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The Source with Kaitlan Collins
Trump Pushes False Claims About Hurricane Relief; Biden Confident Of Free & Fair Election, Unsure On "Peaceful"; Oklahoma Puts Out Bid To Buy 55,000 School Bibles. Aired 9-10p ET
Aired October 04, 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]
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, ANDERSON COOPER 360: And you believe that infant mortality rate, around the world, can actually even be reduced by another half?
BILL GATES, CO-CHAIR, BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION, MICROSOFT CO- FOUNDER: Exactly.
So, the U.N., in 2015, actually set that as a goal, to do that by 2030. We are way off track. Because the progress of the first 15 years. We hit the pandemic. These African countries are indebted. The strains on rich country budgets are huge, with Ukraine, aging society, and now the aid has gone down.
COOPER: Bill Gates, thank you so much.
GATES: Thank you.
COOPER: Well, that's it for us.
The news continues. Have a great weekend. "THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS" starts now. I'll see you, Monday.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN HOST, THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS: Straight from THE SOURCE tonight.
Donald Trump lying his way through a storm zone, where so many people are devastated by Hurricane Helene, as the former President is trashing the current President for something Trump himself actually did.
Also tonight, move over Reggie Jackson, because Mr. October is here. Barack Obama set to hit the trail for Kamala Harris, kicking off his campaign blitz, in the must-win state of Pennsylvania.
And Oklahoma is looking to buy a Bible for every classroom. But not just any Bible. One with very specific requirements, actually, that only seem to describe the one Trump is selling.
I'm Kaitlan Collins. And this is THE SOURCE.
Donald Trump landed, in storm-ravaged Georgia, today, and almost immediately began lying about the federal government's response to Hurricane Helene, the deadliest storm to hit the United States mainland since Hurricane Katrina.
As the southeast is still reeling from the deaths of 218 people at least, and immeasurable destruction, the former President falsely claimed there isn't enough money for hurricane relief.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: It's been a terrible response from the White House. They're missing a billion dollars that was used for another purpose.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: In reality, Congress just gave FEMA another $20 billion, last week, for its Disaster Relief Fund.
The Department of Homeland Security says it will need more, to make it through the rest of hurricane season, but also noted that there is enough for the immediate rescue and recovery needs from this storm.
Yet, Trump is claiming that there isn't, because, according to him, that money is already being used to deal with the flow of migrants at the southern border.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
D. TRUMP: We're missing a billion dollars. They gave them to the migrants that came in. And now we don't have the money. We'll do it. But they don't have the money to take care of. That's why they giving you lousy treatment, in North Carolina.
Kamala spent all her FEMA money, billions of dollars, on housing for illegal migrants.
They stole the FEMA money, just like they stole it from a bank.
They've given over a billion dollars to illegal migrants that came in. And now, they have no money.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: That is not true. FEMA says no disaster funds were used to shelter migrants. They are two separate programs, actually, both approved and funded by Congress.
But you know which President did do that? The 45th. Back in 2019, when Trump was still in office, his administration pulled $155 million, from Disaster Relief Funds, to pay for migrant-holding facilities. That means that when Trump was president, he did exactly what he is accusing Biden of doing, taking cash from disaster funds to pay for migrant programs at the southern border.
Now, all this is coming after Trump accused the administration of also going out of its way, to not help Republican areas, a notion that was debunked by Republican governors.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GLENN YOUNGKIN (R-VA): I'm incredibly appreciative of the rapid response and the cooperation from the federal team at FEMA.
GOV. BILL LEE (R-TN): There's a 100 percent federal money flowing in.
GOV. HENRY MCMASTER (R-SC): We're getting assistance, and we're asking for everything we need.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Today was Trump's second visit to Georgia, since Hurricane Helene hit. But it was his first meeting in more than four years with that state's Republican governor, Brian Kemp.
Trump shared an awkward handshake with Kemp, whom, of course, he relentlessly attacked for years for not supporting his election lies, also going after his wife just a few months ago, and ultimately attempting, but failing to ruin his political career.
But today, if you were watching the two of them, it seemed as if almost none of that happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
D. TRUMP: The governor is doing a fantastic job.
The governor, again, is doing a fantastic job.
It's great.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have criticized him.
D. TRUMP: No, no, no. It's great.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have criticized him (ph).
D. TRUMP: No, we work together. We've always worked together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: "We've always worked together." I'm not sure Kemp would agree with that. But no comment from the Georgia governor on that.
My political sources here tonight include:
The Democratic former Mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio.
Republican strategist, T.W. Arrighi.
And CNN Chief Media Analyst, Brian Stelter.
And Mr. Mayor, you were actually in office, when Democrats were criticizing Trump for diverting funds from disaster relief to other immigration-related programs.
[21:05:00]
BILL DE BLASIO, (D) FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: Yes. And I was at the southern border in Tornillo, Texas, seeing just how troubled that whole effort was with migrant families and the children who were separated from their families. I mean, that was a disaster unto itself.
So, I mean, the reality is, it's more than ironic that Trump is offering this criticism. But the fact is, it's bringing back a memory of how poorly Trump handled the southern border.
And in fact, across the board, this was really important. This was bipartisan. Folks as a matter of conscience, including a lot of folks in the faith communities of this country, felt that the treatment of those children and those families, was downright un-American.
So, he diverted the funds, and then did it badly. And there was actually a national outcry.
COLLINS: Well, and it's just something though, that is being repeated time and time again. I mean, a lot of people are listening to Trump, in the State of Georgia, when he goes there, in other states where he's saying, They're not helping at all in North Carolina.
