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President Biden Highlights The First Day Of The Democratic National Convention; Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) Is Interviewed About President Biden and Kamala Harris; Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) is Interviewed about President Biden and the Senate Races; Tonight: Biden Headlines DNC As He Passes Torch To Harris; Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Is Interviewed About Democrats Kick Off National Convention In Chicago. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired August 19, 2024 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:00]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: I have to say, I'm not sure what I like more of the fact that every delegation still has a phone, Jake, or the fact that they're all still landlines.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Berman, how good are Delaware seats?

BERMAN: Delaware is okay. I mean look, California's here. Delaware is right there behind it. So not front row but still pretty good.

TAPPER: Yeah, but also pretty symbolic.

BERMAN: I'll be back at 8:00 p.m. for more of CNN's coverage of the Democratic National Convention. Our coverage continues now with Wolf Blitzer and Erin Burnett right in "The Situation Room."

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: We are counting down to the start of what will be a truly historic Democratic National Convention. President Biden just moments ago arriving here at the United Center for a walkthrough, saying he's ready to pass the torch to his Vice President, Kamala Harris. It was just a month or so ago that Biden was supposed to headline his party's convention.

Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. This is a special edition of "The Situation Room." We're live from Chicago. I'm Wolf Blitzer.

ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Erin Burnett. You know, Wolf, while there is energy and excitement for the Democrats here in Chicago, the next few days are going to serve as a significant test for the Vice President Kamala Harris. Defining her candidacy, she has a candidacy that's four weeks and one day old. And tonight, the person tasked with helping her accomplish that is President Joe Biden.

Harris will be in the room watching as Biden is expected to use his primetime address to make the case that his Vice President is the best candidate. We're also going to hear from the First Lady Jill Biden, expecting to pay a tribute to her husband, calling on Americans to rally behind Harris. And also, among the headliners tonight, Wolf, the former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will also be speaking.

BLITZER: Lots of important speakers coming up, not just tonight, but throughout the week. We have lots of cover tonight. Jeff Zeleny and Kaitlan Collins are both with us. They're here in Chicago. And Jeff Zeleny, let me start with you. You have some new details, we're told, on what President Biden plans to address tonight in his convention speech. What are you hearing?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, if we do know that President Biden will be making a strong case for Vice President Kamala Harris, I'm told, and a forceful case against Donald Trump. I'm told they will not be an equal measure, however. This is not going to be a typical red meat speech that we have seen President Biden deliver at so many of his own rallies. This is going to be, I'm told, a forward-looking speech, a forward-looking moment.

But he is also building time into this convention speech. His aides and the convention planners have built time in for him to bask in the applause and the appreciation from these Democratic delegates here. Yes, he's giving the keynote address, but, Wolf, this was intended to be his convention. This was intended to be four nights of celebrating Joe Biden. Now that is reduced to one evening.

But, look, I'm told this is not going to be a speech about his legacy, but there is no doubt. His legacy is completely intertwined with what will happen over the next 77 days or so between now and election day. So, he's going to be making that argument for Vice President Harris, talking less about his record than about the future. But there is no doubt it's a complicated line to walk because Democrats, of course, are appreciative of that. They're also eager to get on to the general election at hand.

But we're also watching for Jill Biden. She's going to be giving an introduction for her husband, speaking in ways that only she can speak. And of course, this has been a very difficult road for her. She's been confiding with friends and advisors that she is not at all pleased by what happened a month ago. But I'm told none of the Bidens intend to dwell on that here tonight. They are looking forward.

Also, Wolf Secretary of State Hillary Clinton coming home to Chicago. She, of course, delivered an address right here in this very hall in 1996 for her husband's re-election. She, of course, was born just north of here in Park Ridge, Illinois. So she very much is a daughter of Illinois. She'll be coming here tonight to show her strong admiration also for Kamala Harris who she hopes believe will continue the emotion to be the first woman elected in November. Of course, she tried in 2016, and as she famously said, did not crack all those cracks in the glass ceiling, Wolf.

BLIZER: All right, thanks very much, Jeff Zeleny, on the floor for us. We'll get back to you. Joining us now, Kasie Hunt and Chris Wallace. And, Kasie, this is likely to be, as you know, the biggest audience for President Biden going up to the November election right now. It's going to be an important speech. What are you bracing for? What are you expecting? KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: It is going

to be an important speech, Wolf, and I think Jeff touched on this, but separating what clearly are some difficult feelings in the Biden family about how all this played out from what we're going to see on stage tonight and making it about Kamala Harris, because it is hard to miss the degree to which this convention has roared to life with Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket in a way that it just simply was not going to do were Joe Biden to be at the top of the ticket.

[17:04:58]

But I think there is also an acknowledgement that doing everything to help her is very important for how people will think about Joe Biden in the future, considering he could have decided not to run for reelection months ago, put them in this position over the summer, now we find ourselves here.

