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CNN Live Event/Special

Trump Appears at RNC After Surviving Assassination Attempt; Trump Picks J.D. Vance as Vice Presidential Running Mate; Interview with Lt. Gov. Jon Husted (R-OH) about Trump's VP Pick; J.D. Vance on Previous Remarks on Trump: 'I Was Wrong'; Justice Department Vows to Appeal Judge's Decision to Drop Documents Charges on Trump; Snipers Were Inside Building from Which the Trump Shooter Fired. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired July 16, 2024 - 00:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[00:00:51]

LAURA COATES, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening. I'm Laura Coates and we are live from Milwaukee, and welcome to CNN's special live coverage of the Republican National Convention. We are alive inside the CNN Grill right here in Milwaukee, where convention attendees are gathering. They are celebrating after a busy first night of the Republican National Convention.

And you know what, a lot has happened already here tonight. But perhaps the biggest moment we were all waiting for, the arrival of a man who just 48 hours ago survived what is being investigated as an assassination attempt. Former president Donald Trump. You know who was next to him? The man who solved the mystery of who Trump will name as his running mate, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, and both were nominated by Republicans earlier today.

(VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: But tonight was more than about the fist pump. It was also a night in speeches focused on today's theme. It was "Make America Wealthy Again." You probably saw all the different signs that were in the convention hall, and each day it's going to bring yet another new theme of the convention, and speakers mostly focused on those issues. The economy, Biden's policies, but also both of Trump's sons spoke to CNN about the shooting and how it is affecting their father.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S SON: He was in the hospital and, you know, I get a call from him and, you know, he cracked a little joke and I knew, you know, the Donald Trump I know, the father I know is, you know, he's back. He certainly understands how close it was and, you know, at the same time, he's not deterred.

DONALD TRUMP JUNIOR, DONALD TRUMP'S SON: That moment when he stood up after being shot at and just showed resolve to keep fighting for this country, that was everything for me. I just literally told him, I go, you're the biggest badass I know. (END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: Well, tonight's event comes on a monumental day for Trump when it comes to his legal jeopardy. Judge Aileen Cannon throwing out, throwing out, the classified documents case against him, a decision the special counsel tonight says that they are going to appeal.

And all this as we get news on the other side of the aisle. Despite being, what, 37 days away from the Democratic National Convention, sources telling CNN that the private effort from Democrats to nudge President Biden out of the race is apparently still going on, and it continues tonight.

We'll talk about all of these things from inside the Grill here but let's first begin with the convention. Joining me here Harry Enten, David Polyansky, Tara Palmeri and CNNs' own Mark Preston.

So glad to have all of you guys here. Look, we were all waiting on this moment where, what, 72 hours since an assassination attempt of a former president of the United States. He came in. He appeared to be quite emotional at first. We walked on to the convention floor.

How significant was that moment to see him knowing that he intends to change his speech to be one of unity?

MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Look, it was -- it was raucous in a way for him to come into -- he was welcomed as a conquering hero in many ways and I do think that that iconic picture, which we're all describing now as, because it is an iconic picture, you know, really kind of like typified where we are in the race right now and where he thinks he can take the race.

Now weather he can keep the discipline of being focused on, you know, being somebody who can unite the country remains to be seen, but at least that's what he's trying to play right now. And I do believe that the discipline we've seen so far has been the most shocking things for me tonight.

COATES: I mean, discipline in terms of the themes of staying on topic.

PRESTON: Yes.

COATES: I think people respected the Republican National Convention because we know that politics is not a bean bag sport, it's sometimes a contact sport. Should not be physical as it has turned into, but still it was a change in tone. But is it enough to bring more people into the fold?

DAVID POLYANSKY, CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER, AXADVOCACY: Absolutely. Look --

COATES: You thought so?

POLYANSKY: The former president came into the debate and certainly came in to this weekend, and now into the convention with a pretty sizeable lead. You look at national polling, which obviously isn't all that overwhelmingly compelling, but he's up by almost 4 percent on average. And at this point in the race four years ago, Joe Biden was up by almost nine points.

Now you go to the battleground states where he's leading in every single one of them and frankly, he's about to expand the map in the states like Virginia, New Mexico, and even in Minnesota.

[00:05:08]

And so there's a lot of confidence brewing with the president, with his team, and now with his pick, and I think you sense that today in the crowd and the audience that they were thrilled to see him, they're excited to see him.

COATES: Yes.

POLYANSKY: They are thrilled that he's healthy and in a strong position but today they are celebrating his pick and his position politically as well. And I think that is giving him the confidence to be a unifying force because for all intents and purposes the race is over.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's easy to be magnanimous when you're --

COATES: Wait. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.

POLYANSKY: You heard it here.

(CROSSTALK)

COATES: The race is over. It's 12:05 East Coast Time. What are you talking about? Why is the race over to you?

