quarks welcome to cnn's special coverage's president biden's address on democracy said to happen at any moment out in tempe, arizona. i have my team of experts with me. scott, let me play some of what we've heard from donald trump when it comes to accepting the results of the next presidential election. >> will you commit to accepting results of the election regardless of the outcome. >> if i think it's an honest election i would be honored to. they rigged the presidential election of 2020 and we're not going to allow them to rig the

presidential election of 2024. >> we will win big around better than ever before. they rigged the presidential election in 2020, and we're not going to allow them to rig the presidential election in 2024. >> sure sounds like he's preparing to challenge the results if he doesn't win yet again, yeah. and the audience in the biden speech, republicans hate this. hear the sound bites don't want to relive the to 2020 election, relitigate this. for biden don't have to win them all, just a handful to win a state like arizona, wisconsin, or georgia. i spect i suspect a recurring theme and empirical evidence it worked. enough center-right independents and soft republican voters taken in by this. what's happening since then? trump indicted several times.

>> listen. here is cindy mccain. the widow of john mccain, head of the u.n. world food program introducing president biden at this address. let's listen in. >> good morning, everyone. i am so pleased to be here this morning to seenot only all of y but the president who is here. mr. president, madam governor, esteemed guests welcome to what is an enduring impactful and fitting legacy for my husband. it has taken five long years since john's death to have the honor of standing here before you with the proud knowledge of what now stands before all of us. thanks to the work of so many people. this future library will provide the beating heart and soul to help further the causes john so

dearly believed in. and will be the impetus to bring them back to where they belong. to the place that he loved so. arizona. the road ahead is just beginning, but we know where it will lead. john would have hated if we'd made this occasion just about him, but instead he would have wanted to make it about what is most important. john's constant mantra of service to a cause greater than one self's stinterest. and this will's embodied in this project from nurturing the flame of democracy. calling others to a cause of character-driven leadership or championing the issues most important to arizonans. his spirit will live on through the actions and the ideals that we will move here. there is no more starkly manifest personification of

these causes and how they bring us together than the fact that president biden is here to get us under way. while john and he differed or many political issues through their respective careers, the great causes that brought them together and were most important to our nation are shared in this venture. it is my true hope that it will also serve as a motivation to inspire a new generation to take on the mantel of public service and to fight for the worthy causes they believe in. just as john did. we would not be capable of this great undertaking without the efforts of countless friends and advocates. i cannot thank those who have brought us here today to name a few, of course, the mccain family. governor ducey, governor hobbs and, of course, president biden.

from the bottom of my heart -- thank you. and we -- [ applause ] -- and we know that your faith and assistance are the foundation of the great work that lays ahead, and now in true john mccain fashion, we have much to do. i'm going to introduce the president, but give me just a second to add a special note, if i may. i don't know that many of you even know this. i was a young woman teaching special education and i went to spring break, on spring break with my parents to hawaii, and while i was there we were invited to this glorious reception held on behalf of a senate delegation on their way to china. during the course of that event there were two people that came over to me and said, you have got to meet this man in this

room. president biden and mrs. biden introduced me to my husband, and i'm so grateful for that. [ applause ] it is my sincere honor to introduce to you president joe [ playing "hail to the chief" ] ♪ ♪ >> please, please, sit down. thank you. put a little more meat on that bone that last one. john and i used to travel

together. when john got back from all of that time in vietnam in prison, after being released he decided he want to go back and stay in the military and was assigned to the united states senate, and to the military office there that travels with senators when they travel abroad. and john and i put in a couple hundred thousand miles together. on our way to i think i was going to either china, destination china, i think, and we stopped, and we stopped in hawaii, and the -- the chief naval of operations was there. showing me around. did an event for me, and john kept looking at your mom. i'm serious. he said, gosh, she's beautiful. i said, yeah, she is, john. and i said, why not go up and say hi to her? he said, no. no, no, no, no. i'm not going to do that. i insisted that they meet, and i

