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Laura Coates Live
Mayor Mamdani Speaks on the Man Shot by ICE Agents in New York; Hurricane Isaias Threatens U.S. Gulf Coast. Aired 11p-12a ET
Aired October 08, 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)
UNKNOWN (voice-over): This is CNN Breaking News.
LAURA COATES, CNN ANCHOR, AND CHIEF LEGAL ANALYST: Good evening everyone, I'm Laura Coates and we begin with breaking news out of New York City. We are awaiting a news conference from Mayor Zohran Mamdani on a shooting involving ICE agents that has sparked protests in the city.
We're told an agent shot and wounded a man during a targeted enforcement operation. DHS says the man has a prior criminal record and gang ties. We're waiting to learn more information from the mayor at any moment.
I'm going to get to CNN's Shimon Prokupecz who is standing by near where the shooting occurred. So Shimon, what more are you learning about what led up to this moment and this shooting?
SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: We don't know exactly, Laura. The only information that the Department of Homeland Security, which obviously oversees these ICE officers, have released is the alleged background of this man that they were targeting.
In their statement they said that he was an illegal criminal alien, something we hear them say oftentimes when they're targeting individuals. They say that this was a targeted enforcement operation. This happened at 4:00 in the afternoon, Laura.
This street was filled with people. This is a busy part of the Bronx. They were clearly targeting this individual in this car.
Significant, there was a five-year-old child inside the car as well. That child is okay. The man who was shot is expected to survive as well, he's at the hospital.
We've talked to some witnesses here who saw the aftermath of what happened. They saw the man being taken out of the car and then police officers, actually the NYPD, which responded to 911 calls, came here to try and hold back the crowd. People here in the community were very angry over what happened here.
And in those moments the NYPD transported the man to the hospital and that's all we know at this moment.
The mayor put out a statement on X, really raising a lot of concerns over what happened here. He said he was going to talk to the President about what happened here. We're expecting to hear from the mayor here behind me.
The podium is set up at any moment. We'll see if he actually spoke to the President. We're also expected to hear from the police commissioner.
Now, the NYPD has no involvement in this, but it will certainly be interesting to see what she has to say. And that's all we know.
We don't know. I mean, the pressing question here, obviously, is why did they open fire on this car? You know, when the investigators were here, the FBI was on scene collecting the evidence, Laura. The tow truck came.
They removed the car. And I could see a bullet hole in the windshield of the car on the driver's side. So, clearly, at that angle, the ICE officer who fired this shot was, it appears, on the front of the car.
And you could see that bullet hole. It was really striking to see that. So, we'll wait for the mayor.
We'll see what he has to say. Certainly, he's taking issue over this shooting. And I'm sure he's going to have a lot of tough words here for ICE.
And, you know, he said even in his post on X that, you know, he wants ICE out of New York City. And I'm sure he's going to continue that when he speaks here shortly.
COATES: So many questions that we are waiting to hear more about. I mean, DHS shared more about the man's background, but what do we really know about it?
PROKUPECZ: So, I've been speaking to NYPD officials here on scene. So, just briefly, Laura, we're here. They're doing mic checks now because the mayor is here now. And so, we should be hearing from the mayor here shortly.
I've been speaking to NYPD officials, and it seems that there is some information. They know who this individual is. They've certainly done their own background check on this individual.
But that's all we really know. All we really know is what the Department of Homeland Security released. Perhaps we're going to hear more maybe here from the police commissioner.
But they really have no involvement in this investigation. So, we'll see. It's going to be interesting to see how she addresses us here.
[23:05:04]
COATES: Shimon, describe the scene around you. What's the size of the crowd? What are the protesters saying? Are these protesters? Are they saying anything? What?
PROKUPECZ: So, most of the people around here are people from the community. There's obviously a lot of media here. But when I got here, there were so many people here from the community.
But it also looked to me like many of the people who poured into this area were not from this community. Many of the immigration advocates, anti-ICE protesters showed up so quickly.
And then community leaders started showing up. Elected leaders started showing up to try and calm folks down, to try and bring some of the tension down. And it worked.
And then briefly, many of the protesters started marching. And they marched to the hospital where the individual who was shot was taken to. And I was told by an NYPD official that there were three arrests over there.
But overall, things do seem to have calmed down. And certainly, I think that's part of why the mayor is coming out here.
He wants to make sure the community knows that he's on this, certainly, I'm sure. And he's trying to keep things calm. Things have calmed down significantly here in the last few hours and we'll see.
I think the mayor's words here are going to be important. It's going to be something that many of the people in this community are going to be looking to see.
Look, the people in this community and many communities across the country have been living in fear. And a lot of fear from ICE officers and some of the ramp-up in the operations.
And certainly today, CNN is reporting that ICE officials were told to ramp up some of these operations. They want more arrests and more people detained in the lead-up to the midterm. And maybe perhaps that's why some of these ICE officers were out here today, Laura.
I'm very struck by the fact that they do these operations at such an hour, 4:00 in the afternoon.
COATES: In New York?
PROKUPECZ: Putting other people at risk.
In New York City, it's busy. And this is a small street. I mean, you don't see the car here now but it basically took up the entire street here.
And it looked like after the bullet went through the windshield, the car crashed into the cement barrier, taking up the entire street. So it's not a big street. There's not a lot of room for people to move around here.
COATES: Okay.
