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Moments Away: Night Two Of Democratic National Convention; Tonight: Former President Obama Headlines DNC Night Two; Adviser: Obama To Tout Harris-Walz As "Precisely" What U.S. Needs; Harris Campaign Believes Michelle Obama Remarks Will Be Most Powerful; Tonight: Ex-Trump W.H. Official To Discuss "Who He Really Is" At DNC; Tonight: Former President Obama Headlines DNC Night Two; Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI), Is Interviewed About Night Two Of Democratic National Convention; Trump Tells CNN He's Consider Appointing RFK Jr. To Admin Role. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired August 20, 2024 - 17:00   ET

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

SARA SIDNER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Expecting a special guest. Minnesota has this really famous, and I know you like sports, Jake, you ever heard of "The Purple People Eaters?" You ever heard of them? We're expecting one of them to show up, and we're going to try to grab them a little bit later, John.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Very, very, very exciting. "The Purple People Eaters." I'll be back here in two hours at 7:00 p.m. eastern for our coverage of the second night of the Democratic National Committee's convention. Our coverage now continues with Wolf Blitzer and Kaitlan Collins in the "Situation Room."

[17:00:45]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: It's night two at the Democratic National Convention, and just a short time from now, one of the party's most powerful leaders will take the stage. The former President Barack Obama set to make the case why he believes Vice President Harris and Governor Tim Walz are, quote, "precisely the leaders the country needs right now." But we're also learning it's a speech from the former First Lady, Michelle Obama, that the campaign believes could pack the biggest punch of the night.

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

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR, THE SOURCE: And I'm Kaitlan Collins.

And Wolf, tonight we're also going to be hearing from someone that the Harris campaign tonight views as one of the most important speakers of this entire convention, her husband, second gentleman, Doug Emhoff, who is hoping to become the first gentleman in November. Of course, he knows Harris better than anyone in the United Center does, and sources close to the campaign say that they believe he will be able to show Americans the whole person that Vice President Harris is.

Tonight, we are also going to hear from Republicans. That is not something you see every day at the Democratic Convention, that includes members of former President Donald Trump's own administration who are going to summon the alarm about their concerns about what a second Trump presidency would mean.

BLITZER: And Kaitlan, it's certainly a jam packed program that will kick off a little more than an hour or so from now. Jeff Zeleny and John Berman are with us. They're here in Chicago. They're down there on the floor.

Let me start with Jeff.

Jeff, I know you have some new details on what we can expect to hear from former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama, who is set to deliver, we are told, a very powerful message in her hometown of Chicago. What are your sources telling you?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, to this hometown crowd in Chicago here at the United Center, of course, home of the famed Chicago Bulls, yes, both Obamas will be speaking this evening. Former President Barack Obama will be laying out his case for why he believes Democrats, entities, Americans at large, should elect Vice President Kamala Harris. But I am told the Obama to watch tonight is Michelle Obama. The Harris campaign believes that her message will resonate louder outside this convention hall. She, of course, very seldom talks about politics.

She often does not want to get in the fray. It's been several years since she's delivered a big political speech like this. We all remember back to the 2016 convention in Philadelphia, she famously said, "when they go low, we go high." An advisor said she will deliver an updated version of that.

The bottom line to this is both Obama's believe that this race is not over. That sounds obvious. But you know, given the sense of jubilation and exuberance among Democrats here and the dramatic turnaround in the race just one month after Vice President Harris became the nominee, they believe that message is important to convey to Democrats. This is a very close race with former President Donald Trump, who's campaigning, of course, in Pennsylvania.

But Wolf, we're also going to hear from Doug Emhoff, as you and Kaitlan were saying there. That is also a critical part of this evening's program, as well as the roll call vote. It's symbolic, but that is going to be a state by state roll call standing up with delegates affirming their support for Kamala Harris.

Wolf, that underscores one critical point. This is a party united. The 2016 campaign, of course, hangs over all of this, a divided Democratic Party at that point where the Democratic nominee was not campaigning, Kamala Harris tonight is 90 miles north at a rally in battleground Wisconsin. That tells you all you need to know about how seriously they're taking this race. Wolf.

BLITZER: Very seriously indeed. All right, Jeff Zeleny, we'll get back to you. Thank you very much.

I want to go to John Berman, who just spoke with someone who read former President Obama's speech.

John, what is the former president likely to say tonight?

