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President Trump's Daughter Ivanka Trump Gives Speech at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, Israel; Crowds in Israel Cheer for President Trump but Boo Prime Minister Netanyahu During Speech about Ceasefire Agreement between Israel and Hamas; Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D- FL) Interviewed on Her Thoughts about Peace Agreement between Israel and Hamas; Former Hostage of Hamas Interviewed on Her Experiences; Trump Administration Fires 4,000 Federal Employees as Government Shutdown Continues; Reporting Indicates Munitions Plant Explosion in Tennessee Kills 18 Leaving No Survivors; Video of Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Katie Porter Mistreating Staff Goes Viral. Aired 2-3p ET.

Aired October 11, 2025 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

IVANKA TRUMP, PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S DAUGHTER: -- he stands with you always, always.

(APPLAUSE)

CROWD: Thank you, Trump! Thank you, Trump! Thank you, Trump!

IVANKA TRUMP: The return of each hostage is not only a moment of homecoming and relief. It's a triumph of faith, of courage, and of our shared humanity.

(APPLAUSE)

IVANKA TRUMP: We pray. And so many people are working so hard, so hard to ensure that this coming week is one of healing for you all. One of healing as we begin and embark on the next chapter, which God willing, after far too long, will be a lasting and enduring peace.

(APPLAUSE)

IVANKA TRUMP: God bless you all for standing in solidarity together through this dark chapter. And we're all praying for Monday and beyond. So thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR, THE SITUATION ROOM: And thanks to all of our viewers for standing by and joining me here in Tel Aviv. I'm Wolf Blitzer. We've been listening to dramatic words involving President Trump's special Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, along with Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump speak over at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv. That's where families have been gathering as they wait for the release of their loved ones. CNN has learned the hostages could return from captivity as soon as

Sunday, overnight into Monday. Very dramatic words we heard from Witkoff and Kushner.

I'm joined now by CNN's chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward and CNN's senior White House reporter Kevin Liptak. Clarissa, it was very powerful what these two people, three people, really, had to say.

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think what was most striking to me initially were the chants, were, "Thank you, Witkoff, thank you, Kushner, thank you, Trump." Who was not mentioned was Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. And then when Steve Witkoff actually thanked Prime Minister Netanyahu, you heard, Wolf, those crowds were booing. And it's worth mentioning that Netanyahu has never gone to Hostage Square.

So very interesting to see how President Trump and his team have sort of emerged as the heroes of this here in Israel. You've seen the billboards all around town thanking them. And that crowd really making it very clear that they believe that actually Trump and Witkoff and Kushner deserve the credit. And many of them that I've been speaking to over the past months, days, years now believe that Netanyahu has actually been an impediment to getting those hostages home.

So, yes, very impassioned words from all three of them, and clearly also an element of sort of doing a victory lap here, although cautioning as well that, you know, we can really only celebrate tomorrow.

One thing I also noted as well, though, Wolf, is that there was no mention of the Palestinian suffering, of the 67,000 people killed in Gaza, of the horrific bombardment of two years and the enormous work it's going to take to rebuild, and the tremendous humanitarian catastrophe that is playing out. This was a speech really, for Israel and for Israelis.

BLITZER: And you make the important point that every time that President Trump was mentioned, there was applause, cheers, thank you, thank you, thank you, Trump. We kept hearing that. And the one time that Witkoff mentioned Netanyahu, there were boos actually coming.

WARD: Boos. He couldn't get through his speech.

BLITZER: And a lot of Israelis believe that Netanyahu, the prime minister, did not do enough to try to achieve the release of Israeli hostages, and that's why there were those boos from those family members and friends and supporters who had gathered here in Tel Aviv at Hostage Square. I was there earlier today, and I began to feel that as well as I saw what was the reaction over there.

WARD: And I think a lot of them have been a little circumspect about criticizing the prime minister up until this point, because they hadn't wanted to do anything that could somehow interfere with the release of the hostages. But now I think you're going to start to see people really let it rip, because there was a lot of anger behind closed doors, and there was a lot of resentment, and there was a deep seated belief from many Israelis that Prime Minister Netanyahu's priority was not, in fact, bringing home the hostages, but rather his own political survival, Wolf.

