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The Lead with Jake Tapper

NYPD Says, Person Shot During Encounter With Federal Agents; Wall Street Journal Reports Guilfoyle Pushed Donor to Wire $100,000 to Her AmEx Account; Hurricane Isaias Strengthens to a Power Category 2 Storm. 2026 Midterm Cycle On Pace To Top 2022 & 2024 In Ad Spending; Aaron Sorkin On Facebook, Social Media, And His New Film. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired October 08, 2026 - 18:00   ET

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

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to The Lead. I'm Jake Tapper.

We start this hour with breaking news in our National Lead. New York Police confirm that a person was shot during an encounter with federal immigration officers. This was just north of Manhattan in the southern tip of the Bronx.

Let's get right to CNN's Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller with the breaking details. John, what are you hearing from your law enforcement sources about this breaking news?

[18:00:01]

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Well, Jake, we know a little bit, and we'll go through that. There's a lot we don't know and a lot of that is because the NYPD is trying to piece together that information now because they don't work with ICE in the field on immigration matters. So, they were not there when the shooting happened and they responded after the fact and are trying to gather information at the same time everybody else is from the federal government.

But here's what we know. Around 4:00 P.M. today, officers from ICE, the Enforcement Removal office, the ERO agents these are the, the core group of agents that are sent to go after identified illegals in the field. That's their main job. There was an encounter with one of the people they were targeting, we are told, and I got to say all of this is preliminary because it's still developing.

In that encounter, shots were fired by the agents. An individual was wounded, transferred to a nearby hospital where I am told at this point his injuries are not considered life-threatening but that's again, also preliminary. The two agents also were reportedly injured, although not shot, and they are being treated as well.

TAPPER: John Miller, thanks so much.

Now to our other Lead story tonight, fresh reaction from Trump administration officials after a MAGA donor revealed that the U.S. ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, begged him for cash to pay off her $100,000 Amex bill just before her Senate confirmation hearing to become ambassador. The donor, Eric Deters, told The Wall Street Journal that he believed it was a quid pro quo to get him the access to Trump administration officials that he wanted as he dealt with, quote, personal tax and legal issues.

Ambassador Guilfoyle, whom we should note is Donald Trump Jr.'s former fiancee, was in regular contact with Deters last year. Deters made an unsuccessful run for a House seat in Kentucky in 2024. He says he has supported Donald Trump since his first presidential run, 2016, donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to Trump and his family through speaking fees and donor events.

Deters shared with the Journal text messages between him and Guilfoyle. He also shared them with us at CNN, including one chat on July 3rd, 2025, six days before her confirmation hearing, when Guilfoyle texted Deters, quote, honey, please, I need you to get this done for me today. Hours later, she wrote, quote, it won't show up anywhere if you wire money to American Express. That's all it will show. Please.

Just a couple minutes later, she wrote, I can get you in for a meeting on the matter we discussed. Please get back to me ASAP, unquote. Deters says he did not end up wiring her the money because he didn't have the money in liquid assets at the time.

A lawyer for Ambassador Guilfoyle disputes the authenticity of the texts. Deters says he revealed the story because he wants the Trump administration to extradite an Ohio spine surgeon who fled to Pakistan after being charged with healthcare fraud and performing unnecessary surgeries.

Earlier today, Ambassador Guilfoyle was at the airport with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Athens, and Secretary Rubio was asked about the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE: Our job is not to respond every time someone decides to give the media something without any advance warning.

You guys somehow walk around thinking that because some source told you something and you reported it, it's the gospel. It's not the gospel. It's not the gospel for me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Secretary Rubio was in Greece to meet with world leaders and delivered a speech about democracy and American foreign policy at the Acropolis.

Back in the United States, Vice President J.D. Vance was asked what he thought of a scenario when an American ambassador would try to exchange access for money. This is what the vice president said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) J.D. VANCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: With that hypothetical, John, obviously I don't love that, but, you know -- I don't know who exactly who you're talking about. I don't know the full details.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Joining us now, Eric Deters. Eric, there you are. Hello, you there? Eric, you shared a -- there you are. Good to see you.

ERIC DETERS, FORMER POLITICAL CANDIDATE: I'm here.

TAPPER: Yes. You shared a big report with us that includes those messages. In that report, you say Gilfoyle is wicked and, quote, Kimberly knows plenty, thus the peaceful exile to a Greece ambassadorship.

