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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
Midterm Candidates Try to Connect with Young Voters; Italy Approves Tougher Security Measures After Milan Unrest; Ramaswamy Confirms His Campaign Behind Controversial Ad; Trump: Ukraine Has to Want to Settle This War; Michigan Senate Candidates Make Their Case to Black Voters. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired October 21, 2026 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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LAURA COATES, CNN ANCHOR: I'm coming up on Instagram Live to talk to you all about more questions in a moment. And here comes Elex Michaelson with "THE STORY IS."
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Elex Michaelson, live in Los Angeles.
THE STORY IS midterm spending and the youth vote. What is going to motivate young people to show up? With us, David Hogg joining us live.
Then THE STORY IS the -- the Russia and peace talks. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff heading to Russia after meeting with Ukraine's president. But if Vladimir Putin won't budge, will the U.S.?
And THE STORY IS the Michigan Senate race. Democrat Abdul El-Sayed is trying to convince black voters to support him, but some appear skeptical. CNN's Jeff Zeleny is in Detroit for us.
ANNOUNCER: Live from Los Angeles, THE STORY IS with Elex Michaelson.
MICHAELSON: It's 9:00 here in Los Angeles. It's already election day in many states where some people are voting by mail as we speak.
President Trump will visit South Carolina in the day ahead with upcoming stops in Iowa, Florida, Georgia, and Michigan. CNN has once again been barred from traveling on Air Force One and fulfilling its pool duties on Wednesday.
Tonight, the president was in North Carolina campaigning for Republican Senate hopeful Michael Whatley. Trump's MAGA Inc. super PAC has spent more than $3 million in digital ads over the past week. The president says his rally supporting Republicans are making a difference.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm working like a dog, so I've done like about 10 rallies in about eight days, and now I'm scheduled to do -- I think I'm even scheduled to come back here in another week. Come back here for my man. So we have like 15 days and I'm doing about 18 rallies. That's work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: The Republican National Committee is also spending big on the midterms. The RNC says it has spent more than $50 million to help Republican candidates, with nearly $100 million in cash on hand entering October. Meanwhile, billionaire Michael Bloomberg's team says he will spend about $80 million to support Democrats between September and election day. $24 million will go to a gun safety advocacy group he co-founded more than a decade ago.
Joining me live from San Diego is David Hogg. He is the co-founder of Leaders We Deserve and March for Our Lives. He served as vice chair of the Democratic National Committee in the first half of 2025, and is also a survivor of the Parkland school shooting.
David Hogg, welcome to THE STORY IS for the first time.
DAVID HOGG, CO-FOUNDER, LEADERS WE DESERVE: Thanks for having me.
MICHAELSON: You have dedicated so much of your life to communicating with young people. You message to young people every day. What is the message that young people are responding to the most right now?
HOGG: More than anything, it's the same thing that, frankly, people of all ages are responding to. The top polling issue consistently that we see are the cost of living and corruption, and what we need to do is make sure across the board that we are presenting to young people that Democrats are not offering the same messengers that they left behind in 2024. And thankfully, this cycle, we're seeing that.
We've seen some of the most retirements from Congress in 100 years. We've seen more Democrats lose in their primaries than any point in the past 50 years. And we're starting to see young people start to come back to us, but we can't take them for granted. Increasingly, young people are a group of swing voters because they feel like no matter how they vote or if they vote, that their lives are not going to get better because this is a system rigged against them and in favor of the wealthy and well-connected.
What we're trying to do with Leaders We Deserve is show those young people we actually are offering them new messengers that speak to their values, that will actually reject corporate PAC money and put their interests first, instead of the interests of people with enough money to buy off a senator, for example.
MICHAELSON: Well, and so part of that work is you have been endorsing in Democrat versus Democrat congressional races and getting involved in those races, including some here in California. And there are some critics who might say, look, you've got all of these Democrat versus Republican close races where we need Democrats to win. By spending time on Democrat versus Democrat races, you're wasting valuable resources and then Democrats might not get the majority. What do you say to those critics?
HOGG: We can't get the majority without young people. And young people have largely left us behind last election cycle, and I am working as hard as I can, as are many people -- many young people across the Democratic Party and many young candidates to actually win those younger voters back.
[00:05:09]
People forget a lot of the time that back in 2018 and in 2020, we could not have won the presidency. We could not have won back the House with nearly the margin that we did in 2018 without the surge in young voters that we saw after Parkland.
Look, after Parkland, when I was an 18-year-old first-time voter, I was going around the country for several months leading up to that midterm, to dozens of states talking to young people. And what we're trying to do right now is for too long, we've been a party that has just said, you know what? Let's just try to tell young people to get out and vote and tell them that it's their civic duty, instead of giving them a reason to vote.