[14:05:03]

BLITZER: Yes, and in contrast to the reaction when Netanyahu name was mentioned, when they mentioned the IDF, the Israel Defense Forces, the soldiers of the IDF and what they've been doing, there was applause and cheers and gratitude coming from that crowd.

WARD: Absolutely. And of course, endless applause for President Trump. Endless applause for President Trump.

BLITZER: And when I was there, I even saw people wearing "Make America Great Again" hats in that crowd over at Hostage Square earlier today. We have a special interview with a woman who survived being a hostage. That's going to be coming up very soon.

I want to go over right now. We've got some more coming in from what's going on right now. Kevin Liptak, our senior White House reporter, has been watching what's going on. Kevin, update our viewers what we know.

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes. And I'll also say it was interesting to listen to Witkoff thank some of the other Arab leaders in the region who also received a measure of applause, whether it was the emir of Qatar or the Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Even they received applause from the crowd that was really not having any mention of Benjamin Netanyahu, which I think gives you a sense of the sentiments there.

You know, it was interesting to hear from Jared Kushner. He has no formal role in the administration at this point. This is really the first time that we've heard from him publicly describing some of his role in all of this, as well as Ivanka. Obviously, if you've been paying attention to the Trump administration, the first one, that would have been a familiar sight. They were senior advisors in the White House. This time around, they have no formal role. They're living in Miami. But Jared Kushner has been quite intimately involved in this particular issue, which is trying to get this war resolved.

And so it was notable to see him come out and speak in a way that we haven't just yet so far. We understand that he will continue being involved in these talks going forward as they enter the next phase, as they talk about some of the very thorny issues that remain, whether its disarming Hamas or getting Israel to withdraw further from Gaza, or, of course, the eventual idea of a Palestinian state. He'll remain engaged in these discussions.

And it was notable when he said during his speech that we're not going to celebrate tonight, that they're going to celebrate once these hostages are out. And I think that underscores what we've been hearing from American officials over the last several days, which is that this is still a very fragile moment. This deal is a delicate one. As one U.S. official said late last week, there's still a lot of ways that this can go wrong. Thats one of the reasons that Kushner and Witkoff stuck around in Israel after this deal was signed, essentially to ensure that it remains in place, that there are no misunderstandings, that they're able to sort of adjudicate any questions that either of the two sides have.

And so while it was a celebratory moment there in all three of those speeches, I think when you were listening closely, you did detect that level of delicacy that still exists. No one, I don't think, is going to breathe easy until they see all of those hostages actually coming out of Gaza, Wolf.

BLITZER: And what a lot of people don't necessarily appreciate was the role that Jared Kushner played during the first Trump administration in achieving that historic Abraham Accords agreement with -- that established full diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab countries. He was instrumental in helping to put that together, right?

LIPTAK: Yes. And those countries where the UAE, Bahrain, several other ones. It was probably the biggest diplomatic accomplishment of the president's first term. And the way that Kushner went about it was to try and develop very deep relationships with the leaders in those regions. He had texting relationships with a number of them, including the powerful Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. Saudi Arabia is sort of the biggest prize in the Abraham accords, and that's something that President Trump, I think, still wants to accomplish now that the Gaza war seems to be coming to a close.

You know, Kushner's role here is not without some controversy. He has very deep business interests in the region. He has a private investment firm that's taken billions of dollars from some of these countries' sovereign wealth funds. But I think what he's doing here is sort of demonstrating that a deal-making sort of prowess and acumen is what was needed in all of this. At least that's according to the president's supporters and people who are close to this who describe the way he and Witkoff kind of approached these negotiations over the last several months or so.

You know, Jared Kushner is has said previously, and Ivanka Trump has said previously that coming back into the political sphere is something that they have no interest in. They were somewhat scarred, I think, by the first experience during the presidents first term. And Kushner has been joking to people over the last couple of days that once he got back to Miami, Ivanka Trump might have changed the locks on their house because she didn't want to sort of become involved in the politicking again.

[14:10:04]

But obviously because this was successful, you see them standing there in a way that sort of underscores the successes that he was able to accomplish. Now, his detractors will say that this is naivete, that there are a lot of issues that they haven't resolved in these talks that could lead to this being just a pause in a conflict that's been going on for decades. But at least for now, I think there is a sense of celebration that this deal has made it, at least to where it is now. BLITZER: And let's hope it works out in these next few days. Kevin

Liptak at the White House for us, thank you very, very much.

