DNC Celebrates Joe Biden, Focuses on Reproductive Rights
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For every life-saving treatment. For every next step. For every care in the world. Cleveland Clinic. It's Tuesday, August 20th, right now on CNN This Morning. I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible president, Joe Biden. Night one of the DNC is in the books with a surprise appearance from Kamala Harris with a message of praise for Joe Biden. And America, I love you.

President Biden gets his ovation as he marks his departure as the Democratic Party's leader. And this. Because of Louisiana's abortion ban, no one would confirm that I was miscarrying. Reproductive rights, a central focus during night one of the DNC as Democrats attack the Republicans on abortion. And then. I don't believe I am a showman. I think I'm somebody that has a lot of common sense.

Donald Trump rejecting criticism from one of his longtime allies and insists he is not a showman.

All right. 5 a.m. here in Chicago. It is 6 a.m. on the East Coast. A live look inside the United Center, which is, of course, home of the Democratic National Convention here in Chicago. Good morning, everyone. I'm Casey Hunt. It's wonderful to have you with us. Events wrapped up on that stage just a few hours ago. They're vacuuming the carpets here, preparing for night two.

The opening night was for Kamala Harris, a grand entrance as the party's nominee. And for Joe Biden, it was a bittersweet exit as the party's leader. Your 46th president of the United States, Joe Biden. Thank you.

He was introduced by his daughter, Ashley, the president receiving a standing ovation that lasted more than four minutes as Democrats waved, we love Joe signs. They chanted, thank you, Joe. That same message was expressed by Harris herself, who made a surprise appearance earlier in the night.

Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you will continue to do. We are forever grateful to you. Biden.

81 years old. He's held elected office for more than 50 years. He's run for president, sought the presidency four times. His speech last night was a swan song, not just for the campaign that he ended one month ago, but for a lifetime spent in American politics. The work and prayers of centuries have brought us to this day. What shall our legacy be? What will our children say? Let me know in my heart when my days are through.

America, America, I gave my best to you. I made a lot of mistakes in my career, but I gave my best to you for 50 years. The president there quoting the song American Anthem, just as he did in his inaugural address three and a half years ago. Biden was then and he is now the oldest president in American history. I've really been too young to be in the Senate because I wasn't 30 yet.

and too old to stay as president. But I hope you know how grateful I am to all of you. Folks, we just have to remember who we are. We're the United States of America! And there's nothing we cannot do when we do it together.

All right. Our panels here are Kate Bedingfield, former White House communications director, Bakari Sellers, CNN political commentator, former South Carolina state representative, Shermichael Singleton, CNN political commentator, Republican strategist, and Alyssa Farah Griffin, CNN political commentator, former Trump White House communications director. Welcome to all of you. Thank you so much for being here after a very,

very late night with the president not finishing until after midnight, I believe. I will candidly admit I watched the end of his speech this morning. But Kate Bedingfield, I mean, honestly, that moment where he acknowledged that he was too old to be president, I think you could honestly hear the reaction from the room, the sort of inhale of, wow, he actually went there and said that. I

But talk a little bit about what this means. You worked for this man for quite some time. You invested a lot of yourself in him as well, as did so many people in this room. Yeah. You know, the word that kept kind of reverberating with me while I was watching him last night was patriotism. Because we are in this moment of incredibly divided partisanship in this country. We have really, in a lot of ways, hardened into our corners. We've become incredibly combative and defensive in our politics. And

watching him last night and as somebody who worked for him for a long time and saw him up close in the way that he conducts himself in public service, it was such an ode to the idea that

Public service is about being bigger than ourselves and that there is reason for optimism and that people should want to participate in the process. I think so many people look at politics today and say, why would I want any part of that? And I just thought he did such a moving job as somebody who's dedicated his life to public service. I thought he did such a moving job

of making the case for the fact that, you know, working in politics is about serving something bigger than yourself. It is about country. There just aren't that many moments in our politics where somebody stands up and says,

what's best for me, the thing that I want is not what I think is best for the country. And so I'm going to take a step back. And that is a huge, huge selfless thing to do. So I was, it was really moving. It was obviously emotional for those of us who worked for him, but I think it was emotional for a lot of people who are invested in politics and public service in this country. And I thought it was just a really powerful night. I agree with Kate wholeheartedly. I mean, I think that he put, he, the contrast between

