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The Lead with Jake Tapper
Soon, Trump Campaigns In Alaska; Vatican Says, Cancerous Growth Removed During Pope's Surgery; Officials Identify Man Who Died In Roller Coaster Incident; Trump Continues Red State Tour As GOP Midterm Concerns Grow; Duane Davis Sentenced To 40 Yeas To Life For Tupac Shakur's Murder. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired October 13, 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 on Jake Tapper.
This hour, we're now just three weeks away from the very first poll closing in the midterm elections, and soon, President Trump's going to speak in ruby red Alaska, where current polling shows a neck-and-neck race for the U.S. Senate.
[18:00:00]
We're going to go live to the campaign trail in moments.
Plus, a Republican senator is here with his midterm predictions.
Also, the Vatican confirming tonight that Pope Leo had a cancerous growth in his lung. The discovery made after surgeons removed and tested part of his right lung earlier today. We're going to talk to a top doctor in this field to learn more about how long the pope might be hospitalized and what a treatment plan may look like for the very first U.S.-born pontiff.
And officials have now identified the 42-year-old man who died after falling off a rollercoaster at Six Flags in Georgia. This comes as the manufacturer of the ride says that the company's now investigating how this happened. We're going to go live to the park for the latest ahead.
The Lead tonight, we're in the final 21 days until midterm election day, and it's all about spending every last second on the campaign trail. In the next hour, President Trump will take the stage for a rally in Wasilla, Alaska, yet one more place where Republicans are defending their incumbents in hopes of keeping Senate control.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I'm right now going to Alaska to try and help Dan Sullivan. That's a long way away, and I would only do it if I thought he was good, and he's very good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Sullivan is in a tightening ranked choice race, fighting to keep his seat with a very strong challenge from Democratic Senate candidate, former U.S. House member, Mary Peltola. Peltola would be the very first Alaska native ever elected to the Senate if she wins. A key part of her message that the Sullivan campaign is trying to flip on its head in a brand new T.V. ad today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mary Peltola has forgotten our Yup'ik values, lying about Dan Sullivan's family and being used by Lower 48 outsiders to do harm to Alaska.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Meanwhile, the parties are consolidating spending power in races across the Lower 48. The GOP is pulling ad buys in four House districts today, including two districts that Republicans hold. And in Georgia, where early in-person voting started today, Democrats are canceling ad spending. The move signaling Republican nerves about keeping control and growing Democratic confidence about their odds in some of these battlegrounds.
Our CNN team is tracking the latest in some of the most high-profile races across the nation. Let's start with CNN's Kristen Holmes in Alaska. Kristen, Trump says his visits have been helping candidates. How are Alaska Republicans feeling about President Trump's impact on the Senate race?
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, right now they're very excited. I mean, there are thousands of people lined up outside. There are hundreds of people who are in here that are still streaming in.
And we interviewed a number of people who are here who said that they were here at this event because President Trump is, was coming. Now, they also said they were already going to vote. Remember, that's one of the real reasons he's been in these red states is he's trying to energize conservative voters, bring them out to the polls.
Now, everyone we spoke to said they were already going to vote, they were already going to vote for Dan Sullivan, but they are here because they are more enthusiastic that President Trump is on the ground.
I mean, Jake, we can't count out the fact that Alaska is a state that has not backed a Democrat for Senate in nearly 20 years. It was 2008 was the last time it was a Democrat who was backed for Senate. And there is a lot of concern here. His trip here shows you just how concerned Republicans are really across the board that not only are they going to lose the House, but there is a potential that they could lose the Senate.
And, of course, here in Alaska, as you mentioned, this ranked voting, part of the concern is that there are now two Dan Sullivans on the ballot because two Dan Sullivans, one the incumbent, one a retired school teacher, were both put on the ballot after they were voted as one of the top four performers, doesn't matter what party they're part of. So, that's what happened during that open primary. And we talked to a lot of people who are very concerned this is going to confuse voters as they head to the polls.
TAPPER: And CNN's Manu Raju is in Wichita, in all places, Kansas. Manu, you've been on the trail today for a Republican statewide bus tour. What are Republicans telling you about their fears this November, starting with this tightening race for Senate between incumbent Senator Roger Marshall and Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton?
MANU RAJU, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, there's real concern that Adam Hamilton could be the first Democrat to win a Senate seat here in Kansas in nearly 100 years, in large part because of the economic conditions driven by high fuel prices, high diesel prices impacting farmers, the unpopularity of the Iran war, the president's own slipping approval ratings, all of which putting Marshall really in a bind, especially given that Adam Hamilton, who is a leader of a mega church here in Kansas, has a significant following, which is why there's enormous amount of Democratic optimism that they could pull off a significant upset here in just three weeks.
