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Candidates In High Profile Races Debate Ahead Of Crucial Elections; Dems Fighting To Keep Control Of Congress As Election Day Looms; New Russian Strikes Target Energy Facilities Critical Infrastructure. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired October 18, 2022 - 9:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

GRANT HILL, NBA HALL OF FAMER: He is an example of how the game just year after year, generation after generation evolves and he should be the first pick in next year's NBA draft.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes so watch the competition, watch the competition for NBA champ but also watch the competition for the number one pick in the draft. Grant Hill, great to see you. I recommend your autobiography game to everyone I talk to. It's a great piece. Thanks so much for being with us.

HILL: Oh, thank you very much. Thank you.

BERMAN: And CNN's coverage continues right now.

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. I'm Bianna Golodryga. Well, we are officially three weeks away from the 2022 midterms. But the election season is already in full swing. Overnight candidates across the country going toe to toe in heated debates. In Ohio Senate race Democratic Congressman Tim Ryan trading barbs with Republican JD Vance.

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SENATE CANDIDATE TIM RYAN (D-OH): If you can't even stand up for yourself, how are you going to stand up for the people of the state?

SENATE CANDIDATE JD VANCE (R-OH): The guy who's subservient to the National Party is Tim Ryan.

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GOLODRYGA: In Utah, Independent Evan McMullin pressing Republican Senator Mike Lee about his actions surrounding the January 6 insurrection.

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SENATE CANDIDATE EVAN MCMULLIN (I-UT): You advise the White House find an alternative slate of electors for Trump, you were there to stand up for our Congress - for our Constitution. But when the barbarians were at the gate, you were happy to let them in.

SEN. MIKE LEE (R-UT): I disagree with everything my opponent just said including the words but and in the.

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GOLODRYGA: Hand in Georgia's gubernatorial rematch, Governor Brian Kemp linking Democrat Stacey Abrams to President Biden's economic turmoil.

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GOV. BRIAN KEMP (R-GA): Georgia should know that my desire is to continue to help them fight through 40 year high inflation and high gas prices. It's quite honestly because of bad policies in Washington DC. I would remind you that Stacey Abrams campaigned to be Joe Biden's running mate, she supports these policies.

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GOLODRYGA: CNN is covering every angle of these developing stories. Our reporters, correspondents and guests are standing by to bring us the very latest. And let's begin this morning in Atlanta with CNN National Politics Reporter Eva McKend. So Eva, Governor Brian Kemp and Democrat Stacey Abrams sparred over a number of issues, they clearly came prepared last night, break it all down for us.

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER: Well, Governor Kemp spent much of the evening touting his record on the economy, saying he would be the best choice to continue leading Georgians through inflation.

Meanwhile, Abrams arguing that on everything from guns to abortion Kemp's policies beyond are just too extreme.

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STACEY ABRAMS (D) GEORGIA GOVERNOR CANDIDATE: I believe that we can protect the Second Amendment and protect second graders at the exact same time. Because of the criminal carry law that Brian Kemp signed into law, there is no longer a background check for those who have concealed carry permits. That makes all of us less safe. We know that the right to vote is the only way that we can make the changes we need in the state. The only way we can make the changes we need in this country.

Whether it's access to the right to an abortion, the ability to take care of our families. We need a governor who believes in access to the right to vote and not in voter suppression, which is the hallmark of Brian Kemp's leadership.

KEMP: Just this past May in our primaries, we again had record turnout in the Republican primary and the Democratic primary. In Georgia, it's easy to vote and hard to cheat.

(END VIDEO CLIP) MCKEND: Now other key moments included when Kemp was asked if he would ban contraception. He said that that was not his desire. Abrams was asked if she would accept the results of the election. She notably did not concede the race to Kemp in 2018. She said I will always acknowledge the outcome of elections but I will never deny access to every voter, Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, guns and the economy. The two real standout issues at last night's debate. Eva McKend, thank you.

In Ohio, a fierce rematch between Democrat Tim Ryan and Republican JD Vance as the two questioned each other's character during a second Senate debate. CNN Correspondent Omar Jimenez is following all of this. Omar, several notable flashpoints last night. Part Two of what we saw just last week with their first fiery debate. What stood out to you?

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Bianna, it was contentious for the second time in as many debates between Congressman Tim Ryan, and JD Vance. I mean, it felt personal at times as you watch things. Now there was at one point, Congressman Tim Ryan, he has an ad about disagreements where he jokes about how he only agrees with his wife 70 percent of the time.

Then in this debate, JD Vance brought up well it must be awkward at home if you only agree with your wife 70 percent of the time, but you vote with Nancy Pelosi 100 percent of the time. Ryan pushed back on that Pelosi narrative, saying if you want to run against Pelosi, you should move back to San Francisco.

