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The Source with Kaitlan Collins
Harris Makes Case Against Trump At His Jan. 6 Rally Site; Key Pro-Trump Voice Released From Federal Prison; U.S. Officials: Chinese Hackers Targeted Eric Trump & Jared Kushner. Aired 9-10p ET
Aired October 29, 2024 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[21:00:00]
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, ANDERSON COOPER 360: You can point the camera right now at the QR code on the screen, you click on the link.
You can also access it, going to our online grief community, CNN.com/allthereisonline. You can leave comments there, watch a full video of that interview. You can also watch it on YouTube, on the CNN channel there. I hope it makes you feel a little less lonely in your grief.
The news continues right now. "THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS" starts now. I'll see you, tomorrow.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN HOST, THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS: Straight from THE SOURCE tonight.
With one week to go, Vice President Harris delivering her closing argument, at the same site where Donald Trump whipped up his supporters who stormed the Capitol on January 6th.
Pennsylvania governor, Josh Shapiro, and Senator Elizabeth Warren, are here, joining me live.
And meanwhile, Donald Trump is back in Pennsylvania, tonight, which I should note, has the largest Puerto Rican population of any of the battleground states. That as the crisis, and the fallout from his racist rally is continuing tonight, as Trump is describing what happened at Madison Square Garden as an absolute lovefest.
I'm Kaitlan Collins. And this is THE SOURCE.
We're live in the nation's capital tonight, where Vice President Harris just made her closing message of this campaign, with only seven days left to go.
In the same spot where Donald Trump told his supporters to fight like hell, on January 6th, before they did just that on Capitol Hill, as lawmakers were trying to certify the 2020 results. Harris, tonight, was seeking to remind voters of the deadly assault from that day, while also issuing a call for unity.
You can see the crowd, she was speaking to, here in Washington. It was a massive audience there. As she was laying out her view of the stakes of this election, a week from today, as she called on voters who were not just there, but also watching this nationally-televised address, to turn the page from the former President.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S., (D) PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: This is not a candidate for president who is thinking about how to make your life better. This is someone who is unstable, obsessed with revenge, consumed with grievance, and out for unchecked power.
(CHEERING)
HARRIS: Donald Trump has spent a decade trying to keep the American people divided and afraid of each other. That is who he is. But America, I am here tonight, to say, that is not who we are.
(CHEERING)
HARRIS: That is not who we are.
(CHEERING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Now, what this was, was a speech designed to draw a sharp contrast between Harris and her opponent, as she was directly addressing Trump's threats to the so-called enemy from within.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: I am not looking to score political points. I am looking to make progress.
Unlike Donald Trump, I don't believe people who disagree with me are the enemy. He wants to put them in jail. I'll give them a seat at the table.
(CHEERING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Meanwhile, as she was delivering that address, you can see Donald Trump, he's making a final pitch to the voters in Allentown, Pennsylvania, tonight.
And therefore, I want to get straight to our lead source, tonight. Pennsylvania's Democratic governor, Josh Shapiro.
And Governor, it's great to have you here tonight. As Donald Trump is in your home state. Both of these candidates have been all over the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, over the last several weeks.
When you hear Vice President Harris, in that speech, tonight, do you think she accomplished what she set out to do? GOV. JOSH SHAPIRO (D-PA): I thought it was a really important speech, and I thought she accomplished a lot.
Perhaps the most notable thing was it harkened back, or reminded people, of the last time we had someone, who was president, standing in that spot. Was Donald Trump. Versus Kamala Harris, someone who wants to be our president. It was the calm, cool, collected, Kamala Harris versus the chaos of Donald Trump.
And I think that speaks to the way Trump governed, and would govern, going forward, with all kinds of chaos, and the approach that Kamala Harris has taken, not just in this campaign, but throughout her entire career. I've known her 20 years. Someone who's calm, someone who's cool, collected, and who delivers for others, someone who is there for the people.
And I thought she made a really important case, not just about our democracy being threatened, and the risk of Donald Trump. But I thought she also laid out some really concrete plans on how she is going to make people's lives better.
While Donald Trump is injecting chaos and keeping an enemies list. She is talking about building housing for folks, making child care cost less, caring for your elderly parent. Commonsense things that are on the minds of the good people of Pennsylvania and, I would argue, on behalf of the people, on the minds of Americans as well.
[21:05:00]
And I think Kamala Harris hit it right, tonight, and did an excellent job. And I thought the juxtaposition with the last time someone spoke in that spot was really stark.
