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The Brief with Jim Sciutto

CNN International: Witkoff to Travel to Russia After Meeting Zelenskyy in Norway; Zelenskyy: Intel Sharing with U.S. "Works Now"; Trump Envoy: U.S. Moving Away from Guarantor Role; Israelis Head to Polls on October 27; Israel's high-stakes elections; Paris Police: Curfews Continue, Will Last as Long as Needed; Trump to Hold Rally in North Carolina; The Reality of Trump's Third-Country Deportations. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired October 20, 2026 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:00]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR, "THE BRIEF": Hello, and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington, and

you're watching "The Brief."

Just ahead this hour, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that intelligence sharing from the U.S. to Ukraine is back on, but many worry

for how long. We'll get the view from Kyiv. Plus, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirms he made an unannounced visit to Israel just a week

ago before the country's high-stakes elections. And a nightmare scenario. We take a look at the abuse some migrants have faced after they were

deported by the Trump administration to countries they don't know.

We begin with intense diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine as Kyiv reiterates its own red lines for any kind of peace deal, that is security

guarantees, and the refusal to cede more territory to Russia. After meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Oslo. U.S. envoy Steve

Witkoff will now travel to Russia. You can see Witkoff briefly embracing Zelenskyy here. However, on the issues, major sticking points remain.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has already made his demands clear. He wants Ukraine to give up the entire eastern region of the country, which is

mostly under Russian control since its full-scale invasion. He also is demanding that Ukraine dramatically reduce the size of its military and

pledge never to join NATO.

Earlier today, Zelenskyy and Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed U.S. intelligence sharing, which the Ukrainian leader says now works. They also

discussed Elon Musk's Starlink internet system, Starshield, as it's known in the defense version, and the supply of Patriot interceptor missiles,

vital for Ukraine to defend against incoming Russian ballistic missiles.

After the call, Zelenskyy struck a somewhat more hopeful note than his U.S. counterpart back in Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: We have some clear ideas on how to get to peace, and we are united with our European partners in this

effort, and we want the Americans to take these ideas to the Russians.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Russia would like to get it done. Ukraine has to want to settle this war. Zelenskyy has to want to settle this war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Once again, President Trump laying the blame on Ukraine, which of course Russia invaded twice and well, putting more pressure on Ukraine.

Joining me now is someone who knows the war very well, human rights attorney Oleksandra Matviichuk, who has documented some of Russia's worst

alleged war crimes there. Oleksandra, thanks so much for joining.

OLEKSANDRA MATVIICHUK, HUMAN RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Thank you for invitation.

SCIUTTO: I want to begin with a statement the president made just a few days ago. He said Russia has been fine with Ukraine, and he said this even

on the same day, and following several days, where Russian strikes killed civilians, including children, acts that you have documented repeatedly

since the start of the full-scale invasion. What's your reaction to hear the U.S. president say Russia's been just fine with Ukraine?

MATVIICHUK: Russia can't win on the battlefield, and that is why Russia intensify attack against civilians. We documented such intentional murders

of civilians every day. And yesterday, when President Trump told that Russia is doing fine to Ukraine Russia deliberately strike a park in

Kharkiv region and killed a one-year-old girl, Angelina. Her mother, Inna, died in hospital.

I'm sorry to say, but this presidential administration completely lost the ability to make a distinguish between good and evil. It's not fine.

SCIUTTO: So, if that is your view, and it's a view I hear from many Ukrainians, does Ukraine trust the U.S., does it trust President Trump to

broker peace talks to end this war? Do they believe the U.S. would be fair to Ukraine?

[18:05:00]

MATVIICHUK: If we want to achieve sustainable peace, we have to demonstrate Putin that it's impossible for him to achieve his goal to

destroy the whole country and move further. And this mean that we have to make the price of war for Putin higher than the price for peace.

And this presidential administration is doing completely opposite. Trump indefinitely suspending sanctions that would had been required by the

Graham Law, and he lifting sanctions from the Russian diesel. It's not something that stop this war. It's something that finance this war.

SCIUTTO: Yes. You have documented, as I mentioned, some of Russia's worst alleged war crimes since the start of the full-scale invasion, including

something that our viewers may remember, but those awful attacks on Bucha in the first weeks of the war. Are you confident that Russian leaders,

including Putin, will be held accountable someday for those crimes?

