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Candidates, Heavy-Hitters Rally Supporters With Two Days; Singer, Aaron Carter Dies At 34; CNN Attends Poll Observer Training In Georgia. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired November 06, 2022 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:19]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello again, everyone.

Thank you so much for joining me this Sunday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield, and we begin this hour on the campaign trail with just two more days until the Midterm Elections, and there is an all-out blitz of candidates and top ranking party officials making last minute pitches to voters.

In just about two hours, President Biden will hold a campaign event in Yonkers, New York, while former President Trump will be in Miami, Florida hosting a rally there. The dueling stops coming just a day after a high-powered Saturday of rallies in Pennsylvania. That State could hold the key to a US Senate majority as Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz are locked in a razor-thin race. The stakes couldn't be higher as voters make their voices heard on Tuesday.

CNN is covering all the twists and turns on the campaign trail. Let's get started with CNN's Kristen Holmes live for us in Miami where former President Trump is campaigning for Senator Marco Rubio later on today.

Kristen, what impact could the former President's presence make in this race between Rubio and his Democratic challenger, Congresswoman Val Demings?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, that is a really good question and one that many have been wondering because unlike some of the other candidates that Trump has been traveling around trying to support, Marco Rubio didn't really need any sort of boost.

The senator is running for his third term. He is favored in every poll, a strong lead and seems poised to enter the US Senate with or without the help of former President Donald Trump. That is why Trump's decision to hold a rally here in Miami and Florida has really shone a spotlight on his relationship with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is also running for reelection.

DeSantis was kept out of any of the planning for this rally and is holding his own rallies and campaign events a hundred miles away from here. This comes as DeSantis is widely considered the leading Republican alternative for President should they both run in 2024. Now the tension between the two men, DeSantis and Trump, has continued to grow behind the scenes, but now it is spilling out into public view.

I want you to take a listen to what Trump said about DeSantis last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We are winning big, big, big in the Republican Party for the nomination like nobody has ever seen before. Let's say there it is Trump at 71, Ron DeSanctimonious at 10 percent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now one of the reasons that this tension seems to be spilling out into the public is because it seems more and more likely that you are going to face off in a Republican presidential primary in 2024.

Again, I know that we are not yet done with 2022, but they are already eyeing 2024 as we reported earlier in the week. Trump is eyeing those two weeks after the Midterms before Thanksgiving for a potential presidential announcement -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Okay. And I guess what's so perplexing about this arrangement is that -- to remind people, Marco Rubio and Donald Trump were nemesis, it wasn't that long ago, but now they will be sharing the same stage there in Miami.

All right, Kristen Holmes, thank you so much.

HOLMES: This happens with a lot of different candidates, as you know. It has happened to a lot of different candidates, that always seems to happen right with Republicans?

WHITFIELD: That's true. Politics can be very perplexing.

All right, thank you so much.

So this hour President Biden, he'll be traveling to Westchester County, New York to campaign for Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul. She is running against Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin in a race that has become surprisingly close.

CNN's Gloria Pazmino is in an early voting site in Manhattan.

So, Gloria, you've been talking to voters today and what are their issues that they are thinking about?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, it is the last weekend of early voting here in New York, and we have certainly been watching people coming in all day. There is a lot of activity here at this polling site, and the voters who I've spoken to have talked to me about being surprised that the election in New York is so close between the incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul, and her Republican challenger, Lee Zeldin.

You know, New York has not elected a Republican Governor in 20 years and here in Manhattan, where the majority of registered voters tend to lean Democrat, that has come as a surprise.

They also mention that the focus on crime and public safety throughout the duration of this campaign has been surprising to them because they note that New York is not the only place in the country that is experiencing a tick up in the crime rate.

[15:05:05]

PAZMINO: Now the candidates have been out in force today and in the days of -- in the last couple of days leading up to next Tuesday. Kathy Hochul has been focusing her attention here in the city downstate, again, where a majority of those Democrat voters are.

