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Donald Trump And Joe Biden Face Tough Questions in Dueling Town Halls; Record Numbers of Early Voters Casting Ballots; Trump May Be Losing Support Among Older Voters; Rudy Giuliani's Daughter Supporting Biden; Protests Continue in Thailand Amid Government Crackdown; Tennis players Accused of Fleeing Russia After Diagnosis; Golfer Shining Light on Social Justice Fight; Trump and Biden Appear on Dueling Town Halls After Mixed Debate; Republican Senator Blasts President Trump; Biden Campaign Halts Kamala Harris's Travel After Staffers Test Positive for COVID; The United States is Struggling to Curb COVID-19; WHO: About 80 Percent of European Nations are Seeing COVID Cases Rise; A New Necklace Reminds Wearers to Social Distance; Tokyo Theme Park Opens Its Doors to Remote Workers. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired October 16, 2020 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[02:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to "CNN Newsroom." I'm John Vause. Ahead this hour, same night, same time, but quite possibly different planets, the dueling town halls just 18 days from the American election.
Also ahead is this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Whenever he is caught in a lie, he blames it on somebody else. It is always somebody else. He's impossible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: The great disdain among seniors for President Trump. This once rock-solid base of republican support is now finding its way to Joe Biden.
Also this hour, nations across Europe are bracing for new lockdowns as COVID cases continue to surge. We are live in Rome with the very latest.
U.S. president and his Democratic rival were more than 2000 kilometers apart, on different networks and different cities, but they may as well have been in different universes.
President Trump and Joe Biden were meant to have a virtual debate Thursday night. It was a precaution after Trump was diagnosed with the coronavirus. But he refused. So, voters had to flip between dueling town halls which were airing at the same time. Joe Biden answered questions about his policies, including how we deal with the coronavirus pandemic and how we protect black Americans from police violence and racial injustice. He also addressed the question about packing the Supreme Court. We will have more on that in a moment.
President Trump's town hall was mostly antagonistic. He argued with the moderator about conspiracy theories, his tax returns, and how he has been dealing with the pandemic. One question he wouldn't or couldn't answer was about his own coronavirus tests.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, BROADCASTER: When did you last remember having a negative test?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, I test quite a bit. And I can tell you that before the debate, which I thought was a very good debate and I felt fantastically, I was -- I had no problem before. It was afterwards --
GUTHRIE: Did you test the day of the debate?
TRUMP: I don't know. I don't even remember. I test all the time.
GUTHRIE: But debate commissions rules, it was the honor system --
TRUMP: Yeah.
GUTHRIE: -- that you would come with a negative test. You said you don't know if you got a test on the day of the debate?
TRUMP: I had no problem. Again, the doctors do it. I don't ask them. I test all the time.
GUTHRIE: Did you take a test on the day of the debate?
TRUMP: You can ask the doctor. They will give you a perfect answer.
GUTHRIE: Do you take a test every single day?
TRUMP: No, no, but I take a lot of tests.
GUTHRIE: OK. And you don't know if you took a test the day of the debate?
TRUMP: Possibly I did, possibly I didn't.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Round and round and round it went. But, did President Trump's town hall offer any new information, any new insight, which could move that very small number of undecided voters? Well, according to CNN's Jim Acosta, not really. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Voters did not get a lot of straight answers from President Trump during the town hall that took the place of a presidential debate with Joe Biden.
Given multiple opportunities to denounce the false conspiracy theory QAnon, the president evaded the question and simply would not say what he thought about the group. Here is more of what he had to say.
TRUMP: I know nothing about it. I do know they are very much against pedophilia. They fight it very hard. But I know nothing about it.
GUTHRIE: They believe it is a satanic cult run by the deep states.
TRUMP: If you like me to study the subject -- I tell you what I do know about. I know about Antifa, I know about the radical left, I know how violent they are and how vicious they are, and I know how they are burning cities run by Democrats, not run by Republicans.
GUTHRIE: Republican Senator Ben Sasse said -- quote -- "QAnon is nuts and real leaders call conspiracy theories conspiracy theories."
TRUMP: He may be right.
GUTHRIE: Why not just say it's crazy and not true?
TRUMP: Can I be honest: He may be right. I just don't know about QAnon.
GUTHRIE: You do know.
TRUMP: I don't know. No, I don't know.
ACOSTA: And the president also gave evasive answers on health care, abortion, even his own personal income taxes.
But perhaps the biggest missed opportunity of the night for the voters was when the president would not say when his last negative coronavirus test was, leaving open the possibility that he walked into that last presidential debate with Joe Biden potentially symptomatic for COVID-19.
Jim Acosta, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Now, to Philadelphia, where the Democratic nominee mingled with the audience long after the town hall was over. Here is CNN's Arlette Saenz with this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Over the course of a 90- minute town hall here in Philadelphia, Joe Biden faced a range of questions, from how to handle the coronavirus pandemic to the economy and even his support for the 1994 crime bill. This was a heavily policy-focused discussion, as he faced questions from a mix of undecided voters and people who have already made up their minds about supporting Biden or Trump.
