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One World with Zain Asher
French Officials Consider Curfews After Violent Riots; Milan Police Clash with Protesters After Stores Looted; Canadian Army Aims to Determine if Fire Was Preventable; Four Killed, Dozens Injured in Fire at Canadian Army Base; Pope Makes 1st Major Public Appearance Since Cancer Surgery; Polls Say Democrats Leading as Trump's Approval Scores Dip. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired October 19, 2026 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ZAIN ASHER, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: All right, coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher. This is "One World". Ahead on the show, massive
protests in France spiral into violent riots in some of the world's -- some of the worst civil unrest the country has seen in years.
Plus, Ukraine's capital under attack from Russian ballistic missiles today. This as tensions grow between Ukraine and the United States. And with just
over two weeks until midterm elections, President Trump has a packed schedule trying to boost Republican candidates.
We'll look at why Latino voters are playing a key role. All right, France has seen some of its worst rioting in years, and the discontent threatens
to spill over to other European countries as well. Now officials are considering imposing curfews following weekend protests that spiraled into
a wave of violence across the country.
For several weeks, there has been growing outrage over education and the cost of living. On Saturday, over half a million people took their messages
to the streets. Authorities say hundreds of businesses were vandalized by masked looters. Listen to how one tourist in Paris described what he's
witnessed in the French capital.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIJE DE BOER, TOURIST: It's like a war zone here. Yesterday we came to Paris to visit a friend, and yeah, our hotel is at Place de la Republique.
We had to evacuate our car is still there, and our luggage. So, we're hoping everything is OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: French President Emmanuel Macron is demanding the rioters and looters must reimburse this as his leadership faces mounting criticism.
Melissa Bell has the latest on the arrest.
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Here at Place de la Republique, where so much of the rioting and looting took place on Saturday
night and again on Sunday, with those fresh clashes that involve rioters and police. The clean-up operation continues, as it does in other French
cities.
A great deal of anger being expressed by the mayors of some of France's biggest cities this Monday, given the police response, or rather the lack
of an adequate police response, and given the extensive damage that the country's seen. We've been hearing from the French President on Sunday
night a great deal of criticism about what President Macron had to say and how few concrete concessions or solutions he was suggesting.
Politicians from across the political spectrum have really turned on that address to the nation as really not meeting what people were expecting to
hear, concrete decisions about what could be done. We've been hearing also this money from the prime minister about his fears for the next few months.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEBASTIEN LECORNU, FRENCH PRIME MINISTER: This raises several questions for us. The first being how to protect the very democratic framework, the
presidential election. There's no way we will allow violent minorities to impose an agenda of violence and prevent us from holding this election.
For me, this raises the issue of candidate safety, personal safety. It raises the issue of safety at campaign rallies, regardless of the political
parties.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BELL: That election is just six months away. President Macron will stand down, and it is the void really left by his centrist policies over the last
few years that's attracted a lot of debate and a lot of anger. The rise also of the extremes, the fact that the far right leads the polls, the fact
that the far left is making such progress in the polls, is considered sort of fertile ground for a particularly polarized presidential campaign, and
as authorities fear potentially much more of these kinds of protests ahead.
Already, the Yellow Vest, who were here last Saturday, are planning a fresh protest next Saturday. Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.
ASHER: And France's student turmoil is slowly turning into a financial crisis that's not going to stay within the country's borders. The political
uncertainty has pushed the yields on French bonds to the highest in 24 years. It's also dragged the euro to a 17-month low against the dollar.
Let's take a look here and see how the European markets are doing as the trading day over there winds down in Paris, the CAC -- is at let's see down
about 1.5 percent in London. You've got the FTSE 100. That's not on your screen there, but it is down as well. And Germany's DAX is also down about
1.5 percent.
Taking a closer look at how the euro is also doing right now against the dollar, slightly up there, and the euro against the pound is slightly up as
well.
[11:05:00]
Anna Stewart joining us live now from London. So, Anna, just in terms of France's ballooning debt crisis, it's got massive public debt, massive
budget deficit. Part of the issue here is that the French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has put forward, obviously, austerity measures that a lot
of people are not happy with.
But talk to us about the fiscal mismanagement that has really brought France to this point, Anna.
