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Tonight, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) Headlines Third Night Of RNC; Sources Say, Trump Watching Effort To Oust Biden Closely; CEO Of Unidos Announces Biden Has COVID. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired July 17, 2024 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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ANNOUNCER: In the 2024 battleground of Wisconsin, Donald Trump's choice for vice president is about to introduce himself to the nation. Senator J.D. Vance, taking his place on the convention stage as heir to Trump's MAGA movement.
SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: We have got to re- elect Donald J. Trump to the White House.
ANNOUNCER: Tonight, in Milwaukee, the Trump Vance ticket puts forward its vision for America. One of the most consequential and tradition shattering presidential races ever shifting into a new gear with these high profile speakers in the spotlight, Donald Trump Jr., Governor Doug Burgum and J.D. Vance accepting his nomination.
Night three of the Republican National Convention begins on CNN right now.
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WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: A live view of the convention center here in Milwaukee, where the Trump campaign is calling this the V.P.'s night. We're standing by for this evening's program to get underway, a potentially pivotal moment for the future of the Republican Party. We are high above the convention hall right now for this special edition of The Situation Room.
I'm Wolf Blitzer along with Erin Burnett. Erin, we expect Donald Trump to the arena tonight to see how his running mate performs in his new role on the national stage.
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: And, Wolf, there is so much riding on J.D. Vance tonight when the first term senator from Ohio addresses the party faithful and the American people really for the first time for many people, 39 years old, he won't turn 40 until the beginning of August, populist, former Trump critic, super critic, now being tested as a new generation torchbearer for the Trump agenda and as the top advocate and supporter for the man at the top of the ticket. And, Wolf, Senator Vance has a lot to accomplish. Big picture, obviously, there's foreign policy and all of those crucial questions. But the speech, Wolf, we anticipate will be very personal.
BLITZER: Yes, indeed, Erin. When J.D. Vance steps on the convention stage tonight, he's expected to focus heavily on his own life story, growing up in a working class family that struggled with addiction. He'll be introduced by his wife, Usha, a trial law lawyer and daughter of Indian immigrants.
As all of this is unfolding here in Milwaukee, there are still major new developments ongoing for the Biden campaign, Congressman and U.S. Senate Candidate Adam Schiff becoming the most prominent Democrat to publicly call on the president, President Biden, to drop out of the race. We're also learning that the president lashed out a very tense weekend call with moderate House Democrats after he was bluntly told that voters are concerned about his vigor and his strength. We're awaiting remarks by President Biden also at the same time at a separate event in Las Vegas.
Meantime here in Milwaukee, the spotlight is clearly on J.D. Vance tonight. Kaitlan Collins is on the convention floor for us. Kaitlan, what's the thinking in Trump world right now heading into Senator Vance's big speech tonight.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, they're obviously looking ahead to this speech, Wolf, because Senator J.D. Vance, for a lot of people, is not a household name. He's not this well-known political figure. He hasn't been in the Senate for very long. He just entered politics when he ran for that Senate seat in Ohio. So, they're hoping that he can use this stage in front of me tonight to really make the case and to tell people who he is.
A little bit how you saw people describing Donald Trump last night, that's what they want is for Senator Vance and for his wife, who is going to introduce him briefly before he does get up on stage, to kind of just let the nation know who it is that Donald Trump has picked to be his running mate.
Now, they're also hoping, obviously, that will be someone in November who helps him with delegations like the ones standing right here to my right, Pennsylvania delegation, we've got Wisconsin, Michigan, all of these delegations that they are hoping someone like J.D. Vance with his upbringing is going to be helpful to the ticket come November.
And, Wolf, I should note though, as this is going on here in Milwaukee. I am told by sources that former President Donald Trump is closely monitoring what is happening in Washington. And that is this effort that very much still has steam.
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It is gathering steam with what you heard from Adam Schiff today, calling for President Biden to drop out of the race. I'm told that in between preparing his speech for tomorrow night, Donald Trump has been focused on this. He's been asking allies if they think that they are going to be successful in pushing President Biden off the ticket. Obviously, Wolf, it's a concern of the uncertainty of who it is that he is going to be facing come November. So, that is something just that Donald Trump is watching closely as he's got the focus of the world here on the Republican convention or at least his party. He's also watching what's going on in the other party and questions about what that's going to ultimately look like, Wolf.
BLITZER: Very important developments indeed. Kaitlan, thanks very much. Don't go too far away.
Phil Mattingly is also down on the convention floor for us. Phil, what do we know about Senator Vance's preparations for his national debut?
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF DOMESTIC CORRESPONDENT: You know, Wolf, I'm here right next to where the Ohio delegation is going to sit. You can look. They've actually been taping up the names of the most critical political players in the state of Ohio. The family of Governor Mike DeWine, Lieutenant Governor John Husted, Jane Timken's name is up there as well, Bernie Moreno, who is their top Senate candidate at this point in time.
