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Laura Coates Live
Tomorrow: DNC Begins in Chicago With Harris Riding Momentum; Chicago Braces For Mass Protests at DNC Over Gaza War; Harris Faces Test as Gaza Protesters Descend on Chicago; GOP Pleads with Trump to Stop Personal Attacks on Harris. Aired 11p-12a ET
Aired August 18, 2024 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[23:00:25]
LAURA COATES, CNN ANCHOR: Well, well, well, what a difference a month can truly make. I mean, just think about it. At the start of July, Democrats were describing their meetings about President Biden's re- election chances as a funeral, all the while the Trump campaign was effectively measuring the curtains to move back in. But in just four weeks, with VP Kamala Harris now at the top of that ticket, that has all changed.
Tomorrow, Harris enters the Democratic convention in Chicago with the wind at her back. Those funeral vibes, they're out. And apparently, concert vibes are in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. J.B. PRITZKER, (D) ILLINOIS: Frankly, it'll be like a rock concert. I think people are going to be cheering and pretty excited. And I can say I've not felt this kind of energy and electricity at any convention other than the one for Barack Obama.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Well, now the race has changed, but it actually still is tight. A national poll out today shows her making progress compared to Biden's standings. And in fact, it's the first time that she's led in a national poll.
But statistically, the CNN average of the latest polls actually shows no clear leader. And the swing states, the very important swing states that will decide this election, they're also tight. You know who knows it? Vice President Kamala Harris.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, (D) U.S. VICE PRESIDENT & DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Very much consider us the underdog. We have a lot of work to do to earn the vote of the American people. That's why we're on this bus tour today. And we're going to be traveling this country as we've been. (END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Underdog. That's the same word she used when she actually called Governor Tim Walz and asked him to be her running mate. And I wonder if the use of the phrase is a show of humility or concern.
And as for that bus tour she mentioned, it was through battleground, Pennsylvania today. And she was there along with Walz, and they were hitting several events all throughout the day.
Now, this whole week in Chicago and its roster of speakers will be about defining Harris and of course, keeping the momentum and all of the enthusiasm going.
Now, teeing it up are two political bookends, shall we say. You've got President Biden and Hillary Clinton tomorrow night alone. One candidate who defeated Trump and another who narrowly lost to him.
I want to bring in former Spokesperson for Governor Doug Burgum's 2024 campaign, Lance Trover, former Obama Campaign Advisor, Ameshia Cross, CNN Political Commentator and Republican Pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson, and CNN Contributor Lulu Garcia-Navarro.
So glad to have all of you here. Look, there's a different vibe happening from a month ago about this convention. And, you know, with all the momentum that's happening, I wonder from you, Amisha, I mean, there's still people that she's got to convince. She's got to get the job done for voters who want to look to her but might not be convinced. What does she have to do to define herself?
AMESHIA CROSS, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: No, absolutely. And I think that's why she keeps relaying to herself as the underdog, even though we've seen some of these polls shift. One of the things that she's doing that is extremely important is defining her narrative.
A lot of America still doesn't know the backstory of Kamala Harris. So talking about how she worked a low-wage job, worked at McDonald's when she was in college, talking about her mom having to save for over a decade to be able to afford a home and what that meant for her family when she was a teenager in high school when they were actually able to finally get to that point.
But I think it's also leaning in and talking about the issues that matter to the American public the most. It is no mistake that she came out with a very strong economic agenda going into the DNC. She did not wait until after the DNC to do it. And part of that, I think, is because what we've heard from Americans over and over and over again, exhaustively, housing crisis. Housing prices are too high. Grocery bills are too high. Having concerns about that, the child care expenses.
You talked earlier about, you know, back to school. There are a lot of families who have children going back to school and are trying to decide whether or not they can afford school supplies and to keep the electricity on. And it's been a really hot summer. So I think these are things that matter. COATES: Well, first of all, thank God school has got back in session.
I don't care. I'm that mom. Thank you. Have them back for a little bit for the daytime. I hear you on that point. But let me ask all of you, what is more important to the voters right now?
The idea of defining herself and her backstory, as Ameshia eloquently described, or about what she stands for specifically? I mean, I wonder where is the rub and the rubber meeting the road for the voters? Is it the policy or is it do I like you?
KRISTEN SOLTIS ANDERSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think voters don't think of those two things as terribly separate, right? It's easy for us as political pundits or consultants to think about these things as all very discreet. But for voters, it all kind of blends together into a soup of things that they're using to give them a feeling. Is this person someone who's with me? Do they get me? Are they going to do things that are good for me or not?
