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hello. >> i'm brianna keilar alongside boris sanchez. and at any moment, former president donald trump is set to take part in question and answers session at the national association of black journalists convention in chicago. >> that is what you were looking at there on your screen. the moderators selected for the event are rachel scott of abc news, harris faulkner of fox, and kadia goba of semaphore. but the decision to invite the former president has really drawn backlash and vision among members, even prompting a co-chair to step down from her role in the event this is happening as vice president kamala harris's campaign says she is set to name a running mate by tuesday, and she's going to hold her first rally with her vp pick in philadelphia on tuesday, kicking off a series of campaign events it's in key battleground states. cnn's

arlette saenz is live for us in houston, where the vice president is headed later. but first let's go to cnn anchor sara sidner, who is at the nab, j conference in chicago. sara, what should we expect to see this afternoon? >> look i think there's going to be a robust conversation that happens especially with the three journalists that are going to be sitting there asking different questions. there was also eddie bj said is going to be a real-time fact that happens as donald trump is speaking. but already, it's being used as cannon i'm paying fodder. so donald trump put out a statement about kamala harris not being here. kamala harris saying, look, her schedule, as you might imagine, because she was just sort of ended up at the top of the ticket, was very tight. she couldn't make it here or virtually at the time now they're planning something for september, but donald trump capitalizing on that saying who she is respecting the national association of black journalists by not being here and he is showing up the people

that i've talked to here from the journalists that are here, no one feels disrespected. they are here to listen to this robust conversation. they are hoping that some of the issues that have been brought up in the past about the black community vis-a-vis donald trump we'll come up and they're expecting them to. but this is really a packed house. so anyone who was extremely upset about this, they've shown up here. there are more than 1,000 people every single chair has been filled here inside of this large convention hall, inside of this hilton and there expecting to be news made today because of some of the questions that will be asked. this all came together over the past 36 hours. that's when we all learned that donald trump would be here. but the harris campaign is also responding to some of the sleight, some of the attacks when he called her, for example, crazy kamala is not showing up. you'd like look he needs to be fact-check. they are very concerned about some of the lies that they believe he has told about the black

community and his role in trying to help the black community we will see what happens, but we're expecting some news to be made this afternoon here, boris, brianna sara thank you so much for that. and now to cnn's arlette sines in houston, texas, where vice president harris is expected to be campaigning later today with a series of events. what's she doing there today? arlette? >> well, brianna, later tonight, vice president kamala harris will speak at the biennial boule for sigma gamma rho. that is a sorority that is part of the divine nine. this will actually be harris's third time speaking of a divine nine events just this month as she is seeking to mobilize black female voters heading into to november's election. now the divine nine does not endorse political candidates, but its vast alumni network, which includes harris, could try to mobilize both black men and black female voters heading into this election. now she will be speaking here just a few hours after former president donald trump appears at that nab j convention in

chicago ago as always spoken about earlier, she's unable to attend virtually or in-person due to her schedule this week, but the campaign is working with nab j to try to schedule something either in person or virtually for september, but ahead of trump's appearance there, the biden campaign or the harris campaign is pushing back in criticizing trump, saying saying that he has done a graded members of the black media and attacked the media, writ large, and they also have argued that he will lie about his record and what he has done for the black community there. now, while harris will be making giving her pitch here in houston, texas, she is also in the thick of searching for her running mates. she's continuing those discussions and throughout the week at a time when we know that several of the contenders include pennsylvania governor josh shapiro, minnesota governor tim walz, and also arizona senator mark kelly. and just a few moments ago, harris actually sent an email to her supporters asking them to sign up to learn first about who her pick will

be if she actually does. now is this via text message or email? it will actually be the same way that biden announced harris as his running mate back in 2020, he had told his supporters the very first time, who his running mate would be via text and email just four years ago. now, harris once she has selected her vice presidential pick, she's expected to hit the ground running with that pick a starting with a battleground state tour, beginning in philadelphia on tuesday, she set to hit all of the battleground key battleground states with her new running mate really giving american voters of the first full view of that democratic ticket. now i'll also note, while she is here in houston today, she's also set to raise more money for her campaign until at this houston fundraiser came together in just four days and raised $2.5 million exceeding the initial goal that they have set out. just another sign of the donor enthusiasm for harris since she launched her candidacy about a week-and-a-half ago yeah. >> hefty price tag per plate at

that dinner, arlette saenz, live for us in houston. thank you so much. let's discuss more with margaret talev. she is a senior contributor for axios. margaret, thanks so much for sharing part of your afternoon with us. obviously, today's events meant to court black voters. i'm wondering what you were going to be watching for out of donald trump having this moderated discussion with three journalists at the national association of black journalists convention forces certainly going to be very interesting event and we'll see before too long precisely what he's going to do. i would certainly expect him to focus a lot of his remarks on inflation and on housing costs, and the cost of rent and on the economic issues that we know no, from poll after poll really resonate with african-american voters, regardless of their partisan identity. i think as we've been talking about trump addressing the any bj and a lot of the kind of awful criticisms