Now, I caught up with Marshall today in Central Kansas, and I asked him about the Iran war and whether he believes it's time to end the war.
[18:05:00]
And, Jake, he actually pivoted and tried to deflect attacks back to a separate issue, an incident from two decades ago that occurred at a youth camp affiliated with that mega church in which Marshall accuses Hamilton of covering up a child sex abuse scandal.
Now, Hamilton vigorously denies that. Court records that have been investigated by the local media here also back up Hamilton's claims that he had nothing to do with covering up this abuse scandal. But as a key part of Marshall's closing argument, and something that President Trump is voicing as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAJU: Do you think that given the impact that it's having on fuel prices, that it's time for the president to end the war in Iran?
SEN. ROGER MARSHALL (R-KS): You know, I think what you should be talking about is my opponent, that he's a child sex pr- predator protector, that he's protected a predator --
RAJU: He deny that.
MARSHALL: It absolutely happened. No, I think you guys need to talk about something that Kansans want to be talking about right now.
RAJU: You want to talk Iran war?
MARSHALL: I've given my -- I've given you my comments on Iran before. Look, I want this war to be over as quickly as possible. I don't want to lose any soldiers, any more soldiers. Like Eisenhower, I hate war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RAJU: But Marshall has had multiple attempts in the United States Senate repeatedly, time and time again, to vote against the Iran war, calling for an end to the Iran war. He has not done that despite his claims are that he wants the war to end. But that is one big reason why, Jake, that Republicans, not just Kansas, but really nationally, are so worried about their chances because of the unpopularity of the war and all the impacts that voters are feeling across the country. Jake?
TAPPER: And CNN's Ryan Young is right outside Atlanta. And, Ryan, you've been catching up with Georgians on the very first day of early in-person voting. What are you hearing?
RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, a lot of energy, Jake. We've been walking with the people all day long, talking with them, and even trying to see how they plan to vote. And, of course, a lot of people have been telling us this is something they look forward to. In fact, you can see across the state the numbers support that. Over 166,000 people have already cast an early vote. People are focused on the Senate race, Jon Ossoff or Mike Collins. There's a lot of pressure right now. It looks like Ossoff is sort of pulling away from Collins. We know the president is coming to town in the next few days here.
But just listen to viewers talk about the fact that they want to have more focus on the economy and more focus on the issues.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YOUNG: What issues really motivated you to be here?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All of them. High cost of everything with the lawlessness in our government gas prices, food prices, healthcare.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I came out here mainly to vote for Jon Ossoff.
YOUNG: What about his message connected with you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Definitely his policies on healthcare.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think Jon is great. He's a fine young man. He's not so young anymore, but he's a fine man.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
YOUNG: Jake, a lot of focus also on Keisha Lance Bottoms versus Rick Jackson. Of course, Keisha Lance Bottoms being the former mayor, she actually went out with Senator Warnock today to talk to voters. There was energy around that and the fact that she says she plans to push forward a plan that will help all Georgians. One thing people talked about is the fact that there was a debate last night where she basically had a debate herself because Rick Jackson did not show up.
So, still a lot of focus on Georgia and a very narrow race there in the governor's race. TAPPER: All right. Ryan Young, Kristen Holmes, Manu Raju, all on the campaign trail for us tonight, thank you so much.
Here with us now is Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy. Senator, does the president's travels to red states, really ruby red states, suggest that your party is playing defense and may be heading towards a rough Election Day?
SEN. BILL CASSIDY (R-LA): Well, you can look at the polls. He's going to where he thinks he can make a difference. And if he can gin up support from Republicans and from independents who like the president, and they turn out the vote, we win. Turnout's a big deal, and he's trying to get the turnout. I just think it's a reasonable strategy.
TAPPER: Do you think that President Trump's relationship and pressure campaign against s- various Senate incumbents in Texas and in Iowa and in North Carolina essentially allowed for those states to become Democratic pickup opportunities?
CASSIDY: Yes. Monday morning quarterback is very easy. You can argue that Cornyn would have walked away with the race in Texas and that Tillis would have had a better chance in North Carolina, but shoulda, woulda, coulda. We've got the playing field that we have now. We have the issues that are before us.
I would argue that one issue that's a hot bed for Democrats, Medicare for all, is a great campaign slogan, but when you add all of the United States to a program going bankrupt in seven years, it's a recipe for long lines and/or rationing care.
So, when you look, just peel back a little bit the issues, I think Republicans have stronger positions on these issues, and I'm hoping that takes us all the way through.
