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Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump Campaigning in Swing State of North Carolina and Also Will Campaign in Virginia; Democratic Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris Interviewed on Importance of Georgia for Presidential Election; President Biden Makes Appearance Before Union Members in Scranton, Pennsylvania; Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger Denounces Viral Video of Election Fraud in Georgia as Fake; Ten States Including Florida to Vote on Measures Determining Future of Abortion Access; Media Researchers Find Russian Actors Currently Attempting to Undermine U.S. Elections; Public Health Specialist Gives Advice on How to Reduce Stress During Election Season. Aired 2-3p ET.

Aired November 02, 2024 - 14:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:01:21]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right, hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Saturday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

And we are now in the final weekend of the 2024 presidential race. And with just three days now until the election both candidates are barnstorming key southern states today, making their last minute pitches to voters.

For the past hour, former President Donald Trump has been speaking at a rally in battleground North Carolina. It's the first of two rallies for him that he'll hold in that state today.

Vice President Harris is holding a get-out-the-vote rally in the swing state of Georgia before heading to North Carolina for a rally there later on today.

So today is the last day of voting, early voting, that is, in North Carolina, and so far more than 4 million people in that critical swing state have already cast their ballots. Nationwide, more than 70 million Americans have already voted.

Let's start our coverage with CNN's Steve Contorno in Salem, Virginia, where Trump will hold a rally there in a few hours after he leaves North Carolina. So Steve, Virginia hasn't voted for a Republican presidential candidate since 2004, so what's the explanation behind this rally today?

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Talking to Virginia Republicans, they are just as surprised as anyone that Donald Trump is spending one of these final campaigning days here in Georgia. It's certainly not an expected stop when the map has shown that so much of this race will be fought in those seven battleground states.

But look, the campaign insists that Virginia is much closer than the narrative suggests. And look, both these campaigns are just trying to do what they can to get to 270. And the reality is that if Trump cannot flip one of those blue wall states, then he is going to have to look for support somewhere else. And if Virginia is as close as his campaign believes, and the see an opportunity to potentially gin up some enthusiasm here in the final days, then they don't want to leave any sort of opportunities or votes on the table.

Now, I also will point out that Trump has been traveling these seven battleground states over and over and over again in recent months. He had an appearance yesterday in Warren in the exact same room that he appeared at in a month ago. And a month ago, he had sold out the room. Yesterday, it was only about half-full. So they might be reaching a saturation point in some of these markets, and it just might be helpful for the campaign to get outside of those seven states just to show that there is support for him and be able to fill up a room again.

WHITFIELD: All right. I lost a little audio there, Steve. So if you're still with me, he's well aware, Trump, that is, is well aware of the polls showing that he's trailing Harris with female voters. So is he saying anything about that gender gap?

CONTORNO: Yes, this is certainly one of the biggest concerns for the campaign heading into this final stretch. Talking to a Republican operative last week, they say we've seen a woman problem for all Republicans up and down the ballot, and it starts at the top. And Donald Trump has been grasping for a message to reach women voters for months. He has been all over the place on abortion. He has said that women need a protector. He has recently said that RFK Jr. would be in charge of women's health. And earlier today he responded to the suggestion that some Republican women might vote for Vice President Harris without telling their husband. Take a look to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Can you imagine a wife not telling her husband who she is voting for? Did you ever hear anything like that? Even if you have a horrible -- if you had a bad relationship, you're going to tell your husband. It's a ridiculous ad. It's so stupid.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[14:05:04]

CONTORNO: The latest polling shows Donald Trump is trailing Vice President Harris among women by double digits. That's a much larger gap than the voters that he is exceeding Harris with men, so that is clearly one of the top concerns for this campaign, especially since a lot of the votes so far have been disproportionately been coming from women. Fred? WHITFIELD: Steve Contorno, thank you so much.

And in these dueling rallies, we just heard Vice President Kamala Harris, as what is central to her message is that women should be able to make decisions on their own. She is there at a get-out-the-vote rally in Atlanta right now.

Our Eva McKend is there as well. And Eva, you had the opportunity to speak with Kamala Harris moments ago. What did she say on stage in contrast to what she told you?

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER: Fredricka, a big push that we saw from the campaign today here in Georgia was to appeal to young voters. With just a three days left to go, they are trying to message to every part of the electorate. Take a listen to what the vice president told me about her strategy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCKEND: Eva McKend, CNN. It's a pleasure to meet you.

