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Biden Delivers Emotional DNC Speech; Hillary Clinton Backs Harris in DNC Speech. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired August 20, 2024 - 06:00   ET

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

KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: It's Tuesday, August 20. Right now on CNN THIS MORNING.

[06:00:22]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible President Joe Biden.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: Night one of the DNC is in the books with a surprise appearance from Kamala Harris with a message of praise for Joe Biden.

Plus --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And America, I love you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: President Biden gets an ovation -- gets his ovation as he marks his departure as the Democratic Party's leader.

And this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because of Louisiana's abortion ban, no one would confirm that I was miscarrying.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: Reproductive rights, a central focus during night one of the DNC as Democrats attack the Republicans on abortion.

And then.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I don't believe I am a showman. I think I'm somebody that has a lot of common sense.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: Donald Trump rejecting criticism from one of his longtime allies and insists he is not a showman.

All right, 5 a.m. here in Chicago. It is 6 a.m. on the East Coast.

A live look inside the United Center, which is, of course, home of the Democratic National Convention here in Chicago. Good morning, everyone. I'm Kasie Hunt. It's wonderful to have you with us.

Events wrapped up on that stage just a few hours ago. They're vacuuming the carpets here, preparing for night two.

The opening night was, for Kamala Harris, a grand entrance as the party's nominee. And for Joe Biden, it was a bittersweet exit as the party's leader.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ASHLEY BIDEN, DAUGHTER OF JOE BIDEN: Your 46th president of the United States, Joe Biden!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: He was introduced by his daughter, Ashley, the president receiving a standing ovation that lasted more than four minutes as Democrats waved "We love Joe" signs.

They chanted, "Thank you, Joe." That same message was expressed by Harris herself, who made a surprise appearance earlier in the night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Joe, thank you for your historic leadership; for your lifetime of service to our nation; and for all you will continue to do. We are forever grateful to you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: Biden, 81 years old. He's held elected office for more than 50 years. He's run for president, sought the presidency four times.

His speech last night was a swan song, not just for the campaign that he ended one month ago, but for a lifetime spent in American politics.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J. BIDEN: The work and prayers of centuries have brought us to this day. What shall our legacy be? What will our children say? Let me know in my heart when my days are through, America -- America. I gave my best to you.

I made a lot of mistakes in my career, but I gave my best to you for 50 years. (END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: The president there quoting the song, "American Anthem," just as he did in his inaugural address, three-and-a-half years ago. Biden was then -- and he is now -- the oldest president in American history.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J. BIDEN: I'd really been too young to be in the Senate, because I wasn't 30 yet. I'm too old to stay as president. But I hope you know how grateful I am to all of you.

Folks, we just have to remember who we are. We're the United States of America. And there's nothing we cannot do when we do it together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: All right. Our panel's here: Kate Bedingfield, former White House communications director; Bakari Sellers, CNN political commentator, former South Carolina state representative; Shermichael Singleton, CNN political commentator, Republican strategist; and Alyssa Farah Griffin, CNN political commentator, former Trump White House communications director. Welcome to all of you. Thank you so much for being here after a very late night.

The president, not, you know, finishing until after midnight, I believe. I will candidly admit I watched the end of his speech this morning.

But Kate Bedingfield, I mean, this -- honestly, that moment where he acknowledged that he was too old to be president, I think you could honestly hear the reaction from the room, the sort of inhale of, wow, he actually went there and said that.

[06:05:06]

But talk a little bit about what this means. You worked for this man for -- for quite some time. You invested a lot of yourself in him as well as did so many people when this room.

KATE BEDINGFIELD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. You know, the word that kept kind of reverberating with me while I was watching him last night was "patriotism," because we are in this moment of incredibly divided partisanship in this country. We have really, in a lot of ways, hardened into our corners. We've become incredibly combative and defensive in our politics.

And watching him last night, and as somebody who worked for him for a long time and saw him up close and the way that he conduct -- conducts himself in public service, it was such an ode to the idea that public service is about being bigger than ourselves. And that there is reason for optimism.

And that people should want to participate in the process. I think so many people look at politics today and say, why would I want any part of that? And I just thought he did such a moving job, as somebody who's

dedicated his life to public service. I thought he did such a moving job of making the case for the fact that, you know, working in politics can -- is about serving something bigger than yourself. It is about country.