[18:10:03]
TAPPER: So, specifically, the main Democratic Senate candidate that I've heard talk about Medicare for all is Dr. Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan. Mike Rogers, the former Congressman who's the Republican nominee, he seems to be focused more on questioning Abdul El-Sayed's beliefs when it comes to Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood. Do you think he should be making more of a deal out of Abdul El-Sayed's support and, in fact, it's one of his three campaign promises, support for Medicare for all?
CASSIDY: You know, from my perspective, and of course I care deeply about healthcare. I'm not giving advice to Mike Rogers, I'm just telling you how I would do it, is that if you're a union worker in Michigan, you will lose your insurance.
Now, you gave up salary increases to have a more generous healthcare plan. But under Bernie Sanders' Medicare for all, you by law cannot keep your insurance. Wait, I'm a union worker and I gave up salary increases for more generous health insurance benefits, and by law I have to give it up? To me, that would be an important issue for a union worker, there's lots of them in Michigan, and I'd be making that point.
TAPPER: In a recent poll, two-thirds of Americans said the federal government should be willing to spend more tax dollars to lower healthcare costs. That same poll shows 43 percent of Americans supporting Medicare for all to replace private insurance. That's a minority, but it's not small number, 43 percent.
Now, the 24 percent who oppose Medicare for all in this poll, they're worried about the quality of care, as you've suggested. You voted to pass the big, beautiful bill. Were the cuts to government healthcare plans in that bill a political mistake at all for Republicans, and especially kicking in as they are right before the midterms?
CASSIDY: No. These cuts you're speaking of, at least for Medicaid, quote/unquote, cuts, will come after the midterm. So, let's just say that. And if you're asking, as we did with Medicaid, that someone who's able-bodied, 18 to 64, without dependents, either work, go to school, or volunteer for 80 hours a week, that is part of the kind of compact we have with the people in the United States. You give a little bit, we give you something. And, actually, I think that is something most Americans agree with.
But going back to the cost of healthcare, I totally accept, believe, and support lowering the cost of healthcare. Now, if you think that the federal government is going to do it without increasing your taxes, you're wrong. On Medicare for All, you increase taxes by one proposal for a similar type plan, 14 percent on your income tax.
If you're a union worker and your income tax is now 22 percent on your federal income tax, it'll go up to 36 percent. But you also lose your insurance. So, it's going to be expensive, even more expensive than the money you save from your premium.
I will say, though, Republicans have put forward a plan, which, by the way, Democrats joined with, to give everybody price transparency. That will lower cost. I put forward a plan that will use the tax code to help subsidize the insurance policies for those getting insurance through the employer. That will lower cost. We need to lower cost. There are just better ways to do it.
TAPPER: You're a doctor. Pennsylvania is reporting yet another death linked to the state's surging measles outbreak, the sixth measles- related death just in Pennsylvania. The U.S. case now -- case count now is more than 4,000.
As a physician what's your reaction to these rising numbers, and are you concerned that RFK Jr., the HHS secretary, isn't doing more to sound the alarm and to promote vaccinations?
CASSIDY: My concern as a physician is that everyone should be vaccinated for measles. And you may think it only affects me. That's not true, because you infect other people. And there was a recent case of a woman exposed to someone who was not vaccinated. She was pregnant, she was vulnerable, and she ended up losing her child. When she got measles, she lost her baby. And then we've just had these six people with measles-associated deaths in Pennsylvania, an 18-year-old, a 40-year-old woman. These are people that perhaps would not have died now if they had not been exposed, but someone exposed them who wasn't vaccinated. By the way, they should've been vaccinated too. But that's how we help each other. If I'm not protected, but you are, then I'm not exposed. I'm all about asking people to be immunized for yourself and for others.
As regards Secretary Kennedy, I would ask that he also push it and that he have CDC and others push it. In fairness, he's asked people to be immunized. Probably hadn't asked them very vigorously, but nonetheless, he has asked them to be immunized.
TAPPER: You've been more vigorous on the show talking about measles in the last minute than he has been in the last year, I would observe.
[18:15:05]
Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana --
CASSIDY: I have seen --
TAPPER: Go ahead.
CASSIDY: I have seen people die from vaccine preventable diseases. You get vaccinated, you don't die. You're not vaccinated, you do die. It's almost personal for me. So, I'll just make a plea for anybody watching, please be vaccinated.
TAPPER: Senator Bill Cassidy, Louisiana, thank you, sir. I appreciate your time.
President Trump's campaign tour takes him to Montana tomorrow, another ruby red state. So, we're going to head there ahead to talk to an independent candidate who's hoping he can beat a Republican and a Democrat to join the U.S. Senate.
