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CNN International: Backlash To Inflammatory Ramaswamy Campaign Ad Intensifies; Polls: Brazil's Presidential Candidates Tied Ahead Of Runoff; Tehran Touts Drone Capabilities And Retaliation Plans. Aired 4:30-5a ET
Aired October 23, 2026 - 04:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:30:00]
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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But that's a hot story today. They want him to take down an ad. I only wish I could have had an ad like that against somebody, but as it turned out, we didn't need it.
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SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN ANCHOR: Our Lauren Fox takes a closer look at the salacious ad and how it's going over with voters in Ohio.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Like why? Why? And I don't know what his angle was like did -- who -- is that speaking to anyone?
DONNA ARTHUR, AMY ACTON'S MOTHER: She is a liar.
LAUREN FOX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A brutal political ad from gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is dividing the Republican Party and voters in Ohio.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At this point, with what I know, I would probably lean toward acting.
FOX: Do you think that that ad might backfire for Ramaswamy?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the ad is definitely going to backfire, particularly with women. I think there's going to be some problems for Vivek and also potentially the Republican Party across the board.
FOX: Even in an era of hyper-partisanship, the ad featuring Acton's estranged mother calling her a liar has struck a nerve.
BILL HAWAL, DEMOCRATIC OHIO VOTER: I couldn't believe it, and the fact that he hasn't disowned it is beyond my comprehension. Really is. It's the ugliest thing I've seen in pretty much my lifetime.
KARI FREUDENBERGER, SUBSTITUTE TEACHER, SOCIAL WORKER & UNDECIDED OHIO VOTER: It's heinous and horrible, and I just I think I don't care if Ramaswamy's policies are the best. That shows just a judgment of character that I don't want to see anymore.
FOX: Acton's mother lost custody of her and her brother when she was just 12 years old, and her stepfather was indicted by a grand jury of sexually abusing her.
DR. AMY ACTON (D), NOMINEE FOR OHIO GOVERNOR: I had a childhood of extreme physical abuse and sexual abuse as a kid, my brother and I as frequent flyers and Children's Services finally removed after a grand jury saw evidence that was so -- so shocking that we were removed from my mother's custody.
FOX: The ad comes as voters here say they want their leaders more focused on the economy and less on personal attacks.
KATHY BROWN, INDEPENDENT OHIO VOTER: Talk about the plans you have to make grocery costs go down, to make gas prices go down, to do something about the tariffs and how they're charging us more money at the grocery store. Don't talk about people's parents.
FOX: One Republican operative told CNN that Republican officials in the state are furious at Ramaswamy for airing it at a moment when the party is trying desperately to guard against a Democratic comeback in November.
MIKE DEWINE, (R) OHIO GOVERNOR: The ad on its face is deeply, deeply troubling, but when you know the rest of the story when you know the back story, it makes it just more wrong.
FOX: Governor DeWine is a Republican who is sticking with Ramaswamy, despite hating the ad. Acton holds a six-point lead over her Republican rival, according to the CNN Poll of Polls in Ohio. Republicans in the state probably couldn't be more pissed at him, the source told CNN. President Trump sees it differently.
TRUMP: I don't know what it is, but I guess the mother said very bad things about the one who's running for governor, and I think you have to take that seriously.
FOX: That message may be resonating with some Republican voters.
SHERI VORHERR. REPUBLICAN OHIO VOTER: I don't think it reflects well on Amy Acton, but I also don't think it reflects well on her mother. It's a messy situation.
FOX: I mean, this is a really tight gubernatorial race here in the critical state of Ohio, and I heard over and over again that this ad was having a definitive moment right now for voters in their minds as they are attempting to consider whether or not they are going to vote for the Republican or the Democrat in this race.
And I talked to several independents who said that they were really right now on the nice edge on which way they were going to go, and the more that they thought about it, the more they thought that central issue of character really mattered. I think it's really important to point out that people are tired right now; they feel like partisanship has gone too far, and a lot of people want to return to a time where maybe they didn't always agree with the other side, but there is a civil discourse in conversation, and I think that that is the overarching message I heard today from Republicans, from Democrats, and from Independents.
