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CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip
In Moments, Beyonce and Harris Take Stage at Texas Rally; Harris Rallies With Beyonce in Texas Amid Dead-Heat Race; Harris, Beyonce Rally in Texas on Reproductive Rights. Aired 10-11p ET
Aired October 25, 2024 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[22:00:00]
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN HOST (voice over): Good evening. I'm Abby Philip in New York.
You're looking here at live pictures of dueling rallies. Kamala Harris and Beyonce in Texas are planning on talking about reproductive freedom. Beyonce is set to take the stage any moment now and we'll bring that to you as soon as it happens.
Donald Trump also expected in Michigan where hundreds of people, they're already streaming out of his rally because he is three hours late after a taping of a podcast with Joe Rogan.
My panel is here in New York with me. We're going to kill some time until Beyonce. Who's going to name her top five hits? But this rally is, first of all, a huge, huge rally. I mean, it's massive. And it's about putting reproductive rights front and center in this campaign. That's her biggest issue. Does it make sense to you for her to close this way?
CHUCK ROCHA, CO-HOST, THE LATINO VOTE PODCAST: 30,000 people, national stage. It's going to be covered. We're talking about it. Everybody's going to be talking about it. And it's the Queen B herself finally, a topic that I can be an expert on, which is pretty brown people in cowboy hats. Let's have a discussion tonight about how important this is.
Now, seriously, closing the argument with her best argument is always going to be a good thing as a strategist. And that's what she's trying to do. She wants to make a clear distinction on character and who you like and who you trust. And this is a great way to do it with Beyonce. And just to put a cherry on top, we'll do some Michelle Obama this weekend.
PHILLIP: Yes. I mean, they're bringing out everyone. They don't have a lot of time right now. And I think that that is really what's kind of undergirding a lot of this. The one thing they do have is a lot of money, so that helps. But how do you think that this has been going so far in these closing days?
ADAM KINZINGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, look, I mean, there's no doubt that if you just look at the polls, either she's lost some ground or Trump has gained some ground, which still baffles me. But regardless the one thing that she has going for her, so if on Election Day, it's exactly a dead tie, if the polls are accurate, which again, that you have to put inputs in polls and making assumptions that may not end up being true, like Democratic enthusiasm, Republican enthusiasm, but who has the best ground game matters, and she obviously has been able to invest in the ground game. And that's why a rally like this is important.
People were like, why is she coming to Texas? She's not going to win Texas. Well, this is a huge deal. And to turn out this many people, it's got to drive Donald Trump crazy, particularly because people are leaving his rally right now.
MAY MAILMAN, TRUMP WHITE HOUSE LEGAL ADVISER: It's definitely going to be high enthusiasm. I mean, it is Beyonce. It's a very populated city. This is -- the optics are going to be really good. But at the same time, okay, you are in Texas. Ted Cruz is likely going to win that race. I mean --
PHILLIP: Although it is --
MAILMAN: It's closer. Abortion makes sense to talk about in Texas, but abortion still is the only thing that I think people can sense she really feels comfortable talking about. And I think for a lot of swing voters, they need something more than that.
A, Trump is a true moderate on abortion. I mean, he said he's not going to create a national abortion ban. He said he wants all the exceptions, but also what else? What else is Kamala Harris going to do for me?
PHILLIP: I think it's hard to argue that Trump is a true moderate on abortion when he -- I mean, he has bragged that he's the reason that Dobbs is now the law of the land and Roe v. Wade is gone.
MAILMAN: Well, I mean --
PHILLIP: And he supports --
TOURE, SUBSTACK, CULTURE FRIES BY TOURE: And he's opposite where most Americans are. So, just the word moderate doesn't make sense when he is opposite from where most Americans are on this issue.
MAILMAN: Most Americans are in the middle. I mean, people don't believe that there should be abortion when the baby is too far long and they're not at a zero week or eight-week or six-week, you know, sort of heartbeat fan. They are in the middle and a lot of them are concerned about taking that conversation from the people in the states and sticking it in the federal government to make one decision with a very small body for everybody.
So, I actually think that his position really does match where a lot of Americans are, and yet I know we're going to hear tonight, I know we're going to hear a true lie about where he actually is. He's going to have an abortion ban, like all of these things, like Project 2025.
ROCHA: If any of that was true, she wouldn't be there tonight doing what she's doing. I mean, it's just the bottom line.
SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. But, look, I think she's really there to try to get up enthusiasm for Colin Allred. It's going to be a tight race. Donald Trump was there for a reason, not because he believes he's going to lose the state, but to try to provide support for Senator Ted Cruz. You know this, Chuck, very well. You and I have worked on a lot of campaigns.