But one of the most heated moments came when the two talked about the so called replacement theory that white people are being slowly and intentionally replaced by minorities and immigrants in this country. Take a listen.

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REP. TIM RYAN (D-OH): This is who he's running around with, talking about replacement theory. There's no big grand conspiracy, this country has been enriched by immigrants from all corners of the world. There's no - the problem--

SENATE CANDIDATE JD VANCE (R-OH): It's shameful for you to accuse that.

RYAN: The danger--

VANCE: It's shameful for you.

RYAN: My turn.

VANCE: What happens is that my own children, my biracial children get attacked by scumbags online and in person because you are so desperate for political power that you'll accuse me, the father of three beautiful biracial babies of engaging in racism. We are sick of it.

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JIMENEZ: You can feel the stakes of that race on the stage. But obviously it wasn't the only debate, last night. We also had one in Utah between independent candidate Evan McMullin and the incumbent Republican Mike Lee. They actually agree on many issues, but one of the biggest flashpoints came over January 6. CNN reporting back in April revealed that Mike Lee did reach out to then White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows about wanting to challenge the election results and McMullin said that that was indicative of Lee wanting to overturn the will of the people to which as you can imagine, Lee denied saying he accepted Joe Biden as president.

But notably, this is the only Senate race in the country where Democrats didn't field a candidate. The other main - another interesting storyline here is that Senator Mitt Romney, also from Utah chose not to endorse either candidate saying he's friends with both, and that he is just going to watch how this plays out.

Mike Lee, though has asked for that endorsement, still hasn't gotten it. Leaving Romney is the only GOP senator who hasn't endorsed Lee, and we'll see if that makes or at least contributes to the difference now, three weeks to election day.

GOLODRYGA: That is an interesting point. Omar Jimenez, thank you.

Well, the race is across the country, the economy and abortion rights are top issues for candidates. Let's go to CNN as Jeremy Diamond live at the White House with more on this. So Jeremy, we're learning more about how President Biden wants to add both of those conversations now in these final few weeks. How is he planning to do that?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well Bianna, I can tell you in speaking with the President's advisors, they've made clear that they want to make this a choice election, a contrasting Democrats positions with Republicans taking Republican extremism, which is how democratic officials see this election.

And one of those issues in particular is the issue of abortion. And with three weeks to go, President Biden is doing everything he can to try and put that issue back front and center, even as voters show that they are increasingly more concerned about other issues like the economy and inflation.

But the President knows that this is a winning issue for Democrats. They believe that the public is on their side. And they also believe that this is a galvanizing issue for the base. But when you look at this latest polling from the New York Times, just yesterday, it shows, you put those two together the economy, the inflation, that's 44 percent of voters believing that that is the most important issue facing the country today.

And that's part of why we've seen some of that momentum that Democrats had following the Supreme Court, striking down Roe V. Wade over the summer begin to wane, inflation has remained stubbornly high. Gas prices have also begun to rise in recent weeks. They've come down just slightly in the last week or so.

But the President is also trying to show that he is focused on that issue as well. And that's why we've learned that the Biden administration is expected to announce more releases of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to try and counter that decision from OPEC plus as it relates to cutting the production of oil, which is expected to send oil prices and gas prices up in the coming months.

14 billion barrels - about 14 billion barrels expected to be released. And that will round out the promised 180 million barrels of oil that the President promised to release last spring amid concerns about rising - the rising price of oil, in part due to of course, the war between Russia and Ukraine. But of course now there's also this issue of OPEC and their production cut that the President is trying to counter, Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, we know that U.S. reserves are at their lowest level in some four decades as a result of the President's actions here. Jeremy Diamond, thank you. Well, I want to bring in CNN National Political Reporter Dan Merica for more on these challenges Democrats face in the midterms. So Dan, Democrats are fighting to keep control of Congress. What is the big picture with just three weeks ago until election day? How do things look for them?

DAN MERICA, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER: I think even the most poignant Democrats knew the moment Joe Biden was inaugurated, this was going to be a tough midterms. Obviously, because of history. History says the first midterm in power is going to be tough for the party in power, but also because of how divided the country is right now and how contentious the 2020 election was.

And as Jeremy referenced, you saw there were moments where Democrats picked up some momentum especially after the Dobbs decision over the summer, you really saw a number of Democratic candidates sees on that issue. Their fundraising went up. You saw some of the polls close, but as we have gotten closer to the election, three weeks out now, you have seen some of those Republican candidates begin to tick back up as the economy inflation and gas prices become the most important thing on voters' minds weeks out from the election.

