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The Situation Room

Harris And Trump Campaign In The Battleground States For Their Closing Messages; Wolf Blitzer Interviews Jaime Harrison; The Path To 270 Electoral Votes Explained. Harris And Trump In Final Sprint To Election Day; RNC And GA GOP Sue Over Hand-Returned Absentee Ballots In Seven GA Counties; CNN Reports On The Global Impact Of The U.S. Election. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired November 03, 2024 - 17:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[17:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Happening now, breaking news. Voters are just a day and a half away from picking a new president in its countdown to Election Day in America. We want to welcome our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer and this is a special edition of "The Situation Room."

Right now, the polls are deadlocked, no clear leader, and both candidates are closing out their final messages. So far, more than 72 million Americans have already voted early in some 47 states and the District of Columbia. And that includes the vice president herself, Kamala Harris, telling reporters today that she sent her mail-in ballot to California, where she's registered to vote.

Out on the campaign trail today, Harris is in Michigan going to church in Detroit, a barber shop in Pontiac and addressing a rally in East Lansing. While former President Donald Trump is making campaign stops today in Pennsylvania Amish country, Macon, Georgia and Kinston, North Carolina. Our correspondents are traveling with both candidates as they make their final pitches to voters.

CNN's Kristen Holmes is with the Trump campaign in Macon, Georgia where the former president is scheduled to speak next hour. And CNN's Jeff Zeleny is with the Harris campaign in East Lansing, Michigan, where we also expect to hear from the vice president in the next hour. Stand by for that. First, let's go to Kristen for the very latest with the former president. Kristen, what are you expecting to hear from Trump tonight in Georgia?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, if it really depends which version of Donald Trump shows up. He's currently speaking right now in North Carolina. He seems to be sticking to his planned remarks as much as Donald Trump does. But earlier today at a rally in Pennsylvania, he seemed to really go off the rails. Former president, someone who did not participate in a peaceful transfer of power said, quote, "that he shouldn't have left the White House." He complained for quite some time bitterly about a series of polls that had him trailing Kamala Harris. He also sowed doubt about the election for the longest I have heard

him do so the 2024 election of course I'm talking about, about 20 minutes of talking about fraud there, and then this is what he said when talking about the two assassination attempts on him. This is what he said about shooting through the press.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I have a piece of glass over here. And I don't have a piece of glass there. And I have this piece of glass here. But all we have really over here is the fake news, right? And to get me, somebody would have to shoot through the fake news. And I don't mind that so much, because I don't mind.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: I don't mind. I don't care so much. We did get a statement kind of clarifying those remarks from Stephen Cheung, the spokesperson. Here's what he said. Again, I just want to remind our viewers, they just listened to exactly what he said. But here's what the statement says. President Trump was stating that the media was in danger and that they were protecting him, and therefore were in great danger themselves and should have a glass protective shield also. There can be no other interpretation of what he said. Again, I just encourage our viewers to listen to exactly the words that Donald Trump just said.

Now, of course, we'll see what version of Donald Trump shows up here in Georgia. But I will tell you, I spoke to a number of allies after Donald Trump's rally in Pennsylvania, who expressed frustration and exasperation. All they want is for Donald Trump to focus on the economy, on crime, on immigration, essentially anything but these kinds of rogue off-color remarks. See again what happens when he steps foot in Georgia, another critical battleground state, likely in the next hour.

BLITZER: All right, Kristen Holmes reporting for us. We'll get back to you. Kristen, thank you very much. I want to get to East Lansing, Michigan right now. That's where CNN's Jeff Zeleny is standing. By Jeff, the Harris campaign is making it simple. Michigan today, Pennsylvania tomorrow. What else is going on?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Vice President Harris is making her way here to East Lansing, of course. This is the home of Michigan State University. There is voting underway, not far from here.

[17:04:57]

That is one of the reasons that the Vice President is here on a Sunday. Michigan has same-day voter registration, and early voting is a key part of her strategy. She was in Ann Arbor, Michigan a week or so ago where the University of Michigan is, but today is Michigan State University's time in the spotlight. But she was traveling through Detroit earlier today. Michigan really, of course, is at the center of the blue wall, but it's also at the centerpiece of her path to the White House.

