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The Situation Room
Interview With Atlanta, Georgia, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D); Multiple Schools Suffering COVID-19 Outbreaks; Obama Speech Says, Donald Trump Hasn't Grown Into The Job Because He Can't; Bracing For Post-Election Battle As White House Still Won't Say Trump Will Accept Election Results If He Loses; Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) is Interviewed on Kamala Harris Set to Make History Tonight with VP Nomination. Aired 6- 7p ET
Aired August 19, 2020 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:35]
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM.
We're following breaking news, another awful milestone of the coronavirus pandemic. The United States has now reported more than 5.5 million confirmed cases, as the death toll now nears 173,000. Another 1,324 Americans died just yesterday.
Also breaking, coronavirus clusters on college campuses in at least eight states are now forcing some schools to suspend in-person learning just days after students had returned to the classrooms.
And as we count down to the third night of the Democratic National Convention, we're learning former President Barack Obama will issue his most scathing critique of President Trump yet, saying -- and I'm quoting the former president -- "Donald Trump hasn't grown into the job, because he can't."
We expect Kamala Harris to share more of her personal story, as she becomes the first woman of color to accept a vice presidential nomination.
Let's go to CNN's Erica Hill in New York first for an update on the late-breaking updates in the coronavirus pandemic.
Erica, the White House testing czar is warning that, yes, the decline in new cases across the U.S., slight decline, could turn around very, very quickly if we're not careful. But update our viewers.
ERICA HILL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right.
Just a short time ago, in a briefing, he said, look, the trends are moving in the right direction, noting that new cases are down 22 percent, he said, since the peak in July. Deaths, however, have remained flat. That's not one of the trends that we want to see.
He also noted, as you said, Wolf, in his words -- quote -- "This thing could turn around very quickly if we're not careful."
And he specifically cited the outbreaks that happened in the weeks after Memorial Day.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HILL (voice-over): College move-in day 2020-style, masks, staggered arrivals, mandatory testing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I decided to take all the precautions I can.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is a weird time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Glad I can be on campus.
HILL: The University of Alabama sticking with plans for in-person learning and fans at football games. Tailgating is now, but 20 percent of Bryant-Denny Stadium could be filled when the Crimson Tide takes the field.
Several other colleges shifting to online learning, as students and staff test positive.
DR. ROBERT ROBBINS, PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA: I'm very concerned about our campus. I'm glad that the numbers have gone down in Arizona. But, still, if our students, faculty and staff don't follow the rules, we're going to suffer the same fate as the other universities.
HILL: Cases at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville linked to an off-campus party through contact tracing.
DONDE PLOWMAN, CHANCELLOR, UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE AT KNOXVILLE: If we want to be here on campus, it's going to be a different kind of experience. We can do this, but students have to step up and do their part.
HILL: Nearly a quarter of New York City's more than 1.1 million students have already opted out of in-person learning. The teachers' union calling for anyone entering the school building to bring proof of antibodies or a negative COVID-19 test.
MICHAEL MULGREW, PRESIDENT, UNITED FEDERATION OF TEACHERS: This city went through hell and came back, and we are not going back to hell because of shortsighted political agendas.
HILL: Georgia still a major concern. The state now has the highest number of cases per capita in the country. And while the number of new cases in the U.S. is declining, deaths have plateaued at an average of more than 1,000 a day for the last 23 days.
DR. ANNE RIMOIN, UCLA EPIDEMIOLOGIST: We still don't have a magic bullet to be able to prevent death or serious disease, and we're still not doing the job that we need to do to be able to contain spread in most places in the United States. HILL: FDA emergency use authorization for a treatment using blood
plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients is now on hold, according to "The New York Times," after top health officials said more data is needed.
DR. LEANA WEN, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Everybody is desperate. And we want a hopeful treatment. But, at the same time, we cannot take shortcuts to the research, because that's actually going to hamper our efforts overall.
HILL: As the push for a vaccine continues, new CNN polling finds just 56 percent of Americans say they would get the vaccine. That's down 10 points since May.
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, NIAID DIRECTOR: Vaccine disinformation can lead clearly to vaccine hesitancy.
HILL: While most agree those on the front lines should have first priority, Pope Francis also expressing his hope that it will ultimately be made available to all.