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, France needs to get its fiscal house in order essentially, it has a huge debt problem. Debt in France is a
government debt is 119 percent of GDP. It has an aging population, so you can imagine how pension costs and social welfare costs are ballooning at
this point.
And as we can see on the streets of France in recent days, there are certain demands from students. For instance, they want more public spending
on things like education. More generally, people are concerned about the cost-of-living crisis. So, what people don't really want, what there is
little appetite for right now, are the sort of measures that would bring France's debt under control.
We're talking about tax rises and spending cuts at this point. Now this is a challenge, a big challenge for the minority government in France. They
are working on their budget for next year. They will struggle to get it through. To be honest, it only will rein in very modestly the budget
deficit.
It probably won't be enough to really appease investor anxiety over France's debt levels, and they may struggle to get it through. If they fail
to pass this budget, if they see a lot of opposition, you can expect, I think, investors to further push up the bond yield in France, which brings
us to that bond yield.
Let's take a look, as we have seen it at some multi-year highs, and the issue here is as we see that yield rise, that is the cost of borrowing for
the French government. So, this is making that huge debt load we just spoke about even more unsustainable. It's becoming an even bigger issue, and of
course there is the concern that this could spill beyond France's borders.
Will we see a contagion effect as we have in the past? For instance, with the eurozone crisis, we're seeing an impact in terms of markets, bond
yields up in other European countries. We are seeing, of course, the euro suffering today as well. However, since the eurozone crisis, the ECB has
more tools in its toolbox that it could use to help France if needed.
If it gets to that point, the question is, will France ever be able to adhere to any kind of fiscal rules? Will there be enough appetite in the
population to do what is needed to bring that debt under control, Zain?
ASHER: I mean, it's a very difficult economic situation, bleak economic situation that France is facing right now. On the one hand, you've got
these protests among all these students across Paris, but at the same time, it doesn't really have the budgetary ability to really provide some of
these students what they're looking for economically.
Anna Stewart, live for us there. Thank you so much. All right, people in France are not the only ones protesting right now. In countries ranging
from Albania to India, from Italy to Argentina, discontent has brought demonstrators out in very, very large numbers.
In Milan, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has called a government meeting to discuss a response, and in Albania, protesters set fire to
government buildings and have thrown Molotov cocktails, rocks, and bricks at police. Let's bring in "The New York Times" Chief Diplomatic
Correspondent Steven Erlanger.
Stephen, thank you so much for being with us. We're seeing a lot of unrest across Europe. I mean, protests right now, obviously in France. We've seen
protests in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Belgium. Obviously, Belgium is somewhat of an offshoot of what we're seeing in France.
But you've got Spain and Portugal, obviously geographically neighbors, but also protesting the issue of a housing crisis. We've seen what's happened
in Spain covered quite a fair bit, and also Portugal now as well. Just talk to us about what is the sort of common thread leaking a lot of linking
rather a lot of these demonstrations.
I mean, some of the root causes in certain parts of the world, appear to be student protests, protesting the sort of standard of education and also the
resources that students do or don't have. Other parts, it appears to be a housing crisis. Other areas, it's cost of living. But walk us through what
sort of unites some of these movements.
STEVEN ERLANGER, CHIEF DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT AT THE NEW YORK TIMES: Well, I think what unites them is fear of the future and disaffection with
what they have. In general, European countries have failed to produce economic growth of the kind that they promised.
And as all those societies get older, their pension causes costs rise, and young people feel they are being caught in this squeeze where life is more
expensive, schooling feels inadequate, infrastructure is crumbling partly under the sort of debt costs that you've described.
[11:10:00]
The environment worries them. Artificial intelligence worries them. There's just a feeling they've lost faith in centrist governments and in those
governments' ability to provide them a better future. So, you see it in all these protests. The protests are really about anxiety, about being able to
live decently, to have a decent future, to have a job that pays OK.
And that will have your own retirement funds be adequate when that stage comes, and I think there's just a tremendous feeling now that the post-
World War II neoliberal order has failed or is failing, and you see it especially in France, where Emmanuel Macron has lost most of his authority.
He's off actually in the Middle East today, and with the French election coming in the spring, and the possibility, strong possibility, that the
far-right leader Marine Le Pen will win, particularly taking advantage of all these riots. It will have a big impact on Europe, probably on the euro,
maybe on NATO, maybe on European support for Ukraine.
