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The Source with Kaitlan Collins
Teamsters Union Declines To Endorse In Presidential Election; Sean "Diddy" Combs Denied Bail Again, Will Stay In Jail Until Trial; Trump Pushes For Shutdown As GOP Fails To Pass Spending Bill. Aired 9- 10p ET
Aired September 18, 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]
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN HOST, THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS: Straight from THE SOURCE tonight.
Trump and Harris both getting snubbed, as a major union declines to endorse either one of them, for the first time, in nearly 30 years. Why Trump says it's an honor.
And denied again, Diddy ordered to stay in jail until he stands trial. We're going to take you inside his new life, behind bars.
And the new warning, tonight, from a woman, who was sexually assaulted at the age of 12. She got pregnant by her stepfather. But now says she had options that others don't, because of Donald Trump.
I'm Kaitlan Collins. And this is THE SOURCE.
Tonight, a major presidential endorsement that both candidates have been angling to lockdown for weeks now. And it turns out, neither one of them is getting it. In an election that is marked by an all-out fight for blue-collar voters, the Teamsters' silence rings louder than really any endorsement could tonight.
The leadership declaring that they're not backing Vice President Harris or former President Donald Trump.
Though the Republican nominee, tonight, tried to claim otherwise.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Earlier today, I was honored to receive the endorsement of the rank- and-file membership of the Teamsters. I love the Teamsters.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Of course, the endorsement comes from the leadership of the Teamsters. But we'll talk more about that in a moment. But just to give you a sense of how much Trump was trying to woo the Teamsters president, Sean O'Brien, he gave him a primetime speaking slot at the Republican National Convention.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any reaction to the Teamsters' decision not to endorse?
TRUMP: No, they are -- it's a great honor. They're not going to endorse the Democrats. That's a big thing. And that this is the first time in, I guess, 50, 60, years that that's happened. Democrats automatically have the Teamsters.
They took a vote, and I guess I was at 60 percent or more. And that's a great honor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: I should note. That's not exactly right, that Democrats automatically get the vote. Teamsters did endorse both Reagan and George H. W. Bush.
But the importance of the Teamsters' decision is evident, in just how badly both sides wanted it.
Remember, Vice President Harris just met with the union's leadership, on Monday, but she walked away with that endorsement still dangling in the air.
And the Teamsters stand out, I should note, from what so far has been a clean sweep of major labor endorsements, for the Harris-Walz ticket. But their focus may be more on what's happening inside, the nearly 95,000 rank-and-file Teamsters, who are in the State of Pennsylvania.
The problem for the Democratic ticket, the Teamsters' own figures, according to them, showed that a majority of their members prefer Trump.
My lead source, tonight, is the head of an influential labor group, one that has endorsed the Harris-Walz ticket, I should note. United Auto Workers President, Shawn Fain.
And it's great to have you here, Shawn.
Because when you look at this, this is the first time the Teamsters have not endorsed a presidential candidate, since 1996. Do you see this as a blow to Vice President Harris?
SHAWN FAIN, PRESIDENT, UNITED AUTO WORKERS UNION: Not really. Look, it's not a Trump endorsement.
And, look, we've done polling. And working-class people, union or not, and especially in our union, and I know the other unions mirror the same numbers, going back to 2008 and forward. I mean, it's literally been an average of 65 percent vote Democrat, 30 to 32 percent vote Republican. That's pretty consistent, all across the board.
And even though, you know, I'm not going to get into their leadership and their decision-making. But I mean, it was pretty apparent today, when the Michigan Teamsters Joint Council 43, 245,000 retired and active members endorsed Kamala Harris.
The Joint Council 42 that includes Nevada, 300,000 members, endorsed Kamala Harris and Walz.
And Local 237 in New York, which is their biggest local, also endorsed Harris-Walz team.
So, I don't want to read into that too much. I mean, I believe their union, just like our union, and most other unions I know of, in this country, are going to vote heavily for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
COLLINS: Yes, we've heard from the Pennsylvania faction of it all, though.
And of course, overall, if you're sitting at home wondering about this. Teamsters, they got -- they have 1.3 million members. A lot of them are in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. And they do have a lot of credibility with truck drivers, freight haulers, those rail workers. I mean, you know that better than anyone.
So, you're right that it's not an endorsement of Donald Trump. But without them out there, knocking on doors, that kind of muscle power that they have, do you think it could hurt her race?
FAIN: I don't think so. Because, I mean, I believe locals that have endorsed them are going to -- they're going to do the work. They're going to be boots on the ground. And that's where that's -- that's -- that's where the troops are.
[21:05:00]
I look at -- the same with us, like we had a weekend of action, last weekend, all over the country, in UAW locals and our regions. So, we plan on doing that throughout the entire -- every weekend, and throughout the weeks, throughout this entire election process. So, I believe the boots will be on the ground, regardless.
