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New Day Saturday

Suspect In Paul Pelosi Attack Facing Several Felony Charges; Biden, Obama, And Trump Hit Campaign Trail In Key States Next Week; Schumer Caught On Hot Mic; Candidates Making Final Pitches To Voters 10 Days Before Election; The U.S. Is Struggling With An Early Surge In RSV Cases. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired October 29, 2022 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Buenos dias. Good morning, and welcome to your NEW DAY. I'm Boris Sanchez.

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, Boris. I'm Amara Walker. We have new details this morning in the violent attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband. Hear what police first saw when they arrived at the home, and we also have an update on his condition and new indications about the suspect's motive.

SANCHEZ: And it is the final sprint to the midterm elections with both parties bringing out their closers, their messages and last-minute concerns and some of the key races.

WALKER: Plus, the urgent message from the CDC about this year's flu virus and why they're urging everyone to get vaccinated now.

SANCHEZ: And pediatric hospitals pushed to the brink by a surge of RSV patients. Your NEW DAY starts right now.

WALKER: Good morning, everyone, and welcome to your NEW DAY. It is Saturday, October 29th, always great to be with you Boris, and I still don't know what to do with a 50 percent chance of rain forecast two days from now. I mean, give me 40 percent or 60 percent. 50 percent is like what, what do I do with that?

SANCHEZ: I'm surprised you're not going to take an umbrella with you to go trick or treating. I feel like you're going to be drenched in whatever you're dressed as.

WALKER: I'm being stubborn. No, I'm just going to hang out on the porch with my neighbors and be sad. Yes.

SANCHEZ: Alcohol always helps with sadness, at least occasionally for me. We begin this morning to get serious with new details emerging about the violent attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband.

WALKER: Yes, sources say the assailant tried to tie up 82-year-old, Paul Pelosi, after breaking into the couple's San Francisco home and attacking Pelosi with a hammer. He underwent surgery to repair a skull fracture and other injuries although doctors say he is expected to make a full recovery. And police say, this was a targeted attack.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF WILLIAM SCOTT, SAN FRANCISCO POLICE CHIEF: This was not a random act. This was intentional. And it's wrong. Our elected officials are here to do the business of their cities, their counties, their states, and this nation. Their families don't sign up for this to be harmed, and it is wrong, and everybody should be disgusted.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: The San Francisco district attorney says that when police arrived, the suspect used the hammer against Paul Pelosi in a manner that appeared he was intending to kill him. President Biden called the attack despicable.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Enough is enough, is enough. Every person of good conscience needs to clearly and unambiguously, stand up against the violence in our polities regardless what your politics are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: We get more now on the attack on Paul Pelosi from CNN's Natasha Chen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NATASHA CHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott became emotional during a press conference Friday evening saying this attack was intentional and wrong. Adding that family members of our elected leaders did not sign up for this and that we should all be disgusted.

Speaker Pelosi arrived at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital behind me here by mid-afternoon on Friday. Doctors here said her husband, Paul Pelosi, underwent successful surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his arm and hands. He is expected to make a full recovery.

The suspect is also still being treated at the hospital for minor injuries. The police have been able to speak with him, 42-year-old, David Wayne DePape. He is expected to be booked on suspicion of attempted murder, first-degree burglary, and assault with a deadly weapon among other charges.

The San Francisco Police Chief said the assailant broke into the Pelosi residence through the back door in the early hours of Friday morning. Speaker Pelosi was in D.C. at the time. The DA said it is really thanks to Mr. Pelosi calling 9-1-1 and talking to a dispatcher in code, and the instinct of that dispatcher to realize something was wrong and making that police call a priority.

[07:05:28] Chief Scott said that instinct was lifesaving. He said someone opened

the door when police knocked and police saw Mr. Pelosi and the suspect through the doorway, both holding on to the same hammer. Police gave commands for both men to drop the hammer. And the police chief said that then the suspect pulled the hammer away and violently attacked Mr. Pelosi with at least one strike.

A Facebook page that DePape's family members say was his, was taken down on Friday but showed posted memes and conspiracy theories about COVID vaccines, the 2020 election, and the January 6th attack. An acquaintance told CNN that he was "out of touch with reality."

