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CNN This Morning

Senate Races to Watch in Midterms; Walker, Warnock Get Personal in Race That May Decide Senate; Pennsylvania Voters Weigh in on Oz- Fetterman Battle; GOP's Ron Johnson Injects Race into Tight Wisconsin Senate Battle; McCarthy on Plans if GOP Gains Control of House. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired November 07, 2022 - 06:00   ET

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

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT/ANCHOR: CNN THIS MORNING starts right now.

[06:00:20]

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. Monday comes at you fast, don't you think?

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: I feel really good this Monday.

LEMON: Wait a minute.

COLLINS: We have a busy week.

LEMON: Are you sure you feel so good?

COLLINS: I have no idea what you're talking about.

COLLINS: Crimson Tide.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: We'll get you there by 9 a.m. You're going to feel good, too, D.

LEMON: Good morning, everybody, Don Lemon, Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins. And guess what? It's election eve.

HARLOW: It is.

LEMON: It's election eve. I voted early. I'm not sure about you guys. A lot of --

HARLOW: I'm an election day, you know -- I'm going to vote on Tuesday.

LEMON: I thought you were going to say I'm an election day denier. God.

HARLOW: No, Don. Don!

LEMON: I'm going to pretend it's not here.

COLLINS: Whenever the elections come, it's such an exciting time. HARLOW: Yes.

COLLINS: There's so much going on. A lot of things to wait and see what we've been talking about for so long. See what voters actually decide tomorrow will be really exciting to watch.

LEMON: And the candidates are certainly out there.

HARLOW: And we're in a new home.

LEMON: Yes.

HARLOW: You're going to see a new home this week. This is the election center.

LEMON: Election headquarters. And there's the Capitol dome behind us. Candidates are making their final push into this weekend. They're doing it now. What is the closing argument for both parties? We're live on the ground for you.

Also new nickname, dueling rallies, and a potential presidential primary showdown. Why Trump is now elevating his rivalry with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis before election day.

Plus this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MELANIE ZANONA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Will there be an immigration bill on the floor if the Republicans win the House?

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): I think the first thing you'll see is a -- a bill to control the border first.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: We have a new CNN exclusive interview with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. His plans if the GOP takes the House on Tuesday and what that could mean for Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and what committees she may sit on.

LEMON: But here's where we're going to begin. Here's where it ends, really, because they get to decide. We're going to begin with the voters.

Polls open in about 24 hours in this major midterm election with control of Congress on the line here. Tonight, President Biden headlines a rally in Maryland, where Democrat Wes Moore is trying to become the state's first black governor.

Former President Trump will be in Ohio, where he endorsed J.D. Vance in the Senate race against Democrat Tim Ryan.

HARLOW: More than 40 million have voted already in 47 states. That's ahead of the 2018 pace. Texas has the most early votes, with more than 5 million ballots cast, followed by Florida, California, Georgia, and North Carolina. That number, by the way, in Georgia setting a new state record for early voting in a midterm election.

COLLINS: Yes. It almost looks like a presidential election.

Also, the balance of power for both chambers is on the line. In the Senate, there are 35 seats up for grabs. Republicans only need a net gain of one to win the majority.

So let's go to our CNN senior data reporter, Harry Enten, who is at the battleground desk, has been watching all of this closely. Harry, tell us tomorrow, you know, the Senate is going to be what everyone has their eyes on. What races are you watching in particular?

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA CORRESPONDENT: Let's start off with three races we're going to talk about. The Democrats will likely need to win three of these four.

Let's start talking about Arizona first. This is a really hot race. Mark Kelly, the incumbent, barely ahead of Blake Masters in my forecast: 40 -- 50 percent to 48 percent over Masters. This is a race in which Kelly once had a very large lead, but Masters has been closing, closing and closing. But Kelly slightly ahead there, though the race is within the margin of error.

Let's jump to Nevada, which is another interesting race in the Southwest. This is a race in which the incumbent, Catherine Cortez Masto, is actually slightly trailing Adam Laxalt, the Republican, 49/48; but again, well within the margin of error. Nevada is a state that although Democrats have won in every presidential election since 2008, Trump was able to improve upon Republican performances in consecutive elections in 2016 and 2020.

