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J.D. Vance Praises Trump As He Accepts The VP Nomination; Source: Biden "Receptive" In Discussions About His Future. Biden "Receptive" in Discussions about His Future; Interview with Former Trump Adviser Omarosa Manigault Newman; Lawmakers Told Trump Shooter Visited Rally Site Twice. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired July 18, 2024 - 01:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:00:45]

LAURA COATES, CNN ANCHOR: Well, night three of the Republican National Convention coming to a close right here in Milwaukee. I'm Laura Coates. Up late as always because I love it at the CNN Political Grill. Cheers on the right, gloom on the left. America's two political parties could not have a more different night.

At this very hour, President Biden is recovering from COVID in Delaware. Yes, COVID. He is effectively now sidelined from his campaign and arguably the worst possible time that goes came out just as penning Democrats are trying once again, possibly to have conversations about him stepping aside and out of the race. Stand reporting tonight that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has privately told Biden that polling shows him he simply cannot win.

And now we're told there are signs that Biden might be slightly more willing to hear his critics out. But of course, it's his choice in the end, they say. All the while in Milwaukee, there's no hand wringing in sight just fists pumps and applause. Republicans cheering for a third straight night as Donald Trump made his way to his perch in the convention call.

Trump in attendance to watch his newly minted running mate, Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio, take to the stage. His speech was part introduction, maybe reintroduction, part phrase, a lot of it praising his new boss and their share of view of America.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: President Trump represents America's last best hope to restore what if lost, may never be found again. A country where a working class boy born far from the halls of power can stand on this stage as the next vice president of the United States of America.

(CHEERING) (APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: I want to bring in former Republican Congressman Joe Walsh, CNN political commentator Ashley Allison, political correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, Molly Ball and CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten, all with us. All right, tonight was the night. I mean, many people have read this book, others have watched the movie. It was sort of allow me to reintroduce myself. It's J.D. Vance. Is this the future of the Republican Party?

JOE WALSH (R), FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE: This is Trump's Republican Party. And they are completely unified. It's not a Republican Party that I recognize or belong to anymore. But it's a unified party, Laura. And it's running against a party right now that is frozen.

COATES: Molly, listen to what Vance said about what was his vision of America. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VANCE: America is not just an idea. It is a group of people with a shared history and a common future. It is in short, a nation. Now it is part of that tradition, of course, that we welcome newcomers. But when we allow newcomers into our American family, we allow them on our terms.

(CHEERING)

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: Let me repeat that. I mean, we allow them on our terms. Molly, what does that tell you about his worldview?

MOLLY BALL, SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, WALL STREET JOURNAL: Well, it's very much this populist, nationalist conservatism that he has really been the avatar of. And that's, I think, why he got the vice presidential nomination. It's very different, as Joe was saying, from the Republican Party of Ronald Reagan, or George W. Bush. It's a, as he said, it's -- it's about a -- a nation as a collection of people and a piece of land. Some critics even would say blood and soil as opposed to a document or a set of ideas, as he said in his speech.

And so this is about, you know, it's about restricting immigration, pulling back on foreign adventurism. It's not about free trade and free markets, like we've heard so many Republican vice presidential nominees talked about in the past, very different from a Mike Pence vision, for example. And he really embodies the new populist Trump Republican Party.

COATES: How's this play?

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: I -- I don't really get it. I don't get this whole thing with J.D. Vance. Sometimes I feel like I'm on the planet Jupiter, and everyone else is on Earth. J.D. Vance perform worse than any other Republican running statewide in Ohio in 2022. The idea that he's going to go into these great lake battleground states like Michigan and Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and somehow draw in voters, there is nothing in the data to support this.

[01:05:12]

It's bizarro to me. Now the idea that he might necessarily hurt, no, I don't necessarily think so. And I think it's important to digest and sort of look into his speech to understand where the Republican Party is today versus say, 12 years ago when my friend over here was in Congress. And it does tell us a lot about where the Republican Party is.

But in terms of how it plays, I don't think it really plays all that much anywhere a week from now, maybe even 24 hours from now, 48 hours from now, we'll be back to talking about Donald Trump. And more than that, we'll be back to talking about Joe Biden, and that whole entire mess that's happening on the left.

COATES: Well, what if we're talking not about Trump and Biden, but we're talking more about the vice presidential running mates. I wonder why you think J.D. Vance according to what he's saying tonight. How does he stack up against vice presidential, you know, not only candidate reelection but current vice president Kamala Harris?

