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Vance Defends Trump's "Enemy Within" Comments; Harris Focuses On Abortion Rights To Court Michigan Women; Daniels' Hail Mary Answered, Commanders Stun Bears. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired October 28, 2024 - 05:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[05:31:22]

KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: All right, 5:30 a.m. here on the East Coast. A live look at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as we get closer and closer to Election Day now just over one week away. Good morning, everyone. I'm Kasie Hunt. It's wonderful to have you with us.

Donald Trump kicking off the last full week of the 2024 campaign at Madison Square Garden. While the venue may be a new backdrop in the race Trump's messaging continued to hit on darker and more ominous themes, especially about his political opponents.

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DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They're smart and they're vicious, and we have to defeat them. And when I say the enemy from within the other sides goes crazy. It becomes oh, how can he say -- no, they've done very bad things to this country. They are, indeed, the enemy from within, but this is who we're fighting.

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HUNT: Trump's latest enemy from within comment about his political opponents coming just hours after his running mate J.D. Vance tried to explain away the rhetoric in a one-on-one with my colleague, CNN's Jake Tapper.

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SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), U.S. VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He said that he wanted to use the military to go after far-left lunatics who are rioting, and he also called --

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: He didn't say --

VANCE: -- he also called them the enemy within. He separately, in a totally different context, in a totally different conversation said that Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff were threats to this country.

TAPPER: Were the enemy within.

VANCE: He never said -- TAPPER: Were the enemy within. He said they were the enemy within.

VANCE: So every time he uses the exact same phrase, we assume that he uses the military?

TAPPER: I don't know. I don't throw around the term of "enemy within" to talk about using the military against American people.

VANCE: Well, you're a journalist -- you're a journalist and you're asking his vice president, but you won't let me answer the question. I'm telling you that Donald Trump has said, and I agree with him, that we should use the U.S. military to go after --

TAPPER: To go after Americans.

VANCE: -- people who riot, who burn down our cities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: OK. Joining us now to talk about this, Shelby Talcott. She's a reporter at Semafor. Shelby, good morning.

You were at Trump's Madison Square Garden rally last night. Tell us what you saw when you were there in person and, you know, especially along kind of these lines. There clearly was -- the dark MAGA energy is how I saw one person describe what we saw yesterday. What was your take?

SHELBY TALCOTT, REPORTER, SEMAFOR (via Webex by Cisco): Yeah, good morning.

This was certainly an event. My big takeaway I think was that this was an event designed for Donald Trump's base. And that's really notable, of course, because we are essentially one week out from the presidential election where a lot of times candidates will sort of shift to the center and drive home messages for a broader base. It seems clear that Donald Trump is focused on less so getting out some of those undecided voters and more so turning out that base, and that's what this message was about.

This was a very similar stump speech that we have seen Donald Trump do before at his rallies. He talked a lot about immigration. He talked a lot about the economy.

He had a number of speakers before him, some of whom made some of those crude remarks. The comedian making remarks at the beginning of his rally.

This base -- this was intended to turn out Donald Trump's base.

HUNT: Shelby, one of the other things, of course, that came up over the weekend as this unfolded, of course, late Sunday but before that. Republicans were pressed on some of these Sunday shows about what we saw from Gen. Kelly who had said that Trump had talked favorably about Hitler's generals.

[05:35:00]

And there were these questions basically about whether or not Republicans thought that Gen. Kelly or other military figures, like Gen. Milley, were lying about what they had heard from Donald Trump in these times.

Let's watch how they responded, and we'll talk about it. Take a look.

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SHANNON BREAM, FOX NEWS HOST, "FOX NEWS SUNDAY": Do you think people like Gen. Milley, like John Kelly are lying?

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL): Yes, I do. And -- but even if they aren't lying or even -- let's say you don't want to call them a liar, I would say it's very dubious to see these accusations coming at the very last minute right before an election.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): I think Gen. Kelly's criticisms are not based on facts. I think it's emotional, it's sad, and it's not going to matter. What happened to joy on the Democratic side? They went from joy to now Trump is Hitler.

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HUNT: Shelby, it's -- in some ways it's jarring to hear someone like Marco Rubio say that he thinks these generals are lying kind of considering Rubio's own past, but that's clearly what they're going with.