So, I mean, these are momentous times. There's not one single thread, but I think if there were a threat, it would be the anxiety of workers and youth
that their lives will get better, and they fear they will get worse.
ASHER: One of the hardest things about running a country, obviously, not that I've had any experience with that, but one of the hardest things about
running a country, I imagine.
ERLANGER: Me neither.
ASHER: I imagine would be this idea of balancing what might be in the short-term interests of the population versus what might be in the long-
term interests of the country. Even if certain policies are extremely unpopular, if you know that it is for the long-term betterment of the
country you are running, you are going to have to push those policies forward, politics aside, even if it means you are extremely unpopular.
That is probably the hardest thing about being a politician, being a prime minister, being president of any country. When you think about what
Sebastien Lecornu and Emmanuel Macron are facing right now, this idea of obviously yes, you know you can promise you know a few 1000 extra teachers.
But so many of the issues that French students are dealing with, whether it's crumbling infrastructure, that type of thing, are would really take a
lot of long-term effort to address. And you look at the sort of economic, fiscal, financial hole that France is in right now.
It's a very difficult situation that they are in, in terms of balancing what these students need versus trying to sort of work your way out of this
fiscal sink hole that France has created for itself. How does the government of France handle this right now?
ERLANGER: Well, it takes political courage, and political courage isn't actually very widespread, and what you have in France, especially with a
minority government and a president who is deeply unpopular and whose reign is ending, you have a period of drift.
It is very, very difficult for Lecornu to pass anything much through Parliament, even a weak budget, let alone the kinds of cuts and changes to
the pension system that would be required to get France on a better footing. Macron's effort to raise the pension age is being pulled back.
These things are deeply unpopular, but even in a country like Germany, which does have fiscal space, there are increasing demands from young
people workers who are moving toward the extremes. Sometimes the alternative for a Germany party, because they don't really believe that the
centrist coalitions are delivering for them, and then you also have the extra costs involved in the military.
You have an aggressive Russia on the edge of Europe. Ukraine's part of Europe actually, and NATO wants more money to be spent. Europeans know more
money needs to be spent; it has to come from somewhere. And the problem for European countries inside the euro, unlike the United States, is they can't
print their own money.
[11:15:00]
The U.S. also has huge debt problems, but it can print the dollar and it's better able to survive that kind of debt. The French are stuck really, and
this is what worries everyone about creating a bigger euro crisis. So, it is difficult. I mean, these take very difficult political decisions, and
it's harder in a parliamentary system where one party can't rule on its own.
It has to be in a coalition for the most part with other parties, and it's harder to come up with tough, courageous policies when junior coalition
partners feel they will be hurt in the aftermath.
ASHER: I mean, you bring up so many important points. The idea of the eurozone obviously being interconnected, but also, you know, when you're
dealing with a parliamentary system, you know, you are beholden to the other parties in the coalition as well. So, you don't necessarily have that
much room to room.
But one of we are out of time. But one of the important points that I wanted to bring up was this idea of elections taking place, and obviously,
so many of these issues and these protests are taking place at a very difficult time for the ruling parties that are in power, because you have
elections coming up in Spain, in France, and in Italy as well.
Steven Erlanger, we have to leave it there. Thank you so much, though. Appreciate it. All right, President Trump is continuing -- President Trump
is continuing to criticize Ukraine's President Zelenskyy, with the Russia- Ukraine conflict showing no sign of ending.
Russia unleashed ballistic missiles and drones at Kyiv and other parts of the country overnight, while Ukraine is keeping up long-range strikes on
targets inside Russia in defiance of Trump's demands. Kyiv launched one of its biggest drones attacks this year on Russia over the weekend, hitting a
key oil terminal.
President Trump has repeatedly demanded Ukraine stop hitting Russia's energy infrastructure, even as Russia continues to inflict damage on
Ukraine's energy industry. The U.S. President, who last week called Ukraine strikes on Russian oil refineries a disgrace, slamming President Zelenskyy
again on Sunday.
This is what he wrote on Truth Social, Zelenskyy is using diesel refineries in Russia as a target, knowing that these attacks are seriously hurting the
world's diesel market. Zelenskyy doesn't care, and frankly, all of the money that Europe is famously giving him and that crooked Joe Biden gave
him in the past, he doesn't want to end this war and probably never did.
