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Texas Election Turnout Surpasses 2016; Texas Judge Orders Nonessential Businesses to Close; Voters Distrust Facebook Fact- Checkers, Not Information. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired October 30, 2020 - 10:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:31:24]

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: The candidates have just four critical days left on the campaign trail. And with several key battleground states up for grabs, the campaigns are pulling out all of the stops.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will both be campaigning in those key upper Midwest swing states today. And in a surprise move, President Trump will head back to Georgia this weekend -- a state he won handily in 2016, hasn't gone Democratic since 1992 -- while Biden, he's focusing his attention on Pennsylvania.

Here now to talk about this final stretch, all the decisions? CNN senior political analyst John Avlon, and national politics reporter for "The Wall Street Journal," John (sic) Jamerson. Thanks to both of you -- Josh Jamerson, I'm sorry -- thanks to both of you.

I wonder, John Avlon, if the big story of this election will not be mail-in ballots so much, or even dates accepted, but just the record- breaking turnout, right? I mean, Texas has already exceeded 2016. I mean, look at that figure, 84 million Americans have already voted, we're four days to Election Day. Is there any data to indicate which if any party that favors?

JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, first of all, I think you're right in saying that the story of the election to date is historic turnout. I mean, for Texas to exceed its total turnout the last presidential election, days before the presidential election, just in early votes, is stunning. And it's a sign of the enthusiasm that exists to some extent on both sides.

Look here's what we know. If you look at the early ballots cast by party, Democrats have had an edge -- long expected to -- in early voting. Republicans, though, have been closing that gap.

Independent voters tend to get left out of this equation, and one of the big questions of the election is which way to independents break. Since 2010, they have been closer to the Republican Party. In 2018, we started to see independents break for Democrats in reaction to Donald Trump. Will that trend continue? That's going to be one of the key, key questions. The other thing, of course, is that Democrats have long said if

there's higher turnout, it's better for them. Republicans, actively taking measures to try to have lower turnout. This is going to be a real test of the case for everyone involved.

HARLOW: Josh, there has been a lot made -- well obviously, there are comparisons to 2016, right? No one ever is going to utter the phrase again, "no path," right? But something's different here, is it not? That Hillary Clinton's lead at this point was collapsing, right? It was getting to like three or four points in most polling, and Joe Biden's in this polling has not collapsed.

And polling isn't everything, I know that, but I'm just wondering if you think that that's a marked difference.

JOSH JAMERSON, NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Yes, no, I think it's certainly true that in 2016, we saw a lot of late momentum, and we're not seeing that type of late break away from the Democrat who was in the lead in 2016, we're not seeing that playing out in the polling this time around.

What I also would note that seems different this time around is the Democrat is not only trying to expand the map in some traditionally red states like Georgia, in Arizona, but is also keeping a very close eye on the Midwest. Joe Biden is spending a lot of time in places like Michigan -- I was there in Detroit with Kamala Harris just last week.

And so some Democrats that I talked to in some of those states around the Great Lakes say that they're not as concerned about Joe Biden's late play to kind of extend the map here a little bit because they feel like he's keeping a better eye on the ball in terms of the Midwestern states than Hillary Clinton.

[10:35:00]

SCIUTTO: John Avlon, of course, the other battle is for the Senate here. Whoever wins, right? I mean, that will turn (INAUDIBLE) and think (ph) of the Supreme Court. Where does that race stand, race for control of the Senate, to the best of our knowledge at this point?

AVLON: Well, look, you're going to have a number of competitive races. There's definitely more room for Democrats to pick up seats, polls suggest, of current -- seats held by current Republicans than the other way around, Alabama being the exception where Doug Jones is expected in just that deep red state -- he defied gravity last time around to fill Jeff Sessions' seat.

But in Colorado, former governor John Hickenlooper with a seemingly commanding lead over Cory Gardner, for example.

People are paying a lot of attention to Maine, Susan Collins, centrist Republican trying to hold onto her seat. Now, the state does have a tradition of ticket-splitting, we'll see if she can defy some in-state gravity there.

Arizona, one of the key ones to watch because it could be a bellwether for how the state goes. You've got Mark Kelly running against the incumbent, Martha McSally, to fill John McCain's seat. Kelly, a former astronaut, really tying himself to that McCain tradition despite being a Democrat. It's going to be one of the fascinating races to watch, and could be a real bellwether for how that state goes for the presidential as well.

