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Laura Coates Live
CNN Reports On Florida Senate And House Primary Election Results; Ossoff Escalates Attacks On Trump; Ex-Suge Knight Associate Testifies. Aired 11p-12a ET
Aired August 18, 2026 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[23:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LAURA COATES, CNN HOST AND SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Good evening. I'm Laura Coates on this busy primary night in America. The progressive wing of the Democratic Party is showing it still got momentum, pulling off a surprise primary win in Florida. Democratic socialist Angie Nixon upset establishment favorite Alex Vindman in the state's Democratic Senate primary. Vindman was a key witness during President Trump's first impeachment and raised, get this, more than 16 times as much money as Nixon. She will be my guest tonight as she now faces Senator Ashley Moody in November.
But elsewhere in Florida, it was a tough night for Democratic socialists. Incumbent Congressman Jared Moskowitz held off DSA-backed Oliver Larkin. And Debbie Wasserman Schultz won her primary in a redrawn district, beating a crowded field that included a DSA-backed candidate, Elijah Manley.
And all those results will feed into one of the biggest midterm fights in Florida. I'm talking about the race for governor. Congressman Byron Donalds won his primary on the Republican side and Republican-turned- Democrat David Jolly won on the Democratic side. Donalds will join me live tonight.
Right now, polls are closing in a special runoff election in California to determine who will fill the seat vacated by former congressman, Eric Swalwell.
I've got my panel here throughout the hour to break down what tonight's results say about where both parties are headed. But first, we have the big winner from tonight's Democratic Senate primary in Florida. State Rep. Angie Nixon joins me now. Representative, welcome back to the show. Congratulations on your win. Your opponent, as I mentioned, had more money, had the backing of the Democratic establishment. What message do you think your win now sends?
STATE REP. ANGIE NIXON (D-FL), FLORIDA SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: Well, for sure. Thank you for having me. And I want to be clear. We knew that we were going to win. Our campaign knew that we were going to win because we put in the work and because we went out and we centered people and the issues that concern them and that they cared about. The fact was that folks are upset because Donald Trump and unelected Ashley Moody only care more about ensuring that their campaign donors and corporations are getting richer and richer. Meanwhile, everyday people are working harder than ever and still struggling just to stay afloat. And so, we were able to resonate with people also because I have a proven track record of standing up and being a fighter.
And, again, as I stated earlier with you today, it's not about people's labels for me. I'm a single mom. I was a single mom for 12 years. I'm a mother now. I'm an organizer. I'm a community organizer. But more importantly, it's about the needs of the people. And what people need is they need housing, right? They need universal health care. They want universal child care to help lower their costs so that they can just be able to live without being -- without struggling or anything like that.
COATES: You know, we did talk just last night, actually, anticipation of this moment. And you say that you reject labels. Republicans, though, they already want to paint one right on you. They are leaning into attacking you for being a Democratic socialist. Republican Senator Ashley Moody said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. ASHLEY MOODY (R-FL), FLORIDA SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: Angie Nixon, who will be my opponent in November, and her comrades want to destroy this country and everything that it is built on. I am not exaggerating. I believe that America is the greatest country on earth.
(APPLAUSE)
And in the face of anti-American rhetoric, folks that want to destabilize this country, I think we all need to stand on that line.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[23:05:06]
COATES: Anti-American, destabilizing, destroying the country. What's your plan to combat that messaging?
NIXON: Well, first of all, I look forward to Ashley Moody calling me senator in November. And secondly, Ashley Moody actually used 10 million of our dollars that were supposed to go towards the most medically-needy kids in our state to divert that funding and to defeat ballot initiatives that the citizens placed on the ballot. And so, Ashley Moody doesn't care about anything but herself. We continue to see her net worth increase.
Meanwhile, Floridians across our state, their net worth is going down. They have absolutely nothing in their savings account. She won't even hold town hall meetings unless they're Republicans.
I am someone who's willing to go out and talk to everyone, even if they don't believe how I believe ideologically, because I want to represent all Floridians here in the state of Florida. Many people who have called and reached out to Ashley Moody's office for help, you know who they call because she doesn't return their call? They call me, they email me, and we help connect them to the resources that they need.
And so, I'm not running away from the people, I'm running to them, and I look forward to becoming their next United States senator come November.
COATES: Well, a Democratic nominee who wants to be called governor in your state is David Jolly. He praised you as a fighter. But he also said that he flatly rejects socialism. How do you plan to unite the party around your campaign right now?
NIXON: Again, it is not about labels, it's about the most basic rights that people here in the state need. They need housing. Right now, here in our state, it costs over 18 percent of the national average to rent a home or to rent an apartment here. People are paying 300 more times for property insurance here in the state of Florida.
We witnessed Ashley Moody fail to extend the ACA subsidies, which caused nearly 300,000 people to be knocked off of the Affordable Care Act rolls. She doesn't care about anyone but herself. And also, she did that because her campaign donors are health insurance companies.
