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Erin Burnett Outfront
"Bloodbath": White House Ally Tells CNN Midterms Look Bleak; Democratic In Key Race Responds To Trump Attacking Her With Anti-Trans Slur; Trump Admin Struggles To Get Answers On Russia's Potential Plague Death. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired October 06, 2026 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:21]
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next:
The breaking news, bloodbath. Republicans using that word to describe their fears of what's about to happen in the election. One of the nation's top election forecasters moving major races in the Democrats' direction this evening.
And he's a top Republican in South Carolina, speaking out against the president for calling Darline Graham's opponent an anti-trans slur, saying Trump's language is abhorrent and disgraceful. He's our guest.
And the White House struggling to get answers on Russia's potential plague case. As CNN learns, a Russian hospital is screening all patients for the plague, and ambulance doctors are dressed in full COVID protection gear.
Let's go OUTFRONT.
(MUSIC)
BURNETT: And good evening. I'm Erin Burnett.
And OUTFRONT tonight, we begin with the breaking news, a bloodbath. That is the word that a White House ally is using to describe Republican fears of what's about to happen in the midterms.
This as new reporting this hour from our Kristen Holmes, who will be with us with much more in just a moment, as evidence of this fear is growing among Republicans. I mean, just look no farther than South Carolina, where a GOP super PAC tonight is pouring in $5 million to save Arlene Graham, the sister of Lindsey Graham, the candidate Trump handpicked to run against the will, frankly, of many South Carolina Republicans who had wanted more well-known, tried-and-true politicians.
It's a state, though, that Trump won easily, an 18-point spread, shouldn't be close. That Senate seat was once the safest of safe for Republicans, and it would have been a slam dunk. In fact, the last time South Carolina elected a Democrat to the Senate was nearly 30 years ago. But with just weeks to go until Election Day, Republicans are now
throwing this money in. They -- there is panic, in part because Darline Graham is inexperienced and untested on the political stage, which, of course, was on display at her first debate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEBATE MODERATOR: Are Taiwan and the South China Sea national security issues for the United States? And if so, why or how?
SEN. DARLINE GRAHAM (R-SC): I'm just going to be honest here. I'm not on national security -- I'm not that informed on national security. So -- but I do support the military.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Top election forecaster Larry Sabato is now officially moving that race in the direction of the Democrats. Still a likely Republican win, but to be clear, there shouldn't be a question. There shouldn't be a shift. This should have been an easy one that no one had to spend a dime on. But $5 million more poured in today.
Sabato is joining me in just a moment.
He's also moving another key Senate race, Alaska, in the direction of Democrats from toss-up to leans Dem. That's a big deal because Trump won Alaska also by a very wide margin of 13 points. J.D. Vance actually was dispatched there to help bolster the Republican Senator Dan Sullivan. Vance has just been up there.
And Sabato says that this is a tipping point. He writes, "For the first time all cycle, Republicans now need to win more of our toss-ups to hold the Senate than Democrats need to win in order to flip it."
All of this coming as Trump is doing himself and his party no favors. A Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Trump's approval rating holding at a record low 32 percent, with voters tired of and angry with comments like these.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If they can take out a city, let them take -- let them take out Los Angeles, let them take out San Diego. That's -- this is a very small price to pay.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And on top of those comments, which were about the Iran war and gas prices, Trump also gaslighting Americans when it comes to the economy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: This is the golden age of America. We're doing numbers that nobody ever thought were possible since starting the rally. It's brought a whole new awareness to how great the Republicans are doing, how great the economy is doing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Kristen Holmes is OUTFRONT to begin our coverage live from the White House.
And, Kristen, I mentioned your new reporting at the top of the show. A White House ally telling you they fear this election could be a bloodbath for the GOP and they used that specific word. What more are you hearing from them and your sources tonight?
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I've been talking to a number of Republican operatives, many of them involved in some of these or all of these races. They're monitoring, they're doing polling, the part of different donor PACs. The Republicans, they fall on a major scale here. You've got people freaking out saying they worried it could be a bloodbath and you have other people resigned to the fact that they are going to lose the House and potentially even the Senate.
And I cannot tell you, Erin, the shift I've seen just over the last month.
[19:05:00]
I spoke to one Republican operative who was involved in Texas who told me a month ago there was absolutely no way that a Democrat could win in Texas. Today, they told me that it is entirely possible that Ken Paxton loses this race and there seems to be an overall question about what exactly to do about President Trump.
One, these Republicans do not feel like he's on message. They pointed not just to his comments, but to the fact that he was posting on Truth Social Tom Cotton, who is an ally of his, who defended him in multiple different cases and circumstances. He posted his personal cell phone number on Truth Social over Daylight Savings Time. How is that helping the Republican Party? That is literally what one Republican operative said to me.