And it's interesting because I've been talking to more than two dozen Ohio Republicans both here at the convention on the floor, but also back in the home state, asking them what they think about this selection. What do they know about J.D. Vance? The support, it is very widespread. The compliments, they are many, but the anecdotes, the personal kind of stories about relationships, they're somewhat lacking, and there's a reason for that. J.D. Vance, just 18 months into his first Senate term, has had a jetpack -- jet-fueled propelled rise to the top of the height of American politics, but he did not come up through the Ohio political system.
Obviously, you know about his memoir, you know about his upbringing and what that has meant and his roles leading up to this point, but his connections to kind of the Ohio Republican political machine are very few. Now, some say, that's an advantage. He doesn't have a career politician record or a career politician kind of series of quotes and things that could be used against him. Democrats may disagree with that, of course, but it has also left a lot of questions and raised the stakes for the speech tonight. And when you talk to Republicans, they believe that he will deliver and deliver in good stead, but they recognize the pressure is very high. The stakes are absolutely enormous. And in his short political career, he's never faced any moment like this.
BLITZER: All right. Phil, standby. We're going to get back to you soon, but there's some breaking news emerging right now. I want to go to see and that's Kayla Tausche. She's on the scene for us. Kayla, the president of the United States was about to speak, but something has gone on. We've just gotten new information. Tell us about that.
KAYLA TAUSCHE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, President Biden has just tested positive for COVID, that according to the president of Unidos, the leader of the organization that was set to host President Biden here in Las Vegas this afternoon amid a flurry of outreach that the president was doing to black voters and Hispanic voters as he trying to shore up support from critical constituencies. The Unidos president noting that Biden has done many more public events. He's been with crowds. He was just at a local restaurant earlier this afternoon filming an interview with a local Latino media outlet. And it was shortly after that that word began spreading here in the ballroom that the president would not be attending this event to deliver his remarks that, at this point, have now been delayed considerably throughout the afternoon.
There was an audible gasp in the ballroom when that news was delivered. But as the leader of Unidos explained that President Biden planned to address the group at some point in the future and said that they will continue to support the president in his policies and his efforts, there was some applause that broke out among the crowd.
Remember, the second gentleman tested positive for COVID a little bit more than a week ago, so there has been some exposure in the White House from some people who have tested positive, but it's unclear exactly where President Biden picked this up.
We know that he tested positive for COVID last in July 2022. He was treated with a course of Paxlovid at that time. And he experienced a rebound positive test just a few days after beginning of that course of Paxlovid.
But we're still awaiting more information from the White House on exactly how the president is feeling, where he had this test conducted amid a time where there have been many questions for the White House about the president's health in particular and at a time where he has been trying to prove to the public that he has the strength and vigor to continue campaigning and for a second term. Wolf?
BLITZER: Kayla, stand by for a moment. I want to play the clip, the organizer of this event in Las Vegas, announcing that the president of the United States, President Biden, has tested positive for COVID. Let's listen to this.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's unable (ph) to join us this afternoon. The president has been at many events, as we all know, and He just tested positive for COVID.
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So, of course, we understand that he needs to take precautions --
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BLITZER: All right, so there you have it, the organizer announcing that the president of the United States has tested positive for COVID.
Ana Navarro is on the phone with us. Ana, I take it you're there in Las Vegas. You heard it. What was the reaction of the crowd when this announcement was made?
ANA NAVARRO, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, yes, I am here. I'm backstage. I was supposed to be saying hello to the president briefly. And, look, this is a very supportive crowd. There is about 2,000 people in the audience. They flooded the ballroom when the doors opened at 11:00 A.M. So, people have been waiting for over three hours. There was a lot of excitement to hear him. He's been here in Las Vegas since yesterday when he did a speech at the NAACP.
He had a packed schedule today, Wolf. He was doing events at a Mexican restaurant. He was doing media interviews with Latino media at a Mexican restaurant here in the city. And we were sitting here waiting for him and wondering what was delaying him. And then the news came to Janet Murguia, who is the head of Unidos that he was not coming, that he had tested positive for COVID. President Biden called her. I was next to her. President Biden called her told her how sorry he is not to be here, how disappointed he is, how much this organization means to him. Janet and Unidos, of course, is very disappointed. This is going to be a great event for the president. There was a lot of people who really wanted to show him here that they have his back.
And listen, I'll say this. My co-host, Whoopi Goldberg, was out last week with five days because of COVID. It's going around again and this should be a reminder for all of us that COVID is not gone. That there's new strains and that it's coming around again. So, the decision was made for him not to come and not to put anybody at risk.
BLITZER: Ana, did they say anything about the symptoms that he may have had that resulted in an actual COVID test being administered?
NAVARRO: Yes. Apparently, he wasn't. He started not feeling well. Apparently, he started feeling under the weather. And it must have been today, Wolf, because like I said, yesterday, he was at the NAACP that is also having its annual convention here.