PROKUPECZ: And that's what's sort of been very striking to me. It's just the time of day this was. And please, remember, there was this 5- year-old child inside that car and thankfully that child is okay.
COATES: I have a lot of questions. I hope the mayor answers. I know the nation has been watching what's unfolding right now.
Shimon, please stand by. I'm going to bring in the press conference live as soon as it happens.
We have a panel here to talk about this and a lot more. Former senior adviser to the Trump-Vance campaign, Brian Lanza; former deputy communications director for the DNC, Hannah Muldavin; CNN political commentator and Republican pollster, Kristen Soltis-Anderson; and former White House national security official and adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, Olivia Troye.
Everyone, we may break in at any moment because I want to hear what the mayor has to say. But this is a very important moment. Undoubtedly, mayors all across this nation who know there's an ICE presence that might be in their community or coming have to, unfortunately, prepare for the moment that something like this could happen, just given what happened in Minneapolis just last year.
I mean, I'll go to you first, Brian, on this, because this could be a very significant moment for the mayor, who has a relationship with the President of the United States, but they are at polar opposites in the political spectrum. And yet this moment could be a tie that binds.
BRIAN LANZA, FORMER SENIOR ADVISER, TRUMP-VANCE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: Yes, listen, I think when you look at sort of the evidence that we've seen or the data that's come out, I mean, this is a criminal alien. And this was a targeted arrest.
And when you're dealing with a violent criminal alien, some of these things can happen. This guy has an arrest for drug charges, gun charges, assault and battery. He's served time for grand larceny.
I mean, this is not a saint. This has nothing to do with what took place in Minneapolis. This is a violent criminal alien who the --
COATES: Well, I don't know all the information about this person yet. And unfortunately, because of what's happened, and I don't know, but I do know that a lot of people do not trust the DHS's assessment of what happened immediately after a shooting involving ICE.
LANZA: As Shimon said, New York P.D. has experience with this person. They know who he is, so it's clearly he's a checkered past at a minimum.
And so these people have to be careful. The job of every officer who starts a shift is to come home safely. And when they confront a violent criminal alien, there's a possibility of violence. It's tragic that there's a 5-year-old there. I have a 5-year-old. I'm sure we all have the same situation.
But let's not take away from the fact this is a violent criminal alien who has gun charges, and you have to proceed with caution, and these things tend to happen.
COATES: Due process is still required. Any time there is a law enforcement official who is involved, I would like to know the circumstances that led up to the shooting. I would like to know about the Fourth Amendment and whether or not this was an unlawful stop or search or seizure. Those questions are still pending.
[23:10:05]
But this is not a NYPD officer, this is ICE. And there is a distinction that must be addressed because the rules, the training, and also the directives are quite distinct.
OLIVIA TROYE, FORMER ADVISER TO VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE, FORMER HOMELAND SECURITY AND COVID TASK FORCE ADVISER UNDER TRUMP'S FIRST ADMINISTRATION: Yes, I'm curious to see why the officer felt he had to draw his gun and start shooting at the vehicle, right? Especially, I mean, now we know that there's a 5-year-old child in the car, which is horrific, and I'm glad that they're okay from all the reporting that we've seen.
But if I were the NYPD, I would also be asking some serious questions and saying, okay, what is the dynamic here because we are actually responsible for keeping our citizens, the police in New York City safe, and now we have this shooting in broad daylight, which could have impacted so many more people, and I'm glad that it didn't. And so what is the dynamic here between local law enforcement and federal law enforcement?
I mean, I think these are the questions that continue to surface along the way in all these communities across the country.
Mamdani has to go there. I mean, his reaction and whatever he says about this, you know, I'm almost waiting on bated breath. I'm sure there's probably the likelihood he's crafting his response quite carefully, given the implications and the domino effect of what he says.
But in your experience, what is it that he needs to say to address the local constituents but also be aware of the national platform that he really has been, you know, projected to?
HANNAH MULDAVIN, FORMER DEPUTY DNC COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: This violence isn't just something that we're seeing tonight. As you mentioned, we saw this in Minneapolis.
We saw Alex Pretti, Renee Good lose their lives because of this violence from ICE and Border Patrol immigration enforcement. You see that communities across the country are terrorized because of this increased ICE presence. We even see that people are now in the midterms supporting Democrats more than they are Republicans on the area of immigration, because whatever Donald Trump is doing right now, this excessive use of force is out of control, and people are really scared because of that. I think we have to be careful about learning more about the facts, right?
We want to make sure that we do not keep unsafe people in this country. But ICE and immigration enforcement have gone way past that. And so as Mayor Mamdani is crafting his message, I'm sure he's going to lean on the facts. But he's also really good at making sure that he can understand --
COATES: Wait, I want to stop you for a second. I'm seeing something in the --
Excuse me, Hannah.
I'm seeing some pushing that's happening on the right side. This is earlier today. I just want to make clear that we're seeing this earlier from tonight.
You heard Shimon Prokupecz talk about, you know, having more calm throughout the course of the evening. What we're seeing on the right, just so you're aware, happened earlier this evening. We are waiting for the mayor to step to the podium and finish your statement.
MULDAVIN: Yeah, I mean, this goes to how people are feeling really intense emotions right now. And something that Mayor Mamdani has been very good at, whether you agree with his politics or not, is connecting with people and bringing New Yorkers together. And I think tonight he'll have a national stage to speak to both New Yorkers, but also people across the country who have felt this within their communities.