DePape may be assigned a public defender once the arraignment is scheduled. The D.A.'s office said they expect to file formal charges on Monday with an arraignment likely on Tuesday. Back to you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Thank you, Natasha Chen, for that. Turning now to the midterm elections. More than 17-and-a-half million Americans have already cast their ballots via early voting, but with just over a week to go until Election Day, candidates are now bringing out some big-name surrogates trying to gather support in their final push for votes. Both President Biden and former President Obama are on the campaign trail for Democrats in key states.

WALKER: Over the next week, former President Trump also holding rallies in support of Republican candidates across four states and several key races, very important pivotal races are neck-and-neck. But Georgia's Senate race between Democrat Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker has some in the Democratic leadership concerned. Here's the Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer caught on a hot mic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): It looks like the debate didn't hurt us too much in Pennsylvania. So, that's good.

The state where we're going downhill is Georgia. It's hard to believe that they will go for Herschel Walker.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: Going downhill in Georgia while Democrats are desperately trying to hold on to their slim majority in Congress. Let's go now to CNN White House Reporter, Kevin Liptak, who is with President Biden in Wilmington, Delaware. Hi there, Kevin. How is his time on the campaign trail going?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Good morning, Amara, the President, the Vice President. They're both trying to sharpen their message here in the closing stretch, as Democrats grow increasingly anxious about their prospects. Their closing argument really centers around this warning about what would happen if Republicans were to take the majority in Congress. Of course, the President has focused on official events. This campaign

season really trying to highlight his accomplishments, but there is this persistent frustration among Biden's team that that isn't breaking through to voters. And so, in this final stretch, they've made the determination that in addition to arguing for his own accomplishments, he should also be arguing about what the Republican alternative would mean.

Yesterday in Philadelphia, he said that this was a reference, not a referendum, but a choice between two distinct visions for America. Listen to a little bit of how the Vice President framed this last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Contraception is on the line. Marriage equality is on the line. With Republican Party leaders in charge, healthcare is on the line. Social Security would be on the line. Medicare would be on the line. Good jobs and fair wages for working families on the line.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIPTAK: Now, nowhere is this message more resonant than in Pennsylvania. This was the President's 19th visit to the state. He, of course, was born in Pennsylvania. And last night, he pulled up a pant leg and showed a Philly sock -- of course, they're in the World Series. Now, the President is not on the campaign trail this weekend.

His wife, Dr. Jill Biden, will be in New Hampshire. Vice President Kamala Harris will be in Maryland. The President does plan to cast his early vote today, early voting opened in Delaware just yesterday. He'll be accompanied by his granddaughter, Natalie, she turned 18 this year. This will be her first-time voting, guys.

SANCHEZ: And hopefully, we will have pool cameras there when the President goes to cast his ballot. Kevin Liptak reporting from Delaware. Thank you so much.

[07:10:00]

WALKER: And, of course, late campaign twist could have a real impact on three consequential Senate races that will decide whether Democrats remain in control of that chamber. For more on this, joining me now is CNN Senior Political Analyst, Ryan Lizza, he's also the Chief Washington Correspondent for Politico. Ryan, longtime -- good to see you. Thanks so much for joining us this morning.

I want to first ask you about Pennsylvania because I've heard it pegged, often by a lot of political analysts as the most important race in the country for several reasons, including the fact that, you know, it will shape up to be probably the biggest battleground state in 2024. Do you agree with that, and why?

RYAN LIZZA, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes, look, Pennsylvania on for the Senate is the sort of the majority maker here. If the winner of Pennsylvania is likely to take control of the United States Senate, and a lot of these other Senate races that are the key toss-ups right now happen also to be presidential swing states, and view as important as Pennsylvania. If Joe Biden, or whoever the Democrats nominate in 2024, can't win Pennsylvania, they likely don't have a path to the, to the presidency. That's at least the way it was in 2020.

And the reason all the you know, the Senate, the Senate, and for the Senate and for presidential races, voters are more and more voting the same way. You very rarely see these days, senators or voters vote differently for their statewide Senate candidates than they do for the presidential races. Not that long ago, it's pretty common to split those. Now, we're approaching a country where all 50 states statewide elect one party or the other up and down the ballot -- with some important exceptions.

WALKER: Yes, and if you don't mind, if I could jump in there, because I do want to ask you about that debate in Pennsylvania, right? I mean, it was obviously very uncomfortable and painful to watch Fetterman on the debate stage. Yes, he is recovering from a stroke. But I mean, do you think his shaky performance is going to cost Democrats knowing that the Senate, I mean, there are a lot of elderly -- I would say almost half, I believe, are in their 70s senators. And a lot of them are ailing as well, or some of them are. So, is that what it's going to come down, do you think, in Pennsylvania?

