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Biden Camp Digs In, President Seething Amid New Calls For Him To Step Aside; Harris Doesn't Address Questions About Biden Candidacy On Donor Call; Security Boosted For Trump's First Rally After Assassination Attempt; Evan Gershkovich Sentenced To 16 Years In Russian Prison; Dems Face Options, Uncertainty If Biden Were To End Campaign; Global Tech Outage Disrupts Airlines, Banks, Hospitals, 911 Services. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired July 19, 2024 - 18:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:00:37]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Happening now, breaking news. Team Biden digs in amid rapidly escalating calls for the president to drop out of the 2024 race. We've learned one new Democratic defection in particular has left President Biden seething.

Also tonight, Vice President Harris in the spotlight, as she makes public appearances and privately talks with panicked Democratic donors, avoiding questions about the president's candidacy.

And Donald Trump soon heads back to the campaign trail after wrapping up his convention with security a major concern following the attempt on his life.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in The Situation Room.

The breaking news keeps coming as President Biden faces more defections by congressional Democrats. What began as a slow drip of lawmakers urging him to quit the presidential race has turned into a steady stream.

CNN Senior White House Correspondent M.J. Lee is working the story for us. M.J., give us the latest.

M.J. LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the public pressure on President Biden to drop out of the 2024 campaign appears to be growing by the hour. As of right now, we know of more than 30 congressional Democrats who have publicly come out and said that the president needs to drop out. And our colleague, John King, reports tonight that according to two House Democrats, the fresh round of statements that we saw coming out today have had a lot to do with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who believes it is so important that the president really understand how serious the concerns are inside of her caucus.

And according to John's reporting, the president is said to be seething at the former House speaker. Of course, you know that CNN previously reported that Pelosi, recently in a private conversation, also told the president that she believes that polling shows that he simply cannot win in November.

But, Wolf, despite all of this, the Biden campaign remains defiant, and has said today over and over again that the president is not going anywhere. The president himself, who has been isolating in Rehoboth after he was diagnosed with COVID, said in a statement of his own that he is looking forward to getting back on the campaign trail.

And the president's chairman, excuse me, Jen O'Malley Dillon coming out, saying today that she believes that voters continue to be with the president. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEN O'MALLEY DILLON, BIDEN-HARRIS CAMPAIGN CHAIR: We're door knocking just this week. So this isn't in the past. This is this week, did about 100,000 door knocks. 76 percent of those people we knocked on doors and we talked to are with Joe Biden. We have about 16 percent or so that's undecided. They have questions, you know, is he in this race? What's going to happen? And then a small percentage that are not available to us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEE: And we also learned that in a call with her campaign staff today, O'Malley Dillon said, when you give me polls, I'm going to give you direct voter contact, really emphasizing right now that even more than polls, they're going to be listening to what the voters are telling them.

Also, Vice President Kamala Harris hopped on a call with top donors, and she has said to have not addressed the questions that are swirling about President Biden and his future. But instead, she said, we are going to win this election. Wolf?

BLITZER: M.J. Lee reporting for us. M.J., thank you very much.

Turning to the Trump campaign right now, the former president is hoping to carry momentum from his convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to another key battleground state, Michigan.

CNN's Kristen Holmes is in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where the Trump campaign and the former president's new running mate, J.D. Vance, will hold a rally there tomorrow. Kristen, what more are you learning about Trump's return to the campaign trail?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, we're hearing that it's going to be severely escalated in terms of security. Now, what we are learning is that the Secret Service has really ramped up the protection that they have going into this rally, particularly given the fact that we saw what we saw last week in Butler, Pennsylvania, the assassination attempt, but also because we're going to see the former president and we're going to see now his vice presidential nominee, J.D. Vance. They are doing a whole revamp of what Trump's security looks like as a whole, as well as going into these rallies. And that means extra road closures, extra agents from the Secret Service, as well as local officers on the ground here.

[18:05:04]

They say that this is going to be an entirely new security apparatus around former President Donald Trump as he heads into this portion of the campaign cycle.

