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The Source with Kaitlan Collins
Trump Abruptly Reverses Position On Abortion Ban In FL; Gwen Walz Slams Trump For Overturning Roe, Putting "IVF At Risk"; J.D. Vance Posts 2007 Viral Video In Attempt To Mock Harris. Aired 9-10p ET
Aired August 30, 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]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I will guarantee that those are going to be the first judges that I put up for nomination, if I win.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That tells me that yes, I can trust you with my vote because on the issues that matter most to me. I can tell that these people are going to hopefully rule, as we would want them to.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST, ANDERSON COOPER 360: Again, both hour-long episodes of "THE WHOLE STORY WITH ANDERSON COOPER" air Monday, on Labor Day, starting at 08:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
And the news continues. "THE SOURCE" starts now.
PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST, THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS: Straight from THE SOURCE tonight.
Donald Trump doing damage control, as he is slammed, not only from the left, but also by some on the right, over his shifting positions on abortion and IVF. He has been all over the map, in just the last 24 hours.
Also, as Kamala Harris refused to distance herself too much from President Biden's positions, in that CNN exclusive interview, the sitting VP is now seen by voters as just as much of a change candidate as her opponent. We're going to go inside those surprising numbers.
And a former Miss Teen USA contestant now firing back, at Trump running mate, J.D. Vance, who is refusing to apologize, for using an embarrassing old clip of her, a clip you probably remember, to mock his opponent. It's a moment that once made that pageant contestant contemplate suicide.
I'm Pamela Brown, in for Kaitlan Collins. And this is THE SOURCE.
Right now, on a busy Friday night, Donald Trump is addressing the conservative Moms for Liberty group, in Washington, D.C. And, of course, we are monitoring every word.
But we know he has one thing in particular on his mind. CNN's interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. He was clearly watching that first in-depth sit-down with Harris, and her running mate, Governor Tim Walz, last night, and wanted to know if his supporters watched as well, at a rally, just a short time ago, in Pennsylvania.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Did you see her, last night?
Think she's going to be able to handle President Xi? I don't know. I don't think so. China? North Korea? Russia? I don't know.
This is going to be the President of our country? I don't think so. Sitting propped up in a desk with this guy, this -- this Tampon Tim -- Tampon.
(CHEERING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: And he also took aim at Harris, for changing some of her policy positions, on the same day that he flip-flopped, again, on reproductive rights.
Trump, who has often bragged about overturning Roe v. Wade, stunned many in his base, yesterday, when he said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Well, I think the six-week is too short. There has to be more time. And so, that's -- and I've told them that I want more weeks.
DASHA BURNS, CORRESPONDENT, NBC NEWS: So you'll vote in favor of the amendment?
TRUMP: I'm voting that -- I am going to be voting that we need more than six weeks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: The former President there is referring to Florida's current six-week ban.
But then, today, some apparent damage control. Now, he says he'll effectively vote to uphold that ban, because voting yes, on the ballot question, would restore abortion rights to viability, which was the standard under Roe.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: You need more time than six weeks. I've disagreed with that right from the early primaries. When I heard about it, I disagreed with it. At the same time, the Democrats are radical, because the nine months is just a ridiculous situation, that where you can do an abortion in the ninth month. And you know, some of the states, like Minnesota and other states, have it where you can actually execute the baby after birth. And all of that stuff is unacceptable. So, I'll be voting no, for that reason.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: No state permits the execution of babies after birth.
Vice President Harris is now slamming him for saying that he'll vote to uphold an abortion ban, quote, so extreme that it applies before many women even know they are pregnant. And the VP says, "The choice in this election is clear."
So, could issues like this hurt Donald Trump with women? According to him, there's nothing to see here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Somebody said, women don't like Donald Trump. I said, I think that's wrong. I think they love me.
(CHEERING)
TRUMP: I love them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: My Republican source, tonight, New York congressman, Marc Molinaro.
Congressman, thanks for coming on.
So, there is no question you are paying attention to the presidential campaign, and how it affects your own campaign, I imagine. Do you know, standing there, right now, what Donald Trump's position on abortion is? Can you definitively say what it is?
REP. MARC MOLINARO (R-NY): President Trump made clear, certainly to all of us, and has said that he would oppose a national ban, and he embraces IVF.
And I'll just tell you, as a New York Republican, and as someone, who spends a lot of time, listening to the people I represent, I personally respect the choices women have to make.
[21:05:00]
And I've said this consistently, and believe it. As it relates to reproductive health, the decision ought to be left to a woman, and her physician, and Washington, D.C. shouldn't get in the way. It's actually one of the reasons I have worked to block a national ban. I've kept my word, to ensure that that wouldn't move forward. And I was the first Republican, to join with Democrats, in sponsoring legislation to, both, codify access to IVF, and to protect access to birth control, and Mifepristone.