LIZZA: That is a good point. There is this kind of not such a great tradition in the Senate's health issues, cropping up with senators late in their career, and Senate offices not being very transparent about that. That is a little different than this happening in the middle of an election, of course. And that debate happened just as Oz was creeping up on Fetterman in the polls.

So, it came at a bad time. And look, these debates are, are, are -- voters have come to -- we pundits and voters have come to expect debate performance to be one of the criteria that a Senator should be good at, right, if -- when we elect them, and we see these debates as such an important sort of ritual in a campaign. So, some voters might not understand that his troubles in that debate had nothing to do with his cognitive abilities, they were just this oratory processing issue, right?

That's a complicated thing to get across to a lot of voters. But, I think, the campaign and the media have done a decent job explaining that. And we're in a very polarized environment where not a lot changes these campaigns on one side or the other. So, I think at the end of the day, it has minimal impact.

WALKER: And to the race in Georgia, Ryan, I mean, we heard there on the hot mic, you know, Senator Chuck Schumer saying that the race is going downhill for the Democrats. And he -- I think, he was referring to obviously, the race between Democrats, Senator Raphael Warnock against Republican Herschel Walker. What do you think that race is going to come down to? I mean, do you think people are just going to simply vote along party lines as long as they get a majority in the Senate? LIZZA: I mean, this, this is a great example of what we were just talking about when being dramatic events, sometimes don't change races, or they have the opposite impact than what we think they might. So, a lot of Republicans in Georgia are processing the fact that all of this information is coming out about alleged abortions that Herschel Walker paid for despite his swearing that he's, he's pro- life.

A lot of Republicans are processing that as, you know, Democratic hits on this guy, and it's reinforcing his base rather than turning the Republicans away. So, who would have thought that those allegations coming out in late in the campaign coincide with Chuck Schumer saying, hey, the race is slipping away for us, right? We're in a polarized environment, and it's it takes a lot to shake voters on one side of the other off their, off their preferred party right now.

[07:15:11]

WALKER: Well Ryan, it was great to see you. Thank you so much for the conversation. Hope to see you again soon. Thanks so much.

LIZZA: Good to see you.

SANCHEZ: So, the CDC is urging everyone to get their flu vaccine right now. Why they say this flu season has been especially bad, the worst start in more than a decade.

Plus, rising cases of RSV frightening parents and overwhelming some pediatric hospitals. We're going to take you inside one hospital trying to keep up with a surge of patients.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALKER: Flu season has arrived and it hasn't been this bad this early and 13 years.

SANCHEZ: Health officials are urging people to get a flu vaccine now, as in like right now like this weekend. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that influenza arrived several weeks earlier than anticipated this year. CDC data shows the highest rate of flu spread is in the south, including gulf coast areas like Houston and New Orleans.

[07:20:14]

Health officials say that flu hospitalizations are higher than usual for this time of year, and they're urging everyone to get their vaccine by Halloween. And it's not just the flu that health officials are concerned about. There's also this surge in respiratory illnesses like RSV.

WALKER: And what's really frightening is it's hitting children the hardest. CNNs Adrienne Broaddus has the details now on how the virus is putting added strain on an already overwhelmed health system.

ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Boris and Amara. Hospital staffing across the country has been a challenge and this level one trauma center behind us is no different. But doctors here say they're doing their best to manage. It just means patients who show up in the E.R. will have to pack some patience.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BROADDUS (voiceover): A visit to this emergency department might leave you waiting, hours.

DR. KIM QUAYLE, DIRECTOR, ST. LOUIS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL: A few hours, unfortunately. We do our best to shorten that but just with the overall surge of patients that we're seeing at this time, it's very difficult to have people seen immediately when they get to an emergency department.

BROADDUS: Dr. Kim Quayle is the medical director of St. Louis Children's Hospital Emergency Department. She says, the number of children treated here with RSV is concerning.

QUAYLE: If you compare volumes to last year, we're seeing about a 300 percent increase in RSV cases. It's just a very striking peak and we don't even know if we peaked yet.

BROADDUS: Respiratory Syncytial Virus or RSV is most serious in infants, young children, elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems.

That cough led this California mother to seek treatment for her 2- month-old daughter.