And one of the most noteworthy exchanges came during a discussion about the issue of court packing.
[02:04:59]
SAENZ: Joe Biden has deflected when asked about adding more justices to the Supreme Court for weeks now. He offered a bit more of a detailed answer in this town hall. Take a listen.
JOE BIDEN (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not a fan. I then say it depends on how this turns out. I am open to considering what happens from that point on.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ANCHOR, ABC NEWS: You said so many times during the campaign, all through the course of your career, it is important to level --
BIDEN: It is, but George, if I say -- no matter what answer I gave you, if I say it, that is the headline tomorrow. It won't be about what is going on now. The improper way they are proceeding.
STEPHANOPOULOS: But don't voters have a right to know where you stand?
BIDEN: They do have a right to know where I stand. They have a right to know where I stand before they vote.
STEPHANOPOULOS: So you will come out with a clear position before Election Day?
BIDEN: Yes.
SAENZ: So Biden there not completely ruling out the possibility of adding more justices to the Supreme Court, saying he wants to see how the nomination with Amy Coney Barrett moves forward and will give voters a bit more of an answer, closer to Election Day.
Biden also criticized President Trump for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. And he was asked about a coronavirus vaccine, whether it should be mandated. Biden said that there should be a discussion about making it mandatory, but acknowledged that there could be legal issues with actually implementing that.
But overall, Biden stayed very policy-focused as he was presenting his agenda for a Biden ministration, offering a contrast to the president, without the president even being on that stage.
On Friday, Joe Biden is heading to Michigan, where he will have two stops in that critical battleground state as early voting is underway and he is trying to get people to head out and vote. Back to you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Michael Genovese is the president of the Global Policy Institute at Loyola Marymount University. He is live this hour in Los Angeles. Michael, great to have you with us.
I'll get to these dueling town halls in a moment. But before that, Donald Trump had a rally in North Carolina. To the cheers of the crowd, he kind of declared the beginning of the end for this pandemic. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: My plan is already crushing the virus. Look at our numbers. Look at our numbers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: You know, by any measure, the numbers are awful. They speak (INAUDIBLE) on a grand scale. This seems to be a strategy of taking credit for people who did not die while avoiding responsibility for those who have. It's a big problem for Trump. There's no closing argument, no message. It is 18 days before the election.
MICHAEL GENOVESE, PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL POLICY INSTITUTE, LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY: Well, that is because, John, you're comparing industrialized nations and their response to the coronavirus. But the United States under Trump as far as the COVID virus is concerned is acting like a third world country, not an industrialized nation.
We are doing almost everything that we shouldn't be doing. We should be having more restrictions. We should have a set policy by the federal government. We should have in place a program to facilitate the decline of the virus. We do not. We do not have a national policy. And so the president is just mumbling words that have really no meaning.
VAUSE: Yeah. That's what happened a little bit too during these town halls. It was Donald Trump, you know, in Miami, on NBC, arguing with the moderator, making false claims about face masks and a whole lot else. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I'm good with masks. I'm OK with masks. I tell people to wear masks. But just the other day, they came out with a statement that 85 percent of the people that wear masks catch it. So, you know, this is a very --
GUTHRIE: They didn't say that. I know that study --
TRUMP: That's what I heard, and that's what I saw.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Yeah, well, you heard wrong, because it's not true. Joe Biden on ABC was calm yesterday. He spent a lot of time after town hall talking with the audience. And there was this concession he made on the question about packing the Supreme Court. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: I'm not a fan. I then say it depends on how this turns out, not how he winds, but how it is handled.
STEPHANOPOULOS: But don't voters have a right to know where you stand?
BIDEN: They do have a right to know where I stand. They have a right to know where I stand before they vote.
STEPHANOPOULOS: So you will come out with a clear position before Election Day?
BIDEN: Yes, depending on how they handle this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: If Biden has been laser-focused on avoiding gaps and controversy, he seemed to continue during the town hall, and that was a pretty smart move by Biden who had been criticized for not taking a stance on this issue.
GENOVESE: Yeah. I think Joe Biden is misplaying his hand on this. We do have a right to know his position and, as he said, you will hear it before Election Day. Well, people are already voting. There are millions and millions of people who have already voted. How long should they wait?
So I think, in this case, Biden is opening himself up for criticism because he has mishandled his response to the question of court packing.
VAUSE: Is he being smart?
GENOVESE: I think when you have to keep trying to answer the same question in different ways, there is a problem. He has not been able to pull it off. He's not glib enough. That may be a compliment to his character.
[02:10:00]
GENOVESE: Donald Trump could pull this off. Biden just can't.
VAUSE: All right. During this town hall, Donald Trump, would describe it as a profile encouragement moment, actually taking a strong stance against white supremacy. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I denounce white supremacy.
GUTHRIE: OK.
TRUMP: And frankly, you want to know something? I denounce Antifa and I denounce these people on the left that are burning down our cities that are run by Democrats.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: There is always "but." It's great that he's sort of trying to quote the non-bigot (ph) vote, but then there's also this false equivalency when he goes on about the threat posed by these left-wing groups.