People want to vote for Democrats. We need people to want to vote for Democrats, and not because they don't think that we aren't pedophiles like many of the Republicans, like the one in the White House is, or because we're not associated with Neo-Nazis, but because they're genuinely excited to vote for us because we are Democrats. And when we have somebody like Jimmy Gomez, for example, that is in power, that is under active House Ethics investigations, that is a problem.
We need to hold ourselves to a better standard and show voters that, you know, it's not just two sides of the same coin owned by the same corporations and special interests.
MICHAELSON: Just to be clear, President Trump has not been accused of any crimes when it comes to anything associated with Jeffrey Epstein. So to throw that accusation out there, I just want to make that point clear. But in terms of the bigger point --
HOGG: CNN isn't saying that, but he is in the Epstein files thousands of times.
MICHAELSON: His name is, as other people's names are, but he has not been charged with any crimes. And that is a objective fact. But in terms of the bigger point, in terms of what you're talking about, Jimmy Gomez is a congressperson here in Los Angeles. He has a younger Democratic challenger from the left.
Is there faith among young people that the Democratic establishment will allow there to be the kinds of changes that you want? And what is an example of an actual change that you think is realistic to get through, given potential Republican opposition, given President Trump's continued place in the White House in the next couple of years, that can really make a difference in people's lives?
HOGG: You know, even something as small as forcing Republicans to vote against banning congressional stock trading would be an excellent step to show that we're holding them -- holding their feet to the fire, and that we're trying to make sure that when legislators in Congress are making policy decisions like Doris Matsui is, that they aren't making that while having owning millions of dollars in stock of the same companies that they're legislating over and giving government contracts to.
That would be a very simple thing that we could do that has wide bipartisan support because increasingly I think people in the political establishment forget or don't realize necessarily that the growing divide that we have in this country is not even necessarily between left and right so much as it is. Are you part of the system?
Are you part of the people that are rigging the system against the 99 percent, or are you part of the 99 percent that feels increasingly like they're getting screwed over by a government that is controlled predominantly by the ultra-wealthy and the corporations that continue to jack up our prices and enable people like Donald Trump when they sit in the front row at his inauguration, for example, because they have $1 million check to write him for his inauguration or for his ballroom?
MICHAELSON: In terms of real frustration has been almost every shooting that we've seen nothing being done. I mean, there's been almost no real tangible change despite the Parkland shooting, despite we just had a shooting in Bend, Oregon, at an elementary school just last week. I'm curious what you think would actually make a difference. And is there any reason to hope that anything is going to be different this time around?
HOGG: What I will say is part of the challenge with this issue is that you're not going to hear about the shootings that don't happen. You know, after Parkland, people told us that things could not change in our state because it is a Republican state with a Republican trifecta. But what we saw was we actually did change gun laws in our state. We raised the age to buy a gun to 21. The shooter -- the person who used an AR-15 to murder 17 of my classmates and teachers was 19 years old when that shooting occurred.
And we raised the age in our state to buy a gun to 21. And we passed a red flag law that has been used thousands of times, over 25,000 times in fact, to disarm people that are a risk to themselves and others. And we've seen a double-digit reduction in the overall gun homicide rate in our state because of that. In addition to that, we've also seen a pretty significant decline since 2021, when it peaked during COVID in the overall gun homicide rate that's been happening in this country.
And amazingly, after Uvalde, even though it was small, we did get the first federal gun law passed in 30 years. As part of that, there was billions of dollars allocated to funding programs that don't just focus on enforcing gun laws better, but focus on going after the people that are the most likely to be the perpetrators of gun violence, oftentimes because they are affected by joblessness, because they themselves have experienced trauma because of witnessing shootings in the past or being shot themselves.
[00:10:10] And by investing up front in those programs, we can both save lives and tax dollars at the same time. And places like we've seen in Baltimore, that's had a pretty dramatic decline in gun violence. But the challenge is for viewers out there that you're not going -- and I have to remind myself of this a lot of the time. You are not going to hear about the shootings that don't happen. But we can see that in the data that the overall rate has been going down significantly, but we have a lot more progress to be made.
And my message, frankly, to Republicans who may be watching this, or even Democrats who may be more pro-gun than I am, is even though there are things that we disagree on as Americans, across the board we agree what is going on in this country where people drop their kids off at school every day and fear that they're not going to be able to pick them up is not acceptable.
