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VP Harris Clashes with FOX News Host in Contentious Interview; Trump Defends His 'Enemy from Within' Remarks; Trump Calls Himself 'The Father of IVF' While Defending Procedure. Aired 6-6:30a ET
Aired October 17, 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 Thursday, October 17. Right now on CNN THIS MORNING.
[06:00:15]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: This is the --
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: May I please finish?
BAIER: Yes, ma'am.
HARRIS: May I finish responding?
BAIER: But this --
HARRIS: You have to let me finish.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: A fiery back and forth. Kamala Harris in a tense FOX News interview, hoping to peel away voters in the final weeks.
Plus --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: They didn't come because of me. They came because of the election. But that was a day of love.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: "A day of love." Once again, Donald Trump downplays January 6 when pressed on his role that day.
And --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ROY COOPER (D), NORTH CAROLINA: Candidates are using people's misery to sow chaos. (END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Battleground beat: North Carolina starts early voting while recovering from Hurricane Helene.
GOP Congressman Chuck Edwards joins us live.
And then worldwide shock. The latest on the investigation patient into the stunning death of the former One Direction star, Liam Payne.
All right, 6 a.m. here on the East Coast. A live look at Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I believe that they are on Central Time. The vice president waking up there ahead of a campaign event today.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Kasie Hunt. It's wonderful to have you with us.
With just 19 days until election day, more than 6 million ballots have already been cast. And this morning, early voting begins in the swing state of North Carolina.
With time running out, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris each trying to find new ways to reach swing voters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Let me be very clear. My presidency will not be a continuation of Joe Biden's presidency.
I represent a new generation of leadership.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Harris sitting yesterday for an interview with FOX News. Host Bret Baier pressed Harris on issues from immigration to transgender rights and the economy, leading to a number of contentious moments.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: You know what I'm going to talk about.
BAIER: Yes. But you -- just that number. Do you think it's 1 million, 3 million of apprehensions?
HARRIS: I'm not finished. We have -- we have an immigration system --
BAIER: It's a rough estimate of 6 million people --
HARRIS: -- that needs to be --
BAIER: -- have been released into the country. And let me just finish. I'll get to the question. I promise you.
HARRIS: I was beginning to answer.
BAIER: The citizenship for the -- HARRIS: May I please finish?
BAIER: Yes, ma'am.
HARRIS: May I finish responding please?
BAIER: But here -- but this --
HARRIS: You have to let me finish.
BAIER: You have the White House and the House and the Senate. And they didn't bring up --
HARRIS: I'm in the middle of responding to the point you're raising.
BAIER: OK.
HARRIS: And I'd like to finish.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HUNT: Trump also heading into less familiar territory, the former president traveling to Miami for a town hall with Latino voters that was hosted by Univision.
Trump, too, was asked about many of the topics that are among his favorites, immigration and the economy. When it came to January 6, Trump once again tried to rewrite the history of that day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: They didn't come because of me. They came because of the election. They thought the election was a rigged election. And that's why they came. Some of those people went down to the Capitol. I said peacefully and patriotically. Nothing done wrong at all, nothing done wrong.
This was a tiny percentage of the overall which nobody sees and nobody -- nobody shows. But that was a day of love.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: All right. Our panel's here to discuss: Alex Thompson, CNN political analyst, political reporter at Axios; Meghan Hays, former Biden White House director of message planning; and Marc Lotter, former special assistant to President Trump and former press secretary to Vice President Pence.
Welcome to all of you. Good to have you with us this morning.
MARC LOTTER, FORMER SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO DONALD TRUMP: Good morning.
HUNT: So, Alex, watching the FOX News interview last night with Kamala Harris, it seemed like her mission there was to essentially do a -- be a contrast with Donald Trump, right? To say to viewers who are consistently getting what Democrats view as pro-Trump coverage from FOX News to air some of the things that she thinks are -- that she disagrees with, with him.
Did she succeed in doing that? It was obviously contentious throughout.
ALEX THOMPSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes. And I think she did succeed in the fact that she's often much more comfortable in an adversarial setting.