She does believe that Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin are the most logical and the strongest route for her to win 270 electoral votes. Now that she's not competing in Georgia and North Carolina, she was in both states yesterday, but for the duration here, for the next 36 hours or so, she'll be focusing on these blue wall states. But she's also talking about Donald Trump and warning Americans about his misinformation campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: So here we are on the Sunday before the election. And I would ask, in particular, people who have not yet voted, to not fall for his tactic, which I think includes suggesting to people that if they vote, their vote won't matter. Suggesting to people that somehow the integrity of our voting system is not intact so that they don't vote. And Again, I think that it is a tactic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: So we've heard Donald Trump talking about the integrity of the vote. Of course, this is largely a repeat of what we heard four years ago, but Wolf, a very different part this time. The January 6th attack on the Capitol, which of course was born out of a deep election denialism and the incorrect information that he asserted that he won the election, that is part of this campaign. We talk to voters all the time here in Michigan and in other states who say they are supporting Vice President Harris because of those threats to democracy.

Well, this feels very close. Each state is within the margin of error. Each state will turn on the size and shape of the electorate and the turnout. But the ground games, when you look behind me here in this very large rally, there is a large outdoor space outside this field house as well. This is all about getting more volunteers and the ground game for Tuesday.

Yes, millions of people have voted, but it's getting those people to the polls on Tuesday that will be key. But there is no doubt, she is closing this race in a very different manner than former President Donald Trump, much more upbeat and optimistic, I would say. And we'll hear from her shortly right here in East Lansing. Wolf?

BLITZER: We'll hear what she has to say. All right, Jeff Zeleny reporting for us. Jeff, thanks very much. Tonight, Republicans and Democrats are making their final push for control of the White House and both houses of Congress. Let's discuss what's going on with the chair of the Democratic National Committee, Jaime Harrison, who's joining us right now. Jamie, thanks so much for joining us. I want to start, of course, with the big picture, the nail-biter that's going on. What's your outlook on this critical election now less than two days away?

JAIME HARRISON, DNC CHAIR: Well, Wolf, I believe we're closing and we're closing strong. And the contrast between the two campaigns, between the two candidates is crystal clear. Kamala Harris is talking about the American people and how as president she will be focused like a laser on the issues that are important to them, from housing to making sure that the economy continues to be strong and gets stronger, to making sure that people can start their own small businesses so that families can take care of their loved ones, their young ones, and their elderly.

I mean, she has really been focused on that. And it's been about unifying the American people, bringing in Democrats, Republicans, and independents. And the flip side of that coin is Donald Trump. I mean, what he said today about the press, coupled that with what he said about Liz Cheney the other day, this man is unhinged, Wolf. I mean, it is extreme, it's dark, and it is unworthy of the American people. And I'm not trying to be partisan here.

When you think about when I was cutting my teeth, learning about politics, the presidents, you know, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, you know the Bush's, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, you know, presidents -- even if you were not of the same party you looked up to them. You felt like that was a certain level of how they would operate and that they would always make the country proud.

I can't say that about Donald Trump. It is scary. We now remember what it was like four years ago because every day he preach bigotry, hatred, and denouncement (ph). We don't need that in America. We need to close this chapter and start a whole new book. And I believe Kamala Harris is the right person to do just that.

[17:09:58]

BLITZER: Is Kamala Harris, Jaime, still the underdog from your perspective at this point in the race?

HARRISON: I believe Kamala Harris is gonna win this race, Wolf. She is going to win this race. We have the better ground game. You know, in this tight race, we see the polls and they say that it's tight. Well, you've been doing this a long time, Wolf, and I've been doing it for a while as well. You know that tight races, it's the ground game that makes the difference.

Just -- I was told by the Pennsylvania Democratic Party chair just the other day that the party and our coordinated effort has knocked 5 million doors. And when they add in what labor has done, it's 10 million doors. And I'm told by folks anecdotally that they see no presence of a Republican campaign on the ground in these states. And so I'm very proud for the last four years we've been building a stronger grassroots effort, infrastructure across all of our state parties. And I believe in the end of the day, that's going to be the big difference maker.

