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Abortion Rights Protests; CNN: Trump-Backed Vance Wins Ohio GOP Senate Primary; Ukraine Says It Attacked Russian Positions On Snake Island; WNBA Griner Wrongfully Detained in Russia; Trump Endorsed Political Candidates; Alabama: Missing Officer and Inmate in a Relationship. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired May 04, 2022 - 02:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:00:27]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead this hour. Protests across America over a Supreme Court draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade. We will examine what happens if abortion rights are actually struck down and what recourse if any there is to stop that from happening.

ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: And I'm Isa Soares live in Lviv, Ukraine where multiple explosions targeted electrical substations knocking out power in parts of the city. I'll speak live this hour with Lviv's deputy mayor.

CHURCH: Millions of American women are feeling anguished this week over the likely loss of what they have long viewed as a human right. And that is the ability to safely and legally end a pregnancy. But a leaked document proven to be authentic shows the U.S. Supreme Court could be on the verge of taking away that constitutional right. And that's ignited angry protests all over the country.

The draft opinion shows the court within still new conservative majority appears poised to overturn the landmark abortion rights law Roe vs. Wade. The U.S. Vice President is infuriated. She blasted Republicans in a fiery speech and also asked the crowd if they could think of any laws that give the American government power to make decisions about men's bodies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Those Republican leaders who are trying to weaponize the use of the law against women. Well, we say, how dare they? How dare they tell a woman what she can do and cannot do with her own body?

(END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: Now to be clear, the Supreme Court's final decision won't come until late next month. And it is possible albeit be it unlikely that votes could change. For now, abortion is still the law of the land. But without federal protections, states would be in charge of reproductive laws. All those states in red on this map are practically certain to ban abortion, and the ones in yellow are likely to do the same.

Well, many conservative Republicans are loudly celebrating the likely demise of Roe vs. Wade. Others are taking a more subdued approach for fear of alienating moderate voters ahead of the midterm elections. They're also trying to shift the focus to investigating who was behind the leak of that draft opinion. CNN's Paula Reid has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The leaked draft sparking protests across the country.

And prompting questions. Chief Justice John Roberts.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you plan to investigate the leak?

REID: Seen here leaving his home Tuesday issued a statement calling the leak and egregious breach. He has directed the marshal of the court to investigate. The court confirms the draft is authentic but cautioned it does not represent a decision or position of any member on the issues in the case. The nearly 100-page opinion says a majority of justices are prepared to uphold a Mississippi law that would ban abortion after 15 weeks and overturn Roe v. Wade, which established a right to abortion 50 years ago, leaving it to individual states to determine abortions legality.

Justice Samuel Alito, author of the draft stating there is no inherent right to an abortion writing the Constitution makes no reference to abortion and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision. Alito says Roe was egregiously wrong from the start, and that its reasoning was exceptionally weak and the decision has had damaging consequences. The opinion is not expected to be published until late next month and could still be modified as draft opinions circulate, and justices can change their vote.

Sources tell CNN Roberts did not want to completely overturn Roe. It appears Alito was joined in his majority by justices Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The whole truth --

(CROSSTALK)

REID: Even though Kavanaugh and Gorsuch called Roe the law of the land during their confirmation hearings.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is an important precedent of the Supreme Court.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's the law of the land. I accept the law of the land, Senator. Yes.

REID: Senator Susan Collins who voted in support of Gorsuch and Kavanaugh said today in a statement, the draft opinion was completely inconsistent with what Justice Gorsuch and Justice Kavanaugh said in their hearings and in our meetings in my office. President Biden called the draft decision, radical and echoed concerns that this decision could serve as a template for limiting other individual rights previously recognized by the court, like same sex marriage and access to contraception.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If the rationale of the decision as release were to be sustained, a whole range of rights are questioned.

REID: But in the wake of this draft opinion, Democrats are vowing to fight to protect abortion rights.

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): Will go down as an abomination. One of the worst, most damaging decisions in modern history.

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): We could pass a law to protect every woman's right to an abortion. And we should do that.

SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL): If this turns out to be the opinion of the court and it's issued, it could have a major impact on the outcome of this election.

REID: Republicans are condemning the leak itself.

