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What We Know with Max Foster
Several French Cities Impose Curfews After Weekend Of Chaos; Clashes Erupt In Italy As Crowds Protest Cost Of Living; Talarico, Paxton In Tight Race As Early Voting Begins In Texas; Kenyan Cult Leader Found Guilty Of Mass Murder Of Children; Trump Speaking To Reporters At The White House. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired October 19, 2026 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:25]
MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: Curfews in France after the worst rioting there in years.
This is WHAT WE KNOW.
Right now, France is grappling with the aftermath of protests that turned violent and disruptive over the weekend. Amid the tension and the calls for
calm today, the cleanup is beginning in Paris and other large cities. Several officials imposing localized curfews that include parts of Paris.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARIEL WEIL, PARIS CENTRE MAYOR: There's going to be a curfew per se, around Les Halles and the Republique Square, which were heavily hit by some
of the protests and the looting of the weekend. And there's an extended sort of a curfew whereby they can search pretty much anyone that has a --
things that they shouldn't have or have masks of faces.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Well, whilst the protests were largely peaceful, some did turn ugly. More than 2,000 people were arrested over the weekend. That's after
some torched government buildings, looted shops and clashed with police. Demonstrators took to the streets over crumbling schools and soaring living
costs. Others say their calls for social and political change are being ignored by the government. Caught in the middle of the rioting are many
shop owners.
This woman's hair salon was left badly damaged.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MANON CRETEUR, HAIR SALON OWNER (through translator): I'm also devastated because I built it from scratch. I struggled for years to make it work. I'm
also saddened for my employees who can no longer work. It's difficult for them as well. It's distressing because now everything has to be rebuilt.
There are all the administrative procedures to deal with, which can take an enormous amount of time. And above all, I just don't understand why someone
would smash up a hair salon to steal brushes and shampoo.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: This video, which has gone viral, offers a stunning contrast. A couple enjoying drinks near the Arc de Triomphe as a fire from the protests
rages there in the background.
CNN's Melissa Bell is in Paris with more on the riots and the anger over the police response to them.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Here at Place de la Republique, where so much of the rioting and looting took place on Saturday
night and again on Sunday with those fresh clashes that involved rioters and police, the clean-up operation continues, as it does in other French
cities. A great deal of anger being expressed by the mayors of some of France's biggest cities this Monday, given the police response, or rather
the lack of an adequate police response, and given the extensive damage that the country has seen.
We've been hearing from the French president on Sunday night a great deal of criticism about what President Macron had to say and how few concrete
concessions or solutions he was suggesting politicians from across the political spectrum have really turned on that address to the nation has
really not meeting what people were expecting to hear concrete decisions about what could be done.
We've been hearing also this Monday from the prime minister about his fears for the next few months.
SEBASTIEN LECORNU, FRENCH PRIME MINISTER (through translator): This raises several questions for us. The first being how to protect this very
democratic framework, the presidential election. There's no way we will allow violent minorities to impose an agenda of violence and prevent us
from holding this election. For me, this raises the issue of candidate safety, personal safety. It raises the issue of safety at campaign rallies,
regardless of the political parties.
BELL: That election is just six months away. President Macron will stand down, and it is the void left by his centrist policies over the last few
years. That's attracted a lot of debate and a lot of anger. The rise also of the extremes, the fact that the far right leads the polls, the fact that
the far left is making such progress in the polls is considered sort of fertile ground for a particularly polarized presidential campaign. And as
authorities fear potentially much more of these kinds of protests ahead already, the yellow vests who were here last Saturday are planning a fresh
protest next Saturday.
Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Well, the protests in France have spread to other European nations, including Belgium, Portugal and Albania.
Demonstrations in Italy were especially troubling over the weekend. Many shops were shut down as protesters threw stones at police and raided
supermarkets. At least 32 people were arrested as police used water cannon to break it all up.
To Rome now, CNN's Stefano Pozzebon.
Has there been a difference in response from the authorities there, Stefano?