And sure, people are frustrated, at times, when they're dealing with a response in a moment like this, when their house has been completely wiped off, their town, potentially, T.W. But to see other Republicans promoting this and amplifying this, when really it's just the appropriations process, at the end of the day, is quite something.
T.W. ARRIGHI, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST, VICE PRESIDENT, PUSH DIGITAL GROUP: Well, I think there's two different things here. Number one, a sitting governor is always going to want to keep the money flowing into their state, when their people are in need.
Right now, we have 200-plus people dead, countless more missing. We have no idea. There are communities that can only be reached by helicopter. And we have legions of individuals doing it themselves instead of the United States military.
And a lot of people are looking and saying, We're throwing all of this money to all of these new waves of migrants coming in, to a lot of different projects, throughout this country, to Ukraine and whatever. We can debate each of those individually, that's fine.
But right now, the only policy proposal on the table, from the Harris agenda is $750 a family, and people think that's paltry.
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST, AUTHOR, "NETWORK OF LIES": It's not true.
ARRIGHI: In a large number.
STELTER: But why do you say it? It's not true.
ARRIGHI: Of the federal budget. STELTER: Survivors are going to get tens of thousands of dollars.
ARRIGHI: Hold on a second.
STELTER: So, why did you lie just now?
ARRIGHI: No, what I'm saying is this. I'm putting the point in this. When people are talking of money--
STELTER: Then why did you say it?
ARRIGHI: --in the billions of dollars?
STELTER: But you screwed up.
ARRIGHI: She made the point that it was $750 a family. It might end up being tens of thousands--
(CROSSTALK)
STELTER: On the first day.
ARRIGHI: Brian, Brian, I'm not saying money will not reach it. I'm saying what the political reality is. People in North Carolina are upset. They see tons of money going elsewhere. And there isn't an immediate reaction from the federal government. That's all I'm saying.
STELTER: There's not an immediate reaction?
ARRIGHI: It's not big enough--
STELTER: FEMA's been there for a week.
ARRIGHI: --for what's going on. It happened five days ago. We should have helicopters in the sky of the United States military.
STELTER: They've been there.
ARRIGHI: Not--
STELTER: They've been there, for several days now.
ARRIGHI: Brian, Brian, that is completely not the story that people are hearing.
STELTER: You're right that--
ARRIGHI: In social media now.
STELTER: --what people are seeing on social media is false. You're absolutely right that the lies on social media--
ARRIGHI: OK. Then that--
STELTER: --are distorting people's minds.
ARRIGHI: We have--
STELTER: That's true.
ARRIGHI: We have countless people missing, OK? There's billions of dollars going to every which way, to other -- to, like I said, migrants. And this is -- this is fine. We can have the debate about all those separately.
STELTER: Richest country on earth, so.
ARRIGHI: What I am saying is--
STELTER: Yes.
ARRIGHI: --when a disaster like this happens, the response needs to be immediate and overwhelming.
STELTER: And you're saying it hasn't been?
ARRIGHI: People do not feel it that way.
STELTER: So, you're alleging the government's been uncaring?
ARRIGHI: No, I'm not saying -- Brian.
COLLINS: OK. But can we -- OK.
ARRIGHI: Brian, I'm trying to tell you that--
(CROSSTALK)
COLLINS: Can we--
ARRIGHI: --that no one cares about this situation. Everyone cares.
COLLINS: But hang on for a second, because--
ARRIGHI: I'm just talking what the media's saying.
COLLINS: Hang on for a second. Because the $750, I actually looked into this, because it's being pushed. That's what they get immediately. That is something for someone, a family that has absolutely nothing, that is what they're able to get. People are seizing on what Harris said. That's not actually a reality--
ARRIGHI: OK.
COLLINS: --that that's all they're going to get.
ARRIGHI: Yes.
COLLINS: But the point of this overall is that the federal government is there. I mean, you just heard from every Republican governor. Brian Kemp also said it as well. We played his comments the other day, that they are getting overwhelming help, from the -- from the federal government here. So that's actually the issue, is that it's not as if they're not there. I think the first people to call out the federal government, if they don't show up, would be the media as well.
STELTER: Yes.
COLLINS: We've seen what happened with Hurricane Katrina, watching this.
STELTER: And the Republican local officials, who are actually saying, Don't believe the lies on the internet.
I think what frustrates me, Kaitlan, is we're seeing the best of humanity in the Carolinas and Georgia. We're seeing the worst of humanity on the internet. I made a list of some of the lies, right?
Marjorie Taylor Greene claiming Democrats can control the weather, and try to hurt Republicans by sending storms their way.
Influencers saying FEMA spend all the hurricane relief money on immigrants. It's a lie.
Others are claiming FEMA's stealing supplies, that corporations are kicking people out of their homes and confiscating property. Corporations are doing this. The death toll is being covered up. Helicopters are being banned from landing in relief zones.
All of these are lies that are spreading on social media, and it's very hard to negate these lies with the truth, because the truth is boring and complicated and complex.
ARRIGHI: Yes, but--
COLLINS: I mean, when FEMA has to put up a rumor page to address the--
STELTER: Yes, which they've done.
COLLINS: --rumors that are so rampant?
STELTER: FEMA.gov, yes.
COLLINS: North Carolina -- Rumor Response, I mean, that's not something you think you'd see.
The North Carolina governor saying, this actually is demoralizing to members of the National Guard, who've been on the ground in his state for days.