[18:05:05]
POPE FRANCIS, LEADER OF CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator): It would be sad if the rich are given priority for the COVID-19 vaccine. It would be sad if this vaccine became the property of this or that nation, if it is not universal and for everyone.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Some more university updates.
UNC announcing it's suspended all activities through at least 5:00 tomorrow. Notre Dame also putting a pause on its football practices today, possibly into tomorrow.
And here in New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo pointing to the outbreak at Notre Dame and telling all school districts in the state they should take a good, hard look at their reopening plans and make sure that they're able to deal with an outbreak like the one we have seen in South Bend -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Yes. As they say, it's better to be safe than sorry.
Erica Hill in New York, thank you very much.
CNN's Kaitlan Collins is over at the White House for us.
According to a new CNN poll, Kaitlan, nearly seven in 10 Americans say they're embarrassed by the response to the pandemic by the United States and are giving President Trump very poor marks as well.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf.
And right now he's holding one of those briefings at the White House that aides were hoping would boost his numbers with supporters. But you're looking at polls like this one where not only does it show that Americans embarrassed by the country's response, but also 62 percent of voters think it's President Trump should be doing more to fight COVID-19.
And I want to point out one thing he just mentioned a few moments ago, as he has been trying to compare the outbreaks here in the U.S. with that around the world, repeatedly talking about what's happening in New Zealand, saying that they're seeing a surge in cases, though, Wolf, we should point out New Zealand is only getting a handful of new cases a day, which pales in comparison to what we're seeing here in the United States.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS (voice-over): A new CNN poll today is revealing an unflattering snapshot of the U.S., where a majority of Americans are embarrassed by the country's response to COVID-19.
Disapproval of the president's handling of the crisis hit a new high at 58 percent, though his overall approval was slightly up. President Trump has continued to skirt safety guidelines and held a packed rally in an Arizona airport hangar yesterday with few masks and little social distancing.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Are you sure you even had a spike?
COLLINS: Fifty-two percent of Americans don't feel comfortable returning to their old routines yet, but Trump is forging ahead for his push of a traditional election, tweeting: "If you can protest in person, you can vote in person."
But the president isn't following that advice. The Trump campaign released this video today of the president filling out an absentee ballot.
TRUMP: Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it to the polls to vote in the Florida primary.
COLLINS: His campaign is suing New Jersey after Governor Phil Murphy announced the state would send mail-in ballots to all registered voters, in addition to conducting in-person voting.
GOV. PHIL MURPHY (D-NJ): If vote by mail is good enough for the president, it is good enough for all of us. So, as they say, bring it on.
COLLINS: Trump is fuming that his postmaster general will be testifying on Capitol Hill next week as Republicans kick off their convention. Today, he asked why Republicans are allowing Democrats to do that and tagged the Senate majority leader, though it's the House speaker who decides when the House holds hearings.
Since he took office, Trump and his supporters have railed against cancel culture, claiming it's a tool the left uses to bring down people who say things they don't like. TRUMP: Cancel culture, driving people from their jobs, shaming dissenters, and demanding total submission from anyone who disagrees.
COLLINS: But Trump embraced cancel culture today when he called for a boycott on Goodyear tires, a U.S. company with headquarters in Ohio that employs thousands of Americans.
Trump accused the company of banning MAGA hats after this image from a training session went viral advising employees not to wear political attire at work, including anything MAGA-related.
KAYLEIGH MCENANY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Goodyear needs to come out and clarify their policy.
COLLINS: The White House would not say if Trump would stop using Goodyear tires on the presidential limo. And Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown said his call to boycott a company in a swing state could hurt him in the election.
SEN. SHERROD BROWN (D-OH): He's going to pay the price in Ohio, because Ohio workers understand Joe Biden is about the dignity of work, and Donald Trump has betrayed workers consistently.
COLLINS: When it comes to the election, the press secretary also wouldn't directly answer whether the president will accept the election results.
MCENANY: The president has always said he will see what happens and make a determination in the aftermath. It's the same thing he said last November.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Now, Wolf, I want to point out with one more thing that the president just said a few moments ago.
He has repeatedly and his aides have been asked recently about this QAnon conspiracy group, a group that the FBI has says is a potential domestic terrorist threat.