ASHLEY ALLISON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, when you look at the Vice President's record, she is qualified for that job. She was the attorney general for the second largest Department of Justice in the country. She was a Senator for many years, many more than J.D. Vance. And now she's been serving as vice president for four years. Here's how I think the debate will play out. I think J.D. Vance can come in as a young whippersnapper that like I'm going to change the country and could potentially try and make a trope out of Kamala Harris as the Republican Party like Nikki Haley has tried to do making this threat that this woman might come in.

Now I had an adjective thrown at me tonight that I was angry and I'm not I just am passionate about my views. And so I could see a J.D. Vance trying to get a Kamala Harris in a position where he could be like, don't be so angry. Kamala Harris is smarter than that. She's savvy. She's a prosecutor. She can handle on her own. And so I think that matchup could actually pair very well.

The reality though, is J.D. Vance has to accept the vice presidential debate invitation first. And the -- the -- the language that he put out tonight is that he hasn't and I wonder why.

COATES: Well, here's a different adjective to describe Ashley Allison, astute. Tell me what you make of her assessment?

WALSH: Look, I don't even know if that more is going to be the matchup. J.D. Vance is -- is so arrogant right now. Assuming he's going to debate Kamala Harris, assuming he's going to run all over Kamala Harris. Laura, they're unified, Republicans are unified but there's an arrogance and a cockiness right now.

ENTEN: I agree.

ALLISON: Yes.

WALSH: I think they are so overplaying their hand.

COATES: Well, they're -- well, hold, because I'm -- I'm worried about -- I'm -- I'm wondering about this, they are unified but it wasn't that long ago that people saw them as at each other's throat. I mean, two people who spoke last night, Nikki Haley, and of course, Governor Ron DeSantis, they didn't agree they -- they had to say is it unified about the premise or about the policy?

BALL: Well, a couple of things. I would say, first of all, there's a reason that you heard J.D. Vance talk mostly about his biography tonight. He's not talking principally about those ideas that divide the Republican Party and frankly, are somewhat unpopular overall.

COATES: What's the reason?

BALL: So because his -- his life story is objectively inspiring. Everybody loves "Hillbilly Elegy" for what -- for, you know, as he was saying, the -- the American dream that he embodies, the fact that he was able to come from such hardscrabble and difficult beginnings and a family, you know, mired in tragedy and addiction and have such amazing success. But the ideas are a little bit more divisive. So for example, he didn't mention Ukraine, even though that's been the number one thing he has worked on in the U.S. Senate.

The other thing I wanted to say to Harry's point was, this is a political bet, that is defying the conventional wisdom. They are not trying to win back those college educated suburban women that Trump lost over the course of his presidency.

ENTEN: Yes.

BALL: They're trying to juice up the turnout of working class white men in the Rust Belt and working class minority men all over the country. But they are not making a play for those voters that Trump lost.

ENTEN: Two -- two things. Number one, you know, you mentioned "Hillbilly Elegy." And, you know, I got a very fun text from my dear friend, our executive producer here, Suzie Xu. And she said, Harry, have you look at how many more people are looking up "Hillbilly Elegy" on Netflix. Oh, viewership way up. How about amazon.com buying the book? Way up. So people are interested, at least in his biography. So it's not surprising to me that he's playing it up.

The other thing that goes back to the Congressman's point is, there's no doubt that Donald Trump is ahead at this point, not just nationally, but in those key battleground states, specifically in the great lakes, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania. But the idea that Donald Trump is up somehow five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10 points, I feel like that narrative has gotten away from the truth. It is entirely true that Donald Trump is in a much stronger position than he wasn't four years ago at this point or even eight years ago at this point.

But somehow the idea that this campaign is anywhere close to over, we still have more than a one 100 days to go. I know -- how -- how -- how much polling can change in those final 100 days. Let's get a little bit more down the line. Let's at first see who exactly the Democratic nominee is. And then perhaps some of this cockiness may actually be warranted, but at this particular point, let's calm, OK, just a little bit.

[01:10:16]

COATES: Well, there was a -- there was a moment today too that was heartwarming for so many, including Don Jr. Because his eldest granddaughter, Kai Trump, made a surprise appearance tonight. And she -- and Trump, well, he looked genuinely happy to see her. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAI TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S GRANDDAUGHTER: When we play golf together, if I'm not as team, he'll try again inside of my head.