TALCOTT: Yeah, and it's interesting that you have a number of Republicans flat out saying he's lying. I've spoken to Republicans who have been more reluctant to say that he is outright lying so that is interesting in and of itself.

But certainly this is the message that Kamala Harris has really honed in on. And it is listen to Donald Trump's own words, listen to some of his former advisers, listen to other Republicans, and they are issuing a warning against another Donald Trump presidency. And so this is how Donald Trump's camp has decided that they are going to push back on that narrative.

HUNT: Shelby, how did all of this show up at the Madison Square Garden rally yesterday -- all these questions about what Trump has said along these lines? And obviously, there have been some comparisons to historic events that were held at the Garden in other difficult and dark times.

TALCOTT: Well listen, it was really interesting because when I talked to Republicans they viewed this Madison Square Garden as a big win. They wanted everybody to watch it. They said he's filled this arena. He has a lot of supporters.

He leaned into those messages -- those conservative messages. He did not stray away from that despite what Kamala Harris' campaign is pushing which is, of course, these comments from Kelly and others. And then I talked to Democrats and Democrats said we also want

everybody to watch Donald Trump's rally because of some of those more extreme and right-wing rhetoric that we did hear at that rally.

So it was sort of interesting that both campaigns took this event away as a win.

HUNT: Yeah.

Shelby, when Vance was pressed -- and we saw what we said there with Jake Tapper. Vance also appeared on a couple of other broadcasts around this and was pushed on this enemy within question because again, as we sort of hurdle toward Election Day these comments that Trump made about potentially using the military in the event of unrest after the election sort of loom over everything.

So here was Vance on "MEET THE PRESS" talking a little bit more about this -- watch.

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KRISTEN WELKER, NBC MODERATOR, "MEET THE PRESS": Do you believe that people like Adam Schiff and Nancy Pelosi are more dangerous than Russia and China?

VANCE: Well, I think what Donald Trump said is that those folks pose a greater threat to the United States' peace and security because America is strong enough to stand up to any foreign adversary.

WELKER: Do you agree with him -- they pose a larger threat to the United States than Russia and China?

VANCE: What he said, and I do agree with this. What he said is that the biggest threat we have in our country, it's not a foreign adversary because we can handle these guys.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: So the argument there seems to be that the threat from within is worse because America could handle China and Russia. But there's definitely some gymnastics going on there.

TALCOTT: Absolutely, and he is not the only one saying that, right? You had -- you've had House Speaker Mike Johnson sort of repeat that argument actually to Jake Tapper as well. You've had Glenn Youngkin do it. And so this is clearly the pushback that Donald Trump's campaign has decided on.

But what I will say is this is not necessarily what Donald Trump's campaign wants to be talking about. And I think this is another example of Donald Trump saying things that complicate his campaign for him a week out of the presidential race.

They don't want to be talking about this. They don't want to be having to defend some of Donald Trump's comments. They want to be focused on the economy. They want to be focused on immigration. And instead, this is where the conversation is.

HUNT: All right, Shelby Talcott for us this morning. Shelby, very grateful for you. Thank you very much for being here.

All right. Straight ahead here on CNN THIS MORNING we head to battleground Michigan. Polls show Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are locked in a dead heat. Could a co-called secret woman vote make the difference?

[05:40:00]

Plus, Hail Mary -- the miracle touchdown that everyone's talking about.

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REP. ELISSA SLOTKIN, (D-MI) CANDIDATE FOR U.S. SENATE: I think what we have going on right now in the state of Michigan, what I call the secret women's vote. We have women in red areas who are not telling their husbands how they vote, who are not talking about it with their friends and family but who are going to vote for the Democratic ticket.

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HUNT: Michigan Congresswoman and Senate candidate Elissa Slotkin predicting that Kamala Harris will be boosted in Michigan by what she calls the secret woman vote.

[05:45:00]

Harris explicitly courting the swing state's female voters during a rally with former first lady Michelle Obama over the weekend while Donald Trump made a play for Arab American and Muslim voters in Novi, Michigan on Saturday.

As the vice president and running mate Tim Walz return to Michigan again today her campaign hopes to solidify her lead among the state's suburban, college-educated voters and women who are especially concerned about abortion rights.

When CNN's Eva McKend spoke to Harris rallygoers over the weekend many of them, indeed, named reproductive rights as one of their main motivations.