Joe Biden and Donald Trump could not be more clear. You have someone who is clinically an egomaniac versus someone who is as selfless as Joe Biden really is. And I thought last night began with such a and I'm not sure everybody was able to see every part of the convention. You know, the conventions are sometimes for those of us who

kind of i get not just gluttons for punishment but we love the politics we love the sport we love the animal we love the science of it and all those things but last night started with uh you know jesse jackson come

coming on stage and you saw tears in people's eyes when when Jesse was was rolled on stage in failing health and he raises hands up raising his hands. Yeah. And it just was a you know, that that was a moving moment and you ended with the moving moment and you had many moments in between

excitement. And, you know, at the end of the day, we love Joe Biden so much that we gave him not only Monday night, but we gave him Tuesday morning as well. Well, I mean, you say that, but I will say it was so late. Alex Thompson at Axios said that he got a text from someone that the timing of the speech was awful. He literally set up a campaign, handed it over to them. Do they have

to cut him out of primetime, is what he said, because obviously 11.30 is not primetime. Peter Baker put it this way. Democrats jumbled their homage plan with a slate of speeches that went so long that Mr. Biden was pushed out of primetime on the East Coast. He did not begin his own address until 11.30 p.m., a cardinal sin in modern convention planning. Democrats were so far behind schedule, they had to scrap a video tribute to the outgoing president. If Mr. Biden minded, though, he didn't say, nor did he cut short his own address. He had a lot to say and he wanted to say it. Let me just...

kind of check Peter Baker real quick. Well, first morning, early in the morning. Yeah, and I think that, I think that's something. Bakari is taking on the New York Times on this set. Yeah, no, but it's weird to me that people who are so smart and so good at their jobs create like, they just mess up so glaringly. And Peter misses the simple fact that these speeches live online forever

Like there are clips that are playing on social media and TikTok. They're not traditional means and methods by which people consume these speeches anymore. People are watching this speech on TikTok right now when they wake up. They're watching it on Instagram. They're watching it on X. And so just because you give a speech at 1130 does not mean the American public is cut out. This is not 1940 where people have to gather around the radio, Peter, and actually listen to it. But respectful.

I disagree. And granted, I take Biden is not Donald Trump. Donald Trump would be furious if he was taken out of primetime. But there is something to some of these speeches could have gone shorter. And it felt like it shortchanged some real rising stars. Andy Beshear had this kind of truncated speech. And for a lot of these people who have bigger aspirations, this is their big moment. I think it listen, he gave the remarks I hoped he would give. I thought they were thoughtful, looking backward, but also passing the baton to Kamala Harris. But

It was late. I also finished watching it this morning. I do want to say this, though. I thought that Democrats yesterday, the programming was leaning into we are a big tent party because I was working on the Hill when it was Pelosi versus the squad and you guys were the fractured party.

But you saw Hillary Clinton getting a con-like five-minute standing ovation. Then you see AOC with a primetime speaking slot showing there's room for everyone in this party. And I thought that was very much by design. And if you look at who they have on the same day, it's meant to say there's room for the left. There's room for the more centrist wing of the Democratic Party. Something my party, by the way, could learn something from. We didn't have Romney. We didn't have Ryan appear at our own convention. Well, that's also a reflection of, yes, the president was pushed out of primetime office.

certainly agree with Bakari and how people consume media. But it's also in some ways a great problem to have because what Alyssa is pointing out is, you know, we had a vast array of speakers from all elements of our party who not only spoke, but received rapturous applause. I mean, it's part of the reason that the program ran long was that there was so much applause and energy in the room. And so, you know, in some ways, having the program run long because people are excited and there's so many people who need to speak is kind of a good

problem to have. One thing that stood out to me, of course, given that there was a union leader that spoke at the Republican National Convention and because Donald Trump, sure, Michael, has done a lot to appeal to working class voters in a way that, you know, the Democratic Party used to have a lot more sway in the union halls outside Detroit.

than they do. We heard from Sean Fain, but we also heard from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose speech stood out, I thought, in a very long evening of speeches. And here's what she had to say about Republican attacks on her, just to give you kind of a little bit of a taste of what her address was like. Watch. Since I got elected, Republicans have attacked me by saying that I should go back to bartending. But let me tell you,

I'm happy to any day of the week because there is nothing wrong with working for a living. Talk about speeches that are going to live on social media. Yeah, I guess that clip will live on social media. But in terms of the Democratic Party uniting all of its various factions, I mean, we just saw two members of the squad lose their seat.