HARLOW: Josh, to the state of Florida, which is always fascinating but particularly fascinating this year, I think, for a number of reasons. You've got Bloomberg's billions -- like, so much money, over a hundred million, I think, he's been pouring into that state -- you've got a fascinating divide in the Latino vote. And you've got the ability for some felons to vote this year, although complicated by a move of the --

SCIUTTO: Yes.

HARLOW: -- state legislature. But it just makes Florida even more interesting.

JAMERSON: Yes, exactly. And I think it was very interesting too to see Vice President Biden and President Trump there, they were in the same city, they were both in Tampa yesterday, campaigning.

One thing that's interesting about Florida is how important it is to President Trump's re-election prospects as opposed to Vice President Biden, who has many pathways to 270 electoral votes without Florida.

And our data tool at "The Wall Street Journal" would show that without Florida, Joe Biden still has 93 paths to 270. Without Florida, Donald Trump just has six paths. So it's more of a must-win for the president than Vice President Biden, and that's why the Democrats hope they can kind of put the thing to bed early if they can do well in Florida.

HARLOW: You said the dreaded phrase, "paths." We appreciate it, Josh, thank you. John Avlon, always good to have you.

And big night ahead, be sure to join all of us for "ELECTION NIGHT IN AMERICA," our special coverage starts Tuesday, 4:00 Eastern right here on CNN.

[10:37:45]

Well, the sad reality is that COVID cases are spiking at an alarming rate across the country, but particularly in El Paso, Texas. A field hospital has now been set up there. We'll bring you a live report, ahead.

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SCIUTTO: Welcome back. Right now, the city of El Paso, Texas, just hours into its new pandemic restrictions.

HARLOW: COVID cases and hospitalizations are so bad there that a Texas judge has ordered all nonessential services to completely shut down for the next two weeks. This as hospitalizations are spiking at an alarming rate, so much so that they have set up a field hospital. Ed Lavandera joins us there this morning.

Good morning, Ed.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Poppy and Jim. Well, as the El Paso County judge announced a shutdown of all nonessential businesses here in the city of El Paso, it has sparked a political showdown. The Republican mayor is against it, and the Texas attorney general is saying that the county judge doesn't have the authority to do that.

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LAVANDERA: We're just outside the hospital here --

LAVANDERA (voice-over): For almost two weeks, Ron and Patsy Stallworth have only seen each other through the screens on their phones. They tested positive for the coronavirus. Ron is recovering at home, but Patsy is hospitalized and requires around-the-clock oxygen. She says it's a lonely battle.

LAVANDERA: Have you ever battled anything this severe?

PATSY STALLWORTH, COVID-19 PATIENT: Never, never. And people that don't take COVID serious, I hope they don't catch it because they're in for a surprise.

RON STALLWORTH, COVID-19 PATIENT: This is the longest separation we've had in our relationship. And it's not comfortable, I don't like it. I miss her, I love her dearly.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello, this is Ron Stallworth calling.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Ron Stallworth is the real-life inspiration for Spike Lee's film, the "BlacKkKlansman." The movie tells the story of how Stallworth infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan as a police officer in Colorado.

These days, the Stallworths find themselves sounding the alarm about a pandemic that is ravaging their home town of El Paso. Patsy says nursing teams around her are overwhelmed.

P. STALLWORTH: You get one nurse to seven patients. Sometimes there's no tech (ph), trash cans are overflowing. You can call for whatever need and it's going to be a while before they get in here.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Coronavirus cases have skyrocketed here in the last month. Hospitals are at capacity. El Paso County officials have now ordered all nonessential businesses to shut down for two weeks. Nearly 700 medical workers are being sent in to El Paso to help. Tents are set up outside hospitals to handle the overwhelming number of patients, and the city's convention center is being turned into a field hospital.

[10:45:02]

PETER SVARZBEIN, EL PASO CITY REPRESENTATIVE: Where we are is at a crisis stage.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): City Representative Peter Svarzbein applauds the move to limit restaurant service to delivery and takeout, and is urging El Paso residents to wake up to how serious the COVID outbreak has become.

SVARZBEIN: People need to understand that this is not normal, that things are at a crisis level and the way they want to live their lives, they can't do for right now.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Thousands of people across El Paso are lining up at the drive-through COVID testing sites. Local health officials say there are almost 300 contact tracers working in El Paso but they're struggling to get people to comply.

HECTOR OCARANZA, EL PASO HEALTH AUTHORITY: Many times, they don't give us accurate information or simply they don't answer the phone. Many people have the necessity to continue going to work, they don't want to be in isolation or quarantine and they just want to continue with their lives.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): But those fighting the disease, like the Stallworths, say these aren't normal times.