Now I will tell you this. They do believe he drives turnout. The question is, can he drive turnout and not also drive turnout for Democrats?
But, right now, you're seeing the polls that they're seeing, which show that enthusiasm in Republican Party is so low and they believe that Trump can actually drive up that enthusiasm. That's why they're having him go to these red states.
Now, Erin, I do want to point out one thing because I hear this from a number of Trump allies and Republican operatives. There is a tiny sliver of hope that they have that the polling is wrong, that this is something that we've seen before, that MAGA is often mispolled. They think that there's a chance they could pull off some of these races that look far worse in the polls, but again, they are still bracing themselves to the worst.
BURNETT: Yeah. All right, Kristen, thank you very much.
And I want to go now to one of the nation's top election forecasters, Larry Sabato, the man behind Sabato's Crystal Ball and the editor-in- chief and director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.
So, Larry, you've got brand new projections for us tonight. And what you're seeing is a first for the GOP in this election cycle, as you're pointing out, a possible tipping point. So, according to your new projections, Republicans now need to win more toss-ups to hold the Senate than Democrats need to win in order to flip it. Can you explain what's going on?
LARRY SABATO, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR POLITICS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Sure, you have 47 seats currently leaning Republican -- leaning, likely or safe and you have 49 of the Senate races that are on the ballot leaning or likely or safe for Democrats.
Well, Democrats need one more than Republicans do to control the Senate. They need 52 seats. Ideally, a 51 will do. They have to worry about Senator Fetterman from Pennsylvania. Whereas the Republicans now with four toss ups remaining are going to have to win three of the four since they're at 47. This has been unprecedented for this campaign.
And yes, we have weeks to go. And yes, there can be October surprises. And yes, as Kristen pointed out, the polls can be wrong.
BURNETT: Yeah.
SABATO: We've all seen examples of that.
But some very, very clever pollsters have pointed out to me that the inaccuracy in the polls can go either way and that they overcorrect frequently for mistakes they've made before. You never know until it's over and you compare the results to the polls. So that's a pretty thin breed to lean on.
BURNETT: Now, you're -- OK, so on that, and I think I'm glad you raised it explicitly, though, because there are so many questions about the polls every cycle, right? We've seen where last-minute polling, even as recently as Michigan, right, didn't turn out the way that -- in the magnitude that it had shown.
Now, I know, Larry, that you are moving two major Senate races in the Democrats' direction. I was laying out just the basic headlines of your move. But what are you seeing there?
SABATO: Well, the big one that I think surprises a lot of people is Alaska.
BURNETT: Yeah.
SABATO: You know, the last Democratic governor elected in Alaska was 1998. The last Democratic senator was 2008, and he lasted one term and was defeated for reelection. Trump has won Alaska all three times, usually by landslide margins for the Republican nominees.
Yet the Democratic nominee, Mary Peltola, despite getting some hits on the campaign trail, has stabilized and is ahead of the incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan. Now she's not ahead by more than maybe four or five points, but the best polls that have been done there, "New York Times" and a bipartisan poll that is paid for by the AARP has shown her ahead by multiple points ahead of the margin of error.
So, you have to say at this point she's favored. She can't take anything for granted. It's Alaska.
And then the other example is even more so, South Carolina. Now, who would have thought even after Lindsey passed away, who would have thought? That South Carolina would be at all competitive and we have it moving from safe to likely, so it's still likely to go Republican.
But let's just say that Republican nominee Darline Graham, who essentially was picked by President Trump, has not exactly been a hit on the campaign trail.
BURNETT: Yeah. So -- and yes, the context here, Larry, when we talk about the polls.
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And we talk about the projections out there, and you know, tsunami or wave or does none of this pan out? You have been doing this a long time, right? So, you've seen waves, you've seen ripples, you've seen tsunamis and you've seen things that look like they might be one of those things, and it didn't actually pan out.
So, what are you seeing that's actually behind all these moves right now with -- at this, you know, we're really close up and obviously, voting has already gone in many states.
SABATO: Absolutely, there been very soon millions of votes will have already been logged in many of these states, so you can't take them back. You can't go to the registrar and say I'd like to change my vote. Can I have my vote back? No, it's done once you turn it in.
And look, what's going on is this. Essentially, you have a very unpopular president in the low 30s. I mean, that is really bad for a presidential approval right at the end of a midterm election. Second, you have prices, not just food, but also gasoline and diesel and other things directly related to Donald Trump. He got elected on that 2024. He said prices were going to go down on day one.