BROWN: Right. So, let's dive a little bit deeper into that. Because Donald Trump is, of course, at the top of the presidential ticket. And now, he just shifted his abortion stance, in the last 24 hours, now saying that he's going to vote no, for this Florida amendment, which effectively means he supports the six-week abortion ban.
And I'm wondering, does his stance on abortion, and the shifts and so forth, does it complicate your efforts for reelection? You're obviously in a swing district, right there, one that Biden had won before, you won it now as a Republican. And it's a tight -- it's a tight race.
MOLINARO: That is a specific state ballot initiative.
What I think the voters, across America, and certainly the ones that I represent, care deeply about is in Congress, will members like me uphold our commitment, both, to block a national ban, which I have and will, and to respect women and the choice they make.
It's actually, by the way, one of the reasons that I continue to lead, on access to prenatal and neonatal care, access to health care. And that's, by the way, a broad question that we ought to be talking about.
There are far too many individuals, in rural communities, like the ones I represent, that don't have access to health care. I want to be sure that we're partnering to ensure that people do both behavioral health and physical health.
And so, for me, nothing is -- it doesn't complicate for me, what is my commitment. And that is to continue to listen to and learn from the people I represent, uphold my commitment, to continue to make clear, I would not support a national ban, and to respect women.
And by the way, the choice that they make, we ought to be very respectful. The same time, those who choose IVF bring life in the world. They too, must be respected and the heartache that comes with it.
And so, I just think it's very important for those of us in Congress, to reflect the interests of the people we represent, and speak clearly with them, and uphold the commitment we've made, which I have.
BROWN: You say, speak clearly with them.
Again, Donald Trump, for his part, shifted, just in the last 24 hours. And there's this new Fox News poll out, this week, and it shows Harris with an 11-point lead over Trump, among women, in those key Sun Belt swing states.
And yet, you have these abortion stances just in the last 48 hours. He reposted this disgusting sexual reference about VP Harris, and his running mate, obviously has a lot of thoughts about single women, the cat lady comments you've heard about.
Are you concerned that Trump could lose this election by alienating some of these critical female voters?
MOLINARO: Well, again, I think we ought to respect women, and we ought to be ensuring that every voice is heard.
What is equally troubling for me is that the Vice President, after serving with President Biden, we know for months, by the way, keeping from the public what we knew was happening, President Biden unable to serve another term, this decline. Covered that up.
Vice President Harris, leading the efforts to--
BROWN: She denies that. But go ahead.
MOLINARO: Well, I understand that she denies it. In fact, we saw on stage, during that debate, what many Democrats and members like me knew. President Biden was on the decline, and unable to serve another four years.
She oversaw the dismantling of border security, allowing 11.5 million illegal immigrants in this country.
And quite frankly, I've done more interviews today than the Vice President has in the last 30 days. Americans deserve a robust debate.
And if they don't like what they're hearing from President Trump, I can't imagine what they -- what they have learned from Vice President Harris. She has been consistently hiding. By the way, it seems to be the Democrat mantra, these days.
BROWN: All right.
MOLINARO: I'm running against the Washington D.C. lawyer, who won't even -- won't even answer questions of the media.
We have to be open and honest and leave to the voters, I think, through our transparency and directness, what they think is best.
But she's avoided all scrutiny. And for that, by the way--
BROWN: Well, she--
MOLINARO: --ought to be in the party (ph).
BROWN: She did speak to CNN, in this exclusive interview, last night, that you mentioned.
And I do want to take a little bit of that, some sound from that, about these issues that you just mentioned. Let's listen.
MOLINARO: You bet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S., (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald Trump got word of this bill that would have contributed to securing our border. And because he believes that it would not have helped him, politically, he told his folks in Congress, Don't put it forward. He killed the bill.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: So Congressman, back in April, you voted for this bill. Did Donald Trump hand her a gift by telling Republicans to kill the bill, which did happen?
MOLINARO: This -- I mean, I take issue with the entire context.
[21:10:00]
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris come into office using, by the way, the legal arguments my opponent, Josh Riley made, before the Supreme Court, dismantle through executive action, border security in this country, allow, over the course of a year and a half, 11.5 million individuals come into this country, illegally, allow states, like New York, to continue and embrace sanctuary city status.
And, by the way, then transport, the federal government, this President, transporting illegal immigrants, all across the country, into cities and communities, by the way, like mine. A Peruvian gang leader, 23 murders, placed in a village in Upstate New York. She allowed this to happen.
BROWN: But then -- but--
MOLINARO: And by the way, but after all that, a year and a half -- let me -- let me finish--
BROWN: --but she's arguing then the bill--
MOLINARO: Let me finish. After a year and a half, and a 11.5 million people led into this country, President Biden, and Vice President Harris, didn't pick up the phone to negotiate at all.
