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Laura Coates Live
Kamala Harris And Tim Walz Kick Off Campaign At Philadelphia Rally; Cori Bush Loses Her Missouri Primary; Laura Coates Interviews Beto O'Rourke; Donald Trump Attacks Tim Walz; Republicans Hammer Tim Walz Over George Floyd Protests. Aired 11p-12a ET
Aired August 06, 2024 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[23:00:01]
COLEMAN HUGHES, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST, PODCAST HOST: Can't be stated enough. There's no path to victory, really, without Pennsylvania. She was handed on a silver -- silver platter, the extremely popular governor of Pennsylvania that could get him -- get her that one extra percentage-point that could determine the election. There's a chance we look back on this as a huge mistake.
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN ANCHOR: We'll see. Natasha?
NATASHA ALFORD, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: We'll see. I don't agree with that, but that's okay. My call to action is that more teachers run for office. People who have served, who've served America's children, who know the weight of it, who know the pressure, that's experience that I think qualifies.
PHILLIP: We love teachers around here. Everyone, thank you very much. We appreciate you joining us and thank you for watching "NewsNight." "Laura Coates Live" starts right now.
LAURA COATES, CNN HOST: We are the underdogs. That's what Vice President Kamala Harris told Governor Tim Walz this morning when she phoned him to offer him the job of her running mate. Harris knew exactly what she was doing when she used those words. No one had her name at the top of the ticket maybe a month ago. No one had his name on the ticket at all, perhaps even two weeks ago. And with about 90 days to go, they've got to prove their name should have always been there in the first place.
Now leave it to Vegas to decide whether the odds are against them or in their favor. But I'll tell you, Harris is now betting that Coach Walz, as she called him tonight, can help her run a political offense that can somehow pierce Trump's coalition and win over some of those critical voters come November. Much easier said than done.
But tonight, in Philadelphia, she began the work of introducing Walz to America for those who don't know who he is. She praised his 24 years at the National Guard, his time as a high school social studies teacher, his 12 years in Congress, don't forget and, of course, his time as governor of my home state, Minnesota.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He has been a model chief executive. And with his experience, I'm telling you, Tim Walz will be ready on day one.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Now, don't forget, this is not just about a resume. I mean, he looks good on paper, just doesn't cut it in any context, right? Sources tell CNN that Harris and Walz actually hit it off during the vetting process. They had political chemistry. And perhaps most importantly, Walz told the vetting team he had zero ambition to become president. Now, I find that particularly intriguing.
The same could not be said about Governor Josh Shapiro, who reportedly came across as -- quote, unquote -- "overly ambitious" during the vetting process. Still, he tonight delivered a rousing speech praising this new ticket. Now, Walz, it seems, understands the assignment and has seemingly understood it for quite some time now. Voters, they want credibility as much as authenticity.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. TIM WALZ (D-MN), U.S. VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know it. You feel it. These guys are creepy. And yes, just weird as hell. And make no mistake, violent crime was up under Donald Trump.
(APPLAUSE)
That's not even counting the crimes he committed.
(APPLAUSE)
In Minnesota, we respect our neighbors and the personal choices that they make.
(APPLAUSE)
Even if we wouldn't make the same choice for ourselves, there's a golden rule: Mind your own damn business.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: That's a golden rule and golden book my kids didn't have in their library.
(LAUGHTER)
But I might add it. Now, reports suggest that Trump, the Trump campaign, is breathing -- get this -- a sigh of relief tonight. They see Walz's progressive record as a total political liability for Harris. And Walz is a much easier opponent than Shapiro, they believe. Trump actually summed it up with just two words when the pick was made, thank you. But is it sincerity or bravado?
Joining me tonight, former Trump Deputy Communications Director Bryan Lanza, CNN political commentator and Republican pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson, and CNN political commentator Karen Finney. Also here, Mehdi Hasan, editor-in-chief of Zeteo News, who endorsed Walz on the program just last week.
Apparently, he was on his bingo card. And former New York Democratic Congressman Joe Crowley, who I'm going to credit right now as telling me over a month ago that you thought he would be the pick. And so, bravo, my friend. How did you know this was the right one?
JOE CROWLEY, FORMER NEW YORK REPRESENTATIVE: I just knew that the temperament that he has, he comes from Minnesota, he speaks the language, born in Nebraska, he speaks a language, I think, of Midwestern America, and he brings that kind of, you know, can-do, positive attitude, football coach, takes a losing team to win the state championship, it's like a movie being written right in front of us, you know?
[23:05:00]
So --
COATES: If somebody starts doing a slow clap all of a sudden during this campaign, it will be a "Friday Night Lights" sort of movie, won't it?
CROWLEY: No doubt. But the thing is that I've known Tim for 18 years. I saw him perform in the House of Representatives. I saw him as the chair of the Veterans Committee. I saw him pass legislation on behalf of veterans that's coming to light now, that he's giving credit for. So, you know, he wasn't a backbencher.
He was also someone who participated in the democratic caucus. I was the chair at one point. And I know -- you know, you have people talk all the time. You kind of turn them off because you hear them all the time. Tim was very smart about how he would address his colleagues and was always, always respected.