Well, they've gone up and a lot of it has to do with the war he started, which has been unsuccessful and is extremely unpopular. This is the only modern war in American history that has been unpopular from day one. A majority of Americans have been opposed to this from day one, and now it's between 60 and 70 percent opposed.
So, you put all, Erin, and you're talking certainly, a blue wave. A tsunami -- I'm not ready to say that, but it'll be a blue wave. BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Larry. I always appreciate talking to you.
And I -- and I want to talk also tonight about the Senate race in North Carolina because Larry obviously talking about South Carolina and Alaska, but North Carolina is also looking challenging for Republicans who are trying to hold on to retiring Senator Thom Tillis's seat.
Now, Tillis has not been shy. He has taken on Trump. He has taken on his family. He has spoken out. Today, he slammed the billions of dollars that the Trump family has made since Trump returned to the Oval Office.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): Whether or not it's illegal remains to be seen. It will probably be the subject of an investigation next year if the House flops, appropriately. Anytime a president makes a billion dollars in the same year that people that are growing up in that trailer park that I grew up in, you know, it's a bad look. And I think that's one of the reasons why we have political headwinds.
The big issue I have is with Don Jr. Look, I realize even people worth $300 million or $400 million can have liquidity problems. But you'd have thought that he'd have figured out another way other than letting a Russian oligarch who has literally been on a mission with Vladimir Putin to Beijing fund a wedding.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Again, Thom Tillis is a Republican senator. And today, that Russian oligarch to whom he referred, who did, in fact, travel to Beijing with Putin, confirmed, or he says, Don Jr. has repaid him. But he added, according to the Associated Press, Frankly speaking, I do not understand why he decided to do so. And maybe in that statement is everything you need to know.
John King is OUTFRONT in Morehead City, North Carolina, with the traveling magic wall.
So, John, the fight there to replace the Republican Senator Thom Tillis is not looking good for Republicans.
Obviously, that would be a major pickup for Democrats. So, what are you actually seeing on the ground?
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So, Erin, let's just take a look at North Carolina 2024. President Trump. Larry just noted this. This is another state. President Trump won three times.
Entering the cycle, Democrats need a net gain of four seats. Yes, they put this on their list, but Democrats weren't so sure at the beginning. Now, Republicans have told us they expect the Democrat to win this seat. How have they told us that? He's Roy Cooper, by the way. He's a former
two-term governor, so a lot of people might say, well, he's won statewide twice. What's the big deal?
Two Republican super PACs in the last 10 days have pulled all their money out of here. because they think Roy Cooper is going to win and they need to spend that money in South Carolina and elsewhere.
Yes, Roy Cooper does have statewide appeal, but Erin, this is an important point. It's been 18 years since 2008 that North Carolina sent a Democrat to the United States Senate. North Carolina has become very stingy about sending Democrats to Washington.
So, this is a huge deal. And again, Democrats need four, and they think number one is right here.
BURNETT: OK, so that's obviously a very big deal. Now you talk about how stingy they have been in North Carolina about sending Democrats to Washington, but where you're standing in Morehead City, North Carolina, is North Carolina's first congressional district, which you think could be an important pickup for Republicans.
So, what's happening there?
KING: So I'm going to pull up on the map, Carteret County. That's where I'm standing right now. That's where Morehead City is.
You see what the president got here? You see what the president got here in 2024, 71 percent of the vote. Now I'm going to pull back out to the state for you and I'm going to show you the first congressional district.
This is the first congressional district. Let me come up to House here. There we go.
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This is the first congressional district. This is Don Davis. He is the most vulnerable Democratic incumbent in the country. Look, he just narrowly won year a couple years ago.
But this is what they've done since then, Erin. They've changed the district. So where I'm standing now, you see the red down here that is now in this district. So, Don Davis is running for reelection in a very, very different district.
I'll come back to the presidential race so you can see what I'm talking about. Look at these red counties that -- Carteret there. They've added these other red counties as well. Turn the pencil off for a second just to show you. They completely redrew the district on election day last year, Trump won this district, the current district by three points. If it had been under the lines today, it would be 11 points.
So, Don Davis is running hugely uphill, but we were just at a meeting across the street and local Democrats are meeting and they're organizing. They said if I was here three months ago and said, can Don Davis win? They would have said, go home. No.
I asked him again tonight and they say, we think maybe, we think maybe. This town right here, you see the dock behind me, might be the ultimate test of is it -- is it a wave or is it a big blue wave?
BURNETT: And you know, John, in all of this and Kristen brought it up. Larry talked about it right. There's a lack of confidence in polling and interesting what -- you know, what you're hearing from both of them. Even you know internal polling that there's uncertainty. So, as you have covered across this country already this election season, Nebraska, Arizona, Maine, you've been all of them. You've been everywhere in between. I put up as many pictures of you as I could just to make the point you've been there.
