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Laura Coates Live
Jennifer Lopez Rallies with Kamala Harris in Las Vegas; Harris Touts Her Economic Policies at Vegas Rally. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired November 01, 2024 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COATES: Welcome back to "Laura Coates Live." Our breaking news, we've got live pictures from Las Vegas where Kamala Harris is just moments away from campaigning with Jennifer Lopez. Let's go back to CNN's Priscilla Alvarez, who is there. Priscilla, what is the mood like there?
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's certainly a lot of excitement, Laura. Just now, they heard from Mexican rock band Mana, which explained or they explained why they're supporting the vice president, laying out some of her policies while also playing some songs.
[00:00:02]
But as you just mentioned, Jennifer Lopez is going to be coming out at any moment. Of course, she is a Puerto Rican superstar. She is someone who came out in recent days criticizing what happened at former president Donald Trump's rally in New York City, where a comedian assailed Puerto Rico.
And it is that type of unexpected boost that has come from Latino artists that the Harris campaign is capitalizing on. And in talking to sources what they tell me that is different about this moment is that it is happening organically. Of course, the Harris campaign expected that there would be star-studded events in the homestretch of the election. What they didn't anticipate, however, was that comments like the ones made on Sunday would suddenly lead to this burst of energy among Latino celebrities who have been coming out in droves to support the vice president.
That also includes the likes of Bad Bunny who shared his or shared a clip of the vice president's plans for Puerto Rico to his 43 million Instagram followers. But again coming back to Jennifer Lopez, she is going to be here in Las Vegas. She's going to introduce the vice president. So we're waiting to hear what she'll say. And if she'll say anything about what happened at the former president's rally on Sunday.
But certainly all of this is about mobilization, Laura, and talking to multiple officials over the last several days they know this is the homestretch and what they need to do is mobilize voters, urge them to vote and to vote early. The timing here is no coincidence. Tomorrow is the deadline for in-person early voting. Then in-person voting will commence again on Tuesday, and over the next several days, people can continue to submit their mail-in ballots.
But certainly the campaign wants to capitalize on early voting in these crucial battleground states, and the Harris campaign also very much trying to appeal to Latino voters. They are a crucial voting bloc, especially in a state like Nevada, and where polling has shown that the vice president is about evenly split with former president Donald Trump among Latino voters. So this is an opportunity for the vice president, according to sources I've talked to, to appeal to Latino voters to explain her policies on the economy, on health care, on immigration. and to do so with the backing of a big celebrity like Jennifer Lopez.
LAURA COATES, CNN ANCHOR: I mean, she's a huge celebrity, Priscilla, and I do wonder but for the comments on Sunday, had they already planned to have Jennifer Lopez be somebody who would be stumping with Harris?
ALVAREZ: Well, we've asked that question. She has appeared at other events, but she hasn't spoken before, and she is actually being introduced now.
COATES: Wait, I hear it. I hear the name. Let's go right to her. We'll watch her come out. Jennifer Lopez.
ALVAREZ: There she is.
COATES: Rallying with Harris in Las Vegas coming out right now. Let's listen in to what she has to say coming to her -- on her own music as well. Let's see if they really do get loud.
JENNIFER LOPEZ, MUSICIAN: Hello, everybody. Yes. Yes. Buenas noches, Las Vegas.
(CHEERS)
LOPEZ: Now you guys know I'm no stranger to this town. No. I've been on stage here many, many times. Too many times to count. But this is the most important stage I've ever been on.
(CHEERS)
LOPEZ: And let me tell you, it has never felt the way it does tonight. It has nothing to do with me and everything to do with you. The energy in here is just electric.
(CHEERS)
LOPEZ: Can you guys feel it? Can you feel it? It's amazing. The election is just five days away, and there's so much at stake. The choices facing America now are monumental, and you guys have made this place a city where dreams come true, where people from all walks of life have planted a flag in hopes of creating a better future for themselves and their families. (CHEERS)
LOPEZ: And you are the ones who are going to send the message that Nevada is Harris country.
(CHEERS)
LOPEZ: Kamala Harris is running for the people who dream, for the parents working overtime, the kids studying by street light, the teenagers practicing in the basement.
She's the only candidate that wants to raise the minimum wage and make college more affordable.
(CHEERS)
LOPEZ: Keep the Department of Education and even put a teacher in the vice president's job.
(CHEERS)
LOPEZ: That's right. On the other hand, her opponent wants to kill the Affordable Care Act and eliminate the Department of Education.
(BOOING)
LOPEZ: Right now we are on the brink of an election that demands a choice, a choice between backwards and forwards. A choice between the past and the future. A choice between divided and united.
[00:05:07]
And if you are anything like me and you value the idea that in this country, any child from any background cannot only work their ass off to bring their dreams to life and be able to do so with dignity and respect for their neighbors, then it isn't much of a choice at all.
