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CNN Tonight
January 6 Committee Subpoenaed Donald Trump; Daycare Teachers Face Felony Charges; Kari Lake Believes Only In Winning; Voters Have Different Issues; President Biden Can't Beat Former President Obama's Charisma. Aired 10-11p ET
Aired October 21, 2022 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[22:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Thank you so much for joining me tonight. Our coverage continues now with the Splendiferous Laura Coates. Laura Coates.
LAURA COATES, CNN HOST: I like that. I wanted you to add one more because Alisyn is on assignment though, but I'll take the splendiferous on a Friday night.
TAPPER: No. One -- one per customer, one per customer. I apologize.
COATES: God. I'm not trick or treatment at your house. One piece of candy for each kid?
TAPPER: No. No, no, no. No, we --
COATES: You had it all out?
TAPPER: We, yes, because I don't want it in the house afterwards because I'll eat it all.
COATES: Is that the trick? Because I'm always like one piece kid and not the one I actually want.
TAPPER: No.
COATES: There you go.
TAPPER: Take 20 so I don't eat them. Yes.
COATES: OK. Well, go to Jake Tappers. Everyone, not Laura Coates this. You get one piece of candy. It's probably some black licorice. Anyway.
TAPPER: You probably give apples. That's what I think about you.
COATES: I might -- I've given op -- I've given some toothbrushes from time and time. I have.
TAPPER: No. COATES: I have.
TAPPER: No.
COATES: No, I'm just kidding. I give good -- I give full cans of soda to the parents hate me.
TAPPER: Nice. Nice.
COATES: Yes. There you go. So, I won. Anyway, good evening, everyone. Thanks, Jake. Have a good night.
TAPPER: All right. See you. Bye-bye.
COATES: This is CNN Tonight. Everyone, I'm Laura Coates. And as I mentioned, Alisyn is on assignment. But we are going to keep the conversation going with our panelists from all across the political spectrum. And they're on the screen right now.
And here's a really provocative question that we've been or going to tackle tonight. Here it is. So, what if the 2022 midterms are a repeat of 2020? I know it sounds like a very interesting proposition, maybe a scary one for a lot of people, but what if election deniers are refusing to accept the results?
I'm not saying January 6th happens again, but what might be the consequences of that? I'll talk to master pollster, because he's really scared to death that that's exactly what will happen.
And plus, the January 6th committee subpoenas the former president. Well, it's out there now, but what will come next? Is there enough time to really do anything about it if he were to thumb his nose at the whole thing.
And the story that people are talking about tonight, parents around the country, have you seen this? Former daycare workers are facing felony child abuse charges after a viral video showing an adult wearing a scream style mask yelling in little kid's faces and chasing them around the room.
It's also videotaped, by the way, and you have frightened children who are screaming and who are crying, and it's frankly awful and excusable. But could somebody really go to prison for this?
We had a lot to talk about tonight here on the show. I'll kick it off with the midterms. There are now 18 days away. I want to bring in pollster extraordinaire Frank Luntz.
Frank, it's nice to see you. Happy Friday to you.
Although I wonder, you know, I've been reading a lot of your work and following along. And I have to tell you, you've been very scared at the proposition that all the conversations around election deniers aren't just sort of this esoteric thing about our democracy being in peril. You think past might be the immediate prologue. Tell me what your thoughts are. FRANK LUNTZ, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST AND POLLSTER: It's possible, and
this is based on focus groups and surveys that we've been doing over the past couple months, and the intensity of the anger of the rejection of our political process has actually grown over the last two months, and we know the gentleman who's responsible for it.
One of the challenges right now is to ensure that our democratic process is respected, appreciated, and most importantly, trusted. And what we are finding right now is the same kind of fear that people had the same kind of anxiety about the electoral -- electoral process that happened in 2020 in the weeks leading up to it is happening right now again, in 2022.
And while there's no presidential race at stake, there are Senate races, governance races, secretary of state races, attorney general's races in the local states that can make a meaningful, measurable impact. And whether or not people trust our election system.
Now make no mistake, a lower percentage of Americans trust our institutions. And that's everything from education and hospitals to Congress, the Senate, Supreme Court. It's not just political. It's all of our institutions. And if that trust then is lack of trust is passed down to our -- to our electoral system, God help us. What will bring us together? What will get us to work together side by side?
COATES: Yes.
LUNTZ: How will we find the ability to govern?
COATES: I mean, that's the big question. And as you mentioned, I'm glad you've expanded beyond obviously, the presidential races that will come up in two years, and thinking more about who would have an immediate impact to act on that distrust.