The fear that I heard just this past week when I was in Sacramento with our candidate, Mai Vang, and I was talking to one of her volunteers who's a fourth grade teacher, who said to me, I cannot wait to retire. And her voice was shaking as she was saying this. She said, I cannot wait to retire because while I love teaching these students, I fear for my life and my students' lives every single day that I continue to be in the classroom.
We need to acknowledge that all of us do agree. While we have our disagreements, we agree that something has to be done here. And if after every one of these thousands of school shootings, if the federal government came together and even did one thing to save a couple of lives, eventually this would not be a problem anymore as it's not in any other country. But until that day comes, I'm focused on not just changing gun laws.
If our government won't change its gun laws, I think it's time for us to change who's in government. And that's exactly why we do what we do at Leaders We Deserve.
MICHAELSON: David Hogg, from Leaders We Deserve, thank you so much for joining us live from San Diego, getting us started off tonight. Appreciate it.
HOGG: Thank you.
MICHAELSON: To business news now, Elon Musk says he supports a potential merger between SpaceX and Tesla. But he says ultimately the decision is up to shareholders. Musk, the CEO of both companies, made the comments during an earnings call on Tuesday. SpaceX shares rose nearly 5 percent in late trading, while Tesla shares gained just over 1 percent.
The comments follow SpaceX's blockbuster IPO in July and a third quarter earnings report that blew past Wall Street's expectations. The company reported $4.4 billion in quarterly net income. $4.4 billion in a quarter.
To the NBA now and the start of a new season with three matchups to get basketball fans excited for the months ahead. Perhaps the biggest story was the Philadelphia 76ers winning their opening night game with the legendary LeBron James in a 76ers jersey for the first time for regular season game, defeating the defending champion New York Knicks. Finals MVP Jalen Brunson right there.
James started his record-setting 24th season by netting 14 points, nine rebounds, six assists at Madison Square Garden known as the Mecca of basketball. After a rough start, Philly rallied in the second half to win 106 to 100. On the very same night the Knicks received their championship rings and the new championship banner is now hanging in the rafters.
The Pistons also came back from behind to beat the Celtics 121 to 113. The victory for Detroit put a damper on Paul George's debut with Boston. The nine-time All Star scored a franchise record 38 points, the most by any Celtic in their debut. The Celtics host the Knicks on Friday. That will be interesting. And the final showdown of the night still underway. At last check the Oklahoma City Thunder leading the San Antonio Spurs.
More on that game and opening night next hour. Our NBA reporter and podcast host Jovan Buha will be here live in studio.
But coming up next this hour, the Italian government is cracking down on the recent wave of violent protests with new security measures. Plus, President Trump weighs in on whether he'll endorse the leader of France's far-right party.
Dominic Thomas is live in studio next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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MICHAELSON: European authorities are cracking down on a wave of violent unrest. In Italy 500 soldiers now patrolling the streets of Milan as part of new security measures targeting rioters. The Italian government approved the decrees on Tuesday after cost of living protests devolved into chaos over the weekend.
Meanwhile, hundreds of demonstrators threw stones, looted stores and set trash bins on fire as part of that. Now, rioters acting in groups could face up to five years in prison and a fine of as much as 22,000 bucks.
Meanwhile, in France, a second night of curfews has just ended in some cities, including parts of Paris. The prime minister says the measures have been helping to restore peace overnight, following the nation's worst rioting in years. He acknowledged that the government failed to recognize just how severe the protest situation had become. But authorities are promising a massive police presence for more demonstrators' plan for Saturday.
President Trump, who just recently endorsed Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Israel's elections, has yet to extend that same courtesy to France's far-right leader, Marine Le Pen. Le Pen was temporarily banned from running for office after being found guilty of misusing E.U. funds, but she's now considered a front runner in next year's elections. President Trump declined to explicitly endorse her on Tuesday, but appeared to echo her anti-immigration platform.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Given the riots in France, are you planning to endorse Marine Le Pen for the presidential election next year?
TRUMP: Well, I don't know her. I haven't met her. You got to remove people. Get them the hell out, or they're not going to have a -- they're not going to have a European Union. They're not going to have anything. And I like the people. They're friends of mine. I guess indirectly or directly, that's where I came from. Right? Some of us come from that part, that neck of the woods. But they better get moving because they don't have much time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Joining us now is CNN European affairs commentator Dominic Thomas.
Welcome back to THE STORY IS. I don't know her. I don't -- you know, which kind of reminds me of when Mariah Carey references Jennifer Lopez, who she clearly knows, but just says that I don't know her. I mean, is that -- they may not have personally met, but he certainly knows about her. She's been a major player for a very long time, right?