What do you mean by she knows plenty?

DETERS: Well, that's just common sense. I mean, when Don Jr. and her broke up, she gets the Greek ambassadorship. It's my opinion that was throwing her a bone. She could find herself a Greek billionaire and the Trumps could have peace. However it's not working out very good because she's been flying around Europe with an energy lobbyist and now she's having to deal with the allegations that I've brought forward against her.

TAPPER: What do you think she was expecting when she was asking you for this money? I mean, obviously, she thought you were going to give her the money, but why would you give her the money?

[18:05:04]

DETERS: I'm going to say -- I'm going to tell this story real quick. After the 2024 Patriot's Day Freedom Fest, I wanted to bring attention to the Dr. Durrani victims the way Medical Protective was committing massive fraud. I wanted Durrani extradited back here in the United States.

So, what I did, and now President Trump was president, what I did is I told Kimberly, I said, Kimberly, if you help me draw attention to this, when the case settles, I'll give you a million bucks. And she said, fine. And she said that she'd start doing all these things for me.

By the way, my tax issue was not a criminal tax issue. It's a dispute on a tax deduction. And I felt like Biden had targeted me because I was a Trump supporter. It's not a big deal. It's in tax court. That is -- Wall Street Journal made that bigger part of the story.

TAPPER: Okay.

DETERS: So, here's what went down. She claimed that she was going to get me on Tucker Carlson, all this stuff, but none of that ever happened.

So, right before her Senate confirmation, she says to me, I need $100,000 to pay off my American Express card or I'm not going to become Greek ambassador. This is embarrassing. And I said, Kimberly, you haven't done anything that I've asked you to do, I mean, just nothing. She hadn't accomplished anything. And I said, Kimberly, why should I do this for you? And she told me, and it's in the text messages, I'll be your ride or die forever in the Trump administration.

TAPPER: Right.

DETERS: I won't keep track of how many favors, how big the favors. So, that's why she asked for it.

There was no question it was a quid pro quo. She knew she was nominated. She tried to cover it up. She wanted to paper it by coming up with this idea that it was for past consulting fees, and I wrote her that fake letter saying here's for those fake consulting fees.

But she's dug a deeper hole now. She says the text messages are fake. I proved that to The Wall Street Journal they're not. She said that I was a known blackmailer, never blackmailed anybody, never been charged with blackmail.

TAPPER: Yes.

DETERS: And she's basically dung a, dug a deeper hole for herself now.

TAPPER: So, let me ask you. So, the Journal says that Guilfoyle told her friends that she was broke before the confirmation hearing, underwater on several liabilities after her engagement to Donnie Jr. was broken off, including a boat loan, a mortgage, med spa, a New York vodka company. You shared texts that reveal she was pretty sensitive about her financial situation.

Is this quid pro quo situation that you allege, is this standard operating procedure in the Trump orbit? Because I know you've given money to other people in the Trump world for speaking fees and such.

DETERS: The only folks in Trump world that I think sell access, and, of course, I don't know everybody in Trump world, but I know a lot of them, is I know Corey Lewandowski did it all the time. I know Kristi Noem did it. I know Kimberly Guilfoyle has done it. I'm not aware personally of others in the Trump administration that sell access like this quid pro quo.

I will share with you that I am, and we might disagree with some of this, Jake, but just so you know about my motivation here, I have been a Trump supporter forever. I still consider myself a supporter of Trump's policies for the most part, but I've never cared for Trump's egomania, like the Trump arch and all that stuff. I do support the ballroom. But I don't -- Trump's lifestyle is not for me, okay?

But the other thing I don't like is I bashed the Bidens all the time for what I saw as shadow criminality with Hunter and the family. Well, what the Trumps are doing is just totally different. Jared Kushner is involved in the Abraham Accords and then does a $3 billion fund with Saudi Arabia. Don Jr. -- Trump says crypto's a scandal, and then his sons get involved in crypto, and all of a sudden Trump's a proponent of crypto.

So, they're adding to their wealth just out in the open. They're not grifting. They're just getting appointed to boards, and boom, value of stock goes up. They get some stock. They make some money.

And now Jared Kushner's an envoy over in the Middle East and wants to help develop the Gaza Strip. I mean, it's kind of sickening. It's two sides of the same coin, and that bothers me.

