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First Move with Julia Chatterley
VP Harris Speaking At Campaign HQ In Delaware; Biden Calls Into His Former Campaign Headquarters; U.S. Secret Service Director Testifies Before Congress; House Panel Grills U.S. Secret Service Director; Polling On Harris-Trump Matchup Finds No Clear Leader; Republican Rivals Call For Biden To Step Down; Netanyahu To Meet With Harris And Biden; VP Harris Raking In Campaign Donations; World Reacts To VP Harris Being The Democratic Candidate; Olympic Organizers Brace For Heat. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired July 22, 2024 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: One team, one fight. And she's been an extraordinary campaign manager. She's going to continue in this role and
see us to victory in November.
And we are all here because we love our country, right? And we believe in our foundational principles. We believe in freedom. And opportunity and
justice, not for some, but for all.
And so, we have 106 days until election day, and in that time, we have some hard work to do. And as JOD always reminds us, we can do hard things. JOD
has been such an incredible leader of this team, and that is why I have just asked her to run my campaign, and she has accepted.
And so, over the next 106 days, we are going to Our case to the American people, and we are going to win. We are going to win.
And so, now, I'm getting back to you, Joe. I will tell you, it has been one of the greatest honors of my life, truly, to serve as vice president to our
president, Joe Biden. Joe's legacy of accomplishment, just over a lifetime, but just over the last three and a half years, is unmatched in modern
history.
In one term, he has already surpassed the legacy of most presidents who served two terms in office. Think about it, and I know everyone here in the
campaign, we have, we know. But, if we don't know, we got a problem. But I'm going to repeat some for those who might be guests at the moment.
Joe got the COVID-19 pandemic under control. Remember those days? He has created more than 15 million new jobs. He brought together Republicans and
Democrats and passed historic legislation. And I'm going to tell you, I'm a firsthand witness to all this work.
I would sit with Joe in the Oval Office while he would bring members of both sides of the aisle and talk and listen and help them see what they may
have in common and how we can actually work towards solutions. And because of their confidence in Joe, these accomplishments occurred. Joe has stood
up for democracy at home, and he has stood up for democracy abroad, and he has always stood up for what he believes is right.
And many of you may know, I first came to know Joe through his son, Beau. Beau and I worked together as State Attorneys General. And back then, Beau
would often tell me stories about his dad, and he would talk about the kind of father and the kind of man that Joe Biden is. And he would talk about
the qualities of his father and the qualities that that Beau revered the most are the same qualities that I see every day in our president. His
honesty, his integrity, his commitment to his faith and his family, his big, big heart, and his deep love of our country.
And I don't need to tell you all, you know, Joe's background, right? I mean, he grew up in a middle-class family in Scranton and he has never
forgotten where he comes from. And so, again, I am a firsthand witness from being with him in the Oval Office to the Situation Room, and seeing him on
the global stage with world leaders. President Joe Biden fights for the American people and we are deeply, deeply grateful for his service to our
nation.
Joe, are you watching? Do you hear this clapping? Can you see it?
JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: I'm watching. I'm watching.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We love you, Joe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We love you, Joe.
BIDEN: You're the best, dude.
HARRIS: And let us be very clear. Joe is not done. Far from it. He knows there is still more work to do. And our nation will continue to praise his
bold and visionary leadership as president. Thank you, Joe.
BIDEN: Thank you.
HARRIS: And it is my great honor to have Joe's endorsement in this race.
BIDEN: You sure do.
[18:05:00]
HARRIS: And it is my intention to go out and earn this nomination and to win. So, in the days and weeks ahead, I, together with you, will do
everything in my power to unite our Democratic Party. I'm here today to unite our nation, and to win this election.
You know, as many of you know, before I was elected as vice president, before I was elected as United States Senator, I was the elected attorney
general, as I've mentioned, of California, and before that, I was a courtroom prosecutor. In those roles, I took on perpetrators of all kinds.
Predators who abused women. Fraudsters who ripped off consumers. Cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain. So, hear me when I say, I know
Donald Trump's type.
And in this campaign, I will proudly, I will proudly put my record against his.
As a young prosecutor, when I was in the Alameda County district attorney's office in California, I specialized in cases involving sexual abuse. Donald
Trump was found liable by a jury for committing sexual abuse. As attorney general of California, I took on one of our country's largest for-profit
colleges and put it out of business. Donald Trump ran a for profit college, Trump University, that was forced to pay $25 million dollars to the
students it scammed.
