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American Killed In Attack On Saudi Arabia; Trump Says, Time For A New Leader Of Ukraine; India's Cockroach Movement Leaders Released. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired October 11, 2026 - 03:30   ET

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

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[03:00:00]

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and a very warm welcome to our viewers all around the world and in the U.S. I'm Salma Abd el-Aziz in London. Let's go straight to our headlines.

An American is among the dead in the latest Houthi attack on Riyadh's airport, with at least 11 more killed and hundreds wounded. Saudi Arabia is, of course, vowing to respond.

The Trump-Zelenskyy feud goes to a new level as the U.S. president says it's time for a new leader for Ukraine.

And the leaders of India's cockroach movement are released from custody following a crackdown on anti-government demonstrations.

Saudi-led forces are vowing to retaliate against Iran-backed Houthis after an attack on Riyadh's International Airport killed at least 12, including an American, and wounded hundreds of others. Saturday's attack came without warning and with no alert issued by Saudi Arabia's warning systems. It is the third attack this week on King Khalid's International Airport, and marks the deadliest strike on the kingdom in more than a decade.

Footage shared on social media appears to show the aftermath of that strike. After the attack, a Houthi official announced that the group had, quote, shut down Riyadh International Airport. Now, the militant group declared the kingdom's airspace to be a zone of military operations after the Saudi-backed Yemeni government launched its offensive on Monday.

Earlier, President Trump said he plans to speak with the Saudi crown prince, and weighed in on that attack.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I think it's terrible.

REPORTER: Are you going to get the United States involved?

TRUMP: Well, you're going to find out, Steve, but I think it's terrible. REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE).

TRUMP: Well, they're able to defend. Look, the Saudis are good fighters, but I think the attack was a terrible thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: I want to learn more about all of this now with Hashim Al- Omiesy, who's joining us live from Washington. He is a conflict analyst. Thank you so much for -- a conflict analyst rather, and senior Yemen adviser with the European Institute of Peace. Thank you so much for joining us this morning, Hashim.

I mean, we're looking at these images of course, an attack right in the heart of Riyadh, on its airport. This is a significant escalation on a civilian target. What could the Houthis possibly have to gain from such a horrifying attack?

HISHAM AL-OMEISY, SENIR YEMEN ADVISER, EUROPEAN INSTITUTE OF PEACE: Well, the Houthis wanted to raise the cost Saudi involvement in supporting the Yemeni government. They want to create an economic and psychological pressure. They also want to gain negotiating leverage. They want to compensate for the battlefield setbacks of the past two weeks. They want to deter further Saudi escalation on the one end, but they also wanted to impose an aviation blockade, which they promised for the past month. Their equation is an airport for an airport. If Sana'a Airport remains closed, they in turn will close all Saudi airports.

And in doing so, they're forcing this calculus where they want to force Riyadh to choose between continuing its military campaign in Yemen and protecting its economic and civilian infrastructure. And this is one of the reasons they're targeting also Aramco. They're targeting also the electricity grid in Medina and (INAUDIBLE) and other locations across Riyadh and across other cities in Saudi Arabia.

ABDELAZIZ: And when you talk about that calculus, again, you said they're trying to force a calculus here for Saudi Arabia in continuing its war on Yemen, I have to ask about Iran in that. Of course, the Houthis are a proxy of Iran. How involved do you think Iran was? Do you think they knew about this? Are the Houthis simply acting on their own? What is Tehran's calculus here?

AL-OMEISY: Oh, they definitely knew. The Iranians definitely knew. The thing is that, of course, the Houthis have a bit of a longer leash from Iran. They have their own objectives, but they use the same playbook. And you have to remember that the Iranians wanted to control the Strait of Hormuz on one side of the Arabian Peninsula, while the Houthis, their extended tentacle controls the Red Sea through Bab el- Mandeb.

[03:05:07]

And they won't do anything without informing first Iranians, and the Iranians always -- they want to have this deniability by saying the Houthis are extremely independent. They are independent to a degree, but they follow the directions of the Iranians, and the Iranians have a vested interest in increasing the cost of the conflict on the whole of GCC, not just Saudi Arabia, since the beginning of the conflict in February. And Houthis are following in the same footsteps by increasing the economic costs on the Saudis for their involvement in the campaign in Yemen by supporting the Yemeni government.