The fact is that when she -- you know, some of her biggest moments as a politician, the Kavanaugh hearings, were when she really gets to sort of grill into somebody; have been in more adversarial moments.
Some of her biggest, if you want to call them gaffes have happened actually in friendlier settings. Like in "The View" last week when she said she couldn't think of anything she'd do differently with Joe Biden.
This time, she was very clear. No, I'm not going to be a continuation with Joe Biden.
It also is very clear, not just from what happened in the interview, but the aftermath, they were also looking to pick a fight with FOX News.
And this also goes back to the whole strength versus weakness argument that both campaigns are trying to make.
HUNT: Meghan Hays, what did you think of the way she handled what she faced there and whether it's going to matter in the big picture?
MEGHAN HAYS, FORMER BIDEN WHITE HOUSE DIRECTOR OF MESSAGE PLANNING: I think it matters that she did it. I think it matters that she showed up to FOX News into those years. They have incredible viewership. And I think that it's important to be there.
I think that she showed that she has strength, and she's willing to fight back and push back on different ideas and to really show the contrast in leadership.
I don't know that it matters at the end of the day for votes, but I do think that people, both Democrat and Republican, admire the fact she went on FOX News. That's something Joe Biden did not do during the '20 campaign. And I think that that's -- you know, that shows a lot of strength and courage on her part.
HUNT: I mean, you can't say she doesn't do interviews anymore.
LOTTER: Well, no, I mean, she obviously did the interview. I think it was a train wreck for her. I mean, because if you're an undecided voter, that very small sliver that might be left, her answer to every question about your immigration record was Donald Trump. Your economy, Donald Trump. Your -- your plans for the presidency. I'm not Donald Trump.
That's not a reason to vote for you. It's a reason, which I think is their closing message. They've given up joy and vibes. It's just I'm not him. And that's it.
HAYS: And I think that might be enough, though, for people. But some of these independent voters, that might end up being enough.
HUNT: Right, and we've talked a lot on this set, too, about the couch, right? That it's -- maybe it's less about, OK, I was going to vote for Trump. Now I'm going to vote for Kamala Harris.
And more like, well, did I care enough to get out there and vote? And whether or not they're going to make that argument.
Let's talk, though, about Trump, because one of the other contentious moments in the -- the interview that Harris did was around what Donald Trump has had to say about the enemy within. She had wanted them to play a different clip. She said, You're not playing the one where he talks about this.
Well, Trump, also on FOX News, he did a town hall. He doubled down on the comments that he had made about the enemy within. He was pushed to explain, OK, well, who are you talking about?
So, let's watch what Trump had to say when he was pushed. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: They're very different. And it is the enemy from within, and they're very dangerous. They're Marxists and communists and fascists. And they're sick.
The more difficult are, you know, the Pelosis, these people, they're so sick. And they're so evil.
I heard about that. They were saying I was like threatening. I'm not threatening anybody. They're the ones doing the threatening.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Well, he was actually talking about using the National Guard and the military, potentially, if there was violence in the streets after the election, having named some of these people, Marc Lotter.
Is this kind of rhetoric from him -- I mean, clearly, the Harris campaign is eager to highlight it.
It goes. There are also other comments like when he said that he was going to be a dictator on day one. He says it's a joke. But this is the kind of thing that -- that perhaps reminds voters about some of the things that happened during the Trump presidency that perhaps they don't want to see again.
What do you make of him and how he answered this question?
LOTTER: Well, I think he's playing -- he's bringing out -- this is a -- we're moving out our bases now at this point. And look, both sides are doing it. I mean, I get -- we get called Nazis. We're dark MAGA. We are, you know, all of these things from the left to the right. The right to the left is going you're fascist. You're all of these liberal -- socialist, Marxist. I mean, this is but political campaigns do. I don't like it, but that's how you motivate people on both sides of the aisle right now.
THOMPSON: Point taken. But he is playing with fire, in particular, on mentioning the Pelosis. Not Nancy Pelosi.
HAYS: Yes.
THOMPSON: The Pelosis. And the fact is that, when you know, in 2022, Paul Pelosi was almost killed by someone that was really incited by some of this.