As district attorney to go after polluters, I created one of the first environmental justice units in our nation. Donald Trump stood in Mar-a-Lago
and told big oil lobbyists he would do their bidding for a $1 billion campaign contribution.
During the foreclosure crisis, I took on the big Wall Street banks in won $20 billion for California families, holding those banks accountable for
fraud. Donald Trump was just found guilty of 34 counts of fraud.
CROWD: Guilty, guilty.
HARRIS: But make no mistake, all of that being said, this campaign is not just about us versus Donald Trump. There is more to this campaign than
that. Our campaign has always been about two different versions of what we see as the future of our country. Two different visions for the future of
our country. One focused on the future, the other focused on the past.
Donald Trump wants to take our country backwards, to a time before many of our fellow Americans had full freedoms and rights. But we believe in a
brighter future that makes room for all Americans. We believe in a future where every person has the opportunity not just to get by but to get ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's right.
HARRIS: We believe in a future where no child has to grow up in poverty. Where every person can buy a home, start a family, and build wealth.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Amen.
HARRIS: And where every person has access to paid family leave and affordable child care. That's the future we see. Together, we fight to
build a nation where every person has access. Affordable health care, where every worker is paid fairly and where every senior can retire with dignity.
CROWD: Yes.
HARRIS: All of this is to say, building up the middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency.
[18:10:00]
Because we here know when our middle class is strong, America is strong. And we know that's not the future Donald Trump is fighting for. He and his
extreme Project 2025 will weaken the middle class This bill that bring us backward. Please do note that. Back to the failed trickle-down policies
that gave huge tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations and made working families pay the cost. Back to policies that put Social Security
and Medicare on the chopping block. Back to policies that treat health care as only a privilege for the wealthy instead of what we all know it should
be, which is a right for every American.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's right.
HARRIS: America has tried these economic policies before. They do not lead to prosperity. They lead to inequity and economic injustice. And we are not
going back. We are not going back. They're not taking us back.
Our fight for the future is also a fight for freedom. Generations of Americans before us have led the fight for freedom from our founders to our
framers, to the abolitionists and the suffragettes, to the freedom riders and farm workers. And now, I say, team, the baton is in our hands.
We who believe in the sacred freedom to vote, we who are committed to fight to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to
Vote Act, we who believe in the freedom to live safe from gun violence, and that's why we will work to pass universal background checks, red flag laws,
and an assault weapons ban.
We who will fight for reproductive freedom, knowing if Trump gets the chance, he will sign a national abortion ban to outlaw abortion in every
single state, but we are not going to let that happen.
It is this team here that is going to help in this November to elect a majority of members of the United States Congress who agree the government
should not be telling a woman what to do with her body.
And when Congress passes a law to restore reproductive freedoms, as president of the United States, I will sign it into law.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We the people.
HARRIS: Indeed, we the people. So, ultimately, to all the friends here, I say, in this election, we know we each face a question, what kind of
country do we want to live in? A country of freedom, compassion, and rule of law or a country of chaos, fear, and hate?
CROWD: No.
HARRIS: You all are here because you as leaders know we each, including our neighbors and our friends and our family, we each as Americans have the
power to answer that question. That's the beauty of it, the power of the people. We each have the ability to answer that question.
So, in the next 106 days, we have work to do. We have doors to knock on. We have people to talk to. We have phone calls to make. And we have an
election to win.
So, are you ready to get to work? Do we believe in freedom? Do we believe in our opportunity? Do we believe in the promise of America?
CROWD: Yes.
HARRIS: And are we willing to fight for it?
CROWD: Yes.
HARRIS: And when we fight, we win.
CROWD: We win.
HARRIS: God bless you all and God bless the United States of America and Joe Biden.
[18:15:00]
JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: You have been listening to a confident, eloquent, jubilant Vice President Kamala Harris talking from
campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware. She thanked everyone for their effort and sacrifice. So, far, she spent time thanking President Joe
Biden. Expressed her love, her devotion, her support that he has a big heart, his deep love for America. She also said there's 106 days until
election day, and we are going to win.
She also laid out what she underscored was the focus, the goal of her presidency, which was building up the middle class. Really, what you saw
there was Kamala Harris spending her first full day as presidential candidate. Harris aiming to quickly consolidate support and earning an
endorsement from Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the process.