And so, I look forward, Ashley Moody, to taking you on and to whooping you in November, and you will be calling me your senator.
COATES: State Representative Angie Nixon, thank you for joining.
NIXON: Thank you.
COATES: Now, to CNN's Harry Enten who is at the magic wall. Harry, I mean, what does Nixon's win tell us about the strength of the Democratic socialist wing of the party?
HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Well, those were some strong words at the end of that interview. My goodness gracious. Look, it's a dominating win. I mean, Angie Nixon knocking off Alex Vindman who, obviously, was a hero of the first, you know, first time around with the first Trump impeachment. I think his defeat is part of the rejection of that resistance 1.0.
But it also speaks to the power right now that Democratic socialists have within the party, right? You can see it's a clear win. It's a 12- point win. She's in that -- what? Columbia, blue on your screen. You can see it across here. She didn't just win in one part of the state, she was winning across the state. That, of course, powered that double-digit victory.
Now, that, in my opinion, is part of a larger picture of where the DSA is right now. So, we can pull it up right here. You can see it right here. OK, DSA or DSA-endorsed congressional candidates currently in Congress, they're only two, they're only two. Now, with that win tonight in Florida in terms of winning in the 2026 primaries, we're talking about eight. Seven are favorites to win in November. Ms. Nixon is not one of them. She's certainly an underdog. Of course, we'll have to wait and see how that race unfolds, but you can definitely see that the DSA is gaining ground.
That being said, I will note, in terms of the overall scorecard in 2026, eight have won primaries. But if you look, the clear vast majority have lost 17-plus, depending on how you count it. So, what we're talking about is one-third of the DSA or DSA-endorsed candidates have won, but the vast majority, Laura Coates, they have, in fact, gone down to defeat. So, the Democratic Party is not the Democratic Socialist Party, at least not quite yet.
COATES: And tonight also showed the limits to the power of a Trump endorsement, Harry. At least two Florida congressional races. What happened?
ENTEN: Yes, what happened? Well, one of them, one of them is about scandals, and it turns out that scandals still actually do matter.
And we're going to go to northeast of Orlando, Florida, go to the 7th congressional district. Cory Mills who, of course, was scandal-laden, he was Trump-backed, he went down to defeat. This is part of what we've seen throughout this primary season. We have seen those scandal- plagued candidates having some trouble. Yes, Donald Trump obviously has been able to sort of rise above it, but the other candidates who are running, scandals at least still do matter in a number of circumstances.
[23:10:02]
Cory Mills only getting 34 percent of the vote. Ryan Elijah easily winning there, 47 percent of the vote. He is a favorite come November.
And then I will also note another race, and that was the race to replace Byron Donalds. Look at this. OK, Catalina Lauf getting 22 percent of the vote. That was a late Trump endorsement. But we have seen this throughout the primary season. Yes, you're seeing in those higher up-ticket ballot measures or those running for higher office, especially for Senate, doing pretty well with the Trump endorsement. But lower down, and those for governor have struggled. That was a late endorsement for Trump. I bet he probably wishes that he didn't do it.
I will also just note, this was an insane district. She ran in Illinois. He ran in Illinois. He ran -- he was a congressman from North Carolina. He, Chris Collins, was a congressman from New York. So, it was a really messy race, but one in which the Trump-endorsed candidate lost.
COATES: Looks like everyone wanted to bite the apple -- sorry, Florida, the orange.
ENTEN: That's right. There you go.
COATES: There you go.
ENTEN: New York is the apple.
COATES: There you go. Well, some would say it's also Vermont. Whatever. Thank you so much. And with me now, an all-star panel to help us understand what happened tonight, and more importantly, what it means for November, our resident Florida man, senior politics reporter for Axios, Marc Caputo, former communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris, Ashley Etienne, CNN senior political commentator, Scott Jennings, and CNN contributor Lulu Garcia-Navarro. Glad to have all of you here.
All right, look, let's talk about Angie Nixon because she pulled no punches, minced no words. Ashley, do you think that she has a shot in a state like Florida?
ASHLEY ETIENNE, FORMER COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS, FORMER SENIOR ADVISOR TO SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI: Can I say no? I mean --
COATES: You can say whatever you want. It's truthful.
ETIENNE: It's Florida. I mean, she won the race I think she could win. It was the primary race in the Democratic primary. She's a better political athlete than Vindman is. You know, she was outspent 35 times. I think what was interesting, though, she only spent $60,000, and none of it was on T.V., none of it was on broadcast, none of it was on cable. She ran a purely grassroots campaign.
And we've seen that across the country where money is -- there is limitation to money now. There is limitation to endorsements. We just talked about Donald Trump's endorsements, endorsed candidates losing. And it seems like now, the winning formula is going back to the basics. And she went back to the basics. She's from Florida, she's of Florida, and it worked. But I think it only worked for the primary --
COATES: OK.
ETIENNE: -- because, you know, you have to appeal to a broader audience when you're running statewide in a state like Florida, and I'm not sure she's got the ability to do that.
