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CNN This Morning
Donald Trump Pulls Ahead of Kamala Harris in Polls As Critical Debate Looms; Trump-Harris Debate Less Than 24 Hours Away; Hezbollah Fires Rockets into Northern Israel. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired September 09, 2024 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:00]
KASIE HUNT, ANCHOR, CNN THIS MORNING: It's Monday, September 9th, right now on CNN THIS MORNING.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think I'm the only person in the history of government that got indicted and my poll numbers went up.
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HUNT: Brand-new polling on the state of the presidential race. Donald Trump enjoying a bump less than two months out from the election. The great debate now just one day away, what both candidates have to overcome in this head-to-head matchup. And --
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(SIREN BLARING)
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HUNT: Hezbollah attacking from the north. Israel now hinting they may be preparing to invade Lebanon. All right, 5:00 a.m. on the east coast, a live look at the nation's capital on this Monday morning. Good morning everyone, I'm Kasie Hunt, it's wonderful to have you with us.
The days are flying by in this presidential campaign. There are just 57 more until election day, one more day until the next major moment, the first and likely possibly only debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Harris has been preparing since last week, she's been staying in Pittsburgh, she will travel to Philadelphia later on today.
Over the weekend, she took a little break from preparing. She was asked about the debate tomorrow night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's the one thing you want to really get across to him? KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES & U.S. DEMOCRATIC
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, there's a lot that -- look, it's time to turn the page on the divisiveness. It's time to bring our country together, chart a new way forward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: So, heading into the debate, the race is extremely close. Here is the latest polling, the "New York Times"-Sienna Poll shows Trump up 48 to 47 over the vice president, that of course means there is no clear leader. This is well within the margin of error.
And of course, this after they changed the top of the Democratic ticket after the first debate. Here's what Trump talked about that this weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We're run by stupid people. Stupid people, and we found that out at the debate with Joe, how did that work out? And we're going to find it out again on Tuesday night, is anybody going to be watching?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: All right, joining us now to get started on this Monday, "Axios" publisher, Nick Johnston. Nick, good morning to you --
NICHOLAS JOHNSTON, PUBLISHER, AXIOS: Good morning --
HUNT: Wonderful to see you. So, obviously, this polling, we don't want to make too big of a deal of any single poll --
JOHNSTON: Yes --
HUNT: But kind of the way this one is fitting into how we're talking about the election is that it seems to suggest that a day in heading into this debate that things may be coming back to earth a little bit for Kamala Harris, that some of the realities of this race are going to remain apparent, which is that it is going to be an incredibly close election. What did -- what did you see in these numbers?
JOHNSTON: I mean, there's nothing that we haven't said for the past six months. I got -- I don't know if this is a take that's too hot for 5 O'clock in the morning, but it's going to be a close one, right? Like, what's really remarkable to how stable the race has been for the 6-7-8-9 months, even over the Summer.
Like think back to the Summer that we just came out of. Two Vice Presidents picked, two conventions happened, one of their leading -- one of the nominees was indicted more than a dozen times, was convicted of a felony, the other nominee dropped out of the race and was replaced.
There was an assassination attempt and after all of that, we're still at a 50-50 results. I'll give you a scoop for "Axios", saying I'm coming out in your inbox and next hour, it's toss-up America, like really digging into the numbers behind this, that we are still a very evenly-split nation, Donald Trump has a base of 45 percent of people who will never move from him.
He has a ceiling, maybe of 47 percent, that's right there in that margin of error. And so, what can really move the needle on, can kind of give someone a lead of that. We haven't seen much this Summer, the next thing we -- can possibly happen, like you mentioned, tomorrow night, watch the debate.
HUNT: For sure. Nick, in terms of tomorrow night, so, one of the things that we did see in this "New York Times" poll that I've always -- interesting is that a lot of people said that they still needed to learn more about Kamala --
JOHNSTON: Yes --
HUNT: Harris, right? So, the -- we -- 28 percent of people said they still need to learn more about where Harris stands. Now, 9 percent of people said that they needed to learn more about where Donald Trump stands, right?
[05:05:00]
JOHNSTON: We don't know by now, it's too late probably --
(LAUGHTER)
HUNT: Right, I mean, it's kind of like where have you been if you haven't --
JOHNSTON: We've been at it for a while --
HUNT: If you haven't figured out kind of where he stands at this point, but it shows you that -- you know, Donald Trump -- and we talked about this a lot, that Donald Trump kind of has this ceiling on --
JOHNSTON: Yes --
HUNT: His support, some of the question is whether or not, Harris can get enough Democrats excited and out to vote for her, that she can kind of outpace that obviously, third-party candidates are another kind of X factor in there. But I'm curious what you think in terms of how this debate and her being on the debate stage, what kind of opportunity that presents for her to do this to change this?
JOHNSTON: You know, we need still a little bit of introduction for her, like the polling numbers just said, a third of Americans still are very unfamiliar with her or they haven't been seeing her constantly on TV or social media like they have for Donald Trump for the last almost decade now.