(LAUGHS)

TRUMP: Yes, I know. And he's always surprised that I don't let him get to me.

(LAUGHS)

(CHEERING)

(APPLAUSE)

TRUMP: But I have to remind him, I'm a Trump, too.

(CHEERING)

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: I mean, we're seeing a lot of his effort to try to humanize him differently. And I -- I do wonder if there was a little thunder of stolen or do you think this is something that is productive to voters, left to voters or irrelevant in the morning?

WALSH: I -- I -- I think it's too late to try to humanize him. And I don't want to sound too mean with that. But after eight or nine years of Donald Trump in our grill every day, doing the mean, cruel, divisive stuff he does, to pull out his granddaughter now, I -- I -- I don't think that makes much of a difference.

COATES: Well, I'll tell you, it must be very hard to get to the crowd of that size. So I do applaud her -- her ability to do so. But I do wonder from the voters' perspective, whether this is the messenger that they will -- influence as undecided voters or not.

Everyone, please stand by. We got a lot more to talk about. And one of the questions is, does J.D. Vance help Republicans in critical battleground states? My guest, he's got an opinion on that. Tim Ryan, who went head to head against J.D. Vance, joins me.

Plus, could President Biden be willing to reconsider staying in the race because we're reporting and it's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:15:38]

COATES: J.D. Vance tonight accepting the GOP's nomination and giving a preview of the fight to come. Criticizing those he says are the, quote, comfortable in Washington for creating a divide between the elites and he says the rest of us. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VANCE: From Iraq to Afghanistan, from the financial crisis to the Great Recession, from open borders to stagnating wages, the people who govern this country have failed and failed again.

(CHEERING)

(APPLAUSE)

VANCE: That is, of course, until a guy named Donald J. Trump came along.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: Well, I want to bring in former Congressman Tim Ryan, he ran against J.D. Vance for the Ohio Senate. And Ryan eventually lost the race. But he joins me now, Congressman, so good to have you on. We've just heard from now the running mate of Donald Trump, Senator J.D. Vance, and he has a very compelling backstory to many people.

But, you know, you -- you seem to know him better than most. So I'm wondering, from your perspective, what more do you think voters should know about him in light of the fact that his name was now on that ticket?

TIM RYAN (R-OH), FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE: Well, I think he has some very extreme views. This wasn't a pick to try to get to the middle, try to get to independent voters. This was really a double down, I think on the extremism. He's got very, very difficult positions on abortion, very extreme, no rape or incest, exceptions. It one point he said that women should --

COATES: He wants to ban nationally, I understand, right?

RYAN: Yes. And he want -- he wants women to stay in violent marriages for the sake of the kids. He -- he called -- he said the American needs a Cesar to come in and take over. Like, these are very extreme views that aren't going to play well in the broad swaths of those six or seven states that are going to be competitive.

COATES: You know, I find that so striking, because at this particular point we're, what, 100 and some days away from the presidential election, normally a candidate wants to broaden and widen that tent, right?

RYAN: Yes.

COATES: But to have someone that you say, might alienate voters is a striking tone to take. And actually, Trump has said that he picked Vance to help him win places like Michigan like Pennsylvania. Is he right about being able to secure those states?

RYAN: No. I -- I don't think so at all, you know. He -- he doesn't have any relationship with organized labor with workers, you know, that no -- no real support there for him. I don't think he's comfortable in those, you know, working class states, even it -- it -- because of his background, you would think he would. But he -- he doesn't. And I think it's -- it's -- it's not a great pick in my mind, because it doesn't broaden anything out for him. It doesn't complement Trump in any way to add to it and those industrial states. And so, you know, it'll be interesting to see the next four months how it goes, but I think it -- it leaves him very, very vulnerable to workers.

COATES: It makes an interesting choice for that very reason. And, you know, you, unlike many people have this unique experience and having debated J.D. Vance. And so I have to ask you, if Biden stays in the race, and there are questions swirling around that tonight and it still seems, and Harris is the VP nominee and that ticket is complete, what would be your advice to Vice President Kamala Harris in a debate with Senator J.D. Vance?