KAMALA HARRIS, (D) VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you.

MCKEND: Yes, thank you so much. I have been following your campaign since July on the road.

HARRIS: I have seen you on T.V.

MCKEND: So, with just three days to go, what part of the electorate are you still trying to reach?

HARRIS: Well, everyone. Obviously, there are a lot of people here who have already voted. But I am talking to everyone and reminding people of the takes in this election. I think this is one of the most consequential if not the most consequential elections of our lifetime, and it is a huge contest. As I talk about it to encapsulate my -- look, on January 20th, it's either going to be Donald Trump or me sitting in the Oval Office. He's going to be sitting there with an enemies list, plotting over it, stewing over an enemies list because it is all about himself.

I will be there with my to do list working on behalf of the American people to bring down the cost of living, bring down the cost of groceries and housing, invest in small businesses, invest in young American families. That is the work I plan to do, and that's the work the American people deserve from their president.

MCKEND: What is your message to Americans that tell us that they still feel dissatisfied about the current direction of the country?

HARRIS: Well, listen, I know grocery prices are still high. The folks who are watching this interview right now know grocery prices are still high. We need to bring them down. We need to deal with the cost of housing. We have a supply shortage. Part of my plan is not only to work with the private sector to cut through the tape so we can build more housing in America, but also to give first-time homebuyers a $25,000 down payment assistance so they can just get their foot in the door. My plan is about a $6,000 child tax credit for the first year of a child's life to help young parents pay for child care, pay for a car seat, a crib. These are the kind of things that the American family, that Americans who are hardworking deserve, which is about seeing where they are, who they are, what will lift them up, and also growing our economy.

And I'll make another point, which leading economists, 32 of the highest level economists, including winners of the Nobel Peace Prize -- Nobel Prize, excuse me -- have endorsed my plan, saying that I will strengthen America's economy. Donald Trump would weaken it. Everyone from Goldman Sachs to Moody's reviewed my plan and know that my plan actually brings up America's economy by investing in our industries, including manufacturing American workers. His will exasperate inflation and invite a recession by the middle of next year.

MCKEND: How important is Georgia for your pathway to victory?

HARRIS: Georgia is incredibly important, which is why I'm here and I keep coming back. The people here have so much at stake, and I am going to earn the votes, which means I'm going to be on the ground listening and talking to folks.

MCKEND: Do you believe that female voters, women will make the difference in this election?

HARRIS: I believe all Americans are going to make the difference. And I intend to be a president for all Americans. I am working to earn the vote of all Americans regardless of their gender, race, or geographic location, because, listen, I think part of the issue at play is we need leadership in the country that recognizes the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us. I think this is part of the reason that so many people are voting for me who may have formally voted for my opponent, because they are just exhausted with the approach that's about trying to have Americans point their fingers at each other. People are exhausted with demeaning who we are as a country. They want a leader who has a sense of optimism and a work ethic on behalf of them to actually seek solutions, common ground, and get things done.

MCKEND: What does it say about our country, the message that it sends if it ultimately elevates a woman and the first woman of color to the highest office in the land?

[14:10:01]

HARRIS: I mean, listen, I believe in the promise of America. I have lived the promise of America. And I do know from my lived experience that what we do as a nation is we feed the ambition, aspirations, and dreams of the American people in a way that we are collectively committed to progress and growth, and that is the kind of president I will be.

MCKEND: What would you say to some Democrats that might be put off by your embrace of Liz Cheney. You are piecemealing together a diverse patchwork here in the Democratic coalition, but some progressives are uncomfortable with Liz Cheney. Should they still feel as though you want their vote and they are part of the Democratic coalition?

MCKEND: Let me start by saying that I think Liz Cheney has shown extraordinary courage to be so open about the stakes of the election and to put country and the Constitution of the United States before party. I applaud at the highest level the courage that she has shown to stand on principle.

My coalition, the coalition that I have been building over the course of this campaign and in my career is about bringing people together, knowing that the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us. And I invite disagreement. That is good. We need good debate. We need disagreement where we challenge the principles and the ideas. My table will include people who will disagree with me so that we can arrive at the best decisions.

MCKEND: Thank you, so much, Madam Vice President.

HARRIS: Thank you.