Because, it's a clear-cut choice of who stands with working-class people, and who doesn't. I mean, Donald Trump wants to fire striking workers. And Kamala Harris stands out there with striking workers on the picket line. It's a really clear choice, of who's with us and who's against us.
COLLINS: Well, it's interesting to hear you say that.
Because Sean O'Brien, who's the head of the Teamsters, remember, after Trump was kind of laughing and seeming to agree with Elon Musk, talking about firing striking workers, Sean O'Brien called it economic terrorism, from the -- from the Trump campaign.
FAIN: Yes. COLLINS: He was defending his decision that his leadership team made today.
Listen to what he had to say about this call.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN O'BRIEN, GENERAL PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS: The Democrats have always taken for granted that they're going to get our vote no matter what.
And the Republicans fancy themselves as the working parties -- working people's party.
I think, right now, both sides have to take a step back, and really reevaluate what their commitment is to working people. And that's what we did, in this process.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: What do you say to that, that idea that Democrats are taking labors' vote for granted?
FAIN: Well, I mean, as I said, when I took over as president, that our endorsements are going to be earned, they're not going to be freely given. I don't disagree with that.
I do believe, after eight years of Reagan, and four years of Bush 1, I believe that the Democrat Party slid toward the middle. And not all of them, but some. And the trade deals, NAFTA passed. Democrat -- you know, some Democrats supported it. All Republicans did. And so, it left working-class people scratching their heads of who's got our back. And so, I think it's important that we make them earn our endorsements.
But, you look at Donald Trump. We have a track record with him. When he was president, he left workers behind. He didn't do a damn thing, when plants -- he claims that he cares about auto workers. And it's insulting that that man showed up in Flint, Michigan, of all places, yesterday, a city that's been devastated by the corporate-class, taking those jobs out, driving a race to the bottom over the decades they have.
And doubly sickening is the fact that the Republican Party, in Michigan, poison the people, the citizens of Flint. So, that's a party that left working-class people behind long ago.
And the one thing about the Harris-Walz team, or Harris and Biden team, after they swift -- sorted out the pandemic, they went to work with the American Rescue Plan. They saved pensions. They went to work with the IRA, to create and the -- and the CHIPS Act. Over 30 factories have been built, are planned to be built, and are being built in the United States, right now. That's an investment in industry.
Donald Trump didn't bring a damn thing here, when he was president. COLLINS: Can--
FAIN: He had the chance. He didn't produce.
COLLINS: Can I ask you, what you make of him saying, just before we came on the air, tonight, that he got the endorsement of the rank-and- file of the Teamsters?
FAIN: Well, it sure don't look that way, when all those Joint Councils, I just repeated, in Michigan and Nevada and New York, all endorsed Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. So, that's over half a million members, right there. So, I'd say he's a little off on his assessment. But like everything he says, he's a little bit off, so.
COLLINS: Shawn Fain, thank you for your time tonight.
FAIN: Hey, thank you. Great to be here.
COLLINS: Great to have you.
And I want to talk about the political impact of all this. So, we have two political sources here on set with us.
The Democratic strategist, Aisha Mills.
And the Republican strategist, Shermichael Singleton.
I mean, what do both of you think of what this means? Because it is -- well beyond what he said about Trump, there. Shawn Fain, obviously not a -- the Donald Trump's biggest fan, I think, to put it generously. But what impact does this have for Democrats?
AISHA MILLS, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, I just want to reiterate what was just said. Because while the National may not have endorsed. At the end of the day, Teamsters, 245,000 of them in Michigan, as well as in Wisconsin, as well as in parts of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia, also in western Pennsylvania, and representing northern West Virginia, all of those Teamsters have come out in support of Kamala Harris.
So, when you think about the fact that these battleground states really matter, and all politics is local, and it's about organizing boots on the ground to get the word out, to get people to vote, those critical states that we're talking about, the Teamsters are going for Kamala Harris.
So, I think that this conversation about the national narrative is absolutely true. In fact, that the Nationals decided to sit this one out. But where she actually needs the people, who are going door to door, and getting their members out, in those critical battleground states, Kamala Harris has.
COLLINS: Well, and you can't look at that without looking at the numbers that we're also seeing today, about those three states. The Quinnipiac poll that came out today. Harris is up in Pennsylvania, 51 to 45. Michigan, 50 percent. Donald Trump has 45 percent. Wisconsin, no clear leader there. [21:10:00]
I mean, you are just seeing so much of this within the margin of error. You see it there, 3.3 (ph) points when you're looking at these numbers, and assessing how they get those three important states.
SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I mean, look, it's within the margin of error. I'm not surprised that the race is a lot tighter and closer than it is, because of the enthusiasm for the Vice President. I get it.
But you also have to factor in when considering the math that Donald Trump is typically underestimated, in his overall performance. And that's also with considering the 3.2, 3.3 typical margin of error.