MATVIICHUK: I'm not naive. I know that future is unclear, but future is also not prewritten. That mean that we always have a chance to fight for

future that we want for ourselves and for our own children. And I'm doing my best with my team and with all other Ukrainian human rights lawyers to

bring justice to millions of people in Ukraine who suffered from the Russian war crimes. We will use this chance.

SCIUTTO: Do you believe there can be real peace without justice?

MATVIICHUK: Justice is precondition to sustainable peace because all this hell that we faced in Ukraine, it's result of total impunity that Russia

enjoyed for decades. Russians committed horrible crimes in Chechnya, in Moldova, in Georgia, in Mali, in Libya, in Syria. They have never been

punished. They believe they can do whatever they want.

So, our fight for justice is important not just for people in Ukraine, but we are doing this also to prevent the next Russian attack to the next

nation.

SCIUTTO: Oleksandra Matviichuk, we appreciate the work you've been doing throughout these difficult years, so thank you very much for joining.

MATVIICHUK: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: Well, the U.S. cannot continue to guarantee security for states in the Gulf in exchange for oil. That was the message from one of Donald

Trump's closest advisers and envoys.

Tom Barrack is the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, special envoy as well for Syria and Iraq. Speaking at a security forum in Qatar, he said that Middle

Eastern governments need to take greater responsibility for their own security. He said the U.S. is not abandoning the region. He did say that

the Iran war has shown that security for oil relationship between the U.S. and the Middle East is at least evolving.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM BARRACK, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO TURKEY AND SPECIAL ENVOY FOR IRAQ AND SYRIA: America is the guarantor to the world for the last 80 years is no

longer there. What's happening in this administration is not an abandonment, it's a message for realignment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: As President Trump's envoy made those comments, one of America's closest allies is stepping up to provide military support to the Gulf. The

U.S. -- U.K. says it will deploy fighter jets to help defend Saudi Arabia against ongoing attacks by Houthi rebels, Iran-backed Houthi rebels in

Yemen. The U.K.'s defense ministry says it will fly defensive counter-air missions, building on existing support in the region.

The Iran-backed Houthis have intensified strikes on key Saudi infrastructure, including airports. This a response to Saudi support for

the internationally recognized government in Yemen. The Houthis have vowed to continue targeting Saudi shipping in the Red Sea. The Saudis have

attacked the Houthi-controlled airport in Yemen's capital, Sanaa.

Last month, the Houthis launched an offensive on Yemen's western coast, capturing key territory, including along the vital Bab al-Mandeb corridor.

Just days ahead of Israel's elections, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, he made an unannounced visit to Israel. Sources say he met with the Prime

Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz on Monday. The Pentagon has declined to comment on the trip. President Trump recently

endorsed Netanyahu, calling him, quote, "a great warrior."

Trump's vice president, JD Vance, declined to say whether he supports the Israeli prime minister for re-election. Earlier this year, he traveled to

Hungary to support Viktor Orban before that country's election, which of course, Orban eventually lost.

[18:10:00]

Israelis to head to the polls in one week to elect all 120 members of their parliament, the Knesset. The vote will determine whether Prime Minister

Netanyahu remains in power. It is the country's first general election since the October 7th attacks back in 2023.

Joining me now, former U.S. State Department Middle East negotiator Aaron David Miller. Good to have you on.

AARON DAVID MILLER, FORMER U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT MIDDLE EAST NEGOTIATOR AND SENIOR FELLOW, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE: Thanks, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Before we get to Israel, I'm just curious, when Tom Barrett delivered that message to that audience in Qatar, it's a quite similar

message to what you hear from U.S. officials when they speak to Europe, say you've got to do more. You know, we're not abandoning you, but you know,

we're not going to be the policeman that we used to be in the past.

Do you think that the members of that audience were surprised or concerned by that message or do they see it coming?

MILLER: No, I think concerned and surprised. But let's be clear, I don't see the United States, certainly not Donald Trump, the next two years

retrenching. We just sold the Saudis 50 F-35s, right? We didn't sell them the F-35I that's got advanced avionics and bells and whistles that the

Israelis basically have fabricated and made. But that's going to link the U.S. and Saudi Arabia for maintenance and training and strategy for years

to come.

We're on the cusp, (INAUDIBLE) is going to be debating it. A U.S. nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia that could, if Congress doesn't disapprove two

years from now, result in the fact that the Saudis may be able to enrich uranium on Saudi soil, control their own fuel cycle.

So, while Tom Barrack is talking and the president's disposition is risk aversion, generally speaking, I mean, we're not disappearing in the region.

