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Erin Burnett Outfront
Awaiting New Vote Totals In Arizona, Governor's Race Is Neck And Neck; January 6 Committee: Trump "Failed To Comply" With Subpoena; Pence Says He Thinks GOP Will Have "Better Choices" Than Trump; Tensions Mount After Biden-Xi Meeting: No "Kumbaya"; Pima County, AZ Releases New Batch Of 24,000+ Votes; Zelenskyy: Kherson Victory Is "Beginning Of The End Of The War". Aired 7-8p ET
Aired November 14, 2022 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:39]
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: Good evening. I'm Erin Burnett.
OUTFRONT tonight, breaking news, we're moments away from a big drop of votes that could determine who wins the Arizona governor's race.
It is election night in America continued, and Arizona's largest county, Maricopa, is expected to release this big drop, new numbers within the hour. This is according to Bill Gates, the top election official there. As of right now 85,000 to 95,000 votes still need to be counted in Maricopa County so if we're going to get a big bulk that have that's hugely significant that.
This as tensions running high and authorities bringing in extra security because Arizona, of course, is home to the neck and neck governor's race between Trump-backed candidate Kari Lake and the Democrat Katie Hobbs. Lake trails Hobbs as you can see by 24,719 votes, but what did I just say? Massive drop coming, 85,000 to 95,000 votes outstanding.
The question is, will this race be called tonight? Lake, who, of course, is an election denier, is on the record saying this as the votes are being counted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KARI LAKE (R), ARIZONA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: I have very little faith in some of the people that are operating that Maricopa County elections. I think they're incompetent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: All right. As I said that, a drop expected within the hour. This is a crucial night in Arizona, but it is just one of a number of races that are too early to call at this moment. Control of the entire House of Representatives is still up for grabs. This is six days after Election Day.
Democrats, of course, need to secure 218 seats to control all the power in Washington, but while that is not impossible, Democrat chances of getting that power are narrowing tonight.
There is a lot to get to so let's go to Kyung Lah in Arizona, Lucy Kafanov is live in Colorado because that is one of the closest house races playing out right now that could determine the entire balance of power. John King is also with us tonight.
I want to start, though, with you in Phoenix, Kyung.
Now, look, this is a crucial night. I know Kari Lake's campaign is watching this. This could be the night where we really get the number of votes in to determine who wins that race.
KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is a very big deal. According to Maricopa County and a press conference that wrapped up a short time ago what election officials tell us it's going to be a big deal. They are basically going to be reporting nearly everything they have. It will be all of the early ballots that were dropped off on Election Day. What they will not be reporting, and this is a loose number, about 10,000 to 15,000 ballots that are still in a curing process or provisional ballots. An exact number we cannot tell you until that report comes out.
But essentially, we'll be getting almost everything out of Maricopa County, the largest county here in the state of Arizona. It is the big one that all -- that the two women who are running for governor are expecting could sway the race their way. So, Erin, until this comes out, we can't tell you what it is going to say, but it will be hugely significant in just about an hour, Erin.
BURNETT: All right. I mean, this is, you know, days and days and we're finally possibly there.
So, Kyung, are there concerns about how Lake supporters may respond if she doesn't win, and in fact about what she could say?
LAH: Well, I'm going to let the actions of the sheriff's department answer that question for you. What I can tell you is we are seeing here at the elections department, and this is a building where workers count the votes. This is the hard part of democracy, the tedious parts where you count the votes individually or they are tabulated.
What we are seeing are about 20 to 25 deputies around this building. They are on top of the building, they are on the ground. We see a drone up. There are sheriff's deputies lining and wringing this building and the sheriff says there is a reason why.
Here's what he told us a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF PAUL PENZONE, MARICOPA COUNTY, AZ: I think we're getting close to end game so I want to make sure that we're prepared because a big part of our plan has been helping good people be good. If you so that this is not a place where it's appropriate to come and create unrest, then you're less likely to put yourself in harm's way or others. So we're going to -- we're going to heighten the level and we're going to stay committed through until we feel as though this election is concluded.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[19:05:03]
LAH: Now the sheriff was very specific that there wasn't a specific threat on this building. It's simply the timing, what he anticipates will be a very significant report in an hour -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Kyung, as we're counting down to that, in these next moments.
Let's go now to the one of the tightest and most high-profile races in the House. So, as I said, still up for grabs-in terms of Democrats or Republicans. If Democrats pull this out, they will control all the levers of power, but the path is narrowing, and Republican congresswoman and Trump-backed election denier Lauren Boebert in Colorado is clinging to a lead of 1,100 votes in her district. That is less than half a percentage point ahead of Democrat Adam Frisch, with a race too close to call.
Let's go straight to Lucy Kafanov who's on the ground in Colorado.
Lucy, an incredibly close race that has gone back and forth. How much longer could it until we know who the winner is?
LUCY KAFANOV, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Erin. Nearly a week after election day, still a nail-whiter of a race the outcome of which is not likely to be known until Thursday or Friday, and that's at the earliest.
Now, as you mentioned, Boebert is ahead of Democrat Adam Frisch by roughly 1,100 votes. Now if they are separated by 0.5 percent or less once everything is in and tallied, that actually triggers an automatic recount under Colorado law which could push the results into December. Of course, the losing candidate could request a recount, but they would have to pay for it.
In terms of what's going to decide the race, as it stands, we have those outstanding military and overseas ballots. Their ballots can be accepted until late Wednesday night as long as they were post-marked by November 8th. There's also the rejected ballots where, for example, the signature might not match voter records. Those have to be fixed or cured. That deadline 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday and with so much at stake, we have national Democratic and Republican groups and volunteers in the third district trying to find these voters whose ballots need to be cured.
Again though, the fact that this race remains so close is one of the biggest surprises of these midterms. The third congressional district is -- hasn't elected a Democrat to Congress since 2008. It was made even more solidly Republican when its borders were redrawn last year. Boebert's seat was considered safely Republican.
So, for now, this showdown continues. The race remains too close to call. One of 19 closely contested, unresolved contests that we're watching that could determine the balance of power in the House -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Lucy, thank you very much.