RYAN: I -- I think Kamala Harris is -- is uniquely qualified against him, because you have to pin him down. He tries to deny things that he said I think we had a -- we had a -- a dust up over Alex Jones. He was saying how great Alex Jones was. And I, you know, hit him on that. And he tried to deny he ever said it. And you just have to pin him down. He wants to do the shape shifting. He wants to try to deflect and that's why I think a former prosecutor would do very, very well to just hammer him down and pin him down and -- and expose the lies that -- that will be told.

COATES: Well, he's already tried to address in some respects his what -- he -- I think he describes probably as an evolution of thought. I remember maybe in a different era be called flip flopping but people are seeming to try to evaluate and assess it differently. But, you know, interestingly, you and I have been talking for several weeks at least now ever since the debate. And you are one of the first people to call for President Biden to step aside in the reelection campaign.

[01:20:12]

We're learning tonight at CNN that there was a recent conversation that former Speaker Pelosi privately held with Biden, where she told him that the polling shows that he can't win, and he will take down the House with him if he stays. And four sources briefed on the call say that Biden responded with defensiveness, which frankly, one would expect, I mean he's the incumbent and the one who has the delegates. But if this is coming from someone like Speaker Pelosi, according to reporting, how much damage is this going to do to those down ballot races?

RYAN: Well, I, you know, Nancy Pelosi is the godmother of Democratic politics. There's nobody who understands the data, understands the strategy, the inside game better than Nancy Pelosi. So for her to intervene here, I think sends a lot a -- a -- a very strong message to the President and to the White House of how serious this is. I -- I work with Nancy Pelosi, my entire career in Congress, 20 years, there's nothing she cares more about than making sure that people with values hold positions of power, that we would hold the House.

And she would make those very difficult decisions that needed to be made in order for us to -- to hold the House or win the House. And so that's what she cares about more than anything, and above any personality. And if she's saying that this could be very detrimental to down ballot races, I think anybody who's concerned about this race should pay very, very close attention because there's nobody more shrewd that would -- would say that and understand that and then hopefully, you know, try to make the kinds of changes we need to be able to win.

COATES: Tim Ryan, thank you so much for joining me.

RYAN: Thank you.

COATES: You know, it's not just Pelosi raising some concerns to President Biden. There apparently also reports that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told Biden it would be best if he bowed out. How was Biden responding to the pressure? That conversation, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:25:41]

COATES: Well, we're told Majority Leader Chuck Schumer expressed concerns about Biden's candidacy directly to Biden in a private meeting. Now, sources tell CNN that Biden is, quote, receptive. That's the word they're using to these private conversations with Democrats on Capitol Hill. That's a pretty subtle shift just a few days ago, but then a new interview tonight Biden says he is fit to lead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But I understand what people say, look -- look, I'm only three years older than Trump. OK. And I'm going to -- I think I'm a little better physical shape than he is. The point is, though, that it's not unreasonable for people who say, wait a minute, you're 81 years old. And so I -- I think it's a legitimate thing from the race. And as long as I can demonstrate that it's not affecting my ability to compete, my the ability to get things done, my ability literally lead the world, lead the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COATES: My panel is back with me. Molly, let me ask you, I mean spent nearly a month now since this debate. And now you got Pelosi and Schumer reporting that they're having these conversations, why now and the fact that it's these two Democratic powerhouses, that's pretty impactful?

BALL: Well, you would think, but the fact that we are hearing about these conversations means that they didn't work. If they had had a private conversation and it was effective. He might not still be there. But clearly, they -- they -- these things have leaked to the media, because the private nudge that they were hoping would be effective, you know. And this has been going on, as you said, for weeks now that people have been going to the President and private and trying to subtly indicate without being rude about it, without making a public spectacle, without hurting the party in public. And that hasn't worked.

So they're having to get more aggressive. And the concern that a lot of Democrats have is that the President is making statements like that, that he believes that. And they -- and every time they see him give an interview, where, you know, he can't read off the teleprompter, he trails off and can't finish sentences, they are not encouraged by his ability to perform in this campaign. And so there's increasing anxiety about the urgency of trying to get him to see the writing on the wall.

COATES: You know, I'm not really shocked by ego for a presidential candidate or incumbent. I mean, there takes a lot of, you know, ego to say I -- I can lead the we call the free world. So I'm -- I'm -- I'm wondering why this has so a sustained conversation? He is saying he's going to stay. They're having these conversations. Doesn't it weaken Democrats chances down the ballot if there is some indication if he does stay? And they're telling they don't want them? Doesn't that make undecided voters go if you don't believe in them, why should I?