Finally, let's take a look at Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania is a race that I think everybody has been watching. Right? The incumbent, Pat Toomey, decided to retire. John Fetterman, the lieutenant governor, against Mehmet Oz, obviously, the celebrity doctor. Oz was well down in this race, but he has been closing, closing, closing, and right now, this race is just dead even just before election day.

COLLINS: Yes. You saw President Biden, President Obama, and President Trump all in Pennsylvania this weekend.

Harry, what about Georgia, because of course, we know we have a close Senate race there between Herschel Walker and Raphael Warnock.

ENTEN: Yes, so this race is interesting, insofar as the rules in Georgia, right? A candidate needs a majority of the vote on election day to actually win the race.

If you're merely leading after election day but don't have a majority, you get to a runoff in December which ultimately could determine Senate control.

And right now the forecast is, in fact, for that runoff. Look at Herschel Walker and Raphael Warnock, both with 49 percent. You'll notice the name Chase Oliver. We normally don't talk about Libertarian candidates, but in this case, because he could keep the winner from reaching that 50 percent mark, his name is rather important. We'll be watching his vote share.

Now, when we put it all together, right, put the Senate entirely together, what is the chance that each side has? You can see, it's basically break even at this point.

[06:05:08]

Republicans perhaps have a slight chance of winning control of the Senate. But it's truly a slight edge: 55 percent to 45 percent. The fact is, those four Senate races we went over really will tell the story. Democrats probably need to win three of those four to maintain control.

COLLINS: Yes. We're waiting to see what these numbers are going to look like, especially Pennsylvania and Georgia. Harry, thank you.

ENTEN: Thank you.

LEMON: Let's go straight to the ground now in Georgia. Herschel Walker invoking a higher power and President Biden in his final pitch to Georgia voters. The Republican Senate candidate referring to himself as a warrior of God who will deliver the state to the promised land while referring to President Biden as, quote, "the biggest threat to democracy."

Jeff Zeleny on the campaign trail for us this morning in Atlanta. Good morning to you in "Hotlanta." How are candidates making their final push toward election day there?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Don.

Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock is trying to fend off that aggressive challenge from Republican Herschel Walker. As Harry was just saying there, Georgia really is the path to control of the Senate.

But there's also one person who has not been on the ground here for months who's at the center of this race. That is President Joe Biden. Of course, we see that in state after state across the country. Republicans trying to make this a referendum on the Biden administration, the Biden policies. That is someone who's name was evoked over and over on the campaign trail on Sunday.

Walker was even questioning how President Biden has been sounding the alarm on democracy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HERSCHEL WALKER (R), GEORGIA SENATORIAL NOMINEE: You heard the president, the biggest threat to democracy is to vote for somebody in the Republican Party. Is it crazy? The biggest threat to democracy is to have him in the White House, is it not?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: And Walker has been, of course, trying to make this about President Biden.

But Raphael Warnock, for his part, has been trying to say that Herschel Walker was a good football player, which of course, resonates here in Georgia after their big win over Tennessee, but he's simply not prepared to be a U.S. senator.

But of course, voters get the final say on that. And in the final, really, day of campaigning here, Don, this race is as close as many in the country.

LEMON: You know what, Jeff? It's been interesting to see how many people have cast their ballots already in early voting. This is a record number for midterm. Is it because of that Senate race? Is that the driver?

ZELENY: Without a doubt. There's also, of course, a tough governor's race here, a very competitive governor race.

But 2.3 million Georgians have already cast their votes. Early voting ended here on Friday.

But the key now is who else will be voting? So Democrats are trying to also make this about control of the Senate. But Don, as I was talking to voters throughout the day here yesterday, that's what this race really is about.

People are voting for Herschel Walker if they are, because yes, they like him, but also, they believe Republicans should control the Senate. The question for Democrats now is, can they get their voters out in the final day here and add to that early vote total?

And as Harry said also, this race could go into overtime. That runoff, if it goes to that, is December 6th -- Don.

LEMON: Jeff Zeleny, early this morning in Atlanta. Appreciate it. We'll see you soon.

HARLOW: All right. Let's talk about Pennsylvania. John Fetterman and Mehmet Oz are neck and neck in one of the most critical Senate battles this election cycle. So we went there.