COATES: He is saying he wanted to speak to the President of the United States. We do know there's been a lot of reporting we've seen with our own eyes. They've got quite an interesting relationship.
It seems to be complementary, at least towards Mamdani from Trump. And they seem to exchange pleasantries whenever they meet. But how is this playing in terms of the overall landscape politically in what you're seeing in your polling? Because we're talking about a variety of different cities.
Obviously there are distinctions in the actions taken by these officers. And there will be vast distinctions, I'm sure, as we learn more. We're seeing Mamdani, who's starting to walk right now.
But Kristen, tell me, how is this playing across the nation in terms of ICE more broadly? Here comes the mayor. Go ahead.
KRISTEN SOLTIS ANDERSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, AND REPUBLICAN POLLSTER: So two years ago, voters, when asked who they trusted to handle immigration, Republicans or Democrats, really trusted Republicans. They felt that the border was insecure. They wanted to see the GOP and Donald Trump fix that issue. And they generally felt, by a year into Trump's presidency, that he delivered on that.
It's the Interior Enforcement where there's numbers.
COATES: There's the mayor. Let's listen in.
(LIVE VIDEO FEED)
MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D), NEW YORK CITY: Around 4 p.m. this afternoon, a New Yorker was shot by ICE agents in Marble Hill. Many of the facts surrounding this shooting are still unclear. But here's what we know.
ICE agents surrounded the man's vehicle before opening fire. They wore construction vests and masks that concealed their faces. There was no reasonable way to identify them as ICE agents.
School had just gotten out. The street was crowded with families and children. When ICE agents opened fire, a 5-year-old child was in the backseat of the car.
Thank God that child is physically unharmed. For the past two hours, I have been on the phone with President Trump and Secretary Mullin negotiating the release of the man ICE agents shot. Those negotiations were unsuccessful.
Just moments ago, ICE put the man in an unmarked vehicle and whisked him away.
[23:15:07]
Let me say this plainly. What happened today was an outrage.
Tonight, a 5-year-old child sits traumatized and terrified. Tonight, millions of our neighbors are wondering whether they will be safe on our streets, in our schools, at their work sites. Tonight, New Yorkers across the five boroughs are asking whether their civil liberties will be respected, whether law and order is supposed to look like a man carrying a long gun wearing a mask.
We know that ICE is rotten to its core. Today's shooting is only further devastating confirmation of what we have long known, which is that ICE operates with impunity, that they sow chaos and terror across our country, that they have killed far more of our neighbors than they could ever have claimed to save.
I also want to say something on a personal note. I stand here not just as the mayor of our city, but as someone who is proud to be an immigrant in our city. And I know that these kinds of raids, this kind of terrorizing of this city, leaves the 3 million immigrants of this city asking if they are safe here, if they belong here, if this too can be their home here.
We will not normalize ICE's viciousness, we will not accept its cruelty. We know, and I have said this directly, whether to the president or to the public, ICE undermines public safety. It makes us less safe.
New York City will not stand by while ICE agents shoot New Yorkers. And we will not back down from the demand that so many, including myself, have put forward time and again. This is an agency that must be abolished.
Thank you.
With that, I am now going to turn it over to our police commissioner, Jessica Tisch.
JESSICA TISCH, COMMISSIONER, NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT: Thank you, Sir.
I'm here to brief you on an incident that occurred earlier today involving ICE agents in the Marble Hill right behind me. The information I'm about to provide is preliminary and it is subject to change. At 4:04 p.m. the NYPD received two 911 calls reporting a person shot and shots fired in the vicinity of 2 Marble Hill Avenue.
At the same time, a federal agent called 911 requesting the fire department and then asked for the NYPD. According to our preliminary investigation, federal immigration agents were conducting a targeted enforcement operation in an effort to take an individual into immigration custody.
At the time, that individual was inside a gray Honda CRV with a five- year-old boy who we believe to be his son. NYPD Argus camera captured the victim backing into a parking spot in front of a fire hydrant right behind me. At that time, one plainclothes federal law enforcement officer approaches the driver's side window with his gun drawn.
Another plainclothes officer also approaches the vehicle by the driver's side headlight. The vehicle then starts to move forward and goes out of camera view. The Argus cameras do not capture the discharge.
Based on evidence collected at the scene, we know that at least one ICE agent discharged seven rounds, striking the driver in the neck below his left ear.
Members of the NYPD's 50th precinct conditions team were responding to an unrelated call nearby when they heard the report of the shots fired and they responded to that scene. When they arrived, they encountered several men in various forms of attire, including some in construction-style vests, face masks, and at least one carrying a long gun.
Our officers also encountered the injured individual handcuffed and seated on the ground. Our officers immediately placed him into an NYPD vehicle and rendered aid. They transported him to New York Presbyterian Allen Hospital where he arrived in stable condition.
Our officers' actions were captured on body-worn camera. I want to be clear, the NYPD had no involvement in the federal operation prior to the shooting and no members of the NYPD were on scene at the time of the shooting.
Additional NYPD officers arrived and secured the scene for the purpose of preserving evidence. At least seven shell casings were recovered at the scene along with the victim's vehicle, which had ballistic damage to the front windshield.