(CHEERS)
LOPEZ: Whether you're from Castlehill in the Bronx. Yes, baby.
(LAUGHTER)
LOPEZ: Or Sunrise Manor in East Las Vegas.
(CHEERS)
LOPEZ: We all want a world where our kids feel safe and free and valued by their president. Because whoever leads this country matters. That's how we make the greatest America. Because I remember, I remember growing up thinking my president cared about me, cared about my parents, cared about my neighbors and my community. Not just some Americans but all Americans.
I believe that our kids and this wonderfully progressive, innovative and inclusive young generation deserve that, too. And it is in our hands. It's in -- it's our responsibility to provide that for them.
(CHEERS)
LOPEZ: You know, when I started in TV and film, I could get roles playing the maid or the loudmouthed Latina but I knew I had more to offer. And I think there are a lot of people in this country who feel the same way, who know that they are capable of more. And we all just want a chance to prove it. And elections are about choosing leaders who support that. Not one who stands in the way.
(CHEERS)
LOPEZ: Kamala Harris gets it. Raised by a hardworking mother in Oakland, California, working long hours, strict budget, made rent every month until they could buy a home surrounded by a community of firefighters and teachers, nurses, construction workers, small business owners. I don't know, that sounds a lot like my upbringing. And probably many of yours.
(CHEERS)
LOPEZ: Kamala Harris gets it. I know as president of the United States, Kamala will fight for our freedom, the freedom of immigrants and immigrant families to chase the American dream.
(CHEERS)
LOPEZ: The freedom of workers to afford housing, education, food and life's essentials, and the freedom of women to choose what we do with our bodies.
(CHEERS)
LOPEZ: I believe in the power of women.
(CHEERS)
LOPEZ: Ladies, where are my ladies at? Let me hear you. Yes. I believe that women, women have the power to make the difference in this election.
(CHEERS)
LOPEZ: I believe in the power of Latinos.
(CHEERS)
LOPEZ: Where my Latinos at?
(CHEERS)
LOPEZ: I believe in the power of our community. I believe in the power of all our votes. I believe that together, we are the difference in this election. I know that together we are the difference in this election.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jenny from the block, we love you.
(CHEERS)
LOPEZ: Kamala Harris chose a career in law to fight for middle class families like her own. From her start as a courtroom prosecutor to becoming the district attorney, then California's attorney general, then a U.S. senator, and now as vice president, she has only ever had one client. You, the people.
(CHEERS)
LOPEZ: And in each of those roles, she took on scammers who ripped off their customers, predators who abused women and cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain. There is no candidate in the history of the presidency that is more qualified, and there is no job that Kamala Harris can't do.
(CHEERS)
LOPEZ: Kamala Harris gets it. And that's what her policies are about. She will put forward an actual plan to make housing more affordable, to cut taxes for middle class families, to help small businesses get a foothold, to expand the child tax credit, to fight inflation by cracking down on grocery monopolies, to take on those who rip off consumers.
[00:10:00]
And what's that all about at the end of the day? It's about helping you get ahead. It's about you, and you, and you, and you, and you. It's about us. All of us.
(CHEERS)
LOPEZ: No matter what we look like, who we love or who we worship or where we're from.
Her opponent on the other hand doesn't see it that way.
(BOOING)
LOPEZ: He has consistently worked to divide us. At Madison Square Garden, he reminded us who he really is and how he really feels. It wasn't just Puerto Ricans that were offended that day, OK? It was every Latino in this country. It was humanity and anyone of decent character.
(CHEERS)
LOPEZ: Look, you -- I'm a lover. OK. You guys know that about me. I am a lover. I am not a fighter. I am not here to trash anyone or bring them down. I know what that can feel like. And I wouldn't do it to my worst enemy, or even when facing the biggest adversary I think America has internally ever had.
But over Kamala Harris' entire career, she has proven us -- to us who she is. She has shown up for us every day, for the people, and it's time for us to show up for her. It's time for us -- it's time for us to all answer, presente.
(CHEERS)
LOPEZ: I am an American woman. I am the daughter of Guadalupe Rodriguez and David Lopez, a proud daughter and son of Puerto Rico.
(CHEERS)
LOPEZ: I am Puerto Rican, (speaking in foreign language), and yes, I was born here and we are Americans. I am a mother. I am a mother. I am a sister. I am an actor and an entertainer, and I like Hollywood endings. I like when the good guy or in this case the good girl wins.
(CHEERS)
LOPEZ: And with an understand of our past and a faith in our future, I will be casting my ballot for Kamala Harris for president of the United States proudly.
(CHEERS)
LOPEZ: Proudly. You can't even spell American without rican.
(CHEERS)
LOPEZ: This is our country, too. And we, we must exercise our right to vote on November 5th. Please, and remember, (speaking in foreign language). Let's get loud!