So, you've actually been speaking to voters, right, speaking to voters, speaking to candidates, you don't need the John Rawls, you know the veil of polls. What stands out to you so far?
KING: Right. Number one, rural America is mad at the president they helped elect twice. He started a war. He promised he wouldn't start.
Diesel prices are about $6 a gallon. They have farms. They have combines. They have tractors.
Larry mentioned grocery prices, other people have mentioned other affordability issues, health care costs. We're near the end of the year. That's when you start getting those open enrollment emails. It was bad enough and it's getting worse for a lot of people, health care costs.
People are Trumpausted is the term I'm going to use, including even some Trump voters. You mentioned we've done 25 trips to 15 states. We've been to Alaska. We've been to Arizona.
We've been to Texas. We've been to Georgia. We've been to both Carolinas. We've been to Ohio and Iowa.
Red places on the map. Red places on the map where Democrats are really confident they can flip House seats and maybe pick up Senate seats. Does that mean they're going to win them all? Of course not, Erin.
But normally, the polls stabilize. Republicans have been banking on the polls, at least stabilizing, stopping getting worse for the last couple weeks, they keep getting worse. Now don't invest just in the polls, but I'll tell you this about the polling conversation. I don't necessarily trust the polls.
When I see them, I look deep into the data. I'd use them for trajectory, not for any finality, but have private conversations with Republican pollsters, campaign pollsters who do it a different way. They are panicked. They think a bad situation is getting worse, and they blame the president of the United States.
BURNETT: John King, thank you very much on the ground in North Carolina tonight. And another key midterm race that everyone's watching is, of course,
the Senate race in Texas between James Talarico and Ken Paxton. And next week here on CNN, I'll be hosting a town hall with Talarico. Obviously, he's trying to flip that seat. Don't miss it. Wednesday, October 14 at 8:00 p.m.
And meantime, next OUTFRONT, standing up to Trump, the former Republican governor of South Carolina, slamming Trump for using an anti-transgender slur about the Democrat running for Senate there against Darline Graham. David Beasley is our guest. He has a very strong message for President Trump.
Plus, Trump says he will be speaking with Vladimir Putin very soon about a potential case of pneumonic plague in Russia. The White House has been struggling to get answers as Russia is making some moves in how they're handling it that are raising major questions tonight.
And new audio recordings of a call between Jane Doe and one of the Cornell fraternity members, what he reportedly told her after the alleged incident at the frat party.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:23:27]
BURNETT: Breaking news, South Carolina Democratic Senate candidate Annie Andrews responding to President Trump after he attacked her using a transgender slur, calling her Annie Tranny Andrews after claiming she's, quote, "in favor of transgender for everyone."
Well, that happens to be a lie. Andrews has said she's against gender- affirming surgery for minors. And here's part of Andrews' response to Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNIE ANDREWS (D), SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE CANDIDATE: You know, if name- calling could lower gas prices and diesel prices, then call me whatever name you want to call me, but that's not going to get the job done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: It comes as our next guest, a former Republican governor of South Carolina, is condemning Trump's attack as quote abhorrent and saying in part, quote, "Elections don't have to be about cruelty and lies. South Carolina deserves better. I urge voters to look at the merits of each candidate and cast their vote accordingly. We must reject politics based on division and hate."
And OUTFRONT now is the former Republican governor of South Carolina, David Beasley.
And, Governor, I appreciate your time.
So, I know you've been a supporter of Trump's in the past, but you're speaking out now about this, Annie tranny Andrews, that this crossed the line for you. Why did you feel it is so important to speak out against what he said?
DAVID BEASLEY (R), FORMER GOVERNOR OF SOUTH CAROLINA: Well, Erin, I have been all over the world dealing with war and conflict, and I come back home and I see the divisiveness that's taking place in America, and it breaks your heart because we're in a trajectory that's tearing this country apart.
Look, it's election time. It's a contact sport. I get it.
But show respect, civility, not hate, not lies, not deception, and it's creating so much division.
[19:25:02]
And so, it's just heartbreaking to see this taking place. Fight the issues out. Do it, that's America. Democrats, Republicans and the American people want the leaders in this country to focus on the issues, not this name-calling, this creating more division and tearing this country down because right now, it's like I'm going to build myself up by tearing you down. How about show the people of your state, of this country why you want to be the leader and what you're going to do. Let's focus on those things and not ripping the fabric of this nation apart.
BURNETT: You know, Trump obviously said what he said about Annie Andrews, and he also, in the past day, called the Nebraska Senate candidate a sleazebag. He called the Senate candidate in Michigan, who's Muslim, a Democratic jihadist.