MCKEND: Take care.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

MCKEND: And Fredricka, you heard there from the vice president. She is really trying to do a delicate dance here as she tries to appeal to so many voters. When President Biden captured Georgia in 2020, it was just shy of 12,000 votes. And what that requires is basically coalescing a diverse constituency here. You have to appeal to black voters in rural world Georgia and in metro Atlanta, such a solid part of the Democratic base, but also conservative voters in this state show just don't have an appetite for supporting Former President Donald Trump.

And what you see is the campaign very aggressively trying to do just this, trying to bring all of these factions together. Fred?

WHITFIELD: All right, Eva McKend, thank you for bringing us your exclusive interview with Kamala Harris there just ahead of her rally, her get-out-the-vote rally in against, which just wrapped up, by the way.

President Biden is in his hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, making what might be his final pitch to voters before Election Day. CNN's Kevin Liptak is there. Kevin, what did the president say?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes. This was a spirited appearance before a union crowd here in Scranton. It wasn't a large crowd, only about 100 or so people, but certainly a very supportive one. We haven't seen a lot of President Biden on the campaign trail this year. His presence has been somewhat limited. But I think in his remarks today you really did get a sense of the stakes that he sees this election bringing, of the importance of this election, but also just his visceral distaste of Donald Trump. He got worked up at one point talking about how Trump wanted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, wanted to cut taxes for the wealthy, and said that these are the kind of guys you like to smack on the ass. So you hear fighting words from President Biden in this speech today. But also trying to make the case for Kamala Harris, specifically when it comes to union workers, trying to bolster her union bona fides with this group that he was speaking to and talking about how he was the first president to walk on a picket line. Listen to what he said there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am proud to have been the first president to have walked the picket line.

(APPLAUSE)

BIDEN: I have walked many picket lines, but I didn't realize when I walked as president, they said, you're doing that? I said yes, damn right I am.

(LAUGHTER)

BIDEN: Kamala walked as well. The other guy, every picket line he sees, he wants to cross.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIPTAK: So in a lot of ways this was a sentimental visit for President Biden to his hometown, and you saw that in the crowd erupting in chants of "Thank you, Joe!" repeatedly throughout his speech.

WHITFIELD: All right, Kevin Liptak, thank you so much, from Scranton, Pennsylvania.

And be sure to tune in for CNN's special coverage of election night in America. It starts Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. right here on CNN.

Still to come, in the battleground state of Georgia, the secretary of state is reacting to a fake viral video claiming to show voter fraud already.

Plus, in a crucial suburb of Atlanta, a judge extends the deadline to return absentee ballots for more than 3,000 voters.

[14:15:03]

A look at the state of the race in Georgia next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The federal agency in charge of protecting the country's election systems is struggling to combat election misinformation being spread domestically. Sources say Homeland Security's cybersecurity agency has actively called out foreign disinformation efforts this year but is less aggressive in calling out lies being told by Americans, something it actively did in 2022.

[14:20:10] CNN's Raffael Romo has been looking into this, and he's joining me right now. Rafael, one of the latest attempts at misinformation has been a fake video purportedly showing a Haitian immigrant claiming he voted several times. So what do we know about this?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR: That's right, Fred. What we know is that the original video showed up on X on Thursday. It had well over half-a-million views before it was deleted. And the problem is that it continues to circulate on social media. It shows purportedly a Haitian immigrant claiming he voted several times for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger told CNN Friday night the video is obviously fake and likely part of a Russian disinformation effort. CNN reached the individual who was the first to share the video and who goes by "AlphaFox78." The person told us they got the video from, quote, "some guy on Telegram from Australia. That's all I know." This person who claims to live in Massachusetts went on to say about the video that was deleted Friday morning. "I just posted a video that looked interesting," the person said.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger told CNN the state citizenship verification process is very robust, adding that it would have been impossible for an immigrant to get a driver's license or citizenship papers in six months that would allow that person to vote. Raffensperger also said the Department of Homeland Security confirms to Georgia state officials that the video originated in Russia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRAD RAFFENSPERGER, (R) GEORGIA SECRETARY OF STATE: We know that it just didn't smell right. So we checked it out and came to the conclusion really quick. So we responded very quickly on Twitter and then also with a press release just to let people know it's fake. Do not fall for it. Because, in fact, what people want to do, these nation-state actors, is really get us fighting amongst ourselves. We've got enough that splits us. We don't need to have the Russians and other bad actors try and split us further.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: And Fred, the U.S. intelligence community has released a joint statement saying Russia is behind a series of recent election disinformation videos and warned that more fake videos are on the way. This judgement is based on information available to the intelligence community and prior activities of other Russian influence actors, including videos and other disinformation activities. The statement from U.S. intelligence says this is not the first time it happened. U.S. officials, as you know, Fred, also say Russia was behind efforts to meddle in American democracy in at least the last two presidential elections. Fred?