STELTER: Yes.
[21:10:00]
DE BLASIO: Yes, look, I mean, we're talking about heroic efforts under the worst possible conditions. And there is something troubling about the fact that there isn't even a breath taken, to recognize the human sacrifice of the folks who are there, from FEMA, from National Guard, local law enforcement, and just neighbors helping neighbors. Let's focus on that.
But let's also focus on where this comes from. This issue, it's about climate change. And fascinating to say, it's sad to say, climate change is really not a topic in this election. And that is a problem.
I think there's two gigantic trends in this country, in this world, climate change and artificial intelligence, that basically are being entirely missed in this election debate in this country. And I understand some of why.
But we just saw the most vivid example of this -- this is a 1000-year storm that hit the Carolinas, 1000-year storm. And they're saying this is not the last we're going to see of this kind of thing.
COLLINS: Yes, I want to go to--
STELTER: Yes, and--
COLLINS: One second. I want to go, because we have Georgia's former Lieutenant Governor, Geoff Duncan also joining us.
And Geoff, I just wonder, when you -- when you look at this conversation that we're having now, first, just tell me what your response is, seeing Trump come to your home state, and say something that Governor Kemp himself says is not true.
GEOFF DUNCAN, (R) FORMER GEORGIA LT. GOVERNOR, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I think first of all, it's a sobering reminder of where the Republican Party is at right now, and how deep in the gutter we truly are, to think we're going to use this platform to politicize what the Mayor just said is one of the worst storms to hit this region ever, at least in any of our lifetimes.
But look, Donald Trump is down in Georgia today, only because he cares about trying to win Georgia, because he's realized if he loses Georgia, he's probably going to end up going to jail. And that's why he's sucking up to Brian Kemp. That's why he's playing the games he's playing.
It's very interesting, looking at this picture here, who was in charge of the agenda today. And that was Brian Kemp. Brian Kemp stayed laser- focused, during that press conference on the hurricane and the relief efforts, and didn't disparage anybody, or -- in the federal government or state government.
Donald Trump, at least during his prepared remarks, stayed on, on message. But then it was interesting to see when Donald Trump wanted to take questions, and leave -- and take a political lean, Brian Kemp shook his hand and left the stage.
COLLINS: Yes.
DUNCAN: I think that that spoke volumes of where Brian Kemp's at.
COLLINS: Yes, I noticed that as well. He shook his hand, kind of pat him on the shoulder and left. But just to see these images. I mean, I've interviewed Governor Kemp a lot. And just to -- a few months ago, when Trump was saying that he was this average governor, that he wouldn't get off his ass to help people in Georgia. That was a quote from him. He went after his wife. He was just so angry because Kemp didn't vote for him in the Republican primary, even though he is voting for him here.
I just wonder what you made of the total 180, on Trump's behalf, at the end of that press conference today.
DUNCAN: Well, look, Governor Kemp has earned the right to support and vote anybody he wants to. He's been a tremendous governor in the state.
I've chosen to take a different path forward, and try to heal and rebuild the party.
I drew a number of lines in the sand. Our entire family did. Coming home from dinner tonight, my wife and I, we talked about those lines in the sand, right? The death threats that came in? That was a stark line for me, that I would never support somebody that was directly responsible for threats to my wife and to my kids.
Lines around fiscal irresponsibility, lines around COVID response and certainly around the 2020 election, which was just unbelievably horrific, un-American, unpatriotic. There isn't enough terms to go through how bad Donald Trump is to this country and to this party.
COLLINS: And when we look at this, T.W. and Brian, I mean, just this nature of the response here. It's not just what he was saying today about the hurricane relief, and it's not just him saying that the federal government is ignoring states where Republicans live.
I mean, the jobs report comes out today. And allies of Trump, Senator Marco Rubio, you have obviously spent a lot of time on the Hill, T.W., are saying it's a fake jobs report. I mean, that's something that Trump always used to say, that it's a fake jobs report, if it's not good. And if it's good, then it's real.
ARRIGHI: Well, the jobs report--
COLLINS: I mean, he actually said that one time.
ARRIGHI: Yes. I -- that's untrue. I can't say it's fake. It's real. There were red flags in that jobs report, I will say that.
Both manufacturing and transportation and warehousing were the only two sectors by the Bureau of Labor Statistics that went down. That is not good in today's climate.
The ones that led the charge were threefold. It was private education, health services, we're going back to school, with hotels and leisure, snowbirds are leaving. And it was three. It was the government, which is concerning to me.
Because there's a story by Axios, two days ago, that said half of the -- over half of the counties in America now have a majority of citizens, who get at least 25 percent of their income from the federal government. The government is growing in a bad way. The military is in a tough shape. It should be growing there, not elsewhere.
So, the jobs report, while it was great on the surface, definitely had some red flags to me.
STELTER: But the--
COLLINS: But if Trump had this report, would he criticize it, or not?
STELTER: Of course not. And look, I'm one of the new jobs, because I'm a new hire. So, I guess I'm in the jobs report. I just--
COLLINS: Congrats on contributing.
(CROSSTALK)
DE BLASIO: Definitely.
STELTER: It is so frustrating to think that we're in this environment, where Donald Trump tells you not to believe your eyes or your ears.
[21:15:00]
And I think the reason why I'm so worried about this week, Kaitlan, whether it's the lies about Helene, or the lies about the job report, is that this foreshadows the election. It foreshadows what's going to happen to our country in November. It foreshadows the lies that are going to be told, regardless of what happens in the election.