(CHEERS)
LOPEZ: Let's get loud! I promise myself I wouldn't get emotional but you know what? You know what? We should be emotional. We should be upset. We should be scared and outraged. We should. Our pain matters. We matter. You matter. Your voice and your vote matters. And look, don't be afraid to make people around you uncomfortable. Invite people around you to be the change, to go out there and vote.
Nobody likes having tough conversations or talking about politics, but trust me, I've been in some of these rooms. I see the way power works in this country. They love it when you do nothing. OK. A non-vote is an agreement. It just makes it easier for them to do whatever they want. Whatever serves them. And this election is about your life. It's about you and me and my kids and your kids. Don't make it easy. Make them pay attention to you. That's your power. That's your power. Your vote is your power.
Make a plan to vote early, OK? If you have a mail ballot, sign the envelope. Return it to any drop box in your county. It is too late to put it in the mail, OK, tomorrow, Friday, November 1st, is the last day to vote early in-person.
[00:15:01] If you can't vote early, make a plan to vote on election day, November 5th. Polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Find a vote center or ballot drop box near you at WillVote.com/NV. I will vote. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I will vote, you are absolutely right. I'm sorry I got carried.
Let's do this, Las Vegas.
(CHEERS)
LOPEZ: I am so proud of all of you for showing up today. Thank you so much. And it is my deep honor to introduce a woman who has the opportunity in just a few days to make history. The next president of the United States, Kamala Harris.
(CHEERS)
KAMALA HARRIS (D), VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hello, Nevada. Can we hear for Jennifer Lopez.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: Happy Nevada Day, everybody.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: Happy Nevada Day. It is good to be back. Hello, Nevada. Good evening. Good evening. Good evening and Happy Diwali to everyone celebrating.
So, listen, Las Vegas, are we ready to do this?
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: Are we ready to vote?
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: Are we ready to win?
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: All right, all right. It is good to be back and to be with so many incredible leaders, including of course, and for anybody who has a seat, please do feel like sitting. (Speaking in foreign language).
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: I want to thank Senator Jacky Rosen who we must reelect to the United States Senate. And while we're at it, let's reelect Representatives Horsford, Titus and Lee. Can we please applaud Mana. We also have my dead husband, the second gentleman with us this evening.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: And we are joined by tribal leaders from across the country here for the National Conference of American Indians.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: And I have to say I strongly believe that the relationship between tribal nations and the United States is sacred, and that we must honor tribal sovereignty always and embrace our trust and treaty obligations, and ensure tribal self-determination. And as president, I will defend these principles always.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: All right, so, Nevada, tomorrow, Friday, November 1st, is the last day to vote early in person, and Nevada, if you are voting by mail, please do not wait. Sign the envelope and return your ballot as soon as possible. Your ballot must be returned to a drop box or postmarked by election day next Tuesday, November 5th. Go to iwillvote.com and to all the leaders here, please help get the word out.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: And we need you to vote, Nevada, because we have just five days left in one of the most consequential elections of our lifetime, and we have work to do. But we like hard work.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: Hard work is good work. Hard work is joyful work. And make no mistake, we will win. We will win. We will win. We will win. We will win. We will win. We will win.
(CHANTING)
HARRIS: And we will win. We will win because here's what I believe. When you know what you stand for, you know what to fight for.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: And we all know we have an opportunity in this election to turn the page on a decade of Donald Trump trying to keep us divided and afraid of each other.
[00:20:03]
We're done with that. We're done. We're exhausted with it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're not going back.
HARRIS: And we know that is who he is. That is who he is. But, Las Vegas, that is not who we are. That is not who we are. And it is time for a new generation of leadership in America.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: And I am ready to offer that leadership as the next president of the United States. (CHEERS)
HARRIS: And Nevada, you know me. I'm not afraid of tough fights. For decades as a prosecutor and the top law enforcement officer of our biggest state, the first cousin of Nevada, I won fights against the big banks that ripped off homeowners. I won fights against for-profit colleges that scammed veterans and students, against predators who abused women and children.
I won fights against cartels that trafficked in guns and drugs and human beings, and I pledge to you if you give me the chance to fight on your behalf as president, there is nothing in the world that will stand in my way.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: And look, we all know who Donald Trump is. This is not someone who is thinking about how to make your life better. This is someone who is increasingly unstable, obsessed with revenge, consumed with grievance, and is out for unchecked power. And look, in less than 90 days, it's either going to be him or me in the Oval Office.
(CHEERS)
(CHANTING)
AUDIENCE: Kamala! Kamala! Kamala!