take credit. i take credit for you guys. and i just told your mom -- [ applause ] -- john and i have someone in common. we both married way above our stations. way above our stations. cindy, i should call you madam ambassador, thank you for all you've done, all you do. you continue to do jack and bridget, the entire mccain family and all those who love the mccain family. [ applause ] oh, i didn't see all of -- up there. hello! don't jump. don't jump! well, i tell you what. it's an honor to be with you. a genuine honor. governor hobs, you've done an incredible job leader and defender of democracy and always available when i've called. i hope i've been available when you called as well. ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests -- [ applause ] -- in the end, john mccain

thought about the beginning. five years ago as john was dieing from brain cancer, john wrote a farewell letter to the nation, and he said, he served so well in both war and in peace. his word track back centuries to america's founding and then towards a triumphant future. here's what john wrote. and i quote "we are citizens of the world. the world's greatest republican lick, a nation of ideals, not blood and soil. americans never quit. they never hide from history. america makes history. ." john was right. ive other nation in the world founded on either a grouping by ethnicity, religion, background. we're the most unique nation in the world. we're founded on idea. the only major nation in the

world founded on an "idea." an idea. we are all created equal. and endowed by an image of god. endowed by our creator to be able to be treated equal throughout our lives and we've never fully lived up to that idea but never walked away from it. but there's danger walking away from it now the way they talk in this country because a long line of patriots like john mccain kept it from becoming something other than what it is. i often think of our friendship of 40 years. the hammering debates weeds have -- we'd have in the senate. like two brothers. argue like hell, go at one another and then go to lunch together. not a joke. or john would ride home with me. we traveled the world together, and, by the way, when he found this magnificent woman and got married, i'm the guy that convinced him to run in arizona

as a republican. bless me, father. [ applause ] got to admit, cindy, i did. i talked to hill. john, you can do this job. the only worry is you'll do it too well. look, running up the sides of the nation's highest office when he was running for president and i was on the vice presidential ticket we still remained friends. the conversation we had, he had, with my son beau attorney general of the state of delaware, decorated major in the u.s. army was the guy who spent a year in iraq, about serving in a war overseas, about the courage and battle against the same cancer. and that took, that took john and my son. two weeks ago i thought about john as i was in another part of the world, vietnam. i know -- excuse me if i -- it

was an emotional trip. i was there to usher in a 50-year mark of progress the two countries pushed by john, and i might add, another john. former secretary of state john from massachusetts. won the silver star as well. once at war. we are now choosing the highest possible partnership made possible through john's leadership. i mean this sincerely. think about it. while in hanoi i visited the marker will john endured all the pain. in prison five and a half years, solitary confinement two years. given an opportunity, an opportunity, to come home. he just said a couple things. beaten, bloodied, bones broken. isolated, tortured, left unable to raise his arms above his shoulders again.

and as i stood there paying my respects i thought about how much i miss my friend. this is not hyperbole. from the bottom of my heart i mean this. i thought about something else as well. i thought about how much america missed john right now. how much america needed john's courage and foresight and vision. i thought about what john stood for what he fought for what he's willing to die for. i thought about what we owe john, what i owed him. what we owe each other as well as americans as well. you see, and john's one of those patriots for when they die their forces are never silent. they still speak to us. they tug at both our hearts and our conscience and pose the most profound questions. who are we? what do we stand for? what do we believe?

what will we be? for john, it was country first. sounds like, like a movie, but it's real with john. honor. duty. decency. freedom, liberty, democracy. and now history has brought us to a new time of testing. few of us will ever be asked to endure what john mccain endured. but all of us are being asked right now, what will we do to maintain our democracy? will we as john wrote "never quit"? will we not hide from history but make history ask will we put partisanship aside and put country first? i say we must. and we will. [ applause ] we will. but it's not easy. it's not easy.

