Much great to see you. Thank you for thanks to all of our viewers for joining us tonight. Cnn News Night with Abby Phillip starts right now tonight. Breaking news. Kamala harris and Tim Walz Sit Down for their first Interview Right here on cnn its. A Highstakes Interview for the new ticket. Well discuss the biggest questions voters want to hear and on the verge of a deal the debate of the season two weeks from today, as Harris And Trump it closer to a faceoff. Plus if at first you dont succeed indict again Jack Smith reworks the indictment against trump in the Election Interference Case what does it mean for the campaign live at the Table . Scott jennings, bakari sellers, Doug Heye and Lauren Leader Welcome to a Special Edition of Newsnight State of the race good evening im Abby Phillip in New York. Lets get right to what america is talking about tonight. An interview 37 days in the making. That is how long its been since president biden dropped out of the race, believe it or not, its also how long Kamala Harris has abated immediate interview and now harris and her Running Mate Tim Walz, will finally Sit Down for that Interview Right here on cnn with Dana Bash. It will air this Thursday Night at 9 00 p. M. So lets talk about what is at stake here at this is the long awaited interview. It is happening. This is also an extremely highstakes moment of the campaigns on making bakari. I kind of pushed back on the framing. I dont think its that that highstakes i dont think that its something that is just this rare thing thats just happening. In fact, shes done over 80 interviews this year alone. If im last checking, shes been a 22 shes visited 22 states, but none of the interviews that happened in the last 37 days. Yeah. But i mean, the act by she hasnt done an interview is still just i think that thats not the case, but she is coming out. Shes doing Dana Bash. Shell do more after that. And i think people have to realize that the traditional media is not whats guiding this campaign. In fact, what i would like for her to do, but ive told everyone is that i want her to be able to do black radio and go on and call an or rickey smiley. I want her to be able to call in to the Atlanta Or Milwaukee or for Philadelphia Radio stations. I wanted to call an Paul Finebaum is college Football Season. I want her to do things that are outside of the beltway and nontraditional, but to act like she hasnt done an interview. In fact, the interview that started this just to be clear, i laughed in the past month im not mention i wasnt that the world has changed but the fact is she actually, she led off this campaign with the interview with Anderson Cooper on our network i mean, it was a great lets lets take a step back here because i do think the question is why in the last 37 days have they avoided doing all the things you just listed there and maybe the answer has to do with im going to play this because this is one of the things that republicans keep playing over and over again. And it might be part of the Origin Story behind why we talking about whether Vice President harris is doing interviews. This is her on Lester Holt do you have any plans to visit the border im hearing guatemala today. At some point we are going to the border. Weve been to the border. So this whole, this whole, this whole thing about the border. Weve been to the border. Weve been to the border. You havent been to the border . And i havent been to europe and i thought i dont understand the point that youre making. Wolf. I mean, that was rough moment that was three years ago though. Yeah. But i mean, republicans are still using it in ads right now. Theres nothing else really. I mean, Thats Part of it. I mean, in looking Barkin Bakari is right. The other part of this does that theyve, you know, we had a historic Convention And Nothing brought in what, 150 creators, Social Media creators, who right now, i mean, obviously we all love being on network on cable television. The fact is the young people dont get their news that way. And theyve been extraordinarily effective in bringing their message to young people through the mediums that they use. Which has mostly been Social Media. Its also say she shouldnt do these interviews, but it is a new world in the same way that obama leverage the first his nothing, it has nothing to do with whether she can do content creators are paul fine, but whatever it has everything to do with whether she can answer a hard question and im sorry, bringing in your tiktokers or whatever should not exactly going to be exploring that if dissension is not going to do well for the campaign well, i what i was saying its a new video the reality is she hasnt answered a single hard question and now they finally finally signed up for some and shes got to bring along an Emotional Support Animal at the same time, you know, whatever work done when she made the announcement for Tim Walz, two or three days later, the two of them Sit Down for the joint review where the whole conversation is, youre the nominee, youre the new vp p nominee, and you can tell that story in a positive way as you want to. And yes, you would have gotten questions. But my point is to introduce nominee that No One knows and to try and introduce some of Kamala Harris that No One knows. And i say that not to be facetious. But if