GENOVESE: And that is because Donald Trump has these talking points that he wants to hit. You know, he has his phobias. He has these people that he hates. He reaches out, clings to them, even when it is not an appropriate answer.
Donald Trump has not been clear. He has not been forthcoming. He has been going all over the waterfront. The moderator tried to give him opportunities to clarify, and he simply went back to the old talking points, attacking the left, attacking democratic cities, attacking Antifa, and avoiding the real question at hand.
VAUSE: Yeah. The past four years, there's been such a little criticism, at least publicly, about the president coming from Republicans in Congress. But here is the senator from Nebraska, talking about Trump on the phone with constituents on Wednesday. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BEN SASSE (R-NE) (voice-over): He mocks evangelicals behind closed doors. His family has treated the presidency like a business opportunity. He's flirted with white supremacists.
I mean, the places where we differed on COVID, he -- at the beginning of the COVID crisis, he refused to treat it seriously for months. He treated it like a news cycle by news cycle PR crisis rather than a multi-year public health challenge which is what it is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: That is just a fraction of what Ben Sasse had to say. Is it a case now the Republicans are staring down the possibility, this down- ticket massacre that some have found something of a backbone, but earning enough to criticize Trump in a private phone call, not to go to the public with this?
GENOVESE: Well, it did go public, and the words were powerful and full of condemnation of the president by someone who is very prominent in his own party. The problem is they are just words, powerful words of condemnation but just words. Where is the action to back them up? Where is the pushback?
For four years now, Republican senators and Senator Sasse have been basically just bending over for Donald Trump. Four years of phony enablers. Yes, cheerleader. Yes, cheerleader. The party has been spineless. They're full of particulars that Senator Sasse laid out. It was utterly devastating. Even if it came from Democrats, it would be devastating. Coming from a Republican, it was worse. Kisses dictators' butts, flirted with white supremacists, sells out allies, his handling of COVID was irresponsible, the way he treats women, he spends like a drunken sailor, mocks evangelicals behind their back, and uses the presidency for business opportunities. It was incredibly powerful.
But if those words meant anything, to Senator Sasse and to Republicans, they would have pushed back. They were aiding and abetting Donald Trump, not fighting him on these.
VAUSE: How much of an indictment is this on Ben Sasse? He obviously believes the stuff and it is pretty grim. But he allowed it to happen. I mean, this is your point, no action. I mean, who comes out of this worse, Trump or Sasse?
GENOVESE: I'm not sure why, but Republicans are scared to death of Donald Trump. He doesn't seem very frightening. He seems like a paper tiger. And so what is he going to do? Is he going to primary you? Maybe.
But, really, if you have these strong believes and you're a man or woman of principle, and Sasse's words today were principled words, you need to act on them. If they are just words, they are nothing. They have no meaning.
You have to get beyond the words and get to the action. Republicans have failed the country miserably.
VAUSE: Right. And coming in 18 days before the election to the timing is rather unfortunate. Michael, thank you. Michael Genovese is in Los Angeles. Appreciate you being with us, Michael.
GENOVESE: Thank you, John.
VAUSE: Well, as I say, just 18 days away from the election, Kamala Harris, Biden's running mate, has been grounded for at least a few days after two people working close to the campaign were diagnosed with the coronavirus.
President Trump is striking out of the Biden campaign, saying it proves the coronavirus hit them, even as they use precautions like masks. Harris tells CNN's Don Lemon what she thinks about that comment from Donald Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA): He is just incorrect. And the reality of it is that, first of all, his approach to this issue is something the American public are suffering from.
[02:15:02]
HARRIS: For example, what we did is we have been -- we have had -- and he mocked Joe Biden in their debate about wearing masks and protocols that say that we understand, love their neighbor, wear your mask. We have had protocols that have been about saying that we need to have social distancing. We are not going to bring large crowds together because we don't want people to get sick as they exercise their rights in our democracy.
On the other hand, you have Donald Trump who has overlooked all of that when he had information since January about how serious this was, and he did not tell the American people.
DON LEMON, CNN HOST: You have tested negative, right? You been tested?
HARRIS: Yes, many times.
LEMON: Many times, OK.
HARRIS: I was last exposed to the folks you mentioned seven days ago, I've had multiple tests since.
LEMON: OK.
HARRIS: I've come up negative. They are all doing well, I'm happy to say. And --
LEMON: OK.
HARRIS: -- yeah, and this is where we are.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: This is where we are. We will come back in a moment. And when we do, the coronavirus once again spreading like wildfire across the U.S. and that is putting incredible pressure on hospitals across the nation.
Also, a second wave is crashing across Europe. Cases in Germany and France are hitting levels never seen before during this pandemic. We will hear from our reporters spread out across the region.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Welcome back. By any measure, the United States is failing to contain the pandemic with devastating consequences. Almost eight million are infected and more than 200,000 dead and counting.