[15:05:03]
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the response here in Italy has arrived just in the last couple of hours, Max. The deputy prime minister,
Matteo Salvini, has announced the deployment of 500 troops to the city of Milan to support the local law enforcement in matters of public security.
Now, this is not the first time, in fact, that we see boots on the ground in Italy. Soldiers have been deployed to hotspots of violence and similar
situations since at least 2008. However, we still need to understand how these 500 extra soldiers will impact the situation in Milan, where today at
least the situation was actually really, really calm.
It's also interesting, Max, that it's Matteo Salvini who made the announcement and not the defense minister, Guido Crosetto, or the Italian
prime minister, Giorgia Meloni. We can see that, of course, the political campaign is coming, and Salvini in particular wants to present himself as
the law and order candidate ahead of next year's election.
But today, we can say 500 extra troops and new measures to try to calm the streets in in Italy -- Max.
FOSTER: In France, it started off about education, didn't it? I'm just wondering what the main reason is in Italy, or was it triggered by what
they saw in France?
POZZEBON: In a way, yes, it was. I think it was triggered by also what they saw in Spain, at least here in Rome, for example, we have had
collective of students camping out in tents in front of the major university. And last week, for example, they were camping in front of the
parliament trying to bring attention to, of course, the cost of housing crisis, which ultimately is a consequence of the widespread cost of living
crisis, but particularly with the focus on the housing of students who do not live in the city, where the universities are. So, we call them here in
Italy, where he said, these are students that need to have an accommodation for them to allow them to study.
And Italy is particularly badly equipped when it comes to welcoming students from different cities into universities. But all of these issues
are ultimately melting together into just a widespread social discontent at the situation, the economic situation, of course, which has been made worse
by the inflation, by growing costs related to the house price, but also the pump price of gasoline with the consequences of the -- of the war in Iran.
It's all a coincidence. All of these issues melting together to fuel him and setting the streets on fire, to be honest, Max.
FOSTER: Stefano in Rome, thank you for that.
We're going to go to the U.S. now, where several more states have kicked off early voting ahead of the November 3rd election, including Texas, where
a close race could help determine control of the Senate.
Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton are drawing sharp contrasts in the final days of the campaigning. Talarico says his opponent
is a corrupt puppet of billionaires who is unfit for office, while Paxton calls Talarico a radical, suggesting he threatens faith, freedom and
family.
CNN's Ed Lavandera is in Allen, Texas, where Paxton is rallying Republican voters today.
And we're starting to get a sense, I guess, are we, of turnout, which is so important here?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, there's no question. We've been bouncing around today. It's the first day of early
voting. We spent the morning at a polling location talking to voters. Actually, in a really key area, we're in the northern suburbs of the
Dallas-Fort Worth area. And this is Ken Paxton's home turf. This is where he's from.
So, we've kind of come to try to get a sense of where these predominantly Republican voters here in these suburbs and how they're feeling. So, a
great deal of one of the polling locations we were at had long lines throughout much of the morning, consistent. Now, we just wrapped up a Ken
Paxton event who's kicking off a bus tour. It's been going on for several days now. It's going to continue on to election day as well.
And you're really getting the sense, Max, of just how intensified the political message in the discourse has become. What we heard over and over
from reporters or from voters, not reporters this morning is talking about this sense of -- they're kind of overwhelmed by the number of political
commercials airing on television and on their phones and the social media apps, as well.
This is a state that is not accustomed to feeling like they are in the crosshairs of a battleground state. Ken Paxton described this as a
battleground election here. And we do know that Republicans are incredibly nervous about how this is playing out. There are a number of polls that
have showed James Talarico ahead. Now, whether or not that holds or whether or not those polls are accurate, we will not know until after election day
to kind of get a sense of how things are unfolding.
[15:10:02]
But having covered politics in this state for a very long time, there is a sense that this year feels very different, that the Republicans are
extremely nervous about how things are unfolding here. And many Republican strategists that I've talked to also say that the wind is at the back of
Democrats.