CNN spoke to voters on the ground, what they're thinking about, what's top of mind. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRUCE ERSHIER, MONTGOMERYVILLE RESIDENT: I'm not a fan of Dr. Oz. I'm not a fan of Fetterman. My vote would probably end up being that I'd like to see the Democrats hold or win the Senate.

DAN WALSH, PHILADELPHIA VOTER: Healthcare is -- should be No. 1 on the list for the people of Pennsylvania, and I think John -- John Fetterman is the man to do it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, PHILADELPHIA VOTER: Fetterman is the best man for the job. And I think his message should be right now is to vote, vote, vote like your life depends on it, because it does.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, NORTHAMPTON COUNTY VOTER: For all the issues that we're unhappy with -- the economy failing, the crime, and lack of freedom of speech. So hopefully, with the winning of Republicans, we'll get all those.

MIKE ROGAL, PITTSBURGH VOTER: I'm going to vote for the doctor in the Senate race, Dr. Oz. I think Fetterman is probably a really good person, but he was pretty unintelligible at the debate.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you have your mind made up before the debate, or did that kind of seal the deal for you?

ROGAL: I think it sealed the deal.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: There are the voters.

All right. Wisconsin, Republican Senator Ron Johnson has already made it clear that he may not accept the results of tomorrow's election, and now he is injecting racial division into his closing campaign message.

Let's go to our colleague, Omar Jimenez. He is on the trail for CNN this morning in Milwaukee.

Omar, what is he saying, on top of the troubling fact that a few days ago he, you know, said he doesn't know if he can trust the outcome of the election?

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, so these are things he said at nearly every campaign stop we've been to. Now, on the racial division part of things, he specifically brought up comments that Mandela Barnes made in a previous interview, talking about how institutionalized racism might be scarier than what some might believe is traditional racism, because you can't see it.

[06:10:11]

And he coined the term in that interview "concealed carry racism." And they're comments that Johnson jumped onto an audience that is typically white, especially in some of these smaller towns, to say, Well, this is proof that he hated the -- this state and the people in it.

Take a listen to some of the comments he's made at these stops.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RON JOHNSON (R-WI): He's talking about racism in Wisconsin. Says it's actually scarier than down South, because we institutionalized it here in Wisconsin. We've just figured out how to conceal it. He called it "concealed carry racism."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Come on! JOHNSON: That's what he thinks of you. Kind of makes you scratch your head. I mean, why would he want to represent people who have institutionalized racism?

LT. GOV. MANDELA BARNES (D), WISCONSIN SENATORIAL NOMINEE: Ron Johnson ran a completely negative campaign, because he doesn't have a record to run on. He's spent 12 years serving himself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: Now, Barnes obviously believes the framing by Johnson is ridiculous, and he's called Johnson the worst senator this state has seen since Joe McCarthy of the '40s and '50s; as he touts his own true Wisconsin identity, as the son of a union worker and a teacher.

But Barnes, if elected, would be the first black senator in a state that's nearly 90 percent white.

HARLOW: It would indeed -- would make history. We'll see, though. It's very close. Omar Jimenez, thanks very, very much.

COLLINS: We have an exclusive CNN interview for you this morning, a one-on-one with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who is poised to potentially become House speaker if Republicans win control of the House tomorrow.

CNN's Melanie Zanona sat down with McCarthy on the campaign trail in Texas.

Melanie, what did Kevin McCarthy tell you about what a Republican majority is going to look like, what their plans are if they do win the House tomorrow?

ZANONA: Well, Kaitlan, I met up with the House minority leader here on the Texas border, where he is rallying for a number of Hispanic Republican women candidates who are vying to represent the Rio Grande Valley. And I started by asking him why he chose to be here in the closing days of the campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCCARTHY: Well, I could be anywhere in the country right now. But when you think about it, these are very competitive races. This is some exciting candidates. Mayra Flores, which shocked the world. No one thought she could win the seat, and she won it in the primary. Right? Competitive race. Now, she's the first Mexican-born woman ever elected to Congress. She's doing a tremendous job.

Monica de la Cruz, who came so close last time. She's going to make sure she wins in this. And then Cassy Garcia. I mean, what an unbelievable trio of these three ladies that are remarkable. We want to give them all the support they can. We've been engaging there.