you go on kanoa harris. Com right now, or at least 30 minutes goes. I did the amount of policy that is on her page and i dont mean good policy, bad policy. What i agree with, what i disagree with is zero. Theres a bio of her, theres a bio of Tim Walz by your camouflage hat, by your tshirt. Donate. That is, it. So people want to know who Kamala Harris is and republicans are saying shes this Word Salad that question i began respectfully, the Policy Wonk thankfully, google is free, right . And if we want to go through policies, i literally just posted them on my what does she want to put them on a road. But middleclass tax cuts, lower housing costs, lower medical costs. Those are those are gone or not, but we have but you have to sprout wings and fly around, but thats like, thats a planet thats good chance would not put that on our webpage. Respectfully to my good friends on the republican side of the app, and my good friend whos a part of the media and i think part of the media to your work erin. Thanks. A child thinks things have changed exactly like theres no reason for you to have to do a Sit Down with Lester Holt or whomever it is, you just dont have to do that anymore. And were not the campaign has not cowtelling to that shan, its worth i you on your new show five days yeah dana, its going to be out like she didnt have to do what she wouldnt be doing it she is doing an interview, but i mean, shes damn for it was answered it which is none and doing it on or heres the other thing. One of the things that i wonder about, im going to play, this is, i think a moment i talked to a lot of democrats about this is what happened right after just moments after Joe Biden walked off that debate stage. And harris had to do an Interview Right here on cnn and watch people can debate on style points. But ultimately, this election and who is the president of the united states has to be about substance. And the contrast is cleared. Look at what happened during the course of the debate. Donald trump lied over and over and over again as he is want to do she was steely. She was solid. Thats what all the democrats were telling me after that Interview Republicans are stuck three years ago. It seems like things have changed. I mean, she has gotten onshore footing. She she is much better behind a podium off of a teleprompter, that part of the job. No question. That was not the prompter, but but but this part of the job since she has become the nominee, we dont know and she was answering questions about Joe Biden that knocked. Now she got to answer questions about herself. She has an economic policy that has come out which she got pan for. Shell have to answer questions about that. But mostly i thanks. Shell have to answer questions about how is it that you gave up everything you used to believe to run in this election this year. And how do you square your job for Joe Biden with the fact that the american people, not like the results of, i mean, i think that the answers to those questions are quite easy. I mean, the fact is that things change over time and not everything. But lets take, lets take the fact that axios ran this big Piece Today about her flipflopping on the Border Wall. Thats not flipflopping. Thats actual governing what happened was you had senator lankford, who is the most conservative member of the united states senate, actually come up with a piece of legislation, work with democrats on it. And shes saying, you know what, that is good for the american public does it have Border Wall funding in it. Yes. Im going to sign it. Do i believe in this fully what ive run on this, what would i do this or that . I dont know. But the answer to the question is this is its like you ever, you ever seen Conjunction Junction. What whats your that is the way the process worked out and after Conjunction Junction worked out, shes going to sign in the piece of legislation that will make our country stronger on the border. And yes, it will build a Border Wall. These questions are not difficult, but what i want to push, back then, in which case it shouldnt be a question about whether or not she ought to be doing interview, whatever happened to it. And you know, she can do the Social Media, she can do the tiktok, all of this using do it. I mean, theyve said for weeks that they would and it takes time to negotiate this in. She wants it on her terms and shes entitled to do that and she picked the reported that you wanted from this network, who will all about respect to north i dont think that there is avoiding making the argument that she shouldnt do it doesnt need to do seem argument. Shes doing. Thats im argument all my argument. My argument fully as she should disabuse every one of the notion that Mainstream Media gets to dictate when you get, when you get an interview on how you get interview, look, if you want to do an interview, Dana Bash, i love it. I think that is a perfect opportunity at this particular time. I have to say she should have done it two weeks ago. I dont believe in that to say she should do four or five or six or seven interviews with this person or that person . I dont believe in that you know why . Because there are 160 Million people who also do not believe in that. Those are voters in this country. So she is going to do this interview and then shes going to move