[23:05:00]
And this is where Harris has had the most benefit in the short term, but has the most risk in the medium to long term. In the polling that came out today, one of the numbers that stuck out to me the most was that 33% of voters thought that Harris had played a significant role in Joe Biden's economic policies and 39% thought that she'd played a significant role in his immigration policies. That's less than half. So --
COATES: Is that a good thing, though, if they think that she is influential?
ANDERSON: It's good for her. It's good for her.
COATES: Even though immigration or the economy are not her strong suits for this party perception?
ANDERSON: Right. So in any other universe, it would be bad. If you're a vice president and you are considered not influential in the administration. But when voters are saying, please don't give me a Trump-Biden rematch, the sense that somebody is different, is not a Trump-Biden rematch, that this is new, actually her ability to distance herself from Biden right now is giving her that advantage.
So as she defines herself right now, there is the opportunity to either lock in these voters who have at least in the short run said, oh, thank goodness, I have somebody different I can vote for.
Sure. But the Trump campaign has to be more disciplined about trying to define her in what they believe is the negative light tying her to Biden's policy, saying she'll be worse than Biden. That message has got to stick and stick soon because the election is very close.
COATES: I find this fascinating. I mean, the idea that, you know, I think you don't have influence as a good thing. And yet these problems aren't really going away. The perception that some voters have, but not knowing what the party might think about a particular issue. How do you see it?
LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yeah, it's this dance that she's going to have to do. It's complicated. She is going to come onto this stage. It's only been a month. She's going to have the sitting president on the first night. And she's going to have to show him a lot of deference, a lot of love, but define herself and take the mantle and say, this is what I stand for and this is who I am. She's already done a lot, I think, already in the way that she's messaged. She's given a lot of sort of enthusiasm, the way she seems tough, the way she just even walks down a plane.
You know, I used to watch Biden walking down the plane and it was always kind of like halting and just the visuals were so different. And she is kind of very commanding in the way that she sort of embraced all this.
And I think that at this particular moment, she is going to have to sort of take control of the party and show that this is her party and this is her moment.
COATES: But how she -- I mean, how she's doing it lands in part and jump in the idea of you've got Hillary Clinton speaking tomorrow, you've got Joe Biden, the Obamas are likely to be there as well at different points. And of course, defining yourself, knowing that you've got, you know, the backdrop of predecessors to some campaign desperately wanting to take the wind out.
You do not want her to be successful in defining it. They're trying to define her. What do you think the Trump campaign should be doing during this week to try to figure out how they put themselves in the limelight?
LANCE TROVER, FORMER SPOKESPERSON, DOUG BURGUM'S 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: Well, I think the Trump campaign is doing what they can do. I mean, but you're up against a convention. It's the same way the Democrats really couldn't do much during the Republican convention.
I got the emails. They're going to be out and about all week long. Somebody's holding a press conference in Chicago tomorrow or the next day or so. Trump's going to Arizona later in the week.
But I think the rubber meets the road, though, is yet I think she's going to have a really good week. I think the Democrats are, I don't know how these protests are going to shake out. That could be kind of a distraction. But I think overall she's going to have a really good week. I wouldn't be surprised if she's not even further ahead coming out of this convention.
But post Labor Day, I think, is where the rubber is going to meet the road with her. And we talk about the policies. I think then voters are really going to traditionally start keying into this election. And I think that's where they're going to start looking, saying, OK, what does she stand for? What is her vision for the country? They know it up to the bait. But I think then post Labor Day, that's when folks are really going to say, what does she stand for. CROSS: I think he's right about post Labor Day, especially. And that's one of the reasons why the fundraising hauls that Kamala Harris has been able to do have been so enormous and very strong, because she's already committed the campaign has to millions of dollars in post- Labor Day ads. The overwhelming majority of those being digital ads, because that's where the people are.
COATES: What's the tone of those ads, though? I mean, is it similar to -- and before you end this, I want to hear your take on this, because she was earlier today talking about Donald Trump. I mean, there was even intoning that he was a coward. In fact, why don't I play it for you guys? And then I want to hear your response.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: This campaign is about a recognition that, frankly, over the last several years, there's been this kind of perversion that has taken place, I think, which is to suggest -- which is to suggest that the measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you beat down, when what we know is the real and true measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you lift up. Anybody who's about beating down other people is a coward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Now, I mean, all day long, you've heard people say, was she calling Trump a coward? That's been the headline. You've seen it all over the place. And it's the idea of not being direct if there is an insult. Will the tenor and the tone of things change as a more effective strategy to go toe to toe after Labor Day?
[23:10:00]
CROSS: I think so. I mean, there are two things at play here. One, she is the -- she's already the presumptive nominee. She is going to walk out of the DNC as the nominee. And beyond that, I think that we're also going to see Donald Trump continue to implode. There is no way that he does not implode after all of the excitement of the DNC.
