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Trump Rallies in Red States as GOP Plays Defense Ahead of Midterms; U.S. Removes Air Force Bombers After New Threat; New Term for the Supreme Court. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired October 05, 2026 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking this morning, the battle for ruby red America, new polling showing Democrats gaining some ground and Republicans losing grip of a key voting bloc that propelled Trump's second term. Now, with just a few weeks left until Election Day, the GOP having to shore up support in districts they never thought would be at any risk.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: A Russian researcher at a lab that studies the plague has died of an unknown infection. Now, very big questions are swirling around how dangerous this situation is right now.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: A little boy falls from a second-story balcony. It took a heroic sprint to save him.

I'm John Berman with Kate Bolduan and Sara Sidner. This is CNN News Central.

SIDNER: President Trump is on his midterm rally blitz changing tact on mail voting, showing his support for data centers, but it's where he is going that may be the most revealing with the midterms less than a month away. Republicans are now seeing strong challenges in ruby red states. But despite his low approval rating, President Trump's messages in states like Texas, Alabama, and Ohio still largely the same.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We need the votes, and I'm here for that, and I think we're going to win.

We're worried about Michigan. We're worried about Texas. We're worried about a few states.

You're going to think of me as on the ballot, right? Everybody promise?

Just get out and vote. If you do that, we're going to win and we're going to win big. And we're going to shove it up their ass.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SIDNER: There you go. The president changing his message on one issue, though, that he has rallied against for years early and mail-in voting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: If your state has early voting, do not wait. Go out and vote. Vote early, vote by mail, or vote in person on Election Day, November 3rd.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: CNN's Kevin Liptak is live at the White House for us this morning. Kevin, what did you see in all this, because some of the messaging, especially on that mail-in voting, has changed?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, you do see a shift, and I think this all is reflective of a pretty grim picture for Republicans. The president knows that even if he's not necessarily acknowledging it explicitly, but when you talk to Republican operatives, elected Republicans in Washington, they all say that this is turning into a bloodbath in a lot of ways.

And the president's schedule that you tick through there really tells the whole story. You know, Alabama, Ohio, Texas, you have the vice president going to Alaska today. These are all states that the president won by double digits two years ago, and now Republicans are trying to defend turf that they did not expect to have to be defensive on two years later.

Now, the president said over the weekend that he thought the polls didn't necessarily reflect the full picture, that they didn't necessarily reflect the enthusiasm that would be gained once that he heads out on the campaign trail. But it's clear that his own record is becoming an anchor for a lot of Republicans.

That's part of the reason why you see him going to some extraordinary lengths to try and influence the outcome, whether it's those government-funded ads that have been appearing on television or the promise that he continued to make over the weekend of these $5,000 checks for every American if Republicans retain their majorities.

Now, there was some further warning signs over the weekend in a poll from NBC and Telemundo of Latino voters. This is a bloc that helped propel the president's victory in 2024. But the poll found that by a 24-point margin, 59 percent to 35 percent that Latinos would prefer to see Democrats win control of Congress over Republicans. Only 27 percent of Latino voters approved of President Trump's job performance, and it was an even smaller figure for his approval on the economy. Only 20 percent approved of his handling of the cost of living. And that could be a real problem for the president in a place like Texas with a large Latino population, where the Democratic candidate, James Talarico, is now consistently shown having an edge over the Republican challenger.

Now, the president will be in Nebraska today campaigning with Pete Ricketts, the incumbent Republican senator.

[07:05:01]

But even there, an aspect of the president's agenda could be a problem for him. That's allowing foreign beef imports. That's caused some problems with ranchers. So, just an indication that even as the president goes around to these ruby red states, it's his own record that in a lot of ways is getting in the way here.

SIDNER: We will see what happens. Kevin Liptak, thank you so much for your reporting from the White House for us this morning. Kate?

BOLDUAN: And there are big questions swirling right now around a sudden military move. This morning, all of the U.S. Air Force long range bombers that were stationed at an air base in the U.K. are now back in the United States.

According to a U.S. official, they were flown out suddenly after an unspecified new threat. And this comes just days after five people were arrested in connection with an alleged Iranian plot to target that same air base in the U.K. They were later released on bail, and a sixth man was arrested last week as well, was also released. A source familiar with the situation tells CNN that the latest threat is a, quote/unquote, real world incident.