There just aren't that many moments in our politics where somebody stands up and says what's best for me, the thing that I want, is not what I think is best for the country. And so, I'm going to take a step back.

And that is a huge, huge, selfless thing to do.

So, I was -- it was really moving. It was obviously emotional for those of us who worked for him. But I think it was emotional for a lot of people who are invested in politics and public service in this country. And I thought it was just a really powerful night.

BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I agree with Kate wholeheartedly.

I mean, I think that he put -- he -- the contrast between Joe Biden and Donald Trump could not be more clear. You have someone who is clinically an egomaniac versus someone who is as selfless as Joe Biden really is.

And I thought last night began with such a -- and I'm not sure everybody was able to see every part of the convention. You know, the conventions are sometimes for those of us who are -- are kind of, I guess, not just gluttons for punishment, but we love the politics. We love the sport. We love the -- we love the science of it and all those things.

HUNT: You don't say.

SELLERS: But -- but last night started with, you know, Jesse Jackson coming onstage. And you saw tears in people's eyes when -- when Jesse was rolled on stage.

HUNT: In failing health.

SELLERS: And he raised his hands up.

HUNT: People raising his hands.

SELLERS: Yes. And it just was -- you know, that was a moving moment. And you ended with a moving moment. And you had many moments in between of excitement.

And, you know, at the end of the day, we love Joe Biden so much that we gave him not only Monday night, but we gave him Tuesday morning as well.

HUNT: Well, I mean, you say that, but I will say it was so late. Alex Thompson of Axios said that he got a text from someone that the timing of the speech was awful. He literally set up a campaign and handed it over to them. Did they

have to cut him out of prime time is what he said. Because obviously 11:30 is not prime time.

Peter Baker put it this way: "Democrats jumbled their homage plan with a slate of speeches that went so long that Mr. Biden was pushed out of prime time on the East Coast. He did not begin his own address until 11:30 p.m., a cardinal sin in modern convention planning. Democrats were so far behind schedule they had to scrap a video tribute to the outgoing president. If Mr. Biden minded, though" --

SELLERS: Let me just --

HUNT: -- "he didn't say."

SELLERS: Let me --

HUNT: "Nor did he cut short his own address. He had a lot to say, and he wanted to say it."

SELLERS: Let me just kind of check Peter Baker real quick. And --

HUNT: The first morning --

BEDINGFIELD: Early in the morning.

SELLER: Yes, and I think that -- I think that --

HUNT: Bakari is taking on "The New York Times" on the set.

SELLERS: Yes. No, but it's weird to me that people who are so smart and so good at their jobs create like -- they just mess up so glaringly.

And Peter misses the simple fact that these speeches live online forever. Like, there are clips that are playing on social media and TikTok. They're not traditional means and methods by which people consume these speeches anymore. People are watching this speech on TikTok right now when they wake up. They're watching it on Instagram. They're watching it on X.

And so just to -- just because you give a speech at 11:30 does not mean the American public is cut out. This is not 1940, where people have to gather around the radio, Peter, and actually listen to it.

ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Respectfully, I disagree. And granted, I take -- Biden is not Donald Trump. Donald Trump would be furious if he was taken out of prime time.

But there is something to some of these speeches could have gone shorter. And it felt like it shortchanged some real rising stars. Andy Beshear had this kind of truncated speech. And for a lot of these people who have bigger aspirations, this is their big moment.

I think it -- Listen, he gave the remarks I hoped he would give. I thought they were thoughtful, looking backward, but also passing the baton to Kamala Harris. But it was late. I also finished watching it this morning.

I do want to say this, though. I thought that Democrats yesterday, the programming was leaning into we are a big-tent party.

Because I was working on the Hill when it was Pelosi versus the Squad. And you guys were the fractured party.

But you saw Hillary Clinton getting a con, like, five-minute standing ovation. Then you see AOC with a, you know, primetime speaking slot, showing there's room for everyone in this party. And I thought that was very much by design.

[06:10:09]

And if you look at who they have on the same day, it's meant to say there's room for the left. There's room for the more centrist wing of the Democratic Party. Something my party, by the way, could learn something from. We didn't have Romney. We didn't have Rahm -- Ryan appear at our own convention.

BEDINGFIELD: And -- well, that's also reflection of the president was pushed out of prime time. I certainly agree with Bakari on how people consume media.