We've seen it on Truth Social. We've seen some of the conversations he's had with press, if you can call it that. I don't even know what those things were. I think that he's going to continue to do that and she's going to hit him hard.
But in addition to that, he has also attacked some of the most protected, I think, citizens of our country when it comes to veterans. And many of those veterans and veterans organizations are also pushing back because she has some walls on her campaign ticket. There are ways in which she can speak to that population that will really touch them. And I think that he is a secret weapon in many ways. And he will be utilized in those ads as well.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: I think that's what's been so interesting, seeing all this energy from the Republicans targeting Tim Walz. And I think the reason you're seeing that is precisely because they do see him as a threat. He does represent a lot of the constituencies that the Republicans think are their constituencies, veterans, you know, people from rural backgrounds. He speaks to that. And that is why you're seeing a lot of energy being put into trying to take him down.
COATES: What about the Midwest? I mean, asking for a Minnesotan here. But the idea of, you know, when J.D. Vance came out, the thought was the Rust Belt would be, you know, his ability to command that. You've got a Minnesota governor, you've got the Midwest far outside the Beltway, which everyone always focuses on as if it's the only place in the United States of America. It's not. What does this do for those voters to focus on Walz?
ANDERSON: Well, what I think it does is it, one, signals that both of these campaigns view kind of we've -- we've long said that, you know, the suburban mom is the swing voter. This almost feels to me like they think suburban dads are the swing voter, that like you're -- you're kind of Big Ten football watching dad is the crucial swing vote in this election. And both campaigns are going to make a play for them.
COATES: And they call them coach like 30 times.
ANDERSON: Yes. And reportedly that's going to be a big part of the strategy.
COATES: What about 5 minutes? Yeah.
ANDERSON: But I do wonder if by putting -- and look, Democrats have done this with J.D. Vance. They've spent a ton of time going after him on all of the things he said in the past that they find to be off putting. So there's been a lot of effort in going after these vice presidential candidates on both sides lately.
But I wonder to what extent is that taking your eye off the ball? Now, in the case of going after J.D. Vance, as you said, Lance, Trump's already very well defined. And I've been in some ways surprised to see the lack of the kind of like apocalyptic rhetoric. Donald Trump is a threat to democracy. That type of message is not actually what Harris and her team have been delivering so far. It's been more of this like he's weird type message. Instead, they've really been focusing more of the harsh stuff on J.D. Vance.
But for the flip side of that, Harris is still undefined. Every minute you spend talking about Tim Walz is a minute you're not spending trying to define Kamala Harris. So I do think it's a little bit of an odd strategic choice to spend so much time going on.
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COATES: She's also not doing any -- excuse me. She's also doing any interviews. I mean, the idea -- and I always -- what does this mean to define yourself? Obviously, politically, you want to be the person to make sure that you set the tone. But you're not giving interviews, which I know has been a big issue for people not giving interviews, maybe even Labor Day. And you've got this opportunity at the convention.
What -- what happens is she does she take the same approach she has and just say, I'm going to focus on looking ahead, not so much on Doomsday and do it this way?
TROVER: I think I understand the strategy that they're employing right now. I totally get it. And they're trying to buy more time and buy more time.
I think what she's running up against is exactly what we talked about. When you get to Labor Day and voters start paying attention, she simply doesn't have an option because I don't think voters are going to allow it. So she's going to have to answer questions. She's going to have to come out with more policy centric ideas and say, where does she want to take the country? Because voters are going to demand it.
To your point, Kristen, no one knows who she is. No one knows what she stands for, what they what they have to go on or what the Trump people are saying, which is she was the borders are, she controlled the border in this country at her record as a senator from California, which was a very far left voting record. That's right now what people have to go on. So post Labor Day, she's going to have to take questions. She's going to have to get out there and talk about the issues.
COATES: I love this -- I want to hear from you. I know you're off, Ameshia, but we're on a quick break. But I love the sort of arbitrary deadline of Labor Day. Everyone starts to lean in. I mean, what has the last month been? I know I have a neck brace from the whiplash. All of a sudden, it's Labor Day, people.
Stand by, everyone. Tens of thousands of demonstrators are expected to descend upon Chi-Town for the DNC, including protesters against the Israel-Gaza war. How should Vice President Kamala Harris respond? Well, former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio might have some ideas for her. He joins me next.
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[23:18:55]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: I'm here because we believe in democracy. Everyone's voice matters, but I am speaking now.