COLLINS: Well, and this was billed as her closing message. It wasn't just about January 6th. She was also talking about her plans for the economy. She was quite candid, maybe more so than we've seen her, in some of these speeches in the past, talking about how she's not perfect, but she will seek advice from experts, and she won't be afraid to ask for help.
And just looking at this closing message, with the rally that we saw, at Madison Square Garden, on Sunday night, there was a comment that was made there, by a comedian, among many other comments that were made, about Puerto Rico being this floating pile of garbage, as one of the floating island of garbage, is what the comedian said.
Obviously, you have a very large Puerto Rican population, in your state.
I just want you to listen to what Trump had to say about that comment, tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: They put a comedian in, which everybody does -- you throw comedians in, you don't vet them and go crazy. It's nobody's fault. But somebody said some bad things.
Now, what they've done is taken somebody that has nothing to do with the party, has nothing to do with us, said something, and they try and make a big deal. But I don't know who it is. I don't even know who put him in. And I can't imagine it's a big deal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: When you hear that, is that enough for Pennsylvanians, who may have been offended by the comments, at the rally, on--
SHAPIRO: Yes.
COLLINS: --on Sunday?
SHAPIRO: Kaitlan, that's just more BS from Donald Trump.
Listen, if Donald Trump was really offended by those remarks, the way a whole lot of Americans were? He would have walked out on that stage, at Madison Square Garden, after the comedian was done, when it was Donald Trump's turn to talk, and the first thing he would have said is, Hey, by the way, that guy who spoke before me? He was way off base. He was wrong, and I would never talk about Puerto Ricans that way.
But he didn't do that. Because, you know what? That's how he really feels, Kaitlan. This is a guy who, for the last decade, has spent his time creating others in our system, others in our society, separating people out, attacking people based on what they look like, or where they come from, who they love, or who they pray to, to try and score some cheap political point.
Listen, I am proud to be the Governor of Pennsylvania, where we are proudly the home to 500,000 Puerto Ricans. They have made extraordinary contributions to our Commonwealth, in our workplace, in our culture, in our institutions of worship, in our schools, and well beyond.
And for him to basically endorse the vitriol that was spewed by the guy that they picked, to speak at his rally, at Madison Square Garden, is abhorrent.
Listen, Kaitlan. Beyond any policy, beyond any particular proposal, we're electing a President of the United States who should, at baseline, be able to meet the standards in which we raise our children, to simply love thy neighbor. He can't do that. Donald Trump is incapable of that. And this is yet exhibit number 12 million, of him not being able to look out for his fellow Americans.
COLLINS: Yes.
SHAPIRO: By contrast, what you have with Kamala Harris is someone who's looking out for folks, someone who is trying to stand up for them, someone who's always been for the people.
COLLINS: Governor?
SHAPIRO: And there's a clear contrast on this.
COLLINS: Given that, I want you to listen to something that is making the rounds, right now, certainly by the Trump campaign, by Senator J.D. Vance and others, what President Biden had to say about this, tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico, a floating island of garbage.
The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter's. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it's un-American.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Governor, first off, just what's your response to that comment, from President Biden, where it sounds like he's calling Trump supporters there, garbage?
SHAPIRO: Yes, look, I had not heard that until now, Kaitlan. So, I'm kind of giving you my fresh reaction to it.
I would never insult the good people of Pennsylvania, or any Americans, even if they chose to support a candidate that I didn't support.
I think the real issue here is Donald Trump, and his inability to simply say, Comments like that are wrong, to simply stand up for his fellow Americans. He is incapable of doing that. When he had the keys to the White House, before, he didn't do it.
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He separated people out. He divided people. He's promised more of the same. And that's why I think he's dangerous. And that's why I'm working, as hard as I can, to support Kamala Harris, and do everything we can, to defeat Donald Trump again in Pennsylvania.
COLLINS: Yes, and well, and the White House is trying to say that what President Biden was saying, they're putting an apostrophe there, in supporters, saying it's the singular, I guess, referring to the comedian. That supporter's comments. I mean, it's hard to really look at that when you can listen to it for yourself.
But do you think the President needs to come out and clarify that comment?
SHAPIRO: Well, I think President Biden will decide what he wants to say. It's certainly not words that I would choose. And I think it's important that we remain focused on the contrast between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, and not attacking supporters of either candidate.
COLLINS: I do have to get your reaction to this, Governor, because Trump is in your state, right now. I want you to listen to what he just said, a few moments ago, in Allentown. He's already claiming that there is fraud happening in Pennsylvania. No evidence, of course.