LOTTER: And Donald Trump was almost killed twice. I mean, that we know of right now.
THOMPSON: That's just a whataboutism? I'm just saying, you know, he's mentioning the Pelosis, not just Nancy Pelosi. And it feels like its throwing -- you know, throwing gasoline on the fire.
HUNT: Meghan.
HAYS: Yes. I mean, I would tend to agree with that. I also think that -- I think the difference here is you don't hear these things coming out of the vice president's mouth. You don't hear the vice president saying that she's going to go after people with the military if she's elected.
And I think that that's what makes people anxious and uncomfortable. But I do agree that this is getting people off the couch. And it is -- they are -- you are motivating your base and social media. It's a -- it's a fundraising point. It's a getting people off the couch play.
HUNT: All right. We are -- we're barreling towards quite a reckoning here.
Straight ahead on CNN THIS MORNING, early voting underway today in the Tar Heel State. How the aftermath of Hurricane Helene might impact the race there. We're going to speak live with North Carolina Republican Congressman Chuck Edwards.
Plus, J.D. Vance says, no. That's how Donald Trump's running mate answered when Trump -- when asked if Trump lost the 2020 election. We'll play it for you.
And the former president raised some eyebrows when he declared himself to be this before an audience made up of women.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I'm the father -- I'm the father --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You don't hear that every day.
TRUMP: I'm the father of IVF, so I want to hear this question. (END VIDEO CLIP)
[06:13:45]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), 2024 VICE-PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: There's clearly a gender gap. But I think it's not nearly as big as the polls say it is. And I think that's important to point out is, look, I think we're going to get a lot of women supporting the Trump/Vance ticket.
And of course, a lot of men, too, because we're united for common sense.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Donald Trump's running mate, J.D. Vance, addressing one of the Trump campaign's weak spots, women voters. Recent polls show both Trump and Kamala Harris have struggled to shore up support from women and men respectively. It's really a double gender gap.
In an effort to fix their side of it, Trump participated in a FOX News town hall with an all-women audience that aired yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: And the states are now voting for it. And honestly, some of them are going much more liberal. Like in Ohio, I would have thought it might --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some of them are not.
TRUMP: -- it might be different. And some were not, but it's going to be redone. It's going to be redone. They're going to -- you're going to -- you end up with a vote of the people.
And some of them, I agree, they're too -- they're too tough, too tough. And those are going to be redone.
Because already there a movement in those states.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Trump also addressed his support for IVF, a procedure that, of course, became the center of a political firestorm earlier this year after a court ruling in Alabama. And Democrats have seized on it as an example of Republicans endangering reproductive rights.
[06:15:06]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I want to talk about IVF. I'm the father -- I'm the father --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You don't hear that every day.
TRUMP: I'm the father of IVF.
I got a call from Katie Britt, a young, just a fantastically attractive person from Alabama. She's a senator. And she called me up like emergency, emergency.
Because an Alabama judge had ruled that the IVF clinics were illegal, and they have to be closed down.
We really are the party for IVF. We want fertilization, and it's all the way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: "The father of IVF," Meghan Hays.
HAYS: I mean, OK. I don't understand how he can say that with -- with a straight face, but I do think he's trying to appeal to women. So, he's trying to.
But I think that its already -- this is already baked with women. I think that people know that he overturned Roe v Wade, and he will own that. And this is part of that. And this is only going to be on the ballot -- or there's only being on the ballot in these different states because of that.
So, I just don't think that this is going to -- I think it's going to fall flat with women. I think you're already seeing that fall flat. It's the No. 1 issue. I don't know why he continues to talk about it. Because every time he does, it just draws more attention to the fact that he's the one who overturned -- got Roe v Wade overturned.
HUNT: Marc Lotter. I mean, do you think talking about it like that is going to achieve the goal that he's set out to accomplish?
LOTTER: I think -- I think we overgeneralize this. I mean, there are -- there are -- there is a certain percentage of women who, they are single-issue voters, and that could be they're pro-abortion, or they're pro-life.