BLITZER: I want to get your thoughts, Jaime, as some new polling just out from Iowa. Iowa suggests Vice President Harris might actually be ahead there, but within the so-called margin of error. Is that in line with any internal polling that you're seeing as well?

HARRISON: Well, you know, I looked at the cross tabs there. Of course, I don't know if Iowa was on anybody's bingo card in terms of the presidential race, but I was in Iowa just a few weeks ago and I can tell you there was tremendous energy on the ground there. We have two congressional races that are now on toss-up for Democrats. And it's because the DNC has worked with the Iowa Democratic Party to actually put organizers on the ground early on at the start of the year. And

then with the abortion issue, it's like all the stars and the issues and things are aligning all at once. And so, you know, don't be surprised Democrats pick up, you know, one or two congressional races in Iowa. Don't be surprised of some differences on the legislator front. And that's part of that going back to that 50 state strategy that we've employed in the past. And I'm really excited about the prospects and the surprises that we're going to get on election night.

BLITZER: Let me ask you this. How does the DNC, the Democratic National Committee, and you're the chair, plan to respond if, if Trump were to declare a premature victory, let's say, Tuesday night in this election, even before all the votes are officially counted?

HARRISON: Wolf, there is no if. Donald Trump is going to do that. That is just part of his playbook. We know that he's going to do that. But I think it's important for the party, the Democratic Party is not going to take him seriously. I don't think the American people are going to take him seriously. And hopefully the press won't either. I mean, you know, every vote has to be counted so that we know how voters have moved forward on this.

But we have built the largest voter protection program that we've ever had at the DNC, coupled with the program that the campaign is running and we are going to be well-equipped. If we have to go to courts, we'll go to courts, but we will be well-equipped to fight to make sure that every vote is counted and that everybody gets to make sure that their voices are heard.

And I would add to this, if any voter has any problems on Election Day, go to iwillvote.com, iwillvote.com. We have lawyers on the ready right now to help address any issues that you may have in terms of casting your ballot and making sure that ballot counts.

BLITZER: The former President Trump said today, and I'm quoting him now, he said "he shouldn't have left the White House back in 2020." How do you interpret that?

HARRISON: No, well, and -- this is the guy who wanted to be a dictator on day one. He doesn't believe in the constitution, Wolf. He does not believe in the foundation of America. What makes America strong. He only believes that he has -- he wants that power. It's not power in order to do things in order to prove the lives of the American people, but he wants to be in control. He wants complete power.

There is a Constitution. There's a rule of law. That is what dictates how we do things in this country. But Donald Trump believes he's some kind of king. But there's gonna be a rude awakening for that king on Tuesday, November 5th, because the American people are gonna say, you got a king without any -- well, I don't want to go down that route. A king without a throne. The only kingdom you have is back down in Florida in Mar-a-Lago. BLITZER: Before I let you go, Jaime, how are you feeling about your party's chances in Congress, both houses of Congress? It's a difficult Senate map, as you no doubt know. Are you optimistic about the House at this stage?

HARRISON: Well, I cannot wait, Wolf, to see at the beginning of next year's speaker, Hakeem Jeffries. I'm gonna get right there on that floor in the gallery to watch that history because that is going to happen. I believe that the Democrats will take back the House. This has been the most do nothing Congress with Republicans in control. They haven't passed any meaningful legislation. And the things that they have passed, it took more Democrats to vote for it than they could.

[17:15:01]

I mean, Speaker Johnson is a joke. He's a speaker light. And so it is so past time for us to give the baton back to somebody who knows what to do with it, that gavel, and will actually work on behalf of the American people. And then, you know, this is a tough Senate map, but Gary Peters has done a masterful job. He did a masterful job in the midterms and he's doing a masterful job now of preparing our candidates, playing in some places to go on the offense in Florida and Texas. And you know, John Tester and Sharrod Brown and all these guys and anybody can win tough races is those guys. So I'm putting my money on them.

BLITZER: All right, we'll see what happens. The DNC chair, Jaime Harrison. Thanks so much for joining us.

