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The Source with Kaitlan Collins
KY Dem Gov Andy Beshear Leaves Door Open To Being VP; Trump Calls Harris "Horrible... Incompetent" As She Gains Steam; Harris Secures Enough Delegate Endorsements To Win The Democratic Presidential Nomination. Aired 9-10p ET
Aired July 22, 2024 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[21:00:00]
JEH JOHNSON, FORMER HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: I think that if she stays on, for the next 48, 72 hours, she's probably there for the time being. That's my instinct. It's only an instinct. If she survives the next 48, 72 hours, after that hearing, today.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Yes. Secretary Jeh Johnson, thank you so much.
JOHNSON: Thank you.
COOPER: Appreciate it.
The news -- that's it for us. The news continues. "THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS" starts now.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN HOST: Straight from THE SOURCE tonight.
A reenergized Democratic Party, rapidly uniting around Vice President Harris, as she makes her first appearance at what is now her campaign headquarters, this evening. The party shattering fundraising records, in the first 24 hours of her presidential bid.
And tonight, the search for a potential running mate is taking shape. And a governor, who is widely seen as a top contender is here. He was actually one of the first people that she called, after President Biden left the race.
I'm Kaitlan Collins. And this is THE SOURCE.
We are live, in Washington, D.C., tonight, where truly everything has changed. And I do mean everything.
The 2024 campaign, as we knew it, is over. Vice President Kamala Harris has effectively cleared the runway to the nomination in what has been a whirlwind 24 hours. She's been locking down state delegations and racking up critical endorsements, including that, a former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Now, the current Democratic leaders, we are told by sources, are expected to follow suit. And just about everyone who is considered a potential challenger for this nomination has endorsed Harris.
On top of that, the campaign says that she has raised a staggering and record-breaking $81 million in 24 hours. That's on top of the existing $240 million that will be passed on, from the Biden war chest.
But what stood out the most today was when we heard from President Biden himself, the first time since making his monumental announcement, yesterday, calling into what is now the Harris campaign headquarters, in Delaware.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I want to say to the team, embrace her, she's the best.
I know yesterday's news was surprising, and hard for you to hear, but it was the right thing to do.
The name has changed on the top of the ticket, but the mission hasn't changed at all. And by the way, I'm not going anywhere, I'm going to be out there on the campaign with her.
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: It is so good to hear our President's voice.
Joe, I know you're still on the -- on the call.
BIDEN: I'm watching you, kid. I'm watching you, kid. I love you.
HARRIS: I love you, Joe. Oh.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: Over the next 106 days, we are going to take our case, to the American people, and we are going to win.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Now, a bit of breaking news for you, tonight, as we have just learned that President Biden will be returning to the White House, tomorrow, after self-isolating in Delaware with COVID. That is the first time that he will return to the White House grounds, since he announced he's exiting the 2024 race. Today, it was surreal to hear him talk about the last six months of his presidency that are ahead.
In the meantime, the Vice President reiterated that she plans to earn the Democratic nomination. But with really no time to waste ahead of November, she's already showcasing her strategy, to try and defeat Donald Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: I was a courtroom prosecutor. In those roles I took on perpetrators of all kinds. Predators who abused women.
Fraudsters who ripped off consumers.
Cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain.
So hear me when I say, I know Donald Trump's type.
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: And in this campaign, I will proudly, I will proudly, put my record against his.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Now, the question is if she becomes the formal Democratic nominee, who is going to be doing that with her? The search for a running mate is very much on, with only 28 days to go, before the Democratic convention in Chicago.
And my lead source, tonight, is a governor, who is widely being discussed as being near the top of Harris' shortlist.
And joining me now is the Kentucky governor, Andy Beshear.
Governor, it's great to have you, back here on THE SOURCE.
You just heard Vice President Harris, addressing the campaign staff that is -- that is now her campaign staff, in the last 24 hours. Obviously, it's been quite the 24 hours for her, for really everybody witnessing this.
And I know you spoke to her yesterday. How'd that conversation go?
GOV. ANDY BESHEAR (D-KY): Well, thank you for having me.
And I can't start without thanking President Biden, for his incredible service. From leading us out of a pandemic at record speed, to being there for Kentuckians after tornadoes and floods, to helping us build the best economy of our lifetime, including the two biggest battery plants on planet earth. He is an incredible American. I'm grateful for all the money that to bring internet to every household in Kentucky, for clean drinking water, and for so much.
[21:05:00]
With that said, I am excited to fully endorse the Vice President, to be the next President of the United States. She called me personally, just hours after President Biden's announcement. And I admit that means a lot to me. But I'm not the only.
10 hours, on the phone, doing the hard work that it takes, to bring together the coalition that you see, coming around her. There is so much energy. And it's energy because we know her. We know that she is a strong and smart person, which will make her a good president. But she is also a kind and empathetic person. And that's going to make her a great president.
