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Candidates In Ohio, Georgia, Iowa And Utah Go Toe-To-Toe In Heated Rounds Of Debate Ahead Of Crucial Elections; Today, Biden Delivers Speech On Abortion Rights At DNC Event; Zelenskyy Says 30 Percent Of Ukraine's Power Stations Destroyed In Last Week. Aired 10- 10:30a ET

Aired October 18, 2022 - 10:00   ET

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

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[10:00:00]

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. I'm Bianna Golodryga.

Well, countdown to the midterms begins. Today marks three weeks until Election Day. But early voting is already in full swing across several states. And overnight, fierce debates, candidates in Ohio, Georgia, Iowa and Utah going toe-to-toe in heated rounds, featuring policy arguments and personal jabs, and a new pledge, President Biden promising to keep abortion rights front and center if Democrats can keep control of the Congress for another two years.

Let's begin this hour with CNN's Jeremy Diamond at the White House. So, let's pick up there, Jeremy. You have new reporting about how President Biden is hoping to take action on abortion while also keeping the economy front and center. What is the White House saying?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, exactly, Bianna. With three weeks left until Election Day, President Biden is doing everything he can to try and push those issues. The Democrats view is it is favorable to them right, front and center in voter's minds. And today, we're expecting, according to a Democratic official, for the president to make a new promise as it relates to abortion rights in a speech this afternoon at Howard Theater here in Washington, D.C. The president will promise that the first bill he sends to the next Congress will be to codify Roe versus Wade, meaning the abortion rights in that Supreme Court case, and that he will then sign that bill into law around the 50th anniversary.

Of course, this promise is contingent, the president will say, on Democrats electing more senators, more Democrats to the Senate and also holding on to their major in the House. Neither of those two things are easy feats. We know that President Biden has previously said that he would like to see a carve-out in the filibuster in the Senate so that abortion rights can be enshrined into law.

But one of the things that's holding him back from that, not only do Democrats not have a filibuster-proof majority, but even with the current majority that they have, Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, two moderate Democrats, have said that they oppose that kind of a filibuster carve-out. So, the president would need another two Democratic senators to join in on that and to be willing to join in on that effort, and also holding on to the House, which right now is not clear that Democrats will be able to do that.

We saw, of course, over the summer following the decision by the Supreme Court to strike down Roe v. Wade, a huge gust of momentum on Democrats' side following those decisions. Clearly, abortion rights is something that is galvanizing the Democratic base. But more recently, in the last few weeks, over the last month, we've seen inflation remaining stubbornly high, gas prices beginning to come up again, and most recently polling suggesting that voters are far more concerned about the economy, about inflation, about prices going up than they are about this issue of abortion.

Nonetheless, Democrats believe that this can be a galvanizing factor for them with their base, with key demographics, like women in the suburbs. But, again, this going to be a question in the next few weeks, Democrats trying to push this issue front and center and the president today certainly doing his part there. Bianna?

GOLODRYGA: Jeremy Diamond, thank you.

Well, turning now to the debates overnight. In Ohio, a fierce rematch between Democrat Tim Ryan and Republican J.D. Vance.

CNN Correspondent Omar Jimenez is following all of this. So, this is round two for them, Omar, and several noticeable flashpoints once again last night. What were the highlights for you?

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bianna, for starters, it was contentious for the second time in these main debates between these two, Congressman Tim Ryan and J.D. Vance. Obviously, it felt personal at times, as you were watching, J.D. Vance accusing Tim Ryan of sucking up to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Ryan accusing Vance of sucking up to President Trump. But among the most heated parts of the debate came when discussing the so-called white replacement theory, that white people are being replaced intentionally by minorities and migrants. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

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

SENATE CANDIDATE J.D. VANCE (R-OH): It is shameful for you to accuse me of that given my family -- it's shameful for you to accuse me of that.

RYAN: My turn, pal.

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.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: That back and forth we saw throughout the debate.