And Lucy talks about these 19 races. When will we find out which party controls the House? I mean, this is a crucial question. If Democrats are able to pull this out, you know, they have all the levers of power. The path though is narrowing and narrowing and with surprises like what Lucy is talking about, even on races being this close, the question is still out there tonight.
John King is OUTFRONT at the magic wall.
So, John, the path for Democrats to control the House. It is not impossible, but it is getting narrower tonight, isn't it?
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is, and we will not know the answer tonight, Erin, so let's walk through some of the math and I'll take you to Lucy's district as well. It's not as beautiful in the magic woman as it is in the live shot.
But Republicans right now are ahead. They are ahead in 2022 races. It takes 2018 for a majority. So, the count doesn't change at all. Republicans would have a narrow majority.
But let's look at the called races, that's what matters most, 212 right now for the Republicans, 204 for the Democrats. So, there you have it.
Mathematically possible still for the Democrats to overcome that lead.
BURNETT: Right.
KING: So as Lucy just noted, let's go to the map that matters absolutely most, 19 races, 19 races yet to be called. Ten of them, Erin, are in California. Mail ballots can come in in California until tomorrow.
So, if it comes down to the ten races in California, it's going to take a little bit. There are several on this board that could possibly come off tonight. There's two in Arizona. You just mentioned the governor's race. We're going to get more votes there, maybe in those congressional races there as well.
This New Mexico race will likely be called soon. Perhaps this New York race, but not enough, not enough to make up the difference. So, Lucy was just right here in Lauren Boebert's district. These numbers haven't changed in quite some time.
They are waiting for the overseas and milt ballots, and they keep a small number, they won't tell us the exact the number of other ballots, so that you don't -- you can't tell the direct identities of somebody who might decide to vote. You may know some of the people overseas, so they do that for privacy purposes.
So, then you come out here, Alaska and Maine have ranked choice voting. Those states are likely to say Democratic, but they don't begin second choice and third choice until later in the month as well.
And then as I noted, it could come down to the races in California. Here's one, we talked about this before, David Valadao, one of the House impeachments 10, one of the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, he's holding on at the moment, but it's 2,900 votes, just shy of that.
But we believe only 40 percent of the estimated vote, so a long way to go. Look, just north of him, John Duarte's district, he's only 84 votes ahead, the Republican candidate there. So, again, certainly within the realm of possibility.
[19:10:01]
Are there enough seats in the realm of possibility for Democrats to do it? Yes, but let's be honest. Let's be honest. With the Republicans now at 212, you need to get to 218, the most likely scenario is a very, very small Republican majority, but it may take us days, maybe even a little longer than that to know the final numbers.
BURNETT: So, you mentioned Arizona, and obviously, you know, we are expecting that major drop, right? They don't anticipate updating after today with the press conferences, right. This is it, Kyung said, all the outstanding votes. This is Maricopa County, obviously pertaining specifically to the governor's race in that context.
What are you watching for in Arizona tonight?
KING: Number one, if you look at the map here, two uncalled governor's races, one is Alaska. Again, rank choice voting, they have to do second and third choice of the candidates below 50 percent.
The other one is Arizona. What am I looking for, number one, is how many votes do we get out of Maricopa County and how many votes we get out of Pima County. And is that enough to make a projection?
If you look at the result right now, a you noted with Kyung, Katie Hobbs is ahead by 24,719 votes, Kari Lake at 49.5, Katie Hobbs at 50.5. Our decision team has run the map. When the new votes come in statewide, Kari Lake needs to probably get 55 percent, 57 percent somewhere in that ballpark.
So, when we get the big major drop of votes from Maricopa County, this is the largest outstanding batch of votes still to be counted, when we get those, is Kari Lake running anywhere near that number? That's where it matters most.
You see right now, she's getting 48 percent in Maricopa County, to 52 percent if you run up for Katie Hobbs. Again, Kari Lake has to be well above 50 percent, closer to 55 percent when those votes come in. See if she's matching that number.
And then there are more votes in Pima County, not as many in Maricopa. But we are told to look for out of Pima tonight. If you notice Pima, the second largest county, Maricopa, the largest county, when you pull out and look at the map, they are both blue. Katie Hobbs has been leading in both of those counties.
If that continues, if she leads in the remaining vote installment, she's the next governor of Arizona. If on those later installments, you know, Kari Lake can come back the math gets interesting then. But we'll have to wait to see, but we are expecting the Maricopa votes in the next hour. That's the biggest sign.
Will it be enough to protect the race? Unclear. Mathematically, are there enough if they break one way? Yes. Will they? We'll know in an hour or so.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, John King, as we watched that. And, yes, as John said, just a little bit over 40, 45 minutes here until we expect that very significant development out of Arizona.
And next, former Vice President Mike Pence breaking his silence tonight about whether the man that he loyally served for four years should ever be president again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE PENCE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT: That's up to the American people, but I think we'll have better choices in the future.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Plus, it's former First Lady Michelle Obama, tonight revealing how she felt when Trump won the 2016 presidential election. You'll hear her.
And a meeting of the superpowers. President Biden sitting down with China's Xi Jinping for the first time, first in-person meeting in two years. Both sides not mincing words when it comes to Taiwan.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:16:47]
BURNETT: Breaking news: The January 6th Select Committee announcing that former President Donald Trump has, quote, failed to comply with the subpoena for documents and testimony and that it will evaluate its next step forward. This comes as Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence is speaking out in great detail about Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election. After sending Trump this message about 2024. Just the day before, one day before, Trump may announce he's running again.
Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
INTERVIEWER: Do you believe that Donald Trump should ever be president again?
MIKE PENCE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT: David, I think that's up to the American people, but I think we'll have weather choices in the future. INTERVIEWER: Better choices than Donald Trump?
PENCE: And for me and my family we'll be reflecting about what our role is in that.
INTERVIEWER: Will you run for president in 2024?
PENCE: We're giving it consideration in our house, prayerful consideration.
INTERVIEWER: Do you believe you can beat Donald Trump?
PENCE: Well, that would be for others to say, and it would be for us to decide whether or not we'd want to test that.
