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Early Voting Now; Pelosi Works to Outwit Critics over Leadership Role; Calls for Cease-Fire in Yemeni Civil War as Millions Face Starvation in "Worst Humanitarian Crisis"; Gunman Kills Two People, Wounds Five at Florida Yoga Studio; Social Media Giants Still Playing Catchup to Disinformation Campaigns before Midterms. Aired 5- 6p ET

Aired November 03, 2018 - 17:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANA CABRERA, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: Top of the hour, you are in the CNN newsroom. I'm Ana Cabrera in New York.

It's 5:00 Eastern; 2:00 out west. And it is a frantic race to the finish on Tuesday. President Trump is ratcheting up his nationalist rhetoric his final pitch for Republican candidates.

In Montana today, he continued to vilify the migrant caravan, while insisting strong are bothers should be seen as a women's issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Women want security. They want financial security, but they want security. They don't want to see -- you saw these caravans. They don't want that caravan. And, by the way, four others that are forming.

These people were vicious and they broke through into Mexico throwing rocks. And so, this is the second caravan which is made up of some very tough, young people. Very tough. Criminals in some cases. In many cases.

They'll say, do you have proof? Yes, I have proof. They threw stones in the police's face. They hurt Mexican police. They hurt Mexican military very badly. They broke through.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Now, let's be clear. The president has not provided evidence that there are criminals within this migrant caravan. He has six more rallies scheduled between now and Election Day, including one in Florida tonight.

This as voters across the U.S. have been flocking to their early vote locations. More than 27 million early ballots have been cast as of yesterday evening, and that number has already eclipsed early votes for a presidential election in some states, let alone a midterm year.

Historic turnout in Texas, one of the most intense midterm races in the country. Democratic Congressman Beto O'Rourke is trying to upset Republican incumbent Senator Ted Cruz. And in Florida, the governor's race is a toss-up, according to the latest polls.

Joining us now from south Texas, CNN's Ed Lavandera, and in Pensacola, Florida, CNN White House Correspondent Boris Sanchez.

Ed, I'll start with you. How is Trump's message playing out where you are?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, among Trump's most rabid supporters, here in the state of Texas, that message playing out quite well. And that is one of the things that Ted Cruise has deliberately latched onto in this campaign. He has really wrapped himself in President Trump and has embraced everything that comes with that.

That was a deliberate strategy that Ted Cruz has engaged here throughout this campaign and try to separate the antics of President Trump that rubs a lot of people the wrong way, even a lot of hard-core Republicans here in Texas. But also, tried to take the benefit of all of the -- of all of the good that they see that has come from the Trump administration.

So, on the campaign trail, you have heard Ted Cruz talk about the Supreme Court justice appointees, the economy, and the strong economy, really, and the tough talk on border security and immigration issues. And those are the kinds of things that Ted Cruz has been focused on. And that plays well among the hard-core Republican base here in Texas.

We do know that the latest polls have suggested that Cruz is poised to win, but you're there on the ground. You are taking the temperature. Could O'Rourke pull it off? What are you hearing from people there?

LAVENDERA: Look, it's -- it would be a monumental shock across the political landscape if Beto O'Rourke were to pull this race off. Every poll that has been done over the course of the last month shows O'Rourke steadily behind.

But what the O'Rourke campaign and what he has been saying repeatedly is that he believes that the energy that they have created here, over the course of the last 20 months of this campaign, has generated a great deal of support among people who they believe the polls aren't taking into account. And there is -- there might be something to that when you look at the number of newly registered voters here in this state that has jumped dramatically into this election cycle.

And then, you also look at the huge number of early voter turnout. A lot of those people are young people. Beto O'Rourke spent a better part of the last couple of weeks touring college campuses all over the state.

You know, and you talk to some old-time political observers here in the state wondering why he would do that. Young voters traditional don't turn, you can't count on them to turn out and vote. But the Beto O'Rourke campaign is banking on a swell of those young voters would turn out for him, that those areal the kinds of things that could tip this election. But, you know, the Democrats here in Texas really looking to make up some -- a million votes. When you -- if you, kind of, get into the weeds of the numbers here, it's an uphill battle. So, we'll see how it plays out.