Now, an influential model predicts there could be more than 390,000 virus deaths in the U.S. by February. That is slightly lower than previous forecasts. But the harsh reality is that in just over three months, another 172,000 Americans will most likely be dead. CNN's Nick Watt has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICARDO AGUIRRE, LOST BUSINESS AND SEVERAL FAMILY MEMBERS TO COVID-19: I feel very incompetent.
NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This virus destroyed Ricardo Aguirre's business. It killed eight family members, including his father.
AGUIRRE: We did everything together.
WATT (voice-over): And nearly 60,000 new COVID-19 infections across America yesterday, highest tally in a couple of months.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is now unconscionable, this late into the outbreak.
WATT (voice-over): The Atlanta Falcons won't practice today after a positive test, and perhaps the biggest name in college sports is now COVID positive.
NICK SABAN, UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA HEAD FOOTBALL COACH: I'm still fine. I feel fine. I was very surprised by this.
WATT (voice-over): These are the nationwide daily case counts. Bad in the spring, worse in the summer, rising again, and rising fast, a call to arms in NYC, our one-time epicenter.
MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Simple as this crucial week.
[02:20:00]
DE BLASIO: This is the week to stop the second wave.
WATT (voice-over): This week, 21 states logged their highest average daily case counts ever.
GOV. JARED POLIS (D-CO): We've got get these numbers down. And if this trend continues, our hospital capacity will be in jeopardy.
WATT (voice-over): In just a week, the number of COVID patients in the hospitals in Indiana jumped 25 percent, in Ohio, 28 percent, in Delaware, 30 percent, in Minnesota, 32 percent, in Wisconsin, more COVID-19 patients in the hospital now than ever.
ASHOK RAI, PRESIDENT AND CEO, PREVEA HEALTH: If there is a major car accident today in Green Bay, between all of the hospitals, we wouldn't be able to take care of it.
WATT (voice-over): But advisers to our president reportedly promoting herd immunity AKA let it rip.
ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: I think that we just got to that square in the eye and say it is nonsense.
MARIA VAN KERKHOVE, WHO HEALTH EMERGENCIES PROGRAM: It leads to unnecessary cases and at least to unnecessary deaths.
WATT (voice-over): What might have been? New Zealand, a small island nation, granted, but 25 deaths total. Why? Quick action, real border closures, and nationwide lockdown, strong test and trace, this, according to a new study, in the Lancet. Here, cases are rising, temperatures are falling. Some say the first wave never ended. Here comes the second. So, Thanksgiving?
FAUCI: You may have to bite the bullet and sacrifice that social gathering.
WATT (on camera): Before the Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S., of course, it is Halloween. Beverly Hills is now one of the first cities in the country to ban trick or treating. They say they will not be out there hunting for kids wearing costumes. But if you are caught trick or treating or caught giving candy to a stranger, you may get a 100 dollar fine.
Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Just a short time ago, Germany reported another record for daily coronavirus infections, part of a second wave of the pandemic, showing no signs of letting up. The cases are on the rise in roughly 80 percent of all European countries. That is what Maria Van Kerkhove, a top infectious disease expert at the World Health Organization, told CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KERKHOVE: We are certainly seeing a very concerning situation across Europe. We are seeing resurgence. We are seeing an increase in transmission in large numbers of countries across the region. In fact, about 80 percent of countries across the European regions are seeing a growth right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: We have CNN correspondents covering this from across the region. Ben Wedeman is in Rome, Phil Black is in London, and we will start with Melissa Bell reporting in from Paris.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT: Here in France, a system of curfews announced by the French president in order to try and tackle the country's soaring COVID-19 figures. Again, tonight, another record was set in terms of the number of new cases announced for a single 24- hour period.
That is something that we have seen over the course of the last week. Several times, records are broken, and of course, that will have an incidence on the strain on ICUs.
The French president explained last night on television that the second wave threatened to be even worse than had been the first because the virus was now so spread out across France and because there were now no spare beds.
The question now of whether that will be enough, of course, poses itself from Saturday. It is also a state of emergency that France enters with more restrictions possible then if the numbers don't improve.
Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tough new restrictions on personal lives are set to kick in here in London. From Saturday morning, it will be illegal for people from different households to spend time together indoors. So, no hanging out in homes, bars, restaurants, cafes, making it harder to maintain and draw support from important relationships.
It will still be possible to socialize outdoors in groups of up to six, but that will become less practical as the winter deepens. London's (INAUDIBLE) says there was no choice but to implement this restriction because it is now clear the virus is spreading rapidly in all parts of the capital.
All the key factors, he says, are moving in the wrong direction, the number of cases, the number of people being admitted to hospital, the numbers in the intensive care, and the numbers of deaths.
London isn't locking down, but people here will have limited access to some of the people they care about most.
Phil Black, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Live now, CNN senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman in Rome. Ben, first time round, we saw it was northern part of Italy which is getting hammered by the virus. Now, this time, it seems like the south are seeing their numbers spike. Do we know why?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Not really. I mean, as you've said, the largest number of positive active cases at the moment is still in Lombardy where Milan is located.