POLYANSKY: Because half -- the latter part of your segment was Democrats tonight against the who is leading in every state that matters, who is leading the financial -- with a major financial advantage, who is leading in every metric imaginable, and the other side is debating how to toss out the sitting president of the United States with 37 days left until their convention.

Look, I'm all for --

COATES: Harry is chaffing at the bit. Hold on.

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA CORRESPONDENT: I'm chaffing at the bit just because I feel the confidence. I fear for Republicans on their side of the aisle, it may be creeping into over confidence, right? Look, there's no doubt that Donald Trump leads nationally. There's no doubt that he leads in the important battleground states. There's no doubt he's in his best political position than he's ever been in in terms of a general election.

But if you take a step back and you do what I do for a living and you look at past polling errors and look how much races can shift from this point until the general election, there's roughly about a one in four shot flipping the coin twice and landing on head twice. That's the chance that I believe Joe Biden has at winning that election.

Now would I much rather be Donald Trump? Absolutely. Oh, my goodness, gracious. But the idea in my opinion that this race is over, I'm not quite sure I'd go that far at least yet.

POLYANSKY: I'll let -- sorry.

COATES: Go ahead.

POLYANSKY: Well, I just wanted to say real quick, in most campaigns, I agree with you. Campaigns are generally about, should this person hold office, should Donald Trump or should Joe Biden be president? The challenge here is that's no longer the case. It's can Joe Biden be president, and an overwhelming amount of voters including Democrats don't think so. So polling errors, margin of error, that phone out the door.

Nobody believes Joe Biden can not only win this race, but can serve another four years. And I don't think that's possible to overcome.

COATES: Look, my father always says, put a fork in and it is done. Do you agree with that assessment right now when it comes to the current president of the United States?

TARA PALMERI, SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, PUCK: I think there's a real push among Democratic leadership. They're strategizing, they're trying to figure out a way to move them off because they know they're going down the ship. I mean, the way I would describe it is it's like they're on the Titanic and they're just seeing the violin seriously.

There is a real resignation, a remorse. And it's strategy and it's every day -- it's fluid. You know, he talked to people and they think, OK, maybe today is the day, but he has to decide for himself.

COATES: Today is the day that what?

PALMERI: That he can be convinced or that he will decide that he should not be at the top of the ticket. Here's the game changer, the X factor. If someone else, if Trump runs against someone else, because they would like to run against Joe Biden. That is the campaign that they have strategized around, that's what they've crafted around. You throw in someone different then yes, four months from now is a totally different story.

COATES: Well, let's just take a step back because -- it's interesting to me, and I think Democrats are probably very upset to think that on the first day of the Republican National Convention, the focus continues to be on the current president of the United States. Now maybe if you're President Trump or -- you want that to be the case but in terms of the tone today we didn't really hear a lot of attacks personally about Biden.

We heard about the policy and the idea, the economy in a different way. How did that tone strike you? Does it resonate with you in this conversation? PRESTON: Well, I mean, it comes back to the whole idea of them staying

on message in the campaign, and look, the Donald Trump we're seeing run right now this campaign is much different than we've seen in previous campaigns. There's a lot more disciplined. Susie Wiles, who's running the campaign, is keeping it, you know, very, very tight. They make sure --

COATES: So what's their timeframe? We're not talking about two days. We're talking about over time, this campaign feels different, not just the last few days.

PRESTON: No, but I think what we've seen over the last two days is a culmination of them making him stay on message. He's been more on message and I know it sounds crazy for me to say this, but he's been on message more now than he's ever been than I've ever seen him at this point. And I do think that what I expected tonight, and I was wrong, is that we would see a lot more anger coming out from folks, and we didn't see that necessarily. They were told to stay to the scripts.

ENTEN: They can smell victory. They can smell it. You even just look at the GOP platform. How many times does the word marriage mentioned at the GOP platform? Once. How many times was abortion mentioned in this GOP platform? Once.

[00:10:02]

These would be issues, if you go back to 2016, that were mentioned dozens of times. They are running a campaign to try and win in the middle at this point. They can smell the victory and they feel like unity can be the thing that can take them there, whether or not it ultimately does, we'll have to wait and see, but so far it's working.

(CROSSTALK)

COATES: Well, let me ask --

PALMERI: -- supporters will come out. His supporters will. His base after this attempt, like it's a pretty locked shore proven thing that he will have high turnout.

POLYANSKY: Even before this weekend.

COATES: But -- hold on. If this is the case, it is the assured victory, which I'm going to pause that. I don't think that --

ENTEN: No.

PRESTON: No, no, nothing is for sure.

ENTEN: Not assured. Nothing is assured in politics.

COATES: I know. I'm saying --

PALMERI: I'm saying his base. COATES: Nothing is assured in politics. No, I hear your point. But if

that's the case, why is he Elon Musk asking or going to give $45 million a month for the next several months? This is a lot of money in politics. Maybe the layman, not people who are in the strategy and the pundit field would say, well, do you need -- if it's a sure victory, why so much money?