And just to put things in context, I would tell you, Unidos is like the Latin version, the Latino version of the NAACP. It's the largest Latino advocacy organization in the country. It's been having annual conventions since 1978. And so the thought was the president was doing the NAACP convention yesterday where he got a rousing applause, a rousing reception. He gave what was a very strong speech He had other events. And then today he had a packed schedule starting in the morning, and about an hour ago, an hour-and-a-half ago, we heard backstage that there was something delaying him that he wasn't feeling well. And then they came back and said he's just tested positive for COVID. People traveling with the president called Janet Murguia and then the president himself called Janet Murguia and told her how sorry he is not to be able to join Unidos.
BLITZER: Ana, there was a large audience getting ready to hear the president of the United States when it was announced that he has tested positive with COVID. What was the reaction inside the room?
NAVARRO: Oh, great disappointment. This is a Latino organization that has a lot of members and supporters that are very engaged in politics. Wolf, I've been at this convention with John McCain. I've heard George W. Bush address this convention. This is a convention -- Barack Obama addressed this convention. This is a convention that has got a lot of respect, a lot of supporters, and it is not unusual for candidates, presidential candidates, Senate candidates, to come and address this convention, to earn their support, to win their vote. And this is like an organization and an audience with which the president has a lot of goodwill.
And I know that Janet Murguia had a great introduction ready for him, touting his accomplishments with the Latino community. I know that we're getting ready to make some announcements. I know that the president was looking forward to coming and talking about what he has done for the Latino community and what he expects to do the next four years.
So, I think there's been great disappointment by the audience that's been waiting, by the president who couldn't come and join us, and by the organizers who, you know, just had to pull the plug on his speech, even though there is also gratitude that he was coming here in the first place, that he was giving this organization and, by proxy, the Latino community, the time to come and speak to us at this time.
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BLITZER: And we were, of course, planning on listening and taking his remarks live here in The Situation Room until this announcement that the president has been tested positive with COVID.
I want to go back -- Ana Navarro, thank you very much. I want to go back to CNN's Kayla Tausche. She's on the scene for us as well. Kayla, I take it the White House has issued a statement explaining what is going on.
TAUSCHE: The White House has just issued a statement confirming the president's diagnosis and saying that his symptoms are mild and he will be returning to Delaware where he will self-isolate and follow CDC guidance as far as his activities from there, but he will be carrying out the duties of the presidency remotely from Delaware, according to Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary.
The statement also includes a section from the president's doctor that says that he began experiencing some symptoms this afternoon, including upper respiratory symptoms, a runny nose, and a non- productive cough. The doctor goes on to say that he felt okay for the first event of the day, but when he was not feeling better, they decided to administer a COVID test. He says that the president does not have a fever, that his blood oxygen level is 97 percent, and that President Biden has received his first dose of Paxlovid, of course, the treatment for COVID that the president last took in July, 2022 when he last had COVID.
But, of course, this is not the only time in recent weeks that the president has been feeling under the weather. He told the hosts of Morning Joe on MSNBC a few weeks ago that he received a COVID test around the time of the presidential debate in late June when he had a cold at that time because he was feeling so poorly, an attribute that he continues to point to to defend his performance on stage that has spurred this crisis of confidence across the Democratic Party.
So, the White House confirming the president's diagnosis, saying his symptoms are mild, he's returning to Delaware, and he is currently being treated with Paxlovid. Guys?
BLITZER: All right. Thanks very much, Kayla Tausche.
David Chalian is with us, our political director. This is the last thing that the president at this sensitive moment with all that's going on that the president needs right now.
DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes, he doesn't seem like he can catch a break right now. Listen, obviously he's doing what all the protocols called for. He's going to isolate. He's trying not to expose other people around him, though, you know, he travels with a lot of people around him. So, it's not even, you know, even moving from Las Vegas, Delaware. It's not like he's going to do it by himself. But they'll keep him isolated as best they can. And the symptoms are mild, thankfully, for the president, and that's great to hear, that his fever is normal, his pulse oximeter is normal.
But, again, as you know, too, Wolf, like, he can't catch a break right now. There is nothing going on in Joe Biden's world, including now, he's being sidelined by COVID at precisely the time that he keeps saying I'm going to be out there and I'm going to prove to the Democrats that I have the strength and vigor to do this.
And anybody can get COVID. I'm not complaining to you. It's just like the timing of this is not great for what he's trying to show his own party as they're questioning whether he should be (INAUDIBLE).
BLITZER: I assume everybody around him now is going to start wearing masks like in the old days of COVID, as all of us remember. Audie, give me your thoughts.
AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: I'm interested to see if we're going to hear about this from the stage tonight. We know people are capable of sort of, you know, scribbling out the top of their speeches and adding a little joke or quirk. And, certainly, there's always been this kind of running conversation with Republicans that said that Biden campaigned from a basement in 2020 during COVID and it feels like it's ripe for that kind of attack again.