But from the one standpoint, they represent this district very well. And you see a change in demographics. When Mayra won, her district was 84 percent Hispanic. And it also shows Republicans can compete anywhere in the country.

Not only is the party expanding and moving forward, these candidates, I think, will inspire so many young women across the country. They're going to look up and say, That could be me. I can get elected to Congress. And we're just going to see more and more Republican women from all different backgrounds running for Congress.

ZANONA: On the border, if you're speaker, what will you specifically do to secure the border?

MCCARTHY: Well, there's a number of things. I think stay in Mexico, you have to right off the bat. You've got to stop the cartels' control of the border. You've got to stop fentanyl from coming across.

Fentanyl, when you think about it, is a chemical of mass destruction. It is killing our next generation. It's the No. 1 killer of Americans between the ages of 18 and 45.

And any time you think about that, those are the ages of individuals who enlist to defend our nation. That is the age that is most productive in the workforce. It is destroying this nation as it's coming through this border, the poison from Mexico on in through the cartels.

And 300 Americans are going to be poisoned and die today, 300 tomorrow. And this --

ZANONA: So how do you stop that?

MCCARTHY: Well, this White House has done nothing. Well, you do it from a number of different ways. You first do a very frontal attack of China to stop the poison from coming. You control your borders and take control of it down here. You don't keep it wide-open. You provide the resources that the border agents need.

But you also provide to make sure the cartels aren't controlling the border in the background. There are a number of provisions we have that we will move forward on.

And then you also make sure that fentanyl, in time, anybody who wants to move it, you can prosecute them for the death penalty. Because that's exactly what it's doing.

ZANONA: Will there be an immigration bill on the floor if Republicans win the House?

MCCARTHY: I think the first thing you'll see is a bill to control the border, first. You've got to get control over the border.

You had almost 2 million people just this year alone coming across. But the part that hasn't been written about -- when I came here more than a year and a half ago, it's the first time it really got mentioned. The people we are catching on the terrorist watch list.

[06:15:02] You know, there's been 98 people on the terrorist watch list. It's very difficult to get on that. And we caught them coming across the border just this year. The White House tried to keep that secret.

You know, in California, we caught a number of individuals coming from Yemen, on the terrorist watch list. Why are they coming here? What do they have planned? And who are they talking to?

Now, those are just the ones we caught. What about the individuals we have not caught that are roaming around through our country?

ZANONA: And two other issues that Republicans have talked a lot about, crime and inflation. What would Republicans specifically do to bring those down?

MCCARTHY: Well, that's part -- that's why we came out with a commitment to America so people see exactly what we'll do. First thing we're going to do is make sure an economy that's strong. You look at what --

ZANONA: What specific bill would that be?

MCCARTHY: Well, what you -- firstly, is why do we have inflation, right? Even Larry Summers warned the Democrats not to pass the American Rescue Plan. A billion dollars of hardworking taxpayer money to prisoners, right?

You've got to curtail government spending. The next thing you have to bring greater productivity. Right? So incentivize people to go to work, not to stay home. Don't pay them more to stay home.

You've got to make sure that the new regulations that are adding to inflation has got to get curved back.

Then you've got to make sure America is energy-independent. If you lower the price of fuel, you also lower transportation costs and others. That is a very big mark to start out with. That's what we plan to do.

It also creates more American jobs, make us less dependent in other areas but makes America stronger and higher paid.

After we get done doing that, we would look at how do we make sure a nation that is safe? One is securing the border. Another provision is not to defund the police but fund the police. We'll provide more grants to give more recruiting opportunity for officers to come and train.

We'll also go through and look at all the prosecutors and score them of whether they're prosecuting and upholding the law. Because what we're finding is happening in New York, in Oregon and others, well, they won't prosecute, and crime continues to rise.

We just heard the devastation -- I was in New York this week -- of a -- of a young woman being raped by this serial criminal that's been arrested 25 times, should have never been on the street. And create that rating throughout so we provide greater security as we go.

ZANONA: And another policy issue, the debt ceiling. Are you willing to risk a default by using this as a bargaining chip?

MCCARTHY: Well, talk about risking -- You don't risk a default. Think about --

ZANONA: Not raising it would be a default.

MCCARTHY: Well, just sit and pause for one moment. We're not going to default, but think for one moment here.