But it's also, in some ways, a great problem to have, because what Alyssa is pointing out is, you know, we had a vast array of speakers from all elements of our party who not only spoke but received rapturous applause. And it's part of the reason that the -- that the program ran long, was that there was so much applause and energy in the room.

And so, you know, in some ways, the having the program run long because people are excited and there's so many people who need to speak is kind of a good problem to have.

HUNT: One thing that stood out to me, of course, given that there was a union leader that spoke at the Republican National Convention. And because Donald Trump, Shermichael, has done a lot to appeal to working-class voters in a way that, you know, the Democratic Party used to have a lot more sway in the union halls outside Detroit than they do.

We heard from Shawn Fain. But we also heard from Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez, whose speech stood out, I thought, in the -- in a very long evening of speeches.

And here's what she had to say about Republican attacks on her, just to give you kind of a little bit of a taste of what her address was like. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): Ever since I got elected, Republicans have attacked me by saying that I should go back to bartending. But let me tell you, I'm happy to any day of the week, because there is nothing wrong with working for a living. (END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: Talk about speeches that are going to live on social media.

SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, I guess that clip will live on social media. But in terms of the Democratic Party uniting all of its various factions, I mean, we just saw two members of the Squad lose their seat.

You're seeing a lot of young progressives who are protesting, because they're not happy about the party leadership's position on Israel and Iran and the Palestinian people.

And so there -- there are clearly some issues within the party. Perhaps those issues aren't as clear as some of ours are, right? And I would -- I would agree with that.

But to pretend that there is complete unity, I'm not sure if that's -- that's accurate.

But I want to just touch on President Biden quickly here. I mean, it does take a certain level of magnanimity to be in a very, very powerful position and be willing to give it up.

And I really just hope the American people, as we are in this divided time, really take the opportunity to just reflect on that.

I know there are a lot of differences about the president. There are differences on some of his policy positions. But at the end of the day, we do look to our leaders, Kasie, to give us examples of who we can be under the worst conditions and even in the best conditions. And I think President Biden has certainly exuded that as a leader.

HUNT: Certainly, it is not, I wouldn't say, Kate, something that we see a lot of in Washington.

BEDINGFIELD: It's --

HUNT: People being willing to put aside their own ego.

BEDINGFIELD: It is really not. It is a very ego-driven town. And to watch somebody put their ego aside and do what's best for the country or what he believes is best for the country, it is a really powerful thing.

I really think it was -- it's an act of hope in a lot of ways. I mean, there's a lot of discussion of this is kind of like the valedictory address. This is the end of his career.

But I actually think there was an element of what he said and did last night that was so hopeful and that was so much about the future and that was about demonstrating that you can, as Shermichael said, be in a position of power and make a choice that you believe is about, you know, the good of your fellow countrymen.

I mean, that is a -- that is fundamentally an act of hope and investment in the future. And I hope that that's what a lot of people who were watching last night took away from that.

HUNT: Before we wrap up here, Alyssa, I want to get your take on -- just because you also worked up on the Hill, and you know what it's like to be on the other end of a tussle with Nancy Pelosi, shall we say.

She's here --

SELLERS: I bet you Alyssa didn't win that battle.

HUNT: No one wins that battle.

(CROSSTALK)

HUNT: Won those types of battles before. And honestly, that includes Joe Biden, who, you know, Nancy Pelosi was a force trying to convince him to do this.

They have not spoken since that happened. She was on the floor of the convention here yesterday, watching him speak.

Here's what she had to say to my colleague, Jake Tapper, when she spoke with him about the drama that has been playing out between her and the president in the Democratic Party.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): Sometimes you just have to take a punch for the children.

He made the decision for the country. My concern was not about the president. It was about his campaign.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: What an absolute legend. You know, I don't know that there's a singular figure in American -- modern American politics that matters and is more consequential than Nancy Pelosi.

[06:15:07]

And I will say this. In my experience with her, it is simply not in her DNA to see data that says Democrats will lose and not act. And that's what she's referring to.

She saw how Biden affected down-ballot races. She saw the House falling to Republicans. She saw the Senate being more favorable. That's why she stepped in. It's classic Nancy Pelosi.

BEDINGFIELD: "Sometimes you have to take a punch for the children."

SELLERS: I mean, that -- that --

BEDINGFIELD: Words to live by.

SELLERS: Print -- print the T-shirts. BEDINGFIELD: Yes.

SELLERS: Not quite sure what it means, but I'm there for it.