But listen to what former President Trump had to say tonight.
SHAPIRO: Right.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We've set an all-time record in the early voting, by the way. So, if you have a mail-in ballot, get that damn ballot in please, immediately, because--
(CHEERING)
TRUMP: Because they've already started cheating, in Lancaster, they've cheated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Now, Governor, as you know, Lancaster County is reviewing two batches of voter registration applications, not ballots themselves.
But can you respond to that claim from--
SHAPIRO: Right.
COLLINS: --Donald Trump, tonight, Governor?
SHAPIRO: This is more the same from Donald Trump.
Remember, Kaitlan, back in 2020, I served as the Attorney General of Pennsylvania, where Donald Trump attacked the Republican and Democratic clerks of elections, here in Pennsylvania, over and over and over again.
He and his allies filed 43 different lawsuits. He took us to court 43 different times, to make it harder for people to vote, and then to make it harder for certain votes to be counted. I'll remind you, Kaitlan, notwithstanding his bluster, his rhetoric and his attempt to bully, Donald Trump went 0 and 43 against me in court. I went 43 and 0. And we had a free and fair, safe and secure election.
I understand that Donald Trump wants to, again, use the same playbook, where he tries to create chaos and stoke division and fear, about our system. But again, we will have a free and fair, safe and secure election, in Pennsylvania, and the will of the people will be respected and protected.
COLLINS: One week from today, everything is getting kicked off. Of course, early voting very much already underway.
Governor Shapiro, thank you, as always.
SHAPIRO: Thank you, Kaitlan. COLLINS: More analysis from Harris' speech, in the nation's capital, here tonight, how she took directly Trump on, on January 6th, but also from that same spot, as the Stop the Steal rally. We'll bring you more comments from that.
Plus today, Steve Bannon is out of prison. He is now back on his microphone, spreading new election conspiracies, one week before Election Day. More ahead.
[21:15:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Tonight, Vice President Harris stood at The Ellipse, here in Washington, the same exact spot where Donald Trump was rallying his supporters, on January 6th, hoping to remind voters of what's at stake just seven days from now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: America, we know what Donald Trump has in mind. More chaos, more division, and policies that help those at the very top and hurt everyone else. I offer a different path, and I ask for your vote.
(CHEERING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: My political sources are joining me now.
Republican strategist, Shermichael Singleton.
Former senior adviser to Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign, Karen Finney.
And former Trump Deputy Press Secretary, Sarah Matthews.
And Sarah, you have since said you're going to be voting for Harris. Which, you once told me, you worked for Donald Trump, you could never have imagined yourself doing that initially.
But given your experience in the Trump White House, and seeing Harris back at that same spot tonight, what did you make of her speech?
SARAH MATTHEWS, WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY UNDER PRES. TRUMP: It was a really surreal feeling. I was fortunate enough to be there, and watch the speech in-person, tonight.
And I haven't been to The Ellipse since January 6, 2021.
COLLINS: Wow.
MATTHEWS: And so, it was really moving. I found myself getting emotional, at times, listening to her speech.
She talked about wanting to find common ground, being a president for all Americans, and wanting to turn the page on this vicious history that we've had these last 10 years, I believe, that Donald Trump has been in the political arena.
And I found it very moving, and I think a lot of people at home probably did as well, because she reminded people of why they don't like Donald Trump.
And then, I think she expertly laid out a to-do list of what she's going to be doing, for the American people. And drew that contrast between Donald Trump is focused on his personal grievances, he has an enemy list. I have a to-do list.
And so, it definitely, I think, accomplished what the campaign needed. That backdrop, I thought, was really striking. But she didn't make it all just about democracy. Even though, for a voter like me, that was enough to push me over the edge, to want to vote for her, and to vote for a Democrat for the first time in my life.
But I think that for those voters, who might be on the fence, she made the argument, I think, a two-fold argument of, Hey, look, Donald Trump is unfit, let's turn the page, and here's what I'm going to do for the American people.
[21:20:00]
COLLINS: I mean, that is such a rare perspective for someone, who was in that capacity before, and to be back there for the first time tonight. I mean, you're one of the only people who kind of can have that experience.
MATTHEWS: Yes. I mean, I've -- you know this. And I resigned on January 6, because I found that to be one of the darkest days in our nation's history.
And I couldn't defend Donald Trump's lack of behavior that day, lack of action. And it would have been my job, as a spokesperson for him. And there were things in the administration that I did support and believe in. But I think he violated his oath of office that day, and showed us how unfit he was.