[18:10:00]
The president just said -- quote -- "I don't know much, except I know that -- I don't know very much about them, except I know that they like me very much, which I appreciate."
So, speaking in glowing terms about this conspiracy group that the FBI has said gives them cause for concern.
BLITZER: Yes, a serious cause for concern.
And, you know, if he's bragging that they like him, that is very, very disturbing, indeed.
COLLINS: Instead of disavowing them, like many reporters have given him and his aides an opportunity to do several times. And, of course, we should note, he did recently congratulate that
Georgia Republican congressional candidate, someone who has promoted this conspiracy theory.
And that's really what has started all these questions that the president has gotten. And right now, from the White House Briefing Room, he is speaking in positive terms about the group, noting that -- the fact that they like him very much.
BLITZER: Yes, that is not good at all. That's an awful situation.
Kaitlan, thank you very, very much.
Let's get some more analysis right now on the coronavirus pandemic.
Our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, is with us.
Sanjay, cases may be trending downward a bit, but there are 5.5 million confirmed cases over these past six months, more than 172,000 deaths and, as we noted, Admiral Giroir is saying today that the cases could turn around very quickly if we're not careful, his words.
So, this is, by no means, over. In fact, I don't see any immediate end in sight at all.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: No, Wolf.
Sadly, I think you're absolutely right on that. And keep in mind that we're at the point in the year now where schools are starting to open in many places in the country. And no matter what, Wolf, that means more mobility, more people out and about.
And the numbers will go up as a result of that. This is a contagious virus. There's no question about that.
Wolf, one thing, one caveat I do want to give with regard to this graph that you see on the screen, you're right. The confirmed cases have gone down, although they are still higher at this point than the peak was back in April. So, we have got to take these things in context.
But I also want to point out, Wolf, that the number of tests that are being performed has also gone down by a couple hundred thousand over the last week or so, or maybe since the 13th of August.
So, you know, you have got to take all of this data in context to sort of make sense of it. The reality is, we're still not performing enough tests. The number of tests that we are performing has gone down last week. That, in part, could explain why the number of cases is going down as well.
BLITZER: The new CNN poll that just came out today, it shows that nearly seven in 10 Americans say they're embarrassed by the U.S. coronavirus response. How concerning, Sanjay, is that?
GUPTA: Well, it's very concerning, and, you know, not that surprising, Wolf.
I think, a lot of times in situations like this, when you're dealing with a pandemic, something that's affected the whole world, you tend to look around, see how other countries have handled this. And there's other countries that have had a few hundred people have died, even some countries that have had fewer than 100 people who have died.
Some of those are smaller countries. But even if you start to extrapolate, the United States has performed very poorly here.
I happen to live in a state, Wolf, now, Georgia, where we have the dubious honor of having the fastest trajectory now, pace of trajectory in terms of newly infected people. So, yes, I get it. We could have done a lot better.
The other countries that did better didn't have anything we didn't have. We simply didn't take this seriously, and we didn't execute.
BLITZER: Yes, 1,300 Americans died just yesterday.
If you take a look at some of the countries in Europe, maybe a handful died yesterday, South Korea, maybe one or two or three. South Korea, as you and I have pointed out on many occasions, around 300 confirmed coronavirus deaths over these past five, six months, the United States now, what, approaching 173,000.
Let me get your reaction to something that Dr. Fauci said today, Sanjay, about having a vaccine vs. proving a vaccine actually works. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FAUCI: Having a vaccine is very different from proving that a vaccine is safe and effective.
For that matter, Frank, we have six vaccines now. We haven't proven them yet to be safe and effective. When we do, then we can accurately say we feel comfortable with distributing a vaccine to hundreds of millions of people.
But before and until you prove it's safe and effective, you really don't want to be talking about having a vaccine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Yes, because a vaccine that isn't safe and effective, for all practical purposes, from my perspective, is really not a vaccine.
GUPTA: Right. I mean, that's the point.
And I think, you know, Dr. Fauci has been consistent on this message. There's been promising signs. I think that's why you hear the enthusiasm around this. Some of these trials, they could have gone completely backwards and said, look, it's not going to continue.
[18:15:03] But there's several vaccine candidates out there that have gotten through phase one, and are either in phase two or phase three at this point. So, the phase one showed that it was at least safe in young, healthy people at a certain dose.