COATES: Let's look at the numbers because, Marc, you're a resident Floridian tonight. Look at these numbers, everyone. This is -- this is really, really telling. Retired Lieutenant Colonel Alex Vindman did out-raise and out-spend Angie Nixon and also Senator Ashley Moody, and he lost. What does that tell you?
MARC CAPUTO, SENIOR POLITICS REPORTER, AXIOS: He was a terrible candidate. It's difficult for me to put that in words. Some of our conference calls at Axios, I would just start to rant about it. I was almost offended by his -- just inability to campaign properly.
COATES: How did he do it?
CAPUTO: Well, it's more, like, how did he not do it? I don't really know where that money was spent because you didn't really see him on television, you didn't really see him in the community, you didn't see him in mailers, you didn't see him in text messages. There was no presence.
About seven days ago, in preparation for today, I started to think, OK, what does the polling show? And I couldn't find any polling, which is a very rare thing in a statewide election in Florida, something of this import, a Senate seat. And I called a number of pollsters. Everyone is, like, no, we're just not paying attention to it.
I realized -- well, let's see. I'm not seeing Vindman really campaign. He has no real roots here. He's essentially sorts of carpet-bagged here. I didn't even know the guy lived in the state. I thought, like his brothers in Congress, he lived in Virginia.
And so, then I started to think, well, Angie Nixon is a known commodity. She comes from Jacksonville, which is a large media market with a lot of voters. She has an active coterie of progressive supporters who are very into her. And she made her presence known on social media. And a lot of Democrats just didn't know who she was and who he was, including my own wife, who is a longtime Democratic voter. She was not contacted by either campaign.
Voters like that walked into the polls, Democratic voters, and they saw a man they didn't know and a woman they didn't know, and a lot of them voted for the woman they didn't know. A lot of progressives showed up because they wanted to vote for the progressive. And a lot of people just didn't show. It was a pretty low-turnout primary.
All of these things combined together very well for her, not to take away from her. I agree she was certainly the superior political athlete. Angie Nixon was a better candidate who ran a better campaign, and she won.
ETIENNE: Also, Black voters made a big difference in that.
CAPUTO: A hundred percent.
ETIENNE: Vindman was polling and performing poorly with Black voters. It became a national story, in fact. And she, the very opposite of that.
[23:15:01]
Her last campaign stop was in a Black church. I mean, she literally has been in that community, engrossed in it for years.
CAPUTO: Right.
ETIENNE: So, she had that advantage. One, this combination of Black voters, progressives, and then some white progressive voters.
CAPUTO: Twenty percent of the --
COATES: There's an interesting notion, though, then, because, on the one hand, you don't want to diminish what her accomplishment is or her track record and her resume. On the other hand, it sounds like this race might not be predictive of a larger, much more involved one. But how are Republicans going to play this?
SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, FORMER SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH, SALEM RADIO HOST: I mean, it's Florida. Ashley Moody is a popular person. She'll be fine. Democratic socialists are not going to be terribly popular in Florida. I heard --
ETIENNE: Parts of Florida.
JENNINGS: I heard -- I heard Ms. Nixon say, well, it's not about labels, which I find curious since she joined the Socialist Party just this summer. She affixed the label to herself, only now to say, well, it's not really about labels. I actually think Ashley Moody's remarks were dead on. She's just reading out of the Democratic socialists' platform.
When you align yourself with people who fundamentally would like to rip, you know, what we know is how America works out, root and branch, you are kind of anti-American. And all these socialists, whether they're in Florida or any other state, are going to face these same kinds of attacks. So, I think Ashley Moody has the advantage here.
Vindman, look, I agree with you, terrible candidate. He has been kind of a grift all the way through. And the fact that these league donors gave him $16 million --
CAPUTO: (INAUDIBLE) actually.
JENNINGS: -- to watch him, you know, piss it away on this grift. I don't know where it went either. I assume the consultants all have fine beach houses all up and down the coast now. But it's a grift. He has been a grift for years, and he paid for it tonight.
COATES: But here's the thing, Scott. What I'm hearing you say is that no grifting and also norm-busting is seen as anti-American. It has been successful for other candidates who look at these issues and say --
JENNINGS: Norm-busting is what you call the socialists?
COATES: Oh, no, no. That's not what I call norm-busting. I have been talking about --
JENNINGS: -- downfall of Western civilization. COATES: Hold on. Let me finish my point.
ETIENNE: -- trying to burn down the place?
COATES: I'll finish my point. I want you to respond to what Ashley had to say. But I also want to hear it from Lulu. The idea that she did sign on to Democratic socialists this summer. I interviewed her yesterday. I asked her about issues like abolishing prisons and beyond. She talked about wanting to not have the for-profit prison industrial complex as one of the issues. But she did suggest there was a bigger tent available for Democrats and that there is nuance and non-monoliths within both parties. Now, whether that actually works for her, ultimately, Lulu, I'd love to hear your response.
LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, CNN CONTRIBUTOR, JOURNALIST FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES, PODCAST HOST: I am also a Florida person, Florida woman, to Marc as Florida man. You know, this is what I think. I think Vindman was a terrible candidate. I think when you're running statewide in Florida, it's really hard to be a carpetbagger because name recognition really does matter. He was kind of coasting off of the idea that he had name recognition because of what had happened in Trump, you know, in the first term, and that's just simply not the case.
I also think, you know, that it is going to be hard for a Democratic socialist to win in Florida simply because you have the Cuban community, the Colombian community, the Venezuelan community, who --
CAPUTO: Nicaraguan community.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: The Nicaraguan community, thank you, who don't like those words, you know, who see this --
JENNINGS: Why wouldn't they like it? Are you suggesting that socialism might not have a great reputation among some people?
GARCIA-NAVARRO: I'm suggesting that it's certainly. Like my family, they fled from Cuba communism, which is -- you know, I'm not saying these two things are the same. What I'm saying is that there's a deep- seated antipathy towards that particular strain, and they're worried about it. That said, the Latino vote is very powerful. Half of it is Puerto Rican, and they don't -- they don't carry that same baggage. So, you know.
ETIENNE: I don't know if anybody Black can win in the state of Florida statewide. I mean, we'll see with --
CAPUTO: Obama did twice.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Yes, he did.
ETIENNE: Yes. The national race I'm talking about. Just statewide --
CAPUTO: Byron Donalds is favored to win the governor.
ETIENNE: Well, that's what I was going to say. We'll see what actually happens with Byron.
COATES: I'm going to interview him in just a moment as well and get his take.
ETIENNE: I just think there's a lot of deep-seated racism. I've campaigned in Florida several times, several presidential campaigns, deep in these counties. You know, if you look at where Byron lost, there are Republican, white, deep red, rural --
GARCIA-NAVARRO: -- lost by literally half a percent --
ETIENNE: Different time. Different Time. So, I'm just saying, he still lost. My point is, I'm just not sure anybody can pull it off. But I hope Byron can. It will be interesting to see if he can. I'm just not sure anyone can.
CAPUTO: Well, she does hit on a great point, which is, Byron Donalds, for all of his advantages in this campaign, including the Trump endorsement, including a superior team, Jay Collins, who came in second here, the newly-appointed lieutenant governor, really ran a sort of rake-stepping clown show. But Donalds didn't even crack 50 percent, and that's going to be problematic for him.
COATES: Well, I'm going to ask him about that. I'm sure he's loving all of your optimism on this show right now.
(LAUGHTER)
CAPUTO: I said problematic. It's not impossible.
JENNINGS: I think he's going to win.
[23:20:00]
COATES: Well, there you know what we're asking about. Stand by, everyone. Remember, you are a part of this election night. We want to hear from you. Text us your questions and your comments at 818-972- 7272. Include your first name and your city or state. We'll answer them later in the hour.
Up next, more on that battle for governor in Florida. Democrat David Jolly vowing to pull off an upset against Trump-backed Byron Donalds. The congressman is live with me to respond, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COATES: Republicans have controlled Florida's governor's mansion for nearly 30 years and will hope to keep the streak going with Republican Congressman Byron Donalds who could become the state's first Black governor. Donalds will face Republican-turned-Democrat David Jolly. Jolly was a GOP congressman until Trump's first term.
[23:24:57]
Then, Jolly became a fierce Trump critic who is now looking to pull off the upset against my next guest, Congressman Byron Donalds, the Republican nominee for governor in Florida.
Congressman, welcome back and congratulations to you on your win. I know you were hearing our conversation with the panel when we mentioned you didn't get 50 percent support and whether that might be a concern for you heading into November. Is it?
REP. BYRON DONALDS (R-FL): No, not really. Look, when you're in a primary like this against three other people all working incredibly hard, not to mention another five other candidates, you're going to get a lot of ballots split. But that's not the point. The point is that Republicans spoke loud and clear in this primary. We were very grateful to have the support of the Republican Party move on as their nominee.
But I think it's also important to note, for all the talk about how Democrats were more motivated to vote in the great state of Florida, Republicans are the ones who turned out, especially on election day, going to the polls because what they want is for the state of Florida to remain a free state of Florida and to continue to be based on common sense conservative principles.
And I think that as we move through the general election, Republican voters and independents in our state and even some Democrats are going to realize that my track record in business, but also my commitment to common sense conservatism that has made Florida number one, will continue to keep Florida number one.
COATES: Well, you know, Democrat David Jolly, we've interviewed him before. I know you've addressed it. You've even asked him and challenged him to debates prior to now. He says he thinks he can beat you in November. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID JOLLY, FLORIDA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: If the election were tonight, we would win the general election in Florida as a Democratic candidate. Sure, I think I'm a strong candidate building a coalition but, Erin, this cycle is presenting an opportunity where voters are just screaming for change. I do think there's a new coalition emerging in American politics. We're seeing it in Florida. It's rooted not so much in party, but in the basic everyday majority that believes that the economy should work for everybody.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: He said that you're more focused on culture wars than affordability. Your response?