But first, the Vatican announcing tonight that a cancerous growth was removed from the pope's lung. What his recovery and treatment will look like moving forward.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TAPPER: Continuing in our breaking health news, doctors found a cancerous growth and removed the lower lobe of the right lung of Pope Leo earlier today. According to the Vatican, further examination of the removed lobe revealed pulmonary adenocarcinoma. That's a common type of lung cancer.
[18:20:00]
Here's a live look outside the hospital in Rome, where the pope will continue in recovery for the next week.
Here to discuss is the chief of thoracic surgery at the Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Daniel Boffa. Dr. Boffa, can you explain what pulmonary adenocarcinoma is and what this diagnosis could mean for the pope?
DR. DANIEL BOFFA, PROFESSOR AND CHIEF OF THORACIC SURGERY, YALE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: Sure. Thanks for having me, Jake. There are several kinds of lung cancer, and adenocarcinoma is a type of non-small cell lung cancer, which is generally associated with a better prognosis than small cell. It is the most common kind of lung cancer we see in never smokers, but we certainly see it in smokers.
And we're really not going to know a lot about the prognosis and whether additional treatments would be helpful until we get the pathology back.
TAPPER: And it's adenocarcinoma -- I'm sorry, I'm the child of a physician and a nurse, and I'm the shame of my family. Adenocarcinoma?
BOFFA: Yes, that's right. Adenocarcinoma.
TAPPER: I was mispronouncing that.
BOFFA: It is, yes.
TAPPER: The Vatican has not said whether all the cancer was removed or whether further treatment may be needed. What information would doctors need to make that assessment? Do they need to perform another operation? Do they need to do more probing?
BOFFA: So, at the time of lung cancer surgery, they would have removed lymph nodes, and the biggest factor in determining whether or not additional treatment would be helpful is to look at those lymph nodes.
At the same time, they're going to study the tumor and look or to see if there are any genetic changes that may be able to be targeted. If there's a benefit for additional therapy, they can use specific therapy to just zoom in on those genetic changes. So, the lymph nodes and profiling the tumor to see if there's any markers to suggest that it would have a more aggressive behavior. But the stage only tells part of the equation.
TAPPER: The Vatican says the lower lobe of the pope's right lung was removed. How invasive is that procedure? How will it affect his day- to-day life after this initial recovery?
BOFFA: So, the lower lobe represents about 15 to 20 percent of a person's total lung function. So, that sounds like a lot, but actually people generally tolerate this very well. And I would say it does depend on how healthy the person was before surgery, and it also depends on how healthy their lungs are. But I would expect that most people that have a lower lobectomy return to a very similar level of activity. It can take a while.
TAPPER: All right, Dr. Daniel Boffa, thank you so much.
Coming up, what we're learning tonight about the investigation into a death at Six Flags over Georgia, and what witnesses saw and heard in the moments before and after the tragedy, that's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:25:00]
TAPPER: In our National Lead, police have identified the man who was killed after reportedly falling off a roller coaster at Six Flags over Georgia yesterday. 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem has been described as a cherished member of the Atlanta Public Charter School, where he worked as an I.T. manager, a technology teacher, and a robotics team coach.
CNN's Isabel Rosales is on the ground outside the park. Isabel, do investigators know how this happened?
ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jake, we have a name, and now also we have a face. This is 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem. The Cobb County Police Department here in Georgia said that they found him unresponsive and not breathing below this ride right here. This is the Goliath.
They say that Kariem was ejected from the ride and actually struck other riders before falling. You can still see up there, by the way, on the Goliath, the car behind the one that Kareem was on that was stopped out of this emergency. The riders there were evacuated down to their safety.
CNN spoke with witnesses, including CeCe Nelson (ph), who said that her stomach dropped seeing Kariem's car return back to the platform, one of the seats empty. Riders in a panic and hysteric, saying that someone had fallen.
A different rider, a witness, told our CNN affiliate WXIA that Kariem hit the car three times before falling onto the roof of a haunted house attraction here at the park, and that the man appeared to be riding with his son as his wife and daughter watched here from below.
And to make this even worse, it appears that at the moment that he fell, the picture on the roller coaster, those souvenir pictures that you get at the end, actually captured that moment. Witnesses, riders, saw that at the end once they were evacuated.
Here's one mom, the chaotic aftermath that she saw.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two of my children had just been on that ride maybe 20 minutes before.