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ABDELAZIZ: The Trump Administration is making a new push to get thousands of ballots yanked from the California voter rolls during the midterm elections. The U.S. Justice Department filed an emergency appeal, even though a hearing is already scheduled for next week, without providing evidence. The DOJ is claiming some 20,000 voters in California may be non-citizens and wants to block counting of their ballots. Legal experts call the case a long shot, but the U.S. attorney general defends the lawsuit and denies allegations of election interference.
Brazil's presidential candidates will face off today in their final televised debate before Sunday's runoff election. Right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro led the first round by nearly two percentage points, but polls now show him in a virtual tie with left-wing President Lula da Silva. CNN's Julia Vargas Jones has more for us.
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JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is one of the most popular campaign ads in Brazil's presidential election. This one too. Both are A.I.-generated videos that have added to the cacophony of A.I. content in this presidential race. IRL, it has also spilled over beyond Brazil's borders.
ZOHRAN MAMDANI, (D) MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY: Such a pleasure to meet with President Lula.
VARGAS JONES: Both candidates making campaign stops on American soil, one boasting closeness, the other sovereignty.
LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA, PRESIDENT TRUMP OF BRAZIL (through translator): Brazilian democracy belongs to Brazilians.
VARGAS JONES: The incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva rose from the factory floor to become the defining figure of Brazil's modern left. At 80-years-old, he is seeking his fourth term. His opponent is almost half his age. Senator Flavio Bolsonaro is campaigning as the political heir to his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, now serving a 27- year sentence for plotting to overturn his 2022 election loss when his supporters rioted in Brazil's capital, much like Trump supporters, on January 6.
This election is also a test of whether Trump-style politics can return to power in Latin America's largest democracy. The United States are looming so large in these elections, with supporters of Flavio Bolsonaro waving American flags in the streets. Some are even asking for a U.S. military intervention, and it was in defense of Jair Bolsonaro that Trump announced those 50 percent tariffs on Brazil. So why not endorse Flavio?
JAMES GREEN, PROFESSOR EMERITUS, BRAZILIAN STUDIES, BROWN UNIVERSITY: I think that they understand that this could backfire because when they announced the original 50 percent tariffs, it gave a huge boost to his support. There's a very strong national sentiment in the country that goes beyond the left, beyond the center. It's across the board. Now Flavio is using this to say, well, I have good relations with Trump, and therefore I can negotiate the end of these high tariffs.
VARGAS JONES: And it's not just Trump drawing attention from Brazil. Lula's campaign is also taking on Meta, accusing the U.S. tech giant of tilting its platform toward Bolsonaro, a claim the company denies. The dispute has now reached Brazil's electoral court and the streets.
All of this with the race already extraordinarily close. In 2022, Lula won the first round by just over 5 percent. The runoff became the closest presidential election in Brazilian history. This time, Flavio won the first round by less than 2 percent, or just 2.2 million votes, setting up an even tighter runoff. And while security, cost of living, and corruption are top of mind for voters, attacks have become quite personal.
FLAVIO BOLSONARO, BRAZILIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Lula, with you, crime has exploded in Brazil. In fact, can you explain why 73 percent of inmates voted for you?
DA SILVABDELAZIZ: I wish it were 100 percent including your father. Your father can vote for me.
VARGAS JONES: A Flavio win could pull Brazil politically closer to Washington, but ironically, Trump's tariffs have made it more complicated than that.
GREEN: Flavio will carry out a very close relationship with the United States, encouraging collaboration and the subservient role that Trump seems to want to have in all of Latin America, but he has a big problem because exports, Brazilian exports, depend heavily now on China. It will be a complex foreign policy, but it will basically revolve around Trump.
VARGAS JONES: Julia Vargas Jones, CNN, Los Angeles.
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ABDELAZIZ: Coming up next, the war with Iran is taking a toll on the environment and on marine life in the Persian Gulf. A report with the details right after this break.
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ABDELAZIZ: Welcome back. Let's go to the war with Iran. The New York Times reports U.S. and Israeli officials have drawn up plans for new strikes after the midterm elections. Iranian officials tell the Times, "The fighting will neither be quick nor limited." U.S. officials say President Trump will avoid targeting refineries in the region. This is in order to avoid even higher gas prices back home.