Most of the lies about Helene, and also about the jobs report are for brazen political purposes, right? It's about saying Biden and Harris are incompetent, don't trust them, they hate America. That's the message from Republicans. It's so extreme, though.
And don't you all remember the debate from a few days ago? Wasn't it nice to have a civil, respectful debate?
DE BLASIO: Yes.
STELTER: Even with J.D. Vance and Tim Walz, who are both very strongly partisan? It was so refreshing to have in this country. Yes, there were some lies and distortions. But nothing like what we've seen from Trump, this week.
DE BLASIO: Yes.
STELTER: And nothing like what we see on social media about Helene.
And the problem with the hurricane is that the people who are being lied to today about Helene, they're actually going to suffer, as a result.
COLLINS: Do you-- STELTER: There were rescue workers, according to Huffington Post, being sent out to homes, because of memes, and then finding there's nobody there because the meme is a lie. So, there's actual real-world harm that's caused in these cases.
COLLINS: That's a really good point.
I mean, Mr. Mayor, do you also see this as kind of laying the groundwork for, I mean, a very difficult environment? Because people do believe what Trump says.
DE BLASIO: Yes.
COLLINS: He has fans and voters who support him. They believe these kinds of things.
DE BLASIO: As this election has tightened up, since Kamala Harris became the Democratic candidate, Trump is increasingly telegraphing that people should be ready for a conflict after the election. And that's because he's starting to lose. And it's not subtle.
I think it's very obvious Trump now -- he's not going to learn new things. This is -- this is his M.O. It is dangerous to the country, and it's corrosive to plant the seeds for the notion that we should have a fight after an election that's fair and square, won by a certain candidate.
But you can hear it in the red -- I mean, when he's now talking about she's mentally impaired, which is disgusting and inappropriate? That is him continuing to lay the groundwork for the most militant and potentially violent actions after the election. And I don't think people going to stand for it. That's the good news.
COLLINS: Yes, we'll see.
Well had a nice, civil debate, here, at least tonight.
We'll actually talk about Biden's comments about worries about a free and fair election, or at least it being taken well by Trump if he loses. That's ahead.
Also, former President Obama is going to be on the campaign trail next week, his long history with Harris, and the key coalitions that he's going to be targeting.
Plus tonight, this story that we're going to bring to you. Oklahoma schools are looking to buy 55,000 Bibles. But they have a very certain requirement, and only the Trump-endorsed $60 one seems to fit the bill.
[21:20:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: With just 32 days until Election Day, the Harris campaign is bringing out the closer. Barack Obama is going to embark on a 27-day battleground blitz, hitting the key states, starting in Pennsylvania, next week.
As both campaigns are mapping out their potential paths to 270, the Harris campaign is leaning on the Democrats' heavy-hitter, hoping that the former President can propel her to his old office.
My political sources are back here with me.
And Mayor de Blasio. To see Obama out on the campaign trail. We saw him at the convention, delivering that powerful speech. But he is obviously the biggest political star in your party. I mean, what impact does that have? How are they being strategic, in where they're sending him?
DE BLASIO: Look, I think it's a huge impact. There's a morale piece, I'd like to point to here. I mean, Democrats are actually feeling pretty good, right now, ever since Kamala Harris became the nominee.
And I'm out there, in Michigan, quite a bit, I'm just feeling the level of belief that was absolutely absent a few months ago. Let's be honest about it.
But bringing in Barack Obama tops that up even more, because obviously a reminder of victory, a reminder of success, and essentially the perfect anti-Trump, a president who people admire for sort of the solidity, the sobriety, the intelligence, the clarity.
I worked with Barack Obama, during the Ebola crisis, here in New York. And then I worked with Donald Trump during the COVID crisis. And talk about Tale of Two Cities.
I think for a lot of people in America, Barack Obama's kind of the ideal of what a president should be. So, for him to be out there, it brings them back to a feeling that something can be better, and that's going to pump up the Democratic base intensely.
COLLINS: Well, and what does this look like for Republicans, T.W., in the sense that they have Barack Obama out there, on her behalf, and also, as we saw very prominently yesterday, Liz Cheney, formerly one of the biggest--
STELTER: Right.
COLLINS: --and most prominent members of the Republican Party, out there, saying, Actually, I'm going to go with a Democrat this time.
ARRIGHI: Yes, and there was Bobby Kennedy, a member of the Kennedy family, campaigning with Trump. So, it's there have been some shifting allegiances. I don't want to sound like a party pooper here.
But the fact of the matter is Barack Obama is one of the most gifted politicians orders, you name it, in American history, without question.
But you said something interesting at the end there. And you said, it's energizing to the base. And that's why I'm interested to see where they send Barack Obama and when, because that's going to show where they feel like they have weaknesses among their base.
Think of Michigan. Michigan, by CAIR's own numbers, say that 40 percent of Muslim Americans in Michigan are supporting Jill Stein. That's a massive problem to the Democratic base. Barack Obama remains very popular there.
So, the fact of the matter is, these rallies are great to gin up local press coverage, get the base rallied up. But there is no independent voter, sitting outside of -- sitting in Delco saying, Hey, turn off the fills. I saw that Barack Obama's doing a rally for Kamala Harris, that's going to change my mind. No one's saying that.
DE BLASIO: Now, slow down, slow down. Wait a minute.
ARRIGHI: So.
DE BLASIO: You had plenty of Obama -- Obama, Trump voters.
ARRIGHI: Sure.