HARRIS: And here is the thing we know, and this is part of what we're fighting for because we have the image of what it could be. It won't be. But what it could be if he was elected, if he were reelected on day one, Donald Trump would walk into that office with an enemies list. When I am elected, I will walk in with a to-do list on behalf of you, on behalf of you.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: And at the top of my list is bringing down the cost of your living. That will be my focus every single day as president. I will give a middle class tax cut to over 100 million Americans. I will enact the first ever federal ban on corporate price gouging on groceries.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: I will make housing more affordable by building more homes and by taking on those corporate landlords who unfairly buy up all those properties and then jack up your rent. And we will fight for working families by raising the minimum wage and eliminating taxes on tips for service and hospitality workers.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: And if you are caring for an elderly parent, you know I took care of my mother when she was sick. If you are taking care of an elderly parent, this is personal for me. My plan will cover the cost of home care for your elder parent under Medicare so you don't have to spend down your savings in order to qualify for Medicaid. So seniors can get the help and care they need to stay in their homes, and this is just a matter of dignity. Dignity.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: Dignity is why I will lower the cost of child care because we know families are struggling right now, and folks just need a little bit to not just be able to get by, but get ahead. It's about dignity and it's about values that you bring to your position of leadership. And as far as I'm concerned we're done with the idea that the measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you beat down when we know the real measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you lift up.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: We will cut taxes for small businesses? Do I see any small business owners in the house?
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: I love our small businesses. You all are part of the backbone of America's economy. We will lower health care costs because here's the value I bring to that.
[00:25:04]
I believe health care should be a right and not just a privilege of those who can afford it.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: On the other hand, Donald Trump's answer to the financial pressures you face is the same as it was last time. Another trillion dollars in tax cuts for billionaires and big corporations, and this time he will pay for it with a 20 percent national sales tax on everything you buy that is imported. Think about that. Clothes, food toys, cell phones. A Trump sales tax, the economists say, would cost the average family an extra $4,000 a year.
And on top of that, Donald Trump still is trying to get rid of the Affordable Care Act also known as Obamacare, and he has a powerful friend in Congress, the speaker of the House, who recently said, who recently said there will be, quote, "no Obamacare" if Trump wins.
(BOOING)
HARRIS: Which would have the effect if they were to win to put millions of Americans off of their health insurance, to throw millions of Americans off of their health insurance, to take us back to that time when insurance companies had the power to deny people with preexisting conditions.
Do you remember what that was? Well, we are not going back. We're not going back. We're not going back. We're not going back. (CHANTING)
AUDIENCE: We're not going back. We're not going back. We're not going back.
HARRIS: And we are not going back because ours is a fight for the future.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: And it is a fight for freedom. Like the fundamental freedom of a woman to make decisions about her own body.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: And not have her government tell her what to do. And we all remember how we got here when Donald Trump was president he hand- selected three members of the United States Supreme Court, with the intention that they would undo the protections of Roe v. Wade. They did as he intended. And now in America, 1 in 3 women lives in a state with a Trump abortion ban. Many with no exceptions even for rape and incest, which is immoral.
And Donald Trump ain't done. Did anybody hear what he just said yesterday? He said, I mean, come on. Right? So he said that he will do what he wants, now I'm about to quote, "whether the women like it or not."
(BOOING)
HARRIS: This is the same person who said that women should be punished for their choices. He simply --
(CHANTING)
HARRIS: Well, I hear you but you know what? You know what? The courts are going to handle that. The courts will handle that. We'll handle November. How about that? We'll handle November. Because, see, we know the man simply does not respect the freedom of women or the intelligence of women to be able to make decisions about their own lives. And we know if he were elected, he would ban abortion nationwide, restrict access to birth control, put IVF treatments at risk and force states -- listen to this -- to monitor women's pregnancies.
Don't believe me. Look at -- just Google Project 2025, which I cannot believe they put in writing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We love you, Kamala.
HARRIS: And I love you back. I love you back. And on this topic, I know everyone here knows and agrees that one does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government shouldn't be telling her what to do. Not the government and not Donald Trump.
(CHEERS) HARRIS: So, Nevada, to make your right heard, and to protect your right to make your own health care decisions, I would also recommend you vote yes on question six.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: And make sure you vote up and down the ballot to truly protect your rights. And when Congress passes a bill to restore reproductive freedom nationwide as president of the United States I will proudly sign it into law.
(CHEERS)
[00:30:10]
HARRIS: I will proudly sign it into law. So -- so, Nevada, on that point, I am here to ask for your vote. I am here to ask for your vote and here is my pledge to you, and here is my pledge to you. As president, I pledge to seek common ground and common sense solutions to the challenges you face. I pledge to not try to score political points, but to make progress, to make progress in your lives and in our country.