Now, the other thing we are hearing, just in terms of travel and getting around, and this is more of a fun fact than security, is that J.D. Vance will be showing up in his private plane that he was just given yesterday as for being the vice presidential nominee. It is a Boeing 737, has Trump-Vance on the side of it, and it'll be one of the first times he's actually going to a campaign event in this plane, really just marking the beginning of this campaign with the two of them.

BLITZER: Yes, this campaign is really getting going right now. With the convention now behind them, Kristen, how are Trump and his team addressing the turmoil in the Biden campaign?

HOLMES: Well, a lot of it, Wolf, is just sitting back and waiting to see what's happening. Obviously, they are watching this very closely. When it comes to how this is actually impacting the campaign, they're in a bit of a holding pattern. Yes, there are outside Republican groups who have conducted polling with Kamala Harris, among other Democratic names. But when it comes to the campaign itself, You have to remember that they have spent millions of dollars in modeling and data to form a campaign to run against President Joe Biden and no one else. And they're not going to pour any sort of money or resources into reframing that entire campaign until they understand what is actually happening with this ticket.

Now, you have seen on one hand an increase in insults and attacks Vice President Kamala Harris, but other than that, in terms of actually spending money, in terms of actually shifting a strategy, again, they are in wait and see mode so that they can determine what they need to do for next steps to run an effective campaign against whether it be President Joe Biden or someone else.

BLITZER: Kristen Holmes reporting for us, thank you very much, Kristen.

Now, I want to get some more on all of this. Our political team is back with us and, Jeff Zeleny, let me get your thoughts. The president has campaigned. They're defiant in insisting. He's going to be remaining the Democratic presidential nominee in this race, but more and more Democrats, congressional Democrats, ten today alone, are coming out saying he should drop out. Where does that leave the Democratic Party right now?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: In a state of paralysis really where it's been for much of the last 22 days, but it's a deeper sense, I think. I mean, there's been movement this week in terms of a selected number of members of Congress, as M.J. was saying there, giving different messages for why they believe the president should step aside. Everyone is respectful. Everyone is saying that the choice should be his, but the tone has changed in these letters pretty significantly, from Zoe Lofgren, for example, Seth Moulton, for example, using very personal reasons and arguments.

So, I think overall the party is at one month from its convention period. We've just obviously got back from Milwaukee, the Republican Convention. Democrats are going into their convention completely divided over the idea of who should be the standard bearer, which is something that I think none of us would have anticipated while back.

So, also today, the convention rules committee, it sounds arcane but important because they decide the timing of the nominating votes. So, they had their first meeting. They'll have another meeting on Sunday. The voting will not start until August 1st, but it has to be done before August 7th. So, that is the window here. And speaking to a Democratic governor just yesterday who relayed this conversation, he said time is running short and I think that is clear.

However, it's President Biden's decision. The frustration is clear. The campaign is trying to go forward. But one thing the campaign is really not breaking through is talking about the guy who was nominated last night. That's Donald Trump.

BLITZER: Yes, we're going to be speaking to Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren this hour. We'll get her thoughts on what's going on.

Kate Bedingfield, I'm anxious to get your thoughts right now. These lawmakers, these Democratic lawmakers, are saying they will support President Biden if he is eventually the nominee and he's running. But given the very deep concerns right now that are being expressed publicly, the deep divisions within the Democratic Party about his candidacy, how tenable is that really if he's the nominee?

KATE BEDINGFIELD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, look I think if he's the nominee, yes, I believe these Democratic members of Congress are going to support him. They all want to see Donald Trump defeated. I mean, I think that's one important thing to remember about all of the anxiety and the emotion around all of this. This is born out of a desire to defeat Donald Trump and an effort to put forward the candidate that Democrats believe can beat Donald Trump. So, I think, you know, if Joe Biden is the nominee, I imagine that these Democrats are going to come home and support him.

You know, I think that one of the things that the Biden campaign has been arguing, kind of their theory of the case here, is that the contrast between Trump and Biden, once we get this conversation back to a discussion of Trump versus Biden, you know, that ultimately that's going to bring home not just these members of Congress, obviously, but voters who find Trump to be untenable.