CYNTHIA LAYTON, BABY HAS RSV: We noticed that she was coughing a lot and had a really runny nose. And so, we took her into the doctor and they tested her, and true enough, she had RSV.

BROADDUS: In Missouri, weekly RSV case is more than doubled over the past month and are more than five times higher compared to last year, according to the CDC.

QUAYLE: We are at capacity on many days, and it's one patient in, one patient out.

BROADDUS: Across the country, pediatric hospitals are filling up. 14 states plus D.C., more than 80 percent full. Four of those states more than 90 percent full: Rhode Island, Texas, Kentucky and Minnesota.

LAYTON: Looking back at pictures, you could see it in her eyes that they were just like puffy. I was in panic mode. It was just, it was terrifying night. We didn't even think to like go to a hospital that was in network. It was like let's just get to the closest hospital.

BROADDUS: On top of comforting parents, Dr. Quayle says she's dealing with staffing shortages accelerated by the pandemic.

QUAYLE: We're bringing and our nurse managers who usually do administrative tasks. They're now at the bedside helping to take care of patients. BROADDUS: Dr. Marcus Schabacker, who runs a nonprofit organization focused on health care safety says this should be a warning.

DR. MARCUS SCHABACKER, PRESIDENT AND CEO, ECRI: We all should be alarmed because when nurse-patient ratio increases, meaning fewer nurses have to take care of more patients, patient safety is at risk.

BROADDUS: A problem that gives Quayle pause.

QUAYLE: I think everyone's a little bit nervous.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROADDUS: And part of the fear is the unknown. Dr. Quayle says, she has no idea what the influenza season will bring. She also says, she believes the pandemic played a role in the surge they're seeing now. Boris and Amara.

WALKER: All right. Adrienne, thank you for that. As Ukrainian counter offensive continues to progress in the Luhansk this morning, the Russians are digging their heels in Kherson.

[07:24:16]

Next, the concerns over a brewing battle there as worries turned to the electrical grid heading into winter.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Some new developments out of Ukraine this morning were officials say the counter offensive and Luhansk is progressing. Ukrainian forces now controlling a key highway in that region, bombarding the important Russian supply route, leaving it unusable. Meantime, Russia is responding to the counter offensive a top Russian official threatening to hold Kyiv's electricity supply hostage, saying power would be restored only if Ukraine recognizes Russia's attempted annexations.

Let's get some insight now from Retired Lieutenant General Mark Hurtling, he's a CNN Military Analyst, and a former commanding general for U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army. General, good morning, and thanks for being with us. The Kremlin threatening to take keeps power supply hostage. How seriously do you take that threat?

LT. GEN. MARK HURTLING, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: It would certainly have a huge effect on the nation of Ukraine, Boris, and good morning to you. What we're talking about is during a really tough winter, that's coming up having been in Europe, and especially in Ukraine during the winter time, it is cold.

So, you're talking to combination of not only electricity, but heat, any kind of power supplies, it would not only contribute to the support of the civilian population, but also support of the military. So, it is certainly an approach that the Russians have used from the very beginning, taking away the infrastructure, but it's going to be particularly important during this period of the year. [07:30:00]

SANCHEZ: What can you Ukraine and its allies in the West realistically do to either prevent that or try to circumvent some of the effects it causes?

HERTLING: Well, they've been doing quite a bit in terms of providing air defense support, capabilities to destroy incoming missiles and rockets that the Soviets are using. And now, drones that they receive from Iran.

So, it is all part of the counter offensive that Ukraine is conducting. Unfortunately, the Russians have fired so many missiles, rockets, drones, at all different types of targets in a very large area of Ukraine.

There's no pinpointed target. So, Ukraine has to defend everywhere. And that's virtually impossible. Even though they've been very successful in knocking down the majority -- the vast majority of the incoming rounds, they haven't been able to knock down all of them. And those are the ones that unfortunately affect the power stations.

SANCHEZ: While the counteroffensive is making progress in some parts of eastern Ukraine, they've hit snags in other parts with these new Russian conscripts, as well as just muddy conditions.

As you noted, we're starting to get into winter or closer to winter and the field, the landscape, is difficult for movement. What do you make of the new developments in that part of Ukraine?

HERTLING: Yes, it's interesting, Boris. I was just having a conversation with a colleague about that. Those who draw big circles and arrows on maps, forget that those (INAUDIBLE) -- those arrows sometimes have to go through swamps and lands that are bogged down, and places where there is no roads and forests. So, it's a whole lot easier to draw those areas -- those arrows than it is to actually maneuver in those locations.