ALLISON: Yes, I do. I mean, I think that's why some Democrats are frustrated for as many people that want Joe Biden out of the race, there are others that don't. And maybe they aren't donors. Maybe they aren't the Democratic establishment, but they're the people who will actually vote in battleground states and support him and -- and potentially send him back to the White House. I've been saying over and over again, they need to decide what they're going to do.

If they think that having a contested convention where the sitting incumbent president hasn't stepped down is a good play, no. And I worry that it won't be that people leave the Democratic Party and not vote for Joe Biden and because they're going to vote for Donald Trump is that they just might disengage.

ENTEN: Yes.

ALLISON: And that is just as damaging. My friend Bakari Sellers always says this is not about people leaving Biden and go for Trump. It's about people leaving Biden and voting for the couch. And we have seen that in past elections. And so folks who are organizing on the ground are saying, cut it out, folks, we're -- you're -- it's already an uphill battle, and you're just making us carry a boulder on top of our backs going up the hill.

COATES: Meanwhile, Republicans are very happy.

WALSH: They love this. And Laura, you had -- you had the -- the headline at the beginning. This has been a month. This has been a month and we're still talking about that. That's Joe Biden's father. Joe Biden hasn't put this to bed. Look, I'll support whoever the Democratic nominee is. But Joe Biden has not convinced people he's still running. This is on him. He hasn't --

[01:30:00]

COATES: But what could he do? I mean in some respects, Joe, I want you to finish your point --

WALSH: Yes.

COATES: -- a lot of -- he has gone out there. And he's done interviews. He's had far exponentially more interviews than Donald Trump has had since the debate, I should mention.

And his performances post-debate, those interviews, they're not all that different qualitatively than his pre-debate interviews.

WALSH: I think they've been progressively worse. He gave a speech yesterday at the NAACP --

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: He couldn't the prompter.

(CROSSTALKING)

WALSH: -- on a teleprompter --

ENTEN: He couldn't read it.

WALSH: He couldn't read the speed. That set off real alarm bells.

ENTEN: He absolutely did. If you can't read a speech off a teleprompter, how the heck are you going to perform in that second debate if it happens. How you can convince people who already think that you're too old to be an effective president, that you're not?

Yes, some of these performances in some of these interviews were fine. But you have to be better than fine given that debate performance that he had back in Atlanta.

And at the end of the day, though, you know, we're talking about this contested convention, the last two Democratic contested conventions, or conventions at least where we weren't 100 percent sure who the nominee was going to be, but still have a pretty good idea. You could either argue was 1984 with Fritz Mondale and Gary Hart or I think the better argument is 1980 with Jimmy Carter and Ted Kennedy.

Well, either way, the result coming out of that convention in 1980, as well as a result in '84 was a Democratic Party that got totally annihilated in November that were easy wins for Ronald Reagan. And honestly in both really 84 and 88 as well, you had a united

Republican Party. This is the likes of which a united Republican Party and divided Democratic Party that we have not seen in my lifetime, and for voters under the age of 40, they don't remember.

This is truly something a throwback to yesteryears.

COATES: Yes.

ENTEN: We like nostalgia in this country. And if you like nostalgia I think Republicans really like this nostalgia.

COATES: Let me ask you though, I mean, and Ashley -- he's now sidelined. He's got COVID. So how is that going to impact what he can do going forward to have these convincing moments that people say -- think he's lacking.

ASHLEY ALLISON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Look, I don't actually think we're in a posture of persuasion for people who want Joe Biden to drop out and people who don't.

You either -- you've made your decision, you made it probably the night of the debate and you either publicly said it immediately or you didn't.

I think that right now Democrats are playing a game of chicken and who's going to blink first. That's a risky bet when we talk about, you know, one thing that I probably will never say again is that Kimberly Guilfoyle said this is the most consequential election of our lifetime. And I agree with.

And for different reasons. She's saying that because she thinks that like having a more diverse and equitable and inclusive country is the wrong direction. But we're saying it because we actually want to have another election after this one.

And so this chicken game and they're saying, well, we just maybe hope that COVID will take them out and that'll be the blow. That isn't how it works. Like I don't know, Joe Biden like a best friend, but I do know I mean he's the president. He's not just going to going to bow out.

COATES: What do you think Molly, in terms of how this is going to play, especially the sidelining aspect of it. And back when he was running back in 2020, he was accused of campaigning from the basement. Obviously not the fault, it was COVID.