[18:10:07]

And I think what we saw from Trump last night at the convention kind of helped underscore that case. I mean, we heard that he was going to be a unifier, that he was going to be the new Trump, and instead we got you know, a rambling 90-minute grievance parade that we know is off-putting to the swing voters who are going to decide this election.

So, for the Biden campaign, what they want to do is bring this back to a conversation of Biden versus Trump. And what all of this churn and concern about him being the nominee is doing is having the effect of not narrowing in that choice. And that's part of why they're struggling right now.

BLITZER: Ashley Etienne, I know you've worked for both President Biden and for the former speaker, Nancy Pelosi. What's your reaction to President Biden reportedly seething as he hears these calls for him to drop out and the role, presumably, that Nancy Pelosi may be playing behind the scenes?

ASHLEY ETIENNE, FORMER SENIOR ADVISER TO PRESIDENT BIDEN: Well, I can tell you a couple of things. One is Nancy Pelosi always plays five dimensional chess. So, it's never an easy explanation in terms of what she's doing.

But I think Kate makes an excellent point that it's the question now is how does the Biden campaign get on better footing. I think there was a mistake again about Speaker Pelosi. She's an institutionalist. She loves the House. I think it was a mistake for the president to send a letter and not go up to the House.

I think he still got an opportunity next week. Next week is going to be an important week. You can imagine they're anticipating more defections. Reporters are going to be pressuring these members. Do you support? Do you not support? I think the president needs to go up there. And if not him, it needs to be the vice president.

They need to go up there, bring that Detroit energy, you know, and make the case directly to the caucus. Listen, I'm in it. You raised the question. I answered your question. There shouldn't be any more doubt whether or not I'm prepared. We've got to center and focus our attention now, our ire on Donald Trump. Only he can deliver that message and he can't do it a via letter. And I think what Pelosi is trying to really do to some degree is pressure him to rise to the occasion.

BLITZER: That's good advice from you, Ashley. Thanks very much. Brad Todd is with us as well. The Trump campaign, Brad, is not exactly hiding that they would prefer to run against President Biden. If he were to step aside, how much would that shake up the entire 2024 race?

BRAD TODD, GOP MEDIA CONSULTANT AND STRATEGIST: Well, I think, first off, if he steps aside, it's most likely Kamala Harris. And she's going to own every bit of the policy that got this administration to a 38 percent approval rating. And if it's not Kamala Harris, the next most likely nominee is still Joe Biden. That's what we have to accept. And so, I think you're going to see, this is a challenger campaign. And a challenger campaign in a wrong track year is going to run on do you want to keep doing what they're doing. BLITZER: Jeff, you have some new reporting, important new reporting about a donor call that Vice President Kamala Harris joined in on today and these ongoing concerns about President Biden's candidacy. What are you learning?

ZELENY: Yes, this was not a fundraising call. This was a call with donors to sort of alleviate concerns, we're told. And that is one of the big also worries. There's several issues and worries and fears, but money is a big part.

The Biden campaign has built a very robust organization. We've talked a lot about the offices that they've opened and the ads that they've been running, so it takes a lot of money. Donors are quite frankly either angry worried, freaked out, et cetera.

So, she was on a phone call, I'm told, with some high tech donors and things, trying to ease their concern, but also specifically, as Kate was talking about, trying to turn the conversation back to Donald Trump. But she also said, excuse me, let me look at my notes here, someone who was on the call sent this to us, and it, and it talked specifically about the speech last night. And it said, throughout their convention, they've been trying to act like they were trying to bring the country together. But here's the thing, if you claim to stand for unity, you need to do more than use that word.

And then she goes on to say, the vice president goes on to say, let me be clear, Trump's convention this week was one big attempt to distract people. But she left people with the idea and she said, I feel strongly you should all take this with you when you leave. Tell your friends we will win this election, we're going to win.

One thing she didn't address, I'm told, was sort of the state of the president's decision-making. She is likely not any more redded (ph) on that, you know, than what he said publicly. He's in this campaign, so she is doing her day job, and that's to be the loyal vice president.