Now, whether or not that will be able be enough to kind of push them across the finish line, it remains to be seen. Remember, a Republican has not won
a statewide election in this state, Max, in more than 30 years -- I should say a Democrat --
FOSTER: Thank you so much, Ed.
LAVANDERA: -- statewide election. Sorry. Let me correct that.
FOSTER: Yeah, yeah, no, absolutely. Thank you.
We're actually going to go to Kenya now for a grim story. The leader of a Christian cult and his associates were found guilty in one of the world's
deadliest cult related tragedies in recent history. Paul Mackenzie has been found guilty in the murder of 190 children and an adult. Prosecutors say he
instructed followers to starve themselves and their children to death. Mckenzie was convicted, along with about 30 other people. Authorities have
recovered more than 400 bodies from a forest in eastern Kenya, where Mackenzie is accused of running a doomsday cult.
Larry Madowo is standing by for us in Nairobi, Kenya.
Obviously, this is a story that the -- that people in Nairobi or Kenya have been living with for some time. And finally, a clear result.
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Max. It took some time because this man is a former taxi driver. He's not a trained priest. He has
no theological background.
But he did run a TV station. His ministry was called Good News International. He had Times TV that promoted his sermons around Kenya. He
was on YouTube as well, reaching more followers. And that was determined in What'sApp messages and the way he was communicating with his followers.
In the end, he lured them to a vast forest in eastern Kenya, near the Kenyan coast, where he encouraged parents to starve their children and then
themselves in order to meet Jesus. He preached against education and medicine, against digital identity cards, calling them the mark of the
devil.
And before they came down today, he was joking in court, he told one person speaking to him that this is not the end of the world. The judge read the
ruling for more than eight hours. And then finally, this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUSTICE DIANA KAVEDZA-MOCHACHE, MOMBASA HIGH COURT: Final verdict, I am satisfied that the prosecution has proved the case against all the 29
accused persons for the murder of 190 children and one adult, contrary to section two or three of the penal code. I reject the defense by the accused
persons that the victims, who were all below the age of 16 -- 16 years, voluntarily fasted to death. Paul Mackenzie, convicted on all 191 counts of
murder.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MADOWO: He will be sentenced on November 6th. The death that murder plea, and because he's been found guilty, he faces the death penalty in Kenya.
But Kenya has not carried out an execution in almost 40 years. So, he will look, probably looking at a life sentence here, though, they will still
have impact statements and mitigation. So, the judge will make that determination. His attorney later told reporters that he plans to appeal,
and his argument is that Mackenzie did not force any of his followers to starve, that that is their decision and that has been his defense
throughout this time.
But the judge painstakingly went through the evidence saying that there were enforcers who made sure that the children were starved and the parents
starved themselves to death, and they could not leave. Some of them had sold their property. And when those children did not starve to death, some
of them were strangled. They were suffocated. They were beaten with blunt objects.
So that's why you see so many victims here. And then they were buried in shallow graves, which sped up the pace of decomposition. That identity
documents were destroyed. All this to say, it was malice aforethought under Kenyan law.
And that is why you see this murder guilty -- guilty -- this basically guilty plea for murder for all 30 accused alongside the cult leader, the
doomsday preacher Paul Mackenzie, who has shocked the nation and the world. This is one of the worst doomsday cults in the history of basically
doomsday cults.
FOSTER: Thank you, Larry, for bringing us up to date on that from Nairobi.
Now, coming up, more on the U.S. midterms just ahead, including a new national poll that could spell trouble for Republicans, just as voters in
several more states begin casting early ballots.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:17:48]
FOSTER: They have been following the campaigns for months. Now, it's their turn to decide. Voters in more U.S. states are now casting early ballots
ahead of the critical midterms in November, on November 3rd.
President, Donald Trump, is the campaigner in chief for Republicans as polls show his party lagging behind. A new CNN poll of polls shows
Democrats have a clear advantage nationwide, 54 percent to 45 percent. President Trump will be campaigning in a different state every day this
week, starting today in Kansas.