COATES: Mehdi, how do you see it? Because you also -- you were advocating for him. I think you were saying that you were all in and thought it was the right choice. But there were many people who were talking about, oh, hold on, it's in Philadelphia. That means it's a shoo-in for Shapiro --
(LAUGHTER)
-- ignoring --
MEHDI HASAN, BROADCASTER, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, COLUMNIST, AUTHOR, CO-FOUNDER OF ZETEO: Thankful to Shapiro.
COATES: -- the history of Philadelphia and American politics, and none of the Constitution. But let me ask you, what do you think now that it's out there? And, of course, Republicans have already started to seize on this, including Trump saying, thank you.
HASAN: Yeah, I mean, they're going to try and seize on it. I never buy this. This is good for us, nonsense.
COATES: Hmm.
HASAN: Trump also, I think, posted today, Walz brings hell on earth, like anyone who has seen the guy. Hell on earth is not when you think when you see him holding a piglet or hugging children after he has guaranteed them free school meals.
One of the things I pushed and mentioned to you last week was his record. Joe mentioned his record in the House. His record as a governor, I know, appealed to Kamala Harris. That's the kind of record she wants to have in the White House, where he's passing, you know, securing abortion rights, expanding voting rights, expanding child tax credit, getting gun control legislation done, free school breakfasts and lunches with a one seat majority in the state Senate. It's a phenomenal record. It's the kind of record Joe Biden almost got to had it not been for the mansion and cinemas of this world.
And I think, look, that's what she wants. She also, as you mentioned in the intro, she gels with him. They look good together. They have a rapport. He's going to be the attack dog. I love all that stuff we just watched. I was laughing my head off during that.
COATES: Well, let me ask you, and I -- 20 bucks, as you say. This is good for us, Brian.
(LAUGHTER)
BRYAN LANZA, FORMER DEPUTY COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, TRUMP 2016 CAMPAIGN: Well, first of all, thank you for having me. Yeah, I mean, listen, at the end of the day, you've known him for 18 years. You know, congressman. You saw him evolve from a moderate Democrat to a radical leftist as he ran for governor of Minnesota. I mean, he ran as a leftist politician for governor of Minnesota.
He certainly -- he certainly ran away from the NRA, who previously endorsed him when he ran for Congress. You know, he supported sanctuary cities. He supported legal -- he supported, you know, what is it? Amnesty for illegal aliens. He supported health care for illegal aliens.
That's outside the mainstream of America. It's certainly outside the mainstream of the Midwest. So, it's great that they chose a Midwesterner. They just chose the furthest left of the Midwest, who's going to sort of -- who's not going to moderate Kamala, who's going to continue to push her to the left, which is her problem.
COATES: Kristen, is it outside? I mean, you're a pollster. Is what he's describing something that's anathema to the mainstream voter, so to speak?
KRISTEN SOLTIS ANDERSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, REPUBLICAN POLLSTER: Well, right now, the Trump campaign, in my view, is still trying to settle on what's their primary line of attack going to be against Kamala Harris. And it seems as though with this pick, they're now going to be nudged more toward she's far left, she's out of the mainstream, a more ideological approach.
And what I wonder is, do voters think of a term like moderate as being about ideology or about temperament? I think about a clip where Governor Walz said, you know, socialism is one man's neighborliness. And it's the sort of thing where if you're thinking about it purely ideologically, well, that sounds like a really nice spin on socialism. That sounds like maybe pretty far to the left. But talking about late neighborliness maybe doesn't code as political extremism.
And so, I'm going to be interested to see, do voters look at things like that and think, wow, his views and his policy positions are very -- progressives really love him for that. Maybe he is too far to the left. Or do they say, you know, he's more moderate-coded because he's talking about hunting and fishing and all those sorts of things.
KAREN FINNEY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: He's also doing those things and living that life. I mean, the thing about Tim Walz to me, he's just normal. He just seems like a nice, normal guy. Even Tim Pawlenty earlier this evening said he's a good guy, right? They may disagree on policy, but that he's genuinely a good guy.
And if my friend, Bryan, wants to have a conversation about how Donald Trump wants to use government to enact his retribution agenda and Tim Walz says, hey, my job as a governor was kids don't go hungry, putting $545 million back into people's pockets with tax cuts - -
LANZA: Sanctuary cities is what --
FINNEY: Well, if you want to talk over me, that's fine. But, you know, he did the child tax credit, which supposedly J.D. Vance favors. You know, we're securing reproductive freedom for women. And those -- these are actually mainstream ideas. Thirty-five-dollar insulin, capping those costs, that -- people want that. Those are not liberal ideas.
But I think, as Mehdi said, like you look at him holding a piglet or that video of him on the ride with his daughter, that's not like the boogeyman is going to come steal your Halloween candy, for heaven's sake.
[23:10:01]
COATES: I mean, is -- is holding a piglet the new kissing babies, the pancake breakfast that's happening right now?
FINNEY: I think that's what we're seeing.
COATES: But, I mean, I want to -- can you address his point, though, because it struck me? She was giving a list of things that are attributes, she believes, to this candidate and as a running mate. You pointed out sanctuary cities, which strikes me as what would be a knee jerk reaction to try to undercut that. How does he counteract it? FINNEY: Again, I think they have a conversation about what have been the policies of the Biden-Harris administration. When you join a ticket, you say, I'm going to back my -- the number one, right? That's the job of the number two.