CHRIS WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: You know, Wolf, the word that everybody is using to describe tonight is bittersweet. It's just bitter. The fact of the matter -- I'm not saying Joe Biden is bitter, but, you know, it's like you've been thrown out a window and as you're falling, you go, gee, it's nice out here. No, he got thrown out of a window and basically, he was forced.

You know, there's going to be a lot of talk tonight about how generous it was of him to -- and selfless of him. He was basically forced out by Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama and Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries. And I suspect even the fact that there has been the surge of enthusiasm since he left and Kamala Harris took his place that's got to be pretty tough too. You've got thrown out of the window and everybody's applauding the person who's now in the room.

BLITZER: What do you think he needs to do to make the case for Kamala Harris tonight?

WALLACE: Well, I think the first thing he's got to do is say why he picked her and all of the things in her past. Remember, as popular as she is, she's still largely unknown to the American people, Wolf, and so I think he's got to make the case as to why he picked her, how she was a governing partner, and to try to set up the contrast, which he would have between him and Trump, to set up the contrast between Kamala and Trump.

HUNT: And I think one of the things, too, Wolf, is one of the behind- the-scenes dynamics that was driving Biden's decision-making was that he was concerned that Kamala Harris couldn't beat Donald Trump. And part of what I think he's gonna have to do tonight is help assuage those concerns or those doubts and try to answer for that, because the way in which he picked her also was not entirely free of feeling pressured to make sure he was meeting certain criteria because she had attacked him in a very personal way in the primary campaign.

He did set that aside. He did this. There are familial connections. He sees his son, Beau Biden, in her. They were the same generation. They both served as attorneys general. So there is that connection. But as Chris is noting, there is no small amount of bitterness here that I think will have to be addressed as well.

BLITZER: The other big speech, a huge speech tonight will be Hillary Clinton's speech. What do you think?

WALLACE: Well, I think just the fact of her presence here is kind of a cautionary tale because I think -- what people -- everybody's gonna think as a watcher is, if she had beaten trump in 2016, I'm talking about from the vantage point of Democrats who haven't liked the direction the country has taken since 2016 that, you know. if she had beaten him, everything would have been different.

There wouldn't have been three Trump appointees to the Supreme Court. The Dobbs decision wouldn't have overturned Roe v. Wade. So I think to a large degree, and I'm sure she will make this point, to a large degree, she's going to in effect say, you don't make the same mistake again. You got to get out there and you got to work and you got to be sure that you beat Donald Trump this time because look what happened when we didn't in 2016.

HUNT: It also has the effect, well, for putting the past in the rearview mirror on the first night of this convention, to have both Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden speak on this night and allow other stars in the party to help Kamala Harris look to the future.

BLITZER: We have a lot to assess coming up in the next several hours, so don't go too far away. We're going to get back to you soon. Kasie Hunt and Chris Wallace, they'll be with me here watching all of this unfold. I want to go to CNN's Kaitlan Collins right now. She's on the floor with Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin, who is one of the featured speakers tonight as well. Kaitlan?

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Yeah, Wolf, we are going to be seeing Congressman Raskin take the stage in just a few hours from now. But I do want to ask you about a letter that you sent to President Biden that you wrote to him last month, deeply personal. And in part of it, you said, quote, "There is no shame in taking a well-deserved bow to the overflowing appreciation of the crowd." Is that what you think we're going to see in this room tonight?

REP. JAMIE RASKIN (D-MD): Undoubtedly, there's such a huge reservoir of love for Joe Biden, not just here in Chicago at the convention, but all across the country. He's done extraordinary things for the country with the Inflation Reduction Act, with our infrastructure bill that has created bridges and roads and highways and construction projects all across America, and so there's great love for him.

And this most recent act of devotion to the public interest is a remarkable testament to his patriotism and his heroism as a citizen. It's not about him. It's about the people and it's about the future. And so he engaged in an extremely rare act in politics. Obviously, you don't see anything like that on the other side where it's all me, me politics. So I think this room is going to be filled with love and gratitude for Joe Biden.

[17:09:57] COLLINS: President Biden, when he was just out here a few seconds ago doing his walkthrough before his speech set, he was asked if he's ready to pass the torch to Harris, and he said, I am. What does that look like in a speech? Does it focus on what he did, what you just mentioned there, or does it focus on making the case for Harris going forward?

RASKIN: Yeah, I think it's about -- we've got a great thing going in America with democracy and freedom. And we don't want to endanger it with all of the corruption, the authoritarianism, the insurrection that we've seen out of Donald Trump.

And he's going to talk about his vice president and the work they've done together and her character and what she and Tim Walz are going to lead us to do in the 21st century. So to me, it's all about the future. It's the future versus the past. And we're not going back to all of the nonsense of Donald Trump. We're just not going back.

COLLINS: Well, and obviously you were on the January 6th Committee talking about democracy and what that looks like and seeing those threats to that in real time. It's not something we hear as much from Harris as we did in President Biden when he was still running. He made that a central part of his campaign. Do you think that's a good decision? What do you make of that?