DOMINIC THOMAS, CNN EUROPEAN AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Absolutely. She was, her father was as well. But let's just go back 10 years in 2017 and 2022. She was in the runoff stages against President Emmanuel Macron and is the forerunner in the upcoming election. She's also one of the major leaders of the far-right in Europe in a more general way. And so, of course, she's been on the radar of President Trump because both these far-right organizations have been feeding off each other in terms of their playbooks around immigration identity and so on.
MICHAELSON: All these protests that we've seen in the streets in recent days and weeks, has that helped her?
THOMAS: Yes, unambiguously, its helped her solidify her position. She hasn't risen dramatically in the polling, but she's consolidated her position as the frontrunner and as the individual who will be in the runoff stages. The question now remains as to who the other person will be in these runoff stages. She won't have a majority. The question of the glass ceiling for her has always been an issue, but she will be there in that runoff stages for the third general election in a row.
MICHAELSON: Right. Can she get to that point where she actually is in charge, and her numbers are now better than they have been in the past? So in terms of what we're seeing in the streets now, we talked, you know, last week before in terms of what was fueling then. What's fueling it right now at this moment? THOMAS: Yes. Well, the issues that were talked about and the issues
that fueled it and provided the oxygen, the catalyst for these demonstrations, are now, one could argue, being obfuscated by the law and order response by the authorities, not just in Italy, in France, but elsewhere as well. They are using this as an excuse to deflect from meaningful engagement with the issues that the overwhelming majority of people in the streets are trying to shine a light on in French society, and for whom the rioting and the looters have, of course, been distractions, as has the police violence.
But focusing on that for the authorities is a strategic way to essentially deflect from this and to move away from a meaningful engagement. And in the case of Emmanuel Macron, very difficult for him to sort of take accountability for this with six months to go while he's in office.
MICHAELSON: Well, in terms of that, I mean, he's obviously part of this big picture. How did we get here?
THOMAS: Well, it's a whole convergence and sort of an intersectional, you know, series of kind of questions. The first thing is really is to lay on his doorstep is the question of the erosion of public spending since he's been in office, and the ways in which that has impacted people in French society. We saw this in 2018 with the rise of the Yellow Vests and the Yellow Jackets. The other aspect is the lingering structural aspect, housing, schooling, and aging population, the incredible debt that France is facing right now.
The other aspect, of course, is the shift in the global situation with the return of President Trump. So conflict in Ukraine and the incapacity of his administration to contribute meaningfully to solving this problem once and for all. The disaster in Iran, tariffs on weak economies in Europe, all these have worked together to heighten attention on the cost of living in these structural issues around housing and so on.
And what we're seeing here as this plays out in the street are people talking about the impact of these policies when they say, for example, that petrol costs or diesel have gone up. Diesel has doubled in most European places. Groceries have gone up, utility bills are up on average 60 percent. So when you consider that the majority of people are really living paycheck to paycheck, rather than being able to save in this, they have been disproportionately be hit by this in France, in Portugal, in Italy and elsewhere, and are taking the streets to air their grievances.
MICHAELSON: It's amazing how big of an effect this war has had around the world, especially for a lot of countries that did not choose to get involved with it at all.
THOMAS: You're right.
MICHAELSON: All right, Dominic, we're out of time. But thank you so much for the perspective. Really appreciate it for breaking it down so well.
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Up next, the U.S. and Ukraine hold talks in Oslo. What one U.S. official is saying about the progress made after that meeting. Plus what's being called a new low in a highly competitive governor's race. Ohio Republican Vivek Ramaswamy says his campaign is behind a controversial new ad featuring his Democratic opponent's estranged mother.
We'll have Amy Acton's response next with our political panel, Shane Smith and Caroline Sunshine.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: President Trump's foreign envoy, Steve Witkoff, is set to travel to Russia after holding talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on -- in Norway.
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A U.S. official says the meeting produced what's described as meaningful progress and the two sides are now in, quote, "strong alignment at the working level on next steps."
An official says the goal is now to build on the progress made with Ukraine and Europe, and discuss the proposals with Russia, where Witkoff is expected to meet with President Vladimir Putin.
Zelenskyy also held a call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and discussed a number of issues, including intelligence sharing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: We are thankful that intelligence works. Now, I'm speaking about early warning. What is very important for our people, for children, adults, civilians, because we can hear when ballistic is coming. So, we are thankful to American side. Now it works. It's great.
Then, as I said, we will -- we also discussed with secretary not only intelligence. We discussed Starlinks and -- and Patriot, and he will come back. And I think that we will have good result.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: The race for Ohio governor is now getting very personal. Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy confirms that his campaign is behind a controversial new political ad, which features the estranged mother of his Democratic opponent, telling voters to reject her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONNA ARTHUR, ESTRANGED MOTHER OF OHIO GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE AMY ACTON: It's not easy for a mother to say this, but Amy has a serious problem. She's lied her entire life. My daughter needs help, and she can't help you if she needs help herself.