TAPPER: Eric Deters, thank you so much for your time today, sir. I really appreciate it.

DETERS: Thanks for having me on.

TAPPER: Breaking news, Hurricane Isaias has intensified, is now a powerful category storm. Why forecasters are so concerned about -- powerful Category 2 storm. Why forecasters are so concerned about its expected north turn.

Plus, the crew of the USS Lincoln is finally home after ten and a half long months at sea.

[18:10:00]

Supply problems, low morale, even eight attempted suicides that we know of. CNN is with the crew. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: In our National Lead, many moving moments today as service members from the USS Abraham Lincoln officially docked in California after their record 322-day deployment, including 265 days at sea without a port call.

CNN's Pamela Brown was aboard the Lincoln and spoke with a new dad really ready to meet his baby for the very first time.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Finally home.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR (voice over): Mixed in the emotion on this Navy pier are 122 sailors who have never met their children.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The only person my daughter knows is my wife right now.

BROWN: Joey Montemoreno's daughter, Madeline Grace, was born while he was away at sea. These images are all he knows of his ten-month-old child.

What are you going to do, you think, when you see them? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Probably cry a little bit. Probably try to hold back the tears while I kiss my wife, hug my wife, and meet this baby that I've never met before, that I can't wait to meet and interact with.

[18:15:04]

BROWN: We met Joey and many more of the roughly 5,000 sailors at sea on the USS Lincoln as they headed into port. Most admit they're returning home changed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the hardest one I have to -- had to deal with. So, I feel like if I could do this one, I could do anything.

BROWN: It's the end of a harrowing 322-day deployment that faced scrutiny over the living conditions on board and low morale that included attempted suicides.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On the man overboard, that was a crazy day.

BROWN: Many confirm the uncertainty around the extended deployment brought mental challenges.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just thinking about my family and things going on back home that you can't control.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would go to prayer service with the chaplains, and that would help out a lot.

BROWN: Others we met confirmed food supplies ran low at times.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was in cargo for a while the people that bring the food up, and I was in there during the tough times, not a lot of food was being brung up. But as we progressed, it got better.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was stressed, but we never shut anything down.

BROWN: Captain Dan Keeler, commanding officer of the Lincoln, tells CNN supplies were mainly affected when support ships under threat from Iran were forced to alter their movement in the region.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We serve 14,000 to 16,000 meals a day, four times a day, so four meals a day. We never missed a meal, not for ten and a half months.

There were some sacrifices made. Maybe there was only one protein option instead of two, but there was always food.

BROWN: Some of the family members had a town hall with Navy leadership because they were really concerned about their loved ones on this ship. They were getting pictures of toilets overflowing and mold. What do you say to that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What I'll say to all the families is they were all so amazing. You can't do what we just did without a lot of support. I think a lot of the reporting focused on some, you know, anecdotal things because we looked into all this stuff, and there really were no systemic issues.

It's a big ship. It's a floating city. We have -- you know, a toilet gets clogged, it eventually gets fixed.

BROWN: Keeler acknowledges there were five suicide attempts on the Lincoln itself and three others on its support ships. He says anyone with mental health problems had access to treatment on the ship. The most severe cases were sent home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We had zero suicides. We had zero casualties on the ship. Every single sailor that left is coming home.

BROWN: And they're coming home awarded with a Presidential Unit Citation, the military's highest honor for a unit in battle.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's going to be pretty cool to be able to wear that and tell everybody why I'm wearing it and what I did to wear it.

BROWN: On board, you could feel the anticipation as we pulled into port. Moments later, among this flood of emotion, Joey Montemoreno, a father who served on a ship at war --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who's that? Is this your daddy?

BROWN: -- now with his daughter, together in peace.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's perfect.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: Such a beautiful reunion there. And, Jake, you can appreciate this as a dad. Joey actually took classes on board the ship with other dads who had kids while they were deployed to learn how to change diapers and hold babies and all kinds of stuff like that. So, now, it's going to be put into practice, and the reintegration for all these new dads and everyone else who came off this ship begins today.

So much excitement, but there's a lot in the road ahead as they adjust back to normal life, not just for the humans on board, Jake, but also for our furry friends. Captain Fathom, who was on board this ship, is a therapy dog, one of the many resources for those on board. He's also coming off today as well. I got to meet him yesterday, so that was a lot of fun.