RASKIN: Well, no, I think I've heard a lot from Kamala Harris about democracy, but what she does is she connects democracy and freedom. And this was a big theme with Abraham Lincoln, who of course launched the Republican Party in the city in convention in 1860, but he said that democracy is like the beautiful silver platter upon which rests the golden apple of freedom of liberty.

And so there's no freedom without democracy in today both our democracy or freedom have been besieged in under attack by Donald Trump and his party which is operating like a cult of personality and also around the world, but she is able to articulate in a very beautiful way the connection between democracy and freedom.

And obviously America's women don't need to be told that freedom in our country is under attack by the supreme court and by Donald Trump who's running around America bragging about the fact that he was the key factor in overturning Roe versus Wade by appointing justices to the court who are sworn to do that.

COLLINS: Congressman Raskin, thank you. Good luck in your speech tonight.

RASKIN: Thank you so much for having me.

COLLINS: Wolf, back to you.

BLITZER: All right, Kaitlan, thank you. We'll get back to you very soon as well. Our special coverage live from the Democratic National Convention here in Chicago continues in just a moment. We're gonna hear from Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut. What is he hoping to hear tonight? (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:15:00]

BURNETT: And welcome back to our special coverage of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Tonight, President Joe Biden will be taking the stage. Not the night he'd been planning, of course, for a month and a day ago, but now he will be passing the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris. And joining me now is the Democratic Senator Chris Murphy from the state of Connecticut.

And Senator Murphy, I appreciate your time. So we saw President Biden doing the walkthrough just a few moments ago, and we're going to be hearing from him in, obviously, what is not the speech he expected to give a month ago. What is the significance to you, Senator, of watching this moment of a man that you were prepared to back for president, that you did back for president, who now is speaking on the first night of the convention to pass the torch on?

SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): I mean, this is an extraordinary night. This is an extraordinary human being, a leader like this country hasn't seen in a very long time. I mean, listen, I hope he reminds people of the success of his first four years. Obviously, you're talking about some stunning achievements, crime dropping by 20, 30 percent, record job growth, factory, construction happening again.

I hope he takes the time to reflect on his entire career because this is someone through his service in the United States Senate as vice president, as president who has a pretty impressive story to tell. And then I do hope he talks about this moment, this moment to sort of restore America's faith in democracy and freedom, and Trump, or the fact that all of these successes that I think are incredibly impressive.

Kamala Harris has been right by his side. So he's got a lot to do in this speech tonight. I hope he gets personal. I mean, Joe Biden is his best when he's personal.

BURNETT: Yeah.

MURPHY: And explaining a little bit about why he made this choice and why he was so sure that Kamala Harris was the right next leader for the country. I think it'll be a really important thing for him to explain.

BURNETT: And you know, obviously this is gonna be a room full of incredible enthusiasm and excitement for what he says tonight for her. That's the whole point and they've got it on steroids. It is still important to note though that it's a close race and some of your vulnerable colleagues, John Tester of Montana, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Jackie Rosen of Nevada, they're not gonna be here.

You know, what do you think of that? I mean, we've all heard a lot about how close that race is for John Tester in Montana and that, you know, that one could very well be lost for the Democrats, we'll see, but are you surprised to see Sherrod Brown not here? MURPHY: Well, Democrats like John Tester and Sherrod Brown are not

gonna win their races because they're Democrats, they're gonna win their races because they're independent. I mean, you don't win as a Democrat in a place like Montana or Ohio without having differences with the Democratic Party, without being a true independent voice and both Sherrod and John are true independent voices.

So, you know, I think that, you know, Kamala Harris is doing something exceptional here. As the race has gone to her favor, it's not just because, yes, there are a handful of people who are switching from Donald Trump to Kamala Harris. It's more so that there's a whole bunch of people that weren't going to vote that are now saying they're going to vote, young people who are going to stay home who are now deciding that they're going to participate.

That's true in Connecticut, but that's also true in places like Ohio and Montana. So, I think Kamala Harris being added to the ticket is going to help Democrats whether you're running in a purple state or red state or a blue state.

BURNETT: Right. So to the other person speaking tonight that we get a lot of attention or among those speaking who will get that attention is Hillary Clinton. And eight years ago, right, she failed in her quest to become the first female president of the United States, even though many expected her to win, obviously even through that evening, her own team.

[17:20:16]

But even now, and this is what I wanted to ask you about Senator, there are some enthusiastic Democrats who happen to be women of color who are concerned. They still have anxiety that Harris is at the top of the ticket so close to the election and feel that the nation may not be ready for a woman as president. Here's what they've told our Jeff Zeleny.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGELICA BONDS, NORTH CAROLINA VOTER: I think it's a combination of feelings that I'm feeling. As a black woman, I'm excited. I mean, I think it's amazing to witness history happening firsthand. But I am shocked that, you know, it's happening this close to, you know, the actual election.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: And she continues to say she's excited, but there's still a nervousness that this may not happen. Are they right to worry in terms of this nation truly being ready to do this?