The Saudis and the Gulf states have a problem, Jim. I mean, democracy -- democracy -- geography is destiny, right? They're dependent on the U.S. for

air defense and sophisticated weaponry. And yet they're going to have to find a way to navigate their relationship with this brutal, authoritarian

and very risk ready Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Islamic Republic.

SOARES: OK. Let's go to Israel now. Just a very basic question. Why is the defense secretary in Israel a week before their election?

MILLER: Intriguing sign, you know, the Theodore Roosevelt, which is steaming toward the region, would be the third carrier strike group

deployed, the Bush and the George Washington -- the GHW Bush and George Washington are there now, maybe they'll swap out one for the other. That's

one signal that there's preparations are being made for the possibility of resumption of major military activity.

CENTCOM had been ordered weeks ago to prepare a military option. The Hegseth visit to the Israeli air base didn't go to the Gulf, went to Ovda,

the Israeli base in the Negev.

So, I guess the question is, would the president and the Israeli prime minister, the endorsement, Trump's endorsement was all about Iran and

Netanyahu's role in finishing the job, completing the mission? Would the president launch an attack nine days before the most consequential election

in Israel's history, which could arguably lead to the postponement of that election, which might play to Netanyahu's advantage? Or would he launch an

attack before midterms, which are two weeks away?

I mean, you know, any other politician, Republican or Democrat, that worked and voted for both might think, no, you know, I don't want to remind the

voters on the eve of the midterms that we are involved in a never-ending war with Iran. You wouldn't think so. I'd say I'd give it a 25 percent

chance before the midterms and a much greater chance afterwards.

SCIUTTO: To do what exactly? To inflict pain or to fundamentally change the dynamic?

MILLER: You know, I ask this question of myself, you know, we judge the administration according to what you and I normal humans would regard as

rational metrics. What could the administration do that they haven't done between February 28th and April 7th? What -- 15,000 strikes add the

Israelis in, you may be close to 20,000 strikes. What could they do? Could they fundamentally change Iran's calculations at the negotiating table?

Check that box. I think no. Could they take a crack at Pickaxe Mountain and deal Iran's nuclear infrastructure a greater blow? Maybe. I don't see the

logic there, Jim.

SCIUTTO: OK. Does the region believe the threat, right? Because President Trump has made a lot of threats, many of which he's not followed through

on. He did go to war twice, though, right? Once last year, once this year. And the war continues. Do they buy the bluster?

MILLER: I think they probably should, if they don't buy it now, I think they should reframe their thinking and understand that the midterms --

Iranians were calculating the midterms and somehow constrained the president. No. They were calculating it at oil prices, diesels up, what,

six plus a gallon? No.

[18:15:00]

Donald Trump is beyond accountability and accounting on this, Jim. I mean, it is my view, and I think the region, the Gulf states, because they are

the biggest losers. The Saudis in particular better accustomed themselves to the fact that this could go on for months, more months, more.

And I think the Iranians, even though they're hurting really badly, are absolutely prepared since they are -- it's an existential issue for these

guys, this brutal authoritarian regime. They're prepared to absorb pain and to court risks because for them, unlike Donald Trump and the rest of us,

this is not an existential conflict.

So, I think if the region hasn't figured out that something big is coming, they ought to begin to prepare for it.

SCIUTTO: Wise to listen to David Miller. Thanks so much for joining.

MILLER: Always a pleasure to be with you, Jim. Take care.

SCIUTTO: Well, new developments in Europe now. Paris police say curfews will continue, quote, "for as long as necessary." The French prime minister

is hailing the success of restrictions imposed on Monday, saying they brought a sense of calm nationwide. He says France will deploy troops and

reinforce police ahead of further protests planned for Saturday.

This follows some of the worst rioting in France in years. At least two people have died, others seriously injured. Protests began over cuts to

education, also concerns about the cost of living, and then spiraled with a whole host of other groups taking part, including new unions over the

weekend.

Italy is introducing new law and order measures aimed at tightening security there. The government is deploying 500 military personnel to Milan

after unrest over the weekend. Stefano Pozzebon has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, these are the new measures in these -- it's called the law-and-order decree here in Italy, the Decreto

Sicurezza. And Meloni took to Twitter to post a video where she explained these new measures.

So, I'm just going to translate what the prime minister here in Italy said. Basically, she's creating a new criminal offence that is called a violent

participation in a demonstration, and she will charge offenders up to five years in prison or 20,000 euros in fine if they're caught in clashing with

the police at the end of the political rally.