President Trump is also defending his decision to suspend a raft of sanctions on Russia that were passed by Congress, saying that he says
doesn't want to do anything to drive Russia away from negotiations. His remarks raise fears that Ukraine could lose vital U.S. backing as it faces
another brutal winter.
President Zelenskyy said in an interview on Sunday that the U.S. siding with Russia would be a historic mistake. And today he posted on social
media that Kyiv has welcomed every attempt by its partners to bring the war to what he calls a dignified end. Meantime, we're also learning about a
potential meeting between the U.S., Chinese, and Russian Presidents to discuss the war in Ukraine without Ukraine's participation.
CNN's Clare Sebastian has the latest on all of these developments.
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Russian ballistic missiles and drones rained down in several waves on Ukraine Sunday into Monday. This was the
aftermath in Kyiv of a strike on a metro station there. Even as the rift between the U.S. and Ukrainian Presidents threatened to get worse.
On Sunday evening, President Trump slammed President Zelenskyy in a Truth Social post, claiming that he didn't want the war to end. Frankly, it's a
claim that we often hear from Russia, and that Zelenskyy quote, doesn't care about diesel prices in the United States.
He also heaped praise on Russia in this post. Now, meanwhile, tensions over the Ukrainian claims that the U.S. withheld intelligence have also ramped
up. President Zelenskyy said in an interview with NBC on Sunday that intelligence was stopped for several days and then restored.
He then claimed on Monday morning that again Ukraine had had no early warning from partners about ballistic missile launches. We know U.S.
satellite systems play a key role in this. And U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hit back hard, saying he didn't know where Zelenskyy was
getting these things, and quote, there's been no pause.
And now there's another source of tension on top of all of that. A report first in "The Wall Street Journal" that Russia had floated a meeting
between Trump, Putin, and Xi to end the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin Tuesday confirming a hypothetical meeting had been discussed.
Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, also said that there had been talks of such a meeting, but nothing finalized yet. And we got some pretty strong
words from Ukraine's Foreign Minister, warning that such a move would quote, encourage Putin to continue this war as long as he continued this
terror said Andrew Sibia.
[11:20:00]
There should be no place for him at any table. Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.
ASHER: Right still ahead on "One World", Canada tries to understand why four soldiers died when fire engulfed troops in a training exercise.
Details of the weekend's incident just ahead. And Pope Leo getting back to his duties this week with its first major public appearance since
undergoing lung cancer surgery.
We'll have more on that as well ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. Moments ago, Canada's Prime Minister addressed the major fire this weekend at one of the country's biggest military bases. Four
people were killed in the fire. Mark Carney announced a memorial for the dead and told Parliament that Canadians take care of one another.
Officials say that 19 more people are in critical condition from their injuries. They say a fire that had been burning at a safe distance spread
quickly when the wind grew stronger, engulfing troops who are in combat training with live munitions. An army official says an investigation will
determine if the tragedy could have been prevented.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJOR-GENERAL WADE RUTLAND, CANADIAN ARMY: During the conduct of a training, a grass fire ignited in the training area. The cause of this fire
is under active investigation, and what I would say is there was multiple training activities happening throughout the training area at the time.
Uncommonly strong winds caused the fire to spread rapidly and shift direction towards the range administrative area.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: CNN's Paula Newton has more on what we know about Saturday's disaster.
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Canadian military is still trying to come to grips with the scope of this tragedy, but Prime Minister Mark
Carney made it clear that, in fact, he called this one of the worst tragedies for the forces on Canadian soil in peacetime, and that includes
people, he says, dozens of people who are at this hour still critically injured.
And the resources that it took on the ground so many people, because the fire was, in his words, violent and fast moving. They had to be triaged not
just there in the community, but were medevacked out to different locations in the province. I want you to listen now to Prime Minister Mark Carney as
he kind of describes exactly what they're facing here. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK CARNEY, PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA: And CFB Wainwright is where the women and men of our armed forces learn to do the hardest things this
country can ask of anyone.
[11:25:00]
Those we lost, those who were injured, were training to defend Canada, to serve Canada, and now Canada serves them. We will be there for their
families for as long as they need. We will care for the injured through every step of their recovery, and we will stand by the women and men of our
armed forces as they bear the weight of this loss. They will not carry it alone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now, this base, which is about a two-hour drive south of Edmonton, Alberta, is used for live training for the military forces all the time.