You're seeing a lot of young progressives who are protesting because they're not happy about the party leadership's position on Israel and Iran and the Palestinian people. And so there are clearly some issues within the party. Perhaps those issues aren't

as clear as some of ours are, right? And I would agree with that. But to pretend that there is complete unity, I'm not sure if that's accurate. But I want to just touch on President Biden quickly here. I mean, it does take a certain level of magnanimity to be in a very, very powerful position and be willing to give it up.

And I really just hope the American people, as we are in this divided time, really take the opportunity to just reflect on that. I know there are a lot of differences about the president. There are differences on some of his policy positions. But at the end of the day, we do look to our leaders, Casey, to give us examples of who we can be under the worst conditions and even in the best conditions. And I think President Biden has certainly exuded that as a leader.

certainly it is not, I wouldn't say, Kate, something that we see a lot of in Washington. People being willing to put aside their own ego. It is really not. It is a very ego-driven town and to watch somebody put their ego aside and do what's best for the country or what he believes is best for the country. It is a really powerful thing. I really think it was, it's an act of hope in a lot of ways. I mean, there's a lot of discussion of this is kind of like the valedictory address. This is the end of his career. But

I actually think there was an element of what he said and did last night that was so hopeful and that was so much about the future and was about demonstrating that you can, as Sir Michael said, be in a position of power and make a choice that you believe is about, you know, the good of your fellow countrymen. I mean, that is a fundamentally an act of

and investment in the future. And I hope that that's what a lot of people who were watching last night took away from that. Before we wrap up here, Alyssa, I want to get your take on, just because you also worked up on the Hill and you know what it's like to be on the other end of a tussle with Nancy Pelosi, shall we say. She's here. I bet you Alyssa didn't win that battle. No one wins that battle. Many people have won those types of battles.

battles before. And honestly, that includes Joe Biden, who, you know, Nancy Pelosi was a force trying to convince him to do this. They have not spoken since that happened. She was on the floor of the convention here yesterday watching him speak. Here's what she had to say to my colleague, Jake Tapper, when she spoke with him about the drama that has been playing out between her and the president in the Democratic Party.

Sometimes you just have to take a punch for the children. He made the decision for the country. My concern was not about the president, it was about his campaign.

What an absolute legend. No, I don't know that there's a singular figure in American, modern American politics that matters and is more consequential than Nancy Pelosi. And I will say this, in my experience with her, it is simply not in her DNA to see data that says Democrats will lose and not act. And that's what she's referring to. She saw how Biden affected down ballot races. She saw the House falling to Republicans. She saw the Senate being more favorable. That's why she stepped in. It's classic Nancy Pelosi. Sometimes you have to take a punch for the children.

Words to live by. Print the t-shirts. Yeah. Not quite sure what it means, but I'm there for it. If you've ever listened to Nancy Pelosi, she's doing it for the children. Let me tell you, almost everything she does, she will say, it is for the children. Nancy loves the kids. Come on.

Coming up here on CNN this morning, Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingell joins us live. We can ask her about that moment, too. She's going to discuss how Joe Biden's time in public office will be remembered. Plus, Democrats trying to go on offense on night one of the DNC on the fight over reproductive rights. And Hillary Clinton rallies behind Kamala Harris, hoping the vice president won't face the same fate that she was handed in 2016. He's mocking her name and her laugh. Sounds familiar.

But we have him on the run now.

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How we explain that when someone is cruel or acts like a bully, you don't stoop to their level. No, our motto is when they go low, we go high. That was Michelle Obama framing the presidential race in 2016. She's going to be back at the DNC tonight, one of the featured speakers, along with her husband, Barack, second gentleman, Doug Emhoff, and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker. The theme for this evening, a bold vision for America's future, is how they're framing it.

Let's go around the table here as we wrap things up and just look ahead to tonight. Kate, what are you looking for? Yeah, well, look, the Obamas are two of the most beloved figures in the Democratic Party. Also, Barack Obama certainly has appeal to these moderate independent voters. You look at the Obama coalition from 2008 and in many ways, some of that is what Kamala Harris is looking to recreate. So, you know, I think when President Obama speaks about

Democrats listen and I think this will be a moment for him to really lay out the stakes fire people up get people energized excited So I think it'll be a really emotional but also just powerful and energetic moment tonight the same thing I think that people there did two points I want to make people forget how how Magnanimous Barack Obama was he won not only North Carolina and Florida, but he also won Indiana in 2008 and

I also don't want, I love Michelle Obama, but I think that the mood has changed in the Democratic Party. So I think she will say this time, when they go low, we go to hell. We fight with them.