[10:05:00]

Of course, it wasn't the only one happening last night. Over in Utah, the first and only debate between Independent Candidate Evan McMullan and GOP Incumbent Senator Mike Lee. This is notably the only race that Democrats didn't field a candidate. And while McMullin and Lee largely agree on many issues, some of the sharpest attacks came around January 6th, excuse me.

Back in April, CNN reported that text messages sent to then-White House Chief of the Staff Mark Meadows indicated he wanted or at least showed interest in supporting challenging the election results, and McMullin said this is indicative of him wanting to overturn the will of the people.

Mike Lee, as you can imagine, vehemently denied that, saying that he accepted President Joe Biden as the president of the United States. And another indicator in this race or another interesting note is that Senator Mitt Romney, who sits for Utah, has declined to endorse either of these candidates, saying he's friends with both despite Mike Lee pleading for him to do so.

GOLODRYGA: Omar Jimenez, thank you.

Well, let's turn now to Georgia, where candidates for governor faced off last night on the debate stage.

CNN National Politics Reporter Eva McKend is live in Atlanta this morning. So, Eva, what stood out for each candidate? Both came rather prepared last night for that debate.

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER: Yes, Bianna. This is perhaps one of the most closely watched rematches in the country between Stacey Abrams and Governor Brian Kemp. Kemp, for his part, spent much of the evening touting his record on the economy, arguing he would be the best choice to steer Georgians through inflation. Meanwhile, Abrams really characterizing what she viewed as the failures of the Kemp administration, arguing that his policies on everything, from guns to abortion, are just too extreme.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE STACEY ABRAMS (D-GA): 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 is 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.

GOV. BRIAN KEMP (R-GA): Just this past May in our primaries, we, again, had record turnout in the Republican primary and the Democratic primary. In Georgia, it is easy to vote and hard to cheat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKEND: Now, other key moments are when Kemp was asked if he would ban contraception. He said he had no desire to do so. That, of course, is in the context of Kemp overseeing among the strictest abortion laws in this country. And when Abrams was asked if she would accept the results of the election, she notably never conceded to Kemp in 2018, she said, I will acknowledge the outcome of elections but I will never deny access to every voter, a contentious debate indeed. Bianna?

GOLODRYGA: Eva McKend, thank you.

Well, joining me now to talk about all of this is Karoun Demirjian, Pentagon Correspondent for The Washington Post, and CNN Political Analyst Rachael Bade, co-author of Politico's Playbook. They're also co-authors of a book out today called, Unchecked, The Untold Story Behind Congress' Botched Impeachments of Donald Trump, and we'll get to you the book in just a moment.

But, Karoun, let me start with you on what seems to be a standout theme from all of these debates we've covered. Yes, they talked about everything, from crime to abortion, to critical race theory, but the economy really loomed large. What does that do in terms of where we stand three weeks before voters head to the polls for Democrats in particular who a couple of weeks ago were feeling pretty good about this election? A couple of economic reports though have really dimmed things for them.

KAROUN DEMIRJIAN, PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT, THE WASHINGTON POST: Yes. I mean, look, the economy issue always is front and center. I think people of both parties know that and they're conscience and aware of that. And so Democrats are feeling good when the numbers were starting swing in a more positive direction. Gas prices coming down, then feeling like they had the momentum going into their favor.

But I think several polls have shown that the economy issue often swings well for the GOP, just in terms of how they're messaging it. And so this kind of puts us in the situation which most people are anticipating, we're going to be seeing, which is that you're going to have a GOP takeover of the House, ending up with a divided Washington and a divided government in Congress too, most likely. That is going to open the gateway for a lot of these other issues that we're seeing debated.

Yes, the abortion issue, yes, the economic issues, yes, security issues, and also just what the relationship is going to be between Congress and the presidency since we have a GOP that has already pledged to try to impeach the president and everybody on down the chain in the cabinet, or at least try.