Lee Zeldin has been focused on the suburbs around New York. They're both on the campaign trail today. Kathy Hochul talking about that presidential visit that she is getting today, sort of downplaying the importance of the visit, saying that she is happy that Democrats are not taking this race for granted, and Lee Zeldin pointing out the apparent lack of enthusiasm.

According to him, at some of these Hochul rallies, I have been to several myself, it is a very different crowd and Lee Zeldin has been getting a lot of people interested in the rallies he has been holding.

So, listen to the candidates here speaking just a short while ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. LEE ZELDIN (R-NY): A few days ago, Kathy Hochul brought in Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton.

[BOOING]

ZELDIN: Yesterday, she had Bill Clinton. Today, she has Joe Biden coming in.

[BOOING]

ZELDIN: And I'll tell you what -- and I'll tell you what, every single one of those rallies, she is unable to draw the energy in the crowd. If you just look around you right now, who has the momentum? Who has the enthusiasm, the energy to bring this home?

[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]

GOV. KATHY HOCHUL (D-NY): I love the fact that no one is taking New York for granted. Yes, we're fighting in the streets. We're going to win this.

But after -- you know, let's -- let's -- I'm a fighter. I'm up for it, and I welcome the President to come. People need to know, Joe Biden is coming here to celebrate what we're doing here in New York. The implementation of policies that are creating jobs and opportunity for all New Yorkers. That's why he is coming.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: So obviously, you know, rallies are rallies, ultimately what happens is what is determined at those -- what those results at the polls and next Tuesday, but both candidates here are making a last push to voters, trying to encourage people to get out and vote.

And again, just reminding Democrats here in New York that this election, for the first time, in a long time is not a guarantee for Democrats -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Gloria Pazmino, thanks so much, in New York.

All right, now to Pennsylvania, a State that could hold the key for both parties' plans for control of the Senate.

CNN's Jessica Dean is live for us out of Pittsburgh.

So, Jessica, Democrat, John Fetterman back on the trail today, and he had some choice words for his opponent Republican, Mehmet Oz.

JESSICA DEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fetterman and Oz both on the campaign trail in this final Sunday before election, Fredricka, and the stakes just simply could not be higher for either men, either party here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It could very well determine the outcome of who holds power in the US Senate, whether or not President Biden can enact more of his agenda.

There is just a lot on the line here, and that is evidenced by the three Presidents that we had in Pennsylvania yesterday -- former President Barack Obama and President Joe Biden rallying Democrats, and former President Donald Trump rallying Republicans. And as I mentioned Oz and Fetterman, both hitting the trail again today.

Oz has continued to pitch himself as a moderate after being endorsed by Trump in a very tight primary, which he won and really edged out his opponents. He did appear with President Trump at that rally last night, but what was interesting was during his time on stage, he really stuck to his more moderate message, a message of unit, he said. I'll let you listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. MEHMET OZ (R), PENNSYLVANIA SENATE CANDIDATE: I'm not a politician. I'm a surgeon.

[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]

OZ: and what surgeons do is tackle big problems and we do it successfully; in my case, fixing broken hearts by working with everybody, by making sure we unify people in the operating room, not divide them. The same will work for our nation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: And Oz, there of course, trying to fire up the bass appearing at that Trump rally, but not mentioning President Trump by name or the Republican gubernatorial candidate as well during his short speech yesterday evening. But again, really focusing on that message trying to both appeal to the base and also Independents, even conservative Democrats within the State of Pennsylvania.

For his part, Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman rallying with Obama and Biden yesterday and really trying to paint Oz as a phony, as not saying what he actually means. I'll let you listen to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN FETTERMAN (D) (Pennsylvania Senate candidate): Dr. Oz wants to try to portray himself now moderate after you know going very right, right, right, far-right during the primary; now, he is trying to pretend that you know, there is no moderate -- no moderate if you're willing to share a stage with somebody like Doug Mastriano.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[15:10:16]

DEAN: Doug Mastriano, the Republican gubernatorial candidate who is very far right and is running against Democrat, Josh Shapiro here in Pennsylvania.

And Fred, it is worth noting that both Fetterman and Oz were in the western part of Pennsylvania, that's where I am today -- yesterday.