ABDELAZIZ: If I may continue with your description of the calculus here, because I think that's so important, this is such a strategic chessboard, a deadly one, if you will, but indeed, it is all about the calculus. And the other nation that we have to ask about in that is, of course, the United States. The U.S. has so far been reluctant to get too involved in this war. It's provided intelligence, it's provided logistical support, but it's refused to carry out airstrikes even as the kingdom requests those. Could this change the U.S. position?

AL-OMEISY: Well, hopefully. The thing is that the United States signed a ceasefire agreement with the Houthis last year, and the Houthis ever since have grown very comfortable in basically setting this scene where they can do whatever they want. As long as they don't attack U.S. ships in the Red Sea or the Arab Sea or the Indian Ocean, they're safe from U.S. airstrikes, which are quite devastating for the Houthis. And in doing that, they're putting the squeeze on the Saudis knowing that the U.S. administration is reluctant to join the fighting.

But if that should change, and it should change, Houthis would have to recalculate, and they would reconsider similar attacks like today's, because they know they don't have to deal only with the Saudis. They also have to deal with the U.S. Army.

ABDELAZIZ: So, let me dig into that a little bit deeper here, because President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he does plan to speak with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. What could come of that phone call? What do you imagine that Mohammed bin Salman will ask for, and what would Trump offer besides condolences?

AL-OMEISY: Well, honestly, the, the Saudis have also reached out, not just the U.S. They've reached out to multiple countries. They've just signed the Mecca Pact to form a defensive force with Turkey and Pakistan as well. They've sought support and they're getting some support from the French, they're getting some support from the Brits.

But the biggest ally is the United States, and the United States needs to step up. The United States in the past has provided air support. Recently, they said they'll provide also intelligence support and some logistical support, but they need to up the ante a little bit.

I imagine Mohammed bin Salman is going to ask for more than just intelligence support. They need to protect against the missiles and the ballistic missiles and the cruise missiles that are coming from Houthi-controlled areas. They need that kind of air cover, but they also want to expand their airstrike capabilities against targets on the ground inside Yemen to find, locate, and destroy the rocket launchers, but also and destroy -- they need also bunker busters to destroy the stockpiles that the Houthis are hiding in mountain ranges, and they need the U.S. support for that. So, I imagine Mohammed bin Salman is going to ask Trump for that.

I understand that the U.S. administration is reluctant to get involved in another quagmire in the Middle East, especially ahead of the midterms. But after today's attack, I think there should be a change of heart.

ABDELAZIZ: Hisham Al-Omeisy there in Washington on the deadliest attack in the kingdom in nearly a decade on an airport right in the capital that the country is still reeling from, thank you so much for putting that into context for us.

AL-OMEISY: Thank you for having me.

ABDELAZIZ: U.S. Central Command says forces disabled a cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman, claiming the vessel, quote, attempted to run the ongoing naval blockade against Iran. This is according to CENTCOM, that a U.S. military fighter jet struck the stern of a Panama-flagged vessel after the crew ignored numerous warnings on Saturday. American officials say no crew members were hurt.

CENTCOM forces resumed the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports on July 14th. Since then, four commercial vessels have been disabled, and 135 ships have been redirected.

The Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia is reeling from a Russian attack that killed 20 people. This video shows heavy damage on what appears to be a residential building, with rescuers searching for victims in the rubble. Ukraine says Russia launched 160 drones overnight into Saturday, hitting 14 different locations.

[03:10:00]

The up-and-down relationship between the U.S. leader and Ukrainian leaders appear to have reached a new low yet again. On Saturday, President Donald Trump said this about Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Zelenskyy could have settled this war many times, many, many times, and he chooses not to.

I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal because he could have made many deals, and for some reason he never does.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: Now, Mr. Trump spoke after President Zelenskyy pushed back against a new US-Russian deal that allows Moscow to export diesel. Kevin Liptak explains.

