'We're not going back!'
47:27 Share

Hi, I'm Angie Hicks, co-founder of Angie. And one thing I've learned is that you buy a house, but you make it a home. Because with every fix, update, and renovation, it becomes a little more your own. So you need all your jobs done well. For nearly 30 years, Angie has helped millions of homeowners hire skilled pros for the projects that matter. From

From plumbing to electrical, roof repair to deck upgrades. So leave it to the pros who will get your jobs done well. Hire high-quality certified pros at Angie.com. 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. It's Thursday, August 22nd, right now on CNN This Morning. Say it with me. We're not going back. Tim Walls headlines night three of the DNC rallying Democrats with personal stories of his middle America roots. Plus. I need.

Kamala Harris speaks tonight in historic fashion as she will be the first black woman and first Asian American to lead a major party ticket. And... Let us not forget who assaulted democracy on January 6th. He did. Democrats put Trump's role in the January 6th insurrection under the microscope at the Democratic National Convention. And then... Let us choose common sense over nonsense.

Oprah Winfrey delivers her call to independent and undecided voters to back Kamala Harris.

All right, it is just after 5 a.m. here in Chicago, Illinois, 6 a.m. on the East Coast. A live look at the United Center right here in Chicago, of course, the home of the Democratic National Convention. It is quiet now, but a big night tonight. Good morning, everyone. I'm Casey Hunt. It's wonderful to have you with us. The fourth and final day of the DNC begins. Kamala Harris prepares to make history on that stage behind me and become the first woman of color to accept a major party's presidential nomination.

It's been a pretty continuous party here in Chicago. Last night, musicians John Legend and Sheila E. performing a tribute to Prince. They were just two of the many celebrities who appeared to help introduce Tim Walls.

Former players from the high school where he once coached, not celebrities, were on stage as he was formally nominated. And Walls introduced himself last night to Americans on his biggest stage yet with personal stories, including his family's experience with infertility. It took Gwen and I years, but we had access to fertility treatments. And when our daughter was born, we named her Hope. Hope. Hope.

Gus and Gwen, you are my entire world, and I love you. I have to say, I mean, what an emotional moment right there. That was Walls' son, Gus, crying, shouting, that's my dad. His sister, Hope, was there also crying. And those signs in the crowd, they read Coach Walls. You know, you might not know it, but I haven't given a lot of big speeches like this. But I have given a lot of pep talks.

So let me finish with this, team. It's the fourth quarter. We're down a field goal. But we're on offense and we've got the ball. We're driving down the field. We got 76 days. That's nothing. There'll be time to sleep when you're dead. We're going to leave it on the field. And as the next president of the United States always says, when we fight, when we fight, when we fight,

Thank you. God bless. And now, of course, all eyes turn to Kamala Harris, who in just hours will formally accept her party's nomination for the presidency. We'll have to see if there's any surprises in store for tonight's program. We had one last night. Let us choose loyalty to the Constitution over loyalty to any individual. Let us choose the sweet promise of tomorrow over the bitter return to yesterday.

Let us choose honor and let us choose joy. Let's all choose Kamala Harris. Thank you, Chicago. Thank you, America. Starting to wonder why they didn't save her for the introduction for last for tonight. But anyway, joining me now to discuss Kate Bannefield, CNN political commentator, former Biden White House communications director, Bakari Sellers, also a CNN political commentator and former South Carolina state rep. Sharmai

Sure, Michael Singleton, Republican strategist, CNN political commentator, and Mark McKinnon, former advisor to George W. Bush and John McCain, of course, the creator of The Circus on Showtime is here. Thank you all for being here. I have to say that moment with Tim Walz's son. Can we put Gus back up? I mean, it I feel like it really stole the show last night and it it said so many things about.

about Tim Walz, about his family in this moment. For those who don't know, he struggles with disabilities, has been, you know, struggled with nonverbal autism. It's just a really, really moving moment. I've teared up every time I've seen the clip. I tear up thinking about the clip.