The back window of the car was also shattered. That vehicle was positioned perpendicular to the road.
[23:20:04]
An ICE vehicle, which is a gray four-door sedan, had damage to the left front panel and the lower panel fully disconnected. With respect to the child who was inside the vehicle, pursuant to a wellness check, the NYPD located the child safe and in the care of a family member.
The individual who was shot has been identified as 28-year-old Oscar Belgar. He has two prior arrests in New York City, one for robbery in 2023, in which he pleaded guilty to fourth-degree grand larceny and received five years' probation, and one for criminal sale of a controlled substance in 2025, which is still pending.
At this time, federal agents have exercised their authority to take over the investigation. I will now turn it over to our Attorney General.
MAMDANI: There is no explanation for these tactics. There is no explanation for federal officers firing this many rounds into a car that has a five-year-old in the car. There is no explanation.
We are standing here, so close to the site of where this actually took place, and look at how many people live right here. This is a residential neighborhood. We are right here by a subway.
And the pretext of ICE is, in their words, to keep this country safe. How is it keeping anyone safe to have, as you just heard from the police commissioner, individuals wearing construction vests and masks with long guns? Residents have no idea if these are law enforcement agents or if they are simply attacking someone on the street.
And when it comes to ICE, it begs the question, what's the difference? There is no explanation for this.
I made clear to the President, to the Secretary, our request that ICE agents leave the scene entirely, as well as the demand that ICE stop its enforcement actions in New York City. These actions are making the city less safe. They are making New Yorkers terrified.
You are hearing from New Yorkers right now, anguish, pain, anger, at the fact that here, in this city, the world's city, that immigrants have to wake up every morning and not know if they can live the lives that they should be able to live and help to build this city.
I'm proud to stand here alongside our public advocate, our Attorney General, assembly members, city council members, state senators, elected officials at all levels, united in the belief that there is no justification for what we have seen today. And we know that what we have seen today is but a microcosm of what ICE does on a daily basis across this country.
How can that be how we describe public safety? It can't be. And I've shared that with the President. I've shared that with the Secretary.
This city wants ICE out. We want ICE out of our city, ICE out of our schools, ICE out of our hospitals, ICE out of our streets, ICE away from our kids. We want that because we want to keep the city safe.
We do not need them to do so. All they do is terrorize the city.
(LIVE VIDEO FEED ENDS)
COATES: All right, we've just heard very pointed language from the mayor of New York City, who called this an outrage, that the city is traumatized and terrified. He called for the abolishment of ICE. He also said that it undermines public safety, that they sow chaos and terror, and that they have killed far more neighbors than they have ever claimed to be able to save.
He talked about being on the phone with the President of the United States and Secretary Mullin for two hours trying to negotiate the release of what we know from the New York Police Commissioner's 28- year-old Oscar Bergall, who she has stated had a prior conviction in 2023 of robbery, which he received probation for, and also in 2025 a pending criminal matter involving drug-related charges.
He unsuccessfully negotiated his release. He has been taken to and in custody of the federal government.
Let's hear from Shimon Prokupecz, who is on the scene at the location, heard this language from the mayor of New York. And, of course, we know, Shimon, from the police commissioner, that NYPD was the one to render aid and secure the scene for preservation of evidence. ICE did not do that.
Talk to me about what you've heard. What is the crowd saying?
The mayor not backing down, very indignant about even the presence of ICE there.
[23:25:03]
PROKUPECZ: Indignant, angry. The mayor really did not hold back.
And you could just see, like you could feel the anger over what happened here. And it is about the tactics, right? And so many have raised issues over how they're conducting their enforcement actions. And it is reasonable to ask why at 4:00 in the afternoon on a crowded street, and this is not a big street, this is a residential area, kids, families, it's a beautiful day here in New York City, people outside, why do it in this way?
It's fine if, you know, look, if this individual, as we now know from the NYPD and from the Department of Homeland Security, had a criminal record and perhaps within their right to detain him and try and deport him.
But it's more than just that. It's the fact that they're doing it at 4:00 in the afternoon while this man's child is inside the car, a 5- year-old, and how they approach. Let's talk about that for a second.
The mayor is describing what they were wearing, Laura, construction vests, colored masks over their face. And so there's a lot of questions here over these continued tactics. There is camera, there is footage that was captured.
The police commissioner talked about these cameras. I could see where that camera is. It's on the light pole behind me here, just on the corner.
And that camera, I saw officials were up there pulling the video. It did not capture the entire incident, but it did capture part of it. She talked about the ICE officers coming up to the car.
She did talk about the car moving forward, but the actual shooting was not captured. We'll see if any of these businesses here have any video.
There's a couple of stores here. We've not been able to talk to people there because everything's closed off. Maybe there will be video there.
I was struck, Laura, I will say to you, having covered these, at how much work the NYPD has already done here. How they have gathered evidence, they have gathered the video.
I was struck by the police commissioner talking about the bullet hole on the windshield.
COATES: And the back windshield shattered. He talked about that, right?
And also other bullets. And again, seven shots. Seven rounds.
PROKUPECZ: Seven shots. That's quite a number on this street at 4:00 in the afternoon. We are lucky.
We are lucky. This is not to say that the ICE officers would not be justified in trying to detain this man. We need to know more of those facts.
The question is, we have to focus on the tactics here. And that is what the mayor did. And we will see what we learn here.