Iran is touting its drone capabilities and plans for retaliation in case of renewed American strikes. State media showed what it claims is video of the Army Commander in Chief inspecting an underground drone production facility. He says Tehran is in a better position to fight the U.S. and adds another top general says that data centers and A.I. facilities in the region could be prime targets.
From contaminated waters in the Persian Gulf to toxic acid rain, the war in Ukraine is impacting marine life and Gulf residents alike. Some researchers say that surface oil in the Strait of Hormuz has doubled. Joining me now live from Abu Dhabi is Paula Hancocks. Hello, Paula. I know you've been looking into this environmental damage that's been caused by this very brutal war. What are you learning about it?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Salma, just in the past few hours, we've heard from authorities here in the UAE that they are working to try and contain any environmental impact from a particular oil spill from a tanker. They say that it is impacting off the coast of Umm Al Quwain. This is just north of Dubai. They've closed beaches.
They've asked fishermen not to fish in that particular area, and it really does point to the fact that many Gulf countries are concerned by what kind of impact this continuing war in Iran is having.
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HANCOCKS: The Persian Gulf is one of the most unique ecosystems on Earth. Offshore islands and mangrove forests provide critical breeding zones for sea turtles, hundreds of species of fish, and dugongs, cousin to the manatee. Only the hardiest of marine life survives in these waters, with sharp temperature changes from hot summers to cool winters.
But even that life is increasingly at threat from the U.S. and Israel's war in Iran. The first two weeks of war created more carbon pollution than Iceland does in a year, according to the Climate and Community Institute. One group of satellite oceanographers has been studying the effects of this war from afar. Specifically, the targeting of vessels in and around the Strait of Hormuz, the key waterway at the heart of this conflict.
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BRIAN BARNES, COLLEGE OF MARINE SCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDABDELAZIZ: Here's a ship that you can see smoke coming out of, and then a you know a plume of presumed oil here.
HANCOCKS: Brian Barnes says satellite imagery can only show them what is on the surface, but even that limited information from March 2026 is worrying.
BARNES: Very roughly, based on our observations, what we're seeing is at least twice the amount of surface oil that -- in the Persian Gulf area relative to what we would expect in the absence of a major conflict.
HANCOCKS: The Gulf is shallow. It is small, and there's only one entry and exit point connecting it to the wider ocean. So, what happens in the Gulf stays in the Gulf.
BERNHARD RIEGL, PROFESSOR, NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY, FLORIDABDELAZIZ: If we take a drop of oil and we put it into the water in -- on the Iranian side of the inflow into the Gulf, a year later it will be in Kuwait. Two years later, it will be on the Omani side of the -- of the Gulf and float out there.
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HANCOCKS: Widespread contamination in the Persian Gulf would also have a devastating impact on millions of Gulf residents. Desalinated water accounts for almost all of the drinking water in both Bahrain and in Qatar. In the other Gulf nations, it accounts for the vast majority. Now, desalination plants did become a target during this war, threatening to trigger humanitarian and economic shocks.
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HANCOCKS: Oil facilities were hit in and around Tehran early March, exposing millions of residents to thick black smoke with reports of toxic acid rain. Reminiscent of the 1991 Gulf War, as retreating Iraqi forces set fire to hundreds of oil wells in Kuwait. That impact was felt throughout the Gulf.
RIEGL: The shorelines were devastatingly affected. There was massive mortality of intertidal biota of mangroves. In fact, in many areas in Saudi, if you go and you dig into the sand, there's still old oil in there.
HANCOCKS: Experts worry this war could also undermine our understanding of climate change. Warmer waters in the Persian Gulf are considered a natural laboratory to see how marine life in oceans elsewhere might adapt as they warm. Another war with a toxic legacy. The environment once again the conflict's silent victim.
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HANCOCKS: And of course, there is no end in sight to this war. We've heard repeatedly from the U.S. president that he is hinting at the fact that these hostilities could resume after the midterm elections. Salma?
ABDELAZIZ: CNN's Paula Hancock's there on a little reported consequence of this conflict. Thank you so much.
We have this breaking news just into CNN. Israel has closed the West Bank city of Hebron. This is after at least five Israelis were wounded in a shooting attack. Authorities say two Palestinian gunmen opened fire on an Israeli military checkpoint. Two of the people wounded are in critical condition. This is according to Israel's emergency service. Now we are working to get more information, so please stay with CNN for the latest. We'll be right back after a quick break.