[09:10:00]

So in the Senate, that's really where most of the fighting has been, where the key fighting has been for both parties. You have two states that are key pickup opportunities for Democrats in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania. I think Democrats are more hopeful than they are in Wisconsin. And then four states where Democrats want to protect their incumbents, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, and New Hampshire.

And then as Omar referenced, you have some of these reach states like in Ohio, that debate was so contentious in part because Ohio is not normally a state that Democrats can compete in like that. It has been a tough state for Democrats for years. And Tim Ryan is close to JD Vance, which is why that debate was so contentious.

Maybe the only thing beyond that people agree on, right, that Democrats and Republicans agree on is that no matter who controls the Senate next year, it's going to be a tight margin no matter what.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, tight margin, and we talked about the three debates last night. There's one major debate Democrats are anticipating tonight, and that is in Florida, where Senator Marco Rubio will face Democratic challenger, Congresswoman Val Demings. What do Democrats hope will come out of this debate.

MERICA: It's an opportunity for Demings, obviously, to reach out to voters. But it's also an opportunity for Demings to reach out to top Democratic organizations that have largely sat out the race in Florida. Much like Ohio, Florida has been a pretty tough state for Democrats over the last few years. And that has been reflected in how much money has been spent to aid Demings.

There aren't a lot of outside groups helping her she's had to really go it alone, spend a lot of the money that she has raised, she has raised significant money, but that has taken a toll on her campaign. She has entered the final weeks of the campaign with less money in the bank than Senator Marco Rubio, the Republican incumbent.

So there was a time I think the Democrats thought this would be a reach date, a possible state where Demings who is a candidate who they cheered and applauded when she - when she got the nomination of former Chief of Police in Orlando, could mount in - have a chance to unseat Rubio.

But I think as you've seen these polls close, as you've seen issues other than abortion rise to the top, I think they're even the most poignant Democrats acknowledged, this is going to be a tough one for Democrats to win in the final weeks of the campaign, Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, she became a national figure for her role in the first impeachment of President Trump. We'll see what happens tonight. We'll be watching. Dan Merica, thank you.

Well, overnight, a new series of Russian attacks on at least five cities in Ukraine. President Zelenskyy now saying 30 percent of its power stations have been destroyed in just the last week. I'll speak to Congressman Mike Quigley, a member of the Intel Committee about U.S. efforts to speed up the delivery of weapons.

Plus why have billions of snow crabs vanish from the waters of the Bering Sea. A fisherman who says the mysterious decline could be devastating for the industry. They'll be joining me. And unanswered questions in Oklahoma after four men were shot and dismembered. their remains pulled from a river. What police are saying about the scene and possible suspects.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've worked over 80 murders in my career. I have worked murders involving multiple victims. I have worked dismemberment, but this case involves the highest number of victims and it's a very violent event.

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GOLODRYGA: Well, this morning, Russian forces launched even more missile attacks on Ukraine's energy facilities and critical infrastructure, killing at least two people today in the capital city of Kyiv according to Ukrainian officials. The strikes have knocked out power to parts of Kyiv and two other cities and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky says that 30 percent of Ukraine's power stations have been destroyed in just the past week.

CNN's Clarissa Ward is in Kyiv. These ramped up Russian strikes on power plants coming as winter is approaching and the President is warning people to conserve energy if they can. What is the latest you're seeing on the ground there, Clarissa?

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF International CORRESPONDENT: So people in Kyiv, Bianna woke up again to a day of air raid sirens to rocket attacks. Two critical infrastructure facilities here in the capital were damaged. One damage particularly badly. We're being told that that was kind of an energy supply facility creating electricity also heating.

We've heard the Mayor of Kyiv coming out today and basically asking people to try to conserve their electricity use but also to try to conserve their water use because the infrastructure is now getting hit pretty hard. And while Ukrainians are absolutely working around the clock to fix this stuff, in a timely manner after it gets hit, the barrage has just been pretty relentless and has really picked up tempo since October 10.

You heard President Volodymyr Zelensky there saying 30 percent of power plants have been destroyed. That really is a pretty astonishing number. Nearly a third of Ukraine's energy supplies being seriously challenged by this threat. And also, on top of that you have the civilian casualty component.

At least three people killed in today's attack here in Kyiv. Obviously yesterday, five people, the death toll actually went up, were killed when that residential building nearby a power plant was hit. And so this is sort of a two pronged approach for Russia. On the one hand, really trying to just hit civilian infrastructure as much as possible to maximize the pain particularly heading into the winter months.

But also a real attempt, I think to deal a decimating blow to morale here in Ukraine. I will say though, Bianna from talking to people on the streets and around, it seems to be having the reverse effect.