CABRERA: Ed, thank you. I want to turn to Boris in Florida. And, Boris, Gillum and Nelson, they are neck and neck as well in the polls right now. What does that say about how voters, perhaps in that state that helped

propel Trump to the White House, now view the GOP?

[17:05:05] BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ana, it gives you an indication of just us how close those races are and where the president stands among Florida voters. His approval rating is at roughly 47 percent.

It's ticked upward in the last few weeks. And it stands, more or less, where Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis are in polling with the Democrats having razor-thin margins, really tenuous leads within the margin of error in those races.

Of course, if his candidates win, you can expect that President Trump will say that winning these candidates in Florida is a referendum on his presidency. If they don't, we may see him distance himself from them. But that may be difficult because both of these candidates have tied themselves very closely to President Trump.

Ron DeSantis, in the primaries, had that ad where his child was building a toy wall. He's defended the president very strongly. He essentially won the primary by following the Trump playbook.

Then, you have Rick Scott, a candidate for Senate who's been governor in Florida for eight years. Someone who has been close to President Trump. He was a rumored potential pick for a possible cabinet position, at one point. He is trying to make a similar case to Florida voters on issues like the economy and immigration.

A note about geography. The reason President Trump is visiting the panhandle this late in the game is because this part of the state helped propel him to the White House in 2016 in numbers that we hadn't seen for Republicans in previous elections. There's a lot of enthusiasm for President Trump here.

Conversely for Democrats, they're looking for support in other areas. Notably, central Florida where we have seen a huge influx of Puerto Rican voters since Hurricane Maria battered the island about a year ago.

So, it's really about geography here in Florida. It's a big part of the reason we saw the gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum there in Orlando. This is going to come down to the wire.

And we know President Trump will be watching. As you know, Ana, Florida is his second home.

CABRERA: All right. Thank you, Boris. Thank you, Ed. We appreciate it.

Let's stay with Texas and Florida for just another minute here. As you heard, early voting in both states is off the chain. Breaking records. Everyone is watching the races there for the House, the Senate, the governor's races, as indicators of which way the political wind is blowing nationwide.

And our Senior Political Writer and Analyst Harry Enten has been making his every forecast for those races and also the contest for Florida's governor, as we mentioned.

Harry, let's start with the races in Florida. And the governor's race, specifically, Andrew Gillum, the Democratic mayor of Tallahassee facing Ron DeSantis, the former three-term Republican Congressman. What is the latest forecast?

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL WRITER AND ANALYST: Yes, the latest forecast is that Gillum is favored to win by a small margin. And that has stayed fairly consistent. Even as these newer polls have suggested a tightening of the race, Gillum still holds a small lead.

I should point, though, look, Florida is the ultimate swing state, right? It wouldn't be shocking if Ron DeSantis wins that race. But, overall, Andrew Gillum has led in many more polls than he's trailed. And it looks to me like he'll be the first African-American governor in the state of Florida.

CABRERA: Have there been any changes in Texas with Cruz and O'Rourke, in terms much what the potential outcome could be there?

ENTEN: I mean, look, the polls have consistently shown that Ted Cruz holds the lead. Some of them say three. Some of them say four. Some of them say five. My forecast is right around that five, six-point mark. It's pretty much stayed there this entire campaign.

It is a race where it wouldn't be the most shocking thing if Beto O'Rourke won. But it would certainly be on the outer ends of what would generally be expected. Look, Texas is a Republican state. It hasn't elected a Democratic senator since 1988. O'Rourke is going to put in a stronger performance --

CABRERA: Yes.

ENTEN: -- than most Democrats, but he still looks probably to lose.

CABRERA: Do you think we should look at these races, in Texas and Florida, in a vacuum or are they bellwethers, of sorts, of how the rest of the country is leaning and feeling?

ENTEN: I would say that Florida is probably a better bellwether, right? You know, it's the ultimate swing state. If Democrats do not win those two races on Tuesday night, then I think that they are probably going to fall short of their goals nationally.

If Beto O'Rourke loses, Democrats could still do very well nationally. But if Beto O'Rourke were to win, then control of the Senate, which right now favors -- I'm favoring the Republicans. If Beto O'Rourke were to win, than that game is wide open and Democrats could, in fact, win control of the Senate.

CABRERA: Well, what do you take away from the very heavy early voter turnout?