HUNT: If you've ever listened to Nancy Pelosi, she's doing it for the children. Let me tell you. Almost everything she does, she will say it is for the children. All right.

SELLERS: Auntie (ph) loves the kids.

HUNT: Coming up here on CNN THIS MORNING, Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingell joins us live. We could ask her about that moment, too. She's going to discuss how Joe Biden's time in public office will be remembered.

Plus, Democrats trying to go on offense on night one of the DNC on the fight over reproductive rights.

And Hillary Clinton rallies behind Kamala Harris, hoping the vice president won't face the same fate that she was handed in 2016.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: He's mocking her name and her laugh. Sounds familiar. But we have him on the run now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:20:57]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: The story of my life and the history of our country is that progress is possible, but not guaranteed. We have to fight for it and never, ever give up. There is always a choice.

Kamala has the character, experience, and vision to lead us forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: That was Hillary Clinton rallying around Kamala Harris and her presidential bid last night here at the DNC.

Clinton, of course, the first woman to lead a major party ticket eight years ago, recalled the similarities between her and Harris's careers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: We both got our start as young lawyers helping children who were abused and neglected. That kind of work changes a person. Those kids stay with you.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HUNT: Clinton also noted the historic nature of a Harris possible presidency and reflected on the progress that women have made over the past century.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: Together, we put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling. On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris raising her hand and taking the oath of office as our 47th president of the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: All right. Our panel is back.

I have to say, and you know, Alyssa, I'm actually kind of interested to know what you think of this moment when she talked about Donald Trump, who of course, she lost to; and the crowd started to chant "lock him up."

There is this particularly -- I just want to -- let's play the moment, because the look on her face, it says a lot. Just watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial. And when he woke up, he made his own kind of history. The first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lock him up! Lock him up! Lock him up!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lock him up! Lock him up! Lock him up!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lock him up! Lock him up! Lock him up!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: Certainly, taking a different tact than Kamala Harris has.

This has happened at Harris rallies, and she does not -- she does not entertain it. She's had these kind of John McCain moments of rising above it and not saying -- saying, we're going to let the courts deal with it.

Listen, Hillary Clinton deserves that moment. So, I'll give it to her. But it gets back to this broader point: the difference of the race that she ran.

It was more about "I'm with her" and the -- you know, the kind of personality of we need to elect the first female president.

Kamala Harris is doing something very different. She is making it "We won't go back." It is about the people. We are rising above. It's forward-looking.

I think that it was -- it was a beautiful testament. And I think there's something beautiful about a woman who, you know, who lost to Trump saying this is going to be the person who beats him and not having any kind of grudge about it.

But it's a very different race.

BEDINGFIELD: Yes. Well, but -- and I also think it reminds -- in some ways, it reminds people -- it certainly reminds Democrats -- what the stakes are here.

I mean, they look at -- you know, they remember the Clinton-Trump race. For Democrats, it was a traumatic experience. And so, I think, you know, the way -- I would agree, the way Kamala Harris is handling the "lock him up" at her rallies, I think, is the right -- is the right strategy.

But I also do not begrudge Hillary Clinton this moment, both for her own personal -- considering that she was tarred in that way for the entire campaign. You know, and now he is actually a convicted felon. I think she should get that moment of emotional satisfaction, just as a human.

But I also actually think that it serves to remind Democrats of the stakes; what it is like when Donald Trump is in power in this country. And so, kind of letting that moment marinate and play out, I actually thought was smart for Hillary Clinton to do.

SELLERS: There are a couple of things about Hillary Clinton's speech last night. Not only the fact that she's able to lean into certain things, like Alyssa said, that -- that Kamala Harris doesn't and can't, you know, the identity of it. "I'm with her," being the first female president; the cracks in the glass ceiling. Even -- even the -- the "lock him up" chants.

[06:25:04]

I mean, you have to remember that Republicans targeted and tarred Hillary Clinton since 1988. It's been -- it's been literally a death by a thousand cuts of what they've tried to do to this woman's character. And she has done nothing but be a true icon of American politics throughout that entire time.

That's -- that is kind of first.

The second thing that it highlighted is that the difference -- and we talk about the gender gap. And Ron Brownstein can come on and talk about the gender gap.

But the reason that Democrats and Kamala Harris do so much better with women is because there's a true understanding that women are not only the backbone of this country but backbone of our political structure. Because there's a direct line, a through line, between Fannie Lou Hamer, Shirley Chisholm, Hillary Clinton, and Kamala Harris.