[02:25:02]
WEDEMAN: But Campania where Naples is, seen as basically the second highest number among the regions in Italy. It was largely spared earlier in the year, but what we are seeing now is that the number of cases there is growing dramatically. And as a result, the governor of that region has declared that, as of today, schools will be closed, universities, restaurants must close at 9 p.m. All parties, religious and civic gatherings are now prohibited across the board.
And this is a part of the country where the health system isn't anywhere near as good as that in the north. And the poverty levels are much higher. Plus, you have the highest population densities in Italy.
So, the expectation is that this could become Southern Italy, particularly Campania could become the epicenter of the outbreak, this time exceeding what happened in Northern Italy. John?
VAUSE: Ben, thank you for the update. Ben Wedeman there for us live in Rome.
Queen Elizabeth is back in the public eye for the first time since the coronavirus forced the U.K. into a lockdown back in March. She visited a military research facility. Prince William was there. Neither was seen wearing a mask. The royal official say the decision was made after a consultation with the queen's doctors and scientists at that facility.
A robotics company in the United Kingdom has developed the latest coronavirus fashion, a necklace called "Bump." The new device reminds those who wear it to socially distance in accordance with scientific guidelines.
"Bump" is worn around the neck and display warranty signals. When you are at safe two meters or more from another person wearing the necklace, it lights up blue. If one meter or closer, though, the device lights up red. It has a loud beep to alert wearers they aren't properly socially distanced. It is kind of annoying.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HUGH BRASHER, LONDON MARATHON RACE DIRECTOR: I think that this technology can be used in business, really for companies trying to come back to the office. So many conversations are going on about how do you ensure someone safety. Health and safety are so important these days.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Probably a good idea. Well, a Tokyo theme park is offering remote workers a change of scene. Here at the Yomiuriland, visitors can take a break from the confines of the home office. For about $18, they can pick up mobile Wi-Fi hotspot and work in the fresh air. It also includes a spin on the park's Ferris wheel. One remote worker says it is a very much welcome change.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TATSUKI YAMAMOTO, REMOTE WORKER (through translator): It's different from how I usually work, so it's refreshing, and I feel great because it's outdoors.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: It's a way for the theme park to bring in some extra cash as it feels the pinch of the coronavirus pandemic.
Coming up on "CNN Newsroom," with millions of early voters casting ballots, President Trump asked, yet again, will you accept the results of the election? What did he say? We will tell you in a moment. Plus this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was a time I didn't like him at all. I loved him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Older Americans switching their loyalty from Trump to Biden. We tell you why in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:30:00]
JOHN VAUSE, HOST, CNN INTERNATIONAL: Welcome back everybody, I'm John Vause, an update now on our top story. The dueling Trump and Biden town halls, both candidates took some tough questions.
Biden was pressed on his support of adding Justice to the Supreme Court, he said he'll have a decision on that made public in the couple of days. He also was asked about his work on a controversial crime bill, while Donald Trump defended his response to the pandemic, as also his love of conspiracy theories. Trump was also asked about vote rigging, and would he accept the results of this election.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, ANCHOR, NBC NEWS: You have said repeatedly the only way we lose this election is if it is rigged. Now, that is simply not true. The fact is either candidate can lose fair and square without ballot fraud.
DONALD Trump, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Sure, they can. And do you know what?
GUTHRIE: So, will you accept the results of the election?
TRUMP: Win or lose, that's the way I want it to be. But when I see thousands of ballots, right, unsolicited ballots being given out by the millions, and thousands of them are dumped in dumpsters, and when you see ballots with the name Trump, military ballots, from our great military, and they're dumped in garbage cans--
GUTHRIE: That is a handful - we could go all night, which we won't.
TRUMP: No, no, it's happening every day.
GUTHRIE: But, we could go all night, one by one, a single case, a single day. You're talking about 150 million votes. Your own FBI Director says, there is no evidence of widespread fraud.
TRUMP: Oh, really? Well, then he's not doing a very good job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Election Day is still 2 weeks and 4 days away, but record numbers of Americans are already voting. Nearly 18 million people have cast their ballots so far. Some analysts believe the early numbers are a good sign for Biden, but there could be a heavy turnout for Donald Trump on the day of, which is November 3. A new poll finds Biden with 54 percent among likely voters, while
President Trump is sitting there at 43 percent, as close to the average in CNN's poll of polls. It is coming down to a battle for every vote, every demographic, and that including older Americans, once a rock solid support for Republicans.
Now, mostly because they could actually be counted on to turn up at the polls and vote, but it seems, they may be moving their support away from Donald Trump, and towards Joe Biden. And CNN's Jeff Zeleny says it's about the coronavirus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CROWD CHANTING)
JEFF ZELENY, SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, CNN: These Florida seniors are fired up for Joe Biden. But it's not only Democrats taking their stand. A bigger threat to President Trump's reelection may come from voters like Tommye and Rody Johnson. They are lifelong Republicans, who supported him 4 years ago, but won't again.