GOLODRYGA: A precedent that you say may have started with some of the research you've done for your book, and we'll get to that in just a second.

But, Rachael, I'd like to get you to respond to what seems to be this new initiative from the White House and the president sort of promising that he would do whatever he can to codify Roe if, in fact, there is a majority for Democrats come Election Day.

[10:10:09]

Is this going to help rally Republican -- or swing voters or suburban women who vote both ways in terms of hearing this new initiative from the president?

RACHAEL BADE, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes. I think it is obviously an attempt to gin up the base, to make sure Democratic voters get out there and vote, but also targeting, as you mentioned, swing voters, specifically suburban women who particularly care about this issue. It is sort of a reminder to people about Roe v. Wade being overturned, especially when the conversation right now is pivoting back to these economic issues that really hurt Democrats right now.

But I think we can kind of say at this point, because Democrats speak too early, it is more a question of how bad is this going to be for them. Obviously, things are moving back in the direction of Republicans. They do seem like they're going to flip the House. But will Biden be able to hold control of the Senate? Will the Democrats be able to do that? That's obviously very much still up in the air and that is why the president is putting this issue out there, continuing to talk about abortion, which very much brings Democratic voters out and could help them in the polls.

GOLODRYGA: So, Karoun, let's switch to the book now. Because as we were talking during the break, there was this conversation about all of these books that are out now talking about the Trump administration and Trump, the man, and this book is not that. This is a book that's centered on Congress and what you say were really botched, two botched attempts, at impeachment. Explain.

DEMIRJIAN: Right. This is not really a Trump book, so much as it is a book about the people who failed to check him. And we take a really hard look at both Democrats and Republicans to examine what was going on behind the scenes, basically, why they made the decisions that they made and what sorts of missed opportunities were there that they could have taken advantage of that might have really turned history in a different direction.

We look at how Republicans -- it is very well-established. The general narrative is that Republicans just sided with the president. Democrats did absolutely everything they could and they just couldn't withstand the overwhelming support and rally around the flag that the Republicans did around Trump. And we found that that wasn't really completely the case. There were moments where the GOP was so angry at President Trump, especially around the January 6 riot against the Capitol, that they were ready to break with him, but Democrats didn't take advantage of those moments.

We also found instances where Democrats had the opportunity to call Republican witnesses, to run down their subpoenas to the courts, to prove that you cannot mess with Congress when it comes to their right to oversee, check, flex their full constitutional muscle against a rogue president, and they chose not to, because they were worried about the political blowback about potential situations at the polls that they found inconvenient. And it was specifically Nancy Pelosi who was worried about this and they were taking her lead.

BADE: Yes. I mean, the key theme in our book is Pelosi's sort of fear of impeachment. I mean, we've covered her for a long time and reporters who have sort of know that she has always hated impeachment. And the first part of our book talks about how she worked overtime to try to stop it from happening.

And then once she short of got pitched into the first impeachment after it was discovered that Trump tried to strong arm Ukraine, she put it on a quick timeline because she worried about blowback for her front liners. She wanted it done by Christmas. She did not want investigators pulling a bunch of investigative threads, even though you had people like Jamie Raskin, who were arguing that we need to -- this case on Ukraine is failing to reach the public. We need to expand and broaden and talk about Trump's emoluments violations --

GOLODRYGA: Because she was a constitutional expert.

BADE: Exactly. Trump trying to use the Oval Office to benefit his bottom line or campaign finance violations, basically build the strongest case possible to reach the American public, if not, Republican senators and lawmakers, then at least to persuade the public that Trump was dangerous.

And so we've heard a lot of private regret from our Democratic sources that Trump became more powerful after the first impeachment. And then even after the second, which you could argue was the most important impeachment in our history, given Trump incited a riot on the Capitol, it was done before you could blink. Jamie Raskin was trying to call in Republican witnesses and really wanted to build a case to try to persuade Republicans at a time when Trump was the most vulnerable he has ever been, and instead, we show in the book how he was shut down by his own party. People like Chuck Schumer, who clearly did not want a long trial because he wanted to start working on the Biden agenda, the White House snubbing requests for evidence and to try to bring Secret Service in, in that moment.