And so, I think it was really smart of her campaign to just remind people, because we can have such short memories, and that day could have been so much worse had, for example, the mob gotten their hands, on the Vice President.
And let's keep in mind too, that Donald Trump didn't even care when he found out his Vice President had been moved to a secure location. His response was, So what?
So, it was a really moving speech, for me personally, and I'm just really -- I think it was the most important speech she's probably ever given, in her political career, and I think it accomplished what it needed to.
COLLINS: Karen, as you're looking at this, as there's so much to balance in that, not just reaching out to the Republicans, who did not like what Donald Trump did on January 6.
KAREN FINNEY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, SENIOR ADVISER, HILLARY CLINTON'S 2016 CAMPAIGN: Yes.
COLLINS: What was your estimation -- analysis of the speech tonight?
FINNEY: I thought it was a great speech. What I loved about it was she told -- talked a little bit about herself, but talked about her values, right? Talked about democracy as a value, and talked about the young people who are registering to vote at historic numbers, and coming out to vote at historic numbers. So, I thought that was a good balance.
Because we don't know what Donald Trump's values are. I think it's himself and money.
And for her to stand there, and to talk about shared values, in addition to reaching out and working with people who, as she said, I'm not trying to jail people who disagree with me, I want to give you a seat at the table. And that's actually something she's done in her career, both as District Attorney and Attorney General, I thought was really powerful.
And the -- you know, I know some of the Republican pundits have joked about Joe Biden, and having the White House in the backdrop. But, I mean, I worked in the White House during the Clinton administration. It is the most beautiful building. It takes your breath away, as Sarah said, anytime you see it. And so, I thought it was just beautiful.
COLLINS: Well, I mean, as our Republican pundit at the table.
That line really stood out to me where she was saying, I'm not going to try to jail them. Something that Trump has threatened military tribunals for people like Liz Cheney, question -- General Mark Milley thinks he could be court-martialed if Trump wins.
I mean, that was a striking argument to hear from someone who has pledged to put a Republican in their cabinet.
SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: I mean, look, campaigns are about making decisions in the final homestretch.
I think the campaign, the Harris campaign, clearly decided that focusing on trying to persuade some of those moderate-leaning Republicans is going to -- is going to be a crucial component of their election strategy.
I don't know if I necessarily would agree with that, when I think you still have some fractions within your base. I think you have to solidify your base first, in terms of targeting and turnout, before you get in the micro-target disparate groups.
If I were to do this, I probably would have given a speech in Pennsylvania, or I would have looked at a state like Wisconsin, or in Arizona, or Nevada. And I'm looking at those battleground states, for the simple fact that that must be a part of your electoral strategy, to win some of those states.
And so, if you're going to give this speech, if you're going to talk about some of the key issues that Sarah laid out, in addition to, I am going to be the protector of democracy, which is the third most critical issue voters are concerned about? Do it somewhere that you must win. D.C., I think, to me, just didn't make a lot of sense. But I get why the campaign tactically chose to give this speech tonight.
COLLINS: Yes, they're weighing the calculus of does this--
SINGLETON: Yes.
COLLINS: --does this outweigh the benefit of being in a swing state, on a night like tonight. But she was talking about the nation's history.
FINNEY: Yes.
COLLINS: She invoked it, at one point, about overcoming tyrants.
I just want you to listen to what she said there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: They did not struggle, sacrifice and lay down their lives, only to see us cede our fundamental freedoms.
(CHEERING)
HARRIS: They didn't do that, only to see us submit to the will of another petty tyrant.
(CHEERING)
HARRIS: These United States of America, we are not a vessel for the schemes of wannabe dictators.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: You think that resonates with other Republicans who are looking at that?
MATTHEWS: I think so. I think that for Republicans who are on the fence about maybe supporting Donald Trump again, or maybe crossing that party line and going as far as voting for Kamala Harris? Those comments do resonate.
[21:25:00]
Because we look at what Donald Trump's second term would look like. He does want to be a wannabe dictator. That's why he praises dictators, like Putin and Orban, because he wants to emulate them. And he wants to gain as much power in order to enact revenge on those he deems as his political enemies, or the enemy within, as he calls them.
FINNEY: And he's trying to consolidate power in the way that a dictator would. I think that was the other point she was making, like, This is exactly what America was founded to oppose, the idea that one branch of government would have all the power.
COLLINS: Yes.
Everyone stick around, where we have a lot more to talk about. As Donald Trump is in Allentown, tonight.