MOLLY BALL, SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL": Well look, I think when you talk about the impact of contested conventions in the past to bring up chickens again, it's a chicken- and-egg scenario right. Because the reason that conventions are contested is because the party is in a panic because they think they're going to lose.

So the division in the party has already happened. Whether or not there's a contested convention, they are in a panic because they're afraid they're going to lose to Donald Trump.

And because as Ashley was saying to Democrats, that is an existential crisis for our nation. So I think these -- I don't think it's going to end even if, you know, he does make it as clear as he can, even if they had the convention tomorrow and he was definitely the nominee, the panic is not going to end because Democrats do not win -- want to lose this election.

And they see that as many of them now see that as all but certain. It is worth doing anything to prevent that.

COATES: Well, to bring up chicken again, we have chicken on the menu at the CNN Political Grill. Could I have a chicken sandwich, Bradley, I noticed behind me --

(CROSSTALKING)

ENTEN: It's delicious.

COATES: -- it's delicious.

Standby everyone while we and Harry go explore how to get that food to the actual table.

Well anyway, now it's Donald Trump's turn to take center stage. Will he stay above the fray and give a speech focusing on unity, as you said he will do. That's a big question.

I'll ask Omarosa Manigault Newman next.

[01:34:46]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COATES: All right. We are hours away now from Donald Trump's big primetime speeches as he is intending, of course, to formally accept the Republican nomination for president.

A Trump campaign senior adviser saying the former president has been personally dictating exactly what he wants to say, previewing the tone will be notably different.

Well, joining me now, former senior adviser to President Trump Omarosa Manigault Newman. She's also the author of "Unhinged: an Insider's Account of the Trump White House".

Omarosa, so good to see you this evening.

OMAROSA MANIGAULT NEWMAN, FORMER SENIOR ADVISER TO DONALD TRUMP: Good to see you.

COATES: I have to ask you, hearing about a notably different tone, it would have to be a complete 180, frankly. And I'm wondering in light of everything that has happened over just I mean the last week, do you think that Trump is capable of that changed tone or staying above the fray. MANIGAULT NEWMAN: well first of all, thank you so much for having me. You know, Donald is able to stay on message for a very short amount of time. I understand that he has been exercising some discipline in terms of communicating so that he continues to enjoy that bump that he got following the events that happened in the last week.

So in terms of tone I believe that he understands how important the moment is. And there are times that he rises to it, but we'll just have to wait and see if he can stay disciplined and stay on message.

COATES: One of the big frustrations for so many voters, particularly Democrats has been over the years, has been this idea of a double- standard.

[01:39:45]

COATES: The characterization of discipline even for a short amount of time being seen as presidential. And yet a sustained discipline for other politicians not viewed in the same way.

And I know that the RNC has been making an effort to court black voters with a variety of different speakers. And I just want to play some of the highlights of those moments. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN JAMES (R-MI): You know, I heard a little bit earlier today, if you don't vote for Donald Trump you ain't black.

SEN. TIM SCOTT (R-SC): America is not a racist country.

AMBER ROSE, TV PERSONALITY: I realized Donald Trump and his supporters don't care if you're black, white, gay, or straight. It's all love.

MADELINE BRAME, NATION VICTIMS' RIGHTS ADVOCATE: Poor and neglected communities like mine are suffering. And who else in here is sick and tired of being sick and tired.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: Omarosa, Amber Rose getting a lot of publicity about this as well, because she's saying, these are my people, this is where I belong.

There's been a lot of backlash and commentary with respect to all the different speakers. I do wonder among the messengers that have been selected, do you find that these will resonate with the very voters they're trying to get to vote for them.

MANIGAULT NEWMAN: Well you know, I find it very interesting that they selected Amber Rose to carry their message. She doesn't identify as an African-American. She has proclaimed that she is an atheist. And so she is working kind of against what the conservative movement has said that they're about.

But she's an influencer and you'll remember that previously they used Diamond and Silk to carry their message. And so with the passing of one of the two ladies, I suppose that they've gone to Amber Rose to carry their message as an influencer, to take the place of Diamond and Silk. So that really was her role.

I don't think that she moves the needle very much for African-American voters. But she does have 24 million followers on social media. And so maybe they're relying on her to reach, you know, a group of people who might just be swayed. But I just don't think this she moves the needle, Laura.