JOHN BERMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's interesting, Wolf. I bumped into someone who had just read the speech that former President Obama will deliver right behind me in a few hours. And I was told a few things. Number one, President Obama will talk about Vice President Harris as a friend. He will testify about their 20-year friendship.

I said, well, look, former President Obama is kind of not a regular friend, right? I mean, he's a former president. And I was told, yes, but a president who has this friendship, and America doesn't know about this friendship, so we can fill in the blanks, I was told about Vice President Harris, the person.

[17:05:13]

One other thing I was told, I asked, will President Obama talk about the vice president more than President Biden did. In other words, Will Obama talk about Harris more than Biden talked about Harris last night? I was told emphatically, yes, much more of this speech will be about Harris herself.

Finally, on the speech, I was told that President Obama will address the issue of Donald Trump head on. It is something that Obama has done in past conventions four years ago and four years before that, he did talk about Donald Trump. Specifically, one other bit of new reporting I have for you, Wolf, I'm actually standing here in the Delaware delegation, Jeff Zeleny was talking about the roll call. Delaware will be the first state in the roll call, and I was just told that it is Senator Chris Coons from Delaware, actually, this is his seat right here. Senator Chris Coons from Delaware will be the representative from the state, the first state that will open the roll call, I guess, not officially placing Harris's name and nomination, because she's already technically the nominee, but he will be the one to speak.

And of course, Wolf, that's symbolic, because Chris Coons spoke last night. He's very close to President Biden. So this will be a sort of passing of the torch, starting with the Biden state in Delaware, ultimately ending in California. Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, John Berman on the scene for us here at the convention. John, thank you very much.

Let's discuss what's going on. Joining me now, Casey Hunt and Chris Wallace.

And Chris, former President Obama, will be the main headliner in all the speeches tonight. What do you think his main goal will be?

CHRIS WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR, "THE CHRIS WALLACE SHOW": I think -- first of all, I have to say, I'm personally excited. I think that Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are probably the two best speakers, not only the Democratic Party, but in American politics. And I'm really looking forward to tonight. I think Obama is, you know, he's going to talk about their friendship, their relationship, but I think one of the things he wants to do is what happened to him in 2008 to turn this from a campaign into a movement. And I'm told that one of the things he's going to talk about is hope and change, and the idea that just as he represented that back in 2008 Kamala Harris represents that.

Now, Michelle Obama, whose books sold better than Barack Obama's, and gives speeches to, you know, when she's doing her books to jam stadiums, really is less a political figure than a cultural figure. And I agree with something that was just said earlier. I suspect that her speech may have more impact than his, not necessarily in this hall, but around the country. And again, the idea of a cultural movement, not just a campaign.

KASIE HUNT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Yes, and the world is so different the way that people absorb politics and culture as well, but especially politics from when Obama ran first in 2008 and even in 2012 it's much more fragmented. And Michelle Obama's ability to kind of penetrate into people's phones and the social media ecosphere, I think is different, honestly, than even President Obama in a cultural way, and I think that that potentially has significant impact.

And I also think, to Chris's earlier point, one of the biggest shifts that we saw with President Biden stepping aside was a sort of dark, a shift from the from the dark portrayal of the way that Biden was talking about how Donald Trump is a threat to democracy was almost a fear based argument as to why Democrats should get out and vote. They were made to feel afraid by that. They were afraid constantly he was going to make a mistake to a forward looking, hopeful, joyful, not quite movement yet necessarily, but something approaching that, I think, is really the fundamental shift we've seen, and that's going to be on display tonight as well.

WALLACE: One of the interesting things about the relationship between Kamala Harris and Barack Obama in 2008 when he was running for president and taking on Hillary Clinton, who was the overwhelming establishment favorite, Kamala Harris, who was then still the DA in San Francisco, endorsed, not that it was a big deal as the DA in San Francisco, but endorsed Obama over Hillary Clinton went to Iowa, was a door knocker, was delivering pizza to volunteers. I mean, couldn't have been more supportive and earlier on. And it's the kind of thing that Barack Obama has never forgotten.

BLITZER: And another major speaker, Kasie, tonight, is going to be Doug Emhoff, the second gentleman, who clearly would like to be the first gentleman.

HUNT: Clearly, and he is portrayed, you know, as his wife's number one supporter. He honestly is not terribly well known to most Americans. I mean, yes, he served in this role as second gentleman, but we've seen that even Kamala Harris, as Vice President, has had work to do introducing an opportunity as well to introduce herself to people. This is going to be the biggest stage that he's ever stood on, in a role that no one else has ever had in this particular way. I mean, obviously Bill and Hillary Clinton went through something similar, but he, of course, is former president just a much, much different way of inhabiting the role.