Whenever you go to amusement parks, whenever you get in a car, whenever you live your life, it's always subject to risk. So, you just never know when something's going to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROSALES: And, Jake, we also heard back from the Swiss rollercoaster manufacturer behind Goliath Bolliger & Mabillard, who say that they are investigating the incident and sending their condolences to the family. A roller coaster expert told CNN that they have a stellar safety reputation, but also noted that with Goliath, notably, this ride does not have secondary restraints, meaning there's not much that can be done if the primary restraints fail.
Again, we don't know what it is that led to Kariem's death, how it is that he got out of his seat and fell to his death. Three different departments are investigating, including the Insurance Commissioner's Office here in Georgia, Cobb County Police, and the maker behind Goliath.
[18:30:06]
Jake?
TAPPER: Just absolutely horrifying. Isabel Rosales, thank you so much.
Top election officials in Pennsylvania are taking CNN inside their vote counting operations as they try to fight back against more deranged claims of nonexistent widespread fraud. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TAPPER: And we're back with more on our Politics Lead. Coast to coast, state election officials are working overtime to protect the integrity of your vote, whether that's by mail, in person early, or if you're planning to cast your ballot on Election Day itself.
Now, much of that work involves battling misinformation or disinformation, as CNN's Danny Freeman found out when he traveled all across battleground Commonwealth Pennsylvania.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): At the Lehigh County Government Center in the heart of Allentown, Pennsylvania, the mail-in ballot machines are humming.
The perspective should be that the election really has started here in Pennsylvania.
MICHAEL PASTON, LEHIGH COUNTY CHIEF CLERK OF THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS: Oh, it's started. Right, it has started.
FREEMAN: Now, these are just sample ballots, but in the center of a swing Congressional district that could determine control of the House of Representatives, election officials here -- this isn't a place where people can get in -- want the public to see how their ballots will be handled.
[18:35:09]
PASTON: There's a lot of conversation about election integrity. Can we trust the process? Can we trust the post office? People get nervous. They want to make sure they can vote, participate, and their votes count, and we want people to see what happens. FREEMAN: The concern's felt across the Keystone State with the governor's race and several Congressional races in the spotlight. And Pennsylvania's Republican Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt, appointed by Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro, has been working overtime to reassure voters.
AL SCHMIDT, SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA: I'm very confident in elections in Pennsylvania.
FREEMAN: But unsubstantiated or exaggerated claims about mail-in ballots and non-citizens voting from both the federal government and online activists have resulted in months of Schmidt's department actively fighting back against disinformation.
Has that been a conscious choice? Have you been more on a front foot from your perspective when it comes to combating misinformation?
SCHMIDT: We have absolutely worked to be more engaged. Elections have never been more safe and secure in Pennsylvania, but they have changed a lot, and they've changed for the better. But whenever you have changes, there's an opportunity for bad faith actors to try to undermine confidence in election results through misinformation or disinformation that they spread.
FREEMAN: The Department of Homeland Security this summer using unverified numbers to assert thousands of non-citizens were on voter rolls in several states, including Pennsylvania.
Are there thousands of non-citizens registered to vote in Pennsylvania?
SCHMIDT: No. There's no evidence of that whatsoever.
FREEMAN: And while DHS has said ICE is, quote, not planning operations targeting polling locations, some administration officials have left open the possibility of federal officers being at the polls under specific or exigent circumstances.
Are you concerned that ICE agents or other federal officers might try to be in and around polling places?
SCHMIDT: What is never really about being concerned, it's about being prepared, and this is one of the scenarios obviously that we've discussed. In Pennsylvania, law enforcement is not permitted within 100 feet of voting.
FREEMAN: Schmidt's office and the state say they're ready to help with resources across the commonwealth come Election Day, but officials here remind that elections are still primarily run locally.
JOSH SEIGAL, LEHIGH COUNTY EXECUTIVE: Your elections are run by your neighbors. They are run by the people who reside in your community. A bureaucrat in D.C. is not counting your ballot.
(END VIDEOTAPE) FREEMAN (on camera): And, Jake, I also asked Secretary Schmidt if voters should have any concerns if voting by mail, and he said no. However, the only thing he worries about when it comes to mail-in ballots is that voters might leave them on their kitchen table and not actually return them in time for Election Day. He reminds voters that here in Pennsylvania you need to have your ballot with an election official by 8:00 P.M. on Election Day. Jake?
TAPPER: All right. Danny Freeman in the great city of Philadelphia, thanks so much.
Also in our Politics Lead today, Ken Paxton's U.S. Senate campaign is embroiled in yet another controversy. The Republican is shown in video at a New Year's Eve event in Dubai partying alongside his girlfriend, he was still married at the time and his wife had not yet filed for divorce, along with other individuals, including two wanted U.S. fugitives. Now, that's according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal.