Now, just think about the contrast. Here's the Vice President with empathy, looking out for people, versus what's on the other side, which is just people looking out for themselves.
I think you're going to see this energy continue. And I think the Vice President is going to win this race, become the President of the United States, but most importantly, move us past all this partisan bickering, move us past the constant back-and-forth. People are exhausted about it. And she's got a chance to be that next leader that moves us beyond it.
COLLINS: Well, and you mentioned that you were one of the first people that she called. Did she mention anything about having you serve as her running mate, potentially?
BESHEAR: Well, I'm going to keep any of the details of that call personal. But what she did is she called and asked for my support, and I willingly gave it.
She talked about having just months to make sure we won this election, but wanting to earn it. She said she didn't want a coronation. She wanted to earn it. And that's exactly what I needed to hear that she is going to get out there, just like she's doing today, and make her case to the American people.
COLLINS: Yes.
BESHEAR: She is the perfect person, to prosecute the case against Donald Trump. Here's a district attorney, and a former attorney general, like I was, that's out there, having represented, having fought for victims of, of rape and incest, of domestic abuse, taking on Donald Trump and J.D. Vance.
J.D. Vance, a guy that said, when a woman is raped and becomes pregnant, it is, quote, "Inconvenient," or that women should stay with a domestic abuser. I mean, that is really wrong. And the Vice President is the perfect person to contrast that view, and how wrong former President Trump and J.D. Vance are on those, and so many more issues.
COLLINS: I know, you've said you love your job as Governor of Kentucky. But if you were asked to serve as Vice President, would you lean towards saying yes?
BESHEAR: I do love my job, here in Kentucky. My kids are happy. We're having record success. We've broken every record for private sector investment, new jobs, exports, tourism. Recidivism is at a low, the last three years. Our drug overdoses are going down, for the first time in a long time, which is critically important. So, I love the work that I do.
The only reason I'd ever consider something else is if I felt that I could help my people in Kentucky more, in a different role, or that there was a chance to move past the partisanship, the constant fighting. Now, what we've done in Kentucky is turn down the temperature, and have everybody, Democrats and Republicans, focus on those things that aren't partisan, like good jobs, solid infrastructure, health care that's accessible and affordable to everyone.
COLLINS: Yes.
BESHEAR: Internet access, public safety, public education.
I just think that -- America and our people are yearning for a time, when they're not defined by their party, where everything, from the car they drive to the beer they drink, isn't about picking a team. I think they're just yearning to get beyond this, and get back to a sense of normalcy.
COLLINS: But on that -- on that race, of course, this is a big question of who is going to be on that ticket with her if she is the nominee. There are some people, who have already started submitting information for vetting purposes. Are you one of those people? Have you submitted any information to the Harris campaign?
BESHEAR: I've not been personally asked to submit information, at this point.
COLLINS: OK. And you and I spoke right after you won reelection. It's a rare thing for a Democratic governor, in a very red state like Kentucky.
If you were selected as Vice President? And I know we're talking about hypotheticals. But it matters. And what would you bring to the ticket as far as appealing to rural voters, who may have turned away from your party?
BESHEAR: Well, I know how to talk to people on both sides of the aisle. You have to, in a state like Kentucky. And again, it's recognizing that when people wake up in the morning, the things they're worried about are partisan. And they're not thinking about the presidential election.
They're thinking about their job, and whether they make enough to support their family.
[21:10:00]
They're thinking about whether they can afford their next doctor's appointment, for the parents or the kids or themselves.
They're thinking about the safety of the roads and bridges they drive on that day.
They're thinking about their public safety in their community.
And they're thinking about their kids' future, their education, and then the opportunities.
When we govern, in that way, we don't move a state or a country to the right or the left. We just move it forward. And again, I think Americans are yearning for that.
Now, stop the right and left. Everything isn't Democrat or Republican. If we're going to lead correctly, we can't view the world through a red or a blue lens, when everything one team does, is supposed to be right, and everything the other team does is supposed to be wrong.
People just want a better life. And they want leaders that will work for the benefit of everyone. When you create good jobs, you help Democrats and Republicans, Independents and anybody else, whether they voted for you or not.
Now, my rule has always been yes, I run as a proud Democrat. But the moment I win, I take that hat off, and I try to serve every single Kentuckian. It's why I go to every part of the state, why we've created jobs everywhere, because there's not a Democratic or Republican job. There's just a community that need them, and families that are improved by them.
COLLINS: Yes, it sounds like you think you'd be able to help bring in some of those more moderate voters.
But obviously, this race, if it shaped up the way it is, looking right now, would be Harris and Trump, at the top of the ticket.
I want you to listen to what J.D. Vance said today, Senator J.D. Vance at his first solo rally, since he was named as Donald Trump's running mate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), 2024 VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is not OK, ladies and gentlemen. You cannot, for three and a half years, take a guy, who clearly didn't have the mental capacity to do the job.