But, you know, the families are reunited today, Jake. That's very exciting, but they're already having to look ahead because in two months, the ship Abraham Lincoln's going to be moved to Washington State to get a whole cleanup and everything like that it needs.

You see all the rust. And the crew, a lot of the crew will have to move to Washington in just a couple of months from now.

TAPPER: Are you --

Well, I mean -- Jake, sorry.

TAPPER: No, I'm -- it's Jake here. Are you going to be taking --

BROWN: It's been a long day.

TAPPER: I can imagine. Are you going to be taking Captain Fathom home with you? Is that -- are you adopting him? Is that a thing?

BROWN: I have a tendency of just taking random animals home with me.

TAPPER: I know.

BROWN: But I think Captain Fathom belongs to the Navy, and so it was very -- it was made very clear to me that, yes, he's off limits, unfortunately.

TAPPER: That's a dog that got a lot of scritches.

BROWN: I tried.

TAPPER: I'll tell you that. Great stuff. Pamela Brown, thank you so much.

Gulf Coast, a major heads-up, that hurricane off your coast is now a category two storm. It just intensified. We're going to check in with CNN team stationed in the potential impact zone. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:20:00]

TAPPER: Breaking news in our National Lead, Hurricane Isaias has rapidly intensified, growing from a 40-mile-per-hour tropical storm to a 100-mile-per-hour Category 2 hurricane in just 24 hours. Forecasters are worried about the storm's expected north turn, hitting the Gulf Coast at an angle that could send water straight toward land, theoretically causing a dangerous storm surge.

CNN's Allison Chinchar is in the CNN weather center to break down this coastal weather phenomenon.

We are having problems with Allison's audio, obviously. Parts of Alabama are under a state of emergency as the storm closes in.

CNN's Isabel Rosales is in Orange Beach, Alabama, where officials are urging residents to leave now. Isabel?

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The peak impacts from Hurricane Isaias isn't expected here in the Gulf Shores area until late Friday afternoon into the evening before landfall.

But already, take a look at how choppy the Gulf is.

[18:25:02]

The governor here of Alabama, Kay Ivey, has declared a state of emergency for 40 counties, and just this evening issued a mandatory evacuation order for all non-residents and tourists here in Gulf Shores, in Orange Beach, and also Dolphin Island. This is something that the mayor of Gulf Shores has been pushing for because his population here essentially tripled overnight, lots of visitors in town for this annual festival that has since been canceled. His message and the governor's, please, get out.

TAPPER: Isabel Rosales in Orange Beach, Alabama, thanks so much. Parts of the Florida Panhandle are also under evacuation order.

CNN's Rafael Romo is in Pensacola Beach, Florida. Rafael, how are Florida officials preparing?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jake, it's the calm before the storm here in Pensacola, except for the fact that we've seen crowded stores and busy streets all day long as people stock up on necessities in preparation for the arrival of Isaias. Earlier today, Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves told me that he has declared a state of emergency here in his city.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had already declared on Tuesday a state of emergency for 25 counties in the path of the storm. City Hall here in Pensacola will be closed, as well as Escambia County government buildings and schools starting Friday. The Pensacola International Airport will be closed on Friday starting at 10:00 in the morning.

Mayor Reeves also told me there will be evacuations in the Pensacola Beach area, as well as the coastal areas that are expected to be hit hard by the storm. High-water vehicles from the National Guard will also be deployed to the area, the mayor said, while he reminded citizens that the time to prepare for Isaias is now, with enough water, prescription medications, and other necessities. Jake?

TAPPER: All right. Rafael Romo in Pensacola Beach, Florida. Thank you so much. Stay safe.

And as this system develops, you can also track the updates and possible impact using the CNN Weather app. It's available now in the Apple Store.

Still ahead, a brand-new interview with an attorney for one of the men accused in the Cornell University scandal, why he says no crime was committed in that Cornell fraternity in 2024.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:30:00]

TAPPER: We're back in the National Lead. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said today that the firing squad execution of the man convicted in the Fort Hood mass shooting would be a public execution. Former U.S. Army major and psychiatrist Nidal Hasan was convicted of killing 13 people on the Texas Army base in 2009 and wounded dozens more, inspired by extremist Islamic beliefs.