DE BLASIO: I mean, that's a major phenomenon. So just hold on.
ARRIGHI: Sure.
[21:25:00]
DE BLASIO: I do think, to be fair, there's a lot of mainstream Republicans, there's a lot of independents, a lot of moderate voters, in a place like Michigan, particularly in the suburbs around Detroit, who are no longer comfortable with Donald Trump, and do need some additional inspiration, to get to Kamala Harris. And I actually think Barack Obama does help with that as well, because he won those votes before.
STELTER: I was wondering this, though, about Liz Cheney yesterday. Who is she actually persuading?
I actually thought Bruce Springsteen's video might have been more important yesterday. He said something really simple in his endorsement of Harris. He said, it doesn't have to be this way in the country. And I thought to myself, that's actually a message that appeals to some Republican voters.
DE BLASIO: Yes.
STELTER: It doesn't have to be this way anymore.
ARRIGHI: But let's just start -- let's not forget. In this -- everyone knows who Donald Trump is. He's a very known commodity.
STELTER: Yes.
ARRIGHI: And so, no one's going to be surprised about where what -- if he says something crazy, or he does something, or does something out of the ordinary. But, in 2016, Barack Obama had the bully pulpit of the presidency, went all around the country for Hillary Clinton, and still couldn't beat Donald Trump.
STELTER: Yes, true.
COLLINS: Right, but, of course, that was when he had just been in office for eight years, after -- people reflect differently on him now that he's been out of office.
But I want to -- the one person we're not seeing it out on the campaign trail is, President Biden himself.
STELTER: President Biden, yes.
COLLINS: He did make a surprise appearance, in the briefing room, the first time he has ever gone to the White House briefing room, since being in office. I remember, because I was there, we always hoped that he would come.
STELTER: Right.
COLLINS: But he said something that was really interesting, when a reporter asked him if he thought this election would be free and fair.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I am confident it will be free and fair. I don't know whether it will be peaceful. The things that Trump has said, and the things that he said last time out, when he didn't like the outcome of the election, were very dangerous.
They haven't even accepted the outcome of the last election. So, I am concerned about what they're going to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: It's fair point.
DE BLASIO: Yes, it's the truth. And I also think there's a lot of people in this country, who will hear that, and respect that warning, and do not want to see that come to pass. And a lot of those folks are right on the edge, and they're going to realize that a vote for Donald Trump only encourages that kind of negativity and conflict.
STELTER: Or even if they vote for Trump, we still all have to live together next year.
DE BLASIO: That's right.
STELTER: We have to find a way to live together next year.
ARRIGHI: And I--
STELTER: That's the priority. ARRIGHI: I want to make one very quick point. I, a 100 percent agree with President Biden. I pray this is peaceful. Violence of all kind is bad. And Lord knows, I think that there's things about Donald Trump's tone and what he says that can be shifted.
But there is one candidate that has had bullets trained on him twice, in recent months. And I haven't heard many Democrats step up and say, We need to also change our language. Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me, not that other guy.
STELTER: Tomorrow will be--
ARRIGHI: So leading more ownership.
STELTER: Tomorrow will be one of the best days of the Trump candidacy. Going back to Butler.
ARRIGHI: Yes.
STELTER: Objectively, that is going to be a historic moment.
COLLINS: And by best, you mean one of the most just notable, given the--
STELTER: I think--
COLLINS: --they're going back.
STELTER: --everybody's going to be watching, wanting to see what Trump says and how the crowd reacts. I mean, I think it's going to be a historic moment, tomorrow.
COLLINS: Yes, we'll all be watching.
STELTER: Yes.
COLLINS: Also, for everyone who is stressed about the election, we're going to have a special segment for you, at the end of the show. So, keep watching if you have anxiety about the next 30 or so days.
But up next here for us. Oklahoma's School Superintendent wants to buy thousands of Bibles for classrooms. Fair enough. But only two Bibles that are both endorsed by Donald Trump have the right specifications. The cheapest one is $60.
[21:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Tonight, Oklahoma is looking to buy 55,000 Bibles for its schools. That's because earlier this year, the State Superintendent ordered schools to incorporate the Bible and the 10 Commandments into its lessons plans.
But the Bible that Oklahoma's Department of Education wants, has some pretty specific requirements. Some of them are typical for a Bible. It needs to be the King James Version, bound in leather, or leather-like material, similar to what you might find in a church pew or a hotel nightstand.
But the State also wants these Bibles to include American historical texts like the Pledge of Allegiance, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Now, while it is certainly possible that Bible-makers can start printing copies that fit the bill here, there does happen to be one for sale that has exactly what Oklahoma is looking for.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
D. TRUMP: I encourage you to get this God Bless The USA Bible.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Introducing the limited edition God Bless the USA Bible, inspired by Lee Greenwood's hit song and the most recognized patriotic anthem in America.
D. TRUMP: You all should get a copy of God Bless The USA Bible now and help spread our Christian values with others. Let's make America pray again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Of course, that is the Bible that former President Donald Trump licensed his name to, and goes for $59.99.
My source from Oklahoma, tonight, is Allyson Shortle. She's an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Oklahoma, and Co-author of "The Everyday Crusade: Christian Nationalism in American Politics."
I'm not going to tell you Boomer Sooner, Allyson.
But I do want to talk about just looking at this story that kind of blew my mind today, because these are just such narrow requirements for the Bibles that these Oklahoma public schools are going to be required to have. What do you make of them?