he's made targeted toward especially black female journalists. that is taken up. a lot of bandwidth, and attention. but i do think it's important to remember that journalists are not really constituency. they are part of the public and the nib j is a conduit to african americans all over the country who our news consumers, whether it's in print or on tv or on audio this is an opportunity for trump to continue to court, particularly black male voters i think with the reset and so much of what we're seeing this week is about president biden's decision, late decision not to run for reelection, and the scramble that not only vice president harris dizzying to do, but that donald trump and j.d. vance are having to do to completely reordered their plans, their strategy, their messaging enthusiasm among the african-american community and younger voters and voters of color has shot up measurably in recent days, we don't know how long that's going to last. can

she carry it forward to november? but now, former president trump and his campaign have to reset the narrative around themselves and have to try to recapture some of the headlines if not, if not all, the enthusiasm. and that's part of what we're going to see in the press release that the trump campaign put out ahead of this appearance, his campaign said that he accomplished more for black americans than any other president in recent history. when you look at how he did after his first term he got 12% of the black vote in 2020. how is he doing right now when you look at polls, margaret yeah there's no polling that shows that donald trump is about to sweep and recapture it and reset that dynamic. >> so the black voters are thronging towards him, but that's really never been the issue. if turnout among democratic voters were to be

pressed as it looked like it might be in recent weeks. then his ability to recapture even a small share of black voters, black male voters in particular, could make a difference, right? but this is, this race for months now has been a lot more discussion about turnout among the two basis than it has been in about the fight for the middle. and so a lot of this is not just about who would vote for donald trump, but who would stay home for the democratic nominee on the ticket. and now that the democratic nominee is poised to be an african american woman with immigrant parents and southeast asian descent it does change the energy and the turnout modeling. and i think that's what former president trump is having to rebuild it his strategy now speaking of a moderated discussion, vice president harris was in georgia last night and essentially called out donald trump to say some of the things that he's

been saying about her on the campaign trail in her words to her face, what do you think about this back-and-forth over whether a debate is actually going to happen. >> is this just negotiation? before the inevitable i mean, boris, this year, i don't know of anything's inevitable, but i do think certainly there's some negotiating going on. >> the terms in which the debate was initially going to take place. it seems like there's a new discussion about that underway. i think what you're seeing vice president harris first do is obviously a market departure from the way we've seen president biden campaign. i'm just trying to imagine president biden saying like st. to my face doesn't really work. but if donald trump thought he was going to get into by debate with joe biden, a repeat of june that's not going to happen. are we going to see the debate? i think so, but i'm not sure is the bottom line very interesting? and does that play for donald trump be interesting

to see margaret talev? thank you so much for your insights. and now let's go to some breaking news. the federal reserve just announced it is holding pardon me, that happens. verklempt by the news the fed is holding interest rates steady. it's keeping them roughly where they've been over the past year and it's leaving the door open for a possible rate cut in september, as long as inflation stays, potential rate cut is super emotional. well, we have to acknowledge cnn's matt egan joins us now. matt take us through the fed's decision well, boris and brianna, no chain from the federal reserve that was widely expected, but there is some good news here for borrowers. the door does look like it's wide open for an interest rate cut at the next fed meeting in september, which by the way is the last time the fed meets before the election. now, the fed made some significant if they can't changes to the statement that they just put out a few moments ago, adding in some new language about the jobs market, saying that job gains have quote moderated and the unemployment rate has moved up,

but remained low. that is brand new language. they did not have in their during the last meeting, the fed also said that the committee is attentive to the risks to both sides of the dual mandate. remember, the fed is responsible for not just inflation, but also for keeping the jobs market healthy. so this is fed's speak for interest rate cuts could be coming soon that makes sense because thankfully, prices are no longer skyrocketing. they're still going up, but just that are more gradual pace and yes, there are some cracks in the jobs market. the unemployment rate is still low, but it has moved noticeably higher. remember, the fed spiked interest rates two years ago, two multi-decade highs, right? trying to put this inflation fire out. they've held rates as you can see on that chart, held rates at these very high levels for the last year. but now they do seem to be setting the stage for a potential interest rate cut in september. fed chair jerome powell, he's taking questions from reporters in just a few moments. so wall

street's gonna be on high alert for any more significant hits, hints of an imminent interest rate cut, and that as far as what all this means for borrowers, this of course, would be good news if the fed is finally able to cut interest rates. if you're out there trying to get a house right now, obviously mortgage rates are very high. this would mean they would go lower. a same thing for trying to finance the purchase of a car student loans and everyone was trying to pay off credit card debt right now. record high and credit card rates. so that would all be very good. and of course, there'd be political implications to hear this would give vice president harris and her running mate something else to talk about that inflation isn't just down borrowing costs are as well, but republicans of course, would be criticizing the fed for any pre-election interest rate cut. boris and brianna but this it's news matt, right? >> it's almost enough to get you choked up isn't it almost matt's always happy about the economic news. >> i will say that he was delivers it very happily. matt

egan. thank you so much. we do appreciate the update and still ahead. just minutes from now, former president trump will be speaking at the national association jan oblak journalists conference in chicago the mediators have sat down, here. it appears we're going to go to this now. it is just getting underway. let's listen in as we await former president trump i mentioned either as president or as presidential candidates in past years and maybe j is currently in conversation with vice president kamala harris, his team to schedule a q&a either in person or virtually in september. as journalists, we use opportunities like these, both two inform our reporting. but all so to help voters understand the choices that they face in a consequential and historic election year nab j has partnered with politifact to fact check this conversation in real time. you can access that feed on social media using

