. No, ma'am. He's a - he's a - he's a decent family man, citizen, that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues. And that's what this campaign is all about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: He literally reaches over and takes that microphone to say, no, that's not what's going on.
Talk - can you just give us your view of what Trump said last week, how it impacts this race, and what it says about where we are as a country as compared to where we once were?
MCKINNON: Great contrast, Kasie, and great - great clip. I've never been prouder to be associated with John McCain than that moment. And it really is a contrast between how - how radically the Republican Party has changed with Trump and how he's transformed it and taken it backwards.
I mean, the thing about McCain and George W. Bush and compassionate conservatism is, they were - it was a forward-leaning party that was looking to expand the Republican tent.
[06:55:05]
Trump is all about contracting it. And he's run into a demographic cul-de-sac. But his message from the very beginning in making America great again is about going back to the past. And it's the first time in history where a Republican president has picked that lock and where the American public has said, you know what, I am kind of afraid of the future. Let's go back to the old ways. And that's how Trump is doubling down. He did it in 2016.
The question is right now, and that's why it's so interesting against Harris because - and how she's framing this election. And I love the freedom message and the future versus past measures because she's saying, you know what, we're not going to go back again. We're going to go forward. And Trump is making it really clear, he wants to go back and he's not afraid of it. And he's - in fact, he's proud of it.
HUNT: All right, Mark McKinnon, thank you very much for coming on this morning. I hope you come back next week.
MCKINNON: Kick it, Kasie, I'll be there.
HUNT: All right. Sounds great.
OK, now there's this story. And I sort of can't believe that this is the story that we are telling, but here it is. It's a ten-year-old New York cold case. It has been solved. The bearer of the news may surprise you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: New York Central Park, a bear cub -
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, that's sad.
ROMANS: I know - dead underneath some bushes. A dog walker stumbled upon the animal Monday morning. Officials at the Central Park Zoo are sure the bear did not belong to them.
BERMAN: They didn't have any bears at the time.
ROMANS: Police say the three-foot cub showed signs of trauma and lacerations. They're not sure whether it wanted in the park or someone put it there.
BERMAN: There'd been no bears in the park for a long, long time. It seems as if someone brought the thing there, which is really sad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Oh. We now know the person that brought the dead bear cub to Central Park in 2014 was independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Apparently he could not bear to hold his confession in any longer. He is now admitting why he put the animal there. He walked through it in great detail.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. (I), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I was driving up maybe, you know, really early, like 7, and then a woman in a van in front of me hit a bear and killed it. A young bear. So, I pulled over and I picked up the bear and put him in the back of my van because I was going to skin the bear. And it was very good condition. And I was going to - and put the meat in my refrigerator. And you can do that in New York state. You can get a bear tag for a roadkill bear.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: What in the actual f is this? What is this? What is this?
DOVERE: It's the 2024 presidential election.
GORMAN: Robert F. Kennedy, freak show candidacy. Because also the hidden - he was going falconing (ph). He was on the way back from falconing (ph). And - yes.
DOVERE: And on his way to a dinner at the Peter Lerner Steak House (ph).
HAYS: Yes.
GORMAN: Exactly. Really.
HAYS: Before he went to the airport.
DOVERE: And along the way -
GORMAN: Just interesting.
HAYS: He had a bike in the car.
GORMAN: Yes.
HAYS: I mean the whole thing is so bizarre and just screams privilege of - in a way that you just can't even explain.
DOVERE: But, also, look, as far as campaign tactics. The reason why we know about this is because Robert F. Kennedy's campaign thought it was a great idea to hook him up with Roseanne Barr and video their exchange. And then from whatever else happened in that conversation, that's the part of the video that they clipped.
GORMAN: Yes.
DOVERE: Which includes him saying all the things we talked about. Also, that he was doing this as a prank to show that bike lanes didn't (ph) work in Central Park. The bear was found in the bushes. It wasn't even found in a bike lane.
It also includes him saying that he has a little bit of a redneck in him, which I think would probably be a surprise to the other people that he's hung out with in Hyannis Port.
GORMAN: I was going to say, Dartmouth (ph).
HUNT: I was going to say, Camelot.
GORMAN: There is a - there's a rednecks section of Cape Cod.
HUNT: What?
GORMAN: Yes.
DOVERE: And then they posted it on his Twitter account. That's the only - this is all because Kennedy's campaign thought somehow this was -
HUNT: Well, apparently "The New Yorker" had gotten a tip about it.
GORMAN: It's the Streisand effect, right? It's the Streisand effect. Because Barbra Streisand had a bad story coming out. So, she got it on her own and essentially drew more attention to these small anecdote. And so now it's become this cool thing. If you draw more attention to something that would have been a minor thing, they called it the Streisand effect. Robert F. Kennedy is learning that in spades today.
DOVERE: Right. And then - and then on top of it, Tatiana Schlossberg -
HUNT: That was my favorite.
DOVERE: Who is Caroline Kennedy's daughter -
HUNT: Yes.
DOVERE: Was the person who wrote "The New York Times" article about it.
HUNT: Wrote "The New York Times" report.
GORMAN: Yes.
HUNT: Yes, I know. It's - it's all - it's all - it's all too much.
OK.
I want to leave you with this because this is actually awesome and way better than this RFK Jr. bear story.
Snoop Dogg is continuing his absolutely epic Olympic tour. This time it was with the equestrian team. He had on the full regalia. And he was joined by his friend. Yes, that was Martha Stewart. Snoop fed some of the horses. He complimented their hair. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SNOOP DOGG: I like his braids. I can't get over it. I'm going to use that hair style, like, believe me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: I mean, I like his braids. It's not just the horses. Snoop has gone swimming with Michael Phelps. He is trying out a new gig as a soccer announcer. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[07:00:04]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Boy, you better hold that thing. He going to hold that thing too long.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: I don't know if you guys have been watching the Olympics -
GORMAN: Oh, yes.
HUNT: But this has become like my absolute favorite part of what is going on.
DOVERE: No one has had a better summer than Snoop Dogg.
HAYS: It's incredible.
GORMAN: Agreed. I hear you.
HUNT: Yes. I know. And there's a whole another week left.
GORMAN: Yes, a whole another week left.
HAYES: Can't imagine. Can't wait to see it.
HUNT: (INAUDIBLE).
GORMAN: Yes.
HUNT: Seven more days.
GORMAN: Yes.
HUNT: He is an absolute legend.
All right, thank you to -
HAYS: National treasure.
HUNT: Thank you to our panel. Thanks to all of you for joining us. I'm Kasie Hunt. Don't go anywhere. CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.