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EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER: What is the most important issue for you -- the most urgent matter?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, reproductive rights for sure, for sure.

MATTHEW HINDERMAN, MICHIGAN HARRIS SUPPORTER: Even though I'm not a woman, I still care what happens to all of my nieces. PRIA AINSWORTH, MICHIGAN HARRIS SUPPERTER: I'm a woman and I believe that if something were to happen to me, I should be able to have a say in what I do going forward. I shouldn't feel forced to have a kid. I shouldn't feel forced to do anything. That's just not us. That's not America.

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HUNT: All right, joining us now to discuss, Michigan Democratic State Sen. Mallory McMorrow. Senator, so great to have you on the program again. Thank you so much for being here.

MALLORY MCMORROW, (D) MICHIGAN STATE Senate (via Skype): Good morning. Good to be here.

HUNT: So let's talk a little bit about what is going on on the ground in Michigan, especially on the abortion-reproductive rights issue.

I want to show you a little bit and show our viewers a little bit of what Michelle Obama had to say at this rally where she was addressing men specifically -- let's watch.

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MICHELLE OBAMA, FORMER FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: To the men who love us let me just try to paint a picture of what it will feel like if America, the wealthiest nation on Earth, keeps revoking basic care from its women.

Your wife or mother could be the ones at higher risk of dying from undiagnosed cervical cancer because they have no access to regular gynecological care. Your daughter could be the one too terrified to call the doctor if she's bleeding during an unexpected pregnancy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: How potent is this issue for Democrats at this point? And what do you make of what Slotkin said there also where she thinks there's this secret vote of women that may change the outcome here?

MCMORROW: Look, this is a very potent issue here in Michigan. In Michigan, we codified abortion access in our state constitution via a ballot proposal in 2022 that collected more signatures than any ballot initiative in state history. So there's a sense among those who are plugged in that we have a lot to lose, especially given how hard we worked for this.

And hearing what Congresswoman Slotkin said, I think that's absolutely right. I've been canvasing all over the state, particularly in the metro Detroit area and some of our most marginal statehouse districts. So I've been downriver south of Detroit over in McComb County.

And we hear this time and time again from women who say it's not even a question who they're voting for. They may not have a sign out because they don't want to be bullied by their neighbors, but our doors have been going incredibly well and this is an issue that's definitely at the top of people's minds.

HUNT: Do you think that the polls are not picking up this -- what -- Elissa Slotkin is not the only person out there saying that, right? We heard it from Liz Cheney as well. I mean, do you think that's something that's getting missed as we see -- I mean, right now this race is incredibly close. A lot of people I talk to feel like Trump is starting to have the upper hand here in the final weeks.

I'm curious if you think that there is something missing and if so, what is it?

MCMORROW: I do think it is.

And we saw this happen in 2022 here in Michigan where all of the polling in the final days showed that there was a red wave forming. That Gov. Whitmer was at risk, that Sec. Benson was a risk, and that Attorney General Nessel was at risk. And what we saw was largely led by women and on the issue of reproductive rights Democrats took a historic trifecta in the state House, the state Senate, the governorship -- all the statewides. It was a blue wave and a strong one.

And I think what polling misses is that for so many women and, frankly, families who this is an issue for, when you talk about the economy this is baked into that. Because the decision on whether or not to start a family and when is the most important economic decision any family is ever going to make. And it's a fundamental right that kind of goes beyond an issue that may be most important to you at the moment that I think pollsters are missing in the same way they missed it two years ago.

HUNT: Let me ask you also about the Arab American population in Michigan because there's been a lot of questions about what they might do here considering the anger that many feel toward President Biden. Kamala Harris obviously has messaged this a little bit differently.

[05:50:00]

But I have heard some people concerned about third-party votes here -- protest votes. And obviously in a razor-thin election that could make a real difference.

How concerned are you about Michiganders voting for a third-party candidate, and what would you say to them about that?

MCMORROW: Look, Michigan is always going to be close, and we've seen third-party candidates swing our state for Donald Trump in the past.

I have to give a lot of credit to the leaders of the uncommitted movement who a couple of weeks ago put out a video on Instagram -- a really long, very thoughtful explainer acknowledging that however hurt you are right now, however much pain you're going through, this is about voting strategically so that you can consider who you have allies with moving forward.