Kamala Harris lied about it. My Senate Democratic colleagues lied about it. The media lied about it. Every single person, who saw Joe Biden knew that he wasn't capable of doing the job. And for three years, they said nothing until he became political deadweight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: What's your reaction to that, Governor?
BESHEAR: Well, first, he ought to call the Vice President by her title. She earned it. She is Vice President Harris. But the second is, is they're grasping for straws.
Listen, J.D. Vance is a phony. He's fake. I mean, he first says that Donald Trump is like Hitler. And now, he's acting like he's Lincoln. I mean, the problem with J.D. Vance is he has no conviction. But I guess his running mate has 34.
COLLINS: Well, I'm glad you brought him up, because he just responded to something you said today. When you -- when you are calling him phony this morning, you said that he ain't Appalachia, as he talks about his roots and growing up in Ohio, but being raised in the summers by his grandmother in Kentucky.
And he just responded to what you had to say. I want you to listen to that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VANCE: It's very weird to have a guy whose first job was at his dad's law firm and inherited the governorship from his father to criticize my origin story like yes, nobody gave me the governorship and nobody gave me a job because of who my father was, I'm proud of that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: He said nobody gave me the governorship and nobody gave me a job because of who my father was. I'm proud of that. Obviously, a reference to your own father.
What's your response to those comments from Senator Vance?
BESHEAR: Well what was weird was him joking about racism today, and then talking about Diet Mountain Dew. Who drinks Diet Mountain Dew?
But in all seriousness, he ain't from here. He is not from Kentucky. Listen, this is a guy, who would come maybe in the summers, for some period of time, or to weddings or funerals.
And then he claims to be from Eastern Kentucky, tries to write a book about it, to profit off our people. And then he calls us lazy. And this makes me angry, but it especially, makes me angry about our people in Eastern Kentucky.
Listen, these are the hardworking coal miners that powered the industrial revolution, that helped build the strongest middle-class the world has ever seen, helped us win two world wars. And he called them lazy, acting like he understands our culture, and he's one of us. He's not.
Now, this is a guy who went out to Silicon Valley that's trying to be an everyman. He ain't one of us.
COLLINS: How do you think you would fare against Senator Vance, if you were selected as the Vice President, and the two of you were on the debate stage together, come September?
Stay tuned for that answer from the governor. You're going to want to hear it, and more from our interview.
Plus, tonight, there's new fury from lawmakers, bipartisan fury, I should note, as there is scant new information, about the failures that led to that attempted assassination of Donald Trump, with these bipartisan calls for the head of the Secret Service to resign.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. LISA MCCLAIN (R-MI): How come you can't share the answers? What are you covering up? KIMBERLY CHEATLE, DIRECTOR, UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE: I'm not covering anything up.
MCCLAIN: Then why can't you answer a simple question?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[21:19:34]
COLLINS: You heard from the Kentucky governor, Andy Beshear. His criticism of J.D. Vance, his claims of roots in Appalachia.
More now from our interview.
How do you think you would fare against Senator Vance, if you were selected, as the Vice President, and the two of you were on the debate stage together, come September?
BESHEAR: I think any of the names that I'm hearing, and a lot of them are friends, would eat J.D. Vance's lunch every day, on a debate stage, leading up to November.
[21:20:00]
Listen, I'm not a name-caller. I believe in moving past a lot of the political rhetoric. But when you have profited off our people in Kentucky, when you have created a phony charity that you claim is going to help on opioids?
Listen, I sued more opioid companies, as Attorney General, than any other in the country. If I could have found more, I'd have sued them too, because I was so mad with what they did to our people.
Listen, we need folks that have substance. We need folks that are up for the job. And J.D. Vance certainly isn't and never will be.
COLLINS: Yes, and I know you tout that record on opioids. There were questions raised about a law firm that you previously worked for that represented Purdue Pharma.
But on the -- on another issue that obviously is going to be central to the 2024 campaign, abortion. This is something that I know is personal for you, too. I covered your reelection race. Your state has a law that does not have exceptions for rape or incest. Hadley Duvall was featured in one of those ads that was incredibly searing.
And Senator Vance, in the past, has previously signaled he only supported exceptions for abortions, when the life of the mother is at risk. When he was asked about rape or incest, he said, and I'm quoting him, "Two wrongs don't make a right."
BESHEAR: Yes.
COLLINS: What do you believe national Democrats need to learn from how you ran on this issue, in a red state, in your last election, in 2024, on a national level?
BESHEAR: Well in Kentucky, this is now not about being pro this or pro that. Because of Donald Trump and his appointments to the Supreme Court, that world is gone.
In Kentucky, what it means, right now, is we have one of the most draconian laws in the country, where even victims of rape and incest, or women with non-viable pregnancies have zero options at all.
Imagine, folks wanting to be parents that are learning that their child will die moments after it's born, that are then forced to listen to those final cries. It's cruel, and it's mean.