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): Whoever committed this lawless act knew exactly what it could bring about.

SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): Whoever did this leak, should be prosecuted, and should go to jail for a very long time. This has shaken the independence and the ability of the judiciary to function.

Paul Reid, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: All right. Let's go to Los Angeles now and CNN legal analyst Areva Martin, who is also a civil rights attorney. Thank you so much for being with us.

AREVA MARTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Rosemary.

CHURCH: So, Areva, conservatives are making this all about the unprecedented leak of a Supreme Court draft opinion while those who support a woman's constitutional right was safe and legal abortion are objecting specifically to the substance of this draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade. So, what impact will this have on women if this becomes the court's final decision?

MARTIN: Yes, Rosemary. This decision will have a catastrophic impact on women all over this country if this draft becomes a final opinion, you know, over the next couple of months. It will prohibit women from having control over their reproductive health. This is something that's been in the works for decades by Republicans. So, as they are fighting about the leak, they don't want to talk about the substance because this is what they have planned.

This is what they had hoped for. And now everything that they had wanted out of these three justices that were appointed by Trump, they're getting. Susan Collins, her comment about Kavanaugh and Gorsuch saying something inconsistent to her versus what appears to be their decision with respect to this draft opinion. I find that so disingenuous. Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett, all of these justices are members of the Federalist Society.

Their positions on abortion were well known before they had that conversation with the senator, before they went before the Senate confirmation hearings. They have shown us what they would do. Susan Collins and other Republicans on the Senate confirmation hearing within the Senate itself refused to accept what they had demonstrated. And in fact, they embrace them for that very reason because they had a commitment to overturning Roe v. Wade.

And we are at this day a lot sooner than any of us thought we would be here. But as shocked as we are, Rosemary, we are not surprised.

CHURCH: Yes, indeed. And of course so Chief Justice John Roberts calls this an egregious breach and will launch an investigation into who was behind the leaking of this draft opinion. What is your reaction to the actual leaking of this document? And how extensive will this investigation likely be to find whoever's responsible for the leak?

MARTIN: The response has been establishment people are astonished to see that something that's should be kept secret, should be completely confidential until the decision is finalized and published that a week actually occurred. But we see the left and the right kind of pointing fingers at each other. We see the Republicans outrage about the leak but not outrage about what this does for women.

That outrage about how this will eliminate a fundamental right that women have had in this country for nearly 50 years. We don't see those Republicans standing up saying that this is unfair, it's unjust, that there are no laws as we heard our vice president say that control men's bodies that dictate how men can use their bodies, but yet, these four men and one woman, the five conservative justices who are authoring or who are supporting this decision have made this decision that they alone, despite the fact that over, you know, half of -- or more than the majority or large majority of Americans are in support of women having the right to choose.

Yet these five individuals are making this incredibly, you know, draw -- jaw dropping, shocking decision. It has just sent ripples through the entire community. And that's what we see these protesters out, saying that this is just absolutely unfair.

CHURCH: And Areva, the Supreme Court's Public Affairs Office said this leaked draft opinion does not represent a decision by the court or the final position of any member of -- on the issues in the case. But how likely is it that this draft opinion would change between now and its released next month?

MARTIN: I wish I had some competence, Rosemary, that we would see a change. But again, the five justices that are -- from what we have learned in support of the decision, we know where they stand on issues of abortion. We know where they stand with respect to the very issues outlined in that almost 100-page opinion. So, why would they change when they already made it very clear that they will not support women's rights to choose.

That they are adamantly opposed to Roe vs. Wade? So, I don't expect there to be any substantial changes. We see that Justice -- Chief Justice Roberts is not a part of that five, and from every indication we're getting he is likely to side with the three liberal leaning justices on the court. So, I don't think they're going to be any big surprises. I think this is going to unfortunately become a final opinion.

And that is up to -- we heard Senator Warren say this. Congress at any moment could pass a law to protect women's right to choose if they have the will. If they could whip up the votes we could have federal law signed by the president that would protect women's rights, but there doesn't appear to be the will to protect women in this moment.

CHURCH: Yes. Western nations around the world just shocked as they watch this play out. Areva Martin, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate it.

MARTIN: Thank you.