DONALDS: Well, obviously, he wants to pick and choose. We want to make sure we push down insurance costs in our state, make it more affordable to build housing so we can push housing costs down as well, while also having an economy that is thriving so young people can have high-paying jobs to build the Florida dream for themselves. We are also going to continue to defend parental rights in our state and defend western civilization and family values.
So, if David Jolly thinks that protecting girls, whether it comes to their puberty or for them to compete in athletic competition, if he thinks that's a culture war, then I'm very clear, sign me up because we're going to protect common sense and family values in the state of Florida. That is why more people come to our state than anywhere else in America. It's the reason why there's 1.5 million more Republicans than Democrats in our state.
And I think David Jolly and his party needs to have a question. Are they going to support what some would consider a progressive Democrat Party or the Democrat Socialists of America? Because I know the Democrat nominee for the United States Senate aligns with the DSA. So, the question is, what does David Jolly support? I look forward to litigating that in our first of three debates.
COATES: Obviously, he has predicted that people will align him with the Democratic Senate candidate as well. I'm sure he will have to address whether or not that's an albatross or an asset.
But congressman, the president did endorse you. He may be very popular among Republicans. But the polls do show that most voters are not happy with him. His approval rating continues to hover in the low 30s. Given that, will you welcome the president of the United States on the campaign trail with you?
DONALDS: Of course. Listen, the president is a friend and obviously supported me in this race. I anticipate he's going to continue to support me all the way through to November. That's what's going to happen. And so, of course, we'd love to have the president because, at the end of the day, voters, I would think, throughout Florida, especially in Florida, they remember, but through all of America, remember what this country was like three years ago.
Joe Biden let 10 million people into our country illegally. The Democrats created a massive inflation that most Americans had never seen in their life, the greatest inflation in more than 50 years that was destroying the pocketbooks and destroying the family budgets of Floridians and Americans, not to mention the fact that you didn't even know who was running those agencies under Joe Biden. It was run amok, run by radicals.
So, Donald Trump is doing the hard work of fixing this country. Here in Florida, we actually embody the ideals of limited government and free markets, and that's why people continue to choose our state while backing the blue, making sure that law and order is the standard in Florida.
COATES: It's interesting because a lot of people running and voting would have the exact opposite opinion of what you just described in terms of the assets of what Republicans have done under President Trump.
[23:30:04]
And yet, he is in office. But you've got another issue. In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis did not endorse you in the primary. Have you heard from him tonight? And is it your expectation that he will support you now that you are the Republican nominee?
DONALDS: I haven't heard from him tonight, but I anticipate we're going to sit down and meet pretty shortly, and looking forward to having the governor's support because, at the end of the day, this isn't even about really endorsements anymore, this is about the future of Florida.
We have already seen other states that's had a Republican governorship, then it switched to Democrat. Look at the state of Virginia. Abigail Spanberger ran as a moderate, and when she got elected, she started governing like a radical. In Arizona, Katie Hobbs ran as a moderate, and then when she got elected, governed as a radical.
The people of Florida have come to our state for common-sense conservatism. A lot of that leadership by Governor Ron DeSantis, and he has done a great job leading Florida. So, the people of Florida are going to be very clear. They do not want our state to look like Virginia. They don't want it to look like Connecticut or New York or New Jersey. A lot of Floridians left those states to choose the Florida dream. We're going to protect that dream and take it to a whole new level.
COATES: What do you say to those who look at Florida and realize it has never seen a Black governor? Why you?
DONALDS: Listen, this is not really about my race. This is about the value system, the vision for the future of Florida, and policies that let families thrive. And Florida is a great meritocracy. I've learned that about my home state ever since I moved here 30 years ago just to go to college. Our people, they just want you to be able to get the job done, have common-sense policy, and make sure the government stays out of their way. That's the standard in the state of Florida, and as the state's next governor, that will remain the standard.
COATES: If Governor DeSantis does not endorse you, will you take issue with it publicly?
DONALDS: No. That's not even an issue. We're focused on the next 77 days, and the next 77 days is about the decision for the people of Florida. Do you want to follow the line of the Democrats that have really damaged a lot of these states or do you want Florida to continue to be the free state of Florida?
And I think the people of our state, obviously Republicans, independents in our state, and I would argue even some conservative Democrats, they want Florida to remain the free state of Florida because we're the best state in the country, and that's not changing any time soon.
COATES: Congressman Byron Donalds, the people did speak tonight. Let's speak again. Thank you so much for joining.
DONALDS: Thank you.