And if you look at what has happened under the Biden-Harris administration, now we're seeing a number of the things that President Biden has done. We're seeing lower crossings. We're seeing -- I think people still want commonsense, humane and full, comprehensive immigration reform. I think you have that conversation. And again, I think he can talk about what was the right thing for him to do for his state and what did his people want versus what's right for the country.
CROWLEY: Well, I would also say to this that it's one of the top states in the country to live right now. I think it is number five.
FINNEY: Yeah.
CROWLEY: I would have thought of Minnesota --
FINNEY: And to do business.
CROWLEY: And to do business.
COATES: Well, I would have thought of Minnesota --
(LAUGHTER)
-- excuse me.
CROWLEY: My wife is from Montana, so I got to be very careful --
COATES: Oh, there you go.
CROWLEY: -- about the West and Midwest.
COATES: A different M. Go ahead.
CROWLEY: But think about it. You know, I think that's something to really hang your hat on as the governor. He's the -- you know, he takes all the bad news. He has to take the blame for that. He should get the credit for some of the good stuff as well, that it's a wholesome place to live. And I think he's one of those kinds of like kitchen table kinds of people. He tells you exactly how he feels, what he's thinking.
Now, people often mistook him and I on the House floor. I'm five feet -- I'm five inches taller than him. It's a lot better looking.
(LAUGHTER)
But now, I really do appreciate it more. He -- Tim is a -- he is that kind of -- he is what he is, and I think that's something refreshing in American politics. We haven't seen that for a long time. COATES: Hold on one second. We have some breaking news coming out right now because Congresswoman Cori Bush losing her congressional seat in Missouri's first district. So-called Squad member faced a fierce primary challenge from Democratic opponent, Wesley Bell. That's after his campaigns on influx of cash from the Israel-aligned Super PAC, AIPAC, along with other similar lobbying groups. Together, they took more than $8 million into the campaign, making this one of the most expensive House primaries in history. We'll have more on this story later this hour.
Mehdi, this is interesting news. What's your reaction?
HASAN: As you mentioned just there, one of the most expensive House primaries in recent history. The most expensive, of course, was Jamaal Bowman --
COATES: Uh-hmm.
HASAN: -- who just lost a few weeks ago to a candidate also backed by AIPAC Super PAC. We talk a lot about democracy on this show, on our networks. I think if we're going to have a conversation about democracy, we have to talk about the role of money, unlimited money, dark money in our races.
Twenty-three million dollars, I think, spent in Jamaal Bowman's race. Eight and a half million dollars by the United Democracy Project here. By the way, that's an AIPAC-aligned Super PAC, which gets a lot of money from Republicans. According to Politico, it's the biggest source of republican money in democratic primaries.
So, the system has to be fixed. You can like Cori Bush. I happen to like her. A lot of people don't like her. Whether you like her or not, I don't think anyone is okay with a system where you spend -- these groups spend millions and millions of dollars on an issue that, you know.
COATES: Crowley, what's your reaction, given not only the money, but also this is somebody, with her particular viewpoint, known as one of the progressive members of the House, now losing her seat? That, in addition to now Jamaal Bowman.
CROWLEY: Well, I do agree. I think that money plays a terrible role in terms of the election and the election process. And I think that Citizens United was a horrible decision by the Supreme Court. That has really set back the American body politics.
In terms of, you know, I think the person she lost against or she lost to this evening, their records are probably going to be very, very close, very, very similar, as my record for the AOCs (ph) is very, very close as well. So, in that sense, it's not that.
But I think it's more of a pushback on maybe some of the extremes we're seeing in the far left or the far right. I think we're seeing a pushback further in the democratic caucus. Unfortunately, I wish we'd see more pushback on the far, far right. And these people who bow down to the dear leader all the time, you don't see that really happening on our side. We push back more on our side.
COATES: Bryan, your reaction?
LANZA: Listen, I think it's a good thing. I happen to work for Citizens United. I support speech. I think speech is an important thing in the Constitution, and we don't have enough of it in our campaign. So, I'm going to defend that.
But, you know, listen, she was out of whack with her district. She picked some very powerful enemies that came back and sort of pushed against her and were successful against it. I mean, that is the democratic process. You pick -- you pick your enemies, you pick your friends, you pick your alliances, and you sort of let the voters choose. The voters --
HASAN: Who was the powerful enemy she picked?
LANZA: Well, she was very anti-Israel. So, I mean, she's very much, you know, an anti-Israel, you know, member of Congress. And that's -- that's what you see.
[23:14:57]
You see the -- you see the Israel, you know, the pro-Israel people in the United States sort of flexing their muscles and saying, you know, enough of these types of candidates in the Democratic Party. You know, we need -- we need somebody who's going to work as a consensus, not continue to sort of move the party to the far left. At least that's what I've seen. And, you know, the voters have made the decision today.
COATES: Karen, I hear your reaction.
FINNEY: Well, I'm not going to speak to the particulars of this race, but one of the things that I think we have lost in this conversation about having just spent a week in the West Bank and in Israel is there should be no issue with saying I am pro the Palestinian people. I am anti-Hamas, which is evil. I am pro the Israeli people. I do not think that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is making Israel safer.
And we've sort of lost some of those -- that part -- those nuances in this conversation. And it's -- and it has become just very you're pro or you're anti. No, I'm actually pro the people, and I'm anti people who use their position to hold on to power to escape being held accountable.