In terms of the abortion issue, it is the most comfortable issue that the vice president is, when she's on the campaign trail, rather, speaking about.
[22:05:03]
You've seen it a year-and-a-half ago when the administration sort of gave that to her and said, go out there, do your thing, talk to women, she did well. She raised a lot of money around the issue, but that issue alone, I don't believe, is going to be enough to move some of those swing voters.
I go back to that town hall we just had two days ago in Pennsylvania, and that did not come up from the five individuals sitting in those seats that you guys spoke with at the end.
PHILLIP: It's about swing voters as it is more about base voters and also low propensity voters. Because if you're showing up for -- let's call this a Beyonce concert. If you're showing up for a Beyonce concert, you're going to get a get out the vote message, and they're probably going to get your name and your number, and make sure that you get out of your house.
TOURE: A Kamala-Beyonce concert rally is a national event, and what I like about this for Kamala is that is it wins the attention economy because everyone's immediately talking about Kamala and Beyonce together.
Trump is doing yet another Trump rally that doesn't leap off the page. Beyonce finally standing beside Kamala leaps off the page. And people who are undecided and don't really know where to go are hearing the attention of like, oh, well, this person I like, likes her. These are not people who are going to be deciding based on policy.
SINGLETON: No. The evidence on voters being motivated to vote for one candidate against the other because of celebrity endorsements is negligible. It barely moves the needle. So, I don't buy that argument that Beyonce being on stage with the vice president is somehow going to get people to say, you know what, I'm going to all of a sudden vote for Kamala Harris because Beyonce said I should. I just don't believe that.
KINZINGER: But it brings enthusiasm and that's the point. I mean, look, I don't think there is anything that can happen that is going to swing a large number of voters right now. That's all about the margins. And I have to say too, because I only want to say it once tonight, and so I'm going to just like check market, is like when people say that she is not specific on her policies, like let's be very clear, nobody knows what Donald Trump actually stands for.
So, I'm just going to say that to put it out there as a blanket statement that she is judged by a far different standard than a guy who stands up and just goes by whatever stream of consciousness.
MAILMAN: She's judged by a different standard than if she were a Republican woman, too. So, I --
PHILLIP: How do you say that?
MAILMAN: I think that Republican women are judged. I mean, there's constantly articles about Republican women are crazy, are stupid, the way that they dress, the way that they act.
PHILLIP: I mean, to be fair, Donald Trump is, every day, he's calling her stupid, he's saying that she's --
ROCHA: Or Nikki Haley? Oh, it was -- oh, not Nikki Haley, but he calls Nikki Haley that, too, who's a Republican woman.
PHILLIP: He's called Nikki Haley that too.
MAILMAN: Sarah Palin on the Nationals -- yes. Sarah Palin, I think, had a lot of criticism. She was the governor of a state, so therefore she wasn't -- she had executive experience, and then was, you know, roundly mocked when she came out as John McCain's running mate.
But I think with Kamala Harris --
TOURE: She was mocked because of what she said.
MAILMAN: I think with Kamala Harris, the issue is not that she's not specific enough. Voters are not like, oh, please tell me the 40-point plan. There is a deep discomfort. This is the word salad, right? When I have a word salad, it's because I don't know what the hell I'm talking about, right? When she's talking about abortion, she does not have a word salad. She is very clear. When she talks about everything else, she shies away from the issue and it just shows that it's not a lack of detail. It's a lack of comfort and a lack of knowledge, and I think people don't like that.
SINGLETON: I don't even know -- I mean look, Hillary Clinton had a lot of plans. I've read through a lot of the positions of the vice president. Don't agree with a lot of them, but they're specific as hell. I think the issue is, it's just not resonating with people. People that look at her, they think, well, she's probably a very smart woman. She's a capable woman. She's had a lot of successes in her career, and yet none of that is resonating with the average person, including those within her own party, which is why there's still some fractures in her base.
PHILLIP: Listen, for a race that is evenly divided, okay, it is a tied race, we cannot make blanket statements, it's not resonating, because it's a tied race. And if all the things you're saying are true, it's not resonating, the economy is bad, the mood of the country typically is an anti-incumbent mood, Donald Trump would be leading, but he's not.
SINGLETON: So, let me reframe my statement then to make this a little bit more clear. She's not where she needs to be compared to where Biden was at this point, 13 days out. She's not where Hillary Clinton was 13 days out, to add some more specificity.
PHILLIP: Yes.
SINGLETON: So, my point is there's something obviously there that is not coalescing the entire Democratic base around the vice president. That's up for her and her campaign to figure out.