CNN's Matthew Chance is tracking this one from London. And, Matthew, there just seems to be a lot of questions around why so suddenly, and what we really know about it. What are you picking up?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, a lot of questions why it happened. Unfortunately, no really good answers at the moment. I've just got off the phone with the British Ministry of Defense, and they just flatly refused to comment, saying, we don't comment on the operations and the capabilities of other nations, which seems extremely odd given that this is one of the main U.S. air bases on British soil, absolutely paramount not just to the British military alliance with the United States, which is longstanding, but also important to America's ability to project power for instance, well, globally, but, for instance, into the Middle East.

Fairford is the base which these B-1 bombers, a dozen or so of which have now been sort of quickly evacuated from the airstrip back to their home bases in the United States. It's been used to strike Iran since the beginning of the Iran war. It's the main sort of forward operating base for that kind of a sort of operation that the U.S. has been conducting. It can still do that sort of thing from other bases and, of course, from the continental United States. But, you know, it's going to be logistically much more difficult without that base at Fairford from which to, you know, launch attacks from and to return to. So, that's really problematic.

The British state broadcaster here has said, look, you know, this was a military, not a political decision to move these jets out of here. It doesn't seem to have been a sort of an act of frustration or anger on the part of the Trump administration. At least that's what the indications are at the moment, although we'll wait to see what President Trump and other members of the White House team have to say on it later on today.

And what is interesting though is that these jets appear, from local reports here in Britain, to have been scrambled. It's not a sort of planned evacuation. There seems to have been a new sort of intelligence report, a real world incident, as you mentioned, which was as it was described to us by U.S. officials, which led to these planes quickly being scrambled and taking off. Local media here saying even before the refueling tankers had got into the air to allow them to refuel to get back to the United States.

So, yes, we're waiting to see what it was that caused this kind of panic evacuation of these U.S. strategic bombers.

BOLDUAN: And that's sure what it seems to be without more information, so a scramble and a panic of an evacuation. But clearly we are asking all the questions. Let's see when the answers come in.

It's great to see you, Matthew. Thank you so much. Much more to come on that. John?

BOLDUAN: All right. Conservative Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito says he has considered retirement. When might President Trump have an opportunity to nominate a new justice?

This morning, rising concerns about the plague. A researcher at a lab dies from an unknown infection.

And bear versus car, this was a bruising battle, and the thing is the driver was still inside.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:10:00]

BERMAN: All right. This morning, the Supreme Court will start a new term, jumping straight into a major case that will decide if state and local governments can sue oil companies for damage from climate change. Other cases this term deal with religious education and a Second Amendment challenge to bans on AR-15 rifles.

I want to get right to CNN Chief Supreme Court Analyst Joan Biskupic, who joins us now. It begins with a big one today, Joan.

JOAN BISKUPIC, CNN CHIEF SUPREME COURT ANALYST: It does. You know, they're back, but doesn't it feel like they never really left, John. You know, we had so many emergency orders involving elections and Donald Trump's immigration policies over the summer, but this is when they formally return, on the first Monday in October, and they do start with a really important case involving climate change.

And as you said Boulder, Colorado, has sued two large energy companies for the harm from fossil fuel emissions, saying, you know, it hurts public safety, it's caused fires and floods and all sorts of environmental damage. They're not trying to regulate the companies, rather, they're trying to hold them responsible for harm and damages. And what the companies, backed by the Trump administration, say is, no, state and municipalities do not have this authority. That's with the federal government under the Clean Air Act.

[07:10]

So, the Clean Air Act preempts these local lawsuits. So, it's a big source of tension over who can try to hold companies liable, if anybody's going to hold them liable, for harm to the environment from fossil fuel emissions. John?

BERMAN: And, Joan, what --

BISKUPIC: And then coming up -- sure, go ahead.

BERMAN: I was going to ask you about the religious education one.

BISKUPIC: Yes, that's where I was headed, thank you very much. Yes. On Election Day as a matter of fact, November 3rd, they're going to hear a really important case involving the tension between church and state. As I know you're aware, this court has encouraged more mingling of religious entities and public funds, public spaces.

And this case, also from Colorado, tests whether Colorado's universal preschool program which gives funds for preschool for all comers can exclude Catholic preschool that refuses to allow children of same-sex couples. And it's a tension between the free exercise right of this Catholic school and the state's interest in non-discrimination.