R. STALLWORTH: It is a very cruel disease. And the biggest cruelty of all is the fact that you cannot be with your loved one when they're in the hospital recuperating.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAVANDERA: Poppy and Jim, the El Paso County judge here said last night that medical teams, hospitals are at capacity, every -- the whole system is overwhelmed. And if they, quote, "don't respond," they will see an unprecedented level of death in this city and in this county.

It's really another sign -- as this political struggle between state officials and local officials here once again sparks, in Texas, another sign of another community here in America struggling with this pandemic -- Poppy and Jim.

HARLOW: Wow.

SCIUTTO: Ed Lavandera, good to have you there. It's important to get that scene from the ground.

Well, nationally, Facebook's fact-checkers have a message to Trump supporters. They say they're not trying to sensor you, but is that message getting across?

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[10:51:43]

HARLOW: All right, four days until the election and right now, fact- checkers are working overtime on Facebook, and both parties have some grievances.

SCIUTTO: CNN's Donie O'Sullivan spoke with Facebook's fact-checkers to set the record straight. Donie, sadly, some of them are receiving threats.

DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN REPORTER: That's right, Jim, yes. Facebook does not fact-check politicians as we know, they do not fact-check Trump directly. But the company has hired a network of fact-checkers around the United States and some Trump supporters have found posts they've shared to be labeled as false, and those Trump supporters are not happy. Have a listen.

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O'SULLIVAN: Facebook has fact-checkers too now, right?

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, you could call them that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Anything I put on there about our president is generally only on for a few minutes, and then all of a sudden they're fact-checking me saying this, that and the other thing, which I know is not true. Their fact-checker's wrong.

UNIDENIFIED MALE: I don't -- the fact-checkers, I don't trust them.

ALAN DUKE, EDITOR IN CHIEF, LEAD STORIES: I understand why there are people who don't like fact-checkers because we take away something that they believe in, that -- we challenge it. And so the natural reaction is to think the fact-checkers must be opposed to me. But we're not.

I've been very concerned about how people openly talk about the need to get their guns and take action against the government or against a certain political party. Even if it's just one tenth of one percent of the people, don't take it personally if your content is fact-checked. Consider it a service. Open your mind. Question this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'SULLIVAN: Yes, Alan Duke there, a former CNN employee who now works as a Facebook fact-checker. I also spoke to a fact-checker from PolitiFact who also works for Facebook fact-checking as well. And we have more details on this on our story on CNN.com.

But they both said they're worried that they haven't seen such highly charged and dangerous language online before, and they've been threatened. Alan says he had death threats that have been investigated by the FBI, all because of fact-checking.

And it's important to point out that this is not just an issue on the right. Alan said, you know, one time when he fact-checked something Bernie Sanders said, he also got extremely threatening messages as well. And you know, we have seen before, Jim and Poppy, how extremism online

can spill into the streets, and I think it's going to be absolutely critical next week, with possible uncertainty and tensions on Election Night in the days after, that companies like Facebook are really stepping up to the plate here.

HARLOW: Yes, I completely agree.

Before you go, Donie, what more do we know about the Biden campaign blaming Facebook for a fundraising loss?

O'SULLIVAN: Yes, it's a comedy of errors when it comes to Facebook these days. Facebook is having problems this week with its ads service. Of course, both campaigns, Trump and Biden, really rely on Facebook ads, Biden campaign saying they aren't able to run a lot of their ads this week.

Ads translate into donations, and Biden campaign are saying that because they haven't been able to run some of these ads because of a technical glitch, that they have lost out on half a million dollars in potential fundraising.

Facebook, acknowledging that there has been a problem. They've said sorry. The Trump campaign hasn't said anything, but the Biden campaign really, really annoyed with Facebook this morning.

[10:55:06]

SCIUTTO: Donie O'Sullivan, always good to have you on it.

O'SULLIVAN: Thanks, guys.

HARLOW: Thanks, Donie, we appreciate it.

All right, well, rest this weekend --

SCIUTTO: Yes.

HARLOW: -- because there is a big week ahead. We'll see you back here on Monday morning, thank you for joining us. I'm Poppy Harlow.

SCIUTTO: Yes, what a moment in this country. I'm Jim Sciutto. NEWSROOM with John King will start right after a short break.

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JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR: Hello everybody, I'm John King in Washington. Thank you for sharing a very, very busy news day with us.

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