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: President Trump is lashing out at the Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, after President Trump struck a deal with Russian Leader Vladimir Putin last week to supply more diesel to the global marketplace. President Trump trying to do what he can to bring down diesel prices three weeks before the midterm election. But critics of the deal say that, one, Russia isn't able to provide enough diesel to make a meaningful effect on those prices, and, two, that lifting sanctions on Russian diesel will just have the effect of giving Putin an economic lifeline as his war in Ukraine drags on.

Now, President Trump harshly critical of that line of criticism when I asked him about it on Saturday here at the White House. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: He could have settled it many times, and he chose not to. We said, you can do whatever you want to Russia, don't hit the refineries, because that's a world problem that's caused. And he wants to make problems for the world. He wants to make problems for our farmers, our ranchers, with diesel fuel, because Russia supplies a large portion of the diesel fuel throughout the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIPTAK: Trump also saying that Zelenskyy, quote, could have settled this war many, many times and he chooses not to, and saying that Ukraine should pick a new president, which is a remarkable statement.

You know, the relationship between Trump and Zelenskyy has really been on a pendulum, you know, starting with that ugly Oval Office scene a month into President Trump's term in 2025. They had seemed to be on better terms over the summer, but now, clearly, the relationship at a low ebb. President Trump claiming that Zelenskyy continued to target Russian diesel refineries despite American requests that he stop doing that.

The question now, of course, is what happens next? Does President Trump cut off support for Ukraine somehow through potentially intelligence or arms sales? That is not something the president mentioned on Saturday, but it's something that he has done previously when he was frustrated at Zelenskyy.

The Ukrainian foreign minister responding to President Trump said that Zelenskyy, quote, has the support of the Ukrainian people, and that, quote, statements from abroad only confirm that he is doing his job well.

Kevin Liptak, CNN, the White House.

ABDELAZIZ: But the U.S. is now facing a new oil supply problem, in addition to the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. On Saturday, the Energy Department approved the release of about 4 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The reason is the supply disruption caused by Hurricane Isaias, which hit the Gulf Coast on Friday. Officials said earlier that almost 70 percent of oil production in the Gulf has been temporarily derailed by the storm.

Hundreds of thousands of people are still without power in the Eastern U.S. after Isaias made landfall in Florida as a category two hurricane. Local authorities say at least four people have died in Florida and Alabama. The storm's remnants could bring high winds and heavy rain along the Atlantic Coast from the Carolinas up to New York later today.

Earlier, CNN spoke to former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate about how officials are responding to the trail of destruction left by Isaias along the Gulf Coast.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CRAIG FUGATE, FORMER FEMA ADMINISTRATOR: This is a storm that knocked down a lot of trees, power lines, the type of damages you'll get from that where they hit houses, hit cars, and getting the roads open.

This is something these areas are very familiar with. It doesn't take away from the damages, but these are things that they are, you know, equipped and trained for, and it's really about getting the roads open, getting the power back on. And what I have found in these areas, once you get power back on, it really narrows down the response to just now what had the significant damages versus the sheer number of people that are impacted when the power's out.

ABDELAZIZ: CNN's Melissa Nord has the forecast as the system brings the threat of severe weather farther north.

MELISSA NORD, CNN METEOROLOGIST: The remnants of Isaias travel up the East Coast over the next 24 hours. So, by first thing on Sunday morning, we've got rain spreading through the Carolinas up into the mid-Atlantic and Washington, and then by Sunday after daylight breaks, we've got that rain arriving in New York.

[03:15:10]

So, it's going to be a breezy, kind of nasty, raw day on Sunday. Cool temperatures, that rain passing through, all that rain should be lifting north by first thing on Monday morning for the most part.

Forecast rainfall. Now, these are not going to be rainfall amounts that are anywhere near what they were close to landfall, but, you know, it's a good soaking rain from this tropical system. We could see additional rain amounts one to two inches on average, but, locally, couple spots could end up with two to four inches of additional rainfall.

And then we're also tracking for Sunday another day of tornado risks. We saw that play out Saturday afternoon across the low country of South Carolina. Well, for Sunday, once again, it's going to be some areas with a little more instability and a little bit more warmth where we could see some brief spin-up tornadoes develop on the eastern side of the remnants of Isaias. So, there is a level two risk of severe weather for that brief tornado threat during the afternoon.