the hashtag nab j fact check again, the hashtag is nad j fact check we have a lot to get to when we do not want to waste any time. so let's bring out the former president of the united states, the republican nominee for president, former president donald trump thank, you mr. president, we so appreciate you giving us an hour of your time. >> i want to start by addressing the elephant in the room, sir. >> a lot of people did not think it was appropriate for you to be here today. >> you have pushed false claims about some of your rivals from nikki haley to former president barak obama, saying that they were not born in the united states, which is not true. >> you have told for congress

when women of color who were american citizens to go back to where they came from you have used words like animal and rabbit to describe black district attorney's. >> you've attack black journalists calling them a loser saying the questions that they ask are quote, stupid and racist. you've had dinner with white supremacists that you're mar-a-lago resort so my question, sir, now that you are asking black supporters to vote for you, why should black voters trust you after you have used language like that? >> well, first of all, i don't think i've ever been asked a question. so in such a horrible manner, first question you don't even say hello. how are you? >> are you with abc? because i think they're a fake news network at terrible and i think it's disgraceful that i came here in good spirit i love the black population of this country. i've done so much for the black population of this

country including employment, including opportunity zones with senator tim scott of south carolina which is one of the grea proams ever for a black workers and black entrepreneurs a dozen so much. and, you know, and i say this historically black colleges and universities were out of money. they were stone called, broke. and i save them and i gave them long-term financing and nobody else was doing it. i think it's a very rude introduction. i don't know exactly why you would do something like that. and let me go a step further. i was invited here and i was told my opponent whether it was biden or kamala, i was told my opponent was going to be here. it turned out my opponent isn't here. you invited me under false pretense and then you said you can't do it with zoom. well, you know, we're zoom. she's going to do it with zoom and she's not coming and then you are half an hour late

just so we understand, i have too much respect for you to be laid. they couldn't get their equipment work in or something i would like. >> thank it's very nasty. >> why i have answered the question with another, i have been the best president for the black population since abraham lincoln. that miami president johnson is signed the voting rights act, you to start off a question-and-answer period, especially when you're 35 minutes late because you couldn't get your equipment to work in such a hostile manner. >> i think it's a disgrace i really do just ask a follow-up, sir, and then we'll move on to other questions here. some of your own supporters, including republicans on capitol hill have labelled vice president kamala harris, who is the first black and asian american woman to serve as vice president and be on a major party ticket as a dei hire. >> is that acceptable language to you? and will you tell those republicans and those supporters to stop it? >> how do you, how do you define dei? go ahead. >> how do you define diversity, equity, inclusion. okay. yeah,

go ahead. is that what your definition that that is giving me a definitely. would you give me a definitely give me a definition there. >> i'm asking you a question to find the define it for me if i just find it, sir, do you believe that vice president kamala harris is only on the ticket because she is a black woman. well, i can say no, i think it's maybe a little bit different, so i've known her a long time indirectly, not directly, very much. and she was always of indian heritage and she was only promoting indian heritage. i didn't know she was black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn black and now she wants we known as black. so i don't know if she indian or she blast he is always has a black eye recent college, i respect either one, but she obviously doesn't because he was indian all the way and then all of a sudden she made a turn and she went she became a black just to be clear, sir, i think somebody should look into that too, when you ask a continue in a very

hostile, nasty tone, it's a direct question, sir. do you believe that vice president kamala harris is a dei hire somebody really? i mean, i really don't know could be could made. there are some and there are plenty. i know this lady right over there harris is a fantastic person who just interviewed me at length. and we had a great interview. i think i heard you got very good ratings. >> what he told me it was the longest one of your life. so we had a good discussion look, i want to talk about why you're here today i mean, it is not lost on us. how divided we are as a country and as you were coming today, we really got to see that we are divided along the lines of race, along the lines of gender. and there is this question of, in this moment where we are why come here? what is your message today my message is to stop people from invading our country that are taking frankly, a lot of problems with it. >> but one of the big problems and a lot of the journalists in

this room, i know and i have great respect for a lot of the journalists in this room are black i will tell you that coming coming from the border are millions and millions of people that have happened to be taking black jobs you had the best. >> what exactly is a black job, sir? >> a black job is anybody that has a job that's what it is. anybody? that has a heart. >> and they take their taking the employment away from black people. they're coming in and they're coming in, they're invading it's an invasion of millions of people, probably 15, 16, million people. i have a feeling it's much more than that and everybody has been seeing what's happened the first group of people, the black population, is affected most by that. and camila is allowing it to happen. she's the border czar. she is the worst border czar in the history of the world has ever been a border czar like there's, she's never even essentially been she said she was there once, but not the right part of the border so she was aboard as i she's done a horrible job. these people are

coming into our country and they're taking black jobs and hispanic jobs. and frankly they're taking union jobs. unions have been very badly affected by all of the millions of people that are pouring into our country. and one thing has we, as we discussed many of these people are coming in from mental institutions, from prisons, from jails. they gang members and other countries, other countries are setting loose their prisoners, their opening up their prisons, and mental institutions, and they're taking there they are bad people drug dealers, a gang members, and they are bringing them into the united states. and by the way, they're crime rate is going down. and our crime rate is going to be a disaster. >> president. i want to get into how you address some of the issues with black communities. and i say that plural, because we live in communities of color color that are different. we're not all the same. we don't vote the same. we don't think that's true. it's not monolithic. so as you come here today, i want to talk about something that