Sources also telling CNN that Democratic heavyweights, the likes of Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, are set to back her within hours. Harris making
her first public appearance since President Biden's bombshell decision to step aside earlier today at a White House ceremony. You can see her there.
Harris also, as we were just seeing there, visiting the campaign offices in Wilmington, Delaware, where she also -- we heard her speak, of course, a
campaign official saying, too, well over 28,000 new volunteers have already signed up across the nation.
Donors also showing the same level of enthusiasm too. The Harris team saying, it's raised $81 million online in the 24 hours since she announced
her candidacy. Super PAC Future Forward saying it's received further $150 million in donor commitments too. Harris, however, well aware that time is
short and we heard her say it there.
She also said earlier on X, one day down, 105 to go. Together, we are going to win this. And that was a message that she underscored as we just heard
from her there. Senior Democratic National Committee Adviser Brad Woodhouse joins me now. Brad, great to have you with us. What did you make of that
speech? You can feel, I think, the enthusiasm in the room.
Oh, I don't think we have him. We'll see if we can get him back. Brad, can you hear me? No, he was furiously scribbling there. So, he was definitely
listening to that speech. We will try and reestablish connection with him as far as we can. For now, we'll move on and we'll come back to him as soon
as we possibly can.
In the meantime, the other big story today, both Republican and Democratic leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives are calling for the Secret
Service head to resign. Kimberly Cheatle was grilled on Capitol Hill over the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. The director took
responsibility, saying "We failed."
One congressman from South Carolina told Cheatle she's lost the trust of the American people.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. WILLIAM TIMMONS (R-SC): Who made the decision to deploy 12 to the first lady's event and three to the Trump event?
KIMBERLY CHEATLE, DIRECTOR, U.S. SECRET SERVICE: The allocation of resources is decided based on the availability of personnel and their
location and where they are. But there were sufficient resources that were given --
TIMMONS: What did you just say?
CHEATLE: -- to the former presidents.
TIMMONS: Did you just say there were sufficient resources? President Trump got shot. Someone got killed. There were not sufficient resources, clearly.
CHEATLE: There was a gap.
TIMMONS: And it doesn't take 27 years of experience to know that, and whoever made that decision, it probably wasn't you, needs to be fired, and
then you need to resign because this is absolutely unacceptable, and you've lost the trust of the American people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: Andrew McCabe is former FBI deputy director and a CNN senior law enforcement analyst. Andrew, great to have you with us. She called it a
colossal failure, but she also said she's the best person to stay in the role as the head of the Secret Service. She though faced pertinent
legitimate questions about what happened, and some of those questions she passed on answering, others, she simply didn't have facts. What was this?
ANDREW MCCABE, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Boy, it was a mess. I think it's very hard to rectify those two assertions that it was an
absolute failure and that she's the best person to fix it. I think from the very beginning -- beginning with that assumption that the Service failed in
its primary mission that Saturday the 13th, it's -- she's already in a very tough spot.
And since things -- and since then, things have only gotten worse. It's a very questionable decisions about how they're interacting with the media
and the public failing to show up for the first law enforcement press conference on the evening of the assassination attempt sending out really
mixed signals through different media interviews and also through some of the statements of her subordinates.
And then, to -- on top of all that, you had today's performance, which was -- you know, we have a saying, don't bring a knife to a gunfight. Well, in
this context, same idea. Don't come to a congressional hearing without any information. And that's essentially what she did.
[18:20:00]
She wasn't comfortable sharing the information she knew. And then it was clear that, in response to other questions, she just simply didn't have the
facts. I think that sum total of that was just a very, very damaging performance for her today, and it really puts her tenure in that position
in question.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, I was going to ask that next. Is this a leadership problem, Andrew? Because would you agree she could have shared more?
MCCABE: She certainly could have shared more. You know, it's very often in situations where, as a law enforcement executive, and I know this very well
from personal experience, you're called up to Capitol Hill to provide information. And if there is an ongoing criminal investigation, you're in a
really tough spot because you can't share information that might prejudice the criminal investigation. That is obviously not the case here.
She admitted today she received numerous briefings from the FBI about what they're finding in their investigations. She could likely have, with a
minimal amount of coordination, shared much of that information, but she chose not to. So, it's -- she really kind of backed herself into an
untenable position.
And I -- and to your question of whether it's a leadership issue, it's always a leadership issue. And a failure at this level, I think -- unless
there's some obvious answer, which there isn't at this point, I think people naturally start looking to a leadership change.