And coming up, my special interview, very emotional interview, very moving interview with a woman who survived being a hostage. I spoke to her earlier today over at Hostage Square. We'll have that and a lot more of all the breaking news right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:15:34]

BLITZER: Welcome back. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Tel Aviv where the Israeli-Gaza ceasefire so far seems to be holding. Security forces affiliated with Hamas have been seen back on the streets of Gaza as Israeli troops withdraw. And only moments ago we saw and heard the U.S. Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff, along with President Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law and negotiator Jared Kushner make an appearance over it Hostage Square here in Tel Aviv.

Right now, I want to bring in Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida. Congressman, thanks so much for joining us on these, during these historic times. How optimistic are you that this ceasefire and hostage release agreement can result in a durable peace?

REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, (D-FL): Well, Wolf, I can tell you that, having been in the region on October 7th, 2023, and part of the first congressional delegation to be in Israel on October 10th, three days later, ever since then, I know Jews around the world have been holding our collective breath, hoping and waiting for the hostages and pushing for these hostages to be released to their loved ones. And I am hopeful that we can see the joy spill over and out of the families and friends that will be able to be reunited with them.

But, you know, the idea that all the way through this process it's going to hold is tenuous, as these deals always are, and we're going to have to make sure that the demilitarization of Hamas, the complete disengagement of Hamas from any involvement in the governance in the aftermath of Gaza, and a lot more details will have to be solidified.

BLITZER: What did you make of the speeches we just heard from Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Ivanka Trump? When they mentioned President Trump, there was huge applause from the Israelis, thousands of whom have gathered here in Tel Aviv at what's called Hostage Square. When they mentioned Prime Minister Netanyahu, there were a lot of boos coming from the crowd. What was your reaction to that?

SCHULTZ: Well, I was listening when you were playing that. And, you know, look, this has been an emotional rollercoaster, which isn't even descriptive enough for the really hellacious ride that Israelis and their -- and the families of hostages have been put through. So it is understandable that there are mixed emotions. Some that will be very appreciative of some actors' involvement in getting to this deal and others who would be frustrated. But the credit should be apportioned across multiple people. Certainly

President Trump deserves credit, but we also had the framework of this deal that was put together, you know, under the Biden administration. And frankly, thanks to the Abraham Accords, and I've traveled to the region many times since October 7th, met with Abraham Accord nation leaders, and they were incredibly important in securing this deal and making sure that the Arab world came together, which was a critical component of ensuring that a deal could be reached.

The implementation is going to be the key here on every stage. And like I said, I'm certainly hopeful that the first phase of releasing those hostages, having met with so many of them, from young children to the American families and to many Israeli families, it's going to be a momentous day where I know I'll be flooded with relief.

BLITZER: So you give a lot of credit to President Trump, Jared Kushner, who helped negotiate this, and Steve Witkoff, the special envoy?

SCHULTZ: Credit should be apportioned to numerous different people. No comprehensive deal like this comes together without multiple people being involved. Certainly, President Trump deserves credit. So does the Biden, President Biden and his administration. most of the hostages that were released over the last two years, both in November of 23 and in the beginning of January of 2025, those details, those agreements were negotiated by the previous administration. So, this is not about credit right now.

[14:20:00]

What is critical is that these hostages are going to be released. I hope that that comes to fruition and the families can finally see their loved ones, and those who've lost their loved ones will get the remains back. But the critical component is going to be in the implementation. So many times, deals like this where there was a lot of hope are dashed. And frankly, the security of Israel is absolutely essential. Never again can Israel be expected to live next to, side by side with a terrorist threat on their doorstep. And that is obviously going to have to be a critical component of the next phases of this deal.

And, you know, I'm glad, as a co-chair of the Abraham Accords Caucus in congress, I know our caucus, bipartisan caucus is going to be engaged in trying to make sure we can do our part to encourage the implementation going forward.

BLITZER: Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, thanks, as usual, for joining us. Appreciate it very much.

SCHULTZ: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: I want to go back to my colleague Brian Abel, who is joining us from Atlanta once again. He's got some other news he's working on. Brian?

BRIAN ABEL, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, we do Wolf. Thank you. Coming up new developments at the munitions plant in Tennessee.

Officials just announcing there are no survivors from the massive blast. A live report straight ahead.