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Secretaries of state in particular, a lot of focus has been on the Senate races. I understand why and the balance of power in the House and the Senate. But I mean, if you're thinking about what Congressman Liz Cheney had to say, during the January 6th hearings, the last one, she really articulated the idea of maybe the blueprint, and I'm paraphrasing here, but maybe the blueprint is to ensure that those who are responsible for overseeing elections are more inclined to maybe find those 11,000 plus votes or whatever the number is.
Maybe they're more inclined to, to back down and not demonstrate a bit of spine. Is that part of your concern, particularly in those races that aren't getting the most coverage?
LUNTZ: Yes. And in fact, it's why the Georgia secretary of state is a true, genuine hero, that he's the man who stood up to Donald Trump and wouldn't find those votes and went public about it and has continued to press it with other secretaries across the country.
That your party is secondary. Your country matters more than anything else. And I want to make that point for your panelists, because I know you put on Republicans and Democrats, but the truth is on the new CNN we're more than just partisans. I think we are. We're about the country. We're about the future. We're about democracy and economic freedom, and that requires us to call out those on the right, Donald Trump, and frankly, those on the left, Stacey Abrams from four years ago.
We need to call out those who simply refuse to accept the election returns because that is an asset that eats away at our confidence at our country and our future.
COATES: Well, certainly I hope at CNN we are journalists, not partisans, but I'll tell you this. There is a comment that I keep hearing about time and time again, and I'm really curious about your reaction to it.
Because we've been doing a pulse of the people here on this program, and Alisyn Camerota had one that featured a voter who said, look, hold on a second. I doubt this election cycle for the same reasons maybe that people doubted 2016 different reasons.
But the truth of the matter is, how do I have confidence if everyone wanted to doubt the integrity of that election and the absence of interference? And then now in 2020, no one says boo in that same category.
Can you respond how you view that level of, or that thought process, that these are somehow equivalent?
LUNTZ: Skepticism is legitimate, and in fact it's welcomed in our country. And that's one of the reasons why one of the most highly prized values right now is accountability. The idea of being able to grab someone by the neck and say, wait a minute, you promised X and you gave us Y, and that is not right.
But that's different than cynicism. That's different than rejecting the entire system and teaching your kids and telling your friends that there's no reason anymore to support democracy.
The fact is there will be millions -- it's going to be a high turnout based on our polling right now, but there are millions of people who won't vote because they will think that their vote either won't matter or won't be counted.
And it's up to the people who run these elections to demonstrate, to prove without a shadow of a doubt that your candidate may not win, but there is a value in participating. And that's why we have to be careful about what we say, about how we communicate, because this is a very precious, fragile system right now. It's our responsibility to make it stronger.
COATES: A republic if we can keep it right, Frank? Thank you so much. Nice hearing from you and hearing your insight.
I do want to bring in the panel to talk about those very questions. We've got political commentators for CNN, Scott Jennings and Ashley Allison, and also Kevin Madden, who was a former top aide to Mitt Romney's presidential campaign.
You know, on the point we were just touching on, obviously you're never guaranteed to vote for the winner. That's not supposed to be the premise of democracy. But the idea here that we have election denialism that is part of campaign platforms, that's very ironic.
Because the same people who will then oversee to ensure that it's in integrity and has a system that's fair, are saying you can't trust it. I mean, it's really the double-edged sword. I don't know that it can ever really be resolved. Do you see this issue?
KEVIN MADDEN, FORMER AIDE TO MITT ROMNEY PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: Well, I think one of the big problems that you have to, sort of, first agree on is that there's this cynicism, right? And the skepticism is a bipartisan problem. And it's also driven by the fact that not everybody thinks about how these elections are administered all the time.
So, one of the things that's really key to combating is, first of all, a much higher level of engagement from the -- from elected officials like secretaries of state around the country about the facts, about how these elections are secure. And then a much better level of engagement about the rule of law.
Ultimately, the vigilance on both of those, which is getting the information and facts to voters, and then vigilance on the rule of law, which is that even if you did have a rogue secretary of state who had, it wasn't an election denier.
[22:10:02]
That ultimately the rule of law in a state or a community jurisdiction, wherever it is, that that ultimately trumps the day, no pun intended.
COATES: But, you know, it's a little bit hard at trying to think for people, this is really the first elections we've had since January 6th. Right? And there hasn't been the full resolution surrounding it. There was just today the official subpoena that was sent to the former president of the United States.
And so are we a little bit looking at this in a naive way to suggest that people would be able to move on and not expect that there might be consequences that are felt in this midterm election, just what, 20 days, 19 days away, whatever it is.
ASHLEY ALLISON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. I mean, I want to break this down in a couple of parts though, because it was referenced Stacey Abrams, and I know my friend Scott will probably bring that up because we always jest about that.