CHATTERLEY: I mean, she actually managed to unite members of Congress in that room who were all calling for her to resign beyond others. Something
that remains divisive is guns, in general, in this country. And a lot of the Democrats use this as an opportunity to say, look, actually, this is an
example where when it's a potential presidential assassination or somebody in this kind of powerful position, they actually do get a hearing, unlike
what we see in other mass shootings around the country.
Do you think it changes the narrative, Andrew? We just heard the vice president talking about the Democrats going to push beyond this
presidential election to push for greater gun control. Do you think it changes the narrative? I mean, this was the Republicans guy that was
targeted.
MCCABE: We've had so many terrible examples of gun violence in this country. We have them day after day after day. And the fact that none of
them has really been able to change the narrative significantly, I think, leads us to believe that this situation probably won't either.
However, I think it was a fair point that the Democratic representatives brought up in the hearing. And it's also another example of a place where I
think that the Secret Service director could have been more informative.
She was asked directly by several members, does the profusion of guns in this country, the fact that we are awash in guns, many of them very
powerful weapons of war, like rifles, like the rifle that was used in this assassination attempt, does the sheer number of guns make the job harder
for law enforcement? And no matter where you sit on the political spectrum, the answer to that is yes.
As a law enforcement professional responsible for directing agents and, you know, verifying the security of the operations, it is infinitely harder to
do law enforcement well and safely in this country, simply because we have so many guns.
And that was an opportunity. I think she could have won a few allies on the committee, but unfortunately, she didn't take it.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, she prevaricated over that answer. And finally, when she admitted it, there was a smattering of frustrated applause in the room that
it took us so long to agree to that. It was a tough one. Andrew, great to get your insights today.
MCCABE: Yes.
CHATTERLEY: Thank you so much. All right. Let's return to the presidential race and Kamala Harris, who addressed party campaigners a short time ago.
Senior Democratic National Committee Adviser Brad Woodhouse is back with me and he can hear me. Hooray.
BRAD WOODHOUSE, SENIOR DNC ADVISER: Hell
CHATTERLEY: Hello. Welcome. What did you make of what she said? You could feel, and I said this to you, you couldn't hear me, the energy, I think, in
the room underscored by what we've seen from donors and volunteers over the past 24 hours.
WOODHOUSE: It's absolutely electric. I mean, the energy in this Democratic Party in the last 24 hours is like nothing I have ever seen. It is -- and
it's all a tribute and a credit to Joe Biden. Joe Biden, who made what had to be a difficult choice, but a choice that he knew was the right one, to
energize this party, to energize this race, to take on Donald Trump, to defend democracy from Trump and Vance and Project 2025.
I was watching it on TV. I was listening to it in your feed. I had had the staff calling in the background. It was just a tremendous thing to watch.
And I think Donald Trump's got to be really concerned now. It's one reason he seems to be backing out of the debate that he'd agreed to with President
Biden on ABC is that this prosecutor is going to prosecute a case against him as a fraudster, as a convicted felon, and as a sexual abuser. And I
just don't think Donald Trump quite knows what he's in for.
[18:25:00]
CHATTERLEY: And she underscored that in that speech, as you said, the sort of distinction between her being a prosecutor and him being a convicted
felon. We'll talk more about how the Trump campaign perhaps reacts to this as we push forward. But she is talking like the nominee, she isn't. And
there was some reticence, at least some discussion about the prospect of a coronation of Kamala Harris versus a nomination of Kamala Harris. Do you
think the distinction matters to voters today or is this just a done deal next?
WOODHOUSE: Well, for some reason, I didn't hear all of your question. I heard the word coronation. So, let me just say this, you know, this is not
a coordination. I think anyone yesterday, once they heard any Democrat, any governor, any senator who heard that the president had dropped out, could
have got on the phone and did exactly what Kamala Harris did. And that process is still open and it will remain open.
We don't have -- now, that President Biden stepped away, we don't have a nominee for the -- for at least a couple more weeks -- hours. She called
over 100 people. She secured a bunch of endorsements. Other people could have done that. They're welcome to still try to do it. I think her
competition out there, the people who are most mentioned as having what we call presidential timber, have all endorsed her. But of course, somebody
can still emerge. The process is open. She said she wanted to go earn it. And in the last 24 hours, she's worked her butt off to go earn it.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, she certainly has. Brad Woodhouse, it's going to be an interesting few weeks. Great to get your insight. Sir, thank you so much.