COATES: Really quick, I want to hear from you, Kristen. Do voters see -- you're our pollster. Do voters see the nuance and is it an either or in assessing how they feel about candidates on these issues?
SOLTIS-ANDERSON: So, in general, this is not an issue that is a top issue for the vast majority of voters, but you are seeing it pop up in democratic primaries as motivational. Think about the uncommitted movement during the democratic primary where within the party, when Biden was still sort of considered the incumbent president, he's going to be re-nominated, there was a movement to try to make the case, no, we think he's wrong on this.
So, it's the sort of thing that I actually don't see making a big difference with swing voters, but it certainly is playing a role in terms of motivating Democratic progressive voters.
COATES: Well, it certainly has motivated in this particular democratic primary. Stand by, everyone. Ahead, we'll talk more about this. And look, from a high school teacher to now a vice presidential running mate and candidate, how did Tim Walz go to where he is now? And will his folksy sort of Minnesota background help Democrats in November or not?
Next, a friend who went on morning runs with him in Congress. I'm talking about Beto O'Rourke. He joins me in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[23:20:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WALZ: Minnesota's strength comes from our values, our commitment to working together, to seeing past our differences, to always being willing to lend a helping hand. Those are the same values I learned on the family farm and tried to instill in my students. And now, Vice President Harris and I are running to take those very values to the White House.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Governor Tim Walz pitching himself to voters with his trademark Midwestern flair. It was a critical moment to define who he is and what he stands for, because up until the past couple of weeks, maybe you have never heard much about him.
Joining me now is someone who knows Tim Walz well from their time in Congress together, former Democratic congressman and presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke. Thank you so much for joining us this evening. I mean, you know, Governor Walz. You went on runs with him. I understand you talked music with him. You both serve in the same committee, the Veterans Affairs Committee. How do you expect him to handle this role?
BETO O'ROURKE, FORMER TEXAS REPRESENTATIVE: Well, let me tell you a little bit about the time that I spent with Tim in Congress. You know, the House Veterans Affairs Committee is where members of Congress are sent as a form of punishment. Few, if any, choose to be on that committee because there are no PAC dollars to be raised, there are no big ribbon cutting ceremonies, it's not sexy, you don't make the headlines in the newspapers.
But Tim was one of those rare members, one of these rare human beings who wanted to be there because he wanted to help and serve those who had literally put their lives on the line for this country. I think that has something to do with his upbringing, with his character, and the fact that he served 24 years in the Army National Guard, leaving as a command sergeant major, I think the highest enlisted rank of any member who has ever served in the House of Representatives. That says a lot about Tim Walz to me and to the countless veterans that he served across this country.
And yes, we got to know each other as friends. We sat next to each other. We talked music, The Replacements, Husker Du, Prince, Bob Dylan, Lizzo, all the great stuff coming out of Minnesota. And early morning runs. And I remember distinctly it being freezing cold in February in D.C., single digits, and I show up in seven layers, everything that I've got on because I'm a --
(LAUGHTER)
-- kid from the desert southwest in El Paso, and Tim Walz is standing there in running shorts and a T-shirt just ready to go. The guy is as tough as an ox and the kindest human being you'll ever meet.
And as Joe was just saying earlier, he is the person that you see up there. When you talk to him privately, he's just as folksy. He's just the same Tim Walz that you see up on that stage or behind that microphone.
And the reason that most of us have never heard of Tim Walz, unless we serve with him or unless we live in the state of Minnesota, is the guy is not a blowhard. He's not a bloviator. He's not a grandstander. He's not touting his own record. He's just getting the job done. And I saw him do that for veterans, day in, day out. First guy in the committee hearing, last guy to leave, shook every witness's hands, listened --
COATES: Interesting.
O'ROURKE: -- to all the veterans service organizations and got legislation passed.
COATES: You know, and yet, after what you've described, there are right wing critics who are hitting him hard on his military record. They're saying he should be criticized because he has never been deployed to Iraq, in contrast with Senator J.D. Vance, who did deploy. As you mentioned, he served 24 years in the National Guard. So, what do you make of this particular line of attack with respect to your friend and, of course, the governor of Minnesota?
O'ROURKE: It's an extraordinarily weak line of attack. This guy put his life on the line, just like everyone else. Had no idea where he would be deployed to, what would be asked of him, but signed a blank check to the United States government, said, do with me what you will.
[23:24:55]
That guy in his service in the Guard was there to respond to his fellow Americans and Minnesotans in times of national disaster, when neighbors needed a helping hand, something that he talked about today in his speech. And you add that to his exemplary service as a high school social studies teacher, a football coach.
And when he was making fun of himself for looking older than Kamala Harris, even though they're about the same age, the years that it took off him to be the lunchroom monitor at the high school where he taught, I mean, this guy is all about community, he's all about family, he's all about doing the right thing, and he has been the most consistent person that I've known in my time in public service. I've known him over a decade.
I think he's the perfect contrast to perhaps one of the biggest frauds to ever hit the scene, J.D. Vance. I mean, who knows what that guy really believes or who that guy really is at his core? He has been so many different things, and he has just become a Trump lover in his most latest incarnation.