You know what? If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, I'm speaking.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Vice President Kamala Harris facing disruptions on the campaign trail for demonstrators over the Israel-Hamas war and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Now, she has changed her response to protests since they first interrupted her, but those tensions, they could crescendo in a very public way right here at the DNC this week. I mean, thousands of protesters are expected to arrive in the city of Chicago, with some already taking to the street today. Organizers are planning for a larger rally tomorrow, but maybe leave it to the bureaucracy to put maybe a little pinky on the scale because permit disputes and restrictions could actually shrink the size of those protests. But Chicago isn't baking on permits. Hundreds of police officers and the Illinois National Guard, they're on standby tonight.
The backdrop of Chicago only adding to the tension, thoughts of the DNC here in 1968 and the protests over the Vietnam War, top of mind for many people arriving in the Windy City tonight.
[23:20:11]
One of those who's planning to be in Chicago, former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Mayor, thank you so much for joining us. It is quite a week ahead of us, and you've had some experience in dealing with pretty tense protests. And the city's going to take, you know, people, the lead here, but people will be looking at Vice President Harris and try to see what message she is sending. How would you advise her to handle those protests?
BILL DE BLASIO, FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: Well, Laura, I think it's actually very healthy that people are taking this seriously, meaning there's not a triumphalism, certainly with the Democrats I'm speaking to, about the idea that this is all going to be easy and this week's going to be, you know, glorious. I think people take very seriously that there's a lot of folks out there who are really upset, have something to say, and that depending on how it's handled, it could really have an impact on what America thinks of our ticket.
That said, I think the parallels to 1968 don't really hold. Extremely different reality in terms of the issues we were facing, but also the footage you even showed there, the Chicago police at that point were out of control. Thank God today we have a police force there that's playing by the kind of rules you need to play by in a democracy. So I think we'll see a smart, restrained approach from the police.
I think they have to be mindful, give the protesters some space, some opportunity to get out what they're there to say. Sometimes it's really important to like have a little bit of a safety valve, give some space, but also know when it's important to draw the line. And then finally, I think it's really clear Vice President Harris took a different tone than President Biden right out of the gate and talked about Palestinian suffering.
And I'm someone who believes in the state of Israel, absolutely believes Hamas is a horrible terrorist organization, but Palestinians are suffering and Americans care about it. And it's important to talk about it and find a way to bring peace to Gaza. I think she's done a good job talking about it. She's going to have to keep talking about it.
COATES: Now, you obviously were the mayor during the George Floyd murder afterbath protests that continued really across the country. Obviously, people were looking at you as the mayor, looking at the police force. She is obviously the vice president of the United States. She's in somebody else's town. She's in Chicago. She does not control the police department there.
But I do wonder, at what point do you think it would be appropriate for people to look to her to figure out what ought to happen for protests outside of the convention and those who might appear within the halls of the convention itself?
DE BLASIO: Well, Laura, it's such a good question because, in fact, we should not underestimate this challenge. She's not in a position to determine day-to-day policing. And I can tell you, when I was mayor of New York City, I was deeply involved in how we responded to the protests.
But you're still talking about thousands and thousands of police officers, thousands of incidents. No one can perfectly control all that. After it was all over, I felt we had made some mistakes, and I talked about it publicly.
So my concern here is she doesn't get to control everything that happens, but it will stick to her. What she controls is her message. And I think it started well, but I don't think that is going to necessarily be enough.
One of the things I was really struck by was a few months back when Senator Schumer really clearly said that Benjamin Netanyahu had to go as prime minister, that he was so much of the problem in the region. I think that's something the vice president needs to think about saying as well. I think she has to talk about Palestinian suffering. She has to talk about what's wrong with the current Israeli strategy, while being very clear we will always defend Israel from its surrounding enemies, of course.
But at the same time, the current policies of Benjamin Netanyahu are causing a humanitarian crisis. She will have to say more about that. Maybe not this week, but soon, I think, to really keep our coalition as whole as it should be.
COATES: I'll be curious to see as well, because there are some uncommitted delegates, and of course they are voters who cast protest votes against Biden over the war in Gaza. I'll be curious to see if any of them are allowed to speak. They have a right to do so during the convention. We'll see what happens.
But we're going to hear from somebody particularly tomorrow, and it's Hillary Clinton. You were her campaign manager for her Senate run in 2000. She's going to be speaking, we understand, tomorrow about her run in 2016, what she sees as a future for Harris if she's able to break the glass ceiling.
This is the second time in history we've actually seen a woman nominated to a party like this. A lot has changed these past eight years. Has enough changed for Harris to defeat Trump?
DE BLASIO: Absolutely, I believe so. And look, I think it's going to be an emotionally powerful moment, and a bittersweet moment for Hillary Rodham Clinton, who, you know, by so many measures was the person who was ready to be the first woman president of the United States, and would have brought so much to that job.