INTERVIEWER: So, if you decide to run and he's up there, so be it?
PENCE: So be it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: OUTFRONT now, our chief political analyst Gloria Borger, David Urban, longtime political strategist, who was also a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, and Bakari Sellers, former Democratic member of the South Carolina House of Representatives.
So, Gloria, you know, how significant is it to hear these comment from Pence literally 24 hours Trump may announce he's running for president again and days after Trump's major midterm losses?
GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Look, I think it's very significant. I think Mike Pence was a very loyal vice president, and in this interview, you hear him calling the president reckless, saying he endangered me and my family. That he was filled with indignation and that he can't account for what the president was doing that day. He said I was at a loading dock at the Capitol and never heard from him.
He's got a book coming out. He is telling this story is to the American people and I think it's clear to me that he's decided whether or not Donald Trump is in or out. He's going to probably run against the man whom we all used to say we all stand on Donald Trump's strong shoulders. Remember those words? I don't think he's going to be saying that anymore.
BURNETT: No, no.
BORGER: No.
BURNETT: David, the question is why is Pence doing this now?
DAVID URBAN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, look, as Gloria points out, right, he has a book coming out, and I think that was planned long before Donald Trump's announcement tomorrow one way or another. And I do think it takes a little poetic justice that he gets to rain on his former boss' parade a bit and remind people that the Secret Service is whisking him out of the capitol to chants of hang Mike Pence, his former boss was sitting at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue doing nothing about it, and, you know, Mike Pence is reminding everybody that fact tonight and tomorrow and then this all woke.
BURNETT: Right. And, you know, of course, Trump's got that big announcement tomorrow night, Bakari. He certainly plans to announce he runs tomorrow night. That's the plan.
[19:20:00]
We'll see what he does, right, because that plan was set before the midterms and, you know, we'll see.
But this will be had a moment no matter what, and I want to play the former First Lady Michelle Obama because she has a book. She's reading an excerpt from it where she talks about Trump. Let me play it.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
MICHELLE OBAMA, FORMER FIRST LADY: It shook me profoundly to hear the man who replaced my husband as president openly and unapologetically using ethnic slurs, making selfishness and hate somehow acceptable, refusing to condemn white supremacists or to support people demonstrating for racial justice. It shocked me to hear him speaking about differentness as if it were a threat. It felt like something more, something much uglier than a simple political defeat.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BURNETT: So, Bakari, what happens if this all starts up again tomorrow night?
BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Oh, man, I -- I am kind of dreading the next two years of having to deal with the unpredictability, the lack of sensibility, the using racism as political currency, that is the 45th president of the United States, if he dares run for reelection again.
I think the words that you heard echoed by Michelle Obama are the way many people, many women, many people of color, many people who are put upon daily. My grandmother would always say, you can't fall off the floor, and there were many of us who fell like we were on the floor after Donald Trump's election and her words echoed the feelings that many of us had that day. I think you saw the fight emblematic in 2020 in Joe Biden's election but also last Tuesday.
I just want to comment briefly, Erin, about Mike Pence because Mike Pence isn't raining on Donald Trump's parade. He doesn't have nearly the bullhorn. He's on a book tour. But tomorrow, if Donald Trump announces for president, nobody is going to remember who Mike Pence really was.
BURNETT: Well, this is -- you say it quite boldly there and boldly, but yes. You know, that is the big thing. Trump knows he's going to take the bully pulpit tomorrow, whatever he'll do with it. David, the thing is, the question is what he'll do with it. The calls from GOP to move on from Trump have gotten loud. They have gotten right because they have this really terrible and pathetic and unexpected loss handed to them.
Republican Congressman Mo Brooks. He was -- remember, he spoke at Trump's Stop the Steal rally, played the sound bite hundreds of times on January 6. Trump endorsed Brooks for Senate until he unendorsed him.
So, Brooks is saying now it would be a bad mistake for the Republicans to have Donald Trump as their nominee in 24. Donald Trump has proven himself to be dishonest, incompetent, crowd and a lot of other things that alienate so many independent and Republicans.
And, of course, David, he's not alone in sound willing the alarm. Here are just a few prominent GOP members in the past few days.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. PAT TOOMEY (R-PA): President Trump had to insert himself and that changed the nature of the race and that created just too much of an obstacle. By the way, it's not just Pennsylvania. All over the country, there's a very high correlation between MAGA candidates and big losses or at least dramatically underperforming.
GOV. LARRY HOGAN (R), MARYLAND: Trump's cost us the last three elections and I don't want to see it happen a fourth time.
CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), FORMER NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR: I think what Republicans came to grips with Tuesday night was we're tired of losing and we're tired of Donald Trump dragging to us lose because of his personal vanity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Today, well, they have their own reasons for saying this now and what does it mean about Trump when you add it all together?
URBAN: Look, it's clearly not a straight path like he thought it was going to be, right? I mean, in Pennsylvania specifically, you know, a state that I'm tied to very closely, I mean, the handwringing and gnashing of teeth and bashing of Donald Trump hasn't stopped since Tuesday night. I mean, it is really bad for the former president.
I'm not quite sure, you know, if anybody is telling him that because it's very, very unpleasant for him if he's going to go back to the commonwealth. He's going to find he's not welcome in a lot of places he was welcomed, and it's going to be a completely different path forward. So, I don't think that the party is where it was is as welcoming for him as he thought it was going to be.
There's a poll out this afternoon by the Club for Growth in Pennsylvania and all these different states that shows Ron DeSantis way -- with a substantial lead over Trump and that's changed just in the past, know, week or so, and I think it's a message from the club and from others, that you know, got to find a different candidate?
BURNETT: And we sure know that DeSantis gets under Trump's skin, right?
URBAN: He'll be -- he'll be talking tomorrow night at, you know, RGA. He'll be giving a speech as well. So --
BURNETT: DeSantis versus Trump again. But, Gloria, does it feel different this time?
[19:25:01]
BORGER: Well, that's a really good questions Erin. It does, but I remember after January 6th, Lindsey Graham on the floor of the Senate saying I've had enough. This is it, and a lot of other Republicans including perhaps the soon-to-be Speaker McCarthy getting up on the Senate floor -- I mean, on the House floor and saying this is it.