[ hecklers ] >> why aren't you -- hang on a second. i'll be happy to meet with you after i speak. okay? [ heckling ] >> tell you what. if you shush up i'll meet with you immediately after this. okay? [ applause ] democracy never is easy. as we just demonstrated. the cause -- the cause is worth giving our all for democracy, makes all things possible. i may begin with the corporate.

democracy means rule of the people. not rule of monarchs or of the mighty. regards will of party that means respecting free and fair elections. accepting the outcome. win or lose. it means you can't love your country only when you win! [ applause ] democracy means you're rejecting and rue put yating political violence regardless of party. such violence is never, never, never acceptable in america. it's undemocratic. [ applause ] it must neveren normalized to advance political power. democracy means respecting the institutions that govern a free society. that means that adhering to the time of the declaration of independence. we hold these truths to be self-evident. a mission statement. embodying our constitution. our system of separation of powers and checks and balances.

our constitution bulwark to prevent abuse of power believing in the law rather than believing one way or no way at all. our institution is in our democracy not just in government. institution of democracy depends on the constitution, and our character. our character. and habits of our hearts and our minds. institutions like the mccain institute, and i know the mccain library. from the american rescue plan i signed into law when i came to office. [ applause ] a library that's going to house john's archives. host dialogue and debate inspire future leaders around the world to serve tens of thousands underserved arizonans as a reminder of our obligation to

one another. these principles of democracy are essential tha free society but have always been embattled. today let's be clear. while we made progress, democracy is still at risk. this is not hyperbole. it's a simple truth. a simple truth. i've made advance in protection preservation of american democracy central issue of my presidency and the smepeech i me in gettysburg to the anniversary january 6th insurrection and independence hall if philadelphia. spoken about the danger of election denialism, political violence and battle for the soul of america. today in america to honor an institution devoted to defense of democracy, named in honor of a true patriot i'm here to speak about another threat to our

democracy. all too often ignored. threats to our political constitution, to our constitution itself. the very character of our nation. democracy's maintained by adhering to the constitution and the march to perfecting our union by protecting and expanding rights of each successive generation, including that little guy. he's going to talk about it. it's okay. in my house kids prevail. okay? this adherence, isn't an option. we can't be situational. we can't be only there when it's good for yourself. it's constant and unyielding even when it's easy and most important when it's hard. for centuries the american constitution has been a model for the world with other countries adopting "we the peopl people" as their north star as well. as we know, we know how damning or institutions of democracy,

judiciary, executive and legislative have become in the eyes of the american people. even the world from attacks within the past few years. i know vergely every world leader and when i did as a senator, as vice president and now. everywhere i go in the world i met now with over 100 heads of state nations of the world. everywhere i go they look and ask the question, is it going to be okay? think about this. first meeting i attended of the g7, seven wealthiest nations of the world, in europe, nato meeting. i sat down. i was, in -- february -- january after being elected. late january -- early february. i was in england. and i sat down, i said america's back. colonel looked at me, mr. president, he said, for how

long? for how long? and then chancellor of germany said, mr. president what would you think if you pick up the paper tomorrow, "london times" and it says 1,000 people broke down the doors of parliament, marched and killed two and overthrowing an election of a prime minister. what would you think then? what would america think? what would we think? leading nation of the world having gone through what it went through. and many of you travel internationally. many of you know people from around the world. i'd be surprised if you heard anything different out of concern about, are we okay? is democracy going to be sustained? and for that institutional damage we see distrust and division among our own people. i'm here to tell you we lose these institutions of our government at our own always b.

this is an american issue. i've come to honor the mccain institute and library because they are home of a proud republican who put his country first. our commitment should be no less. democracy should unite all americans regardless of affiliation and something dangerous happened in america now. there's an extremist movement that does not share the basic beliefs of our democracy. the maga movement. not every republican, not even majority of republicans adhere to the maga theology. i know i've been able to work with republicans my whole career. no question the today's republican party is intimidated by maga republicans. fundamentally carried out all institutions of american democracy as we know it. my friends, they're not hiding their attacks. they're openly promoting them.