HARRISON: Thanks, Wolf. Take care.

BLITZER: Thank you. And still to come, we're running through -- we're running through the potential paths victory for both candidates as they do everything, they can to shore up votes in the must-win battleground states. This is a special edition of the "Situation Room: Countdown to Election Day."

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[17:20:00]

BLITZER: With just two days left, the campaigns are honing in on seven key battleground states. CNN political director David Chalian is over at the magic wall for us to break down which states Trump and Harris need to win the White House.

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Wolf, here it is. The path to 270, the red states are in Trump's column, the blue states are in Harris's column for the purpose of this exercise, and we've got seven remaining yellow toss-up battleground states. And as you know, those battleground states are razor thin. Look, these are a poll of polls in the battleground states. No clear leader in any of them, in any of these battleground states. So this is razor thin.

So what is the path to victory for each candidate? Well, the Harris campaign will say that their best, most direct path to 270 electoral votes is through the blue wall. If she were to win Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, she'd be at 270 electoral votes and the next president. But what if Donald Trump repeats his 2016 victory in Pennsylvania? Then Harris drops down to 251, and she has to go hunting in the Sun Belt to find some more votes.

Certainly, if she were able to North Carolina from red to blue this time, that would get her knocking on the door to 270, and then maybe Nevada behaves like it has for Democrats in recent cycles, and that would put Harris over the top in that scenario.

What about Donald Trump's path? Well, let's reset the map. Seven yellow battleground states, and Donald Trump's most direct path is to hang on to North Carolina. That is the state he won by the narrowest margin four years ago. In fact, it's the only state he won of the seven battleground states. And let's say he flips Georgia back. You'll recall he famously lost it by just fewer than 12,000 votes. So let's say that ends up back in his column. And let's say he does get that Pennsylvania victory repeated from 2016. That's it. He'll be at 270 electoral votes. He doesn't need any of the rest of the battleground states.

But what if Harris does pull it out in Pennsylvania? Then where does Donald Trump go for the next 19 electoral votes? Well, even if he were to win Nevada and Arizona out west, that still would not get him to 270. He would need at least one of the other remaining so-called blue wall states such as Michigan, and that would do the trick and get him over the top at 283. Wolf?

BLITZER: David Chalian, excellent explanation. Thank you very, very much. When we come back. How Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are using the final days of the election to hammer home their closing messages, including some shocking statements from the former president today. You're watching a special edition of the "Situation Room: Countdown to Election Day."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:25:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We had the safest border in the history of our country the day that I left. I shouldn't have left.

To get me, somebody would have to shoot through the fake news. And I don't mind that so much. I don't mind.

HARRIS: What kind of country do we want for our children and our grandchildren? A country of chaos, fear and hate, or a country of freedom, justice and compassion?

The road ahead won't be easy, but in times of uncertainty, we are reminded weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Kamala Harris and Donald Trump delivering their final messages to voters in the waning hours of their campaigns today. Our panel is here with us and Jamal, let me start with you, very different tone and very different closing messages we heard from these two candidates. What are you hearing from inside the Kamala Harris campaign? How are they feeling?

JAMAL SIMMONS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Oh, I think they're feeling bullish right now about what's coming. We're seeing very positive results. If any of us who are watching this are seeing very positive results of what's happening in the early votes, seeing very positive results. The Iowa poll, I think, sent shockwaves through America last night where Kamala Harris is up 47, 43 over Donald Trump.

And even if that poll gets it wrong, although I'm hearing from people in Iowa that it's not getting it wrong, it shows a direction of what's happening inside the numbers. That particularly independent women, seniors are all starting to move toward Kamala Harris during this last weekend, which is very often what happens in these campaigns. People look up and they realize, oh wait, I got a vote on Tuesday, and they come up with something.

And I got to tell you, we're watching this video we're just seeing right now. Remember when Michelle Obama said, if they go low, we go high. I think in this campaign, when Donald Trump goes low, Kamala Harris goes big, right? She's going in a bigger way, where she's inviting more people in and not pushing people away, which is what it seems like Trump is up to.