Well, this is live ammunition training, and while we do not know the details of exactly what happened here, I want you to look at some of the
video.
Look, they have tight procedures in place to make sure everyone is safe, but there was some kind of explosion or fire, and that, in the prime
minister's words, it was violent and fast moving. In fact, members of the community had to scramble there to make sure they could hold the line on
that fire, and to make sure it did not spread to the neighboring community.
There had been high winds in the area, not a lot of rain. Right now, they say that there is no danger to residents in the area, but still many people
trying to come to grips with this tragedy, and as the prime minister said, dozens injured and many of them have severe burns. Paula Newton, CNN,
Ottawa.
ASHER: All right, Pope Leo is getting back to his duties after undergoing lung cancer surgery. He made his first major public appearance on Sunday at
St. Peter's Square, and the Vatican says he will hold a general audience on Wednesday. Last week's procedure had sparked speculation about the future
of his papacy. CNN's Christopher Lamb reports.
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, thousands gathered in St. Peter's Square to hear from Pope Leo for the first time since his lung
cancer surgery and diagnosis. The pope spoke with a strong and clear voice. He wished the crowd a happy Sunday, and he reflected that the recent
experience of being in hospital had made him feel closer to those who suffer and are sick.
The pope also emphasized that he is slowly planning to get back to work.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POPE LEO XIV, HEAD OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: Now that I have overcome this delicate phase, as you know, I will gradually resume my activities, always
with God's help and your prayers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAMB: Now, the news of Pope Leo's lung cancer diagnosis has come as a huge shock to people inside the Vatican. It's not clear how things are going to
pan out in the short term for him in terms of all the events and schedules that he has in his calendar. Of course, the big question is, can he make
this trip to Latin America, scheduled from the 6th to the 17th of November?
The surgeon who operates on him says there's no clinical reason why he can't go. However, the trip has not been officially confirmed yet post
operation. So, it's a lot of questions over that trip, which would include going to Peru, a country, of course, Leo knows so well, having served there
for many years.
But the itinerary of the trip is to go to some high-altitude places in the country, so it remains to be seen whether that trip will definitely take
place. But on Sunday, Pope Leo making his first major public appearance since his hospitalization, the pope pleasing the crowd, offering them his
blessing, and he's going to continue his recovery for the coming days. Christopher Lamb, CNN, Rome.
ASHER: All right. Still ahead on "One World", they helped President Trump take back the White House, but could Latino voters now help Democrats take
back Congress. A look at where Republican support is slipping, just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:30:00]
ASHER: All right, welcome back to "One World". I'm Zain Asher in New York. Here are some of the headlines we are watching for you today. Officials in
France are considering imposing curfews this after weekend protests turned into a wave of violence.
Authorities say that hundreds of businesses have been vandalized by masked looters for several weeks, there has been rising anger over education and
the cost of living. A metro station in Ukraine's capital was hit by a Russian ballistic missile overnight as Moscow and Kyiv traded attacks.
President Trump is ramping up his criticism of the Ukrainian President, including, accusing rather Volodymyr Zelenskyy of not wanting to end the
war with Russia. His remarks are raising concerns about the future of U.S. support for Ukraine. The U.S. Supreme Court is backing the Pentagon's
decision to throw out the deals for three men accused of plotting the 9/11 terror attacks.
The agreements would have taken the death penalty off the table for alleged mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two other defendants. Doomsday cult
leader Paul Mackenzie has been found guilty in a court in Kenya. He was charged with the mass murder of 190 children and one adult.
Prosecutors say Mackenzie and his church ordered followers to starve themselves and their children to death, which Mackenzie has denied. All
right, the countdown is on in the U.S. and Republicans are staring down a fight that could reshape Washington. Just 15 days to go into the mid-term
elections, with Congress control of Congress rather on the line.
Democrats are gaining in the polls, and CNN's latest poll of polls, Democrats lead Republicans, 54 to 45 percent, when likely voters were asked
which party candidates they would support, comes as President Trump continues to struggle with voters' frustration over the rising cost of
living.
The president is hitting the campaign trail hard with rallies every day this week in states he won in 2024, from Kansas to Arkansas, sorry, from
Kansas to Florida, the president hoping to fire up Republican voters before election day on November 3rd. And Latino voters could be a major wild card
in the fight for control of Congress.