BLITZER: You know, it's interesting, Kate, the vice president Harris, she went out today and went to an ice cream shop here in Washington, D.C. We've been showing video of that throughout the day. This seems to be some of Biden's playbook, if you will, he likes to have a little ice cream himself. What do you make of that?

BEDINGFIELD: Well, look, I, Vice President Harris has been both a critical governing partner for President Biden in the White House, but also a really active presence on the campaign trail. I mean, she's been carrying forth one of the most significant lines of attack that Democrats have this election cycle on Donald Trump and the Republicans, which is their attack on reproductive health and on women's freedom and their right to make their own healthcare decisions with their doctors.

[18:15:06]

And Vice President Harris has been really the standard bearer in carrying that message forward. So, I don't see that, I don't see her doing this event today as anything different. Now there may be a little more media coverage on what she's been doing of late because of this story. But I think if you look at her campaign appearances, she has been out consistently as a huge factor in this campaign and she'll continue to be.

BLITZER: It's interesting, you know, Ashley, because the vice president is actually in some of these more recent polls in some of the key battleground states, polling better than President Biden is right now. And he said this week, this is what Biden said, she would be a great president. So, why do you think he's so reluctant to step off the stage right now and give it to her?

ETIENNE: I think he thinks that he's equipped to do this job and he's prepared to do this job. That's why he's not stepping off the stage. And I think, as he said, I take him at his word that he's best positioned to beat Donald Trump. And to some degree, that is absolutely true.

To your point, the vice president is doing well with that broad coalition that Biden built in 2020 to win. But many of her numbers aren't tested. You can look at Joe Biden's numbers. And if he's at 43, you can trust that that's 43, because her numbers have not suffered under the weight of millions of dollars of Republican attacks. They've just now started to attack her.

So, to some degree, I think the president is absolutely right. She and any other alternative is untested.

BLITZER: All right. Guys, everybody stand by. There's much more we have to discuss a little bit later.

Just ahead, more of the day's big headlines surrounding the 2024 presidential race, including a one-on-one conversation with one of the newest Democrats calling on President Biden to end his campaign.

Stay with us. You're in The Situation Room.

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[18:20:56]

BLITZER: We're back with the breaking news on the rapidly increasing number of Democratic lawmakers now urging President Biden to exit the 2024 race. Joining us now, one of the latest House members to go public with her concerns, Representative Zoe Lofgren of California. Congresswoman, thanks so much for joining us.

Two House Democrats tell CNN they attribute your statement urging President Biden to step aside to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's belief that if he were to do so, that he should do so. Did you consult or coordinate with her on your statement?

REP. ZOE LOFGREN (D-CA): I did not. I gave a heads up after I made a decision to A leadership, but I did not coordinate and did not ask permission. I reached this conclusion with really an agonizing decision. Based on what I'm seeing in the data, which is bad and unfortunately moving in the wrong direction. As I said, in my letter to President Biden, the trajectory is on to defeat.

Now, Democrats are united. Here's how we're united. We want to defeat Donald Trump. And, you know, he is unfit to be president. He's corrupt. He incited a riot to overturn the Constitution and the election, he posted on Truth Social -- these are his exact words that he intends to terminate parts of the Constitution if he's elected president. He is a threat to the rule of law and the Constitution. He must be defeated.

And I'm very concerned that the data does not show a path to victory with President Biden, much as I respect him and what he has accomplished as president.

BLITZER: A source, Congresswoman, with direct knowledge of President Biden is telling us he is, quote, seething at Nancy Pelosi for these statements asking him to drop out. What's your reaction to that?

LOFGREN: Well, I don't know if it's true. And if so, I'm sorry for that. This is not anything personal about the president. In fact, I praised him in the letter I sent to him. Really, it's about one thing. It's about not him and not me. It's about the American people and our future and the need to defeat Donald Trump. That's all it is.

BLITZER: President Biden says he intends to resume his campaigning next week. What do you think it says about the president that he's ignoring these warnings that he will lose to Donald Trump and take other Democrats down with him?