Don't vote for people who lie. Don't let her become your governor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: (AUDIO GAP) -- condemned the ad, including Democratic nominee Amy Acton. She says Ramaswamy's campaign is taking advantage of her birth mother, who is not well, in her words.
Acton says she hasn't seen her since she was 12 years old, when her stepfather was charged with sexually abusing Acton; and her mother, instead of leaving him and going with Amy Acton, stayed with the stepfather.
The stepfather was indicted by a grand jury but fled the state and later died.
A protester interrupted Ramaswamy during a campaign event just hours ago. An audience member began shouting at him, referring to the ad and the abuse Acton suffered.
Ramaswamy dismissed the heckler, but after the event, he defended the ad. His campaign is spending $4 million to run it in the lead-up to election day.
CNN has reached out to Acton's mother for more information on how the video came together.
Let's bring in our political panel for the night. Carolina Sunshine was a communication aide for Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and once worked for Vivek Ramaswamy; and Shane Smith is the editor in chief at VICE News.
Welcome to THE STORY IS, both of you as a combo for the first time. Good to have you together.
You know Vivek Ramaswamy. What do you make of this? Is this beyond the pale?
CAROLINA SUNSHINE, COMMUNICATIONS AIDE, TRUMP'S 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: Well, I think tactically, you know, his race in Ohio. Ohio is a very safe red state.
MICHAELSON: At least it was.
SUNSHINE: It was. But especially at the beginning of this race, this wasn't supposed to be a race where Amy Acton was even relevant, frankly. It was supposed to be a lot more like California, where, look, you know, it really isn't as relevant who the Republican candidate is. Everybody knows it's going to be a Democrat who's -- who's going to win.
And so, the mistake I think, tactically, here is Amy Acton shouldn't have gotten this far. The polls shouldn't be this close.
And then why are we spending the closing weeks focused on Amy Acton instead of focused on Vivek Ramaswamy and who he is? And, you know, one of the No. 1 issues for voters this election is gas prices. And something that would have been a better use of time to spend ad
money and time on is Vivek is not yet elected in Ohio, and he already worked with the state legislature to get rid of the 40-cent tax to bring gas prices down for Ohioans.
Why -- why aren't you spending 4 million and time on -- on that rather than elevating an opponent who, frankly, the voters shouldn't even know or -- or care about, when you have such a high-profile star like Vivek.
Some people in politics have to lower themselves to the political tricks of look at how terrible my opponent is. But someone like Vivek is -- is talented enough as a politician to not have to do that.
And so, that would be my question, is why are we spending time on Amy? You need to be spending time on who you are.
MICHAELSON: Well, here's what Amy had to say. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMY ACTON (D), OHIO GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: You know, it's awful to see this. It's awful to see her this way. And it's even more incredible to see that my opponent has taken advantage of someone who is -- who's clearly not well, who is older, and -- and this is totally in line with who he is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[00:35:18]
MICHAELSON: I mean, the idea, if her allegations are true, that she was sexually abused as a young person, and then had to leave her family; and the mother sided with the abuser. And now this ad is coming out. I mean, how do you see this?
SHANE SMITH, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, VICE NEWS: Well, I think they made a mistake. It's as simple as that. Because --
MICHAELSON: But they're doubling down. I mean, when all this is coming out, they're --
SMITH: Because they can't admit defeat.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
SMITH: I mean, if you admit defeat, it's catastrophic.
But I think, listen, these are difficult, you know, job processes for very difficult jobs. The hardest, you know, difficult -- the most difficult job in the world is president of the United States, so we give it the hardest process.
These are mini jobs like that. So, it has -- it's a difficult process, and people know it. I always ask politicians, are you part masochist, because you're going to get attacked. And they know that. However, if you go into things like this where there are instances of
abuse, where you go beyond the pale, as you say, people, at the end of the day, voters are humans. And at the end of the day, if they see something that's inhumane, they won't vote for it.
MICHAELSON: And they may connect more with that than the gas prices thing, because there's something so personal and intimate and real and human about this particular story.
Meanwhile, let's talk about what's going on with President Trump and Ukraine.
You've spent a lot of time reporting in Russia.
SMITH: And Ukraine.
MICHAELSON: You spent time -- and Ukraine. You spent time in the Kremlin. Here's what President Trump had to say about President Zelenskyy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Ukraine has to want to settle this war. Zelenskyy has to want to settle this war. And if he doesn't, I think it's going to be a very bad thing.