If ICE or Department of Homeland Security ever explains these continued tactics.
COATES: Shimon, stand by. I'm so appreciative of you being on the scene. We hear what's going on behind you.
We bring my panel back into this. Because what we heard is really been the core of the conversations around ICE. Two hours, the New York mayor is speaking to try to negotiate the release of somebody detained. With the President of the United States and the Secretary of Homeland Security. Who, by the way, is the second secretary now.
Having the first one leave, Kristi Noem, after what took place in Minneapolis and across the country. And the lack of trust the people of the communities did have.
MULDAVIN: This is a very significant moment to have this mayor talking about the abolishment of ICE. Talking about the tactics and saying that he wants them out of their city.
This is very significant. We saw leadership just now from Mayor Mamdani.
Who gathered an incredible number of facts. Who was using his relationship, although an interesting one with President Trump. To try to negotiate for what he believed was right here.
And we saw his anger. This is someone who's usually smiling and happy. He's the delightful mayor.
And we heard that anger even through the screen, Laura. He's capturing the anger that I think a lot of Americans feel.
We and Democrats want a secure border. We support making sure that we can hold that up. But the tactics that are being used if you put yourself as that little young child or as a person on that street at 4 p.m. watching that happen.
What does that do to you? It makes you feel almost emotional. And so we are looking at these tactics.
We're seeing one of the strongest leaders right now. And Mayor Mamdani across the country. Feel that anger.
And we can't help but really listen to him and wonder, why are we living like this? Why are our streets living like this? America shouldn't have to be like this.
[23:30:07]
COATES: I want you to answer this. But what strikes me, I want to remind our audience, remember one of the big points that was negotiated and discussed even among Congress. And the ire that many had towards ICE about the masks.
This became a point. If I cannot identify you. How does an everyday person know that they are being assaulted or identified by law enforcement to confer either the respect or the compliance that would be needed for that moment?
This was a sticking point in terms of legislative action. And now you hear it at the local level again. What can be the response?
And by the way, knowing the President and Mullin, they both had the attention and the communication with Mamdani.
LANZA: Let me tell you what I hear. And it is a moment that we should all pay attention to with what Mamdani did.
He tried to negotiate the release of a violent illegal alien back into the streets of New York. He clearly has missed what's happened to this country. Or what illegal aliens have done and the violence that had to participate.
I'm shocked that a mayor would go on national television and say he spent two hours of his time to get a violent illegal alien back onto the streets. That's what the Democratic Party stands for today.
Let's be clear of what agenda they're pushing. They say they're not open borders. But they want their mayors.
You said it's an honorable moment, it's a great moment. Arguing the release of a violent criminal who's an alien. I just don't see how that works.
COATES: But let's talk about what else was there. And I take the point that you --
LANZA: That's the starting line.
COATES: Well, the starting line is probably seven shots, Brian.
LANZA: No, the starting line is coming into this country illegally and expecting to be treated like everybody else.
COATES: Well, you have to take up with the Supreme Court about the laws, about how you can treat for due process. I do understand, though, the notion of wanting to keep the streets safe. I understand the point that you're raising in terms of the political optics of this.
But let's talk about the optics, of course, of the seven rounds. The New York P.D. having to render aid. They had no involvement prior to or at the shooting.
And then you've got this question, this moment that was raised by the mayor saying that, look, the people of the boroughs and millions of neighbors do not know if their civil liberties are going to be intact. I mean, is that part of the conversation that's happening? Aside from negotiations in the ear of the President of the United States, what are you hearing as the core issues that people are having with respect to the presence of ICE?
SOLTIS ANDERSON: The core issues that people have are that they want the border secure and they think that's happened. They think that if you are here illegally and you've done other things, which it sounds like this individual falls into that category, that you should be deported. But the things about wearing the dress like a construction worker, that's exactly the kind of thing that I hear in focus groups of folks. Well, that's not really what I thought. I think the fact that this
individual had a prior criminal conviction and was let out on probation is going to be something that I think Republicans really grab onto and they say, see, this is exactly the reason why someone like Donald Trump got put back in power.
Because voters said, look, someone can be here illegally, they can break the law, and then they just get let back out. That's not okay. But Republicans have lost a lot of the political credibility they had on this issue because of things like what you see today where it's, they're dressed in these construction outfits, they have masks, did it need to be seven shots?
And that's where voters who are in the middle go, okay, I think you've lost me.
COATES: Really quick, Olivia, comment on what you saw because you said that this is, they were rotten to the core, ICE, and that this was further devastating confirmation of this.
This is tension about law enforcement more broadly and tactics, yes, but also a conversation about the role of ICE in the United States.
TROYE: Yes, I think, look, we're seeing the erosion of trust with law enforcement firsthand here. Again, I mean, I thought what was striking to me was the police commissioner saying, being very clear that NYPD had no role in this. There was a very clear distinction on that.
They came in basically to clean up the aftermath of what had happened here in a situation where federal law enforcement came in, created disruption.
And look, I take your point. Yes, if he's a criminal, deport him, get him off our streets, I agree with that. I believe in secure borders.
But I don't agree in terms of having people out there in construction outfits with masks where the person doesn't even know what's coming at them.
I still didn't hear anything, by the way, that has really explained what caused that officer to draw the weapon.
COATES: Was that man shooting at them?