PHILLIP: I wonder, I mean, I think that to your point though, four years ago was a different environment. Joe Biden wasn't the incumbent four years ago. She wasn't the incumbent vice president. So, it is a little bit of a different situation.
SINGLETON: Well, what about Hillary Clinton? Let's go to Hillary Clinton then. Woman, incredibly intelligent, probably one of the most experienced individuals to ever run for the office, a lot of plans. She didn't get across the finish line.
ROCHA: There's a whole different electorate now. And this is -- and we talked about this here before, and running races from coast to coast, if you care about any of these issues we've all talked about, you've picked a team. You've already voted. Many of you have already early voted.
[22:10:00]
This is about the momentum at the end.
To what Toure said, this is about a mo at the end. This is somebody showing up in somebody's social feed tomorrow, reminding them, oh, heck, it is marginal. Sure, I'll take it. But you just said it's tied. So, marginal matters. So when you see a feed tomorrow, somebody who you're not really political with because it's Beyonce, it's just more momentum.
TOURE: (INAUDIBLE) momentum, right? I mean, I feel that 2016, Trump was everywhere. I thought he was going to fall apart. He was flying all over the country and he seemed to have more energy than anybody who had ever run for president. Plus, he's creating all these catchphrases so we understood what he was talking about, what he's thinking about.
This time he seems tired. He's three hours late to this event, but that's just a metaphor. He's taken weeks off the campaign. He is not being it. I see Kamala as like, I will be everywhere. There are voters listening or I can shake hands or what have you. This has not been hardcore driving 2016 Trump.
SINGLETON: But, Toure, if I could offer a different perspective, the former president has had more campaign events than the vice president. Also to your point, the former president is up compared to where he was when he ran before. There's a reason for that. Some of his numbers, even to help, to my surprise, I'm surprised that the numbers have moved the way they have. But they have. So, clearly, maybe some people may perceive, oh, he's too tired or he's running with the same rhetoric, but, yes, some of those low propensity voters are saying, wait a minute here, let me give this guy different look versus what I did four years ago.
KINZINGER: I think one of the big problems Democrats have right now, speaking quite frankly, is with men. And I think it's fine, it's great that, you know, they're out there constantly having events, it's all about outreach to women. Their problem is with men. They're winning women.
And I think what it is, over the last ten years, there was this kind of period where everything masculine was called toxic. And so a lot of young men felt like they didn't know their place in this world, they didn't know what it was. Donald Trump came along and he presented a version of masculinity that I actually think is toxic, but in the vacuum of any other masculinity. What's healthy masculinity? Defending the defenseless, punching up, not down. They have gravitated --
PHILLIP: I'm going to just pause you there because we're getting ready to see someone come out on the stage. Her mother, Ms. Tina, was just on the stage. So we're going to listen in right now.
KELLY ROWLAND, MUSICAL ARTIST: Welcome. Welcome, everybody. Welcome my Houston family. I am so proud to be here back in Houston with my Mama T and my sister. Welcome to this day, this remarkable, this joyous day, a date, a day, a time, a moment with weight and meaning for our country, for our people, and for the world, a moment, Houston, where we grab back the pen from those who are trying to write an American story of division and hatred, a moment when we grab back the pen from those who are trying to write an American story of misogyny and racism. We are grabbing back the pen from those who are trying to write an American story that would deny the right for women to make our own decisions about our bodies.
Houston, we are grabbing back the pen to forge a new path with Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. We are grabbing back the pen to write a new American story, a story of community, of equality, strength, of kindness, and of hope.
When I was a little girl, and I pledged the allegiance to the United States of America, that meant something to me, that flag meant something to me. And today, that means grabbing that pen and casting my vote, as I already did two days ago, for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
[22:15:05]
Now, Houston, you've already had a hand in creating destiny. So, do what you do. And do this thing again.
BEYONCE KNOWLES, MUSICA ARTIST: H Town, we are so happy to be standing here on this stage as proud country Texas women, supporting and celebrating the one and only Vice President Kamala Harris, a woman who's been pushing for what this country really needs right now, unity. It's impossible not to feel the energy in this room, the positivity, the community, the humanity.
We are at the precipice of an incredible shift, the brink of history. I'm not here as a celebrity. I'm not here as a politician. I'm here as a mother, a mother who cares deeply about the world my children and all of our children live in, a world where we have the freedom to control our bodies, a world where we're not divided, our past, our present, our future merge to meet us here.
Imagine our daughters growing up, seeing what's possible with no ceilings, no limitations. Imagine our grandmothers, imagine what they feel right now, those who have lived to see this historic day, even those who are no longer physically with us. Imagine all of their sacrifice, the sacrifices made so we can witness the strength of a woman standing and for power, reimagining what leadership is.