I mean, James Carville put it, quote, after eight years of Trump, there's no discussion among anybody about going high. I want to hear from President Obama, because I think Democrats, again, really have to figure out how to seal some of these cracks. I mean, you have Sherrod Brown not here, Tester not here. These are two individuals who are likely going to lose their Senate seats tonight.

I do think there are still some issues with the vice president and working class white voters. I still think there are some issues with the vice president and men of all races. And perhaps President Obama can speak to those demo groups and maybe encourage them to come back to the Democratic Party.

So I disagree with Bakara on this. I think Michelle Obama should stick to that message. Let me tell you why. There is going to be a time in politics where Donald Trump is not the singular force in our lives, where we move beyond the casual cruelty, the name calling, the division. And we need leaders who are going to rise above and are going to teach the next generation how we should do politics, how I came up doing politics, how you guys came up doing politics.

I don't think we need more going low. I think actually why Kamala Harris is resonating is because it is hopeful. It is forward looking and is joyful. It is not name calling and punching down. I certainly will take some hope. I'm not sure how hopeful I am that we're going to get back to a place. You can't exercise cancer away. I'll just say quickly, as a Republican, if someone slaps you in the face, you don't just say, all right, thanks. See you later. You slap the hell out

them back. So I would not necessarily agree with the notion. And that is why we are so deeply polarized. We got to wrap it up, guys. Hopefully we'll see some hope tonight. Thanks to the panel. Thanks to you for joining us. I'm Casey Hunt. CNN News Central is next from right here in Chicago. The story of my life and the history of our country is that progress is possible, but not guaranteed.

We have to fight for it and never, ever give up. There is always a choice. Kamala has the character, experience, and vision to lead us forward. That was Hillary Clinton rallying around Kamala Harris in her presidential bid last night here at the DNC. Clinton, of course, the first woman to lead a major party ticket eight years ago, recalled the similarities between her and Harris's careers.

We both got our start as young lawyers helping children who were abused and neglected. That kind of work changes a person. Those kids stay with you. Clinton also noted the historic nature of a Harris possible presidency and reflected on the progress that women have made over the past century.

Together we put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling. On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris raising her hand and taking the oath of office as our 47th President of the United States.

All right. Our panel is back. I have to say, and, you know, Alyssa, I'm actually kind of interested to know what you think of this moment when she talked about Donald Trump, who, of course, she lost to. And the crowd started to chant, lock him up. There is this particularly I just want to let's play the moment because the look on her face, it says a lot. Just watch.

Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial and when he woke up he made his own kind of history. The first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions.

Certainly taking a different tack than Kamala Harris has. This has happened at Harris rallies and she does not entertain it. She's had these kind of John McCain moments of rising above it and not saying we're going to let the courts deal with it. Listen, Hillary Clinton deserves that moment, so I'll give it to her. But it gets back to this broader point.

the difference of the race that she ran. It was more about I'm with her and the, you know, the kind of personality if we need to elect a first female president. Kamala Harris is doing something very different. She is making it, we won't go back. It is about the people. We are rising above. It's forward-looking. I think that it was a beautiful testament. I think there's something beautiful about a woman who, you know, who lost to Trump saying this is going to be the person who beats him and not having any kind of grudge about it. But it's a very different race. Yeah, well...

And but I also think it reminds in some ways it reminds people, certainly reminds Democrats what the stakes are here. I mean, they look at, you know, they remember the Clinton Trump race for Democrats. It was a traumatic experience. And so I think, you know, the way I would agree, the way Kamala Harris is handling the lock him up at her rallies, I think, is the right thing.

is the right strategy. But I also do not begrudge Hillary Clinton this moment, both for her own personal, considering that she was tarred in that way for the entire campaign. And now he is actually a convicted felon. I think she should get that moment of emotional satisfaction just as a human.