The phase two trial showed that it could make the type of antibodies that could inactivate or neutralize the virus. But you have got to prove that it works in humans, in large numbers of humans, different ages and different backgrounds and different places.
And that needs to be done now, Wolf.
BLITZER: It certainly does.
All right, Sanjay, thank you very much, Dr. Sanjay Gupta reporting.
Just ahead, I will speak with the Atlanta mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, about all of today's breaking news on coronavirus, the Democratic National Convention and more. There you see her. We will get to her shortly.
And, later, we will bring you details from former President Barack Obama's speech that's coming up later tonight. He plans to go directly after President Trump with an extraordinary, blunt attack on President Trump's character and performance in the Oval Office.
We have some excerpts.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:20:20]
BLITZER: In just a few minutes, we're going to be bringing you the first excerpts from Senator Kamala Harris' history-making speech that's coming up later tonight.
Just moments ago, we saw some of the text of former President Barack Obama's takedown, a very tough takedown of President Trump.
Joining us now to discuss this and more, the Atlanta mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms.
Mayor Bottoms, thank you so much for joining us.
I want to read to you a portion of what President Obama is expected to say later tonight about his successor, the current president, President Trump.
Let me put it up on the screen.
"He's shown no interest in putting in the work, no interest in finding common ground, no interest in using the awesome power of his office to help anyone but himself and his friends, no interest in treating the presidency as anything but one more reality show that he can use to get the attention he craves. Donald Trump hasn't grown into the job, because he can't" -- a direct quote from the former President Barack Obama.
So, what's your reaction to those extraordinarily strong words?
MAYOR KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS (D), ATLANTA, GEORGIA: Well, I'm here for all of it. I absolutely love it. It is most appropriate.
And it really speaks to the moment that we are facing as this nation. And I do believe, had President Obama said that any of that a day sooner, perhaps it wouldn't have been received in a way that it will be received in the middle of this convention, in the midst of this pandemic, and going into this November election.
This is a man who did the job, and he did the job well, with Joe Biden by his side.
So, if anyone can speak to the power of the presidency and the need to step up to the challenge, it is President Obama. And I look forward to hearing that tonight.
BLITZER: It really is a scathing takedown of President Trump's basic ability to do the job, after years of President Obama stepping back, not directly attacking the sitting president.
What does it tell you about the way he's laying it all on the line right now?
BOTTOMS: President Obama has given him an opportunity to govern. And I say this all the time, Wolf. There are elections, and then you have to govern.
Elections, by their nature, are often very nasty, and you aren't always on the winning side. President Obama very gracefully accepted the outcome of the election, and has given Donald Trump an opportunity to show that he could step up and govern. And he can't.
And that is what he's pointing out in this speech. And it's unfortunate that this is where we are in our country, but I say it repeatedly. The beauty of our democracy is, we have an opportunity to get it right. And that opportunity will be before us in November.
BLITZER: You were among the groundbreaking women, Mayor, that Joe Biden had considered to be his vice presidential running mate.
How meaningful will it be tonight to see Kamala Harris accept the nomination for vice president of the United States?
BOTTOMS: Oh, it's going to be an incredible moment.
And I am going to let my daughter stay up a little later just to make sure she gets an opportunity to see her speak. And I am honored to have been amongst this group of women to have been considered.
The fact that Joe Biden stated that he was going to put a woman on the ticket, and then he put a woman on the ticket, a woman of color, and a woman who is certainly qualified and well-deserving. So, I'm looking forward to watching her speak tonight. BLITZER: A lot of us are looking forward to that speech. That will be
a highlight, no doubt about it, later tonight.
The Trump campaign just released video of President Trump voting by mail. He's now registered to vote in Florida. But, today, he argued that -- quote -- "If you can protest in person, you can vote in person."
So, how do you respond to what he's driving at?
BOTTOMS: This is a man who lacks a basic understanding of the sacred right to vote in our democracy.
It is not for him to determine where and how people vote. That's an individual right. And, in fact, in Georgia, it is illegal to interfere with mail-in ballots. And this is what he's doing, this is what he's directing the post office to do. He's a hypocrite.
And it's not going to get any better. It hasn't been better before this moment. It won't get any better before November. And it just -- it pains me to think that perhaps it will even get worse, but, again, a reminder to everyone, this is a sacred right, that people lost their lives to give us the right to vote across this country.