I pledge to listen to those who will be impacted by the decisions I make. I pledge to listen to experts. I pledge to listen to people who disagree with me because you see unlike Donald Trump I don't believe that people who disagree with me are the enemy. He wants to put them in jail. I'll give them a seat at the table.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: That's what real leadership looks like. And I pledge to always put country above party and self, and to be a president for all Americans.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: And now with five days left in this campaign, my opponent is also making a closing argument to America. I don't know if -- you may have seen talked in Washington, D.C. the other day. You know, he likes to compare crowd sizes. I had 100,000 people there.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: But listen to what's he's saying as his closing argument. It's all about hate and division. Jennifer talked about it. It's all about hate and division, and it's not just what he says, it's what he will do because if elected, you can be sure he will bring back family separation policies. Only on a much greater scale than the last time. We can imagine what he will do with unchecked power, because recall that recently the United States Supreme Court -- now this is what's different from 2016 and 2020.
The court said, essentially, that he will be immune no matter what he does in the White House. And so for all the reasons we know, it is time to turn the page on Donald Trump.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: Let's turn the page.
And it -- it all comes down to this. You all have taken time out of your busy lives to be here tonight, and I thank you for that, and I thank you for that.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: And I know that one of the biggest reasons we are all here together tonight is because we love our country. We love our country, and we know when you love something, you fight for it.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: When you love something, you fight for it. And I do -- and I love you. And yes. And here's the thing.
(CHANTING)
AUDIENCE: USA! USA! USA!
HARRIS: And I do believe it is one of the highest forms of patriotism, of our expression of our love for our country, to then fight for the ideals of our country and to fight to realize the promise of America. And I have always believed in our nation's promise because I have lived it.
You know, I grew up a child of the Civil Rights Movement. My parents would take me to the marches when I was in a stroller where people from all walks of life came together to fight for freedom and for opportunity.
You know, growing up, I saw how hard my mother worked to raise her daughters and give us the same chances our country gave her, and I was blessed to have family by blood and family by love, who instilled in me the values of community, of compassion and faith.
[00:35:02]
And I've spent my life fighting for people who have been hurt and who have been counted out. But who never stopped believing in what our country can do and what is possible. I have lived the promise of America and today I see the promise of America in everyone here tonight.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: Everyone here tonight in all of us (speaking in foreign language).
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: I see the promise of America. (CHANTING)
HARRIS: And I see the promise of America and the fathers and mothers who work hard every day for your children's future. I see it in the women who refuse to accept a future without reproductive freedom. And the men who support them.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: I see it in Republicans who have never voted for a Democrat before, but have put the Constitution of the United States before party. And I see the promise of America in all the young leaders who are here and are voting for the first time.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: Oh I love Gen Z. I love you, guys. I love you, guys. And here's what I love about our young leaders. You guys are rightly impatient. You are rightly impatient for change. You our young leaders who are determined to live free from gun violence to take on the climate crisis you intend to shape the world you inherit. I love that about you because for you, none of these issues is theoretical.
It's not political. This is your lived experience and I see you and I see your power and I'm so proud of you. And I want everyone here. Let's applaud our first-time voters.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: First-time voters and our Young Leaders. Let's applaud them. Our Young Leaders And I know the people of, Nevada, you are battle- born and ready for the handwork ahead so we have five days to get this done. Five days.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: And no one can sit on the side lines. So let's spend the next five days so that when we look back on these days, we will have no regrets. That we did everything we could, that we knocked on doors, that we text and we called folks. We reached out to family and friends and classmates and neighbors and coworkers, and as we do, I have another request of you. In these next days, let us please be intentional about building community.
Let us please, you know, these years, this Trump era, you know, this time of trying to have people point their fingers at each other. The division, the hate, the trying to make people feel alone, when we all know we all have so much more in common than what separates us. So let's be intentional in building community. Let's be intentional in building coalitions. And let us remember your vote is your voice and your voice is your power.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: It's your power. Don't ever let anybody take your power from you. So, Nevada, today, I'm going to ask you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We love you, Kamala.
HARRIS: Are you ready? Are you ready to make your voices heard?
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: Do we believe in freedom?
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: Do we believe in opportunity?
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: Do we believe in the promise of America?
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: And are we ready to fight for it?
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: And when we fight, we win.
AUDIENCE: We win!
HARRIS: God bless you and God bless the United States of America.
COATES: You've been listening to Vice President Kamala Harris as she has been in Las Vegas, Nevada, this now four days away from the presidential election. We heard first from Jennifer Lopez who came out with a particularly fiery speech where she was impassioned, at times getting emotional, speaking about planting a flag in this country, talking about the opponent, her words, of Donald Trump and speaking about immigrants and immigrant families and the power of women and the power of Latinos and the power of voices.
[00:40:21]
Also, about Hollywood endings and how what would happen if the good girl wins in this scenario? Also, telling people to get out to vote because they love it when those who are not in power do nothing. It also turned to of course the vice president, Kamala Harris, who gave a speech not unlike what we've seen on the Ellipse just recently. Speaking about everything from her to-do list versus the enemy list, and a new generation of leadership in America.