So, if I'm looking at a state like Pennsylvania, where I think our recent CNN poll, a week ago, suggested 16 percent of the voters there are still undecided, I'm trying to figure out, where are they? Are they in Bucks? Are they in Erie?
COLLINS: Yes.
SINGLETON: Luzerne? Other parts of the state?
And what is necessary for the former President to penetrate those 16 percent of those voters, who are on the fence, who are not yet behind the Vice President. I think there's still an opportunity to do that.
COLLINS: Well, and on top of all of this, Trump is here, in New York today, and he was asked earlier, when he was at this bar, talking about crypto, about what the Fed did today, making that huge rate cut, and more aggressive than some experts even expected. He did not seem exactly thrilled about it.
This is what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I guess it shows the economy is very bad to cut it by that much, assuming they're not just playing politics. The economy would be very bad or they're playing politics, one or the other. But it was a big cut.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: What did you make of that?
SINGLETON: I mean, look, the Fed said that we have not necessarily defeated inflation yet. He also mentioned housing costs is still a persistent issue in this country.
I don't necessarily think the former President phrased it properly. But this is clearly still a real issue for a whole host of Americans. And I think it's still the reason why, though the Vice President has improved her margins, on this issue, compared to President Biden, he is still leading on it. He needs to talk more about it, and explain to the American people, again, going back to that 16 percent in Pennsylvania, what he's going to do if given another four years.
COLLINS: Well, and one of his advisers clearly wanted it to be maybe a 25 percent cut now at 25 points, and after the election. That was Steve Moore, who said that to a reporter.
I mean, this is good news for people who are trying to buy a home, or refinance or -- of credit card debt. But it also does collide with the politics of the moment.
MILLS: Right. And let's take the politics out of it for a moment. I want to quote you guys a couple of things here.
Pretty much all economists agree that Donald Trump would be horrible for the economy, and that literally, if he were to win again, within months of him taking office, we would see inflation go up.
So, according to a Moody's study, Trump, eh, he would cause a recession by mid-2025.
Goldman -- if you're looking at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, they're saying, Ah, you know this tariff plan that he talks about, that Kamala Harris is essentially calling a tax on the American people? That's actually going to lead to more inflation.
If you look at Goldman Sachs Group, economists there are gaming this out, and they're saying, Well, the U.S. GDP faces a hit in the case of a win for Donald Trump.
Every trusted economist is saying that this guy is bad for the economy.
SINGLETON: Well, wait a minute. I think one of the senior execs at Goldman Sachs actually pushed back a little bit on that. I watched an interview, a week ago, on CNBC, pertaining to that. He said, This isn't exactly from us. These are some guys working with an outside group, and this is their analysis.
With that said, the Biden administration -- the Biden administration did--
COLLINS: Sure was skeptical.
SINGLETON: --the Biden administration did keep in place some of Trump's tariffs.
Now, do I necessarily agree with the approach of the former President, as it pertains to China? Not necessarily. And I do think he should probably rework this a bit more. And I think some Republicans will probably agree with that, in terms of having a fair balance in terms of trade overall.
But I'm not convinced necessarily that the three that you mentioned, have given the former President an opportunity, to really elucidate, I suppose, what his exact plans would be. Because he's going to get in.
COLLINS: Can I--
SINGLETON: Advisers--
MILLS: Because he only has concepts of a plan.
SINGLETON: Advisers are going to give some other ideas.
COLLINS: But can I--
MILLS: He doesn't have any plans. He has concepts of a plan, which aren't real.
SINGLETON: Well he did say that. He did say that (ph).
COLLINS: I want to get both of you all's take on something that's happening, while both of these candidates are ferociously out on all these states that we're talking about.
Trump was doing a town hall with Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, last night, of Arkansas, where she talked about how her kids humble her all the time, every day. And she said -- she made this dig, at Vice President Harris, saying that she doesn't have anyone to humble her, was the quote.
Doug Emhoff, the second gentleman, is responding to that tonight. I just want everyone to listen to what he had to say about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS (R-AR): So my kids keep me humble.
Unfortunately, Kamala Harris doesn't have anything keeping her humble.
(BOOING)
DOUGLAS EMHOFF, SECOND GENTLEMAN OF THE UNITED STATES: They said that somehow, because Cole and Ella aren't Kamala's, quote-unquote, biological children, that she doesn't have anything in her life to keep her humble.
(BOOING)
EMHOFF: As if keeping women humble, whether you have children or not, is something we should strive for.
(CHEERING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SINGLETON: All right, so I don't understand--
COLLINS: The Republican at the table.
[21:15:00] SINGLETON: I don't understand the strategy behind this. Republicans are having a very real issue with women. This is certainly not going to help.
I'm a conservative. We've always talked about the importance of family, right? And we understand that there are some women, who have issues bearing children, IVF, other issues. I would support that, right? Because the idea--
COLLINS: Or don't want to.