ZANONA: Under your watch, there would be no default? Is that what you're saying?

MCCARTHY: Let me answer the question. All right? And let's not put other words in people's mouth.

People go and say, Oh, you're going to put in default. A debt ceiling is you hit a limit on your credit card. So if you're going to give a person a higher limit, wouldn't you first say, you should change your behavior so you just don't keep raising it all the time?

I think we need to look at where the waste, the fraud, and abuse. I mean, Washington has so much wasteful spending. We can curve [SIC] that. And that's what we should start looking at from day one.

And you'll see, right after the election next week, I will come out with a number of provisions to get our house in order financially and do it in smart manners.

And really look across the nation, not just inside Congress itself but some of the brightest minds across the country that can help us with this. Those that have turned around companies before. How do you eliminate waste, make more productivity? How do you eliminate duplication in others? You shouldn't just say, Oh, I'm going to let you keep spending money. No household would do that.

ZANONA: Republicans did raise the debt ceiling under Trump.

MCCARTHY: And the Democrats, when they took over one-party control, went and spent $10 trillion that got us into this problem, got us inflation, hit another debt ceiling. Do you want to continue that same pattern?

Or don't you think it's a responsibility to all the taxpayers that we curve [SIC] that, that we eliminate any waste, that we eliminate what is going on on all this spending? And I think those are the things we'll look at.

ZANONA: So besides legislation, Republicans have made investigations a huge priority. I know you've said not going to determine the outcome, but is impeachment on the table?

MCCARTHY: You know what's on the table? Accountability. Shouldn't we know where the origins of COVID actually started? They didn't have one hearing on it.

Shouldn't we know what happened in the last 60 days of Afghanistan so we would never repeat that again? We wouldn't have 13 new Gold Star families that should have never happened.

Shouldn't we know why the DOJ would take it upon themselves to go after parents that would go to school board meetings? And shouldn't we know where the taxpayers' money is being spent?

I call that accountability. And that's -- that's a responsibility for Congress, regardless of what -- whosever party is in the White House.

ZANONA: Some of your members are already calling for impeachment. What do you say to those members?

MCCARTHY: I say that one thing I've always known about the land of America, it's the rule of law. And we will hold the rule of law, and we won't play politics with this. We'll never use impeachment for political purposes.

That doesn't mean if something rises to the occasion, it would not be used. At any other time, it wouldn't matter if it's Republican or Democrat.

[06:20:05]

But the idea of what Democrats have done, what Adam Schiff did to this nation, is treacherousry [SIC]. To lie to the nation and put us through this, time and again, when he knew where this origin was created from, we're better than all that.

We need to make sure we get our nation back on track. And that's what the commitment to America does. It is a plan for a new direction: an economy that's strong, a nation that is safe, a future that's built on freedom, and a government that's accountable. That is our focus.

ZANONA: Speaking of oversight, Marjorie Taylor Greene says she wants a seat on the Oversight Committee. Are you OK with that? Will you support that, despite her history of inflammatory remarks and denying the 2020 election?

MCCARTHY: Marjorie Greene, if she's going to gets reelected, she's going to have committees to serve on. And --

ZANONA: On Oversight, though? Would it be able --

MCCARTHY: She's going to have committees to serve on, just like every other member. And every other member goes through a steering committee, looking at the best places to serve. Members request different committees, and as we go through the steering committee, we'll look at it.

ZANONA: And you're on the steering committee. So if she came to you and said, I want a seat on Oversight, would you support that?

MCCARTHY: I'm -- I'm one person on the steering committee. The steering committee --

ZANONA: But has more weight than others.

MCCARTHY: -- will -- the steering committee will decide where we serve. But Marjorie Greene is going to have committees, yes. She's duly elected by her district --

ZANONA: Yes.

MCCARTHY: -- and has a right to serve.

ZANONA: And you have no red lines in terms of which committee assignments she could get?

MCCARTHY: No. She can put through the committees she wants. Just like any other member in our conference that gets elected.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZANONA: Now, I also asked Kevin McCarthy about the members of his own party who have been mocking and spreading conspiracy theories about the attack on Nancy Pelosi's husband. I will have that reaction in the next hour -- Don, Poppy, Kaitlan.

