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President Biden Campaigning for Democratic Candidates in Upcoming Midterm Elections across U.S.; Georgia Republican Senate Candidate Herschel Walker Holding Rally; Former President Trump to Hold Rally in Pennsylvania for Republican Senate Candidate Mehmet Oz. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired November 05, 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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[10:00:18]

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. Great to see all of you. It is Saturday, November 5th. I'm Amara Walker.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Great to be with you again, Amara. I'm Boris Sanchez. You are live in the CNN Newsroom, and we are grateful you are starting your Saturday with us.

We begin with the countdown to the midterm election. The election just three days away, and Amara, we can see the finish line now.

WALKER: Yes, we can. It feels like it's been a long last several weeks, but we are finally here. This is the last weekend of campaigning before Tuesday's elections as the candidates and their surrogates make their final push for votes. In the battle for control of the Senate it comes down to a handful of key states, including Pennsylvania. President Biden, Barack Obama and Donald Trump all campaigning in the state today.

SANCHEZ: The president keeping his focus on democracy and the economy. He says he is optimistic about the midterms, but polling has indicated that the momentum is on Republicans' side.

Another race that could decide who controls the Senate is in Georgia between Senator Raphael Warnock and former football star Herschel Walker.

WALKER: Millions of voters have already cast their ballots. In fact, early voting is up compared to the 2018 midterms. Almost 35 million people in 47 states have voted early. And our reporters and correspondents are covering the election as only CNN can. We are bringing you live reports on this final weekend of campaigning before Election Day. And President Biden is hitting the campaign trail today. His first stop in Joliet, Illinois. CNN White House correspondent Arlette Saenz is there. Hi there, Arlette. Give us preview of what we expect to hear from President Biden.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Amara, President Biden today really is set to zero in on the ways that his administration is trying to offer economic relief to Americans as the economy and inflation remain top concerns for voters just four days away. Specifically, here at this event, this is an official event that the White House is hosting, and he is set to talk about efforts to lower prescription drugs as well as protect Social Security and Medicare, areas that he believes are under threat if Republicans take control of Congress.

The White House has really stepped up their economic messaging over the course of the past few weeks as there is concern that discontent over the economy could jeopardize Democrats' control of the House and Senate. Now, last night at a fundraiser nearby here in Chicago, the president told Democratic donors that he believes it would be a horrible two years if the Republicans are able to take control of the House and Senate. He did note that he would have to the veto power if they were set to send certain legislation to his desk. But at the same time, as he is issuing these warnings, he is still striking an optimistic tone about Democrats' chances.

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JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I know you always ask me, how are we doing. We're going to win this time around. I feel really good about our chances. I haven't been in all the House races, but I think we are going to keep the Senate, pick up a seat. I think we have a chance to win in the House. I don't think we are going to not win, keeping the House. So I'm optimistic. I really am.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: Now, the president has a series of events heading into election day. Perhaps the biggest one will be later today when he campaigns alongside his former boss President Barack Obama in Pennsylvania as they campaign for Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman. That is one of the only competitive Senate races that the president has gone into in these closing days of the election. The White House has said he would go where he can and be helpful, and they're hoping to help push Fetterman over the finish line as they campaign for him in Pennsylvania later today.

SANCHEZ: Going where he can be helpful, an interesting way to put that. Arlette Saenz from Illinois, thank you so much.

We want to focus on the high-stakes Senate race in Georgia now. Former football star Herschel Walker, Senator Raphael Warnock locked in a tight competition that could determine control of the Senate.

WALKER: Yes, it's been quite an unpredictable race there. CNN national political correspondent Eva McKend is on the campaign trail in Athens, Georgia. Hi there, Eva. Update us on the race and how it's shaping up between Walker and Warnock.

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER: Good morning to you both. It's game day here in Georgia. Herschel Walker holding a rally with his supporters in just a little bit at the University of Georgia. It's a homecoming from him. He, of course, is from Wrightsville, but is here in Athens where his football career was launched. And he has made this football a sort of key to his election argument, that he didn't go the standard political route, that he is not a standard politician.

He has also worked overtime to try to tie Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock, his opponent, the incumbent, to President Biden's economic policy and the Biden agenda.

[10:05:01]

Meanwhile, Senator Warnock has argued that Walker is not fit to serve in the United States Senate. Warnock also spent a lot of time playing up his bipartisan credentials, saying that he is willing to work with Republicans, ultimately, in service of Georgians, and also talking a lot about health care, how he worked to lower the cost of insulin for Georgians.