[18:25:09]
And it's one that we should take seriously and vote, as Michelle Obama said, like our lives depend on it, because they do.
BLITZER: Let's talk a little bit about coronavirus while I have you, Mayor.
And Georgia's governor, your Governor Brian Kemp, he's blamed pandemic politics for a leaked White House report saying Georgia is still in the so-called red zone for cases and needs stronger health measures.
Georgia does have the highest number of cases per capita out of the entire country right now. So, how concerned are you to see the governor spin this as merely political games?
BOTTOMS: Well, at the point that Brian Kemp is at odds with the White House, I think it really speaks to the deep, deep trouble that we are in, in this state right now.
Our numbers are amongst the worst in the nation. There are very clear instructions from the White House laying out steps that Georgia can take to help our numbers go down, closing gyms, bars, et cetera. And he refuses to listen to science. And it's no wonder we are where we are.
BLITZER: Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms of Atlanta.
Mayor, thank you for joining us.
BOTTOMS: Thank you for having me. BLITZER: Just ahead, we're getting brand-new excerpts from Senator
Kamala Harris' speech later tonight at the Democratic National Convention.
We're going to bring you those right after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:30:00]
BLITZER: The breaking news we're following, CNN is learning that former President Barack Obama will go after President Trump with some of his strongest criticism ever and make the case that American democracy is actually at stake right now. Just hours from now at tonight's democratic convention, the former president will lash out against the current sitting president of the United States with extremely, extremely tough words.
Our Political Correspondent, M.J. Lee, is joining us right now. M.J., this is going to be a historic and very dramatic night.
M.J. LEE, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: There's no question this is going to be another historic night, featuring some high-profile Democratic women. Of course, at the top of that list is California Senator Kamala Harris, who is going to make history tonight as the first woman of color to be on a major political party's ticket.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEE: Night three of an unconventional Democratic National Convention poised to make more history tonight. Senator Kamala Harris, the first woman of color on a major party ticket, will deliver the biggest speech of her career as Joe Biden's vice presidential running mate.
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), PRESUMPTIVE VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Joe Biden has the audacity to choose a black woman to be his running mate.
LEE: The daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, Harris will share her personal story, a campaign aide tells CNN, and hopes that Americans of all backgrounds see themselves reflected in her remarks. She'll also make the night about family with three women closest to Harris, her sister, niece and stepdaughter introducing her.
And 12 years after making history as the first black man elected president, Barack Obama will also speak tonight, from the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, a location intended to underscore the stakes for democracy, a Democratic official tells CNN. Obama plans to offer this denunciation of Trump's presidency. I did hope for the sake of our country that Donald Trump might show some interest in taking the job seriously, that he might come to feel the weight of the office and discover some reverence for the democracy that has been placed in his care, but he never did.
The former president is also expected to vouch for the character and experience of the Biden/Harris ticket.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's time to call the roll.
LEE: This, coming after Tuesday night's unprecedented virtual roll call, featuring delegates from all 57 states and territories.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The calamari comeback State of Rhode Island casts one vote for Bernie Sanders and 34 votes for the next president, Joe Biden.
LEE: Making Biden the Democratic Party's official nominee for president.
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESUMPTIVE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE: And thank you very, very much, from the bottom of my heart.
LEE: The highlight of night two of the convention, a deeply personal testimonial from Biden's wife, Jill, the former second lady discussing her own family's resilience in the face of tragedy, including the 2015 death of their son, Beau.
JILL BIDEN, WIFE OF FORMER VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: How do you make a broken family whole? The same way you make a nation whole, with love and understanding and with small acts of kindness.
LEE: In an interview Thursday morning, Biden was asked about Trump's attacks on her husband's cognitive abilities.
JILL BIDEN: No, it's ridiculous. I mean, Joe is on the phone every single minute of the day, talking to governors who are calling him, and Nancy Pelosi. He's on the Zoom. He's doing fundraisers. He's doing briefings. I mean, he doesn't stop from 9:00 in the morning until 11:00 at night. So that -- you know, that's ridiculous.
LEE: And she had this to say about her husband's chances.
JILL BIDEN: He did run twice before but this time we're going to win.