I mean, it's, I'm talking right now about it. I'm watching it. I it's fair. It's so powerful and it's so relatable. I mean, how many people in America have, you know, challenges of some nature, you know, almost all of them do. And, and it's just so relatable. And,

And it's so authentic. Yes. That's the, I mean, if you, like, if you, first of all, if you aren't moved by that, I don't know, you got a heart of stone. I mean, you know, politics aside, like that's, that's it, man, like family in that way. It's just unbelievable. But it, it is also, you know, it is about authenticity. And I think,

We saw that from Walls all night last night. I mean, I think we saw that in the speech he delivered. We obviously saw it in the setup, the students talking about him. And authenticity is one of the most important pieces of successful political communication. And I just think, I'll just say quickly, the frustration with Washington, the disaffection, the disillusionment, some of it is because people feel like the system doesn't work for them. And some of it is because they feel like so many people in Washington are phony.

Yeah. And I think that what Walls was able, what we saw him do last night and what he's going to, I think, continue to do in this campaign is just connect with people in a real way. So when I got the job of doing the media for Bush in 2000, I was first excited, then petrified because it was such a responsibility. So I went back and studied it.

media for presidential campaigns going back to the advent of television. And different things happened over time, the revolutions of things that worked and didn't. And it just got to a point where people were so cynical of anything political because they know there's a First Amendment. You can say whatever you want. It doesn't have to be true. Politicians are paying for it. So the coin of the realm really to break through that is authenticity, right? And I'm telling you, in all my experience, I have never seen anything as authentic as that speech last night.

Wow, that is a resounding endorsement. That's also why he got chosen. I mean, I think that you have to go back to one of the... And what an affirmation of that choice. I mean, she had to kind of go out on a limb on that, right? Damn, you're excited about that. Walt's got him excited. Yeah, I am.

But no, I think that Kamala Harris's first choice was to choose her vice president of the United States, her first consequential choice. And I think the people are seeing, you know, I tell everybody, frankly, Governor Walz was my fourth choice. I liked Mark Kelly and Josh Shapiro and Pete Buttigieg all before I liked him. It was an abundance of riches.

But I think you see why he was chosen. It's that authenticity. That's my dad is probably going to be like the number one line that sticks out from all the speeches. And it wasn't a speech like Gus is an American hero right now. I mean, don't you just hope that like your kid looks at you? Yes. I mean, I think every parent, every every child. I mean, yes, that was that is the goal, man. That is winning. Like that is that is. I mean, do you have any tissues? I know I do. Yeah.

Everything else aside, that is winning. And he has never used a teleprompter before. I'm starting to not believe that, I have to say. He said there are two things I don't do well. And when he was going through this process, he said, I've never used a teleprompter before. Somebody's going to have to teach me. And I don't debate well. And so this lines up. Oh, nice expectations for him.

Lower that bar. He did his thing last night. And I think that when people see that, and I was concerned because you have a high like we had on Tuesday night with Barack and Michelle Obama, two of the greater pieces of oratory you'll ever see. How do you follow that up as a party? How do you not have a night that's a dud? And Governor Walz, he came through. I have to stop pronouncing his name like that. Case, I want to say, strategically speaking,

moments like that as Republicans attempt to define Harris and Walls, as most Americans, according to data, don't really know who they are. When you have these types of moments that are sort of cemented and crystallized visually for maybe the few folks in the middle who are kind of undecided on the fence, it humanizes a person. It's relatable. And so when you're trying to draw that contrast, if you can make some type of an emotion,

emotional attachment or an empathetic attachment to a figure it really makes it more difficult to Negatively draw a contract against that person. So I just wanted to draw that. Well, it's also assessment there You're absolutely correct I think I think both of you guys on that side and say well this morning are very correct in the analytical way that you have to approach you how you how you draw these contrast the flip side of this is that Democrats have done a hell of a job of framing JD Vance and

and molding him into this individual who poses some level of inauthenticity. And I don't know if it's fair or not. I don't know, J.D. Vance, but that is... Yeah, who do you want coming to Thanksgiving, J.D. Vance or Tim Walz? I think, you know, I hate this question, but it's a question that's asked all the time. I think the American public today, if you asked...

80% of them, like, do you want to have a beer with J.D. Vance or do you want to have a beer with Tim Walls? I think he wins that. Now, I don't know where you end up on policy, but a lot of elections are won on that V word that I hate to talk about, but it's won on vibes. Again, throwing back to 2000, we did focus groups and voters lined up 9 out of 10 on key issues with Gore and we said, who do you want to have a

beer with 100 percent George Bush. I mean, beer test is important. And I would say it's a testament to Walz and the Harris campaign, the Harris-Walz campaign, because Republicans did try to come out of the gate pretty tough on Tim Walz. I mean, they tried to, you know, questions military service. I mean, it wasn't, you know, it's not for lack of trying, but, you know, Walz really was able to navigate that effectively. And it's going to be a lot harder now. Well, there's still

trying to do it too. I will say, Mark, when I was on set last night with Chris Wallace, he made this point saying that like the degree and the ways in which they're trying to go after Tim Walz. I mean, this letter that came out from military members in Congress questioning his service, et cetera, show that they're worried about him.

Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. If you want to know where they feel vulnerable, just look where the attacks are coming. Yeah. And we talked about beer. I also kind of wonder if like we should have a glass, you know, who do you want to have a glass of wine with? Right. Because like, let's look at what Oprah, speaking of J.D. Vance, had to say, because the thing that has broken through even to Oprah Winfrey, which tells you where kind of her viewers may be on this is, of course, the childless cat ladies reference watch.

Oh, we don't have the child list. Wait, here it's coming. I'm told it's coming. Patience, Casey. Patience. At least Mike Pence was polite. J.D. Vance is one of those guys who thinks if you don't live the life that he has in mind for you, then you don't count. You know, Senator, when I deployed to Afghanistan, I didn't have kids then. Many of the men and women who went outside the wire with me didn't have kids either. But let me tell you,

Our commitment to the future of this country was pretty damn physical. Okay, so our control room was up late last night, sorry. We don't have that, but Oprah did talk about the childless cat ladies situation with J.D. Vance, which just, I mean, it shows you how far that has broken through with people. Like, not everything does, right? Like, people are

And in many cases, not paying attention. But it seems like for a lot of people, they know one thing about J.D. Vance. They know that he said that. Yeah, absolutely. Well, because it's I mean, look, first of all, it's something he said. I mean, it's his words, which is usually kind of helps a line of criticism get more traction when you can just point to this is what the person said. And you don't have to just take the word of whoever's trying to make the argument, you know, that that's what they meant. I mean, he said it.

And it's also, it's just, it is such a divisive thing to say. It's like, it is almost, it's unnecessarily rude and divisive and personal. And I think that that, you know, it tells you a lot about both certainly how he views policy as it relates to women, but also just the kind of person he is. It's just a nasty thing to say. And so I think that's also why it's gotten so much traction. And that's like 50% of the American population that he's attacking. Yeah.

Yeah. The second 50% of the American population. Then you have Kamala who's worked at McDonald's and it's one in eight people in America that have worked at McDonald's. So one in eight people in America have worked at McDonald's. I looked it up. We actually, technically we need more people to work at Chick-fil-A because their service is immaculate, but that's not the here and there. I was going to say though, that this, I've been watching the way that Republicans have been approaching the Harris-Walls ticket and it's,

I don't want to use the word weird, but it's fascinating because they literally have launched more at some walls.

than they have at Kamala Harris. They have attacked Tim Walz more than they've attacked Kamala Harris. To Casey's point, they're worried. And I don't necessarily understand that the attacks against Kamala Harris are more like spaghetti against a wall. They're all over the place. They're led by Donald Trump. But the attacks against Governor Walz are like these letters. They're precise. They have ads. They have people coming out and saying this and that and a third. And it's interesting to see because

his approval rating is still so much higher than J.D. Vance's. Sure, Michael. Why do you think that is? I mean, look, I think that Republicans do have to focus on the vice president. I think, you know, the ethnic, she's a woman, ethnicity rather, she's a woman. I think that does make it a little more difficult. I mean, I think a lot of voters have been skeptical of the GOP for quite some time on the issues of race. And so I think that may be a part of...

How do we go after this candidate without that appearance? And I think Republicans would be smart to be sort of aware and cognizant of that. But I will say this on the issues in places like Bucks County, Erie, Pennsylvania, Luzerne County, those voters there are worried about cost of goods. They're worried about how much it costs to put food on the table, gas in the tank. And all of those things are up over 20 percent. And so if Republicans can stick to that message and continue to remind voters in states such as Pennsylvania that,

where there are now more registered R's and there are D's for the first time in quite some time, then I think this race will continue to be competitive leading up to November. Well, that's such a I would say that is such a reflection of how completely Donald Trump has co-opted the Republican Party, because to your point, I mean, there is an economic line of attack to make against Kamala. Now, I would refute it. We could go back and forth on it all day. Right. But

But there is a substantive critique that you could make that you could argue would be effective. But Donald Trump is incapable of doing that because he sees a woman, he sees a person of color, any short circuits. And the only thing he can do is go to this hatefulness and vitriol. And you kind of watch the Republican Party just follow him blindly. And it's such an indictment of him, obviously, of course, but of other Republicans.