And thank you for hanging on in there with us when we were having some technical difficulties there.
All right. Returning to the presidential race. And a recent polling showing a tight race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Here's what voters are
saying in the swing State of Pennsylvania.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Harris pulls well against Trump. So, I think she has a real shot at winning. And I think he's doing the right thing right now,
despite some people being so nervous and saying it's disastrous. But I think it actually may end up being an asset to the Democratic Party.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think anything should be given to Vice President Harris. I mean, I think the DNC needs to look hard at all possible options.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If they had made her the nominee in the first place, she could have been a very good candidate. I think that everything that's
happened with the attempted assassination Donald Trump and the way that the -- you know, what's going on in Palestine currently, we really are broken
up in -- as Democrats at the moment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: But what do the numbers say? Who better to ask than our very own senior data reporter, Harry Enten. Harry, welcome to the show. The big
question is, what does the data say? Can Kamala beat Trump?
HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: Yes. Absolutely. I mean, look there are a few things we should know. You know, you -- I had a banner up before
the race it was, you know, very tight, too close to call. We just had a Quinnipiac University poll that was released in the last hour, I believe,
that showed Trump up by two, but well within the margin of error.
And more than that, while Donald Trump and Joe Biden are universally well- known entities, there is still a significant portion of the electorate, depending on which poll you look at between 10 percent and 20 percent of
the electorate that has not formed an opinion the current vice president.
And so, while the Trump-Biden matchup stayed static for months and months and months and months on end, that's historically unusual. What we may, in
fact, see going forward with plenty of voters who have not yet formed an opinion Kamala Harris is we may get more of that wave that we're used to
seeing in presidential horse race polling. One in which, at this particular point, is a race that I certainly think cannot be called at this time.
CHATTERLEY: And she can pick up votes, surely, women, people of color, young people, independents. This is where we're going to be watching now
very closely.
ENTEN: Yes, absolutely. You know, you mentioned independents in there and what we saw in our CNN SSRS poll was that while Joe Biden trailed among
independents against Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, in fact, led among independents against Donald Trump.
We know that during the course of this campaign that Joe Biden had been doing considerably worse among younger voters than he did four years ago,
far worse than a Democrat normally does, at least since I've been able to vote. You mentioned voters of color. You know, we know that among black
voters and Hispanic voters, Donald Trump was putting up historically strong numbers. In fact, among black voters, he was doing as well, if not better
than any Republican has done a presidential race since Richard Nixon, since 1960.
And what I was looking at when we looked at black voters, at least in the average of polls, was that at least when you looked at the margin by which
Harris was leading Trump, she was leading by an eight-point wider margin than Biden was among black voters.
[18:30:00]
So, there's plenty of room for growth. And given that Harris is not particularly well-known, at least compared to Biden at this point, it
certainly provides Democrats with an opportunity as compared to a race that they had previously basically been running where Biden had been behind
every single day this year.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, no choice when you look at it like that. Harry, I've got millions more questions but we're out of time. We'll reconvene.
ENTEN: Oh, well.
CHATTERLEY: Great to have you with us. Harry Enten there. All right. Now, in the hours since Joe Biden has backed out of the 2024 race, many of his
rivals are saying he should not only back out of the race, but out of his current term in office. More on that, just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to "First Move" with a look at more international headlines this hour. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in
Washington for a series of events this week. He's set to address Congress. And officials say he'll likely meet with Vice President Kamala Harris and
President Joe Biden. The president's COVID status may, though, impact the timing of their meeting. Prime Minister Netanyahu says Israel will remain
the most important ally of the U.S. in the Middle East regardless of who is "chosen to lead."
At least six people have lost their lives after a gunman opened fire in a home for the elderly in Croatia. Local police made an arrest in a nearby
cafe shortly after the attack. Among the victims are five nursing home residents and one employee.
The British Royal Family releasing a new photo of Prince George to mark his 11th birthday. The picture was taken by his mother, Catherine, the Princess
of Wales, and shared on social media with the message wishing Prince George a very happy 11th birthday today.
Now, as Joe Biden exits the race for the White House, leading Democrats are praising him and his decades of service. Top Republicans, meanwhile,
including Donald Trump, are demanding President Biden resign. On Sunday, Trump posted this on social media, crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for
president and is certainly not fit to serve and never was. Kristen Holmes is in Washington with more.