What would have happened? Now we see what January 6 committee is doing, and it is amazing work. But what would have happened if they would have done it in that moment?

GOLODRYGA: Well, you say it is led to a precedent now for half-baked impeachment and we're already seeing their threats from Republicans saying that they're already drawing up articles not necessarily maybe against President Biden but members of his cabinet.

We'll have to leave it there, unfortunately, but it sounds like a fascinating book. I can't wait to read it. Karoun Demirjian, thank you so much for joining us.

[10:15:00]

Rachael Bade, good to see you. It is a little bit of a ping pong going back and forth. Sorry, I've tried, guys. Great to have you on set with us, though.

The new book, Unchecked, is out today.

Well, still to come, Ukraine's infrastructure under siege, energy facilities, the target of new Russian strikes. I'll speak to the former Ukrainian president, Petro Poroshenko, up next.

And a critical day in court, Actor Kevin Spacey back on stand to be cross-examined over allegations of sexual misconduct. We'll go there live.

Plus, a massive explosion in space billions of light years from Earth. New images show that supernova explosion that may be one of the most powerful ever recorded by telescopes.

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Well this just into CNN, the Justice Department announcing details of a terror organization. It involves a French company that has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to provide support to ISIS.

CNN's Evan Perez joins us now. So, Evan, there is also a connection to Americans who were targeted by ISIS. What more do we know?

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: That is right, Bianna. This is the French company Lafarge, which is a very large cement company. They had a plant that was operating in Syria at the time that ISIS took over large parts of Syrian territory.

And according to this guilty plea that the company just entered in federal court in Brooklyn, the company was paying money to ISIS during a time that obviously they were carrying -- the group was carrying out terrorist activities, including against Americans. We'll show you just a little bit of the video of some of the -- that period from 2012 to 2014, when at least four Americans were held hostage, including James Foley, who was beheaded, and the group released a video of that.

So, according to the Justice Department, the company was paying money in order to keep its operations going inside of ISIS territory. They booked additional millions of dollars of revenue during that period. And as a result of that, the company is now pleading guilty, the first ever plead by a company, by a corporate entity to material support for terrorism because of those activities in ISIS territory.

This is still an ongoing investigation. The company, by the way, is now part of a larger company called Lafarge Holcim, which is based in Switzerland, and they say that this was a chaotic period. The new company says that they were not aware of these activities at the time of this acquisition, Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: Evan Perez bringing us this breaking news, thank you so much.

Well, this morning, as Russia ramps up its strikes against critical infrastructure across Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that 30 percent of Ukraine's power stations have been wiped out in just the past week. Meantime, Ukrainian officials say Russian strikes killed two people this morning in Kyiv. The attacks also knocked out power in parts of the capital city.

Joining me now to discuss is the former president of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko. President Poroshenko, thank you so much for joining us. I know this is a very critical time and week for those in your city. How vulnerable is your energy infrastructure, are your energy plans to these ongoing Russian attacks?

PETRO POROSHENKO, FORMER UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: It is a pleasure, Bianna. Thank you. Happy to hear your voice.

And with this situation, half of the Kyiv was waking up without electricity, when they are cold in their flats. And I just want to attract your attention this is not an attack of our soldiers and our brave armed forces on the front. Putin was very much disappointed with the ability of Ukraine to provide the counteroffensive operation. This is their attack on the civilians, on the houses, we have yesterday and today killed civilian people. Yesterday, it was the couple with a pregnant woman and her husband, and this is a disastrous story.