ENTEN: I mean, look, I think that turnout is going to be significantly higher than it has been for most midterms. I wouldn't be shocked if it tops 100 million nationwide. But, of course, it's a matter of who is turning out, right? I think Beto O'Rourke is betting on the idea that higher turnout is good for him. they But if it turns out that, in fact, it's untraditional Republicans

turning out and voting, than it won't be good for him. So, I don't read too much on who's winning, based on the early vote numbers. But I do think they suggest a higher turnout than normal for a midterm election.

CABRERA: All right. Harry Enten, really appreciate it. Thank you.

ENTEN: Thank you.

CABRERA: So much more to talk about here. Let me bring in S.E. Cupp, Host of "S.E. CUPP UNFILTERED"; Karine Jean-Pierre, she is a former Obama official and senior advisor from MoveOn.org; and CNN Political Commentator Scott Jennings, a former assistant to Bush 43.

[17:10:00] So, S.E., the president obviously thinks Republicans are going to win if he continues to pound this immigration message home. Is it working?

S.E. CUPP, CNN HOST, "S.E. CUPP UNFILTERED": It might. I -- you know, polls consistently show that immigration is at the top of the list for a lot of Republican voters. But I think the strategy that he's employing is, A, he is going to very friendly locations to stump for candidates; places he has won, for the most part.

And, B, this spaghetti fact -- this spaghetti strategy. Of throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. So, if it's immigration for you, you've got birth-right citizenship. You've got the caravans. You've got the criminals. If it's something else, there's a ten-point tax cut coming for you that's probably not coming. He's offering, sort of, a smorgasbord of options for folks to try to appeal to his base on all of the factors from the economy to health care to immigration.

CABRERA: Although, he did say, yesterday, that he doesn't really want to talk about the economy, because he said it's not as exciting --

CUPP: It's boring.

CABRERA: -- I believe, Scott. I mean, would you rather him be talking about the economy or would you rather him be firing up people, talking about immigration and, really, speaking mistruths about the issue?

SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I mean, the economy is amazing and I think it's thanks to Republican policies that he signed into law. I mean, if you pick up any newspaper in the English- speaking world today, there's, like, five paragraphs about this wage growth and job growth that look like they were written by Republican ad makers.

So, if I were running a campaign right now, I'd be grabbing those things, sticking them out there and saying, don't take my word for it. Look what the news media is saying about our economy.

There's no doubt that, for intensity's sake, immigration still gets Republican voters fired up. But, based on the recent Gallop numbers I saw, the parties are basically now at parody on getting fired up.

What I think we have to remind people is a simple choice. You can either keep this economy red hot or you can go back to the way it was. That is what is going to work, I think, in the suburban districts. The immigration stuff may work more in the rural Senate races.

CABRERA: Karine, what are your thoughts?

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE, : I think it's abhorrent that the president is deciding that his closing argument is going to be about frightening, fear martyring, lying about a group of people that is -- that's coming through a caravan that is not an immigration crisis.

It's actually a humanitarian crisis. And using that as a political talking point for the Republican Party. And I think that should be really upsetting to many, many people. And especially if you are a Republican who is -- you know, if you are a Republican and this is your party for a long time and you've really respected the values of the party, to see this president doing that is incredibly troublesome. And it's just lies. It's pure lies. And it shouldn't be what America is today.

And so, that's the closing arguments. Instead of talking about the economy, as Scott is saying, why do you think this is it? Racism is going to excite your base? Really? That's what you are going with? And I think -- I think that's incredibly troubling. And I, as an immigrant myself, who my parents came here for the American dream, and I see this coming from this president, I -- it's troubling.

CABRERA: Is it troubling to you, Scott?

JENNINGS: Well, again, I would prefer the Republican Party to get credit for and take credit for what they promised they would do in the 2016 campaign. A core pitch that Trump made was that the economy was not improving fast enough. Candidates for Congress and Senate made this. And now, it is improving and it's doing better and everybody knows it.

I think the Republicans are a little soft, frankly, on the immigration issue because it's the one core promise that they haven't filled. You know, they've done the tax cuts, regulatory reform, judges. He's making progress on trade agreements.