LEE: The evening also featuring former President Bill Clinton, delivering an unusual and stark rebuke of his successor, Donald Trump.
BILL CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: His determination to deny responsibility and shift the blame, the buck never stops there.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[18:30:03]
LEE: Now, we've also gotten a preview of what Hillary Clinton will say tonight, including what some voters have said to her since 2016, when she lost to Donald Trump. She will say, for four years, people have said to me, I didn't realize how dangerous he was. I wish I could go back and do it over, Or, worse, I should have voted. Well, this can't be another would coulda shoulda election.
Now, Wolf, she is going (INAUDIBLE) person or by mail and she will also that everybody should vote like our lives and livelihoods are on the line, because they are. Wolf? BLITZER: M.J. Lee reporting for us, thank you.
There's more breaking news. We're getting the first excerpts from the speech that Kamala Harris plans to deliver later tonight as she accepts the historic nomination for vice president. Let's bring in our Chief Political Correspondent, Dana Bash, and our Senior Political Reporter, Nia-Malika Henderson.
Nia, we just got the portion of what Senator Harris will say tonight. Let me read a little bit, and I'm quoting from her speech later tonight. She says this. We're at an inflection point. The constant chaos leaves us adrift. The incompetence makes us feel afraid. The callousness makes us feel alone. It's a lot. And here is the thing, we can do better and deserve so much more.
So, what do you make of that message we're going to hear from her?
NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: Well, this is the biggest speech of Kamala Harris' political life. We saw her give a really good speech about a week ago when she was announced as the candidate for vice president.
And so I think what she is doing in the lines you just read is really trying to connect with average voters on an emotional level. That's something that Donald Trump does very well. Often, Democratic candidates have tried to be too cerebral and connect with people at the head level.
And so, I think, there you see her trying to channel some of the anxieties of the average Americans feel given the crises that the country is facing and essentially say that Donald Trump isn't the person who can help you get over those anxieties. In fact, he is the cause of those anxieties in that short sentence.
I think she uses the word feel twice. And that, I think, that is what she is trying to get at, really meet people where they live, particularly these voters that have said, well, maybe they don't really mind the chaos, because it doesn't really affect them very much. She is trying to say, no, it does affect you. This is how you feel, alone, afraid and adrift.
And at this point, there's a way that you could get over those feelings of, you know, chaos and feeling alone, if you choose Joe Biden. And I imagine she will make the case for Joe Biden throughout this speech as well.
BLITZER: Yes, I'm sure she will.
Dana, she's also expected to draw contrast between Joe Biden and President Trump, another excerpt just released. She says this. Right now, we have a president who turns our tragedies into political weapons. Joe will be a president who turns our challenges into purpose. That seems to be a theme that we're hearing throughout this convention.
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and it will be delivered by the person who traditionally is the most aggressive person in any campaign, and that is the running mate. And that line that you just showed is probably representative of several other lines, many other lines that are like that, really taking it to President Trump in a very no holds barred kind of way.
But you're right, it's not just about her delivering a tough message, it's the substance and the content of that message. Again, as Nia was saying, reminding people of the chaos that they're feeling and also, on the other hand, saying you have an alternative of the guy at the top with my ticket, Joe Biden, who is going to make you feel normal again.
I mean, if you have a theme at all that we have that has sort of connective tissue throughout the first two days, and we think it's going to continue today and tomorrow, it is make America normal again.
BLITZER: We just, Nia, got a little excerpt of the video that's going to be used to introduce Senator Kamala Harris later tonight. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When she says for the people, it is every ounce of who she is. She's more us. She's more us.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She fights for women's rights. She fights to end mass incarceration.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She is a fearless advocate for the voiceless.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Litmus test for America is how we treat black women.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I'm talking about someone who can fight for black people, brown people, undocumented people, LGBT people, disabled people, young people, old people, all of America.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's about all of us knowing our power of each of us to lift people up, right, and to remind them that we see them and we hear them, and that they matter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[18:40:06]
BLITZER: Yes. They really want to introduce her to the American public tonight, Nia.