Republicans too. Donald Trump last night, Mark, said, quote, they always say, sir, please stick to policy. Don't get personal. And yet they're getting personal all night long. These people, he says, talking about the DNC, do I still have to stick to policy? Yeah. Clearly did not like the Obama speech. And last night he said, I hate them. I hate commoners. I hate, I hate, I hate, I hate, I hate.

all so dark. You know, the thing that I've been really impressed with, Kate, I'm interested in your take on this. The real challenge for Harris is how does she separate from Biden? I mean, and that's certainly a line of the Republican attack. In a time when voters want change, you're kind of the incumbent. And so they have, I think they're doing an amazing job. She's doing an amazing job of

you know, sort of patting it on the back, but saying we're going a different way. The freedom agenda separating from the pure democracy agenda, the joy component. I mean, she has really crafted her own message without, you know, without dumping the boss, which has been very artful, I think. Yeah. And what Mark is referencing is this reporting from Mark Caputo, who quoted a confidant saying,

It's quoted someone who says a Trump confidant who says Trump says, quote, this is just the way I am. I hate my opponent. I hate my opponents. Hillary, Joe Kamala. It doesn't matter. I just hate them. And to another advisor, Trump was blunt about taking on Harris. I'm going to be mean. I mean, but we're seeing time and again, people are over it. They don't want that. He had this kind of.

shock and awe value in 2016 where he came on the scene and it sort of it, you know, Democrats were arguing it was hateful and divisive and awful then, but it felt different. And I think that was part of what was appealing to some people. Remember, but he also let's let's be clear. He also won very, very narrowly in 2016. And I just I think people are over it. They're tired of it. And I think kind of to Mark's point,

what Harris is doing so effectively is presenting this forward-looking message. She's been in the White House for four years. She has accomplishments to talk about. And she's managing to frame the race, though, as one of hope, possibility, change, which is typically kind of a harder argument for an incumbent to make. And she's...

nailing it. And in part because people see her as a change. But how do you make that argument when gasoline is up 51%, groceries 22%, eggs 47%, electricity 32%? How do you make that argument of a forward-looking America when people are looking at these prices and realize,

I have less money in my pocket. I would argue because she has been really effective about telling people who she's fighting for and arguing who Donald Trump is fighting for. After three and a half years, though, Kate, those issues still persist, which should be the Republican message, in my opinion. That's kind of the problem with the person that's running against you. All right, coming up here on CNN this morning, Bill Clinton makes his 13th DNC appearance, delivering a speech he reworked in just days to try to match the convention's energy. Plus, Oprah,

Oprah Winfrey with her pitch for a vital group of voters in November that Democrats hope to win over. And this as the DNC comes to a close, Harris will give the most important speech of her life as she lays out her vision for the future of the nation. Bad behavior should result in a consequence. Well, we will make sure he does face a consequence and that'll be at the ballot box.

Hi, I'm Angie Hicks, co-founder of Angie. When you use Angie for your home projects, you know all your jobs will be done well. Roof repair? Done well. Kitchen sink install? Done well. Deck upgrades? Done well. Electrical upgrade? Done well. Angie's been connecting homeowners with skilled pros for nearly 30 years, so we know the difference between done and done well. Hire high-quality, certified pros at Angie.com.

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.

I wonder if those kids had been willing to trade drugs for money. Maybe they would have said no to drugs and yes to life if Mike Dukakis had been president the last eight years. Don't you ever forget it. Michael Dukakis will never, never, never forget it. In closing,

In closing, in closing, gets the applause, Mark McKinnon. You could see there that red beeping light on the podium in the beginning. That was telling him his time was already up in the beginning of that bite. It was Governor Bill Clinton back in 88. He went long during one of his first speeches to a DNC crowd. And again, those cheers for the phrase in closing. Let's flash forward to this year's DNC. Former President Clinton delivered his 13th speech to a convention audience. He reportedly tore it up.

it up and start it over on Monday after he heard the first day of the convention and wanted to strike a happier and more joyful tone. I'll be so happy when she actually enters the White House as president because she will break my record as the president who spent the most time at McDonald's. He also had some jabs aimed at Donald Trump. Now let's cut to the chase.