The House adopted border security. We're committed to it. They wait till the crisis comes by, and adopts a half measure. They want us to adopt something that codifies the problem instead of solving it. He didn't hand anybody an easy argument. The Vice President allowed for--
BROWN: Then why did you vote for the bill, if you think it doesn't--
MOLINARO: --an open border (ph)--
BROWN: You vote -- you were supportive of that bill, right?
MOLINARO: No. The House we represent--
BROWN: This bill that she says would have helped.
MOLINARO: The House we represent-- BROWN: Would help solve the--
MOLINARO: No, the House--
BROWN: --would have helped solve the problem. Go ahead.
MOLINARO: No, that provision, that bill that they were negotiating in the Senate, one, was never negotiated with the House, didn't come to a vote in House.
We voted for the strictest border security in generations, a year and a half ago. And President Biden should have negotiated with us, then. Instead, they allowed for the dismantling of border security, the surrender of our southern border, 11.5 million illegal immigrants into this country. And then, a year and a half later, they want to have a conversation? I mean, come on.
They should have been negotiated. They should have upheld Remain in Mexico. They should have upheld border security, then. We wouldn't have the crisis of their making, now.
BROWN: What about the changes in asylum that is now causing the numbers to plummet? Are you satisfied with that?
MOLINARO: Again, this President, and Kamala Harris, surrendered the southern border to drug cartels. And just, I mean, it's a clear indication. So their action, their executive action, only months ago, should have been taken a year and a half ago, when they allowed 11.5 million illegal immigrants into this country.
And I will say, as a representative of Upstate New York, to have a Peruvian gang leader, 23 murders, arrested at the border and then released, catch and release, the legal argument my opponent made before the Supreme Court, threatening, ultimately, the lives of people in Upstate New York? No, they should be ashamed of what they did, and instead, should have come to the table immediately to negotiate.
And today, there ought to be -- absolutely, the President ought to ensure that he uses executive action--
BROWN: All right.
MOLINARO: --to keep the damn border closed. He left it open for a year and a half.
BROWN: All right. Congressman Marc Molinaro, thank you very much for coming on the show.
MOLINARO: You bet. Thanks. Be well.
BROWN: And my Democratic source, tonight, California congresswoman, Katie Porter.
Let's get your reaction, first, of what we just heard from Congressman Molinaro. REP. KATIE PORTER (D-CA): Well, I think what Congressman Molinaro is doing is trying to have it both ways, both defend his own seat, at the same time, try to distance himself from his leader, Donald Trump's policies, which are policies that most Americans don't want.
Look, I think the biggest problem with Donald Trump, and it's not one that Republicans down-ballot are going to be able to run from, is that Donald Trump is simply being deceitful. Deceitful Donald. The remarks that he makes, for example, about abortion, are simply untrue. And I think that what Americans are looking for is an end to that kind of chaos, and to have a thoughtful leader.
America has got a lot of opinions about a lot of different issues, whether it's immigration, or it's abortion. But you can't have any meaningful discussion, with someone, who's simply being deceitful.
And so, Deceitful Donald here is going to be a losing ticket, for Republicans, down-ballot. And I think you hear the Congressman struggling with that.
BROWN: Let me ask you about, as we're talking about Donald Trump and his views, he is now promising to make IVF free. It's, of course, not clear where that money is going to come from. But is Trump's promise on IVF something Harris should adopt?
PORTER: Well, look, I think Kamala Harris has made very clear, again and again, that she wants women to have health care and health care choices. So, I do think that she should be supporting, as she always has, throughout her career, access to health care for women, and that includes reproductive health care--
BROWN: Right. But this--
PORTER: --whether that's birth control--
BROWN: And free IVF?
PORTER: --or IVF.
BROWN: So, you think she should adopt that, the free IVF that Donald Trump--
PORTER: Well--
BROWN: --is now proposing?
PORTER: Look, IVF is a medical procedure. So, I think it ought to be covered by health insurance in the same -- and I think we need to have stronger health insurance. Lots of kinds of health care are covered without deductible, including things like immunizations and primary care. And so, I think that's absolutely something she ought to be considering.
[21:15:00]
The difference between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are two things. One, Kamala Harris will have a plan to pay for this, and to implement it thoughtfully. Because it won't just be a hollow promise and an empty talking point.
No American should take Donald Trump seriously in his comments about IVF or abortion. Why? Because he's been all over the place. So, he said he's against it, he's for it, he's for this, he's for that. You can't trust him.
Whereas Kamala Harris has made very, very clear that we can trust her to let women and health care providers, and families, make their own decision without government interference.
BROWN: All right. I want to talk to you about her economic plan, because when Harris spoke to CNN, yesterday, about her economic policies, this is what she laid out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: My agenda includes what we need to do to bring down the price of groceries. For example, dealing with an issue like price gouging.