[18:35:00]
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Julia, Donald Trump and his campaign had already started launching these personal attacks on Kamala
Harris weeks ago in the anticipation that she could potentially be at the top of the ticket.
Now, that doesn't mean that the campaign was prepared for this or has even come up with a new strategy to attack the fact that President Joe Biden is
no longer running for president. Remember, they have spent millions of dollars on modeling, on data research, on campaign ads, all with the
anticipation that they are running against President Joe Biden. And they're very confident. in that fact. They believe that they were going to beat
him. Now, all bets are off.
Now, whether or not they say they believe Harris is an easy candidate, anyone, any Democrat is an easy candidate, that their campaign was built
around Donald Trump, not against whoever the opponent is, none of that is entirely true because they know that this means that there is a change in
calculation in the way that people think.
One of the things about Joe Biden was that there was a lack of enthusiasm among Democratic voters when it came to him as a candidate. They don't know
how that enthusiasm changes with Harris or anyone else at the top of the ticket. Enthusiasm generally equals turnout. So, they are going to have to
restructure and rethink the way that they were creating their campaign to attack and to go after and run against President Joe Biden.
Now, one thing they say when it comes to Kamala Harris, if she is in fact the nominee, is that they believe that that could be more helpful to them
than to say some specific governor of a different country administration or a different state, the reason being that they can link Kamala Harris to Joe
Biden's policies, particularly those policies that Trump pulls ahead of Biden on when it comes to immigration, crime, inflation.
The other thing that they point to is the fact that they've seen polling that shows that Harris has the highest name I.D. of any of these potential
nominees that could be at the top of the ticket. However, they do believe that name I.D. and name education are different, meaning that people might
recognize her name, but that doesn't mean that they know anything about her. And they believe that gives them an opportunity to spend the next
several weeks painting her in a negative light as they sort of reintroduce her, or even introduce her to some voters. Julia.
CHATTERLEY: Our thanks to Kristen there. Now, with President Biden no longer in the 2024 race, Kamala Harris campaign says it's raised $81
million dollars in online donations in just 24 hours. Her spokesperson, Lauren Hitt, calls this a huge haul, showing grassroots enthusiasm for
Harris. The campaign says it's the largest 24-hour raise in presidential history.
Now, support for Harris also extends to many business leaders. That's according to Jeffrey Sonnenfeld. He's known as the CEO whisperer and is the
senior associate dean for Executive Programs at Yale University. And he joins us now. Jeff, fantastic to have you on the show. What are you hearing
from the business community?
JEFFREY SONNENFELD, SENIOR ASSOCIATE DEAN, YALE UNIVERSITY: It's great to see you. And thanks for the invitation. We're hearing tremendous enthusiasm
from the business community.
As you can see right now, that historic record of fundraising that you mentioned, that was the greatest amount collected in a 24-hour period in
the history of campaigns anywhere in the world, that it's now -- that was about $81 million, now it's approaching $100 is -- that's from small
donors. We have large donors that are now just gearing up for a huge tidal wave of support.
But CEOs in particular are so relieved. They personally liked Joe Biden a lot. But Joe Biden has got to be one of the most unlucky politicians in
history. Just, you know, with the tragic losses he's had in his family and, of course, having career opportunities blunted before by other candidates
and jumped in front of him. And now, up for re-election that he had to deal with this COVID illness, and whatever drug he was given for going into the
debate was a debacle.
So, they're happy to see the vitality that Kamala Harris brings. And she hits the ground running having been vice president. She knows the key
players. She knows, of course, the instruments of government and they're excited. She taps into amazing constituencies of excitement.
I mean, you're saying that CEOs are euphoric in some cases about the decision by Joe Biden to step back. And obviously, Kamala Harris now moving
into poll position. Is it about policy or is it about personality? Is this again a decision that they don't want Trump personality versus policy?
Because is there an assumption from the business community that there'll be policy continuity between Biden and Harris?
SONNENFELD: They don't want Trump because of policy reasons. The -- of course, the debt swelled under him under, under Trump, and Biden brought it
down by a third.
[18:40:00]
The deficit spending was up enormously under Trump, is 100 percent. It was up, you know, 10, 15 percent, which is not good. But under Biden,
inflation's come down from over 7 percent to just around 3 percent. Unemployment hasn't been this low since the 1960s, at 3.8 to 4.1 percent in
that range, and the global growth forecast of the World Bank is driven 80 percent by the strength of the United States' economy. It's the world's
largest energy producer by 50 percent.