TOMMYE JOHNSON, REPUBLICAN BIDEN SUPPORTER: I feel he is responsible for thousands and thousands of deaths, because of his attitude about it. He is still dishonest about it, he keeps saying it's getting better and it never is, it's getting worse.
ZELENY: Their frustration at the President turned to fury with his handling of coronavirus.
RODY JOHNSON, REPUBLICAN BIDEN SUPPORTER: Dammit, we voted for him. And of course, the virus COVID has been terrible.
ZELENY: Three weeks ago, his son tested positive for COVID-19.
R. JOHNSON: I was mad because he had it, and it was - and I kept thinking it's Mr. Trump's fault, because this thing should never have gotten as far as it had.
ZELENY: Seniors were key to Trump's victory in 2016, yet falloff from this critical voting bloc had the president sounding the alarm this week at a rally here.
TRUMP: Biden's agenda would be a catastrophe for Florida seniors.
ZELENY: During his own Florida visit, Biden turned the subject back to coronavirus.
JOE BIDEN (D) PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: So many lives have been lost unnecessarily, because this president cares more about the stock market than he does about well-being of seniors.
ZELENY: Tobi Schelin is a nurse who is going door-to-door for Biden, where she hears the stories.
TOBI SCHELIN, BIDEN SUPPORTER, VOLUNTEER: They can't hug their grandkids, so it's been huge, that's been a huge factor. Let's go together.
ZELENY: The pandemic and the fear of a close election drives these senior volunteers.
MARY MCBEE, BIDEN VOLUNTEER: My precinct went to Trump by 4 votes, only 4 votes. That's maybe 2 houses, 3 houses. I don't want to wake up this year, the day after election and say, what more could I have done?
ZELENY: Signs of an exceedingly tight race are plentiful here, with passionate support for Trump on display, from flags to front yards.
ANN ALEKSINAS, TRUMP SUPPORTER: There's more people out supporting him now, because he has had so many people going against him. And I don't feel he's been treated fairly by the Democrats at all.
ZELENY: The question is just how many Trump voters have soured on the president.
[02:35:00]
The Johnson's live in a county that is still deep red, but they are no longer shy about showing their affirmative support for Biden.
R. JOHNSON: Mr. Biden is a nice man. There was a time I didn't like him at all. Now, I love him.
ZELENY: But it's Trump that is driving them, and this race.
T. JOHNSON: He is so dishonest. And the worst is that, whenever he is caught in a lie, he blames it on someone else. It is always somebody else. He is impossible.
ZELENY: Now, to give you a sense of how important President Trump believes Florida is, by the end of this week, he will have spent 3 of 5 days in the state, the 29 electoral votes here, certainly critical to his path to reelection.
Now, familiar issues like social security and taxes are certainly at play in this race. But, it's the new and unpredictable issue of coronavirus that of course is front and center every time the president holds a rally. So, certainly, on Election Day, November 3, all eyes will once again be on Florida between the race of Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Vero Beach, Florida.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Former New York Mayor, Rudy Giuliani, has been a surprising rock-solid supporter of the president. His daughter, not so much.
Caroline Rose Giuliani is begging Americans to vote for Joe Biden. She says she is multiverses apart from her father, adding, as a child, I saw firsthand the kind of cruel, selfish politics that Donald Trump has now inflicted on this country. It made me want to run as far away from them as possible. But trust me when I tell you, running away does not solve the problem. We have to stand and fight. The only way to end this nightmare is to vote. There is hope on the horizon, but we'll only grasp it if we elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
Coming up on CNN Newsroom, protesters in Thailand defying a government ban on public gatherings, the very latest from Bangkok in just a moment.
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VAUSE: Thailand's Prime Minister says he will not resign, despite huge pro-democracy protests. Thousands gathered for a second straight night, defying a government ban on public gatherings. Police have arrested more than 50 people so far. Jonathan miller, from UK's Channel 4 News has more now reporting from Bangkok.
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JONATHAN MILLER, FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT, CHANNEL 4 NEWS: 4 a.m., and anyone still up and watching state TV saw this, proclamation of another emergency decree from Thailand's military backed regime.
30 minutes later, the riot police move in to end the protest outside government HQ. Peace and order have to be restored, the decree had stated. Gatherings of more than 5 were banned, as well as any reporting deemed to threaten national security.
[02:40:00]
Police cleared the site, arresting two protest leaders, both strident anti-monarchists, including a lawyer Anon Nampa, already facing charges of sedition. The protesters who obstructed the royal motorcade on Wednesday afternoon with Queen Suthida and a Prince on board were cited as a pretext for the emergency decree. Three police generals were summarily removed from their posts.
8 a.m. and Rung Panusaya, the student leader who had led demands for royal reform went live on Facebook to call a fresh protest at 4 p.m. in Central Bangkok. Half an hour later, she too was arrested.
Down with feudalism, she shouts, long live the people. Here, the monarchy is protected by the strictest royal anti defamation laws in the world. It is only 3.30, and already a defiant few have risked arrest, chanting expletives at their Prime Minister.