But Ukraine has done a very good job. Yes, Russia is basically stacking their defenses, with a new mobilized, recruits. But again, those recruits are absolutely untrained, terrible, and adjoining units with low morale.

So, what we're seeing really is Russia feeding more meat to a meat grinder, and Ukraine will have increased challenges with countering those kinds of larger units. Because after all, quantity has a quality all of its own. But I think because of the capability of the Ukraine's army, they will eventually wind those down.

One of the areas is that southern area of Kherson estimates by the Ukrainian intelligence is that there are close to 40,000 Russian troops on the western bank of the Dnipro River that have no means to escape.

So, that's an area that I'm -- I've been watching very closely. When you don't have the ability to resupply soldiers, have them escape or withdraw, it's going to be very difficult. And there is the huge potential for Ukraine to capture a great many of those soldiers and take them completely out of action.

SANCHEZ: Feeding meat to a meat grinder. Wow, that's tough.

Notably, there have been indications from both Republicans and Democrats in Congress, that there are doubts about maintaining the level of support for Ukraine that we've seen thus far.

Are you concerned with what support for Ukraine might look like after the midterm elections going into a new Congress next year?

HERTLING: Yes, I am. Boris, I am concerned about the narrative that some are presenting in terms of this case, what you're talking about as a nation that's fighting for its sovereignty and for its independence.

The West has supported Ukraine very well. So far, they're increasing. You know, the president just gave another package of $725 million to Ukraine, just in the last few days.

What we're talking about is the potential for the United States and NATO, truthfully, to be affected by inflationary prices based on what's been happening in Ukraine, but also kind of an overwhelming information flow that we see sometimes, and the public gets tired of it, and there's a fatigue.

But we have to remember, Ukrainian citizens are fighting for their freedom, for their sovereignty. And we have always presented our American values to other nations, when you're doing that, in this case, going against a Russian force that actually is committing multiple war crimes and illegal activity, what you're talking about, is really having an attempt to sustain that through what's going to be a very tough winter.

I'm convinced that we will do that, but it will certainly come up in a debate in Congress and in NATO as well. But the support seems to continue to flow.

SANCHEZ: General Hertling, as always, appreciate your expertise. Thanks.

HERTLING: Pleasure, Boris. Thank you.

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: House lawmakers may get their hands on Donald Trump's tax returns next week after a ruling from a federal appeals court.

[07:34:54]

WALKER (voice-over): But, how will Trump react to this? We'll discuss next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALKER: It's been another notable week of legal drama for former President Donald Trump, including everything from court sealed, closed door meetings, to allies being told to testify, along with a widening list of Secret Service agents and officials.

CNN legal analyst and former NYC prosecutor Paul Callan is here to unpack it all for us. Good morning to you, Paul. Thank you so much for being here. Let's start with the news.

(CROSSTALK)

[07:40:01]

PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Good morning, Amara.

WALKER: Good morning.

That Trump's legal defense team and federal prosecutors, they were at a sealed hearing this week. They didn't tell reporters why, but we know that this was "related", at least, in part, to the DOJ's investigation to whether all classified documents have been returned from Mar-a-Lago, or at least from Trump's possession.

Does this suggest to you, Paul that the former president could be in even deeper legal trouble?

CALLAN: It suggests that the Department of Justice is very aggressively investigating this matter, involving what he did with those records that were seized from Mar-a-Lago.

Keeping track of all this litigation for ordinary people, it might -- it's really confusing.

WALKER: It is. Yes.

CALLAN: Even lawyers can keep track of it all, because this now has to do with the Mar-a-Lago search warrant, but it's in Washington, D.C. Now, that's because the Department of Justice grand jury is a Washington, D.C. grand jury that wants to investigate those Mar-a-Lago records.

And Trump's lawyers, we know are very aggressively fighting against production of some of those classified documents.

So, this is a very important aspect of the investigation.

WALKER: I'm glad you made that distinction between what's going on with the judge and Florida versus this criminal investigation in Washington, D.C.

Why isn't all of this being done kind of in public, though, you know, with, especially with the, you know, these sealed hearings? You know, why and why not have the former president appear in person?