SINGLETON: Or don't want to. I was going to get to that next. Maybe some women just decide they want to focus on careers, or other things. But they do become stepmoms. And sometimes, those stepmoms become the second mom, or they become the mom for whatever family issues are going on.
And conservatives, traditionally, have said we believe in the importance of the family unit, the traditional family unit. However you decide that unit should look like, we believe in it.
And so, this as a strategy, to me, not only is awful because it turns off women, but I don't think it's in sync with contextual conservatism, at least as of what we would have argued 20, 30, 40, years ago. It just doesn't make sense, Kaitlan.
MILLS: I think what doesn't make sense is the fact that Republicans constantly think that it is their job, responsibility, opportunity, to have any opinion about anyone's relationships.
As someone who was on the frontlines of the LGBTQ movement, for over a decade, the conservatives have literally been in my bedroom, most of my life. The idea that their hands are in my womb. The idea that their narrative and conversations about what my family formation should look like. If I should have a husband, or a wife, or have children, what kind of pets I should have, or denigrating me if I do only have pets, right?
There's such a personality politics gone awry, on the right, that I don't understand why they don't just speak to the issues that fundamentally were core to conservatism, that a lot of people still believe in, right?
SINGLETON: Like family, families, good thing.
COLLINS: But I also think any stepparent would say your stepchildren do humble you. I don't think anyone would say--
MILLS: Trust and believe, I have three. And yes, they do.
SINGLETON: I mean, as someone with a stepfather, I will tell you, if you're a kid--
COLLINS: You're humble to him, I'm sure.
SINGLETON: --it takes a lot for a stepparent to like, win you over. MILLS: Ah.
SINGLETON: And I give a lot of kudos to him.
And from all intents and purposes, it appears that the Vice President's stepchildren love her. They adore her.
MILLS: Love her.
SINGLETON: So, again, I think conservatives should be about families, however it appears.
COLLINS: Doug Emhoff's ex-wife endorsed her, which I think a lot of people would also say is--
SINGLETON: I mean, that's yes.
COLLINS: --probably tougher than the Teamsters.
SINGLETON: Yes.
COLLINS: Great to have you both here. Aisha Mills. Shermichael Singleton. Thank you for that.
We do have more big news ahead. The following, the latest on what's happening with Diddy, and his trial. He was just denied bail, again. He is now spending, tonight, in federal custody. We're going to talk to our sources on what that looks like for him.
Plus, tonight, Forbes is looking into how Trump became the first American ever, to create billions from his politics. We're following the money, tonight.
[21:20:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: The music mogul, Sean "Diddy" Combs, is staying in federal custody, ahead of his trial, after a judge denied what was offered, a $50 million bail package, after he was arrested and pleaded not guilty for racketeering and sex trafficking.
Combs is wearing the same clothes that he had on yesterday, when he showed up in that courtroom, in Downtown, New York today.
A contentious back-and-forth happened between prosecutors, and Combs' defense team, playing out inside that courtroom, as the judge ultimately ruled that there were no conditions that reduced his risk of witness tampering, or obstruction, and ultimately denied him bail.
My legal sources on this, tonight are:
Former federal prosecutor, Elie Honig.
And CNN's Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst, John Miller. Elie. They were basically -- and by they, I mean, the defense team, offering anything they could, to keep him out of jail. They were saying, No women will be at the home. He won't be able to be on the internet, when he's at home. The judge still said, I'm not -- I'm not going with that.
ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST, FORMER ASST. U.S. ATTORNEY, SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NY: This is something you see quite often, when your defendant has endless resources. They propose what prosecutors derisively called private prisons. And we prosecutors will stand up, and go, Judge, not any defendant can post $50 million, and an armed guard, to make sure he doesn't go anywhere. And judges used to actually grant that years ago, but they've really soured on it.
And the most telling thing for me, in trying to guess what would happen, today, is if you look at this case, and you pull out the name, Sean Combs, and you just make it your average defendant, charged with RICO conspiracy, with firearms, drugs, guns found in the house, extortion, assault, plus forcible sex trafficking? That person is getting detained, in the Southern District of New York, 99 times out of a 100.
COLLINS: Well, and they seemed to be arguing today, he won't obstruct this investigation.
Their concern, the prosecutors were arguing, was tampering with witnesses. And, at one point, the prosecutor was saying that a witness, who got a subpoena, back in June -- last June -- or in June, that he contacted her in June and July, despite not having spoken with her, in several years.
I mean, there seemed to be some viable reason for concern, would you say?
JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT & INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: It's on two levels.
One, there's the P. Diddy level, which is there is allegedly a person out there who, since he came to New York. So, Kaitlan, this would be within the last seven or eight days. He allegedly called 40 times, trying to contact this potential witness in the case. So, the question is, can he help himself, as a matter of impulse control?