But this immigration issue remains unsolved. It's gone unsolved for years. Presidents have failed at this. And the Republican Party, controlling all three legs of the stool, haven't put anything into law.

So, to me, I would focus on promises made, promises kept, and that all really revolves around the economic policies.

CABRERA: In recent days, the president has been returning to rhetoric around protecting women. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Women want safe neighborhoods for their families, great schools for their children. And they want violent predators, like we're talking about, to be thrown in jail or thrown the hell out of our country. And that's what we're doing. That's what we're doing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: S.E., is this going to get women to the polls for your party?

CUPP: It'll get some. The question is at the expense of others, perhaps, right? If you're a suburban mom, you might be a little turned off by this. But, certainly, there are a lot of women who voted for Trump for who immigration is a national defense, national security issue. That's really not uncommon.

And to Scott's point, none of the policies that the -- that Trump and other Republicans are talking about or alluding to, when it comes to immigration, are that offensive or, frankly, unpopular.

[13:15:00] You know, amnesty in sanctuary cities are deeply unpopular across this country. But the way he talks about it is so divisive. It's so ugly. It's so, frankly, gross. If I am a suburban voter, if I am a suburban Republican voter, I'm really -- I'm really turned off by that. That's not the way to get me to go out and pull --

(CROSSTALK)

CABRERA: I'm not so sure what you're saying is accurate. Karine, I'll let you weigh in on this. Are the policies actually popular and is just the rhetoric a lot of people have a problem with?

CUPP: Oh, I can show you polls. I mean, it is. It's popular.

JEAN-PIERRE: Well, here's the thing. There -- the poll -- there are polls that show that Americans trust Democrats more on the immigration issue than Republicans. And for at least -- and I think for some, maybe Republicans, that immigration might be somewhere in the polling. But a lot of polls we have, immigration is actually sixth or seventh. And it's health care, the economy, things like that, that people actually want to hear about.

And just to go back to the caravan for a second. The -- we're learning from reports that the caravan, majority of the caravan, people who are in there are women and children. You know? We're not talking about -- we don't have any facts about what Donald Trump is saying is that they're -- you know, they're killers or drug dealers or they're dangerous in any way.

And so, that is -- and that is a problem because he is putting out those lies. And so, we don't know because we have a president that's just not telling the truth.

And so, the thing, too, is that, yes, they have a tax cut. But it's not popular. And so, they can't run on the tax cuts. We saw that in PA 2018. We saw that in many other races before we -- that led us to the midterms.

So, that is one of the issues that Republicans are having. They can't run on health care because people are not happy with what Republicans did with health care. That's why health care is number -- is the number one issue for voters.

CUPP: For Democrats.

(CROSSTALK)

JEAN-PIERRE: No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, not just for Democrats.

CUPP: Yes.

JEAN-PIERRE: Not just for Democrats.

CABRERA: It is for constituents in places, --

JEAN-PIERRE: Not just for Democrats.

CABRERA: -- like Florida, for example. If you look at CNN's recent polling that just came out this week, I'm just looking at that one state in particular where we know it's a battle for Republican and Democrats.

JEAN-PIERRE: And Democrats, exactly.

CABRERA: Some of those seats. And health care was the number one issue --

JEAN-PIERRE: Exactly.

CABRERA: -- among all likely voters that were polled in that particular case. And then, it was the economy. And then, it was immigration.

JEAN-PIERRE: Exactly.

CABRERA: Scott, though, a lot of the national headlines this week, when you think about what has been generated by the president, specifically. And he has, effectively, turned the conversation to what he wants the narrative to be about, caravans, about birth-right citizenship, about the controversial political ad regarding the caravan, troops being sent down to the voter. How much of a different does this make in state and local midterms now? Again, we're just three days before the election.

JENNINGS: Well, I mean, you know, every voter cares about different things. I would point out to S.E.'s point, I think she's exactly right about the policies actually not being all that unpopular. There is a reason that Senator Joe Donnelly in Indiana is running his entire campaign on build the wall. There is a reason that Claire McCaskill, Democrat Senator from Missouri, is running her campaign now, partly praising President Trump for bringing up these issues around border security.