There -- there's a difference between voter suppression and election denial. Stacey Abrams believes that voter suppression took place in Georgia, and because of that, the votes that were cast for her were not completely counted. They were thrown out because of either signature matching or polling places closing, or you name it. She has not led it insurrection. Instead, she started two
organizations, one, to get people to count on the census and one to get people to register to vote, and then she is engaging in the democratic process. She has not tried to challenge Brian Kemp as governor. Only ex -- with the exception of on the ballot.
On the other hand, you have candidates, I don't know any election deniers from 2020 that have Democrat -- or Democrats or independent or libertarians. But you have Republicans who are running two thirds of their candidates in this midterm who do not, not just don't believe in the election, want to overthrow the nature of our democracy.
And I think it's important to be very clear on what they are doing. And the reason why they are trying to run on that platform is not just for 2022. They want to get in office so that they get to administer these elections to make our democracy weaker in 2024 and beyond.
COATES: Well before you respond, I want to play for you guys. Because I think this way infuses the conversation. Kari Lake, who you know is running for office. And it's a pretty close race in Arizona that I should mention, but she's had a bit of a reaction in talking about the idea of whether she's really an election denier, whether she will actually fully embrace the results, whatever they may be.
Listen to what she had to say just this evening talking to Jonathan Karl where she, I don't know if you call it hedged, but was it the answer people were looking for? Here she is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KARI LAKE (R), ARIZONA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: I'm going to win the election and I will accept that result.
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: If you lose, will you accept that?
LAKE: I'm going to win the election and I will accept that result.
I will accept the results of this election if we have a fair, honest, and transparent election. Absolutely, 100 percent.
JONATHAN KARL, CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, ABC NEWS: But if you were to lose and you went out and you had all your appeals, they went through.
LAKE: As long as it's fair, honest, and transparent.
KARL: And certified. I mean, who's going to determine that? Are you going to determine that or what if it's a certified --
(CROSSTALK)
LAKE: It looks like my opponent might have to determine that.
KARL: Well, she is the secretary. She is the secretary --
(CROSSTALK)
LAKE: That's an interesting -- that's an interesting conundrum, isn't it?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Scott, when you think of that, you look at that, I mean, obviously it's the idea of election denier, which obviously has negative connotation as it's being cast. She's sort of threading a needle there, is she not?
SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, every candidate --
(CROSSTALK)
COATES: Are you buying it?
JENNINGS: Kevin and I were discussing this earlier. Every candidate is conditioned to show confidence in their own campaign. So, to sit there and ask somebody over and over and over and over and over and over and over and again, what are you going to do if you lose? What are you going to do if you lose?
They're never going to say, well, you're right. I guess I am going to lose. Here's all the things I'm going to do when I -- no candidate is going to engage in that rhetoric. So that's number one.
Number two, what she said is perfectly legitimate thing for a candidate to say, I expect to win. If it's fair and transparent and administered fairly in my judgment, I'll accept the results. What else would you want her to say?
ALLISON: Well --
(CROSSTALK)
JENNINGS: And by the way, she's not wrong. Her opponent is a secretary of state.
COATES: That's true. But let me ask both of you, because you were aiming on this, on this point. She's not answering it in a vacuum, right? It's on the backdrop --
MADDEN: Right.
COATES: -- of January 6th and deniers who were saying, well actually, if I don't win, here's what's going to happen. Is it fair to use sort of the, I'm not going to call it archaic, because you're not that old and no one near the table is, but the idea of is everything sort of at the pre-January 6th now passe. It's a new world.
MADDEN: Well, she certainly invited a much higher level of skepticism and scrutiny of any answer based on the fact that she has supported previous theories about Trump, not Trump being the -- or Biden not being the elected president. So, she's going to have to continue to deal with these questions.
So, you know, we -- Scott was mentioning about earlier, the answer is more of like a candidate discipline about I'm going to win. But that scrutiny and that level of intensity that she's getting right now, it's warranted.
JENNINGS: Can we -- can we go back to Georgia for a second? Because you said some things about Georgia. I wanted to respond to. When you said, Stacey Abrams believes that voter suppression caused her votes not to be count -- flipped the names. That's what Donald Trump believes.
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He believes that strange things that went on with the rules didn't allow his votes to be counted correctly or somehow inappropriately advantaged by. That -- they essentially believe the same thing.
ALLISON: No, they don't.
JENNINGS: That the rules, that the rules disadvantaged them. And in, I think they're both wrong.
ALLISON: No.
JENNINGS: How can you believe one and not the other?
ALLISON: One -- one point I want to say is Kari Lake mentioned that Katie Hobbs is the secretary of state. Well, Brian Kemp was a secretary of state when he was running and got to decide the election. So, there's some parallels there.