LOFGREN: Well, we'll see. Obviously, I don't know what is in his mind and what private conversations he's having. And in the end, it's going to be his decision. He has the delegates. And unless he steps aside, he will be the nominee. And I told him if that is the case, I'll do the best I can to support him and try and get him elected. Unfortunately, I think that effort may be unsuccessful, but I will do my best.

He's a patriot. He spent his whole life serving America. So, I'm sure that this is weighing on him heavily. I know that he wants America to prosper, and I know he does not want Donald Trump to win.

BLITZER: We have some breaking news coming into The Situation Room, Congresswoman. The Ohio Democratic senator, Sherrod Brown, has just called for President Biden to step aside in a new statement, and I'm quoting now from his statement, quote, I agree with many Ohioans who have reached out to me at this critical time, our full attention must return to these important issues. I think the president should end his campaign.

Senator Brown, as you know, is one of the most vulnerable Democratic senators this cycle. What's your reaction to his statement?

LOFGREN: Well, I just learned of it, but I will say that the data we're seeing around the United States, not just in vulnerable places but in places that had previously been assumed to be blue wall places is not looking good and it's moving in the wrong direction and poses a very big challenge to the defeat of Donald Trump if we don't change the trajectory.

[18:25:22]

That's the concern that everybody is expressing and why we're doing it, much as it is not an enjoyable thing to do, let me tell you.

BLITZER: Do you expect more U.S. Senators and members of Congress to do the same thing, follow what you're doing?

LOFGREN: My guess is yes. I mean, I haven't, you know, urged anybody or asked people to do that. People are reaching their own conclusions. So, I would not be surprised, but I don't know that for a fact.

BLITZER: The chair of the Biden re-election campaign gave a rare interview today, Congresswoman. I want to play a bit of what she said about the state of the race. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DILLON: We've definitely seen some slippage in support, but it has been a small movement. And you know this. The reason is because so much of this race is hardened already. The American people know that the president is older. They see that. They knew that before the debate. Yes, of course, we have a lot of work to do to make sure that we are reassuring the American people that, yes, he's old, but he can do the job and he can win.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: How do you respond to what she said?

LOFGREN: Well, that's not supported by the data I've seen. You know, I wish you were right, but I don't think she is.

BLITZER: Do you really think, Congresswoman, the American people will re-elect a convicted felon to the White House?

LOFGREN: I would hope not. And it's not just the fact that he's a convicted felon. It's that he has publicly stated he intends to terminate parts of the Constitution, that he celebrates the convicted felons who attacked the police when they tried to overturn the election on January 6th. He is completely unsuitable to be president, and yet we do see in the data that the Biden presidency re-election effort is slipping and regrettably to the benefit of the convicted felon, Mr. Trump.

BLITZER: Your Democratic colleague, Congressman Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, recounts a very troubling interaction he says Biden in a new op-ed that he just published. And he says this, quote, recently, I saw him in a small group at Normandy for the 80th anniversary of D- Day. For the first time, he didn't seem to recognize me. If that's true, Congresswoman, does that call into question President Biden's ability to serve as president right now?

LOFGREN: Well, I did not have that experience. I didn't go to Normandy. I think President Biden has done some amazingly wonderful things as president. He's been solid. Being solid as president and being an effective candidate are two separate things. And there's no -- I mean, he hasn't just one achievement after another as president.

BLITZER: Representative Zoe Lofgren, thanks so much for joining us.

LOFGREN: Thank you.

BLITZER: And this just coming into The Situation Room, Donald Trump says he just got off the phone with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. We have details on the call. That's next.

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[18:33:03]

BLITZER: There's more breaking news right now, Donald Trump posting just a little while ago that he had what he's describing as a very good phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Let's bring back our political experts and, Brad Todd, I'll start with you. Trump claims he can quickly end this war between Russia and Ukraine if he were to become president again. What does the timing of this phone call suggest to you?

BRAD TODD: I think it's an indication that Zelenskyy doesn't think that Joe Biden is going to be the president and Joe Biden has been his leading patron here in the United States. And so he's preparing for a new reality.

BLITZER: Do you think Zelenskyy is preparing for the possibility that Trump could be re-elected as president, is that what you're saying?