Now the numbers are increasing, and I think it's about self- preservation. That's the difference now. They returned to Donald Trump after January 6th because they thought he had the support, and they couldn't leave without him. Now they have discovered maybe they can't live with him and so if they want to win, if they want to win re- election, that perhaps they have to desert him.
The only thing to keep in mind is that if this is a very big Republican primary, Donald Trump could do very well. He did in 2016.
BURNETT: Thank you all very much and, okay, we'll see what he has to say tomorrow and then on Wednesday, there will be a CNN town hall with the former Vice President Pence.
All right. Coming up next, OUTFRONT, President Biden and Xi Jinping meeting face to face for the very first time since Biden took office.
And look, the real fear is what's going to happen with Taiwan. Xi telling the Chinese military to, quote, prepare for war.
And Jay Leno was hospitalized. The comedian suffering burns to the face after one of his many cars burst into flames.
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[19:00:39] ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: Good evening. I'm Erin Burnett.
OUTFRONT tonight, breaking news, we're moments away from a big drop of votes that could determine who wins the Arizona governor's race.
It is election night in America continued, and Arizona's largest county, Maricopa, is expected to release this big drop, new numbers within the hour. This is according to Bill Gates, the top election official there. As of right now 85,000 to 95,000 votes still need to be counted in Maricopa County so if we're going to get a big bulk that have that's hugely significant that.
This as tensions running high and authorities bringing in extra security because Arizona, of course, is home to the neck and neck governor's race between Trump-backed candidate Kari Lake and the Democrat Katie Hobbs. Lake trails Hobbs as you can see by 24,719 votes, but what did I just say? Massive drop coming, 85,000 to 95,000 votes outstanding.
The question is, will this race be called tonight? Lake, who, of course, is an election denier, is on the record saying this as the votes are being counted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KARI LAKE (R), ARIZONA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: I have very little faith in some of the people that are operating that Maricopa County elections. I think they're incompetent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: All right. As I said that, a drop expected within the hour. This is a crucial night in Arizona, but it is just one of a number of races that are too early to call at this moment. Control of the entire House of Representatives is still up for grabs. This is six days after Election Day.
Democrats, of course, need to secure 218 seats to control all the power in Washington, but while that is not impossible, Democrat chances of getting that power are narrowing tonight.
There is a lot to get to so let's go to Kyung Lah in Arizona, Lucy Kafanov is live in Colorado because that is one of the closest house races playing out right now that could determine the entire balance of power. John King is also with us tonight.
I want to start, though, with you in Phoenix, Kyung.
Now, look, this is a crucial night. I know Kari Lake's campaign is watching this. This could be the night where we really get the number of votes in to determine who wins that race.
KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is a very big deal. According to Maricopa County and a press conference that wrapped up a short time ago what election officials tell us it's going to be a big deal. They are basically going to be reporting nearly everything they have. It will be all of the early ballots that were dropped off on Election Day. What they will not be reporting, and this is a loose number, about 10,000 to 15,000 ballots that are still in a curing process or provisional ballots. An exact number we cannot tell you until that report comes out.
But essentially, we'll be getting almost everything out of Maricopa County, the largest county here in the state of Arizona. It is the big one that all -- that the two women who are running for governor are expecting could sway the race their way. So, Erin, until this comes out, we can't tell you what it is going to say, but it will be hugely significant in just about an hour, Erin.
BURNETT: All right. I mean, this is, you know, days and days and we're finally possibly there.
So, Kyung, are there concerns about how Lake supporters may respond if she doesn't win, and in fact about what she could say?
LAH: Well, I'm going to let the actions of the sheriff's department answer that question for you. What I can tell you is we are seeing here at the elections department, and this is a building where workers count the votes. This is the hard part of democracy, the tedious parts where you count the votes individually or they are tabulated.
What we are seeing are about 20 to 25 deputies around this building. They are on top of the building, they are on the ground. We see a drone up. There are sheriff's deputies lining and wringing this building and the sheriff says there is a reason why.
Here's what he told us a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF PAUL PENZONE, MARICOPA COUNTY, AZ: I think we're getting close to end game so I want to make sure that we're prepared because a big part of our plan has been helping good people be good. If you so that this is not a place where it's appropriate to come and create unrest, then you're less likely to put yourself in harm's way or others. So we're going to -- we're going to heighten the level and we're going to stay committed through until we feel as though this election is concluded.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[19:05:03]
LAH: Now the sheriff was very specific that there wasn't a specific threat on this building. It's simply the timing, what he anticipates will be a very significant report in an hour -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Kyung, as we're counting down to that, in these next moments.
Let's go now to the one of the tightest and most high-profile races in the House. So, as I said, still up for grabs-in terms of Democrats or Republicans. If Democrats pull this out, they will control all the levers of power, but the path is narrowing, and Republican congresswoman and Trump-backed election denier Lauren Boebert in Colorado is clinging to a lead of 1,100 votes in her district. That is less than half a percentage point ahead of Democrat Adam Frisch, with a race too close to call.
Let's go straight to Lucy Kafanov who's on the ground in Colorado.
Lucy, an incredibly close race that has gone back and forth. How much longer could it until we know who the winner is?
LUCY KAFANOV, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Erin. Nearly a week after election day, still a nail-whiter of a race the outcome of which is not likely to be known until Thursday or Friday, and that's at the earliest.
Now, as you mentioned, Boebert is ahead of Democrat Adam Frisch by roughly 1,100 votes. Now if they are separated by 0.5 percent or less once everything is in and tallied, that actually triggers an automatic recount under Colorado law which could push the results into December. Of course, the losing candidate could request a recount, but they would have to pay for it.
In terms of what's going to decide the race, as it stands, we have those outstanding military and overseas ballots. Their ballots can be accepted until late Wednesday night as long as they were post-marked by November 8th. There's also the rejected ballots where, for example, the signature might not match voter records. Those have to be fixed or cured. That deadline 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday and with so much at stake, we have national Democratic and Republican groups and volunteers in the third district trying to find these voters whose ballots need to be cured.