But what I will say is voter suppression is a part of our country's history. And cases, the Shelby case, we know that voter suppression is real. Donald Trump filed lawsuit after lawsuit after lawsuit and couldn't win any of them. So, they're not the same thing.
JENNINGS: Well, I agree with you. And Stacey Abrams just filed a lawsuit in Georgia, her organization to challenge the Georgia voting laws, which she says her voter suppression. And a judge threw it out and said they couldn't produce evidence of a single instance where a voter was suppressed.
COATES: Although you're talking my language in the courtroom. Now I got to tell you something.
(CROSSTALK)
JENNINGS: And so, I'm just --
COATES: No, let me --
JENNINGS: I see the parallels here.
COATES: Let me -- let me answer your question in part here, and I think it comes down to the word believe. Because one of the things that judges recently said is that it was not a, actual belief that the former president had about the fact that there was widespread voter fraud. It was a tactic to try to delay the ability to certify the election. So that's what it's coming down to in terms of that notion.
So, there is a distinction in my mind and any court's minds about that very notion. But we're going to stick on this notion of what we believe. Maybe we'll get a little shared. Do you believe in love after love comment coming here? I don't know. I might. It's Friday night.
I want to know what you think out there. Will the midterms be 2020 all over again? Let us know. That and anything else you want to say, including about maybe your share lyrics? I don't know. I mean, Taylor Swift drops tonight. Whatever, within reason. Tweet me at the Laura Coates. Use the hash tag CNN sound off.
[22:20:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COATES: All right. It's official. The January 6th House committee finally subpoenaing former President Trump. The committee wants him to sit for a deposition under oath, the key words, and they want a whole lot of documents relating to efforts to undermine the 2020 election.
Now his attorneys are saying, they're reviewing the subpoena that they will, quote, "respond as appropriate to this unprecedented action." And they're also accusing the committee of flouting norms.
So, what happens now? Back with me, Scott Jennings and Ashley Allison. Also joining us is national security attorney Bradley Moss. Glad to see you, Brad, in the conversation.
I mean, they've been talking a lot about this subpoena one day being issued. They voted last week. It's finally here. It's also on a day when Steve Bannon was sentenced to four months in jail.
I wonder, given the timeline it took, if Trump were to thumb their nose at the subpoena. Do they have the time and the runway to deal with this issue, if he says, thanks for the subpoena. No.
BRADLEY MOSS, NATIONAL SECURITY ATTORNEY: So honest answer, no. If the House flips in November as a lot of us expect it will. If Republicans take control, they're going to shut down the committee in January. There's no way that even if Donald Trump pulls out a straight Steve Bannon here and just says, forget it, I'm not even talking to you guys. I'm not going to respond at all.
Even if they referred him for contempt, even if they get it to the Justice Department, nothing is going to come of this. Neither Congress through its efforts, nor the Justice Department is going to hold him on a simple misdemeanor of contempt of Congress.
If he's facing problems with the Justice Department, if he's facing indictment, it's a larger issue of conspiracy to defraud the United States for January 6th. This is just something they throw in as an afterthought. COATES: So, your issue is not, or your thought is not that the DOJ would be dismissive because it's not credible because they have other fish to fry. And this would be not a nuisance, but more the -- we have other things we want to be looking at.
Let me ask you this though. And of course, even if the House were retained by Democrats, this still committee gets goodnight in January no matter what. But in this subpoena, itself, were you surprised by the breath of what was contained, what they were asking for? Were you surprised at the timing of it? It was really the last thing they've done?
MOSS: No, I think we always expected that if they took this step, which was a step that they really didn't want to have to take, in the end, it was going to be one at the absolute end of all this. We've had all the hearings, we've had all this witness testimony, all these documents produced, but also that it was going to go towards us particular categories of information and communications that they already were set on.
It's dealing with the false, you know, electors' scheme. It's dealing with his interactions with Jeffrey Clark trying to get the Justice Department to move in on his behalf. Those are the things they're focused on, which their report, which presumably is going to come out sometime before they get good night will outline, but that is very much where they wanted information from him, which I do not expect we're ever going to see.
JENNINGS: But why did they wait? This has been my question. He was the focus of this from day one. They always knew they wanted him to answer questions and answer for January the 6th. Isn't doing it now just a P.R. stunt. I mean, as you say, he's not going to deal with this. The Justice Department is not going to deal with this. He's not going to answer this. He'd be crazy to. So --
(CROSSTALK)
COATES: But hold on. Is it a foregone conclusion that he will not play if they set up the circumstances where he can have the free reign of the microphone? I mean, obviously --
JENNINGS: I mean --
COATES: -- as a lawyer, I would not advise my client to speak.