Tim Walz is Tim Walz. Tim Walz is all about serving the people around him --
COATES: Hmm.
O'ROURKE: -- in the Guard, as a high school teacher, a member of Congress, a governor, and yes, now as the next vice president of the United States of America.
COATES: Well, Beto, he has said that he is excited, can't wait to debate Senator J.D. Vance. And, of course, the critique that J.D. Vance has experienced is about changing. He would call it an epiphany or a revelation, maybe a change of heart that should be appraised and applauded. You suggest that he is a conformist in that respect.
But I am wondering what you make of the potential matchup in a debate between the two, particularly given that you know that the issues on the border are going to be top of mind. They're going to be a very important aspect of any debate, of any evaluation by voters. Harris is trying to appear tough on the border. Republicans are attacking her record. Walz supports a path to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants, but not much is known about his views on border security specifically. What can you tell us about this pairing on that issue?
O'ROURKE: I cannot wait for this debate and specifically on this issue. I think Governor Walz is going to be able to show this country that President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris worked with Democrats and Republicans alike to put forward one of the most comprehensive border security and immigration proposals that this country has ever seen.
They got buy in from hardcore right-wing Republicans. It was ready to pass and it was spiked. It was blown up at the end of the day by Donald Trump because he doesn't want the solution. He doesn't want to solve these problems. He wants to be able to run on the problem. And that's J.D. Vance's record as well.
So, Tim Walz, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden have offered the American public solutions to a problem that we've had long before Joe Biden was president, before even Trump or Obama. This has been with us for the decades since we last had comprehensive immigration reform. You elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz as the president and vice president of the United States of America, and I promise you they will make this a priority and they will get it done.
COATES: You have to wonder how they will articulate that to the American public, as many states feel that they are increasingly becoming so-called border states with the influx of migrants. And there is polling to suggest that there is not much confidence in Democrats' ability to get the job done, but they'll have to make that very case.
Let me ask you, Harris and Walz, they have now raised $20 million since the V.P. announcement. That was like less than 12 hours ago. Well, maybe a little more than 12 hours ago, if my math is correct. There's a lot of enthusiasm, in other words. But we saw what it took to get here. It took Biden stepping aside, it took a decision and coalescing around the vice-presidential pick as the top of the ticket, about the delegates as well. How are you seeing Biden's decision today?
O'ROURKE: You and I would not be having this conversation, but for the selflessness and the courage of President Joe Biden, who put this country before any interest, including his own, and helped to elevate the vice president that he first selected in 2020, a historic decision back then that is making possible a historic future for this country going forward. So, I just -- I just want to say, I am so grateful to the president for what he has done and what he has made possible.
But to your point about the money raised, I think it's a reflection of the enthusiasm, the energy, the electricity that is coursing through the Democratic Party and really the country at large right now. I mean, at that rally in Pennsylvania, you saw smiles on people's faces. You saw joy in that room. That is not something that Democrats have felt recently. And it has been a long time since we've had something like this, a future that we are so excited for, people willing to work so hard for.
[23:29:56]
We're registering voters across the state of Texas with a group called Powered by People right now. We have had hundreds of new volunteers flocked in just today, saying, sign me up to be a volunteer deputy registrar, get me in front of young, eligible voters that we can add to the rolls, we want to put Texas in play and make this competitive.
I mean, just a couple of months ago, people were talking about perhaps a total wipeout for Democrats in the November election. Now, we are going on offense everywhere, and that starts with President Joe Biden and the extraordinary campaign that Vice President Kamala Harris is running right now, including this amazing pick that she made and announced today of Tim Walz of Minnesota.
COATES: Well, we shall see how it all ends up. We have about 90 days until the election day. Beto O'Rourke, thank you so much.
O'ROURKE: Thank you. COATES: Well, we just spoke about some of Senator J.D. Vance's attacks on Governor Walz. But what's Trump saying about him? We'll discuss next.
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[23:35:00]
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COATES: Tonight, Republicans are racing to define Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a man who many Americans may not have heard about a lot about until today. The word they're landing on? Radical.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), U.S. VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It just highlights how radical Kamala Harris is. This is a person who listened to the Hamas wing of her own party and selecting a nominee.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN (voice-over): Kamala Harris just doubled down on her radical vision for America by tapping another left-wing extremist as her V.P. nominee. Tim Walz will be a rubber stamp for Kamala's dangerously liberal agenda.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Trump going a step further, telling supporters in an email that Walz would unleash -- quote -- "hell on earth."
My panel is back with me right now. Let me first begin for a second here, though, on just the optics of this. I mean, you now have, Bryan, a newly announced ticket. It's now going to be the Harris-Walz ticket. We argue the Republicans. And yet you see J.D. Vance going around actually campaigning and rallying. Trump has not done anything all week. He has one rally and that's in deep red Montana. Why is this the strategy?
LANZA: I mean, listen, I'd say the strategy right now is for them to raise money. And that's what Trump's doing right now. He's -- I happen to know the schedule. It's a very busy schedule raising money. Montana is a great place to raise money, apparently. But I mean, this is this is J.D.'s job. I mean, this is the job of a vice presidential nominee to be the attack dog, and that's what you're going to see.
It's -- you know, Trump -- you know, Trump is different in the fact that he became the attack dog for himself. But if you remember the politics before Trump, it was usually the V.P. It was either Cheney or somebody else that was sort of, you know, sticking the knife to the opponent, and that's what you're going to see J.D. continue to do.