And I also want to say his health is under scrutiny, period. I mean, he just said publicly, maybe an illness might be the kind of thing I'd think about. So, it's like he, as you said, can't catch a break, but the scrutiny is so intense, it's very hard to have the conversation.
BLITZER: Yes. This is a moment, Jeff, that people are going to be talking about right now, the president of the United States has COVID.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Right, and just looking at this statement a little closer from the White House that our Kayla Tausche there in Las Vegas was talking about, there's a note from the president's doctor, and this sort of stuck out at me. So, the President presented this afternoon with upper respiratory symptoms to include a runny nose, non-productive coughs, and with general malaise.
Now, we have been talking about the president. He's had a busy schedule. He had the Lester Holt interview. He flew to Las Vegas to do the E.T. (ph) interview, but the general malaise is something that, just at this moment, pops out. Not a doctor, you know but in a political context, it's kind of looked like that, actually. But he was at an event earlier this afternoon, just a couple hours ago, with voters there in Nevada.
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So, we do know this. He's going back to Rehoboth to his summer beach house, basically, in Delaware. This could also perhaps as well give him a little bit of breathing room, if you will, on the rising calls from within the Democratic Party to reconsider his bid for re- election. I don't think it will give him much time because there isn't a lot of time. But to David's point that he can't catch a break, I think that is certainly true here. But, again, he'll be self-isolating at home. Presumably, the phone still works. I don't know if any Democrats will keep calling on him or not. You'd think they'd give him a little bit of space.
BLITZER: I assume they will. Dr. Jonathan Reiner is our medical analyst, a surgeon over at George Washington University Medical School. He's joining us right now.
What jumped out at me at, Dr, Reiner, and I'm just overly concerned, he's 81 years old. How does someone who's that age, 81 years old, upper respiratory problems, as described by the White House physician, and other issues are running nose, how does that impact someone at that age?
DR. JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Well, I think, fortunately, Wolf, we're in a different place than we were back in 2020, before we had access to vaccines. Now, you know, the president has received probably at least five doses of vaccine, as a lot of us have, and has also had the virus once. And that has really -- all of those elements serve to increase his immunity. Plus, you know, we also have Paxlovid now, and we've already heard that he could take a dose of that.
BLITZER: Dr Reiner, we're seeing live pictures of the president boarding Air Force One right now. And what jumped out at me and I'm sure to others as well, I didn't see him wearing a mask as he was with those other people on the tarmac there. What does that say to you?
REINER: Well, I think anyone who has active COVID now should wear should wear a mask. You know, that's not controversial. That's just -- that's courteous. If you have COVID now you are contagious. So, you know, that's surprising that he wouldn't be wearing a mask with COVID at this time.
But as I was saying before, we're in a different place than we were four years ago. And I think the risk to the president is fairly low because of the elements that I mentioned prior vaccination, prior infection, and the ability to take Paxlovid.
So, you know, most likely this will run this course in a few days. Current recommendations are to isolate for about five days now, or until he tests negative or is asymptomatic. But he'll just have to carry on via remote access, which should not be much of a problem for him.
BLITZER: Dr. Reiner, I want you to stand by. Our Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is on the phone with us as well. Sanjay, give us your analysis, the president of the United States now diagnosed with COVID. And when we saw him walking up those stairs as he was about to get onto Air Force One to return to Rehoboth, Delaware, where he's going to be staying for the next several days, he was walking extremely slowly and carefully. What, if anything, does that say to you?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it sounds like there was cause for concern, as Dr. Reiner was just talking about, you know, and he had some upper respiratory symptoms, had a cough and what they described as general malaise, just generally not feeling well, tiredness. And that's understandably what prompted the testing.
It doesn't sound like he has a fever. It doesn't sound like he has a productive cough, so this is important. I think bodes well. And the Paxlovid, which he has taken before, is something that can certainly help with, with the symptoms that he has.
It's interesting, you know, the CDC guidelines, so many people have been following these guidelines along for years now, and they keep changing, but the general guideline is that people should isolate certainly for long enough that they are no longer at risk of spreading to others. And that is generally when they no longer have any symptoms. So, we'll sort of see how they handle that and how they're going to be continuing to do testing to make sure that he no longer tests positive as well.
But, to your point, Wolf, he was sick. I mean, COVID is still very real. It can make people sick. It can cause all sorts of different symptoms that hopefully he'll get treated and recover from.
BLITZER: I know, Sanjay, that there's been some controversy about Paxlovid, this drug that the president is now receiving, Paxlovid.
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At 81 years old, if you're diagnosed, if you have COVID, tested positive for COVID, should everyone start getting Paxlovid who comes down with COVID now?
GUPTA: Yes, that's a, that's a great question. I think the controversy that you may be referring to is the concern in some cases of rebound, meaning you sort of recover from the illness, you test negative for the illness, but then it comes back, and you may remember Dr. Fauci had that happen to him when he got sick. But I think it's a very effective drug. It's very effective antiviral.