And more than 4,000 employees across the federal government have been given layoff notices amid the government shutdown. We are live from Washington with the fallout.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ABEL: And this just in. President Trump says his administration has, quote, "identified funds" to pay military troops on October 15th as the government shutdown is headed into a third week. And with no deal in sight, the administration is carrying out its promise to lay off thousands of other federal workers. More than 4,000 employees across the federal government have been given layoff notices as President Trump ups pressure on congressional Democrats to cut a deal.

CNN's Julia Benbrook is in Washington following the latest for us. And Julia, what is the White House now saying about these layoffs?

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It has been a long stated goal of President Donald Trump's to shrink the size of the federal workforce, and he has made it clear that he sees this ongoing government shutdown as a, quote, "opportunity" to do just that. The announcement of the RIFs, the reduction in force, notices came in a simple social media post from Trumps budget chief Russ Vought. He wrote this brief message, "The RIFs have begun." Just hours later, Trump was taking questions from reporters in the Oval Office, and he was pressed for more details, asked how many people would be impacted, what agencies would see an immediate hit. And he did not go into a lot of detail there, but he did make it clear that there is a specific target, those that don't align with his agenda. Take a listen to part of that exchange.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How many layoffs have you authorized for this first round, and from which agencies?

DONALD TRUMP, (R) U.S. PRESIDENT: -- and that would be Democrat oriented because we figure, you know, they started this thing, so they should be Democrat oriented. It'll be a lot, and we'll announce the numbers over the next couple of days. But it will be a lot of people, all because of the Democrats.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: The numbers that we have right now come from a court filing in a lawsuit brought by unions for federal employees looking to stop these layoffs. Now, it showed that more than 4,000 workers across seven different agencies had received notice. When it comes to the departments most impacted, the Department of Treasury and the Department of Health and Human Services had over 1,000 workers impacted. The filing also showed that additional agencies were actively looking

to see where more cuts could be made if this government shutdown drags on.

It's important to note that while it is typical to see some government workers furloughed during a shutdown, these mass firings are a break from precedent. And even some Republican lawmakers, a growing number of them, have acknowledged the potential political perils with these mass layoffs. Brian?

ABEL: My colleague and friend Julia Benbrook in Washington. Julia, thank you.

Well, officials in Tennessee giving an emotional update on that tragic munitions plant explosion where there are no survivors of the at least 18 people missing. A niece of one of the victims tells CNN 53-year-old Melissa Dawn Stanford, a production supervisor, died at the facility. Officials told the family they do not believe she could have survived the magnitude of the blast.

Let's go right now to CNN's Isabel Rosales, who is in Hickman County, Tennessee. And Isabel, you attended that press conference where the sheriff was emotional in announcing this is now a recovery effort.

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right, Brian, if I could, I'll get into that. But let me go back a little bit to Melissa Stanford that you just mentioned, 53 years old. She is believed to have died during the explosion, according to her niece, who also says that she served as a production supervisor here at this explosive plant.

I want to share with you, if you'll allow me, really briefly, a statement from her niece, because I think this is so important. This is the first confirmation of a death that CNN has gotten from a family member. And this is what the niece said about, again, her aunt, Melissa Stanford, "To say her family is devastated is to put it lightly. We are honestly at a loss for words, and grief is not linear. In the past 24 hours, I have seen anger, sadness, bargaining, denial, and acceptance." She's also asking for prayers for her family as they're going through this unimaginable pain.

[14:30:00]

And that same heartbreak I witnessed here myself from the two sheriffs of Humphreys County and Hickman County, both of whom told me after the press conference that they knew people inside of that building. They were personally impacted by this explosion in what is a very tight knit community. We saw the sheriff Chris Davis of Humphreys County, shaking, struggling to put into words the news that they had found no survivors, that all 18 people that were missing, they're presuming that they have been killed. Here's what else the sheriff said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF CHRIS DAVIS, HUMPHREY'S COUNTY, TENNESSEE: At some point in time, we've got to rip off the Band-Aid. Can I tell you, and I alluded to it yesterday, it's not like working an accident. It's not like working a tornado. We're dealing with explosions. And I would say at this time we're dealing with remains.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: Dealing with remains and also attempting to connect the DNA. They have victims, family victims advocates who are connecting with the family members, taking their DNA and matching it here. This process is going to take a while, as well as, Brian, figuring out the cause of how in the world this could have happened in the first place.