[17:10:10]

And he's, of course, already taken some slings and arrows in the course of the early weeks of this campaign. Seems to have weathered them without much difficulty. So, I am actually very interested to see how he comes across on this stage.

WALLACE: I think one of the other things, briefly, is beyond being the witness to explain to people who his wife is, he's also Jewish. And I'm told that he's going to call out antisemitism, and at a time when there are questions in the Jewish community about the support of the Democrats and the White House, and particularly Kamala Harris for the State of Israel. I think he's going to try to shore up that base as well.

BLITZER: Yes, I've gotten to know him in recent months sort of well. We were both in Pittsburgh at the Tree of Life synagogue reopening. He's very Jewish. We got to know each other at various Holocaust Remembrance events this past year. And I suspect he's going to be addressing some of those issues as well.

HUNT: It would be an incredibly high profile role for someone of the faith. And I think Chris is right that it is a particularly, I think, challenging moment for so many Jewish Americans right now with the rise in antisemitism, certainly it's something that Republicans have been, Donald Trump in particular, has been very critical of Democrats and how their some have, in their view, gone too far in embracing some of the more difficult and frankly anti-Semitic elements of whether it's college protests or Hamas symbols painted on Union Station in Washington, D.C. Having someone be able to kind of testify to that personally, I think could go a long way with Jewish American voters, who, quite frankly, are unnerved by everything that they've been seeing.

BLITZER: You're right. You make a good point from whether the antisemitism coming from the far right or the far left. That's a big problem in this country right now, and I suspect he's going to be addressing that issue, at least in part later tonight. We shall see.

All right, guys, thank you very, very much.

We've got a lot ahead coming up. A closer look at tonight's all-star lineup of speakers, including, of course, the Obamas. And we'll be joined by the Democratic governor of a must win state, the Wisconsin governor Tony Evers is our guest. We'll be right back this fall.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:16:34]

COLLINS: Welcome back to a special edition of the Situation Room. We are live tonight from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, and our team of experts are here at the table ahead of the kickoff of night two of the Democratic Convention. And David Urban, a lot of Republicans going to be on stage tonight. That includes one who used to be Donald Trump's press secretary at the White House, Stephanie Grisham. What do you make of that?

DAVID URBAN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Listen again, I don't think this is going to have a huge impact on the election. I think maybe in states like Georgia where Jeff Duncan is a pretty well-known figure, it may have some impact, because it's a close state, but most of these people aren't household names. And so, it's good theater, good political theater. And it's good to be able to say, look, we've got -- we have a big tent, we even have Republicans here tonight. But electorally, I don't think it makes much difference.

COLLINS: It is pretty remarkable, though, that a former official who worked in the Trump administration will be on stage there.

BAKARI SELLERS, (D) FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA STATE REPRESENTATIVE: I think it's remarkable. I think it builds into the narrative that people are tired of Donald Trump stick, that it's a bit much, that it's overwhelming, that the country is tired of that type of chaos and we need a new direction. And the fact that you have not one but five Republicans that are willing to go on stage, and those are people -- you know, they're -- it's not as if they're close to the center, per se. You know, these aren't centrist. These are die in the wool conservatives.

KATE BEDINGFIELD, FORMER BIDEN WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Yes.

SELLERS: And they are actually -- some of them are reform MAGA. I mean, you can't question the conservative record of Jeff Duncan. You can't question the conservative record of Adam Kissinger, but they're giving other people who were tired of Donald Trump's stick. They're giving him -- they're giving them permission to say, hey, we're not Democrats, but we're going to vote for Donald --

BEDINGFIELD: Yes. She's --

SELLERS: -- I mean, we're going to vote for Kamala Harris.

BEDINGFIELD: Well, and Stephanie Grisham is also somebody who works with Donald Trump up close, and is yet another person who worked very closely with Donald Trump who is now saying he's not, you know, he should not be president the United States. So if you're --

COLLINS: Well, you're the constructor for Biden, it's like if you were speaking at the Republican Convention --

BEDINGFIELD: Exactly.

COLLINS: -- and saying, you know, Joe Biden should not be reelected, here's why.

BEDINGFIELD: Exactly. I mean, she brings a credibility because of her proximity that others may not. And she's also one of many, I mean, there are people in his cabinet, there's his former vice president, for example, who also won't endorse him. So if you're somebody who's watching the convention tonight and you're hearing an argument from the people who know him best, that he's not competent to be president of the United States, that is powerful.

