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Laura Coates Live
New Poll Boosts Democrat Hopes That Georgia Is Back In Play; Trump Is Silent On Florida Abortion Ballot; Democrats Remove Death Penalty From Campaign Platform; Women's Identities Stolen For Fake Trump Accounts; Tan Suit Backlash Dominated Headlines. Aired 11p-12a ET
Aired August 28, 2024 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[23:00:00]
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN ANCHOR AND SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: I mean, Kamala Harris in her coconut brown suit at the DNC was a whole thing as well.
UNKNOWN: They look good.
PHILLIP: My, my, how times have changed. Everyone, thank you very much for joining us. And thank you for watching "NewsNight: State of the Race." "Laura Coates Live" starts right now.
LAURA COATES, CNN HOST AND SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Georgia back in play. The new data backing the vibes as Harris hits the state and gets ready for her first interview right here on CNN. Also, tonight, a political mystery in Florida enters day number 20. Why hasn't Donald Trump revealed his stance on the state's abortion amendment? And a trip down memory lane you won't want to miss, 10 years since the scandal that shook Washington D.C. Tonight on "Laura Coates Live."
Georgia, Georgia, President Donald Trump cannot win this election unless he wins Georgia. Now, that's not me saying that, as a fact. That's what the top Republican in the state believes. Governor Brian Kemp said the following this very week, saying -- quote -- "There's no path for former President Trump to win or any Republican to get to 270 without Georgia."
You know who else might know that? The Harris campaign. They're now stepping on the gas in the battleground state, literally. Vice President Harris and Governor Tim Walz spent today on a bus traveling the southern part of Georgia near Savannah, topping out a high school band practice, a barbecue pit. They're targeting rural parts that tend to vote Republican.
And they know they may not win these pockets. I think the thinking goes, if they lose some by less, that could be all the difference in a state that was just won by under 12,000 votes the last time.
Now, it is not just the vibes that have Democrats thinking the state is suddenly in play. It's also the numbers. A brand-new Fox News poll out tonight has Harris up 50 to 48. It's within the margin of error, so technically tied. But look at your screen. There is no denying that she has changed the race. When Fox polled Georgia back in April, Trump was up 51 to 45 against President Biden. That's outside that margin of error.
So, Harris and Walz tomorrow will keep stepping on the gas in Georgia with the second day of their bus tour. And there will be one very, very important pitstop along the way, their joint interview with my colleague, Dana Bash, that will air right here on CNN at 9 p.m. Eastern. It'll be Harris's first interview since becoming the official nominee.
Well, Democratic Congresswoman Lucy McBath of the state of Georgia joins me now. She's a member of the House Judiciary Committee and also has endorsed the Harris-Walz ticket. Congresswoman, thank you so much for joining me this evening.
And also, as a personal note, I have to tell you, in watching your presentation and your statements at the DNC, I cannot imagine a more poignant moment at any convention to describe your son, to describe the loss that you and the other mothers and parents and a teacher experience, it was truly eye-opening, and I hope that you have received the appreciation from those who want this to never happen again.
REP. LUCY MCBATH (D-GA): Thank you so much, Laura. That means a great deal to me and so many survivors like myself. We just want to make sure that our loved ones are never forgotten, but that we do everything in our power that we can to make sure that these tragedies don't happen to anyone else.
COATES: Absolutely. You have become a champion for all of us mothers who hold our children that much tighter every time we recall. So, thank you. I want to turn the page for a second, though, and I want to get your reaction to this new poll from the state of Georgia that everyone -- everyone is focusing on tonight. It's from Fox News. Harris edges Trump by two points, but there's still no clear leader because of that margin of error. That's actually, though, a huge shift from when Biden was in the race and then losing by six points. What do you make of this, this new change?
MCBATH: Well, actually, we're very excited about this but, of course, I don't doubt it at all. We know that Georgia is a very critical battleground state, but we do know how to win races here in Georgia, and we know that Vice President Harris and Tim Walz are doing everything that they can to reach every voting demographic all across the state. They're listening, they're paying attention, they're listening to the needs of the voters, and they're doing their job.
Of course, it's really hard to win races here in Georgia.
COATES: Uh-hmm.
MCBATH: It is difficult to do so. I know that more than anybody else.
[23:05:00]
When I ran in 2018, I ran on a gun safety policy agenda as a Black woman here in Georgia. People said I couldn't win, it was unprecedented, it would never happen, but I won by 1% of the vote in the suburbs, in the state that was once held by Newt Gingrich.
COATES: Hmm.
MCBATH: So, we know how to fight, we know how to win, and that is the model of the Harris-Walz campaign. When we fight, we win.