How destructive is this language, specifically coming from who it's coming from, right, the person at the top, the president of the United States?
BEASLEY: It's heartbreaking. It's terrible. It's sad.
I don't care which side of the aisle you're on, whether you're Republican or your Democrat, the President of the United States ought to be the leader that shows a role model and respecting others. You can have your differences of opinion, but this is just uncalled for, and it's way, way across the line.
It's the rhetoric that I've seen in other countries when people stop talking to one another and stop and start talking past one another and the name calling and it creates so much division, and it rips a nation apart.
BURNETT: So, Governor, I'm trying to understand, and I think a lot of people can relate to what you're saying, but what is making you do this now? When we talk about Trump and saying things like this and cruel, personally denigrating things, he's been doing that for a long time. It's part of his brand.
But this has crossed a line for you. What is it about this moment, Sir, that's made this the time? BEASLEY: Because the lack of civility in this nation is going down by the minute and I don't think the people in America can take it much more. And this president has a little over two years left to be the president of the United States.
And every president that has been a president since I've been a child, I have prayed for and I have given hope that no matter what party they're from, they'll do what's good and what's right. And I'm hopeful. and prayerful that this president in this last 2 1/2 years focus on reuniting this people, not with this type of rhetoric that's creating more division.
We are the people of the United States. We hold these truths to be self-evident. That's the type of leadership we need, and that's what I'm calling on the president to do is be the leader that the people of America needs right now. And let's stop this rhetoric. Let's stop this divisiveness that's destroying our nation.
BURNETT: So why do you think Darline Graham is struggling? I mean, I know we're finding out that the GOP Senate leadership PAC is putting an additional $5 million into her race. Why do you think they feel that's necessary?
BEASLEY: Well, that's just politics. Unfortunately, as usual, when the numbers starting to tighten up and I don't have access to the internal polling, but obviously the internal polling must be showing that the race is neck to neck and therefore when that happens. You'll see a lot of political people start going to the curb, to the gutter, and start playing this type of rhetoric and divisive politics based on cruelty and hatred.
And that's just uncalled for. Regardless of your views, regardless of your party, come on, we're better than that. America wants the type of leadership that's going to bring us together, and we can fight these issues out respectfully and honorably.
BURNETT: I want to ask you one other thing. I don't know if you had a chance to see it today, Governor. sort of confounding, but I wanted to give you a chance to see how you saw it.
Trump said that Iran could take out Los Angeles and San Diego as part of a comment when he was talking about the consequences of the war, including higher gas prices. I'll play it for you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: With the war, it's just artificial, it's a little bit high. It's a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe. They can take out a city. Let them take-- let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego. That's -- this is a very small price to pay.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: The White House has defended those comments, Governor, saying that Trump, quote, was clearly stating United States cities would have been threatened if a nuclear war hadn't been stopped. Is that what you hear there?
BEASLEY: You know, we've experienced incredible quotes for many, many years with President Trump. This might be top of the -- top of the bar here. It's sad. It really is.
Anyway, I just pray that the Almighty will touch his soul and have a different heart and begin to unite the people of America not to continue to have this type of rhetoric.
[19:30:00]
BURNETT: Governor Beasley, I really appreciate your time and thank you for taking the time to join me tonight. I appreciate it.
BEASLEY: Erin, thank you.
BURNETT: And next, hospitals in Russia now screening patients for the pneumonic plague, ambulance workers dressed in full COVID protective gear. So, what is the truth inside Russia?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: It's incumbent upon Russia to obviously share more information with the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Plus, Trump making his third visit to Texas in less than a month amid troubling numbers for Republican candidates, why Governor Greg Abbott says he will not be appearing next to Trump.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:35:16]
BURNETT: Breaking news, the White House struggling tonight to get clear answers about the potential plague death in Russia. Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding more information.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUBIO: It's incumbent upon Russia. to obviously share more information with the world. The more we can learn about what happened, then the better all of us can be in a position of responding. And maybe, you know, there's nothing there. Maybe it's bigger than we thought. We don't know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: That's an incredible thing. Maybe there's nothing there. Maybe it's bigger than we thought. We don't know.
That's a bad situation. And Trump, who characterized the situation as a, quote/unquote, "big problem for Russia," now says he has a call scheduled with Vladimir Putin to discuss it. The CDC is saying it's closely monitoring the situation. As CNN tonight is learning, ambulance doctors are arriving in full
COVID protective gear and a local maternity hospital is screening patients for plague.
I want to go straight to Fred Pleiken, who has reported extensively from Russia.
So, Fred, you know, obviously in that capacity, you know, you've dealt with officials and being told one thing that might be very different from what's going on. So, you understand this.