For all the men and women in this room and watching around the country, we need you. Your voice has power and magnitude. Your vote is one of the most valuable tools, and we need you. Your freedom is your God given right, your human right.
Everybody say, Texas. Texas plays a pivotal role to change the course of our future. Texans and Houstonians from Third Ward, River Oaks, Sugar Land, Fifth Ward, Ailey, Memorial, Southwest Side, North Side, all the way down to Mo (ph) City. We all have a role to play to make this a reality. We're all part of something much bigger. We must vote. And we need you.
It's time to sing a new song, a song that began 248 years ago. The old notes of downfall, discord, despair, no longer resonate. Our generations of loved ones before us are whispering a prophecy, a quest, a calling, an anthem. Our moment right now, it's time for America to sing a new song. Our voices sing a chorus of unity. They sing a song of dignity and opportunity. Are you all ready to add your voice to the new American song? Because I am.
So, let's do this, ladies and gentlemen. Please give a big, loud Texas welcome to the next president of the United States, Vice President Kamala Harris.
[22:20:07]
KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Kelly and Beyonce! Hey, Texas! It's good to be back in Texas. Thank you all. Thank you, thank you, thank you, everybody. Thank you for being here this evening.
Can we hear it for Ms. Tina Knowles, for Ms. Kelly, and Beyonce? What a warm Texas welcome. I thank you all so very much. And I thank you, and I thank my friends for reminding us of exactly what we are fighting for in this campaign, we are fighting for freedom, freedom, freedom.
And to Andrea and everyone here tonight whose lives have been impacted by these Trump abortion bans in this moment, I thank you for sharing your stories and for your courage. It is an honor to be here with so many leaders and all of you who have taken the time out of your busy lives to be here this evening so we can, as a community of people, as people who love our country, be clear, sound strong, and stand in favor of the freedom of every woman to make decisions about her own body.
I also want to thank the members of Congress who are here, including Colin Allred. I'm counting on you to send him to the United States Senate so we can get right to work. And to all the elected officials and community leaders, I thank you all, I thank you. See you later, see you later.
See, we're now going there (ph). And we have a lot of work. And we have a lot of work to do, and we will not get distracted. We will not get distracted.
So, listen, Texas, we have 11 days left in one of the most consequential elections of our lifetime. Voting has already started, and we know this will be a tight race until the very end.
[22:25:01]
Okay.
So, here's the thing. Okay, so we got work to do. We got work to do. We got work to do. And I love that there is so much enthusiasm, but let's talk about the work we've got to do, okay. Because we've got 11 days to see this through and we will win. We will win. We will win. We will win.
And we will win because we know and understand what is at stake. We are 11 days out from an election that will decide the future of America, including the freedom of every woman to make decisions about her own body and her reproductive freedom. And everyone here tonight is here because we are about fighting for our future and not letting some people take us back, because we are not going back. We are not going back. We are not going back.
And in America, we know freedom is not to be given. It is not to be bestowed. It is ours by right, and we are prepared to fight for it because we understand the stakes. And moving forward, we understand that what we must do, Texas is right here, you who are ground zero in the fight for reproductive freedom. We must be loud. We must organize. We must mobilize. We must energize the people. Because you all know, Texas is home to one of the most restrictive abortion bans in our country. In Texas, abortion is banned from the moment of conception.
You know what? Just send them to that small rally down the street. It'll be fine. Some people don't have a great sense of direction, but that's okay. We'll show them the way. We'll show them the way. Because we know what's at stake, and we will not be silenced. We know what's happening here in Texas. Doctors and nurses could go to prison for life simply for providing reproductive care. Think about that. Life in prison for healthcare providers for doing what they think is in their patient's best interest.
You know what? The beauty of our campaign is we're fighting for democracy. And what we know here in Texas is that there are some who would distract from the fact that Texas has a law now that offers a cash bounty for turning in someone who merely helps a friend or a family member get the care they need. In Texas, the law provides for prison for life for healthcare providers, for doing what they believe is in the best interest of their patient.
In some counties in Texas, they have passed travel bans to prevent women from going to other states to receive care. These are the stakes. And we know how we got here. When Donald Trump was president, he hand-selected three members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention that they would undo the protections of Roe v. Wade, and as he intended, they did. And now, more than 20 states have a Trump abortion ban. Now, one in three American women lives in a state with a Trump abortion ban, including Texas and every state in the south except for Virginia. And many of these bans are causing care to be denied until a woman is at death's door.