BLITZER: We heard more dark and violent rhetoric from Trump today, as you know, Scott. Does that undermine, you think, his closing message?

SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think Donald Trump is the same Donald Trump of yesterday, today, and he'll be the same tomorrow. I don't think anybody is learning any more about him this weekend or in the final hours of this campaign that they didn't already know. I think people's views about him are hardened at this moment. I think the most important messages that they're communicating right now are what's in their paid media, frankly, which is mostly about the economy and immigration.

[17:30:00]

JENNINGS: Those have always been the best vectors for him. I will bet you a steak dinner on Iowa if you want.

(LAUGHTER)

A friendly dinner after the election. Not on the election itself because I have no idea who's going to win. And what I would say generally about the polls is I don't think anybody knows nothing. I mean, honestly, I see all these 48s, 48s, 49s, 49s. I see the early voting. I think at this point, everybody ought to just tune into CNN on Tuesday night because I just -- I don't know what to make of it all, and I don't know who's going to win, but I'm glad the election is here.

BLITZER: I'm sure we're going to have a huge --

(LAUGHTER)

-- huge audience. There's no doubt about that. What did you make of the fact that he's saying what he's saying, though?

JENNINGS: Yeah, I mean, look, he riffs and he makes jokes, and some people don't like it. And sometimes, it's not about the most important policy issues that people think he ought to be talking about or that, you know, the other side wants him to talk about. This is -- this is who he is. He has been who he is all week, whether it is the stunt with the garbage --

BLITZER: And when he said -- when he said he shouldn't have left the White House even though he lost the election.

JENNINGS: I interpreted that as I wish I hadn't left the White House because I was doing a good job. And I think most Republicans --

BLITZER: But he lost the election.

JENNINGS: Yeah, I know. And he has not been president for four years. And his entire case is, since I left, everything has gotten worse, including on immigration. I don't think there's anything --

SIMMONS: Wolf, let me tell you, one thing I'm hearing from Democrats is they feel more confident Kamala Harris is going to win this election on Tuesday, but less confident it will be a peaceful period of time afterward. A lot of people are very worried about violence coming in the streets.

BLITZER: What do you think, Ashley, because I want to point out our new poll of polls. The new CNN poll of polls shows an extremely tight race with no clear leader as we've been hearing. We're seeing the same in the new polling average of the six of the pivotal battleground states as well.

ASHLEY ALLISON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: What I'm hearing from the campaign is that they are cautiously optimistic but don't get comfortable if you were going to do a volunteer shift due to --

(LAUGHTER)

If you know someone who hasn't voted yet, drag them to the polls and make sure they vote. They don't want a good poll that comes out in Iowa. They hope it's real, but they aren't saying don't bet on that, right? We need to trust the process that we put forth, which is a turnout game, and we need to continue to do it. I agree. I think that people are nervous. I've talked to just a lot of voters that are saying, I voted early because I want to be home on Election Day because I don't know what's going to happen.

And I think to the question that you were asking, Scott, about shooting through the media, yes, Donald Trump is who he is, but there is a responsibility that leaders play to help the people that follow them to take it down a notch, and that is not what Donald Trump's rhetoric does.

BLITZER: We know Trump has a gender gap problem. Women are voting increasingly more for Kamala Harris than they are for Trump. When he makes these kinds of disgusting statements, shoot through the fake media, as he calls them, fake media, if you want to take a shot at a campaign rally or something like that. How does that resonate with women?

KRISTEN SOLTIS ANDERSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, REPUBLICAN POLLSTER: Well, Donald Trump does have a gender gap problem when it comes to women, and that's well known, and it has been part of how he has performed in both the 2016 and 2020 elections. But the gender gap also goes both ways. I think a lot of the very sort of tough rhetoric that you've seen Donald Trump take out on the trail, while it may be off-putting to some women and certainly has shed, you know, Republicans have tried to win back suburban women, lots of questions about is Trump the right guy for that, he's also doing quite well with, say, young men.

And so, it's a reminder that this may be an election where while some gaps like gaps between young and old, they may shrink relative to other years, gaps between men and women, I wouldn't be surprised to see it grow.