ABDELAZIZ: Post-Tropical Cyclone Rachel is creating dangerous surf along parts of Northern Mexico and Southern California. This video shows huge waves crashing over a sea wall and into homes in Long Beach, California, prompting evacuations in the area. Forecasters say Rachel is weakening and is expected to dissipate early Sunday, but it will still bring strong winds to the Baja Peninsula and heavy rain to Southern California and the Southwestern U.S.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Simon is approaching Mexico's Pacific coast as an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm. Forecasters are urging residents to make life-saving preparations now. The hurricane is expected to bring torrential rainfall, damaging winds, and storm surge to Mexico's west central coast when it makes landfall later today.

There's much more to come here on CNN Newsroom, including thousands detained in India's capital over youth-led anti-government protests. Why those demonstrators are targeting the country's top election official, right after the break.

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ABDELAZIZ: Welcome back. The founder of India's youth-led Cockroach Party has been released from detention following a crackdown on anti- government demonstrations by New Delhi's police. More than 2,000 people were reportedly detained on that, on Saturday. Thousands of security personnel were deployed across the city, and mobile internet access was cut off to curb planned demonstrations.

The Cockroach Party's latest protests are demanding the removal of India's chief election commissioner, accusing him of purging eligible voters from electoral rolls to benefit Prime Minister Modi's ruling party.

I want to break all of this down now with Seema Chishti. She is the editor for The Wire, and she is joining us now live from Delhi. Thank you so much, first of all, for being on with us.

I want to begin by asking you what it looks like in Delhi right now because I've heard it, it looks like a city under siege. Roads are barricaded. Offices and shops are closed. And this is even after, of course, the march was thwarted by police. What does the city look like this morning, and why crack down so hard and so publicly? Does it seem like a disproportionate response to you?

SEEMA CHISHTI, EDITOR, THE WIRE: Yes, I think the phrase disproportionate is also limited in what it conveys about what the security forces launched on yesterday. And the government acting via its police and other security forces was very keen that nobody comes out. So, these rumors earlier about the city will be sealed, you can't do anything, everything will be shut.

So, I think the government wanted nobody out, so it could say there was no protests. But while there was no, like, organized one place central march, because the scene of action, an astrolabe, a very old monument, an 18th century monument called Jantar Mantar ground zero for it as it were, was out of bounds physically. But protesters came out in thousands. The number of people detained, estimates from police sources, they've not come up with an official source, are between 3,500 and 7,000 people. So, if despite these mega curbs, 30,000 security forces whose job is to be at the border with China and Pakistan, and northeast of India, which is sometimes in a disturbed situation, were deployed in the national capital of Delhi.

So, I think gave like a really poor look. Today there's a breath of fresh air because three core conveners of the popular Janata Party are out, as is a very big popular YouTuber called Dhruv Rathee, who was also joining in the protests. So, the Supreme Court was petitioned, and they've given a call that no metro lines can be shut down, and you need to allow a city of 18 million at least to go about its regular business on a Sunday, as it should be.

So, a breath of fresh air now, but the city's reckoning with what an absolute riot was run in the city by authorities whose job it is to usually prevent violence, push -- and not push citizens around. My colleagues, other journalists, people, ourselves, you know, you couldn't hang out on the streets or do your job, take a picture, et cetera.

There was also concerted attempt by security forces to --

ABDELAZIZ: But my question, if I may ask -- my question, if I may ask is why crackdown so hard? Why shut down a city of 18 million? Why make it where nobody can step out onto the streets? Why take this action that you're describing as more than disproportionate, in your words?

CHISHTI: So, I think the political calculation can only be one of to try and induce fear in citizens. The Modi government is no stranger to this tactic. When it came to young children who were 17, 18, protesting bad air in the national capital last winter, they were really just whisked off. They were also near abouts in Central Delhi.

[03:25:00]

They were taken away.