She also said that she intends to have the protesters or the parents of the protesters, in the case of minors, responsible for paying up for the

damages that these clashes create. And essentially, Meloni is telling to the Italians that she can tolerate people on the streets. Meloni herself

used to be a student leader, so she has applauded some of the peaceful marches in the past.

But she has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to the violent clashes, similar to the ones that we've seen in the City of Milan on Saturday and

Sunday, which were clearly some of the things that we haven't seen in Italy for a while.

But when you speak with the students, they said that this is not enough. They said that the demands that they are trying to have heard, their voices

heard, are simply that the cost of living is too much, and in particular, the cost of housing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: A report there from Stefano Pozzebon. Coming up on "The Brief," SpaceX is just out with its latest quarterly results. The numbers came in

stronger than expected, even as controversy swirls over the company's Starlink unit and why services were disrupted to Ukraine.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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SCIUTTO: Welcome back. In today's Business Breakout now, a mostly higher day on Wall Street, the Dow rallied more than 1 percent. NASDAQ, little

changed amid continued concern on A.I. firms. Shares of the South Korean data center firm, Elice Group, fell 32 percent in the Korean stock market

Tuesday. The company's business model is similar to that of CoreWeave, whose high level of borrowing has sparked concern on Wall Street. The

Financial Times reporting today that investors are racing to buy default insurance to protect themselves in case the A.I. trade unravels and firms

can't pay back debt.

Elon Musk's SpaceX reported its latest financial results after the closing bell on Wall Street today. The firm says revenue jumped more than 160

percent amid strong demand for its A.I. and Starlink services. Musk says Tesla and SpaceX have now formed special committees to discuss a possible

merger of the two companies.

All this comes amid a new Wall Street Journal report which says Musk himself ordered the slowdown of the military-grade version of Starlink to

Ukraine this month. The move severely hampered Kyiv's ability to carry out defensive drone operations, defend itself from incoming missiles and

drones. Musk has insisted any move to limit Starshield was done at the direction of the U.S. government. Also, this week, Musk posted that he will

give one share of SpaceX to every child in the U.S. without specifying exactly how that would take place.

A lot to cover here. Kate Conger joins us now. She's a tech reporter for the New York Times. First question is just on the overall data on SpaceX

because there's -- you know, it's also a company that's expanding quite quickly and borrowing a lot of money. Does that revenue figure give

investors comfort?

KATE CONGER, TECHNOLOGY REPORTER, NEW YORK TIMES: I think it does. You know, a lot of investors were expecting slightly weaker results from

SpaceX, and SpaceX has outperformed their expectations.

On the flip side of that though, you mentioned how worried investors are about the kind of spending that these companies are doing on data centers,

and SpaceX has said it's essentially going to double that spending.

SCIUTTO: Let me ask you about the impact of the slowdown in Starlink services, or Starshield, the defense version of Starlink. You now have the

Wall Street Journal out with a report that that order came directly from Musk himself. But regardless, even prior, and I've been speaking to

Ukrainian officials, they strongly believe something fishy was going on here.

Does Europe -- do European clients and clients elsewhere in the world, look at this and say, we need an alternative to Starlink going forward, because

we just don't trust it?

CONGER: I think this has been a problem with Starlink for quite some time. You know, some of my colleagues here at the Times have reported in the past

that there are a lot of European customers who worry about the kind of unilateral control that Musk can exert over Starlink. And these examples

coming out of Ukraine really speak to that fear.

SCIUTTO: No question. And I've spoken to private satellite companies who say that their business has expanded following, for instance, the U.S.

suspension of intelligence sharing with Ukraine last year. You have European countries, even U.S. allies, looking to private sector companies

to replace some U.S. intelligence gathering capabilities.

CONGER: Yes. I think that, you know, a lot of customers are worried about the way that Musk's decision making can influence Starlink and the amount

of control that he has over these decisions and the way it can impact geopolitics.

[18:25:00]

That being said, you know, SpaceX is saying that its Starlink business is continuing to grow and that they have more customers coming in at this

point than they think they're losing over these issues.

SCIUTTO: Yes, and it's just hard for any company to match the scale of Starlink and the number of satellites they keep sending out there. I do

want to ask you about this speculation and now seems to be confirmed by the company that they have these committees discussing a possible merger

between SpaceX and Tesla. Why exactly? What's the function of this?