But I think the vast majority of women have nuanced on many issues. So, this town hall being an hour on issues just with women, whether it's the economy, IVF, he did -- they did -- Republicans did quickly move to protect it, to make sure that it was -- that it was covered.
And so, I think this is just reminding people of that. That was a judge that made that decision, not a legislature and not the president.
HUNT: There was one other moment yesterday at this town hall where Harris Faulkner, the host, raised the story of Amber Thurman, who is the Georgia woman who died after medical care was delayed because of the abortion law in Georgia. Let's watch that moment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS FAULKNER, FOX NEWS HOST: Amber Thurman's family have come out on a press call. And they're doing what's called a prebuttal to our town hall right now.
TRUMP: That's nice.
FAULKNER: And I want to get --
TRUMP: We're going to get better ratings, I promise.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: "Better ratings, I promise." So, again, they're talking about a woman who lost her life after she was unable to get the care that she needed.
Alex Thompson, obviously, the Harris campaign immediately seized on the IVF comments. They see things like this and -- and think about how that actually plays with women, with whom they have a major advantage.
THOMPSON: Yes. And they've -- they've featured that woman, not just at rallies, but also in ads.
I also think Trump's flip response there, and the crowd's reaction, also shows that that was a very pro-Trump crowd. You also saw local Republican groups boasting on Facebook about how they'd hosted the event. They later changed that and said they were that.
But like, it really goes to show this was like Donald Trump is appealing to woman infomercial on FOX News.
HUNT: All right, coming up here on CNN THIS MORNING, he's done deflecting. J.D. Vance answers the question, did Donald Trump lose the 2020 election? But it's not actually what happened.
Plus --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: A shocking death in the music world: 31-year-old British popstar Liam Payne falling to his death in Argentina. How fans are remembering the former One Direction singer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:22:49]
HUNT: All right, welcome back.
The moon looking extra bright this morning. It is the first full moon of fall. Our meteorologist, Derek van Dam, who is outside -- still in Atlanta, but outside, unusual for him.
Derek, why are you there?
(AUDIO GAP)
HUNT: Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like Derek's microphone is on. He has a supermoon. I don't know. Derek, can we -- can we hear you now.
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Sometimes, you know, when you're working outside, it can get a little bit challenging, right? (AUDIO GAP)
HUNT: All right. I think we're going to have to come back to Derek, unfortunately.
But can I just say, look out your window. The moon is beautiful. Derek would have explained why, but instead, we're going to go to our roundup. Twenty-three minutes past the hour.
This morning, the Iran-backed Houthis say the U.S. will pay the price for Wednesday's strikes in Yemen.
The Pentagon said it used B-2 stealth bombers to target five underground weapons storage facilities. They said President Biden directed the strikes to prove that the U.S. can reach its targets, quote, "anytime, anywhere."
A judge in Georgia striking down a series of controversial election rules that were initially passed by Trump allies. Democrats and some state Republicans opposed the rules, arguing that they would create chaos following the election in that battleground state.
Relatives of the Menendez brothers are calling for their release following new evidence in their parents' murders. They say evidence shows the brothers were victims of abuse at the hands of their father, and that the brothers should get a new trial.
Lyle and Erik Menendez were sentenced to life without parole in 1996.
All right. Coming up next here on CNN THIS MORNING, the question asked every election cycle. How Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are responding.
Plus, after sidestepping the issue for weeks, J.D. Vance finally answers the question, did Donald Trump lose the 2020 election?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VANCE: On the election of 2020, I've answered this question directly a million times. No. I think there were serious problems in 2020.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:29:15]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: This year, using the pretext of the China virus and the scam of mail-in ballots, Democrats attempted the most brazen and outrageous election theft. And there's never been anything like this -- It's a pure theft -- in American history. Everybody knows it.
That election, our election was over at 10 p.m. in the evening. And then late in the evening or early in the morning, boom, these explosions of (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: That was Donald Trump on January 6, 2021. That day, a violent mob of rioters swarmed the U.S. Capitol in an effort to stop the peaceful transfer of power after Trump lost the election.
And even though it is a fact that Trump lost in 2020, his running mate, J.D. Vance, says this.
[06:30:00]