I agree with Urban, it's not do I think that is ultimately going to be, you know, is her speaking tonight going to be decisive? Well, no. But it does continue to paint a picture that is problematic for Donald Trump, because he's saying to people he can't be trusted to be president United States again.

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Well, like Urban said, good political theater. That's what conventions are. I mean, if conventions are being successful, they're supposed to be good political theater.

URBAN: Let's hope so tonight versus last year.

CHALIAN: Well, I'm saying -- and so, I take your point on that, that it is good political theater. But we've seen how unified the Republican Party, largely is behind Donald Trump. We see it in the numbers, we saw in his convention in Milwaukee. His problem is not that there's a huge faction of Republicans that are leaving him. He has a lot of his voters that he's had the last time, but this does raise this issue of people that either have worked closely with him or were the values of the Republican Party of another era, to sort of stand up there and say, no more Donald Trump. That why wouldn't, if you're Kamala Harris, like, why wouldn't you welcome that to your conventions?

COLLINS: Yes, and Stephanie Grisham was a true believer. I mean, she was the press secretary when I was covering the White House. She wasn't someone who was, you know, saying one thing publicly and another thing behind the scenes. But Bakari, we're looking at tonight and just through the lens of a convention, I mean, Barack Obama going on stage, who obviously shot to stardom giving a speech at the 2004 convention as an Illinois state senator, and then has had so many interesting roles at the convention since then. I mean, I'm thinking eight years ago, at the last real convention that Democrats had, when he warned about a Trump presidency before he had come to life.

[17:20:23]

Now we've seen a Trump presidency, and he'll be speaking to it in that lens.

SELLERS: He will be and I think that people sometimes forget about the masterful oratory that is Barack Obama, because we don't get a chance to hear him often. And I think tonight, you're going to be taken back and have a little nostalgia, but his critique of Donald Trump is going to be very forceful. But the unique part about this convention is that all of the speakers who have this keynote platform are going to be very forward looking. Even Joe Biden last night was very forward looking. He talked about his accomplishments, but then he pivoted and talked about the future.

Barack Obama's going to talk about the future under Kamala Harris. And that -- I mean, it's -- he's going to remind the country what a president looks like. He's going to remind the country how a president talks, how he carries himself, everything about that, and everything Barack Obama represents, whether or not you're Democrat or Republican, is what America is.

And we have to be honest, I like Dougie (ph) a lot. We talk often. I think he's one of the best individuals.

COLLINS: Doug Emhoff.

SELLERS: Doug Emhoff. He's one of the best individuals in the America --

URBAN: Dougie to Bakari.

SELLERS: -- American political landscape.

COLLINS: Those at home were like, who's Dougie?

SELLERS: I know people, right? But he has to have the worst job in all of America to be kind of up there --

URBAN: Yes, follow and clean it up.

SELLERS: You go before -- you're leading off before, like Michelle Obama and Barack Obama, that is just a tough, tough act, but he's going to do well. But it's just -- it's a tough -- it's a tough job in American politics.

BEDINGFIELD: Well, he's going to play, obviously. He's going to play an important role in further humanizing her. I mean, remember, part of what's happening at this convention is kind of the introduction, reintroduction, definition of her, and obviously her husband will play a significant role, a role that traditionally, we see the wife play the -- you know, the female spouse of the candidate. So, you know, having her husband be able to talk tonight about who she is as a person, I think will be meaningful for people.

And I actually also think that, you know, this is something that Barack Obama, in some ways, will be doing tonight as well, because he can credential her in a way that is incredibly important. We know, I can tell you from my time working on campaigns, we know that's really important for female candidates, in particular, that voters need to see and hear credentialing. We could talk for a long time about whether that is fair or not, but we do know that that's something that people need to feel like they get. And President Obama spent, you know, has had a multi decade friendship with her, but also has seen her in these tough jobs up close --

COLLINS: Yes.

BEDINGFIELD: -- and can talk to the American people about how she's done.

COLLINS: Well, and the spouse point is a good point. We did not see Melania Trump get this convention. URBAN: Yes. Yes. So what I'd say, just kind of pivot back here for a second, one of the things that's very important about this convention for the Democrats is that Kamala Harris is defined in a favorable light when they leave this week. Because that's the battle, that's this is about. Nobody knows Kamala Harris.