[23:25:11]
So, I mean, it's going to be, in some ways, a tough moment. I can say this, you know, as someone who got to serve with her, that she's going to feel a lot of different things. But I think what's beautiful about it is that she's one of the reasons that Kamala Harris will be stepping forward and can win this election.
You know, Hillary Clinton helped lead the nation to the edge of the promised land. She didn't get to go in herself, but Kamala Harris can.
I think the difference, and it's a profound difference, whether it's a MeToo movement, whether it's a response to the Trump administration we saw from the very beginning with the Women's March, obviously the impact of the decision on Roe v. Wade. You've got an entirely different politics today than a decade ago.
And this decision will be decided by the women of America, period. And what we're seeing with this stunning movement in the polls, literally hour by hour, it seems, women of America are speaking. And Hillary did not have the opportunity to have that kind of clear, stunning momentum. I think she deserved it, but it wasn't there. But it is there for Kamala Harris.
COATES: There is something that is a different kind of energy we are seeing. We'll see if it carries through this week. And, of course, the momentum has got to carry, what, 79 days from now to Election Day.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, thank you so much.
DE BLASIO: Thank you.
COATES: Well, Donald Trump can't seem to stay away from attacking Vice President Kamala Harris's laugh and her appearance, apparently, even as more Republicans are telling him he got to knock it off. But what do GOP voters think? That's next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. CHRIS SUNUNU, (R) NEW HAMPSHIRE: Trump can say, look, I'm entitled to be, you know, to personal attacks. Nobody cares what you're entitled to. Do what you have to do to get the votes and win.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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[23:31:25]
COATES: All right, stop. A dead end, you're going the wrong way. Some of the red flags Republicans are publicly waving at Donald Trump. They're offering a pretty blunt warning to the Republican nominee should he refuse to pivot away from these personal attacks against the Vice President.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): Donald Trump, the provocateur, the showman, may not win this election. So I'm looking for President Trump to show up in the last 80 days to define what he will do for our country to fix broken borders, to lower inflation.
SUNUNU: Almost any other Republican candidate would be winning this race by 10 points. If you stick to what matters, this should be an easy race for Donald Trump.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: All right, will Trump listen? My panel is back with me now.
OK, let's talk about what to stick to what matters. Because I'm always wondering about what really matters to the voters. Is it the nuance and policy positions? Is it the personality? There's a split screen happening, Lulu, between what is expected, say, of Donald Trump and what is speculative Kamala Harris. And it's blatant.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Donald Trump is benefiting from the fact that he was president and people feel like they know him. Donald Trump is also suffering from the fact that he was president and people feel that they know him.
Kamala Harris is now trying to define herself. So she has a lot of opportunity, but she's a bit of a blank slate and people and a bit of a Rorschach test. So if you have certain feelings about, you know, the Biden administration or Democrats or fears about what that could look like, you're going to superimpose certain things on her.
I think what Trump has really not done a good job is taking this and saying what exactly Kamala Harris could be. We've had all these weird nicknames. Now it's Comrade Harris. You know, trying to make her into a communist. I mean --
COATES: We've got an AI generated image of a woman next to, I think, a hammer and a sickle. There's also the comrade label as well.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: I'm Cuban. My family fled communism. I personally find it incredibly insulting to have that be put up there.
So, you know, he's trying everything that he can. It has worked for him before. Will it work for him again? It doesn't seem to be at the moment. The polls are not moving in his direction. Everyone's begging him to stop doing what he's doing, but he cannot control himself.
To answer your first question, nope, not going to happen.
TROVER: Trump is Trump, and we all know it. He's not changing, right? It was quoted in "The New York Times." He told some donors, I am who I am, right?
John King had a piece on CNN.com that I saw right before I came over here, and he was interviewing Republicans in Iowa, and one woman who had supported Nikki Haley even considered a third-party candidate said, no, I'm voting for Donald Trump. And her line in the story was, look, I'm not voting for him to be my valentine. I'm not voting for him to be my best friend. I want his policies.
And I think that represents not just Republicans who didn't support him. I think that also represents other voters out there that may not always be reflected in polling. And if history is any guide, on Election Day, there's one thing we know. Donald Trump always out-polls the polls. And if I'm a Democrat, that's something that's always in the back of my mind.
COATES: Well, Senator J.D. Vance has been talking about policy, Ameshia, and this point. I mean, he earlier today was attacking Vice President Kamala Harris's economic plan. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JD VANCE, (R) VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Giving Kamala Harris control over inflation policy, Shannon, it's like giving Jeffrey Epstein control over human trafficking policy. The American people are much smarter than that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Yeah, and they probably are smart enough to know that's a hell of a wild analogy to draw. But yet he's trying to look at policy through the lens of the provocateur, I think, that Graham is even mentioning. Is this the way in to try to have this set up of having the best of both worlds? You attack versus provocateur language, versus with it, and you also point to economics?