BLITZER: I don't know if you know this, Scott, but just moments ago, Trump attacked Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell brutally once again. But listen to this.

JENNINGS: Yeah.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Hopefully, we get rid of Mitch McConnell pretty soon because he helped that guy.

(APPLAUSE)

Can you believe he endorsed me? Can you -- boy, that must have been a painful day in his life.

(LAUGHTER)

Every time I think of it, he didn't have to do that. He provided the necessary vote. What a disgrace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: What a disgrace. You worked for Mitch McConnell for a long time.

JENNINGS: Yeah.

BLITZER: What is your reaction to that?

JENNINGS: Well, it's no surprise to me that they don't like each other. I suspect he finally picked up a new book --

(LAUGHTER)

-- about McConnell that was written by Mike Tackett and McConnell had some things to say about Trump as well. Look, these guys are not friends. They're not friendly. They don't like each other. McConnell did endorse Trump. And, you know, Mitch McConnell has already announced he's not going to be Senate Republican leader when his term is over. But he does have two years left in his Senate term. And I suspect he'll be with Trump on some things and maybe they'll butt heads on other things like foreign policy.

BLITZER: All right, everybody, stand by. We have a lot more to discuss. We're going to take a quick break. CNN's countdown to Election Day continues.

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[17:35:00]

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: You're looking at some live pictures coming in from the campaign trail right now. Macon, Georgia on the left, where we are expecting former President Trump to speak in a little while, we'll monitor that, and in East Lansing, Michigan on the right, where the Vice President Kamala Harris is campaigning with two days to go.

We're back with our excellent panel. Let's talk what's going on. The Vice President, as you know, is in the battleground state of Michigan right now. And among other things, she's working to try to earn the support of Arab-Americans and Muslim-Americans in Michigan, which have a significant chunk of the electorate in that state. You think she's doing enough?

ALLISON: Look, I think that over the last year, both in the Muslim community and the Jewish community, there has been a lot of pain and suffering, and I think she is the only candidate in this race that has spoken to both communities and says, I will represent you all. She has gone into Dearborn into Detroit where the population centers are having conversations with them. But what is most important? And there are some members of the community that are going to vote third party. Um, I think what she is trying to do is move people who might vote third party and convince them to go over to her.

[17:39:57]

I don't think that the significant -- I think a poll just came out, um, some monitoring, only 9% of that community is supporting Donald Trump, which is pretty consistent. There is still -- there are still Republicans in there. But I think she is in conversations with that community, and she's doing everything she can, not just for the Arab community in Detroit or in Michigan, but for the African-American community youth population as well. SOLTIS ANDERSON: The problem is if the election is very close --

ALLISON: Yes.

SOLTIS ANDERSON: -- then even something little that you might say --

ALLISON: Oh, absolutely.

SOLTIS ANDERSON: -- then suddenly everything matters. I did a focus group of Michigan voters for "The New York Times" that we released last week, and one of our respondents was a young Muslim woman. And I asked her who she's planning to vote for, and she said she was considering Jill Stein. And I said -- well, you said a lot of things you shouldn't (ph). She was no fan of Donald Trump.

I said, if voting for Jill Stein means Donald Trump becomes president, how do you feel? She said, I think my vote needs to be earned, it is not just anyone's to take because they deserve it. And she was not planning to vote for Harris. And I just -- I don't know. That's one person in a focus group. You don't know how widespread that is. But to me, I do think that is an alarm bell for the Harris people.

JENNINGS: Trump has gotten some interesting endorsements in the Arab- American community there. And I've thought some of the CNN reporting this week where Harris was running certain kinds of ads to Arab- Americans and other very different kinds of ads to Jewish-Americans. It really brought out the problems with this issue she's having in the campaign. Here, at the end, she's being forced to sort of selectively pander to both sides of this obviously very emotional issue. That is not a great place to be when you get caught running one ad here and one ad there that are seemingly in contradiction.

BLITZER: Jamal, what do you think?