So, they like those policies and they're frightened about the Biden -- the Trump policies. They want to have all tariffs all the time against the
entire world. That brings us back to the Smoot-Hawley tariffs of 1929 that helped trigger the Great Depression, it's ridiculous.
It would be highly inflationary anywhere from 5 to 10 percent. And in some countries, they're looking at 60 to 100 percent tariffs. This would be
impossible. It's almost like a new iron curtain weirdly enough around the United States and the retaliatory adjusters would be awful as it was.
Many companies like Harley Davidson couldn't get product, made the U.S. into Europe because of the European understandable retaliation against
Trump tariffs. So, it's really problematic. And of course, the condemnation of immigration to have highly skilled H-1B visa recipients blocked the way
Trump did, it's very problematic to business. The independents of the Federal Reserve, which is a hallmark of U.S. financial policies that have a
monetary system that isn't subject to political whims, the way Putin wakes up in the morning and invents a number, all that's really, really troubling
to CEOs.
They're not isolationist. They're not protectionist. They're not xenophobic. But more than anything else, Julia, they believe in the rule of
law and not the law of a ruler.
CHATTERLEY: Yes. That's an interesting point. So, the message is, I think, from the business community to the Trump campaign, tone down the tariff
chat, perhaps, and calibrate that immigration response to legal versus illegal in this case.
What's her potential Achilles heel? Jeff, if you had to point it out, whether it's the more we hear from her, perhaps? We certainly saw when she
became a potential presidential candidate that the polls dropped almost immediately for her and that continued onto them becoming vice president,
and that's perhaps been tied now to President Biden. How does she distinguish herself and what's the potential Achilles heel?
SONNENFELD: There are three Achilles heels. So, I guess somebody would have to have three legs instead of two legs. But one of them is that in the
primary campaigns she could have -- she could come across as a little defensive and prickly, but Heaven's nose, being in that position, I would
be a nightmare to deal with. And she's come a very long way.
She's never campaigned on the national stage before. And with the global reach she's had, she's learned now how to be humorous, responsive, and
informative without being as caustic as she used to be. So, that was one. I think she's transcended that.
A second one, which is a challenge, is, it has to do with big tech, in particular, social media companies is that right now, Silicon Valley, no
matter what you read or see, Silicon Valley is overwhelmingly Democratic. But still, some of the regulation coming towards them is problematic, but -
- you know, for big tech, but they're still supporting her.
Now, what is her saving grace on that is some of the most important legislation is either sponsored by Republicans or it's bipartisan. Marsha
Blackburn, the great Republican Senator and Dick Blumenthal, Democrat Senator, are the ones who are sponsoring the Child Safety -- Kid Safety Act
for social media, for example. But that kind of stuff, of course, gets big tech a little nervous and some of the cryptocurrency issues, but also that
is bipartisan.
And the third one, of course, if we didn't get to this before I -- you escaped hearing from me today, your viewers would get mad, and that is on
the immigration front. She was assigned that duty, but not given a lot of discretion and that was a problem. It wasn't a winning hand. So, those are
three areas where she has some vulnerability.
But I think, you know, in the 11th hour, they came up with some very good programs on trying to stem immigration. And in fact, illegal border
crossings, no matter what you see are actually down under Biden, but still, that's a vulnerability.
CHATTERLEY: Yes. Good point. Well made, sir. Great to chat to you as always. Jeff Sonnenfeld there. Thank you.
Now, more "First Move" after the break. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:47:24]
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back. Now, that U.S. President Joe Biden has announced his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race, messages of support have
poured in from around the world. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he respected Biden's decision, whilst Canadian Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau thanked him for being "a great friend."
Let's get more now on this with Marc Stewart. You know, Marc, it's great to have you with us from Beijing. I want to hear what the Beijing buzz is.
What are people over there saying about what's taking place over here?
MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Julia. Good to see you. Look, let me start with some context. As you know, from covering China, there are many
moments when Beijing will give bold and boisterous statements about U.S. politics and policy, but this current election is not one of them. Beijing
has been very hands off.
Yet, a lot of these moments that we have seen in recent weeks, including Joe Biden's departure from the race, it is getting coverage in state media.