What we need to do to extend the Child Tax Credit to help young families be able to take care of their children in their most formative years. What we need to do to bring down the cost of housing. My proposal includes what would be a tax credit of $25,000 for first- time home buyers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: And we should note, Congress would need to approve the home buyers downpayment support. And economists largely agree that price gouging is not a primary factor with higher grocery prices.
Are you concerned at all that she's over-promising on something that she won't be able to deliver on, if she wins?
PORTER: Kamala Harris has already delivered, with Joe Biden, on a number of those issues. The Child Tax Credit has to be passed through Congress, and it was a big, big hit with American families, with all families, helping reduce child poverty, and makes our next generation workforce even stronger.
She understands what Americans are concerned about. They are concerned about being able to afford food, being able to take care of their children, being able to buy a house. So there -- she's centering her campaign on the very real concerns of Americans.
What are we getting from Donald Trump? Name-calling. And so, I think that's a very, very clear difference.
I do think that there is a need to address corporate price gouging. It comes because of monopolies. And there have been studies that show the fewer producers you have, the more monopoly power that company has, the more likely they are to price gouge, to overcharge and not to have competition. So, competition is a core part of capitalism. And so, when she says stopping price gouging, what she's talking about is making sure that we have a fair economy. And that's something that benefits every American.
BROWN: All right. Congresswoman Katie Porter, thank you so much, for your time.
PORTER: Thank you.
BROWN: Well, tonight, Trump also said Harris will probably call him a racist, at the debate. Hear that clip, and our analysis of what else might happen, a 11 days from now.
Plus, we're going inside the numbers. What you need to know about the latest polling, and who voters view most as a change candidate.
[21:20:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Well, Donald Trump has a new prediction for his first-ever interaction with Vice President Harris, at their debate, just a 11 days from now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: She'll probably call me a racist on -- in a week from now, week and a half. I look forward to that debate very much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: We're looking forward to that debate too.
My political sources, tonight.
Former communications director for Vice President Harris, Ashley Etienne.
And Republican strategist, Brad Todd.
Great to see you here.
All right. So Ashley. That sound that we just heard from Donald Trump. Is he projecting what he wants to happen? Do you think he wants Kamala Harris to call him a racist?
ASHLEY ETIENNE, FORMER COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR VP HARRIS: I really don't spend much time thinking about what Donald Trump wants. I mean, honestly, sorry. Maybe it's too late at night, I shouldn't say that. But--
BROWN: You could say (ph).
ETIENNE: Right, exactly.
But here's what I think this strategy is going to be, from the Harris campaign's perspective. And that is to let Trump be Trump.
I think what she's going to try to do is do what Democrats don't typically do. And that is, she's going to defend her own record, lean into it, and hold him accountable to his.
Secondly, what I think she's going to try to do is needle him a little bit, strategically, needle him, to get underneath his skin. Because there's nothing, in my experience, having worked in with Speaker Pelosi, there's nothing that gets under Donald Trump's skin more than a woman challenging him.
And so, I think she's going to do that, and hold him accountable, to his record, and also lean into hers, and needle him as much as she can, and try to unravel him. And I think to put himself and, you know, put Donald Trump on full display, so I think that's going to be the strategy.
BROWN: What do you think, Brad?
BRAD TODD, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: I think it's time for him to get serious. We are heading into the fall. Labor Day marks the start of the campaign. And it's time for him to lock in on ideology. Sometimes he, in rallies, he likes to play to the crowd, try to get a rise out of the crowd. It's time to stop that.
She's the most liberal person, to run for president, on a major party ticket in history, American history. He has to make that ideological case. Ideology is not his favorite mode of attack. But it's what he has to do. If he does it, he's going to win.
ETIENNE: I mean, I think he -- you're absolutely right. I mean, it's -- he's not a policy guy. That's not what he does best. He bloviates, spews hatred, sexism, racism, all of those things.
And so, I think that's what she's going to do. She's going to allow him to be himself. And by doing that, it's going to remind people of what they dislike most about Donald Trump, why they don't want to support him, which is why you've seen him stall out in the -- in the polls, which is why he can't get over 47 percent, 48 percent, which is why he has no path for growth.
I mean, I think you're absolutely right. If he would stick to the policies, if he would actually be disciplined, maybe he could create some room to grow his base. But the reality is that's not who he is.
TODD: Well--
[21:25:00]
ETIENNE: He never has been that person.
TODD: He was disciplined from January to June. And we're in a wrong- track country, where the incumbent administration is very unpopular.
ETIENNE: Well it was easy to be disciplined against Joe Biden. I mean, he only had one line, to use against him, which was his age. Now, he's no longer in. And they're completely flailing around, trying to land a punch on Kamala Harris. And they haven't seemed to be able to do that.
BROWN: Well, I want to ask about abortion, I mean, for one, right? We saw Donald Trump change his stance, on abortion, in the last 24 hours.
I mean, as you sit here, right now, Brad, you say he needs to be disciplined on ideology. We really -- he needs to focus. Did you see that from him on abortion? Can you say definitively what his stance is right now?