Secretary Hegseth today told far right extremist Jack Posobiec in an interview that people need to understand the serious consequences of this case. A Pentagon official said this execution will be live- streamed.

Just so you know, Posobiec is, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, somebody who has, quote, Collaborated with white supremacists, neo-fascists, and anti-Semites for years, unquote. That's who the secretary of defense gave an interview to.

This will be the Army's first firing squad execution of anyone since World War II -- of a soldier, rather, since World War II. And this public execution aspect of it does bring to mind another public televised execution, a fictitious one that was the climax of the black comedy film Network, released in 1976. It was a movie that satirized corporate news and the lust for ratings.

The idea of televising executions has been portrayed in other dystopian films portraying sick cultures. The Running Man in 1987, based on a Stephen King short story. There was an episode of Black Mirror, and, of course the, The Hunger Games. Onto that list now comes the Trump administration.

In our Law and Justice Lead, the attorney for one of the accused Cornell University students told CNN that his client did not commit a crime. In fact, the attorney says he believes all the men named in Jane Doe's civil lawsuit are not guilty.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREW MILTENBERG, LAWYER FOR GILLIO LOPES: I've seen all of the evidence in the Title IX file. There was no crime committed that I'm aware of.

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, you don't believe a crime was committed at all, not just with your client's involvement, but with everyone?

MILTENBERG: Correct, and I certainly don't think a crime was committed by Gillio.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Andrew Miltenberg represents Gillio Lopes. He says that Lopes had consensual sex with Jane Doe on October 19th, 2024.

In her 2024 statement to Cornell University Police, Jane Doe said Lopes was one of the men involved in a threesome with her that was initially consensual, and that the alleged assault happened in Lopes' room at the Chi Phi fraternity house. Miltenberg says the public narrative will shift when all the evidence comes out.

CNN's Gloria Pazmino is the journalist who spoke with that attorney today. Gloria, what else did he say?

PAZMINO: Well, Jake, one important you know, fact that we discussed today between the attorney and I is the fact that he says his client describes the sexual activity that happened between him and Jane Doe as consensual. He has described her as an active participant in that sexual activity. So, this is important because, as you said, the incident took place inside Gillio Lopes' room. But his attorney denied that Lopez engaged in any drug use which is something that Jane Doe accused him of in her civil lawsuit. He also denies that, you know, there was any sort of assault. He says that this was all consensual between the two of them.

Now, I also wanted to speak to him about how his client is doing because this is the first time we are starting to hear from some of these attorneys, right?

[18:35:00]

There are seven accused students. Some of them have issued statements through their lawyers, but this is the first time that we're getting a real look at what the client has said so far about what actually went on, and actually talking about how he is dealing with it all. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: There are clearly very real, really serious allegations that are being made, and it's ignited a conversation about this issue across campuses. Is he upset about that?

MILTENBURG: The public has made an absolute decision on what amounts to little drips and drabs without context, sound bites, partial pieces of paper, rumors, and hearsay, 90 or more percent of the evidence has not been seen, has not been reviewed.

And so the fact that he and the other young men have been tried and convicted and hung effectively in public opinion with no one really knowing what happened. We've been in this case since the outset. I sometimes look on the social media and I can't believe what I'm reading. People are just completely disregarding the fundamental principles of our judicial system.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: Jake he also told me that you know, his client has been facing some harassment on campus. He remains enrolled at Cornell University, but that he is just trying to take it day by day. In the end, he does not believe his client committed a crime and that he would ultimately be vindicated. And as you heard him say there, he believes that most of the evidence in this case has yet to be seen by the public. Jake?

TAPPER: All right. Gloria Pazmino, thank you so much.

Calls to the National Sexual Assault Hotline for RAINN have surged in the wake of this Cornell story. Let's bring in Megan Cutter. She's chief of victim services at RAINN. That's the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network. R-A-I-N-N, RAINN. Megan, thanks for being here.

So, the National Sexual Assault Hotline, which is operated by RAINN, reports calls are up 73 percent in just the last week alone. The president of RAINN says Jane Doe's story has inspired people to reach out. What do you make of that?

MEGAN CUTTER, CHIEF OF VICTIM SERVICES, RAINN: That's absolutely what we're seeing. On Monday alone, we saw nearly double the amount of calls we typically receive in a day. And so what we're hearing from people is that what Jane Doe has shared and kind of the discourse that's ensued in the media and on social media is helping people look at their own experiences and identify something that they might not have identified before, which is that they've experienced sexual assault, sexual violence.