We've given a lot to Ukraine. We've gotten absolutely nothing back except grief, death, tremendous monetary loss.
We've gotten nothing back. And the American taxpayers are tired of it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: I know we've got some video of you doing some of that reporting in Russia. Do you agree? That we got nothing back?
SMITH: No.
MICHAELSON: All is lost?
SMITH: Well, I'll say a few things. A, I'm pro-dialogue, and I'm anti- conflict. So, whenever there's dialogue with the Russians and dialogue with Ukrainians, and America's part of that, and China and whoever, great. We should be talking.
Now, what we're saying, what we're doing in -- in the back rooms is generally different than what we say and the rhetoric in the front rooms and to the cameras.
But I think the dialogue is a good thing.
Getting nothing from Ukraine is not true. But what have we got? I mean, look, having wars, having conflict. And Trump campaigned on this. Let's get out of these never-ending wars. This is a never-ending war. It has to end, both for the people of Ukraine and for the people of Russia. It has to stop. And so, we should be talking. MICHAELSON: Although it doesn't seem any evidence of it ending any
time soon. We've had so many talks about talks over the years.
I know you've campaigned against the idea of never-ending wars. Do you think the president is right on this one?
SUNSHINE: I agree with you. I'm also pro-dialogue, antiwar, anti- conflict.
Yes. You know, the war has to end, because there are hundreds of thousands of innocents who are dying. I don't think our audience is aware of the scale of which the death continues on a daily basis.
It's a stalemate, much like World War One. And in order for it to end, every side is going to have to make concessions. And that includes Ukraine.
Now, Zelenskyy hasn't held an election in two years, which he should do. And the war has become big business for American politicians and for the political apparatus in D.C.
You'll have all these politicians that get up and say that, you know, giving more money to Ukraine is about standing up for democracy. It's about standing up for freedom.
No, it's not. It's -- it's a grift for them.
And I think every American needs to be really clear-eyed about the fact that our tax dollars right now that go to Ukraine are not going to anything other than allowing innocent civilians to be killed. If Europe wants to continue this --
MICHAELSON: Well, hasn't Russia killed a lot of innocent people over -- over the time?
SUNSHINE: Yes.
MICHAELSON: And is there not some value in defending that and defending against a country that clearly has the ability and -- and desire to expand its territory into other countries' territory?
SUNSHINE: Yes. And that's -- there -- there's a territory dispute with a long history between Russia and Ukraine, between the Russian- speaking parts of Ukraine, that Russia feels it has a territory claim to.
The question is, what is Americas role in it, and should America be involved?
Ukraine is not a NATO ally. So, if Europe wants to continue this war, they're welcome to. But this is about should the American taxpayer be involved?
And the fact is, as long as Ukraine is propped up -- it's not just arms that we give Ukraine. It is we pay for their government salaries. We pay for their welfare. It's the No. 2 most corrupt country in Europe. Where do you think a lot of that's going? It's going to yachts in Monaco.
So, as long as we continue that funding, and Zelenskyy won't hold an election, which is -- that's not what a liberal democracy does.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
[00:40:05]
SUNSHINE: In the United States, when we had the Civil War, World War One, and World War Two, we still held elections. This guy's not holding an election.
MICHAELSON: Well, I mean, the calendar is different --
SUNSHINE: It's not a liberal --
MICHAELSON: -- in the way the two countries operate.
SUNSHINE: It's not a liberal democracy.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
SUNSHINE: But the funding has to stop in order for Zelenskyy to feel the squeeze to make concessions. And without the concessions of everybody, Russia included, the war won't end.
MICHAELSON: And some of that funding goes to military industrial complex in the United States --
SUNSHINE: Correct.
MICHAELSON: -- to build those weapons.
SUNSHINE: Correct.
MICHAELSON: And those people donate to the congressional campaigns --
SMITH: Right.
MICHAELSON: -- of both Republicans and Democrats. And so, really, it's not necessarily all money going to Ukraine.
SUNSHINE: No.
MICHAELSON: It's money that's going to that apparatus --
SUNSHINE: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- which funds our campaigns, including some of the ads you're probably going to see in the next commercial.
SUNSHINE: Yes.
SMITH: A hundred percent correct.
SUNSHINE: While innocents die. MICHAELSON: But there -- Caroline and -- and Shane, thank you both for
being here. You're coming back in the next hour. There's a lot more to get into. It's great to have the two of you together.
Also still ahead, why Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is calling in some Democratic heavyweights to help win over black voters. Jeff Zeleny in Detroit, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:40:50]
MICHAELSON: Welcome back. I'm Elex Michaelson. Let's take a look at today's top stories.