Let's go back to Priscilla Alvarez who is there in Las Vegas witnessing all of this unfold.
Priscilla, quite a speech, quite a crowd, talking about some of the things we've heard before, but certainly trying to rev up this base, these days away from the election. ALVAREZ: Yes, absolutely, Laura. The through line with Jennifer Lopez
and the vice president's remarks was unity. They were trying to convey a message of fighting against former president Donald Trump's division of communities. And instead coming together. That's what Jennifer Lopez was certainly trying to convey in remarks that at times she was emotional and she did also mention, and we are waiting to see if she would, the remarks that we discussed at the former president's Madison Square Garden rally, where that comedian assailed Puerto Rico.
And Jennifer Lopez said in that moment it wasn't just -- Puerto Ricans who were offended, but the Latino community. And that was her appeal to Latino voters to vote in this election to again turn the page on that. But again, she was introducing the vice president, the vice president went through a lot of the different policies that we often hear from her on the campaign trail. Be it housing affordability.
She did mention, however, her backing of eliminating tips for hospitality workers. Remember, that was an idea that she endorsed back in August. She raised it again here tonight. She also talked about health care, protecting that and mentioning what Republicans have said about overhauling health care.
But notably, Laura, she also said something on immigration. That caught my attention about family separation. The vice president doesn't often talk about that controversial Trump era policy, but she did today. And she said essentially, as part of a warning that it would be so much worse if Trump were to be elected and that these policies, these controversial immigration policies would return. And she left it as that as she continued her argument that the former president would have no guardrails if he were to take the office in November.
So clearly, the vice president sort of fine-tuning her messaging when it comes to warnings of a potential Trump -- second Trump term. Now, again the vice president was here because she wants to mobilize voters. And she made that very clear tonight. The deadline for early in-person voting is tomorrow so her and Jennifer Lopez trying to bring that home today. Now of course, mail-in voting will continue over the next several days. And then in-person voting will commence again here on Tuesday.
But all of this is part of mobilization effort by the Harris campaign. Nevada is crucial for this campaign, and Latino voters are a very important bloc for them in this state where polling shows she's very evenly split with former president Donald Trump. So the vice president, yes, bringing the star power to this rally, be it at the Mana, the Mexican rock band. Jennifer Lopez talking about the Puerto Rican and Latino vote, but ultimately, as the sources I've talked to always say, it comes down to the message that the candidate relays.
And certainly the vice president continuing her attacks on former president Donald Trump in er remarks tonight, but also making clear her warnings if there were to be a potential second Trump term and using that to mobilize voters here.
COATES: Priscilla, thank you so much. My panel is back with me now. Alex Thompson, Chuck Rocha, and Brian
Lanza.
Chuck, let me begin with you here because really know thy audience and know why one is going to a particular state. She's talking about minimum wage, she's talking about aspects of the economy, the hospitality industry, very, very important in a place like Nevada. She knew who she was trying to speak to. Will this message resonate particularly there to move the needle for Harris?
CHUCK ROCHA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: I think so. It's a tight knit community. I've spent a lot of time in this community. I literally wrote a book called "Tio Bernie," and the book opens up in east Las Vegas, just down the street where they are. I'm on the back porch of the Bernie campaign. I've got a nice glass of bourbon. It is not noon yet, and I am smoking a cigarette because I'm so nervous because this vote is always late to vote.
And they had not voted in the early vote. They're not voting at the at the at the levels they should be. Brian mentioned that earlier right now. So it makes us nervous. But they always show up.
[00:45:02]
Harry Reid built this machine with the culinary union that you're talking about. Tonight she talked directly to them. And there's one more little tidbit that I found out earlier today, because I sent 27,000 texts to Las Vegas to every Puerto Rican who lives in Las Vegas with a clip from the Madison Square Garden rally, 27,000 Puerto Ricans live there out of the hundreds of thousands. I think that's why you saw J-Lo there tonight. Plus, she's an icon in that area. Latinos love Latinos. I love Puerto Ricans, I love Venezuelans, but I think that was a unique message tonight.
COATES: In fact let me -- let's play for a second what Jennifer Lopez had to say about Madison Square Garden and that rally. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LOPEZ: At Madison Square Garden, he reminded us who he really is and how he really feels. It wasn't just Puerto Ricans that were offended that day. OK. It was every Latino in this country. It was humanity and anyone of decent character.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Brian, when you hear this obviously people were wondering whether she was actually going to talk about this or not, and the ripple effects of what that comedian said, introducing later on Donald Trump. In the absence of an explicit, you know, apology from Trump in the days afterwards, although he did address not knowing this person, are you concerned that this continues to have staying power?