CHURCH: Well, Donald Trump apparently still has the magic touch with Republican voters in Ohio. CNN projects J.D. Vance will win the state's GOP Senate primary. The former President endorsed Vance best known as the author of the book Hillbilly Elegy. Vance will face Democratic Congressman Tim Ryan in November's midterm election. The winner will replace retiring Republican Senator Rob Portman.

In the Ohio governor's race, CNN projects incumbent Mike DeWine will win the Republican primary. Trump did not endorse any candidate in that race. DeWine will face the former Dayton Ohio, Mayor Democrat Nan Whaley and we will have more on these key races later this hour.

Now for the latest on the situation in Ukraine, we want to bring in my colleague Isa Soares in Lviv. Isa?

SOARES: Very good morning to you, Rosie. We are keeping a closed I have quite a close eye of -- a close eye of course on the besieged city of Mariupol. Ukrainian officials telling us they're planning to evacuate more people from the area in the coming hours. We're still ell on top of that, of course that will depend on whether it's safe enough to do so. For some that harrowing journey to safety is finally complete.

On Tuesday, more than 150 evacuees from Mariupol as you can see there arrived in Ukrainian health city of Zaporizhia. Many of them had been evacuated from the bombed out Azovstal steel plant. But Mariupol's mayor says others are still trapped inside the sprawling industrial complex under (INAUDIBLE) relentless attack. According to officials from both sides, Russian forces have launched a fresh round of attacks on the plant.

A Ukrainian commander inside Azovstal says they've been under constant fire. And he says at least two civilians sheltering in the bunker were killed during these attacks.

Well, the U.K. says in its latest intelligence update this morning that Russia is struggling to break through Ukrainian defenses. New video shows Ukraine's artillery and attack drones continue to be effective against Russian armor in the east. A number of Russian military vehicles lie destroyed as you can see in the village south of her Kharkiv. And this video shows Ukrainian forces hitting at least two Russian military positions on the Russian occupied Snake Island.

You will recall of course snake oil and gained worldwide attention at the beginning of the invasion when Ukrainian troops refuse to surrender. Ukraine is assessing the damage after several regions were hit of course by missile strikes in the past 24 hours. Here in Lviv where I am, the mayor says two people were injured. And these images show really a power station on fire in the aftermath knocking out electricity for parts of the city on Tuesday.

We've been told that water supplies were also affected. Ukraine reports severe damage to railways and infrastructure.

[02:15:09]

SOARES: Joining me now is the Deputy Mayor of Lviv in Ukraine Serhiy Kiral. Thank you very much, Deputy Mayor for joining us. Let me start off with what we've seen, those attacks really across Ukraine, but also here in Lviv. Talk to us about what happened last night, so we get better idea.

SERHIY KIRAL, DEPUTY MAYOR OF LVIV, UKRAINE: So what we know until today, there are 19 cruise missiles shot from the Caspian Sea from the Russian strategic bombers, probably 295 or two -- 160. Nine of these missiles were shot by our defense system. Six of these missiles reached Western Ukraine and the Lviv region. Two of them were shut down again. And three were hit -- the three power stations owned by the Ukrainian Railway Company and the privately owned energy supply company badly damaged.

As you said, they were disruptions for the electricity supply in some city districts. According to my information this morning, it was completely restored. There were also disruptions on our pumping stations which are supplying the city with water. And this is interesting because in fact, water was not -- was not stopped to be supplied. And this is the result of some of the contingency plans for the resilience of the city that we had before the war, as the mayor instructed the water company to be able to continue to supply the water.

If in any case, the electricity will be cut off from these pumping stations. So, they bought the diesel generators, and that -- those diesel generators yesterday helped to continue to supply the water, not only to the citizens, but also to the firefighters trying to put off the fire.

SOARES: Of course, Lviv has been in the hole, you know, pretty unscathed. We have seen some attacks. What does this tell you, though, about Russia's plans here? Clearly, it's a desperate act on their parts targeting infrastructure, targeting supply lines.