POLYANSKY: Look, this is just a campaign anymore about the White House. This is about ensuring control of the Senate and the House. But also gubernatorial races across the country, and down-ballot. This is the moment, this is the election for Republicans and conservatives across the country, to seize the moment and take control of government up and down the ladder. And why that matters? Sure it matters at the federal level for things like Supreme Court nominations, tax cuts, which will expire next year.

All of that matters, but what happens at the local level matters, too. It's where you decide policies that impact a lot of us on our everyday lives. We see it firsthand. And just as importantly, that's actually where we start to build our base for the future of candidates and the growth of our party.

ENTEN: I would just add, you know, when you smell victory, you don't all of a sudden run away from the kitchen. You run towards the kitchen. You put more money down. You ensure that that victory actually comes because as you were just saying, Laura, nothing is assured. You put in more money in those races. You make sure if you're beating Joe Biden, you can continue to beat Joe Biden.

COATES: So what about the choice for the vice president? You're talking about the tone being decidedly different over time, but it was not perhaps as antagonistic. There's a lot about what's going to happen there and the selection of J.D. Vance in particular, but you know, it struck me today, the people who were speaking. You know, you had Senator Tim Scott, you had, you know, Governor Kristi Noem, you had others who were all there.

What did it say to you that the selection of the people who came out of the gate talking? You had Amber Rose talking as well. What was your thoughts?

PALMERI: Well, I think that most of the people that were speaking there are the bench for the, you know, the future of the Republican Party since Donald Trump can only serve one term. Essentially, J.D. Vance would be a frontrunner because he'll be the vice president or if they win obviously.

But, yes, this is the future of the Republican Party. And the thing I gathered from J.D., it seems like he's going to be the pit bull at this moment, right? Because Trump has taken this tempered tone, he's trying to be magnanimous. Of course he can do that, like I said, because he's ahead in the polls and he's doing well in the race. But for now, he can have J.D. out there and I think they think that J.D. offers, you know, some help politically in the rust belt, but mostly Trump never really thought that a running mate would add much to the ticket. He always believed it was about him and it would irk him to think that

someone could really help him, frankly.

COATES: You know what, we're going to get more of this because I am really intrigued by the choice of the vice presidential candidate. There's so much more to talk to you about this and I do not for one second think this race is over. And you know what? I think a lot of Americans do not either. And our panel will get more into this discussion.

Next, more on Trump's new running mate. A once fierce critic, remember that, who called Trump a -- was it a moral disaster? I'll speak with the man who nominated J.D. Vance. And Harry Enten also will help us figure out whether this will help Trump on the electoral map.

We are continuing this CNN special live coverage from where, the CNN Grill in Milwaukee.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:17:53]

COATES: We are back live at the CNN Grill right here in Milwaukee.

And you know, just eight years ago, a lifetime ago in politics, right, maybe several lifetimes ago, J.D. Vance refused to vote for Donald Trump in his first White House bid. And now he is his running mate. This is Vance right before the 2016 election.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. J.D. VANCE (R), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm a never Trump guy. I never liked him. The media sort of asked me to be this spokesman for the white-working class voter, who's voting for Trump, right. But as somebody who doesn't like Trump myself, I sort of -- I understand where Trump's voters come from, but I also don't like Trump himself. And that's made me realize that maybe I'm not quite part of either world totally.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: That was before the beard. And now he is very much in that world. I mean that the 180-degree turn pretty stark to say the least. And this is, of course, for somebody who normally has punished those who have gone against him, well, tonight he downplayed his past comments.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VANCE: I was certainly skeptical of Donald Trump in 2016, but President Trump was a great president and he changed my mind. I bought into the media's lies and distortions. I bought into this idea that somehow he was going to be so different.

President Trump did a really good job, and I actually think it's a good thing when you see somebody you were wrong about him, you ought to admit the mistake and admit that you were wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: Well, let's go through some of those comments. In an op-ed in "The Atlantic" during Trump's 2016 campaign, Vance called Trump the opioid of the masses. He wrote, "Trump's promises are the needle in America's collective vein. And he -- Trump is cultural heroin. He makes some feel better for a bit, but he cannot fix what ails them. And one day, they'll realize it," unquote.

Well, CNN's KFILE uncovered tweets from Vance in 2016 disparaging Trump. They have since been deleted. But in one, he says, quote, "Trump makes people I care about afraid -- immigrants Muslims, et cetera. I find him reprehensible. God wants better for us."

Now the day of the "Access Hollywood" tape Vance called on his fellow Christians, writing, quote, "Everyone is watching us when we apologize for this man. Lord help us."

[00:20:09]

Now earlier that year, he even wrote that he hopes he would be remembered as someone who fought Trump, quote, "the most aggressively."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATT JONES, "THE MATT JONES PODCAST": And I cannot stand Trump because I think he's a fraud. Well, I think he's a total fraud, that he's exploiting these people.

VANCE: I do, too.