brfss and this is the weight of the inflation on this country right now the non-profit money management international recently released data from its midyear analysis that we have found a 52% rise. and people who are seeking counseling for being in credit debt, they're paying for food that a sky high on their credit cards. and now they can't pay that off the credit counseling non-profit mmi, as i said, is saying now that they've seen surges, that they haven't seen since we were in a pandemic of people and financial trouble much of that falls on the shoulders of single moms, single black moms. when you look statistically, how do you turn it around? good shore plan for the black community when it comes to my show, first of all, it's very hard to hear you for whatever reason because of the fact that they have better equipment because i guess this woman was unable to get the right equipment, but it's very hard for me to hear you, but i can hear every other word it's very difficult actually but so i

don't know what they can fix it or do something with it, but i'll do the best i can with it. the inflation is absolutely destroying our middle-class are working class virtually every class, inflation is a disaster in our country inflation is a country buster. it breaks every country and we had in my opinion, the worst inflation we've had. they say it's 58 years here's but i think it's much more than that. it's been devastating. and if you just take a look at a lot of things that don't include like interest rates interest rates went from 2.4% to 10%. and you can't get the money people can't buy houses. they no longer have the american dream young people, young black people. they don't have the american dream anymore. they can't buy a house, they can't borrow the money because the cost of the money, they can't buy because of the cost of housing, because of the course to build it because of inflation inflation is a disaster and it's destroying our country. and it's

destroying the black community probably as much for what you do? >> what's your plan? >> you know, we have to do, we have to bring down the cost of energy and that's going to bring down the cost of inflation. this was all started with a bad energy policy by joe biden. >> by the way, just if i might i was running against a man named biden. >> you probably saw that and he was losing very badly in the polls and then he had a rather bad debate. i would say it was a bad debate. so it was one of the worst worst debates in history. and his poll numbers crashed and instead of saying, let's keep going and maybe something happens here the way they said, oh, we're going to replace him. let's just replace him. that's like you're in a fight, a price fighters in a fight. he's not doing what you say. let's bring in another fighter so our whole campaign was steered toward him and now we have to stick to it. but ultimately it's the same because they are bad policy. they have policies have open open-borders, unbelievable open

borders, horrible energy policies. they want to get rid of as you say gasoline and cars, they want to get rid of oil. they want to get rid of efficient efficient heatings. >> the present environmentally what they're doing is killing our country. >> they are absolutely destroying our country, but the inflation here's the thing that's hurting the black worker, the black population, and every other population within our country, inflation is the worst has been, i think, in over 100 years. and they'll fact check it. they'll say it's only 58 whatever it may be, they don't add all the numbers, don't add that really bad numbers and you can check that to but inflation harris is absolutely destroying this country and the people in our country, yes, for president, can i ask you another question? >> yes, it's impacting black and that's very clear i'm sorry. it's very clear. i hear you. okay. i'm so sad you, masih of someone from illinois

and unarmed black woman was shot the other day in her home by a deputy sheriff the deputy has since been charged with murder. you said police would get immunity from prosecution if you went why should someone like that officer have immunity? in your opinion? >> immunity i don't know the exact case, but i saw something and it didn't love it didn't look good to me. >> it didn't look good to me. are you talking with the water? >> right? yeah. well, it doesn't mean police unions are not backing this person either. but again, they're going to be a charging the officer, i guess they charging the officer so why should he received immunity while he might not i mean, it depends it depends on what happens. >> i'm talking about people that are much different cases than that we need people to protect ourselves by the way, in chicago as an example, last a few weeks ago on july 4, weekend, fed 100 and shootings

and 17 deaths nobody wants that, nobody wants that. we need to have our police officers have the respect and dignity back in this particular case, i saw something that didn't look good to me. i didn't like it, didn't like it at all. >> so i can you get a little more specific back to the immunity question who would make those change those will writing for the most part, for the most part people are protected by the unions, by the police unions, or buy their police departments but i'm saying if i fell to her, if a group of people would feel that somebody was being unfairly prosecuted because the person did a good job, maybe with crime or made a mistake, an innocent mistake. >> there's a big difference between being a bad person and making an innocent mistake. but if somebody made it innocent mistake, i would want to help that person. >> what would those exceptions be? what was determined and go after somebody and it's a very close call and it's very dangerous and you know, they

have the policeman's life and woman is a very difficult thing because sometimes you have less than a second to make life and death decision and sometimes very bad decisions are made they're not made from an evil standpoint, but they're made from the standpoint of they made a mistake. >> i want to follow up really quickly i find it interesting because you do talk about reining in prosecutors, especially when it comes to prosecutors that are prosecuting you. why doesn't that skepticism applied? hi to law enforcement well, i've been prosecuted because i'm a political opponent of two people that have weaponized our justice system i've been prosecuted, i just won a big case in florida. >> everyone said that was the biggest case that was the most difficult case. and i just wanted now, button has a similar case except much worse, i was protected under the presidential records act. biden wasn't because he wasn't president at the time.

