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Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) is Interviewed about Pennsylvania Voters; RFK Jr. Talks about Future with Trump Administration; Mark McKinnon is Interviewed about Pennsylvania; Harris Appeared on "SNL." Aired 6:30-7a ET
Aired November 04, 2024 - 06:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[06:33:57]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT DE NIRO, ACTOR AND HARRIS SUPPORTER: And to be clear, women making their own health care decisions.
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KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: All right, legendary actor, vocal Harris supporter, Robert de Niro making a surprise appearance at a Philadelphia Eagles tailgate yesterday. He spoke about reproductive rights and health care in front of a crowd of fans whose votes could - probably will decide the election. In 2020, Joe Biden won Pennsylvania about - by about 81,000 votes. That amount is just over the almost 70,000 people who attended that very Eagles game at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday. Once again, the presidential election could come down to the small handful of Pennsylvania voters.
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SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-PA): This is going to be very close. And Trump definitely has a connection with voters here in Pennsylvania. And that's why it's going to be close.
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HUNT: Interesting.
Joining us now, someone who was there at that tailgate with de Niro. Democratic Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania.
Congresswoman, good morning to you.
[06:35:00]
How was the game, first of all. I think we won.
REP. CHRISSY HOULAHAN (D-PA): Hey, good morning. And, importantly, I was not at that game. I was actually knocking doors and trying to make sure to get out the vote.
HUNT: Oh, you were not at the tailgate. Oh, I'm sorry.
HOULAHAN: But the birds - the birds did actually win. So, that's - that's a great thing.
HUNT: OK. Yes. That's all that really matters, let's be clear.
HOULAHAN: But - but good morning again.
HUNT: Good morning. No, and, full disclosure, I grew up in the district that you now represent. And my high school is - was in your - is in your district. And, you know, as someone who knows the area well, I think my biggest question for you is what you're hearing and seeing from women on the ground, both women who voted for Nikki Haley in the Republican primaries, and also perhaps, you know, we've been talking a lot this morning about the Iowa poll. Not necessarily because of what it - what it says about who's going to win Iowa, but because of what it said about rural, older white women. And I wondered what you made of that and what you were picking up in Pennsylvania on these questions.
HOULAHAN: So, the energy is off the charts here in Pennsylvania, in the suburban parts of Pennsylvania and the rural parts. And to your point, the district that I sit in, the sixth congressional district where I serve, is a combination of rural, urban and suburban. And I had the opportunity all weekend long to visit all the various different parts and pieces of our community. And the enthusiasm for Kamala Harris is off the chain I guess I would have to say. The number of people who are showing up to knock doors, to make phone calls are in the hundreds. I think we knocked on 90,000 doors just in our district alone and then something like 800,000 across the entire commonwealth.
And so to your other question about the energy amongst women, and particularly rural women, I was in a community down in the Canon (ph) area, and I know you're familiar with that. It's sort of southern Chester County, near the border of Delaware. All women in the audience and all older women. And I think the atmosphere there is one of - I think they called it nauseous optimism. And I think that they're really hopeful that there will be a change. And that change will be a positive one with Kamala in the White House and that President Trump will not return to the White House.
HUNT: Congresswoman, do you feel as though - I mean the Trump campaign has been kind of putting out and pushing set - trying to set an expectation of winning. And also, of course, their candidate has been raising doubts about the process right along with that.
What was your reaction when he was on the campaign trail over the weekend saying that he shouldn't have left. And then he also, of course, made comments about reporters potentially being in the line of fire at future rallies.
What's your response? HOULAHAN: So, speaking of nauseating, that is truly nauseating and
really bone chilling. And this is an indication of were he to be successful and return to the White House, this is the kind of administration that he would undoubtedly run. The idea that he is really, frankly, doing nothing but intimidating and casting dispersion and doubt amongst the electorate is, I think, pretty insidious. And so I think that that's one of the contrasts that you see here on the ground in Pennsylvania. You see, you know, enthusiasm, hope and happiness on the one hand and you say sort of a dark - a dark, backward-looking vision on the other hand with a lot of kind of punitive conversation and threatening talk.
HUNT: Congresswoman, I - fair - I take your point on that. John Fetterman, Senator Fetterman, in the interview with Dana Bash, kind of acknowledged, despite all of what you just laid out there, that Donald Trump does seem to have a connection with voters in Pennsylvania. Why?