The reason they're doing it is because they know voters in their states actually prefer some of these border security policies that the president talks about. Now, that's not to excuse extreme rhetoric. But, on a policy basis, Democrats know, in middle America where a lot of these Senate races are taking place, that if they don't, you know, try to acknowledge the problems with border security, they're going to lose a lot of conservative Democrats and a lot of independent voters.

So, it's not just the president talking about these things. It's Democrats talking about them as well.

CABRERA: All right. Scott, Karine, S.E., thank you all. I really appreciate the conversation.

CUPP: Thanks.

JEAN-PIERRE: Thank you.

JENNINGS: Thank you.

CABRERA: Immigrants aren't the only boogie man, so to speak, the president and Republicans are warning voters about. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is also on that list and she could very well be the next speaker of the House. But she is facing opposition from within, from her own party. So, will she outwit them? We'll discuss.

[17:18:57]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CABRERA: Immigrants aren't the only boogie man Republicans are pointing to in close races across the country. The real nightmare, many in the GOP are pushing, if the Democrats win the House, is Nancy Pelosi, and the potential of her returning to her old role as House speaker. Now, Pelosi is featured in GOP attack ads in states far from her California home district.

And as CNN's Manu Raju reports, in many with those states with House races being very close, Democratic candidates aren't taking the bait. They're running away from Pelosi.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MANU RAJU, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It has been a decade since a Democrat won a House seat in this conservative eastern Kansas district that overwhelmingly supported Donald Trump in 2016. But in yet another major warning sign for Republicans ahead of next week's midterms, a Democrat, Paul Davis, could pick up this seat as he pitches himself as a middle of the road candidate.

If Democrats like Paul Davis do win, that could flip the House and effectively make Nancy Pelosi the next speaker. There is just one problem.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL DAVIS (D), KANSAS CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: There isn't a circumstance in which I'm going to support Pelosi. There are times when you just need some new blood, and I think this is the time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: Democrats could face their own leadership struggle as 30 Democrats who stand a real chance of winning next week say they won't support her for the job.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's why I won't support Nancy Pelosi.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I won't support Nancy Pelosi.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: Yet, Pelosi is still the heavy favorite to become speaker and has no viable opponent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY PELOSI (D), CALIFORNIA: I think I'm worth the trouble, quite frankly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: She's raised more than $121 million for her colleagues this cycle and has the power to give member spots on key committees. And if they take the House, Pelosi's allies will make this argument.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[17:25:00] REP. ERIC SWALWELL (D), CALIFORNIA: And I think that will have taken away the argument that she is, you know, a drag or affecting, you know, candidates. If we won, then that really wasn't effective and then I don't understand what the case against her would be.

(END VIDEO CLIP) RAJU: Here in Kansas, Republican Steve Watkins, an Army veteran and first-time candidate, who was also vying for the open seat, is trying to link Davis to Pelosi.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE WATKINS (R), KANSAS CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: He is saying what he thinks he has to say in order to get elected, and Kansas voters aren't being fooled by that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: But a recent CNN poll showed that Pelosi is not a major factor for most voters nationally.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think it's really having much of an impact. As I said on day one of the campaign, I'm not going to support her, and there's nothing that's going to change that. But whatever the Republicans are going to say, I think, is just, you know, trying to muddy the waters, which they, you know, do time again and time again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've seen this movie before.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: It's been a strategy that Republicans have tried throughout the country this election season, dropping nearly $90 million in ads demonizing Pelosi. But as they go door to door in this Chanute, Kansas,-

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, how's it going?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm out here walking for Steve Watkins.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: Watkins' aides acknowledges that Pelosi is not the only issue motivating voters.

(BEGIN VIDEDO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd say one out of every four people who bring up control of Congress, out of those people, one of four bring up Pelosi.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU (on camera): Now, the race may ultimately come down to character. Now, Watkins has faced questions about whether he inflated his resume, something he denies, while Davis has faced GOP attacks about a 1998 incident where he was at a strip club raided by police.

Now, he wasn't charged with a crime, but he did tell me I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. And he said, voters are tired of, quote, "sleazy ads," to the tune of $12 million on both sides in the key House district.

Manu Raju, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: Thanks to Manu.

No question, if the Democrats take back the House after Tuesday's election, there is unsettled businesses over who will win leadership roles. Thursday, the chairman of the Congressional black caucus, Representative Cedric Richman, made it clear that a black lawmaker should hold one of the top two leadership posts, if House Democrats win big on Tuesday.