So, for someone who's at highest risk, and the president would be considered higher risk because of his age, it can still be a very effective drug. And I think Dr. Fauci, again, a little bit, I think, right around the same age. He took it many people around the president's age would take Paxlovid if they got sick. It accelerates the recovery and decreases the chance of it becoming more severe.
BLITZER: But as I remember, Sanjay, there were some side effects from Paxlovid, right?
GUPTA: Yes. I think, you know, one of the big concerns was, again, this rebound. So, you sort of suppress the -- it's working as an antiviral, but people with -- and people might even test negative and feel better, but then the symptoms coming back, the person testing positive again. That was one of the real big concerns.
BLITZER: Yes, I remember all that. We thought it was history, but now apparently it's coming back.
All right, Sanjay. Dr Reiner, to both of you, please stand by. Much more coming up, the president of the United States now has COVID, the last thing he needs right now given all that's going on right now. He's on his way back to Rehoboth, Delaware, where he has a home and he will be in isolation there at least for a few days as the result of this. We'll stay on top of this story.
We're also here in Milwaukee at the Republican National Convention. We're waiting to hear from the new Republican vice presidential nominee, J.D. Vance. He's going to be delivering his major speech tonight, a lot going on. Our special coverage here in The Situation Room will continue right after this.
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BURNETT: Welcome back. It is the third night of the Republican national convention in Milwaukee about to get underway, as we are following breaking news on the Democratic side. Now, President Biden diagnosed with COVID at a moment, of course, of turmoil within his party.
Let's go to Kayla Tausche with more on the president's condition. So, Kayla, you are actually in Las Vegas where he was supposed to be speaking. He had been delayed and delayed and then it turns out they say the reason is because he had COVID. What more are you learning from the White House?
TAUSCHE: Well, Erin, he was supposed to appear here at this convention more than 90 minutes ago. And there was a very impatient crowd as the time went on before the news was delivered that he would not be appearing, President Biden going to the airport to board Air Force One. And when reporters saw him, he flashed a thumbs up and said, I feel good. He was not wearing a mask before he boarded the plane where he's headed to Delaware to self-isolate and where the White House says he will continue doing the duties of the presidency.
But in that White House statement where they acknowledge the diagnosis and disclose his symptoms, there's quite a bit more medical detail about the president's condition and the symptoms that his doctor assessed than in many of the other press releases that we've gotten regarding other ailments that the president has had. In this particular release, it details the president's temperature, which was below 98 degrees. His blood oxygen level, which the White House doctor says it was 97 percent. And it goes into detail about exactly what symptoms he was experiencing and the doctor's opinion on those symptoms compared to when President Biden last had COVID in July 2022, where the White House disclosed the diagnosis and said that he had been receiving a treatment with Paxlovid.
There is quite a bit more medical detail, and it should not be understated, Erin, that this comes at a time where the White House is under a tremendous amount of pressure to provide transparency about the president's health, his fitness and exactly what is going on with his health, especially after having to correct some information about visits by a neurologist to the White House around the time of his physical, and in the months preceding that. Erin?
BURNETT: All right, Kayla, thank you very much from Las Vegas, where the president was supposed to be speaking now.
Let's go over to Dana Bash, because I know, Dana, you've got some new details on the political situation that President Biden is facing in the context of this diagnosis. So, Dana, what are you learning?
DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: There's a scramble going on right now, both in Wilmington and at the White House, but right now, mostly in Wilmington, of course, where the president's campaign headquarters is because they're trying to figure out how to salvage as much of if they can do any of the schedule that the president had planned, if they could do any of it remotely, if he can do anything from his home in Rehoboth.
They obviously don't know the answer to that primarily because they're not going to know how he feels. But the hope inside the campaign headquarters is that they can at least salvage some communication between the president and voters, voters who he desperately needs to continue to connect with.
I cannot understate -- excuse me, underscore what David Chalian stated earlier enough, which is the feeling is, are you kidding me? This is the absolute last thing that they need. And that there is definitely a feeling that President Biden and the campaign around him just can't catch a break right now because this was the moment, especially as this as this convention comes to an end tomorrow.
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And the focus hasn't really been totally away from President Biden, but it's been away a little bit, but the focus is going to turn even more to President Biden and what is going on with him, that they needed him to be out, to be robust and to be campaigning. And that's not going to happen, especially given, Erin, the fact that the clamoring from House Democrats in particular, but also other elected officials, it's not going away.
And it is becoming even more intense as they get more and more polling and they are pressuring the campaign and the president's inner circle to really try to take seriously their concerns that it's not just about the president, but about their political viability in the House and the Senate, maybe even governor's mansions.
BURNETT: All right. Well, Dana, thank you very much, Dana Bash there.
And, of course, you know, Dana has been reporting everybody on phone calls that the president had with moderate Democrats and sort of basically telling Jason Crow to, you know, take a hike when he called him out. Can you just talk us through what's happening though, now within the, the Biden team, as he's heading to Rehoboth? I mean, isolating right now is not a good thing for him politically.