HOULAHAN: You know, I think that there still is a feeling amongst some of the electorate that they have been forgotten and that they are looking for somebody who sees them in a way that they feel is not around in the environment. And so I feel frustrated because I feel as though somehow all of us have not been able to break through and communicate all of the decent and good things that are happening under Democratic control with a Democratic White House and all of the really amazing things that have happened as a consequence of the Biden administration and hopefully of the Harris administration.
You know, you stand on a street corner and you're watching people pull the lead pipes out of our communities because they've been there for more than 40 years while we've known they've been hurting our children and our families. Because of the Biden administration and hopefully a future Harris administration, those pipes are being eliminated. People are being more safe. And as a result, there's also jobs that are being created on that corner.
And so I think there really is a disconnect that we're still struggling with to try to communicate really what the Democratic platform is about and about the harmfulness of the Republican platform.
HUNT: Yes, I mean, you - you really laid it - laid it out right there, these - these tensions, these questions and, of course, we are finally going to get some answers from the voters who always get the last say tomorrow.
HOULAHAN: We hope.
[06:40:02]
HUNT: Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan, very grateful to have you on the show. Thank you so much for being here.
HOULAHAN: Thank you.
HUNT: All right, let's turn now to this. Donald Trump telling NBC News that he is tentatively (ph) OK with Rober F. Kennedy Jr.'s plan to get rid of fluoride in public drinking water. Over the weekend, Kennedy tweeted the Trump administration would, quote, "advise all U.S. water systems to remove flooring from public water on day one." The CDC recommends fluoride in water as a cost-effective way to improve oral health. The former president has said if he wins tomorrow he'd bring Kennedy on to work on health care issues.
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ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. (I), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We don't know what I'm going to do. I talked to the president about it yesterday. And I - and he asked me what I wanted, and I said, we're developing a proposal now.
I want to be in the White House, and he's assured me that I'm going to have that. But that may - I want to be in the position where I'm most effective, and the chronic disease epidemic. And I'm confident that if I wanted to do HHS secretary, the president would fight like hell to make that happen.
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HUNT: The president would fight like hell to make this man, RFK Jr., is HHS secretary.
Let's just - let's just like - let's just like rewind the tape. Let's - let's remember all of the things that we have learned about or relearned about RFK Jr. in this election cycle.
Watch this.
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ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. (I), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And that woman in the van in front of me hit a bear and killed it. A young bear. So, I pulled over and I picked up the bear and put him in the back of my van because I was going to skin the bear.
And ever since that guy wrote the article about me saying I ate a dog it hasn't been the same.
Daddy would never do something like that.
It was a goat.
From the National Marine Fisheries Institute saying that they were investigating me for collecting a whale specimen 20 years ago.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you killed any whales in your lifetime?
KENNEDY: No.
Maybe a brain worm ate that part of my memory.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: The bear, the dog, the whale, the brain worm. And now he's going to get to, you know, take the fluoride out of the water if he wants to.
MATT GORMAN, FORMER TIM SCOTT PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN SENIOR ADVISER: My issue with the clip from Fox News the other day, a lot of I's, a lot of me's. No one's voting for RFK. No one cares what he has to say. It doesn't matter unless he wins. If you're a surrogate, stop talking about yourself. Start talking about the top of the ticket because unless the top of the ticket wins, RFK, you're not getting anything. So that is my issue. And I think probably one of the things we both agree on is, for the last week surrogates probably need to take a back seat.
MEGHAN HAYS, FORMER BIDEN WHITE HOUSE DIRECTOR OF MESSAGE PLANNING: Yes.
GORMAN: Too many surrogates and it - causing more headaches than not.
HAYS: Stay home. Yes.
ALEX THOMPSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I've got to say, I - if Donald Trump does win, I'm really looking forward to the Senate confirmation hearing of RFK Jr. as HHS secretary. I would be quite - it would be quite a scene.
I'd also just say, you know, Donald Trump, part of the reason RFK Jr., I can tell you, was wary of endorsing Donald Trump was because he didn't totally trust him. And clearly what's been going on is that Trump has been saying - you know, making some promises about what his role will be.. And then RFK Jr. is just going out on TV being like, well, Donald Trump said this.
ZOLAN KANNO-YOUNGS, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: He just told me this.
THOMPSON: Yes.
KANNO-YOUNGS: Yes. Right. Right.
I mean I do think this also provides a window into what a potential Trump administration could look like and his cabinet. And that is important for voters, you know, to hear that somebody who has made health claims that have been debunked, whether it be about linking vaccines to autism, you know, again, debunked by most health experts - by heath experts, excuse me.