The Republicans are trying to paint her one -- in one light, and the Democrats are trying to paint a picture in a different light. And so, all these speakers you're hearing last night, tonight, and next coming nights, are attempting to shape which what the public perception is. And that's incredibly important as we get forward, because nobody knows who she is.

We know what she stood for, 2019. She says she doesn't stand for that now. What does she stand for? It's important to see what these folks say.

CHALIAN: Let's also not lose the history of this. Because I know, you know, Kamala Harris is not running on her identity politics piece as much, but you're going to have, you know, barrier breaker Barack Obama be testifying for what would be a -- I mean, he's already a barrier breaker, but the biggest barrier ever, kind of breaker for Kamala Harris. And you know, when she was -- back in 2009, our departed dear colleague, Gwen Ifill, in this business, written a book, and when she was giving an interview about her book and profile Kamala Harris, and she was talking about how so many people in California refer to her as the female refer to her as the female Barack Obama, right, which, of course, is a little dismissive. She's her own person in her own right, but it gives you the sense of what they meant was this person is a total barrier breaker as well. And so to have that on stage tonight is -- I mean that that's going to be a historic kind of thing that, yes, obviously, we've never seen anything like that.

COLLINS: Yes, which is the last president of that is last night being historic and seeing that happen on stage. A lot of history being made inside the United Center this week.

Thank you all for being here.

Up next here on CNN, battleground Wisconsin is front and center as Vice President Harris and Governor Tim Walz, they are about to hold a rally there, exactly where the Republican convention was held just a month ago. As night two gets underway here in Chicago, how are voters there responding to the new Democratic ticket? We're going to speak to the governor right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:29:13]

BLITZER: Welcome back to our special coverage of the Democratic National Convention. We're live from Chicago. Former President Barack Obama set to take the stage tonight to make the case for Kamala Harris. It's a full circle moment in two decades. Full circle moment two decades in the making for two barrier breaking candidates. Brian Todd is joining us right now. Brian, what can you tell us?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Kamala Harris and Barack Obama had both been on meteoric rises, starting around 2004 when they met, and now they both seem to have a keen sense of the history they're making together.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: President Barack Obama.

TODD (voice-over): Their stories are historically and personally intertwined, and tonight, when former President Barack Obama speaks on behalf of Kamala Harris at the Democratic Convention, it promises to be an electric moment.

PROF. LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: It's the kind of thing that the America of the 20th century could never have imagined. But here we are.

TODD (voice-over): In late July, soon after President Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris, Barack and Michelle Obama called the Vice President to offer their endorsement.

MICHELLE OBAMA, FORMER FIRST LADY OF UNITED STATES: I am proud of you. This is going to be historic.

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We call to say, Michelle and I couldn't be prouder to endorse you and to do everything we can to get you through this election and into the Oval Office.

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Oh, my goodness.

TODD (voice-over): A biographer says Kamala Harris as the first woman of color to become the presidential nominee of a major American party, and Barack Obama as the first black president, both have a keen understanding of the importance of their relationship.

DAN MORAIN, PRESIDENTIAL BIOGRAPHER: Without a doubt, they understand the arc of history here and they are -- they're -- they're both clearly a part of it. They have helped one another. They helped one another as young politicians.

TODD (voice-over): They reportedly met in 2004 when Harris helped Obama with his Senate race. A few years later, Harris trudged through the Iowa winter knocking on doors to help him win the Iowa caucuses. In 2009, when Harris was District Attorney of San Francisco, but largely unknown outside California, journalist Gwen Ifill drew a momentous comparison on "The Late Show with David Letterman."

GWEN IFILL, JOURNALIST: They call her the female Barack Obama.

TODD (voice-over): The next year, Obama repaid the favor Harris had done for him in Iowa. He played a key role in her 2010 election as California's Attorney General with an endorsement and a shout out at a rally.

B. OBAMA: A dear, dear friend of mine, so I want everybody to do right by her, San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris.

TODD (voice-over): In a 2020 call during her run for vice president with Joe Biden, Harris and Obama compared notes on the grueling nature of campaigning.

B. OBAMA: There were times where I was like in little Iowa town, and the -- the only treadmill was in the back of a beauty salon.

TODD (voice-over): Now analysts say Obama can help Harris galvanized the same people who energized his campaigns, younger voters.

SABATO: She's looking at the way Obama did it, but she's also looking at early polls that are suggesting that she's having the same effect on young people, that she will get a large turnout and a very large percentage of those under age 30.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (on camera): And the analysts we spoke to say we can expect tonight to be a springboard that Kamala Harris will likely ask Barack Obama to appear often on the campaign trail over the next two and a half months, especially at events targeting younger voters. Wolf?