So, I think there is an opportunity to provide that kind of contract. She has been rolling out more and more policy proposals. I think there's a policy -- policy page up on the website. Now, finally, so, we're getting a sense of what her administration might look like. And I think you've seen the way she talks about moving away from Biden, some of the proposals that -- like a little bit of an evolution to be nice about it, a flip-flop, another way to say it from her prior campaign.
And I think it's a way to just show how she's a little bit different than Donald Trump. I think there's also a key thing here, and I think we saw that just in Donald Trump's -- the way he was talking at his rally.
A tone and a context changed that is very different from her. And I think that's what the campaign is hoping, is that they can get him kind of rattled, act like more traditional Donald Trump, what his aides do not want him to be, which is like contrast on the policy, that's a good night for Donald Trump.
I think if Donald Trump gets all angry and riled-up by her, that would be a better night for Kamala Harris.
HUNT: Yes, the "New York Times" reporting over the weekend that the Trump team wants to try to recreate that famous moment from one of the debates with Reagan where he said, are you better off now than you were four years ago? That would be definitely policy-based --
JOHNSTON: But then the Kamala Harris policy answers that, is to differentiate yourself from Biden, right? And if you go into the cross, have you start to see a little bit of that? How much of the blame for what people are angry about now that they put on Joe Biden versus Kamala Harris.
And I think what they want to do with -- the Harris campaign has distanced themselves from Biden, be the change candidate, because change candidates tend to win.
HUNT: Well, and we did also see in this "Times" polling that voters seem to perceive Donald Trump as the change candidate, not Kamala Harris, which --
JOHNSTON: Well, I mean, I think that's what the argument she wants to make, that she's only tied to -- remember when Donald Trump goes out and talks about -- he says the Biden-Harris campaign, when Kamala Harris goes, she says we don't want to go back. Both of them are trying to get that mantle of what is the next new thing?
HUNT: What do you make of how Harris is trying to think about doing this differently than Hillary Clinton did it in 2016? Again, the "Times" kind of reporting over the weekend that they want to stay away from calling him a racist and misogynist --
JOHNSTON: Right --
HUNT: And they want to focus on different things.
JOHNSTON: She's definitely pivoted on those kinds of things when she's been asked those kinds of questions. She doesn't want to get into the mud about that. I think there's a little bit of a context of a tone, right? Can she be on stage and seem like it's a normal person. Remember, we've seen some of President -- former President Trump's
events, the one in New York last night, answers can be kind of rambling. Remember the last debate was a lot about who has the mental fitness, who is the younger, more spry candidate? Well, they were both pretty old and so, Joe Biden lost that race, well, now Kamala Harris is 20 years younger than Donald Trump.
And so, I think that might change that discussion about who is the one who is really fit, who is a spry, who is giving tight, crisp answers, instead of long meandering old grandpa ones.
HUNT: I guess we will. Certainly, it's going to look a lot different than that one --
JOHNSTON: Absolutely, yes --
HUNT: That we were covering back in June that really changed this entire race. Nick Johnston getting us started this morning, Nic, thank you --
JOHNSTON: Good morning, good to see you --
HUNT: Appreciate it. All right, coming up next here on CNN THIS MORNING, Hezbollah strikes from the north, prompting Israel to shift focus toward the Lebanese border. Plus, we're going to speak live with one of ten senior military officials who are endorsing Kamala Harris. We'll tell you who they are.
And the two candidates looking to sharpen their policy message to voters ahead of their first and possibly only meeting on the debate stage tomorrow night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE BUTTIGIEG, SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION, UNITED STATES: It's not going to be about getting into the niceties of economic modeling. It's going to be bringing that to the kitchen table and why people in their everyday lives will be so much better off with her in charge.
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[05:10:00]
HUNT: Right, welcome back to the Middle East now. Israel says they're going to reopen three border crossings between the West Bank and Jordan in the coming hours. They were shut down after a Jordanian gunman shot and killed three Israeli guards at the Allenby Crossing on Sunday before he was shot and killed.
Israel's Defense Minister says an investigation is underway and the military is now ready to shift its focus to the fight with Hezbollah at the northern border with Lebanon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) YOAV GALLANT, DEFENSE MINISTER, ISRAEL (through translator): In Gaza,
we need to achieve our two goals in order to eliminate Hamas and to return the hostages. And we are on this matter with all our might. At the same time, we are looking at the entire warfronts, and this means that while you are fighting here in Gaza, we are preparing for anything that can happen in the north, and moving the center of gravity can be quick.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: CNN's Paula Hancocks joins us now live from Abu Dhabi. Paula, good morning to you. He's clearly talking about another major front for Israel in what could be a widening war that is -- the big thing that everyone has been concerned about. Why does this incident at the border that resulted in these crossing closures help explain the big picture.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kasie, it just goes to show what Israel has been saying all along, that it is fighting on multiple fronts, that it has threats coming from multiple fronts. So, not only Gaza, but also the northern border, fighting against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
[05:15:00]
And now you have this attack that happened on Sunday where you have a Jordanian truck driver who apparently had been through this crossing a number of times before taking commercial goods from Jordan into the West Bank. On this occasion though, he stopped the truck, he exited and he started shooting, killing three of the guards on that border crossing, before he himself was killed by an Israeli guard.