And by the way, there's plenty of ammunition they have. I mean, at the end of the day, the dynamics of the race are still the same. Inflation still devastated in the middle class. The Biden-Harris administration have no answer for that.
You still have immigration. You know, you're being flooded by the border. You have 15 illegal -- 15 million illegal aliens who have come into this country. The Biden-Harris has no answer for that.
You have wars in the Middle East, you have wars in Ukraine, you have other wars starting. Like the dynamics still exist, even though they've sort of changed the main course. It's still a problem for them.
COATES: Karen, I'm watching you literally like move your hands and trying to --
FINNEY: I mean, it's fine. Those are great talking points, and I'm sure --
LANZA: We'll hear --
FINNEY: -- we'll hear them more. Actually, I'm not going to do that. I'm going to say that I think it's an interesting choice to see J.D. Vance going after Tim again, this language that he's just this radical liberal. I mean, he just doesn't look the part. He just doesn't. I mean, they're going to have to get some better camera work or something.
And I think the more people learn about Tim Walz, the more they're going to like him and the more they're going to feel confident that Kamala Harris made a governing decision. She decided that -- because the vice president in the Constitution has one job, be ready. That's it. That's all you got to do. However, you choose to be ready, you just got to be ready. And if something, God forbid, should happen to her, I think people will see, yeah, we feel good about Tim Walz leading.
If something should happen to Donald Trump, who, by the way, now the way these two tickets have been sorted out, he seems even older than we were talking about before with Joe Biden in the race, you know, really, J.D. Vance, who's been in the Senate a minute, who has no foreign policy experience, granted, he served our country, that's admirable, but he has -- you know, what relationships does he have with world leaders? How would he manage any of these crises? How would he -- what is his answer? We don't know because, as others have pointed out, he's kind of been all over the map.
COATES: What do you say to this characterization of him as this radical liberal? And I do know that the camera work to really put you right in the face of the person. I think that's the criteria to be radical. It's got to be camera work right here.
CROWLEY: Dark pictures.
COATES: Hmm.
CROWLEY: Look, I've known Tim, as I said before, for a long, long time. He is what he is. He's decent, he's honorable, he's a person of character. He's a lot like Joe Biden, I think, in many respects. He tells it like he sees it. And I think that's what really scares Trump, because Trump is none of those things. None of them. I don't know J.D. Vance enough, but Trump, I know. I've known him for a long, long time. I don't know him personally. I've not met him, but I know of his character for New York City.
And Tim is the exact opposite of that. Wholesome. Someone who grew up on a farm, someone who lost his dad at an early age, didn't get $17 million to invest in some -- in some corporations by his mom and dad. This is a guy who lost his brother, sadly. He has known tragedy, he has known loss, he has known struggles in his own personal life that he has overcome. He's got a wonderful wife in Gwen. His beautiful children, Hope and Gus. Just a great family. I think that's what he brings to this. I think people are going to learn about this guy.
[23:39:58]
SOLTIS-ANDERSON: But you could arguably say a lot of those same things about J.D. Vance, right? Lovely wife, lovely family, came from hard beginnings, has experienced lots of personal tragedy. I will be interested to see how the campaigns use these two men, who are very different in many ways, to try to appeal to the same kind of voter.
Interestingly, I feel like the Big Ten suburban dad is now the key swing voter in this election. And so, you've seen J.D. Vance already being deployed by the Trump campaign to go talk, especially to younger men. I will be fascinated to see, does Tim Walz pop up on every football podcast under the sun this coming year? They are both fighting for the same kind of key swing voter.
COATES: Well, I bet they all want to get on the Kelce brothers podcast for reasons that might rhyme with Baylor miffed (ph).
CROWLEY: It's refreshing, though, that someone who looks like me can have the same positions as Tim Walz and not just fall back that I have to be like Donald Trump or I have to be like J.D. Vance. I think that's refreshing for Midwestern and for the rest of the country as well.
HASAN: Although you're better looking, as you remind us.
CROWLEY: Much better.
COATES: Well, I mean, one thing that has been said, and we're just going to leave it there. Full stop. There you go. But I want to ask you, Mehdi, because as you point out, governing, the decision that she made is also being used to criticize her and her viewpoints. The Democratic Party, they're talking less from the Republican side about Tim Walz and more about the decision not to choose Josh Shapiro as the governor. And the word antisemitism is coming up as some basis to substantiate that criticism. What's your reaction?
HASAN: I mean, it's one of the most -- it's one of the dumbest and most dangerous lies that we've heard from the Republicans in recent days. Obviously, the call went out on one of the right-wing WhatsApp group because they're all doing Ari Fleischer, Newt Gingrich. They will be Nikki Haley, Ted Cruz. They will be piling in. But it's antisemitic. I think Erick Erickson said today, there's no Jews at the top of the Democratic Party allowed, to which Chuck Schumer responded, news to me.
(LAUGHTER)
And it's not just a Senate majority leader who is Jewish Democrat, by the way. All 10 Jewish senators in the United States Senate are Democrats. Twenty four of the 27 House members who are Jewish are Democrats. All four governors in America who are Jewish are Democrats. The secretary of state, the treasury secretary, the attorney general, the homeland security secretary and the second gentleman are all Jewish Democrats. So, it's a nonsense lie. That's the Democratic Party's record.