BLITZER: Brian Todd reporting for us. Brian, thank you very much. And joining us now is special guest, Susan Rice. She's a veteran of both the Obama and Biden administration's. Ambassador, thank you so much for joining us. You know these individuals quite well. How has their relationship evolved over these years?

SUSAN RICE, FORMER OBAMA NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Well, it goes back, as was just reported, to 2004 when Barack Obama was running for the Senate. And that's 20 years, and both their careers have evolved enormously. Since then, they've been friends and partners. And -- and now they are on a common mission to get Kamala Harris elected president of the United States.

BLITZER: And -- and they both clearly see this potentially as historic?

RICE: Absolutely. I mean, it's historic because of the stakes. It's not just that she would be the first woman president or woman of color, but much more importantly, it is because this is an election about whether we are taking the country forward to a future where everybody is included and everybody has an opportunity and our rights are respected and protected, or whether we're going back to -- to Donald Trump and his politics of division and hate, and to a time when women didn't have their basic rights, and where, you know, the economy worked for the very few rather than for everybody. So the stakes are huge.

BLITZER: How do you think that both Barack Obama and Michelle Obama can help recreate the energy that existed back in 2008 that certainly helped Barack Obama become president of United States? RICE: You know what, I think the energy is creating itself. And I think Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are doing it. I was very much involved in President Obama's 2008 campaign, and saw on the ground and in -- at his convention just how much passion and excitement there was. It's the same thing now. I feel it everywhere I go. And there is a joy, there is a optimism, there is a hopefulness, which unites these two campaigns in 2024 as in 2008.

People want to be hopeful about the future. They want to believe in our country as Kamala Harris and Tim Walz do, and as Barack Obama and Michelle Obama do. They don't want to tear it down and denigrate it as a third world country the way Donald Trump does. It's -- that's not who we are. And so that excitement, that enthusiasm, is palpable. And I -- I don't think it's necessary for the Obamas to inject it. It -- it's here. But they will stoke it further. And their appearance tonight is going to be extraordinary.

[17:35:05]

BLITZER: So let me get your sense, because you know these people very, very well. You worked with them. You worked for them. What do you expect we will hear from Barack Obama and Michelle Obama tonight about Kamala Harris?

RICE: I think they'll tell the story of why she is the person for the moment that, you know, she represents the kind of inclusiveness, the kind of optimism, the policies that are designed to help working families in this country, not benefit the rich. He will lay out and she will lay out the stakes that are -- that are involved and -- and galvanize not just the people in this room here, but across the country to recognize that our futures, our lives, depend on this election. We all have a stake in it. We've got to be out there and take this seriously. Kamala Harris is still an underdog. Tim Walz, whether an underdog. We cannot take anything for granted.

BLITZER: So you think the former president, former First Lady, will mostly be speaking about the qualifications, the attributes of Kamala Harris, or will they also blast Donald Trump?

RICE: I -- I don't think it's just going to be about the attributes or just blasting Donald Trump. I think it will be about the stakes and why this is so important.

BLITZER: What are the stakes?

RICE: And -- well, the stakes are in -- in so many ways, whether we continue to have a democracy or not, the stakes are whether we have an economy that is working for everybody, as Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have worked to expand it to be inclusive. There's more work to be done on that, whether we can bring down costs, or whether we're going to go to an economy where it's the billionaires and -- and Donald Trump's friends at Mar-a-Lago who get all the tax breaks and big corporations and the -- and the working men and women of this country are -- are left behind. Those are among the -- the stakes that -- that we face.

And of course, reproductive rights. Women in this country are under assault because of Donald Trump's Supreme Court. He's made clear that he would like to see abortion ban nationwide. That's the -- that's the Project 2025 evil, dark vision of this country. And we can't go there. So, so much is at stake.

BLITZER: What does she need to do to fill in some of the blanks, some of the specifics that need to be explained to the American people in the course of this campaign?

RICE: Well, I think the first thing is, you know, many Americans are -- are still trying to learn more about who Kamala Harris is and where she wants to take the country. And that's why this week, this convention, is such a valuable opportunity to reintroduce herself and Tim Walz, so that people know where she came from, what she believes in, know that she's, you know, got an extraordinary background as a lawyer, as a prosecutor, as somebody who has fought all her life for children, for the vulnerable, and believes in this country passionately and wants to see it continued to be a place and become even more of a place that serves everybody, where nobody is left behind. And it's not just about scraping by, but really about getting ahead. And I think we'll hear that throughout the week.