MOSS: Nope.
COATES: I think you'd be the same way. But he has been asking when the impeachments came down, look, he wanted his, you know, virtual day in the court of public opinion. Is it crazy think that he might say, I'm going to talk?
JENNINGS: I mean, I'm not a lawyer. You all the lawyer. That's crazy.
COATES: Everything is crazy about all this. ALLISON: Yes. But I don't think he would do it because he's not going
to be able to do it the way he wants to do it. And the committee will not enable that in that.
COATES: In fact, I want to play, hold on. Zoe Lofgren on this point, because she was asked the question about whether or not he would be able to dictate the terms of it. Let me play that. I want you to respond.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ZOE LOFGREN (D-CA): Well, that's subject to negotiation. But first we need to hear back from him. As you know, we've asked for the documents first so that we can consider what additional questions we may wish to post to him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Ashley, you want to respond to that?
ALLISON: Well, I think that he's -- I appreciate the hint to a negotiation because he is the former president. There is a little difference there, but I don't think that he -- they're going to meet and find a middle ground.
[22:25:03]
It's going to be the Donald Trump show or no show at all. When you ask like why the January 6 committee waited so long, we've all been waiting for like the smoking gun, where it's like Trump did it and we haven't gotten it yet.
I think. Cassidy Hutchin -- Hutchinson's testimony, and then the recent footage of Nancy Pelosi and other leaders that came from the last one. And so, I think they were trying to build their case, and this is -- but they just never fully landed the plane where they got the evidence.
And I mean, I'm saying that as a Democrat, again, it doesn't matter, but I just think that that's why they waited so long because they thought the pieces would fall into place and the smoking gun never came out.
COATES: Let me tell you, when you think about this going forward, I mean I can't think help but think of the phrase tit-for-tat because we already know retaliatory actions will be taken possibly if the House is reclaimed in majority by Republicans.
Just look at this screen. There's, I mean, here are the types of investigations that they've already promised to actually enter into if Republicans are the ones to reclaim the majority.
And when you think about that, I mean, is this precedent setting up to possibly open Biden up to investigations, to being subpoenaed in some way to having other members executive branch in the same position? MOSS: So, they're certainly going to run, assuming Republicans take control, they're going to run all these investigations. That's fine. That's going to be the prerogative and a lot of it, they're going to be able to get interesting information, I'm sure, because people will comply.
But just like Donald Trump had all these protections when he was president and could push off all the inquiries that were going on into his administration. Joe Biden is going to get to rely on those exact same privileges and protections. He's got Supreme Court precedent from the Trump era about that limits the power of Congress to even enforce its subpoenas. He's going to be able to use that to push back.
And let's put -- be very clear. If on his way out of office, Joe Biden tries to instigate, you know, a crowd to go march from the capitol, I'm sure there'll be a committee to investigate it. Nothing like that has happened so far under Joe Biden's watch.
JENNINGS: Well, I mean, to be fair though, the Democrats and Joe Biden have argued that it was wrong for Donald Trump's administration to stonewall or whatever. If they engage in the same tactics as you say, or use the same precedent, wouldn't that be a political problem for them?
And the things you just put on the screen are legitimate investigations, Afghanistan, COVID, I mean, a lot of serious stuff that our government did over the last several years. It absolutely deserves a little bit of scrutiny. And if the Biden administration engages in, I mean, that's legitimate. If they, you know, I don't think they should impeach Joe Biden.
I mean that, that to me is fringy. But that stuff, that's legitimate government stuff and it deserves some kind of, look, see from the government. And if Biden stonewalls it, I, to me, it's a political problem.
COATES: Well, we shall see how it all comes out in the wash, everyone. Those are just the possible ones. And I bet, and we've heard from McCarthy and others about wanting to go and have a retaliatory notion with the president of the United States.
Listen, join Drew Griffin for an investigation into Steve Bannon and his master plan to reshape the U.S. government and the Republican Party. A CNN special report, Steve Bannon divided we fall starts at the top of the hour.
Former President Obama putting out a slew of campaign endorsement ads, and you got to see him. You'll see him here tonight as President Biden is stumping in Pennsylvania. But just who do Democrats really want to be on the campaign trail with? We'll talk about it, next.
[22:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COATES: So, with the midterms really looming this time, some closely watched Democratic campaigns are starting to release ads that feature the former President Barack Obama.
Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman and Arizona, gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs among those getting Obama's official endorsement.
That, as the former president is getting ready to stump with candidates in Georgia, in Michigan, in Wisconsin and Nevada in the next week or so.
I want to bring in two radio hosts to talk about what they're hearing from their listeners. Joe Madison, host of the Joe Madison show, known as The Black Eagle, of course, on Sirius XM Radio, and Mike Broomhead, host of the Mike Broomhead Show on KTAR out of Arizona.