attacking free press at enemy of the people. attacking the rule of law. voter suppression and election subversion. did you ever think we'd be having debates at this stage of your careers banning books? banning books, burying history? extremist in congress more determined to shut down the government, to burn the place down than to let the people's business be done. our u.s. military, this is not hyperbole. i've said it for the last two years. it's the strongest military in the history of the world. not just in the world, history of the world. most diverse, most powerful in the history of the world. being accused of being weak and woke? by the opposition. one guy in alabama up for

promotion of hundreds's these officers? frankly, these extremists have no idea what they're talking about. i'm serious. pushing the notion expressed when in office of supplies only to him. applies tonal him. t -- only to him. this is dangerous. this president is above the law. no limits. constitution gave him "the right to do whatever he wants as president." i've never heard a president say that in jest. not guided by the constitution. or by comment service and decency towards fellow americans. but vengeance and vick

vindictiveness. you see the headlines. goal, quote all balance of power increasing the presidential authority over every part of the federal government. quote/unquote. that's what they intend to do once they rid the constitution of checks and ballsens s of checks and balls balances of power. put them under the thumb of a president. give the president the power to refuse to spend money that congress appropriated? if he doesn't like what it's being spent for? not veto it. doesn't like that. ends there? get rid of longstanding pr protections for civil service. remember leaving office. imposed for civil service and imposed a new schedule. schedule f it was called. these civil servants had to pledge loyalty to the president not the constitution.

it did not require any protection. like a wholesale fire. he wanted it, no civil service protection. one of the first thing ice got rid of when i became president. consider these as actual quotes from maga, the maga movement. "i am your retribution." "slitting throats of civil servants, replacing with extreme cronies." extremists for support for law enforcement only to say we, "we must destroy the fbi." it's not one person. it's controlling element. the house republican party. whitewash attacks of january 6th calling the stomping of police "legitimate political discourse." did you ever think you'd hear

leaders of political parties in the united states of america speak like that? seizing power. concentrating power. attempting abuse power. encouraging and pattacking key institutions. spewing conspiracy theories. spreading lies for profit, power to divide americans in every way. inciting violence against those who keep america safe. weaponizing against the very soul of who we are as americans. dismaga thread is a threat to the brick and mortar of our democratic institutions. it's also a threat to the character of our nigs. nation. it gives our constitution life. binds us together as americans a common cause. none of this is surprising, though. i've tried to cover that way before. thank god they failed. they haven't given up.

just look at recent days. accusations against, of treason, treason, against a major news network because they don't like its coverage. i don't know what the hell i say about fox when that becomes -- think about it. i'm joking but think about it. tomorrow overseeing change of responsibilities of the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff of the united states states military. from one genuine hero and patriot general mark milley to another, general c.q. brown. both, both, defining leaders of our time. and yet here is what you hear from maga extremists about the retiring patriot general giving his oath to the constitution. "he's a traitor." times gone by the punishment "times gone by the punishment would have been death."

this is the united states of america. this is the united states states of america. and although i don't believe even majority of republicans think that, the silence is deafening. the silence is deafening. hardly any republican call outs those statements. just watched one maga operation, locking in promotions of hundreds of top military leaders, blocking those. affecting not only the leaders but their families, their children. extremists claim support of our troops, but harming military readiness leadership. troop morale. freezing pay, freezing military families putting them in limbo. just say, look the other way. defeat of a former president,

the former president refused to pay respects of american. service men buried not been to the cemetery. referring to them as suckers and losers. quotes. i'm not making this up. i know we try not to remember it. but that's what he said. he called service men suckers and losers! is john a sucker? was my son beau who lived next to a burn pit for a year came home and died, was he a sucker for volunteering to serve his country? the same guy who denigrates john mccain, it's gnome wrong, it's unamerica, but it never changes. maga extremists across the country have made it clear where they stand. for the challenge for the rest of america, for the majority of americans make clear where we

stand. there is still belief in the constitution. do you believe in basic decency and respect? the whole country should honestly ask itself. i mean it sincerely. what it wants. understand the threats to our democracy. i believe very strongly that the defining feature of our democracy is our constitution. i believe in separation of powers and checks and balances that the debate and disagreement not lead to disunion. i believe in free and free and fair elections and peaceful transfer of power. i believe there's no place in america, none, none, none, for political violence. not embolden this. across the aisle and country i see fellow americans not war enemies. we're a great nation, because we're good people. we believe in honor, decency and respect.