[22:30:12]
Many have no exceptions even for rape and incest, which is immoral. And let us agree, one does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government should not be telling her what to do with her body. Not the government.
If she chooses, she will talk with her priest, her pastor, her rabbi, her imam, but not the government and some people up in the state legislature, telling her what's in her best interest when she knows what's in her own best interest. And let us recognize these same people --check this out, these same people who have argued that these Trump abortion bans are in the best interest of women and children, do look at their records.
They tend to be in states with the highest rate of maternal mortality in the country. For decades, these extremist leaders who have neglected pre-natal care, maternity care and post-partum care, and who now, after continuously failing to support women and children, claim to care about women and children.
Well, I have a question for them. Where have you been? Where have you been? Where have you been when it comes to democratizing care for women and children. Where have you been when it comes to helping pregnant women and new mothers? Where have you been when it comes to affordable childcare?
And do note, many of these same extremist leaders have also refused to extend the Child Tax Credit which lifted half of America's children out of poverty. They, who have blocked proposals to lower child care costs for working parents. They, who have tried to cut WIC and SNAP for low-income mothers and their children. The hypocrisy abounds.
And here's what else. is happening. These bans are driving doctors out of states like Texas, Idaho, Georgia, and North Carolina, leaving women who are already living in maternity care deserts, meaning there is no maternity care anywhere near them, leaving them with even fewer options. And since Trump abortion bans, fewer medical students are choosing to specialize in women's health. Over these past two years, the impact of Trump abortion bans has been
devastating. We see the horrific reality that women and families face every single day, and the stories are vivid, they are difficult to hear, they are difficult to tell. For example, here in Texas. Can we roll the tape?
DONALD TRUMP (R) FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND CURRENT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (voice-over): For years they were trying to get Roe v. Wade terminated and I did it.
UNKNOWN: Someone who watched his wife almost bleed to death because of conservative implemented laws.
UNKNOWN: I had to fight and beg to get care that I needed.
UNKNOWN: Because I wasn't permitted to have an abortion, I nearly died on their watch.
UNKNOWN: If I had not been able to go out of state to get an abortion in Colorado, my happy, healthy son Henry would not be here today.
UNKNOWN: They took two liters of infected fluid from my abdomen and the infection was so severe that I almost died.
UNKNOWN: I was to stay pregnant and deliver a baby that would suffocate in my arms.
TRUMP: On the Roe v. Wade, I did a great thing.
(CROWD BOOING)
HARRIS: From his own mouth. A great thing. There is nothing great about what happened to women like Kate Cox, who was heartbroken to learn her much-wanted pregnancy was not viable, heartbroken when her doctors told her if she remained pregnant she would be risking her own life or her ability to have children in the future. But the Attorney General of Texas --
(CROWD BOOING)
HARRIS: --threatened -- threatened if Kate's doctors helped terminate her pregnancy, they would be criminally prosecuted.
(22:35:00]
So, Kate was forced to flee the state to get the care she needed. In Louisiana, Kaitlyn Joshua was turned away from not one, but two emergency rooms while miscarrying. She was bleeding. She was in pain. But because of a Trump abortion ban, doctors would not treat her. Because if they did, they would have faced 15 years in prison.
And so, Kaitlyn had to go home where she went through the pain of a miscarriage for more than a month. And trying the whole time to hide her pain from her four-year-old daughter. We know that women have died because of Trump abortion bans. Here today is Shanette Williams, the mother of Amber Nicole Thurman. A vibrant, we must speak her name, Amber Nicole Thurman. I promised her mother I would speak her name.
A vibrant 28-year-old mother of a six-year-old son who died a preventable death because of Georgia's abortion ban. Now, Shanette and her family are courageously sharing Amber's story to make sure we all remember her as more than a statistic so that we remember Amber was a daughter, a sister, a mother, and that she was loved and that she should be alive today.
And listen, we're all here because we know the reality is for every story we hear about, about the suffering because of a Trump abortion ban, there are so many stories we've never heard. An untold number of women and the people who love them, who are silently suffering. Women who are being made to feel as though they did something wrong, as though they are criminals, as though they are alone. And to those women I say, and I think I speak on behalf of all of us, we see you and we are here with you.
Texas, what is happening across this state and our country is a healthcare crisis. And Donald Trump is the architect of it. He brags about overturning Roe v. Wade, in his own words, quote, "I did it and I'm proud to have done it." That's what he says. And one has to ask, proud that women are dying?
Proud that doctors and nurses could be thrown in prison for life, for administering life-saving care? Proud that young women in America today have fewer rights than their mothers and grandmothers? How dare he -- Donald Trump. Donald Trump even said everyone wanted Roe v. Wade to be overturned.