CALLAN: Well, that's a great question. But the criminal justice system, with respect to grand jury investigations, has always relied on secrecy. We never get to see what's going on inside a grand jury unless you're a lawyer or a prosecutor. And it remains that way, because it enables prosecutors to conduct investigation secretly to decide whether to proceed with the prosecution or not.

And the idea is that if witnesses knew that everything they said in the grand jury was going to be immediately revealed, it might impede or block investigation. So, that's why we don't specifically know what's going on in that grand jury. But it's an old tradition in the legal profession to keep grand juries secrets.

WALKER: You know, we also learned, Paul, this week that the January 6 committee is planning to interview several Secret Service agents. We know that the investigators have gone through nearly a million pages of Secret Service documents. And you know, from the January 6th hearings, we also learned that, you know, from the internal communications, the Secret Service was at least aware of potential violence.

I'd imagine there could be a treasure trove of information, just by speaking to some of these witnesses. I mean, what do you make of that?

CALLAN: Yes, there would be an enormous amount of information, because we have to remember, these agents are with the president of the United States at all times. They hear a lot of his most intimate discussions with his advisors and other people.

And I think there's been a tradition in America, we kind of view them differently than regular government employees. You know, they were -- I am thinking back to the Kennedy assassination. And what -- talking about how a Secret Service agent was throwing himself in front of the bullets that were aimed at President Kennedy.

So, there's always been an emphasis on loyalty to the sitting president. But now, when you have been testifying in front of Congress, you realize that the Secret Service's role is different, and it's different in this way. If a president is engaging in illegal conduct, then, Secret Service agents just become witnesses to the commission of a crime, and their law enforcement people also, and they can be compelled to testify in front of a grand jury just like anybody else who has witnessed a crime.

WALKER: That would be interesting to listen to. Paul Callan, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

CALLAN: Thank you, Amara. Always nice being with you.

SANCHEZ: We have a quick programming note for you this morning. Catch an all new episode of "THE MURDOCH'S: EMPIRE OF INFLUENCE", as that family saga continues. Here is a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And that brings us back to August 2017, when Rupert Murdoch invites Bob Iger, the head of Disney to have a drink with him at his $29 million vineyard in the Hills of Bel Air. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rupert suggests something stunning. Something that flies in the face of everything he has done and built over the last few decades.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rupert floats the idea of selling 21st Century Fox to Disney.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And over the next several weeks and months, Disney made a play to buy the crown jewel of the Murdoch Empire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ (voice-over): "THE MURDOCHS: EMPIRE OF INFLUENCE", airs tomorrow night at 10:00 p.m. right here on CNN.

SANCHEZ: And with the midterm elections just days away, a key race in South Florida, where messaging surrounding socialism has taken center stage targeting Latino voters.

[07:45:06]

SANCHEZ (voice-over): We'll hear from both candidates.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: With midterm elections fast approaching, candidates have been flooding the airwaves and riling up crowds with their closing messages to voters.

In one competitive House race in South Florida, an area that's dominated by Latino voters, one specific line of attack from Republicans is being called misinformation by Democrats. They say it's partly to blame for a trend toward the GOP among Hispanics.

I sat down with both candidates in Florida's 27th congressional district race to learn why.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REP. MARIA ELVIRA SALAZAR (R-FL), CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: Why are the Hispanics coming to the GOP? Because we are not stupid. Because we know, we know very well what good and what's bad.

SANCHEZ (voice-over): Running in Florida's 27th District, the centerpiece of Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar's reelection campaign resonates in a largely exile community.

SALAZAR: And you know, socialism is a really bad dirty word for people that speak and sound like me.

[07:50:05]

SALAZAR: Why? Because we have lifted. And you know, it's beautiful in theory, it's miserable in practice.

SANCHEZ: The daughter of Cuban refugees says her party has made recent gains with Latino voters, because the GOP is defending them from what they call radical policies put forward by Democrats.

SALAZAR: Unfortunately, the Democratic Party leadership has been infiltrated and it's been hijacked by radical forces that are neo- Marxists. No one has to misinform them. They recognize it.

SANCHEZ: When your opponent calls you and your party socialists and communists, you say what?

SEN. ANNETTE TADDEO (D-FL), CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: I say, really? Because I am the one that came to this country because my father was kidnapped by a Marxist terrorist group.

(INAUDIBLE) as they call my opponent.

SANCHEZ: Salazar's rival, Annette Taddeo, argues it's hypocritical for Republicans to link her party with radical authoritarians when they support former President Donald Trump.