i was able to get the infrastructure bill passed. that's over $1 trillion. majority of it so far has gone red states who didn't vote for me. because i represent all of -- no. i'm serious. i represent all americans. [ applause ] wherever the need is. and i believe every president should be a president for all americans. to use the office to united states the americans, uphold the duty to care for americans. tried my very best and sure i haven't met the test all of you want me to meet, but i've tried my very best to meet the highest standards whether you voted for me or not. because that's the job. to deliver light, not heat. to make sure democracy delivers for everyone. to know we're a nation of unlimited possibilities. of wisdom and decency, a nation

focused on the future. i spent more time with xi jinping than any world leader has. traveled 17,000 miles from here and in china on the plateau turned to me and asked, can you define america for me? i was deadly honest and said, yes. in one word. "possibilities." we in america believe anything's possible if we try it. anything we do together we can get done. we face stuff times in recent years and i'm proud of the progress we made as a country. but the real credit doesn't go to me and my administration for the progress for this progress. the real heroes of this story is you, the american people. that's not hyperbole again. i'm asking democrat, republican, independent, put the preservation of our democracy before everything else. put our country first.

over the past few years we can't and should be proud of american democracy. proud of what we've been able to achieve. we can't take democracy for granted. remember when you're in high school and college, took political science. every generation has to protect democracy? i used to think that that was just a saying. but here i am. as president of the united states of america making this speech. about my fear. the diminishment of democracy. folks, every generation has to face this. you know, towards the end of my senate campaign i convinced strom thurman to vote for the civil rights. no joke. think, you can defeat him. you can't. someone comes along rips up the

rock and believes objexygen in there it comes roaring back. comes roaring back. we should all remember. democracies don't have to die end of a rifle. they can die when people are silent, when they fail to stand up or condemn threats to democracy. people willing to give away what's most precious to them because they feel frustrated, aillienate alienated, i getted it. i really do. democracy remains the best path forward to prosperity and possibilities and progress. fair play. equality. democracy required all of us and all major parties. you matter. again, i'm not just trying to be nice here. you matter. all of you in this auditorium. because history common sense tells us that we can change things by adhering to our

constitution and our institutions of democracy. our task, our sacred task of our time change for the best for the better. not smashed by a movement or more interest in power and in principle. it's up to us, the american people, in my view. the more people vote the more engaged the whole nation becomes. the stronger democracy will be. so the answer to the threats we face is engagement. it's not to sit on the sidelines. it's to build coalitions and community. to remind ourselves there's a clear majority of us who believe in our democracy. and ready to protect it. to the students here today, young people across the country, you're the reason i'm so optimistic. i know i don't look it but i've been doing this for a long time.

never been more optimistic about america's chances in doumestic policy than today. 100,000 students at this university and across america the most gifted, most tolerant, most talented and the best educated generation of american history. it's your generation. more than anyone else's that will answer the questions. legitimate questions a young man asked me a moment ago i met with. questions for america. who are we? what do we stand for? what do we believe? who will we be? it's not your burden alone. your generation will not be ignored, shunned, will not be silent. i've said it before. we're at an inflection point in our history. one of those moments that only happens once every several

generations, happens once every eight or nine generations decisions made in a short period of time we're in now are going to determine the course of this country and the world for the next six or seven decades. so, you, me, every american, committed to preserving our democracy and our constitutional protections. we carry a special responsibility. we have to stand up for american values. the constitution and the declaration of independence because we know maga supporters already proven they won't. madeleine albright wrote a book. we are, a sense of -- cindy, haven't you? every room i walk in no matter what heads of state i am with everything stops. not because of joe biden, but because i'm president of the united states of america. we are the essential nation.