KIRAL: I would like to believe this sort of -- some sort of the ability and the impotence. In fact, on the Russian side, as we see more and more cases where they fight in the air with the civilians and civilians being killed. The civilian infrastructure has been damaged, probably also undermining the economy of Ukraine because, you know, those attacks on the rail infrastructure in particular, it's not only about the supply chain, so for the military purposes, I believe that that will not have any effect, any significant effect on the supplies coming.

Currently coming from the west. But it may affect the exports of the traded commodities, which is very critical these times of the year because we need to take out more than five million tons of grain in order to be ready for the new harvest as you have place and capacity to store it somewhere.

SOARES: But in terms of the infrastructure, in terms of, you know, how it's been affected, how quickly are you rebuilding here?

KIRAL: It's -- again, it's up to the railway company, the head of the chair of the railway company is a very young guy. He's been in that for more than 70 years. He's traveling Ukraine all the time checking himself the state of the damages and the necessary resources are being provided for the railway company to repair these damages. And we had actually very successful cases. For example, if you remember the bridge, the railway bridge which was damaged in the south of Ukraine near Odessa was very quickly repaired within 24 hours, it was back in operation.

SOARES: Let's turn our attention to Mariupol. We -- like we said we are expecting more evacuations from inside Mariupol. How do you see things playing out because it is moving? There is, you know, some hope there but it's so slow. Any sign where -- that you're hearing anything in terms of the -- those straps still inside the Azovstal. Are we expecting to see more evacuations from there?

KIRAL: Mariupol case just tells us that it's never enough to have more and more support at the highest level of the international community. I think it's not by coincidence that after the U.N. general secretary visit to Ukraine, we saw those first successful evacuations of civilian population. You know, that the defenders, Ukrainian defenders of the military there, they've been in -- their daily videos asking, begging for those -- for that support from the international community to have civilians but also wounded soldiers. There more than 500, if not, 600 wounded soldiers --

SOARES: Do you think they'll make it out?

KIRAL: -- still there. Russia doesn't want to let them out. And the Ukrainian defenders have at the principal position that they will not leave out was their arms laid down, they want to leave with dignity.

[02:20:06]

SOARES: They won't surrender. Yes.

KIRAL: As I think most -- all of the Ukrainians would do in this particular case. It's hard to say what will be the fate. It's already a tragedy. 95 percent of the cities completely destroyed. More than 20,000 civilians according to the mayor of Mariupol have been probably killed. We don't know the exact number. But it's already doubled the number that the city lost during the World War II.

SOARES: Very briefly, Mayor, is this the win that Putin is looking for as he -- as we head to May the 9th, that Victory Day (INAUDIBLE)

KIRAL: We have you heard those reports. I think Putin has two options for May 9 -- nine of May, the Victory Day is to -- what some intelligence agencies say declare the national mobilization or to declare some sort of a victory in Mariupol is the key point here.

SOARES: Deputy Mayor, appreciate. Thank you very much. Great to have you on the show.

KIRAL: Thank you for reporting. Thank you.

SOARES: And of course, we'll have much more yet another parent missile this morning launched by North Korea and it comes just days of course after Kim Jong-un vowed to ramp up its country's nuclear arsenal. We have a live report for you from Seoul. That's next. You are watching CNN.

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[02:25:06]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. North Korea is believed to have fired yet another ballistic missile a short time ago. South Korea and Japan say it was launched into the waters east of the Korean Peninsula. It comes just days after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un vowed to bolster his nuclear arsenal. CNN's Paula Hancocks joins us now live from Seoul. Good to see you, Paula. So, what more are you learning about this suspected launch of a ballistic missile by North Korea?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, the information we have at this point from both the Japanese and the South Korean side is that it was a little after midday when this was launched. Japan's Prime Minister's Office did say they thought it was a ballistic missile, a suspected ballistic missile. They have an altitude of some 800 kilometers, a distance of some 500 kilometers a little more than the South Korean side estimates this to be at.

Now we're still waiting for exactly what they believe this missile was, But it certainly appears to be shorter in range than we have been seeing recently from North Korea. It's been a busy few months from North Korea. Just in March, they launched an ICBM, an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile which is believed to be capable of hitting mainland United States. And by our count, this would be today the 13th missile launch that we've seen this year alone.