TODD: I think he doesn't want to lose the election on abortion. I think that's his stance. And it has a lot of conservatives nervous about it as well.
He prefers to run on other issues, on security issues, and economic issues. He probably should go back to issues, where he's comfortable, instead of wondering he's going to have a different position every day.
Americans are upset about where the economy is. They're upset about what's happening at the border. Those are two issues where he has an advantage. And a big part of campaigning is keeping the debate on subjects where you have an advantage. That's what he needs to do.
ETIENNE: Yes, and, I think, in this case -- I mean, sorry to interrupt. But I don't think -- I mean, I don't think Donald Trump has an advantage on either of those issues.
If you look at the border. The border crossings are down 40 percent, lower than they were when Donald Trump was president.
You look at the economy. Inflation is down. Unemployment is down. Wages are up. This is the strongest, according to The Wall Street Journal, this is the strongest economy, the envy of the world.
So, those two -- two issues aren't working to his advantage, which is why he's not leaning into them anymore. Which is why now he's trying to shift to abortion, to try to pick up some of these suburban women.
But the reality is, like, women aren't fools. They're not foolish. This is a president, a former President, who bragged about reversing Roe. He bragged about the fact that he was found liable for sexual assault against a woman. He's got a running mate, who denigrates women, and says that if you don't have any children, you mean less in our American democracy. I mean, women are not going to be fooled by this.
But so to just -- respectfully, he has no sort of -- no issue that will land a punch on Vice President Harris--
BROWN: Well and the polls show--
ETIENNE: --and that will grow his base of support.
BROWN: And the polls show that Kamala Harris is doing much better than he is--
ETIENNE: Certainly.
BROWN: --when it comes to female voters.
But I want to play some sound from her, from last night, that really stuck out to me when Dana Bash asked her about a comment that Donald Trump made about her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: He suggested that you happened to turn Black recently for political purposes, questioning a core part of your identity.
HARRIS: Yes.
BASH: Any--
HARRIS: Same old, tired playbook. Next question, please.
(LAUGHTER)
GOV. TIM WALZ (D-MN), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Yes.
BASH: That's it?
HARRIS: That's it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: What do you think about that strategy, not to engage?
ETIENNE: Oh, no, I think it was absolutely smart, and it's brilliant. I mean, it's consistent. She's right. This is consistently what Donald Trump does. He tried to invalidate Barack Obama, with the birtherism movement and argument. So, this is what he does.
But the reality is, this is the stuff that people dislike most, about Donald Trump, and this is not working any longer. It might rev up his MAGA base. But the reality is that's not a winning strategy. The MAGA base has underperformed over the last three cycles. He needs to figure out, how does he build and grow his base? And the reality is the people, who he needs to grow with don't like this kind of talk.
TODD: I think it's a distraction. And 67 percent of the country thinks the government's on the wrong track. The economy and the border, they're not happy with. She's part of the administration that put it where they're not happy with. That's his path to victory.
And he has to avoid any kind of distraction or any kind of insult that might take attention away from that. If it's an election, a referendum about is this administration doing a good job or not? He has a great chance to win. He just has to be focused on that.
BROWN: It's so interesting that we have a poll coming up. We're going to discuss with a pollster, Nate Gonzales. That actually the people polled, actually looked at her as a change agent, the change candidate, even though you see Donald Trump trying to frame her, as just an extension of Joe Biden and so forth. So, we're going to talk about that.
There's the tease for you guys, coming up.
Thank you so much, Ashley and Brad. Great conversation.
So, what we were just talking about, right? The first ballots, in this election, they're going to go out in just a week from now. Can you believe that?
And with this race tighter than ever now, a political insider, I was just talking about, takes apart some of these new, surprising numbers, about Kamala Harris and how they view her as the change candidate.
[21:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Who is seen as the change candidate, between the sitting Vice President Kamala Harris, and former President Trump? Well, the answer actually might surprise you. We were just talking about this earlier.
There's this new Fox News poll, out this week. And voters in Sun Belt battleground states say it's basically a toss-up, giving Harris a one- point advantage over Trump, when asked who they trust more to bring needed change, should they win in November?
Well, it's not like Harris is shying away from the Biden administration's record, either. Here's her defense, from that exclusive interview, with CNN, last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Very proud of the work that we have done that has brought inflation down to less than 3 percent, the work that we have done to cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month for seniors.
When we do what we did in the first year of being in office to extend the child tax credit so that we cut child poverty in America by over 50 percent.
[21:35:00]
Joe Biden and I and our administration worked with members of the United States Congress on an immigration issue that is very significant to the American people and to our security.
I'll say that that's good work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: So, let's go deeper inside the numbers. My source tonight, Editor and Publisher of Inside elections. Nathan Gonzales.
So, Nathan, how surprising is it that the sitting VP can be seen as a change candidate?