MURPHY: Well, I remember people expressing a similar sentiment in the summer of 2008. Was this country really ready for a black president? Indeed, we were. The margin was substantial because this country is very comfortable and indeed very proud of breaking with tradition, of making breakthroughs and giant leaps as a nation and as a society. And so, yes, I believe that we are ready to elect Kamala Harris. One of the differences between 2024 and 2016 is that today we know

exactly who Donald Trump was. In 2016, a lot of people came out and lodged a protest vote against the establishment because Donald Trump said he was going to come to Washington and tear it all down. He did the opposite. He came to Washington and his only legislative achievement was a giant tax cut for billionaires and corporations, his Mar-a-Lago buddies.

So this race is very different than 2016 because there's no mystery about who Donald Trump is and who he'll care about and work for as president. I think that accrues to Democrats and Kamala Harris's benefit in this race.

BURNETT: All right, Senator Murphy, I appreciate your time. Thank you very much.

MURPHY: Thank you.

BURNETT: And here with my panel, let's just start by talking about the one point that we talked about here, which was the Democratic senators who are choosing not to come because they're vulnerable. Interesting how Senator Murphy said, oh, well, that's because they're independent. You can't go -- you know, acknowledging the situation. Bakari, what do you make of that, though? It seemed -- I mean, we understand John Tester's in a very contested, risky race.

BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Sure.

BURNETT: But Jackie Rosen, Sherrod Brown, does any of that surprise you or give you applause?

SELLERS: Not at all. In fact, when you look at the map and David Chalian is probably more suited to talk about this than I do, when you look at the map in many of these contested races from Wisconsin to Arizona to Nevada to Pennsylvania, where we're kicking David's butt, and then North Carolina, even the gubernatorial race in North Carolina, these individuals are actually performing extremely well.

And when Kamala Harris and Tim Walz went to these respective states, many of these individuals, Bob Kasie, et cetera, came out and were rallying with her. Sherrod Brown is one of our better communicators. He's authentic to who he is, but I will also tell you this. There are a lot of people in this room that are American, Democratic, and then wherever they're from.

Sherrod Brown is Ohioan first. Ohioan. Ohioan first and foremost. And so I believe he and Tester are doing what's best for their race. And by doing what's best for their race is best for Democrats, which is best for the country.

BURNETT: All right. So let me give you a chance to respond then, David. So, best for best for their race certainly that's what they're think they're doing. They wouldn't be doing it otherwise, but what does that say about those races? What does that say about the broader race itself?

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Well Bakari is right and I'll let Mr. Urban respond to the --

BURNETT: Yeah, right.

CHALIAN: -- ad hominem of an attack.

(LAUGHTER)

CHALIAN: But Bakari is correct that these Democratic candidates running for Senate in these battleground states have been significant -- I mean, they were significantly outperforming what Joe Biden was doing in the state, but they're outperforming what Kamala Harris is doing in their states right now as well. It's been this, you know -- the map for Democrats for Senate control is extraordinarily difficult. They are not favored to maintain control in the Senate, but these numbers are pretty significant.

And listen, this is not new. We have seen -- when you have people coming from a state that the opposition party wins by 20 points in a presidential election, such as Montana, they're not showing up to the Democratic National Convention. There's no gain for them out of it politically. And yet there's no indication that somebody like Jon Tester, if he were to win again, is not gonna caucus with the Democrats. He is gonna caucus with the Democrats and he's gonna give them the numbers that they need in the chamber.

But this is, as Bakari was saying, this is about making sure you're putting together a race that fits your state or your district and not sort of one about the national party.

KATE BEDINGFIELD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah, and this certainly is not unique to Democrats. I mean, you look at Larry Hogan, who's running for Senate in Maryland, a very, very blue state who takes every opportunity to take a swing at the Trump campaign and sometimes the Trump campaign even swings back at him. So this is not -- I would not say this is a referendum on Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.

[17:24:58]

This is about running in a state that, you know, is farther to the other side of the political spectrum than you are and making sure you're being clear with your constituents about where you stand.

DAVID URBAN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Look, I'm not going to disagree with any of these folks because it is true. Each of these individuals is running their own --

BURNETT: Except for Bakari.

URBAN: We'll see at the end of the day, right? Dave McCormick is running a very tough race against Bob Casey --

BURNETT: Pennsylvania.

URBAN: -- in Pennsylvania. It's a very tough race. You know, it's probably getting -- it's getting closer as we get closer to Election Day. But in some of these races, you know, Jon Tester has a very, very uphill battle here, okay. He's as good a candidate as you're going to get. But he's pushing a big rock up a hill. Sherrod Brown, great candidate, tough state. Ohio is Pennsylvania without Philadelphia, right? So it's a tough state to win.