COATES: Up next, after that viral quip on Trump's aide, Natalie Harp, Senator Jon Ossoff is now sharpening his attack on the president directly. We'll get into all of it with the panel, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[23:35:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COATES: Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff is upping the ante again, and he's got the president's attention. Ossoff, who was locked in a tough reelection battle in Georgia this November, just launched a new line of attack. This time, he stood next to decorated combat veteran and sitting Senator Mark Kelly to deliver this message to the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JON OSSOFF (D), GEORGIA: I don't think anything illustrates the times more aptly than that the draft-dodging crook president -- (APPLAUSE)
-- who has plunged our nation recklessly into a war he knows not how to end or to win, tried to imprison this man.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: My panel is back with me. OK, Marc, the White House was quick to respond to Ossoff's comment about his aide the other day, Natalie Harp. Are they going to take the bait again?
CAPUTO: Well, Trump will usually take the bait because he likes to hit Jon Ossoff as Pee-wee Herman, as you heard the other day. Now, as far as the rest of the White House, the White House is -- one of the things that characterizes it is that the people serving in there really love the president, and they like each other. They took it very personally that one of their own, Natalie Harp, was dragged into it.
I think this is a little different. This is a little more sort of de rigueur, kind of common campaign attacks. But I think the White House and Trump have made the determination that it's fun to hit back at Ossoff, so we'll continue to do it.
COATES: I mean, Ossoff clearly thinks it's appropriate and strategically advantageous for him to hit back at the White House as well. This is one of those moments.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Actually, it's a double-edged sword. Why? He's running for re-election in Georgia. There's always this balance that you're trying to do, right, which is you've got to run in your state, and people in your state care about the issues of your state, and he is hitting at Donald Trump.
And so, there's a lot of speculation, obviously, about 2028. He has said he's not interested in that but, of course, no one is interested until they are publicly. And so, you know, that can rub people the wrong way.
Democrats definitely want a fighter. Democrats definitely want someone to be hitting at a Trump. It helps raise your profile, for sure. But in a state like Georgia, which is a purple state, there is an open question about how much it's going to hit him.
I think Ossoff is going to win. I don't think it's even a question. Georgia, you know, that's what I see. That said, I do think he has to be careful, probably.
COATES: Do you think so? People are looking at, in many times, the critiques and criticism of Ossoff, and they are directly pointing to what they see as hypocritical thread to what the president does oftentimes.
[23:40:02]
Do you see a distinction? JENNINGS: Well, I don't know how to answer that because Ossoff, I agree with Marc, was giving what we just played there, standard liberal talking points against Trump. You're going to hear that from every candidate for president.
What he did with Natalie Harp, though, is something different. He didn't attack the president. He took an unknown presidential aide. She's not elected in anything. She's not a household name. She's not a public figure. And he basically communicated that the only reason she has her job in the White House is because, hey, that's what Republican women are good for, right? Wink, wink. That's how they get their jobs in politics. I think he's a disgusting coward.
COATES: He didn't say that specifically, but your intimation is what you think happened. Go ahead.
JENNINGS: Well, if you're arguing that he could have had any other possible meaning, I don't -- I don't know how you would conclude anything other. You heard the crowd. They were in there clapping like seals. Now, the party of women likes to tell us that we're here for women's rights and we're going to promote women.
And then you've got one of their leading candidates for president out, dragging an unknown woman who has gone off to serve her government through the mud, insinuating that the only possible reason she could have a job in politics is because she's a concubine for a politician. It's disgusting.
He went on MS Now and got asked about it, and he wouldn't defend it. He wouldn't defend it. He was a coward for not defending it. He's willing to do it in a scripted rally, but he's not willing to defend it after the fact. It's despicable.
COATES: Ashley?
ETIENNE: I mean, I just -- all these sorts of fake outrage, just really infuriating.
JENNINGS: It's not fake. I can assure you.
ETIENNE: It is.
JENNINGS: It is not fake.
ETIENNE: I mean, especially when the president --
JENNINGS: You don't put words in my mouth. It is not fake.
COATES: She let you speak.
(CROSSTALK)
JENNINGS: I am really outraged.
COATES: Hold on a second. Hold on. Ashley, please speak. Please, listen to what she has to say. We all respected when you had the platform. Ashley, go ahead.
ETIENNE: Also, I've never suggested that Republican women only get jobs if they're sleeping with their principal. He never suggested anything to that degree. What he said was that they seem to be together quite often, which is a statement of fact. The real reality is the reason why you guys are taking this stuff so personally is because you believe there's probably some level of truth to it, especially given the principle we're talking about here.
But here's the thing that really upsets me most. The level of outrage from the White House about a staffer. OK, there's always that staffer. I've worked in two White Houses. There's always a staffer really close to the principal. But you don't have that same level of outrage for sailors on a ship who have been out to sea for months on end and are jumping off trying to commit suicide. I mean, that's really where you lose people.
That's where you lose me with this fake -- fake outrage, Scott. I mean, it is -- that's what's despicable. I'm not pointing out that the staffer spends a lot of time with the principal.
JENNINGS: So, you said every White House has --
ETIENNE: There's always --
JENNINGS: Who was Joe Biden's female that hung around all the time?