Now, Jordan says they believe that this was a one-off, he was acting alone and there is no wider conspiracy here. They say they're investigating at this point, and they do condemn what happened. His family, though, do say that they were shocked at what he decided to do.
But his brother pointed out that he had become very angry at what was happening in Gaza. So, he believes that the Gaza war may have been a motivating factor. And that's really what we are seeing, that a number of these different fronts that Israel is fighting against at this point all do come back to what is happening in Gaza now.
It's being condemned widely this attack, the Israeli Prime Minister calling the attacker loathsome terrorist. And we've just heard in the past half hour or so that those crossings won't be open today. Now, they are pushing them back until tomorrow, obviously wanting to make sure that they can secure three border crossings that come in from Jordan. Kasie?
HUNT: All right, Paula Hancocks for us with that update this morning, Paula, thank you. Still to come here on CNN THIS MORNING, the highest profile Republican yet breaking with his party. Why former Vice President Dick Cheney says he'll vote no, vote against Donald Trump. Plus, Miami-Dade police investigating why their officers handcuffed
the Dolphins' star receiver just hours before game time. "BLEACHER REPORT" coming up later in the hour.
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[05:20:00]
HUNT: All right, 20 minutes past the hour, here's your morning roundup. A manhunt widening in Kentucky after five people were injured in a shooting spree on a highway south of Lexington this weekend. Police say the suspect, Joseph Couch, shot at 12 vehicles on i-75. He is considered armed and dangerous.
Dolphins' star receiver Tyreek Hill almost didn't make it to the game Sunday, he was detained by Miami police, placed in handcuffs over a traffic dispute near the stadium. He was eventually released, went on to lead his team to a season-opening win. Miami-Dade police still investigating.
In California, a wildfire burning over 17,000 acres in San Bernardino. Three people have been injured with thousands forced to evacuate the area. Right now, the fire is 0 percent contained. And on that note, excessive heat is causing wildfires to spread across the western United States while a tropical storm watch has been issued for parts of southern Texas.
Let's get straight to our meteorologist, the weatherman himself, Derek Van Dam. Derek, good morning to you. What are you looking at today?
DEREK VAN DAM, METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Kasie. We are starting off the week with a bang. Quite a bit of activity across the western Gulf of Mexico. This is what is known as potential tropical cyclone six, all you need to know is that it has not been established and named just yet.
Francine will be the name. It will be given later this morning if not into this afternoon because the storm is going to consolidate and become more organized as time goes on. So, we still have these tropical storm watches that include parts of the extreme southern Texas coastline, including Brownsville.
But let's go forward in time because you can see a strengthening tropical storm making its way into a Category One hurricane before making landfall late Wednesday evening into early Thursday morning, somewhere near the border of Texas and Louisiana. This storm has a lot of warm water to deal with, and so, that's going to allow it to strengthen along with some other environmental conditions that will consolidate the storm into a tropical storm or low-end hurricane by the time it reaches the United States mainland.
Now, one things is for sure, aside from the wind and the storm surge threat, there will be significant rainfall that could lead to flash flooding, especially across Louisiana, where 4 to 8 inches of rain is possible. Check out this magnificent photo coming out of California. Not great for the residents here, of course, this is a lightning strike attempting to start new wildfires.
There are several wildfires across California and the West. Look at the Davis Fire, here's the Line Fire in southern California, a 0 percent containment with over 20,000 acres burned. There's quite a significant wind event with the system as well. So, that could fuel more additional flames and wildfires is 70 active wildfires burn over the western U.S., Kasie?
HUNT: All right, we'll keep an eye on that, Derek Van Dam for us this morning, Derek, thank you --
VAN DAM: All right --
HUNT: Very much. All right, ahead here on CNN THIS MORNING, the latest national polling again shows just how close this presidential race is. A lot of voters say they want to learn more about Vice President Harris. Can she sway them? Plus, how Democrats are making sure they don't underestimate Trump in tomorrow's big debate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-PA): This going to be a straight-up debate. She's going to do great, of course, but Donald Trump will be good, too. I mean, we can all remember he wrecked all of the Republicans, he's a good debater.
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[05:25:00]
HUNT: All right, 5:28 a.m. here in Washington. This is a live look at the Sphere in Las Vegas -- sorry, it took me a second to figure out what on earth was going on here, but that's what this is, you know, what a thing to wake up to. Good morning, everyone, I'm Kasie Hunt, it's wonderful to have you with us.
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump in a statistical dead-heat heading into tomorrow night's debate. A new national poll of likely voters conducted by the "New York Times" and Sienna College shows Trump leading Harris 48 percent to 47 percent while within the margin of error.
That same poll shows that a strong majority of likely voters, over 60 percent think the next President should represent a major change from President Biden, only 25 percent of likely voters say Harris represents a major change compared to 55 percent who say she represents more of the same, 53 percent say Trump.