They helped to propel Trump to victory in 2024, but now polls suggest that things are changing. CNN's Ione Molinares talked to voters in a Hispanic
community in Pennsylvania.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IONE MOLINARES, CNN EN ESPANOL CORRESPONDENT: What do Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic have in common with an all-industrial city in
Pennsylvania? The answer is here in Allentown. Just look, mostly Dominican and Puerto Rican businesses, signs in Spanish.
The Latino community has its mark here everywhere. In fact, more than half of the people that live here are Hispanic.
RICARDO LAPIERRE, ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA RESIDENT: Allentown, Pennsylvania, is a city I believe that is family, and we commit ourselves
to an organic direction.
[11:35:00]
MOLINARES: But there is another reason why we're here. Allentown is part of Pennsylvania's seventh congressional district, one of the most hotly
contested in these midterm elections. And we went out to ask voters what are the issues in mind.
That they raise our wages, that there be health insurance for people who work or do not work.
PAVEL MARTIN, ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA RESIDENT: Crime, equal opportunities for both Hispanics and those who are not Hispanic as well. Equal rights,
the economy, healthcare.
JOSE FAJARDO, ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA RESIDENT: With everything that's going on in our presidency, and you know, money just going skyrocketing,
and --
MOLINARES: Republican Ryan Mackenzie wants to keep his seat in Congress. He's facing Buck Brooks, Democrat, in a very close race. And with so many
Latinos living here, we also ask, whom do they favor, Democrats, Republicans, and why?
YAN LOPEZ, ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA RESIDENT: Personally meant that personally, I do consider myself a Republican because I also don't like so
much being taken out of my paycheck for people who may take advantage of the system. But I'm also open to the options if there's a better candidate
on the other side.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I'm going to vote for the Democrat because the economy has declined a lot, mainly for immigrants.
VICTOR TORRES, ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA RESIDENT: I voted for this man, Donald Trump, and since there are so many strange laws, you know, against,
I'm Hispanic, and I would like Hispanics not to be mistreated the way they are being mistreated.
MOLINARES: In 2024, Mackenzie won for just one percentage point. Let's see what voters said on November 3rd.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right, for more on all this, Mike Madrid joins us live now. He is the Founder of the Latino Working Class Project and co-host of "The
Latino Vote podcast". And Mike's book, "The Latino Century", came out in 2024. Mike, thank you so much for being with us.
I mean, we're seeing this trend across the board where people, Latino voters who voted for Trump just a couple of years ago, are now deciding
they're going to switch parties. And obviously, things look very, very good for Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections.
When it comes to the Latino vote in particular, because I think a lot of people underestimate just how important this vote is going to be in terms
of determining the results. How much of the end result is going to be down to turnout? Just more Latinos coming out in more robust numbers versus
actually people literally switching parties.
MIKE MADRID, FOUNDER OF THE LATINO WORKING CLASS PROJECT: That's a great question, and the answer is actually it's both, and the reason is because
both bodies have made these faulty assumptions about who Latino voters are, and their math has relied on overperformance. Both of them have relied on
overperformance, both in turnout and in what we call the vote break, the percentage which each one gets.
So, as many of your viewers will know Republicans erroneously, at least seemingly erroneously, redrew new majority Republican districts based off
of this idea, this assumption that Hispanic Latinos suddenly became Republican overnight. This is what the purpose of my book was to suggest
that this was nonsense, that Latinos are actually de-aligning.
They're moving away from both parties, and so the question of turnout is a good one to ask. So is the vote break, but what we're really witnessing, I
think, election cycle by election cycle, is a movement away from both parties as both parties fail to address the economic concerns that are
gripping the fastest growing segment of the blue-collar working class.
ASHER: Yeah, because that's such an interesting point. Because obviously, you know, when you had a lot of people coming out to support Donald Trump
two years ago because of for various economic reasons. And now two years later saying they're going to vote the other way, that might suggest that
neither party has the solution possibly.
When it comes to what Latino voters care about, I mean, obviously, it's impossible to generalize with tens of millions of people, and I think a lot
of people just sort of simply assume that the number one priority is immigration. Of course, that is a factor. It's not the only factor.