Well, a woman in Ohio was arrested and charged after having a miscarriage. So, was a woman in South Carolina. They didn't want this. Hadley Duvall, who became pregnant after being raped by her stepfather when she was 12 years old. She didn't want this.
Ryan Hamilton, who is here tonight. His wife was denied treatment at the hospital for a miscarriage. They got home. He found her bleeding and unconscious. He dressed her, put her in a car, packed up their nine-month-old child, and drove to a different emergency room where doctors told them she could have died. Ryan didn't want this.
Let's be clear. And men across America, this needs to be said. Men across America do not want to see their daughters and wives and sisters and mothers put at risk because their rights have been taken. I see them in here. And I thank you.
The men of America don't want this. And now the Attorney General of Texas is suing the United States government. So that Texas prosecutors can get -- check this out -- so that Texas prosecutors can get their hands on private medical records of women who leave the state to get care.
[22:40:00]
Now, I'd ask everybody here, please do see the irony, okay? Listen to this. On the one hand, Donald Trump won't let anyone see his medical records. I gave up mine. And on the other hand, they want to get their hands on your medical records. Simply put, they are out of their mind.
In just four years as president, Donald Trump was able to erase half a century of hard-fought progress for women. And now he wants to go even further. He will force all 50 states to track and report on women's miscarriages and abortions and go after access to contraception and IVF treatment. It's right there in his Project 2025. Google it.
And let us be clear, if Donald Trump wins again, he will ban abortion nationwide. And though we are in Texas tonight, I say it to the folks who might be watching from home, for anyone watching from another state, know this.
If you think you are protected from Trump abortion bans because you live in Michigan or Pennsylvania or Nevada or New York or California or any state where voters or legislators have protected reproductive freedom, please know, no one is protected if there is a Trump national abortion ban, and it will outlaw abortion in every single state. Understand that. And he can do it with or without an act of Congress.
All that to say, elections matter. Elections matter. If Donald Trump is president again, he will likely get to appoint at least one additional Supreme Court justice. Remember who we appointed. Call her Justice Ketanji Brown-Jackson. But if he were -- he were re-elected, he'd probably get to appoint one, if not two, members to the United States Supreme Court, at which point, Donald Trump will have packed the court with five out of nine justices on that court who will sit.
(CROWD BOOING)
HARRIS: But think about that. Who will sit for lifetime appointments shaping your lives and the lives of generations to come. And that is among the many critical contrasts in this election. Look, Donald Trump doesn't trust women, but I do. We trust women, and we understand what's at stake. And with Colin already in the United States Senate when Congress passes a bill to restore reproductive freedom, I will proudly sign it into law as President of the United States. Proudly. Proudly.
(CROWD CHEERING)
So, to all the friends here, let us remember, momentum is on our side. I know sometimes in Texas, folks are like, is it worth it? Is it-- does it make a difference? Yes, it does. You are making a difference and momentum is on our side. You are making a difference.
Since Roe was overturned, every time Reproductive Freedom has been on the ballot, from Kansas to California to Kentucky, in Michigan, Montana, Vermont and Ohio, the people of America have voted for freedom every time it's been on the ballot. And often they have voted by overwhelming margins from so-called red to so-called blue states proving this is not a partisan issue.
Because Americans from all backgrounds and beliefs understand the decision of whether, when, and how to build a family is one of the most consequential decisions anyone can make. And we are fighting for an America where no matter who you are, where you live, you can make decisions about your own body for yourself. So, moving forward, all of this is to say, reproductive freedom is on the ballot in this presidential election.
[22:45:05]
And in 10 states around the country, including Arizona, Florida, and Nevada. And with the work of everyone here, freedom will win. Freedom will win. And so, I want to take a moment to speak in particular to all the young leaders here and across America. Do we have anybody here for Gen Z? Where you at? I'm counting on you. Because the thing I love about you is you are impatient for change.
You know it is not right that you may have fewer rights than your mother or your grandmother. You know it is not theoretical. You know it is not political. It is your lived experience. And I see you. And I see your power. I see your power. And I know so many of you are voting for the first time. Can I see a raise of hands?
And we applaud our leaders who are voting for the first time. Can I see you raise your hands? Can we applaud our leaders who are voting for the first time? All right, we heard it for our young leaders. That's right.
So, listen, to everyone here, we know freedom has never come easy. Never come easy. There has been no moment of our progress as a country that did not come about without a fight. Let's all be clear about that. And we are in the midst of a movement. And everyone here is a leader in that movement.