And then think about Hadley. Hadley, abused by her stepfather, starting when she was very young, pregnant at 12 or 13. And speaking out now, having the incredible courage, because other people in her spot, right now, in Kentucky, don't have options.
J.D. Vance is a 100 percent wrong. Fails the test of human decency and of empathy.
Listen, about 85 percent of Kentuckians believe there should be exceptions there. That makes J.D. Vance an extremist and dangerous.
But even moving past him, you know, folks, these are people that have been harmed, that have been violated, some of them children. And the world J.D. Vance wants, their rapists would have more rights than that victim. We should all be able to agree that that's wrong.
And this is just a clear step we ought to take in every single state. While I believe there should be much more access, in the very least, victims of rape and incest and non-viable pregnancies deserve options.
COLLINS: Governor Andy Beshear, if you are asked to submit vetting information, please keep us updated. Thanks so much for your time tonight.
BESHEAR: Thank you.
COLLINS: My political experts have been listening along with the rest of you. And of course, we are here looking at this.
Karen Finney. What do you make of what you just heard there? Do you think he'd be a good pick for Harris, if she's the nominee?
KAREN FINNEY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: A 100 percent. I think you saw this is part of why he is beloved in the Democratic Party. I mean, he illustrates how you can win anywhere, if you stand up for your values, and speak from the heart, which I heard him do in your interview.
COLLINS: Yes, and of course, because he's a Democrat in a red state--
FINNEY: Yes, that's right.
COLLINS: --which is basically unheard of. Obviously, his dad was governor. And so, he's got a household name there.
But in the sense of what he could contribute to the ticket, and appeal potentially to rural voters. That is going to be something they're looking for. What did Biden bring to the ticket that a Harris may need for her coalitions?
KRISTEN SOLTIS ANDERSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: It will feel a little strange if his primary message is to try to litigate J.D. Vance's biography. I feel like he probably needs a crisper message.
He would feel like a do-no-harm kind of pick. Sort of reminds me, in some ways, of Tim Kaine being chosen to be Hillary Clinton's running mate, where it's a pick that, you know, Virginia wasn't a state that they felt they really needed, in the same way that Kentucky is unlikely, to vote for a Democratic candidate. There are other options out there from swingier states that maybe more clear.
COLLINS: But he clearly seems to be doing what Vance did at the RNC, which is naming Michigan, Wisconsin, all the -- Pennsylvania, basically lumping them in with Ohio, where he's from. He clearly is trying to also make that appeal to those kinds of voters.
SOLTIS ANDERSON: For sure. But I think that on the Democratic side, again, he seems like a sort of do-no-harm candidate, not necessarily one that's going to add you a lot. But he may not cost you a lot either.
COLLINS: Yes. We have a lot to talk about, just beyond that.
SOLTIS ANDERSON: Yes.
COLLINS: Also, what we heard from Harris, and from President Biden tonight.
Also, we're getting brand-new information about who has been put in charge of vetting those potential running mates, for Vice President Harris. Stick with us. We'll be back after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[21:29:22]
COLLINS: Just in tonight. CNN has learned that the former Attorney General, Eric Holder, and his law firm, are going to handle the vetting, for people like who just heard from, Andy Beshear, potential running mates for Vice President Harris.
Holder of course was America's first Black Attorney General under former President Barack Obama.
And this comes as tonight, nearly 30,000 volunteers have signed up to help Harris' newly-formed presidential campaign. That is 100 times the daily norm, we are told.
All of this is coming as a new CBS poll that was conducted, over the last few days, finds that 83 percent of Democrats believe that President Biden did the right thing by ending his reelection bid. Almost 80 percent of Democrats believe that Vice President Harris is up to the task of beating Donald Trump, come November.
My political panel is back here with me.
[21:30:00]
And Simon, obviously, this has been a moment for Democrats that we have not seen, definitely, since the debate, but not even fully before then.
SIMON ROSENBERG, VETERAN DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: There is -- I think this has been very successful. I mean, people are fired up.
We've seen the volunteer numbers go up, the amount of money. Harris has received between commitments and actual fundraising, $250 million in a day and a half, right? It's kind of an extraordinary rallying of the family.
And I think we just didn't know what was going to happen. I mean, it's all happened very quickly. I think people are fired up. It feels successful. It feels like she's ready. I think the party is very unified, which we weren't, just a few days ago. And so, I think, we feel like we're ready to go win this thing. And I think people are going to work really hard.
COLLINS: Yes, the energy is clearly palpable, when you're listening to these calls, watching Harris speak, giving her first campaign speech, really at the campaign headquarters tonight.
ROSENBERG: Yes.
COLLINS: But I think there's also a question of, a lot has happened in last 24 hours, Kevin Madden. But is it this easy? Is all this? I mean, is it this smooth, to just switch presidential candidates because?
KEVIN MADDEN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Look, I mean, Kamala Harris found this out during her first announcement, in 2019, when she was running in 2020 (ph), her best day was the day she announced.