CONGER: Well, Musk has been on this campaign over the last several years to consolidate his business empire. He has all these different companies

that are kind of floating out there. And so, he started over the past year to merge those. First with X, the social media company, merging with xAI,

and then those were all bundled into SpaceX, the head of SpaceX's IPO.

And so, you know, there's always been questions for Musk about whether he's pulled in too many directions and if he's distracted as a CEO when he has

all these other companies operating at simultaneously. And so, he's kind of been on this campaign to bring all the businesses under one roof. Tesla is

the only one that's still kind of floating out there on its own. And so, the rumors have been going around as he's been consolidating these

businesses that he might try to bring Tesla within SpaceX, excuse me. And Musk did confirm that today.

SCIUTTO: I mean, I know they just launched a supposedly flying car, although a lot of questions about whether it can actually fly. Does Musk

have a lot of interest in making cars, or would the Tesla kind of disappear within that larger brand?

CONGER: You know, I think that he sees a lot of overlap between Tesla and the A.I. businesses. You know, he wants to incorporate some of the A.I.

abilities that he is creating with xAI into the Tesla vehicles, both for navigation and for sort of like an on-board personal assistant that people

can use when they're driving.

SCIUTTO: Yes. He loves those self-driving cars, but that's a promise, of course, hasn't quite fulfilled yet. Kate Conger, appreciate you joining.

Thank you.

Checking some of today's other business headlines. Shares of streaming giant Netflix are down sharply in after-hours trading. This after the

company released its quarterly results. Earnings beat expectations. Revenue growth, however, continues to slow. Netflix recently shook up its creative

leadership team to help jumpstart growth. It's also laying off about 6 percent of its workforce.

General Motors shares tumbled nearly 7 percent after warning that higher commodity and logistics costs could pressure profits. The U.S. carmaker

reported stronger-than-expected third-quarter results. It announced a $20 billion stock buyback, but it warned of the effects of higher costs and the

possibility as well of weaker truck sales.

Voters in the oil-rich province of Alberta, Canada, have overwhelmingly voted to remain part of Canada, rejecting a secession campaign. The fringe

movement to leave Canada was supported by who? Some members of the Trump administration. However, a rising tide of patriotism and unity emerged as

the country rallied against Trump's tariffs and threats to annex part of the country.

Coming up on "The Brief," President Trump will soon hold a rally in a state that he has won three times as a Republican Senate candidate there faces an

uphill battle. We're going to take you to North Carolina right after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:30:00]

SCIUTTO: Welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Jim Sciutto. And here are the international headlines we're watching today.

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to visit Russia this week to seek an end, once again, to its ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Witkoff met with

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Norway today. A U.S. official says the envoy hopes to see Russian President Vladimir Putin and present

ideas developed alongside Ukrainian and European leaders.

The U.K. says it will deploy fighter jets to help defend Saudi Arabia against ongoing attacks from the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. The group

has intensified strikes on key Saudi infrastructure, including international airports. This in retaliation for Riyadh support for the

internationally recognized government in Yemen.

British police say they have rearrested two men in connection with last month's incident at RAF Fairford. The two men are a 24-year-old British

national and 25-year-old dual British-Iranian national. They have been arrested on suspicion of assisting Iran's foreign intelligence service.

Iran denies an accusation by the U.K. that its Revolutionary Guards were behind a suspected plot to target aircraft at the base.

President Trump is soon due to speak in North Carolina in support of his hand-picked Senate candidate there, Michael Whatley. Polls, however, show

Whatley trailing the Democratic candidate, former Governor Roy Cooper, by wide margins.

Tomorrow, the president plans to hold a rally in South Carolina to help boost enthusiasm, he hopes, among Republican voters there. He has pledged

to spend $400 million by Election Day, at least his PAC has.

Kristen Holmes joins me now from Greenville, North Carolina. Listen, this is a pattern we'd see the president doing, going to red states that you'd

expect him to have and his candidates to have no trouble in. But this cycle, they seem to be having trouble. Is it your sense there that these

visits are moving the dial for these candidates, a candidate like Whatley?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, I mean, in North Carolina, this is a real Hail Mary. I mean, the candidate himself

stopped spending money. His campaign has gone dark. They are not advertising anymore. And any kind of major super PAC that was in this race

has pulled all of their advertisements as well. Any Republican operative that you talk to has pretty much written off this race.