Now, one of those fugitives, Anosh Ahmed, donated $190,000 to Paxton, including $25,000 after he'd been indicted, according to campaign finance review -- campaign finance records reviewed by the Journal. Remember, Paxton is currently Texas' attorney general, the state's top law enforcement official.
Let's discuss with the panel. Lulu, let me start with you. The Paxton campaign released a statement in response to the story. It says, quote, like President Trump, Ken Paxton has been politically persecuted for years, and every time voters have seen through it and sent him back to office because they know he has always fought for Texans. What do you make of this?
LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: It's not a denial. I want to just note what these two gentlemen were actually accused of. They embezzled $15 million from a Chicago hospital where one of them was the chief financial officer, and then there was also fraudulent COVID- 19 testing scheme. So, these are not great people. Obviously, indicted doesn't mean convicted, and yet they're wanted fugitives who happen to be partying in Dubai with Ken Paxton.
This is a bad look right before the election. Texans are going to be voting, and this is one scandal on top of another scandal in what has just been a disastrous campaign.
TAPPER: Brad, do you think it's already kind of baked in for Paxton in the sense that it's not news that he cheated on his wife? His wife has --
BRAD TODD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, and this photo is from quite a while ago.
TAPPER: And this -- yes. And the photo's from a few -- and it's not news that he's been accused of unsavory business practices and the like. Is it baked in or do you think this might actually hurt him?
TODD: Well, most of it was litigated in the Republican primary, and Ken Paxton has a problem with Republican voters.
[18:45:03]
But the math in Texas favors him still. He's currently sitting at about 86 percent of Republicans, if you look at The New York Times poll. And Ken Paxton has a problem with Republican voters, but the math in Texas favors him still. He's currently sitting at about 86 percent of Republicans if you look at the New York Times poll. James Talarico's getting about 95 percent of Democrats. That's normal. 95's normal with the partisans. If Ken Paxton gets 95 percent of Republicans, he wins.
So, this is really about can Republicans hold their nose who vote -- the Republicans who voted for John Cornyn, can they hold their nose to stop a Democrat from taking the Texas Senate seat?
GARCIA-NAVARRO: But should they hold their nose I guess is the question that so many have been making about Ken Paxton. And this was, of course, you're right, litigated in the primaries, but who was the person who pushed Ken Paxton into that role? And that was President Trump. And this is with all of the information that everyone knows about him, and I think that is at the heart of this, this idea about corruption, this idea about who do we want our elected officials to be?
TAPPER: Yes.
TODD: I know the night it happened in this room it was a $100 million mistake when the president endorsed him.
TAPPER: Yes. And let me say, Sawyer, the only thing that really makes me wonder about how much Paxton will win, because it is a very red state, is the behavior of Republicans about the seat. We had that weird smear campaign over the weekend that completely blew up in the faces of Republican influencers, and then earlier today in Texas, listen to the vice president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J.D. VANCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: I love you too, sir, in a totally platonic way, to be clear. I'm the vice president, not James Talarico. But I got to --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: So, he insinuates that Talarico's gay, which he's not, and then he also goes on to make a really vile kind of innuendo about Talarico and trans kids and his web history and all the like. This makes me think, oh, maybe Talarico is doing better than I thought.
SAWYER HACKETT, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST AND CONTENT CREATOR: Yes, and I just find that so pathetic, and I honestly, I think this is kind of their defensive strategy to reach out to that -- those alpha males in Texas that they think that they're appealing to with that kind of language. I don't find -- I don't think that Texans are actually finding that resonating with them. And, you know, to your point about, you know, Paxton winning over 86 percent of the of Republicans, I think these are the kinds of stories that break away some of those Republicans from Paxton in the final stretch, and we've had a story like this almost every single day for the past two weeks in Texas.
You know, Ken Paxton is already known. It is baked, I think, in the minds of a lot of Texas voters that he's corrupt. He's known as being one of the most corrupt politicians in America. And I think if it wasn't for Donald Trump, he would be. You know, we also just saw a story yesterday about Paxton taking nearly 1,000 trips as attorney general, taking 730 days off of work. That's nearly two years of his tenure as attorney general away from the office to do personal trips. He's increased his net worth $27 million on a salary of $150,000.
You know, Texans do know that he's corrupt. I think that's been baked in the minds of Texas voters for a long time, but I think that these kinds of stories, especially in the final stretch, in the final three weeks, it's going to peel away a lot of those Republican voters who decide to sit out.
