[Tapper:] We're back with our 2020 lead now. The countdown to the much-anticipated CNN Democratic debates is on, with former Vice President Joe Biden hoping to cement his front-runner status with a more aggressive approach this time around. One Biden campaign source tells CNN that the former vice president genuinely believes he was too polite in the last debate. Senator Kamala Harris, asked about that today, said she was raised to be polite. Meantime, President Trump also setting his sights on Joe Biden, complaining about a new poll that shows Biden is the only candidate outside the margin of error who beats President Trump in a hypothetical national matchup. The poll comes from the president's favorite channel, which is a little awkward. CNN's Kyung Lah reports for us now from the campaign trail.
[Sen. Kamala Harris , Presidential Candidate:] He tells them to go back to where they came from, what do we say? We're not going back. We're not going back. And, in fact, I will tell you all where we're going. We're going to the White House.
[Kyung Lah, Cnn Senior National Correspondent:] Kamala Harris on the attack against President Trump. Just days before the second Democratic debate, she did not swipe at Joe Biden or mention their much anticipated rematch on the stage. Asked if she will be polite at that face-off, Harris told one reporter today, "I was raised to be polite,'after Biden said this about his approach at the first debate.
[Joseph Biden , Presidential Candidate:] I was probably overly polite.
[Lah:] Ahead of next week's debate, Biden has previewed a more aggressive posture against Harris and Cory Booker, which a senior campaign official says is being driven by the former vice president.
[Sen. Cory Booker , Presidential Candidate:] I think beating Donald Trump is a floor. It is not the ceiling.
[Lah:] Biden is still holding on to his front-runner status in a new national FOX News poll, with Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Harris all in double digits. In the run-up to the debate, the top candidates are jockeying with competing policy rollouts. Harris, before a primarily black audience of the National Urban League
[Harris:] I will make a $60 billion investment in STEM education at HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions.
[Lah:] That's aimed at closing the racial wealth gap, investing in historically black colleges and universities, and an additional $12 billion to support black entrepreneurship. Before the same audience, Pete Buttigieg also attacked Trump.
[Pete Buttigieg , Presidential Candidate:] My generation saw this country elect its first black president and then turn around and elect a racist to the White House. And we ought to call that what it is.
[Lah:] And today rolled out a new economic policy to help gig economy workers unionize. Buttigieg is targeting big tech for outsourcing their employees and their benefits. Elizabeth Warren announced she crossed a threshold, receiving more than 1 million donations so far this election. Bernie Sanders previously crossed 1 million donations. Both have rejected high- dollar fundraisers. Now, Warren is campaigning in New Hampshire this weekend. Bernie Sanders will be holding a fundraiser in Detroit. Pete Buttigieg, Cory Booker, they are both out campaigning in public events. But, Jake, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, they are dialing back their public appearances as they focus on debate prep Jake.
[Jake Tapper, Cnn:] Kyung Lah on the campaign trail, thanks so much. Appreciate it. Let's talk about this and start with the new poll showing the hypothetical match-ups. Biden and Sanders are the only two candidates who beat Donald Trump in this hypothetical national match-up, but Biden is the only who's outside of the polls margin of error. How much stock do you put in this?
[Nia-malika Henderson, Cnn Senior Political Reporter:] It is early, right. But I do think it reinforced a narrative among voters already is they do feel like Joe Biden is the most electable candidate, the one that could beat Trump and that is what they're concerned about. I mean, there is sort of an urgency, a fear, a desperation among Democrats to get over sort of whatever sort of ideological fights there are and figure out who they can line up behind, and that is why you see Biden consistently ahead in all of the polls. He's at 30 percent which is pretty good when you're in a field of 20 people in the next the next
[Tapper:] Yes, more than 20 really.
[Henderson:] Yes, exactly.
[Tapper:] Only 20 allowed on the stage.
[Henderson:] Exactly, and then you've got, you know, the sort of second group of people, about four or five people and then everyone else, the sort of 1 percenters. So, yes, there was a Ohio poll that also showed him beating Donald Trump in that crucial state, if they block in there. And then it's unlikely that he could ascend to a second term. So, I think that's good for Biden. I don't think it's good for Biden if he keeps telegraphing his strategy about the debate because can he deliver, right? I mean, he set up this sort of fireworks between him and presumably Kamala Harris and maybe even Cory Booker. I think it's difficult to actually deliver on stage. We'll see if he can.
[Tapper:] There was a funny moment, I want to go to question six, if we can, just because Andrew Yang who is running for president and Senator Michael Bennet who's running for president, had a little funny moment on Twitter trying to get in on this telegraphing thing with Yang tweeting, I would like to signal to the press that I will be attacking Michael Bennet at next week's debate. Sorry, Michael Bennet, but you know what you did. Bennet responded, Andrew, how do you know I got a "C" in precalculus in high school, on the retake. Just a little fun there, making fun of the telegraphing. But I want to ask you about the poll. It is early, July 2019, right? But it's not that early. I mean, Iowans will be voting in a few months. I mean, do you
[Paul Begala, Cnn Political Commentator:] It is so early.