A frequent target of Mr. Trump on the campaign trail is Abdul El-Sayed, a Michigan Democrat trying to become the first Muslim elected to the Senate.
President Trump falsely calls him a jihadist. One of El-Sayed's town halls recently went viral for an exchange over the Muslim Brotherhood.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will you disavow the Muslim brotherhood?
ABDUL EL-SAYED (D), MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE: Yeah, absolutely. But I want to I want to ask you the question that you're asking. Why are you
asking the question?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, because they're a terrorist group.
EL-SAYED: Okay. No, no, but what are you implying? Do you assume that I wouldn't?
You're asking the question because implicitly you assume that I'll have dual loyalties, right? You assume that somehow I wouldn't disavow or that
I'll have some higher order allegiance than to the Constitution. And I'm just telling you that for me, that Constitution is the guiding light.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Back to the White House. The president making comments before he heads to Kansas on the campaign tour.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Nothing there that we can see. And I think that's a very positive. And of course, we're negotiating
with him on Ukraine. So I'm not looking to break up negotiations right in the middle. And by the way, I have the right to do that at any time
immediately. So, if things don't work out, I can always do it.
(CROSSTALK)
REPORTER: What do you say to the Republicans who have been speaking out?
TRUMP: Say it.
REPORTER: What do you say to Republicans who have been speaking out against the deal?
TRUMP: Well, I think when they find out what the deal is, they -- when I've had four of them call up because I only put out word last night, I'm
in the midst of negotiating a deal.
[15:20:00]
When you're negotiating a deal, you don't do that to the people you're negotiating and the deals -- the Ukraine deal. Also, I'm negotiating with
them on Iran because they've been very well-behaved on Iran.
Also, I'm negotiating with them on hostages, and I'm also negotiating on diesel. So when you -- when you -- look, that's my business. When you're
negotiating, you don't do that.
When I tell that to Republicans that speak out and there aren't many of them because they have confidence in me, I'm the one that got them there.
I'm the one that's winning. I'm the one that's doing the rallies, that's taking people into a winning position.
When you look at what's happened, if you take a look at what's happened since I've been doing these massive, totally sold-out rallies, nobody's
ever seen anything like it. As an example, we're up in Texas. We weren't. We're up in Alaska. We weren't.
We're up. Everybody -- every place that I've gone to, were up.
REPORTER: Mr. President, have you agreed to a trilateral meeting with President Putin and Xi to talk about Ukraine?
TRUMP: No, but I would -- I would do it. Not so much for Ukraine because Russia, frankly, has been fine on Ukraine. They haven't been doing much.
And the same thing with China. We would have to talk about nuclear weapons and denuclearization.
And any time I can have a meeting on denuclearization, so we have more during my term, I did it. We have more nuclear weapons than anybody. Russia
is second, Chinas third. But catching up, China was way behind. And now they're catching up and they'll take them probably five years. We would
schedule a meeting based on the denuclearization. And that's a very positive thing for the world.
So, I would do it if they want to have a I just heard about it, if they'd like to have it, I think it would be held in China. He just left here. If
President Xxi wants to have it, I'd have it. I'm sure we'll talk about other things like trade, too, but, yeah, I would do that.
REPORTER: Have you investigated at all closed down or corrupted Starlink in Ukraine? Who ordered that interruption?
TRUMP: I don't know who it was, but I'd like to find out. Yeah.
REPORTER: Mr. President Emmanuel Macron is blaming the Iran war. And you essentially for the rioting in France right now.
TRUMP: I don't think he is. No, I think that's fake news. Who are you with?
REPORTER: No, sir. Mary Margaret with "The Daily Wire".
TRUMP: Oh, "Daily Wire" is good. Sorry. "Daily Wire" is good.
REPORTER: Mr. President --
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: Emmanuel, he's a friend of mine. I told him a long time ago. You're making a big mistake in France. You're letting everybody from the world
come in. The whole world was coming in. And you know, as you know, Paris is going to be a Muslim city very soon. And that wasn't the deal. That wasn't
the deal.