So, certainly we have seen North Korea extremely busy when it comes to testing their weapons systems. Now, as always, you do have to look at the timing when it comes to North Korea. We are just under a week away from a New South Korean president being inaugurated here. Now that has been something that has been marked in previous administrations with some kind of missile or launch from North Korea.

Certainly Yoon Suk-yeol, who is the incoming president, the president- elect at the moment is going to be a lot more hardline against North Korea than his predecessor. Rosemary?

CHURCH: All right. Paula Hancocks in Seoul. Many things. And just ahead, the impact of the war on Ukraine is being felt far beyond the front lines. We will take you to a town in the western part of the country to see how families are coping with losing loved ones to the Russian onslaught.

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[02:30:00]

SOARES: Now, the war in Ukraine is now in its third month. And Ukrainian families all over the country have experienced the pain of losing loved ones in a conflict. Sometimes, multiple loved ones. I traveled to a small town outside of Lviv, and saw firsthand how residents are coping with their losses.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES (voiceover): Pain and sorrow, as the unbearable weight of war reverberates in the small town outside of Lviv. Yet another soldier gone too soon. Constantine Yakovenko (ph) was 48 years old. A father of two young men. Originally from the East of Ukraine, he fled here to Chervonohrad with his family, only two enlist and get drafted. Within less than two months, Constantine's life was taken. His family has been torn apart. The mayor, who hasn't missed one funeral, tells me it's been too many. Since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.

At first, I felt guilty that I'm here and not there with them. But I was told my mission is to be here, to support the families.

The ripple effects of Russia's war are evident in this town, in the West of Ukraine. Hundreds of miles away from the front lines.

SOARES (on camera): Just a few graves down from Constantine, we've learned from the mayor that this young soldier, who died in battle in 2018, that his own mother is currently inside the Azovstal steel plant defending Mariupol from Russian invasion.

SOARES (voiceover): It's the tale of one family defined by war, and it's one we are keen to learn more about. So, we drive to the family home, where we meet Paraskevya (ph). And we are instantly absorbed by her haunting display of grief. She says her grandson, Yuri, was a sergeant for the Azov battalion who specialized as a sniper.

It's difficult to explain how much I loved him, she says. His death, at the mere age of 23, made the front page of the local paper.

It was too much for Paraskevya and his mother, Nataliya (ph), to take. So, in her late 40s, Nataliya ended up enlisting with the same regiment. Paraskevya tells me she begged her daughter to leave Azovstal, but she rejected two offers to surrender.

She is in that hell, she tells me. We try to call Nataliya, to no avail.

[02:35:00]

Later, though, we managed to me Nataliya via text message. Morale is high, she writes back. The soldiers will right to the end. Wait for us to come back with victory. Not all have come back though. Parskevya tells me her granddaughter's husband died in Mariupol. His body moved to the Azovstal complex, unable to be brought home. Her insurmountable loss, just too much to bear.

I have this wound for the rest of my life. It's very difficult to live with, she tells me. Of course, I'm proud that they died for Ukraine.

Paraskevya tells me she finds solace working on her plot of land and invites us to come and see it for ourselves. In the car, finally a smile. Now, in her land and even here in the piece of nature, she's reminded of what has been robbed from her. These are Yuri's trees, she tells me. Comfort and company, for a woman who bears the weight of grief and the incomprehensible pain of an unwarranted war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES (on camera): And that's a family that's been entirely defined by war. And Nataliya who, as you heard there, is inside that Azovstal steel plant, we contacted yesterday. We haven't heard back. We know there's been intense shelling. So, we hope to hear from her today. We will keep trying, hopefully, we'll get some good news. We'll have much more after a very short break. Do stay right here on CNN.

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[02:40:00]

CHURCH: The U.S. State Department is classifying pro-basketball star Brittney Griner as being wrongfully detained in Russia. This means, the U.S. won't have to wait for Griner's case to move through Russia's legal system. And the U.S. will seek to negotiate her return through President Biden's special envoy for hostage affairs. Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in February and accused of smuggling narcotics.

For our international viewers, World Sport is up next. For everyone else, I'll be back with more news after a short break. Stay with us.