COATES: It is their motto, and they're going to areas that have not really been traversed by many Democratic candidates since the 90s, really, when Clinton won. But you represent a suburban Atlanta district. I am curious what your constituents are telling you about their concerns and how they feel about the Harris-Walz ticket addressing them.
MCBATH: Well, they are very concerned about exercising the right to vote. As you know, most recently here, we've had issues with our state elections board.
COATES: Uh-hmm.
MCBATH: Uh, and they have passed a rule that would possibly delay or not certify the county elections. That's very concerning to us because Georgia families want to make sure that their voices are heard. More so, they want to make sure -- make sure that their voice and their vote counts.
They're -- uh, we were no stranger to a lot of the obstruction and the divisiveness with voting and elections here in Georgia, but as we have always done, we will stand on the shoulders of those that have come before us, our icons, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Andrew Young, Ralph David, Abernathy.
And we'll continue to fight. We'll continue to make sure that all of the, um, obstacles that have been placed in our way to obstruct the ability for the people to exercise the right to vote --
COATES: Uh-hmm.
MCBATH: -- we're going to challenge those obstructions at every turn. This is not new for us, but we're ready to fight.
COATES: Well, you know, a spokesperson for the governor, congresswoman, says that he is asking the attorney general of the state if he has the authority to remove members from the election board, a board I should note, Raffensperger, secretary, ever described as a mess. Is the governor doing enough by one, taking out that authority to remove the members, but also enough to anticipate in the event he cannot?
MCBATH: Well, we have not had any response from the governor yet, but we do hope that he is going to follow the rule of law. That is his responsibility as the governor of the state. We're hoping to hold him accountable as well as the electors on the state election board.
We all just have to wait and see. But I do know that my colleagues and I are not going to stand by. We're going to do everything in our power to make sure that every voter in the state of Georgia exercises the right to vote and that those -- that these elections are certified in a timely manner. That is the role of the state election board, and we're going to hold them accountable to that.
COATES: As they say, democracy is not just in the voting, it's also in the counting. And I guess now, in the certifying. Congresswoman Lucy McBath, thank you so much for joining.
MCBATH: Thank you so much.
COATES: Let's talk about all this with our panel. Tia Mitchell, Washington correspondent for "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution" is here, Shermichael Singleton, a CNN commentator and Republican strategist, and Chuck Rocha, a Democratic strategist is here as well. So glad to have you all here. Congratulations, of course, to Chuck. He is a newlywed, you all. It is very sweet.
CHUCK ROCHA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST, FORMER SENIOR ADVISOR FOR BERNIE SANDERS'S PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS: Marketing us (ph), so you all know.
(LAUGHTER)
COATES: He has been off the market, but there you go. But now onto the market of politics for a second, Tia, let me begin with you. This is your state and everyone is looking at Georgia. But it's also not just Georgia, right? It is the Fox poll showing this dead heat in places like Arizona, also in Nevada and/or -- Nevada. I was told it's Nevada.
TIA MITCHELL, WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION: Uh-hmm.
COATES: Okay, I hear you, it's Nevada, okay? North Carolina as well. Um, is this sort of resetting battleground states as we speak?
MITCHELL: Well, I think it's putting states that were starting to look not so battleground-like back into the battleground category, if you will, and those include states like Georgia, like Nevada, like Arizona, like North Carolina where, you know, there were times when Biden was on the ticket, especially Georgia, North Carolina, that it just seemed out of the question.
And now, I think it's important to note, it's not just about, of course, it's about winning, but for right now as the polls tighten, it's about the money.
COATES: Uh-hmm.
MITCHELL: Kamala Harris is raising a lot of money. She's got a lot of money to spend. She's forcing Donald Trump to spend money, too, in states that just a few weeks ago, he thought he had in the bag, and that can make a big difference as we get closer to election day because all these, you know, all these choices in campaigning have consequences.
COATES: No one can get too overly confident when it comes to elections.
[23:10:00]
I mean, we're 70, what? Seventy days away from the general election and early voting starts as well. A lot of people had been talking about the impact of Biden on down-ballot races and whether he could get the Senate and whether he'd be able to have a true majority.
The poll, though, Chuck, it also showed that Democrats in Senate races, in places like Arizona and Nevada, outperforming Harris. Does this give Democrats new hope that they might be able to retain and add to their lead in the Senate?
ROCHA: There's a few things that fact in a campaign. And folks know I'm one of the few folks who've run a presidential campaign. And this post to the election. There ain't no such thing as head-fops (ph). Whatever you're doing, watch where they go because there's one thing in a campaign -- Shermichael knows this -- you can never get back, and that's time. So, they're there for a reason. They would not be there to try to fake anybody out. They're there because they think they can win.