And these individuals are all battling. They were really down when Joe Biden was at the top of the ticket. It's narrowing a little bit more with Kamala Harris. She's a little more popular. If Trump has a big win, a lot of these candidates win by big margin. If Trump loses, candidates lose. So in Pennsylvania, Dave McCormick's gonna -- there's not much ticket splitting these days, right?

So, if Bob Casey loses, excuse me, if Kamala Harris loses in Pennsylvania, Bob Casey loses in Pennsylvania. Historical ticket splitting is gone by the way of the buggy whip these days and so, it really is a -- it's a race -- and each individual has to fight.

CHALIAN: Erin, just to make clear for the audience, just the math that we're talking about.

SELLERS: Oh, I was just about to do that, yes.

BURNETT: Yes.

CHALIAN: So, Joe Manchin not running again in West Virginia, that seat is already gonna go to the Republicans, right? So Democrats are now already down a seat. So they're at a 50-50 if you will, right?

BURNETT: The Bulldogs. Yes.

CHALIAN: So if Tester and Brown go down, you know, they need every single other incumbent to win their election, plus Kamala Harris, to win the presidency so that Tim Walz can cast the tie-breaking vote, given where we are right now. That's how tough the map is.

URBAN: You know, Sam Brown, good candidate. Republicans actually have very good candidates in this race. Unlike -- well, no, no, like, unlike last time, we had not as good candidates. Candidate quality matters. That's why these races are much closer.

BURNETT: All right, we hit pause for just a moment, and all stay with us. We're going to take a brief break. Our special coverage of the Democratic National Convention will continue in just a moment.

With what we do expect to hear tonight, the national co-chair of the Harris-Walz campaign, Mitch Landrieu, is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:31:35]

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN special live coverage of the Democratic National Convention. We're here in Chicago. And tonight, after months of turmoil, which started with President Biden's poor debate performance and calls for him to step aside, which he ultimately did, all eyes will be on the President as he makes his case for his successor, the Vice President Kamala Harris. Joining us now is Mitch Landrieu, the national co-chair of the Harris campaign. Mitch, thanks very much for joining us. So -- so what do you expect we will hear from President Biden, a man you know well, in making the case for Kamala Harris?

MITCH LANDRIEU, NATIONAL CO-CHAIR, HARRIS CAMPAIGN: I think you -- you'll hear a beautiful speech tonight about a man who sacrificed his entire life for the people of America. I think he's going to be thankful and grateful for the opportunity, and he's going to outline the incredible things that he and the Vice President were able to accomplish just in four years, in large measure, more than most people do in eight.

And then I think he's going to, in a very beautiful way, you know, bring in the next generation of leadership, which, of course, is one of the things he committed to do when he ran the first time.

BLITZER: And she's part of the next generation.

LANDRIEU: She is the next generation.

BLITZER: Yes.

LANDRIEU: But of course, also you remember this, because you -- you're a political guy, you know, the entire Democratic branch, I mean, is just really great right now. And Joe Biden helped make that happen. And I think he's going to speak to that, and also talk about the sacrifice that the American people need to make in order to preserve our democracy, because at the end of the day, that is the thing that matters the most across Republican, Democrat, Independent, saving on democracy.

Personally, how do you think the President is feeling about this transitional moment? I think there's a little bit of a conflict. But as you know, the person is a man of -- of great faith and great humility, notwithstanding the fact that all of us have some pride. But I -- I think that he is reconciled with himself, that he did the right thing for the right reason.

And as you know, you followed this for a long time, you've never seen a politician make this kind of gesture for somebody else, and put that selfish interest aside and put the country first.

BLITZER: Another big speech tonight, Hillary Clinton will be speaking tonight. What do you anticipate? What do you think we're going to hear from her?

LANDRIEU: Well, my sense is she's going to give a joyous speech. You know, she helped lay the -- the -- the framework for this as well. And my guess is she's going to talk about the incredible competence that Kamala Harris has and the fact that she knows what she's doing, and she's going to lead us in a really great direction. And I think she's going to -- I think she's coming after it tonight. It would be -- it -- it's going to be an interesting speech.

BLITZER: You work closely with Kamala Harris -- LANDRIEU: I did.

BLITZER: -- as much -- while she was been Vice President.

LANDRIEU: Yes.

BLITZER: What do you think we will learn, the general public, the American people, about her that we didn't know going into this?

LANDRIEU: Well, really, the first thing is, is that sometimes the public just sees us as -- as one dimensional people. They don't know that she was a little girl that grew up in a middle class household in -- in Oakland, or that she was the district attorney who went after bad guys, or an attorney general that essentially ran the largest law firm in -- in California and went after transnational gangs. They're going to learn more about her biography. And based on what the crowds are presenting to us, they like very much what they see.

BLITZER: One issue that has come up, and there are protests, you know, in the streets of Chicago, anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian protests that are emerging.

LANDRIEU: Sure.

BLITZER: How does that play into tonight?