ETIENNE: Well, some would say Anita would spend a lot of time with him.
JENNINGS: Are they insinuating they were there for a reason?
ETIENNE: No, but I would --
JENNINGS: Because it happens all the time.
ETIENNE: No. I'm saying there's always a staffer that's close to the principal, that wants to be close to the principal. And so, all that Ossoff said is they spend a lot of time together. You took it for -- you took it there. You made the statement about Republican women.
JENNINGS: No. He took it there.
ETIENNE: He never said that.
JENNINGS: Here is the deal. He has been in the Senate since '21. He has had dozens of female staffers ranging from intern all the way up to senior staff positions. What if I walked out here tonight and read a list of their names and said, here's such and such, here's her title, and boy, it sure is? Sure, it is interesting that she hangs out with Jon Ossoff so much. I wonder why. Oh, she looks pretty nice. I wonder why he did that. What if I did that? You would be outraged --
ETIENNE: No. You know why? Because --
JENNINGS: Because it's ridiculous. ETIENNE: Ossoff would not respond the way that the president responds nor the White House. They actually gave them more credibility, the way that they responded.
JENNINGS: So, you're OK with this?
ETIENNE: No. I'm saying it was a statement of fact. I'm saying -- my point -- my problem with you is that the outrage that you have on this particular issue versus really an issue that really deserves the attention of the entire nation, which is the health and safety of our service members --
JENNINGS: We have not even raised --
ETIENNE: -- that are out at war.
JENNINGS: -- that topic tonight.
ETIENNE: But I'm just telling you. What I'm saying --
JENNINGS: We have not raised that topic.
ETIENNE: You have a choice -- you have a choice to be outraged.
JENNINGS: You're pivoting away.
ETIENNE: And you're selecting to be outraged.
JENNINGS: You're pivoting away --
ETIENNE: I'm not. I'm saying --
JENNINGS: You're a female staffer who climbed to the highest levels of politics. If someone insinuated that you had only done that because of sexual relation with a politician, you would be outraged, and I'd be outraged --
ETIENNE: No. I would be outraged if the White House responded the way they did. That's what I would be outraged.
JENNINGS: By defending you?
ETIENNE: No. By name calling. They didn't defend her. That wasn't a defense.
JENNINGS: Yes, they did.
ETIENNE: They didn't say, you know what? She's qualified.
JENNINGS: She is qualified.
ETIENNE: She spent her time. She has gone to college. She's got degrees. They didn't say that. They started calling Ossoff names. So that's not -- that's not how you defend women.
JENNINGS: He deserves it. ETIENNE: That's how you defend women.
COATES: You mean like the way that CNN defends the attacks against our female journalists who are simply doing their jobs and are routinely attacked as recently as yesterday? Imagine. Stand by, everyone. It's your turn at home to drive the conversation. We've been getting your texts and questions all hour long.
[23:45:00]
Remember, you can send them to us just by texting 818-972-7272. The panel will be back to take them right after this and maybe some kumbayas.
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COATES: Let's get to your election questions now. And a reminder, if you got a question, text me, 818-972-7272. Be sure to include your first name and city or state.
My panel is back with me. We got Rodney from Arlington, Texas. He asks, does Byron Donalds have a better chance to win if he distanced himself from Marc -- from Trump? Well, I say Marc because you already answered the question, right?
(LAUGHTER)
CAPUTO: Absolutely not. You dance with that. If he does that, Florida still has a plurality of Republicans over Democrats. They're still Trump voters. It would be perceived as highly disloyal. The media would be all over him. It would it would be a nightmare.
[23:50:00]
GARCIA-NAVARRO: And what would Trump do? Just leaving aside, forget the voters. What would Trump do?
CAPUTO: Right.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: It wouldn't be good for you.
COATES: All right. Well, Sam from Sonoma, California asked this question: What does the survival of reps Wasserman Schultz and Moskowitz in their primaries says about the broader Israel rift in the Democratic Party? Who wants to take it? Lulu?
GARCIA-NAVARRO: I mean, I think it's -- no, I think it's -- I think it's a good thing. I think it's a good thing that they --
CAPUTO: Those are very Jewish districts.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: You know --
CAPUTO: Those are very Jewish districts.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: I don't think it says -- I don't think it says anything.
COATES: Scott?
JENNINGS: I think overall in Florida tonight, we took out the trash. Cory Mills got beat. That was a good thing. The anti-Semites got beat in several places.
CAPUTO: Yes.
JENNINGS: Bilzerian got beat. Fishback got beat. These Democratic socialists that came down and ran against Moskowitz and Debbie Wasserman Schultz only because they believe that Israel has a right to exist, they got beat. I think we took out a lot of trash in Florida tonight. And
you know what? That's a good thing.
COATES: Well, we'll see what people think. Dwayne from L.A. asked this question: Republicans like Scott Jennings are -- oh, interesting. You're right there. Republicans like Scott Jennings are setting themselves up for failure, trying to lean on the DSA angle instead of actually looking at reality economy is horrible. What do you think, Scott?