President Trump will take his midterm campaign tour to South Carolina in the day ahead. He also has stops planned in Florida, Georgia, Iowa, and Michigan this week alone.
The president is hoping to boost turnout from his base and save vulnerable Republicans.
CNN has once again been barred from traveling on Air Force One and fulfilling its pool duties on Wednesday.
The Trump-affiliated super PAC, MAGA Inc., is spending big on the midterms. Ad data shows it shelled out more than $3 million over the past week on Meta platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.
Most of the spending targets viewers in Texas, followed by Ohio, Iowa and Michigan, all with crucial Senate races.
New York Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says a suspicious letter sent to her district office was an attempt to intimidate elected officials ahead of the midterms.
She says New York Police and the FBI are investigating.
More than two dozen lawmakers from both parties have reported receiving suspicious letters in recent weeks. No injuries, thankfully, have been reported.
Democratic heavyweights are turning out to galvanize black voters for Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. He's been campaigning with former Vice President Kamala Harris, Senator Raphael Warnock, and this weekend, even former President Barack Obama will attend a rally with him.
As CNN's Jeff Zeleny explains, this seat is critical if Democrats want to win control of the Senate.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ABDUL EL-SAYED (D), MICHIGAN SENATE NOMINEE: Friends, my name is Abdul El-Sayed. I hope I can earn your support. Let's go fight and win. JEFF ZELENY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the home stretch of
the Michigan Senate race, Abdul El-Sayed talks about building a new coalition. The question is whether he can keep the old Democratic coalition intact, starting with black voters, a pivotal group his Republican rival, Mike Rogers, has spent months working to win over.
CHARITY DEAN, MICHIGAN BLACK BUSINESS ALLIANCE: Detroit is more conservative than folks would think.
ZELENY (voice-over): Charity Dean leads the Michigan Black Business Alliance and is supporting El-Sayed but keeping a wary eye on Rogers.
ZELENY: How important are black voters to a winning coalition here?
DEAN: Black voters are -- oh, yes -- underestimated, but super critical.
ZELENY: Mike Rogers is clearly trying to make some inroads.
DEAN: He is.
ZELENY: Do you think his outreach to black voters is serious? I mean, should it be taken seriously by El-Sayed supporters?
DEAN: Everything should be taken seriously. This is not a campaign. This is not a year where we need to take anything for granted.
He's seriously trying to campaign. He seriously wants to win their vote. He seriously doesn't want to make life better for black people.
ZELENY (voice-over): That's not how Nora Evans sees it.
ZELENY: Do you think the Democrats have taken the black vote for granted over the years?
NORA EVANS, MIKE ROGERS SUPPORTER: Absolutely. Yes.
ZELENY (voice-over): Evans, a teacher and mother of two, is supporting Rogers and appears in this TV ad.
EVANS: I voted for Barack Obama, but this year, I'm voting for Mike Rogers.
ZELENY (voice-over): When we caught up with her, she said she's gradually become more conservative and is drawn to Rogers' message to improve literacy in schools and safety overall.
EVANS: The outcome of the election will send a loud message that the black vote is just not up for grabs, like you have to earn it. We are no longer just voting according to parties, but we are voting according to policy and plans.
ZELENY (voice-over): Last weekend, Rogers opened a storefront campaign office in Detroit.
MIKE ROGERS (R), OHIO SENATE NOMINEE: Our votes are not guaranteed. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's right.
ROGERS: This is the chance to say we're going to do something new --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
ROGERS: -- to try to revitalize our community, and we're going to do it together.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Amen.
ZELENY (voice-over): When we stopped by two days later, "Democrats for Rogers: signs were on display, but it was otherwise empty.
El-Sayed was dismissive when we asked about it as he ended a bus tour in Flint.
EL-SAYED: I saw he opened a cute little office in Detroit, where he brought all his friends from the suburbs to come clap him in. It was nice. Yes.
ZELENY (voice-over): As fall settles in, and the campaign's end draws near, more than $280 million has been spent on the Michigan Senate race this year.
It's critical to the balance of power in Washington, but Reverend Charles Williams II wonders if the enthusiasm matches the moment.
REV. CHARLES WILLIAMS II, PASTOR: It only takes this much of Detroit to defect. It only takes this much of Flint to defect. It only takes this much of Saginaw or Inkster to defect, and that could be enough to put us under.
[00:50:05]
ZELENY (voice-over): Williams, who leads the historic King Solomon Baptist Church, is supporting El-Sayed but taking seriously Rogers' outreach.
WILLIAMS: Not only is he making these inroads, but there are people in these communities that are actually welcoming him in those communities.