we are the essential nation. the rest of the world's looking. we have to stand up for our constitution, our institutions of democracy, because maga has made it clear they're not going to. history's watching. the world is watching. most important, our children and grandchildren will hold us responsible. so let me close with this. in three years commemorate the 250th anniversary of signing of the declaration of independence. n not only about our past but a moment about the future. but all we can be, still be. imagine that moment and ask, what do we want to be? now's our time! our time to continue to choose and secure sacred time in american democracy. i know we can beat this mope. john believed we can beat this

moment. he believed in the character and destiny in our own lives and the life of this nation. he believed in us. that's what we see in the mccain institute and library. every day places across america doing extraordinary things. and remember, the soul of america depends on the soul of all americans. how we choose to see our nation, how we cheese to see ourselves. how we choose to lead not only by example of power but by the power of our example! so let's never quit. let's never hide from history. let's make history. if we do that, we'll have done our duty to the country and each other. future generations saying, we kept the faith. we'll approve for all its imperfections, america still is a place of possibilities, a beacon for the world, a promised

realized. we're the power forever residing with "we the people." that's our soul. that's who we truly are. that's who we must always be and never been more optimistic about america's future. just remember who we are. we are the united states of america. there is nothing beyond our capacity when we act together. god bless you all. may god bless john mccain, his family and may god protect our troops. thank you. [ cheers and applause ] ♪ president joe biden giving an impassioned speech about democracy and in his view the risk that democracy because of donald trump and the maga movement speaking in tempe, arizona, in front of a bipartisan crowd at the mccain institute and future site of the mccain library. president biden talking about his friendship with the late

senator john mccain and what they worked on together and how they had a friendship even though they disagreed and talking about the threat, in his view, of the maga movement both in terms of disenfranchisement and voter suppression and also because of its opposition to basic democratic values in terms of respecting the will of the we'll and respecting when they lose an election. something that we saw quite visibly for several months in the 2020 election, back with me, john king, gloria borger, ashley alison and scott jennings. let me go around the room here and what struck you most about the speech? >> something big and something that many at home might not think is big but important going forward. the big thing, an incumbent president of the united states whose structural numbers are weak. >> absolutely. >> approval low. two-thirds of americans think the country is on the wrong track. 400 days to the election. time to fix it but he's in a

deep rut for an incumbent president. asking make preservation about democracy above anything else. mad at me about inflation, questions about my age, if anything in your life, nothing to do with washington, put this first, please. can he make the case? convince enough americans to put that issue first, a strength for him. smaller thing. one of the barriers he has, not just among swing voters, even democrats, concerns about his age. is he up to the job? put the number aside. does he have stamina to the president of the united states four more years. handles the heckler perfectly. does he get it? heckled by a climate activist. listened then said please shush up and i will meet with you. moved back to his speech and made a joke. doke democracy the complicated. there's your example. one example. is he aware, present? if he can do that for months and

erode the doubts among enough people, that's a plus for him. big thing, convince people what's most important for the election. his performance as a candidate is a big issue. >> interesting. gloria? >> a speech we've heard in various forms from joe biden. today was very heartfelt obviously because of john mccain and his personal relationship with him, but he said something that is obviously aimed at maga and took direct aim, which is you can't love your country only if you win. and then he went point by point about things that donald trump or others have said. you know, i am your retribution. we want to destroy fbi. january 6th was a legitimate political discourse and on and on and cert of made the point this is not our values as americans. and we need to abide by the constitution, and one thing so

personal was when he talked about donald trump referring to people to wounded or dead soldiers as suckers. >> suckers and losers, yes. >> losers. and he said, you know, was my son, who lived next to a burn pit and died a sucker? >> yeah. just to give a little bit more background to that specific story. it was, first came to light in atlanta, an "atlantic" magazine story by jeffrey goldberg. officials talked about president trump's trump to france during the centennial anniversary of world war i in which president trump -- since the story came out by jeffrey goldberg i've since had a senior administration in the trump administration confirm the story referring to american soldiers killed during world war i, buried over there as suckers and losers. not just that. it is something that he has said about mccain, george h.w. bush