So, we do this then remembering those who came before us, those who struggled and sacrificed for our freedoms, who found fellowship and even joy in one another in the fight. They found strength and hope in fighting for our ideals. And that is what we are doing. That is what we are doing because we know weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning.
So, Texas, election days in 11 days. Early voting has already begun. So, now it is time to start making your plan. Go to iwillvote.com to get all the information you need. And it is not only the presidency that is on the ballot. There are many important races, including Colin Allred running for Senate., who we must note his opponent supported a national abortion ban six times.
An opponent who said he does not support exceptions even for victims of rape and incest. So, let's remember Texas, your vote is your voice and your voice is your power. So, today I ask you, are you ready to make your voices heard? Do we trust women? Do we believe in reproductive freedom? Do we believe in the promise of America? And are we ready to fight for it? And when we fight, we win. God bless you and God bless America.
(CROWD CHEERING)
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PHILLIP (on-camera): You were listening there to Vice President Kamala Harris speaking in Houston, Texas. We're going to go now to Donald Trump. He is on the stage in Michigan. Let's listen.
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DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND CURRENT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (R): We're going to probably sue him. I think we're going to sue him. Should I sue him or not? Stay tuned. Stay tuned. It'll happen fast. It's such an easy thing. How do you go -- how do they go to court and say, well, Your Honor, we did do, but I mean, that was a big thing. How do you -- it's got to be very embarrassing for them. They have no answer. They actually said they have no answer for it. They got caught cheating.
[22:50:01]
And we want the rest of their answers because they probably did it with other answers, too, right? Because this woman, can you imagine this is going to be your president? I don't think so. Michigan, you have to stand up and you have to tell Kamala Harris that you've been a horrible, horrible vice president.
You've destroyed San Francisco when you were the D.A. You were horrible as the Attorney General working with Gavin Newsom. You destroyed California. You're a disgraced nation. You shouldn't be running for president. You picked the dumbest vice president in history, maybe even dumber than you. This guy is the dumbest guy. What a choice.
Somebody said, you got lucky, Sir. Why? They picked this guy. He's as dumb as a rock. Of course, you could make the case that, you know, there's a theory pick a really bad vice president that way they never get rid of you. So, maybe she did a very smart thing. Who knows? But we're going to say, Kamala, you're horrible. Kamala, you're fired. Get the hell out of here. You're useless. You're horrible. You're horrible.
I'll tell you what. Can you believe that? She's out celebrating. You know what? How do you celebrate when you're down by, like, a lot? Do they realize it? Because, you know, the votes are so -- this isn't even polls anymore. These are the votes. You know, and if they come in, even not like they're coming in now, even, you know, less good. But -- and you know, things can happen.
Number one, they cheat like hell, so maybe they know something that we don't, right? They might know something that we don't. I don't know, why the hell would she be celebrating when you're down? Maybe you never thought of that. Maybe she knows something we don't, but we're not going to let it happen. We're not going to let it happen. Can't let it happen.
But the polls are open for early voting here in Michigan, and we're setting all-time records in the votes. You know, the votes are -- you're setting all-time records in the votes because people -- look at this place. I mean, it's -- what is it? What time is it tonight? What the hell? What is it? Huh? Right? It's 11. He said it's 11. I mean, it's freezing out. Is anybody cold? I'm not cold. I'm not cold. So, we're setting records with the votes. The early voting is records. The Trump people are coming out. They're voting like crazy. And, you know, typically we get our voting. The big voting that we get is at the end. So, we were anywhere near tied, and that's, we're more than tied. We're going to have a big time. It's going to be the greatest.
It will be the single, greatest political victory in the history of our country, right? MAGA -- Make America Great Again. So, let's keep going, don't let up. I shouldn't have told you what I told you tonight. But now I have an excuse. I said, well, we made a mistake. No, no, I shouldn't have done. They said, don't tell them, Sir, don't let them keep -- you have to vote anyway because you can't trust them, right? Too big to rig, too big to rig.
We have to bury the hatred and the lies and the avalanche, and we have to do it in an avalanche of votes. And every time you see a smear, every time you hear them attack, take the motivation to go out and vote, vote, vote. You just go and vote and get your friends and tell your girlfriend she's got a husband who's a big slob of a guy and tell them to get the hell off the couch, Harry.
You big slob, get off the couch. We're going to vote for the president. We're going to make America great again. We're going to make it great. Got to get them. Got to get them. With your help, 11 days from now, we're going to win Michigan, we're going to defeat Kamala Harris, and we're going to make America great again.