I am too old to gill the lily. Two days ago, I turned 78, the oldest man in my family before a generation. And the only personal vanity I want to assert is I'm still younger than Donald Trump.

Mark McKinnon. The best. What a pro. I mean, not only was he a really, you know, obviously successful president and candidate, he's a good political strategist. I mean, this guy, and I think the Democrats owe so much to him in terms of the direction of the party when he kind of re-centered with a new Democratic Party. I think the Harris-Walls campaign should look to those lessons, think about

the sister soldier moment, make sure that you're a P and he really had such a touch for middle America. Right. And you know, listen, I I've been echoing this a lot last night for, for people who may not know was, I don't want to say an audition because you don't have somebody who was the 42nd president of the United States in the audition, but it's,

We hadn't heard from Bill Clinton in a very long period of time. And the question was, does he still have it? Because there are many of us who were talking to the people around Kamala Harris and we're saying, let the big dog eat, you know, and we want to, we want to bring them off the porch. We want to send them out there to Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and put them on a, put them on a bus with Josh Shapiro and, you know, have them in all these diners and stuff. And that's what he wants to do. I mean, Bill Clinton wants to do those things. And I think that this,

This is like his is one of his last to rise. And I think, you know, it's so cool because of Bill Clinton and Joe Biden and of course, Barack and Michelle. But if Bill Clinton and Joe Biden can help usher in the first

female president of the United States of America. That says a lot for our party. And, you know, because Hillary has done a lot of work and Shirley has done a lot of work and Fannie Lou, they've done a lot of work and Ella Baker. And like, when are the men going to help us chip away at this damn glass? And so now that they're chipping away at the glass with them, I think that it's pretty cool that we can finally break it.

What Democrats have to realize, though, is we're still underdogs even today. Yeah, absolutely. And I think he we saw him last night. He delivers such an important message because he connects with the people who, you know, have who became part of the Democratic coalition in the 90s under Bill Clinton, who

who some who have moved toward or saw move toward Trump in 2016 as kind of, you know, as our politics is realigned. And he showed last night that he really he can really still connect with those folks and that he has a good sense of a message that works. And so, yeah.

You know, I think it was, you know, to Bakari's point, it's it's it's you see everybody in the Democratic in the Democratic church standing up and singing the same hymn. And that is exciting. So speaking of hymns, do we think that Bill Clinton can still do the Macarena? I'm looking for an excuse to play this soundbite for literally weeks. Is it in there? I'm told. Yes. Yes. There it is. All right. Still do the Macarena.

Guys, can we get some nats up on this video? Please tell me there are nats. Please tell me there are nats. I think I remember the Macarena. I think I could do the Macarena. I could definitely still do the Macarena. There it is. Now it's going to be stuck in my head all day. Mark McKinnon

Wait, is that Hillary down there doing it? Yeah. Yeah, it is. There she is. There she is. Okay. I'm glad we moved on from this. Anyway, Mark McKinnon, our friend Jaymar wrote, wrote this about, you know, to Bakari's point about Clinton, quote, it's time to take the big dog.

off the porch and let him run. Bill Clinton should return to the campaign trail this fall and do what he does best, articulate to Americans why they should vote for Democrats. I think it's, this is sort of an all hands on deck party right now. And they're like, the tent is big, bring him in. And, you know, he's a Hall of Fame first ballot, bring him in, you know, and because I think to your point, Bakari, you know, he wants part of his legacy to be, I mean, he wish it were Hillary, but it'd be great if it's Kamala. And then he wants to be part of

I mean, he's always been about the history and making history. And so he wants to be. And there's a question, Mark, that I want to answer affirmatively. And I love Essie Cupp. And she asked the question, she said, is there a voter out there? Who does Bill Clinton vote for?

talked to. And I'm like, there are people in this country over 60 years old who still adore Bill Clinton. And I know he comes with a certain level of baggage or whatever the word is. Is that what the Harris people are worried about? The quote unquote baggage? No, I don't think they're worried about any of that. It's all hands on deck. We're trying to assemble the Avengers. And also, let me just say this. Let me be very superficial for a moment.