Up next. Senator Elizabeth Warren's reaction to Kamala Harris' closing argument, here in Washington, as both campaigns are seeking out those precious few undecided voters.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[21:30:00]
COLLINS: Vice President Harris is delivering her closing message, tonight, as a new CNN poll shows just how tight this race is, in two very key southwest states.
Right now, there is no clear leader, in either Arizona or Nevada. And the one-point margins there go both ways, and are both within each poll's margin of error. And the group that could decide this entire race, independent voters, in both states there, are split roughly evenly between Vice President Harris and former President Donald Trump.
I want to get straight to THE SOURCE tonight, with a key Democratic surrogate for Harris. Massachusetts senator, Elizabeth Warren.
Senator, thank you for being here tonight.
Just on that speech tonight that we heard, from Vice President Harris, kind of bringing people's minds back to January 6th, and what happened that day. When you think of that small sliver of voters, who are undecided, right now, and could decide this race a week from today, do you think that that's the right one for them?
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): Look, I think that's a very important part of the message from tonight's speech.
But I want to underscore. This speech was so much more than that. It was about democracy for sure, and reminding us about the chaos of Donald Trump, and what a petty tyrant he wants to be. And she had good, sharp language about that. Drew that contrast.
But remember, she also made this very personal. She made clear the argument for what she wants to do for middle-class working families.
She talked about how she's going to help first-time homebuyers be able to buy that house.
She talked about our seniors and how she'll protect Medicare, which Donald Trump, by the way, all four years he was in the White House, tried to cut, and J.D. Vance is talking about cutting now.
She talked about in this how she is someone who is willing to take on price gouging at the grocery store.
And she spoke directly to mamas and daddies of little children, saying that she is someone who is going to invest in child care for all our babies.
Those are direct attacks on high costs, bringing down those costs for families. And for some people, I think that's going to be a motivation, to get up and get in the fight, get out there and vote.
COLLINS: She has openly, in this race, tried to win over people in the middle, even Republicans, disaffected ones. It made me think of what you said, in 2017, when you were warning your party about moving toward the center.
Is that still a concern that you have in this political moment?
WARREN: What I love seeing, about Vice President Harris, is that she is being true to herself.
I first met her 14 years ago, and it was in the middle of the big financial meltdown. She was in the fight against giant banks, that were trying to take away homes, cheated homeowners, and were now trying to foreclose against them. She got in that fight to protect homeowners.
Every fight I've seen her in, since then, has been that same kind of our job, as in government, is to help create more opportunity, and to make sure that middle-class working families don't get cheated, and have a real opportunity to build some economic security. I think that's been her life's work, and I think it's very much the message she is delivering as part of her closing argument.
COLLINS: So, you're comfortable with that, and don't feel like it's too much of a shift in the sense of to the middle, to the center. You once, in 2017, in your speech, talked about welfare reform and whatnot, when your party in certain decades has pursued that as part of its agenda.
WARREN: Yes, but listen to what she's saying. That's not what she's saying. What she's saying is she's willing to take on those giant corporations that Donald Trump is certainly not willing to. And she's willing to go after the price gougers. She's showing that spirit on behalf of working families. And I think -- I think that's terrific.
And I also just want to add, because there is a second part to this argument. She also is underscoring one more time that one of the critical decisions, on the table, will be whether or not we're going to live in a country, where women are not going to have access to abortion, potentially to IVF. Or whether we're going to live in a country, where the President of the United States is someone who will be out there fighting for reproductive freedom, so that everybody gets to make their own health care decisions.
[21:35:00]
And I think for some people, who still may be not quite sure if they're going to get out and vote, if they're going to go to the trouble to do that, maybe people who voted last time around for Donald Trump? This whole notion of the government coming in and making health care decisions, for women who are in the middle of a miscarriage, women who want access to IVF? No, thank you. Get out of our business, and let women make their own decisions.
I think she's delivering that message as well, and it's a good, strong message that all of America--
COLLINS: Yes.
WARREN: --needs to hear.
COLLINS: Well, and the economy has obviously been such a pervasive issue in this. It's one of the number one things we hear from voters. And a lot of them trust Donald Trump on this more. She's cut his lead on that, certainly, from when it was Trump versus Biden, in this race.
But I want you to respond to something because, speaking of billionaires, Elon Musk today, in a tweet, said, quote, it "Sounds about right," when someone on Twitter was predicting that if Donald Trump wins, there will be an initial severe overreaction in the economy, and that the market will tumble if that happens. The person later said, there will be a rapid recovery to a healthier, sustainable economy. That came after.