Um, but I also actually think that it serves to remind Democrats of the stakes, what it is like when Donald Trump is in power in this country. And so kind of letting that moment marinate and play out, I actually thought was smart for Hillary Clinton to do. And there are a couple of things about Hillary Clinton's speech last night. Not only the fact that she's able to lean into certain things, like Alyssa said, that, that Kamala Harris doesn't and can't, you know, the identity of it. I'm with her being the first female president, the, the, the,

the cracks in the glass ceiling, even the lock him up chants. I mean, you have to remember that Republicans targeted and tarred Hillary Clinton since 1988. It's been literally a death by a thousand cuts of what they've tried to do to this woman's character. And she has done nothing but be a true icon of American politics throughout that entire time. That is kind of first. The second thing that it highlighted is that

The difference and we talk about the gender gap and Ron Brownstein can come on and talk about the gender gap. But the reason that Democrats in Kamala Harris do so much better with women is because there is a true understanding that women are not only the backbone of this country, but backbone of our political structure, because there's a direct line, a through line between Fannie Lou Hamer, Shirley Chisholm, Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris. And you don't have that same through line in the Republican Party.

And you see that in the Democratic Party. And that was on display last night. And women of all of all shades, of all backgrounds, were able to see that and feel that whether or not you are an independent, a Republican or Democrat, you're able to see that you have a place at least in the Democratic Party. Well, and I will just also.

I'm interested in your take on this, that Donald Trump is a uniquely difficult messenger for Republicans to use to appeal to women voters. Yeah, I mean, look, we performed in the past very well with suburban suburban women voters for a long time. Trump made that difficult. And some Republican strategists have argued that we probably won't be able to regain some advantages there until 2028. That's an interesting argument that I'm open to. But I wouldn't necessarily ignore the divide's

the gender divides. I think that men can play, particularly those disengaged and low propensity men, can make a mathematical difference in places like Wisconsin, places like Pennsylvania, where they are more blue-collar. They don't have a college degree. They do want a message that speaks...

to their future and not just the future of women. And I do think Democrats have some issues there. Somebody made a point a while ago that at election seasons, we talk about women like they're the small demographic and voting group. We have to get not 50% of the country. And I still find it wild. And I think you'll agree with me on this, that Donald Trump didn't seriously consider a female vice president. Never in the top tier of candidates he was vetting and considering. Like Haley? Yeah, considering the issues at stake. Last night, we saw reproductive rights, abortion, front and stage abortion.

in prime time. And they don't have a messenger on the ticket who can soften them on those issues or even lean into IVF and some of the other ones related to it. Yeah. And I think the other problem that Trump and Vance have with women, first of all, the substantively some of what they're advocating for would take rights away from women. And so that right there is you're starting from behind the eight ball.

But I also think the way that they talk about women is as this kind of other or, you know, I mean, you see J.D. Vance using all of this almost like technical language to describe like postmenopausal women. But we don't talk like that over drinks. So it's like it makes it seem like, first of all, they don't know any women and sex

Second of all, it kind of underscores the larger messaging problem they have, which is that people don't believe that they care about them, that they're going to fight for them. And so when you take more than half the population and basically say, I don't communicate in a way that says, I don't think of you as a human, that is a tough barrier to overcome when you're trying to convince people you're going to fight for them. But one of the things that happened last night, even during the reproductive rights portion of the program, is that uniquely enough, men are...

are finally waking up in 2024 and saying, you know what, there's a role for us to play in this battle for reproductive rights. This isn't just a woman's issue. You know, for me, you know, being an advocate, you know, for my wife when she was going through childbirth, nearly dying and all of those things, maternal health.

Those things really matter. And so we're seeing that on display as well. Well, candidly, these these votes that are related to abortion rights, the ballot measures wouldn't be getting the margins they were if it was just women. But it's Ohio and Kansas. There are men in Ohio and Kansas that are voting to vote for abortion rights. All right. Absolutely. Our panel is going to stick around. It is 28 minutes past the hour and we do have our morning roundup. Donald Trump giving a glimpse into his potential administration if he were to win reelection. He told Reuters.

he would tap Elon Musk for a cabinet or advisory role if Musk would do it. The two men recently held a conversation on the Platform X, of course, formerly known as Twitter. The U.S. government says Iran is behind the hacking attempts targeting Trump and the Biden-Harris campaign. U.S. officials believe that the investigation marks the clearest sign yet of Iran's efforts to influence the presidential election.