[23:35:10]
CROSS: Well, I think that there are some policy lanes that Republicans could be strong on that they're not taking right now. And J.D. Vance, he can't stop putting his foot in his mouth. Bringing up Jeffrey Epstein in any correlation to Donald Trump at this point is just something that should be off the Richter for them just because of the many flights that were taken, the fact that this guy has already been adjudicated for sexual misconduct up to and including rape. That's something that should not be on the table.
But I do think that they cannot stop, because for whatever reason, they're not wanting to have a conversation about Project 2025 because it's been historically unpopular, but in addition to that, they are more willing to try to pursue these lines of attack against personhood for Kamala Harris, whether it's race, whether it's gender, whether it's attacking women in general, who are the largest voting bloc in this country. They do not want to talk about policy.
And I think that, to a point that was made earlier, they're walking into this. Immigration was probably going to be the strongest hit they possibly could have done, considering that a lot of Americans, quite frankly, are upset at the current immigration framework and the economy. But unfortunately for them, the economy tends to tick up. We just saw the inflation number go down. Yes, there are people who are frustrated about, you know, cost of the grocery stores. Those are things that I think Harris' economic agenda are very strong pointing towards relief from.
But if they stayed in those lanes, they would have a better chance. But the Republicans are not interested in expanding their base. They are, you know, driving very strategically into one lane. Even though Democrats are grabbing white males, we saw evangelicals for Harris. We're seeing these groups expand on the left, whereas the right is absolutely fine with that same small pot.
ANDERSON: It's not exactly true. I mean, Donald Trump did, in ways that surprised a lot of people, expand Republican standing with Latino voters. He was, up until very recently, doing much better among black men, even than he himself did just a few years ago.
So I would push back on the idea that Donald Trump hasn't changed the Republican coalition in ways that have expanded it. The question is, now with Harris at the top of the ticket, how much does it kind of reset back to the coalitions that were going head-to-head back in, say, 2016, when it was not a Trump-Biden race? To what extent does Donald Trump still supercharge with the kind of white working-class voters that the Harris campaign is obviously going for by trying to say, look, we're the true ones that have union support, look, we have Tim Walz.
These are groups that Donald Trump really infused into the Republican Party, as well as sort of working-class voters of color that I think the Harris campaign says, no, no, no, Biden may not have been doing as well, but we can get these folks.
CROSS: Questioning a black woman's race and coming against blackness is something that isn't popular amongst black men, as well.
ANDERSON: I don't doubt it.
CROSS: So I think that any gains that he thought he had amongst black men were going to automatically be siloed the minute he started attacking her as a black woman.
ANDERSON: Well, and every minute that he spends doing something like that is a minute he's not doing what the David McCormick for Senate campaign in Pennsylvania did, which is 24 hours after the race, the top of the ticket changed for Democrats. They put out an ad that said, here are all of Kamala Harris's policy positions, in her own words. We're not saying this is her position. It's a clip of her saying her position.
And it was positions that were pretty far to the left, pretty far outside the mainstream, many of which she has since repudiated. But I think it would be smart for the Trump campaign to have the pressure put on her constantly. Do you still believe we should abolish ICE? Do you still believe we should defund the police? Do you still believe that we should stop fracking? If you don't, explain why.
And keep that pressure up, because every time he does something where it's the personal attacks, the stuff that you were talking about, where he goes after race, gender, that is a total distraction from the stuff that really matters.
COATES: Lulu --
TROVER: She's got to take questions first before she can do that.
COATES: Yes, well, as a point -- Lulu, on that point, I know you were nodding along on this, but it's really, there's the proactive role of the Trump campaign to elicit these responses from the Harris-Walz campaign. And then there's a proactive turn for the Harris-Walz campaign to address these points. This is the time, and you talk about this, it's crunch time.
We know that one is going to be the president of the United States. What do they have to do now to make sure that American voters know how they stand and where?
GARCIA-NAVARRO: They need to actually talk to the American voter in a way that the American voter can understand it. They need to hear from, you know, Vice President Harris. She needs to give an interview. She needs to be very present during this debate.
I mean, we have a debate coming up where these questions are going to be asked, and she is going to have to answer them, and that is why she has been pushing this off, because, of course, every time you put a stake in the ground and you hold a position, your opposition's going to say, ah, this isn't right, I don't like it. And right now she's benefiting from the fact that she's a little bit amorphous, and we don't really know what she believes.