I told Emmanuel, you should close up your borders. And let's see, I've known him for probably eight or nine years. I told him as soon as I met
him, I said, you're making a big mistake. We closed our borders. He didn't.
And you know what? His borders are a problem. And he also has a little bit of a problem with energy. But they have gone, you know, they're doing
better than others. But Emmanuel should have closed his borders a long time ago. I told him to do it.
REPORTER: Mr. President --
REPORTER: Zelenskyy says you're supporting Putin by waiving these sanctions.
TRUMP: I'm supporting stopping the war between Russia and Ukraine.
REPORTER: How does that help stop the war?
TRUMP: You know what? Why? Because that's what I do for a living. And frankly, Zelenskyy is not helping matters much. I think he doesn't want to
stop it, but I want to see people not die. They're losing probably on average, 25,000 to 35,000 soldiers every single month.
All I want to do, I don't care. I want to get the war stopped. I don't want to see 25,000, 35,000. Last month, it was 32,000.
I don't want to see 32,000 soldiers dead. Has nothing to do with this country. But you know what I from a human standpoint, Ukraine is losing a
lot of. Ukraine is losing all of its men. You know, I was watching a woman on television the other night, and she blamed Zelenskyy. She said, he's
killing our men.
And the fact is, she said. And it was very poignant, she said, our men are dying. Our men have no legs in many cases. You look around, they have no
legs. They're in mental institutions. She's talking about Ukraine and she's very well known, and they want to put her in prison.
I want to see the war stop. You're losing tremendous numbers of mostly young military men. And that means 25,000 to 35,000 a month. All I want is
for Russia and Ukraine to stop that stupid war.
Yeah?
REPORTER: Mr. President, would you meet with President Xi and Putin to discuss the end of the war without Zelenskyy there?
TRUMP: Well, I would meet in order -- anything I can do to end the war, whether somebody is there or not. Whatever I can do to end the war. And
they do want to have a meeting at my suggestion, because I'm going to be over in China in November on the denuclearization.
[15:25:03]
And if we can do denuclearization, I will have done the world a big, big favor. But you're on --
REPORTER: He said you're on the wrong side of history here, sir. Zelenskyy says you're on the wrong side of history.
TRUMP: What do you say?
REPORTER: Zelenskyy says you're on the wrong side of history on this one.
TRUMP: Zelenskyy said it. Zelenskyy doesn't know what he's talking about. Zelenskyy is a man that should have had this war settled a long time ago.
If he would have listened to me, he would have made a much better deal a long time ago, and he'd have a million people living from his side.
And to be honest, I don't think -- I think it's time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine, because what's happened, very little land
is moved, but a million people, a tremendous number of people are dead. They're losing their male population.
Ukraine could have had this thing settled a long time ago if he would have listened to me. And you remember the Oval Office, he would have had this
settled a long time ago. Maybe it's time for Zelenskyy to get somebody else to negotiate.
REPORTER: Is it a bad sign for Ukraine? Is it a bad stop sharing intelligence?
REPORTER: Is it a bad sign for Republicans that you have to go campaign in Kansas today?
TRUMP; No, I tell you, I have a man named Roger, and you know him very well. Roger Marshall. He's a fantastic senator. He's one of the best.
It's a close race. It shouldn't be. And as you know, I won by a tremendous amount, like 25, 30 points. I won by a lot, Kansas. And they should be
winning by a lot.
So I went to just -- do you want to listen to me? I went to Alaska and Dan Sullivan is up. I went to Ohio, Jon Husted is up. I went to Texas and Ken
Paxton is up. So far -- and I went to many other places, wherever -- wherever I go, they seem to be up.
And I have the biggest rallies anybody's ever seen. They have packed houses. We have thousands and thousands of people today. And beyond the
house, they're broadcast all over.
And my rallies are having a huge impact and a positive impact on the Republican Party. I'm going to Kansas because I won it by a lot. And the
great senator, and he's a great senator, Roger Marshall, he's one of the best senators.