Farmers have been violently dealt with until it becomes too big to handle. Pretty much like the banks being too big to fail, it reaches a point when the government kind of just is forced to acquiesce. But its primary instincts for the past 13 years, and particularly since the anti-citizenship act sort of protests came on in 2019 and '20, have been one of clamp down, restrict, scare everybody, and push them in.

Politically, it seems like very bad politics, very poor optics, but the government has chosen not to negotiate or talk to students or talk to protesters or anybody, not even offer something like a dry olive branch. It's been kind of just do this because they feel their politics is like that, of force, and to just push you to acquiesce.

And I think they also want to send a signal politically to their supporters --

ABDELAZIZ: So, you're saying the government's response is to just crush this dissent, is to just silence any demonstrations, to not even offer, as you said, a small olive branch. Let me ask you then about the Cockroach Party, because they did have success, of course, earlier when it came to pushing the education minister out. What now happens to that party that has faced this crackdown on the streets?

CHISHTI: So, this just a small point, Salma. What happened yesterday with all the leaders being put away and being kidnapped, as the YouTuber Dhruv Rathee said, and the CJP leaders said, none of the leaders were on the streets.

So, the other political leaders, the leaders of the CPM, of other parties, of, you know, the other left groups who are part of this, the other youth groups, were very brutally dealt with. So, you actually had spontaneous people turning up, people whose names you and I don't know, who turned up. So, that's one thing that is -- that has made the crackdown -- has turned this into a different kind of a, a movement.

What now for the Cockroach Janta Party? I think they've come out all guns blazing. They've come out after this detention, this disappearance, this kidnapping for 24 hours without any charges. They've just been asked to just not breach peace for a year.

So, the big problems in front of the government remain unresolved. The opposition --

ABDELAZIZ: I'm so sorry, Seema Chishti, there. Thank you so much for your time. We are running out of the opportunity to speak to you. But thank you so much for that analysis. I really appreciate it.

I'll be right back right after a short break.

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ABDELAZIZ: Welcome back. I'm Salma Abdelaziz in London. Let's take a look at today's top stories.

Yemen's Houthi militants struck an airport in Saudi Arabia's capital on Saturday, killing at least 12 people and leaving hundreds wounded. It is the third strike on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport this week alone and is the deadliest attack against the kingdom in more than a decade.

President Trump says he plans to speak with Saudi's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and is considering joining Saudi strikes on the Houthis.

U.S. President Trump says Ukraine should hold an election and probably have a new leader. He spoke after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pushed back against a plan to allow Russia to export its diesel fuel. Mr. Trump announced the agreement on Friday as the White House tried to lower fuel prices ahead of the midterm elections.

Hundreds of thousands of people across the Eastern U.S. are still without power as the remnants of Isaias move further inland. Isaias made landfall in Florida Friday as a category two hurricane. Authorities say severe weather has killed at least four people across Florida and Alabama.

U.S. President Donald Trump is back on the campaign trail this weekend attending another midterm rally, this time in Tennessee. CNN's Steve Contorno looks at what made this stop a bit different from the others.

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: President Donald Trump appeared on Saturday in Clarksville, Tennessee, where he called the Iran war a detour, downplayed high gas prices, insisted polls showing that he is unpopular are rigged, and repeated his promise, his controversial promise, to give $5,000 to every American if Republicans hold the House and Senate this fall.

The question is why he decided to choose to deliver this message in Tennessee, a state that is not expected to be much of a factor in determining who controls Congress next year. But Trump said that he wanted to give Republicans here a chance to see him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I don't actually have to be in Tennessee, because Bill Hagerty's going to win. Marsha's going to win. You better win, Marsha. She took a little risk. She decided to leave the Senate, but she's great. She's going to win. These guys are all going to win. These congressmen are phenomenal.

So, I'm saying, what the hell am I doing in Tennessee? And, in a way, I'm here because you want to reward the places that have automatically treated you well.

But I said, you know, sometimes it's nice to go to a place where you don't have to be, but you're there to say thank you to the great people that elected you three separate times in record numbers. That's what I'm here for.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CONTORNO: Trump's stop in deeply red Tennessee continues a tour of Republican states that has also included Oklahoma and Alabama. GOP officials say that they expect the president to campaign in more competitive battleground states in the weeks ahead.