Again though, the fact that this race remains so close is one of the biggest surprises of these midterms. The third congressional district is -- hasn't elected a Democrat to Congress since 2008. It was made even more solidly Republican when its borders were redrawn last year. Boebert's seat was considered safely Republican.
So, for now, this showdown continues. The race remains too close to call. One of 19 closely contested, unresolved contests that we're watching that could determine the balance of power in the House -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Lucy, thank you very much.
And Lucy talks about these 19 races. When will we find out which party controls the House? I mean, this is a crucial question. If Democrats are able to pull this out, you know, they have all the levers of power. The path though is narrowing and narrowing and with surprises like what Lucy is talking about, even on races being this close, the question is still out there tonight.
John King is OUTFRONT at the magic wall.
So, John, the path for Democrats to control the House. It is not impossible, but it is getting narrower tonight, isn't it? JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is, and we will not know the answer tonight, Erin, so let's walk through some of the math and I'll take you to Lucy's district as well. It's not as beautiful in the magic woman as it is in the live shot.
But Republicans right now are ahead. They are ahead in 2022 races. It takes 2018 for a majority. So, the count doesn't change at all. Republicans would have a narrow majority.
But let's look at the called races, that's what matters most, 212 right now for the Republicans, 204 for the Democrats. So, there you have it.
Mathematically possible still for the Democrats to overcome that lead.
BURNETT: Right.
KING: So as Lucy just noted, let's go to the map that matters absolutely most, 19 races, 19 races yet to be called. Ten of them, Erin, are in California. Mail ballots can come in in California until tomorrow.
So, if it comes down to the ten races in California, it's going to take a little bit. There are several on this board that could possibly come off tonight. There's two in Arizona. You just mentioned the governor's race. We're going to get more votes there, maybe in those congressional races there as well.
This New Mexico race will likely be called soon. Perhaps this New York race, but not enough, not enough to make up the difference. So, Lucy was just right here in Lauren Boebert's district. These numbers haven't changed in quite some time.
They are waiting for the overseas and milt ballots, and they keep a small number, they won't tell us the exact the number of other ballots, so that you don't -- you can't tell the direct identities of somebody who might decide to vote. You may know some of the people overseas, so they do that for privacy purposes.
So, then you come out here, Alaska and Maine have ranked choice voting. Those states are likely to say Democratic, but they don't begin second choice and third choice until later in the month as well.
And then as I noted, it could come down to the races in California. Here's one, we talked about this before, David Valadao, one of the House impeachments 10, one of the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, he's holding on at the moment, but it's 2,900 votes, just shy of that.
But we believe only 40 percent of the estimated vote, so a long way to go. Look, just north of him, John Duarte's district, he's only 84 votes ahead, the Republican candidate there. So, again, certainly within the realm of possibility.
[19:10:01] Are there enough seats in the realm of possibility for Democrats to do it? Yes, but let's be honest. Let's be honest. With the Republicans now at 212, you need to get to 218, the most likely scenario is a very, very small Republican majority, but it may take us days, maybe even a little longer than that to know the final numbers.
BURNETT: So, you mentioned Arizona, and obviously, you know, we are expecting that major drop, right? They don't anticipate updating after today with the press conferences, right. This is it, Kyung said, all the outstanding votes. This is Maricopa County, obviously pertaining specifically to the governor's race in that context.
What are you watching for in Arizona tonight?
KING: Number one, if you look at the map here, two uncalled governor's races, one is Alaska. Again, rank choice voting, they have to do second and third choice of the candidates below 50 percent.
The other one is Arizona. What am I looking for, number one, is how many votes do we get out of Maricopa County and how many votes we get out of Pima County. And is that enough to make a projection?
If you look at the result right now, a you noted with Kyung, Katie Hobbs is ahead by 24,719 votes, Kari Lake at 49.5, Katie Hobbs at 50.5. Our decision team has run the map. When the new votes come in statewide, Kari Lake needs to probably get 55 percent, 57 percent somewhere in that ballpark.
So, when we get the big major drop of votes from Maricopa County, this is the largest outstanding batch of votes still to be counted, when we get those, is Kari Lake running anywhere near that number? That's where it matters most.
You see right now, she's getting 48 percent in Maricopa County, to 52 percent if you run up for Katie Hobbs. Again, Kari Lake has to be well above 50 percent, closer to 55 percent when those votes come in. See if she's matching that number.
And then there are more votes in Pima County, not as many in Maricopa. But we are told to look for out of Pima tonight. If you notice Pima, the second largest county, Maricopa, the largest county, when you pull out and look at the map, they are both blue. Katie Hobbs has been leading in both of those counties.
If that continues, if she leads in the remaining vote installment, she's the next governor of Arizona. If on those later installments, you know, Kari Lake can come back the math gets interesting then. But we'll have to wait to see, but we are expecting the Maricopa votes in the next hour. That's the biggest sign.
Will it be enough to protect the race? Unclear. Mathematically, are there enough if they break one way? Yes. Will they? We'll know in an hour or so.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, John King, as we watched that. And, yes, as John said, just a little bit over 40, 45 minutes here until we expect that very significant development out of Arizona.
And next, former Vice President Mike Pence breaking his silence tonight about whether the man that he loyally served for four years should ever be president again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE PENCE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT: That's up to the American people, but I think we'll have better choices in the future.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Plus, it's former First Lady Michelle Obama, tonight revealing how she felt when Trump won the 2016 presidential election. You'll hear her.
And a meeting of the superpowers. President Biden sitting down with China's Xi Jinping for the first time, first in-person meeting in two years. Both sides not mincing words when it comes to Taiwan.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:30:29]
BURNETT: Tonight, red line. President Biden and the Chinese Leader Xi Jinping in their first face-to-face meeting since Biden became president, each claiming to be tough on the other over Taiwan. Biden saying, he made clear the United States expects China and Taiwan to resolve their differences peacefully. Xi countering that Taiwan is a, quote, red line issue that the United States must not cross.
Selina Wang is OUTFRONT tonight from Beijing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SELINA WANG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): U.S. President Joe Biden's first face-to-face meeting since taking office with Chinese Leader Xi Jinping.