And this. Four pro-Palestinian protesters arrested on day one of the Democratic National Convention for breaching a security fence. Police now reassessing their security plans for tonight. We're not going to tolerate anyone who is going to vandalize things in our city. We're not going to tolerate anyone who are going to commit acts of violence. Police say that the protesters did not breach their inner security perimeter.

Inside the DNC here last night, between speeches from celebrities and politicians, we also heard from four everyday Americans. They were billed as, in powerful testimonials, they highlighted one of the Harris' campaign's central issues, reproductive rights, sharing their harrowing and deeply personal stories about pregnancies and miscarriages and how state-level abortion bans endangered and changed their lives.

We waited until Amanda was sick enough to receive standard abortion care. Eventually, Amanda's temperature spiked. She was shaking, disoriented, and crashing. Something didn't feel right. Two emergency rooms sent me away. Because of Louisiana's abortion ban, no one would confirm that I was miscarrying. I was raped by my stepfather after years of sexual abuse. At age 12,

I took my first pregnancy test and it was positive. I can't imagine not having a choice.

Wow. Joining me now, Jessica Mackler, the president of EMILY's List, the political action group that helps elect Democratic female candidates who support abortion rights. Jessica, thank you very much for being with us this morning. Thank you for having me. She in particular, Hadley Duvall, who was featured in that ad in the Kentucky race with just such a deeply personal story. This has clearly become a really central part of post-Roe America, right, as women who are

attempting to get care for all sorts of situations have in many states struggled to do it. And I know you actually have your own personal story that you've only recently started to share in public. What did we see on stage last night and how do you think these personal stories touch American voters?

- Well, I think one of the most important things that we did last night was to really draw this contrast and to show what was at stake in this election cycle. And so we really rooted that in what is at the heart of this issue? This is a deeply personal issue and it affects people all over the country. Previous segment, you were talking about Kentucky and Ohio. People across the country understand what it means and what the impact is of these really draconian abortion laws that have been passed by Republicans in the wake of Donald Trump's Supreme Court

tearing down row. And so I think really rooting that first night in these deeply personal stories, I heard someone say that it kind of felt like the oxygen left the room. Um, in that moment when Hadley talked about what it looks like, it's not beautiful for a child to have to carry, um, her parents, uh,

And that that moment that really that really gets to people. And this is these are deeply personal issues. And we saw that on stage last night. Donald Trump has tried to downplay the issue of abortion as one that is going to affect this election. But I think it's worth remembering that this is the first presidential race in the wake of.

of the fall of Roe versus Wade. What are you seeing as, because I know you do a lot of internal polling, surveying, there's a lot of information coming in about where the electorate is on this issue that you think isn't getting enough attention. I think we've been

I think we've just consistently seen an underestimation of how dramatically the landscape has shifted since the Roe decision, since the Dobbs decision. It is an upending of politics. And so when we look at where we are in a presidential campaign, you're often looking at where are we compared to 16, where are we compared to 20? But we cannot understand this election cycle without the context of 2022.

And the Dobbs decision upended politics in this country. Women in particular are outraged. And Kamala Harris is meeting that outrage with a real vision for we don't have to live like this. It doesn't have to be like this. We can restore these rights. We can restore these freedoms. And people are responding in a really amazing way. Well,

Where do you see this decision that President Biden made to step aside for Kamala Harris affecting how the House and Senate are going to play out? Because I know those are lots of the races that you work on and are going to be deeply affected by that.

Absolutely. Well, I mean, the electrification of the country since Kamala Harris took the helm of this campaign is something that is going to affect people up and down the ballot. I would also say, you know, Kamala Harris is the best messenger in the country when it comes to reproductive freedom. And she's

And so having her at the top of this ticket really is going to drive the contrast in this election. I would keep a real close eye on young women. Young women are going to be determinative in this election. We have seen massive swings in their enthusiasm and they are going to turn out in force for her and candidates down the ballot. All right. Jessica Mackler for us this morning. Thank you so much for coming in. I really appreciate it.

OK, still ahead here on CNN this morning, day two of the Democratic National Convention with Barack and Michelle Obama set to speak. What has happened to when they go low, we go high? Our panel will discuss. And Congresswoman Debbie Dingell joins us live to talk about Biden's place in history after his opening night speech at the DNC. Biden stood on that stage, gave a powerful speech and proved to the country and to the world that he can stay up past 8 p.m.,

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I know more foreign leaders by their first names and know them well than anybody live, just because I'm so damn old. President Biden cracking jokes during his late night address at the DNC about the very thing that stood in the way and ultimately halted his reelection bid, his age. Very emotional Biden took the stage to tout his accomplishments and pass the torch to Kamala Harris, making a clear effort to credit his vice president for her work as she takes the reins.