Trump is saying he's got a call scheduled with Putin now. Russia has not shared details about what's really going on. What are you learning?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Erin. Well, the Russian officials keep saying that they have the situation under control. In fact, the governor of that region once again said the situation is under control and that things are completely normal in that town where this happened, the town of Shelekhov. But at the same time, the Russians do still have some very strong quarantine measures that are in place for the hospitals in that region and specifically, of course, for the hospital where that lab technician, that female lab technician died of what the Russians say was pneumonia of an unknown own origin.
And you mentioned the fact that CNN actually managed to speak to a couple of people in that place, including to one patient at a maternity ward that is under lockdown. And she said that, first of all, her relatives were not allowed inside the maternity ward. And at the same time, if there were indeed these screenings, these questionnaires that people had to fill out asking them about infectious diseases, including the plague. They also got health screenings as well and were asked to wear masks inside that maternity ward.
Now, The Kremlin has been getting questions about this and there is a regular scheduled call with the spokesman for the Kremlin Dimitri Peskov every day and he was asked about this once again today. And he said that all updates about this would only come from Russia's agency for infectious diseases, Rospotrebnadzor, but so far, there has been fairly little information coming from that agency.
Of course, we just heard Secretary of State Marco Rubio asking the Russians for more information and saying that that was very important. One of the other things that came out today, it was actually a press release from the European Agency for Disease Control. And they actually spoke of, when speaking about this case of the lab technician, a possible case, suspected case of pneumonic plague. But they also say that right now, the information coming out of Russia is very scarce, Erin.
BURNETT: Very scarce indeed.
All right, thank you very much. But obviously incredible to have the chance to talk to someone who's in that maternity ward and hear that directly. That in and of itself is quite astounding.
OUTFRONT now, Joseph Allen, professor of Harvard University's School of Public Health.
And Professor, I appreciate your time.
So, we've obviously talked many times over the years in moments somewhat analogous to this one, perhaps. But Russia is still not saying what killed the lab worker, right? I mean, you heard Fred say it again, pneumonia of an unknown origin. Not saying, you know, pneumonic plague, not being explicit.
We know that she worked at a center which studied them in whatever capacity that might mean. So how concerned are you about what we're not being told that we're not actually even being told what she died of?
JOSEPH ALLEN, PROFESSOR, HARVARD UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: Well, Erin's good to see you. Unfortunately, talking about the plague of all things. This is not normal because the plague, we know how to treat this. So, when you hear something like it was a lab incident, a young worker, this is very treatable, but then you hear a couple 100 people in quarantine, isolation. These reports of lockdowns.
Russia is not being forthright or forthcoming on what's happening. That's not normal. If this was straightforward, it had been over and resolved, and we'd know exactly what's going on.
I think this is why we are concerned. Scientists are tracking this very closely. So is the public understandably, and we just don't have answers right now. But I'll tell you, it's not normal and it feels like they're hiding something.
BURNETT: I mean, right, to your point. pneumonic plague is treatable. There's vaccines, there's antibiotics, right? Obviously, if that were the case, this wouldn't be a story. It wouldn't -- it doesn't add up with what they're doing.
I mean, you mentioned some of the things with the hospitals and the quarantine. Also, we're learning that ambulance doctors are driving around in full COVID protective suits, right?
[19:40:03]
And there's that maternity hospital where Fred, you know, spoke to someone there who was talking about the procedures in place and the questionnaires and the masks and all of that, and people not allowed to be around for the birth and family members. What does that response indicate to you, Professor, about what the Russians perceive the risk to be?
ALLEN: Well, you don't launch something at this scale for something that is nothing, right? You do this when you're concerned and we don't know what it is. We know there's a pneumonia. Russia is telling us it's nothing to worry about. We think we've had reports of pneumonic plague. WHO is saying they
want answers to these questions. They also have questions about a media report of a second worker who has pneumonia. So, I think there's just a lot of confusion and the confusion tells us that we should be concerned and that we should be tracking this because the response is disproportionate to what would normally happen if a lab worker was exposed.
BURNETT: And they're saying this is a civilian lab, but of course, Russia is in a war fitting, has many labs. And, you know, Dr. Ashish Jha was talking last night about what this lab may or may not have been doing. In addition, we just don't know.
We do know in the big context here, though, Professor, that A.I. is making it a lot easier to do virus research, which can have a lot of good implications, but it can also raise serious questions and risks.
And in that context, I wanted to play something OpenAI CEO Sam Altman just said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAM ALTMAN, OPENAI CEO: We believe that the world should accept some bad things happening for the benefits of this technology.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: He didn't say what bad things, but what are the risks, Professor, when it comes to viruses and pathogens?