XI JINPING, PRESIDENT OF CHINA (through translator): I look forward to working with you, Mr. President, to bring China-U.S. relations back to the track of healthy and stable growth.
WANG: After the meeting, Biden tells the press --
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I do not think there's any imminent attempt on the part of China to invade Taiwan.
WANG: But despite the optimistic tone and smiles, the possibility of armed conflict still looms.
Xi just days before wearing camouflage uniform at a military command center in Beijing, telling China's army to prepare for war. His visit met with excited applause from top military officials. Beijing has stepped up pressure on self-ruled democratic Taiwan after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island in August, firing repeated missiles and encircling Taiwan in a practice blockade. Xi vowing to reunify the island that China sees as a breakaway province, using force if necessary.
BIDEN: Yes, we have a commitment to do that.
WANG: Meanwhile, Biden infuriating Beijing with his repeated comments that America would come to Taiwan's aid in the event of a Chinese invasion.
Washington promising to brief Taiwanese officials on the outcome of the Biden-Xi meeting, angering Beijing even more.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): This is truly egregious, and China firmly rejects this.
WANG: State media writing facts show that the U.S. understanding of the red line of China-U.S. relations is far from adequate. That tense atmosphere, a far cry from the smiles and warm handshakes during their many meetings back when Biden was vice president.
BIDEN: I've spent time with him more than any other world leader. I know him well. He knows me.
WANG: But that personal relationship not enough to bridge the chasm between the two countries. The Biden administration labeling China as America's most consequential geopolitical challenge, enacting sweeping restrictions that choke off China's access to advanced computer chips. Beijing sees all of this as Washington trying to suppress its rise as Xi aligns himself with other autocratic leaders like Russia's Vladimir Putin.
China and the U.S. have agreed to keep lines of communication open between top officials. It could be what stops a miscalculation between the world's superpowers from spiraling into real conflict.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WANG (on camera): So, Erin, you saw in the pictures there that Xi met with Biden without a mask on. China has eased some of its COVID restrictions, including cutting down the amount of time people are required to spend in quarantine facilities.
But for the Chinese people, not much has really changed. A lot of areas have stepped up restrictions as cases rise. A recent PCR test is still required to enter public places, restrictions still come at a moment's notice. In fact, even though I recently got out of that ten- day quarantine, days after, I had to submit to a bunch of paperwork proving where I been because my health app was preventing me from going anywhere.
So daily lives dictated by the whims of zero COVID, Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Selina, thank you very much from Beijing tonight.
I want to go now to Tom Friedman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist at "The New York Times" and author of "The World is Flat 3.0: A Brief History of the 21st Century".
Well, Tom, as Salina's reporting just shows, right, she just days ago appeared wearing those military fatigues telling soldiers to, quote, prepare for war, right? It was symbolism with a significant meaning.
Is it truly at this point when you see things like this just a matter of when and not if China invades Taiwan?
TOM FRIEDMAN, COLUMNIST, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": Well, you have to worry, Erin, because China's been in an economic slump. Its growth has slowed to 3 percent after years of 6 percent, 7 percent, 8 percent.
BURNETT: Yeah.
FRIEDMAN: And we know from history, one way to take people's attention away from declining economic growth is with foreign operations, foreign military operations. So, you really have to worry. I can't read his mind.
[19:35:01]
I don't know what he's thinking, but I think it would be very unwise to do that right now given what has happened in Ukraine and how badly the Russians have been harmed, but who knows?
BURNETT: Well, I mean, after the meeting, you know, of course, as you know, Biden said that Xi understood the American position which is that any conflict with China and Taiwan need to be resolved peacefully and then Biden said this, I'll play it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: I'm convinced that he understood exactly what I was saying. I understood what he was saying.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Okay. But Xi said after the meeting that peace and an independent Taiwan are irreconcilable. Peace and an independent Taiwan irreconcilable.
So, clearly, Xi doesn't care what Biden says even as he understood it.
FRIEDMAN: He may not care, but he will care if he loses his biggest export markets in the United States and the European Union. That would be no joke. That's what's happened to Russia in a smaller way. That would be what happened to China in a much bigger way.
So, again, one can't read his mind, but I think that are clear deterrents them acting in the near future. But again, because of his own situation at home, he may feel the need to do something. I think we best serve Taiwan, though -- we, America, by the less we talk about it, the better.
BURNETT: You think the less we talk about it, the better. Keep it off so Xi doesn't even feel it's sort of, you know, in his face? FRIEDMAN: Turn Taiwan into a porcupine by arming it militarily, very quietly. So every day that Xi wakes up, measures the economic cost and looks at the economic costs, he says Taiwan -- nah, not today. That's the best way we help Taiwan.
BURNETT: All right. So then in the context of all of this, is Xi's -- you know, iron grip on power, right? I mean, it's unbelievable what we've seen happen, and there's been no information at all, Tom, on the condition or whereabouts of the former Chinese President Hu Jintao, three weeks ago, right? More than three weeks ago, he was abruptly escorted out of that crucial meeting, right, where Xi cemented his leadership and it was the big vote.
Hu was in there. He was trying to read from a stack of papers and then there was sort of covered up by a red folder and it was blocked by one of the highest-ranking officials in the party. He was then physically lifted up by another map who was getting instructions from Xi just moments before he lifts Hu up and removes him.
And the government still says he had a health issue. But, again, we haven't seen or heard from him in more than three weeks. What do you think is going on here?
FRIEDMAN: Look, you know, this is a one-man system in which the one man has an iron grip on the country, and he's tightened that grip even more as a result of his now elevation to a third term.
But I think the big danger for him, Erin, is that, you know, if you look at this question of semiconductors if we can talk about that for a sec. Why does Taiwan, this little barren rock in a typhoon-laden sea have the greatest semiconductor company in the world, TSMC --
BURNETT: Yeah.
FRIEDMAN: -- and China, same people, same language, 1.4 billion, can't make semiconductors anywhere near as well as TSMC. I tell you the answer, it's actually trust. The world's biggest tech companies, Qualcomm, Apple, Nvidia, actually trust TSMC with their intellectual property, and it leverages that trust to improve itself and deliver better products for all of it customers.