[09:20:00]

You're seeing people angrier and their resolve hardened and much less talk of any possible negotiations or compromises. Ukrainians we've been speaking to feel pretty determined to win this thing outright, Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: They are so - again, it's also a reminder never to trust Vladimir Putin, who just last week said the strikes would end. They haven't yet. Clarissa Ward, thank you.

Well, joining me to discuss is Democratic Congressman Mike Quigley of Illinois, a member of the Intelligence Committee and Co-Chair for the Congressional Ukraine Caucus. Congressman, thank you so much for joining us. So how concerned are you about what it looks like a strategy on the part of the Russians to specifically target Ukraine's power and infrastructure system?

REP. MIKE QUIGLEY (D-IL): Look, winter is coming in. It's very predictable. When Putin fails, defeat in one area, he doubles down someplace else. In this case, it's - it's a rain of terror from the skies, because he knows that individuals will suffer, and we need to react accordingly.

GOLODRYGA: And what is that reaction? How can we help them? They want air defense. Are we providing them with what they need at that the pace they need?

QUIGLEY: We are providing at this point as fast as possible. We have given them anti-drone systems, two nascent systems are on their way. Overall, we need to help our allies provide more of the S300s, we need to provide sea rams. Big picture, we need to provide sort of a universal comprehensive, what we think of with Israel, and an Iron Dome.

But now we need to add new systems, add to what they have, and link them together in a command and control system as quickly as we possibly can.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, they've been able to knock out some of these drones, but a reminder that this country is much, much larger than the state of Israel. Let me get you to respond to what the U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said yesterday about Russia and the pace at which it is firing their precision munitions.

She says that is running out and at an unsustainable rate. And she attributes that to the sanctions controls, and export - export controls and the sanctions that have been imposed by the United States. But that's not necessarily much relief for Ukrainians, given that we see where Russia has turned and that is to Iran. Iran has given them 1000s of these drones.

And President Zelenskyy says more are anticipated, including as the Washington Post is reporting other ballistic missiles as well. What can the U.S. do? Ukraine, as you know, is asking for the West to impose more sanctions upon Iran, will that work? We've been doing that for so many years now.

QUIGLEY: Yes, I actually just saw this morning, there was a pretty good CNN piece about that very thing. The sanctions are starting to have an impact on the Putin military machine. First, you stop funding it when they don't get as many resources coming in. Second, a lot of the technology that's been cut out, is starting to impact their ability to do and produce complex weapons systems, the kinds that are attacking Ukraine.

But there is more that we can do. There can be absolutely no technology of any kind allowed into Russia. Because most technology is dual use. It will be used in one manner or another to kill Ukrainians. As it relates to Iran, when we get back after the elections that has to be high on our list of things to accomplish. I know we want to do another Iran nuclear deal. But at this point in time, the greatest need is to stop what they're doing, which is killing Ukrainians through the Russians' use of the military.

GOLODRYGA: The United States and President Biden, his specific administration has contributed some $60 billion in aid and assistance throughout the course of this war, and just last week, pledged an additional $725 million in military aid. I'd like to get you to respond, however, to what Kevin McCarthy said to Punchbowl news in the wake of these upcoming midterm elections and the possibility, the high likelihood that at least the House could turn over to Republicans. Here's what he said in terms of the additional aid continuing during this war from the United States. He says I think people are going to be sitting in a recession, and they're not going to write a blank check to Ukraine. They just won't do it. It's not a free blank check. And then there's the things the Biden administration is not doing domestically, not doing the border and people begin to weigh that.

Ukraine is important, but at the same time, it can't be the only thing they do and it can't be a blank check. What does that suggest to you? Should Ukraine should Americans be prepared to see the amount of money that we're providing them start to go down start to decline if Republicans win?

QUIGLEY: First of all, yes, first of all, Leader McCarthy's comments suggest that a blank check is that there's no authorization no oversight of what's going on.

[09:25:00]

You know, we routinely travel as I did about five weeks ago to Ukraine and make sure this is working. First and second we have to ask ourselves who we are as a country and remind ourselves that our fathers and grandfathers shed blood in Europe to prevent an autocracy from taking over sovereign democratic countries.

I was in Bucha, and saw evidence of the war crimes that are taking place. And we can do more than one thing at a time. We can deal with inflation as we have with recent legislation. We can deal with climate change, and all the problems that Americans face and not turn our backs on our responsibility that, that we talked about what the New World Order after the Second World War.

You know, the UN Charter and like NATO were formed in the first place. Those would be fought for and fought for now.

GOLODRYGA: Congressman Mike Quigley, we'll have to leave it there. Thank you so much for your time. We appreciate it. QUIGLEY: Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: And still ahead unacceptable levels of radioactive contamination found at a place where children go every day to learn. We're live near the Missouri Elementary School where that surprising contamination was found. That's up next.

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