TAPPER: So, Brad, one of -- so in addition to watching who's smearing who, because that always is like kind of a tell about desperation, you also look is where people are putting money, right? And Republicans -- a leading GOP super PAC is ditching some ad bookings in some Congressional districts that you'd think that they would want to shore up those Republicans, Tom Kean Jr. in New Jersey and Mariannette Miller-Meeks in Iowa. Does that say to you that they're giving up?
TODD: Well, I'm working on Mariannette Miller-Meeks' campaign.
TAPPER: Okay.
TODD: And in fact, she's running against the same woman that she's beaten the last two times. Both candidates have about $2 million left in media. Mariannette's been a great fundraiser. So, I think this decision reflects more that she's done a great job raising money. Some other folks in the battlefield have not done such a great job in raising money and need to be shored up.
But, look, these are -- this is decision time. It's time to move money around. Both sides are moving money around. Democrats are putting money in some places they didn't expect to, both in the positive side and the negative side.
TAPPER: Well, Michigan is an example of that Democrats are spending a lot more money in Michigan than normally they would think they would have to.
TODD: And Maine. I thought they'd have Maine done by now.
TAPPER: And Maine, too.
HACKETT: I mean, they're in a political death spiral. They're pulling money out of Kansas.
TAPPER: Republicans, you're saying.
HACKETT: Republicans, they're pulling money out of Georgia and North Carolina to invest in Kansas and South Carolina. The president's campaigning in Tennessee and Alabama and Nebraska. And, you know, they've sunk a quarter of a billion dollars into Iowa, Alaska, and Texas defending a candidate who's one of the most unpopular, and I think, you know, least resonant candidates that Texas has ever had.
TAPPER: And, Lulu, how do you see this all shaping out? I mean, it does seem to be the Democrats are playing defense. If you had told me six months ago that Donald Trump was going to be going to, you know, Ohio and Alaska and Montana --
GARCIA-NAVARRO: You mean Republicans playing defense?
TAPPER: Did I say Democrats? I meant Republicans. Republicans are playing defense.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: And, well, you know, but it's interesting. I think Democrats are playing defense in areas they didn't think they were going to playing defense.
TAPPER: Michigan and Maine, yes.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Michigan and Maine, and Republicans definitely the map is much broader than you would've thought before.
[18:45:01]
But, listen, the money in this campaign I think is going to be studied for years to come. This is a crazy campaign with this money.
TAPPER: Half a billion dollars in Texas.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Half a billion dollars in Texas, the amount of spending that is actually happening here. And I think what we really -- and we don't know yet, will it have the impact that people want it to have?
I mean, Elon Musk alone is financing --
TAPPER: Two hundred seventy million.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: -- $270 million. I mean, these are just like crazy amounts of money.
And so, I think we're going to find out a lot, the power of money in politics, the power of presidential sort of charisma in politics and, and how important good candidates are in the end, are we going to find out that, you know, what people say is really true? It's just -- it comes down to the basics of like candidate power? Or is it really that you can buy your way into office here?
TAPPER: Very quick. Give me two races that you think the national media -- each one. Each one each that the national media is not paying enough attention to that you're watching. TODD: Well, I'm watching Minnesota senate race.
You know, Tim Walz is a very unpopular governor. And a lot of these blue states, we're seeing Republican poll numbers look a lot better than they are in red states. And that's because of dissatisfaction with blue governors. So, I think Michele Tafoya's Senate race is interesting.
TAPPER: And last time I saw it was that she was only down for two and a half.
TODD: Two and a half.
HACKETT: I still think it's all of these senate races. I mean, I -- as much attention has been paid on Texas, I think that that is the biggest story of the cycle. And so, you know, as a -- as someone who's worked in Texas politics, I would have to put that on my list.
I would also say Iowa. I mean, Iowa, both in the governors race and in the Senate race, you have very competitive candidates who are actually pulling ahead of Republicans. You know, Iowa was once a state that Democrats picked up under Barack Obama. It's a state that we can pick up again if there's some sort of political realignment might happen.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Florida, Florida.
HACKETT: Florida as we'll.
GARCIA-NAVARRO : You got to look at Florida.
TAPPER: You think you think Angie Dixon is going to --
GARCIA-NAVARRO: No, I think I think Florida is just going to be an interesting race, definitely for the governors race.
TAPPER: Oh, yeah. Dave Jolly versus Byron Donalds.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Yeah, exactly.
TAPPER: A lot to watch. Thanks all.
Can an independent win a senate seat from Montana? We're going to find out when polls close in three weeks. That candidate is here next to deliver his pitch.
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[18:50:54]
TAPPER: Sticking with politics, President Trump will be on the road tomorrow for more rallies as part of his midterm campaign push, with events scheduled in Arizona and ruby red Montana. This weekend, he's also going to head to Kentucky and Georgia.