We're also hearing from people who maybe were assaulted many years ago and have never told anyone, and they're looking for a safe place to talk to as they process what's going on in the news and how it brings up their own experiences and their own stories.

TAPPER: How are you able to deal with this increase? Do you have the resources to take in all these calls and emails?

CUTTER: We would always love more resources certainly, but we've got an incredible team of staff and volunteers who are there 24/7 to meet people where they are and to let them know you're not alone, we believe you, and also that this isn't your fault, and there are resources to support you.

TAPPER: So, maybe you can help clear up some of the questions that I'm seeing online from people. Like the first one is, how come her story has changed? How come initially in the early days before she even went to Cornell Police, according to -- in The New York Times, and according to her own words, she didn't necessarily think that she had been assaulted or raped, then a few weeks later she did, and now there's even more of an evolution of her thinking?

CUTTER: This type of experience is really common for survivors. Actually, one of the questions that we get the most on the National Sexual Assault Hotline is, was I raped? You know, when people are first processing an assault or some sort of act of violence, often those first hours, days, even weeks, are really about trying to understand and conceptualize what happened to them and --

TAPPER: Especially if they were drunk or on drugs.

CUTTER: Absolutely. And then you add on how trauma impacts the memory and our brains and how we kind of look back at situations. And the idea of identifying as a victim and saying, this happened to me, that can be really scary and complicated for people.

So, it's very layered, but that experience of taking some time to understand what happened and then coming forward is something we see all the time on the hotline.

TAPPER: And what do you make of there's been so much public discussion of this, and a lot of people attacking her, attacking Jane Doe? And actually this week she was, she and people close to her were doxxed, swatted lots of stuff, and people going and doxxing the accused as well.

[18:40:04]

What do you make of all of that and how this discourse has happened?

CUTTER: I think we have to keep in mind that there are survivors in every room with us. More than 800 people are assaulted each day in the United States. And so that means that survivors are seeing what's happening to Jane Doe, and they're saying, well, what might happen if I come forward?

Some of the calls and texts and chats we're getting to the hotline are people saying, you know, I was already kind of doubting myself and my own experience, and now I'm hearing people in my life talk about, you know, that maybe this person is lying, and so I don't feel safe coming forward.

And so I think we have to remember that the way we talk about survivors can impact what people feel comfortable saying and reaching out for help about. And that's really important. We don't want to keep anyone from coming forward. We want to create an environment that's safe.

TAPPER: All right. Megan Cutter, thank you so much.

For those who may need the resources at RAINN, the website is rainn.org. That's R-A-I-N-N, two Ns, or call 1-800-656-HOPE, 1-800- 656-HOPE. Someone is available 24 hours a day.

The 2026 midterm election cycle has been reportedly been a record year for campaign ad spending. We're going to show you some of the creative ways candidates are trying to get your attention and your vote. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:45:00]

TAPPER: Back in our politics lead, cue the election music, please.

(MUSIC)

TAPPER: Nice.

Twenty-six days left until Election Day, the midterm cycle is on track to hit a record $11.6 billion -- with a B -- billion dollars in ad spending, more than both the 2024 midterm and the 2024 presidential cycles, according to Ad Impact.

Maine's Senate race is among the leaders in spending today. President Barack Obama jumping in to endorse Democratic nominee Troy Jackson in a new video.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: In this economy, we need a fighter like Troy, so do not sit this one out. Get out there and vote for Troy Jackson. (END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: My panel is here.

Karen, that's about the first of about 24 videos we expect to see from Obama to support Democrats in tough races in November.

KAREN FINNEY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah.

TAPPER: So he's still the closer, I guess.

FINNEY: He is still the closer.

TAPPER: There was a Democratic president after him just to remember. But anyway, keep going.

FINNEY: Well, that one is also undergoing chemotherapy and not in great health.

But that being said. So yeah, he's the closer he's become. You know, Bill Clinton for a while was the explainer in chief. I think you know now we see Obama kind of playing that role.

TAPPER: Yeah.

FINNEY: He is still a voice that matters. People will stop and pay attention. And particularly in and -- you both know this, obviously in this crowded environment, breaking through is really hard. People are turning out ads. And so, having someone -- you know, president, you know, Obama will make somebody pause and say, oh, okay, he's -- he's endorsing, maybe I should pay attention.