COATES: You have to wonder about the selection. I know she identifies -- I think she's spoken about being biracial, the idea of obviously there's a lot of conversations happening still surrounding the former president about whether in fact he is racist. His viewpoints, his policies, his history, his family's history as well. This is not an issue that is going away for this candidate.

MANIGAULT NEWMAN: Not at all.

COATES: Do you think that they are effectively trying to counter that position that he is racist?

MANIGAULT NEWMAN: Well they have to because so many things have transpired that he has initiated, right. Everything from Charlottesville to his policies that have impacted the community -- African-American community in such an adverse way.

But more importantly, Donald Trump is really having to address his past. I mean, we can't forget about the Central Park Five, right? We can never forget about the fact that he equated both sides being good people.

And so Donald Trump has to account for the policies that have really impacted African-Americans in a very, very adverse way.

So I'll have to see if Donald Trump understands that it's not just talking the talk, but walking the walk. It is his actions that have called to question whether or not he is racist. It's not just people calling it out from the streets just randomly. Its things that he has done.

COATES: Omarosa, I wonder as well in terms of what's happening on the other side of the aisle. You know, you're in Las Vegas. You have been attending the National Bar Association, also the NAACP national convention is there where President Biden just recently spoke and talked about that Vice President Kamala Harris could be the president of United States without saying that he was stepping aside. I mean (INAUDIBLE) talking naturally about her qualifications.

MANIGAULT NEWMAN: Right.

COATES: But CNN is learning tonight that President Biden is being receptive about the future of his candidacy. And an adviser even saying he's gone from saying "Kamala can't win" to "do you think Kamala can win". You attended his speech yesterday for the NAACP, what were people

saying about the future of a Biden-Harris ticket or even maybe a Harris something else ticket.

MANIGAULT NEWMAN: Well, I attended with a group of African-American attorneys, most of them were black women. So of course, there's an excitement for the possibility of us in our lifetime seeing an African-American woman lead this country.

She is a graduate from my alma mater Howard University and she represents for us the future, right. People are excited. The thought, the possibility that a black woman could sit in the Oval Office.

[01:44:42]

Now in terms of whether or not President Biden recognizes the important asset that she is, the people in the audience at that speech definitely recognize the power, the strength, the possibility that Kamala Harris represents for the African-American community.

COATES: Omarosa Manigault Newman, thank you so much for joining us.

MANIGAULT NEWMAN: Thank you for having me.

COATES: Let's talk about it with my panel who is joining me right now.

I mean, first of all, Harry, this has been an effort by this candidate to try to woo black voters in particular.

ENTEN: Yes.

COATES: I do wonder about the messengers. Are they going to resonate.

ENTEN: No. These messages aren't going to resonate.

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ENTEN: Good night, everybody. We're done.

(CROSSTALKING)

ENTEN: No, these messengers aren't going to resonate, but I think we should take a step back and understand perhaps why the Trump campaign, the Republicans are trying to do this.

They are looking at public polling that for better or worse, shows Donald Trump in a better position with black voters and Hispanic voters than anybody in at least in a generation.

And when it comes to black voters, the best position for a Republican candidate since 1960 and Richard Nixon.

Now we can discuss why or why not that is the case. But the fact is the black vote, at least according to the public polling, is more in play for a Republican candidate than at any point in, I believe, any of our lifetimes, I think based upon the age. The only question maybe --

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WALSH: Look at him he look at me, Laura. Look at him --

COATES: I wasn't going to say anything because I think you're young.

WALSH: Thank you.

COATES: Thank you. Ashley, may I ask you the question though, because there is obviously this enthusiasm gap that we've been talking about, right?

I mean, people aren't having the yes. All the time moment, which by the way politics that wasn't always the way it was anyway.

Let me ask you, could Kamala Harris fill that enthusiasm gap?

ALLISON: She could for some people. When you look at a coalition, you pull 20 percent here, 20 percent here, 20 percent here, you fill in the rest of the map, right?

So Kamala Harris definitely could energize young voters, voters of color, women voters. But I think someone said it earlier, maybe not working-class white male voters. She should be able to, she should have a conversation with them and have -- and be able to engage them. But it would be a little harder.

Here's one thing I'll just say and I'm going to give some advice to my Democratic friends. Black voters are potentially -- I don't believe the polling that I'm seeing. I'm seeing some other polling where the whole sample are only black voters and the numbers aren't matching when like you have just a smaller portion of the sample and polled being black folks.

