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CNN Live Event/Special

Election Day in America; Trump Speaks after Casting Ballot. Aired 11:30-12p ET

Aired November 05, 2024 - 11:30   ET

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

[11:30:00]

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GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: -- campaign with her. So Donald Trump's closing argument was about grievance. And in her closing argument, they were careful not to mention Donald Trump.

She had been talking a lot about Donald Trump, criticizing him and everything else and calling him unhinged and the litany. But in the end she didn't.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And she really did not have to. He has put himself out on display. She is making the forward-looking argument and making the case for herself and she does not have to talk about Trump --

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: The Trump campaign -- the Trump campaign had clear ideas of what the closing argument was going to be . It is not a message he was delivering consistently and he --

SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR AND REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Economy and immigration. And even last night he said briefly, are you better off four years ago?

He briefly said it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He did.

SINGLETON: He briefly said it but it is a good question that a lot of voters are asking. So I know a lot of folks have been critical of the former president and his rhetoric and his message has been dark and bleak in terms of his closing argument.

For a lot of people out there, their futures are dark and bleak. There is a significant amount of uncertainty, particularly economically for a lot of people. I was reading a Pew Research analysis that came out last year. More Americans remember the past being better than the future.

So that says a lot about the contempt that people have for the political class, not just Democrats but also the Republican establishment. And that's why I think Donald Trump has a unique ability to say a lot of things that people will dismiss because of his critique of the problems that people are going to face and are struggling with.

It's a question, I think, for me as a strategist, looking at the Harris campaign, the critique that you gave about Donald Trump, that many Democrats have argued for months and months and has yet to propel the vice president in the 100 days that she has been able to form her campaign.

To have a strong enough lead for certainty that she could potentially win this thing, that says a lot.

COOPER: We will see. It all gets decided today.

Thank you all. Appreciate it.

Still ahead, how the campaigns are feeling this final hour. We will go live to each campaign headquarters after this.

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[11:35:00]

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COOPER: Welcome back to CNN special coverage, Election Day in America.

Right now voters hitting the polls across the country with all eyes on seven crucial battleground states. Let's check in with some of the campaign. CNN's Alayna Treene is at Trump election headquarters in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Priscilla Alvarez joins us from the Harris campaign headquarters at Howard University.

Alayna, what are you hearing?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We got some updates that Donald Trump is currently voting in Palm Beach. We knew he planned to do so today. I think a big question I'm looking for is whether or not -- we know there are reporters there watching him do this, if he's ultimately going to come out and speak to them.

As for the vibe within the Trump campaign, they are cautiously optimistic. That is what they are telling me. Of course there is that underlying anxiety, I think, and unease, given how close this election is.

No one knows what will happen. They recognize that this is essentially a coin flip. The big thing on their minds today is turnout. Turnout is a major part of every single election. But because it is so close, they are watching it closely. I remind you, part of the focus of this is because, over the last year

now, really the Trump campaign had outsourced a lot of their ground game, get out the vote operations to outside political organizations.

Those including Charlie Kirk, Turning Point Action as well as Elon Musk America PAC. We know that there have been questions and they have been scrutinized whether they have been able to meet their goals.

Today is that judgment day. One other thing I want to point your attention to, we will see him tonight at his election watch party at the convention center here in Palm Beach. I remind you, four years ago, on the morning after the election, Donald Trump came out and declared prematurely that he had won the election.

We know that did not happen and those were false claims. But I think that is one thing to keep in mind as we are waiting and watching what will happen later today -- Anderson.

COOPER: Alayna, thanks. Let's go to Priscilla Alvarez with the Harris campaign.

What does Vice President Harris have planned for today?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The vice president is behind closed doors until later tonight when she attends her Election Night party. But even if she is behind closed doors and not on the campaign trail, she is participating in a spate of radio interviews as she continues to mobilize voters.

And some may still be on the fence. In those interviews she has previewed a little more of what her evening will look like. Take a listen.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And where will you be tonight on this very important day?

KAMALA HARRIS (D), VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I will be at my alma mater at Howard University. Before that, I have a tradition of having dinner with my family. So we will do that.

I have a lot of my family staying with us. And during the day, all day, I will be talking with folks and reminding them to get out to vote.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALVAREZ: The vice president has often talked fondly of Howard University, her alma mater. It is something she will lean into today certainly by hosting the Election Night party. It is also concluding what has been a full circle moment for her, she said, but also a truncated campaign for the vice president.