He's old. Bill Clinton is old. I want to live that long one day. He looks old. And I think that when people realize that Donald Trump is literally the oldest man, like you talked about George Bush, that Bill Clinton served two terms. He's younger than Donald Trump. Barack Obama served two terms. He's younger than...

than Donald Trump. The only president that is older than Donald Trump is Jimmy Carter. And think about the fact that 82 years old, will Donald Trump still be able to do the job is a fundamental question that Republicans have to answer. Yeah. All right. Coming up next after the break, Democratic Congresswoman Chrissy Houlihan joins us live, what she thinks of the military service accusations facing Tim Walz, plus the one and only Oprah making a visit to the DNC in an effort to appeal to a specific group of voters.

Now there's a certain candidate that says if we just go to the polls this one time, that we'll never have to do it again. Well, you know what? You're looking at a registered independent who's proud to vote again and again and again because I'm an American and that's what Americans do.

Seeing Governor Walz going to Congress and then becoming governor, I see the guy that was a first sergeant. I see a guy that's full of energy, always busy. Governor Walz in our unit always would say his catchphrase was, we'll get it done. And we always did.

Democrats leaning into Governor Tim Walz's military service record with testimonials last night from those who served with him. Despite accusations from Republicans that he misled Americans about his military record, Walz and several other veteran Democrats nevertheless touted their military service throughout DNC speeches and tried to use it to push back against their Republican critics. Everybody has a responsibility to contribute. For me, it was serving in the Army National Guard. I joined up

Two days after my 17th birthday, and I proudly wore our nation's uniform for 24 years. I joined the Army when I was 17. In fact, I was too young to sign the paperwork. I had to ask my mom to sign the paperwork for me because I don't have bone spurs. When I deployed to Afghanistan, I didn't have kids then. Many of the men and women who went outside the wire with me didn't have kids either. But let me tell you,

Our commitment to the future of this country was pretty damn physical.

And joining us now is Democratic Congresswoman Chrissy Houlihan of Pennsylvania, who herself is an Air Force veteran. Congresswoman, thank you so much for being here. Thank you for having me. So there has been this push against the vice presidential nominee, Tim Walz, around his military service that Republicans have tried to keep going, even as Democrats have tried to dispense with it. The most recent was this letter from 50 veterans in the GOP conference in the House, which

They say, "Until you admit you lied to them, there's no way you can be trusted to serve as vice president." Can you just put in context for us and give us your view as a veteran yourself?

of what Tim Walz has said about his own record and whether you feel there's anything there. There is no there there. And it's really disappointing that anybody who has served in uniform would malign another person who has done the same because so few of us in this country actually do put on the uniform. It's I think supposed to be around 1% of us. And it is a commitment of service, no matter what you do, whatever your job description is, you're still in uniform and you're still of service.

And I think it's abhorrent, literally abhorrent to malign a fellow veteran. I think it's also an indication genuinely of what they think is your strength. When I started running for Congress, having never run for any office before, what Tammy Duckworth actually told me was, think of the things that you're most proud of, and those are the things that they're going to go after. And so I think that this is an indication that they're running scared. Do you think...

How do you view the number of attacks and the way that they're continuing to attack Walls? Sometimes it seems to me, and we're talking about this a little bit on the panel, more aggressively than they're going after the top of the ticket in Kamala Harris. I mean, what does that say about Tim Walls' potential strength for the Democratic ticket? I

I do think they're running scared and I do think that they're kind of on their heels because I think that they're surprised at how rapidly the Democratic Party and independents and reasonable Republicans have coalesced around this ticket. And so I think that they don't know what to do with themselves. And so they're kind of going at the tried and true true success stories, which have historically been after the vulnerabilities they perceive, such as military service.

Let's talk a little bit about your home district, which happens to be where I grew up as well. Chester County, really the kind of the heart of the Philadelphia suburbs, right? John King likes to talk about it a lot. I've seen the map of Chester County several times in our coverage this week. This is...

the entire election could come down to Pennsylvania, right? Certainly the Republicans are treating it as such. How do you think, what kind of job has the Harris-Walls ticket done so far in appealing to those voters? Which strands from this convention do you think are gonna resonate the most there? And what are the challenges that you face?