Black folks are saying deliver for us. Don't take us for granted. And right now, we have a Democratic Party where black voters are telling them just leave the ticket as it is and if you don't, support Kamala Harris. And so if Democrats do something else than that, that's actually heeding the narrative Republicans are trying to say that Dems aren't listening to them.

This is a tricky moment that Democrats find themselves in but you cannot say year after year after year that black folks are the base of the Democratic Party and then ignore in one of the most critical moments of this election.

COATES: Or black women in particular --

ALLISON: Black women -- we say it all the time.

COATES: -- and have that same issue.

I mean we ask you about this Molly because I mean, tomorrow is going to be a huge night. Donald Trump will be speaking. He has said he has ripped up one speech following what happened on Saturday. He's going to give another address.

There are many different obvious points in the room he's going to have to make. What do you anticipate about his ability to convey a message that will unify, not alienate, and then get the voters he needs.

BALL: Well, I am fascinated to hear what he's going to say because of precisely that dynamic that you describe because he has said that he wants to try to set some kind of different tone. And he really has not given any kind of really public remarks since the tragic events of Saturday night.

But many people who've spoken to him have said that he's a changed man. Now look, I'm old enough to remember, meaning I'm over 10-years- old, several reported Trump pivots, right over and over and over.

Well, he didn't think he was going to get elected president. But surely this will humble and change him. Over and over and over and it never happens.

He's always been the same guy. And that's why the poles are so close, frankly.

ENTEN: Yes.

BALL: Because no matter how bad the Democrats do, people do remember, how much they disliked the Donald Trump presidency.

All that being said, if he is going to try to do something different and he does like to surprise people, I'm very, very interested to hear how he thinks he's going to pull that off because he does not have a history of being -- of even trying to be a uniter, a unifying candidate.,

That was a feature, not a bug, of his candidacy when all the other politicians were coming out and saying this phony stuff about let's all come together, he was the one who said no. I'm not like that. So can he do something different? I'm -- we'll see.

[01:49:51]

COATES: Particularly when he's got a crowd of people who'll be cheering him on. That will be a test, certainly.

Thank you so much, everyone.

Hey ahead, new video from our affiliate WTAE appearing to show the Trump rally shooter an hour before his attack. We're going to go through it next.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exactly what we're doing today on the call.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stone-walling. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You did nothing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: Anger at the Secret Service boiling over on the floor of the Republican National Convention. A group of GOP senators chasing down the chief of the Secret Service Kimberly Cheatle. And they are demanding more answers over the assassination attempt against Donald Trump and are blaming the Secret Service for a cascade of security failures.

And tonight we're getting a new look at what they're upset about. New video here showing what appears to be the Trump rally shooter, just about an hour before opening fire.

It was obtained by CNN affiliate WTAE. And you can see a person wearing clothes similar to what the gunman was wearing. The building he's walking around is the same one the shooter climb to carry out his attack.

This video coming as CNN is learning that the shooter visited the rally site twice after the event was announced. And one GOP senator, who was briefed today posting that the shooter was identified as suspicious a full 19 minutes before the shooting.

That's not all we're learning either. CNN's Jessica Schneider has more about what was found on the shooter's phone, Jessica.

[01:54:40]

JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Our team is getting a lot more information about that would-be assassin, including the fact that law enforcement authorities found pictures of both former President Trump and current President Biden on the shooter's phone, plus pictures of other political figures, including Rudy Giuliani, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Now the search history of his devices, it also shows him looking at the dates of the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, also inquiries about Trumps planned campaign events.

Now two of the officials have told our team that Thomas Matthew Crooks did search for information on major depression disorder and treatment. But officials are noting there was actually no indication he was actually diagnosed with depression.

And earlier today, lawmakers were actually briefed by law enforcement officials from the FBI and also the Secret Service. The FBI revealing they haven't found any information that might speak to the ideological or political leanings of this would-be assassin.

The FBI saying they've already conducted more than 200 interviews. They're vowing to leave no stone unturned as this investigation continues.

And as for the investigation, the Homeland Security inspector general did announce that they will be investigating the Secret Service and any security lapses.

And the Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle, she is scheduled to testify before the House Oversight Committee on Monday, Laura.

COATES: Jessica Schneider, thank you so much.

And hey, thank you all for watching.

CNN's coverage of the RNC continues next.

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