JONES: Who is a total fraud.

VANCE: I agree with you on Trump because I don't think that he's the person -- I don't think he actually cares about folks.

But I think that I'm going to vote for -- I'm going to vote third party because I can't stomach Trump. I think that he's noxious and is leading the white-working class to a very dark place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: Well, Dinah Washington once saying what a difference a day makes, 24 little hours, what a difference eight years certainly has made. The about-face was never more evident than just even two years ago when Vance's law school roommate posted a screenshot of a message that Vance sent him in February of 2016. And in it, Vance writes, "I go back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical asshole, like Nixon who wouldn't be that bad, or that he's America's Hitler." His words, not mine.

Joining me now is Ohio Lieutenant Governor John Husted. He officially nominated J.D. Vance at the Republican National Convention, and he's here now. Thank you for joining us. What a day, you did not know this was going

to happen. You were here, you were attending. What do you think about the fact that he now will be the running mate of Donald Trump?

LT. GOV. JON HUSTED (R), OHIO: I'm excited about it. J.D. is son of Ohio. He grew up humbly. Has worked hard his whole life. Really talented guy. And now he's going to be Donald Trump's wing man and Ohio is proud to have him there.

COATES: You know, there's been an evolution. Many people wondered what the criteria would be for how Trump would choose his running mate, and to be honest, J.D. Vance was not always a fan of Donald Trump. In fact, he in the past had called him a cultural heroin, reprehensible, said that God wants something better for America. And now he's the running mate.

You and I are speaking a little bit about some of the evolutions that have occurred. Did it surprise you that he was the choice?

HUSTED: No, because over time I've seen J.D. really reflect on his humble beginnings and the hardworking people where he grew up. He's like, you know, they like Donald Trump for a reason. They think he's fighting for them. He is fighting for an agenda that's made in America, that's securing the borders, is protecting, you know, working families in those communities. And I think he realized that, hey, that's where my constituents are. That's where I've got to be.

COATES: You know, Ohio is going to be one of those states everyone is going to be watching. I'm from the Midwest as well. I'm from the better state of Minnesota, but I won't hold that against you right now thinking about that. But I do wonder from the perspective of Ohioans. The idea that oftentimes inside the beltway gets the most attention, right? Places like New York, places like Washington, D.C.

What is it about Ohio voters in particular that you think they're going to be even more drawn maybe to a Trump ticket knowing that Vance is on it?

HUSTED: Yes, they will. I think Donald Trump was already going to win Ohio by double-digits. I think that that number goes up, which is really important for our Senate race, because we have Bernie Moreno on the Republican side running for that Senate seat. And I think it's really going to help him. That's probably the big factor in Ohio that this nomination did today. I think it really helps Bernie Moreno win the Senate seat.

COATES: You know, one of the concerns, of course, for everyone in the electorate is they do not want to have a repeat of something that is anything less than a peaceful transfer of power. And January 6th is still in the minds of so many people. At one point -- Senator Vance said he would not have certified the election. You yourself have talked about in a post once that that the constitutional peaceful transfer of power is what makes America special. What's happening right now, referring to the Capitol that day, is a sad day for America.

What do you make of the fact that Senator Vance was not willing to certify, may not have voted

HUSTED: Look, we don't have to agree on every single thing. I think Senator Vance made some really good points and the guy makes some really good points. But we're looking forward. I hope for America that what happened on Saturday is going to be a little bit of a turning point for us. I sense that. I sense that in Donald Trump. I sense that in listening to the people that are at the convention that they really -- they want to fight.

They do want to fight for what they believe in and what they're against. But they -- I think they're struggling to find the language to do that in a more perhaps constructive way. But I think that that's happening. I hope that worldview holds that we find a way to air our differences without using language that incites something more severe, that we should never resort to violence, that we should look for -- look to elections and being smarter than the other person and outwitting them and having better ideas as the currency of how we motivate people.

[00:25:04]

COATES: You know, you're looking forward and I think every strategist and frankly the voters want to do the same. And yet there was the post right after that, what could have been a fateful day in America. It still very much is, knowing that there was grave danger posed to a former president of the United States. And I keep talking about how often we've heard in this country about where were you when. And no one wants to have that happen.

But then there was a post that Senator Vance posted about the rhetoric he believed directly led to the assassination attempt, and I was taken aback. Were you?

HUSTED: It was pointed, but there's some truth in it. There's some truth in the fact that no president -- presidential candidate has been attacked more than Donald Trump. I get it. Some people say he asks for it, but you want to know something? It never stops, through the courts, through the media, through the Democrats and their advocates are attacking him personally. Joe Biden used the language of putting a target on Donald Trump.

That language is also out of bounds and look, I'm going to be a guy who's going to say, let's try to find some language that's aggressive in fighting for what we believe in. But let's not go over the top with it. There's no doubt that language describing Donald Trump in the past has been over the top, and we've even seen it in the last two days. However, it's incumbent upon leaders, the media, people in political life, to try to find a language that is clear about what we believe in, what we're fighting for, what we're against, but not over the top, personal attacks that would lead some lone ranger out there to want to try to take justice in their own hand.