>> and he had 50 years worth of documents. >> and they ruled that he was incompetent and therefore, he shouldn't stand trial. and i said isn't that something he's incompetent and he can't stand trial. and yet he can be precedent, isn't that nice, mr. president released him on the basis that he was incompetent. they said he had no memory and he was a nice old guy, but he had no memory and so therefore, we're not going to prosecute them i won the case and it got very little publicity. i didn't notice abc doing any publicity on it. george we can move over on notice. you do any publicity on it at all? >> i won the case. the biggest case this is an attack on a political opponent. i have another one where i a judge for a limited time, sir, i'd love to move on to different excuse me. >> you're the one that held me up at 35 minutes or so? >> if we can move on now to the state of the race, sir, i want to get back to the campaign. senator j.d. vance is your running mate. he's had a lot

of controversy lately and i want to read you a few things that he has said in the past. he said the democrats running the country are a bunch of childless cat ladies who are for miserable at their own lives and the choices they've made. and so they don't, they want to make the rest of the country miserable too he's not talking here about how great it is to be apparent. he's attacking what he says are the choices people are making to not have children did you know that he had these views about people who do not have children before you picked him to be your running mate. and do you agree with him? >> no. >> no, this he is very family oriented and he thinks families a great thing that doesn't mean he thinks that if you don't have a family, it's not. i know people with families. i know people with great families and our people the very troubled families. and i also know people with no families that didn't meet the right person. things happen, you go through life, you don't meet the right person, not just talking to families here and some of those people that don't have children's, you get less votes do i'm just speaking from i think i'm speaking fam to he

strongly believes and family, but i know people with great families. >> i know people with not great families that don't have a family. and the people without the family of far better their superior in many cases, okay. he's not saying they're not what he's saying is that he thinks the family experiences are very important thing. it's a very good thing, but that doesn't mean that if you grow up and you grow older and you don't meet somebody that would be wonderful to meet and would have been good. that that's a bad thing. he's not saying that he was my interpretation. you'll have to ask him actually, but my interpretation as he strongly family-oriented, but that doesn't mean you don't have a family this something wrong with this. one point and then we'll move on. i just one of the bedrock principles of american life is one person, one vote. senator j.d. vance has suggested that someone who has children should have more votes than a person who does not have children. i just want to be clear here. is that the position of your campaign? >> well know, but it's not something i've ever heard

before. i can tell you this right now. you have illegal aliens coming into our country in many from prisons and many from mental institutions. and they want to give them votes. i don't think they should have votes. they came into our country illegally vote away from the people in this room. that had been here a long time, that have worked hard, that in many cases and you'll see this happening if i'm not elected, you're going to see if i am not going to have any problem. but you're going to see it happening a long time. you're going to see the people in this room and people outside of this room. i'll get to be losing their jobs that people that have come into this country illegally mr. president, can we stay with just the state of the race right now because i felt like that vice president question so in canton candidate question was right in there with that. >> so let's talk about j.d. vance for a little bit he's had some stumbles out of the gate. i don't know if you're here during what we hear is reporters, but it's been a tough couple of weeks for him why did you choose j.d vance

why why did you choose him? and i'm having a hard time hearing. check joe's remedy out there. can tell you why i chosen because he's a very strong believer in work. and the work in man and woman and especially the working man and woman who have been treated very unfairly because you have many of them many of them in this room. but you have many of those people they were treated very unfairly. they worked very hard and they were treated unfairly. he wrote the book that became a bestseller. the movie became a smash hit. he's a very smart guy without the benefit of having family that has contacts like a father that was well-connected. >> he got into yale law school. >> he graduated in two years from ohio state's so much camila fani i mean, you take a look at his career has been an amazing career. he started off at a level with a difficult family situation, very

difficult with the mother and the father and everything else. >> he ends up going to a yale law school, was one of the top students, became the head of the law journal i mean, it's an amazing thing. >> he went he's a four-year he was in the military with great distinction for four years. got out, went into business, became successful in business very successful in business actually, did public offerings and other things and i, you know, i have to believe in that. i mean, he's somebody that was born in a rough situation most of the people know that situation because it was very well-documented in his book and i have a lot of respect for somebody that can get into yale and become one of the best students in year that meets a young woman at yale who was also outstanding and they get married. they have a beautiful family, but he had a you know, he's made himself an amazing life. he then gets goes to ohio, lives in ohio, and he had my endorsement that helped.

but he wins the senate. he becomes the united states. so he's a united states senator and so harris, like i respect you for your success i respect people for this excess is the reason i ask a question is because the last time you and i sat and talked was the day that you were shot? we've been together for much of that day. you left to go to butler, pennsylvania and we didn't know what was next two days after that. cannot understand your microphone. >> now, it is really hard. >> and i mean, it's just i can understand you perfectly closer. >> i can happy to hear that. >> what i can't understand. harris met a few more questions because of the distance and the mics are really in lousy shape but i cannot understand what you're saying. what i wanted to say was the last time we spoke, you said some words that were prophetic because i asked you who you wanted to choose for vice president yeah and you

said normally it really wouldn't matter what they would bring, you know, you choose somebody that you think has a future that sort of thing, which you said these words three-and-a-half hours before an attempted assassination on your life, you told me that bad things happen. harris and that's why this decision is important this time, bad things happen. you said it twice. when you look at j.d. vance, is he ready on day one does he was ready on day one. if he has to be i've always had great respect for him and for the other candidates to, but i will say this and i think this is well documented the historically the vice president in terms of the election, does not have any impact. i mean, virtually no impact you have two or three days where there's a lot of commotion as to who like you're having it on the democrat side, who it's going to be. >> and then that does down and it's all about the presidential pick virtually never hasn't mattered. >> maybe lyndon johnson mattered for different reasons.