ALLYSON SHORTLE, POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA, CO-AUTHOR, "THE EVERYDAY CRUSADE": Well, like you, many Oklahomans are scratching their heads today, because it's not just the incorporation of federal government documents into a religious text that is required in public schools. It also has to be leather-bound, or leather-like.
So, there's also these interesting requirements that point to something strange. And that something strange is that it has to be a Trump-endorsed Bible in order for a public school in Oklahoma to purchase it.
[21:35:00]
Now, we've talked to everybody who sells Bibles in the state, and that tends to be Mardell Education -- Christian Education Center here. And they do not currently hold a Bible that is a Trump-endorsed Bible. And it costs either $60 for the Bible that you referenced in this story, but there's also a $90 option.
What makes this particularly interesting is that a basic Bible of the King James variety, it goes for about $3 on Amazon. So, you're talking about, you know, the cost alone is 20 to 45 times the price of a Bible that you can get easily on Amazon today.
COLLINS: Yes, I did the math on this. And if they went with the less expensive version, the $60 one, and the state is buying $55,000 (ph)? That's $3.3 million that would be spent on this particular Bible.
And so, when you spoke with those -- the Bible -- the makers in Oklahoma that had other ones, did they have other options that were less expensive that just maybe did not fit this exact requirement?
SHORTLE: No. According to a report by Oklahoma Watch, there were about 2,700 Bibles they had access to. None of them fit the specifications that Walters requires in this mandate.
COLLINS: And of course, Walters, that you're talking about there, that's Ryan Walters. He's the State Superintendent. And he's endorsed Donald Trump, I should note, in the presidential election.
And I do want to read a statement that we got, tonight, from the Oklahoma Department of Education, to our show. They said ,"There are hundreds of Bible publishers, and we expect a robust competition for this proposal." And that "It would be inappropriate to comment while bids are being placed."
It sounds like you're doubtful that it's a competitive bidding space here, though.
SHORTLE: Well, I am not the only one. Former Attorney General, Drew Edmondson, has come out and said that this is very much not a competitive bid, and he does think that it ultimately will be determined to violate state law.
This is also at a really contentious time, in the tenure of Ryan Walters, because while this controversy is brewing, he has also gotten into hot water for having not been able to purchase required inhalers for every public school in Oklahoma. And he's had over a year to do so. Which has caused the current A.G. in Oklahoma, Gentner Drummond, to write a scathing letter, telling him that he needs to care, basically, about the health of our children and our students in the state.
COLLINS: It's quite a story. Allyson Shortle, please keep us updated. And we'll check back in with you on this. Thank you so much.
SHORTLE: Thanks.
COLLINS: Up next, on the campaign trail, some unusual moves for the Democratic nominee, going from -- and the Republican nominee, from the "Call Her Daddy" podcast, to POwen's (ph) podcast. It's a fight for young voters that we're seeing playing out tonight.
My source tonight is Dylan Douglas, the son of Michael Douglas, and Catherine Zeta-Jones, who has a political show of his own focused on young Americans. We're going to talk to him about this strategy.
[21:40:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: The latest from Israel tonight, as officials there will not say that going after Iran's nuclear sites is off the table.
At least it's not giving those assurances to the White House, certainly something that President Biden himself would welcome, because we heard from him this week, who said he doesn't believe Israel should go that far, to retaliate against Iran's major missile attack that they launched against Israel, earlier this week. The President said he doesn't think Israel has decided yet how to respond.
But this comes as former President Donald Trump was speaking at a town hall, tonight, in Michigan, and said he disagrees with Biden.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
D. TRUMP: They asked him, What do you think about -- what do you think about Iran? Would you hit Iran? And he goes, As long as they don't hit the nuclear stuff.
(LAUGHTER)
D. TRUMP: That's the thing you want to hit, right?
(LAUGHTER)
D. TRUMP: I said I think he's got that one wrong. Isn't that what you're supposed to hit?
The answer should have been, Hit the nuclear first and worry about the rest later.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Of course, we are waiting to see what Israel does do in response. We'll keep an eye on that.
Also back on the campaign trail, here at home, Kamala Harris is in the hot seat, but not the kind that she's used to. We've just learned that the Vice President has recorded an interview for the wildly popular podcast, "Call Her Daddy." If you can't tell from the name, the show can be suggestive at times, often digging into topics like sex and relationships.
Harris' interview, though, is focused on reproductive rights, we're told by her campaign. And this would obviously be a chance to speak directly to millions of mostly young women, who tune in every week.
Similarly, we've seen Donald Trump making a play for Gen Z men, doing a handful of podcast interviews of his own, showing up at different sports events, like the UFC matches, Formula 1 race in Miami. My Gen Z source tonight is Dylan Douglas, the son of Michael Douglas, and Catherine Zeta-Jones, who just launched a new political talk show for Gen Zers called "Young American with Dylan Douglas" on SiriusXM.
And younger voters can sometimes feel overlooked.
DYLAN DOUGLAS, HOST, "YOUNG AMERICAN" ON SIRIUSXM, SON OF MICHAEL DOUGLAS AND CATHERINE ZETA-JONES: Yes.
COLLINS: I think people talk about them. They make some plays to them. But they don't feel like anyone is actually trying to get their vote.
And I just wonder what you make of both candidates here, going to meet these young listeners, where they are, on these podcasts?
[21:45:00]
DOUGLAS: Well, 2020 was my first time voting in a presidential election. And back then, Gen Z made up one-tenth of the American electorate. This cycle, it's one-fifth. 40 -- just over 40 million Americans Gen Z are going to be voting, including 8.5 first-time voters. So, it's a huge very diverse demographic.