HENDERSON: That's right. And they want to amplify this historic moment of woman of color, the second person in the V.P. slot for the first time ever, and also center the stories and the issues of black women, who are so key to the Democratic Party's fortune. So, you see there, black women all over the country who were energized by Kamala Harris, women of color, in general, who were energized by her, Asian-American women also looking at Kamala Harris tonight as an historic figure. So, you know, this is something that a lot of black women have been marching and fighting for, for decades and decades, recognition from this party that they have toiled so much for over these last many, many years.
BLITZER: And, Dana, we've been reporting how President Obama is really going to lash out later tonight President Trump. President Trump, just moments ago, responded to President Obama. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I listen to that and then I see the horror that he's left us, the stupidity of the transactions that he made. Look what we're doing. We have our great border wall. We have security. We have the UAE, which is has been universally praised, praised by people that aren't exactly fans of Donald Trump.
The reason I'm here is because of President Obama and Joe Biden, because if they did a good job, I wouldn't be here. And probably if they did a good job, I wouldn't even have run. I would have been very happy. I enjoyed my previous life very much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: So, Dana, what do you think?
BASH: Well, that's the kind of response that somebody like President Obama understands was going to come. But I have to say that based on the excerpts that we have seen from President Obama, I know that we have gotten used to really, really divisive rhetoric and intense back and forth verbally from our politicians in recent years.
But what we are going to hear from President Obama is going to be remarkable, because we don't normally hear that from former presidents speaking about a current president. We just don't. It doesn't happen. And what we are going to hear tonight is a very, very, very big departure from the norm and the protocols that we see among the president's club.
BLITZER: Basically, over these past three-and-a-half, four years, President Obama has been reluctant to get involved. But tonight, he takes off the gloves and goes directly against President Trump.
All right, guys, stand by, there's a lot more coming up.
We also have some of the ways this election could actually go off the rails and what everyone can do to keep it on track.
Also, my conversation with 2016 Democratic vice presidential running mate, Senator Tim Kaine, there you see him, he's got a lot to say, got a lot of experience on what Kamala Harris should anticipate later tonight. Thank you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:47:51] BLITZER: Tonight, the president of the United States is still refusing to say he will concede defeat if he loses.
And as CNN's Pamela Brown reports, that's only one of the many potential land mines just ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAMELA BROWN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mail- in ballot counting long after the election, swing states too close to call, a candidate who won't concede, never-ending court battles -- just a few potential scenarios that could make this pandemic-plagued presidential election more perilous than any election in history.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This election is definitely going to be different. Our lives are all different since the pandemic has hit us.
BROWN: Because of that in a close election, delayed results are a near certainty. Both sides are preparing. A senior Biden aide telling CNN, quote, we have layers and layers and layers of contingency plans.
SEAN ELDRIDGE, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, STAND UP AMERICA: I think Americans need to be very aware that we may not have the results on election night, that it might take days for every single ballot to be counted.
BROWN: But that likely delay of days or even weeks between Election Day and the final vote tally of ballots could open the door to doubt and shake confidence as Trump trails in the polls against Biden, critics say they believe his near daily barrage of false claims about postal voting is laying the groundwork to contest the election if he loses.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The only way we're going to lose this election is if the election is rigged. Remember that. That's the only way we're going to lose this election.
BROWN: A new CNN poll shows a majority of Americans believe that if the president loses the election, he won't accept the results and concede.
ELDRIDGE: What we're preparing for is if Donald Trump refuses to concede, we're going to make sure that Americans mobilize in unprecedented numbers. That could mean taking to the streets in numbers we haven't seen before. I hope it doesn't come to that. We can hope for the best. But we have to plan for the worst.
BROWN: Our CNN poll also shows less than half of Americans prefer to cast their ballots person on election day while one-third went to vote by mail.
Under mounting pressure, Trump's postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, said organization changes that would slow down mail in some places will now be delayed until after the election.
[18:50:01] This comes as the cash-strapped postal service warns some states their election laws won't allow it to meet the deadline to return ballots.
Overall, nine states and Washington, D.C., will have the election primarily by mail voting. Thirty-four other states will allow voters to vote by mail this year without an excuse. But each state has different requirements about when the ballot must be postmarked by and when it must arrive to be counted. For some states, it will be a dramatic change.
DAVID BECKLER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & FOUNDER, CENTER FOR ELECTION INNOVATION AND RESEARCH: For states with a history of mail-in ballots, they're going to be able to process these ballots very quickly and we'll have results fairly quickly. But in states that are not used to counting a lot of mail-in ballots, states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin perhaps, it may take some time to process all those votes properly.