Today, they are back in Eastern PA. They are outside Philadelphia in the Independent voter rich suburbs outside Philadelphia. Oz has Susan Collins -- Senator Susan Collins, known to be a more moderate Republican in the Senate with him. Fetterman talking with people also in Bucks County there outside of Philadelphia.

So that gives you some indication of just the types of voters they're trying to reach in these very final days of this campaign.

WHITFIELD: All right, the mad dash to get as many votes as they can. Jessica Dean, thank you so much. Appreciate that.

So in the new battleground State of Georgia, Senate candidates, Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker are locked in a dead heat with just two days until ballots are counted in that State.

CNN's Eva McKend has more on that race.

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER: Fred, it is the final spring here in this Senate contest in Georgia that could determine the balance of power in Washington.

Incumbent Democratic, Senator Raphael Warnock; Republican, Herschel Walker really remaining consistent in their closing arguments to voters. Walker, a former NFL star, playing up that background arguing that it's a good thing, that he is not a traditional political candidate, arguing that Senator Warnock is too closely tied to President Biden and Washington Democrats.

Meanwhile, Warnock arguing that Walker is not fit to serve in the United States Senate, taking a lot of time actually talking about Republicans, his willingness to work with Republicans in Washington, if ultimately Georgians benefit and also talking a lot about his advocacy around healthcare. Take a listen to these arguments.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HERSCHEL WALKER (R), GEORGIA SENATE CANDIDATE: He has failed as a Senator, has he not? He has failed in the less than two years, you all see where we are at? You all see where we are at. And now, he is asking for six more years. Is he kidding me?

You can't give six more years. He's joking. I know, it's a joke if you want six more years.

SEN. RAPHAEL WARNOCK (D-GA): If you send me back to the Senate, you'll have somebody who will stand up and work with anybody if it helps me to do good stuff for the people of Georgia. You know, I know how to work with anybody. I worked with Ted Cruz.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKEND: And Senator Warnock getting a bit of a boost of star power on the campaign trail. His fellow Morehouse man, Director Spike Lee with him in church this morning at Ebenezer Baptist Church and joining him on the campaign trail in Savannah.

But critically, though, if neither Warnock or Walker get above 50 percent on Election Day, then that means there will be a runoff in December, another month of campaigning, something that both are trying to avoid -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Eva McKend, thank you so much, in Atlanta.

All right, don't forget, on Election Night, join CNN for a special coverage starting Tuesday at 4:00 PM Eastern Time. First, we'll have up to the minute results on what is happening in all the key races across your State and around the country.

And fans of singer Aaron Carter are in mourning this weekend. We'll have the latest on the pop star's death and how he is being remembered, next.

Plus, an incredible scene after a plane crashes in the water. Survivors standing on the plane's wings waiting to be rescued.

And later, the 75 million reasons one Astros' superfan was extra excited to see his team win the World Series.

Houston's own "Mattress Mack" joining us live. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:17:59]

WHITFIELD: Nineteen people are dead following a commercial plane crash into Lake Victoria in Tanzania. Twenty-four people were rescued after the plane went down.

Dramatic videos, you see right here, showing people on the plane's wings as the plane or the remnants of the plane sits in shallow water with locals in the area helping in the rescue.

The accident is believed to have happened on the final approach to the airport which is right next to the lake. Officials suggest, bad weather may have played a role in the crash.

And fans around the world are mourning the death of pop star, Aaron Carter. The 34-year-old was found dead in his California home yesterday. Authorities say he was found in his bathtub, but a cause of death remains unknown.

Camila Bernal joining us now with what you know on this -- Camila.

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fred.

So the Sheriff's Department is still not saying what the cause of death was, but his brother, Nick Carter, saying that the real villain here is mental illness and addiction. He says he will miss his brother more than anyone will ever know.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BERNAL (voice over): From a young age, Aaron Carter was in the limelight. The younger brother of Backstreet Boys' Nick Carter had his own success as a child pop singer.

Songs like "I Want Candy" and "Crush On You" raised him to fame.