TAPPER: In South Carolina, Brad, Democratic Senate candidate Dr. Annie Andrews is confronting her opponent, Republican Senator Darline Graham, who was appointed to that seat after her brother, Lindsey Graham died directly in this new ad. The ad is about transgender issues because all of a sudden, President Trump was attacking Dr. Andrews as being pro-trans or something. Anyway, here is her response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNIE ANDREWS (D), SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE CANDIDATE: I want you to hear me loud and clear. I don't support biological men playing women's sports, and I don't support and haven't ever performed gender surgery for minors.

I'm Dr. Annie Andrews and I approve this message because Darline Graham lying about me won't do a thing to help you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Now, obviously, the economic issues are forefront, but she must be doing this because she was worried that it was breaking through those attacks.

BRAD TODD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, Democrats are culturally to the left of the people of South Carolina, for sure. And that's the problem they have in swing states all over the country. It's why they the president won all seven target states in 2024 because of those cultural issues.

And so, it's smart for her to try to get in front of it. She's going to have to come out and say other Democrats are wrong on it. If it's going to work, she's going to have to criticize her own party, all of whom voted for legislation that was opposite of what she just said.

So. I think she's doing the right thing politically. She'd probably have to go a step further.

FINNEY: You know, I mean, it's part of the pattern that we're seeing, right, where we're seeing Republicans across the country kind of going back to the playbook. They're trying the culture war issues, transgender issues. Part of the reason it was a problem in 2024, frankly, I've said this for a long time. We didn't have a good answer. Kamala Harris did want to answer the question. So, you can't -- I mean, it's hard to fight back when you're just leaving the information hanging out there.

So, it is -- I agree that for candidates to get out there and say where they stand, I thought Gina and Rosa had a great one where she said, my pronouns are mother, wife, senator or governor, which, you know, like, which was a little bit of a play on it, obviously.

But I think what we're finding is that the economic pain is so intense that people just don't care as much about these cultural issues as much as these culture war issues. In as much as you see Trump trying to play them up, you see some of the other members of the cabinet trying to play them up and make these contests instead of about the issues, making it about the Democratic candidates and where they might stand on some of these issues.

TAPPER: Brad, I want to bring in I know we got a lot to talk about here, but Texas is another state where ad spending is surpassing initial projections, according to Ad Impact. Take a look at this new ad today from Texas Republican Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne. She represents the 24th district near Dallas, Fort Worth, which went for Trump by 16 points in 2024.

Take a listen

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. BETH VAN DUYNE (R-TX): They're coming.

MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D), NEW YORK: I am a Democratic socialist.

VAN DUYNE: A socialist mayor in New York City.

We tell ourselves this won't happen in Texas. The truth is they're already here.

JAMES TALARICO (D), TEXAS SENATE CANDIDATE: If you are okay with getting taxed more, you are welcome to join this movement that we are building.

VAN DUYNE: I'm Beth Van Duyne, and it's time to stop the socialists

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: She doesn't even mention her own opponent in that ad. She's not running against James Talarico. She's not running for Senate. She's just lumping in Talarico with other Democratic socialists, Zohran Mamdani, Cori Bush.

What do you make of that tactic?

TODD: Well, my business partner actually made that ad. I was not involved in its creation. And I saw it for the first time today. But I think this again, goes to the back to what we mentioned in South Carolina. Democrats are to the left of the mainstream in a lot of these swing districts, on cultural issues.

[18:50:03]

We've had about eight elections where cultural issues are the main thing. Democrats are betting big, as Karen said, that this is an economic election. It'll be the first one we've had on economics in quite a while. If it is, and it may well be on economic issues.

But, you know, Beth Van Duyne is in a suburban district. It's very hard for her in a big market, Dallas. It's very hard for her opponent to get much name ID. She's trying to tell you who she, who she's against, and let him pay for his own name ID.