I'm glad to have you both here. Because you know, we talk on television about the polls and what people are saying and what we think they mean, but on radio, you all know very, very well. When your callers are calling in, they will tell you what they care about. You don't even have to ask half the times.
I want to ask you first, Joe, about this, because you know you are a legend in radio.
JOE MADISON, HOST, THE JOE MADISON SHOW, SIRIUSXM: It means I'm been around a while.
COATES: No, well, I'm going to call you a legend in radio because I know firsthand, but you have been around a while before doing it.
MADISON: Yes.
COATES: That's wonderful.
MADISON: Thank you.
COATES: What do they care most about? I mean, I know poll after poll says the economy, the economy, the economy. But day to day, how are they receiving all this information?
MADISON: Well, it -- they actually, they care about what they hear when you folks on CNN and, you know, talk to them. It just depends. Women, clearly the abortion issue has struck a nerve. With my audience, I can tell you that what's the biggest driving force that's really getting my audience to the foes -- to the phones and to the polls.
It's the Marjorie Taylor Greens. I'm telling you the -- it's the Herschel Walkers. It's --
(CROSSTALK)
COATES: Meaning not in support of either.
MADISON: Well, that -- no, no. This is not about being support. It's about the craziness. It's the insurrection on January. It's the fear that they're going to lose their democracy. [22:35:06]
They're going to lose their vote. It's being -- it's hearing people talk about, well, inflation, inflation. And then what you asked the other side, well, what's the solution? And they don't hear an answer.
Look, let me tell you. Here's the -- here's what's going on with my audience. We were concerned that young people wouldn't come out to vote. Well, let me tell you, down in Atlanta, these college students have organized and they're turning out to vote, and they're turning out on issues that impact them. Again, like the student loan forgiveness. That's what I am actually hearing.
COATES: I love to think about a very informed electorate and those who are caring about the issues, not just or the soundbites of it.
Mike Broomhead, you are the host of Mike Broomhead show, and you are getting a number of calls, a lot of -- your ears must be burning, but people are talking about the issues of the day.
MIKE BROOMHEAD, HOST, THE MIKE BROOMHEAD SHOW, KTAR: Yes.
COATES: I wonder for you, what are the main points that your audience is talking about and what are you tapping into?
BROOMHEAD: Well, of course it's the economy for everybody here as well. Arizona's been positioned very well, and it's not us that's saying it, they're saying it across -- the experts are saying, we're positioned better for a recession if there happens to be one.
But the big issue here also has to do with the border because we're a border state. So here in Arizona, it really is a nonpartisan issue. I, you know, obviously I'm conservative talk radio, but there are a lot of people here in Arizona for years have been talking about the border issue.
Seventy percent of the fentanyl that's coming into this country comes through the state of Arizona. And when you hear a story about fentanyl and you're a border state, that's one of the things you're concerned about.
So that's a big issue here as well, is border security, the economy, the abortion issue here in Arizona is a big one, but not nearly as big as those other two.
COATES: You know, I wonder has -- has there been any impact for you and your listeners as you're hearing about it, as these ads are starting to roll out? I mean, the fact that really, I mean, and to be fair, President Biden has been campaigning around the country.
He -- the administration does talk about the fact that they are doing what they can. They have not been rejected universally, but you do hear more and more from the former President Barack Obama. How is that playing with your audience?
BROOMHEAD: What's interesting is that because of what's happening with the economy here, because we have Senator Kirsten Sinema, who has been somebody that's kind of gone against her party a little bit. Mark Kelly is running for reelection. And he has talked about the border issues and kind of stepped aside from the president.
The president doesn't have as much of an impact here this time. But the former President Obama control, you know, he has a big impact. Just like in years past with the Democratic Party, it was the Clinton family, the Kennedy's before them. The Obamas do have a big impact. He is a big name here.
And I would say with all due respect to the current president, President Obama would have a bigger impact with voters in Arizona than the current president does.
COATES: Well, he's hoping that's the case in places like Pennsylvania. I want to play for both of you. This is the ad that dropped today in support of John Fetterman in Pennsylvania.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: In Pennsylvania, you've got some important choices to make this year, including who represents you in the U.S. Senate. That's why I'm asking you to vote for John Fetterman this election day November 8th, so when the fate of our democracy and a woman's right to choose are on the line, I know John will fight for Pennsylvanians. You can count on John Fetterman. Make sure he can count on you. Vote Democrat on November 8th.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: So, Joe, let me turn to you on this issue. Because when you -- when you see this and hear this, I mean, you're smiling. This is, it has an impact you think on many voters.
