NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Episode Date: August 22, 2024

Walz set for major moment at Democratic Convention; Ukraine launches major drone attack on Russia; One-on-one with Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight in Chicago, Kamala Harris' running mate Tim Walz facing his biggest test yet on the national stage here at the Democratic National Convention. The Minnesota governor is set to accept his party's nomination for vice president in Chicago. A big chance for the former teacher and football coach to introduce himself to the American people after Republicans attacked his military service and record as governor. His speech coming a night after two of the party's biggest stars fired up the crowd, Barack and Michelle Obama, making the case for Harris and unleashing scathing attacks on Donald Trump. And Mr. Trump today hitting back at his first outdoor rally since the attempt on his life, now speaking behind bulletproof glass. Plus, news on RFK Jr. Sources say he plans to drop out.

How it could shake up the race. The grim discovery in that sunken yacht off Italy. Five bodies found, one person still missing. The growing questions tonight. Ukraine launching a drone attack on Moscow, the largest since the war began. Dozens arrested at protests over Gaza here in Chicago. Our conversation with the father of an American hostage fighting to bring him home after more than 300 days. This is NBC Nightly News.

Reporting tonight from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Here is Lester Holt. Good evening from Chicago on the floor of the Democratic National Convention. It is hard to remember a summer when the political landscape shifted so rapidly. Think about it. It was one month ago today President Biden announced he was dropping out, handpicking Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor. Tonight, a lineup revealing just how things have evolved, featuring headliner Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Harris' very newly minted vice presidential running mate, introducing himself to the nation,

and Nancy Pelosi, who helped catalyze the change in the top of the ticket, also taking center stage. But the changes are not over. Just in tonight, third-party candidate and scion of the Kennedy family, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is poised to suspend his campaign and endorse former President Trump, according to two sources. Peter Alexander starts us off tonight from here in Chicago. For Tim Walls, tonight is game night, a chance for the Minnesota governor and former high school football coach to introduce himself to America. Campaign aides tell NBC News Walls will highlight the values he learned growing up in small town Nebraska that shaped his

service in the National Guard as a teacher and as a six-term congressman. NBC News getting a first look at the DNC video to air tonight, narrated by his wife. Tim went to college on the GI Bill and became a social studies teacher. That's where Tim and I met. We shared a classroom with a divider right down the middle. Democrats tout his plain-spoken manner, but some of his progressive policies as governor, like giving undocumented immigrants driver's licenses and taxpayer-funded health care, have come under attack from Republicans, who also accuse him of embellishing his military record, including telling a crowd he carried weapons in war despite never serving in combat.

We can make sure that those weapons of war that I carried in war is the only place where those weapons were at. The Harris campaign says he misspoke. Walz's speech comes after an electrifying night here featuring two of the party's biggest stars. America's ready for a new chapter. America's ready for a better story. We are ready for a President Kamala Harris. Former President Obama calling on Americans to work together while mocking former President Trump. There's the childish nicknames, the crazy conspiracy theories, this weird obsession with crowd sizes. But getting the night's loudest ovation, former First Lady Michelle Obama. America, hope is making a comeback.

Delivering her own stinging takedown of the Republican nominee. His limited, narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hard-working, highly educated, successful people who happen to be black. Who's going to tell him that the job he's currently seeking might just be one of those black jobs? But with Democrats riding a wave of new enthusiasm, the former first couple also delivered a warning. This will still be a tight race in a closely divided country.

And a rallying cry. Michelle Obama is asking you, no, I'm telling y'all to do something. Do something! Do something! Looking to showcase the vice president's personal side of self-deprecating Doug Emhoff, Harris' husband, shared the first time he called her. I got Kamala's voicemail and I just started rambling. Hey, it's Doug. And celebrated their blended family.

She's always been there for our children, and I know she'll always be there for yours, too. And Peter, you have some new reporting on what President Clinton will say tonight. Lester, that's right. An aide tells NBC News that former President Clinton plans to highlight what they call the stark differences in vision, experience, and temperament between Harris and Trump. Notably, this is the 12th consecutive appearance at a Democratic convention for Clinton. Lester. All right, Peter Alexander, thank you. Former President Trump continuing his battleground blitz to counter-program the convention here,

and he is picking up new support from a 2024 competitor tonight. Von Hillier joining us now with late details. Von, this involves Robert Kennedy Jr. That's right, Lester. Two sources tell us that Mr. Kennedy intends to end his third-party presidential bid this Friday and endorse former President Donald Trump, though talks are still ongoing. This could be a major move in an election that could come down to just a few thousand votes. Tonight, former President Trump in Battleground,