Meanwhile, getting less attention is the race for governor in this state. It is a rematch certainly to be watched between Republican incumbent Governor Brian kemp and Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams, both of them making very different arguments on the campaign trail. Governor Kemp really talking a lot about the economy, arguing that he bucked pressure during the height of the pandemic and reopened the state's economy before many other states. Abrams, meanwhile, argues that the policies that Kemp has championed are just too dangerous for Georgians. I caught up with her on her campaign bus this week.

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STACEY ABRAMS (D-GA), GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: The reality is our lives are at stake. Women are losing more and more of their rights, and this governor has said he intends to pursue even further legislation. If it comes to his desk, he is willing to sign legislation to deny access to contraception. This is a governor who has weakened the gun laws in the state of Georgia, and he wants to do more.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKEND: So Georgia is often referred to as the center of the political universe. It makes a lot of sense because it is a true battleground state with two key races to watch.

WALKER: Eva McKend, appreciate you. Thank you for that, and to all of our reporters and correspondents out there.

Also, one sitting president and two former ones are campaigning in Pennsylvania today. One of the most closely watched Senate races. President Biden and former President Obama holding a rare joint appearance to rally supporters.

SANCHEZ: Let's take you to Pennsylvania now and CNN congressional correspondent Jessica Dean who joins us live from Pittsburgh. Jessica, a lot of big names on the road today in Pennsylvania. Update us on that Senate race.

JESSICA DEAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to both of you. That tells you everything you need to know. Here we are, it is Saturday. We are now just three days away from Election Day, and that is where they are sending the top surrogates of both parties. We're going to see former President Trump later tonight. I am standing right it in front of where former President Barack Obama is going to rally people here in Pittsburgh on behalf of Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman, the Democratic nominee for Senate. Of course, he is running against Republican Mehmet Oz in a race that has become the most expensive Senate race across the country. It has been hotly contested. It is a very tight race. And it could very well determine who controls the U.S. Senate. That's why.

It's an open seat. Republican Pat Toomey is retiring, so Democrats hoping to pick this up. Republicans honing to defend it. And remember, Republicans just need to pick up one seat in order to do that. So you can imagine all the attention that is here.

So the closing arguments that we are hearing, Fetterman really pitching himself as a man of the people here in Pennsylvania, someone that they can count on to be authentic, to be who he says he is. He has really incorporated his stroke recovery into his final pitch to voters, saying he got knocked down and he is going to get back up and they can count on him to do that.

For his part, Mehmet Oz really pitching himself as a moderate. We were with him last night. He talked to the crowd about reaching out to their conservative Democratic and independent friends, saying that he really wants to get rid of extremism in Washington and work in a bipartisan way.

Which message will be the one that resonates the most? Well, we're going to have to wait until Tuesday, of course, until voters make their voices known. But, Boris and Amara, this today is all about riling up the base. This is about the two biggest stars, the three biggest stars in their representative parties talking to their base, making sure that they turn out the base. And then that tiny sliver of independent swing voters that does exist here in Pennsylvania in a big way, that's what's up for grabs, that's likely what will determine the outcome of this very, very critical Senate race, guys.

SANCHEZ: And what could determine control of the U.S. Senate as well. Jessica Dean from Pittsburgh, thank you so much.

SANCHEZ: Let's break down all these important races with CNN senior political analyst Ryan Lizza. He's the chief Washington correspondent at "Politico" and co-author of "Politico Playbook." Ryan, great to see you, as always. Thanks for joining us from Miami. There's a lot to get through here, but notably, as part of his closing message, President Biden has focused on defending democracy from election deniers. I'm wondering how effective you think that message is going to be Tuesday given this new CNN polling that shows the economy and inflation are far and away the top issues for voters right now. If you put all of those other issues and you combine them, abortion, elections, gun policy, you combine all of them, they still don't hit the 51 percent of voters who say the economy and inflation are their most important concerns. Ryan, what do you think? RYAN LIZZA, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: It's almost like a sliding

scale of how important are those issues to you on a day-to-day basis immediately, right?

[10:10:03]

So inflation, we experience it every day when we go to the grocery store or fill up the car with gas. On the other side, big important issue but not one that necessarily that is something that voters think about every day in their day-to-day lives is what Biden talked about in his big speech at Union Station the other night, the threat to democracy, as he described, from the other party.