Latino voters, like everybody else, care about crime. They care about security. They care about housing. They care about healthcare. They care
about cost of living. They care about inflation. Walk us through what you think, though, is the biggest priority going into these midterms.
MADRID: It's a fantastic question. I'm glad you asked it because you're right. There's this peculiar obsession about immigration as it relates to
Latino voters, one that rarely, if ever, registers in the top five of the priority issues that are affecting our community, including during this
time when we're being targeted and terrorized.
There's no question it's having an impact, but it's nowhere near the priority. There's not been a single poll in the past two years that did not
show the economy as the key driver by 2.5, 3 to one margin.
[11:40:00]
It's the economy, stupid, as was said in a previous campaign 30 years ago, and your intro suggested this. All of the interviews where people were
asked led with the economy. Economic concerns are why they're considering changing their votes, not voting at all, or forming their own political
behaviors.
So yes, it's affordability, the cost of living, the inflation crisis that continues to grip us, but perhaps most importantly, the lack of priority of
the current Trump Administration to keep the promise that he made, which was to lower gas prices and to lower prices overall.
It's the exact same reason that brought the end to Joe Biden's political career is likely to shut to cut short the life of the majority in the
republic -- of the Republicans in Congress just a few short weeks.
ASHER: You bring up so and thank you for laying that out so wonderfully. That you know it's not just as I said and you're reiterating this point.
It's not just immigration. Obviously, the economy is just like for all Americans. The economy is probably number one and continues to be.
However, and I want you to sort of use this as a teachable moment for myself and I think a lot of people in the audience. Explain to us why
immigration isn't a greater factor because Trump, during his campaign trail, promised multiple times to deport the worst of the worst.
And you know what we have seen, I think, for a lot of people, the scale of some of the implementation of the policies is far vaster and far more
aggressive than I think many people, many Americans, would have anticipated. And also, it's this idea of it not being the worst of the
worst, but you know, people are seeing their co-workers, their neighbors, their friends, their families, being deported or being at least targeted
aggressively.
Why wouldn't that have a greater impact in how Latino voters think about casting their votes?
MADRID: Well, let's be clear, it is having an impact, but it's not the priority impact, and that's really the question you're asking. I like to
say maybe we need the attention and focus of our political parties and our candidates to realize, even with all of the terror going on, that's how
much economic stress the average Latino voter is dealing with at this moment in time in this economy.
Moreover, the vast majority of us are not immigrants ourselves. 80 percent of all new Latino residents are U.S. born, so the immigrant experience is
not one that is personal to the fastest growing segment of all of us. And I think the bigger question to all of this, why isn't this a bigger question
for everybody, not just Latinos?
That's the real question I think you're asking. I think that's the way people need to reorient themselves and take as a teachable moment that this
caricature that Latinos are all somehow overwhelmingly immigrant is not only not accurate, it's a bigger human question we should be asking about
the soul of our country.
ASHER: Yeah, I mean to be fair, just to reiterate, my question wasn't whether or not Latinos were not Americans, and obviously they are. And the
Latinos that are voting in this election, of course, they are American citizens. Many of them, of course, born here. My question was really just
about why this wasn't a greater factor in terms of the calculation, in terms of how they want to vote in in these midterms?
MADRID: I understood the question. I'm not too sure that you're listening to the answer. The answer is, it presumes that there's a reason why Latinos
have a greater affinity for the immigrant experience. The answer is, most of us overwhelmingly are not immigrants. There's a need to caricaturize
this that way.
ASHER: OK.
MADRID: That's what I'm suggesting.
ASHER: OK, thank you. Thank you so much, Mike Madrid, appreciate it.
MADRID: Thank you. Bye.
ASHER: OK. All right. Still to come here on "One World", you may see gas prices inch down a little bit, and it's thanks to Russia. We'll tell you
why, after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:45:00]
ASHER: Right, oil prices are easing slightly after President Trump waived sanctions on Russian energy exports just before they were supposed to go
into effect. The cost of oil is still much higher than it was at the start of this year. The international benchmark, Brent crude, take a look here,
is down about one and a quarter percent.
You've got the U.S. benchmark next to that, WTI down about a third of 1 percent as well. The U.S. Treasury Secretary says that oil prices could
fall even more by the end of the year. However, it all depends on the war with Iran.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT BESSENT, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY: So, Kristen (ph), let's be clear here. This is an energy supply side shock. We will get to
the other side of this. This is one factor.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you anticipate gas prices will come down by the new year?