WHITFIELD: No one can forget. All right, Rafael Romo, thank you so much.

Let's talk more about the state of the race in Georgia. Joining me right is the host of "Morning Edition" on Atlanta's WABE Radio Lisa Rayam, and government reporter for "the Atlanta Journal-Constitution" Maya Prabhu. Good to see you both.

LISA RAYAM, HOST, "MORNING EDITION" ON ATLANTA'S WABE RADIO: Good to see you.

MAYA PRABHU, GOVERNMENT REPORTER, "THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION": Good to see you.

WHITFIELD: OK, so Harris is here in Atlanta. You just saw in that exclusive interview with our Eva McKend, Lisa, that it's a very, Georgia is very important. In fact, the words from Harris, she says it's important and it's why I keep coming back. I think this is her sixth time, right, here in Georgia.

RAYAM: Yes, it's been a busy few weeks for her.

WHITFIELD: Right, OK, so, it's all about the margins, too, because it is very narrow. And now you have got a judge extending the deadline to return absentee ballots to the tune of 3,000 in Cobb County, which is just outside of Atlanta, how important is that? First of all, that is an incredible decision that was made at this juncture just days ahead, but then how much of an impact might that make potentially on the outcome here?

RAYAM: Well, we've got almost 4 million I guess was the official announcement last night --

WHITFIELD: Right, 4 million.

RAYAM: -- that we've got 4 million early voters. So going into this is like a coast at this point, because Tuesday is going to be the big day. It doesn't make good to make a distraction at this point because messaging is so important. I think that is what is going to be the focus of both campaigns at this moment, to stay on messaging and not get distracted by these B stories at this point, because it's a little late in the game.

WHITFIELD: Maya, early voting, it has been going on for a few weeks now. Voter turnout is extraordinary. It, again, has topped records with more than 4 million ballots, and more than 55 percent of the state's total active voters have also made a huge impact. Yet we're seeing Harris and Trump feel like they can't take anything for granted here. What is it about the Georgia voters that makes it so unpredictable? The 2016 numbers differ from the 2020 numbers, and now this is a whole new story.

PRABHU: Yes. We have a lot of new residents and a lot of first-time voters who couldn't vote the last time around who are voting in this election.

[14:25:00]

Georgia, we were instrumental in the results last time around. But I think, honestly, either one of them has a path to victory without Georgia, but I think it is just having contingencies in place hoping to secure Georgia's 16 electoral votes.

WHITFIELD: Lisa, Republicans have criticized Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger for his handling of the 2020 election. He is predicting to have up to 75 percent of ballots now counted an hour after the polls close on Tuesday. Is that in an effort to prevent, or try to squeeze out any more room for misinformation? We just heard in Rafael Romo's reporting his response to the latest wave of misinformation.

RAYAM: You saw how calm and cool he was. He is not endorsing a candidate this around, and he's a pro at this. He was here in 2020, sort of through all of that muck, so to speak. So he is pretty confident going into this election that Georgia is going to get it perfectly right this time around because so much work has gone into making tweaks and changes to the system. So Brad Raffensperger is a pretty confident person right now.

WHITFIELD: Maya, Georgia is, again, playing a very important role in this electoral process, but very different from the last couple of campaigns. We saw that the early voter turnout was heavily Democratic. This time it's anyone's guess. There was a much greater push by Trump and other Republicans to get the vote out early among Republican voters. Has that resonated, or does it seem as though it might fall back to conventional wisdom, traditions of Republican wanting to vote on Election Day in bigger numbers?

PRABHU: I think that this is going to be new trend. In previous election cycles Republicans have actively discouraged supporter from voting early or voting by absentee, saying the only way to know that --

WHITFIELD: Casting a lot of doubt on it.

PRABHU: Exactly, saying the only way to know that your ballot is going to be counted is to vote on Election Day. This is a very different approach this time around. And I think that they may be cannibalizing Election Day voters. The numbers of Republicans who typically vote on Election Day have maybe voted early. If that is the case then that might make a better case for Harris to win Georgia. But if we see Republicans vote on Election Day in numbers that they normally do, that is probably looking better for Trump.