NATHAN GONZALES, EDITOR & PUBLISHER, INSIDE ELECTIONS: Well, I mean, it's surprising, because she is the Vice President. But also, when you look at them, and you look at the aging current President of the United States versus a Black woman, it's -- there's some ability for her to put some distance there.
But this is one of the fundamental fights of the election. Can she balance that? Balance defense of the policies that maybe some people don't like? But also being someone that I'm going to bring a new era or a new term to this?
And that's what -- and Republicans clearly want to make this a referendum on the Biden administration, like Brad was talking about, because that's the winning -- that's how they were going to win with Biden at the top. But now it's a little more challenging, because she's at the top.
BROWN: And it's interesting too, because in her interview, last night, she really didn't put a lot of daylight, between her and President Biden, right, even though she would say, we have more work to do.
How important is it? How important is this idea of a change candidate, in this election, and who could win in November?
GONZALES: Well, it's important because, a majority of the country believe -- a majority of voters believe that the country's headed in the wrong direction. So they're looking for change.
When this election looked like it was between two old White men, they were looking for change, looking for something different, not just a rematch.
And now, Democrats are providing an alternative. They have a candidate, who is not the sitting president, who hasn't been the nominee before. And so, being the change agent at a time when people don't like the status quo is very important.
BROWN: There's this new Quinnipiac poll out, and it was conducted entirely after the DNC. And it finds that Harris and Trump within the margin of error, as you see here on the screen, nationally, 49 to 47. But Harris supporters are now even more enthusiastic to vote for her than Trump supporters for him, 75 to 68.
Enthusiasm and being a change candidate were two advantages Trump had just a few weeks ago. It's really remarkable to see how it's been flipped, essentially.
GONZALES: Right. And one of the things that stuck out is Trump at 47 percent, he has been very static. In 2016, he got 46 percent of the vote. In 2020, he got 47 percent of the vote. He's at 47 percent of the vote in this poll. And so, it's all about the Democrats, and what they can do, and can they boost their number.
On the enthusiasm. Frankly, an enthusiastic vote counts the same as an unenthusiastic vote. But I think what's key for Harris is that her ability to consolidate the Democratic base. In this--
BROWN: I mean, but couldn't enthusiasm spur someone, who may have been on the sidelines, if Joe Biden had stayed in, to actually go and vote?
GONZALES: Yes, I think that there were some Democrats, who were unenthusiastic, that maybe were saying they were going to vote for RFK Jr., or not going to vote, that eventually would have come behind Biden.
But now, those people are not only going to vote for Harris, but they might volunteer. They might do some work, actually, for the campaign, because they're much more excited with her at the top than what they were with Biden.
BROWN: So much focus is on these battleground swing states.
But your organization actually, Inside Elections, has some updates on House races, in New York and California.
Why are these important? Why should we care about that right now?
GONZALES: Well, first of all, an entire chamber of Congress is up for grabs, and the majority is on the line. Democrats only need a net gain of four seats.
We made seven rating changes that people can see at insideelections.com. And it looks evenly divided, between Republicans and Democrats. But what we're watching is how Harris does at the top of the ticket, because there is not a lot of ticket-splitting.
In 2020, only 16 of 435 districts voted for one party for president, and the other party for the House.
So, Biden was on pace to get crushed, at the top of the ticket, and drag House Democrats down. But now, Harris is doing much better, doing something closer to what Biden did, in 2020. That's going to help in places like New York and California, where Democrats have eight opportunities to win districts that Biden won in 2020.
BROWN: You also released some new information on swing-state House races, in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Virginia. What do you see in there?
GONZALES: Well, I think with this -- the map, the Electoral College map, has shifted a little bit. Instead of it being the same six swing states and by -- and Trump potentially winning in Virginia or New Mexico, Minnesota, now we're looking at six swing states, adding North Carolina to that list for seven swing states. But then also is Florida back in play.
And so the -- Harris is doing much better in the swing states than Biden, and she could be expanding the map.
BROWN: All right. Nathan Gonzales, helping us better-understand the state of play. Thank you so much.
GONZALES: Thank you.
BROWN: Up next. The wife of Harris' running mate has some choice words for the other side.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GWEN WALZ, FIRST LADY OF MINNESOTA: So let me use my teacher voice.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
G. WALZ: Mr. Vance, how about you mind your own business?
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[21:40:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Well, the wife of vice presidential candidate, Tim Walz, had some strong words, for former President Trump, today.
At a campaign event, in Virginia, Gwen Walz slammed Trump, on the issue of reproductive rights.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
G. WALZ: Here are the facts, and there aren't any alternatives to these.
(APPLAUSE)
G. WALZ: Donald Trump is the one who took down Roe, and put access to IVF at risk. That's a fact.
(APPLAUSE)
G. WALZ: And he's running on a platform that puts these treatments at risk nationwide. And that's a fact.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[21:45:00]
BROWN: Well, my source, tonight, is Sarah McCammon, a Political Correspondent for NPR, whose work has focused on abortion policy. And she is also the Author of "The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church."