TADDEO: So, how can you fight for democracy in Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, if you're not going to fight for it right here in the United States?

SANCHEZ: The Democratic Florida State Senator believes misinformation is a key reason more Latinos are voting Republican.

TADDEO: We need to fight back when they call us out and call them out. Because they are the ones taking our freedoms away.

AMORE RODRIGUEZ, CO-FOUNDER, CUBANOS PA'LANTE: There's a -- there's a fear of losing their second home, because they already had to lose the first home.

SANCHEZ: Amore Rodriguez who founded a liberal group focused on Latino outreach says it's a manipulative message preying on an area dominated by immigrants fleeing for left regimes.

RODRIGUEZ: And this is why I've been so frustrated with the Republican Party using the term socialism and communist, you know, as equivalent to Democrat in as a way -- as a fear tactic to tap into the tragedy of our community.

SANCHEZ: A tactic she calls cruel because it's torn her family apart.

RODRIGUEZ: We don't even agree on reality.

SANCHEZ: She says one of her family members now believes conspiracies spread on social and Spanish language media.

RUY TEIXEIRA, SENIOR FELLOW, AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE: The idea that's driving this big movement of Hispanic voters away from the Democrats, I think it's absurd.

SANCHEZ: a left leaning analyst who has studied the Latino vote for decades, Ruy Teixeira, argues that by blaming misinformation, Democrats are avoiding more serious questions about their approach to Latinos. TEIXEIRA: It's actually like, unproductive for the Democrats to think about it this way, because it prevents them thinking about what aspects of the Republican message are really working with these voters and why? And why are -- why is our party not as attractive to these voters as it used to? What are we doing wrong?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Ruy Teixeira also pointed out that while the claim from Republicans that Democrats or socialists may be helping the GOP in places like South Florida, it doesn't necessarily explain the rightward shift among other groups of Hispanic Americans like Mexican Americans in Texas or Nevada, who don't have a history with communist regimes.

There is still much more to come on NEW DAY after a quick break. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:57:50]

SANCHEZ: The Philadelphia Phillies pulling off a dramatic comeback on the road to beat the Astros in Game One of the World Series.

WALKER: Let's go now to Andy Scholes live in Houston. And Andy, you were there, what a roller coaster for everyone at the ballpark last night.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, It certainly was guys. And you know this Philadelphia Phillies team. I mean, they look like a team of destiny this entire postseason, and they did so again in Game One of the World Series here in Houston last night.

I mean, they got all the big hits. The Astros, on the other hand, they just don't like Game One of the World Series. They are 0 for 5 in Game Ones in their history.

SCHOLES (voice-over): But things did start off well for the Astros. Their star right fielder Kyle Tucker coming through in his first two at bats, hitting a homerun each time helping the Astros jump out to a 5-0 lead in the third inning.

But the Phillies just kept clawing back. They are down to now with two runners on in the fifth catcher J.T. Realmuto rips a double the left center. So, the lead is now gone. The game tied at five. All five of those runs coming off Astros ace Justin Verlander, ending his night with another World Series disappointment.

The game was stateside until the 10th, and Realmuto would come up to the plate again, gets a hold of one, a solo shot to right just out of the reach of Tucker. That would win it for the Phillies as they shot the Astros coming back to win Game One, 6-5.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) J.T. REALMUTO, CATCHER, PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES: To be honest with, with heart (PH) behind me, all I was trying to do was get on base. I was trying to see some pitches early. Maybe it walked me, but that's what three two count got a good pitch to hit. And luckily, was able to put a good swing on it.

I just can't say enough about my teammates tonight. They were incredible. The bullpen was amazing. The way we fought back in that game after being down 55-0, that's just -- that's a Phillies win right there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Yes, and what a win that is for the Phillies, guys. A teams that were down by five runs or more in the World Series had only come back to win 18 times in over 600 times that's happened.

WALKER: Wow.

SANCHEZ: Wow.

SCHOLES: So, that's pretty incredible. And good news for the Phillies, the teams that have won Game One in the last 27 World Series have gone on to win 22 of the times. So, that's good news for them.

[08:00:00]

It's hard to call a Game Two a must-win for a team guys. But, I mean the Astros, they really need to win here tonight, because if they were to go down 0-2, with games three, four, and five in Philadelphia. That would certainly be bad news, considering what kind of a raucous crowd they're going to have there in Philly.