And these down-ballot races have done one thing, which is over perform Trump at every step. There's one thing I've told folks about Donald Trump. There's only one Donald Trump. When you put that man alone (ph) somebody else, he just doesn't get the performance from voters.
It's much like, on the other side, Bernie Sanders. Folks try to be Bernie Sanders in 2016. There was only one Bernie. They want the real thing. That's why I think you see that separation down-ballot.
COATES: What about Trump campaign? This has got to be pretty eye- opening for them. Before, it was a 12,000-vote margin.
SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Yeah.
COATES: They thought they had the security of the Georgia Republicans coming out strong. But this is not voting well for Trump's confidence, I would assume, that he can get Georgia this time.
SINGLETON: I mean, that's why you saw the former president repairing his relationship with the governor, who has 64% approval in the state. He's doing a fundraiser, I think, either today or tomorrow for the former president, going down to South Georgia, attempting to turn out those voters. It is going to be absolutely pivotal.
Tia made an interesting point earlier today about how the fundamentals in certain cities like Atlanta have completely changed and made the state really more competitive because a lot of people of color are moving there.
So, it's not just enough to perform well in the suburbs as a Republican. You really have to turn out, lower those low propensity rural voters who typically don't vote in every single election, some of the gun owners in Georgia who typically don't vote in every single election. So, you're seeing the campaign spend resources there.
But I do think they have to become a little bit more judicious. The Harris campaign is in South Georgia for a reason. I'm not necessarily certain that they're expecting to win South Georgia, but strategically speaking, if you can force your opponent to spend resources where they don't want to spend those resources and you have more money to spend in other places where you need to close up that gap, it does make a lot more difficult for Republicans.
COATES: One of the things that the focus has been is on the key data points. I'm talking about the polling. But one of the big data points, I think, from many voters is going to be this interview tomorrow at CNN.
You know, you've Harris and Walz together with Dana Bash. It is the first interview that they've had since really announcing. It has been, you know, several weeks now that we've known that Biden is not in the race. How consequential, do you think, this interview is going to be for voters to see the dynamic at play and the specificity of the platform?
ROCHA: There have been a whole lot of people on my side of the aisle who've been happy saying we ain't him, we ain't crazy, vote for us because we ain't Trump. They have to introduce themselves now. Really nobody knew who the vice president was. They sure didn't know who Tim Walz was. But on this show, I'd remind everybody, I called the football coach early on with you.
COATES: You did, you did.
ROCHA: I called the football coach right here on the Laura Coates show. But that's why they want people to get to know them in that way. As the football coach or as a woman who grew up in a house, who she had to rent, the story she told at the convention about knowing the pride in her mama's face. That's -- you only get one chance to make a first impression. And they've been riding the high. Now, they've got to get down to real talk about policy, and I think that's why it's so important.
COATES: It's so funny to think about how many impressions you have. She has been the vice president for three and a half years. She has been a senator. She has been an attorney general of California. Minnesotans, obviously, know who Tim Walz is, and he was a member of Congress.
But there's the consistent reintroduction when you're talking about the national stage 70 days from 270. Oh, let's point that, 70 from 270. Welcome. It won't matter tomorrow. It'll be 69 days, so it doesn't really matter again.
But talk to me, Tia, about the impact of this particular interview as you're seeing it and how the overall context is going to be viewed as one data point before the debate.
MITCHELL: Yeah, I think it's important because, yes, from their story, they're telling their story, also showing off their ticket and their chemistry, that's important. But also putting the meat on the policy will be important. Yes, people know Kamala Harris, the vice president. They might not know a lot about her, but they know who she is. But Kamala Harris, the presidential candidate, has only been around for about six weeks.
And so, there's a lot for her to introduce as far as what type of leader she would be. I think she did a good job in her speech at the DNC. But now, it's going to be put to the test because now it's not just her delivering a speech, she's got to respond to the questions asked, not knowing what's going to come her way.
COATES: And it's not just her, Tia, on that point. I mean, it's also Walz together. And it's not unheard of at all to have joint interviews. This happens quite frequently. We're in a totally different political landscape and a truncated schedule. But she's already being criticized. They're suggesting that he is a chaperone.
[23:15:00]
They're suggesting that he is a security blanket, not a running mate. I mean, look at this. "Harris Gets an Interview Crutch." This is "The Wall Street Journal" and publishing at one point. We knew this was coming, but does this make a difference in terms of this having legs for people?
SINGLETON: No, I don't think it really matters. I mean, I've seen a lot of conservatives have sort of brought it up on social media personally. Who cares? I think what's more important, Laura, is how the two of them respond to actual policy. We've seen the vice president attempt to moderate and alter her positions on multiple issues she once believed in when she was a senator, positions that she held when she was a candidate for presidency the first time around, and she has changed on all of those fronts.