Now, Whatley is a loyalist to President Trump. He served as RNC chair. He worked on the campaign. He has been close to President Trump. He is, again,

somebody who President Trump wanted to help support. But honestly, the Republicans that I've talked to are not entirely sure why President Trump

is spending the last two weeks here, just because it doesn't seem like it could move the needle.

Now, we do know that the attempt or the hope for President Trump coming to these very red areas is to drive up enthusiasm. And then there's an

additional hope that with that enthusiasm, those people actually go to the polls, because part of the problem is not just that they believe that they

are trailing in the polls. It's that people aren't, Republicans aren't enthusiastic about voting, that Democrats are outpacing Republicans in

terms of saying that they're going to show up and vote. So that's the strategy here.

Whether or not it works, we're just not going to find out until Election Day, until we see those numbers coming in.

[18:35:00]

But one of the things that I'll tell you is talking to his various political operatives. They say, look, the other candidates, Democratic

candidates, are going to link these candidates to the Republicans, to Donald Trump, no matter what. So, if we can get something good out of it,

which is potentially driving out the base, then they're going to do anything they can.

SCIUTTO: I don't want to turn you into a pollster yourself, but I am curious, because it matters what you see and hear in the field. As you've

been going to these rallies, do you see packed, enthusiastic arenas and crowds? Do you hear voters that are still with the president, or do they

quietly express frustrations?

HOLMES: If they're coming here, then they are enthusiastic about the president. And that's where I think there might be a disconnect in the

strategy and its execution and what happens on November 3rd. Because when I was in Alaska and since I've been here, every person that I talked to,

which was more than a dozen voters in these various areas, they all say they were going to vote Republican anyway, regardless of President Trump

came.

So, they were happy to be here. They were excited to be here. He was certainly driving their enthusiasm up. But they say they were already going

to the polls. So, the question is whether or not he's actually reaching those less enthusiastic Republican voters.

SCIUTTO: Fair enough. Kristen Holmes, thanks so much.

Well, those U.S. midterm elections have cost a record amount of money so far, with some of the funds going straight to content creators who make

viral videos. Ten-second clips, though, leave little room for nuance. No surprise.

Marshall Cohen shows us how social media users consume election races via the clipping economy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARSHALL COHEN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Clips on social media are shaping how we see the midterms. But do they leave voters with just part of the story?

Check out this clip of President Trump talking about the war in Iran. It racked up more than 30 million views from just two tweets.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: It's a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe. They can take out a city. Let him

take out Los Angeles. Let him take out San Diego.

COHEN: All right. Let's look at this together.

TRUMP: It's a small price to pay.

COHEN: All right. These were 40 seconds from what was a 90-minute rally in Nebraska. But those 40 seconds drove the media conversation for days.

Now, this is happening because of what's called the clipping industry. These are folks that make a living by watching political rallies and

campaign events and posting hundreds of clips on social media every single day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want everybody who's clipping this debate online tonight to roll that tape.

COHEN: Aaron Rupar is an independent journalist and a Trump critic who has built up a significant following on social media as a clipper, chronicling

Trump since he first ran in 2016.

AARON RUPAR, INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST AND CLIPPER: It was clear to me that there was a huge appetite for this. If you're really going to do this well

and kind of beat the competition, you have to be locked in sometimes for up to 12 to 14 hours a day.

COHEN: These days, more than half of Americans get at least some of their news from social media. But what you see on your feeds can be highly

selective. And of course, that comes with some risks. In 2024, this account from the Republican National Committee repeatedly posted dozens of out-of-

context cherry-picked clips, making President Biden look like he was lost and confused.

And this year, Kamala Harris' old campaign account rebranded as a new video-forward feed supporting Democrats. That was one of the accounts,

along with Rupar, that clipped those comments of President Trump talking about Iran possibly nuking cities in California.

But the White House took issue with those clips. They called it a cherry- picked media freak-out. They said that Trump was obviously just talking about what could happen if Iran ever got a nuclear weapon, which he is

trying to prevent.

RUPAR: That is a struggle of being a clipper, is kind of making sure that everything is in the best context that you're not misrepresenting. Because

he said something later about how we're never going to let that happen, you know, that kind of opened the door to me receiving some pushback. But I

also understand at this late date, you know, doing this for a decade, that, you know, that's just part of the business of covering Trump.

COHEN: There are people, though, that say this clipping culture is not good for democracy. How do you respond to that?