That only started after President Joe Biden stepped aside over the summer. In the final hours, the campaign is trying to tap into the good vibes and the optimism that they think launched her candidacy from the beginning.

And keeping Donald Trump's name out of these final hours, focusing on the vice president and her agenda. I'm also told, Anderson, by Harris advisors that, internally, the directive to staff is to keep heads down and continue to mobilize voters, especially on issues like reproductive rights.

We have heard from voters they are going to the polls with that issue in mind and they hope that plays into their favor as the team says they will be calm and confident as the votes come in.

[11:40:00]

COOPER: All right, Priscilla Alvarez, thanks very much.

"The New York Times" senior political correspondent Maggie Haberman will be at the Trump team's election launch party tonight in West Palm Beach, Florida. She joins me now.

What are you hearing from the campaign?

How confident are they?

MAGGIE HABERMAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: They are projecting a lot of confidence but I think there is some anxiety below the surface. They have gotten less certain in the last couple of days.

Part of that is because Donald Trump has had a rough closing the last 10 days, as we have seen. Part of that is because Democrats are projecting more optimism in some specific battleground states.

Republicans have not seen voters of their own coming out. However, they point to early vote totals, just by pure registration, Republicans are doing better than Democrats and they suggest that will be decisive.

But they don't know. They are coming into this election with Trump in a better position polling wise, as his campaign often points out, than he has in his last two. But it is hard to account for what has happened in the last 10 days after the Madison Square Garden rally, which most of them now acknowledge was a debacle.

COOPER: When you look at Trump's closing message, I am not sure if it is a closing message or just a continuation of stuff he has been saying, insulting Democrats. We played a clip of him calling Nancy Pelosi a bitch several times, calling them evil and pushing unfounded claims of widespread cheating.

It is clearly not what his campaign wanted.

HABERMAN: No. You can see on the faces when he goes off script and off teleprompter how stressful it is for them because he could be saying anything. It is like watching a car driving and swerving around the road. In terms of what he said about Nancy Pelosi, that is what he was

privately saying about Kamala Harris when she got into the race to a number of people around him. What we have seen over time is he is saying this more publicly.

And it is pretty dramatic, at a rally a couple of days ago, he talked about how he should not have left the White House at the end of his term, despite having lost and despite another president certified in the Electoral College victory.

And using about shooting reporters. Again, we are used to him saying things that are well outside the political norm. Most candidates don't do that in the closing days of the and he typically has not done that in his closing days. We will see what effect it has.

COOPER: Harris campaign officials have warned they believe Trump will, like he did in 2020, declare victory early before all the votes are counted. Obviously, in 2020, he was lying. He lost.

Is that something Trump's team believes will happen again?

HABERMAN: The Trump team is hoping that will not happen. I think the bigger question, who knows what Donald Trump will do, I think the bigger question is what do Trump allies do on social media tonight?

And that is something to watch for.

COOPER: Maggie Haberman, thank you very much. Appreciate it.

Still several hours to go before the first election results begin to post in Florida. Abortion is also on the ballot. We will go to Florida live next.

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[11:45:00]

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COOPER: Trump has voted in West Palm Beach. He's now speaking live. Melania Trump is next to him, which is -- let's listen in.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE).

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: We did a great job and we brought it back to the states as you know. I believe in exceptions as Ronald Reagan did. And we did a great job. We did something that they wanted to do for 52 years.

Yes, please?

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE).

TRUMP: Well, we just have. We want to bring everybody in. We want to be very inclusive. And we will be. We have a great country but we have a country that is in trouble. It is in big trouble in many ways and we have to straighten it out.

Crime is through the roof. We have people pouring through our borders, not exactly perfect. They come out of prisons, they come out of prisons, 13,000 people convicted of murder.

We do not need this in our country. We have enough difficulty, we do not need that. So I think people saw that but it just seems that the conservatives are voting very powerfully.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)?

TRUMP: Just finish it up then.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)?

TRUMP: No, I feel very confident. We went in with a big lead today and it looks like Republicans have shown up in force. We will see how it turns out. But it seems they have really shown up in force.

I just got a call from Dan Patrick in Texas and he said they have never seen anything like it. (INAUDIBLE).

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)?

TRUMP: Look, regrets. We always have regrets, I cannot think of any to be honest, to use her expression, I cannot think of any. I think I ran a great campaign, I think it was the best of the three. We did great in the first one, much better in the second one but something happened. This is the best. I would say this is the best campaign.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) the possibility that you and Vice President Harris both may not get to 270 electoral votes by tonight?