And so, I think for some of those skeptical voters in places like Pennsylvania, where it's still very close, they want to know what would you do over four years given the opportunity that you could not have done over three and a half years as vice president. That's something that I think Republicans should really be focused more on instead of saying, well, whether or not Walz is with her or not.
I think that's a moot point for voters. They want to know, what can you do to improve my lot in life in terms of cost, in terms of immigration, and in terms of foreign policy? Will we find ourselves in an expensive conflict over the next two years, potentially? Those questions, I think, voters really want answers to, and I'm hoping that Dana Bash will absolutely force the vice president to provide some concrete details because we haven't seen that thus far.
COATES: You have to wonder, especially given the way in which we were introduced to Walz on the national stage, his military record and service called immediately into question, pitted against Senator J.D. Vance, himself also a veteran.
And you've got this news out today where the Trump campaign has been under fire for what they're calling an incident at Arlington National Cemetery. NPR reports that a cemetery official tried to stop the Trump campaign from filming the area where recent veterans had been buried. And federal law does prohibit, by the way, campaign or election- related activities there. And then Trump posted a campaign video to TikTok. He says that he had the permission of the families of those who have fallen.
But this is something that I think will strike a chord with many people given the way that we were introduced nationally to Walz. Military service, Trump's previous comments, how will this bode well or not for the campaign and going forward?
ROCHA: I think there was a reason and a real difference in the way we saw this convention go down for Democrats and Democrats talk about patriotism. I think that was very much us trying to get back the flag and say, look, we're patriotic as Republicans, we all bleed, we've all fought in these wars.
But this is very personal for lots of veterans and lots of folks that are undecided. I worked for VoteVets, an organization for many, many years, and helped start the organization with John Soltz (ph), who is a dear friend of mine. And when I used to go to Arlington Cemetery with him, way back when Memorial Day is -- you would see folks, and he -- first thing he'd tell me, because I wasn't in the military, my father -- my grandfather was in World War II, he'd say, here's the protocol, you should know this protocol, I know you're well-meaning but this is how you act when you're at these cemeteries.
And I was so appreciative that John would tell me that to help me learn, because it's a very solemn place. And when you're out there, especially on Memorial Day, it's not happy Memorial Day, it's learning to respect this sacred ground. And I think that cuts across lots of party lines and could really hurt in many ways.
COATES: Tia, go ahead.
MITCHELL: I was going to say, I just think it was an unforced error. I think there was a space for Trump to create contrast that, you know, on Monday, he was remembering those 13 people killed during the pullout from Afghanistan. You know, President Biden, Vice President Harris chose to put out statements, but they did not have any public or forward-facing events to commemorate the day.
And so, Trump was able to, the way he started out, making that contrast and criticizing the withdrawal from Afghanistan, and if he had left it there, I think it could have been a political win for him.
COATES: Hmm.
MITCHELL: But the choices he made at the cemetery from camp -- creating a campaign video, the altercation with someone who's just literally doing their job in trying to uphold the rules and the solace of the place, now he's got this negative news cycle that didn't have to be there, and it's going to -- and quite frankly, Trump is on the issues of veteran and military service, that's not the strongest position of Trump because he isn't a veteran and was accused of draft dodging. So, instead of it being a win for him, it's a liability. COATES: Unforced errors, how many are you allowed 70 days before an election? Thank you so much, everyone.
And ahead, we still don't know what Donald Trump thinks about abortion in Florida or as he reportedly refers to it, the A-word, but we might very soon. Congressman Byron Donalds is here to talk about that and a whole lot more after this.
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COATES: Donald Trump calls himself the most pro-life president ever, and he routinely takes credit for ending Roe v. Wade. Democrats remind him of that very chance every chance they get, and they've made abortion and the fight over reproductive rights a critical part of their campaign against him. And Democrats feel that that is a winning issue, and they point to red states like Kentucky that have had success passing ballot measures rejecting restrictions.
Well, Trump's state of Florida, which bans abortions at six weeks, has a vote coming up this November. It's called Amendment 4. And if passed, it would protect abortion access in the state of Florida.
But voters have no idea where Trump stands on this, at least not yet. The last time he was asked about this was on August 8th, and here's what he said then.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN (voice-over): How are planning to vote on Florida's abortion referendum this November?
[23:25:02]
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I'm going to announce that. I'm going to actually have a press conference on that at some point in the near future, so I don't want to tell you now. But Florida does have a vote coming up on that, and I think probably the vote will go in a little more liberal way than people thought.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Joining me now is one of Trump's fellow Florida residents and top allies, Congressman Byron Donalds, who says he is opposed to Amendment 4. Congressman, thank you so much for joining us.