But the larger question is, it's a RICO case, which is, there's a Combs enterprise. It involves private security people, friends, chiefs of staff, other employees. In other words, there's a network that, if he had unfettered access to other people, he could reach out through others.
[21:25:00]
So, Judge Carter, who is a very respected judge, in the Southern District, a person of color, a person whose legal career was fronted by years as a public defender, would have probably been the most reasonable judge you could get to make these arguments, that, I'm innocent until proven guilty, and I need to assist in the preparation of my defense.
And he went with the magistrate's findings, which is, there's just too much possibility for this to go sideways.
COLLINS: Well, and Marc Agnifilo, Diddy's attorney said, last night, he thought that they had a pretty good chance, but he did not seem totally -- totally sure that this was going to happen.
A key part of this is that video that Elizabeth Wagmeister broke the video, a few months ago, here on CNN. It shows Diddy beating up Cassie and -- his then-girlfriend, in a hotel hallway.
And we talked to Marc about that last night. He said the video was bad. But he also said this about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARC AGNIFILO, ATTORNEY FOR SEAN "DIDDY" COMBS: This was just a matter of personal embarrassment because he and the person in the video, were in the midst of a 10-year relationship that was difficult at times, that was toxic at times, but it was mutually so.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Now, he's a defense attorney. He's got to defend his client.
MILLER: Yes.
COLLINS: But the judge seemed even skeptical of that today, saying Diddy was a middle-aged, in-his-40s man, when this happened.
HONIG: Yes, and Marc told you last night, I thought was really interesting. He does expect that video to come in to evidence at the trial.
The reason it was influential today is A, it's a very powerful piece of evidence. One of the things the judge has to consider is, what's the strength of the evidence here? How likely is it that this guy's going to get convicted? And B, what better way to demonstrate how dangerous the person is than to show a video of him beating somebody up?
COLLINS: Can we talk about the MDC, the Metropolitan Detention Center? This is where Diddy is right now. That's where he's spending the night. That's why he was wearing the same clothes today in court. What is it like inside there? It's in Brooklyn, I know.
HONIG: And who spent more time there out? You or me?
MILLER: Probably you.
HONIG: OK. And, just to be clear, as a prosecutor, yes. And you, as a reporter, yes.
MILLER: It's a troubled institution. It's a giant warehouse that was converted into a jail. It sits on the Brooklyn waterfront, among other warehouses. But it has had fires. It has had electrical problems. It has had -- it has been without heat in the winter and without air conditioning in the summer. It suffered through COVID.
Defense lawyers, and judges, have agreed that it is not an ideal place for a defendant, pre-trial, to be able to help their lawyers prepare a case.
And I know you've--
HONIG: OK.
MILLER: --you've visited defendants there, as well.
HONIG: All prisons are hellscapes. But this one may be the worst one I've been to. I've been to, I don't know, 10, 12, 15, federal prisons.
COLLINS: The worst you've ever been to?
HONIG: It's the worst I've been to, in the following respects. It is a decrepit facility. It is overcrowded. There's, I don't know what moisture, like dripping down the walls.
The first time I ever went in there. It's funny, you mentioned -- it's interesting that you mentioned. Was a summertime. And I'm a little bit claustrophobic. And I was in a small room, meeting with a witness. I was in there for maybe three hours. It was incredibly hot. And I still remember, 20 years ago or so, when I stepped outside, taking like, a breath of fresh air, like because it is tough to be in there, even for an afternoon.
And look, the reality is, Sean Combs is going to be in there. It's going to be a year, give or take, maybe a little more, until his trial. That's where he's going to live.
MILLER: Yes.
HONIG: And there's just no getting around it.
COLLINS: That was three hours. He's been there for 48 hours and--
HONIG: Yes.
MILLER: It's a long way from the Park Hyatt, where he had the sprawling suite where HSI -- agents arrested him, the night before last.
COLLINS: Yes, it is remarkable to see.
And the idea that he got the key to New York City, I think, a year ago?
HONIG: A year ago, September.
COLLINS: It wasn't that long ago. Yes, less--
HONIG: Given to him by Eric Adams, let's just say. COLLINS: By Mayor Eric Adams.
HONIG: Nothing's happened, but yes.
COLLINS: And then to see that -- obviously innocent until proven guilty. But that trajectory is something.
HONIG: We've seen New York titans felled before.
But also, let's remember, Bill Cosby, he's out, because prosecutors messed up. Harvey Weinstein had one of his convictions thrown out because prosecutors messed up.
So, all eyes on the SDNY here.
COLLINS: Yes. It's a great point.
John Miller. Elie Honig. Great to have both of you.
Up next. We're going to speak to the woman from this powerful new ad. She's here to tell her story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HADLEY DUVALL, SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVOR, REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ADVOCATE, HARRIS CAMPAIGN SURROGATE: I was 12 when he impregnated me. I didn't know what it meant to be pregnant at all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Hadley Duvall is not only voting for Kamala Harris, she is campaigning for her.