WHITFIELD: We're seeing alto of star power as well. Harris has had a lot of star power, whether it was in Las Vegas with J-Lo, Chrissy Teigen, and then while here in Atlanta, Spike Lee, the list goes on. How impactful might it be, I guess, amongst younger voters, perhaps it's more influential, is that the gamble here, or the hope?

RAYAM: Well, the focus has been on the undecideds. And recent polling has indicated that the undecided are starting to flow in Harris's direction. So I think it has been impactful in that direction for her.

WHITFIELD: Maya, the youth vote is huge. It has always been a very important electorate, but recent numbers, "USA Today" reporting that perhaps you're going to have the largest college youth voter turnout in this cycle than ever before. PRABHU: Yes. And I'm not sure if it's because social media that it

feels like young people are so much more engaged in the political process than in the past. Maybe they have always been engaged at these numbers and we're just seeing it because they're posting videos about it. But if it is that they are more engaged, this is definitely a huge change because younger voters are said to often be apathetic voters. So seeing how excited a lot of these younger voters are about voting in this election, I think they might break some records this time around.

WHITFIELD: Maya Prabhu, Lisa Rayam, thanks to both you. Appreciate it. Great to have you here on the sofa. Excellent.

Tuesday, voters in at least 10 states will also get to determine the future of abortion access in the states. Most of the initiatives aim to enshrine the right to an abortion in state constitutions. We'll have details on that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:33:43]

WHITFIELD: On Election Day, 10 states will determine the future of abortion access in addition to casting a ballot for the next president. Voters will decide whether to restore or restrict the procedure in their state. Advocates hope the measure will restore the issue of reproductive rights to the people rather than the state after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

CNN correspondent Julia Vargas Jones has more on what is at stake. Julia, Florida has served as a critical access point, many seeking abortion care. Can you put this all into perspective for us?

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Of course, Fred. Look, Florida is of all the states with abortion on the ballot the one with the highest stakes because it has served the most people. Since that six week abortion ban went into effect on May 1st, Florida abortion where cut be more than 30 percent statewide, which led to a seven percent dip nationwide. From January to Mat this year, there were approximately 8,000 abortions a month in the state. But from May to Jun, so after that ban, only about 5,400. So that's because Florida is one of the very few states in the region that allow for abortions to take place after the 2022 decision to reverse Roe V. Wade.

[14:35:03]

Now, one in 10 abortions in the whole country happen in Florida, and in 2023 over 9,000 people traveled to Florida to receive abortion care, many of them coming from states like Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, which are more restrictive.

Now, another state that we should be paying attention to is Missouri, which was the first to actually incorporate an abortion ban after Roe v. Wade, and it was one of the most restrictive ones at that, with no exceptions for incest or rape, excuse me, and where abortion providers are actually legally liable. Now, all of this is happening, Fred, while the national conversation is exploding with people like Beyonce and Chrissy Teigan going to rallies to actually campaign for those ballot measures in different states. Chrissy Teigan in Arizona earlier this week to talk about her own experience in needing one of those procedures, a late term abortion. And of course, Kamala Harris making a big point over the last few days of her campaign to talk about reproductive rights. And of course, these ballot measures will make huge difference in what abortion care and reproductive right care looks like across the country, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Julia Vargas Jones, thanks so much.

Up next, uncertainty about the election can be pretty stressful for many regardless of who you're voting for. I will discuss with a public health specialist how to deal with election related stress and anxiety.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:41:20]

WHITFIELD: New analysis by CNN and media researchers finds that a Russian disinformation network now appears to be trying to sway audiences in this year's presidential election. That group is also responsible to having ties to the notorious troll factory known for its efforts in undermining the 2016 election. CNN's Alex Marquardt explains.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): It's from this 23-story building in Russia's St. Petersburg that some of the most effective Russian disinformation of the 2024 U.S. election has been cooked up. One of its occupants in recent years is believed to be the so-called Russian Foundation to Battle Injustice, or RFBI. CNN teamed up with researchers at Clemson University to investigate RFBI's long tentacles and its impact.

PATRICK WARREN, CO-DIRECTOR, CLEMSON MEDIA FORENSICS HUB: The connection between Prigozhin and the RFBI is cut and dried.