RUPAR: I'm always going to err on the side of trying to get it right. It might have 10 million views for something that you misrepresented, but then

that next time you have something, people are going to look at your account and kind of be like, eh, I don't know if I trust that guy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: The clipping economy. Coming up on "The Brief," some migrants targeted by the U.S. immigration crackdown are just being deported. They

are being sent to countries where they have no ties. And the story often gets worse from there. We'll have details ahead.

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[18:40:00]

SCIUTTO: In California, officials say that a U.S. citizen was injured in an encounter with federal immigration agents. Surveillance video shows a

man riding an electric bike, near an unmarked SUV, the truck driving the wrong way down a one-way street in Long Beach.

In this video, a man, Ricardo Gonzalez, is seen handcuffed on the ground. He yells, help me my arm is broken. The mayor of Long Beach and the man's

daughter both say he was injured, ICE agents did not hit the cyclist, but the mirror of a government vehicle was damaged.

The Trump administration is coming under fire for deporting migrants to countries where they have no ties. To make matters worse, some detainees

report abuse within this third country deportation program. Some were sent to Malabo, a city on an island that is part of Equatorial Guinea, where

they remain under house arrest.

According to Human Rights Watch, from the start of President Trump's second term, January 2025 until August this year, nearly 28,000 people have been

deported to third countries, again, where they have no ties.

Rafael Romo has been speaking to some of these detainees, and he joins me now. It's an awful program to imagine, right? Because they're shipped there

because they can't be shipped to their home country because of perhaps threats there, et cetera. But as you talk to them, do they find themselves

in any safer situations in these third-party countries?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: No, not at all, Jim, and they're actually very scared about the situations. And we had previously

heard stories from migrants sent by the Trump administration to third countries as part of its crackdown on immigration, when those people cannot

be sent, as you said, back to their countries of origin for a number of reasons. This time, we managed to track, find and talk directly with some

migrants sent to an African country where they say they are technically incarcerated and frequently abused.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everyone is in fear for their life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's like this never-ending roller coaster of disaster.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yesterday, I had a panic attack.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's like a hotel from hell.

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These are the voices of people who say they're living in agony.

ROMO: And what happens if they find out that you're talking to me?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, I will be put in prison.

ROMO (voice-over): They are migrants deported from the United States to Equatorial Guinea, a Spanish-speaking country on the West Coast of Africa,

plagued by corruption, poverty and repression, according to Human Rights Watch.

More than 20 migrants are under house arrest at a hotel in the city of Malabo, the country's former capital and oldest city.

[18:45:00]

ROMO: What can you tell me about your detention conditions there?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The officers have the keys to your door. And as a woman, my fear every night is that an officer is going to come in and do

the worst, the worst that could be done to me.

ROMO (voice-over): The Trump administration launched third-country deportations last year as part of its crackdown on immigration.

According to Third Country Deportation Watch, a monitoring and advocacy project, the U.S. has signed third country deportation agreements with at

least 35 countries, sending more than 25,000 migrants to those nations at a cost of over $49 million to American taxpayers.

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Part of securing our border is dealing with the people that are in this country unlawfully, many of whom

do not want to go back to the country that they originally came from for a variety of reasons, meaning, these are safe countries where individuals who

refuse to go back to their country of origin can be sent to that country instead.

ROMO: Several of those countries, including South Sudan, Rwanda, and Equatorial Guinea, are either at war or have checkered human rights records

that worry migrant rights advocates.

ALEXANDRA SMOLYAR, ASIAN AMERICANS ADVANCING JUSTICE: Many of the people who are in Equatorial Guinea have refugees' protections, which means that

they can't be deported back to their country of origin.

ROMO (voice-over): Alexandra Smolyar is an immigration attorney with Asian Americans Advancing Justice, an Atlanta-based non-profit legal and advocacy

organization that has been in touch with the migrants in Equatorial Guinea and legally represents some of them.

She says more than 20 migrants under house arrest in Malabo have been subjected to all kinds of abuse, including beatings and imprisonment.

SMOLYAR: They're constantly patrolled by armed guards under threat. Oftentimes, they have violence leveraged against them in the form of

threats, beatings. It's a very dangerous and dire situation.

ROMO: It seems like police in Equatorial Guinea are trying to send a message.

SMOLYAR: It seems that way. It seems that they really are trying to stop anyone from speaking out about what's happening to them.

ROMO: CNN managed to speak to two of the migrants who asked us to protect their identities for fear of retaliation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I literally witnessed one of the guards grab by the neck and lift him up against the wall and shoved him down on the ground.