Trust is so important today with these global supply chains and everything Xi is doing is undermining that kind of trust. That will really work against China's economic future.
BURNETT: Well, yeah, certainly when, you know, you have people that just disappear, right? No transparency and certainly no trust.
All right. Tom, thanks so much. I always appreciate talking to you. Thanks again.
FRIEDMAN: You bet.
BURNETT: All right. And next, tensions running high. That big drop of votes from Arizona is expected to come at any moment from Maricopa but also Pima County, and this could really be coming in the next few minutes.
The man elected to oversee voting in the entire state of Arizona is next. Does he believe there will be a call tonight in that race for governor?
Plus, Ukraine's president stating today that this is the beginning of the end of Russia's war. What's changed?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:42:55]
BURNETT: All right. We are standing by for what election officials say is a huge drop of new votes in Arizona where the race for governor is still too close to call. Democrat Katie Hobbs has a narrow lead over Republican Kari Lake who, of course, has been a vocal election denier.
So far, Democrats have been successful in defeating other election deniers in the state. Mark Kelly defeating Blake Masters in the Senate race. And Adrian Fontes was elected over Trump-backed Mark Finchem who was at the Capitol on January 6th, and still claims Trump won the 2020 presidential election -- obviously has not conceded and his own race.
OUTFRONT now, Adrian Fontes, who is the Arizona's secretary of state- elect and former top election official in Maricopa County.
So, I really appreciate your time.
Let me just ask you, in terms of where we are now. I know any minute now, literally in the next couple minutes, we could get a big vote drop from Pima County, home of Tucson, and, obviously, Maricopa coming any minute. You're eminently familiar with the vote counting process there. And we do expect, they say, 85,000 to 95, 000, that we're going to get all these final votes in tonight.
Do you suspect there will be a call on the governor's race tonight?
ADRIAN FONTES (D), ARIZONA SECRETARY OF STATE-ELECT: I think there might very well be, given the buffer that Tucson is going to potentially provide for Secretary Hobbs in that governor's race. It's a Democratic stronghold. We've got tons of support down there, and obviously, very grateful for that.
And Maricopa is a much more competitive, depending on where those ballots actually come from. The call could very well come tonight.
But, look, Arizona election officials have been done an amazing job, and I think one of the things is we have to temper expectations. We have a very good election system here. It doesn't take -- it's not as quick, as quick as the media would like, but it's thorough, it's diligent, and I'm proud of the work that they've done.
BURNETT: So, you obviously are now the secretary of state elect. Your opponent, Republican Mark Finchem, has not conceded this race yet.
Do you suspect he ever will?
FONTES: Well, you know, if he is consistent with what he has done, which is really destroy confidence in systems, run against regular American political norms, and be sort of an outsider in the worst possible way -- no, I don't expect his concession. But quite frankly, I don't need it.
[19:45:13]
We have the will of the voters, the consent of the governed is on our side in this race, and once we have the final canvasses and everything is all said and done and certified, I will be very happy to succeed Secretary Hobbs on seventh floor of the Executive Tower and serve every Arizonan regardless of their political bent with my level best efforts.
BURNETT: Now you've said that the vote-counting process in Arizona is solid and, of course, it is in terms of, you know, getting accurate results. It just takes time.
Kari Lake has vocally questioned the vote-counting process itself. Here's what she just said this weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KARI LAKE (R), ARIZONA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: Well, they're dragging their feet and they're slow rolling the results and they're trying to delay the inevitable.
This is just an embarrassment, and the people of Arizona are sick and tired of elections being run like we're in some banana republic.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Secretary-elect, are you worried about her supporters may respond if she ultimately loses?
FONTES: No. Frankly, I'm not because they're in -- they're in the minority.
I think Arizona voters have spoken loudly in Senator Kelly's race, in my race. They want normalcy. They don't want people hurling insults at their fellow Arizonans.
And let's just be honest. The people that she's talking about are Republicans. They're Democrats. They're independents. They're neighbors.
They're people who want our democracy to prevail. They're serving this republic with honesty and integrity, and for her to be hurling insults out there the way that she has done, it's very disappointing.
And I hope, you know, if she does become governor that she'll change her tune regarding the way had she addresses her fellow Arizonans in order that she can become an effective leader if that becomes the case. BURNETT: Now, Secretary-elect, of course, states make their own rules on elections, right, and they do it their individual way.
The other day, Bill Gates, who obviously is the top elections official overseeing the count in Maricopa County sort of went bullet by bullet comparing Arizona to Florida to say, look, I know that they have early voting. I know they have mail-in; I know they get their results right away and we don't and explaining why, all right?
So, it all makes sense and what you're doing is by the book and you get an accurate count.
Do you think though in your new role that you're going to push towards changes and procedures that could make Arizona count more quickly?
FONTES: Frankly, no. There's no reason to. Just because we're living in a world of instant gratification doesn't mean we should sacrifice accuracy, accountability and security so that folks can, you know, click away.
The bottom line is this. Arizona's election systems are solid, and we've been doing a really good job for a long, long time. The very big difference is we don't have enormous margins anymore. We don't have --
BURNETT: No.
FONTES: -- a Senator John McCain winning by five points.
So, it's just a little bit different. But that's on the results. We've done it well for a long time and until I hear a real good reason why I should speed it up other than the convenience of, for example -- forgive me -- the media, I think we're going to just keep doing what we're doing and do it well.
BURNETT: So former President Obama campaigned in Arizona in the final days before the election, and he was specifically talking about the issue of democracy, election denialism -- and he had this warning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT: Folks can win if we don't do our part, and if you've got election deniers serving as your governor, as your senator, as your secretary of state, as your attorney general, then democracy as we know it may not survive in Arizona. That's not an exaggeration. That is a fact.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: So far, you've won. You defeated an election denier. Blake Masters who also said that 2020 was a fraudulent race, he lost his race as well.
So, has Arizona now past this moment?
FONTES: No, I don't think we've passed this moment. Even though I won, my opponent got, you know, a million votes. BURNETT: That's right.