Trump's message to voters here with just 24 days until the election was vote as though I am on the ballot, saying that, if you don't vote and Republicans lose, they will blame me.

Steve Contorno, CNN, Clarksville, Tennessee.

ABDELAZIZ: Now, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is focusing his attention this weekend on nearby Maine. He was out campaigning for the state's Democratic candidate for Senate, Troy Jackson, on Saturday. Jackson is taking on incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins in November's midterms.

Speaking to supporters in Bangor, Sanders argued that electing Troy Jackson could be key to Democrats securing the upper house of Congress, and prove the best way to hold President Trump to account.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): Now, I know that there are people in Maine who like Susan Collins. That's fine. There are many people in Maine who may have a disagreement with Troy on this or that issue. That's fine.

[03:35:00]

But if you want to hold Donald Trump and his disastrous policies accountable, the only way we do that is by electing a Democratic Senate, and this election here in Maine could mean all of the difference.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: And President Trump is once again escalating pressure against the White House press corps. The Department of Justice has launched an antitrust investigation into major U.S. television networks, including ABC, Fox News, NBC, and our network, of course, CNN.

The probe comes after the networks jointly suspended their White House pool coverage after the Trump administration banned CNN and other news outlets from the White House.

For more on this and a few other topics, joining us now is Ron Brownstein. He is the CNN senior political analyst. Thank you so much for being on with us.

Let's start with what we just reported there, Ron, which is that news that the Department of Justice is investigating T.V. networks for possible antitrust violations. Talk to me about the administration's thinking, strategy here. Why go this route?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, look, I mean, you know, we have this just continues the pattern we've seen from the beginning in a way that goes way beyond what even Richard Nixon in his darkest moments envisioned with his enemies list.

Donald Trump from day one of the second term has tried to convert the federal government into a vast machine for rewarding friends and family and punishing those he believes he considers his political adversaries. And this kind of DOJ investigation, which seems more like kind of petty harassment than anything else is just an extension of that.

I would note, however, that the political cost to this is real for the president, not necessarily that Americans look at all of this as inappropriate, although polls show that they do, but they -- but there is a clear perception, a consistent perception in polls that Donald Trump is more focused on his own personal priorities, obsessions, and grievances than he is on your problems.

And each time he does something like this, whether it's tear down the East Wing or, you know, his crypto deals or prosecuting James Comey, he reinforces that perception, which I think is a heavy load for Republicans to be carrying in the final weeks before the election.

ABDELAZIZ: And you, of course, hit the nail on the head right there. It's about the timing of this, the midterm elections. Yes. The president was campaigning in Tennessee on Saturday. I think my favorite bit from that was him standing on the podium going, what the hell am I doing in Tennessee? So what on Earth was he doing in Tennessee? What's the strategy there?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, you know, from, you know, David Plouffe, who is the kind of legendary campaign -- Democratic campaign manager, likes to say, that when your opponent is doing something you can't understand, don't assume they're just crazy or misguided. Try to find the reasoning for it. And, you know, if there is reasoning for it, it's that polls consistently show that Republicans are much less engaged in this midterm, much less likely to vote at this point than Democrats. And one thing that Trump has always been able to do is turn out the Republican base.

Now, his ability to do that is compromised by the fact that the decline in his approval, to a much greater extent than in 2018, has spread into core Republican groups, including rural voters, whites without a four-year college degree, the cornerstone of his coalition, even evangelical whites and Republicans who identify more with the party than with MAGA.

So, I think that is what they are intending. That's the strategy. But the the impediment for it is that to a, as I say, to a much greater degree than in the past, he's seeing cracks in his own foundation this time.

ABDELAZIZ: You describe him as compromised in being able to bring out the Republican vote, and absolutely the Republicans are facing an uphill battle with inflation, the gas prices.

Is, as some candidates are doing, separating themselves from Trump enough to win, or does it carry more risks with the base than it's worth?