ALLEN: Well, look, taking an isolation that comment may be OK. There's some risks and many benefits, but we've known what their past statements have been is that the risks are existential -- 10 percent risk of collapsing humanity, and the economy. So, I find that comment hard to take on its face.
We know this, you know, we don't know this Russia issue is related to A.I. clearly, but you know Russia does have a history of working with pathogens, including the plague, including a desired goal of an antibiotic-resistant plague. These tools are getting easier to use. These labs are springing up all over the place. We clearly have had discussions of lab leak in the past.
I think it's an irresponsible comment, particularly how the public is seeing how these A.I. leaders are kind of blase about these risks. And then on top of that, we have this risk right now. We're just coming off COVID. We've got all these hearings about lab leaks.
We have concerns in our own country about our leadership being able to handle a plague of our own in terms of measles spreading -- measles, another ancient disease. So, I get that the public is concerned hearing this and wondering, well, do we have the right people in place that are protecting us, including our civic leaders, but also our business leaders?
BURNETT: Professor Allen, I appreciate your time and thank you very much.
ALLEN: Thanks, Erin.
BURNETT: All right. OUTFRONT next, Trump's going back to Texas again to help his handpicked candidate as a top lawyer who once represented Ken Paxton says he's endorsing Talarico.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAN COGDELL, KEN PAXTON'S FORMER ATTORNEY: I think he's got a real shot. The Republicans are worried, and they should be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: An investigation intensifying tonight into the alleged gang rape of a Cornell student at a frat house. A former DOJ official now tasked with investigating for Cornell as New York attorney's general is about to name the outside lawyers who will handle her investigation.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:47:40]
BURNETT: Breaking news, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a longtime Trump ally, now reportedly distancing himself from the president. According to "The Houston Chronicle", quote, "Abbott says he will not be at Trump event -- a Trump event in San Antonio this week because he has other campaign events already planned."
Now, just as a point of noting, Abbott, who has held statewide office for 30 years and won his last reelection race by double digits, is now in a very tight race, neck and neck with Democrat Gina Hinojosa. This as Trump weighs in on leaked audio of his handpicked, embattled Senate nominee Ken Paxton, deflecting blame for his struggling campaign.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: Have you seen the latest comments from Ken Paxton about not having control over his campaign? The message from Washington --
TRUMP: No, I haven't, but Ken's doing much better now that I've -- everybody is -- since starting three, four days ago, since starting the rallies, it's brought a whole new awareness to how great the Republicans are doing, how great the economy is doing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Still, Trump is heading back to Texas tomorrow, his second visit in less than one week.
Ed Lavandera is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It wasn't easy to spot Ken Paxton in the crowd when President Donald Trump campaigned in Texas last week.
TRUMP: Is he here, by the way? Oh, there he is. Good. I didn't even know if he's here.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): But there he was just offstage as Trump came to rally voters to support the Republican Senate candidate locked in a close race in a state that hasn't elected a Democrat to statewide office in more than 30 years.
TRUMP: Ken Paxton was at my side more than anybody. And I have to always remember that, because he could be a pain in the ass sometimes, I'll be honest.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): The latest pain comes from recordings obtained by "The New York Times" and "Politico", where Paxton told a group of GOP donors that he has never felt having, quote, "less control over the campaign because it's all coming from D.C.", and adding, "I don't control the message or what we're doing."
A Paxton spokesperson told political, quote, "Campaigns don't coordinate with super PACs, and that's obviously what A.G. Paxton was referring to."
But in audio obtained by "The New York Times", Paxton also said Trump's midterm Republican convention event in Texas hurt him.
KEN PAXTON (R), TEXAS SENATE CANDIDATE: So, to be honest with you, the numbers -- when we did that convention, it dropped our numbers.
[19:50:02]
Everybody's numbers dropped. Right now, yeah, not, not, not good.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): The Paxton campaign called the leaked audio, quote, "manipulated nonsense".
With Republicans fearing the idea of losing a Texas Senate seat, campaign money has been pouring into the state to help Paxton.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stand up for families.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Texas needs Ken Paxton.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): According to a CNN analysis of ad impact data, Republicans have spent more than $150 million on advertising so far, and another $38 million is planned before election day. That's about six times more than what Democrats are set to spend in the closing weeks as they hammer away at Paxton's checkered political career.
Impeached by Texas House Republicans on charges of bribery and abuse of power, he was acquitted by Texas Senate Republicans and remains the attorney general. But as the election looms closer, Paxton is getting the support of his estranged wife who is divorcing him on, quote, "biblical grounds" for allegedly having an affair.