Aaron Carter died on Saturday. Authorities giving no information about a possible cause of death.

His debut album "Aaron Carter" was released in 1997. He had already performed as the opening act for the Backstreet Boys. Carter was also known for his roles on TV shows like "Lizzie McGuire" and "Seventh Heaven." He was also on his family's reality TV series, "House of Carters."

[15:20:04]

BERNAL (voice over): In 2017, Carter came out as bisexual and later received an outpouring of love and support from his fans and other celebrities.

In 2018, he released his fifth and final album, "Love."

Over the years, Carter publicly talked about addiction struggles. Here he is on an episode of "The Doctors" in 2019.

AARON CARTER, SINGER: The reason why I went to rehab is for huffing aerosols, duster cans. That's why I went.

I lied to you and I lied to you and I'm sorry. And I'm here to make amends.

BERNAL (voice over): He also opened up about his battle with multiple mental health issues, including multiple personality disorder, schizophrenia, acute anxiety, and manic depression.

CARTER: That's my truth.

BERNAL (voice over): The fans constantly supported him and are now remembering the pop star, many on social media saying they are saddened and shocked and sending prayers to the family.

He leaves behind his 11-month-old son, Prince.

Aaron Carter was 34 years old.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERNAL (on camera): And more on that statement from his brother, Nick Carter saying, he is heartbroken. But he also acknowledged that they've had a complicated relationship, but saying that his love for him has never faded.

At the end of that statement, though, he says he hopes his brother will find the peace that he was never able to find here on Earth -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Terribly sad. Camila Bernal, thanks so much.

All right, for years, we've heard unfounded claims of voter fraud and rigged elections. Well now, one group is working to restore trust in the system. We will explain how, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:26:35]

WHITFIELD: After bogus claims of voter fraud and rigged elections convinced some Americans not to trust the results of the 2020 elections, one group is working to restore that trust.

CNN's Nadia Romero attended a nonpartisan election poll observer program with the Carter Center here in Atlanta, and what did you learn about their efforts?

NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and this is so important because it's The Carter Center founded by former President Jimmy Carter, and they are used to going to a foreign countries like Guatemala where a democracy is a lot younger there and trying to help them through their elections. But for the first time being asked to have poll observers here in the US specifically in Fulton County where Atlanta is, and that all is from what Fred just mentioned, about the 2020 election, and that thought that some people had that there was widespread voter fraud, and that, particularly poll watchers who were hired by the Republican Party or Republican candidates were not allowed into some polling places.

Now, we saw the Trump campaign file multiple lawsuits about this and we also saw those lawsuits being dismissed in Court by Judges.

And so now, we are having poll observers. These are nonpartisan folks who will go into polling places here in Fulton County, in Georgia, to see this election process. And I want you to hear from the CEO as she explains why this is so significant and what their role will be.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAIGE ALEXANDER, CEO, THE CARTER CENTER: Poll watching is not intended as a gotcha measure, it is intended to actually validate a system where citizens who are actually the poll workers are doing their job and citizens who are voting are able to do it in a free, fair, and transparent way.

We're nonpartisan. We're not talking to anyone. We don't have a conversation. We're only looking at the credibility and the validity of the election.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMERO: And really, the CEO there, Paige Alexander of The Carter Center says she has told all the poll observers it should be like watching paint dry. You're likely not going to see anything because there are so many measures put in place to make sure that our elections are fair, the way that they're supposed to be.

And then we should expect in mid-December, Fred, to see a report coming from those poll observers who will explain what they saw, what their findings were. Maybe lessons learned, maybe things that went really well, but they are not going to interfere throughout the process on Tuesday.

WHITFIELD: All right, a study to share with everybody. All right, thanks so much, Nadia Romero.

All right, so here's a question: Why are Democrats stuck playing defense in this election? That someone else's words not mine, but CNN's John King will break it down.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:33:15]

WHITFIELD: Okay, with all 435 House races, 35 Senate races, and 36 Governors' races on ballots across the country, Election Night will be a pretty wild ride. Control of Congress is at stake and so is President Biden's agenda.