Now, that demand, of sorts, is seen as a potential threat to Pelosi and minority whip, Steny Hoyer, who are expected to return to their former posts as the top House leaders.

Although, there was a little bit of walking back we saw on this issue on Friday. I want to bring in CNN Political Analyst Rachael Bade, joining us now. She's also the congressional reporter for "Politico." And you have a deep dive this week, Rachael, on Pelosi and what she's been doing. How big of a resistance against Pelosi as speaker is there, really, among Democrats?

RACHAEL BADE, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: You know, I would say it's a lot smaller than people think it is. You know, we've been hearing, for the past few months, about this incoming Democratic freshman class that would come in, ban together and take her out.

But if you actually look at the 40 Democrats most likely to win, I'm talking about candidates running against Republicans in either toss-up districts, lean or likely Democratic seats, sure, they're calling for new leadership. But most of them are actually not saying I won't again -- I won't vote against Nancy Pelosi. There are 11 of the 40 who have said that. And I have called all of them, and only five of them would confirm to me that that means no against Pelosi on the House floor which is the vote that matters most.

And, meanwhile, Pelosi has been, sort of, ruling these candidates that are --

CABRERA: Yes.

BADE: -- most likely to win in coming to Washington, doing these, sort of, secret fundraisers. They can't be seen with her publicly, because Republicans will attack them for that. But she's raising money for them privately. She's sending out her campaign staff to help these folks. She's doing things like writing personal notes and making phone calls. This is very Pelosi.

And there's a reason she's been leading the Democratic caucus for 15 years, and that is because she knows how to woo people. And she knows how to twist arms.

CABRERA: I thought it was really interesting, in your piece, you even mentioned that, in some cases, some of these people who have publicly criticized her, in order to, perhaps, get some of the vote that they want, had actually taken donations from her. Is that right?

BADE: That's absolutely right. I think there's, basically, a pitch being made from Pelosi allies to these candidates. That, look, you can vote against her privately in the caucus. This is a secret vote. She only needs a majority of the Democrats to get the nomination to be speaker. But then, you can return to your districts and say, listen, I voted against her. But then, Democrats, they chose -- they chose Pelosi. And now, I have to back the Democrat for speaker.

But, see, I don't think that's going to play. I think that a lot of these people, if they end up doing that and coming to Washington, even after saying new leadership and end up voting for Pelosi, you can bet that that is the first ad Republicans are going to cut against them next election cycle. And they're going to be really vulnerable for that.

CABRERA: I spoke with David Axelrod earlier. He has seen Pelosi at work behind closed doors. He said she's a master at what she does. And I asked him to explain. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[17:30:00] DAVID AXELROD, CNN HOST, "THE AXE FILES": Nancy Pelosi is a tough competitor. She comes from a political family from the wards of Baltimore. Her father was mayor. Her brother was mayor.

I asked her once on one of my "AXE FILES," what she learned by growing up in that family. She said, I learned how to count. And so I think she knows how to count votes, and she knows how to count votes in precincts, and she knows how to count votes in the House. I would not count her out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Is that the consensus among those that have worked closely with Pelosi?

RACHAEL BADE, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes, absolutely. Consider this. Last year, Democrats were supposed to take the House, or last election cycle. There was a lot of talk amongst Democrats about ousting Pelosi when they did not. And 63 people voted against her privately in a secret ballot election. But by the time they actually came to the House floor, only four of them voted against her. She was able to twist that many arms.

The thing is you have to watch 218. That's the number of votes that she needs. Say Democrats pick up 30 seats on Tuesday. She can only lose seven people on the floor. I have already confirmed five candidates who are voting against her. Last year, there were four. That's nine. There are people who are currently in Congress who are privately talking about banding together to try to push her out and keep her from getting 218. I would not say by any means that she is in the clear, and I think this is going to be the toughest re-election to the speaker's gavel that she has ever had. She's going to face steep and intense headwinds and a steep uphill climb. But, again, she is -- she's been around for a long time. She knows how to do this. She is clearly making a play and laying the ground work to do it.

CABRERA: Rachael Bade, thanks for joining us.

BADE: Thank you.