And this morning, my deputy sees the missiles. I just want to tell you that this was not Shahed Iranian drones, that was a cruise missiles who attacked the power station in (INAUDIBLE). But today, after ten hours, our workers repaired the electricity supply. We are very responsible. We demonstrate the shortage for consumption of electricity for 25 percent. And we are ruining the Putin plan to deliver the message that Ukraine is afraid, that Ukraine is possible to break. Mr. Putin, please learn the lesson, Ukraine and Ukrainian is absolutely unbreakable and none of your messages can help you.

GOLODRYGA: There were reports by Ukrainian officials that, as we speak, some 1,100 cities throughout the country are currently without power. I do want to ask you to Russia's purpose and intent behind these specific targets. There are reports from your own internal security service, the SBU, that it recently uncovered a group of Russian agents who were scouting critical infrastructure targets. Is it your view that Vladimir Putin, that Russia is trying to freeze Ukrainians to bring them back to the negotiating table as soon as possible?

POROSHENKO: I doubt that this is their purpose to bring us back, because you cannot find out the people in the world who want peace more than we Ukrainians. And for that, is not necessary, this is quite a strange fact to bring us to the table for negotiations, killing us.

[10:25:03] And this is understandable that it is impossible to find out to compromise when Putin wants to kill us and all Ukrainians, we want to live. Putin wants to wipe us from the world map and we want to have our own state.

With this situation, definitely, Putin understands that he doesn't have a military success. His plan of blitzkrieg was ruined. Neither within three days or three months or even three years, he cannot capture it. That is why he tried to provide pressure on us with the attack on the energy, with the attack on the civilian. And my idea is this is the absolutely terroristic attack.

And Russia is a sponsor of terrorism. And we are really waiting, recognizing and very much appreciation the leadership of the United States, of the American president, Joe Biden, the American Congress and American people, we definitely expect that the right decision for recognizing Russia as a state of terrorism, exactly like you do for the Iran. This is absolutely necessary decision, because now we have three country aggressors, this is Russia itself, this is Belarus and this is Iran.

GOLODRYGA: And, so far, the president has refused to label Russia a sponsor of terror.

But let me pick up there with Iran specifically because Iran has supplied Russia with hundreds of the Shahed drones. Last week, President Zelenskyy said that Vladimir Putin ordered some 2,500 more. There are reports that there are ballistic missiles that are being provided by Iran to Russia. I know Ukraine is calling for sanctions against Iran. It is something that the United States and the E.U. are considering, as we speak.

But let me ask you to respond to reports that the Ukrainian foreign minister said Ukraine will officially request Israel now to provide air defense system against some of these missiles coming in from Iran. Can you confirm that? Are you now officially reaching out to Israel with that request?

POROSHENKO: Definitely, I can confirm that. That was a request from Ukraine armed forces. And we know that Israel has a special technology, how to fight with the Iranian drones. This technology can save the lives of the hundreds of Ukrainians. And with that situation, we expect this step not only from Israel, but we expect these steps also from the United States, because if we do not destroy these Iranian drones here, tomorrow, they can appear in Israeli sky, or who knows, maybe in some European nations' sky.

And this is not for the combat operation. This is an attack of the energy and civilian and that is why sanction against Iran is absolutely unavoidable. Iran should strongly believe if you do not stop supplying, not only the drones but also the ballistic missiles, who Iran planned to supply, and the sanction, which should be hell (ph) sanctions, and with that situation, definitely, we should stop Iran from doing that.

Today, our parliament is requesting from the government to break the diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Iran, to break all of the facilitation of their visa and to break all of the necessary things and to introduce our national sanction. But we definitely count it would like international sanction also.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. I saw that headline about breaking all relations with Iran as well today.

Petro Poroshenko, we are thinking of you and those in Kyiv and all of the cities that have been under attack these past few days. Thank you so much for your time and stay safe.

POROSHENKO: Thank you so much, Bianna. Thanks a lot.

GOLODRYGA: Thank you.

Well, Actor Kevin Spacey back on the stand for cross-examination right now, but he picked up a big win in court yesterday. We're live outside the courthouse, up next.

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