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[02:45:00] Welcome back, everyone. The field is set for what's expected to be one of the hotly contested U.S. Senate races this year. CNN projects J.D. Vance backed by Donald Trump will win Ohio's Republican primary. He will face Democratic Congressman Tim Ryan in November. CNN's Jeff Zeleny has more from Cincinnati, Ohio.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: In one of the first big primary nights of the 2022 midterm campaign season, a big Republican victory in Cincinnati for J.D. Vance, who emerged a victor in a crowded primary field for the U.S. senate.

Now, this is the replace retiring Senator Rob Portman. He was running against a field of five other major candidates and emerged as the winner, at the end, thanks to the endorsement from Former President Donald Trump. This has been viewed as a test of the former president's strength inside the Republican Party. And one of the first people J.D. Vance thanked tonight was Mr. Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.D. VANCE, REPUBLICAN U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE, AUTHOR OF "HILLBILLY ELEGY": I have absolutely got thank the 45th, the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, ladies and gentlemen. One, for giving us an example of what could be, in this country, ladies and gentlemen, remember in 2019 when wages were going up and not down. Remember 2019 when workers were doing well in this country and not struggling terribly. Thanks to the President for everything, for endorsing me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: J.D. Vance, of course, best known for that best-selling book, "Hillbilly Elegy", has never run for public office before. In his first campaign he, not only defeated several seasoned Republican candidates, he also introduced himself to Ohio voters.

Now, for the next six months forward, he will be running against Democratic Congressman Tim Ryan, who Vance accused of trying act like a Trump Democrat. Of course, this will be one of the most competitive races in the fall campaign. But more importantly, urgently, this is a big test of the former president's strength going forward. He's offered endorsements in several houses, senate, and governor's races. The strength will be tested throughout the month of May if he is a kingmaker in the party. The first try on that stop here on Ohio, Mr. Trump showed that he still is. Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Cincinnati.

CHURCH: Ron Brownstein is CNN's senior political analyst and the senior editor for "The Atlantic". He joins me now from Los Angeles. Good to have you with us.

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So, it's all about the Ohio Senate race hailed as a big test for Donald Trump and a measure of his influence over the Republican Party. Now that the man he endorsed, J.D. Vance, is projected to win the nomination and face off against his Democratic opponent, Tim Ryan, what does this result tell you about Trump's power of endorsement? BROWNSTEIN: well, it's still Donald Trump's party. I mean, unquestionably, I think it's hard to imagine that J.D. Vance would have won the nomination without his endorsement. Donald Trump's, you know, endorsed an unusually large number of candidates and he's got a bunch of tests coming up in May. He's not going to win all of them. In Georgia, the governor's race is probably going to go to the incumbent governor, that he detests. And his candidate isn't going to win. But anybody in the Republican Party who thought that they were capable of putting Trump in the rearview mirror, this is a reminder that it is not really possible at the moment.

You know, Ohio is a State that has a tradition of moderate Republicans. I mean, George Voinovich, John Kasich, and Rob Portman, the senator who's stepping down. This was not a night for moderates, either in the senate race or in house races. It was a reminder that in virtually every state, this a Trumpian party at this point for better and worse for Republicans.

CHURCH: And Ohio, Ron, was previously a swing state. Now, it is red. So, this Republic Ohio Senate primary will play a critical role in deciding --

BROWNSTEIN: Yes.

CHURCH: -- who has control of the Senate in November. How will Vance likely go up against Ryan, do you think?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, you know, I think the Sherrod Brown, the Democratic Senator from Ohio who is kind of a holdover from an earlier more competitive era is the only Democrat, I believe, who has won Statewide in the past decade in Ohio. It is the classic rust-belt State that has been moved right by the sharp realignment of working-class, noncollege white voters toward the GOP. And you saw that even in the results tonight, where Vance ran strongest in those Southeast Ohio counties closest to the Pennsylvania border that used to be critical for Democratic victories in the State to run well there.

[02:50:00]

That was where the Trumpism appeal was strongest in the primary as it has been in the general election. It's interesting that in the big metro area, as we have seen in other parts of the country, the Trump appeal wasn't nearly as strong. Vance didn't run nearly as well in Columbus and its environs, and Cleveland and its environs.