And for -- you don't have that same through line in the Republican Party. And you see that in the Democratic Party, and that was on display last night. And women of all -- of all shades, of all backgrounds were able to see

that and feel that. Whether or not you are an independent, a Republican, or Democrat, you're able to see that you have a place at least in the Democratic Party.

HUNT: Well, and I will just also posit -- Shermichael. I'm interested in your take on this -- that Donald Trump is a uniquely difficult messenger for Republicans to use to appeal to women voters.

SINGLETON: Yes, I mean, look, we performed in the past very well with suburban -- suburban women voters for a long time. Trump made that difficult, and some Republican strategists have argued that we probably won't be able to regain some advantages there until 2028. That's an interesting argument that I'm open to.

But I wouldn't necessarily ignore the divides, the gender divide. I think that men can play, particularly those disengaged low-propensity men, can make they make a mathematical difference in places like Wisconsin, like places like Pennsylvania where there are more blue- collar. They don't have a college degree. They do want a message that speaks to their future and not just a future of women. And I do think Democrats have some issues there.

GRIFFIN: Somebody made a point while ago that election seasons we talk about women like they're this small demographic and voting group when we make up 50 percent of the country.

And I still find it wild -- and I would think you'll agree with me on this -- that Donald Trump didn't seriously consider a female vice president. Never in the top tier of candidates he was vetting and considering.

SINGLETON: Like Haley?

GRIFFIN: Like, look, considering the issues at stake. Last night we saw reproductive rights, abortion, front -- front and stage in prime time. And they don't have a messenger on the ticket who can soften them on those issues or even lean into IVF and some of the other ones related to it.

BEDINGFIELD: Yes. And I think -- I just -- I think the other problem that Trump and Vance have with women, first of all, it's the substantively some of what they're advocating for would take rights away from women. And so that right there is -- you're starting from behind the eightball.

But I also think the way that they talk about women, as -- as this kind of "other." Or, you know, when you see J.D. Vance using all of this almost like technical language to describe, like, postmenopausal women as if --

GRIFFIN: We don't talk like that over drinks?

BEDINGFIELD: So, it's like it makes it seem like, first of all, they don't know any women. And second of all, it kind of underscores the -- the larger messaging problem they have, which is, you know, that people don't believe that they care about them, that they're going to fight for them.

Because -- and so when you take, you know, more than half the population and basically say, I don't communicate in a way that says I don't think of you as a human, that -- that is a tough barrier to overcome when you're trying to convince people you're going to fight for them.

SELLERS: I mean -- but it also -- but one of the things that happened last night, even during the reproductive rights portion of the program, is that uniquely enough, men are finally waking up in 2024 and saying, you know what? There's a role for us to play in this battle for reproductive rights. This isn't just a women's issue.

HUNT: Yes. Completely.

SELLERS: You know, for me, you know, being an advocate, you know, for my wife when she was going through childbirth, nearly dying, and all of those things, maternal health, those things really matter. And so, we're seeing that on display, as well.

HUNT: But candidly, these -- these votes that are related to abortion rights, the ballot measures wouldn't be getting the margins they were if it was just women.

SELLERS: But it's Ohio and Kansas.

HUNT: There are men in Ohio and Kansas that are voting to protect these rights. All right.

BEDINGFIELD: Absolutely.

HUNT: Our panel is going to stick around. It is 28 minutes past the hour, and we do have our morning roundup.

Donald Trump giving a glimpse into his potential administration if he were to win reelection. He told Reuters he would tap Elon Musk for a cabinet or advisory role if Musk would do it.

The two men recently held a conversation on the platform X, of course formerly known as Twitter.

The U.S. government says Iran is behind the hacking attempts targeting Trump and the Biden-Harris campaign. U.S. officials believe that the investigation marks the clearest sign yet of Iran's efforts to influence the presidential election.

And this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(FENCE CLATTERING TO THE GROUND)

(CHEERING)

(END VIDEO CLIP) HUNT: Four pro-Palestinian protesters arrested on day one of the Democratic National Convention for breaching a security fence. Police now reassessing their security plans for tonight.

And --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY SNELLING, CHICAGO POLICE SUPERINTENDENT: We're not going to tolerate anyone who is going to vandalize things in our city. We're not going to tolerate anyone who are going to commit acts of violence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: Police say that the protesters did not breach.