Joining me now is Seth Bodnar. He's Montana's independent candidate for U.S. Senate. He's also an Army veteran who served in Iraq. Thanks so much for joining us, Seth.
So, President Trump says his rallies are helping to boost candidates. How do you think tomorrow's stop in Kalispell, Montana, if I'm pronouncing that correctly, will impact your race?
SETH BODNAR (I), MONTANA SENATE CANDIDATE: Yeah. You know, look, I actually sent a letter to the president. I asked him while he's here. I'd love to meet with him.
You know, I think what he's going to hear here in Montana from folks is that Montanans are struggling. Diesel costs above $6 a gallon. Farmers in crisis, ranchers being undercut by South American beef flooding into our market. And I think he's going to hear from Montanans that they're pretty fed up with policies that are failing the people of this state.
I don't think the rally will have too much of an influence, but I'd love to sit down with the president, talk about ways we could actually address the problems that Montanans are facing.
TAPPER: The chairman of the Montana Democratic Party resigned this week and endorsed you in the race against not only the Republican Kurt Alme, but the Democrat, Alani Bankhead, the former chair of the Democratic Party, wrote in an op-ed, quote, "Bankhead does not have the momentum, resources or will to win this race. She has also benefited from Republican spending designed to split the opposition and clear a path for Alme. Democrats should ask themselves why Republicans so badly wanted her on the ballot."
So Republican Kurt Alme is leading most of the polls right now.
Do you think Alani Bankhead, the Democratic nominee, is splitting your vote and spoiling the race? Should she drop out?
BODNAR: You know, this race has never been about party politics. It's been about values and our shared Montana values. And what we saw with the -- Chair O'Brien this week is supporting our campaign, a campaign that's going to actually bring Montanans together.
You know, what we have in Kurt Alme is nothing more than a rubber stamp. He was installed on the ballot, uh, through a backroom insider deal facilitated by MAGA insiders. And I'll tell you what he's already said. he'll be nothing more than a rubber stamp for the war in Iran. He's backed by extremist groups that want to ban abortion. So, he'll be a yes man for folks who want to take away women's reproductive freedom.
He's said that he's going to do nothing to stop this senseless trade war. So, what you see here is folks coming together because they realize the stakes of this election are too high to mess around with silly political games. You've got the Republican super PACs supporting the person on the Democratic ticket. You've got a rigged Republican primary.
And what Montanans want is leadership that's accountable to them. That's what this campaign is offering. It's about bringing us together around our shared Montana values. That's why we're going to win on November 3rd.
TAPPER: What is it about your political beliefs that has it so that you are not a Democrat? you've enunciated opposition already to President Trump's tariffs and other things. Why aren't you a Democrat?
BODNAR: We'll, a couple of things. Look, I think the Democratic Party has left a lot of people like me. I think the Republican Party has left a lot of people like me. The fact is, Chuck Schumer said a decade ago, you know, for every blue-collar worker that that the Democratic Party loses in rural America, they'll gain back two in the cities and suburbs. That's a -- that's a strategy for leaving Montana behind.
And I think what Montanans are fed up with is, is parties at the extremes, voices at the extremes. You know, folks on the far left who say things like open borders and defund the police, and people on the far right who are comfortable with pardoning people who have attacked cops. You know, the common sense majority needs a voice. That's why I'm running as an independent. That's why independents are the largest voting bloc in Montana.
That's why you're seeing people flock toward this coalition that we're building and why you're seeing momentum for this campaign grow. And we're going to surprise a lot of people on November 3rd. And we're going to put an independent voice who answers not to the party machines in D.C., who answers only to the people of this great state.
[18:55:04]
TAPPER: Montana independent Senate candidate Seth Bodnar, thank you. And thank you for your service, sir.
BODNAR: Thanks, Jake. I appreciate being here.
TAPPER: The man found guilty of plotting Tupac Shakur's murder was back in court today, where he officially learned his sentence. Those details ahead.
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TAPPER: Our last lead start in our law and justice lead, where Duane Davis was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison for orchestrating the murder of rap legend Tupac Shakur. The case was unsolved for almost 30 years until prosecutors used Davis's memoir as evidence for the case against him. In their impact, statements, Shakur's family not only described their personal grief, but the generational loss that the rapper's death caused. Indeed.
In our national lead, Cornell University has suspended all parties and social events at campus fraternities for the rest of the academic year. This comes as the school evaluates its response to a female student's claims that she had been gang raped at a fraternity in 2024. Cornell's president says this is just the beginning of, quote, "systemic change on campus".
"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts now. I'll see you tomorrow.