ROSENBERG: Yes.
MADDEN: She has this afterglow, right now.
There's a -- Simon's right. Like, there's a palpable sense of relief. The one thing that the party has been hindered with, over the last month, is just this lack of enthusiasm for Joe Biden. And all that has shifted.
I think the question now is have the atmospherics changed, or have the fundamentals changed?
The fundamentals of this race, I think, are still pretty set, right? We still have a lot of people that are worried about the direction of the -- of the country. They're worried about inflation. They're worried about the economy. And some of that is still on, you know, on the Kamala Harris campaign. That's going to be something she has to explain.
But for the very, these first 48 hours, enjoy it now. But the real campaign, the contrasts, the attacks from the Trump campaign, it's coming.
COLLINS: I mean, what does the polling tell us about a Donald Trump- Harris matchup? We haven't -- we've seen hypotheticals, over the last few weeks, as Democrats were--
SOLTIS ANDERSON: Yes.
COLLINS: --kind of depressed. But what does actual polling look like?
SOLTIS ANDERSON: So, the unsatisfying answer is, ask me again, in a week.
I had a survey that was in the field that came out of the field, like as Biden was announcing that he's stepping down. I thought, well, let's throw that in the trash.
It's, we'll know more in a week or two, because once she is no longer a hypothetical, once it is real, the range of outcomes is going to widen, right?
Trump and Biden, we had all of this insane stuff happen. And the results were still kind of trading in this pretty narrow band. Trump's ahead by two. Trump's ahead by three. Trump's ahead by five. But it wasn't huge movement.
Harris may introduce the opportunity for bigger movement, in either direction, which is why Democrats are feeling so excited, right now.
FINNEY: But can I also mention that she may also change the voters, who are available to Democrats. I mean, we have states where we will be able to register, and turn out voters, who otherwise were probably not as enthusiastic, who were -- I mean, who were going to be harder to convince that they should vote, let alone who to vote for. And so, we're looking at how those demographics are shifting.
And I just also want to say. There is real organic excitement. I was on a call, last night, that usually it's about 1,000 people, 500 people. 44,000 people got on. We raised $1.5 million in two hours.
COLLINS: Yes.
FINNEY: So, that's not -- you know, that's not the big donors. That's not the party leadership. Those are just regular men and women, who were excited. There was a group of Black men, who were doing a call, that night, 20,000 men got on. So, I think there is genuine excitement.
And I do think, but I will say, I think that's going to shore-up (ph) Black men for the former President, because I think men are going to want to have her back, because--
COLLINS: Well he had been improving with them. FINNEY: Yes.
COLLINS: And so, when you look at that, what are the other core groups they're looking at? What coalitions are you wondering, can she put together?
FINNEY: Young voters. Black voters. Brown voters. AAPI voters.
And I would also say women. I mean, look, Kevin was talking about are the fundamentals shifting? I would argue that the issue landscape hasn't shifted. I think we agree on that.
MADDEN: Yes.
FINNEY: But I think -- so, if you live in a state like Governor Beshear was just talking about, where you're worried about a national abortion ban, or you're worried about access to abortion, or IVF, or contraception? That doesn't change. And she is the person who's delivering on that.
If you believe in comprehensive immigration reform? You still saw the Republicans walk away. You still, at least from our polling, want a humane solution, as much as you want order at the border. That's going to be -- continue to be part of what she's talking about.
So, again, I think, we're going to see -- I completely agree with Kristen. I think it's going to take a couple weeks, for it to -- people to really absorb this, and for things to shake out.
COLLINS: Yes, well, we could have a VP pick by then. I mean, does the Vice President matter in this situation, when it comes to what that ticket looks like, what kind of voters they're bringing in?
[21:35:00]
ROSENBERG: Yes, it does, because I think it's going to be the first big leadership act in this new play with Kamala Harris, right? I mean, we -- people need to know more about her. She's got to tell a story, her story, what she's, how she's going to be different from Joe Biden. And I think the first opportunity she's going to have is by the pick that she makes for VP.
Look, I think Republicans should be a little bit worried, right now. I mean, as you pointed out, the polling was sort of static, right? We saw a polling, today, showing Harris to -- the polls that have been done after the pick happened, where I think we felt good about.
But they just had a convention. They had their VP pick.
We haven't had now our VP pick. We haven't had our convention. And if this is a close competitive race, the things that are about to happen for us could be potentially hugely, on the upside, right, to help give us a lift in--
COLLINS: Yes.
ROSENBERG: --in what is going to be a very competitive look.
COLLINS: Well, and she did kind of give a preview of how she'll attack Donald Trump. I mean, it was kind of prosecutor versus prosecuted, which is what--
ROSENBERG: Yes.
COLLINS: --Van Jones said, last night. She laid that out at the campaign headquarters, tonight.
But as far as a platform, I mean, what does that look like? Is it -- is it what we've seen from President Biden? Does she expand that and change that? What does that look like this late in the race?