and what we're talking about not provoke reasons, but for political reasons, other political arizonans, but historically the choice of a vice president makes no difference. you're voting for the president and you can have a vice president who is outstanding in every way. and i think jd is i think that all of them would have been but but you're not voting that way. you're voting for the president. you voted for me. if you're like me, i'm gonna win if you don't like me, i'm not going to win. >> i'm going to get my j.d. vance questioning j.d. >> vance. i'm gonna get my j.d. vance. then to your point and to rachel, point, he has a lot of opinions about childless women like myself for divorce people like yourself. >> do you think well i mean, my said in a friendly manner, my point is do you think the party, the republican? >> party's getting a little bit too judgy about people's lives when you think about abortion or when you think about what jd

vance is saying? >> i don't think look, i think that the democratic party is really the one that has the broad, i think they're radical on abortion because they allowing abortion in the ninth month they're allowing the debt. >> i think it they're allowing the death of a baby after the baby is born based on sir, that's governor of virginia stay in the race down the governor of virginia, there now i had death. >> at the beijing, the legal after it's, born abortions in the eighth and ninth month, or democrats have denied think there. and i think the republican party is actually much lesser. i think i've made them much less radical perhaps, but the republican party, what we're doing is bringing it back to the states where everybody wanted it. democrats, republicans, liberals, conservatives everybody wanted abortion brought back. they didn't want roe v. wade in the federal government. they wanted it everybody but the hurricane is opposed israeli raid being returned. they don't know right now. they're voting. it, brought it back to the states.

now i happen to believe in the three exceptions, ronald reagan believed with rape, incest, life of the mother. i do. i think most people do. i think most republicans do also but if you take a look, right now, they're doing it's an amazing thing out of the federal government. it's in states and people are voting. and i will say ohio is let's say, let's call it a more liberal version has been approved kansas the same thing a little bit surprising to a lot of people, but the people are now voting and it's taking this issue that's been going on for 52 years and is torn our country apart. and it's giving it to the people to vote on and they voting and many states have already voted, others are in the process of voting. and is bringing it back to the people in a vote of the people. and it's not at all radical and again, you have to follow your heart. i happen to believe in the three exceptions. most people believe in the three

exceptions. most republicans but believe in the exceptions but they don't want to see an abortion in the ninth month or the eighth month, almost everybody agrees to that. and they certainly don't want to see in the case of the governor of virginia, the former governor and might add who said, we set the baby aside and then we decide what to do, meaning, what do we do? we execute the baby. that's a radical horrible position. and some people, some people want that. i don't want it. he most people don't. >> thank you. >> can i just give it really quickly to another question? about him health? harris? you're in active man you we see you golfing all the time. but if you will you'll still be president at 82 which is older? than biden is right now. >> but no mentally lot mentally let's have any questions. shot he shot, but most people do you can just people. i know many people in the 80s and 90s that

are in great shape. some of our greatest leaders, you look at throughout the world, world history the greatest leaders, some of the greatest leaders in the world when their 80s. >> but here's the question. would you consider stepping down if you felt that your health was declining or would you absolutely and who would think i not what do you make that decision? >> i think i know. >> look if i came on to a stage like this and i got treated so rudely as this woman how my goodness and i'm fine with it because she it doesn't she was very rude, sir very rude. i was a nasty that wasn't a question. she asked me. why she gave a statement that wasn't a question honestly you said you would you would if i thought that i was failing in some way. >> i want people to be sharp. i'll go a step further. i want anybody running for president to take an aptitude test, to take a cognitive test, i think it's a great idea and i took two of them and i aced them i just i took two of them, but

let me ask. yeah. yeah. i would like to have people running for president and i don't mean by because they're 75 or 85. >> i think anybody running i'd like to do it. people say it's not constitutional. i would like to have something passed where you can do it i think we should know. i mean, i've watched what's happened in the last couple of years under this gentleman and our country is a mess. we have inflation, we have the millions of people falling in. we have afghanistan, which was the worse, most embarrassing moment in the history of our country. what he has done to our country and hr2 what they've done to our country. she has been a horrible vice president she's considered the worst vice president and the history of this you. >> but would you consider taking the cognitive test? >> mr. path that i would look at making public. well, i've already taken two of them, but i'll do it again. mr. yes you intend i suggested harris that let's take one i said joe and i will go and take a cognitive

test now. >> i do it with her to i would do it with her also, you know what? she failed her law exam. she didn't pass a law exam, so maybe she wouldn't pass a cognitive test mr. president. >> thanks. and just a week later is giving you the facts to be clear, you don't think pass her bar exam and she didn't think she would pass it and she didn't think she was going to pass it and i don't know what happened. maybe she passed it i guess you ask a man over here was worth mr. president. >> i would love to ask you about january you called yourself the candidate of law and order when time magazine asked if he would consider pardoning all the rioters, you said? yes, absolutely. you called them patriots 140 police officers were assaulted that day. their injuries included broken bones, at least one officer loss and eye. one had two cracked ribs to smashed spinal disks. another had a stroke we're the people who assaulted those 140 officers, including those i just mentioned, patriots who deserve