And as you just said, laid out perfectly, both sides are trying to get on their level, not just on policies, but in areas trying to, sort of like go beyond policy.
The Nelk Boys, a Canadian YouTuber group Trump's been courting. Of course, you got Logan Paul.
And then, for Harris, you got Taylor Swift, who's one Instagram endorsement, one post, 300,000 new registered voters because of it.
So, it's such an important demographic, such a -- such so politically tied in to all the issues through Instagram, Twitter. And it's something that's going to be very important, this cycle.
COLLINS: Yes, and the "Call Her Daddy" podcast, specifically. I mean, I've listened to it a lot. Alex Cooper gets amazing guests on there, and talk to them.
DOUGLAS: That's right.
COLLINS: And they're often pretty revealing.
But for Harris to go and take that step, do you think it's a wise one for her?
DOUGLAS: Well, absolutely. I mean, a lot of the criticism, I think, the campaign is getting thus far is not engaging with journalists, not taking interviews.
So something like "Call Her Daddy," which is not CNN, necessarily, not a cable news network, but something that appeals to the young base, which is such an important demographic, this cycle, it's absolutely important. And it's going to be exciting to see what she has to say. COLLINS: Yes, I mean, we'll be listening very closely.
DOUGLAS: Sure.
COLLINS: And I was looking at the numbers, tonight,. Harris has opened up a 31-point lead over Trump when it comes to young voters. That's double what Biden had. He had about a 13-point lead over Trump before he dropped out.
What is it that you -- that you see, and that you've heard from, from other people your age, that young voters see in Harris?
DOUGLAS: Well, firstly, she's a quite a little bit younger than President Biden, which helps. And she, a woman, a woman of color, speaks to so much of what our generation is, which is an incredibly diverse demographic group of people. Racially, when it comes to gender, sexual orientation, we're a tremendously diverse group. And Harris and her campaign just speaks to that.
But saying that, right now, Gen Z votes predominantly just left of center. But if you break that down by women, women vote 60 percent, 70 percent left of center.
But men, it's about 60 percent that may be voting for Trump this cycle. A huge gender divide, and you see Trump playing with that, going on these sort of male macho shows, like Logan Paul.
COLLINS: Yes.
DOUGLAS: Like The Nelk Boys.
And so, it's an area which will be very interesting to see the election a month away tomorrow, right? You're going to be caffeinated a month from now. I'm probably going to be watching you, seeing the results come in. It's going to be interesting to see how, on the gender side of things, our demographic, our generation, votes.
COLLINS: And for your new show, you've been talking to a lot of interesting people, and also going to some really interesting places. You went to Ukraine, recently.
DOUGLAS: I did.
COLLINS: Which, I traveled there for the second -- or for the anniversary, this year, back in February.
What was it like for you? What was that experience like?
DOUGLAS: Well, firstly, getting there is quite the journey. You fly to Poland, get off at Warsaw, take a bus to the border, wait till nightfall, and then taking a 11-hour night train, which I'm sure you did, to Kyiv.
COLLINS: It's horrible.
DOUGLAS: I kind of liked it. I thought it was exciting. It was like a long Metro-North.
But there, you see just the resilience of the people that have been at war now for the better part of three years. You also realize, it's a very young country.
And it's interesting, when it comes to the war itself, that they actually just recently brought their draft age down to 25 years. Here, of course, it's 18 to 25 which is the draft age. So, in a country that's fighting for its very survival, they're protecting their youth in a way that's very, very interesting.
And Ukraine itself, founded in 1991, it's a new country. So, their Gen Z is really the first generation, to really, live and understand a fully independent Ukraine. So, they're very committed to keeping it that way.
COLLINS: Yes, it's a great experience. And I can't wait to listen to the show.
Dylan Douglas, thank you.
DOUGLAS: Kaitlan, thank you for having me on.
COLLINS: Up next. We're going to talk about this. What I mentioned at the first segment. Was a little bit light arguing underway. Because between the election, a deadly hurricane happening, a war breaking out in the Middle East, it's easy to fall into a pit of doom-scrolling despair. Many of us have done it.
My next source, though, spends his days thinking about how to be 10 percent happier. Dan Harris is here next.
[21:50:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: With President Biden's ominous warning today that he's not sure if this year's election will be peaceful, it's no wonder Americans themselves are often feeling engulfed by political stress.
We've seen multiple assassination attempts, this summer, against Donald Trump, a last-minute candidate swap in the Democratic Party, and a flurry of legal battles. One AP poll shows that 59 percent of people are limiting their political diet just to get away from it all. That's not to mention the deadly hurricane, the growing conflict in the Middle East.
So if you're ready for a few moments of Zen, my next guest has some tips for staying sane. Joining me now is the host of the "10% Happier" podcast, Dan Harris. It's great to have you.
I think our entire audience is like, Do tell what's going to fix all this.
DAN HARRIS, HOST, "10% HAPPIER" PODCAST: I'm not promising to fix. I mean, there's a reason why my show is called "10% Happier." COLLINS: 10%.
HARRIS: I'm kind of in the -- in the messy, marginal improvement over time camp. There are no silver bullets. There're just little things you can do that will add up to something big.
COLLINS: Well, and one of your little things, you say, is about action.
HARRIS: Yes.
[21:55:00]
COLLINS: And that that helps absorb anxiety, as you put it.
HARRIS: It's a great phrase. It's not my phrase. But the phrase is, action absorbs anxiety.