CABRERA: The U.N. says Yemen's civil war is "the worst humanitarian crisis in the world," and it is unfolding right before our eyes. These images are so disturbing. We have more images, more stories that we need to share with you about the toll of this year's-long civil war that's having on the most vulnerable. Powerful report, next.

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[17:36:28] CABRERA: This story, these images have been haunting me all week. And this is one of those stories that makes my job as a journalist at times painful, but also very meaningful, to have a way to help shed light on unspeakable atrocities, like what's happening in Yemen right now. These horrific photos -- not just these, but the ones I'm about to show you -- really speak for themselves.

This is 7-year-old Amal Hussein. The "New York Times" shared her image earlier this week. Just one of too many starving children in Yemen. Her picture, heartbreaking. It's hard to look at. Her story is devastating. Amal died this week. She starved to death. Her mother says she died of malnutrition at a refugee camp. She was four miles from the hospital. Amal's story is just one example of Yemen's crisis.

The three-year conflict has killed at least 10,000 people, and the U.N. says 13 million Yemenis are in danger of starvation. Just yesterday, the U.N. called this the "worst humanitarian crisis in the world."

U.S Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are now calling on all sides in Yemen's civil war to agree to a cease- fire.

I need to warn you, the images you are about to see are also very disturbing.

CNN senior international correspondent, Nima Elbagir, who has done extensive reporting on Yemen's civil war has this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Youssef arrived at the hospital yesterday. At first, his family couldn't afford to take him to hospital. They had to wait until they could scrape together enough money for the journey. They turned him over to examine his back, but it's too painful.

(CRYING)

ELBAGIR: His malnutrition is so advanced that every breath is a wheeze of agony. At 13 years of age, he weighs as much as a 4-year- old.

Here at this hospital in Sana'a, they've been inundated with starving children.

Mohammed is just 5 months old, and he is severely malnourished. Starving mothers giving birth to starving babies and the cycle continues.

LISE GRANDE, U.N. RESIDENT & HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR FOR YEMEN: Every single day more than 100 children are dying because of causes related to the conflict and to the crisis. There are seven million people in Yemen who are malnourished. Three million of whom are acutely malnourished. It is a devastating, heartbreaking, human, very human, tragedy.

ELBAGIR: For the last three years, Yemen has been in the grip of a civil war pitting the U.S.-backed Saudi-led coalition against Iran- backed Houthi rebels. Here in Yemen, even as criticism swelled over allegations of official Saudi involvement in the murder of Journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the world ignored the Saudi crown prince's other undertaking, restoring the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi at whatever cost. Now, it may almost be too late.

GRANDE: You have asked us the important question about whether or not we can scale up to meet the increased needs across the country. We estimate that 14 million people could be at the brink of famine. But we know that if we receive fund and receive it now that we will be able to reach these people. It will, however, require that all of the parties to the conflict do everything they can to facilitate and support our work.

(CRYING)

[17:40:18] ELBAGIR: Dalia is just over a year old. She has the telltale swollen stomach of malnutrition. Her shallow breaths almost as much an agony for her mother as they are for her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

ELBAGIR: Her mother says she needed an operation to insert a feeding tube, their last hope. Now they wait.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

ELBAGIR: Youssef's mother rubs his hands. She has already lost two children.

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

ELBAGIR: She doesn't know whether Youssef will survive, whether he will ever be the same again. Like so many mothers here, she can only hope and pray.

Nima Elbagir, CNN, London.

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[17:45:44] CABRERA: Police still don't know what motivated a man to start shooting people inside a yoga studio in Tallahassee, Florida. He killed two women. He wounded five others and then killed himself. This happened yesterday evening. Five people inside that yoga studio were wounded.

CNN national correspondent, Dianne Gallagher, is learning more details for us.

Dianne, this is heartbreaking. And we know the names of the two innocent women who were killed in that yoga studio.

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. They were just practicing yoga. A college student and a doctor both with ties to Florida State University. The studio just a few miles away, actually, from campus. And 61-year-old Nancy Van Vessem, she's an intern it's, a doctor. She's the chief medical director at capital health plan, and part of the FSU faculty. And 21-year-old Maura Binkley. She's from the Atlanta area. She's an English and German double major at FSU. She had recently studied abroad.