COLLINS: Yes, I know there's also been some questions that you have for him on him running for House speaker, what that's going to look like. So we will get back to you, Melanie, with more on this Kevin McCarthy interview. So thank you.

LEMON: There's a lot that needs to be also the -- the -- he misled people about fentanyl. There's a lot that needs to be fact checked when it comes to what Kevin McCarthy said. About fentanyl seized at the border. Fentanyl is not the No. 1 cause of death for Americans.

But I think that it's important to have Kevin McCarthy on, but it needs to be fact checked. What he -- a lot of what he said in that interview was not factual.

COLLINS: Well, the next part of the interview, the part that we're going to be airing in a few moments, is really interesting, because it talks about him becoming House speaker. He is poised to become it, whether or not he feels that he has Trump's support.

And he's going to be making crucial decisions like when it comes to Marjorie Taylor Greene. Obviously, she was stripped of her assignments last year for the comments --

HARLOW: Yes.

COLLINS: -- that she had made previously.

HARLOW: That's what I found so fascinating. I mean, you were in Washington covering all of this, Kaitlan, during this time. The tone, the complete reversal that Kevin McCarthy has had in his position on Marjorie Taylor Greene is fascinating.

LEMON: Yes.

COLLINS: Well, and he's in this weird position of he has to --

HARLOW: Right.

COLLINS: -- accommodate her, he feels like, because of that part of the party. She is powerful --

HARLOW: Yes.

COLLINS: -- because she's one of the loudest members of his -- of his party, of his caucus. But also dealing with the more mainstream Republicans, who aren't comfortable with her comments.

So it'll be -- it'll be a challenge for him if they do win the majority tomorrow.

LEMON: We'll talk more. Audie's going to be up a little bit later to talk about all that coming up.

COLLINS: Also, tensions between two of the biggest stars of the Republican Party, former President Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, were center stage this weekend as the two held dueling rallies in Florida with the name calling and the rift intensifying.

Plus.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. KATHY HOCHUL (D-NY): You know, a lot of people are saying why does President Biden come to New York so much?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: New York Governor Kathy Hochul hoping one last visit from the president can help her keep her job.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:27:59]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

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

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, the former president, Donald Trump, taking a jab at Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Tension between the two spilling out into public with dueling campaign rallies previewing a possible 2024 primary showdown between them.

So joining us now, CNN correspondent Audie Cornish. Audie, good morning.

AUDIE CORNISH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you.

LEMON: How are you?

CORNISH: Good. Good, good.

LEMON: So is that it? I mean, listen, Ron DeSantis is running, and Republicans are really ticked at the former president for calling him out. Do you think this is going to have any effect in Florida?

CORNISH: Well, first of all, I mean, Florida, DeSantis is doing very well right now. He is expected to win, which he really wants to, because he won so narrowly in 2018.

No. 2, getting a nickname from Trump is sort of like a sign of respect. And then No. 2 [SIC], he had to dial it back a little, which is a sign that someone said, Hey, chill out. Because we're still working on this thing, the midterm thing. So he's obviously aware.

It's interesting. People have been asking, like, why is Biden in New York? Why is Trump in Florida? You know, I mean, like people are going where they're wanted.

And I think Trump maybe got ahead of himself a little bit. So now we know what's up.

LEMON: but it's obvious that he's concerned about DeSantis. Because he wouldn't be talking about him.

COLLINS: He's putting a poll up on the screen at his rally in Florida --

CORNISH: Of course.

HARLOW: About?

COLLINS: -- which DeSantis was not invited to, I should note. They're holding separate rallies in the state. And it's showing how much more popular Trump is than Ron DeSanctimonious.

CORNISH: I mean, he's got some work to do, because while he's been mired in defending himself from various legal battles and dealing with the January 6th Committee fallout, DeSantis has been out there talking about education, talking about culture war issues, and basically leading in a Trump space without the Trump baggage.

HARLOW: Dealing with the hurricane.

CORNISH: Of course. Exactly.

HARLOW: Let's talk about -- you mentioned Biden and New York, so President Biden was here in New York, which is fascinating, just like hours before the midterms. Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul, who wants to remain governor and is

in a very tight race against Lee Zeldin, said this over the weekend. Let's play it.

[06:30:00]