North Carolina, holding an outdoor campaign event for the first time since surviving the assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. The voters will hold Kamala and Joe accountable. Secret Service installing bulletproof glass in front of and behind the podium. The event built on a national security theme, with Trump joined by running mate J.D. Vance. Kamala Harris has allowed a literal invasion of this country, more than 10 million illegal aliens. If we give Kamala Harris a promotion and make her the president of the United States, the southern border is going to look like Walmart on Black Friday. And Bantz was asked if Trump would promise a cabinet post for

an RFK Jr. endorsement. I think clearly Donald Trump is not going to say, I'll give you a cabinet position if you give me an endorsement. It's about welcoming a lot of those Democrats who feel abandoned by the party of Kamala Harris. The Republican ticket on a battleground blitz this week. Trump again making false claims about the election. Our primary focus is not to get out the vote. It's to make sure they don't cheat because we have all the votes you need. Arguing the Democratic convention is only focused on him. They mentioned the economy like 12 times. They mentioned the border, maybe none. That's all they talk about. Trump, we've driven him crazy. And responding to those sharp attacks from former President Obama and Michelle Obama. He was taking shots at your president. And so was Michelle. You know, they always say, sure, please stick to policy.

Don't get personal. And yet they're getting personal all night long, these people. The former president signaling he won't change, despite many of his allies urging him to stick to policy, not personal attacks. Vaughn Hilliard, NBC News, Asheboro, North Carolina. All right, Vaughn Hilliard, thank you. And here in Chicago, this is a far different Democratic convention from the one originally planned. Meet the press moderator, Kristen Welker, joining me now. Kristen, we have to remind ourselves this ticket is only about three

weeks old and now this huge test. That's right. Kamala Harris and Tim Walls are facing the test of their political lives. And it's particularly critical for Tim Walls that he land this speech tonight. He's got to introduce himself to the country when so many people say they are not familiar with him. So I am told to expect him to cast himself as a former teacher, a veteran, and also a family man. And that is reflective, that tone is reflective of what we've heard throughout the course of this convention, which has been reworked over the course of four weeks now. The goal here is really to convince people that Kamala Harris will take the country in a positive direction

when many people are dissatisfied with the direction the country's headed, Lester. All right, these delegates now taking their seats as this is about to get underway, night three. Thank you, Kristen. The war in Gaza remains a potent issue here with protests, arrests and calls for a ceasefire. And some of the hostage families are here. Today, I spoke with John Poland, whose son, Hirsch, is still in Hamas captivity. Every day you affix a piece of tape to your shirt with a number. Today, it's 320, 320 days. What is it like to put that number on each day and watch it continue to go upward? It was day 26 that my wife, Rachel, said, I'm tired of people asking me what day it is.

I'm just going to wear it. And there is something incredibly emotional about not just putting on a pin, but every day deliberately pulling off the tape, writing that number out, feeling the emotion of it being one more day. John Poland says his attendance at the Democratic National Convention should only be read one way. Is it a fine dance, though, trying to avoid being political or being perceived as political as you appeal to leaders? All hostage families, all of us have the one job of doing everything we can to bring home our loved ones, our sons, our daughters, our mothers,

our fathers, grandparents. That's what we focus on. And our job is not to be politicians. It's to bring home our loved ones. And unfortunately, on day 320, I feel like we have all failed. At the same time, is it hard to be non-political when you see how the various parties approach the hostage issue? One of the things that's been really encouraging for us is the extent to which we've so far been able to mostly keep it out of political divisions. But it is hard. Everything is politicized there in the Middle East. But at the end of the day, we're all humans. We're sensitive to suffering on all sides. We're fighting for our loved one and 108 other hostages. But we want all the suffering to come to an end. John Poland in our conversation today. It is going to be a big night here in Chicago.

Coverage is streaming on News Now all night. And join us on NBC as we hear from former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former President Bill Clinton and vice presidential candidate Tim Walz. We turn overseas now, where Russia is saying Ukraine targeted Moscow in a large drone attack. But after more than two years of war, some Ukrainian troops are growing increasingly frustrated. Erin McLaughlin spoke with one. But first, Erin, what do we know about the drone attack? Lester, Russian officials say 11 drones targeted Moscow, the largest drone attack in the capital's history. Ukraine has yet to comment. Today's attack, the latest salvo in a nearly two and a half year old war that's increasingly being fought with drones. We spoke with one Ukrainian who piloted those drones until very

recently. He deserted the military days ago, increasingly disillusioned with the direction of the war and his commanders. NBC News agreed to withhold his identity at his request. From my point of view, now we are losing this war. Things were different when he left his job in IT to become a drone pilot. You were filled with hope. Yes, I knew that there's no other option than like to fight. But he says that hope soon turned to misery with last summer's failed counteroffensive in which Ukraine gained back very little ground. That was frustrating. Yeah, that's painful. Russians seem to have

more of everything. The breaking point, his combat partner died in his arms when a makeshift drone exploded. So I had to drag his body away from the fire. And I looked in his eyes. I already saw it was like the last, I don't know, sparkle of life going away in his eyes. He deserted just days later. If caught, he faces potential jail time. The big part of the problem is that the commanders, they always like pressure to do this faster, faster. Leading, he says, to deadly mistakes.