Hi, Sarah. Great to have you on.
So, as we know, Donald Trump is proposing making IVF treatments free, if he's elected. Listen to what he said today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I've been an early proponent of IVF, very early on. And we're going to -- government is going to pay for IVF. When people need the treatment, when they want the treatment, when they want to go in with the fertilization, government is going to get totally involved, and they're going to help people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: While at the same time, he keeps saying states should decide laws and abortion and reproductive rights. His stance on reproductive rights seems to be all over the map.
What do you make of all of this?
SARAH MCCAMMON, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, NPR: Yes, his messaging has been very mixed, on abortion and reproductive rights, for over a year, to say the least.
I think what I make of it is that Trump is well-aware that abortion appears to be a liability, for Republicans, after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which, of course, he's bragged about his instrumental role in that.
There's been a voter backlash, the last couple of years. Whenever abortion has been on the ballot, voters have signaled support for abortion rights, in several states, including some red states, like Kansas and Kentucky.
Republicans, including former President Trump, are worried about that. So, we've heard him try to soften his message, on abortion and reproductive rights, in several different ways, in recent months, including what we just heard about IVF, In Vitro Fertilization.
BROWN: But then today, at the same time, he said to Fox News that he would vote against that amendment in Florida, which effectively means he supports that six-week abortion ban that is in place in Florida.
So, he says that today. And you have to wonder how much ammo that gives the Harris campaign, and how much it could alienate some of those crucial female voters that he needs.
MCCAMMON: Right. We heard -- we saw tremendous backlash to those statements, both about IVF and about his statement that he initially seemed to indicate he would vote for the abortion rights amendment. Then said he would vote against it.
We saw backlash from the anti-abortion movement, from some of his staunchest supporters, in response to those statements, which I think resulted in his decision to say, No, I'm not voting for that amendment.
BROWN: But let me just follow up with you. Because you have a unique perspective on evangelicals, as someone who grew up, right, in the church. And you wrote a book about this.
I mean, they were going to be in his corner regardless, right? It's not like because of what he said yesterday, they were going to suddenly vote for Harris. I mean, they were likely going to vote for him anyway, right, from what you know?
MCCAMMON: It's not that they were going to -- it's not that they were going to vote for Harris. I think the concern is about losing the support of the base.
In a post on X, Kristen Hawkins, who is with Students for Life of America--
BROWN: Yes--
MCCAMMON: --she's been a supporter of Trump, and she's said she'd vote for him. But she said that some of her supporters were saying they didn't want to get out and door-knock.
So, he's concerned about losing the support of his base, while also trying to win over swing voters.
BROWN: So, Republican senators, including Trump's own running mate, J.D. Vance, rejected an IVF bill, this year, with this provision similar to what Trump is pushing.
Do you think that he could shift his party on this issue?
MCCAMMON: Again, I think this is just a sign of the struggle, for Trump, to define his message on issues of abortion and reproductive rights. He sees the liability there.
It's a controversial -- it's, I guess, really, less of a controversial issue than sometimes people think it is. A majority of voters, including a majority of Republican voters, support access to IVF.
But there are those in the anti-abortion Republican base, who object to IVF, because it often results in the destruction of embryos. And this has launched sort of a debate, several months ago, after the Alabama Supreme Court issued a ruling that temporarily resulted in lack of access to IVF, in Alabama.
We saw Republicans scramble to try to get a legislative fix there, and scramble, really, to try to fix their messaging on this issue. Because, again, they're aware that this is a liability, for Republicans, in November.
So, I think, we see Trump trying to move his party a little bit on this, and maybe just kind of trying to see what message will stick, knowing that Republicans are vulnerable in this area.
BROWN: Well, if the state, on the IVF front, decides to ban IVF, it's unclear how Trump's proposal would work, right?
I mean, my colleague, John Berman, pressed J.D. Vance about just that, today. And Vance said the idea of a state banning IVF is a, quote, ridiculous hypothetical, pointing to Alabama, saying after the Supreme Court decision there, that the Alabama legislature acted quickly in Alabama, such a conservative state.
So, what do you think? Is it a ridiculous hypothetical?
MCCAMMON: I think, the way we saw things play out in Alabama, which is a deep red state, suggests that it's unlikely, at least any time in the near future.
[21:50:00]
The bigger question I have about Trump's IVF proposal is, is just sort of, how will it work? How would -- how would he pay for it? IVF is a very expensive procedure. It can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
And it's such a departure from traditional Republican positions on these issues. I mean, you remember how much pushback there was, to the Affordable Care Act, to public funding for, for even a public mandate for health care of any kind.