So, that will be a really important case, and it's likely going to build on other cases the justices have had recently where it's allowed religious entities to successfully counteract these state programs that look like they're of general interest but actually end up hurting these religious entities.

BERMAN: A preview of coming attractions today though, states and climate change.

Joan Biskupic in Washington for us watching it all, you'll head over to the Court shortly, thanks so much for being with us. Sara?

SIDNER: All right. Ahead, new concerns this morning about the plague, new details about the lab researcher who died after an unknown infection.

And call it a love-hate relationship with A.I. a new survey shows how tech workers use artificial intelligence in their jobs.

Those stories and more ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:20:00]

SIDNER: This morning, Russian authorities are implementing anti- epidemic measures after a researcher at a lab that studies the plague and other infectious diseases died of a mysterious illness. Officials say the 28-year-old female lab technician died after being diagnosed with a pneumonia of unknown origin.

Let's get right to CNN's Fred Pleitgen, who is following all of this. Fred, what are you learning this morning?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Sara. Yes, pretty uneasy feeling for the people in that part of Russia. This is happening in a place called Shelekhov, which is near the border with Mongolia, just south of Lake Baikal. And as you mentioned over the past couple of days, a worker at a local research lab, which is dedicated to fighting the plague and other infectious diseases, died of an unknown pneumonic disease. They say at this point in time they don't know exactly what that was.

There's one interesting quote that came out from the local governor that I want to read with you because obviously the authorities there are trying to calm people down. This says, quote, No microorganisms associated with the employee's professional duties were detected in samples taken from the patient. So, they say obviously nothing that has to do with the plague was detected in that patient. However, the governor of the neighboring area, which is called Buryatia, he came out and said that this patient possibly died from the plague.

Again, right now the authorities not confirming that. They say that the epidemiological situation there is stable, as they put it. Nevertheless, those anti-epidemic measures are in place. And what the authorities have done there in the town of Shelekhov is that they've shut down, quite frankly, most of the hospitals in that area, the inpatient areas not taking any new patients, but also not letting any patients out. A maternity ward apparently also is under quarantine as well.

In total, and this is according to local media that, of course, we've been monitoring, Sara, about 200 people apparently under observation. That lab is a pretty major one for fighting the plague. It's been in existence since the 1930s. 95 researchers work there. Again, covers the plague, also covers other infectious diseases.

The authorities are saying there is no indication that the plague got out. They say that the situation is stable. But as you can imagine, in that part of Russia and other places, quite frankly, a lot of people fairly concerned about this news. Sara?

SIDNER: It -- for the world, it does give you a chill down your spine after we all experienced the pandemic, that's for sure, Fred Pleitgen. Thank you so much for bringing us that reporting. Kate?

BOLDUAN: So, Kansas is as red as Dorothy's slippers when it comes to the U.S. Senate. Right now, Republicans are making huge money moves to try to keep it that way and defend a Senate seat. Details on what is happening in Kansas ahead.

And the FBI arrests a woman that they say is a Chinese spy on U.S. soil. What evidence they say they have on her and who they say she was following. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:25:00]

BOLDUAN: Kansas has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate in nearly a century. That is now, though, seen as an actual possibility this midterm election. The data coming in is now putting Kansas on CNN's list of Senate seats most likely to flip. Republican-turned- Democrat megachurch pastor Adam Hamilton seems to have put this state in play with recent polling showing that the race is deadlocked between Hamilton and the incumbent Republican senator, Roger Marshall.

And in another sign of the times, last week, the top Republican super PAC in -- when it comes to Senate contests, moved more money to Kansas, well, moved it out of North Carolina and into Kansas.

CNN's Patrick Svitek is digging into this one. He joins us now. What are you seeing here, Patrick?

PATRICK SVITEK, CNN REPORTER: Yes. This news on Friday from the Senate Leadership Fund was really a remarkable development and shows just how much Democrats are pushing into red territory on both the House battlefield and also the Senate battlefield.

You know, going into this cycle, North Carolina was considered a top- tier seat for Republicans to defend. They currently hold it.

[07:30:00]

It's an open seat now because the Republican incumbent, Thom Tillis, is not seeking re-election. But it was nonetheless, it was a state that Donald Trump won three times.