So I think the White House has been -- they haven't necessarily made that the closing argument. I noticed last night the White House sent out an email talking about one of Biden's stops today in Illinois, and they were -- a White House official was really emphasizing Social Security and Medicare and bread and butter issues, and warning about Republican Party policy radicalism, not democracy.

So I think the big set piece speeches they think it's important to talk about, but on a day to day basis they recognize that inflation and the economy are the things they need to tell voters how they are addressing those issues.

SANCHEZ: Ryan, we got updates are from Georgia and Pennsylvania. Those two Senate races, obviously, very contentious. What are you watching for in each of them come Tuesday night?

LIZZA: Just today, we have a big day in Pennsylvania, obviously. We have former President Trump, President Biden, and former President Obama all will be in Pennsylvania today. And I do think it's very interesting that Oz on the Saturday before election is going to be at a rally with Trump and Mastriano. Mastriano is someone that national Republicans have distanced themselves from, that many national Republicans will not endorse, although most House Republicans in Pennsylvania have endorsed him. But there are some state Republicans who have stayed away from him. Oz has been very sort of careful in how he embraces him. But now in the final weekend, the front pages of newspapers in Pennsylvania tomorrow are going to be Oz embracing Trump and Mastriano.

Now, maybe that's what he needs, maybe to really rev up that Trump- inspired rural base in Pennsylvania. On the other hand, Pennsylvania is a lot about those Philly suburbs and moderates who are really not happy with Joe Biden, but might be willing to give Fetterman a -- might be willing to give Fetterman a chance, and they see Oz with Trump and Mastriano, and they say, I can't do that. So I think that's a very interesting strategic calculation on their part.

In Georgia, look, this was the state that gave Democrats the Senate two years ago. So I would say the biggest remaining question is does it go into a runoff or not. You get a second shot at this if neither candidate hits 50 percent. So we could all be down in Georgia and watching that as, again, the race that decides the election. Worth noting that Senator Schumer in that hot mic moment recently thought Georgia was slipping away from the Democrats.

SANCHEZ: Yes, really a revealing remark that Chuck Schumer made to Joe Biden on that runway. Ryan, you are in Florida now, but I know you are headed to Nevada the next few days, and the Senate race there is perhaps closer than many expected. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto in a tough fight. How do you see that race playing out?

LIZZA: Please don't let my editors know that I took a weekend vacation to Miami before heading to one of the Senate swing states.

(LAUGHTER)

LIZZA: That, again, that's -- look, the Democrats lose Nevada, they are not going to take back the Senate. They can't lose one of their incumbents. The governor's race there, people forget there is a governor's race, that has had has bad polling for the Democrats recently. And I will point out that someone that a lot of us look to as the foremost expert on Nevada voting patterns, Jon Rahlston, he has really dug into the early vote and argued that it is not great for Democrats, that there is a big rural turnout in Nevada, and the Democrats are on Election Day are going to have to really make up a lot in the urban areas.

And as you know, Boris, there has also been a lot of polling, it's mixed, but there's been a lot of polling in Nevada that suggests Democrats are having trouble with Latino voters. The incumbent Democratic senator there is Latina herself, and that is a real warning sign for Democrats if Republicans further eat into that voting group in a state like Nevada. So those are the two things I would watch right now.

[10:15:04]

SANCHEZ: Yes, the economic headwinds playing majorly in a state like Nevada, the tourism industry there suffering because of COVID-19. Ryan Lizza, we will get you back to the days off in that fancy hotel I recognize on Miami Beach.

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: I hope you have a good time before you get back on the campaign trail. Thanks, Ryan.

LIZZA: Thanks, Boris. Take care.

SANCHEZ: Of course.

Don't forget, on election night join CNN for special coverage starting Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. eastern. We are going to have up to the minute results on what's happening in all the key races across your state and around the country.

WALKER: In other news now, at least one person is dead and multiple people still missing this morning after a tornado outbreak hit three states late Friday. A total of 18 tornados have been reported between Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. And dozens of homes were destroyed in the storms with power lines down across the region, effecting nearly 62,000 people.

And officials in Lamar County, Texas, have declared a disaster after a tornado caused significant damage to homes and businesses. Also, just north in McCurtain County, Oklahoma, authorities are still searching for several missing people after the storm left at least one person dead.