There's an acknowledgment from uncommitted that third party is not an option. And they really laid out the case that Donald Trump would be so much worse than Kamala Harris, pointing to the fact that his son- in-law once called Gaza great beachfront property and looks forward to the day that they take it over to be developed. That is not where anybody wants to go.

So I think that is a message that a lot of voters are hearing, and I would encourage people to hear.

And I would point as well to the primary vote in Dearborn during the primary election where Congresswoman Slotkin had a challenger from the left and she defeated him handily with something like 70 percent of the vote.

So I think a lot of voters are really plugged in even though they are going through a lot right now and it's painful to continue to see this war carry on.

HUNT: All right, Michigan State Sen. Mallory McMorrow for us this morning. Always grateful to have you on the show. Thank you so much for being here.

MCMORROW: Thanks, Kasie.

HUNT: All right, time now for sports. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa returned to the gridiron after suffering a concussion more than a month ago. He makes his presence felt on the very first drive.

Carolyn Manno has this morning's Bleacher Report. Carolyn, good morning.

CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

Tua's health headlined Sunday's slate of games, Kasie. A lot of pundits calling for him to consider retirement after a third diagnosed concussion in that two-year span. But the quarterback was cleared to play by league doctors.

He ran onto the field to a roaring ovation from home fans yesterday and he gave them even more to cheer about against the Cardinals. His first pass, a 16-yard completion on the opening drive that ended with a one-yard touchdown run. So looking good early on.

And then early in the second half he was scrambling for 13 yards to pick up a first down, too. And what's key here is that he slipped to avoid taking a hit. That's something he didn't do when he was injured in week two.

And though Miami gave their best offensive performance of the season the Dolphins still ended up losing the game 28-27 on a last-second field goal.

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TUA TAGOVAILOA, QUARTERBACK, MIAMI DOLPHINS: It was good to be able to come back and play with my teammates to hopefully help in whatever way I can to get a spark going for us offensively or get the mojo going for the entire team. It was good but a tough loss today against a really good team. So that diminishes not just what I've done but a lot of what other guys have done individually as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANNO: All right, put the coffee down this morning just for a second and experience one of the greatest few moments of football you will ever see. It looked like the Bears had the Commanders beat after scoring a go-ahead touchdown with less than 30 seconds left in the game, but that turned out to be plenty of time for rookie Jayden Daniels.

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NFL ANNOUNCER: Daniels backs up. He's just going to have to let one fly. He goes to the right side and steps away from the defenders. He gives himself some time. Now, steps up, fires. Heads toward the end zone. It is good. (Screaming)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANNO: The 52-yard Hail Mary to Noah Brown giving Washington the improbable 18-15 win, sending players, coaches, and fans into a frenzy. Daniels able to chew up so much time scrambling in the back for 12 seconds before that pass that traveled 65 yards in the air. He's been dealing with a rib injury too. Absolutely incredible.

The Dodgers bringing a two-game lead to New York tonight for game three of the World Series after a moment on Saturday that gave Dodgers fans quite a scare. We should see Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani in the Bronx. L.A. Manager Dave Roberts says he's in a great spot despite injuring his left shoulder trying to steal in the seventh inning of game two. He says the Dodgers training staff telling him that Ohtani was feeling good on Sunday morning.

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DAVE ROBERTS, MANAGER, L.A. DODGERS: I think that he's obviously well aware of himself and his body, so if he feels good enough to go then I see no reason why he wouldn't be in there.

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MANNO: Ohtani flew to New York separately from the team last night, Kasie. So the final determination could be made later today but it looks like we will see him in game three. He went one for eight in his first two games. But if he's around you can never count him out.

[05:55:05]

HUNT: You cannot, and here's hoping that injury is not serious for him.

All right, Carolyn. Thank you. Always great to see you.

Straight ahead here on CNN THIS MORNING fresh CNN polling out this morning looking ahead to the aftermath of the upcoming election and whether or not voters believe history is going to repeat itself.

Plus, Donald Trump's closing pitch as he intensifies his anti- immigration rhetoric at his New York homecoming rally.

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TRUMP: And we will put these vicious and blood-thirsty criminals in jail. We're going to kick them the hell out of our country as fast as possible.

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HUNT: It's Monday, October 28. Right now on CNN THIS MORNING --