I mean, Congressman, you have made your position clear, others have as well, but it has been 20 days since Trump said that he would reveal his position on the Florida abortion amendment, and he hasn't. Why not?
REP. BYRON DONALDS (R-FL): Well, it's good to be with you, Laura. Like, I don't want to tell you why or why not, because that's really for the president to answer and him alone, but he's obviously focused on the presidential election. I think he's also aware that, yes, depending on what his decision might be, the Harris campaign is going to try to use that, because he has been very clear that at the federal level, he will not sign any abortion bans at the federal level because he believes that this belongs to the states.
Now, in the state of Florida, as citizens, everybody is going to make a decision on what they want to do on Amendment 4.
COATES: Uh-hmm.
DONALDS: I've made my position clear, I'm opposed to it, and the reason why I'm opposed to Amendment 4 is, number one, I do not think we should regulate abortion in the state's constitution, number two, as the amendment is written, it is very vague, it talks about abortions up to viability. Viability could be as much as 22 to 25 weeks now, and even Florida's previous law did not allow abortions after 15 weeks.
COATES: Uh-hmm.
DONALDS: And so, this is something where I think the voters of Florida are going to have to make decision. Obviously, Donald Trump votes in the state of Florida. He's going to come out and make a statement on his position when he's prepared to. But when it comes to abortion nationwide, he has been very clear that as the 47th president of the United States, he is not going to entertain or sign a national ban on abortion at any level.
COATES: Well, congressman, certainly, this is a Florida specific notion, but it also could be read as a barometer for a national electorate who are very, very interested, deeply so, in reproductive rights as a part of the conversation.
And there are some anti-abortion activists who are wanting him to come out and actually state his position. They're angry that he has not done so. They're upset that he said he's going to be, and I'm quoting, "great for women and reproductive rights." One activist says that he sounds like a Democrat. Another said that it looks like Trump is joining the other side.
I mean, the silence for many is deafening. Don't you think that voters ought to be able to hear after all this time and not waiting for more preparation? We're 70 days before the election. Shouldn't they hear from him now?
DONALDS: Well, actually, I don't actually agree with that. President Trump is going to make that decision when he's prepared to make that decision, like every elected official in Florida makes that decision in their own timetable. It came up in a townhall meeting last night that I had in my district. I chose to make my position known at that townhall meeting. Everybody is going to do that. I think it is important --
COATES: Excuse me, I want you to finish your point, I don't want to cut you off but --
DONALDS: But Laura --
COATES: I don't want to cut you off. You know I give you a chance to speak. I just want to understand a little bit more about --
DONALDS: Sure, of course.
COATES: -- the preparation part of it. What did you have for preparation that you think Donald Trump is still lacking to make his position clear?
DONALDS: I actually would say that's not the way to look at it at all. I had a chance to read the amendment. I did that, and then I moved forward. I decided when I was going to make an announcement to my voters about what my position was. Donald Trump is in a very different position than I am. He obviously is running for the highest office in the land. What he does as a citizen of Florida is a decision he's going to make.
But you made the -- you raised the key question, the barometer, because we do understand that in this political environment, you have people on a national perspective who are going to try to see through his decision on Amendment 4 in Florida to dictate what he might do in the future as president of the United States.
And what I want to communicate to you is that as the 47th President, he is not going to sign a national abortion ban of any length. He believes it should be left to the states. And as a citizen of Florida, he's going to make that decision as a citizen of our state like every other citizen of Florida has the right to do.
COATES: I understand the distinction you're making, that as a voter, his personal views will be on display, but as a leader and a national president, he'd be acting in service of the people who have elected him, all Americans at that point if he were elected. But there's still are, for many, this expectation that he would have his position in line with how he would ultimately conclude with the national ban as well.
But let me move on to another point because what we're talking about is most assuredly, congressman, going to be a part of the debate coming up in less than two weeks. And Trump said yesterday that he -- they have reached an agreement to have muted microphones.
[23:30:04]
Harris's campaign has actually not yet confirmed that, surprisingly. But then I heard from Senator Ted Cruz, who said that Trump should just agree to whatever rules they want, essentially articulating that this is all some pretextual reason for her not to want to debate, this is, you know, a distraction. Do you agree with Senator Cruz that he should disagree and get the debate?
DONALDS: Well, I believe that President Trump and Vice President Harris, I think they both want to debate. I think the thing about microphones, quite frankly, the reason why Kamala Harris wants them open is because she does want to use that as an opportunity to interrupt President Trump, to try to create some moments in contrast or conflict with President Trump. I don't think that really is in the best interest of the American people.
We were just talking about Amendment 4 and what's Donald Trump's position, but the American people need to hear clearly what are Kamala Harris's positions on many issues that the president of the United States, the next one, is going to have to weigh in on. She has not let us really see any of those issues.