CNN's John King and Dana Bash take a closer look at what to look out for on Tuesday.

DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR AND POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Let's start in the House.

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is 435 in all under new lines because of the Census two years ago, the redistricting process. As you know better than anybody, they are not all competitive.

So what we've done is we've identified working with our partners at Inside Elections, 82 competitive seats heading into Election Day, and as you can see, they are coast to coast.

Another way to look at it, look at this, just to understand Democrats are on defense. It's a Democratic President's first Midterm. It's a tough climate.

Just look down here at the key, of the seats, 57 of the competitive seats have Democratic incumbents, almost three times as many, almost three times as many Republicans. There are three new seats here, too, as you look at the map.

So Democrats are on their heels defending much more territory in a tough year. That's one way to look at it.

Now, let's bring it up. The big question is who can get to 218? Right? And in our rankings right now, we already have Republicans favored in 216 seats. Now, some of those are just barely favored. You see the lighter red on the map, but Republicans have a huge advantage going into Election Day.

And if you look down and you know the races very well, these tossup races go coast to coast. And one of them you focused on in the show, if you bring it up here, I'll show it to you here, Virginia, too.

BASH: And I will say that Elaine Luria, who as you see, the incumbent Democrat, she told me when we traveled there and did sort of a look at this race that she considers herself and this race 218. It will be the clincher, the decider as to who gets control.

[15:35:00]

KING: If that's the case given that you're in the Eastern Time zone, so this is one of the races we will look at on Election Night for a key clue.

Are Democrats -- there are three competitive Democratic districts in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Can she hold on? If she is losing, that gives you a big sign. She is right about how important and how competitive that district is.

But again, they go coast to coast. You go from Virginia, too, right, on the East Coast all the way across the country and you have tilting Democrats still, Elaine Luria's district is tilting Republican -- tilting Democrat, still a very well-known progressive.

BASH: Very well-known.

KING: Katie Porter, so the challenges for the Democrats, they go from Maine, to Southern California, and everywhere in between when it comes to the House and they are back on defense.

BASH: And it's going to take a while before we learn, obviously, what these races look like because it's California, it is three hours early.

KING: And Remember 2018. It was days, it was literally days or a week -- more than a week in some case before we knew the final number. We'll have a good sense on Election Night, are Republicans taking the House? Is it a red ripple? Is it a red wave? But the final details will take days.

BASH: Let's look at the Senate, because this is obviously right now, 50/50.

KING: Right.

BASH: It could go so many different ways.

KING: The chess game here, you can game it out reasonably. Democrats winning here, Republicans winning there, but 35 elections in all, again, we've worked with our partners here to identify the competitive seats. Eight elections of the Senate, we view as competitive. It could be more. Republicans think they could surprise us in some places.

Of these eight, they are evenly divided now between held by Democrats or held by Republicans. Best way to look at this is to come into the balance of power as you come into the control right now. Again, Democrats enter the election 50/50. The Vice President of the United States breaks the ties.

So Democrats can't afford to lose, essentially, and so you have the States on the map. If you come in now to how we rank them, the gold are the tossup States. One is a Republican-held state right now. No incumbent for Pennsylvania. Democratic incumbent in Georgia, probably the most vulnerable Democratic community, you would just out there in Nevada. This is where the chess gets fascinating.

BASH: Yes. Catherine Cortez Masto, yes.

And so many, I mean, you're saying that these yellow are maybe the tightest, but that might belie what we are actually seeing on the ground, which is a wider swath of really, really tight races.

KING: It is possible. Again, we know these races are competitive, right? But we still tilt New Hampshire, Democratic. Republicans think they can pick up that seat. We still tilt Arizona Democratic, Republicans think that one is within their reach.

They say watch. We still have this as likely Dem up in Washington State, in Colorado. Republicans say keep an eye on everything. So you conceivably could get Republicans to 52 or 53. You can also get the Democrats to 51 or stay status quo at 50.

Again, this race could decide the Senate in the end. Does anybody get above 50? Are we going another month?