ZELENY: As we near the end of the campaign, is it closer than you would like to see it?
WILLIAMS: It's too close. It's too close.
ZELENY: Now, former President Barack Obama is coming to Detroit this weekend to rally support for the Democratic ticket and try and draw some enthusiasm for El-Sayed in particular.
Now, no one is predicting that Mike Rogers could win a majority of the black vote, but it is that sliver of the vote that concerns so many Democratic leaders here. Now, the reason Michigan is so important, of course, if Democrats want
to win control of the Senate, they must net four seats. Without this one, they would have to pick up five seats. That, of course, makes it much more difficult because most of these races are playing out in Trump country.
As for Trump, he's coming here on Sunday to rally support for the Republican ticket, but Democrats think he drives out their supporters, as well.
Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Detroit.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Jeff, thank you.
Speaking of trying to appeal to black voters, one moment from the recent debate for L.A. mayor is getting a lot of attention in L.A.'s black community.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NITHYA RAMAN (D), CANDIDATE FOR L.A. MAYOR: This city used to be the gold standard in terms of non-cooperation with immigration enforcement years ago, under the era of Daryl Gates.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Candidate Nithya Raman there, referencing Daryl Gates, the longtime LAPD chief who refused to work with the federal government on immigration issues.
Gates was also accused of racial profiling and led the department when Rodney King was beaten by LAPD officers and during the ensuing days of civil unrest, known at the time as the L.A. riots.
Well, Raman says as mayor, she would dismiss L.A.'s current police chief, Jim McDonnell. Her opponent, the current mayor, Karen Bass, says she'd want McDonnell to stay on.
I asked Raman about her choice.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: You've said you want to get rid of the police chief, Jim McDonnell. Briefly, why?
RAMAN: You know, I think he has not met this moment of ICE raids on our streets and fear among our immigrant communities.
MICHAELSON: Who's an example of a police chief that you really respect or admire?
RAMAN: Oh, I don't -- I don't know. I -- I don't know.
MICHAELSON: Because you mentioned -- you mentioned on the debate stage the name Daryl Gates, which for a lot of folks in the African American community was upsetting.
RAMAN: Yes, and --
MICHAELSON: Because they felt like he was racist when he was -- he was in charge.
RAMAN: Yes. And I believe it was. It was a mistake to reference his name at all. I was trying to make a point, and I fumbled that point.
And that point was not to praise Daryl Gates in any way, shape, or form. And I sincerely apologize for mentioning his name. I know it causes real pain for so many people across Los Angeles, and I should not have said it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: We'll have a lot more with both. Councilmember Nithya Raman and Mayor Karen Bass as we take a deep dive into the mayor race in Los Angeles next week on THE STORY IS.
But coming up next here on THE STORY IS, how the L.A. Rams and Make-a- Wish brought fun and philanthropy to some kids who need it most. Some inspiration, when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:58:12]
MICHAELSON: Actress Christina Applegate, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis five years ago, and has been an outspoken advocate for living with the disease, has found out she doesn't have M.S. at all.
The Emmy winner revealed Tuesday that she had been misdiagnosed. She shared the surprising news on the podcast she hosts with fellow actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who is an M.S. patient herself.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINA APPLEGATE, ACTRESS: But, woo, it's hard to say that she came into my room and she said, "Congratulations, you don't have M.S. Congratulations."
I haven't gotten better, Jamie.
JAMIE-LYNN SIGLER, ACTRESS: Yes.
APPLEGATE: If anything, I've gotten worse in some ways, and so I'm back at square one that I don't know what's going on with me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Wow.
Some uplifting news here. Finally, this hour, a reminder that sports is much more than just a game. I want to introduce you to Eli Dracht, who recently survived a heart
transplant.
Eli was one of several children battling critical illnesses to meet the Los Angeles Rams football team last night, thanks to the Make-a- Wish Foundation.
I was on hand for their annual fundraising gala in Southern California, where the kids and their families got the A-list treatment.
This event has raised millions of dollars and helped the organization grant hundreds of wishes to kids over the past decade. Here's what some of them told me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDREW WHITWORTH, FORMER NFL WALTER PAYTON MAN OF THE YEAR: Their hearts, their eyes. What you see in them can inspire us as much as we ever try to inspire them.
QUENTIN LAKE, LOS ANGELES RAMS SAFETY: I just want to put a smile on their face. And they put a smile on my face by telling me their stories, the adversities that they go through. It's huge.
So, you know, it's always -- you know, there's a lot more life other than football. And I think it's important to share those perspectives.
ELI DRACHT, PEDIATRIC HEART PATIENT: It gives me hope, strength, and energy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