BRAD TODD: Absolutely. I think that he's seeing that and he knows that the selection of J.D. Vance has been a big skeptic of the Biden administration's support for Ukraine. I suspect that Zelenskyy knows that he has a pretty big challenge in front of him, and the challenge of keeping the United States' support will be a very different one in the Trump administration, so he's covering his bets.

BLITZER: How do you see it, Jeff?

ZELENY: I think there's no question about that. I mean, this was a phone call that President Zelenskyy initiated, and one of the really defining divisions at the Republican Convention this week, Wolf, that you and I just got back from, is foreign policy. It wasn't talked about that much, but in private conversations. There were many Republicans I spoke to in the Mitch McConnell wing of the party, if you will, who are worried about the selection of J.D. Vance and worried about what input and impact he may have on Donald Trump should they win.

J.D. Vance has made very clear he's an isolationist. He opposed Ukraine funding. And President Zelenskyy would have to be worried about that. So, Senate Republicans, colleagues of Senator Vance's, spoke pretty openly about their concern about that. So, I think that's exactly what's happening with that. And I'm just reading the statement here that the former president sent out about that, not one mention of Vladimir Putin.

[18:35:02]

He promises to bring peace to the world and end the war, but not one mention of Vladimir Putin in the statement. So, how do you do that without some involvement with Vladimir Putin?

BLITZER: In that statement, Kate, Trump says flatly, if he were elected president again, he would end this war right away.

BEDINGFIELD: Right. Well, what does that mean? I mean, does that mean giving Putin the gains that he's made in Ukraine? Does that mean saying to him, you can take the territory that you've taken by force? And what does that say to the rest of the world? I mean, Donald Trump is somebody who has said that he would allow Russia to do whatever it wants to our NATO allies if they haven't paid up.

So, I mean, he's been very clear that he doesn't view a strong defense of NATO as integral to the way he views foreign policy. So, making a broad statement that, you know, sounds great on its face, I would end the war, well, terrific. What does that mean? Does that mean capitulating to Vladimir Putin and saying that, you know, it's not worth standing up for the security and safety of Europe and the free world? I think a lot of Americans would disagree with that statement. So, the devil's in the detail.

BLITZER: He's no fan, as you know, Trump, of all the money that the U.S. taxpayers are providing to help Ukraine beat the Russians.

ETIENNE: Yes, I mean, this --

BRAD TODD: But, you know --

ETIENNE: Oh, excuse me.

BLITZER: Brad, hold on one second. I want Ashley to answer that first.

ETIENNE: Yes, I don't know that I have a better answer than Brad. But I will say this, though. This brings to mind what Mitt Romney has said. The problem within the Republican Party is there's a growing faction that does not believe in the Constitution and that now is pro- Putin. Donald Trump obviously represents and is leading that faction within the Republican Party and it's starting to metastasize. And to Kate's point, we should all be concerned in this country but around the world.

BLITZER: All right. Let me let Brad react. Go ahead, Brad.

BRAD TODD: No. The Republican Party is as anti-Russia as ever before. All the sanctions bills in the last four years were supported almost unanimously by Republicans. The disagreements over how Biden has conducted the war in Ukraine and whether he spent too much on Ukrainian domestic policies and not enough on giving them the lethal weapons they need to win the war, this is a lot more complicated than you're making it.

I don't have any doubt that the Republican Party is going to continue to be a pretty big, fierce block to Russian ambition. That doesn't mean we shouldn't be able to have conversations about whether our NATO allies ought to be doing more.

BLITZER: You know, Jeff Zeleny, as you know, Trump had teased that his Republican National Convention acceptance speech that we all heard last night would unite all Americans. But he returned to so many of the same divisive themes, including immigration, for example, that we've seen and heard from him in the past. Let me play a little clip. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have to stop the invasion into our country that's killing hundreds of thousands of people a year.

They're coming from prisons, they're coming from jails, they're coming from mental institutions and insane asylums.

They're taking their criminals and they're putting them into our country. They're sending their murderers.

We become a dumping ground.

The Republican platform promises to launch the largest deportation operation in the history of our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: What do you make of that?