COATES: And that goes for both sides.

HUSTED: It goes -- it goes for the media, it goes for the political parties. We all have a role in this as voices to the American public. COATES: Why they're looking ahead, and looking to a brighter future

certainly.

It felt so great to have you on. Thank you so much for joining me.

HUSTED: Great to be with you.

COATES: Well, J.D. Vance's announcement today follow a long often very public --can we call it an audition process from multiple candidates, many of whom came out today to publicly applaud Trump's choice.

Now I'll be back with my panel right now, and we're also joined by Marc Caputo. He is a national political reporter for "The Bulwark."

All right. There were a lot of people auditioning for this role. You know, I wonder how people were sort of smiling through irritation and frustration. But if the tone is to change toward unity, and you have that Senator J.D. Vance's tweet, what is it say about the choice?

MARC CAPUTO, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, THE BULWARK: Well, it says about the choice is that it's about unity, right? You're going to talk about, oh, we need to all come together and we need to unite as a country. But at the same time, you're going to have your attack dog who goes out there and tears apart the other people who don't get in line. That's the point. That's the purpose of J.D. Vance.

And on the day of the assassination attempt, J.D. Vance went right into that role even before he was picked. He just went right out there. He started attacking the media. He started attacking Democrats, congressmen, and he also started attacking Joe Biden. He was basically auditioning ahead of time, saying, look, Trump, this is what I'm going to do for you.

COATES: Gosh, you know, the other couple of mouth did not have that thing. Burgum took a different tone. Rubio took a different --

(CROSSTALK)

CAPUTO: Yes, they didn't get the job, did they?

COATES: And they didn't get the job.

PRESTON: Yes. But can I say, how bizarre -- I mean, again, showing my age here, I've covered many, many, many, many, many, many presidential campaigns.

COATES: Many.

ENTEN: Your looks are still great.

PRESTON: A lot of many.

(LAUGHTER)

PRESTON: I have never -- yes, no, but I've never seen an auditioning process like this where the folks who were interested in becoming vice president were so public about it, and they wanted to talk about it.

PALMERI: It was "The Apprentice."

PRESTON: It was "The Apprentice." It really was.

PALMERI: And he dragged it out because he loves the art of the tease and he really didn't know until the last minute because we were in contact with aides and they would say, OK, he's down to two or three. It's Burgum, it's Rubio, it's J.D. I think we had had an idea that it was going to be J.D.

COATES: Well, what pushed it over?

PALMERI: I mean, maybe it was the brush with death because I think there was a moment where he really did not -- he was scared to hand over the MAGA mantle to someone who is younger. He didn't want to hand over what he created at first. And then I think there were a lot of lobbying by his son, Donald Trump Junior. A lot of butt-kissing from J.D. Vance. Tucker Carlson making a lot of phone calls.

CAPUTO: Oh, my. Oh, my.

PALMERI: Rupert Murdoch saying basically he wanted anyone but J.D. Vance, which does not help in Trump world because Trump does not -- he's not happy with Rupert Murdoch. And I think eventually, I mean, perhaps he was thinking about his legacy for once, which is not something that Donald Trump typically thinks about. And it just -- I mean I think he was always going to go with J.D. Vance, but maybe this pushed it along.

CAPUTO: Exactly. And one of the things --

ENTEN: No, no, no, no. I was just going to say when you face your own mortality maybe then you realized that, you know, even if you win, you're only going to be president for four more years. And then you have to pass the mantle to somebody else.

PALMERI: Exactly.

ENTEN: But here's the other thing. VP picks are about making the president feel comfortable. It's not necessarily making the general electorate feel comfortable. There aren't very many swing voters this evening going, well, you know, I wasn't thinking of voting for Donald Trump before now.

[00:30:05]

COATES: But is it different now because the age of the candidates, though? I mean --

ENTEN: I mean, most folks at this point don't believe that Donald Trump is too old to be president. That may be the case on the Democratic side, which is why the V.P. person there, Kamala Harris, is so important.

But on the Republican side, I just don't see it the same way. MARC CAPUTO, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, "THE BULWARK": I think

Harry, on an interesting point is J.D. Vance was a venture capitalist before this; also, a successful writer.

ENTEN: Right.

CAPUTO: He excelled in getting older, powerful men to give him money, to give him power. Money is power. And out of all of the people who were auditioning in this "Apprentice" -- or I'd like to call it "The Bachelor." I'm upset no one got a rose. There was no rose ceremony. But he was auditioning the entire time.

And one of the interesting things that Trump was saying, and says to J.D. Vance, is he loves his beautiful blue eyes, like literally, J.D. Vance was able to entrance President Trump, or former President Trump, and got him to pick him.