BASH: Or are we going to be standing here in December?

KING: On December 6th, but you were just out here. This is what Democrats worry about most. They view Catherine Cortez Masto is the most vulnerable Democrat. And again, think about the math right? We won't know that one because it's out west. Right?

The Democrats would love to pick up Pennsylvania as a safety valve, but insurance policy against maybe losing out in Nevada.

BASH: It is going to be a long and very exciting night.

KING: Week.

BASH: Maybe week. John King, thank you.

KING: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, long and exciting it will be, for everybody -- night, weeks, who knows what.

All right, let's zero in on Georgia. The heavyweight Midterm contest for the US Senate and Governor are at the top of mind, but with control of the House also in play, Tuesday, every congressional race matters.

Joining us now is Republican attorney, Christian Zimm. He is running against incumbent Congresswoman Nikema Williams for Georgia's Fifth Congressional District in Atlanta, a seat once held by the late Civil Rights icon, Congressman John Lewis.

So good to see you, Mr. Zimm.

CHRISTIAN ZIMM (R), GEORGIA CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: Yes. It is great. Thank you for having me.

WHITFIELD: Wonderful. So do you have butterflies two days ahead of the big day? Or are you filled with anxiety in a good way?

ZIMM: Yes, I'm ready to go. I'm ready to go. It's been exciting.

We announced on February 2nd of this year. And wow, what a journey it has been. So, I just can't wait for Tuesday.

WHITFIELD: Wonderful.

Well, you've said that, you know, you really do idolize the late Congressman John Lewis. This is a seat in which you would, you know, are pursuing to fill, a seat that Congressman Lewis had for some three decades.

And with two days before Election Day, how do you convince voters in your district how you will best represent them?

ZIMM: Yes. Well, we already are. You take a look at the statistics across party lines, you're seeing record voting.

We set a record back in May with early voting. We're setting, I think it's 2.2 million people already in the State who have voted. A lot of those people already are here in Atlanta in the Fifth Congressional District.

Look, to be able to run for this seat and who knows what will happen on Tuesday, hopefully I will be victorious, but that's a really big goal for me is to carry on this legacy of Civil Rights.

You know, there is a big issue here in Atlanta for Buckhead's cityhood, making sure that they have the right to vote. There is a huge movement to suppress that. I think we need to have those people, those individuals, the Buckhead residents, the right to vote, provide them the right to vote.

So, you know, unfortunately today, you see a lot of voter suppression, and that's one of the things -- one of the reasons why I want to represent this district, because I want to carry that legacy.

WHITFIELD: And we talk about the Buckhead community. For a lot of folks who may not understand or know Atlanta, Buckhead is a community within the City of Atlanta. There has been a movement, you're advocating for it that Buckhead becomes its own city.

[15:40:12]

WHITFIELD: And when you talk about representation, you want the people who live in Buckhead to be able to vote as to whether they want to pull away from the City of Atlanta and become an independent city.

So I wonder on this issue, too, you know, just recently, in fact, last week, right, you tweeted this: "Martin Luther King Jr. is one of my idols for his relentless courage to fight for basic Civil Rights, such as the right to vote." And States like Georgia saw new voting rules put into place after 2020, many of whom have said these are restrictive voting initiatives.

There is now the case in several States, concerns about poll watchers. But listen to the GOP Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel about that issue this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RONNA MCDANIEL, CHAIRWOMAN, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE: Nobody should be intimidating or breaking the law. Nobody should, but poll watching is not intimidating.

If you've been at a poll place, you see, they are just simply observing, and it helps us at the end to give assurance to the voters and say listen, we were there, we watched it, it went well.

I think there's other things we should do, like voter ID, get rid of ballot harvesting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And then I'm just going to read you the transcription of what she just said. Our viewers could hear that, but he wasn't able to hear it here in studio and our apologies. The earpiece didn't work there.

So what she says is: "Nobody should be intimidating or breaking the law. No one should. But poll watching isn't intimidating. If you've seen -- if you've been in a polling place, they are simply observing and it helps us at the end give assurance to the voters. Listen, we were there. We watched it. It went well. I think there are other things we should do like voter ID, get rid of ballot harvesting."