[21:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Vice President Harris' campaign, out with a new ad that is airing nationwide, soon, and it features the story of a young sexual assault survivor, from Kentucky, Hadley Duvall.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DUVALL: I was 5-years-old, when my stepfather abused me for the first time. I just felt like I was alone on a planet with a monster.
I was 12, when he impregnated me. I didn't know what it meant to be pregnant at all. But I had options.
Because Donald Trump overturned Roe v. Wade, girls and women all over the country have lost the right to choose, even for rape or incest. Donald Trump did this. He took away our freedom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: And Hadley has been out on the road, with the Harris campaign's reproductive rights bus tour, this week. And she is my source tonight.
And Hadley, it's so great to have you -- have you back on the show. Because we spoke after you were featured, your story, in an ad for Kentucky governor, Andy Beshear, when he was up for reelection. A rare thing for a Dem, in a Republican -- a deep red state, like your home state.
What impact do you want this ad, featuring your story, to have?
[21:35:00]
DUVALL: I want people to know that no matter what state you live in, we are all at risk of a total abortion ban, if we don't elect Kamala Harris into office. And that's the reality, and it's scary.
Because we did elect a Democratic governor in Kentucky, and they still wouldn't add exceptions for rape and incest at the very least.
And they won't hear us at the state level. They won't. They make their own decisions. But us, girls, we don't get to decide what state we're violated in. Women don't get to decide what state their pregnancy goes south in. And that's just the big message, is it's not humane to have these laws, and these limitations on women.
COLLINS: And for that message that you want to get out there. Obviously, they're reaching out to battleground states. Channels like Bravo, the season premiere of Survivor, the WNBA Playoffs. That's when people are going to be able to see your ad.
And many of them may not be familiar with your story. But for people who are watching. Do you want this to reach just women? Do you want men to be listening to your message? What are you hoping for here?
DUVALL: Absolutely. This is everybody's problem. This is not just about women. This happened to me because a father figure let me down. And I didn't get there on my own.
And it is just so important, for men to be able to stand up for women, like people like Governor Beshear, Governor Shapiro, and to stand up and say, women deserve these options. And if we don't have men saying that we deserve these options, if we don't have men fighting for our rights, what do we have?
COLLINS: At the end of your ad, as people just heard you say, Donald Trump did this. What are your biggest concerns if he's reelected?
And I wonder, when you watched the debate, like we saw, last week, and Trump doesn't say whether or not he'd veto a national abortion ban if it came to his desk, how you heard something like that?
DUVALL: It's very obvious that he wouldn't say he would veto a national ban. And that right there put us at risk.
That right there told me that the only person that can save us from a national abortion ban is Kamala Harris. She looked right at Donald Trump, and she said, women did not want this. She was not afraid, to stand up, loud and proud, for women and girls, in that situation, and tell America exactly what she would be fighting for, and exactly what she would do for women.
Donald Trump, on the other hand, couldn't even look up, and he changed the subject. He couldn't even tell us that he would protect us, because we know that he won't.
COLLINS: Hadley, I just -- when I first heard your story, I was -- I think, like most people, deeply shaken and affected by it.
And I just wonder what it's like for you personally, to have used such a terrible and horrible thing that you went through, first, in the way you used it with Governor Beshear's effort in his election, but also to have it featured in a moment, like this one, in a presidential campaign?
DUVALL: It really makes little me feel so seen and so heard. But to know that I survived, and I went through the trauma, and I went through -- I got through the story.
And maybe I got through that, so I'm able to fight for the voiceless now. And I just take that with so much gratitude that there are women and girls out there, who trust me with their stories, and who trust me with their deepest, darkest secrets.
And Kamala Harris is leading this fight for us. And it's honestly an honor to be able to help show the world exactly who she is, because Kamala Harris is one of the most genuine people, and we need a president like her.
COLLINS: Hadley Duvall, you are a very strong young woman. Thank you for joining us, tonight.
DUVALL: Thank you.
COLLINS: Meanwhile, speaking of the campaign trail, tonight, look at what's happening from the campaign trail to Capitol Hill.
Trump is pressuring Republicans there, to shut down the government if they don't get a piece of legislation on that spending bill that he wants. Tonight, we are seeing the division, on full display, once again, as Republicans defeated their own plan to keep the government open.
We're going to speak with a Republican lawmaker, after this.
[21:40:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: With 48 days to go before the election, Donald Trump is backing his own party into a corner. He says, tonight, that Republicans should shut the government down, even as different views of -- different of their views are sounding off about what is going on with Speaker Johnson's plan to keep it open.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): I think that this is a -- this is a complete failure of the Speaker's strategy.
REP. MARCUS MOLINARO (R-NY): We have to support continuity of government.