So I do come from Chester County and I've lived there for about 30 or so years. And I think that what my message has been for the last five or six years since the election of president, a former president Trump has been the resonating message of this convention, which is civility and decency and a restoration of pride and, and joyfulness. And I,

I think that that's literally been the message that I've tried to lead with for the last five or six years. So the folks of Chester County and Berks County, my district is roughly 40, 40, 20 Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. And yet we have been successful in electing a Democrat for the first time in 163 years.

because I hope that the message is a positive one. It's one of unity. It's one of pragmatism and practicality. And it's also one which I think you've seen here at the convention, which is one of hope and forward-looking happiness. - Mark McKinnon, you have a question? - Well, yeah, Congresswoman, Josh Shapiro, your governor, is obviously very popular in Pennsylvania. And a lot of very political people like me thought that that would have been the best pick.

Is there a fall off? I mean, what's the Shapiro factor that he's not on the ticket? And can Walsh make up for that? Sure. I think, you know, Pennsylvanians are enormous fans of Governor Shapiro. I am an enormous fan of Governor Shapiro, and he would have been a very strong pick.

but they had an embarrassment of riches in terms of the number of people that they could have picked to be at the second on the ticket. And I think Walls is an amazing pick as well. He's a veteran, as we've talked about, I am as well. He's an educator, I am as well. He kind of hits and ticks a lot of the things that people are looking for, hope, optimism, humor, and pragmatism. He served in a district similar to mine, which is a district, as I understand it, that was

read for a hundred and something years as well. So the parallels are kind of eerie in that way. And I think that it's a great pick. I think Shapiro is going to be a pretty strong surrogate. And clearly, you know, he's come out swinging, you know, Shapiro from the minute that that selection was made, I got the chance to be in the audience at the, at the rally. And he was enthusiastic about that.

Hold on one second. Follow up. First of all, thanks for your service. I'm curious to get your thoughts on there are several counties in your state where the number of new registered Republican voters have increased. I was just reading something from Pittsburgh carrier. I think yesterday that was stating the number of Republicans that have requested absentee ballots is also at an all time high. What are your thoughts on that in terms of the implication for the state?

So, hey, you know, we are the underdogs still. And I think it's really important for Democrats and those of us who'd like to not see the return of former President Trump to recognize that we have a lot of work to do. And I hope that's a message that we're taking away from this convention. We should take nothing for granted. We cannot take anything for granted. The numbers are sometimes not there for us in the sense of raw numbers. But I...

I'm a Democrat serving in a district that's 40, 40, 20. And I've been successful in my election and reelection because I hope that I'm speaking to everyone and serving everyone. That's my job. The Republicans are going after Wallace on his military record because they've done that before. And Chris LaCivita, who's run that campaign, did the swift boats for veterans against John Kerry. So they know this playbook.

Is there any vulnerability there on the stolen valor notion and this notion that he said that he carried weapons of war in battle, that the campaign has come out and said that was a misstatement, but is there something problematic there at all? Do you think that's enough that the

does he need to address this? I actually think that we hopefully are turning a page on the way that we treat each other in campaigning even as well. You know, I think it's tired. I think we've seen this play before. And how do veterans feel about it generally? Just the notion of attacking somebody's record as not being perfect or exactly what you say. I think that that's kind of what part of the issue is, is I think it's an old tried and failed attempt. And I think that veterans see it for that. And I think that

I know that I and my father, who is also a veteran, former Republican, see right through those kinds of attacks. All right, Chrissy Houlihan, thank you very much for spending time with us. You're going to stick around here as we continue our conversation. Let's turn now to this.

Despite fading poll numbers, the core support behind Nader's candidacy is making some liberal Democrats unhappy. There's a political reality here, which is that his candidacy could draw enough votes in certain key states from Al Gore to give the entire election to George W. Bush.

Well, that was Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 24 years ago, sounding the alarm about third party candidate Ralph Nader, who played a role of spoiler in a presidential election. Sound familiar?

New reporting into CNN shows the independent candidate, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., this time getting ready to end his campaign for the presidency this year. The announcement could happen as soon as Friday. It may include an endorsement for Donald Trump. He is in talks with the Trump campaign to possibly gain a role in a second administration.

Where Kennedy's voters go may have an impact in swing states. One famous independent voter made a surprise appearance at the DNC last night with this plea. I'm calling on all you independents and all you undecideds. You know this is true.

You know I'm telling you the truth, that values and character matter most of all. You know this is true, that decency and respect are on the ballot in 2024. So we only have a minute here, but Congresswoman, where do you think, what do you think the impact of RFK's decision here could be?