And that's what Ronna McDaniel just said.

But is that something that you can support? If so, you know, how do you square that with your admiration of voting rights icons, figures like John Lewis, Martin Luther King, Jr. who say there should be avenues of greater access to voting as opposed to restrictions and certainly measures that many voters would find intimidating?

ZIMM: Yes. Well, you know, I don't disagree with this idea that we have to expand voting and take a look at what's happening right now. Like I just said, with the early voting numbers, the facts don't lie. We are setting records and we haven't even hit Election Day yet. It's two days away.

I can tell you this from my own personal experience voting in DeKalb County back in 2021 for the Senate runoffs. Over in DeKalb County Memorial Drive, my ID wasn't even checked in the voting center. Okay. Most people would look at that and say, that's not right, that should not be happening. There's nothing wrong with seeing -- with presenting an ID to go vote.

And so you know, stuff like that should not be happening. And if it's happening to me, it's happening to thousands of others and so there's nothing wrong with going ahead and making sure that our elections are secure.

WHITFIELD: A "Washington Post" analysis found that a majority of Republican nominees on the ballot, Tuesday nearly 300 across House Senate and key statewide races have cast out on the 2020 election results and according to a CNN count, more than 50 percent of the GOP Senate nominees including Herschel Walker here in Georgia have cast doubt on Biden's win in the past.

If you're elected, how do you see the path of working with colleagues who are considered election deniers or even peddle misinformation, which potentially might influence how they are making law?

ZIMM: That's all the media that's calling them election deniers. I can tell you this --

WHITFIELD: What do you mean? ZIMM: Well, take a look at my opponent, for example. My opponent, Congresswoman Nikema Williams, when she was a State Senator, back in 2018, was literally arrested because she couldn't accept that Stacey Abrams loss. She was arrested, taken to the Fulton County Jail. The charges were dropped because she was best friends with the old district attorney, Paul Howard. He is no longer in office.

WHITFIELD: The arrest was about access.

ZIMM: She was denying that Stacey Abrams won the election. So who knows when she loses to me on Tuesday, let's see if she accepts that. When Stacey Abrams loses on Tuesday, let's see if she accepts that.

But you never see their side asked about, are they election deniers, when she was literally arrested. Not a whole lot of public servants across this country can say that.

WHITFIELD: So, are you in agreement that there are more than 300 who are representing the GOP who are running for office who are considered election deniers?

ZIMM: You can ask every single one of them that question and ask them, I'm just one person. I'm focused on my race. I've been working trying to flip a very difficult district red. So I'm focused on my election.

Joe Biden won the election in 2020, but I will tell you this, there were certain irregularities, the SB 202 here in Georgia fixed, and I've been talking to a lot of my friends who were running for the State Legislature here a mile away at the State Capitol, and we're going to -- we are going to tighten that up a little bit more, because there are still some irregularities that we're seeing out there.

[15:45:16]

ZIMM: So, we've got to make sure that we find a good balance between making sure that people have an access to vote, but also making sure that our elections are secure.

And I don't care if you're Republican, or Democrat, or Independent. People need to know and have confidence in their elections that whoever wins, that's the winner.

WHITFIELD: And so you accept the outcome of Tuesday's vote.

ZIMM: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: Against your incumbent.

ZIMM: Yes.

WHITFIELD: All right, well, all the best to you. Good luck to you on Tuesday.

ZIMM: Thank you. Thank you so much.

WHITFIELD: Christian Zimm, thank you so much. Glad you could be in studio with us.

ZIMM: Yes, thank you so much.

WHITFIELD: And of course, we did invite Congresswoman Nikema Williams to join us also on the set. She did agree initially and then canceled later on this morning, but we still invite her to be able to come to our set before Tuesday Election Day, if that's still an option.

All right, the Houston Astros are baseball's champions, but they are not the only ones who won big last night. You're going to love this story.

Next, meet an Astros superfan who is $75 million richer because of the team's win. Can you believe that?