But what was your reaction to that comment from Elon Musk--
WARREN: Yes.
COLLINS: --someone who obviously has played a major role in this race.
WARREN: It's that he's saying the quiet parts out loud, and just being quite open about what economists, Nobel Prize winners, people who have real experience in an economy, have been saying all along.
That Trump does not have an economic plan to help families. And that, in fact, many of the things that he's talking about doing, by raising tariffs, dramatically? By rounding up millions of people who live here, and forcing them out of the country? That that is going to cause terrible economic problems.
And they use the diplomatic language of, Oh, will cause markets to tumble, because that's how billionaires think about it. But let me just underscore, that means real live jobs for human beings who have to have a paycheck, at the end of the month, in order to be able to pay their rent.
And Musk, Trump, they say, What the heck? They'll be able to ride out a recession. They'll be able to ride out the problems. But for families across this country, Musk is just saying out loud, it will be a disaster for them. And that's a guy, who is supporting Trump.
COLLINS: Senator Elizabeth Warren, thank you for your time tonight.
WARREN: You bet. COLLINS: Up next. We saw Donald Trump's former senior aide inside the White House, Steve Bannon, walk out of prison today, after four months. He had immediately returned to his microphone, one that has been missing in the MAGA universe in recent weeks, just in time for Election Day. More ahead.
[21:40:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: One of the loudest voices in the MAGA universe left prison today, after four months, and quickly reclaimed his throne in the MAGA universe, as we walk into these final stretches of this presidential campaign.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE BANNON, FORMER TRUMP ADVISER: Well, I think you can see today, I am far from broken. I have been empowered by my four months at Danbury federal prison. It empowered me.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
BANNON: I am more empowered today, more focused today, sharper today, in better shape today than I've ever been in my entire life. So Nancy Pelosi, suck on that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Of course, Steve Bannon was once a senior adviser, and Donald Trump's chief strategist inside the White House. He also worked in his 2016 campaign.
He had been in prison since July, after he was convicted on two counts of contempt of Congress, hence the reference there to former House Speaker Pelosi, after he refused to comply with a subpoena as part of the January 6th investigation.
Shermichael. While Steve Bannon was gone, Sara Murray reports tonight, he did have this voice that kind of would set the agenda, for how people on the right would respond to certain moments, or what they would say out on the campaign trail.
What does it make for him coming a week before the election, if anything?
SINGLETON: Yes, I think this is -- this is all noise. I mean, from a campaign perspective, you're going to be focused on what your ultimate objectives are, which are to win.
And the last thing you want are messages or messaging coming from out -- I mean, I see Karen shaking her head. You've worked on enough campaigns. If you disagree, please tell the audience, why what I'm saying is illogical or wrong, from a campaign perspective. But with that said, you don't want people outside, giving outside messages, or talking points, or even trying to strategize. That's literally going against the very objectives or goals or aims of the individuals that are advising the candidate, that are managing the campaign.
So, I don't think this is going to be helpful if he interferes with that process. He has a right to say whatever he wants. But from a campaign perspective, I would kind of stick with -- where their laying currently is.
COLLINS: Well, and speaking of who's saying what for a campaign. We just talked about what President Biden was saying, earlier today, during a Voto Latino get-out-the-message moment, where he was seemingly, in his comments, where you could hear the audio referring to Trump supporters as garbage.
Donald Trump is responding to that tonight, just now in Allentown. I want you to listen to what he had to say.
[21:45:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: So you have, remember Hillary, she said, Deplorable, and then she said, Irredeemable, right? But she said, Deplorable. That didn't work out. Garbage, I think, is worse, right? But he doesn't know. You have to please forgive him. Please forgive him, for he not knoweth what he said.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Now, we also have a response from President Biden himself, tonight. I want to read it in full. He just posted, moments ago.
"Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump's supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage -- which is the only word I can think of to describe it. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That's all I meant to say. The comments at that rally don't reflect who we are as a nation."
Karen, you know better than me, this is already something that the -- I'm seeing Trump supporters tweet about this, talk about this--
FINNEY: Yes.
COLLINS: --Saying, Everyone was so mad about what the comedian said, and then Joe Biden said this tonight.
FINNEY: So, it's dueling tweets by one lovely old man and another cranky old man. I mean, come on, even in the cleanup, Trump couldn't quite get the framing right.
Look, what I think is more important is actually the second part of what Steve Bannon actually said today. That was my point, Shermichael. I think you were focusing on the part that really is not the main point.