TRUMP: It should never happen. A thing like that should never happen. This election should be able to -- they spend all this money on machines. And frankly, if they used paper ballots it would be over by 10:00.

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: By the way, the paper ballots would only cost 8 percent of the cost. If they would use paper ballots, voter ID, proof of citizenship and one day voting, it would all be over by 10:00. It is crazy. They use very expensive computers and I am hearing in Pennsylvania they will not have an answer until two or three days from now.

I think that is an absolute outrage. Maybe it will be later. But paper ballots, in France they went paper ballots because the mail-in was not working. It was corrupt. And in France, they went paper ballots.

And at 10:00 in the evening, they had 37 million votes counted and done and they had a winner and a loser. I am just hearing in certain states it is going to be a long time. It will not even be close, it will not even be that close. They say I'm going to win the state. But it will take a long time to certify it.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) declare victory tonight?

TRUMP: Yes, I am hearing the same things you are hearing. I am hearing states where I'm up by a lot but they won't have a final number for a long time.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) watching the results (INAUDIBLE)?

TRUMP: So we will have a special group of people, many of whom you know. They'll be at Mar-a-Lago. And in addition we will have 4000-5000 people at the convention center. On the assumption I win, I don't know, if something else happens, I don't know what will happen in terms of declaring victory.

In normal times, I would go over to the convention center, say at 10:00 or 11:00. I just do not know. It looks like we have a substantial lead. It looks like we have many more Republicans voting today than Democrats. We have a lead and we have a bigger vote that means you are doing well. But they have to call a winner.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE).

TRUMP: I think they should call a winner.

Yes?

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)?

TRUMP: Just stop talking about that.

Go ahead.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)?

TRUMP: Oh, I don't know. I was honored to get Joe Rogan last night.

[11:50:00]

He is a big deal, he is a very respected person. I must tell you, Megan was fantastic. She got up and said things that were amazing. I just think we ran a good campaign. I had good policy. We want people to come into our country but legally. We want strong borders and we want people to come in. We want to be totally inclusive.

But they have to come -- I think that was a big issue. To me, that was the biggest issue. I may be wrong, a lot of people said inflation, it is a disaster. But I think that's the second issue. I think the first is the border.

We cannot allow criminals into our country. You have 13,000-plus murderers allowed to roam in our country. They will not be allowed. They have to go. You have drug dealers, you have terrorists, you have a tremendous amount of people that should not be in our country.

And we need stronger borders. Personally, I think it is the number one issue. We will see how it pans out. But I think it is the number one issue.

COOPER: Donald Trump speaking in West Palm Beach, Florida, after casting his vote with his wife by his side. CNN's MJ Lee is with us. CNN's Alayna Treene as well.

MJ, what stands out to you?

Obviously we have not heard from -- I don't think we have seen Harris vote yet today. Maybe she has already voted.

MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, she voted by mail.

But watching the former president speak, this seemed to be classic, quintessential Donald Trump right up until the end, leaning on issues that he feels most comfortable with talking about. Talking about crime being through the roof, talking about the issue of immigration --

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: Which I'll point out, crime is not through the roof actually. The latest -- that's -- or actually crime is down.

LEE: Yes. Immigration and people coming in through the borders, questioning election integrity, saying I'm going to win this thing, it is not even going to be close. Rich of the former president to say that he ran an inclusive campaign.

His rhetoric the last few weeks is far from inclusive. If anything it has been incredibly divisive, really painting at every corner people, different groups of people as being the Other.

I think just watching him on Election Day, talking like this, you cannot help but think about the bigger arc of the Donald Trump campaign this time around.

Anderson, it was not that long ago when we were wondering, is this a different Donald Trump as a candidate?

Is this a different Donald Trump in terms of the campaign?

A little more rational, a little more politically strategic, far more on message than we have seen him years ago. I think the last couple weeks we saw how much that real Donald Trump was always sort of there, underneath that facade, with the rhetoric that has been so amped up, offensive and divisive, racist and misogynistic.

I will say, having covered the Harris campaign, there is a little bit of a sense that they feel OK, sitting back a little bit and letting the people see Donald Trump saying these things and deliver that message that they want to deliver on the contrast, really for himself. He is certainly doing that in part.

COOPER: Let's listen a little bit more.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) pressure today than (INAUDIBLE)? TRUMP: I have no pressure whatsoever. I am winning those cases. Those cases are all being won. The biggest case was the Florida case and it has been won. I appreciate you.

Next question .

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)

TRUMP: (OFF MIKE COMMENTS).