FONTES: And I think Blake Masters is more in that neighborhood.
So, we've got a lot of work ahead of us. This isn't a one and done sort of an exercise. The cancer that is election denialism, that disease that has pervaded over the last couple of years for all the wrong reasons has to be flushed out bit by bit. It's going to take a long time for a lot of folks to regain confidence that they should never have lost in the first place in our election system.
I'm proud to do that work as well as I can working with the coalition of independents and Republicans who came forward in my campaign to help us bring reason and some truth in these processes. We're going to work together, and we're going do our best to make a shower that Arizona gets back on track.
[19:50:00]
It's going to take a while.
BURNETT: All right. Secretary of State-elect, thank you very much. I appreciate your time.
FONTES: Thank you so much for having me.
BURNETT: Key race alert now out of Arizona. Literally, as the secretary of state-elect was wrapping up here, we just got that big drop of votes. This is from Pima County, Arizona's second largest, home to Tucson.
Officials have just released the results of more than 24,000 ballots and if you look at our board here, Katie Hobbs, the Democratic candidate for governor, looks like she has expanded her lead by a few thousand votes.
But let's get to the bottom of this, see exactly what happened. John King is there to break it all down.
So, John, how many votes did we get in and what exactly happened to the margin?
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: To be exact, since I was here at the top of the show, Katie Hobbs increased her lead by 4,329 votes. Look down to make sure my math was right, 4,329 votes.
How did that happen? The largest new votes came in from Pima County right here. This is the second largest county in the state. Some 20,000-plus votes came from Pima County.
And Erin, Kari Lake simply did not meet her target. She needs to get more votes than Katie Hobbs does. Kari Lake needs to get 55, 56, really closer to 57 percent of the remaining vote.
In addition to Pima, three other small counties came in, two of them where the Republican is leading. But guess what? Four county reports in just the last few minutes, Katie Hobbs came out on top of all four of those new vote reports.
I want to walk through them. Pima was first. Katie Hobbs is now leading with 61 percent in Pima County to 39 percent. If you pull out again the statewide lead is now 29,048. That's up from about 24,000 at the beginning of the hour.
In addition, in the large vote, new vote report we just got from Pima, in the 15 minutes or so, a small number of votes came in in Yuma County. Kari Lake is still on top there. But what is significant is in the modest new votes that came in, it was Katie Hobbs. But just antibody little bit more.
Kari Lake needs to be in the lead by a significant margin in every one of these new reports to catch up. She was not in Yuma County. She was not when a small number of voters just came in Cochise County. That's the southwest, southeastern corridor of the state, excuse me.
Again, she is leading in the county overall, but in the latest vote installment, a small number of votes, Katie Hobbs came out of top. And then there was also a small amount of votes from Apache County, here in the northeastern corner of the state. And, again, Katie Hobbs came in on top.
So, what do we get? Four reports from four counties, including the largest report from Pima County, Katie Hobbs on top in every one of them. So, what does that mean? At the top of the hour, at the top of the hour, we were saying Kari Lake needed 55, 56, probably closer to 57 percent of the outstanding vote to catch up -- well, that number goes higher because she has come in under her target in four counties and we are waiting next hour for a giant vote report from Maricopa County.
The hill is getting steeper for the Republican challenger. The odds are getting better for the Democratic leader at the moment.
BURNETT: All right. Very significant. These four counties and 85,000 to 95,000 votes out of Maricopa. We expect them to come momentarily, John, of course, and you heard the secretary of state-elect saying he certainly believes that it may be possible to make a call in that race tonight which would mean in these next minutes.
So, we will wait and see that vote drop, as John said, coming from those four counties. Katie Hobbs expanding her lead.
As we wait that major vote drop in Maricopa, next, Ukraine's President Zelenskyy making a visit to the newly liberated city of Kherson. Zelenskyy declaring the beginning of the end of the war, celebrating a victory for Ukraine and a major setback for Vladimir Putin.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:57:26]
BURNETT: Tonight, the beginning of the end of the war. Those are the exact words of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy today as he made a surprise visit to the newly liberated city of Kherson. Zelenskyy today singing the national anthem with overjoyed residents there.
Losing the southern city is a major setback for Putin, though he insists it remains Russian territory, somehow.
Our senior international correspondent Sam Kiley joins me now from Ukraine.
And, Sam, amid exuberance and celebration, because there was plenty of that, there is trauma. Many people are dead, right? They don't have power, no running water, not enough food for months and months. What is the realty on the ground in Kherson right now?
SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, as President Zelenskyy said today, so far 400 war crimes they have uncovered just in the last 48 hours or so since they've liberated the city of Kherson. But, of course, the Russians continue to occupy about 60 percent of the rest of that province on the other side of the bank of the Dnipro River, on the area to the west, the government has recaptured though.
You have got dozens of villages, hundreds of thousands of people having to return to villages that have been destroyed, infrastructure that has been destroyed as President Zelenskyy said again today. That means that power systems, communication systems, water systems, broadcasting systems, the Internet all destroyed as the Russians withdraw.
And they withdrew in good order. This was not a rout. This was a tactical withdrawal, if you like, under pressure from the Ukrainians. So, that, of course, means that the Russians are on the other side of the river well within range to attack the incoming civilian population and the military. But from Ukraine, as they invest their areas that they have captured. So, it's a very long way from being over, Erin.
BURNETT: Absolutely. And when you look at the map, large parts of eastern Ukraine and southern Ukraine are still under Putin's control, right, nearly 20 percent of Ukraine, in fact, right, giving, obviously, Ukraine this victory in the city of Kherson. So, what is the next major battle?
KILEY: Well, I think what is going to be very interesting is whether the Russians can now tie down the Ukrainian forces given that they are now separate by the natural barrier of the Dnipro river. If they don't do that, it means that the Ukrainians can move their forces to the east around Bakhmut in particular, Severodonetsk, these now famous small towns that have been pounded into rubble where the fighting has been intense.
They could tip it Ukraine's way if they get that way.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much. Sam Kiley live from Ukraine tonight.
And thanks so much to all of you for joining us.
"AC360" begins now.