We're going to be talking to the big winner, coming up.

I want you to meet Jacob Sterling Nelson. This handsome young man is a big winner. He has won all of our hearts already and he is the son of our very exceptional executive producer, Pam Steffi.

Jacob, our newest member of our team, arrived a healthy six pounds 10 ounces. Dad, Eric, big brothers, Austin and Gabe are beyond excited. They are going to be amazing big brothers and we cannot wait to see baby Jacob in person.

For now, we just admire from afar. We love you Pam and family. Congratulations.

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WHITFIELD: All right, for the second time in six years, the Houston Astros are celebrating a World Series title. The Astros defeated the Philadelphia Phillies four to one wrapping up the series with Game Six in Houston last night.

But you know what? The biggest winner may be the Astros' superfan known as Jim McIngvale. Really, he is better known as "Mattress Mack."

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WHITFIELD: Wooh. He was excited there. That's him celebrating that final out. The 71-year-old Houston furniture store owner is extra excited because not only is he a super fan, but guess what? It paid off. He just won $75 million, thanks to a series of bets amounting to $10 million that the Astros would win the World Series.

The winnings are widely reported to be the largest payout in the history of sports betting, the legal kind, right?

Jim McIngvale is joining us right now. Oh, my God, I'm going to call you Mattress Mack because that's what everybody in the Houston area calls you.

So congratulations, number one.

JIM "MATTRESS MACK" MCINGVALE, BUSINESSMAN: Thank you, Fred. I am going to call you Fred, if that's okay. Glad to be on the show.

WHITFIELD: Yes, it's good. That's great. Everybody calls me Fred. That's great and I love it coming from you. So tell me about what it was like to watch that final out and out what were your -- you know, were you thinking dollar signs right away?

MCINGVALE: It was very exciting. We have a promotion here at the furniture store that says, if the Astros win the World Series, you buy a Tempur-Pedic mattress $3,000.00 plus, you get your money back. So I was very excited about the Astros getting that final out. That's worth 6,500 customers are getting back $3,000.00 or more on the Astros win it all, get it out promotion, Gallery Furniture, $75 million in winnings and almost all is going back to our great customers and they are thrilled.

WHITFIELD: Wow, I know they're thrilled. But you know what, you have quite the reputation as being so generous. I mean, many of us were introduced to you for the first time after that Hurricane Harvey, you know, really did a number on the Houston area and you opened up at least one of your stores, maybe more than one to people to sleep on the furniture that you usually sell, but you opened up your doors. That's the kind of generosity you're known for.

And then there is a payout and the payoff for everybody else even in your winnings with the Astros win.

MCINGVALE: That's exactly right. The whole idea is what can we do to delight our customers and to make us relevant? The Astros being so successful in Major League Baseball over the last six or seven years are very relevant. So the promotion got everybody watching baseball in Houston, cheering for the Astros and last night, there were seven million people in the Metro area here thrilled to see the Houston Astros win another World Series championship and about seventy to seventy-five million dollars being paid back to our great customer.

WHITFIELD: Wow, that's so nice.

And then here's another bonus, you actually got to throw out the first pitch for Saturday's game. Well, how does that compare? I mean, that's quite the honor. But how does that compare from -- you know, to this big jackpot of $75 million?

MCINGVALE: Well, throwing out the first pitch was definitely a huge honor. I was very nervous I was going to bounce the ball up the plate. So Craig Biggio gave me a hand, he said throw it high and I'll come down, so I did that. And my friend Lance McCullers caught the ball.

So it was a good experience, but nothing is more important to me than that making the city happy. Seeing the Astros win and refunding this seventy to seventy five million dollars delighting customers. It had been an experience of a lifetime for our customers.

[15:55:13] WHITFIELD: Wow, and a briefcase of cash. You the bomb, Jim McIngvale. Mattress Mack, thank you so much. Congratulations.

MCINGVALE: Thanks, Fred. Go Astros.

WHITFIELD: All right, go Houston.

All right, thank you so much.

Hey, thanks for being with me this past hour. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. The news continues with Jim Acosta and a moment.

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