HUNT: Yes, straight debunked.
KANNO-YOUNGS: Yes, Right.
HUNT: Yes.
KANNO-YOUNGS: And just make it - even fluoride in water, you know, the idea that you could be providing - that this provides a window into how, you know, people who are leading the country, who would - could be that's leading our country, that's important for voters to know.
HUNT: Indeed.
All right, still ahead here on CNN THIS MORNING, in just over 24 hours, just under 24 hour, polls - well, over 24 hours, polls are going to open in the key Commonwealth of Pennsylvania specifically. Up next, we're going to chat with Mark McKinnon about how comments made at Trump's Madison Square Garden rally might tilt a key demographic in the must-win commonwealth.
Plus, Donald Trump demanding equal time after Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on "Saturday Night Live."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. (D) AND U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't really laugh like that, do I?
MAYA RUDOLPH, COMEDIAN, "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE": A little bit.
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[06:48:34]
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SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-PA): And I would just tell him that desperation is the worst cologne. I'd like to remind everybody that Biden wrecked his (EXPLETIVE DELETED) by 80,000 votes. And now we're going to be back in the same situation.
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HUNT: Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman slamming former President Trump over his repeated claims about voter fraud in the keystone state where nearly 1.8 million have already voted early. Both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump set to spend their final day before the election in the battleground commonwealth in the hopes of winning over those waiting until tomorrow to vote.
But for Pennsylvanians who have been bombarded by political texts, commercials, emails for months, they are just ready for it all to be over.
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KRISTIN CAPARRA, PENNSYLVANIA TRUMP VOTER: It's been going - I feel like it's been going on forever. All the endless text messaging and the emails and then now in a blink it's upon us. I've already voted.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: All right, joining us now, Mark McKinnon, former adviser to George W. Bush, John McCain and the creator of Paramount's "The Circus."
Mark, good morning. Wonderful to see you.
We can confirm one of our producers has a 610 area code because she grew up in the same area that I did. And I am really glad that I no longer have a 610 area code. It's just -- it's so much to deal with.
You spent some time in Pennsylvania in the last couple of days and you were particularly talking to Puerto Rican voters there. What did you pick up on the ground?
[06:50:00]
MARK MCKINNON, FORMER ADVISER TO GEORGE W. BUSH AND JOHN MCCAIN, CREATOR, PARAMOUNT'S "THE CIRCUS": Yes, I'm here on the ground in Philly, and have been here for most of the week, and will be through the election, Kasie.
Listen, I think you had some really unique insights last week when we were talking about the garbage thing and Puerto Rico. And it really got my attention. So, we looked into it a little bit more and went to an AOC rally yesterday. And I want to tell you, you were right. First of all, everybody - all - every Puerto Rican in Pennsylvania has heard about the garbage comment. They all know about it. Two, they're all passed about it. I mean, again, you were right, I mean there's this real pride thing in Puerto Rico, and there's like nothing more that Trump could have done to offend Puerto Ricans than to - to describe their country as garbage. And, three, I'll tell you that they're - we talked to a Trump voter - previously a Trump voter, who is now voting for Harris, in addition to all the other voters that were there who were Harris voters, they were just on fire.
So, the Riveras (ph) are on fire, Kasie, out here, I can tell you. And - and I have one other insight I want to mention about the Selzer poll that I think is interesting.
HUNT: Yes, shoot.
MCKINNON: I think that there is a - a huge - I think a big story is going to be the granny gap. I mean the - the thing that caught my attention in that poll, and you talked about it a little bit earlier was, the - the - the numbers - the polling with women over 65. So, Harris is winning that number by 35 points. And just to put that in context, when Trump won in 2016, he won women over 65 by nine. When Biden won in 2020, he won them by 13. So, she's winning by 22 more points than Biden won in 2020.
So, I mean, that is a huge number. And again, let's say Selzer's half wrong and she's - she's got a great record. I know her too. And I just - I think her - her - the way she looks forward, not backward, is a really unique way of looking at polling that doesn't model after 2020. And I've been saying all along, this is going to be nothing like 2020.
So, you look at the granny gap. I've got a feeling this is going to be substantial. HUNT: You heard it here first, the granny gap. It's great. You know,
it will fit - it will fit on the banner, right? There you go. That's honestly fascinating. I mean, first of all, fascinating about - we talked to, on the show, Eddie Moran, who's the mayor of Reading, Pennsylvania. He's Puerto Rican. It's a majority Latino city. And he reflected what you're saying, which is that there were a lot of people who, like, maybe they weren't even paying attention to the election -
MCKINNON: Yes.