MADISON: Well, of course the Obamas have an impact. I mean, you know, they are probably the most loved people in the -- with the base. There's no if and butts about it. But I'm going to say something that's probably going to upset the Obamas. It may upset Fetterman.
There is political advertising fatigue. I mean, it's -- and so, look, I think people who are going to vote have already decided they're going to vote and it's one commercial after another. And that's what I'm hearing from my listeners. We, you know, it's --
(CROSSTALK)
COATES: Is it fatigue over the nastiness of some? Not that that was a nasty one, but there has been, you know, a lot of gloves off or just the sheer volume of it.
MADISON: It's the sheer volume.
COATES: Right.
MADISON: It's the sheer volumes. you know, we were -- we were talking a little bit earlier with different people today, and they're saying, you know, I'll be glad when this is over. But, but, in a way that's good because I think we're going to have one of the biggest midterm turnouts than we've had in recent history.
[22:39:59]
I love your analyst, and I know they go by history and what happens when a sitting president is in office.
COATES: Right.
MADISON: This is a very unusual midterm election, and I think the historians are going to be rewriting history.
COATES: Mike Broomhead, I'm going to give you the last word here because I didn't call you a legend --
BROOMHEAD: OK.
COATES: -- because you weren't sitting next to me.
BROOMHEAD: I like that. That just means --
(CROSSTALK)
COATES: But there you go.
BROOMHEAD: That just means I'm -- I'm not as old. I haven't been around you.
MADISON: Thank you. Yes, yes.
COATES: See what? I'm trying to make this --
BROOMHEAD: But no, but you listen, you are. It is a -- it's a small industry. You definitely are a legend in the industry. It is a small industry. We all know who each other are --
MADISON: Thank you.
BROOMHEAD: -- and you definitely are a legend in the industry. Here's my last word. Arizona. In Maricopa County where I live, which is the largest county in Arizona, it makes up about 70 percent of the demographic in Arizona. The number one voting group right now in registered voters is independents, then it's Republicans, then it's Democrats, and it's very, very close. But independent voters are the number one in registration.
So, there are undecided voters out there, and that's who they have to chase. Not the partisan side, right or left, but the independent registered voters and whoever gets those in every one of these elections at least here in Arizona. They're the ones that's going to win.
MADISON: Great.
COATES: A really -- a really important point, and certainly one that's coming in Utah, in particular, right, on that very point.
Gentlemen, nice talking to you today. Look at the -- look at the faces for radio. I got to tell you, whoever said you had to have --
BROOMHEAD: Absolutely.
COATES: Beautiful. Nice to see both of you. Good evening, hear you back on the air soon.
Everyone, up next. What on earth were they thinking? I'm talking about adults at a daycare center putting on a scream type of mask and scaring the living daylights out of toddlers. Four people, now former employees, they now face child abuse charges. A video of this incident has gone viral. And actually, I'll show it to you, next.
[22:45:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COATES: Well, a video from a daycare center in Mississippi has now gone viral, and frankly, it makes you sick to see. It shows an adult wearing some kind of a Halloween screen mask and they're terrifying the toddlers. Another adult is recording it all. Here's the video, and then I warn you it's hard to watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN: Are you being bad? Do I need to take you outside?
UNKNOWN: No.
UNKNOWN: Damn, I should get (Inaudible).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Why would anyone think that that's OK. These are four employees of the daycare and they have been fired, but they all now face felony child abuse charges. And the fifth is facing charges of failure to report abuse by a mandatory reporter and simple assault against a minor. Both misdemeanors.
Back now with Scott Jennings, Ashley Allison, and Kevin Madden. All of whom are sitting here cringing. And I mean, I got to tell you, as a mom with little kids.
MADDEN: Yes.
COATES: I could not be held responsible for what I would've had to say seeing this video of my own child. What you were a teacher, right?
ALLISON: I don't have kids, but I was a high school teacher and that would be unacceptable to teenagers. Bad judgment. Should never be able to teach, be around children in that kind of way. Unacceptable. Disgusting.
COATES: And the reason why this seems even stranger, I don't think you can have it -- have a good reason why. Let me be clear.
JENNINGS: Yes. I was reading in the Clarion-Ledger in Mississippi, the county sheriff there said they can't use corporal punishment, so we think they were using the mask to try to scare the kids into doing what they were supposed to be doing.
MADDEN: Yes. And see that's -- that's not --
(CROSSTALK)
JENNINGS: Mind see --
MADDEN: -- that's not acceptable.
COATES: What?
MADDEN: That's not -- that's, I mean, that's unacceptable too, because, I mean, both are traumatic.
JENNINGS: Yes.