pardons well, let me bring it back to modern day, like about five days ago, we had an attack on the capitol. >> horrible attack on the capitol. you saw the people that were protesting and spraying these incredible monuments, bells, lions, all these magnificent limestone and granit with red paint, red spray paint that will never actually come off especially on the limestone. and we'll never i'm a builder. i know about this stuff it'll never you'll see it in 100 yes, from now, they viciously attacked our government. they fought with police, they fought with much more openly than i saw in january 6 what's going to happen to those people? what's going to happen to the people in portland? that destroyed it's going to happen. my president tried to write us so it's you have to ask you part what happened. oh, absolutely. i would if they're innocent, i would pardon them. >> they've been convicted by the way, the supreme court just under wow they worked convicted by a very, very tough system.

>> they were how come the people that tried to burn down minneapolis? how come the purple that took over a large percentage of seattle? how come nothing happened to them? how come the but he's talking about he called that work so it can without dragging them down the stairs there, have you seen that video early welding. >> harden those you would pardon those writers. >> they shot a young lady in the face who was protesting. they shot her. you know, nobody died that day. you do know that. but people died in seattle. nobody died, but people died in rehab, you know, people died in the and nothing happens and nobody ever talks and nothing happens to those people. but you went after the j six people with a vendor and i'll tell you what. what about the cops that were i'm all for the police as you know. but what about the police that are assuring assuring everybody into the capitol, go and go and go. and what about that? look?

one, nothing is nothing is perfect in life but you have people from minneapolis, you have people just from five days ago in washington, dc. >> they were having fistfights and fighting with the police. >> they were spraying and destroyed. they would desecrating our monuments in washington dc five days ago and nothing happened to them. and you have you can have two systems of justice. that's why they went after me as a political opponent because they felt they couldn't win without doing that and we're going to win our cases that will going to be vindicated. but i have to spend a lot of time on that and money that's what they want after the election. they want, although in my case, i think they probably will because the hatred is pretty deep. but i'll tell you, they went after me as a political opponent. that's never happened in our country before. and it sets a terrible, terrible precedent. >> what do you do on day one if you win, puts her first thing. >> what do i do i close the

border. and i do two things because i can do a lot of things simultaneously at close the border. we don't want people coming. we want people to come in harris, but they have to be vetted, have to be checked. they have to come in legally. we want i want people to come into our gadi, but they have after be vetted. they have to be checked so when you say what do i do that and i drill, baby drill, i bring energy way down. i bring interest rates down, i bring inflation way down, so people can buy bacon again, so people can buy a ham sandwich again so that people can go to a restaurant and afforded. because right now, people can't buy food. your grocery bills are up 40, 50, 60%, right? she's agreeing to me. oh, she's agreeing. thank you. i like you very much. >> i think we are, but it's but it's true your grocery bills are up and then they're mandating that you buy an all electric car, you know, elon musk endorsed me and he's a friend of mine. >> he's a good guy. he's a smart guy. >> but i'm against all everybody having an electric

car. >> okay. i'm very much against that. you have to be able to if you want a hybrid or if you want a gasoline propelled car. but we have more liquid gold, gasoline, oil under our feet than any other country, more than saudi arabia, more than russia, more than any other country. i want to use it. i want to use what we have. i want to bring down prices, bring down costs and i also have to stop the invasion and remember they're taking your jobs. these people coming in are taking your jobs. >> project 2025. i think we have to leave it they by the trump team. all right. we'll leave it will get bad as the last word. >> thank you so much, mr. trump for coming. kevin j. joining us well, thank you very much. but they've been telling us. >> thank you. >> thank you, everybody. very much. greater any be able email not details regarding in we have been listening to a heated discussion at certain moments, former president donald trump

taking the stage at the national association of black journalists convention. having a discussion with three journalists. again, at times heated, especially at the very top the president seeming to i'll get personal with rachel scott of abc news calling her disgraceful. there were jeers in the crowd when he went on a rant clearly upset about a question that she asked him. i think most notably, he also got personal with attacks against vice president kamala harris. and i think one of the big we headlines that's going to come from this is a description of her that he used when he was asked if she was a dei hire, which is a claim that many of his acolytes on capitol hill and elsewhere have made he said that the vice president used to be indian and turned black. he said, quote, is she indian or black? somebody should look into that he also went after her for failing a law exam,

saying that she may not pass a cognitive test based on that. also, a variety of falsehoods from the former president on things from immigration to abortion, a lot to dig into based on those remarks. >> and there was quite a lot of fact checking that was happening in real time from those journalists who were asking questions of him. but it really was the first quarter question out of the gate. and i want to bring in sarah seidner, who is there in the room. we could hear a lot of the reaction sarah, on microphone there. i know it's probably even more pronounced in person, but it was rachel scott's question, which was a fair one and an accurate one where she said to former president trump, you have made it false claims about former president obama. you have attacked congress women of color, black, da's black journalists. you had dinner with a white supremacist now that you are asking black supporters to vote for you, why should they trust you? and he

went on to say, i don't think i've ever been asked i guess a question like that in such a horrible manner. and then he attacked her and her news organization his response was the reason why this question has been out, because when a tough question like that is asked his responses to attack posting, he's made he's questioning him and that's exactly what happened in front of this crowd here and then it devolve from there from that question every time that we deal asked him another question. >> you know, it was pointed or talk about some of the things that he had said his response was to attack her. so look, this went off the rails the very beginning, but those questions are questions that folks in the black community do have as to whether or not they should be able to trust donald trump with some of the things he said bout for example, president obama questioning whether or not he was actually born in america when he was born in hawaii, very clearly.