Still ahead, another provocation by North Korea's Kim Jong-un. South Korea says four more missiles have been fired overnight. The latest on the escalating tensions there.

SANCHEZ: Plus, the attack against Nancy Pelosi's husband raising concerns about the threat of violent rhetoric. Now President Biden delivering a stark warning to voters, democracy is on the ballot come Tuesday. Newsroom continues in a moment.

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[10:20:50]

WALKER: New this morning, South Korea says it's detected four short- range ballistic missiles launched overnight by North Korea.

SANCHEZ: The missiles, which military officials say fell into the sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, are the latest in a spree of recent launches from the north that were strongly condemned by the United Nations, which urged Kim Jong-un to immediately stop the launches and resume denuclearization talks.

In Seoul, South Korea, this morning, tens of thousands gathered to take part in a candlelight vigil protest to commemorate the 156 people killed in a Halloween crowd crush a week ago.

WALKER: Taking place near Seoul's city hall, many held signs calling for South Korea's president to step down as public outcry and so much anger over the incident continue to grow. CNN's Will Ripley is in Seoul with the latest.

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WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I am at a massive candlelight vigil here in Seoul, one of eight locations across South Korea where people are gathering, they're lighting candles, and they're expressing grief, their sorrow, and frankly, their anger over what happened at the Itaewon nightclub district in the South Korean capital on Saturday night when 156 people died, most of them young people in their teens and 20s who were out celebrating on Halloween and got caught in a horrific crowd crush in one of the narrow alleyways of that packed nightclub district.

It's ironic that the crowd out here is estimated to be around 100,000. That's according to local media and organizers. That's the same number of people who packed into the Itaewon on Saturday night, and yet unlike Saturday night, the police are out here doing, frankly, a very good job of keeping the crowd under control. There are scores of officers. There are barricades, and every step that you take is controlled. The movements of the crowd are controlled to prevent exactly the kind of disaster that happened with all of those young people packed into a very narrow space, unable to get out, unable to move, unable to breathe, and those who fell down, those who got crushed, those who suffocated, and those who died are the ones being remembered right now.

This is in some ways turned into a political event. A lot of people expressing anger against the current South Korean president, President Yoon, saying that he is the one who is ultimately responsible for the lack of planning, the lack of crowd control, the fact that the 130 or so officers who were out were mostly looking for drunk and disorderly conduct or drug offenses, and not trying to actually control that throngs of young people, not stopping them from getting into a dangerous situation in Itaewon. The questions, the soul-searching continues out here, as does the grief, for so many people here in South Korea.

Will Ripley, CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

SANCHEZ: For the first time, Iranian officials are admitting they shipped drones to Russia, but they didn't say if they were the kind that carry explosives. Self-detonating drones have played a significant role in the conflict since Russia launched its invasion in late February.

WALKER: Ukraine and its western allies say self-detonating drones have been used to carry out devastating attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, leaving millions without power and running water. So daily life has become very difficult for many Ukrainians, and officials there said last week that they shot down more than 300 Iranian drones.

Now, Iran's foreign minister is responding to those claims, saying only a small number of drones were sent to Russia in the months before the war. He also says Iran has reached an agreement with Ukraine to review evidence that Russia had used Iranian drones in the war.

SANCHEZ: And specifically looking at Iran now, Amnesty International says that up to 10 people, including kids, have died in anti- government protests across the southeastern part of that country.

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(SHOUTING)

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SANCHEZ: In the city of Kash, protesters threw rocks and chanted "Death to Khamenei," Iran's supreme leader. An Iranian teachers' group says that as many as 16 protesters were killed during that violence.

[10:25:02]

WALKER: And another video from Iran's state media shows plumes of smoke rising from a building. The news agency saying that rioters shot weapons and set fire at a police kiosk injuring several officers, though CNN could not verify the claim or reports of the civilian deaths.

And in the capital of Tehran and dozens of other cities, supporters of the Iranian regime packed the streets for pro-government rallies, some chanting "Down with America" outside the former U.S. embassy.

SANCHEZ: Still ahead in Wisconsin, incumbent Republican Senator Ron Johnson looking to hold on to his seat, but he says he is unsure if he will accept the election results. Now his opponent is sounding off. We'll be right back.

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[10:30:12]

SANCHEZ: Republican Senator Ron Johnson is facing a tough reelection bid in Wisconsin, and now as the race is entering its homestretch, he has been asked if he would commit to accepting the results of Tuesday's election, but he has declined.