TAPPER: Let me just squeeze in one more ad because, you know, this is -- 'tis the season. The super PAC aligned with Schumer's Senate Majority PAC, here's a $2.5 million hitting Susan Collins for the Iran war and stock trading. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY, MAINE VOTER: I voted for Susan Collins every time she's run, but this time, no, I just can't overlook what's happening now. Susan voted for Trump's war in Iran five times, driving up our gas prices while Susan Collins is off getting rich from stock trading, making us pay more while she's off getting rich. I can't vote for Susan anymore.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FINNEY: Yeah, that's the cultural issue that we want to run on, which is that, you know, this idea of this ban on stock trading, this big money in politics, it is a winning issue for Democrats across the country. And the second piece on that was interesting. I heard months ago when a guy named Graham Platner was still in the race, that one of the big issues they were going to run against Collins on was she's not who she says she is.

She keeps trying to portray. And we saw this in the debate. She's trying to be. I'm an independent and I stand up for Trump, and people just don't feel that. They feel like they have been let down. And so, they're trying to play into that message.

TODD: I'll just throw it. Susan Collins always runs ahead of the Republican brand in Maine, usually seven, eight, nine points ahead of the brand. In fact, she runs ahead more than any Republican senator does of the Republican brand. In order for Democrats to win this race, they have to convince people who voted for Susan Collins many times to not vote for it. That's why -- that's why --

TAPPER: That's -- yeah, that guy who called her Susan.

TODD: Yes.

FINNEY: Yes.

TAPPER: And he said he voted for her in the past.

FINNEY: That's right.

TODD: And people tend to do what they've done before. And so, this is going to be a pretty big lift. And I think the polls continue to show Susan Collins ahead. It's going to be close.

TAPPER: It's going to be close. Thanks to both of you. Really appreciate it.

Has social media rewired our brains? My conversation with award winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, who's out with his new thriller called "The Social Reckoning" that debuts tonight.

Stay with us

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:56:32]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have an interest in social media?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not even a little bit. Look, I'm an investigative reporter, and that guy and this company are playing an unprecedented role in our lives.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Start with a gentle nod to show engagement.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah, not so much. A little softer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: In our pop culture lead today, 14 years after his academy award winning screenplay for "The Social Network", Aaron Sorkin is releasing a new Facebook thriller. I sat down with him outside the New York Theater, where the first stage revival of "A Few Good Men" since the classic 1992 will debut, where I asked him how his new movie, "The Social Reckoning," is different from its predecessor.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AARON SORKIN, FILMMAKER: "The Social Network" was about the invention of Facebook. This is about what it's become and centers on a young Facebook engineer named Frances Haugen. She's played by Mikey Madison, who just discovers this one thing about Facebook, this one terrible thing. And she can't get the attention of the people she works for. And she finally has to do what Facebook is the unthinkable, which is talk to a reporter. Absolutely not supposed to do that.

So, she talks to Jeremy Allen White's character, an investigative reporter for "The Wall Street Journal", and things just begin to snowball from there. They uncover together these very dark secrets that Facebook's been keeping from us. And she becomes a whistleblower.

TAPPER: And we know that social media has some serious problems and has been causing serious damage, not just Facebook, obviously, but Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, all the rest.

SORKIN: Yeah. Well, you're putting it in your calm, Jake Tapper, anchorman voice. These are huge problems that are coming to get us. Facebook is not just pumping a firehose of misinformation out into the public, but they tweaked their algorithm. They want you to stay on the platform longer. The thing that's going to keep you on the platform the longest is resharing stuff.

So, the algorithm wants to give you stuff that you're going to reshare, and Facebook knows because they've done study after study after study, that the stuff that you reshare the most is things that make you angry.

TAPPER: How do we break free of all these people making money and gaining clout and power and, riches by successfully tapping into our worst impulses, the need to have enemies?

SORKIN: I don't have an answer, but I'm sure that the first step is identifying the problem. And yes, the problem is hate cells. You can make a lot of money hating people. Ask Megyn Kelly, who just every time you think she has hit bottom, she finds a new subbasement down there to go to.

How do we get out of this? I don't know, but one thing that has to be done, and it's what Frances ends up imploring Congress to do is pass laws. You know, the law has always lagged way behind technology, and -- but in the past, that's really only affected copyright laws, piracy, you know, movies and music is what it affected. Now, it's much bigger.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TAPPER: "The Social Reckoning" opens tonight, and you can look for my full interview with Aaron Sorkin and others on the stage revival of "A Few Good Men" in a few days.

You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, and on the TikTok @JakeTapper. You can follow the show on X and Instagram @TheLeadCNN.

"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts now.