LANDRIEU: Well, listen everybody -- everybody has very, very strong feelings about that. You know, you have followed this. Both the President and the Vice President have been working very, very hard to make sure that we have a ceasefire, and then we get the hostages homes -- home. Everybody has a right, of course, to express their opinion. We expect them to do that, you know, prayerfully and hopefully, if -- if it's nonviolent.

And so it's just part of the process. Every convention has it. It's something that comes with the territory. The First Amendment, as you know, is really important to us, and we support it. And -- and, you know, it'll -- so it'll be fine.

BLITZER: Let's just hope it stays peaceful.

LANDRIEU: Peaceful, that's the big point.

[17:35:00]

BLITZER: It's the key. Really --

LANDRIEU: That's the big point.

BLITZER: All right. Mitch Landrieu, thanks very much for coming in.

LANDRIEU: Great. Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Appreciate it very much.

Just ahead, the excited building as the Democratic National Convention is about to kick off. We're going to take -- take you back to the floor in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BURNETT: And welcome back to our special coverage of the Democratic National Convention, where President Joe Biden will pass the torch this evening to Vice President Kamala Harris. John Berman is here on the floor of the convention, where the excitement is building. More and more people getting. Got the music going now. People coming in. And I guess the reality, though, is where you are and you're looking around, not all seats are created equal, John?

BERMAN: No, not really, Erin. I'm standing in the Florida delegation, which is kind of empty right now. And of course, Florida is currently the home state of Donald J. Trump. It's where Mar-a-Lago is. And there are no seats further from the podium in this arena than Florida. Florida is absolutely the furthest away here. Is it a coincidence? I don't know, but California, the home state of Vice President Kamala Harris, is in the front.

[17:40:12]

I just want to give you a sense of how long it will take me to walk from the Florida delegation to the actual floor itself. So I'm walking, I'm walking. I've got to walk over here. I actually have to run if I'm going to make my hit. Over here is Louisiana. You just had Mitch Landrieu, the former mayor of New Orleans. You know, he's got better seats than the Florida delegation. Colorado, you're starting to get purple, a purple state, a little bit better seats.

As you get closer to the floor, we're in Arizona now. Arizona is a key swing state, so they definitely get better seats. And if you can see me, I'll jump up and down. I'm here. This is New York. New York is where we have the House Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries, the Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. They get better seats, for sure, than Florida. I'm not sure you can even see me that well. But then as you get closer and closer you get Illinois, that, of course, the host state.

J.B. Pritzker, the governor here, he's responsible for bringing the convention to this state. And then at the very front you have California, the home state of the Vice President. So kind of the whole geography, it tells its own story, Erin.

BURNETT: You know, it's I turn around. I'm watching as people are filing in here, watching them watch John Berman dance down the halls, I mean, you know.

BERMAN: Who's that crazy guy trying to get down to the floor from Florida? No one does that.

URBAN: That -- that shows you one thing, Florida is not in play. We know that right now from John Berman.

BURNETT: Well, there -- at least they don't think we've been hearing Bakari that it is in play, though.

SELLERS: Let me just -- I did not --

URBAN: You're in the -- you're in the -- you're in the eight hundred seats.

SELLERS: -- I did not do the floor design. I will tell you -- I will tell you, we're making up ground shout out to Nikki Fried, who is one of the best state party chairs out there, and we're doing well in South Florida. Florida is definitely in play.

URBAN: Come on. Come on. Bakari is going to have to take her down to the floor. He -- he's going to pass to get on the floor from Florida.

BURNETT: I mean, you might not even need a pass to get on the floor if you're sitting in Florida.

SELLERS: Florida is doing -- Florida is doing it. Shout out to the villages. I saw everybody doing all the -- I don't even --

BURNETT: I saw that --

SELLERS: Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Duval County, I love it.

URBAN: We're in New York guys. We're in New York.

CHALIAN: We don't -- we don't see any advertising dollars being spent in Florida right now. We don't -- we don't see candidate visits in Florida right now. That is not a state that is currently into play.

URBAN: And the seating assignment shows us definitively.

BURNETT: All right. Now, can we talk about the also the seating assignment, though interesting. You do see the swing states. He was showing, you know, Colorado, purple, Arizona. You got closer and closer. It is interesting, David, that the design of the floor does reflect what they, you know, proximity says something.

CHALIAN: Yes. I mean I'm looking at the sign right outside our booth here. It says New Mexico back here. You know, the Trump people are always trying to claim that, like they're going to be able to put New Mexico in play. Clearly, the Democrats do not believe that New Mexico is play.

BEDINGFIELD: I mean, everything is politics, right? And where would politics --

BURNETT: You've done it. So, yes, so how does this get laid out?

BEDINGFIELD: Life -- life is politics. And where would politics manifest itself more than literally on the floor of the --

URBAN: It's the most important. Listen --

BEDINGFIELD: -- of -- of the Democratic National Convention. So --

URBAN: -- listen, if you're coming here, it's important in where you sit. BEDINGFIELD: Yes, you know, yes. But, you know, is there some you got to take into account, I know John was talking about, you know, we got the host state up front.