MADDEN: Well, yes, that's going to be one of the challenges. I mean, the biggest challenge now is that usually campaigns are built over about a year and a half, with a couple billion dollars. And so, now they're trying to build this in the space of three months, a 110 days to Election Day.
So, the other challenge that you have is that you still have the Biden administration record, and still have the Biden administration agenda, which is still being managed today. And she's going to have to answer for all of that.
So, I expect that's what the Trump campaign is going to do immediately, is try to put that frame around her, the same way they were trying to put it around Joe Biden.
COLLINS: Well, he's also attacking her. Earlier tonight, I was looking at his Truth Social. He called her, "Dumb as a Rock," "Horrible," "Incompetent."
MADDEN: Whatever.
COLLINS: There is a real question of how he goes up against, if it is her, as the formal nominee, what that looks like.
SOLTIS ANDERSON: Yes, in some sense, I feel like we've spent the last eight, nine years saying like, oh, Donald Trump said this horrible thing, this will be the thing that makes him lose, right? And it's not always the case that it is.
But I do think that Republicans have this image of Kamala Harris that comes from watching clips of her saying awkward things, or hearings on conservative media, about how she had been named to be Biden's point- person for the border.
And so, Republicans, I think, overestimate the extent to which they're going to make the rest of America see Kamala Harris, through their own eyes, and it puts them up for risk of really overreaching on some of this.
FINNEY: And I think the ugly comments -- and they're not going to -- Donald Trump is not going to be able to help himself. We saw it from J.D. Vance, today. It was pretty disgusting the way he went after her. Granted, not that many people were watching. But as more people tune in, and see that, I don't think they're going to like that, and it will remind them what they didn't like about Trump, all along.
COLLINS: Yes.
Amazing to see how much the race has shifted.
ROSENBERG: Yes.
COLLINS: And what those new attack lines look like.
All right. Thanks, everyone.
Up next, we're going to have someone who just spoke with Vice President Harris, as this race is entering a very brand-new phase. He actually replaced Harris, in the Senate. That interview, after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[21:42:05]
COLLINS: Vice President Harris starting a whirlwind day, on the South Lawn of the White House, as she stepped in, while Biden was still recovering from COVID, to celebrate champion NCAA athletes and coaches.
Those were her first public remarks, since President Biden exited the race yesterday, and ignited a very frenetic push, inside his party, for her especially, to consolidate support for that nomination.
Sources tell us tonight that she was wearing a Howard University hoodie, her alma mater, with workout sweats and pair of sneakers, yesterday, as she made more than a 100 phone calls, and about 10 hours with her family and her staff there with her, plus, having her favorite, an anchovy pizza.
She also had a phone call with my next guest. That is the California senator, Alex Padilla, who has known Vice President Harris, for decades, starting way back when he served on the L.A. City Council, when she was an Assistant D.A. in San Francisco, in the early 2000s. So, someone who is well-versed to talk about her.
And Senator, I know you spoke with the Vice President, yesterday. What can you tell us just about what she said about how these 24 hours have been for her?
SEN. ALEX PADILLA (D-CA): Sure. Well, good to be with you, Kaitlan. And a good job on the homework of how -- just how far back I go with Vice President Kamala Harris, our soon-to-be Democratic nominee.
We connected yesterday, because there was a couple phone calls that went back-and-forth. Look, I can tell she was excited. I can tell she was focused, and really putting in the work, to pay respect to members of Congress on the Hill, to Democratic delegates, and both elected leaders, community leaders, labor leaders, across the country. And it's not a surprise to me knowing her as well as I do.
But you see the results of the number of endorsements, the record level of grassroots fundraising, that's an indicator of the excitement and momentum in the base, the amount of support that is just coming out of the woodwork, including, here's some breaking news for you, the California Democratic Party has officially endorsed our own Kamala Harris, to be the Democratic nominee. And we'll formalize it at the convention in Chicago.
But to your question. How did she sound on the phone? Hey, friend. How are we doing? We've got a lot of work to do. And very focused, very committed, because you know the stakes of the election, this November.
COLLINS: Yes, I can only imagine. Everyone else's heads were spinning. Just imagine how hers was.
When you mentioned all the endorsements that she's getting, including from fellow Democrats on Capitol Hill. We had heard from "Politico," last week, in a report that in a meeting with California Democrats, the former House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, stressed this need for an open process, should Biden step down, to choose the next nominee.
But given how quickly your party has coalesced around her tonight, are you surprised that more Democrats didn't throw their hat in the ring here?
[21:45:00]
PADILLA: Look, I'm not surprised for a couple of reasons. Number one, the strength of Vice President Harris herself, her record not just as Vice President, these last three and a half years of historic, truly historic accomplishments for the Biden-Harris administration, but her career of service.