He's -- I think he's tied or up by a little bit according to polls. Look, the polls are fake. But according to polls. So, I want to make sure Roger
Marshall gets in. Roger Marshall is a great man, and he's a great senator. So that's why I'm going. I think that's fine.
(CROSSTALK)
REPORTER: Do you think it's so close --
REPORTER: -- sharing intelligence with Ukraine on Russian attacks?
TRUMP: Yeah, we share intelligence.
REPORTER: Russia --
REPORTER: Republicans --
TRUMP: We share a lot. we've given a lot to Ukraine. You know what? We've given a lot to Ukraine. They've given nothing to us. Remember that.
We've given hundreds of billions of dollars. I gave the javelins to Ukraine when he knocked out. That was me. Obama gave them pillows.
You know, the expression Obama gave him sheets and pillows. Trump gave him the javelins. So don't tell me about Ukraine. We've given a lot to Ukraine.
They've given us nothing.
REPORTER: Republicans are worried that you're going to put money in --
REPORTER: Mr. President, you say Russia could have done way more to help - - you said Russia could have done way more to help Iran if they wanted. Did Russia threaten --
TRUMP: They could have done a lot more. That's right. Russia could have done a lot more to help. If you put it bluntly, Russia could have done a
lot more to help Iran. Russia has done very little for Iran.
China could have done a lot more for Iran, they've done -- and I remember that when China does not that much, maybe nothing almost, but very little
for Iran. And Russia does very little for Iran. I view that as being a very positive thing.
(CROSSTALK)
REPORTER: Mr. President. Mr. President, Republicans are worried --
REPORTER: You seem like you're feeling really good about the midterms. Is that accurate?
TRUMP: I feel good, I feel good. I mean, I think good I think it's fake polls. Look, I had one poll where I was down by three and I won by 20. And
the person that was the pollster had to quit in disgrace.
So, you know, one of those things, I don't rely on the polls, but polls mean something. But a lot of polls are rigged, just like the journalists
are rigged. I could name six of them that I'm looking right here. You're rigged journalists.
A lot of the polls are rigged. Not all of you. But there's some good ones I can name also. But a lot of the polls are rigged. A lot of the pollsters --
look at what happened in Iowa, where a pollster said that I was going to lose Iowa, and I ended up winning by almost 20 points
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: And by the way, she knew what she was doing. That was a crooked -- that was a crooked deal.
REPORTER: Mr. president, a lot of Republicans --
TRUMP: Up until then, for years, she was always calling me correctly.
[15:30:02]
I was going to win by a lot. I had a great win in Iowa, and she said I was going to lose by four, and I won by almost 20. That was a crooked deal.
REPORTER: Mr. President --
REPORTER: On the French protests -- under French protests -- under French protest. (INAUDIBLE)
TRUMP: Well, the French thing is a very sad situation. What's happening in France? Because what's happening in France has to do with immigration, not
schools, not anything. It's immigration.
And I told President Macron, close up your borders. I told them the first time I met him, which was years ago in my first term, closed up your
borders. You're going to have nothing but trouble. And they've got a lot of trouble.
They let people into their country that don't love their country. They don't love their buildings. They don't love their art. And I said the first
time I met Macron, I said, you got to close up your borders. You're going to ruin your country. And they've ruined their country.
It's going to be hard to get it back, but hopefully France will come back.
(INAUDIBLE)
FOSTER: President Trump there taking all sorts of different questions as he does as he heads off for another campaign stop. But he talked about if
China and Russia want to meet to discuss denuclearization, he would take that meeting generally very positive about Russia and China, saying, both
of them could have done more to support Ukraine, Iran, and they haven't done that.
He also touched on what's happening in France, saying it's nothing to do with schools. It is to do with immigration. President Macron has made a big
mistake. President Trump says he told Macron years ago to close up the borders. He didn't do that, and Paris is about to become a Muslim city,
according to Trump. He says it's about immigration, not schools.
So that's his observation on what's happening in France. And he was also very critical about President Zelenskyy going as far as saying that it's
probably time for someone else to start negotiating on behalf of Ukraine, because it could have been resolved a long time ago.