Look at the Republican Party record. Vance is saying this is antisemitic. The guy is running alongside Donald Trump, the most openly antisemitic presidential candidate we've seen in our lifetimes. This is a guy who hosted a Holocaust denier for dinner at his home less than two years ago, who says American Jews are disloyal to Israel, constantly says that, who famously praised Nazis, saying Jews will not replace us as very fine people, who last week was on a radio show where he agreed with the host calling Doug Emhoff a crappy Jew. Today, he called Adam Schiff "Shifty Schiff."
So, Republicans really need to sit this one out. I mean, Vance himself has defended Marjorie Taylor Greene, she of Jewish space lasers fame. So, the idea that they want to make this an issue, good luck to them.
COATES: Bryan, what is your reaction to that? Because, obviously, Trump has come back to say that he is not antisemitic, that this is something -- he'll point to his daughter, obviously his son-in-law as well, but one example of his love for them. What's your reaction to how this is playing politically?
LANZA: You know, listen, I think the Republicans have sort of stepped back and watched the Democrats eat each other up with -- what the Democrats call him? "Genocide Josh." You know, that wasn't a republican term that came up. That was a democratic term. A Democrat came up with that term to describe Josh Shapiro, a Jewish -- a Jewish Democratic governor.
So, we're watching this debate take place. We're seeing them rip each other apart based on, you know, whether you can be pro-Israel or anti -- or anti-Palestine or however the situation works out. But it's not the Republicans that are sort of pushing that. "Genocide Josh" came from the Democratic Party, from a Democratic operative to try to slander, to try to slur Josh so he would be sort of disqualified of Kamala Harris. That wasn't a Republican thing.
That's where the Democratic Party is now. You can look at the -- look at the -- look at the college's campuses where there were primarily Democratic young activists that were very much anti-Israel. They were saying, you know, we don't care that you --
HASAN: What's wrong with the anti-Israel?
LANZA: Well, I would just say, I'm just -- you don't care that you were attacked. You don't care that there's still American hostages in Israel that are being held against their will. You know, and there are protests. This is coming from within the Democratic Party. So, to try to play it off as a republican thing is just disingenuous.
HASAN: There was a holocaust in Donald Trump's home less than two years --
LANZA: I'm sure there absolutely was. And that person's an idiot. I'll be the first to tell you that. But what we're talking about right now --
HASAN: Donald Trump is an idiot --
LANZA: No, the person who -- the person who's this anti, you know, Holocaust denier. He's an idiot.
HASAN: That's not us. Why was he in Donald Trump's home in Mar-a-Lago?
LANZA: You know, he invites a lot of non-traditional media folks, people. That guy owns a podcast or he does a podcast, is my understanding.
HASAN: It was Kanye and Fuentes, both Holocaust deniers.
LANZA: Like I said, he goes to a lot of non-traditional media podcasts and have these -- and have these conversations. I wouldn't do it. But that's what the campaign has made the decision. It has clearly worked.
Remember, we got to the first debate with Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Joe Biden dropped out. He demanded the debate because he was behind --
COATES: Hmm.
LANZA: -- because of these -- these Holocaust deniers. All these things. Language wasn't working. He needed a Hail Mary and the Hail Mary failed. So, all these things that are coming up landed with the Democratic Party first.
COATES: Something tells me that this topic is going to continue and won't be resolved this particular evening. Thank you so much, everyone.
[23:44:58]
There's another attack that's coming Walz's way, his handling of the George Floyd riots. To get a check, how people there in the Twin Cities actually saw this and his leadership at the time. I'll talk to St. Paul's mayor, Melvin Carter, after this.
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COATES: Another line of attack coming at Governor Walz, his response to the protests after the death of George Floyd in 2020. Now, the sharp critiques are over whether or not Walz deployed the Minnesota National Guard at the appropriate time. The naysayers are saying that he waited too long. Republicans in Minnesota put out a report, in fact, saying, "Over 1,500 businesses and buildings were burned, approximately $500 million in property damage occurred, and community morale was deeply affected." My next guest was in the thick of things.
Let me bring in the mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota, Melvin Carter.
[23:50:01]
He is a supporter of the governor, Tim Walz. Mayor Carter, so good to see you. I want to understand from you. You are the mayor of the capital city of Minnesota. You were also at the time of the aftermath and protests around the killing of George Floyd. We know how that rocked the nation. Did you get enough support from the governor during those protests?
MAYOR MELVIN CARTER, ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA: I am the mayor of the capital city of Minnesota. It's a city that produced great Americans like Governor Tim Walz, Suni Lee, Joe Mauer, even the great Laura Coates. So, we're excited to be for everything that's going on. I had to -- you know, I had to jump that in.
COATES: I thought --
CARTER: That was a rough time.
COATES: Yeah.
CARTER: You know it's coming. Absolutely. And that was a rough time for us. And that's one of the things about being a leader, someone who has been in the trenches, someone who has done the hard work, is that people who haven't get a chance to sit on the sidelines and criticize all day long.
I was the mayor during those times, and I got a chance to work with the governor who I was on the phone with all day long, every day, who was very present, who was very active, and who was engaged. He mobilized the largest mobilization of our Minnesota National Guard since World War II.