BROWNSTEIN: Yes. I mean, now, look, that's what they are all balancing. In the end, it's really hard to separate at this point, right? I mean, you know, you have someone like the Republican Senate candidate in our state of Iowa, Ashley Hinson, who is now calling for an end to the Iran war after she's voted for it basically half a dozen times, or Mike Rogers, who's running for the Republicans for the Michigan Senate seat calling both for an end to the war, military war in Iran and the economic war with Canada after cheerleading it.

What -- the one asset Republicans really have going for them in these final weeks, most of -- most indications are that they are facing a more serious, larger, more threatening wave than they did even in 2018. Voters are far more negative on the economy. Voters are far more negative on Trump than they were there.

But the one thing they have going for them is that the battlefield this year is being fought out almost entirely in places that voted for Trump in 2024, including some really red-leaning states.

[03:40:03]

And, you know, whether we're talking about Alaska, Ohio, Iowa, Texas, much less Kansas, Nebraska, and South Carolina, even amid disappointment in Trump, there are a lot of voters there who are going to be hesitant about turning over Senate control to the Democrats. And if anything limits their losses this year, I think it'll be that dynamic more than the distancing from Trump.

ABDELAZIZ: Ron Brownstein there, our senior political analyst on all things midterms for you, thank you very much for your insight.

BROWNSTEIN: Thank you.

ABDELAZIZ: Coming up next on CNN Newsroom, more details on the latest immigration enforcement controversy that moved hundreds of New Yorkers to hit the city streets in protest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ABDELAZIZ: Welcome back. A man in Erie, Pennsylvania, has shot and killed eight people in his home. This is before taking his own life. Seven of those killed were relatives of the man. They include two children and a pregnant woman. Erie's police chief called the scene deeply disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF RICK LORAH, ERI POLICE: I want to be candid with our community. This is one of the most difficult and heartbreaking scenes our officers and investigators have ever encountered. The loss of life is devastating, and the circumstances we are working through are deeply disturbing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: Now, officials have declined to discuss the shooter's motive, but said investigators would speak to other relatives and examine the cell phones of two of those killed.

Pennsylvania's Governor Josh Shapiro offered his full support to Erie's mayor. Erie County's district attorney urged the public to refrain from speculation while the investigation continues.

Another ICE controversy, this time in Texas. A video reveals the moment a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicle hits a man in Houston.

[03:45:00]

Now, we do want to warn you, the video is graphic and may be disturbing for some viewers. The surveillance video shows two men jump out of a white pickup truck and run when a black vehicle moves in and hits one of them. ICE says Miguel Parra-Hernandez is the man who was injured, and that he is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. The man who was hit is reportedly hospitalized in stable condition. Local law enforcement officials are investigating the incident.

And it comes just days after an ICE-involved shooting in New York City. Protesters hit the streets to demonstrate against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the city. Protesters chanted and carried anti-ICE signs on Saturday. The crowd was protesting against the federal agents who shot and wounded a man in his car on Friday.

28-year-old Oscar Belgal is in ICE custody after suffering a superficial wound to the neck. His five-year-old son was in the car at the time of the shooting. The child was not physically hurt and is with family members.

New York Police released this video of officers responding to the scene. The man who serves as the U.S. border czar defended the agents involved in that shooting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM HOMAN, U.S. BORDER CZAR: The men and women of ICE perform, per- they perform exactly as they were trained. This man tried to run an officer over. He feared for his life, so he took action. And now this person's in custody, who will be charged with a federal crime of assaulting a federal law enforcement officer. But many of these instances could be avoided if they simply give us access to the bad guy in the safety and security of a jail, rather than release him in the community.

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ABDELAZIZ: Christa Pike has been discharged from hospital. This is after surviving a botched execution in Tennessee. Her attorneys say she is now back in prison. Pike was in the hospital after surviving two doses of the drug pentobarbital, which was given during a lethal injection execution on September 30th.

According to death penalty experts, Pike is the first person to survive an execution attempt after two injections. The failure of that process has brought renewed scrutiny to the death penalty, specifically in Tennessee.

U.S. President Donald Trump now says he is yet to decide if a military execution set for December will be live-streamed. He's been giving conflicting answers about whether he's approved the live-streaming or not. If the plan is approved, it would likely be the first public execution in the U.S. since 1936.

As Haley Britzky reports, many questions about the potential live- streaming are still unanswered.