Now, before that gunman turned the gun on himself, killing himself, he also -- he injured five other people by shooting them and pistol- whipped someone else. Police say those people fought back.

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MICHAEL DELEO, CHIEF, TALLAHASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT: So there are indications that several people inside fought back and tried to not only save themselves but other people, which is a testament to the courage of the people that don't just turn and run, but the strength of our community and the spirit of those people who were trying to help and save and protect others.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GALLAGHER: Again, there are two who remain in the hospital. Ana, one of those women who was in the hospital was shot nine different times. Those who were injured range in age between 19 and 34.

CABRERA: All right, Dianne Gallagher, thank you. So with just three days until Election Day, online disinformation

campaigns are out in full force. If you have social media, you got to watch this next segment. We're talking about the giants, Facebook and Twitter. They still playing catch up in an attempt to thwart these efforts. Twitter announced this Friday that it purged thousands of automated accounts that were discouraging people from voting. The company says most of these accounts were posing as Democrats.

I want to bring in CNN's Donie Sullivan , who has been following all of the social-media developments.

You are the one who brought this Twitter controversy to our attention. How did Twitter figure this out?

DONIE SULLIVAN, CNN POLITICS & TECHNOLOGY REPORTER: So these 10,000 accounts that they found at the end of September, start of October, were actually brought to their attention by a wing of the Democratic Party, the DCCC. They have an in-house team that are sort of looking for trolls, looking for people who are trolling their candidates, and that's how they came across it. There were about 10,000 accounts, we think. Twitter won't say a precise number. They were telling people, don't go out and vote on Tuesday, and it seemed to be an effort that was aimed at Democratic voters.

Now, what Twitter is saying is that they think they believe that this was a domestic operation, that this was not foreign-run. But in terms of any information about who was behind it or what more they're doing to further investigate, they haven't said.

CABRERA: But it's a word of caution that these accounts are still out there. That we do know that people are still working to influence, people, entities, and beyond. Facebook has also experienced some struggles in trying to hold up its end of the deal in terms of providing transparency when it comes to political ads.

SULLIVAN: Yes. You might remember after 2016 it emerged that there was Russian operatives, the Internet Research Agency, a group of Russian trolls that have since been indicted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, were actually paying to target American voters on Facebook ahead of the 2016 presidential election. And they paid for those ads in rubles. And when you see an ad on Facebook prior in 2016, you would have no idea who is paying for that ad. Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg pledged to, you know, clean that up, to let users know if they were being targeted on Facebook who was paying to target them. For most candidates, you will see now an ad that will say, you know, paid for by X campaign. What we have found and what "Vice News" and other outlets have found in the past few weeks is that that system isn't working quite as it should.

[17:50:02] CABRERA: And explain that real briefly, because we know "Vice's" investigation showed that they were -- they went and actually pose as Senators and they slipped through the cracks.

SULLIVAN: Yes So basically, for the ad disclaimer on Facebook ads for political candidates, the person who's buying the ad decides what goes in the paid-for buy section. If you or I are buying an ad, a political ad, we can decide what goes in there. And it seems like Facebook is not doing a good enough job to vet that. So much so that this week, that "Vice News," posing as all 100 Senators, were able to get approval from Facebook to buy ads in their name. Yesterday, Senator Mark Warner and Amy Klobuchar wrote to Mark Zuckerberg to tell him to get his act together on all of this.

CABRERA: So interesting.

Donie Sullivan, thanks for enlightening us. Good to see you.

We'll be right back.

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[17:55:23] MARIA ROSE BELDING, CNN HERO: There was a food pantry in my church that I grew up working in. You have way too much of one thing and would be in desperate need of a different thing. Inevitably, some of it would expire. I would end up throwing a lot of it away. When I was 14, I realized that doesn't make sense. The Internet was right in front of us. That's such an obvious thing to fix. If it isn't claimed, it is turned green. You would really think the novelty of it would wear off. It doesn't.

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CABRERA: That is Maria Rose Belding. If you want to vote for her for "CNN Hero of the Year," or any of your top-10 "CNN Heroes, go to CNNheroes.com.

I'm Ana Cabrera, in New York. I'll be back in two hours from now.

"S.E. CUPP UNFILTERED" is next.

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