SIMMONS: You know, I'm from Detroit, so I grew up around this community intimately. And it's a very complex community. So, you've got Chaldeans who are Christians, mostly from Iraq. You've got Lebanese. You've got Palestinians. There are a lot of different people there with different kinds of politics. What's tough at this moment is you also have, in addition to what's happening in Gaza, you have a war taking place in Lebanon, which is also inflaming the community in a different way.

So, she's got a rough road to navigate this. And as Debbie Dingle says all the time and as Ashley just said a minute ago, there are two different communities, lots of communities who are all inflamed right now. The Jewish community is definitely inflamed. You go out to Oakland County, you hear about it a lot. She's got to navigate through all of that. And I think, as Ashley also said, she's the one person who is talking to them.

And you can't imagine that you've got a tinderbox that's happening inside the Middle East. And what you want to do is put a teenager playing with matches in the middle of it, which is kind of what Donald Trump behaves like based on what we see on television. ALLISON: I do think, though, the reporting that we did this week, I watched the -- the ads are not in contradiction, and I think that is an effort that Republicans and the right wing are doing, is to try and make these communities feel like they are in America at odds with one another when most people want to see a path forward. Some of the other polling also said they're not voting for anyone, they're staying home because they're frustrated.

So, the question is, is she's doing enough? I think she is. I think she can always do more. But it is very clear she has not changed her position, so it's not pandering to anyone.

BLITZER: We'll see what happens on that front. Scott, I'd sort of play for you. Trump told ABC News that he thinks we should all know the winner Tuesday night, election night. I want you to listen to what he said.

JENNINGS: Uh-hmm.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Can you imagine, they spend all this money, all this money on machines, and they're going to say, we may take an extra 12 days to determine. And what do you think happens during that 12 days? What do you think happens? These elections have to be -- they have to be decided by 9:00, 10:00 11:00 on Tuesday night.

(APPLAUSE)

Bunch of crooked people. These are crooked people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: It sounds like he's trying to undermine confidence that the American people should have in our election.

JENNINGS: Well, I think people should have confidence in the election, first of all. I think and I believe we're going to have a free and fair election. That's number one. Number two, I will tell you, this is a common refrain you here among a lot of Americans. Why does it take us so long to count these votes? It's 2024, for goodness sakes. Can we not count the votes?

And I do think he has a point about every day that you go without a winner. I do believe it undermines confidence in the election. That doesn't necessarily mean anything untoward is happening but, gosh, to take days upon days upon days to count ballots. So, I personally think the best thing for the United States would be to get to a winner and a vote count as quickly as we can because the longer it goes, the less confident you're going to have.

SIMMONS: Well, you know, it's amazing to hear this from Republicans now. I'm open enough to remember when George W. Bush ran for president against Al Gore in Florida and the Republicans were all saying, wait, we've got to wait for the military ballots. That was days after the election had occurred. Now, I think what we're seeing, think about what happened in Nevada in the last election. Catherine Cortez Masto, the senator ran, she was down on election night, 36,000 ballots came in absentee, and she surged ahead.

[17:45:00]

Do we mean that those people should not have their ballots counted because they cast their ballot on Monday instead of on Friday? No, we don't. We think that they ought to have their ballots counted regardless of when they put it in as long as before the legal deadline.

BLITZER: All right, guys, everybody, stand by. There's more we need to discuss. And there's also breaking news just coming in to "The Situation Room." The Republican National Committee and the Georgia GOP are now suing to challenge absentee ballots that voters try to turn in by hand instead of through the mail in some counties. CNN political correspondent Sara Murray is working this part of the story for us. What are we learning, Sara?

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, I think this is part of the Republican litigation strategy to try to challenge batches of ballots in states that they think are going to be very close, very hotly contested and, of course, Georgia is on this list.

So, what we are seeing from this new lawsuit filed in federal court is a Republican National Committee and the Georgia GOP challenging ballots, absentee ballots, that are being delivered by hand by voters to election offices over the weekend. And what's interesting is they're challenging these ballots in seven counties that are Democratic-leaning.

Now, there are Republican-leaning counties in the state of Georgia who are offering this same service this weekend that are not named in the lawsuit. Republicans have also already tried to make this argument in a different court. The Fulton County Superior Court saying that Fulton County should not be accepting these hand-delivered absentee ballots this weekend.