COATES: Didn't Dave Chappelle do a joke about Prince's eyes once: Well, they weren't blue, but you couldn't look him right in the eye? There was a whole skit about this. Maybe I'm dating myself here.

MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Was there a moment, though, when they were together in the box where you can see, like, a young Donald Trump and J.D. Vance. I mean, they seemed to have this --

CAPUTO: They were bro-ing out. He likes to bro out with guys.

PRESTON: Right. And to Harry's point about, like, the legacy and what have you, if Rubio had been chosen -- and Mark, you know Rubio probably better than anybody. Or if had Bergum been chosen, would have that been really the heir apparent for the MAGA movement?

J.D. Vance is clearly the heir apparent for the --

COATES: How is it possible, though? I mean, you talk about Marco Rubio and others. I mean, weigh in. Don't you remember a Trump who did not forgive those who would say negative things about him? Are we that far away?

CAPUTO: As long as they grovel. You've got to grovel.

COATES: But he embarrassed -- he also has embarrassed people in the past who has lingered -- put a carrot out there, knowing they will, and then saying no.

ENTEN: The convert. He loves a good convert. More than anything else, he loves a good convert.

And you know, I just think about, you know, a young Donald Trump. We're dealing with two guys who were in that box tonight, two "New York Times" bestsellers. He's a media guy, as much in some ways as Donald Trump is.

COATES: Right.

ENTEN: Yes, there are some ways in which he differs from Donald Trump, but both of them understand media. And I think Donald Trump might have seen a lot of J.D. Vance in himself.

TARA PALMERI, SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, PUCK NEWS: J.D. came a long way. Because let's just think back to the Senate primary in Ohio. It took six weeks to convince Trump to endorsement him in the primary. He was down. He was, like, 6 million down in fundraising. The polls.

PRESTON: He was in third in the polls, yes.

PALMERI: He was in third in the polls. He needed Trump's endorsement. And in the end, Donald Trump Jr. was really on him, Tucker Carlson, the whole MAGA, you know, crew. And they convinced him. And he was reluctant to do it because of past comments.

Think of what J.D. Vance was able to accomplish in two years. To get him to have this complete about-face and, essentially, pick someone that he knew that -- that in the right of it would say this man called him America's Hitler.

PRESTON: Right.

PALMERI: You have to swallow that.

COATES: How about the age we were talking about. So, he is now going to be the youngest, I think, vice-presidential since what, Nixon?

ENTEN: The first millennial.

PRESTON: He's the third youngest, third youngest.

COATES: Third youngest ever at this point in time.

PALMERI: It's a contrast.

COATES: It's a contrast, but you know, younger vote -- and I look today. It was 18 years ago today that Twitter even launched. So, a lot of people who are voting for the very first time, I mean Twitter can now vote, right? Eighteen years later, people have grown up in the social media era. They're picking out different things like this. Will it attract younger voters?

PRESTON: No. Before I answer that --

ENTEN: No, no.

(CROSSTALK)

COATES: Even with a bigger -- all right. OK.

PRESTON: No, but it's not about that, though. It's about attracting voters in that Rust Belt or into some of these other states that are now expanding, whether that be, you know, New Mexico, as you noted. Georgia may be off to off the board. Maybe North Carolina is not for Democrats, at least at this point in time.

You know, but are we going to see him in that Rust Belt? We're going to see him in Pennsylvania all the time. Is his role, as you note, to be the attack dog and to try to win the Rust Belt? And if that's the case, then Trump wins.

ENTEN: I'll just say, I am skeptical of that, insofar as J.D. Vance actually did worse than Ohio in 2022, which was a better Republican year, than Donald Trump did in 2020. He was underwhelming compared to the gubernatorial candidate who was running. Obviously, the governor, the incumbent governor there, Mike DeWine. And he was underwhelming compared to the average House candidate.

This, in my mind, was not a pick that really was looking at electoral implications. It was a pick that made Donald Trump comfortable.

CAPUTO: That's true. However, let's face it. Out of the four people -- you've got Kamala Harris. You've got Joe Biden. You've got President Trump, former President Trump. You have J.D. Vance. Out of the four of them, who's going to be best to talk in the Rust Belt? Who's going to be best to talk about issues of the white working class and the white intellectual conservative class? It's J.D. Vance. And that's what Trump is interested in maximizing.

The Trump campaign likes to talk about, oh, we're going to get black voters. Oh, we're going to get an historic share of Hispanic voters. Maybe that's true. But in the end, the bread and butter of a Republican ticket is white voters, and J.D. Vance speaks to white voters.

[00:35:08]

COATES: Well, we'll have to see what will come of this. And of course, there's one thing about preaching to one's choir, and then trying to convert.

Everyone standby. We've got more breaking news tonight to discuss, as well. You forgot this happened, probably. Judge Aileen Cannon threw out Trump's federal classified documents case. The Justice Department is promising to appeal. We'll talk about why, whether they should, and what comes next. Next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COATES: Well, there was major -- and I do mean major -- news on the legal front today for Donald Trump. Judge Aileen Cannon dismissing the classified documents case against the former president.