People are aware of it and they are talking about it. We took to the streets of Beijing just yesterday to hear some of these different opinions.
Take a listen as to what we discovered.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): From my view as a Chinese citizen, whoever wins as U.S. president, I don't think it will impact China
too much.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As for me, I'm really interested about how America was happening now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, it's a huge problem. It's complicated. So, I obviously don't have a solution for it. But yes, there are definitely
issues.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEWART: So, this is a talking point on the streets, also on Chinese state media. But if we look beyond Beijing, if we look to some of the neighbors
here, Japan and South Korea, they too are also taking a very distant approach to the U.S. political scene. But this is important, especially for
Japan and for South Korea, as along with the United States, there is this mutual defense, this military agreement between these three nations. So,
the White House presence, Julia, certainly does matter here in Asia.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, certainly. And a reluctance there to provide a solution, even if he had one, which is -- which was quite fun. Marc, great to have
you with us. And I'm just astonished by your backdrop. That's the level of pollution there in Beijing today. Wowzers. That's a topic in of itself.
STEWART: Murky day.
CHATTERLEY: We shall reconvene. Yes. Wear a mask. All right. Still to come here on "First Move," how Olympic organizers are avoiding a pretty sticky
situation with the games just a few days away. We'll show you how technology is being used to beat the heat. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:52:10]
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back. The Paris Olympics are just days away and preparations are on the home straight. But there's one major concern for
organizers and that's the heat. Meteorologist Derek Van Dam has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): The Olympics are about to kick off in Europe's most vulnerable city to heat. Extreme weather fueled
by increasing temperatures may be one of the event organizers' toughest challenges.
VAN DAM: While rain could postpone the events, heat waves threaten spectators and athletes in the city. This device detects heat using
infrared. The yellows are the hottest, the purples are the coolest. Something meteorologists will be watching closely.
VAN DAM (voice-over): CNN spoke exclusively with a meteorologist responsible for monitoring incoming severe weather and advising the Olympic
Committee on potential impacts.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, we have something I can show you here. We have really hot summers that we never had before the 21st century in Paris.
VAN DAM (voice-over): This year's games will take place around the same period of the year as France's most lethal heatwave in 2003.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was the worst event we had in France overall and especially in Paris here. Paris is vulnerable because we have a very big
urban heat effect.
VAN DAM (voice-over): Because Paris is such a densely populated city, heat is amplified by various surfaces like asphalt, concrete, and even
buildings. While Olympic athletes strive to break records, our own planet is breaking records too, as 2023 was Earth's hottest year ever, with 2024
on track to be even warmer.
VAN DAM: And what I see is a concerning trend of more frequent extreme heat and longer lasting heat.
VAN DAM (voice-over): While extreme heat is just one element monitored here, forecasters from Meteo-France will use an arsenal of tools to warn of
any incoming severe weather.
ALEXIS DECALONNE, HEAD, METEO-FRANCE SPORTS: It's like rain detection at street level.
VAN DAM: This little-known device could determine whether or not an Olympic event is postponed or canceled. It is the mobile radar that measures rain
in real-time. So, Meteo-France forecasters can advise the Olympic Committee.
DECALONNE: If a threshold for a given sport is exceeded, postponement or calendar adaptation or the worst cancellation could happen.
VAN DAM (voice-over): Heavy rain already postponed an opening ceremony rehearsal on the scene as the river was flowing too quickly.
The last time Paris hosted the Olympics in 1924, the French capital was five and a half degrees cooler than it is today, helping fuel the climate
with more extreme weather. 2024 is certainly on track to rewrite both the climate and Olympic history books.
Derek Van Dam, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[18:55:00]
CHATTERLEY: And finally, on "First Move", Kamala Harris' team is making appeals to young voters in a way that many other candidates simply aren't.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: "So Julia," that's the song, hard on the heels of the popular new album Brat from British pop singer Charli XCX which has taken off on
TikTok. The pop star seemingly endorsed Harris with this rather simple tweet. Kamala is Brat. And Harris is leaning in, adopting the font and
looking of the Brat album cover on her X or Twitter page, making a clear pitch to the social media generation.
But what is Brat? I know, don't worry. I had to Google it as well. Well, actually, Charli explained it on her own TikTok. You're just like that girl
who's a little messy and likes to party and maybe say some dumb things sometimes. It is a compliment.
And that just about wraps up the show. Thank you for joining us. We'll see you tomorrow.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