He also talked about election sabotage, and he also was talking about, and laying the foundation for what we know is already started as this is how they're going to create chaos, this is how they're going to try to sow discord in the election.
And why the fact that we probably won't have an answer on Tuesday night, and we may end up finding ourselves in this situation, like we did last time, where it was Saturday, they will take that time to make people feel uncomfortable, and to pit fingers at each other, and to sow the same kind of chaos and potentially violence. And I think that, we need to be paying attention to.
COLLINS: Well, and on the comment about, you know, with now, Steve Bannon out here, on what we're hearing tonight about the garbage comment. The Trump campaign was surprised that the fallout from that lasted as many days as it did, the fact that people were still talking about it, Sarah, even as of today.
Nikki Haley also did an interview tonight where she said she hasn't spoken to Donald Trump since June. Notable given how many voters she won, in the Republican primary. Didn't ultimately win the primary, obviously. But that voted for her.
And she was commenting on the final tone that we're hearing from the Trump campaign. This is what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FMR. GOV. NIKKI HALEY (R-SC): They also need to look at how they're talking about women.
You have got affiliated PACs that are doing commercials about calling Kamala the C-word, or you had speakers at Madison Square Gardens, you know, referring to her and her pimps. That is not the way to win women.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: And now -- by the C-word, that was Elon Musk's PAC, referring to her as a communist, but obviously with other references.
MATTHEWS: It could imply a different word there. But I -- and I think many people did, which is why they've removed that ad.
But I think she makes a really good point, about they need to be changing their rhetoric if they want to win over women. But the thing is, he doesn't care about winning over women. That's not their strategy. Their strategy is to target low-propensity young male voters, particularly White men.
And so, he feels like he doesn't need her. There's an arrogance to Donald Trump. Because he knows that if he were to go out, on the campaign trail, with Nikki Haley, and he pulls off a win? Then he has to credit his success to her, and that he needed her help to get across the finish line. And his ego, he can't handle that. And so, if his campaign was smart, they probably would have been campaigning with her, and using her as an asset, to try to reach those Nikki Haley voters.
But guess who is doing that? Kamala Harris. She's been the one, out there, campaigning with folks like Liz Cheney, trying to show, I'm going to be a president for all Americans, moderating some of her policy positions that she's taken, and a willingness to reach across the aisle, and try to have a conversation with these people, and say, If Donald Trump doesn't want to win over your vote, then I will.
And so, it's not very smart political strategy, on their part. But it is kind of pathetic that Nikki Haley continues to beg and grovel to want to be on the campaign trail with him. I saw some leaked stories about how she's offered updates, to the Trump campaign, and they haven't taken her up on the offer.
But I don't understand why she feels the need to go on the campaign trail with a man, who mocked her husband, called her bird brain, other than she wants to stay relevant, I guess. But I don't know if that's the way to do it. She really could have been a leader, in the future of the Republican Party, when we finally do leave Donald Trump behind and turn the page.
COLLINS: I mean, Shermichael, is it a wise decision, for the Trump campaign, not to have Nikki Haley out there?
SINGLETON: No, I mean, God, absolutely not. I mean, I think the critique that she provided on Fox News was an accurate one. I mean, Sarah and I were talking about this, during the break.
There appears to be some legitimate outreach from the Harris campaign to some of these sort of skeptical Republicans. Can the Harris campaign pull enough of them to replicate the Biden 2020 victory? I think it's certainly possible. But I do believe they're up for grabs.
[21:50:00]
And so, if you're seven, eight days out, and you see someone like Nikki Haley, who did receive hundreds of thousands of votes across the country? I would be maximizing her in Pennsylvania, I would be maximizing her in Wisconsin. Because, again, I'm looking at those marginal victories that will absolutely matter in the suburbs, where Nikki Haley will resonate very, very well.
COLLINS: When you look at all of this, and what we're hearing from a lot of people, is about what a second Trump term would look like.
Something RFK Jr. said tonight that if Donald Trump wins, a week from today, that Trump has promised to give him control of several public health agencies--
FINNEY: Yes.
COLLINS: --including being in charge of the Department of Health and Human Services. Now whether or not he could get confirmed, I'm not sure.
FINNEY: Fair.
COLLINS: But what did you make of that comment?
FINNEY: Well, was it -- the fact that he used the word, control, goes back to something we were talking about before. If you look at just at what Donald Trump has said, his goal is to consolidate as much power as possible into the Executive branch. He intends to.