So, I think in a debate, muted microphones are the best because both candidates need to be able to project clearly what they're going to do as the commander-in-chief. We've seen these debates in the past where they're more about hot takes and highlight reels as opposed to clear policy positions.
And America needs clear decisions, clear policies, and clear leadership. Kamala Harris hasn't stipulated any of that. So, I think it's actually in her interest to have muted microphones as well so the American people can hear clearly from her what she intends to do if she becomes the next president.
COATES: Well, one, I think both candidates would like the opportunity to interrupt and are hoping for a moment from a debate. But two, Harris has laid out some economic ideas specifically tied to lowering housing costs. Now, there are three million new home, $25,000 for first-time home buyers.
I know that this has been equal parts panned and praised with the specific details and beyond, but we haven't heard the specificity that you are seeking from Harris, from Trump, you know, consistently as well. Do you have the same standard that you want both candidates on behalf of the American electorate to be able to have that granular minutiae and specificity on this stage?
DONALDS: Well, Laura, now we got to be honest and direct. Kamala Harris's economic plan has been panned mostly. There's been very little praise about this plan. Twenty-five thousand dollars for first- time home buyers is only going to raise the price of homes on first- time home buyers by $25,000.
Her price gouging or price control regime, however you want to phrase it, is only going to lead to scarcity amongst food products and potentially higher prices as well. So, that's not going to help. And that's not just me saying it. You have economics -- economic -- economists on the right, in the center, in the left, who are all saying that.
But to a broader level, Donald Trump has been given interviews day in, day out. So, has J.D. Vance. People know what Donald Trump is going to do because he was already president, and he did it. His positions are on his website very, very clearly.
Kamala Harris has not given any specificities, let alone any vision of what she really wants to do from a public policy position, and then you have the flip-flopping that has occurred. The pressure is on her in this debate to demonstrate. I would argue that her support right now is a mile wide, but an inch deep. The support for Donald Trump is rock solid. It is not moving.
So, the pressure is on Kamala Harris to communicate to the American people. Donald Trump has been communicating to the American people for really nine years now. People know what Donald Trump is going to do as the next president.
COATES: Well, you know, I think there is some factual support, obviously, for the idea that there is something lacking about the specificity. Even over the past, I think, nine years you've quoted, he may have been in the public eye. He certainly has been the president of the United States.
But I think the debate and the next 70 days are going to be crucial for voters to understand what their positions are, not just grand overtures or statements and bald assertions, but actually the specificity of how one plans to get from point A to point B. And in my opinion, humbly, it is on both campaigns to do that for the American electorate.
Congressman, thank you so much for joining us.
DONALDS: Thank you.
COATES: You know, for the first time, speaking of specificity, for the first time in 20 years, do you know that the death penalty has been omitted from the Democratic Party platform? What changed? New York City Councilman and member of the "Exonerated Five," Yusef Salaam, weighs in.
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[23:35:00]
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COATES: A first in 20 years, no mention of the death penalty in the Democratic Party's platform. And it comes just eight years after the party made history by being the first major American party to call for completely abolishing the death penalty. That was back in 2016. Hillary Clinton was then the candidate. And the platform said -- quote -- "We will abolish the death penalty, which has proven to be a cruel and unusual form of punishment. It has no place in the United States of America."
And in 2020, Joe Biden was the candidate. The platform said -- quote -- "Democrats continue to support abolishing the death penalty."
But here, we are in 2024, and the death penalty has not been abolished, but it has been omitted as an issue from the party's platform. Why the change? Anything to do with the candidate itself? You have to wonder. Kamala Harris stands for the death penalty. It has changed multiple times.
[23:40:00]
As San Francisco's D.A., Harris refused to charge the death penalty, and she didn't, even under immense pressure to do so when a 21-year- old gang member was accused of killing a police officer. When Harris ran for California attorney general, she softened her tone, saying she would -- quote -- "enforce the death penalty as the law dictates." And again, she kept that promise.
But when she ran for the Senate in 2016, Harris portrayed herself then as a progressive prosecutor, as the phrase was known, in favor of sweeping reforms like imposing a moratorium on the death penalty. So, what does she think now? And does the omission of the death penalty from the platform reveal anything?
Let's bring in New York City councilman and member of the "Exonerated Five," Yusef Salaam. Councilman, thank you so much for being here. I mean, former President Trump, he took out ads calling for the death penalty to be reinstated over the 1989 rape of a woman in Central Park. You were wrongfully imprisoned for that crime. Do you take issue with the fact that Democrats are now removing, abolishing the death penalty from their platform?