TROYE: I mean, yes, he's a criminal. He has a criminal past. In that moment, was he being violent towards the officer with his five-year- old in the car?
COATES: I mean, I just have a lot of questions.
LANZA: The car was going forward.
COATES: There are still questions. They said it was preliminary. We don't know everything still.
I want more answers, I have more questions. Stand by, everyone. We're going to take a quick break. We've got much more ahead,
including the breaking news in the Gulf and the brand-new hurricane forecast just in.
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[23:35:00]
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COATES: Out of the breaking news on Hurricane Isaias, a brand-new forecast has just been released. The storm is now a Category 2 hurricane. It continues to barrel towards the Florida Panhandle.
I'm here with CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam. Derek, walk me through this latest advisory.
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, so the latest information that we had to pass on is the National Hurricane Center is actually explicitly calling for this to become a major hurricane as it peaks in intensity overnight. We still have about 24 hours before we can see a completely different day unfold across the northern Gulf.
Here's the latest Category 2 hurricane, Isaias, 105 miles per hour, so that has jumped up incrementally. The pressure has dropped, so this storm is strengthening as we speak.
[23:40:03]
This is the first time we've seen the official forecast now reach that Category 3 or major hurricane status. This storm is cooking. It is cruising north at about 13 to 14 miles per hour.
It will continue to pick up speed, meaning the impacts will be felt far away from the coastline, not only east of the center but also well inland as you travel into places like central Alabama and western Georgia. There's a lot of wind shear.
This is a big part of the story for Hurricane Isaias. This has been battling this storm. There's been quite literally a battle going on across the Gulf because upper-level wind shear and budding hurricanes don't really go well together.
That tends to top off the very tops of the storm.
Well, guess what? It is so powerful that it is going to help expand the wind field before it makes its final approach, but then you'll see how the storm shrinks in size because we're going to see that wind field degrade as the upper-level winds get a better handle on the storm.
In the meantime, though, it is going to make landfall, cause potential power outages, and take down trees along with it. The rain shield will be knocking on our doorstep here about midday tomorrow, but the worst of the conditions right after dark, that's when we get the tornado threat, the storm surge threat, and depending on exactly where this eye makes landfall, Laura, we have the potential for 5 to 7 feet of coastal inundation here.
Pensacola, we're talking about places along 30A, a very popular tourist destination, beautiful part of the world. We don't want to see it get ruined.
COATES: Derek Van Dam, thank you. We'll of course be live tomorrow night as this storm is expected to make landfall.
Remember the classic, is not too proud to beg? Well, tonight you could say the same thing about the U.S. Ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, former fiancee to Donald Trump Jr.
Not only does she not mind begging for $100,000 from a Trump donor to pay her AMEX bill, the Wall Street Journal first broke this story yesterday, and reports that Guilfoyle even sent him instructions on how to wire it without leaving a paper trail, and added, quote, "Honey, please, I need you to get this done for me today."
The mega donor, Eric Deters, says Guilfoyle promised him access to top Trump officials and lobby on his behalf, but he says she never delivered.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIC DETERS, RETIRED LAWYER, AND FORMER TRUMP DONOR: Right before her Senate confirmation, she says to me, I need $100,000 to pay off my American Express card, or I'm not going to become Greek ambassador. This is embarrassing.
And I said, Kimberly, you haven't done anything that I've asked you to do. I mean, just nothing. She hadn't accomplished anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Deters said he didn't pay the bill because he didn't have the money, and believes this was a quid pro quo. Even the Vice President questioned the optics.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DETERS: Do you have any reaction to a U.S. government official, in this case a U.S. ambassador, asking someone to pay off debt in exchange to access to other government officials?
J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Well, so, with that hypothetical, Jen, obviously I don't love that, but I, you know, I don't know exactly who you're talking about. I don't know the full details.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: A lawyer for Guilfoyle disputes the authenticity of the texts. Democrats are calling for an investigation, and I'm joined by one of them, a New Mexico congresswoman, Melanie Stansbury, who sits on the Oversight Committee. Congresswoman, I'm eager to hear your reaction to what the Vice President has said. He doesn't love this, he doesn't have all the full details. He says, what does this sound like to you?
REP. MELANIE STANSBURY (D-MN): Well, I mean, obviously the Vice President's response is absolutely laughable. I mean, clearly he knows exactly what they're talking about, and we've seen this time and time again in the Trump administration.
It is full of grifters, it is full of corruption, it is full of pay to play, and clearly they have no regard for the good government responsibilities of what it means to serve in a role of public trust.
And this is just one more example of it. We've seen it time and time again, from the president, to his children, to cabinet officials, to people serving in the White House, and it doesn't surprise me at all that the Vice President couldn't come out loud and proud to say this is wrong, this is a violation of the law and the public trust.
COATES: So what are you going to do about it?
STANSBURY: Well, we're absolutely going to investigate it.
The Oversight Committee has a very long and extensive list of investigations that we're going to do. This administration, when we take back the majority, as you all know, we do not have the tools right now because Mike Johnson has shut down the House until after the election, and we don't hold the gavels.
And I'll just say we know that this is one of the most important elections of a lifetime of modern democracy, and that if the American people want to see accountability, they want to see these officials held accountable, and they want to see our democracy actually function the way it's supposed to, we have to win the midterms. And that means that everyone out there needs to show up and vote.