HUNT: Maybe they were kind of interested in Trump. But then this crossed their phones and they got angry about it.
MCKINNON: Yes.
HUNT: And all of a sudden there are more Puerto Ricans who are coming off the couch, which I think sounds like you picked that up too, which is really interesting. But can you spend another -
MCKINNON: A hundred percent, Kasie.
HUNT: Yes, go ahead.
MCKINNON: Yes, the - well, the other thing that I didn't realize that - that I - that really surprised me, 7 percent of voters in Pennsylvania are Puerto Rican. I mean, in a race that could be decided by a margin of 1 or 2 percent, and you have 7 percent of a population who are all on fire because of this issue. Again, that could - that could change the outcome of this election just among the Puerto Ricans in Pennsylvania, which I think is incredible.
HUNT: Yes, no, it's - it's certainly been a subject of text messages among the Puerto Rican members of - of my family, which is, I think, kind of part of what - what sparked this for me.
Mark, let's talk -
MCKINNON: Well, you nailed it a week ago. You nailed it a week ago. You had it right.
HUNT: You are to kind.
MCKINNON: Let's talk briefly as we wrap up here. The Iowa poll. What do you think - I mean I have not talked to anyone - we have not talked - and kind of the panel seems to agree that we can't really find anyone that actually thinks that Harris is going to win Iowa. Now, maybe Ann will turn out to be correct. But if it's true that Trump is going to win there, how do you explain what she's finding?
MCKINNON: Well, I - listen, again, let's just say she's half right, and she's been the most reliable pollster that I've ever worked with in my career, and I've worked with a lot of them. So - just, if directionally she's right, and Trump just wins Iowa by a lot less than we thought he was going to, that just has huge consequences for the actual swing states.
So, again, I think it - if Selzer's half right about Iowa, I think Harris could win all seven swing states.
So, I'll just say it now, I know you're not in the prediction business, but I'm getting in it. Harris is going to blow the doors off. And it's going to be because of women and the granny gap.
HUNT: So, this is our - our last Monday together before the election. Obviously, we'll hopefully bee talking next - you know, a week from today and we'll have a lot more information.
MCKINNON: Yes, we'll be (INAUDIBLE) next week. Yes.
HUNT: But what's your final prediction here? You gave us a little bit of that, but, just, still, who do you think wins and when do we know?
MCKINNON: I - listen, I think that we have overcomplicated this by a lot. I think this is the first post Dobbs election. I think there are more women in America. I think more women are going to vote. There's an enthusiasm gap that's like 10 points. We've got the granny gap now. Add that all up. It's simple math. Harris blows the doors off and wins big.
HUNT: All right. You heard it here first. Mark McKinnon, thank you very much. Good luck the next 24 hours. See you soon.
MCKINNON: Kick it, Kasie. Thanks.
HUNT: All right, let's turn now to this.
"Saturday Night Live" fans saw double this weekend.
[06:55:02]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYA RUDOLPH, COMEDIAN, "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE": What do we always say? Keep Kamala and carry-on-a-la (ph).
I'm going to vote for us.
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. (D) AND U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Great. Any chance you are registered in Pennsylvania?
RUDOLPH: Nope, I am not.
HARRIS: Well, it was worth a shot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: The vice president making a surprise appearance in "SNL's" cold open just days before the election. Of course, she now joins a long list of candidates who have appeared on the show during their campaigns.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You used to call me on the cell phone.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, you dressed as yourself?
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Well, you know, Hillary, I have nothing to hide. I enjoy being myself. I'm not going to change who I am just because it's Halloween.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: well, that's - that's great.
JOHN MCCAIN, FORMER REPUBLICAN SENATOR: I ask you, what should we be looking for in our next president. Certainly someone who is very, very, very old.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Pretty good round-up of everyone on "SNL." Now, of course, Trump ended up having to get equal time from NBC after the FCC raised - raised alarms about this. Of course, the rules that dictate a broadcast network has to offer equal time here during a campaign.
But, how'd she do, Alex, on "SNL"?
THOMPSON: I think she was great. Even the fact that she made fun of her own laugh, I thought, like, people - like voters like people that are self-deprecating, especially in politicians.
KANNO-YOUNGS: Maya Rudolph is fantastic. I think that skit was great. I also like that what's that name skit with John Mulaney and Senator Tim Kaine as well.
HAYS: That was funny.