BURNETT: Delaware still up front.

BEDINGFIELD: You know, it's Delaware is still up front. There's a lot -- there's a lot -- this -- I will say it's not as simple -- can -- wait. Can I just say it's not as simple as overlaying the map and saying, we're going to put the six battleground states up front. There are a lot of factors that go in. There a lot of people who've worked really hard for these candidates over the course of, you know, for President Biden and obviously now Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. There's a lot that goes into determining where people sit. But is it political? Yes, of course.

SELLERS: It's very political. I was just going to echo the point. But it doesn't necessarily mean that a state's not in play. But what I am saying is, you take -- you take the greatest state in the Union, for example --

BURNETT: I'm sorry.

SELLERS: -- while I breathe, I hope, South Carolina. They actually have prime seats that are right there, right in the middle, because South Carolina is what catapulted Joe Biden to the presidency.

BEDINGFIELD: Yes.

SELLERS: He loves South Carolina. He eats ice cream in Kiowa Island --

BEDINGFIELD: Yes.

SELLERS: -- often. And so South Carolina chooses presidents, and South Carolina is right there in the front. And James Taylor from North Carolina may sing "Carolina in My Mind."

CHALIAN: And this is not just a Democratic Convention phenomenon. If you remember just a few weeks ago, when we were all in Milwaukee, J.D. Vance of Ohio had to play to the Michigan crowd, even to the boos of Ohio fans. And he was like, but we got to win Michigan folks, so they were right up front. And so even though --

(CROSSTALK)

CHALIAN: Yes.

BURNETT: All right, so in the context, you know, you got this, and -- and it does matter, you got Joe Biden speaking tonight. I mean, just so people understand Kamala Harris going to speak. I mean, proximity does matter. That is why we're -- we're seeing what we're seeing. What do you think will be the highlight of tonight? Other than James Taylor, we heard him in person --

SELLERS: But first all this -- this choir --

BEDINGFIELD: They were amazing.

BURNETT: They were amazing.

SELLERS: Listen, I don't know -- I wish somebody can tell me who they are. Somebody tell us that they are in our ear because they were dope. I mean, they're going to blow the roof off singing the national anthem. It's -- it's -- it's beautiful.

[17:45:02]

BURNETT: That was beautiful.

SELLERS: But I -- I will say this, it is going to be an amazing night for two people, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden. And the reason is Hillary Clinton is because Hillary Clinton can do something for Kamala Harris that Kamala Harris cannot do for herself, which is lean into identity. Kamala Harris is not running a campaign that's built around identity politics. She doesn't mention often that she could be the first this or the first that. She doesn't mention that.

Hillary Clinton can lean into that. And there's still many people around the country that still have the I'm with her banners. The other is, listen, I -- I heard the word bitter way too many times, because this is not bitter for Joe Biden. In fact, Joe Biden is going to be extremely, this is a prideful night, because there's going to be so many thank you Joes in this place, they're going to be people crying. They're going to be babies yelling for Joe Biden.

He is going to get all of those applause, and he deserves every ounce of it. Joe Biden has the character, whether or not you're Democrat or Republican, that this country needs if you want to lead it, and it will be a clear contrast between the man who served this country admirably for 50 years, 60 years, and Donald Trump.

URBAN: But don't you think it's a bittersweet moment for the guy, right? So he -- he's so close, he got the nomination. He's the guy that actually, you know, he got the votes. He's the man. It's supposed to be his night. His name's on the, as David said, his name's on all over the platform. They couldn't change it. They couldn't change the seat assignment.

SELLERS: Let me -- let me -- let me tell you.

URBAN: So -- so don't you think -- don't you think it's some in his heart, in his heart of hearts, he -- he -- he's sad. His people are sad. He's, you know, he -- he should have been, you know, you -- you were saying he's not going, the guy's going through, he's running through the tape here at the end, and yet, here we are on Monday night, and he's talking, and he's giving his farewell speech, and he's kind of riding off in the sunset to someplace in California.

BEDINGFIELD: But he made, listen, he made a selfless decision. I think, is there a motion around it? Sure. And I think when you know you've done the right thing, though, the primary emotion is -- is pride. And I think he can feel -- I think he would feel --

URBAN: He had no other decision. He got pushed. There was no decision to make.

BEDINGFIELD: I disagree with that. Nobody, that -- that's not true. There are plenty of elected officials who've gone through tough political times who've said, you know what, I don't care. You know, damn if I lose or not, I don't care.

URBAN: Well, that's true. He can lose. He can lose. Right. He could've stayed and lose.

BEDINGFIELD: But he said, the moment is too serious, it's too significant. I'm not willing to jeopardize that. That is a selfless thing. That's something that he can be and should be very proud of. And I think we'll see that on display. I mean Bakari is absolutely right. He's going to get a hero's welcome.

SELLERS: Can I piggyback on Kate and just -- just tell you one thing why -- why we know Joe Biden and we also know Kamala Harris. And one of the reasons why this isn't bittersweet, which is why I wanted to chime in, is because he -- he adores Kamala Harris.