and making that same question to some other members of congress as well, people of color. but there were some questions that were asked about the economy that people here you could hear the response rubin, remember again, this is a room full of journalists. this is a room full of people who cover some of these issues in either their local community or on the national no stage. and the entire room was packed with people to some of the questions, there was laughter two other to the questions. there were a couple of people who shouted so without boos or who were trying to fact check him in real time, there was a lot of meandering on the part of donald trump and he was asked a lot of questions. he was asked questions about january 6 and whether or not he thinks that those who took part in attacking the 140 police officers who were injured should be pardoned because he has mentioned that he would pardon some of the january the folks that are involved with the capital attack. and it was interesting his response in some ways, he said, why don't,

i don't really see that. he tried to pivot to other things like what happened minneapolis in the protests in portland. and so a lot of the time he wasn't answering the question, but he was asked several questions over and over and over again. and i think the one that landed that he was happy with his answer was one asked by harris faulkner, who is with fox news. when it comes to the economy and the fact that people are suffering because of high inflation, although inflation has started to drop in the economy all economic indicators has, done better. people are still having a hard time buying houses, buying groceries and the look but this did go off the rails. there's no other way to say it. his attacks on the journalists asking the question what did not go over well with this crowd as you might imagine, there's a room full of journalists but people did listen intently to try to understand what his answers were to some of the questions directly affect the black community brianna, sarah, please stand by. i just want to

point out the white house has responded to the comments from former president trump directed toward vice president kamala harris karine, jean-pierre from the podium at the white house, saying that his comments are repulsive, insulting adding quote, she is the vice president of the united states. we have to put some respect on her name, period. >> i want to go to cnn's kristen holmes, who follows the trump campaign closely. she's in harrisburg, pennsylvania, where the former president is headed to an event later today. kristen, shortly before this event started did you are sharing with us that part of the strategy for trump going to the national association of black journalists was to put the focus back on him. there was a feeling that the vice president sucked up a lot of attention over the last few weeks since president biden dropped out of the race, and he wanted to recapture the headlines from that perspective, given some of the remarks that he's made it seems like it's mission rally started, excuse me, this

panel started that this event more than anything he had done in the last several months, had the most potential to go sideways. and i think we can all agree that it certainly did go sideways now, the big question is whether or not it did what donald trump often sets out to do, we know that donald trump sucks into this media narrative, particularly around the enthusiasm around kamala harris. but it is very likely now the focus is going to be on some of the he's really out there comments that donald trump made questioning whether kamala harris, the first black vice president, is actually black at a conference of black journalists attacking the black journalists who asked him questions going after a question after questions, turning the narrative to be more attacks than actually answering questions on policies. remember that one of donald trump's campaigns main agendas in this campaign cycle is to siphon off minority

voters, particularly black men and latino men, to bring them out to the polls. some of these questions were legitimate questions about why black people, why they should vote for him, given some of the remarks he has said. and instead of answering those questions and using this as an opportunity, he can current this into an attack. now, i spoke to at least two people close to donald trump who said they believed he was quote, doing very well in what was a hostile environment. but of course boris, that's exactly what you would expect to hear from the campaign. they're not going to say that it was a train wreck in action. but again, one thing to watch here, does this do what donald trump has needed to have happened for the last several weeks, which is take control of the media narrative and put him front and center. remember, there is a belief among people close to the former president that no publicity is bad publicity we'll take a look and see how this actually plays out. but i think it is fair to say that as that senior advisor said, this went sideways and it went

sideways pretty quick way immediately. >> immediately, kristen, thank you so much for that. shermichael singleton watched the whole thing with us here in studio. would you have advised if you were an advthe former president that he do this no i would not have i think the appeals that are going to be necessary here, you know, we talked about latino men, black men during the break. one of the breaks and i was sharing that some of them that i've talked with, i did a series of focus groups of black men. i'm doing more, i'm just curious to see those who are interested in potentially voting for him. why, what's the thought process behind it? and as i've been texting with some of them, as a dei, comments have come out quite a few of them are just like, you know, i don't know if i would vote for her, but i don't like this and if it continues, i'm probably not going to vote for him and so whatever gains the former president appears to have made mathematically you

need to be careful with this crap that's just the only way to say this. she's indian, she's black. her father's jamaican she's black as far as every black person in america is concerned, she is black. we consider kamala harris would be one of us because she is one of us. the woman went to howard university attorney general for the largest state in the country you can have whatever differences you want with the vice president. that's fine. most black cpu out, they're gonna start right? you got differences will hear the difference is now we might disagree, but, but let's have that conversation. but the question the vice presidents ethnicity, i mean i can't even say what i really want to say about this. but i just think this was a calculating mistake and i wouldn't have because i think because it's television and it's words that i probably shouldn't use our live television scott, it is. so i just this just wasn't good were there some good moments for him on the economy shore with harris and katia. she asked some very pointed questions but