BESSENT: Well, again, it will depend on what happens with the Iran conflict.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Right. CNN's Matt Egan takes a look at the latest price moves.
MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Oil prices they are moving lower this morning, but only a little bit and only from very high levels. Brent,
global benchmark $108 a barrel, down 2 percent or so. But as you mentioned, this comes after Brent hit 110 on Friday for the first time in five months.
Now these declines come despite the fact that over the weekend Ukraine appeared to defy President Trump by launching new attacks on Russia,
including one that hit an oil terminal. Also, this is coming despite the latest unrest in the Middle East and including attacks on vessels in the
region.
But the fact that prices are down likely reflects this executive order that President Trump signed on Friday, pausing a new round of sanctions that
were scheduled to take effect on Russia in a law named after the late Senator Lindsey Graham. Now, this executive order it pauses tariffs of up
to 100 percent on goods from major buyers of Russian oil and natural gas, also pausing tariffs of up to 500 percent on U.S. imports of Russian goods.
Of course, the irony here is that President Trump, more than any of his modern predecessors, has really embraced tariffs as a tool that can solve
almost any problem. And yet here he is pausing tariffs on Russia. Now the oil market seems to like this because traders are thinking, well, if
there's fewer sanctions on Russia, that means there's more supply of energy coming out of Russia.
And yet, despite this dip this morning, it's just been a massive gain for Brent. When you look back, when the year started, Brent was trading at
about $60 a barrel. Then, just before the war started, it was around 70. But look at this spiking after that, and really, it's been on this steady
climb over the last few weeks, basically at or near the highest levels since really the worst of the war back in the spring.
And these have just been historic gains so far this year for Brent. Brent up by almost 80 percent year to date. There's really no parallel
historically. You look back to the president's first term, which was over here. You see there were some years of minor gains, minor losses, but
nothing like this.
Not even during the Biden Administration. In fact, Brent is on track for its biggest annual percentage gain since 1999. And yes, this is filtering
through to what consumers are paying at the gas pump.
[11:50:00]
Right, the national average 4.30 a gallon. It is down 18 cents from a month ago, but dramatically higher than before the war when gas was well below $3
a gallon. And this is just a very historically high level for this time of year. And of course, this is keeping pressure on diesel as well.
Diesel 6.32 a gallon before the war. Diesel was well below $4 a gallon. And what's notable here, is that diesel is actually four cents higher than it
was on October 9th when President Trump announced that controversial deal to import diesel from Russia. So, bottom line, fuel prices remain
uncomfortably high.
Oil prices remain very high as well, and this is going to continue to put pressure on the cost of living, really around the world.
ASHER: Matt Egan reporting there. We'll be right back with more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right, a Japanese space mission is preparing to head to Mars. The Martian Moons eXploration, as the name implies, will survey the two
moons of the red planet Phobos and Deimos. The journey to get there is expected to take about 10 months. Then the plan is to collect soil samples
from Phobos that scientists hope will explain the origin of the two moons.
Japan is hoping this will be the first time a spacecraft travels to the Mars system and brings a sample back to Earth. Right, thousands attended
the Lord of Miracles procession in Peru's capital Lima on Sunday. It is one of the country's largest religious celebrations, and is held every October.
This year those marching in the crowd expressed their hope that Pope Leo would make a good recovery after his cancer surgery. So that he would be
able to visit Peru next month. British luxury car maker McLaren is selling five Formula One cars, all in working condition.
They're part of a racing history spanning more than three decades and have been driven by champions, including Lewis Hamilton, the late Brazilian
Ayrton Senna, and was once even tested by Actor Brad Pitt. The cars will be sold through high-end dealer Tom Hartley Jnr. and are expected to sell for
tens of millions of dollars.
And finally, before we go, it was a race to the finish line.
[11:55:00]
Dachshunds in Munich, Germany, competed in the annual sausage dog race on Sunday. Excited owners waved toys and treats to get the dogs across the
finish line. What started as a race with just 30 dogs four years ago has now grown to a full competition, drawing dozens of attendees.
Right, stay with CNN. There's more "One World" with my colleague Bianna Golodryga after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