ANGELA PAXTON, KEN PAXTON'S WIFE: Let's talk about the elephant in the room.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Angela Paxton, who is a state senator, doesn't mention Paxton by name in this ad, but says she's voting for the Republican ticket.
ANGELA PAXTON: It's not as much about the individual players on the team. It's about getting the whole team across the finish line.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): And State Representative Jeff Leach, one of the Texas Republican lawmakers who led the impeachment efforts against Paxton, gave him a very public show of support at a recent campaign event.
STATE REP. JEFF LEACH (R), TEXAS: From the great state of Texas, our Attorney General Ken Paxton.
DAN COGDELL, KEN PAXTON'S FORMER ATTORNEY: In my view, respectfully, I think Ken has lost sight of his core mission, which is to represent the people of Texas.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Dan Cogdell was one of the lawyers who represented Ken Paxton in the impeachment trial, and he's endorsing the Democrat in the race, James Talarico.
LAVANDERA: Why did you do that?
COGDELL: I think Ken is MAGA, MAGA, MAGA, Trump, Trump, Trump. And Texas has a lot of problems that the Republicans don't seem to want to address.
LAVANDERA: Do you think James Talarico has a legitimate shot at winning?
COGDELL: I think he's got a real shot. Republicans are worried, and they should be.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA: So, Erin, what is going to unfold here in the last month of this campaign will be fascinating to watch in Texas as Republicans will continue hammering away at James Talarico.
We went back and talked to two John Cornyn voters that we met during the primary here in Texas earlier this year to kind of get a sense of where they are heading into early voting. One of them told us that they will remain voting for the Republican. The other told us that they are considering their voting for Talarico or not voting in this election at all. So that kind of speaks to where we're at right now.
BURNETT: Yeah, wow. All right. Ed Lavandera, thank you very much in Dallas tonight.
And next, new secret recordings of Jane Doe and one of the Cornell fraternity members reportedly revealing that she told that fraternity member directly that she felt what happened that night was, quote, "gang rape". (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:57:09]
BURNETT: Breaking news, new audio in the alleged Cornell gang rape case where Jane Doe says these exact words, quote, "This is classified as a gang rape", in a conversation with one of the fraternity brothers she alleges was involved in the 2024 incident. This is according to audio obtained by ABC News.
It comes as Cornell faculty are now preparing to vote for a no- confidence resolution in the university's handling of the case.
Gloria Pazmino is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tonight, Cornell's board of trustees hiring former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates to lead an independent review of how the school responded to sexual assault allegations by Jane Doe in October 2024.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're kind of holding the administration accountable because there's a lot of discussion about, okay, so what do we do now?
PAZMINO (voice-over): This as students gathered in a town hall to voice their frustration over what they say is a lack of response by the administration.
(CHANTING)
PAZMINO (voice-over): The outrage continues to grow as we are hearing more secret recordings between Jane Doe and one of the Chi Phi fraternity members.
FRATERNITY BROTHER: I'm so sorry about all, like, the backlash you're getting from this, by the way.
PAZMINO (voice-over): About three weeks after the alleged incident, Jane Doe recorded a call with a fraternity member who she says was one of the men who snorted ketamine off her body and assaulted her at the Chi Phi house, according to ABC News.
FRATERNITY BROTHER: Due, I'm so sorry. No, I'm very like, I feel so bad for you dude.
PAZMINO (voice-over): ABC says Jane Doe then told the fraternity member, "I was completely and totally intoxicated and then given multiple sedatives and then I was surrounded by upwards of eight to 10 men. This is classified as a gang rape."
That's when the fraternity members tone changes. ABC reported.
FRATERNITY BROTHER: Why, what's -- can I ask like what's -- what's the purpose for why you decided to call me? PAZMINO (voice-over): According to ABC, that fraternity member was one of two students who was suspended. All this as Cornell faculty is considering a vote of no confidence against the administration at their faculty Senate meeting in the coming weeks.
PAUL ORTIZ, CORNELL FACULTY SENATE MEMBER: Faculty have been approached by hundreds of students, alumni, staff who are demanding that we do something. They want a resolution. They want to change now. Many women in this campus do not feel safe walking even during the daylight at Cornell University.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PAZMINO: And, Erin, I want to talk about that last point made by the professor, the fact that students want accountability. I just left a town hall hosted by student organizations. And I have to tell you what's happening here on campus is nothing short of impressive. They are gathering to talk, to learn, to ask questions, to come up with suggestions about what they can do to make this university answer to their demands and be accountable, not just because of Jane Doe, but because they feel like this is a larger campus problem.
I also heard from at least two students who share their own experiences of sexual assault. They reminded students that they have the power to create some change -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right, Gloria, thank you very much.
And thanks to all of you for being with us.
"AC360" starts now.