MARQUARDT (voice-over): RFBI's origins can be traced back to Yevgeny Prigozhin, longtime ally of Vladimir Putin and the founder of the Wagner Mercenary Group, who after launching an audacious revolt on Moscow last year, was killed in a mysterious midair explosion. But Darren Linvill and Patrick Warren say that the story of RFBI makes it clear that Prigozhin's legacy persists beyond the grave.

DARREN LINVILL, CO-DIRECTOR, CLEMSON MEDIA FORENSICS HUB: They're pretending to be this really positive force of good in Russia. In reality, they're really an arm of the Russian state.

MARQUARDT (voice-over): One recent viral post baselessly accuses Governor Tim Walz of sexually assaulting a minor.

WARREN: I mean, that thing flew across the Internet in days, millions and millions of views.

MARQUARDT (voice-over): Senator J.D. Vance and Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene even pushed a fake Russian story that Ukrainian officials used American aid dollars to buy yachts. There was one that Kamala Harris carried out a hit-and-run, and also that she killed an endangered rhinoceros while on safari, both wildly false. But both pushed with the help of another shady Russian network, which researchers have dubbed Storm-1516, which Linvill and Warren believe works hand in glove with RFBI.

MARQUARDT: When you look at all of the efforts that the Russians are undertaking in this space, where does the RFBI rank?

LINVILL: In terms of disinformation, as opposed to just propaganda, I think that the RFBI and Storm-1516 are probably the single most important actors in Russia right now.

MARQUARDT (voice-over): RFBI is now led by Mira Terada, who spent two years in American prison for money laundering connected to cocaine smuggling.

MARQUARDT: And she kind of took the effort and ran with it?

WARREN: It really kicked off upon her return.

MARQUARDT (voice-over): From there, she has joined forces with foreigners, including American John Mark Dougan, a former Florida sheriff's deputy who fled to Russia following felony charges. Dougan denied to CNN that he's acting on behalf of Russia.

WARREN: His face is there for a reason.

MARQUARDT: He's a useful idiot?

WARREN: He's a useful idiot without question.

MARQUARDT: How much of a win is it for the Russians to be able to get an American like this to essentially launder their narratives?

LINVILL: I think that it's incredibly important, and you see the importance in how hard they've worked to recruit Americans like him.

MARQUARDT (voice-over): And what they're seeing this year is a much bigger impact on the social media conversation than in the past.

LINVILL: We know they work for the Russian state. But, you know, they're still allowed to spread these messages, these completely false narratives without, you know, any mitigation whatsoever.

MARQUARDT: How well do you think we're doing in this war against Russian disinformation, more broadly?

[14:45:02]

LINVILL: Extremely poorly.

MARQUARDT: Do you see that changing anytime soon?

LINVILL: No.

MARQUARDT: Just moments after our interview, the Clemson researchers identified yet another piece of disinformation coming from these same Russian channels, a video claiming to show mail-in ballots for Trump being destroyed in critical Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Darren Linvill said it was immediately shared tens of thousands of times. And as he says, it's going to be a rough few weeks.

Neither Senator Vance nor Congresswoman Greene responded about their roles in spreading that story about Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the Harris campaign tells CNN that Putin wants Trump to win this election and condemned the Russian interference efforts.

Alex Marquardt, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, up next, uncertainty about the election can be pretty stressful for many regardless of who they are voting for. I'll discuss with a public health specialist how to deal with election related stress and anxiety.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:50:39]

WHITFIELD: Today presidential candidates and their running mates are crisscrossing the country, making their final pitches to voters with just three days to go until Election Day. Whether it be that these campaign events, T.V. campaign ads, or election text messages, we know that it is a lot to digest. Election anxiety is real, no matter who you're voting for. And in fact, a new poll from the American Psychology Association shows 77 percent of Americans say the future of the nation is a big source of stress for them. So how you cope with that stress is very important. Public health specialist Dr. Saju Mathew is joining us now. See, suddenly, I'm not feeling stressed at all just simply by having you right here.

DR. SAJU MATHEW, PUBLIC HEALTH SPECIALIST: Sitting right next to you.

WHITFIELD: On the sofa with me.

MATHEW: I'm the one that's stressed, sitting next to Fredricka Whitfield, yes.

WHITFIELD: No, not at all. Tell me about how people can, A, identify that they are stressed out? And how do they cope?

MATHEW: I'll tell you what, Fred, this election, and that poll that you mentioned, most adults will say it's the most divisive, decisive election, because if you look at each factor that we are voting for or against, these are issues that we are passionate about. So actually that 70 percent is up from 50 percent back in 2016 where adults say that this election is causing some time of psychological distress and anxiety. But listening to your body, to answer your question, that's one way to do it.