The local police chief's in a bind. This is an unlawful gathering, he declared, to no avail. Emboldened by this show of rebellion, more and more thronged in. Pam (ph), a teenager insisting that we show her face said, I am risking being here to claim back our democracy.
We asked her, wasn't she scared of being arrested? No, she said, I've moved beyond that, I'm more afraid of being a slave for the rest of my life.
Well, if you thought an emergency decree and the threat of unrest and jail would put people off, not a bit of it. Look at this, we are in a major intersection, in the heart of commercial Bangkok. They blocked off the road, and police don't know what to do at the moment. They are under orders to arrest, but look what they are up against.
And from the regime, no offers of negotiation, no compromise. The numbers at the Ratchaprasong Intersection just continued to swell. The young protesters sense cracks in the edifice of monarchy and military, and they have lost their sense of fear.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And our thanks to Jonathan Miller from Channel 4 News for that report from Bangkok. And thank you for watching CNN Newsroom. I'm John Vause, stay with us, World Sport is next with Patrick Snell.
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PATRICK SNELL, SPORT ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT, CNN INTERNATIONAL: Hi there, welcome to CNN World Sport today, what it must be like to be a fan of the Tampa Bay Rays right now.
For the last two nights, a place in Major League Baseball's coveted World Series has been in their sights, but it seems nobody told their opponents, the Houston Astros. The Rays seemingly have the best of 7, American League Championship Series in the bag at 3-nothing up, and in front of no fans.
Tampa's neutral venue in San Diego, they have been pegged (ph) back George Springer with a home run for Houston, as we near the business end of this covid-19 impacted campaign.
Stepping up to the plate literally now, the Ray's South Korean star, Ji-Man Choi, tying it all up in the 8th 3 apiece, at this point as the tension and the drama would mount.
[02:45:00]
Check this out, Puerto Rican star Carlos Correa belting the walk-off home run almost out of sight here. The Astros still alive; they win it 4-3 in Game 5. The Rays have now lost two on the bounce, but they still lead the series 3-2, ahead of Game 6. Later on Friday, what a night for that man Correa.
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CARLOS CORREA, BASEBALL SHORTSTOP, HOUSTON ASTROS: Yes, I knew off the bat, the ball is going well out (ph) there during day time. So as soon as I hit, I knew it was gone. I thought two-way, I was going to end it and I thought (inaudible) I was going to end this. So, to all to do it, it's a different, a whole different story.
DUSTY BAKER, HOUSTON ASTROS MANAGER: He told me that he was going to walk-off. And I was like, yes. And he just said I told you. And I was like, hey man, keep telling me.
(END VIDEO CLIP) SNELL: Well, the Astros attempting to do something, only one team has ever done before when trailing 3-0 and then coming back to win the series. That team, the Boston Red Sox back in 2004, when they went on to win the World Series ending an 86-year drought in the process and breaking the so-called Curse of the Bambino for selling the legendary Babe Ruth to the Yankees in 1919.
Well, you have to go back to 1995 for the last time the Braves won the World Series, but we can tell you first time from living here, the Atlanta fans may just be daring to dream once more from Southern California to Arlington, Texas where 11,000 fans allowed. In fact, the Braves last reached the World Series in 1999 and at least another appearance there now in their side (ph) after they rout the LA Dodgers here in Game 4.
We'll say though, it was tight and it was tense. So won a piece (ph) in the sixth inning but that's just when the Braves powered ahead. Freddie Freeman with the go-ahead hit there; Marcell Ozuna, the Dominican Republic star homering twice on this night. A total of six runs in the sixth, for Atlanta, 10-2 wins, they are 3-1 up now in the series and just one victory away from the full classic.
Alright, let's reset now and head to Europe where the English Football League has rejected the Premier League's proposed $65 million COVID-19 rescue package. Here's for the three-tiers actually below the top flight, saying the conditional offer put forward falls some way short. It comes after controversial plans to reduce the amount of clubs in the EPL were rejected.
Meantime, after the international break, the Premier League returning and some intriguing story lines. First up on Saturday, well, it should be a pulsating Merseyside derby seeing table-topping Everton take on fierce local rivals and reigning champs Liverpool remember were thumped 7-2 by Aston Villa last time out.
Later in the day, Man United travelling to New Castle after the Red Devils recent thrashing at the hands of Tottenham. Much scrutiny right now on United skipper Harry Maguire after recent poor form and his midweek sending off while on England duty. And I'm wondering will we finally get to see the Gareth Bale derby for Spurs or rather his second derby for the club? Tottenham hosting West Ham Sunday.
Alright to Germany now where in recent months, we've seen a number of the country's smaller clubs giving away hosting rights. This incup (ph) competition is due to homestays in coronavirus climate (ph) and/or I will say the cost involved of actually trying to especially equip a staging for TV, all off this remember without fans and without income.