(CROWD CHEERING)
TRUMP: For generations, this state was the beating heart of the car industry and one of the greatest manufacturing centers anywhere in history. Yes. Okay. Doctor, please. Doctor, thank you. Take your time, doctor. Take your time. Plenty of time.
[22:55:00]
UNKNOWN: We love you, Trump.
PHILLIP: Looks like there's a medical emergency at this Trump rally in Michigan. But as this gets resolved, I mean, quite the contrast in the two speeches that we just listened to.
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PHILLIP: The vice president talking about reproductive rights in a rally of tens of, you know, thousands in Texas. Trump, as we went to him on the stage, talking about what a terrible person he says that Vice President Kamala Harris is, we're going to go back to listen to a little bit more of what Donald Trump is saying here in Michigan.
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TRUMP: They have a little problem. We're okay. We'll wait. We don't give a damn, right? I'll tell you we have such great doctors in these audiences. You know, you need a doctor, and those doctors are all over. They're great doctors, too. Great, great doctors. How's that going?
PHILLIP (on-camera): All right, you've been listening to Donald Trump in Michigan.
TRUMP: Let's go.
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PHILLIP (on-camera): There's a person having a medical emergency, but we're going to take a minute to just digest a little bit of what we heard here. Lots of heads shaking at the table, because I mean, I think, look, a lot of Americans don't get to see these candidates side by side. We just saw it tonight, and it could not be a sharper contrast between them in terms of the substance, the content, and the demeanor.
ROCHA: This is when you make your closing argument. Folks are already voting. People have ballots sitting at their house. Lots of folks have already sent them in, and this is what people need to see, a contrast between who they're going to be with.
If you want to be with the Republicans, be there. If you want to be with the Democrats, be there. But at least today you could see a big contrast. And when you were talking about us shaking our heads, when we went from one side to the other, there was a stark contrast in energy.
PHILLIP: Yes, I want to go to, we have Ruth Ben-Ghiat at the table here. Ruth, we had a lot of other things to talk about, but I do want to give you a moment to kind of weigh in on the Donald Trump of it all. Trump has been ramping up his rhetoric around his political opponents. But meanwhile, the people who used to work for him is a fascist. What do you make of that?
RUTH BEN-GHIAT, PROFESSOR OF HISTORY, NYU AND OPINION COLUMNIST: Yes and these are people, you know, General Kelly, General Milley, former Defense Secretary Mark Esper. And these are people who do not speak out on politics unless they feel that there's a real need to do so. And they also don't, they choose their words carefully.
And so, to call Donald Trump a fascist is, he is leading us there to do that. I am an expert on fascism. For a long time I didn't call him a fascist, I called him an authoritarian, because he's also influenced by communist dictators. He's friendly with communist dictators. But you know, he's talking about our blood being polluted.
He's, you know, saying he's going to be a dictator. He made a campaign ad saying that he would be recreating a Reich in America. Now, he's having a rally at Madison Square Garden, which is where 20,000 American Nazis had a rally in 1939. He's going out of his way to recreate the style and the rhetoric of Hitler.
PHILLIP: Can I ask you one more thing? "The Washington Post" and "The L.A. Times" both declined to make an endorsement. A lot of people were extremely alarmed by that. Some people described it as anticipatory obedience. What do you make of it? Is that a sign that some of these institutions, particularly wealthy people, are starting to pull back in anticipation of a Trump second term?
BEN-GHIAT: Yes, this happens and it's happened in history where conservative elites, often very wealthy people, they want to protect their assets, they want to protect themselves, and they think it's not going to be so bad. They back these extremists, they back these authoritarians, they partner with them.
And in the case of the press, it's particularly short-sighted because every single autocrat, past and present, goes after the press, goes after freedom of speech. And this is not a secret, it's a tradition. And so, it's very sad that this is happening.
PHILLIP: All right, we've got a lot more to unpack about all of this, but we're going to dip back into Donald Trump speaking in Traverse City, Michigan. He is back to his speech now.
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TRUMP: -- maybe not hydrogen cars, you know why? Because they blow up, and when they blow up, you are not recognizable. I just said today, I said, your husband's driving a hybrid and it blows up. Ma'am, would you please come down and identify your husband? He's alongside of that tree.
And you go like this. I don't know if that's him. No, I don't like that idea. They say they work pretty well. That's not good. They work pretty well. But when they don't work, you can forget it. I think we should take them off our schedule, all right? So, you got to vote for Trump.
[23:00:00]
And you will see a mass exodus of manufacturing jobs from Mexico to Michigan, from Shanghai to Sterling Heights, and from Beijing to right here in Traverse City. It's a nice place. Nice place. And you people are great.
(LIVE COVERAGE CONTINUES)