And it's interesting, Steve Bannon said this after Trump won the first time. He said, Our goal is to dismantle the administrative state. That's really what Project 2025 is about. That's really what a lot of what Donald Trump has been talking about, when he talks about doing away with certain departments, and filling it with people who are loyalists.
So, I think, as funny as it is, to think of RFK Jr. in charge of anything, I think we should take it seriously.
COLLINS: Yes, they've distanced themselves from Project 2025.
FINNEY: Yes.
COLLINS: But obviously, that still is a persistent thing.
Thank you all so much for being here.
Up next, tonight. Chinese hackers are not just targeting Donald Trump's phone. But, we're also getting new reporting tonight, they went after members of his family. The scope of that attempt, and we're told that it is way worse than the public knows. Our latest reporting, ahead.
[21:55:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Tonight, CNN is learning that the phones of Eric Trump and Jared Kushner may have been targeted by an elite Chinese hacking group linked to the nation's government.
One source telling CNN that the scope of this sweeping hack that has been underway, which is clearly targeting both prominent Republicans and Democrats, is, quote, "Way worse than the public knows."
Another source told our team, quote, "It's real-time wiretapping. They flat-out hacked the system that the Department of Justice requires [telecom firms] to maintain for lawful access."
My source tonight is Chris Krebs, the former U.S. Director of the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, also known, to dorks like us, as CISA.
But, on this note, I should note that the reporting here, from CNN's team is that they targeted Jared Kushner and Eric Trump. We've heard about them targeting other high-ranking officials, in this case here.
I was told by someone close to Jared Kushner that there were no indications anyone was able to access the data.
But obviously, this would have major implications if they ultimately were successful here.
CHRIS KREBS, FORMER SENIOR DHS OFFICIAL, FORMER DIRECTOR, CYBERSECURITY & INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY AGENCY: Well, I think this is a much broader event, as one of your sources suggested, than we currently know, at least. There are active investigations ongoing. There's active incident response ongoing at various telecommunications firms.
My understanding, that this is not just about senior officials. It's also about mid-range officials in various departments and agencies in the U.S. government that may be in sensitive programs, related to Chinese policies.
And that's really what we're talking about here, is espionage. It's intelligence collection. It's trying to understand what the policy positions are of the Harris team, the Trump team, who the personnel may be that could be coming into senior positions, and just trying to get ahead of the game. So this is -- this is classic gumshoe intelligence collection by the Chinese.
COLLINS: I mean, so what is the concern here? Because with this, we were told the FBI is basically contacting people, whose stuff either was accessed or were targeted in this situation. I mean, that's not the phone call you want to get from the FBI here.
KREBS: Yes, right. But again, this is, I think, classic espionage. They are trying to get policy understandings of the various teams that are -- that may be in place next year, regardless of who wins. They're trying to collect information. They're trying to understand what the policy positions are, tariffs, whatnot. That's where they're going.
COLLINS: Yes, because what we were -- it's not to influence the campaign. It's just picking up essentially?
KREBS: I don't -- I don't think it's that as -- at all. Again, we need to separate out--
COLLINS: From the Iran situation that we've also been talking about, where they were--
KREBS: Absolutely, yes.
COLLINS: --they were targeting Donald Trump's attorneys, or they were leaking information from inside the campaigns to certain outlets about the VP vetting process. This is--
KREBS: Correct.
COLLINS: --this is separate. Do you think this is more nefarious than that? KREBS: I wouldn't necessarily call it as nefarious. This is not -- I would not characterize this as election interference or election influence.
This is, again, classic espionage, a foreign security service, trying to get an understanding of what the current and the possible futures could hold for them, in terms of trade, foreign policy, national security. It is what you would expect to see them do in the most concerning aspect.
So, when you ask if it's nefarious? It is certainly concerning that they have demonstrated this evolution and maturation and capacity and capability to go after U.S. telecommunications firms and compromise them to this extent. This is why the conversations I'm having with U.S. government officials and the private sector folks, their hair on fire right now.
[22:00:00]
COLLINS: Hair on fire about this.
KREBS: Hair on fire.
COLLINS: I mean, yes, quite alarming.
KREBS: Yes.
COLLINS: Chris Krebs, great to have you. Thank you for breaking it all down.
KREBS: Thanks, Kaitlan.
COLLINS: We'll continue to stay on top of that story.
Thank you all so much for joining us, here on THE SOURCE.
"CNN NEWSNIGHT WITH ABBY PHILLIP" is up next.