And particularly around the issue of contraception. The Affordable Care Act includes a contraceptive mandate, requiring most insurance companies to provide birth control at low or no cost. And that was a, you know, that was an idea that had a lot of pushback from social conservatives. There was litigation around that. And the Trump administration, when Trump was in office, worked to weaken those measures.
So, this is a real reversal from traditional Republican positions on these kinds of issues.
BROWN: All right. Sarah McCammon, thank you so much.
And up next. J.D. Vance appears on CNN. He actually was asked about Obamacare, and whether the IVF idea from Trump is an extension of that, and a mandate.
And he also refuses to apologize to a former teen beauty queen, for digging up an embarrassing video clip, for political purposes. She is calling this a, quote, shame and bullying.
[21:55:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Tonight, a Miss Teen USA contestant, who was horribly mocked, online, 17 years ago, for botching a pageant question, is now shaming J.D. Vance, for using that moment to attack Kamala Harris.
Well, to recap how we got here. Vance retweeted this 2007 clip of Caitlin Upton's stumbling answer with the caption he'd "Gotten ahold of the full Kamala Harris CNN interview."
In 2015, Upton revealed that her public mocking from that, triggered depression and suicidal thoughts.
When confronted with that fact today, by CNN's John Berman, here's how Vance responded.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), 2024 VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I posted a meme from 20 years ago. And I think the fact that we're talking about that, instead of the fact that American families can't afford groceries or health care, young families can't afford to buy a home, to raise their families in, those are the real crisis that we should focus on.
I'm not going to apologize for posting a joke. But I wish the best for Caitlin. I hope that she's doing well. And again, what I'd say is one bad moment shouldn't define anybody. And the best way to deal with this stuff is to laugh at ourselves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Caitlin Upton didn't see the humor though, posting on X, quote, "It's a shame that 17 years later this is still being brought up... Regardless of political beliefs, one thing I do know is that social media and online bullying needs to stop."
And then, she appeared to delete her X account, just a short time later.
Joining us now is Axios Media Reporter, Sara Fischer.
So Sara, if you look at all of this together, right? You make the mosaic. Between this post by Vance, Trump's recent flurry of posts about QAnon and crude sexual jokes about Harris, what are the consequences of posting stuff like this?
Or do you think most people just find the humor in it, like J.D. Vance said, That's no big deal. This is just light humor.
SARA FISCHER, MEDIA REPORTER, AXIOS: I think their base thinks of it that way. I mean, they like whatever they're posting, regardless of whether or not they're offending people, or they're bringing up traumas from the past.
But the challenge is, this is a close election. And so, you need to be catering to a much broader audience of independents, of undecided voters, who might be looking at this, and thinking, is this what electability looks like? Is this what professionalism in what a presidential and vice presidential candidate look like, right? People that joke, that are posting memes that might be offensive? That's the question that they're going to have to figure out.
BROWN: When it comes to J.D. Vance, what do you make of this, what seems to be this emerging pattern of him, and the way he talks about women and childless women?
FISCHER: I just think it's a lack of experience, political experience.
Especially right now, we know that abortion, IVF, birth control, these are such hot-button issues. I don't think that they -- the Trump campaign is necessarily benefiting from some of his past comments on these issues.
You saw Trump come out, and say that he's going to make IVF free. To me -- this past week, he said that -- that feels like a huge rebuke of what J.D. Vance is trying to do. And so, I don't think that this helps the ticket.
I think it's one of those things where, if J.D. Vance was well-vetted, and they decided that these comments were going to be beneficial, regardless? I'm curious who made that call. Because I think that you have a huge voter population of women. This is an increasingly important issue. It's a weird time to have that kind of record.
BROWN: Yes. And it's interesting, just seeing the role that social media is playing, in this election.
Even just this week, with this visit that Trump had at Arlington National Cemetery, and the controversy surrounding that, and this back-and-forth with the -- an employee, at the Cemetery, apparently, was pushed aside, by a Trump campaign employee.
And now, we've seen statements, right, from the Army, and from the Cemetery, about how this was against the law, this campaign activity.
And yet, there is a TikTok still -- a video that's still up, even though this was apparently against the law, and there's been all this controversy.
FISCHER: It's interesting. This is a very online campaign. They're not afraid to dabble in controversy, for the sake of getting the video. And there's something powerful to that. I mean, Donald Trump has a massive, massive following on X. He has his own social media platform, on Truth Social.
Whether or not this -- goes back to the same question, right? The base loves it. It works for the base. It's why they're doing it. Whether or not this hurts them, when they're trying to expand out to an audience of undecided voters, is the question.
[22:00:00]
They clearly don't think that's the case. They clearly think that the more attention they get, the better the attention is. We'll see if the polls show that, as we get closer to November.
BROWN: We will. And ballots are going out, in a week, in some states. Votes are already starting to -- will soon be rolling in.
Thank you so much, Sara Fischer. We do appreciate it.
Well, thanks for joining us.
"CNN NEWSNIGHT" starts right now.