Now, why? Well, because according to the judge, the appointment of Special Counsel Jack Smith violates the Constitution. She wrote, in part, quote, "In the end, it seems the Executive's growing comfort in appointing 'regulatory' special counsels in the more recent era has followed an ad hoc pattern with little judicial scrutiny."

[00:40:07]

Translation: she thinks that they should not have been able to appoint him without confirmation or otherwise.

But the Justice Department isn't going down without a fight, issuing a statement today saying, quote, "The dismissal of the case deviates from the uniform conclusion of all previous courts to have considered the issue that the Attorney General is statutorily authorized to appoint a special counsel. The Justice Department has authorized the Special Counsel to appeal the court's order."

For more, I want to bring in former Nixon White House counsel and CNN contributor John Dean, with former U.S. attorney Harry Litman. Glad to have both of you guys here.

John, let me begin with you, because this was such a significant moment. Of all the ways a judge could put their thumb on the scale, whether it's voir dire, including evidence, or in witnesses and beyond, this was the ultimate.

And when you look at what happened leading up to the ruling today, John, are you surprised that she ultimately decided to dismiss this case?

JOHN DEAN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Not at all. She -- she seems to have gotten a telegraph in the concurring opinion of Justice Thomas, who raised issues that she, indeed, picked up and carried a distance not even he could carry in questioning the constitutionality of the appointment process under the Appointment Clause. And also, as you mentioned, the Appropriations Clause.

It's really a reach. It was a hail Mary pass by the Trump team. And I think the only person in the world who could have caught it and plucked it out of the air was Aileen Cannon, and she did. And I think it's going to be reversed.

COATES: Well, you mentioned Justice Clarence Thomas, and they -- there was that recent immunity decision in the Supreme Court. And Justice Thomas wrote in a footnote where, frankly, we find, as a lawyer, is a lot of the juiciest parts, that there are, quote, "serious questions whether the Attorney General has violated that structure by creating an office of the Special Counsel that is not established by law."

I mean, clearly, these comments, as you say, weighed heavy on Judge Cannon's decision.

I want to bring you into this, as well, Harry, because look, the DOJ, in a special counsel appointment, is intended in very much part to ensure that there is not the accusation that it's being politicized, and it not be somebody who serves the pleasure of the president overseeing a matter; that it goes to somebody with an independent authority to do something.

Now, this decision suggests that that is not what should happen. What did you make of it?

HARRY LITMAN, FORMER DEPUTY ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL: You know, look, as a -- as a legal decision by a district court judge, it's simply indefensible.

As John says, you know, she had telegraphed it several times, but it almost doesn't make sense to try to talk about it in legal terms.

This is, as I said, the first Project 2025 opinion. The principal is only loyalty to Trump.

But you make a very important point now, Laura, because the DOJ is committed to this notion of no appearance of conflict when they're prosecuting Trump, something they could easily do. It's been suggested already, is they just assign somebody else to file the case, and then there's no problem. Except that Merrick Garland and the DOJ want to keep this looking impartial, and that's why you have an appeal and appeal so quickly.

But however quickly it is, I think she's done full service to Trump, because the 11th Circuit, I doubt has time to reverse this before the election. The state of play for now is it's been reversed.

She's -- that check is now paid in full on her part. The very best she could have done for him.

The 11th Circuit ought to reverse it, unless of course, Trump becomes president, in which case they'll just say goodbye and order DOJ to stand down.

COATES: Well, just to be clear, not the 11th Circuit, but the idea of this being a federal case, it would not be likely to be a federal pursuit any longer, if of course, Donald Trump becomes the president of the United States.

To bring you back in here, John, I mean, there's still this case, the special counsel's case against Trump, and it's also in the interference in the 2020 election. And I do wonder if this ruling -- many are wondering, does this ruling today have a domino effect on the other matter at the federal level for him?

DEAN: I don't think so. The D.C. circuit where the January 6 case is proceeding, or has been remanded by the Supreme Court after their immunity decision, to determine if he, indeed, has any immunity or not, and what is evidentiary material that can be used or not used before Judge Chutkan, I don't think that she is going to return to the subject even though Trump will probably issue new motions, based on the Florida ruling, to somehow -- or based on Thomas's ruling during the immunity case, where he addressed the powers and authority of the special counsel.

[00:45:16]

You know, they'll -- they'll do anything to stretch this out. So, I wouldn't be surprised if a motion was there. I'd be very surprised if Judge Chutkan entertained it or if it went anywhere.

COATES: You know, Harry, on this case, as you've mentioned, there will be an appeal. What does that look like here? What are the odds of being able to raise this issue in a way that could move the needle back towards having a prosecution?

I mean, this 11th Circuit in the past has been critical of Judge Aileen Cannon. That had to do with the special master overseeing documents in the FBI probe. And they found it just unbelievable that she would try to insert herself into a criminal investigation. But the 11th Circuit now would have a very different role. What do you

think the chances of this appeal being successful are?