Tim Ryan, the Democrat is a blue-collar, tough on trade, again, throwback kind of Democrat, but his map is probably going to be, you know, has any chance in this, it's going to be running up the score in those suburban areas. He's working, he's traveling the entire State, trying to claw back some of the Democratic support in blue-collar, exurban, and rural communities. But that is going to be tough to do in any environment, especially in a midterm, which usually goes against the party holding the White House and especially with inflation as high as it is.

CHURCH: And Ron, you touch on this, let's look at the upcoming primary races this month. In Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, what are you expecting in terms of how Trump- endorsed Republican candidates will go in those races? And what are you looking out for, given this is all about the midterms in November?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, I think Trump's going to win a lot of these internal battles and not all of them. I mean, no one wins all of their endorsements. It would be shocking, as I said if his gubernatorial candidate in Georgia wins. But, his senate candidate in Georgia, Herschel Walker, also supported by Mitch McConnell is probably going to breeze in a contested, competitive primary in North Carolina. His alternative, more conservative Ted Budd is probably going to win. I mean, he -- there will be defeats.

But I think the overall message would be that the party is not moving past Trump despite everything that happened on January 6th, despite the end of his presidency, despite the backdrop of the Ukraine war that really underscores the indefensibility of his behavior in holding back military aid to Ukraine. The issue that got him impeached the first time. It's a reminder to everybody else thinking about running for president in 2024, that if Trump runs again, he is going to be very formidable. Not a guarantee. But a majority of the party, I think, is kind of in reshaped in his image. The voters are most uneasy with him or less likely to participate in Republican primaries. He's still, you know, the 800-pound gorilla in the Republican room.

CHURCH: And Ron, while I have you with us, I do want to ask you about the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that would strike down Roe V. Wade and remove a woman's constitutional right to an abortion, if it becomes a final decision, of course. Do you see this becoming a major issue in the midterms? And which party benefits if it does?

BROWNSTEIN: Yes, absolutely. Look, historically, abortion has been an issue like gun control where conservatives have felt correctly that the voters who are opposed to abortion, like the voters who are opposed to gun control are more likely to vote on it than those who support those actions. But that's been in part because the threat to abortion has seemed to many Americans vague and distant and theoretical. Roe versus Wade legalizing a nationwide right to abortion has been the law of the land for almost 50 years at this point. There are entire generations of women who have grown up without knowing anything different.

Now, over those 50 years, we've consistently seen 60 percent or more of the country say they do not want Roe overturned. In fact, it reached 69 percent saying they do not want Roe overturned. Including 75 percent of people under 35, in a CNN poll earlier this year. Well, Rosemary, we're about to find out whether they mean it.

You know, now, there's a clear and present danger. The likelihood is that the Court is going to go down this road. And there are about a dozen 13 States that have laws that will immediately snap into place after the Roe decision -- if the Court overturns Roe. Overturning, eliminating, or severely restricting the right to abortion. So, the question of whether that 60 to 65 percent who say they support Roe care enough to vote about it is going to be immediate and on the table. It should help Democrats increase turnout, particularly among young people. It may also move some independent voters, particularly women, away from the Republican Party. But it's an open question whether Democrats can organize enough energy around this to overcome all the other headwinds they're facing in the midterm election.

CHURCH: All right. Ron Brownstein joining us. Many thanks. Appreciate it.

BROWNSTEIN: Thank you.

CHURCH: We are tracking new developments out of Alabama where a search is ongoing for a corrections officer and an inmate who disappeared together after leaving a detention center Friday.

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New surveillance video shows officer Vicky White leading inmate Casey White out of the detention center and into her patrol car. The two are not related. The officer claimed she was taking him, a man who's charged with murder, to the courthouse for a mental health evaluation. Which authorities say was not true. The Lauderdale County sheriff says he's now learned the pair had a relationship.

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RICK SINGLETON, LAUDERDALE COUNTRY, ALABAM SHERIFF: We have confirmed that there was a, what we call, a special relationship. It's not a physical relationship that we can have any evidence of. But they did communicate at times when she was not at work.

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CHURCH: The sheriff also says the pair ditched the patrol car on Friday at a shopping center near the jail. And got into another vehicle that had been parked earlier.

And thank you so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. Our breaking news coverage continues after this short break.

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