BLITZER: You're the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Do you think there are any serious differences between Kamala Harris and President Biden when it comes to national security, foreign policy?

RICE: I think there -- there will be differences in -- in emphasis, differences in tone, but the fundamentals, the belief in the importance of strong American leadership, the strong United States defense, allies and partnerships playing a role that represents our values and our -- our -- our rights and our freedoms, that these are all things that unite them. But I think you'll hear as -- as we -- we have begun to on issues like the economy, that while there is very much that they have in common, and certainly she will build on the accomplishments of the Biden-Harris administration, she will, of course, chart a path that -- that -- that is her own.

BLITZER: And we will be watching all of this unfold in the coming few hours. Ambassador Susan Rice, as usual, thanks so much for coming.

RICE: Good to be with you.

BLITZER: Appreciate it very, very much.

[17:39:02]

And just ahead, we'll speak to the governor of battleground state, Wisconsin, as Vice President Harris and Governor Tim Walz prepare to hold a campaign rally there. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Welcome back. Tonight, we will see Vice President Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, her running mate, in the key battleground state of Wisconsin. They are about to hold a rally in the midst of their own convention being held here in Chicago. It underscores, of course, the considerable power that that state holds for them. Wisconsin's electoral votes have gone to the winners of four of the past six presidential elections. Republican vice presidential candidate, J.D. Vance, was also there today, focusing on crime. Of course, that comes just days after the Milwaukee Police Association endorsed Donald Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I basically live in Wisconsin now. You stayed a lot of me over the next few months.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: With me now, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers. Great to have you here, Governor. I -- I mean, they're holding this rally exactly where Republicans held their convention, the exact same venue just a month ago. Is that to get under Donald Trump's skin or energize voters, or maybe both?

GOV. TONY EVERS (D-WI): Maybe both, I'd say. It's kind of a touche. But it's also, you know, they are going to spend as much time in Wisconsin as we -- as we all anticipate. It's a close -- it's going to be close race. I think it's going to determine who's the next president. And so I -- I think -- I think it's both. I, you know, it -- it's also, you know, how big is it, that sort of thing. And but, you know, they're going to be interacting with us on the floor too. So it's -- it's good. It's going to be good turn out there, from what I've heard.

COLLINS: Yes, is that what you've heard from the Harris-Walz campaign, that they will be spending as much time as possible in your home state?

EVERS: They have so far. And I've been involved with two -- two huge events there, one in Milwaukee area, one in Eau Claire, and a lot of people there, a lot of excitement. So they -- they will -- they and others from the campaign, obviously will be there.

[17:45:05]

COLLINS: You believe that whoever wins your state will win the election?

EVERS: Yes.

COLLINS: And how does Harris, how does -- how does she win there in your view? What's your advice to her?

EVERS: Well, she -- first of all, she's an extraordinarily commu -- great communicator. I -- I think that's one of her real strengths. But she's talking about the issues, talking about making sure that women have freedom to make decisions around their own body, and all the huge issues of the day. And I think that also in Wisconsin, you'll find that people are really interested in some things that we've been working on around infrastructure. I know infrastructure isn't very sexy. But fact of the matter is, people like to have good roads. We like to fix those damn roads. And -- and I know they feel strongly about that too. I -- that will be part of it has to be around, you know, the basics that they talk about. But in Wisconsin, you know, fixing our ports, fixing our roads, helping us with infrastructure, bur -- broadband, that thing.

COLLINS: Do you believe that Harris has a better chance of winning Wisconsin than Biden did at the top of the ticket?

EVERS: Oh, yes. I -- I do. I think it's more broad -- a broad spread. And -- and also I, you know, I think she's engaged to young people. And I anticipate that campuses across the state will be, once they're back in session, will be active politically. I do think Joe Biden could have won Wisconsin. It -- it would have been a small amount that -- that he did before. I think Kamala Harris will win by much more than he would have.

COLLINS: So you're breathing easier with her at the top of the ticket? You mentioned it being important to women, control of their bodies, freedom to make their choices. Abortion has a much bigger messaging platform here than -- than we've seen. Obviously, she feels -- she seems to feel more comfortable talking about that issue more than -- than we saw with President Biden, who, you know, often in his State of the Union address didn't even use the word abortion.