Thank you, Kamala. We finally beat Big Pharma. And guess who cast the tie-breaking vote? Vice President, soon-to-be President Kamala Harris. She's tough, she's experienced, and she has enormous integrity. Selecting Kamala was the very first decision I made when I became our nominee. And it was the best decision I made my whole career.

Joining me now is Democrat from Michigan, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell. Congresswoman, wonderful to see you. Jason, good to be here. I appreciate the early morning after what was a very late night for President Biden speaking until after midnight. What was the feeling for you in the room about what he did there? Because as much as people were thanking him for his own service, they were also thanking him for stepping aside.

You know, it was emotional. I mean, you couldn't, if you know Joe Biden like I have for 40 years, you've watched 40 years of history and know what happened. You could not cry at the beginning of it. And there were very different. I mean, I think everybody recognized last night in the room how much he's given to this country in 50 years of public service. And sure, there's a bittersweetness to it because there were people there.

in the room that felt that he had to go and I didn't love the way it all played out. Speaking of people who suggested that he had to go, Nancy Pelosi was on the floor, Speaker Emerita watching what unfolded. Joe Biden was on the tarmac actually after his speech as he was heading, he went on vacation on Air Force One, was asked about whether he was angry about how it all played out, whether he had spoken with Pelosi. Let's watch that moment. No, I haven't spoken to Nancy at all. I mean, look,

What do you make of what he said there?

I think that that's the truth. You know, I've been through not this public a moment, but my husband and Nancy had their moment. They came back together. They worked together. It wouldn't have been an Affordable Care Act if people watching may not know she did a little of what she did with John Dingell.

my husband, at the Energy and Commerce Committee. Look, there's a lot of hurt at first, but you come back together. You unite because you've got the common goal. And everybody knows we've got to be united right now to win in November. So winning in November, of course, means beating Donald Trump. So let's talk about what he's doing today, as well as I want to show also another moment where Biden was also asked

about how Trump has called what happened with Biden and Harris a quote unquote coup. This is how Biden answered that question. Take a look. I think he has a problem.

I think he has a problem, he says. Now, Trump is campaigning in Michigan today. Where is he going? Why? And how do you think that the message he'll carry will resonate? So I think I agree with the president 100 percent. I think he has a problem. He has chosen to go to Howell, Michigan, which was the scene of KKK march only three weeks ago, has a significant history of KKK activity, militia activity.

etc. And I think at a time where you're trying to bring a country together, it reinforces for all of us the kind of hate and division his presidency represented in four years. And we'll see what happens. But I think his campaign is going to be the same old, let's divide people, let's split people, let's encourage hate and anxiety. And I hope we all remember his effort is not to bring us together as a country.

So speaking of division and how our politics is conducted, we're going to hear from the Obamas tonight here at the convention. Michelle Obama famously in 2016 was on stage saying, when they go low, we go high. And that also seems to be there seems to be something of a divide among Democrats about whether that's the right way to go, considering the way that Trump campaigns and whether going high is enough to stand up to the way he campaigns. How do you look at that?

Well, as someone who has occasionally been the target of Donald Trump, I think I'm one of the ones he has a more personal feeling for. I wrote an op-ed in The New York Times in January, said that you have to stand up to Donald Trump when he goes after you. I think you have to do it respectfully. You have to do it civilly. We have to...

But I don't think we can let him get away with his hateful attacks. I mean, I wrote it after he said his Christmas message to remind people was rot in hell last year. Quite a Christmas message. 2016, you were...

The loudest voice, maybe the only voice flashing those warning signs that Michigan was in danger to Donald Trump. What are you seeing out there now? I mean, do you see those same warning signs? I know we have to run scared, right? And I know we have to have that Jill Stein redux, but...

What are you seeing differently or are you seeing anything differently today for Democrats versus what you saw in 2016? If you had asked me a month ago, I was very worried. We had four demographics that I was worried about. There is more enthusiasm, young people, not all young people. We've still got college campuses that are mixed, are coming back. The African-American community is coming back. We still have a union hall problem, to be perfectly frank. And it's how close is the election going to be?