Aaron McLaughlin, NBC News, Kharkiv, Ukraine. In 60 seconds, new details from Sicily on that luxury yacht that sank carrying Americans and a tech CEO. Most of the missing now recover. What investigators are learning next. Divers made a tragic discovery today at the site where a super yacht sank off the coast of Italy as new details emerge about the ill-fated voyage. Steve Patterson reports. Tonight, after days of a grueling round-the-clock search,

rescue workers finally make their grim breakthrough. The unidentified bodies of five of the six missing passengers pulled from the depths, according to Italian authorities. Officials say 22 people were on board the luxury yacht, anchored about a half mile off the Sicilian shore when the storm struck. The super yacht's hull, sinking about 160 feet below the surface. 15 people aboard the yacht were initially rescued. The body of the ship's chef discovered Monday. Since then, crews spent dozens of hours searching for the six missing, including the yacht's owner,

UK tech billionaire Mike Lynch, and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, New York-based powerhouse attorney Christopher Morvello and wife Netta, as well as Morgan Stanley chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy. The yacht sank around 5 a.m. Monday, security video capturing what experts call a once-in-a-lifetime storm. So severe and unexpected, it offered little warning. The Italian Coast Guard says the depth and danger of the wreckage has made the mission incredibly difficult. Meanwhile, Italian media saying the yacht's surviving captain has been questioned by authorities.

The disaster at sea now turning a page to a new chapter as families of the victims look for answers as to how exactly that super yacht sank. Steve Patterson, NBC News. And up next here tonight, what's really resonating with voters? Our series, What Matters? We put the question to battleground voters in western Pennsylvania. We're back now with the 2024 race and the role one small town could play in the critical battleground of Pennsylvania. Our Jacob Soboroff, in partnership with our affiliate WPXI, traveled there to find out what matters to voters most. Mayor, at the end of all this, how many buildings are going to be demolished in Aliquippa?

About 150. Democrat Dwan Walker has beenished in Aliquippa? About 150. Democrat Dwan Walker's been mayor of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, for 12 years. Today, he's presiding over a demolition bonanza funded by President Biden's American Rescue Plan. This is not a resurrection project. This is a renaissance. We're changing the environment of our downtown. When you talk about what matters in this city, why does this matter? I think that's important to change what people see. We first met Mayor Walker here in 2016 as Aliquippa struggled to build back decades after the steel industry's collapse.

Blue collar, blue steel, that's us. We also met these retirees. How has Aliquippa changed over the course of your lives here? Aliquippa was a booming town. Now, when the mills shut down, it's nothing. That shift shook up life in Aliquippa, including in recent years, its politics. Aliquippa is one of the most populous cities in Beaver County, which once reliably voted Democratic, but since 2008 has picked a Republican for president. Part of the reason the state's become a battleground.

It was a police department. The mayor believes this election could mark another political shift. There's a lot more, I would say, optimism about the future. We went to put Mayor Walker's theory to the test in a place that, since the steel industry's disintegration, has become the undisputed beating heart of Aliquippa. It's football community. You've been doing this how long? I've been doing this since about 19, maybe 96, 97.

Coach Mark Goo Walker is the mayor's cousin. How has Aliquippa changed since you were a young man growing up here? Well, obviously, first and foremost, industry. I mean, jobs. This was actually a job destination. That in and of itself is the major change, the economy. I mean, it went down. Meals went. Jobs went.

If you ask somebody what matters in Aliquippa and they said football, they're not really talking about football. No. It's a mindset. And we say hard and smart. We try to teach them that mindset. That's it. Mary Jo Hamilton is that mindset personified.

A home health aide and a team mom, she's used to helping others. I'm a single mom, so I go to work five days a week. As soon as I get off work, we're here at football. You're here. Are you going to vote come election day for president? Absolutely. How are you feeling about sort of... I feel like we're going to have the first black female president here real soon.

Mary Jo introduced us to her fellow team moms. I think everyone's eyes are open and they're taking their right to vote seriously today than they did before. It doesn't matter about the party. We need some jobs over here in Alicopa. We drove around the city today. I think they knocked down over 10 buildings just let alone today. Felt like a new beginning? Definitely a new beginning. Hope and new beginnings in a small city that could make a new beginning? It is. Definitely a new beginning. Hope and new beginnings in a small city that could make a big difference come election day. And Mayor Walker is here tonight in Chicago as a member of the Pennsylvania delegation. He tells

me since Vice President Harris and Governor Walz visited Aliquippa last weekend, even more people are now convinced of the power of their vote there. Lester? All right, Jacob. Thanks very much. That's nightly news. Thank you for watching. I'm Lester Holt.

Please take care of yourself and each other. We'll see you later tonight. Good night, everyone.