WALKER: CNN's Omar Jimenez joining us now live from Greendale, Wisconsin. Tell us more about his reply. He is continuing to cast doubt into the legitimacy of the midterm elections.

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, these are things that we're hearing in the final stretch of the midterm campaign here. We are actually at an event next to his opponent, Democratic Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes, who is you can see is doing one of these events in these final stretch days of the campaign ahead of these midterm elections. And some of those comments that Senator Ron Johnson made, as you mentioned before, coming to me, came at one of his stops in a different part of Wisconsin earlier this week when he was asked point blank if he would accept the results of Tuesday's election, and he didn't outright say yes. Instead, he said that we are just going to have to see. I sure hope we can, because, in his words, he doesn't know what the Democrats will have planned. Just take a listen to some of his words.

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SEN. RON JOHNSON, (R-WI): I sure hope I can, but I can't predict what the Democrats might have planned. We're not trying to do anything to gain partisan advantage. We are just doing whatever we can to restore confidence. It sure seems like there is an awful lot, in the past, a lot of attempt on the part of Democrats to make it easier to cheat. We want to make it easy to vote but very hard to cheat.

MANDELA BARNES, (D) WISCONSIN SENATE CANDIDATE: He showed us exactly who he is. He didn't commit to accepting the results of the 2020 presidential election, and that's because he didn't get the result he wanted. It's petulant, to say the least. A person who goes so far to say, well, yes, I didn't get what I wanted, so it can't be right. It's very arrogant. It's very arrogant. It's the height of arrogance. But that's who he has always been, that's who he will continue to be. (END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: Johnson did eventually accept the results of the 2020 election, but held a Senate hearing looking at alleged irregularities in the voting. No widespread fraud detected, and at the very least, as some criticized, elevated some of those conspiracy theories.

On the campaign trail here, as you can see, we are truly in the final stretch as both of these candidates are trying to do what they can to secure some of these final votes. This is out at a canvas launch that Mandela Barnes is hosting, one of two that happens today, but one of many that they will do over the next few days. Later today we will be with Ron Johnson who is on his own bus tour, again, trying to make that important transition, turning handshakes and cheers into the ever important votes.

WALKER: That is a hope. Omar Jimenez, appreciate you live for us there in Wisconsin, thank you.

So this week, President Biden delivered a stark warning about dangerous rhetoric while campaigning ahead of the midterms, saying democracy is in peril. It's also on the ballot. Concerns about political violence have increased since an intruder attacked House speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul, while he was this their San Francisco home last weekend. And of course, those fears and tensions have been rising since the insurrection of January 6th.

Joining me now is Shannon Hiller, executive director of the Bridging Divides Initiative at Princeton University. Appreciate you joining us this morning, Shannon. First off, I know that you are keeping a very close eye on these close races. Specifically which ones and what are your biggest concerns?

SHANNON HILLER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE BRIDGING DIVIDES INITIATIVE AT PRINCETON UNIVERSITY: Sure. Well, thanks for having me. I would say one of my biggest concerns is that fear that you mentioned. In our daily monitoring, we look both at risk and the preparation to make sure that our elections are safe and secure. And to be honest, we are not seeing that increase in violence all over the country. What we're seeing is a lot of preparation to make sure that elections are safe and secure. So what I'm most worried about is when a few of these incidents like in Arizona or these unfounded claims of election fraud cause people to be more fearful than they need to be. The reality is that our election is very safe and secure, and I'm not concerned with people going out to vote now or on Election Day.

WALKER: So you wanted to emphatically make sure that that point was out there, that you want people to feel confident that they can head out to the voting polls on Tuesday and not have to worry about the security and safety. But I want to ask you this, because I know your group at Princeton, along with the Anti-Defamation League, you are building a national database that tracks incidents of threats and harassments against government officials. And while you believe that it's safe on Election Day, what about after Election Day?

[10:35:00] Do you feel like there's rising concerns about what may happen after, especially if people are not happy with a particular candidate or the outcome of a specific tight race?

HILLER: Sure. I am glad to share a bit more about what we found in that initial study. What we focused on was threats and harassment to local officials. And so, one of the things we saw in 2020 was in states where there were persistent claims, unfounded claims of election fraud, local officials of both parties saw greater numbers of threats and harassment. Those numbers came back down. It's one reason why we feel more confident this year. But if candidates like Senator Johnson continue to push these types of unfounded claims in the climate, we're in now, then we might see those same types of threats and harassment continue. And so it's one reason why, along with many other groups, we're calling on all Americans to reject that type of dangerous rhetoric.