Uh, and then the Mideast continues to play out and a new area that I'm kind of paying attention to is seniors. I heard a lot of seniors. I went to about 10 different seniors meetings last week. It was 89th birthday of social security. Do we not matter? Do they, we think we're irrelevant or both parties throwing us out. We have work to do. There's more energy. There's more enthusiasm. It's going to come down to who turns out their vote. Uh, on the union hall, uh,

problem, as you say. What do you think Kamala Harris needs to do to fix that? Well, I think it's already beginning. I mean, you know, no, she just said so eloquently, nobody believed me in 2016. Everybody was like, all she wants is more resources in Michigan. And we didn't get them and they never walked into a union hall. They're already walking into union halls. She was in local 900 last week where the strike started. I talked to a lot of those guys after she was there. I've talked to

Every president in the state of Michigan and most of the national, I'm going in those halls. She's going in those halls. We're going to talk to them. We've got to tell the story. We've got to do that comparison. All right. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, thank you so much for being with us. Thanks to our panel as well. Straight ahead here. Actually, you guys will be back in just a second. Straight here ahead on CNN this morning, night two of the DNC, the theme for the evening, the powerhouse lineup of speakers up next.

That was Michelle Obama framing the presidential race in 2016. She's going to be back at the DNC tonight, one of the featured speakers, along with her husband, Barack, second gentleman, Doug Emhoff, and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker. The theme for this evening, a bold vision for America's future, is how they're framing it.

Let's go around the table here as we wrap things up and just look ahead to tonight. Kate, what are you looking for? Yeah, well, look, the Obamas are two of the most beloved figures in the Democratic Party. Also, Barack Obama certainly has appeal to these moderate independent voters. You look at the Obama coalition from 2008 and in many ways, some of that is what Kamala Harris is looking to recreate. So, you know, I think when President Obama speaks publicly,

Democrats listen. And I think this will be a moment for him to really lay out the stakes, fire people up, get people energized, excited. So I think it'll be a really emotional, but also just powerful and energetic moment tonight. The same thing. I think that people, there are two points I want to make. People forget how magnanimous Barack Obama was. He won not only North Carolina and Florida, but he also won Indiana in 2008. I also don't...

I also don't want, I love Michelle Obama, but I think that the mood has changed in the Democratic Party. So I think she will say this time when they go low, we go to hell. We fight with them.

I mean, James Carville put it, quote, after eight years of Trump, there's no discussion among anybody about going high. I want to hear from President Obama, because I think Democrats, again, really have to figure out how to seal some of these cracks. I mean, you have Sherrod Brown not here, Tester not here. These are two individuals who are likely going to lose their Senate seats tonight.

I do think there are still some issues with the vice president and working class white voters. I still think there are some issues with the vice president and men of all races. And perhaps President Obama can speak to those demo groups and maybe encourage them to come back to the Democratic Party. So I disagree with Bakar on this.

I think Michelle Obama should stick to that message. Let me tell you why. There is going to be a time in politics where Donald Trump is not the singular force in our lives, where we move beyond the casual cruelty, the name calling, the division. And we need leaders who are going to rise above and are going to teach the next generation how we should do politics, how I came up doing politics, how you guys came up doing politics. I don't think we need more going low. I think absolutely.

Actually, why Kamala Harris is resonating is because it is hopeful. It is forward looking and is joyful. It is not name calling and punching down. I certainly will take some hope. I'm not sure how hopeful I am that we're going to get back to a place. You can't exercise cancer away. I'm going to just say quickly, as a Republican, if someone slaps you in the face, you don't just say, all right, thanks. See you later. You slap the hell out of them back. So I would not necessarily agree with the notion. And that is why we are so deeply pulled. We got to wrap it up, guys.

Hopefully we'll see some hope tonight. Thanks to the panel. Thanks to you for joining us. I'm Casey Hunt. CNN News Central is next from right here in Chicago. From all over the world, people turn to Cleveland Clinic for our expertise and our compassionate care. As leaders in heart, neurology, and cancer, the future of specialty care is happening right now at Cleveland Clinic. For every life-saving treatment,

For every next step. For every care in the world. Cleveland Clinic. Don't let CNN's John King have all the fun. Experience the CNN Magic Wall on your mobile device. Get live results, expert insights, and an immersive election experience. Find it at cnn.com slash magic wall or the CNN app today.