COATES: You know, this donor who's involved in this says that Guilfoyle is not the only Trump official who appears to be selling access. Listen.
[23:45:05]
COATES: You know, this donor who's involved in this says that Guilfoyle is not the only Trump official who appears to be selling access. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DETERS: I know Corey Lewandowski did it all the time, I know Kristi Noem did it, I know Kimberly Guilfoyle has done it. I'm not aware personally of others in the Trump administration that sell access like this, quid pro quo.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: All right, well, the optics are terrible. If that's true, then the reality might be worse.
STANSBURY: I mean, the president does it on a regular basis. In fact, we did an extensive investigation even after the first Trump administration and found in the oversight committee that Donald Trump had used his hotel that was right there on Pennsylvania Avenue essentially to money launder for access to the Oval Office.
Donald Trump, his sons. I mean, listen, Donald Trump just this week announced that Elon Musk was going to be granted some sort of contract to discover the modern warfare for the Department of Defense.
Do we think it's because he thinks Elon Musk is the most qualified to do that? No.
We know that he's selling some sort of access for quid pro quo, we know the President does this all the time. His children do it.
And, you know, birds of a feather flock together and it does not surprise us one bit. But we will investigate it and we will hold them accountable.
COATES: I'll be curious to see if the American voters want that very thing and how. Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury, thank you so much for joining.
Still ahead, the highlights and lowlights from a very, very tense Michigan Senate debate. But did it move the needle? I asked the panel next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[23:50:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COATES: I want to turn to the midterms now. And if there was any hope of pleasantries left in this final sprint, well, you can kiss all that goodbye. Because tonight we got a fiery tripleheader with 27 days left to go.
Three Senate showdowns. Three different states. Georgia, Maine, and first up, Michigan.
Mike Rogers versus Abdul El-Sayed. And their race has been ugly. And I mean real ugly.
They've been sniping each other for months online. And tonight, after all that talk, they met on the debate stage for the very first time. And it was just as hostile in person.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABDUL EL-SAYED (D), MICHIGAN SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: All of a sudden, he's reverse course. He's doing an ad, drinking Labatt's and talking about the Red Wings, pretending like he was not for this the entire time. Be serious, my guy. REP. MIKE ROGERS (R-MN), MICHIGAN SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: Detroit Diesel added a third shift because of those tariffs. He wants to undo it because he can't see past his own political rhetoric. We didn't change.
What we said is things move. We're trying to get it wrapped up. We want a deal on those tariff deals.
What my friend here just wants to do is he's kind of like a glitchy A.I. chatbot. You say the same thing over and over again.
EL-SAYED: He says I like to say the same thing. He's done the same thing over and over again. You know what that is? Vote to keep your prescription drug prices high, 19 times.
Here we are fighting this stupid war because people like him have been pushing for it for 20 years. When you've got an international problem, he's got a war for that.
ROGERS: He can't condemn a terrorist act that happened on our soil in the state of Michigan. He can't bring himself to condemn.
EL-SAYED: I did condemn it.
ROGERS: Oh, you did not. You absolutely did not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: All right, my guy, A.I. chatbots. They're not friends. Did the Michigan voters get something from this?
MULDAVIN: I think you saw a lot of what we're already seeing in these ads. And I think Abdul El-Sayed did what he wanted to do here, which was tie Mike Rogers to Donald Trump. He did it with the war in Iran and with tariffs, which Mike Rogers is trying to backtrack now.
And I think something to remember is that Donald Trump has a 30 percent approval rating in Michigan. So tying those two together was the goal here. You saw them get really animated.
Abdul El-Sayed is very vocal, I think a good debater. I wouldn't want to go against him. I'm not sure how much it will move things, but I think it does solidify the facts as we go into the last month leading into the midterms.
COATES: I mean, Bryan, he has changed course when it comes to the Iran war. There's been ads about this very notion. This is something happening across the country, by the way. What is the Republican strategy?
LANZA: I think it's good to point out. Trump, he has his negatives in Michigan. But at the end of the day, you tell me, Kristen, is the generic with the Democrats have a nine-point advantage in Michigan.
And it's a jump ball. This is a very close election. Debates matter. But I think at the end of the day, when you have a close election like this, it's going to be a turnout. And it's going to be who can turn up their base in the most significant way. It's a jump ball.
I think it's a good thing. But I think the Democrat is underperforming the generic ballot, which is a red flag for them. So we'll see if we can capitalize on them in the next 27 days.
SOLTIS ANDERSON: And that race is an interesting test of this Democratic Party's progressive wing got its guy in that primary. In a very hotly contested and ultimately very evenly matched race between Abdul El-Sayed and Hayley Stevens, this is a moment where progressives got the person they want.
And if that's a race that they can't pull off in November, despite what looks to be a potential blue wave everywhere else, that will be a very defining moment for whether the progressive wing of the party can keep throwing its weight around a lot in the Democratic primary.
At the same time, if they pull this off and they actually win this seat, all bets are off for 2028. Progressives will feel emboldened and they will say, we did it in Michigan, now we want it for the presidential nominee.
LANZA: AOC?
COATES: National Security. Oh, are you campaigning for her?
LANZA: Sure.
COATES: Okay, there you go. I got to hear it. Say it, Olivia.
TROYE: I think that's on the record.
LANZA: I'll match all donations to AOC.