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE).

Regardless of what happens tonight, is this your last campaign?

Are you done after this?

TRUMP: Yes, I would think so. I would think so. It is sad. Sad and very fulfilling. I think we will have a very big victory today.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very good, thank you.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)?

TRUMP: (INAUDIBLE) transition team. But I don't like talking about that until I find out how we do.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE).

TRUMP: Well, it does. And look, we are not looking to do damage to Iran but they have -- they can't have a nuclear weapon. You know my terms are easy. They can't have a nuclear weapon. I would like them to be a very successful country but they just cannot have a nuclear.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE).

TRUMP: Well, I think Secret Service has been a little bit tougher, to put it mildly. I see more machine guns than I have ever seen in my life. I'm surrendered by it.

[11:55:00]

I feel very confident with the Secret Service. I think they have stepped up. For a long time they did not give us the help or the assets, as they say, manpower, womanpower. They did not give it to us. We would have rallies with 50,000-60,000 people.

COOPER: Donald Trump having voted in West Palm Beach, Florida, Alayna Treene joins us.

The Trump team has already -- Donald Trump has already in the last days and weeks been alleging voter fraud without any evidence. All of the videos that have been circulated in Trump world, there are explanations, things have been debunked.

I talked to a top election official in Pennsylvania, who is a Republican, who is trying to get out the message that these are untrue statements which already the former president has been laying the groundwork for.

TREENE: Absolutely. I think one of the more notable things and what he is saying as he is holding court with the press right now is he was railing for minutes against paper ballots and against the processing and really America should go back to in-person voting, saying that he had hoped and wished the results would be announced tonight.

That was part of it. The other part is, depending on how this goes, we will absolutely see a lot of challenges. I don't think we have to say we think. We have already seen him challenge things in certain states, like in Pennsylvania, the process and the integrity of the election.

One thing I found notable is Donald Trump was asked about whether or not he would get out to the convention center tonight and declare victory. One thing that I would argue is he seems like he is listening a bit more to his advisors. He did not immediately say I plan to get out there and make a big speech.

I think that is one thing to keep in mind. We know he did that in 2020 but it is very unclear what he will do this evening.

COOPER: MJ and Alayna, thank you.

Minnesota's Democratic senator Amy Klobuchar will be joining us. She is campaigning on behalf of Kamala Harris. She is also up for reelection.

Senator, good morning, good to see you.

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN): Hi, Anderson.

COOPER: The polls have been open for almost four hours where you are.

How are you feeling about the vice president's chances?

KLOBUCHAR: Very positive. She ended this campaign on a high note, which is going to take her right into the White House -- unity, optimism and joy. And Donald Trump to me has been spiraling down. I know he claims the end to be appealing to women and he calls the woman leader the B word.

Somehow yesterday he decided to get into fluoride after the man he claimed he wanted to put in as HHS secretary said he wanted to limit fluoride or get rid of fluoride in drinking water.

So I guess he is ending with more cavities. He has continued to deny the election results and what you just said in your report, 97 percent of jurisdictions in America have backup paper ballots. And the only ones that don't are some counties in Texas and Louisiana. So I --

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: -- paper ballot thing --

KLOBUCHAR: -- campaign spiraling. COOPER: It is nuts, this constant referencing to not having paper

ballots. Even Dominion Voting Machines have paper ballots. There are backup paper ballots. It is just not the case. It is a very strange thing that he continues to lie about.

KLOBUCHAR: What I see is this excitement out there. I had seen it when I campaigned in states for our senators, including Bob Casey and Sherrod Brown, Tammy Baldwin. This is an important candidate. She's going to win this.

And Ruben Gallego and Jackie Rosen, you see Jon Tester; never count out Jon Tester and what is happening in Texas and Florida. This, I predict, when you look at what's going on under the surface, with millions and millions of doors knocked just this weekend, like 3 million women are voting in droves.

You have a lot of women and men who have had it, they're democracy voters. They do not want to have assault on our democracy and then you have people who do not want to see the chaos in their businesses.

They don't want to see this $4,000 tax per family. They're worried about his economic proposals and they mostly do not want chaos with their employees. I just think there is this thing boiling under the surface because people coming up to me all the time in diners and airports and saying, I am a conservative and I cannot vote for him.

That is what you will see show up. They may not be answering polls but she is doing so well. And I think there's a good reason to be confident. But only we you vote. Everyone in the country has to get out and vote, even if it means lines. You stand in lines for tons of things and coffee every day.

People can stand in line to vote because this is our --