on. And the question will be, why didnt she . Do you do us or when is she going to do this . The minute the criticism emerged that she wasnt talking to the press, she got off Air Force two and walked straight Up To the Press Corps and ask them for their questions on the spot and ask them to shoot questions at her completely spontaneously. I think what i do not see any of this narrative that shes avoiding any of it. First of all, shes as youve said, ben nominee funny for less than a week, officially, with 37 days, its an incredibly compressed timeline. They had a convention to do, a team to put together, et cetera. Is that an excuse . Know. But the fact is what they are doing is working for them. Shes surging in the polls. Theyve capitalize on huge enthusiasm and they killed it at the dnc i dont think the problem was just one of the things i i kind of wondered about in all this conversation is what was the last time Donald Trump really sat down for an go straight. Not sycophantic, just straight up. Just did a 90 Minute Press Conference that he sat down with Everybody Wasnt i take that point. What does not think . Hes done two press conferences. I get it. Hes done a press conference, but tonight, this is he was on with dr. Phil, whos fan, but thats what the car you want her on dr. Phil, right . Democrats play a different game and you a ballot harvesting, but you also have people getting ballots. I mean, in california, you have people getting seven ballots. If jesus came down and was the vote counter, i would win california. Okay. If we had an honest vote counter, i would win california. You think so . Oh, i think so. I do see did. I go around california they have trump signs all over the place its a very dishonest everything is mailin. They send out 38 Million ballots think it is around 36, 38 Million ballots. They send them i wish we could have had a Reaction Cam for bakari. They do get multiple people do get balance. That he was talking about jesus gonzalez. That is what what that is more likely that jesus comes down and counsel bowels or jesus came down until Joe Biden to drop out of the race wish the point is, i know that doug wanted to get in with a serious 0. 5 but the point about Donald Trump is that obviously hes, hes constantly being graded on a curve hes not sitting down with Lester Holt or a Dana Bash or anything like that. And hes doing those interviews and still Cant Stay in a straight line . No, i dont look, this is the real problem that the Trump Campaign has. Think they go on message and stay on it a little bit. And then trump goes crazy off. But let me say something about Dana Bash and i think theres a reason that dana is maybe the best person to do this interview. Shes covered both of them in the cattle and i can tell you when working in house leadership, when data calls you and you dont have a good answer, you dont answer the phone because you dont have a good Answer And Dana its going to get you. And if im Tim Walz and if im Kamala Harris, im really nervous about doing this one. Would dana because she knows where all the bodies are buried in the house and in the senate. And a lot of the people who have been talked about at other networks who are qualified hosts and all that. They dont have that depth of knowledge that she has. And i think thats why point i think your point is very well taken because at the end of the day i dont think People On My Side of the aisle are going to like Dana Bash and i dont think people on the other side of the aisle are going to Dana Bash, which means shes going to do an interview. And i think that is what we need and thats what people want the american public that goes back to my entire point american public does not want to hear us saying that, oh my god, she should do an interview on day ten or day 12, and it should be with this person at that person. Its organic the entire Kamala Harris campaign has been organic. And so now what organic is it the literal most manufactured president Ial Campaign . They never, she didnt even ask just the opposite of ask you one question like youve been a part of a lot of campaigns, right . Ton of campaign. And in everyone, how many campaigns in your manufacturing have you been able to manufacture . 400,000 volunteers or 540 Million or how about this car . 4 of the he electorate, 4 of the entire electorate in the State Of Georgia has volunteered for commonly hears. You believe you believe i know ill end this portion of the conversation by agreeing that we can we switch seats an excellent job on thursday . Everyone . Stick around for us Coming Up next, Harris And Trump. Theyre moving closer to their Face Off on the debate stage. But it looks like theres still one little Sticking Point left and special guests hes going to join us in our Fifth Seat to discuss that. Thats next Cnn News night with Abby Phillip what brought to you by Chase Freedom unlimited. How do you Cash Back you know, if you or Cash Back and you could earn on that everything would just one car Chase Freedom and limited. Its all youre off the rocket or grabbed fracking your Cash Back in, Cash Back on blackjack, baby back for tacos at the time im working on my six Pack Switch to a King Suite silent silent retreat on a. I. Answers this back, kids. All right. 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