COATES: Okay. Get out your wallet, people. There's a QR code coming.
Listen, there was another heated exchange between Rogers and El-Sayed. I would ask whether there should be more federal guardrails on Flock cameras. And Rogers said there are instances where surveillance is vital for national security.
And then this moment happened. Watch quick.
[23:55:09]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROGERS: Those programs were really important in catching people who were suspected of terrorists and committing a terrorist act. That's really important. And why would that bother you?
Well, if you have someone in your family that might be on the watch list.
EL-SAYED: Are you going to go ahead and say it?
ROGERS: No. Did you not have family?
EL-SAYED: You've been tip-toning around the whole time. Just say it.
ROGERS: Let's open up this can of worms.
I'll tell you what my mother did. She was a small --
EL-SAYED: Are you going after my mom?
ROGERS: I'm not going after your mom. What your mom was working at, I was going after that organization, that was indicted for funneling money to Al-Qaeda. That's your mom. My mom worked at a local chamber of commerce.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Moms have entered the chat. This is a moment, obviously, there are a lot of hot button issues that are touched upon. And he was not playing with the dog whistles.
TROYE: Yes, no. That was some very Stephen Miller sort of racist rhetoric that I just saw right there.
There's a lot of debate on Flock cameras. Even in, I would say, more privacy, civil liberties, stay out of my information circles, that I would say cross party lines.
Conservatives feel that way. I talk to conservatives all the time. I'm a recovering Republican, as I call myself.
And I think there's a real debate to be had on that. But having that conversation and bringing in the moms and connecting to terrorist groups, which was implied there, I'm just trying to figure out where the winning argument he thought he was going with there.
Look, if anyone brings my mom into the debate, you know I'm close to my mom. It's going to probably get down to punches.
So, I don't know. That was some interesting rhetoric there.
COATES: This might be why Democratic Governor nominee David Jolly, who does not plan to debate his opponent, Byron Donalds in Florida, before Election Day, he said this about why he's not doing it. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID JOLLY (D), FLORIDA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: If you look at all of these debates that are going on right now, I'm not sure they inform the voters or they move our politics to a better place.
If anything, they're measured by who can lay down the greatest insult to stick on the other. And we all race the social media. Our feelings are hardened. And we've done nothing to actually inform voters and improve our politics. If I thought it would, I would do it. I just don't think it does.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Is he on point or is it a cop out?
MULDAVIN: I think he thinks that Byron Donalds is acting in bad faith. And so, there are dynamics in that race that if you're in Florida, maybe you understand. But it's gotten heated between the two of them.
Look, I think David Jolly is an interesting candidate for Democrats. A strong one, considering it's in Florida, which has been considered not gettable for Democrats in a long time. He's a former Republican.
There was a poll that came out today that said they were tied neck and neck. You know, polls are not bending results. But that's really crazy for Florida.
You see Byron Donalds, I think, maybe nervous, wanting to have these debates. And David Jolly is taking his stance, which, in this case, is no debates.
SOLSTIS ANDERSON: I think it's a little bit of a cop out.
I think it's a cop out because I think the point is right that a lot of these debates are not turning out to be particularly illuminating. Like, the clips that we even just talked about tonight. Just imagine watching 90 minutes of that.
Like, that isn't pleasant. That's not very educational. But that doesn't mean that you can't be different.
And if somebody's running for office and their whole message is, I'm going to be different. I'm not going to be like those people that throw the ad hominems. And I'm not going to be someone that has no substance.
You need to prove it. You need to show up at a debate and do it differently. Don't just say, well, everybody else does them badly, so I don't want to be in one.
COATES: All right, so Paxton debate Talarico?
LANZA: Sure. Listen, I think the more candidates are exposing themselves to the voters, I think it's better. And especially it's important to have the contrast.
Whether it's Jolly and Donalds or whether it's Talarico and Paxton, I think that contrast is important. Everybody, there's no perfect candidates in this election right now, especially in Texas. And I think it's better that everybody make their case and have their argument.
And stress test their message of why they're running. And I think that's important to the voters. And I think more debates are better.
But you're right, he's right and you're right. It's like they've gotten boring, they've gotten stale. But a good debate or somebody who looks to the theatrics of this can actually score a touchdown and that's critical.
COATES: I mean, I feel like if the standard is everything must be illuminating in order to be viable, you wouldn't have hardly any confirmation hearings. Because oftentimes those are just, oh, I'll say what I have to say so I get a title at the end.
Voters may have an appetite to see how stiff the spine is knowing what's ahead in Washington if they are successful.
TROYE: I actually was thinking that given all the corruption that we're seeing across the board in the Trump administration and what's happening here on the Republican side, especially right now. But I would say, to your point, I was just thinking, I mean, yes, people are looking for substance. It would be nice to see that, to see where they are on factual policy issues instead of mudslinging.
But I also think that debating also could be an opportunity to show your character and really show who you are, where you stand on things, but actually how you're going to respond when people attack you like that.
[00:00:05]
COATES: I mean, I'm surprised the moms came into it. But thank you, everyone. Bingo cards, get them out.
Remember, you can actually stream my show live or watch on demand anytime with an all-access subscription with your mom. Scan the Q.R. code on your screen or go to cnn.com/watch to learn more.
Thanks so much for watching. "The Story Is" with Elex Michaelson is next.