KANNO-YOUNGS: You know, he should not be overlooked here, even though that whole skit was about him being overlooked. That one was good.
HUNT: Wait. Hold on. I think we have that. The Tim Kaine "SNL" skit. Can we watch that? It looks like we have that. It's on my sheet. There it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TIM KAINE (D-VA): Hi. I was Hillary Clinton's vice presidential running mate. At the time you said it was the most important election in American history, and that democracy was on the line. It's been less than eight years. What's my name?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi. It is an honor.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not only does he look exactly like Tim Walz, his name was also Tim.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Really? His name was Tim.
KAINE: My - my name is still Tim. I - I - I exist. I'm a senator representing Virginia.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course you are.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: All right, if we're handing out points for self-deprecating, like, Tim Kaine wins the day.
(CROSS TALK)
HAYS: He wins. He wins. That was awesome.
GORMAN: Yes.
HUNT: What did you think?
GORMAN: I mean, I thought - I thought it was pretty good (INAUDIBLE). There's a - I know there's a Tim Scott joke in there, so I appreciated that. And, look, it's always actually kind of funny, right? Like, Tim Kaine was very, very close to being the next vice president. And now he's just running - running again for re-election in Virginia.
THOMPSON: Yes.
GORMAN: So, there's an anonymity to either Walz or Vance, whomever loses, they - they kind of will go either - go back in the Senate or go back to the governor's mansion in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
HUNT: So, I - there was one other thing that stood out to me that's funny. It's not - it's not from this "SNL" but it's part of kind of the closing message here in the last 24, 48, however many hours we are now out from here - from the polls closing tomorrow night.
THOMPSON: Yes. Right.
HUNT: This is an ad that Will Ferrell cut for Kamala Harris. Let's take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILL FERRELL, ACTOR: This election is going to be one of the closest in history. Your vote will make the difference. That means you, Gary. Oh, blah, blah, blah, I'm just one person. No, shut the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) up, Gary.
Last time only a few thousand votes kept Trump out of office. And this time we will hold you personally responsible, Gary.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Matt, what do you think?
GORMAN: I thought it was actually pretty funny. I thought - I thought that was a much improved that him and Billy Ikner (Ph) did like something - a man on the street thing I thought was like very weird.
THOMPSON: Yes.
GORMAN: That was actually funny. I thought that - that was pretty good.
THOMPSON: It also sort of reminds me of what Trump has been saying in some of his rallies.
GORMAN: Yes. Yes.
THOMPSON: Where he's like, you know, you have to get Gary - not Gary, but he's like, you have to get him off the couch.
(CROSS TALK)
THOMPSON: So -
HUNT: So, it got in your head, we've got to get Gary off the couch.
THOMPSON: Yes.
HUNT: All right, so, look, we've got a minute here. We're one day out from the election. A quick whip around. What are you watching for in the next 24 hours?
KANNO-YOUNGS: We've talked about the gender gap. I mean what sticks out in my head though, I was just in Pennsylvania basically driving around, actually following President Biden. And we often say that Democrats and even President Biden before Vice President Harris had the union vote. But I saw that there was a break between union leadership and actually all that rank and file.
HUNT: Sure.
KANNO-YOUNGS: The rank and file still divided, reflecting America. The union vote is incredibly pivotal, particularly in the battleground states. Will it be divided when you talk about sort of the entire workforce?
HUNT: Yes.
Alex.
THOMPSON: North Carolina and Georgia, they count fast. They count early. We're going to know those results first. And I think it's going to be indicative of what -
HUNT: Yes.
THOMPSON: If we're going to have a long night or a short one.
HUNT: If they break for Harris it's going to be short. And if they stick with Trump, we're longer.
HAYS: I'm watching the - the gender gap and the rural votes in the red states that will come in early to see how some of the blue wall states might break.
HUNT: Really interesting.
[07:00:00]
GORMAN: Bucks County and Philly turnout. Bucks County turnout, there's a smaller version to us, our party backing the economy in the Philly turnout. If the African American vote is still low, like it has been in the south, that could be a good sign for Trump.
HUNT: Yes, no, it's very interesting. And, I mean, Bucks County, of all those collared counties, the one that may have better signs for Trump then say Chester or Montgomery.
GORMAN: Yes.
HUNT: All right, here we go, guys. Tomorrow's Election Day.
HYA: Yay.
HUNT: Thanks to all of you for being here. Thanks to all of you for joining us. I'm Kasie Hunt. Don't go anywhere, CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.