MADDEN: I mean, I can't -- I can't even think about this from a law enforcement standpoint or even an employer standpoint. I can only think about it as a parent and just hearing the voices and seeing the trauma that those kids went through. It's just -- it's really hard to watch.
JENNINGS: It's like a nightmare to think about your kids, anything bad happening. But knowing that they're feeling terror or you know --
ALLISON: Yes.
MADDEN: Yes.
JENNINGS: -- or in a position because you know, we, not even my kids.
MADDEN; Right.
JENNINGS: We drop them off at a place and say, this is a safe.
MADDEN: Right.
JENNINGS: These adults are going to take care of you. So they're -- they're feeling that way because you told them that.
MADDEN: Yes.
COATES: Yes.
ALLISON: If you can't get the kids to do it, you won't be better at your job.
COATES: And by the way, as a prosecutor --
MADDEN: These are felonies, by the way.
COATES: Yes, these are felonies. As a prosecutor, I mean, people think, this is fireable. Is it prosecutable? I mean this --
(CROSSTALK)
MADDEN: This ultimately gets plea down, I guess.
COATES: The idea, it likely would. But I mean the idea here, what concerns me. I mean, I remember my kids making the choice to put him in daycare versus a private nanny. I said daycare because I thought in my mind, you know what, at least I have other adults --
MADDEN: Yes.
COATES: -- who might be able to check behavior as opposed to one person. That was my thought. You've got all these adults who saw this and you heard the thing. Are you terrified? Are you terrified?
MADDEN: Yes.
COATES: I mean --
ALLISON: Now clean up.
COATES: Now clean up.
MADDEN: Yes.
COATES: As if that is the right way to do things. Now the question will be, whether they can prove this case if they will prosecute.
MADDEN: Yes. I don't even think as a parent I really want to see anybody go to jail on this. I don't -- I don't know. I mean, the other --
ALLISON: What would you want?
MADDEN: Well, I want them to never, ever enter, enter into a classroom again. So, I mean, I think that the -- I can't speak for those parents, but I know that the -- that those teachers should never be inside another classroom either.
COATES: I mean, one, it's hard to figure out what these kids will go through later having memories --
(CROSSTALK)
MADDEN: Actually, especially at that age.
COATES: That's the problem.
JENNINGS: At that age of six.
COATES: That's formative.
JENNINGS: One of the parents said the kids was still having trouble sleeping. I mean, they were very afraid. I feel like we have an epidemic in this country of adults who can't figure out how to act in front of children right now.
I mean, we have like, there's a bunch of people in this country right now that just can't exercise basic decency or common sense when it comes to children. It's outrageous.
COATES: Some are politicians.
ALLISON: Yes.
COATES: We'll just went back out there. Some are. It's scary. And thinking about it, we'll follow this story. It's really disturbing to think about.
[22:50:05]
It's also time for all of you to sound off. We're going to read your tweets, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COATES: It's social time. Let's see what all of you have been saying. We've got one person saying, look, distinction is their actions based on their beliefs. One engaged in illegal activities after losing in court and the other pursued legal remedy. She's talking about the conversation around Stacey Abrams and Donald Trump.
Another person says, with so many election deniers on the ballot, there will definitely be a lot of chaos with election appeals. There's a possibility of some sort of election upheaval on the local level. Thanks to that man, he made elections a dangerous process.
[22:55:08]
Another person was weighing in all over social media, looked for us there as well. You always order to find me at the Laura Coates.
Also, everyone, the city of Philadelphia had a record high number of violent crimes. It's a danger that Tyrique Glasgow knows very well having been shot 11 times when he was a drug dealer. But after serving time he's been a force for good, providing a safe haven to local youth.
That's why he's this week's CNN hero.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TYRIQUE GLASGOW, CNN HERO: When you run a block, you're the one who the community people know. It's a dangerous life, but it's a normal life.
Going to jail really woke me up that our community was going to follow me for some of the negative stuff I just said. Let me see if they're going to follow me for something positive.
You can grab what you want. UNKNOWN: Making sure not all. In 2019, we opened up our community engagement center, which used to be at the community drug house, but now it's a safe place for our children.
How many people here got kids? We provide clothing, food, vegetables. We have hot meals on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
You want shrimp. You want chicken?
Giving people what they need not only helps to mix it, it consistently stays safer here.
The shootings are down and the hope is up. That's what you here for. My relationship with the Philadelphia Police Department is cool.
It's saying the officers in a different light. It builds trust and it builds confidence. They need to see that all cops aren't bad. It's really about your heart and what you want to do.
We're trying to create a safe haven in an environment for the whole neighborhood.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: To find out more, go to cnnheroes.com. Hey, thanks for watching. Coming up a CNN special report, Steve Bannon divided we Fall.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)