ZELENY: That is Donald Trump. I mean, that's the rally version of Donald Trump, but that is what he says at virtually every rally. And, you know, most people aren't paying that much attention to the rallies. But last night in primetime when, you know, there were a few more eyeballs on the speech, he started out with a couple calls for unity, but it was mainly just a harrowing recitation of his attempted assassination from last Saturday, which gripped the room, but then quite quickly pivoted to his normal on.

So, I think one thing we learned this week, the selection of J.D. Vance makes clear he is trying to double down on his MAGA movement and brand and find someone who reinforces that view. Of course, on the margins, they will try and win some people who are concerned about the economy or inflation or immigration. But this is not a campaign that is trying to knock on every suburban house and try and convert someone who voted for Joe Biden. That's not what Donald Trump's campaign is about. That was clear last night.

Let me go back to Brad. Brad, was last night a missed opportunity for Trump to be a uniter?

BRAD TODD: You know, I think he didn't quite do what he set out to do in broadening his appeal last night. I think you saw a little bit of that humanizing recount of the Saturday story, which I think probably was what he intended to do. By the time he got toward the end of the speech, it was mostly back to his sort of the greatest hits from the rally. I'm not sure that was the plan going in.

But I do want to correct one thing. The Biden immigration record is wildly unpopular in the suburbs, in cities, in the rural areas and small towns, everywhere. It is a big part of why Joe Biden has a 38 percent approval rating is because all enforcement at the border has pretty much come to a complete stop and we're using Border Patrol agency as effectively cruise directors.

[18:40:06]

And, you know, I think that it's going to be a mistake to say that Donald Trump is in the wrong place on immigration. He's where the vast majority of the country is on increasing border enforcement. It's a big part of part of why Joe Biden is about to be forced out of this race.

BLITZER: All right, everybody stand by. Thanks to all of you for joining us. We'll be right back with more news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Wall Street Journal Reporter Evan Gershkovich has been sentenced to 16 years in a Russian prison on espionage charges.

CNN's Fred Pleitgen has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A glimpse inside the courtroom shows American Journalist Evan Gershkovich looking on from a glass cage, as a judge reads his sentence, 16 years in a Russian maximum security penal colony on espionage charges.

[18:45:07]

Arrested over a year ago in the city of Yekaterinburg while reporting for "The Wall Street Journal", the American was accused of spying for the CIA, charges that thirty-two-year-old denies.

Friday's verdict, slammed by his employer as a, quote, disgrace, full sham conviction.

The short, secretive three-week trial garnered widespread condemnation in the West. President Joe Biden saying, quote, journalism is not a crime.

Gershkovich, seen here at the start of his trial last month, smiling occasionally, hands on hips with a shaved head. The first but not the last American journalist detained in Russia since the Cold War.

Alsu Kurmasheva, a dual Russian the American citizen, employed by Radio Free Europe, arrested more than a year ago while visiting family.

Also convicted on espionage charges, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, serving 16-year prison sentence, all Americans the U.S. is determined to bring home.

ANTONY BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE: When it comes to Evan, when it comes to Paul Whelan and Russia, other Americans, we're working at quite literally every day, looking to see what we can do to get them home.

PLEITGEN: The Kremlin accused by many U.S. and Western officials for allegedly using Americans as bargaining chips for potential prisoner swaps. But Russia insists that Gershkovich charges are not political with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov saying, there is, quote, irrefutable evidence in the case. No evidence has been offered publicly, however.

Gershkovich has the right to appeal the ruling, but moving forward, his best hope just might be a prisoner swap between Russia and the U.S.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Our thanks to Fred for that report.

Coming up, a look at what we know and don't know about what would happen if President Biden were to leave the 2024 race?

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[18:51:11]

BLITZER: Tonight, as the clamor for President Biden to end his candidacy grows louder, more questions are being raised about what would happen if -- if he actually were to step aside.

CNN's Brian Todd is digging in on that.