Once upon a time, Attorney General of California. Once upon a time, District Attorney in San Francisco. Once upon a time, a member of the United States Senate. When she was elevated to the vice presidency, after the election, four years ago, I was fortunate enough to fill her Chuck Taylors, as I used to say, when I was in my transition. So, I think she's earned it.
But we also respect the voters through the primary season.
COLLINS: Yes.
PADILLA: More than 14 million voters voted in Democratic primaries, for the Biden-Harris ticket.
And that's why you have a running mate. That's why we have a Vice President, because if something happens to the top of the ticket, or to the President of the United States, there's somebody ready to step in--
COLLINS: Yes.
PADILLA: --at a moment's notice. COLLINS: Well--
PADILLA: History has called. And Vice President Harris is up for it.
COLLINS: But I'm curious given that. I mean, this is a whole new level of scrutiny for her, not that she hasn't faced it in the last few years, or when she was running.
But I want you to listen to something that the Republican congressman from Tennessee, Tim Burchett, said about the Vice President today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. TIM BURCHETT (R-TN): Biden said, first off, he said he's going to hire a Black female for Vice President, and that not -- you know, he just skipped over. What about -- what about White females? What about any other group? Just when you go down that route, you take mediocrity, and that's what they have right now, as a Vice President.
MANU RAJU, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So, are you suggesting she's a -- she was a DEI hire?
BURCHETT: 100 percent she was a DEI hire.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Well, one, she was elected. And two, he said he would pick a woman. I don't believe he said anything about race or ethnicity. And of course, she is as qualified as Barack Obama was, when he was elected.
But when you see those kind of attacks, I wonder, do you think she is prepared to handle the kind of attacks, like that that are going to come her way?
PADILLA: So first, Kaitlan, let's call that, what you just played, for what it is. That's either ignorance at best, or a dog whistle at worst. And sadly, it is a sign of things to come, over the course of the next 106 days of the campaign.
Do I think Vice President Harris is up for it? Yes. And it's because of the sad truth of her having to overcome that kind of -- I'll watch my words here. Throughout her life. Becoming Attorney General of the State of California, was that easy for a Black woman from San Francisco? But she overcame rhetoric, back then. She overcame some prejudice, political prejudice, back then.
And I know, once she elected, she did a hell of a job. She made history in her election to the Senate. She made history in her election to the vice presidency. And so, she's overcome that kind of rhetoric, that kind of hate, frankly, and she's continued to excel in every position that she's held. And she's going to be a great president as well.
COLLINS: Senator Alex Padilla, thank you for your time tonight.
PADILLA: Thank you.
COLLINS: Up next, lawmakers today, on both sides of the aisle, were grilling the Director of the Secret Service, over that assassination attempt of Donald Trump, getting very few answers, I should note, as now there are growing calls for her resignation, including from the top Democrat on that committee, who is going to be my next source.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[21:52:38]
COLLINS: After grilling the Secret Service Director, about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, a growing number of lawmakers, tonight, are calling on her to resign, after two grueling hours left them with almost no new information tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): It has been 10 days since an assassination attempt on a former President of the United States. Regardless of party, there need to be answers.
CHEATLE: I want to answer questions. But I also wanted to be cautious.
REP. JIM JORDAN (R-OH): You might want to. But you haven't answered, I don't think, you've answered one question.
REP. MICHAEL CLOUD (R-TX): You're in charge of the investigation of your own failure. So, how is anybody in America supposed to be able to trust the results of that investigation as being anything transparent and genuine?
REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA): If you have an assassination attempt on a President, a former President, or a candidate, you need to resign.
REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): You are a failure at your job.
REP. JAMIE RASKIN (D-MD): This relationship is irretrievable at this point.
REP. NANCY MACE (R-SC): You're full of shit today. You're just being completely dishonest.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: I should note, the top Republican and Democrat on that committee are out with a joint letter, tonight, calling on Kimberly Cheatle, to step down, as the head of the Secret Service, saying that she failed to provide answers to basic questions.
My source tonight is the Democratic leader, who signed that rare bipartisan letter, Congressman Jamie Raskin, the Ranking Member of the House Oversight and Accountability committee.
And great to have you here.
You want her to resign. If she doesn't, do you want President Biden to fire her?
RASKIN: Oh, gee, I don't think it's going to take that. I mean, I think she's burned her bridges to Congress, because she couldn't answer and -- or wouldn't answer the most basic questions that are on the minds of all Americans.
How did this shooter get up on that roof, 150 yards away, from the presidential podium? Why did the Secret Service, or local and state police not respond, when there were very clearly rallygoers, who are pointing and yelling at the guy up on the roof, saying, look what's happening there.
And she came to our committee, and there was bipartisan shock that she could not answer, or refused to answer the most basic questions. And so, by the end of the hearing, everybody said, on a bipartisan basis, I'm not sure every member, but everybody who spoke about it, said you've got to go, you've got to resign because--
COLLINS: Yes. Does it give you more or less confidence in the Secret Service, after what you witnessed today, and the lack of answers?