KATE BEDINGFIELD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. Look, well, I can tell you, as I was White House communications director when he got COVID in the summer of 2022. So, you know, I'm pretty familiar with how the team around him handles this, how he handles this. I can tell you in 2022, you know, he isolated, followed CDC protocols, but continued to work. I mean, he worked full days. He did everything that he needed to do by Zoom.
Now, obviously campaigning is a different beast, you know, if you want to be out talking to voters. It is harder to do that while you're isolating, no question. But, you know, my experience was that he did continue to work fully when he was ill you know. And this is also a situation that gets planned for, you know, prepared for. There's kind of a regular testing protocol of the president.
So, I think, you know, the White House saying that he has mild symptoms and, you know, being clear that there isn't a more serious threat to the president's health here indicates to me that I would expect he will -- they will do everything that they can do to keep him working, to keep people hearing from him.
I think politically, I mean, you know, some of the reporting out of these calls with moderate Democrats getting testy and obviously the polling today, which was tough for Biden. I think the problem that the Biden campaign has right now is that we are sort of back in where we were a few months ago in terms of people not really believing that Joe Biden is going to be the nominee. They need the contrast to be Biden versus Trump. And they need people to believe that Joe Biden is going to be the Democratic standard bearer. And so people who dislike Trump and maybe don't love Joe Biden, but are still not going to vote for Donald Trump, so they see Biden as the alternative.
And so all of this churn from members of Congress continuing to raise the prospect that he might not be the nominee is creating more doubt there, which is a problem for them.
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: And this couldn't happen at a worse time. So, today, there was this A.P. poll that found that almost two-thirds of Democrats would like to see Biden step aside.
Now, listen, this is probably the most boosted man on the planet. We wish him well. I'm sure that he's going to recover from this fine, but the juxtaposition, you just have to think of the terrible events of this past weekend, the former president raising his fist, being defiant, walking out to a hero's welcome at his convention, and this taking Joe Biden off the campaign trail.
Even I don't love the optics of not having himself isolated at the White House. I think that at least conveys I'm in control, I'm at the command post as the commander-in-chief, rather than being at his beach house. But it's the worst thing that could happen in a cycle that's been just quite bad for them.
JONAH GOLDBERG, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: To me, I take everyone's points. It's probably going to be fine. You know, he's all boosted, you know, and all that. He's well taken care of. It's sort of like imagine if he had a small fall and he was fine and he got back up. Just the image of it reinforces that feeling you have about this guy and his health. And I think just, optically, it's not great.
And also on the Adam Schiff thing coming out today, I keep thinking about that line from The Godfather, where Don Corleone says, it wasn't until today that I realized it was Barzini all along. I think it's been Pelosi all along. I think Pelosi is determined, because if she's coordinating with Schiff, it's the second time when the story seemed to be dying down, that it came back up from Democrats.
JAMAL SIMMONS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I will say I've been talking to some Democrats who are very closely involved in the Senate, and I think the concern here is that there are some states that are on the border, you know, the Arizona, the Montana seat, the Ohio seat. And there's some concern inside the Senate caucus about what's going to happen to those seats. And so the Schiff statement may be more related to that, I think, than it may be to Nancy Pelosi in some way.
[18:40:00]
But the reality is people vote for a president for judgment. And I think what we've been seeing over the course of the last week, particularly after the Saturday shooting, is that President Biden has extraordinary judgment, right? He's somebody who's been sort of --
BURNETT: Well, you can start with the fact that he had a runny nose and wasn't feeling well, and he actually tested for COVID.
SIMMONS: And he tested for COVID.
BURNETT: I don't think I'm going on a limb here to say I don't think Donald Trump would be rushing to get a COVID test and tell everybody what it was.
SIMMONS: Yes, and I got to say, maybe other people don't feel this way, but when he gave the speech and when I saw him sort of interacting, I felt a level of security that Joe Biden was the one that was managing this crisis after the attempted assassination. He was meeting with the security team. He was informing the public. He's on the phone with Donald Trump, who was the victim in this case. He's trying to make sure -- one of the victims in this case. You know, he's trying to make sure that everybody's up on this.
And to me, I think that's more like what being a president is like than standing on stage, having an argument.
SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: So, you know what, being president is also a 24/7 job. It's not an intermittent job. It's not a 10:00 to 4:00 P.M. job. It's not a napping throughout the day job. When I look at President Biden, with all due respect to the president, I see someone who's old and feeble. And then the American people saw Donald Trump, who was nearly assassinated, and stood up with his fist in the air, saying, fight, fight, fight, continue moving forward.
So, that dichotomy, that contrast is a clear one. And the American people are watching that now. Democrats are watching that, that's why many in the House, many in the Senate are saying we need to choose someone else.
Now if you guys choose to stick with your guy, I'm all for it, but I promise you, your odds of winning the White House, or keeping it rather, are diminishing day by day, and it's very evident to any single person.