And I think to really win this race, she is going to have to say, I am a Democrat, I am a woman, I am a black woman, I stand for a number of things that are important. But at the same time, I am not what, you know, the Republicans are trying to paint me to be. And so it's going to be difficult. I don't think it's going to be easy.
[23:40:14]
COATES: Trump must do the same thing, though. I mean, I know that we focus on her defining herself. She's the unknown versus a prior president. But she's also been a senator, she's been the vice president for three and a half years. Isn't it also incumbent on the Trump campaign to address these points, not just play reactive?
TROVER: I think the campaign is actually -- I mean, one thing we're kind of glossing over, to give the Trump campaign does deserve some credit, they are on TV advertising, they are executing a plan out there in these swing states. So it's not like they're completely off- message and not talking about issues.
They put out two new ads today, one about crime and one about the economy. So they are out there. I think they do deserve some credit for addressing it. We can debate all day long. Donald Trump's staying on message. But again, Trump's Trump. I don't think that's ever going to change.
But that's eight years of him doing that. Voters, again, I go back to the John King story. That's really just a way voters say they know who he is, they know how it goes. So a lot of them just want to go back to the policies.
COATES: Well, the Harris campaign could also say, look, I am talking about it, just not to the media. I'm talking to the rallies. We'll see if that's good enough for the voters.
Stand by, everyone, please. Ahead, she's considered a superstar by Democrats, but she hasn't held elected office. And she says that she never will. What will Michelle Obama deliver when she talks at the DNC on Tuesday night? We'll talk about it next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[23:45:]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE OBAMA, FORMER FIRST LADY: When someone is cruel or acts like a bully, you don't stoop to their level. No, our motto is when they go low, we go high.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: That seven-word phrase will forever be linked to former first lady Michelle Obama. Her 2016 DNC speech, one of several memorable moments during her time in the political spotlight alongside her husband and former president Barack Obama.
Now Chicago, you know, is her hometown. And so return there to speak at the DNC here Tuesday night. That evening's theme, a bold vision for America's future.
With me now, writer Kate Andersen Brower. She's the author of several books about the White House, including "First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies."
Kate, thank you for being here this evening. An exciting moment to think about what she might be saying, given her last very memorable speech there. Her favorability rating it's at 55%. That is one of the highest among politicians, and she's not even one. How is she able to resonate with voters so highly?
KATE ANDERSEN BROWER, AUTHOR, "EXPLORING THE WHITE HOUSE": Well, I mean, when she left the White House, it was 70%. It's astounding how much people trust and like her. And there was a poll actually that "USA Today" did that showed that people value her opinion more than Taylor Swift, more than Beyonce. You know, they really respect her because I think partially because she doesn't want to run for president, right? She hates politics. She hates the fighting and the divisiveness.
And so she doesn't really have that kind of political goal in mind. She's a mom. She's a professional. She's intelligent. She's funny. People love her. She was very warm in the White House, and that's continued to be the case as a former first lady.
COATES: I mean, you've said she has famously said that she does not want to run for president. People even thought and talked about her potentially doing so. She's been very clear that she is not running.
There is another first lady that's speaking. That, of course, is Hillary Clinton, but she has a different role in the party today, having been a Democratic nominee, also a senator, Secretary of State. How does Michelle Obama view her role in the party today?
ANDERSEN BROWER: I think she's going to be talking about, you know, voter engagement, and she does a lot of work with When We All Vote, which is about narrowing the gap for age and for race, getting people out to vote, getting people excited about Kamala Harris. That's what she's going to be trying to do.
And I think she's in a really unique position to do that because, as you said, in 2016, she had such an electric, fiery speech, and yet she still maintained that warmth when she was speaking, and there's always kind of a bit of humor in it, too.
It's going to be a lot about the future. I'm curious to see how much she mentions Donald Trump, if at all. It seems like they're trying not to kind of be negative, to be more hopeful.
COATES: Yeah, that name seems to be a kind of a Voldemort these days at these rallies and otherwise. Jill Biden is speaking tomorrow as well. It's her first major speech since her husband, President Biden, dropped out of the race, and there have been, let's just say, some tensions between the Bidens and party leaders. What do you expect her message to be?
ANDERSEN BROWER: I think her message is going to be all about paying tribute to her husband's 50 years of service. You know, she wants him to go down as one of the greatest presidents in history, and there's obviously, you know, she and Hunter Biden were very much backing him staying in the race, and there are reports that they were frustrated and personally hurt that some Democrats didn't want him to stay.