And I would say the basic rule is refrain from discussing politics with friends, even your best friend. Just because you get along with someone doesn't necessarily mean that they land on the same political page.

WHITFIELD: Right, or even family?

MATHEW: Even family.

WHITFIELD: Workplaces?

MATHEW: Workplaces for sure.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh. OK, so if they were to engage in conversations, it can be really heated. How do you, I guess, navigate that? What are some of the tips that you might have on how people can manage stress induced conversations or environments or even reactions that they're having?

MATHEW: The first is the rule that I mentioned. Try to refrain from speaking about politics. Number two, if you are in the midst of a debate and it is going south, I've been in those before, is you want to refrain and basically ask permission of the group, listening, I am stepping away from this conversation because I want to salvage our relationship. We are bigger than politics.

WHITFIELD: A lesson in diplomacy. That's what I'm hearing here.

MATHEW: It's a lesson in diplomacy, Fred. Yes. We are bigger than the candidate that will win on Tuesday. We really are. After Tuesday, yes, the anxiety will go down. But remember, we are going into the holidays, we're going into the holiday, so this discussion can creep into Thanksgiving dinner discussion.

So also I think, telling people about your boundaries. Listen, I care about you, I love you, I have known you for many, many years, but let's not discuss politics. Let's talk something else. But also when you actually have a terrible discussion with your best friend and things go wrong is to get back to them. Maybe two weeks after the election is over you say, listen, I have looked at all of the positive things that you and I have gotten along with, and I think that we can salvage this relationship. So getting back to the person after you've had a difference or a quarrel is also important.

WHITFIELD: And then agreeing not to have these discussions again, right --

MATHEW: Agree to disagree.

WHITFIELD: -- that it's going to be off-limits.

So I am wondering, you mentioned after the election if it really, so much is still potentially up in the air even after Election Day, so -- and I know we have go that sandwich in between Thanksgiving and other kinds of holidays. So I wonder if you have any other real advice for people on how to pace themselves, because maybe there's that, too. You can't have your head in the sand. You do need to know what's going on. You do have to engage with people. But perhaps there is a real secret sauce into navigating.

MATHEW: Right, absolutely. I think the first thing is social media can be good. Social media can be a dark place. It's limiting the amount of time that you are scrolling. There is a difference between staying informed versus being inundated by information. Unless you're watching the Fredricka Whitfield show on the weekends --

(LAUGHTER)

[14:55:00]

MATHEW: -- take a break from TV. Take a break from the news. Go out for a walk. Trust me, if something bad happens, you're going to be notified. A friend will call you. But going for a walk has been helpful for me. I am going to play tennis as soon as I get off this couch.

WHITFIELD: Good.

MATHEW: There's so many different ways -- exactly. Keeping a diary as well, but I think also making sure that you respect people's differences. I had a young couple, Fred, who came in and said that they are refraining from having children until after the election results are out.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

MATHEW: This election has so many triggering issues that you just have to learn that the election is one component of who you are and that our life will continue after this is over.

WHITFIELD: I'm feeling relief already. Dr. Saju Mathew, thank you so much.

MATHEW: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Great to see you, appreciate it.

And this quick programming note, catch an all new episode of, "Have I Got News for You" with host Roy Wood Jr. and team captains Amber Ruffin and Michael Ian Black this Saturday at 9:00 p.m. Hopefully a little levity will help reduce some of the stress as well, laughing it all off. Guests this week will be former White House communication director Anthony Scaramucci and comedian Sam Jay.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROY WOOD JR.: Never to be outdone, Philadelphia recently tried to make their own pizza rat happen. Anybody see what it was.

AMBER RUFFIN: I don't know anything. MICHAEL IAN BLACK: Cheesesteak?

SAM JAY, COMEDIAN: A hoagie snake, like a snake that steals hoagies.

WOOD: That's good, that's good.

AMBER RUFFIN: And then he swallows them and he's the shape of a hoagie. I want Sam's answer to be right.

WOOD: It was chicken finger squirrel.

(LAUGHTER)

RUFFIN: We could have guessed it if you gave us two more seconds.

BLACK: Yes, exactly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The new episode of "Have I Got News for You" airs tonight at 9:00 eastern right here on CNN.

And we will be right back.