[Tapper:] OK.
[Begala:] OK, 36 days before Iowans voted in 2004
[Tapper:] Hold it up.
[Begala:] Can you guys see this?
[Tapper:] Dean pulls away in a Democratic race.
[Begala:] Thirty-six days, a CBS poll, a legit network, and they
[Tapper:] They said it was over.
[Begala:] Howard Dean pulling away, President Dean, of course, went on to serve two terms with great distinction. He was great for our country. No, it's way too early. And we could talk about it. But it's just honestly, it's absurd. I'm much more upset about this telegraphing that you and Nia were talking about. And I think about this myself. It has been a long time. Monday is my 30th wedding anniversary. That's how long since I've dated. I haven't had a date since the Reagan administration but I remember I did not say, Diane, I'm going to blow in your ear. Just blow in her stupid ear. Joe, Kamala, Cory, just blow in her ear. Put your best move on.
[Tapper:] That is a lot of information.
[Amanda Carpenter, Cnn Political Commentator:] I'm feeling the air over here.
[Tapper:] But speaking of losing that loving feeling President Trump is complaining about the poll because it comes from Fox News. Tweeting, quote, Fox News is at it again. So different from what they used to be during the 2016 primaries and before. Proud warriors now new Fox polls which has always been terrible to me, they have me losing big to crooked Hillary have me down to sleepy Joe. Very weird that he's complaining, you know, Fox this is so different from what you used to be just because they're presenting the facts of a poll which reaffirms what we've seen in a lot of other polling.
[Carpenter:] Look, he feels that Fox News should be an arm of the RNC. Listen, he did this in 2016. He went after weak spots, perceived weak spots at Fox by going after Megyn Kelly, ousting her because of his strong relationship with Roger Ailes and he's frequently tweeting about coverage that he doesn't like. Whether it's "Fox and Friends" on the weekend or, you know, Judge Napolitano, and he managed to say something critical. And so, he's going to keep doing this. I think it's different now because he doesn't have the connection with Robert Ailes. But clearly, he wants to influence their programming.
[Tapper:] And, Sabrina, sources tell CNN President Trump was briefed yesterday about the state of the campaign. He asked his top adviser to assess the Democratic challengers. Campaign manager Brad Parscale noted that Elizabeth Warren is rising. RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel talked about the threat that Kamala Harris might pose. And senior adviser Bill Stepien believes that Biden remains a big threat. What do you think?
[Sabrina Siddiqui, Cnn Political Analyst:] Well, I think they're looking at the same data that these other polls are reflecting in terms of these hypothetical match-ups. And it is very early for the public to make an assessment as it is for any campaign. But those are certainly the people that they think they should keep an eye on. Now, I do think while you can only put so much stock into these polls at this stage, one thing about Joe Biden who obviously the president spends lot of time tweeting about, is what the polling does reflect is that his appeal extends beyond name recognition, because in some of the earlier polls, people said, well, that's just because he's the most known entity in the race. Clearly, after he took a stumble in the first debate, he's managed to rise up again, but that's also why he has the most to lose going into this debate because he will once again be a target for some of these candidates who really need to break through and I think they will once again scrutinize his record on a litany of issues. And, you know, I think there was an allowance for him after the first debate but I think if he has just a few more stumbles, that could be very problematic for Biden moving forward.
[Tapper:] On the subject of the debate, take a look at debate stage set for Wednesday night. And this key trio, that is the position that they're going to be standing. You see Joe Biden is sandwiched in between Cory Booker and Kamala Harris. Harris saying she was raised to be polite. It could get nasty on the stage.
[Henderson:] Yes, because it's only gotten nasty off stage with Booker going after Biden over his criminal justice past, the crime bill in 1994 and Biden, of course, hitting back at Cory Booker saying, well what about what happened when you were mayor of New York with the police there
[Tapper:] Newark.
[Henderson:] Newark there, and stopping and frisking of African- American folks in Newark. So I think but I think it is also tough, you got Biden who is running away with the black vote so far, last poll showed him 51 percent of black voters in South Carolina support him, 12 percent support Kamala Harris. I don't even know if booker is on their radar down there. But if they're there, your Biden sort of fighting over issues that are pertinent to African-American voters with two African- American candidates, it is a tricky situation.
[Tapper:] Everyone, stick around. The candidates are taking the stage for the CNN Democratic presidential debates in just four days. I'm going to moderate, along with Dana Bash and Don Lemon. That's next Tuesday night and Wednesday night at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. Both nights, only on CNN. Coming up, North Korea launching a new kind of missile. The signal that President Trump's reaction might be sending to the world. Stay with us.