ABEL: And maybe adding to the intrigue of finding that cause as well. There was another incident at that same property years ago. What can you tell us about that right?

ROSALES: Right. Yes, this was in 2014. Our local CNN affiliate, WSMV, reported that back then, 12 years ago, there was an explosion here at the property. One worker was killed, four others were injured. It's important to note that during that time, there was a different company that was operating out of the building that was impacted. Brian?

ABEL: All right, Isabel Rosales for us in Tennessee. Isabel, thank you.

Coming up, just days away from the agreed return of the remaining hostages in Gaza, we go back to my CNN colleague, Wolf Blitzer, who spoke with a former Israeli hostage about her time in captivity and her greatest hope as a ceasefire agreement in Gaza moves forward.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:36:48]

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN Newsroom. I'm Wolf blitzer in Tel Aviv, where the return of Israeli hostages could happen very, very soon. Just a short time ago, the special U.S. envoy, Steve Witkoff, along with President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and his wife, the president's daughter, Ivanka Trump, visited with hostage families and spoke over in Hostage Square here in Tel Aviv. It's been, what, two years, and those families have been waiting and waiting and waiting for the return of their loved ones. I was there at Hostage Square earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Aviva Siegel, thank you so much for being here. You were a hostage. Your husband, Keith Siegel, was a hostage. He's American. You're originally from South Africa, but you've lived almost your whole life here in Israel. Tell us how you feel today.

AVIVA SIEGEL, FORMER HOSTAGE: I'm the happiest. I'm smiling. I feel my heart in a different place. And I just want them back so badly. I come from a community, kibbutz, we've got two twins. And can you think about the same mother with two kids that are 28 years old in Gaza waiting for two years for them to come back? I know them since --

BLITZER: Your two twins are still in Gaza?

SIEGEL: Still in Gaza.

BLITZER: What are their names?

SIEGEL: Gali and Ziv. And they're still there. And I can't wait, I just can't wait to jump on them and scream and hug their mom and say, OK, you can smile now.

BLITZER: And we know for sure they're still alive?

SIEGEL: We know that they -- sure, we know that.

BLITZER: Good. God willing. So will you be there, God willing, when they arrive here in Israel?

SIEGEL: Sure.

BLITZER: You'll be hugging them?

SIEGEL: I'll be hugging them. I'll be hugging the family, the mom, and all the hostages' families. We've become like one big, huge family all together. I know so many of them. And I just want to hug everybody. I want to jump into the air, dance. And I just want the world to understand that the good needs to win. People need to come home and just live, and live a life with their families. They don't deserve to be there, underneath the ground, begging to live. I touched death with Keith. Keith, my husband was there for a year and four months. I was there for 51 days, and I touched it so many times.

BLITZER: How did you get out and how did Keith get out?

SIEGEL: I got out on a deal, a deal that all the women and the children, after 51 days. Keith stayed there for a year and four months, and he came out on a deal.

BLITZER: And he's American.

SIEGEL: He's American.

BLITZER: He was just. You told me in Washington meeting with President Trump.

SIEGEL: Yes. He didn't meet President Trump. He spoke to him. And I want to say that, Keith, since he came back for the last eight months, has been five times in the States. I was there 17 times. I met everybody that you can think about. I met more than 100 congressmen, and I became very close to Witkoff. I talked to him all the time, and I want to thank President Trump.

BLITZER: You're talking about the president's personal special envoy, Steve Witkoff.

SIEGEL: Yes. And he's working hard around the clock. And I want to thank him for that from the bottom of my heart.

[14:40:00]

I want to thank him from this whole country. We need to smile. We've been waiting for it for too long. It's been so sad, just so sad. And for us, Keith and I being hostage, knowing what the what's happening there and what they're feeling, the hostages, is one of the worst things that any person can go through.

BLITZER: So many of the hostage families I've been seeing here at Hostage Square are telling me they give so much credit to President Trump for making this happen.

SIEGEL: You know, I want to say that he's got such a big part in it, and I want to thank him, and we all want to thank him. But I do know that soldiers have been working so hard and so many of them have died.

BLITZER: Israeli soldiers.