ROMO (voice-over): One of the migrants says he witnessed how guards suddenly stormed into a room one night, handcuffed several of them and beat

up one man.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That really was almost like the welcome-to-Hotel-Bamy moment for me because you realized in that moment that any one of us, that

any given moment can be harmed.

ROMO (voice-over): CNN reached the government of Equatorial Guinea about the allegations, but so far, there has been no reply.

SMOLYAR: I think that I would underscore how truly inhumane these third- country deportation agreements are. This is all part of a broader detention and deportation agenda that's being pushed throughout the country right now

that is subjecting people to a lot of fear and a very real risk of arrest and detention and possible deportation to a country that they may have no

ties to.

ROMO (voice-over): After a federal court in Boston temporarily halted third-country deportations, the Supreme Court allowed the Trump

administration to resume them in late September without giving migrants an opportunity to raise human rights concerns. The court said it would hear

arguments in the case in December.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: Rafael, I wonder how --

ROMO (on camera): Jim, the migrants also told us they are not free to leave and have been kept at a hotel under house arrest for several months

now. Jim.

SCIUTTO: I'm curious how the governments of these countries get involved in this. Is it financial incentives driving this? But then also how the

residents, the citizens of Equatorial Guinea think about it.

ROMO: Yes, you got it, Jim. There could be several reasons, of course, but money seems to be the most prevalent one. As a matter of fact, U.S. Senator

Gene Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat, sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio last November raising concerns about, listen to this, a $7.5

million payment to the government of Equatorial Guinea, which she called one of the most corrupt governments in the world. The people in those

countries, really, they don't get to see what happens, and many of these countries are ruled with an iron fist, so they don't really have a say on

whether they like this or not.

SCIUTTO: Rafael Romo, we appreciate you documenting this. And we'll be right back.

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[18:50:00]

SCIUTTO: The UEFA Champions League saw a heavyweight collision in Paris earlier today, PSG versus Barcelona. The two sides trading goals neck and

neck until PSG sealed the deal with two goals, bringing the final score to 4-2.

Darren Lewis joins me now from London. Big statement for PSG, yes?

DARREN LEWIS, CNN SPORT SENIOR ANALYST: Yes, highly, Jim, it really was quite something. They are the French champions. They will have also sent a

shiver down the spine of every other team in the competition.

Just two bits of context for you as well. Firstly, their two best players, the world player of the year, Ousmane Dembele, and the best winger in the

world, the Georgian, Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, they had to be taken off with injury. And still, Jim, PSG were way too good for Barcelona, the Spanish

champions, with 11 wins out of 11 so far this season and 47 goals scored before tonight.

The other piece of context, important context, is that the Barcelona keeper, Joan Garcia, he made nine saves, six of them were magnificent to

keep out PSG, and still his side were taken apart. And what's most worrying of all, Jim, is that the fact that PSG are normally at their best in the

second half of the season. I cannot see who can stop them.

SCIUTTO: Goodness. What about Barcelona going forward? I mean, would they be the only biggest threat to them?

LEWIS: It's a good question because Barcelona really are a good side. But I don't think they would now be the biggest threat. Clearly, they can score

goals at will. But I think the team that wins the Champions League is generally strong defensively. And I think that puts the English side,

Arsenal, into the pitch.

Now, look, they were finalists last season, and they were only beaten on penalties. They're still defensively strong this time around, yet to

concede a goal in the competition so far. But because you can't fight fire with fire, I'm going to go with Arsenal, who are far more defensive as the

biggest challengers.

But, Jim, look, very quickly, I know you're a man for the details. I watch you all the time. You will know that PSG are like a smartphone. They get

upgraded every season, every year, streamlined, improved. Well, I would suggest that this PSG model, Jim, they are the best yet.

SCIUTTO: Wow. I mean, they look pretty good on the field just there. It's good stuff. Darren Lewis, thanks so much.

LEWIS: Bye.

SCIUTTO: Finally, it's a curious case of the bear break-in. A security camera caught this black bear walking around a library in California. You

can see it here browsing the books, I guess. Ultimately, the bear did make its way to the staff's snack supply.

In a Facebook post, the library said this happened on the 100th anniversary of when "Winnie the Pooh" was first published. And fittingly, one of the

snacks the bear found, do I really believe this, a jar of honey. It's unclear how the bear got inside. The library was closed at the time. He did

not withdraw any books, to our knowledge.

[18:55:00]

Thanks so much for joining. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. You've been watching "The Brief." Please do stay with CNN.

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