And so, beyond those kind of hurt feelings, I think she's moving forward and looking at his legacy. What will the history books say about him in 100 years? You know, that's what she's going to be trying to do when she speaks. And she is unendingly loyal to him, and so I think we'll hear a lot of that personal touch from Jill Biden.
[23:50:10]
COATES: That's why she's going at some point early during the convention as well. Kate Andersen Brower, thank you so much.
ANDERSEN BROWER: Thanks, Laura.
COATES: Well, the last time the DNC was in Chicago, this song was sweeping the nation. Yes, that's Hillary Clinton dancing to the Macarena, and it's not the only time that song was referenced. I'll quiz our panel on the wild times at the 96th convention and beyond. That's next. Go ahead and do the dance.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[23:55:07]
COATES: All right, the Macarena of 1996, one of the great viral DNC moments that we still obviously talk about today, and you know how to do dance. You were already doing in your home, I saw you.
So what I'll say people actually remember or forget from the last time the convention was in Chicago and other conventions passed? Let's bring back our panel for a Sunday night quiz. Get your paddles ready everyone. Here you go.
All right. First question, which Democrat joked about the "Macarena: during the 1996 DNC speech?
Was it, A) Ted Kennedy, B) Hillary Clinton or C) Al Gore?
They all got it, right? Yes, and here is that moment everyone.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AL GORE, FMR. VICE PRESIDENT: I would like to demonstrate for you the Al Gore version of the Macarena.
(CHEERING)
GORE: Would you like to see it again?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: The deadpan face.
OK. How about number question number two? Who spoke at both the 1996 DNC and the 2024 RNC?
Was it A) Jim Justice, B) Peter Navarro or C) Hulk Hogan?
Whoa. Ah, you know what, it was Peter Navarro, everyone. It was indeed. And in fact here was that moment. Good job. Here you go.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETER NAVARRO: We owe it to the voters to keep our campaigns on the high road. Let's win one for hope for the man from hope Bill Clinton.
They did not break me. And that will never break Donald Trump.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: That was a split screen. All right, question number three. Which Broadway shows original cast performed in the '96 DNC?
Was it Chicago, Cats or Rent?
Someone's cheating. You're Ameshia. So you look at -- OK. The answer is C) Rent. All right Lulu, you got that one. There you go.
OK. Oh, you hear a little bit of it. There you go. Oh, there they are. They're playing it. Wow. So I think how big of a cast that is. It's very moving. It is. Yeah.
(MUSIC)
COATES: A hundred bucks for who could actually name that number that was actually said. No, I'm just kidding. No money.
Number four, which celebrities spoke at the '96 DNC? Was it Christopher Reeve? Tommy Lee Jones or Robert DeNiro?
OK, I guess we all know. Oh, and the answer is Christopher Reeves way to be different Lance. It was not DeNiro. No one was talking to him. There you go.
TROVER: In the record, I was just sophomore in high school.
COATES: Oh good for you. Good for you. OK. He's called old.
TROVER: I had to.
COATES: All right fine. How about question five? OK, let's expand away from '96, I get it. How many DNC's will Biden have attended after tomorrow? Is it A) 8, B) 13 or C) 21?
CROSS: Oh gosh, I don't know.
COATES: Oh, wow, all of them. It is -- good guys is B, 13, there you go. Oh, OK, well done.
All right, question six, a DNC kiss between which candidate and his wife went viral? Was it Al & Tipper, Barack & Michelle or John? Oh, OK, it was -- it was correct.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We can never unsee that.
COATES: It was -- OK. Clearly, oh we're going to see it. Oh, no, no, no. We don't need to see that again. I'm just saying when a man Macarena's, you know, maybe it causes that.
OK, well, how about question number seven? Which DNC featured a balloon drop fiasco that was inadvertently broadcast here on CNN?
Was it '96? 2000 or 2004?
I had not, I got to look to, hold on. What was it? Oh wait, wait, I can't answer it with CNN. Hold on, I'm not -- I'm pretending. I'm hedging, we didn't do anything wrong. OK, it was 2004. You're all correct.
Here of course is that moment? (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go balloons! Go balloons! Standby confetti. More balloons. Bring it -- balloons, balloons, balloons! We want balloons, tons of them. Bring them down. Let them all come. All balloons! All balloons should be going, come on. Let's move them. Jesus, what's happening, balloons, there's not enough coming down. All balloons.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: I mean, you know all the balloons there you go. Hey, it's a three-way tie by the way between you three. There you go. The ladies have it. But thanks Lance. You get a -- I don't know maybe good job. There you go. There you go.
Thank you everyone and thank you all for watching. I'll see you tomorrow. Night from Chicago, of course 12 a.m. to 2 a.m. Eastern. Until then, Anderson Cooper continues our coverage.