WALKER: I think Michael Fanone wrote a piece for CNN.com where he said, I think he was frustrated that the top issue, of course, understandably, is the economy, but he was saying that the democracy, the threat to our democracy is an existential threat, and indifference is really a concern.

I know you have previously worked helping countries dealing with political crises and transitions, and you were an advisor at USAID. From what you have seen, and just give us context here, how fragile is our democracy compared to the countries that you have worked with that you have seen on the brink?

HILLER: Right. Well, we're absolutely in a pivotal moment in this country, but I think, just like in a lot of these other countries where I worked, I take a lot of encouragement from community groups and others who are really showing us the way. We see across the country where elected officials and community groups are coming together to protect civic space, sort of take down tensions, even around contentious topics at the local level. And so I think that the way that we turn the tide on some of this national discourse is to look to those examples. And it's exactly the type of thing we would do in other countries where we are supporting some of these local efforts and see that together they can make a real difference.

WALKER: Shannon Hiller, appreciate the conversation. Thank you.

HILLER: Thanks so much.

WALKER: And a reminder, don't forget to watch CNN's special coverage election night beginning at 4:00 p.m. eastern. We're going to have up- to-the-minute results on what's happening in all the key races across your state and, of course, around the country. We're back after this.

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[10:41:53]

SANCHEZ: So this week the social media app TikTok updated privacy policies for users in Europe, and they clearly warn users that their personal data could be collected and viewed by employees in China and several other countries. Now, the company has said that that warning does not apply to users in the United States, but for years U.S. policymakers and activists have expressed concern that TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, may be forced to hand over Americans' personal data to the Chinese government, which could be totally legal under that country's laws. TikTok has been negotiating with the U.S. government over a national security agreement, but critics, including the FCC commissioner this week, say that instead of negotiating, the United States should just ban the app all together.

My next guest agrees. Adonis Hoffman a former legal advisor and chief of staff to the chairman of the FCC. Adonis, thank you so much for sharing part of your Saturday with us. TikTok is mostly known for silly dances. Why should the United States ban it?

ADONIS HOFFMAN, FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF AND LEGAL ADVISER TO THE FCC CHAIR: Good morning, Boris. Thanks for having me. We have to keep this in context. Right now, there is a raging debate in Congress, both houses of Congress, as to how to regulate big tech, companies like Facebook, Amazon, Google, Twitter, et cetera. And so those are U.S. companies with great capacity.

So think about it. We're talking about regulating American companies, and yet the notion of regulating a company owned by -- a Chinese company which has strong ties to the Chinese government is maybe not on the table. And I think that we've got to look at this as an external existential threat in terms of cyber, state-sponsored cybersecurity, state-sponsored cyber warfare. And that's really the context in which we are operating today.

SANCHEZ: Adonis, do you have any evidence or indication that the Chinese communist party has gathered Americans' data via TikTok, that they've used it as some kind of a back door?

HOFFMAN: Well, I think the evidence is certainly circumstantial, and there are those who are expert in the area of cybersecurity who can probably address those. I think we have to look at what the facts as they are on the table. As you pointed out in the intro, TikTok, which ByteDance is the parent company -- and by the way, TikTok is only one product of that company. There are many others. But TikTok has -- its own privacy policy, says it has the authority and the authority and capacity to share that data in the United States, for Americans, with any of its partners, and its partners could and probably do include the Chinese government.

SANCHEZ: So is there anything that TikTok or ByteDance could do in these negotiations with the U.S. government that would make you think it's safe and that maybe your family members, people you know are safe to use it without fear of getting their data stole on?

[10:45:04]

HOFFMAN: So the discussion up to now has been sort of bifurcated. Ban TikTok or allow it to keep going. And I think there may be some perhaps a different, a middle path. You as you know, banning an app is very difficult practically, technologically. And then there is just the human element, which if we are told not to do something, we are going to find a way to do it. So I think an outright ban is going to being practically very, very difficult to enforce.

On the other hand, I think that the real crux of this is going to turn on government-to-government negotiations. As you mentioned, the United States is already in negotiations with Chinese government as to a number of security issues. This should be first, very, very top sort of at the top of the agenda. And it's going to turn on the ability of our diplomats and our security experts in the U.S. government and the executive branch to extract the kinds of concessions and conditions from the Chinese government under which TikTok and ByteDance could operate in the U.S. context, preserving the privacy, data security protections that we all come to expect from these kinds of companies.