BRYAN LANZA, SENIOR ADVISER, TRUMP-VANCE 20242 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: No. Listen, I think at the end of the day, the reason why Latinos are going with President Trump and specifically in Nevada, President Trump is getting more support in Latinos in Nevada than any other state. And the reason it is because of the economic promise that President Trump brings. He's glad Kamala Harris is talking about no tax on tips. That was a policy that President Trump brought forward months before Harris decided to even talk about it or even the Biden campaign.
So when we look at the issues that are going to affect the Latino community, which we know, it's going to be the economy, which we know they actually care about border security, you know, Kamala is not addressing that. And, you know, and you know J-Lo going to bring up a joke from a third party. But what J-Lo didn't bring up was the comment that Joe Biden said, you know, about, you know, Latinos, about Puerto Ricans, when he called them trash. Sure he tried to correct the statement and today we had the stenographer from the White House sort of say, hey, you know, you got -- you're doing it illegally. You can't correct it this way.
That is a problem that the Harris campaign hasn't addressed, and it's just growing. And then you have more issues. You have Mark Cuban, who insulted a bunch of Republican women today by saying, you know, no smart Republican women would be behind Donald Trump. You know, this is just nothing but the insult factor from the Harris campaign at the end because they have no message. She spoke for 25 minutes about, you know, she spoke for 25 minutes. She spoke for less than two minutes about the economy and less than one minute about immigration.
There's no message at the end because she broke the border and she broke the economy. And Donald Trump is going to be the only one who can fix it.
COATES: Well, here's a split screen for you, Alex, because Trump is campaigning with Tucker Carlson tonight. And I want you to hear what Carlson had to say about Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, who was actually with Harris tonight in Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TUCKER CARLSON, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: She was at a rally in Vegas yesterday, and she goes, Doug Emhoff is the model of masculinity. Oh, man. Yes. Memo to any unmarried women here, do not date a feminist man. They'll smack you around. Trust me. It's the weak ones you have to be afraid of. But it's the strong ones they're afraid of.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Alex, when you look at that split screen and you hear the comments that have been made, you hear the insult as Brian has been talking about in the past of other candidates, this is the closing argument messages for women voters, for male voters going into this election, what is the cost of a statement like that?
ALEX THOMPSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, it's not clear why in the final weeks of the election, you would have a lot of events with someone that is clearly a right-wing figure and will make provocative statements like that, as he did at Madison Square Garden, too. I think it shows the level of confidence the Trump campaign has, which some people involved in the campaign see as hubris, see as arrogance. You know, why aren't you going to the middle?
Why is he doing an event with Tucker Carlson, not with Nikki Haley right now? It's unclear. Maybe that will be enough to get the base out. But it feels like -- it feels like a strategy that you do when you just don't think you can lose.
COATES: I mean, domestic violence was just trying to attempt a punch line just now. They'll smack you around. Trust me don't date a feminist man. It's the weak ones you have to be afraid of. But it's the strong ones they're afraid of. Trump yesterday talking about, you know, trying to beat his chest, I assume, about protecting women whether they want it or not. This is not a strategist's dream closing argument, Chuck.
ROCHA: It is if you've given up on trying to get women, you're doubling down on men. It's a real strategy whether we like it or not. I don't like the terms, I don't like the way it's going. But there is a strategy behind it. And that strategy is if you've realized through your polling that you're not going to get any more new women to move toward you, you need to figure out a strategy that can get 25-year-old boys off the couch no matter what the color of their skin is to vote because they're the lowest voting demographic that we have.
[00:50:11]
That's what Donald Trump has against him. Women that have college degrees that are overperforming vote at a much higher rate. Folks that care deeply about the issues that Brian brought up, whether it was immigration, whether it's the economy, most of those folks have picked a team. Right now, we're picking over what's left. What can we do to motivate that Latino voter in east Las Vegas, or that non-college educated working class blue-collar guy in Las Vegas?
COATES: There was a moment, too, where Vice President Kamala Harris spoke about her love for Gen Z. She was like very clear about I love Gen Z, I love Gen Z, that they were rightly impatient. That was the phrase that she used.
Brian, you know, there are jurisdictions across this country that has a huge voter age population but has maybe been a non-voting state. Texas, for example, is one example of that. There are people that are trying to tap into, to Chuck's point, who have never voted before, who have not been young enough or old enough to vote yet, but might vote this time.
Is her message going to resonate with voters that Republicans are also trying to capture, that Gen Z voter?
LANZA: You know, I think it's going to be hard because if you look at the young generation, what they see now, especially over the last three years of Joe Biden is they don't see a lot of hope. Right? And that's why President Trump is getting a lot of support from the males under 35 is because the males under 35 have sort of lost hopelessness in America under Biden, under Harris. And they see President Trump as this successful entrepreneur, and they want to emulate that. So listen, I think the challenge that people are going to have going
forward with respect to Gen Z is they want jobs, they want stability, they want to be able to buy a house. They want affordability. And that's something that they haven't received during the last four years of Biden-Harris but that's something that their parents received during President Trump. You know, Gen Z wants the same things that we want, the same things I want, the same one everybody else has. But they're further away from it from before. And that's because of the Democratic public policy that's existed at the state and federal level.