and others who were injured or shot down during world war ii in george h.w. bush's came. vietnam in john mccain's case, suckers or losers for enlisting. a history him saying these things behind the scenes. >> called mccain a loser because he had been captured. >> said that publicly. not even behind closed doors. >> right. i remember at the time everyone's reaction was, god, donald trump can never survive saying something like that politically. and of course, he did. so saying this, mccain, without mentioning john mccain in that way, i think it was very important. >> yeah. >> i mean a reminder that donald trump is not a party loyalist. donald trump is loyal to donald trump. because he will attack republicans and democrats if he doesn't like them. i thought interesting with the speech, he found ways to leave in other forms of maga extremism, talking about book

bans, blocking military leaders from confirmation, which is undergirded because of the roe decision. things that actually speak to the democratic base as well, that this is a speech for them. and then finally when he talked about the contrast going overseas talking to record leaders. what if folks charge the doors of parliament. take a step back if you weren't in washington, d.c. on january 6th and maybe want to put that in the past, to see that happen in another country, you would really question the stability of their democracy and so he's saying, folks, this happened on our soil. let's not take this for granted and protect democracy. >> a couple things. micro for me. he's in arizona. one of those traditionally red states. he barely won in 2020. obviously some mccain-style republicans that went towards him, and who i assume are having real doubts about his presidency and whether he can do it again. i think you'll see a lot of this

from both trump and biden obviously today. going to spend a huge chunk of time in the same four to six states. arizona. if biden can keep arizona, really does make it harder in the electoral college. macro. who is this going to appeal to? obviously there are institutionally-minded republicans. that are worried about corrosion of institutions. talked about that. >> scott, you're one of those. >> yeah. i believe in political institutions. i don't think joe biden's always lived up to his. >> i don't think you find him appealing but saying -- i don't mean it as an insult but as a complement. you believe in institutions. >> they're betting there are more voters who are going to believe in institutions than not. >> yeah. >> see if they're right. i think over v-- older voters. republican-leaning went to biden, republicans -- >> shockingly. >> trying to hold on to those

folks. stylistically, these kinds of speeches i think are supposed to be soaring. phrases in there, but, he really puts an anvil on it. not hyperbole, not a joke. supposed to soar. he just can't stop putting an anvil on his own speeches. i think that diminishes the moments or historic nature of it constantly interjecting with that, but you see broad outlines of the president's campaign. trump in michigan talking to non-college working-class voters. biden in arizona talking to people who believe in institutions, older voters and probably voters with college degrees. the contours they're carving them out, it's obviously. >> oratorically not heading into the lincoln douglass debates. john king? >> to the point where was he? right? at the mccain institute. tempe, arizona. in suburban america. fast-growing suburbs, in a state like arizona, it's changing. fast-growing suburbs around

atlanta, georgia, why georgia is changing. it's why north carolina may or may not be ready to be more competitive state. obama won with historic black turnout, republicans since. it's a state democrats will look at. you're from philadelphia. not growing as fast but close elections in pennsylvania, wisconsin, michigan. both biden, trump were last week. arizona, georgia. decided in suburbs and increasingly by the big flip. right? one of the fascinating see this in data as i'm traveling more, sit down with fishermen and blue collar people saying i'm for republicans, voting for trump. they're for us. i started, michael dukakis won ten states in 1988 one was west virginia, one iowa. farmers and coal miners for democrats. flip is fascinating. biden talking to people used to be republicans. made bjorgeorge h.w. bush presi of the united states. key to the democratic coalition in the swing states.