So this guy clearly is just shopping around, you know, for the best offer because he's got to throw in the towel and it's kind of pretty disgusting. And I don't know what the overall impact will be in Pennsylvania as an example. I definitely see some folks who were supporters of his. I just don't know which way they're going to go.

Clearly he's leaning towards Trump, but that's literally because he thinks he's going to get the right deal from that. It's clear he's also looked for a similar deal from the Harris campaign too. And that's kind of disingenuous. And I don't think that will resonate with my voters, certainly. Interesting. I think it's important to note that part of the reason we're seeing this happen is because since Kamala Harris has gone to the top of the ticket, his support has dropped. I mean, voters who were potentially looking at just some third party option because they were, you know, the double haters who didn't want to see Trump or Biden have

his share of the vote has dramatically declined. That's part of why he's, he's doing this. So it's, you know, I think it's a sign of, it's a good sign for Democrats because it shows that some, that's some slice of those independent voters or people who were, were looking for a third party option are moving to Harris. All right. Coming up next here on CNN this morning, the DNC makes its curtain call tonight with Kamala Harris set to take the stage and accept the historic presidential nomination in the convention's keynote address.

It's the new Ghost Burger from Carl's Jr. It's a juicy char-boiled Angus beef burger.

I don't have any teeth.

Don't freak out, but Monster Tacos are back at Jack in the Box. Classic Monster Tacos are back with a crunchy, cheesy vengeance, and you can get two for $3. Or try the new $3 mummy-wrapped Monster Taco, loaded with nacho cheese and bacon, wrapped in a soft flour tortilla. Kind of makes you wish all mummies were this delicious and cheesy. Order now at Jack in the Box.

And we know what the doubters will say. It's the same thing they've always said. They'll say, it's not your time. They'll say, wait your turn. They'll say, the odds are long. They'll say, it can't be done.

That was Senator Kamala Harris, formerly launching an unsuccessful campaign for president at a 2019 rally in Oakland. It's really interesting to listen to that now because things have gone really, really well for her. Tonight, the vice president is going to be called on to deliver the most important speech of her lifetime. Democrats are ready to embrace someone who has evolved and grown as a candidate. She is a more seasoned and polished candidate.

candidate, and she is set to accept the nomination and wrap up the convention tonight. Perhaps we'll hear something like this. Just yesterday, when he was asked if he has any regrets about ending Roe v. Wade, Donald Trump, Donald Trump, without even a moment's hesitation, you would think he would reflect on it for a second, said no, no regrets. He will make sure he does face a consequence, and that'll be at the ballot box. Yeah.

So running against the clock, but quickly, what does Harris need to do tonight? So I'm actually so glad we set this up with the 2019 clip, because what I wanted to say is more than policy, more than message. In many ways, I am eager to see her with the confidence that she has put on display over this last month. I'm eager to see her deliver a speech that feels like it meets the moment.

It's a huge task. It's a gargantuan task, but I think she's up for it and I'm interested to see tonight. One of the unique things is that I believe Nikki Haley was right. I know it's early in the morning. I can't believe I said that. But the first party that kind of got rid of that older candidate was going to be the party that won. And I think tonight is the first night that either party in 20 some odd years can say we're turning the page.

Like it's turning the page from people we love, the Obamas, the Clintons. We're just kind of turning the page for fresh and family. And I'm excited for this moment. I was there with her back then, and she deserves this day.

I mean, look, this is the battle of definitions. The person attempting to be defined is the vice president. Republicans are spending a lot of money to define her. This is her opportunity to tell her story. This is her opportunity to let the majority of Americans are saying, you know, I don't quite know who she is or where she stands. It's her time to reach out to those voters and tell them this is who I am and this is what a potential America could look like if you were to vote for me.

I was with George Bush at his inaugural, which was almost 25 years ago. He's younger than Donald Trump today. So the turn the page component is so important and people are so anxious for change. The joy component is big, but so is strength. The most important perception that

voters have of a candidate for president is a perception of strength. That's why Biden had a problem because of his age primarily. But the thing about Harris is she's got the joyful component down. You combine that with strength, happy with warrior. That's a hell of a combo. All right. Thanks to all of you for joining us this morning. And thanks to all of you for being with us as well. I'm Casey Hunt. Don't go anywhere. CNN News Central is up 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.