SANCHEZ: Yes, extracting concessions from the Chinese government that it adheres to over time is a tall order. But Adonis, I wanted to ask you, because a lot of users are TikTok are very young and they may not be fully aware of the potential consequences of the CCP having access to Americans' data. What are the possible consequences of that?

HOFFMAN: That's really the sinister Part of this, Boris. It's a very simple app. All you've got to do is download it on your phone and away you go. And the notion that if you have talent or you're funny, or what have you, you could make a lot of money on TikTok. There is a whole generation of users now who say, who want to grow up and aspire to be a TikTok star, or social media star, and reap millions and millions of dollars. So that's sort of the -- that's the practical issue, social issue we have to deal with.

With respect to using their data, we don't know what the outer limits are. This is a new generation of potential American leaders who have opened the door to all of their sensitive financial data, their keystrokes, their health data, who they are talking to, and God knows how broad and wide that data trove is and can be used for whatever nefarious purposes. We are now in election season, and we know that the Chinese government has used data, used cyber tactics for nefarious purposes, to draw divisions among people in the United States. And this is just one expression of potential threats and risks that we face going forward.

SANCHEZ: It is a fascinating conversation, and we appreciate you sharing your insight with us. Adonis Hoffman, thank you so much for the time.

HOFFMAN: Thank you, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Stay with CNN. We'll be right back.

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[10:52:41]

SANCHEZ: We want to give you a look at some of our top stories this morning. Representative Liz Cheney has endorsed another Democratic in a tight race ahead of Tuesday's midterm elections. This morning the Wyoming Republican endorsing Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger in Virginia's highly competitive seventh congressional district. In a statement provided to CNN, Cheney said that Spanberger was a lawmaker dedicated to working across the aisle to find solutions. Spanberger is a forme CIA officer and she's locked in a tough contest with Republican challenger Yesli Vega.

WALKER: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband Paul now at home after surgery to repair a skull fracture, follows the brutal attack in the couple's San Francisco home last week.

SANCHEZ: Forty-two-year-old David DePape facing multiple charges, including attempted murder, burglary, and assault. He's pled not guilty to all those charges, and he also waived his court appearance on Friday. The House Speaker made her first comments on camera about the attack. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY PELOSI, (D-CA) HOUSE SPEAKER: Thank you. Thank you, thank you for your kind words, your prayers, and your good wishes for Paul. It's going to be a long haul, but he will be well. And it's just so tragic how it happened. But nonetheless, we have to be optimistic. He is surrounded by family, so that's a wonderful thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: The status hearing for DePape is set for November 28th, and a preliminary hearing is set for mid-December.

There are now developments in the controversy surrounding NBA superstar Kyrie Irving. Nike has now suspended the Net's guard after he tweeted a link to a movie that has been criticized as antisemitic. Nike saying, quote, "We've made the decision to suspend our relationship with Kyrie Irving effective immediately and will no longer launch the Kyrie 8." That new line was set to be released later this month. The Nets also suspending Irving for at least five games, a move that led to an apology from Irving on social media.

The other major story we have been following on all morning and that we've been personally counting on is $1.6 billion up for grabs in tonight's Powerball drawing.

WALKER: I almost don't like telling people about because that means they're going to go out and buy tickets, and then the odds of us winning are going to get even slimmer, because right now the odds of you winning, Boris, one in 292.2 million.

[10:55:11]

The jackpot has a lump sum option of an estimated $782 million, because, obviously, you would want the lump sum and not paid out, over however many years. But, yes, I don't know. The chances are way too low. So I'm going to pass.

SANCHEZ: My odds are winning are actually zero right because I haven't bought any tickets. So I'm counting on you, Amara, to please let me know if you won, and also to show up for CNN this morning tomorrow, please.

WALKER: I definitely will. If I do win, I will treat you to like coffee or something. Promise.

SANCHEZ: A coffee? A chai latte, a big one though, a grande.

(LAUGHTER)

WALKER: A grande, at least it will be grande, not the small one.

That's our time everyone. Thank you so much for watching.

SANCHEZ: Still much more ahead in the next hour of the CNN Newsroom. Fredricka Whitfield is up next.

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