[21:55:00]
RASKIN: Well we're in the middle of a presidential election, in a very tightly-contested presidential election, with a lot riding on it. We need absolute protection, and security, for our presidential candidates, for our vice-presidential candidates. And we need to know that the Secret Service is on the case.
And I got to say. My reaction leaving that room today was there was a lot more secret, and a lot less service going on. And everything is cloaked in a lot of just bureaucratic darkness and mystery. And there wasn't a sense that they needed to serve the people of the country, and the Congress, in terms of giving us answers.
It was a very serious episode, when there was an attempted assassination, and a mass shooting--
COLLINS: Yes.
RASKIN: --that took place in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July the 13th.
And we really should have had the opportunity to talk about the larger problem of mass gun violence in America, of these mass shootings. It was not even the only mass shooting in America, on July 13th. There was even a worse one that took place in Birmingham, Alabama, where four people were killed, and 10 people were wounded.
COLLINS: Yes. I heard -- and I heard Democrats on that committee talking about that today. Obviously, it's an important issue as well.
Congressman, I do want you to stand by though, because we do have some breaking news that we are getting in, as of this moment.
And that breaking news is that CNN has determined that Vice President Kamala Harris now has the support of enough delegates to win the Democratic nomination for president. That magic number is 1,976 delegates. And Harris has just crossed that threshold amid a wave of endorsements from state delegations, tonight. That is, according to CNN's delegate estimate.
And, Congressman, obviously, this is notable because there was a question there, if there would be an open primary, or a contested kind of contest that somebody's been throwing around. What's your reaction to this news tonight?
RASKIN: Well, it's great news.
And yes, of course, the Republicans were saying all along, the Democrats are going to be so divided, they will never arrive at a conclusion, it will be just like their contest for Speaker of the House, where the House of Representatives shut down for more than a week, and there were 15 ballots.
Nothing like it. We have a fantastic candidate in Kamala Harris. Many of us endorsed her within minutes, or within an hour, of her being -- announcing her candidacy, after President Biden made his decision.
But look, this has been an electrifying 24 hours, in our party. Joe Biden is a hero, and he's a patriot, and he's a great leader, and he's still the heart and soul of our party.
And now, we have Kamala Harris, who's been a fantastic vice president, going out, as the career prosecutor she was, to bring the case for democracy and freedom and progress against a convicted felon, and twice-impeached former President, who is an adjudicated sexual assailant, and somebody who tried to overthrow our constitutional order.
So, it's a magnificent matchup, which is why you have record donations, record volunteerism, record participation and exuberance, right now. It's had an electrifying effect on our party.
COLLINS: Well what does that campaign look like, with her running against Donald Trump, someone who has been formidable in the past with Hillary Clinton? Obviously, he lost to President Biden. If you, as an observer of Trump's, and you were here in Washington when he was in office, what do you think the next four months should look like?
RASKIN: Well, first of all, Trump lost to Hillary in the popular vote. He did eke out an Electoral College victory.
COLLINS: Yes, he won in the Electoral College.
RASKIN: And then, Joe Biden beat him by more than 7 million votes in 2020.
And they underperformed in 2022. It was a disaster for them in 2018. I mean, Donald Trump is a losing political candidate. They got nothing going on. And now, he's chosen J.D. Vance, who's just like a MAGA Mini-Me, for Donald Trump.
They had the opportunity to try to expand their coalition, perhaps, to go after Hispanic Americans, with Marco Rubio as a pick. They decided not to do that. There were--
COLLINS: Who do you think Harris should choose?
RASKIN: Well, I know that there's a methodical process going on. We've got nothing but an amazing bench of Democratic political leaders, across the country. Some great--
COLLINS: Yes, but any names you like?
RASKIN: Well there're some great governors in some swing states, like Gretchen Whitmer, who I think is amazing. Like Josh Shapiro, who would be a very formidable candidate. Mark Kelly from Arizona hits another swing state. So, I think that's a kind of first tier.
But there are great candidates all over the country, who could bring different kinds of chemistry to the ticket. And--
COLLINS: Have you spoken to Biden or Harris, since yesterday?
[22:00:00]
RASKIN: Not since yesterday. No, I have not. I've sent messages of support and enthusiasm and encouragement. And I'm so proud of both of them. I mean, Joe Biden has modeled what real leadership is about. Real leadership makes space for other leaders.
And now, the Republicans have been talking about age, and infirmity--
COLLINS: Yes.
RASKIN: --and derangement for three years. And now, all the burden of that stuff is on them. And the people are looking at Donald Trump, at this point.
COLLINS: Congressman Raskin, thank you for joining us, on one set of news from today, but also the breaking news, tonight. Appreciate your time.
RASKIN: You bet, Kaitlan.
COLLINS: And thank you all so much for joining us, on this very busy hour, in Washington.
"CNN NEWSNIGHT WITH ABBY PHILLIP" starts now.