REP. THOMAS MASSIE (R-KY): It's all bullshit, so just not part of it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: We'll tell you what Trump is saying. He posted in all-caps today, saying, Be smart, Republicans, you've been pushed around long enough by the Democrats.
[21:45:00]
And what he is insisting is that the House only pass a spending plan that Speaker Johnson wants to pass, if it includes a requirement to prove that U.S. -- prove U.S. citizenship before you can register to vote in a federal election, despite the fact that I should note, it's already illegal for non-citizens to vote, in federal elections.
That effort, tonight, by Speaker Johnson failed.
And our congressional source that we find on Capitol Hill, is New York Republican, Mike Lawler.
Congressman, you voted for this. But it obviously did not happen. What is Speaker Johnson's Plan B? Do you know what it is?
REP. MIKE LAWLER (R-NY): Well, I think obviously, ultimately, it's going to be a clean CR. I mean, the reality is we're not shutting down the government, with 48 days to go before an election. This election is going to be decided by the voters based on the issues that are impacting them. From the affordability crisis to the crisis at our southern border (inaudible).
COLLINS: Congressman, I think we lost your audio there for a second. We're going to see if we can get it back.
Of course, as we're looking at this tonight, clean CR, he means that short-term funding bill, just for a few months, to keep the government funded through December, without what Donald Trump is asking for to be attached.
And Congressman Lawler, just to let you continue that train of thought, since you froze a little bit there with your connection. You were saying, obviously, this is going to be a clean CR, that's what's going to pass.
But why not just put that on the floor, if that's ultimately what you're going to have happen here?
LAWLER: Well, I think obviously the Speaker supports a CR that also included the SAVE Act. I'm a proud co-sponsor of the SAVE Act. I think very clearly we should reaffirm the point that non-citizens should not be voting in elections. You've had Washington, D.C., and New York City, both trying to allow non-citizens to vote in local elections, which is wrong, especially when you have foreign diplomats living in those cities.
But ultimately, at the end of the day, Democrats have refused, in the Senate, to move that legislation. We passed that legislation months ago. They have thus far refused.
Without passing it through the House here, we're going to have to pass a clean CR. Because, as I was saying, we're not shutting the government down, with 48 days to go before an election.
A government shutdown really does not do much of anything. It doesn't save money. It actually costs us money. And really, when we're dealing with the crises, facing the American people, the last thing we need is a government shutdown.
COLLINS: Well, and wouldn't it hurt vulnerable Republicans, like yourself, if the government shuts down before the election?
LAWLER: Look, at the end of the day, the issues facing the American people are the affordability crisis.
Under Kamala Harris and Joe Biden, gasoline prices, grocery prices, energy prices, housing costs have gone up astronomically.
The average mortgage cost, in my district, is up $1,000 a month. That's over $12,000 a year, under Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
The crisis at our southern border, where over 10 million migrants have come into the country, most of them illegally, 90 percent being released under catch-and-release. It has created a catastrophe, so much so that Mayor Adams, the City of New York, saying it's destroying the city.
And then, of course, the international crises that we're dealing with.
Those are the issues before the American people. And obviously, a government shutdown will only distract from that, and certainly won't serve any real purpose.
COLLINS: Yes, it's just remarkable to see. I mean, you say you favor the SAVE Act, and that you're a co-sponsor. But it's already illegal to vote in federal elections, if you are not a citizen. And by doing so, they'd basically be creating a record of their crime. And also, just never happens.
But I want to ask you about something else on Capitol Hill, Congressman, because you are--
LAWLER: Kaitlan, respectfully. You can dismiss it. But the City of New York actually tried to pass legislation, to allow non-citizens to vote. And we sued in New York and won, because it is unconstitutional, it's wrong. So, the SAVE Act is simply-- COLLINS: But I'm just saying it's illegal in federal elections is the point--
LAWLER: It reaffirms -- it's reaffirming--
COLLINS: --Congressman.
LAWLER: Yes, but it's reaffirming. And frankly, I don't know why any Democrat would be opposed to it. It's reaffirming a simple truth, that you have to be a citizen, to vote in our elections. And yet, in Washington, D.C., and New York City, Democrats have tried to pass laws to allow non-citizens to vote.
So, don't dismiss it out of hand, when you actually have Democrats actively trying to allow--
COLLINS: Yes.
LAWLER: --non-citizens, including foreign diplomats--
COLLINS: Yes, Congressman?
LAWLER: --to vote in our -- it's wrong.
COLLINS: I'm not dismissing it. I'm just saying it's already illegal, and it already -- it doesn't happen. It's very rare. And you said they tried. But they didn't succeed.
LAWLER: Well, the thing is--
COLLINS: But I do want to ask you, Congressman, because Donald Trump, tonight, is holding--
(CROSSTALK)
LAWLER: --happen and it's very rare.
COLLINS: Congressman?