Brian, this would put the Democrats in unchartered territory.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Certainly would, Wolf. Experts say there would be potential uncertainty. The process could get messy and nasty, but there is a path for putting someone else at the top of the Democratic ticket if President Biden drops out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD (voice-over): Tonight, the president's team digging in, vowing to stay in the race despite dozens of Democratic lawmakers and party leaders suggesting otherwise. But if Joe Biden, in the days or weeks ahead, were to decide to quit the race before the Democratic convention in late August. The process for replacing him is uncertain and somewhat messy. PROF. LARRY SABATO, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: The

primaries are over, the caucuses are over, you can't redo the primaries or caucuses. You can't elect new delegates.

BRIAN TODD: If Biden steps decide before the convention, it could turn the convention itself into a free-for-all, where at least make it full of intrigue. Names of replacements could be put forward and the roughly 3,900 Democratic delegates from across the country could decide who to vote for as the nominee.

SABATO: Oh, it's up to the delegates. In the end, it's up to them.

BRIAN TODD: President Biden won almost all of those 3,900 delegates in the primaries. But does he have control over who they support if he's out of the race?

ZOLAN KANNO-YOUNGS, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, THE NEW YORK TIMES: It's not like Joe Biden can say, okay, I'm stepping down. All of you delegates that signed on for me half to now support this other candidate, but that's not how it works. Those delegates would essentially be free to move and the way they want.

BRIAN TODD: Like the days of old backroom deals and lobbying could prevail at the convention as potential nominees tried to convince the delegates to get behind them.

In the end, how many of the 3,900 delegates would a candidate? You have to win at the convention to get the nomination?

ELAINE KAMARCK, MEMBER, DNC RULES AND BYLAWS COMMITTEE: Ultimately, they would have to convince somewhat somewhere in the neighborhood of 2000 plus Democratic delegates to vote for them on a roll call vote.

BRIAN TODD: There are also additional so-called superdelegates. About 700 of them comprised of party insiders and elected officials who could all so be allowed to join in the voting. It would all mean a late start for any candidate, including in the money race. If Vice President Kamala Harris won the nomination, she would presumably be able to use Biden's campaign war chest because her name is on all the filings. But any other candidate may have to raise their own money.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD (on camera): Experts say, if in the unlikely event that President Biden leaves the race after the Democratic National Convention, the Democratic National Committee would convene and select the Democratic nominee for president on its own -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Could get very complicated. Brian Todd, thank you very much.

Coming up, a software glitch or wreaked havoc here in the United States and around the world today. We'll have the latest.

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[18:58:27] BLITZER: Tonight, disruptions impacting businesses around the world after a massive tech outage,

CNN's Jason Carroll has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was the blue screen that had customers from critical industries worldwide seeing red.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm still upset right now. There are eight people in my party, eight people, $456 a ticket, and they're giving me $100 back. That is it. And we're screwed. This man is getting married.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Anxiety. When I walked in, I got straight anxiety, and all these people, because I was on online, I couldn't find my flight, and I was like, did I do something wrong?

CARROLL: Anger at airports in the U.S., Canada, Asia, and Europe as major carriers struggled to deal with the fallout of what had happened.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's been really wild. It's crazy. It's crowded. People cursing, yelling.

CARROLL: Confusion at banks as some financial systems were impacted overseas, disruptions at United Kingdom's national health system and others around the world as well as broadcast networks.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And a major global I.T. outage is impacting many of the worlds largest companies, including us here at Sky News.

CARROLL: All due to that massive global technical outage linked to CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity provider. The company's CEO apologized for the incident saying it was not a cyber attack. Instead, he says a defect in a software update CrowdStrike was doing crashed Microsoft Windows, causing the outage. He also says a fix has been deployed.

GEORGE KURTZ, CROWDSTRIKE PRESIDENT AND CEO: We've been on -- with our customers all night and working with them many of the customers are rebooting the system and it's coming up. And it'll be operational because of -- you know, we fixed it on our end.

CARROLL: The Department of Homeland Security is working with CrowdStrike and Microsoft to fully assess and address system outages.

Meanwhile, 911 services taking a hit in jurisdictions across the country, impacting states such as Alaska and Arizona.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Our thanks to Jason Carroll for that report.

I'm Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM.

"ERIN BURNET OUTFRONT" starts right now.