EVERS: Right. No. It is -- it is so important part. We're still -- we're in this kind of weird space from Roe v. Wade, where, for a while, there we were under 1849 law where women had no -- no options av -- available to them, that was actually thrown out. But we're in an in between place. Wo -- women do have the rights that they had previously. But God knows what's going to happen going forward. We -- we need -- we need -- we need a federal solution at the end of the day.

I think we're in a good place in Wisconsin. Women do care about this when -- when we were under the 1849 law, Planned Parenthood in Illinois, for Wisconsinites, went over up more than 600 percent. So it -- you think about women having to go to Illinois to take -- to make sure that they're getting their -- their reproductive rights valued.

COLLINS: Well, and of course, Tammy Baldwin could potentially be key to that.

EVERS: Yes.

COLLINS: Let me ask you Governor Walz, you know, he's obviously your neighbor. You know him well.

EVERS: Yes.

COLLINS: He's a fellow governor. He is someone who J.D. Vance wise out on the campaign trail, has been criticizing him today because he's often talk about his family's story and journey with IVF, with their two kids, their fertility struggles. Today, his wife clarified that they used a different procedure called IUI. It's a -- it's different than IVF --

EVERS: Yes.

COLLINS: -- but it is often in the same category, and disgust is the same. It doesn't involve discarding embryos, which is obviously what -- why IVF has been at the center of our conversations. What do you make of Senator Vance commenting on that, likening it to -- to what he said about his military service?

EVERS: Yes. I just -- I just find -- I find his ar -- arguments disingenuous, period. I mean, if you're -- if you think about what -- and I -- I have a daughter that is OB-GYN, so these issues mean -- mean something to me as -- as I do to her. And we -- it's a -- it's a basic right. You know, we can talk about the -- the other issues that are -- are similar to abortions.

But at the end of the day, why aren't we so afraid just to say, women do -- do have this right to figure this out, and the state shouldn't be in a position to in -- interfere. I mean, it's a basic freedom. And you heard the three women that were on last night, they were just unbelievable stories. So, you know, to be arguing about that issue at that level, I think is ridiculous. Tim Walz is one of the best governors in the state of Wisconsin. He's a fellow teacher like I was. And I'll stick with him at any -- any chance.

COLLINS: Governor Tony Evers, thank you for joining us.

EVERS: Thanks so much. Appreciate it.

COLLINS: Good to have you here. You'll be on the convention floor tonight, I know.

[17:49:31]

Coming up here, former President Donald Trump just talked to CNN while he's out on the campaign trail in Michigan. Hear what he said about RFK Jr.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN special coverage of the Democratic National Convention. We're live here in Chicago. As Democrats continue to rally around Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Trump is in Michigan. That's where CNN's Kristen Holmes just caught up with him. Kristen, what did he tell you?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, one of the big pieces of news that he made is we asked him about RFK. Now a reminder that earlier in the day, RFK Jr.'s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, had said that the team had been considering dropping out of the race and endorsing Donald Trump. And I asked Trump specifically if he would consider putting RFK in a role in the administration. He said that he was -- would welcome the endorsement. When I pushed him specifically on the administration, here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Can I ask you about RFK? Because just moments ago, his running mate said that they were considering endorsing you. Have you considered him for a role in the administration? And what role would that be?

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Well, we haven't, but I would love that endorsement, because I always liked him.

HOLMES: Would you -- would you also consider putting him in the administration?

TRUMP: You're asking me a very unusual question. I haven't been asked that question yet. I like him a lot. I respect him a lot. I probably would if something like that would happen.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[17:55:06]

HOLMES: Now, obviously this would be a little strange for traditional Republicans, since RFK has a lot of incredibly progressive stances. It also comes a day after he said he would consider putting Elon Musk in the administration. I asked what an administration with two people who a lot of Republicans would not necessarily back would look like, what would he tell Republicans who wouldn't want to vote for that administration? He blew it off.

He said that he believes he is smart, that they are smart, that Republicans like him, and is his decision. But the other thing is that, you know, he really, and I want to point this out, Wolf, we've been talking a lot about this. I asked specifically, in addition to this, what he was doing differently as we see the polls narrowing, as we see this campaign changing, and he said over and over again that he didn't need to change anything, that nothing needed to change, even though he himself acknowledged that the polls at closing. So overall, an interesting conversation.

BLITZER: Very interesting. Thank you very much. Kristen Holmes reporting for us. Good work.

Stay with us. Kaitlan and I will be right back with more of The Situation Room as our special live coverage of the Democratic National Convention continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)