There are 142 places between European champions Bayern Munich and FC Duren, the nation's fifth year, the modern version of Duren, only formed just under three years ago. Actually, a 3-0 loss pretty respectable considering Bayern thumped Barcelona 8-2 recently the Champions League quarters, a couple of debut goals here for new signing Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting. There is a German Cup match Duren were meant to host, but the game ultimately moving to Munich. To the very latest now on the continuing impact we're seeing on athletes in the era of COVID-19, fair to say the spotlight on one American tennis star more intense than ever right now after a whole sequence of episodes playing out in an overseas event he was due to be competing in. CNN's Fred Pleitgen now taking up the story.
FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A bizarre string of events at a tennis tournament here in Russia as an American player went AWOL apparently after testing positive for COVID-19. Talking about U.S. Sam Querrey, who is of course very well-known for a very powerful first serve and for lots of aces. He was supposed to take part in a tournament in St. Petersburg in Russia. However, a day before the tournament was set to start, both he and his wife tested positive for COVID-19.
The organizers say they then placed Querrey and his family in self isolation in a hotel, but when doctors wanted to see them, Querrey refused to open the door. They were supposed to get tested again on October 15th, however they weren't there anymore. Now, the surveillance cameras of hotel showed that in the early morning hours of October 13th, the family was seen leaving the hotel very early, and later, apparently, Querrey told the ATP that he had left Russia on a private plane.
[02:50:00]
Now, CNN tried to reach out to Querrey's representatives. So far, we have not gotten an answer. The ATP says it is aware of the incident and is urging all players to abide by coronavirus protocols. Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Moscow.
SNELL: Thanks to Fred there. Well, another powerful example of an athlete taking a stance against social injustice here in the U.S. Why for American golfer Kirk Triplett, the matter is deeply personal.
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SNELL: Welcome back to CNN World Sport. Here in the United States, we have seen a whole spate of athletes in recent months taking a stance against social injustice. For the American golfer Kirk Triplett, he has spelt it (ph) with a sticker. The three-time PGA Tour winner competed in this year's Senior Players Championship with a Black Lives Matter logo on his bag. You see for Triplett, this matter is deeply personal.
He and wife Cathi are proud parents to four children, two of whom are adopted. Among them, his 18-year-old son Kobe is African-American. I recently spoke with Kirk about the stance he has been taking.
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SNELL: And what was the reaction to it when that sticker was displayed? As you said, it got some attention. What kind of reaction did you get?
KIRK TRIPLETT, AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: For most of the part, I can say it is running (ph), at least 80 percent people are speaking out, saying very positive things. Thanks for standing up; thanks for saying something. We really appreciate your story. And I'm getting some of these anecdotal stories from people, both white and black, about experiences that they've had and the more of those kind of things that we hear and that we share, I think the better we all understand each other.
So for me, overall, I've been kind of surprised and feel pretty good about the outreach here and the things that people have told me.
SNELL: And to those who seemingly don't get it, to the negative comments, what's your message to them?
TRIPLETT: I didn't do it to change people's minds. I didn't do it to make a big statement or a big point. I mean, like I said, I felt like it was a relatively safe thing for me to do because of my family situation. You know, I had just a very unique small sliver of understanding about maybe what some of the African-American community is going through. And I just wanted to tell them that, I hear your message, I understand what you're saying. And yes, there's social injustice out there and there's some stuff we've got to work on.
SNELL: What specific challenges do you feel he is facing as an 18- year-old in this current situation, moving forward?
TRIPLETT: I think he faces the same challenges any young African- American male faces, just sort of an uncertainty from the world around him, looking at him based on what he looks like. You know, if he's in the wrong place at the wrong time, what's going to happen? Is the situation going to escalate or is he going to have the ability to kind of manage it and control it and let it de-escalate a little bit?
[02:55:00]
But, I guess my fear, or my - what bothers me - is why should that be his responsibility, right? Why should he be the one that has to make it slow down and make people react differently? That shouldn't be his responsibility, that should be the system's responsibility.
SNELL: What's the message you want to get out? If there's one message you can use this platform here and now, Kurt, what would it be?
TRIPLETT: I think first and foremost, my message is to the African American community that, here I am in a demographic that you think is not hearing what you're saying. And I'm hearing it, right, and I understand it, and I agree with you.
Well now where do we go? Now, what do we do? Right. And there are more people like me. We just don't - most of them don't put stickers on their bags.
SNELL: The PGA Tour is pledging $100 million over the next 10 years towards racial and social injustice causes. What's your response to that, and do you feel golf is doing enough?
TRIPLETT: It's easy to just sort of earmark some money and hopefully make a difference, and the Tour's investigating ways to make sure that they do more than that. And I'm looking forward very much to sort of being a participant in those programs.
We wanted to be more than put a sticker on your bag or throw money at a cause or - but we don't want to decide what to do with it, we want help and we want partnership, and we want the African American community to let us know what to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNELL: And our thanks to Kirk for his time, powerful words indeed. Thank you for joining us today. Do join us for late Friday edition of World Sport team here in Atlanta. We'll see you again next time. Bye for now.
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