LITMAN: As long as Trump isn't president, in which case he'll make the appeal shut down, the chances are very high.

As the DOJ said, Laura, every single court to consider this case has gone the other way. It's especially outrageous for a district court to take it upon herself to do it.

So, I think it will be -- be reversed. The question is, will they then recuse her? That's a bigger stretch.

But yes, with the -- with the preamble that you talked about in the search case, I think they have more than enough predicate. And she's just a sort of black eye now in that district, and I think they will want to bounce her if they can.

Again, we're talking February, March, a time when, if we have a new second Trump regime, all of this is -- all bets are off. They'll just tell the DOJ to close down shop.

COATES: Well, there already was that slim notion of who it could be in that particular district. There wasn't a whole lot of judges there to choose from.

I do wonder, really quickly, Harry, I do wonder if they could try to re-bring this case in another jurisdiction, knowing that some of the classified documents were reportedly found elsewhere other than Florida.

LITMAN: The short answer is, yes, they were worried about venue before, but I think they have a real shot if they wanted to, in bringing it in D.C. Still with a special counsel now. That's what the DOJ will want.

COATES: John Dean, Harry Litman, a pleasure to talk to you both.

Thank you for joining me tonight.

Up next, we'll have the very latest on this investigation into an assassination attempt against Donald Trump, including news just moments ago that snipers were inside -- inside -- the very building the shooter fired from.

You are watching coverage from CNN's Grill at the Republican National Convention.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:52:54]

COATES: Disturbing new details tonight that the FBI is struck by the lack of leads on the Trump shooter's possible motive or mindset.

We're also learning local police and -- get this -- snipers were inside the building that the gunman climbed and fired from. As witnesses warned police of his very presence, long before the gunfire.

All that as the director of the Secret Service spoke for the very first time since the assassination attempt.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIMBERLY CHEATLE, U.S. SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR: The buck stops with me. I am the director of the Secret Service. It was unacceptable, and it's something that shouldn't happen again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: Joining me now is Donell Harvin, former chief of Homeland Security Intelligence for the government of D.C.

Donell, there are so many questions. And the developments that we're hearing tonight, this news that not only were local police, but snipers were actually inside the building where the gunman was.

I mean, we're just over two days now in the investigation. I find that pretty shocking, that there aren't any leads so far. But what do you make of this new news that there would be local law enforcement and snipers inside and not a whole lot of leads to go on?

DONELL HARVIN, FORMER CHIEF OF HOMELAND SECURITY INTELLIGENCE, WASHINGTON, D.C.: Well, I mean, it's so shocking. Once you get over the shock at the fact that the leading Republican, now the candidate for the Republican Party, was -- came within an inch of losing his life, then you wake up to the shock that, you know, witnesses were pointing this individual out minutes before this occurred.

There are layers of security when these type of events take place. And there's different police organizations that protect or have charge. At the end of the day, the Secret Service is responsible holistically for the entire scene.

And so obviously, there's going to be an inquiry. It's stunning that this individual -- Laura, this -- this individual graduated from high school two years ago. Let's just take a second and think about that.

And in two years, without any tactical training or any other -- anything that was significant, he was able to almost take the life of the presidential candidate. And so how is that possible with the layers of security that -- that are in place, is something that we all are waiting to hear.

COATES: I do wonder about the combination of Secret Service and local police. Is that common for them to be getting help from local police?

HARVIN: It's essential. So, the Secret Service is a large organization, about 8,300 individuals. Not all of them are agents. It's a mixture of uniform Secret Service police, non-uniform individuals that protect the president.

There's individuals that get there days before, that you've heard this term before: the advance team. So, it's a multi-layered organization that does a complex mission.

At the end of the day, they cannot do this mission without the help of state and local law enforcement. This is in all events, whether they're a national security special event like you're covering right now at the RNC, all the way down to rallies.

And so local law enforcement creates that outer perimeter, that extended perimeter: road closures, directing people, checking people out.

[00:55:05]

At the end of the day, the Secret Service has overall responsibility, but primarily, they're there for to protect the detainee [SIC] -- the protectee, rather.

COATES: I mean as they mentioned, the buck stops with them, but this is, what, 100 plus days away from the presidential election. There will surely be more campaign rallies.

With the former president, we have a current one who's also going to be on the campaign trail. And we understand there will be more service provided to even third-party candidates now.

Donell Harvin, thank you so much for joining me.

HARVIN: Thank you.

COATES: We're going to have more on day one of the Republican National Convention from right here in Milwaukee at the CNN Grill. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COATES: Well, welcome to CNN's continuing coverage of the Republican National Convention. I'm Laura Coates, up late tonight here at the CNN Grill in Milwaukee.

And this was the must-see moment from night one: indelible to the crowd watching. Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for president, walking out for the first time in public since that gunman.