And I think there were folks who thought that those soldiers could get a call at work and say, you know, check out of work and, you know, kiss their spouses and pack a bag and drive to St. Paul and get mobilized all sort of a magical moment. That -- those things take time.
I was on the phone with the governor during those days. We asked the governor to mobilize the National Guard right away. He began right away. I think all of us wish that that could have been a magical process, that folks could have magically materialized in an instant. Those -- those types of things just take time, and we were able to kind of move forward.
By contrast, Donald Trump was the president at that point in time. And let me tell you, I've said this a lot, we hear from the Biden-Harris administration all the time. We've had large snowfalls and they've called and said, hey, mayor, just checking in, is there anything that you need? By contrast, by the way, the answer is nobody in Washington, D.C. knows about snow as much as our public works folks do here in St. Paul.
But by contrast, through all of that, through the COVID pandemic, through all of the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, we never once heard from the Trump administration. No leaders.
COATES: Really?
CARTER: The president never called. We never heard from them in the midst of all that. And so, if we are using that week in time as a snapshot to compare and contrast leadership styles, well, I'll go with Governor Walz all day.
COATES: That's a fascinating notion that you did not hear, especially because this republican report points to an 18-hour delay between when I think the Minneapolis mayor requested National Guard and when it was actually sent. Obviously, it's called the Twin Cities. You're from St. Paul. People want to lump it together. But how do you think people should be evaluating this contrast?
CARTER: And Laura, I -- I -- I -- maybe I misspoke. We did hear from the president. We heard from him on the news saying -- you know, talking about shooting protesters and talking all kinds of nonsense that only escalated tensions. We didn't hear anything from him to say, how can we help, how can we be supportive, how can the federal government be a partner to you guys on the ground where that's concerned.
And yes, it takes -- there -- there -- there is a delay. It takes time from telling, I think, 7,000 folks, we need you to show up, and the time they are able to show up and materialize and mobilize and be ready to deploy. That takes time. And the truth is, I would have loved for it to take -- for it to go faster, but to try to lay that on the blame of the governor, you know, I think -- I think is -- is -- is poor form.
It also dishonors the troops in our National Guard. It dishonors the police officers and law enforcement folks who are on the front line for us that week trying to make sure that they -- putting themselves in harm's way.
COATES: You know, you are uniquely positioned, coming from a law enforcement family as well and serving as the mayor of St. Paul. I'll never forget being on the ground there and watching those troops and tanks actually on the streets of --
CARTER: Yeah.
COATES: -- places that are part of our childhood. It was stunning, to say the least. But --
CARTER: That's true. COATES: -- Minnesota is now going to be -- it has been catapulted into the forefront. A lot of people might be becoming familiar with the governor, but he has certainly the resume that he has been speaking about in introducing himself and Minnesota policy on the forefront of legislation for reproductive rights and voting rights and gun safety as recently as this past June that you were a part of as well. How do you think those will all play on the national stage given the divisive nature of each of those issues?
CARTER: I think what folks will see is someone who has been very successful, very impactful, very effective at translating progressive values into operationalized policy and public investments. Like you said, whether it's reproductive rights or whether it's workers' rights, whether it's restoring voting rights to 55,000 Minnesotans who were formerly incarcerated, he has been on the front lines, while we hear, you know, the Republicans always talk about how to limit rights.
I've gotten a chance to see my governor say, how do we expand rights and make sure that every single person in our community gets a chance to enjoy all of those rights?
[23:55:01]
We've gotten a chance to see a governor who has prioritized things like making sure that every child can have a free school lunch, making sure that college is accessible, free college is accessible to low income students. I think a whole lot of people will see themselves and their families in those priorities.
But I'll tell you, one of the other things that I know, every time a leader steps forward to take credit for something, there's somebody who wants to jump forward and say, you didn't do that by yourself. The thing about Governor Walz is it's him who jumps forward to say that.
If he was on this call, he'd want me to remind you that he has a fantastic lieutenant governor, he has an incredible set of legislative leaders to work with, and a whole bunch of kind of community organizers and campaign organizers and folks on the ground who help make that magic happen in Minnesota. I'm looking forward to a little bit of that Minnesota value, of that Minnesota organizing make its way to Washington, D.C.
COATES: Well, for once, people will look at it as opposed to just being -- quote, unquote -- "Minnesota nice." Mayor Melvin Carter, it's so nice to see you. Thank you for joining me this evening.
CARTER: Thanks for having me on, and happy birthday, Aunt Valeda (ph).
(LAUGHTER)
COATES: Happy birthday, indeed. Thank you so much, mayor.
And thank you all for watching. Before we go tonight, powerful words from the most decorated gymnast in Team USA history. Simone Biles telling girls of the world, "Be who you are and don't look back."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: This iconic moment out this game, in my opinion, was when you clap back at some people talking about your appearance. And young girls deal with that all the time, the stress that to fit in. What is your message to those young girls out there who might be feeling like they're not enough or they're not fitting in?
SIMONE BILES, SEVEN-TIME OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST: You guys are beautiful, confident. You guys are so smart. Stand in your power, believe in yourself, and you guys are going to be just fine. And I'll be here to support you every step of the way. I know it's hard, but you guys are going to do it and you're going to do big things.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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