That was a challenge a judge heard yesterday morning, and the judge found that it was allowed under the law for voters to show up to return their absentee ballots by hand in the same way that a mail carrier can drop off these absentee ballots over the weekend.

So, we will see if Republicans have any more luck trying to take this case to federal court. I think it's a little bit of a long shot, though, Wolf.

BLITZER: Sara Murray with the breaking news, thank you very, very much. Just ahead, we're taking you around the world for a look at what this week's election could mean for U.S. allies like Ukraine and Israel for that matter as well as for adversaries like China. We'll be right back.

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BLITZER: American voters are not just voting for their next president, but making a major decision that will have global consequences. We have our reporters around the world starting with CNN's Matthew Chance in Jerusalem with more on how the next person in the White House could impact rising tensions in the Middle East.

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MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, here in Israel, the U.S. presidential election is being closely watched. The outcome being seen as having a direct impact on this country, too, which is, of course, fighting in Gaza and Lebanon, and engaged in a spiraling confrontation with Iran.

One recent opinion poll here suggests a clear majority of Israelis favor Trump over Harris to become the leader of Israel's most important ally. Trump is remembered for a series of pro-Israel moves when he was president, including moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing Israeli annexation of the Golan Heights, and taking a tougher stance on Iran, while the Biden administration, including Vice President Harris, is seen by many here as having sought to restrain Israel's tough military response in a year since the October the 7th attacks. Back to you, Wolf.

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BLITZER: Matthew Chance in Jerusalem, thank you very much. Let's go now to CNN's Marc Stewart. He's in Beijing, where the outcome of the U.S. election could have a sweeping impact on the rather contentious relationship between the world's two largest economies.

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MARC STEWART, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, here in China, the government has been very deliberate about not making any public statements about the election. Beijing, though, likely expects tension to remain high and may see pros and cons in the candidates. For example, former President Trump, while at times unpredictable, has been critical of alliances like NATO at a time when China is trying to establish itself as the leader of a new world order. Vice President Harris would likely bring some continuity from the Biden administration, focusing in on alliances and trying to control China's access to high tech.

Regardless, China will likely have to confront tariffs as U.S. lawmakers demand a level playing field in the global marketplace. And when it comes to Chinese citizens, there's certainly curiosity, I get questions all the time, but they are more focused on their own struggles and their families as opposed to what's happening overseas. Wolf?

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BLITZER: Marc Stewart in Beijing, thank you very much. This is also certainly a pivotal moment for U.S. allies in Europe, the future of the NATO alliance, and possible continued funding for Ukraine. CNN's Fred Pleitgen has more from Berlin.

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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Wolf. Well, there certainly is a lot of uncertainty and also anxiety here in Europe about the upcoming presidential election in the United States which, of course, is less than two days away, and especially among the U.S.'s European NATO allies. A lot of them fear that if Donald Trump wins the presidential election, that that could lead to the United States severely restricting its commitments to NATO and also possibly even that vow to protect NATO members if they are attacked from the outside by other countries.

And, of course, all of this is happening as the war in Ukraine is still very much in full swing with the Russians recently making some significant gains there. And there, again, the Ukrainians but also European NATO members fear that if Donald Trump wins the presidency, that the U.S. could severely scale back its military aid for Ukraine and possibly even cut that aid altogether, de facto forcing the Ukrainians into some form of surrender. Of course, there are a lot of European NATO nations that have given a lot of military aid to Ukraine, but a lot of them do that knowing that the United States will protect them, Wolf.

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[17:55:02]

BLITZER: All right, Fred Pleitgen reporting from Berlin for us. Fred, thank you very much. And we'll have much more reaction from around the world coming up in the next hour of "The Situation Room." Kamala Harris and Donald Trump both campaigning hard tonight, trying to squeeze in as many stops as possible before a consequential day in American history. CNN has live team coverage on the campaign trail tonight. You're watching a special edition of "The Situation Room" countdown to Election Day.

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Those have always been the best vectors for him. I will bet you a steak dinner on Iowa if you want, a friendly dinner after the election.