BROWN: Trump campaign officials argue the system isn't equipped to handle the influx of mail-in ballots, and that it shouldn't be expanded, telling CNN, quote, a last-minute shift to mail-in voting greatly increases the threat that fraudulent or otherwise ineligible ballots will be cast.
TRUMP: This is a thing that will be a disaster like never before.
BROWN: Which is why former First Lady Michelle Obama urged voters to --
MICHELLE OBAMA, FORMER FIRST LADY: Grab our comfortable shoes, put on our mask, pack a brown bag dinner and maybe breakfast too, because we've got to be willing to stand in line all night if we have to.
BROWN: Republicans and Democrats are already battling in the courts over issues like how long after the election day mail-in ballots can be received and still be counted, depending on how close the results are, the election could be decided by the high court like it was in Bush v. Gore in 2000.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we're this closely divided, it's always a possibility.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Pamela Brown reporting for us.
We're just hours away now from the start of the third night of the Democratic Convention where Senator Kamala Harris will make history as she becomes the first woman of color to be nominated by a major party for vice president.
Let's discuss with 2016 Democratic vice presidential candidate, Senator Tim Kaine.
Senator, thanks so much for joining us. You know a thing or two about giving a speech, accepting the
nomination for vice president of the United States. I wonder what kind of advice you would have for Senator Harris as she gets read to make history tonight.
SEN. TIM KAINE (D-VA): Well, you know, Wolf, you were talking about it earlier. She is going to make history. That was not the case with my candidacy. I wasn't breaking a glass ceiling. But Kamala Harris is.
And this is the centennial of women getting the right to vote. And we still haven't had a women president or vice president. I did everything I could to change that in 2016. But maybe the destiny was that we would crack that ceiling in 2020.
So, I think the key is she's got to introduce herself to the American public and what they're going to see is an amazing public service career, but also an amazing personal story, African-American woman, Indian-American woman, child of immigrants who understands the dreams of immigrants and a fierce senator who will speak truth to power and maybe more importantly, demand truth of power. I think that's what they're going to see tonight when they hear Kamala speak.
BLITZER: You ran in 2016 for vice president. Things are obviously much different now. What do you wish you knew then about how to effectively run against President Trump?
KAINE: Well, look, the biggest joy of 2016 was also the biggest pain in 2016. The biggest joy was doing everything I could to help the first woman be president, just as I had played a role early in helping the first African-American be president, working with Barack Obama in 2008. That was the biggest joy.
The biggest pain was seeing the tremendous misogyny and double standards applied against women candidates. And then when you have a woman of color, it gets even more intense. You have a president saying she's not a U.S. citizen or he wonders whether she is and calling her a nasty woman or an angry woman.
So, look, she has to face off against deep misogyny or subtle double standards that have held women back, and she also has to face-off against the president who's not afraid to use racist lies to trash her. She's a tough person, though. She knows what she's getting into. She's seen this guy operate.
Unlike many, Kamala never had any doubt about who this president was. Some thought when he got elected, he would show a different side. I knew he wouldn't and Kamala came in that first day in 2017. She's had no illusions about him.
I think she'll be a very, very effective counterpoint both in promoting Joe Biden as a man of character and compassion and decency and confidence, but also in terms of just making a great counterpoint to the anti-immigrant and racist tropes that he thrives (ph) in.
BLITZER: And I know she's going to be debating Mike Pence, the vice president of the United States. You had that opportunity. Next time you come back, I'm going to get some tips from you, you'll tell our viewer what kind of tips you're going to give Senator Harris on how to debate Mike Pence, the vice president of United States.
[18:55:06]
KAINE: Wolf --
BLITZER: Senator Kaine, thanks so much for joining us.
KAINE: Wolf -- I may give her those tips privately, but I'm glad to talk to you again.
BLITZER: If you give it to her privately, that -- we'll try to squeeze it out of you. Thanks so much as usual for joining us.
This important programming note for our viewers. Join me tonight, 8:00 p.m. Eastern, an hour from tonight, CNN's special coverage of the Democratic national convention. We're going to have much more of our special breaking news. That's next.