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HALEY BRITZKY, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: People across the Army and the Pentagon were caught off-guard this week when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the execution of a man convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009 would be public. Hegseth made the comments in an interview aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln this week, and sources said officials were scrambling behind the scenes to determine what public meant. One source said it was ultimately decided by Hegseth, acting Army Secretary Adam Tell, and Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell that public would mean it was live- streamed.

The idea has been criticized by Democrats and Republicans alike. A former Trump administration official, Joe Kent, who was the director of the National Counterterrorism Center before resigning earlier this year, said it is, quote, beneath the dignity and decency of our nation.

And there are still questions as to how this live stream would work. One source said a military unit has already been chosen to carry out the execution, but there are concerns that a live stream would identify the soldiers who did so. There are also questions as to if soldiers can say no to participating in something that the military considers a legal order.

Sources also raised concerns about the psychological impacts this could have on soldiers and other personnel involved in the execution. One source stressed this is different than soldiers killing an enemy in combat.

Nidal Hasan is in a wheelchair after being paralyzed in the attack in 2009, and the source said he would be, quote, immobile and put up like a target. But there are also questions as to if the live stream will even happen despite Hegseth's wishes. President Donald Trump said Saturday that he knows what the military wants to do, but that ultimately he would make the decision.

Haley Britzky, CNN, Washington.

ABDELAZIZ: We have more CNN Newsroom right after a quick break. Stay with us.

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ABDELAZIZ: Welcome back. Let's dive into some of the latest U.S. college football highlights. Rough weather brought on by Hurricane Isaias did not stop two SEC titans from going head-to-head in Alabama on Saturday. The lead traded several times between 'Bama's number six ranked Crimson Tide and the number two ranked Georgia Bulldogs. But the Bulldogs secured a fourth quarter field goal and managed to run out the clock, narrowly beating Alabama 20-17.

Meanwhile, in Dallas, the top ranked Texas Longhorns lost a nail-biter to the Oklahoma Sooners. Oklahoma kept the score tight through defensive pressure, securing both a pick six and a blocked punt return down the stretch.

But it was kicker Tate Sandell with this 47-yard field goal on the final play of the game that ultimately lifted the Sooners to victory 27-4.

The showdown between Kentucky and Louisiana State also went down to the wire. This one was decided in overtime, and despite LSU marching down the field to score first, Kentucky clapped right back with a touchdown of their own.

Then quarterback Kenneth Minchey put his team on his back, sprinting untouched for a two-point conversion that pushed Kentucky to a narrow 35-34 win.

French Astronaut Sophie Adenot is back in Europe after splashing down in the Pacific on Thursday. The European Space Agency astronaut was assisted by her colleagues as she walked across the tarmac at Cologne Airport.

During her stay on the International Space Station, Adenot viewed Earth from an altitude of around 400 kilometers, or about 250 miles.

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She said it felt strange to be back home after spending eight months in space.

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SOPHIE ADENOT, FRENCH ESA ASTRONAUT: I want to carry with me this curiosity, courage, because yes, it requires some courage, the sense of gratitude for everything you did for this mission, gratitude to people I love and, yes, being carried by a lot of people like you who are willing to share the world that space flight is a uniting adventure.

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ABDELAZIZ: Marvel's Vision is back, and he's on a quest to find his place in the world. Actor Paul Bettany previewed the new Disney+ series at New York Comic Con. Vision Quest picks up where the shows WandaVision and Agatha All Along left off, following the superhero as he searches for a new purpose. Bettany says meeting fans helped him understand why his character resonates so deeply with people.

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PAUL BETTANY, ACTOR: I was playing Vision for a while before I really understood who Vision was for fans. And the fans of Vision I met made me realize that this show is for the kid I was when I was at school, who felt like an outsider, and who was bullied, and who felt like they didn't fit in, and there would never be a place for them to fit in. And so this show is for them, and moreover, Vision is always for them. I think that's an unbreakable contract with the audience.

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ABDELAZIZ: Thank you so much for watching. I'm Salma Abdelaziz. I'll be back with another hour of CNN Newsroom right after a quick break.

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