SIMMONS: Let's not overplay that. Let's remember executive time. And Donald Trump didn't come to the office super early in the morning. He got in about midday.
KRISTEN SOLTIS ANDERSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Time is something that the Democratic Party doesn't have right now, because right now they are down in the polls. The election is coming. There's still a lot of time, I was just saying, look, the election's not over, but Democrats are running out of time. Because either you need to lock this up, it's Joe Biden, and he's our guy, and we're going down with the ship, or you need to change paths now.
And this, in some ways, doesn't this -- isn't this a time out? Isn't this, like let's all wait a couple more days? I feel like this is running more time off the clock that Democrats need to make a decision.
BEDINGFIELD: I absolutely agree. Democrats need to make a decision. I also think it's fair to say that Joe Biden has said many, many, many times that he will be the nominee, that he has no intention of stepping aside. So, as Democrats continue to raise these issues, they're doing, I mean, exactly what you're suggesting here. They're pulling focus away from Project 2025. They're pulling focus away from Trump. They're pulling focus away from the Republican convention where, you know, we're going to hear a lot of speakers who don't support positions that most Americans in this country support on things like reproductive freedom.
So, I broadly agree with your point here that time is running out for this back and forth and Democrats need to move forward move forward here because they are running out of time.
BURNETT: All right. All stay with us, because our special coverage is continuing ahead of a big night at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Vice Presidential Nominee J.D. Vance, the headline speaker tonight. And we'll be back after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:47:35]
BLITZER: You're watching CNN special coverage of the Republican National Convention. It's night three here. The state is now set for tonight's big speech, for Donald Trump's vice presidential pick, J.D. Vance.
Republicans hoping the Ohio senator can use his Midwest roots to smash through the blue wall President Biden rebuilt back in 2020 for Democrats.
Let's bring in CNN's Jeff Zeleny. He's working the story for us.
Jeff, as J.D. Vance gets ready for his big speech tonight, tell us more about his background at how we got to this moment.
ZELENY: Wolf, if Senator J.D. Vance were to be elected in November, he would be the third youngest vice president in American history. He's 39-years-old and 39 years younger than Donald Trump. He's getting ready today for his biggest debut yet.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZELENY (voice-over): He's the new heir to the MAGA movement.
Tonight, J.D. Vance takes center stage as Donald Trumps running mate, a young Ohio senator, chosen to reinforce the Trump brand and help carry it forward.
SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have got to reelect President Donald J. Trump to the White House, right?
ZELENY: The Republican convention and the campaign is still the Trump show. But Vance is now written into the script and settling into his new partnership with the former president.
His journey is a remarkable ark from ferocious Trump critic.
J.D. VANCE: I'm definitely not going to vote for Trump because I think that he's projecting very complex problems onto simple villains.
ZELENY: To ardent Trump loyalist.
J.D. VANCE: The president is right. I wasn't always nice, but the simple fact is, he's the best president of my lifetime. Any revealed that corruption in this country, like nobody else.
ZELENY: An economic populist at home and an isolationist abroad, whose views are at odds with some Republican orthodoxy of old, but he's squarely in the mold of Trump.
J.D. VANCE: It ain't the death of the America First agenda. ZELENY: The ascension of Vance has been astonishingly swift, elected to the Senate less than two years ago with the help of Trump's endorsement.
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT & 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: J.D. Vance is your guy. He will do a tremendous job when you cast your vote.
ZELENY: At 39, Vance is the first millennial on a major party's presidential ticket.
Born in 1984, three months before Ronald Reagan was elected to a second term. Vance served in the marines, graduated from Yale Law School, and rose to fame with the best-selling memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy", a book about his troubled upbringing on the edge of Appalachia.
J.D. VANCE: You can't do this without your family support and especially my beautiful wife, Usha.
[18:50:01]
Thank you so much.
ZELENY: Tonight, his wife, Usha Vance, will introduce him, giving the country a first look at her, too. They met at Yale Law School, married a decade ago and have three young children.
USHA VANCE, WIFE OF J.D. VANCE: I'm not raring to change anything about our lives right now but I really -- you know, I believe in J.D. and I really love him. And so, we'll just sort of see what happens with our life.
ZELENY: The daughter of Indian immigrants, she was raised near San Diego, a registered Democrat until 2014.
She clerked for Chief Justice John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh before he joined the Supreme Court.
Many Republican delegates here say they don't know much about him. But like what they see.
What do you think of J.D. Vance?
BARBARA CARLSON, MISSOURI DELEGATE: I'm really excited about him, I think it's a great choice. I think that's a younger -- younger look. I think it's somebody who can carry the torch. I think that he can carry this message.
When Donald Trump turns it over, J.D. Vance can take us the next eight years.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZELENY (on camera): And it is clear by our conversations with Republican delegates here, they aren't that familiar with him. Those two Missouri delegates there told me that they actually were not
familiar with his book at all. They said they look forward to potentially reading it, but, Wolf, just a short time ago, he was meeting with donors here and perhaps a sense of nervousness in his words as well.