And it's so it's -- I mean, as you know, and I think everybody watching this knows, it's really easy to watch the news and feel hopeless and helpless. But actually, you have a lot of power in your sphere, whatever your sphere is. So you can't, most of us, can't impact the outcome of the election or the events in the Middle East. But we can take action locally.
You can volunteer on a campaign. Or if you don't want to get involved in politics, you can volunteer in an animal shelter or a soup kitchen. Or if you don't have time for that, you can just be a little bit more useful to your friends and family.
Taking action in this way. And I'm not talking about like all-caps Twitter posting. I'm talking about actually being useful to actual human beings, IRL, can be empowering and give you a sense of agency.
COLLINS: Basically, that getting out and doing something makes people feel better about the things that they can't do something about.
HARRIS: Absolutely. But I often ask people, What does it feel like when you're holding the door open for somebody? If you're paying attention in that moment, it feels good. That feeling is infinitely scalable, and it is an antidote to hopelessness.
COLLINS: And do you hear from people who say, Actually, I did see a difference when I started to do X, Y and Z that--
HARRIS: All the time.
COLLINS: That it helped?
HARRIS: All the time. And I test all this stuff out in the laboratory of my own mind. Like, this issue of anxiety is not academic for me. I have suffered from anxiety since I was a little boy. And it's still an active issue for me. So, I'm constantly looking for things that work.
COLLINS: Is it worse for you, when we are approaching an election? I mean, 2016 was crazy. The 2020 election was crazy. This election is crazy. Do you feel that that's heightened when we are in a political season?
HARRIS: Of course. I mean, it's just an ambient stressor for many of us. And we already live in an era of record stress, depression and addiction and suicide and loneliness. We are in a mental health crisis. And so, anything you layer on top of it is likely to make it worse.
COLLINS: I was in an event, earlier today, and I heard someone talk about how they're planning events. That's what they do for a living. They're planning a lot of them, before the election, because it's such an unknown of what--
HARRIS: Yes.
COLLINS: --what people's mood will be like after the election, whether they'll be in the mood to get together, to go to events, to show up, and kind of meet people.
I thought that was really interesting, that people are planning things, social events, around the election.
HARRIS: The human animal does not like the feeling of uncertainty. And the problem with that is things are never certain. We live in a universe, where the only stable rule is change. And yet, we are wired as creatures, not to like that.
And so, we need coping mechanisms. One of them is the one we talked about before, action absorbs anxiety.
Another of my favorite slogans is never worry alone. We are in a stressful time. But don't make that a solo endeavor. Make it a team sport.
So, for example, during the election or really, all the time, I'm talking to my wife, I'm talking to my friends, I'm talking to my kid, I'm constantly talking to people. Because I don't want to be stuck in my head with my problems. I'd rather be saying them out loud and getting support. And there's a ton of evidence that this is a great way to reduce anxiety.
COLLINS: The other one that you had that I thought was interesting, was accurate disagreement.
HARRIS: Yes. Yes.
COLLINS: I would like to know what you mean by that, because oftentimes people on this panel do not agree with one another.
HARRIS: Yes, and you're caught in the crossfire.
COLLINS: Yes.
HARRIS: Do you have people in your life who you disagree with on politics?
COLLINS: Of course. HARRIS: Yes, OK.
COLLINS: I'm from Alabama.
HARRIS: Yes.
COLLINS: I mean, I just I -- not that I disagree with. Because I'm not a political person. I don't have a leaning. But I hear from so many people, who feel so many different things. And they often come to me because I'm such a political junkie.
HARRIS: Yes. I mean, this is a huge problem. There are so many people in the country, right now, who are sitting down to dinner every night, with people with whom they disagree, in their own family.
And one of the mistakes that we can make is to try to convince people that they're wrong. And that is a losing strategy. The best strategy is to try to understand what the other side thinks, and communicate clearly what you think, so you can land on what's called accurate disagreement.
COLLINS: We'll have some people try that out. We'll see if it works.
HARRIS: Yes. Right.
COLLINS: Dan Harris, great to have you. Thank you.
HARRIS: Thanks.
COLLINS: 10 percent disagreeing better, hopefully.
It is not just a podcast. He also has a newsletter that you can check out as well.
Also, this Sunday, on "THE WHOLE STORY WITH ANDERSON COOPER," I'm going to take you through something you may not think about that often, the history of first ladies.
Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATE BENNETT, FORMER CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, AUTHOR, "FREE, MELANIA": She realized what she wore could draw attention. She used that very strategically. Sometimes to her detriment. We can think about the Africa trip was out of a magazine.
COLLINS: When she went to her first solo trip to Africa, and she was criticized for wearing the hat?
KATIE ROGERS, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, THE NEW YORK TIMES: Right. I had written a story about how she had worn a pith helmet, on a safari, in Kenya, and it is a symbol of British colonial rule. It represents some really dark ideas. And she didn't like that line of coverage. And she met us in front of the Great Sphinx.
MELANIA TRUMP, FORMER FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: I wish people would focus on what I do, not what I wear.
[22:00:00]
ROGERS: Then she walked away from us, and started posing against the backdrop of the pyramid, and it was literally a fashion show photoshoot.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Don't miss "THE WHOLE STORY," this Sunday night, 08:00 p.m. Eastern. It's a look at Melania Trump, and potentially her return. And also, Doug Emhoff.
Thank you all so much for joining us. Have a great weekend.
"CNN NEWSNIGHT WITH ABBY PHILLIP" starts right now.