SIEGEL: Israeli soldiers have died because they've done everything they could to bring the hostages home. So I think it's like the work that they did together. And our president, Bibi Netanyahu, has pushed and wants them home alive. And we've got so many hostages that didn't make it. So it's a very, very happy moment, because I think the ones that will come back and will be able to live their lives with their families and their families have been waiting. But there's lots of sadness of the ones that will never come back alive.

BLITZER: A lot of people here are so excited, like you are, so happy that this is about to take place, but they're also so nervous that, God forbid, something could go wrong. Are you among them?

SIEGEL: No. I'm happy it's going to happen. I'm keeping my strength for good things, and it's going to happen. It can't not happen. It just can't not happen. It's going to happen. I believe that. From the minute I heard that the deal is coming true, I believed it. And I've been around people that are asking me, are you sure about it? And what happens if it doesn't happen? I'm sure about it. It's going to happen.

BLITZER: I'm with you. I hope you, I hope you get to hug all those hostages who are coming back very, very soon.

SIEGEL: Can I give you a hug?

BLITZER: Please? OK.

SIEGEL: Thank you. Thank you.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

BLITZER: And our special coverage of the ceasefire will continue throughout the rest of our newscasts this afternoon and into the evening, with many more live reports from here in Tel Aviv.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:46:58]

ABEL: Once a rising star among House Democrats, Katie Porter is coming under fire over newly surfaced videos that appear to be tarnishing her run for California governor. Porter often went viral with her whiteboard as she grilled opponents during House committee hearings. Well, now she's making headlines after threatening to walk out of an interview unless the CBS reporter be more pleasant. CNN anchor and correspondent Elex Michaelson has details.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

KATIE PORTER, (D) CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: Get out of my -- shot.

ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Then congresswoman Katie Porter lashes out at her staffer in this 2021 Zoom call with a member of the Biden administration obtained by "Politico." For years there's been chatter from California to Washington about Porter's treatment of her staff. And now it's on video.

PORTER: You also were in my shop before that. Stay out of my shot.

MICHAELSON: Porter denied CNN's request for an interview, but her campaign sent us a statement that says, in part, quote, "I have sought to be more intentional in showing gratitude to my staff for their important work." This video coming on the heels of Porter's CBS interview.

PORTER: I'm going to call it. Thank you.

MICHAELSON: That went viral because of moments like this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you say to the 40 percent of California voters who you'll need in order to win who voted for Trump?

PORTER: How would I need them in order to win, ma'am?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, unless you think you're going to get 60 percent of the vote. Do you think you'll get 60 percent? All, everybody who did not vote for Trump will vote for you. That's what --

PORTER: In a general election? Yes.

MICHAELSON: In 2024, nearly 40 percent of California voters cast their ballots for Trump. California has twice as many registered Democrats as Republicans.

PORTER: I don't want to keep doing this. I'm going to call it. Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're not going to do the interview with us?

PORTER: Nope. Not like this I'm not. Not with seven follow ups to every single question you ask.

MICHAELSON: Porter stayed for an additional 20 minutes of questions about her campaign for California governor, but her frustration with follow ups is ironic, since Porter made a name for herself wielding a whiteboard and asking tough questions and plenty of follow ups during congressional hearings.

PORTER: Any increase in the price of Revlimid would also increase your bonus by increasing earnings. Isn't that right, Mr. Ellis?

MICHAELSON: Her reputation as a minivan driving, relatable single mom of three --

PORTER: Get in loser. We're going voting.

MICHAELSON: -- has helped to make Porter a leading contender in California's governor's race. But now her Democratic opponents are pouncing.

ANTONION VILLARAIGOSA, CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: I'm Antonio Villaraigosa. I approve this ad.

MICHAELSON: Antonio Villaraigosa buying a three-minute ad on Sacramento TV stations and simply airing the CBS interview. Betty Yee posting Porter is, quote, "self-destructive" and asking her to, quote, "drop out of the race."

But one possible candidate hasn't criticized Porter. Californias U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, who by all accounts is considering whether or not to jump into the governor's race, and recently had his own viral moment.

SEN. ALEX PADILLA, (D-CA): -- my hands, put them behind my back.

MICHAELSON: Padilla detained while asking a question of U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

[14:50:00]

When CNN's Manu Raju asked Padilla about the Porter videos, the senator responded, quote, "I'm not even sure what to say." On how damaging it is for her, he said, quote, "That's up to the people of California."