BEDINGFIELD: Absolutely.

SELLERS: He -- he has this affinity for Kamala Harris, like I said earlier this morning, because he sees a lot of Beau Biden in Kamala Harris. And for him --

BEDINGFIELD: Yes.

SELLERS: -- that gives him a sense of completeness.

BEDINGFIELD: Yes.

SELLERS: And tonight, his story will be complete.

BEDINGFIELD: Yes. All right.

BURNETT: Absolutely right. Well, thank you all. All staying with us, of course.

Coming up, Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota will join Wolf and myself. What is she hoping to hear tonight?

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[17:52:03]

BLITZER: We're back with more of our CNN special live coverage of the Democratic National Convention. We're reporting now from Chicago, joining us now from the convention hall, Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota. Senator, thanks so much for joining us.

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN): Well, thank you, Wolf. It's just great to be on.

BLITZER: It's a really exciting time.

KLOBUCHAR: Yes. Your Situation Room has gotten much larger.

BLITZER: Big situation room.

KLOBUCHAR: Big situation.

BLITZER: What I like to say whatever room I mean, there's a situation and there's a situation going on right now.

KLOBUCHAR: There you go.

BLITZER: Let's talk about this historic night. What is the message that President Biden needs to send to the American people tonight?

KLOBUCHAR: I think the first one will be about democracy and how democracy is on the line. Once again, no one can speak to it better than Joe Biden. He saved our democracy by running last time, by beating Donald Trump, by taking on the torch of voting rights. The other thing you're going to hear from him, in addition to going through everything that has happened the last few years and taking on the pharma companies, you're going to hear pretty big, strong endorsement for Kamala Harris, who has the receipts, and he's going to tell us that. And I think it's really two prong one is going to be the love for him, but the second is he's not just looking backwards, he's also looking to the future.

BLITZER: And she's been the Vice President for, what, three and a half, almost four years now, but a lot of the American public really don't know much about her. What do you hope they learn about her, not just tonight, but the course of this convention?

KLOBUCHAR: Well, I think the first thing, and, you know, you're going to hear from Hillary tonight, you think about what it's been like for women running for president. If it was so easy, we would be able to play the game name your favorite woman president. And I think you're going to see Kamala in the light of a leader. It isn't just going to be about breaking that glass ceiling by any means, important. It's going to be about what she's done.

She's been on the international stage. She captivated international leaders in Munich. I was there. I saw it. You are going to hear people learn about the domestic policies, what she's done, how they've taken on drug prices and the like. But most importantly, you're going to see someone who in -- if there's ever been a test, how about the last 28 days? Come on.

She launched a presidential campaign. She cinched the endorsement of the party. She raised over $300 million. She picked a great running mate. And then, to add to everything else, she is surging in the polls, moving ahead in the swing states, and filling up arenas with 15,000 electrified people and pissing Donald Trump off in the moment.

BLITZER: I take it. You like her?

KLOBUCHAR: Well, I'm just saying, like, if you want a test of a leader, that is a test of a leader.

BLITZER: What do you want to hear from Hillary Clinton tonight?

KLOBUCHAR: I want to hear, first of all, Hillary always has a way. I think it's going to be a fascinating speech for people, just because, in so many ways, she broke that glass ceiling and showed the nation that you can lead and you can be the candidate for a major party. She did win the national vote, which I hope she mentions the popular vote in that election. And --

BLITZER: But she didn't win the Electoral College?

[17:54:59]

KLOBUCHAR: We know that. I'm not -- yes, she lost the election, but she won the popular vote. So to me, what this means is you're going to have a woman also passing on the torch and talking about Kamala and what she can do. And then you're going to, I think, one of the things, and I don't know that she'll talk about this in her remarks, but it is hard running as a woman, you get attacks that men never get about how you look and what you wear and the like.

And what we've learned from all that, from 2020, Elizabeth, Kamala, myself, Hillary, back in 2016 is that you take it on, head on. Sometimes you laugh at it, and they're doing a lot of funny things about what these guys are saying about them. Sometimes you ignore it. And that is a difference than back in 2016 when everyone was horrified, taking it on front end.

In this point, they're going to make fun of her on coconut trees. We're going to have coconut tree memes. They're going to make fun of her laugh. We're going to mash it up with Beyonce song.

BLITZER: Yes.

KLOBUCHAR: It has been a different approach, and it's working.

BLITZER: It's going to be historic night tonight, to be sure. Senator, thanks so much for coming in.

KLOBUCHAR: Thanks, Wolf. It's great to be on.

BLITZER: Let's stay in touch during the --

KLOBUCHAR: OK. I look forward to it.

BLITZER: Senator Amy Klobuchar. And -- and stay with us. Erin and I will be back. We have a lot more of our special coverage as the Democratic National Convention continues, our special edition of The Situation Room. We'll be right back.

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