YUSEF SALAAM, NEW YORK CITY COUNCILMAN, MEMBER OF EXONERATED FIVE: I think it's important to really consider all of that because when I think about my, so to speak, part in time, right, the Central Park Jogger case, Donald Trump said he wanted the death penalty to be reinstated specifically for our case. Had he had his way, we would have been put to death.
But imagine this, the real perpetrator, because they got this case so wrong, was out there committing more crime, ultimately killing and maiming many of his victims, killing one of his last victims, Lourdes Gonzalez.
I think when I think about something such as the death penalty, which is so strong, we absolutely should abolish it because why? Because if one person is in prison for a crime he didn't commit, if there's so many things around that case that says this person didn't do it, then we definitely should not put that person to death. I'm thinking about people like Troy Davis in this particular instance. The death penalty should be on the platform and we really should abolish it in America.
COATES: Why do you think it's off the platform, particularly given -- I remember when Merrick Garland, the attorney general, was being confirmed. He himself, who had been a prosecutor in the case of Timothy McVeigh, he talked about supporting death penalty at the time.
But then he said that he didn't have any regret about prosecuting the case, but that he had since developed concerns about the death penalty in the 20-some years since then, citing the large number of exonerations that have occurred and the increasing, he said, increasing almost randomness or arbitrariness of its application and enormously disparate impact on Black Americans and members of communities of color.
Given that's his position in the federal moratorium discussions, why do you think it's not on the platform?
SALAAM: I can't speak to why it's not, but I can tell you why we really should put it back on the platform. I sit on the board of the Innocence Project and of the hundreds of people that we have allowed to see a day free because of DNA evidence, that in and of itself is enough to say that we got something that we have to look at.
The system is not perfect, and it never will be, but we have an opportunity to at least plug the holes, allow for people to live another day and not be put to death. We've seen so many times where people in power have said, you know what, my last act is either going to -- I'm going to pardon so many people or I'm going to murder, kill so many people by the state. And, of course, those people look like me. They look like brown people. They look like Black people in particular. And that's egregious.
COATES: You have called on many reforms that also include the abolition of juvenile solitary confinement, capital punishment, of course, as well, one of many issues that you have been so passionate about. Thank you for joining us today, Councilman Yusef Salaam. Thank you.
SALAAM: My pleasure. Thank you as well. Thank you for having me.
COATES: Well, imagine you're living your life, you're minding your own business, when all of a sudden, you find out that your image has been stolen, it has been edited, and get this, it has been plastered all over social media with a message to voters: Vote Trump. That's what's happening to dozens of women, and the CNN investigation about it is next.
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[23:45:00]
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COATES: Well, in the age of social media, get out to vote has gone from door knocks to DMs. And tonight, CNN is uncovering phony social media accounts amplifying pro-Trump messages. Here's part of what CNN's Katie Polglase uncovered.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATIE POLGLASE, CNN INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER (voice-over): Debbie is heading home from work in Luxembourg, Northern Europe. Crossing the border into Germany, she races back to her son.
DEBBIE NEDERLOF, MODEL AND SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER: Hello.
POLGLASE (voice-over): And of course, Lou (ph). But Debbie's day doesn't end there. She's also a professional model. Her image, not only her identity, but her source of income, helping support her and her son. But it has been stolen, used in a pro-Trump account on X, attracting nearly 30,000 followers in less than six months.
Here it is (INAUDIBLE).
NEDERLOF: Yeah. That's very crazy.
POLGLASE: And when you see these views, you know, saying vote for Trump in 2024, what's your reaction?
NEDERLOF: My -- to be honest, what the (bleep) was my reaction. That was my reaction because I have nothing to do with the United States, with Trump or the political things over there.
POLGLASE: And if people following this account believe that this is you, what do you want to say to them?
[23:50:03]
NEDERLOF: That it's definitely not me. Definitely, it was never me and it will never be me. And they have to unfollow, please.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COATES: WTF sounds about right to me. CNN reached out to "X" regarding these accounts, but did not receive a response. However, in the last 24 hours before publishing, "X" took down the majority of the accounts. There's no indication that the Trump campaign is involved.
Joining me now, Emily Horne. She's the founder of Allegro Public Affairs and former spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council for Twitter. Thank you for joining me, Emily. I mean, this is pretty unbelievable to think about it. Debbie, she's not alone in this. There are a number of, I think, 60 fake accounts. How widespread is this problem?
EMILY HORNE, FOUNDER OF ALLEGRO PUBLIC AFFAIRS, FORMER TWITTER SPOKESPERSON, FORMER SPOKESPERSON FOR WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: Well, first, thanks so much for having me here, Laura. It's great to be with you and to be talking about this really important topic in the run up to the elections. So, this is a rich, rich case here, and there's a lot to unpack.