[21:50:00]
LAWLER: Well, if it doesn't happen, then obviously that -- it wouldn't be rare. So, the bottom line is, it shouldn't happen. Period. And yet, you have Democrats in New York City, and Washington, D.C., trying to allow it to happen.
COLLINS: OK.
LAWLER: And given how migrants have crossed into this country, since Joe Biden and Kamala Harris took office, reaffirming that it should not happen, I do think, is a commonsense measure that most Americans support.
COLLINS: Yes, just saying, it's already illegal.
Congressman Mike Lawler, thank you for your time tonight. LAWLER: Thank you.
COLLINS: A provocative new piece is out tonight, in Forbes, looking at how Donald Trump has made billions, off of politics, estimating he is worth $4.3 billion today. We're going to take a deeper look inside of that number, right after a break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[21:55:00]
COLLINS: In just hours from now, Donald Trump can cash in on $1.8 billion. That's because tomorrow, he can start selling off his shares, of Trump Media, which is the company that's behind Truth Social. This is all the more remarkable, given Trump has invested next to nothing in this venture. Yet it's nearly doubled his net worth, in just a few years.
How this happened, all of it, is the focus of the new Forbes cover story that's out today. It reports on Trump's, quote, four year transformation, which made him "The first American ever to create billions from his politics."
My source, tonight, is the Forbes Senior Editor, Dan Alexander, who wrote that cover story.
And Dan, it's great to have you back.
Because you kind of describe this Catch-22 that Trump is in, where selling off 60 percent of the social media company, all or at once, or even in decent-sized chunks, could crater the share price, and leave him with less money, ultimately. I mean, how does he navigate this?
DAN ALEXANDER, SENIOR EDITOR, FORBES, AUTHOR, "WHITE HOUSE, INC.": It's so tricky. And it's especially tricky with this company. It's always a bad look, when somebody who owns a company, is a big shareholder, or is the CEO, sells a bunch of shares. But this company is Trump.
There's no underlying financial performance that can justify the valuation of the company, right now. All that investors are going on is the hope and dream that Donald Trump will somehow spin this thing into a multi-billion dollar company. If Trump's start selling, then that rationale starts to fall apart.
But if there's one person who could pull off this high-wire act, it would be Donald Trump, who might be the greatest salesman in American history, particularly at selling things that don't have much intrinsic value.
COLLINS: Well, and that's why I think people are always kind of shocked by what the prices are here, and what the numbers look like.
Because you talk about how -- and the story lays out Trump left office in 2021. He was in a bad place, financially. But in the years since then, his net worth has gone from $2.4 billion -- and I say bad place for him, not for a regular person watching. But to now -- to now to $4.3 billion, because of this company that you say is barely even functioning.
ALEXANDER: That's right. I mean, the Trump Media & Technology Group, which is the parent company of Truth Social, this social media app, in the last 12 months, it's generated about $3.4 million of revenue, and it lost, on a net basis, $380 million. I mean, those are just atrocious financials.
But what you've seen in the last four years is a transformation that has two parts to it.
One is sort of the creation of the MAGA empire, in which Truth Social falls.
The other is the transformation of Trump's previous real estate business. He now has much less value locked in, say, New York City real estate, or hotels, which had been the real core of his fortune for his entire life.
And now, much more value trapped in golf courses and Mar-a-Lago. These are private clubs where people can pay enormous amounts of money to be right in the Trump orbit. In the Mar-a-Lago case, at his home. And so, profits of that business have surged, as the New York and hotel apart has fallen off.
Those two dynamics happening simultaneously, has allowed Donald Trump to become billions of dollars richer, and this year, put himself back on the Forbes 400.
COLLINS: Well, and it's also just the properties.
But you talk about how there's this "Random assortment of internet- fueled hucksterism encompassing coffee table books, NFTs, Bibles," even pieces of the suit that he wore, when he debated Joe Biden in June. I mean, it's like everything that you could pot by, even if you don't--
ALEXANDER: That's right.
COLLINS: --necessarily know that you want it.
ALEXANDER: Right. And just as with Truth Social, the intrinsic value of these things is next to nothing.
What's the value of some torn-up suit? Well, without politics, without Donald Trump, it's zero.
What's the value of an NFT that's just a digital image of a 70- something-year-old guy, flexing in sort of cartoonish? Nothing, unless it's Donald Trump. And then, people are willing to pay, collectively, millions of dollars for it.
His coffee table books are sourced from photos in the public domain. These are not presidential memoirs that have big revelations about his time in the presidency. The intrinsic value of these things, just as the shares, is almost zero. And yet, put Trump's name on it, and suddenly he's spun all this up into billions of dollars.
COLLINS: Yes, sounds like a familiar story.
Dan Alexander, thank you.
ALEXANDER: Thank you.
COLLINS: Great reporting there. Make sure to read that Forbes cover story, out today.
Thank you all so much for joining us tonight.
"CNN NEWSNIGHT WITH ABBY PHILLIP" is up next.