to ashley's point. also turn out his voters. young voters, minority, fight for older voters. 400 days. >> agree. five states, georgia, pennsylvania, wisconsin, michigan, arizona. i would add secondarily you have nevada, trump definitely will make a big play for nevada and north carolina. you noted, biden definitely fight. >> and last, tiny new hampshire if that close. >> not even. trump's making a play for new hampshire no matter what. >> what do they have in common? around media and education. new dividing line in politics. all of those states, and middle class suburban voters mentioned. >> right now they don't feel like they can buy a car. they don't feel they can buy a house. they feel like they're being priced out. when they went towards biden before, it was maybe get rid of donald trump. now faced way choice of, i went away from trump for a reason. biden disappointed me.

the battle for that kind of voter. can joe biden convince them, put your personal economic concerns aside and listen to me. i'm dubious, honhonestly. people hurting. see it in polls. i'm not certain biden can actually ultimately pull this off. >> and i don't think he's going to talk about democracy. we've seen him talk about bidenomics. it isn't sticking, but we're going to have to see how that plays out. interesting to me is that he did talk about younger voters today. said it's up to the next generation to make sure that we adhere to these principles, and i couldn't help but this about mike pence as the debate last night who presented himself in kind of a way, i'm an old-fashioned ronald reagan conservative. joe biden today sort of like, i'm a traditional work across the party lines kind of a democrat. and i don't know how that plays anymore.

certainly not playing in the republican party. >> i think he's -- >> and -- >> he should, but also picked up the fact that he pointed out that he's passed legislation and even though republicans didn't vote for it, still taking it because you know it's good legis legislation. pointing out hypocrisy with the republican party and his leadership. >> all happening as in-fighting among house republicans is pushing the nation closer to a government shutdown. cnn's manu raju tracking every twist and turn in expletive deleted. manu, what's the late jest. >> reporter: lots of tension now among republicans and fears of a government shutdown by sunday because of the fact that kevin mccarthy cannot get his conference in line. one big reason why. mccarthy speaker of the house pushing to get a bill through his chamber that has all republican votes. razor thin majority and included a number of provisions in this bill to try to court

conservatives, turned off democrats. a problem. more than four republicans opposed to his efforts to keep the government open a short period. even get that plan out of the house no chance the democratic-led senate will sign it into law. a separate bill moving through the international mccarthy doesn't support nor do members. fears happening at the moment. i spent the day talking to republicans about everything going on. what's clear is that those members in swing districts, those moderate republicans, furious at those hard-liners. the conservative side and house republican conference furious at the speaker. all kearns about the speaker's own future if he decides to cut a deal with democrats. >> can't just be my way or the highway. that's why some people seem to think it works. doesn't work that way. >> waning days of july we should have made this day in august, first, second week or whole month. should have stayed and finished

our work. returned in september, no way to get it done. so i'm frustrated. >> out of a job? >> you know, i think that membership should be looking at, for stronger leadership. quite frankly i know people in my district i represent want to see stronger leadership. i'm all about it. >> so that last comment, congressman eli crane sporting ousting mccarthy. that threat there for weeks saying that if mccarthy were to go along with democrats, support a bipartisan proposal to keep the government open, enough support, these right-ring membemember member-right-ring members, crane saying side with that effort. just five republicans siding with democrats could succeed pushing the speaker out. one reason why the speaker at the moment still trying to get his own members onboard behind one plan to keep the government open a short period of time. jake, doesn't have the votes. even though plans to try to bring it to the floor tomorrow. that is expected to collapse.

leading to a lot of questions what's next? and if there's a shutdown, how long it would last. >> and manu, just to be clear here. speaker mccarthy was elected speaker in january. he's known that this was coming since january. >> reporter: yeah. there's no question about it. in fact, cut a deal over the summer with the white house to raise the national debt limit. in that deal including spending levels. agreed to across the federal government. speaker agreed, white house agreed. senate democratic and republican leaders agreed to it. mccarthy backed off that agreement, jake, because of pressure from his far right and because of that disagreement over spending levels. one reason why it's the mess they're in at this moment. >> and white house says they can't trust to make a deal with mccarthy because he made an agreement with them and then he went back on the deal. manu, thank you. appreciate it. thank you for watching special coverage of the pres

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