First, it's not surprising that whoever is behind this is using images of conventionally-attractive and young women to gain followers and likes and gain traction on social media platforms. It has widely been documented that that's a great way to get followers.
What's new about this network of accounts, which to be clear, we don't know who was behind them still, that attribution is still undetermined and it may be very difficult to assess from the outside, but what's new here are some of the techniques that the perpetrators are using.
So, first of all, they're pulling images from other social media platforms, like TikTok and Instagram, and repurposing them on "X." So, there's cross-platform activity. They're also using the same women's images throughout the account. So, we've seen before where a bad actor will impersonate someone by stealing their profile picture and then tweeting a whole bunch of memes or a bunch of spammy content.
But this is labor intensive, whoever is doing this. They are --
COATES: But shouldn't that have been a red flag earlier, that had all that cross pollination, the same women, the same wording at different points in time?
HORNE: So, there's a couple of things there. So, there is a track record and among social media platforms of working together when there are clear laws against this kind of cross-platform activity. So, when you're talking about things like terrorist content or child sexual exploitation, there is a track record of groups working across industry, the big platforms and also some of the smaller ones, that will work together to find images that break the law and interstitial them or watermark them so they can't be repeated.
But the difference is that's illegal behavior. We all agree that this is illegal behavior. And this is the kind of place where the laws simply have not caught up with the technology.
COATES: So, how do the users weed out the fake from the real? That seems like an impossible ask to believe that they can identify.
HORNE: So, something that I think is great for everyone to keep in mind in the run-up to this election is that if it seems too good to be true on the internet, there's a real good chance that it's a bad actor, that someone is lying to you. If you're looking at a picture of a beautiful young woman who is just tweeting over and over things that reaffirm your political beliefs and there's no other content, that's a good sign that maybe you should take a second look or think twice before amplifying or following this content.
COATES: And yet the echo chambers indulge that very premise that, no, no, you're not alone.
HORNE: They do. But look, you know, I was at Twitter in the aftermath of the 2016 election, and I can't tell you how many calls I took from reporters and researchers and congressional staffers all wanting to know, did we find the Russian account? Did we find the network of Russian accounts?
And those missed the forest for the trees because the damage that was done there, yes, the Russians incited a lot of it, but we did a lot of damage to ourselves by plucking this content from the muck of the internet, having politically-divisive figures lift it up and amplify it, and then making it a part of our political discourse.
COATES: History might repeat itself. Let's hope not. Emily, thank you so much. Emily Horne, everyone. Up next, it was the scandal that rocked the country 10 years ago -- oh, tan suit-gate, the outrage that ensued after this.
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[23:55:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COATES: Teapot Dome, Watergate, Iran-Contra, the Lewinsky affair, America has a long history of White House scandals. Well, 10 years ago today, former President Obama shocked the nation to its core during this infamous moment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN: There we go.
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Good afternoon, everybody.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: That's right. Tan suit-gate. August 28th, 2014, Obama had the audacity to walk into the White House briefing room in this light- colored outfit and straight into the history books. The moment actually sparked outrage from Republicans and the media had a field day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: The president came out addressing reporters on Thursday and he was wearing this tan suit. He got a lot of guff for this.
LOU DOBBS, FORMER FOX HOST (voice-over): Take a look at this picture of the president today. This is a man who is normally dressed in dark suits and bright ties. Think about this picture. When was the last time you saw President Obama swath in beige and earth tones for crying out loud?
PETER KING, FORMER NEW YORK REPRESENTATIVE: Here's a president coming out at such a serious moment where he should be addressing the country on such a serious matter, and he looked like he was on his way to a party at the Hamptons.
JOE PISCOPO, ACTOR: Only the Democrats and only liberals could actually elect a guy with a tan suit.
JOSH EARNEST, FORMER OBAMA WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Wear a dark color suit when you're a dude. It's really simple.
KEILAR: We haven't seen one.
EARNEST: Or go for all out seersucker. I wore the --
UNKNOWN: Seersucker! You want him to talk about --
KEILAR: Oh, my God.
EARNEST: -- domestic terrorism --
KEILAR: Come on.
[00:00:00] UNKNOWN: You're welcome to focus on whatever aspect of the news conference you would like, but if you want to actually understand what the president is trying to communicate, I would encourage you to take a close look at his words.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Well, we're in a retros (ph). Well, in retrospect, it all seems so tame compared to the flurry of political scandals these days. I mean, it was just a tan suit. Not to mention Republican icon Ronald Reagan. Wow! He wore the same suit. Obama actually honored the anniversary today, posting this side-by-side photo of him and Vice President Kamala Harris. The caption, "How it started, how it's going. Ten years later, and it's still a good look."
Well, thank you all for watching. "Anderson Cooper 360" is next.