WHOOPI GOLDBERG, CO-HOST, "THE FIVE": Maybe people are having a bad day.

MICHAELSON: Porter getting some support from the co-hosts on ABC's "The View".

GOLDBERG: We see these videos with guys.

JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Trump does it every minute.

MICHAELSON: Voters we talked with in Los Angeles a little less forgiving.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I didn't know Katie Porter had that in her, actually. MICHAELSON: This is your first impression of her is this video? Does

it make you want to vote for her?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I guess not.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, I have friends in England who saw it and were like, what's up with this woman?

MICHAELSON: And what did you say?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I said I dont know. She sounds pretty -- I dont want her as my governor, so it's too bad.

MICHAELSON: It makes you think differently about her?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Of course. Of course.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

ABEL: Elex Michaelson is joining us now. And Elex, hearing from some of those voters, it doesn't seem like things are going very well. Do we have any indication of how this is impacting the race?

MICHAELSON: Well, we don't have any new polling yet, but there's still a lot of time left in this race. The primary doesn't happen until June. The biggest impact of this could be, does it encourage other people to get in the race and challenge Porter? Senator Padilla telling CNN this week that he doesn't have a hard date yet to make a decision. Rick Caruso, billionaire businessman, has told me he's considering getting into the race. And "Politico" reporting this week that Tom Steyer is now potentially interested in getting in the race. He is a billionaire businessman. He ran for president as a Democrat, and just this week spent $12 million of his money on the California redistricting fight.

ABEL: And Elex, let's talk about Proposition 50 for a moment. What's the latest there? Why do or should people care across the country?

MICHAELSON: Yes, it's a battle over whether California should have independent redistricting commission, which it currently has, drawing the congressional lines, or Democrats should draw the congressional lines. Texas Republicans put forward their own plan to add five likely Republican seats. So California Democrats are trying to counter that with a plan that would likely add five Democratic seats.

All the big Democrats, all the big money, Governor Newsom trying to get this through as a way to counter Trump and Trumpism. But folks like Arnold Schwarzenegger, who were behind the idea of the independent redistricting in the first place, pushing to keep the system as is in terms of good governance. Voters have until November 4th to make up their mind on that. But millions have already voted as we have mail in balloting that goes for about a month here in California.

ABEL: And I'm sure there will be no more messaging between now and November. (LAUGHTER)

ABEL: Alex Michaelson, appreciate you. Thank you.

MICHAELSON: Thank you.

ABEL: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:57:25]

ABEL: Each week we are catching up with remarkable CNN heroes whose work continues to evolve and make a difference. When we first met 2016 CNN Hero Brad Ludden, he was bringing the healing power of the outdoors to young adults with cancer. Anderson Cooper shares how Brad and his nonprofit are moving onward and upward.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRAD LUDDEN, CNN HERO: First Descents provides outdoor adventures to young adults whose lives have been impacted by cancer. Our vision is to become the global leader in adventure-based healing. Since our first program in 2001, evolution has really been a part of our DNA.

GOV. ROY COOPER, (D) NORTH CAROLINA: After being honored as a CNN Hero in 2016, First Descents founder Brad Ludden was approached by advocacy groups wanting to offer outdoor adventures to their communities battling disease.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel like this gives people their humanity back.

LUDDEN: Those conversations led us to believe that young adults with M.S. could benefit from this type of adventure-based healing. It's been really exciting to see this notion that adventure can be healing.

COOPER: During the pandemic, Ludden recognized another group to help health care workers who needed a way to recharge.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know that we'll be able to ever put into words how much this meant to us, because so many of us have dealt with emotions that we've buried for so many of the past few months.

COOPER: Now First Descents has plans to build its own facility and bring it's healing retreats to even more people.

LUDDEN: The end is going to come sooner than we want. And with that knowledge, we have this obligation to go out and live as fully as possible.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

ABEL: And to learn more, go to CNN.com/Heroes.

From football and soccer stadiums to basketball arenas, fan violence is erupting across all major sports. CNN's Ed Lavandera investigates this alarming trend tonight on "The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper, Bad Sports, When Fans Turn Violent." That's tonight at 8:00 p.m. eastern only on CNN.

Thank you for joining Wolf Blitzer and me in the CNN Newsroom. I'm Brian Abel. SMERCONISH starts right now.