JENNINGS: Well, I'm not leaning on the DSA. The Democrats are leaning on them. Democrats are the ones who have invited them into their big tent. And I would argue that Democrats are going to regret putting people who want to destroy western civilization in the tent. Plus, there's an economic argument to be had with them. They want to destroy the economy and the United States of America. As we know it, they want to raise your taxes, and they want to do a lot of things that a lot of Americans aren't going to like.
And Republicans can have that debate, even in an environment where people think things are too expensive, throwing it up against the socialist platform. That actually, I think, works to Republican advantage when you have such extreme radicals running on the other side.
COATES: Do you have a comment?
ETIENNE: I don't think the Democratic Party is embracing DSA. I mean, we're having an internal battle about the direction and the future of the Democratic Party as it stands right now. You've got the leadership of the party that's actually all out rejecting. You just saw, you know, Jeffries is on "Meet the Press" just this past Sunday rejecting Medicare for All and a lot of the policies that the DSA represents. So, it's not an embrace of DSA by the Democratic Party.
Now, I do believe that the Democratic Party needs to go through some level of transformation. We've seen over the past 25 years where the Republican Party has gone through three iterations from the Tea Party to the Freedom Caucus and now MAGA. And with each one of them, they've tactically, strategically gotten stronger and won more races. We've not had that transformation. I'm not saying it's an embrace of socialism, but there has to be some movement and some innovation within the Democratic Party. COATES: I'm going to go to Georgia. Carole from Marietta asked this question: How much of the Black vote is estimated to go to Byron Donalds? Can he really win the governor's race in Florida without the Black vote? Marc, you want to take it?
CAPUTO: Yes, he can. Fourteen percent of the registered voters in Florida are African-American. Generally, a Republican wins the state by carrying about 60 percent of the white vote, usually just getting destroyed among Black voters, and then they sort of split around the Hispanic vote, so to speak, which is also divided between Cuban and non-Cuban Hispanics.
COATES: All right. Well, November is straight ahead. Thank you, everyone. Still ahead, I'll take you inside the story I've been covering wall to wall all week and will be for the duration of the trial, the murder trial of Tupac Shakur. There's one witness we have to talk about because the jury was hanging on his every word.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES MCDONALD, ASSOCIATE OF SUGE KNIGHT: Treat me as a hostile witness. You're not going to talk to me and tell me as a grown man what I have to do up here. I'm not going to send him to prison.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[23:55:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCDONALD: I don't want to send him to prison. Sure. Even though we don't like each other. Sure. I don't want to send you to prison.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: That was one of Suge Knight's former security heads, James McDonald, who worked at a nightclub where Tupac Shakur was supposed to perform the night he was shot in Las Vegas. He's telling the defendant, Keffe D, accused of being the shot caller, not the one who pulled the trigger of Tupac Shakur, I don't want to send you to prison.
The prosecution had a clear goal today, to demonstrate a personal feud between defendant Keffe D and his South Side Crips versus Tupac and Suge Knight who were associated with a rival gang called Mob Pyro.
McDonald testified about street code, saying that he believed Tupac inherited the beef between Suge Knight's death row and Sean "Diddy" Combs' bad boy records. But he made it very clear that he did not want to be there testifying today. He was subpoenaed. He was not voluntarily appearing. And at one point, when he was questioned by the defense, things got really tense. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN: Is that what you're telling me?
MCDONALD: I'm telling you, the people that was at 662 --
UNKNOWN: Just answer my question, sir. Yes or no?
MCDONALD: I can't answer that without (INAUDIBLE). You're trying to tell me to say something that you're not going to understand. If you let me explain to you --
UNKNOWN: No, answer my question.
MCDONALD: I'm not answering nothing. I don't know what you're talking about. You ask me something I don't want to talk about, you're going to have a problem. Treat me as a hostile witness. You're not going to talk to me and tell me as a grown man what I have to do up here. I'm not finishing him to prison. You are.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Remember, that was the prosecution's witness that was called today, and that was a cross-examination by the defense counsel. Today, the jury also saw some very graphic images of Tupac's body from his autopsy, including these pictures of the body bag and the bullet fragment that was removed from his body. But remember, prosecutors are not alleging that Keffe D actually shot Tupac Shakur.
[23:59:54]
They say that he was the person who sought vengeance against the two men for beating up Keffe D's nephew, Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson, at the MGM after the Mike Tyson fight, all in retaliation for an earlier incident, miles away where one rival gang member took the necklace off another. They still don't need the prosecutors to show the jury evidence specifically tying Keffe D to the crime. And spoiler alert, it involves his own words because he wrote a memoir. He has given interview after interview.
I'll be back tomorrow covering the trial for CNN All Access. Just go to the Q.R. code on your screen to get there. Also, it's available on Amazon Prime and HLN.
All right, hey, that's it for me tonight. Here comes Elex Michaelson and "The Story Is."