He said this: I'm very excited about this evening. I don't want to screw it up -- Wolf.
BLITZER: He's got a very, very impressive background indeed, and we'll be hearing a lot more about that over the next few hours.
Jeff Zeleny, thank you very much.
Erin, back to you.
BURNETT: All right, Wolf.
And joining me now is Republican donor and business executive Dan Eberhart.
So, Dan, let me just ask you, as a donor. I mean, now, you've got this COVID news coming from the president, what have you seen over the past 72 hours for Trump? What's changed?
DAN EBERHART, REPUBLICAN DONOR: Well, look, I think we've got a lot of momentum. I think we've got a lot of momentum with the Vance pick and hearing the convention, there's just like some sobriety after the potential assassination attempt.
But the campaign has really got a lot of momentum and the -- this convention, this is, I think, my fifth convention, for its convention and there feels like there's a lot more unity here and there has been in the past.
BURNETT: So I want to ask you about something, that Tesla billionaire Elon Musk, right, after the assassination attempt on Saturday. He comes out with a formal -- you're learning okay. Don't keep going too much side to side.
So, he endorsed Trump, right?
EBERHART: Yeah.
BURNETT: And I know that he had been pushing Trump to pick Vance in the final hours, so he was in the Vance camp, the endorse Trump. I know that its money had opened up before that as you've talked -- talked about. Does -- does Elon Musk's support matter? I mean, are people jumping on board with money because of Musk?
EBERHART: No, look, I think -- I think the money -- in this case, Erin, I think the money is actually falling the voters, not the other way around. You know, look, there's a lot of momentum. I think people -- I think business people smell a winner, and that's why you're seeing a lot of the fence donors get off -- get off the fence in our direction and really in the past three weeks, you haven't seen any big mega donors, you know, fall off the fence and get on the Biden camp.
BURNETT: No, and you got Marc Andreessen. You've got Ben Horwitz, where you've got a lot of big names in recent days. That's for sure.
But obviously --
(CROSSTALK)
EBERHART: No, I was just going to say, I think you're going to see Paul Singer, Ken Griffin, others get, you know, get off the fence too onto our side very soon.
BURNETT: All right. So let me ask you about Ken Griffin because, you know, the Yale Chief --
EBERHART: Sure.
BURNETT: -- Executive Leadership Institute you know, led by Jeff Sonnenfeld, they said today for many business leaders to know Vance is not to love him. Many of Vance's economic policy stances amount to an American CEO's worst nightmare, a smorgasbord of populist promises, which will expand governments reach into the economy, undermine global confidence, and subvert free markets.
That comes from the CEO leadership group. "Washington Post" is, as you mentioned, they say Ken Griffin was part of the anti-Vance chorus.
So, what gives you the confidence that someone like Ken Griffin who has serious pockets and cares about politics going to jump in?
EBERHART: Because look, this is -- this is about Trump. This is 99 percent about Trump and 1 percent about J.D. Vance.
Sure. Tonight's J.D. Vance's night, but look, this election is really a referendum on Biden and a referendum on Trump, which economy do you want? Which future is going to be better for your family?
And I think that the momentum is clear.
Look, there's money momentum and messaging. Then I think right now, Trump has all three and I think that's going to lead it even more money coming off the sidelines for Donald Trump to help us get -- you know, get our message out and get people to the polls in November, Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Dan, thanks so much. Good to talk to you. I appreciate it.
EBERHART: Thank you.
BURNETT: Dan, joining us as the third night of the Republican National Convention is official kicking off right now. We're counting down to the main event tonight, which is the speech by the Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance, who will be introduced by his wife.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [18:58:59]
BURNETT: And this could be the biggest night yet of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, delegates waiting to hear first time from Donald Trump's new running mate, as a vice presidential nominee, Senator J.D. Vance. Vance will accept Republican vice presidential nomination tonight which positions him as Trump's successor as leader of the party and the MAGA movement.
Our live convention coverage continues with the special edition of OUTFRONT. Welcome to all watching. I'm Erin Burnett, along with Wolf Blitzer.
And, Wolf, the theme tonight, and they've been feeling (ph) each night, right, is national security. But in the context of that night, it is J.D. Vance's night, clearly, the most important speech to the first-term senator from Ohio is ever given, Wolf.
BLITZER: And, Erin, at only 39 years old, Senator Vance is nearly half Donald Trump's age, but he has a very compelling life story that he plans to share with convention-goers who are here in Milwaukee, as well as viewers in the U.S. and around the world.
We're told he will focus on his childhood marked by instability of family addiction and his rise to the near pinnacle of American politics.
Senator Vance is clearly the headline speaker tonight. He will be introduced by the way, by his wife, Usha, a trial lawyer, whom Vance describes as a key part of his success. Also appearing in primetime tonight, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, who was on Trump's V.P. short list as well.