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ABDELAZIZ: The Milwaukee Brewers are set to face off against the Tampa Bay Rays in the 122nd Baseball World Series beginning tonight. Neither team has ever won a World Series title, so whoever prevails will be making history. The teams will play the best of seven games to determine the winner of this year's Fall Classic. The first game is set for Milwaukee tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.
Now I want to take you to Boston College, where the Women's Lacrosse team prioritizes a vital yet often overlooked part of sports, mental health. Athletes of all levels can crack under pressure, but this team is actively working to prevent that by strengthening their minds. CNN's Brynn Gingras has this report.
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BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Boston College Women's Lacrosse Team is a powerhouse in the sport.
ACACIA WALKER, HEAD COACH BOSTON COLLEGE WOMEN'S LACROSSE TEAM: If she overplays, then you roll back.
GINGRAS: Led by Acacia Walker, who has adopted a critical new approach to coaching, prioritizing her players' mental health. You told me one time you're a therapist and a coach. What did you mean?
WALKER: There's so much of my job that is not X's and O's. It's managing a group of 40 young women. I've just learned over time that if I don't have a pulse on, on what's going on in their life outside of lacrosse, then I can't properly coach them anymore.
GINGRAS: So then that translates into performance?
WALKER: Oh my gosh, yeah. I think the pressure on these young women because there's more eyes on them. We used to say, "Suck it up, you're going to be OK, right? Well, that's not working anymore.
GINGRAS: A recent study by the NCAA reports female student athletes experience mental health concerns, stress, and feeling overwhelmed at more than twice the rate of their male peers, which could lead to burnout, athletes quitting, health issues, and in a few cases, even suicide.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two days, I was feeling rough.
GINGRAS: Professional athletes like Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka, and Simone Biles have all openly challenged the stigma of staying quiet about their own mental health struggles.
WALKER: I think people are finally starting to buy in that this is not, this is not fake. This is -- this is real. People understand that it's for the happiness of these student athletes.
GINGRAS: And that's where sisters Erin Conner and Katie Wood, both former collegiate athletes, come in.
KATIE WOOD, FOUNDER, BET ON YOU: If you're not training the mind, you will fall behind. It is the difference between good and great.
ERIN CONNER, FOUNDER, BET ON YOU: Athletes that I work with, especially, is that they overthink, they hesitate, they doubt themselves. They crumble if a coach is saying, giving them feedback in -- with the wrong tone sometimes, it's taken the wrong way.
WOOD: So, if you can train them, number one, to have the awareness that it's very normal to have these thoughts, but how do you get past that?
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GINGRAS: BC's Women's Lacrosse Team devotes hours of practice time to Conner and Wood's 'Bet On YOU' program.
WOOD: We're teaching about the mind. We're teaching the power of visualization and the voice in your head. We're teaching the power of gratitude, which is not talked a lot about in sports.
CONNER: We start with 1 percent better. How can I get a little bit better than I was yesterday?
GINGRAS: One unique component of their training is a specialized journal.
LYDIA COLASANTE, BOSTON COLLEGE WOMEN'S LACROSSE PLAYER: It's literally the first thing that I do in the morning, I wake up, I get dressed.
GINGRAS: So, it's practice.
COLASANTE: Yeah, I brush my teeth, I walk downstairs, I turn on the coffee pot, I write the journal. Takes me three minutes to do.
GINGRAS: Junior defender Lydia Colasante tore her ACL, two seasons ago and largely credits the intense mental work for her comeback.
COLASANTE: And it dug me out of a big hole. Your sport is such a huge part of like what you identify with, and I think this kind of helped me figure out like I'm so much more than just a lacrosse player.
GINGRAS: And that's the goal, work on the whole athlete.
WALKER: And we hang our national championship banners, and --
GINGRAS: The wins will follow. WALKER: And there's little girls looking up to them every game. I think it's a good reminder for our girls. Be strong enough to get through all of the hurdles and try to, you know, be the best.
GINGRAS: Brynn Gingras, CNN, Chestnut Hill.
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ABDELAZIZ: Thank you so much for watching. I'm Salma Abdelaziz. More news right after a quick break.
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