And just to get back to the comment about Tucker referring to Doug Emhoff, it wasn't a joke. Tucker is referring to a real credible news story and someone who came forward who said Doug Emhoff slapped her. Let's remember, the Democratic Party is the one who said that women need to believe no matter what. And so a woman came forward with an accusation of Doug Emhoff that he slapped her in the Cannes Film Festival, and she's going around, and that's what Tucker is bringing it up because the media has ignored it.
Whether that's going to move the needle or not, I don't know. But, you know, Tucker is a provocateur. We've seen that over the years. And he probably just brought that issue to be more provocative. But let's be clear, there is a credible allegation that Doug Emhoff smacked a woman in the Cannes Film Festival. She's come forward and had interviews and if you believe Democratic policy, you always have to believe the woman. And that adds problems to them.
THOMPSON: Just one thing, because I have reported about this a little bit, you know, she has not gone on the record as a lot of these accusers do. But she was an ex-girlfriend. They were at that film festival. He has denied it. She has anonymously said it was true. There's no video of it. There's no -- and so that's why you have this he said-she said. But to your point, the politics of it, why is he talking about this five days before the election?
LANZA: Yes, and I agree.
ROCHA: I think the difference in the Gen Z stuff is this. Everybody can't figure out how to get to these folks. All these kids have grown up and haven't figured out and heard anything from either party. So they get things. That's why Donald Trump has all the advantage. Everybody knows him. They know he's bombastic. They know that he's not fitting in a little box in a rebel 25-year-old boy. And I keep saying boy, because I was that same boy. I wear this cowboy hat.
I'm 50. I'm still a rebel. I can't let it go. They are really latched on whether right, wrong or indifferent, they want to do something that's just different. And I think that's what it is. We have no way to get to them a lot of times.
LANZA: And their news source is different. Their news source is podcast. It is long form, something that Harris really doesn't do as well.
ROCHA: Yes, but podcast is another thing. LANZA: But that's something that Trump does really well. He did three
hours at Rogan. That's unheard of. He did. He did another hour with Andrew Schultz. I mean, these are long form conversations that President Trump is having that you don't see Harris having. And that's a problem for her.
THOMPSON: The one last thing I'll add is it's not as sexy, but this election is much more likely to be determined by retirees in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania than by Gen Z.
COATES: Why is that?
THOMPSON: Because there's more of them and they vote.
ROCHA: They vote like it's their job.
LANCA: Thank goodness.
THOMPSON: Not always more of them, but they definitely vote.
COATES: Well, that's the point. At the end when you think about those who might be tuned in to the podcast, those who might be leaned in, who know who he is, how are you strategically going to translate that to people going to the polls and voting?
LANZA: Well, I think President Trump has a history of bringing new voters out to the polls. You've seen it in 2016. You see it in 2020. You also see it in the early data coming in with respect to the early vote or the data coming in to the early vote. You see a lot of low propensity voters coming in in Georgia, North Carolina and in Nevada. You see one or four voters, you see zero or four voters. Those are low propensity voters that normally don't vote that Trump is appealing to. So it's working well.
COATES: Well, you know what? I have to go back to Jennifer Lopez, because I got to tell you, I thought she was an extremely impassioned and really appealing surrogate for Kamala Harris. I compare it to many people who've spoken on her behalf. I mean, even just the lines, the emotions talking about Trump as the biggest adversary for America has ever had. You can't spell American without rican. She's speaking in Spanish at different points in time. I mean, she's talking about Harris getting it and she delivered a very powerful speech.
ROCHA: The reason why they (INAUDIBLE).
THOMPSON: Oh, I was saying I hope the insult comic was worth it, because I thought that was one of the best celebrity endorsement speeches I've ever heard.
[00:55:04]
And I saw like Spike Lee and Samuel L. Jackson speak just last week. And she just, you know, kicked their butts.
LANZA: Latinos can connect. What can I tell you? ROCHA: Nobody is going to be watching as much of this as we are,
unless you're in Las Vegas and you get to read the paper. If they're still reading the paper or reading about it online. The thing is, the social media feeds of these kids, going back to this thing, her showing up and being very articulate, we were sitting here looking at her going, I was saying, she's really good, like she's an actress, but she is passionate and you could tell.
I've taught lots of candidates. I'm sure Brian has, too, of how to do that speech at a teleprompter there and actually look like you care. You could tell she cared.
COATES: Well, we'll see if the voters are tuned in, if they're leaning in, and whether they are persuaded by all of it.
Thank you so much to everyone, and thank you so much for watching. "ANDERSON COOPER 360" is next.
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