And Zelensky hasn't done that.
Let`s speak to Jacob Rubashkin, deputy editor from "Inside Elections".
You know, he's going off on a domestic campaign stop, isn't he? You know, a local campaign stop. But he's talking about international issues. Why do
you think he's doing that?
JACOB RUBASHKIN, DEPUTY EDITOR, INSIDE ELECTIONS: Well, the big thing that is bringing Republicans down right now across the country is cost of
living. And voters are clearly making a connection between the president's international policies. Most acutely, the war in Iran, but also the
president's tariff policies, his trade deals with beef producers in South America and the war in Iran and the effect that war has had on commodity
prices as well, and clearly, they are blaming the president for these cost of living increases in large part because of his international activities.
He is feeling the heat on that. He's feeling the pressure, and he's trying to explain his way out of the pain that the American people are feeling
right now at the gas pump and at the grocery store.
FOSTER: He was very critical of President Macron, very president, president -- critical f President Zelenskyy, as I was saying. Presumably
this is him trying to say that he's a strong leader because if they're done what he had said years before, then they would have been more effective
with the problems they've got now. And he doesn't have those problems.
RUBASHKIN: Yeah. Look, I ultimately don't think American voters are going to be doing any sort of comparison between what, their view is of President
Zelenskyy or President Macron or any other world leader versus how they feel about Trump. I think Americans voters are fairly laser focused on
their domestic issues. It's incredibly rare that any sort of foreign policy question becomes the dominant story of an election cycle.
And even in this case, while the war in Iran was a catalyst for a lot of the cost-of-living concerns, it is still not the main story. The main story
is the economic considerations people are feeling. President Trump is well aware of this because he won in 2024 because of those economic concerns. He
promised to come in and bring prices down, stop inflation, get more Americans back to work.
This is the core of his reelection message in 2024.
[15:35:01]
He has not been able to deliver, in the eyes of a lot of American voters, and that's put tremendous pressure on his party, the Republican Party, as
we are -- you know, two weeks and a day from the midterm elections.
FOSTER: And it's quite an extraordinary election, isn't it? If we look at someone like Texas, the amount of money that's being spent on the
Republican side, our correspondent was saying it's impossible to avoid all of that campaigning. But we are seeing the early voting in some of these
states. What are you looking for over the next few days? Presumably its turnout because this has become such a central issue.
RUBASHKIN: Absolutely. And my general take on early voting is that it is ultimately incomplete information. And there's only so much that you can
glean from an incomplete picture because we don't actually know what share of the total votes cast will be cast early, will be cast in person or by
mail versus on election day. So, I try to urge a lot of caution when people overread the early voting responses, especially because every cycle, the
early voting behavior is different.
If we remember back in 2020 during COVID, there was an explosion of early voting. Early voting was the dominant form in many states. But then Trump
started spreading his conspiracy theories about early voting being rigged. And that wasn't true. But it meant that a lot of Republicans in 2022
stopped early voting.
They didn't want to vote by mail because they were worried it wasn't legitimate. And so, the early vote became incredibly Democratic. In 2024,
Republicans wisened up. They realized early voting is actually helpful politically. And so, the early vote became a little less Democratic leaning
than in previous years.
How it will be this cycle? Ultimately, nobody knows until we open the ballots and we count them up. So, look, I try not to draw too many
conclusions from, especially these very early numbers, and wait until we actually count the votes on Election Day.
FOSTER: Appreciate it. Jacob Rubashkin from "Inside Elections", appreciate your time today. And, you're going to be busy.
Now with just eight days to go before Israeli elections, President Trump has endorsed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump called the Israeli
leader strong, brave, brilliant in the face of opposition. The president's endorsement comes after a month of sidestepping questions on whether
Netanyahu should be elected.
Seemingly bowing to U.S. pressure. Israel has arrested at least ten people suspected of attacks in the West Bank. On Friday, "Washington Post"
journalist Heidi Levine was injured. One day later, a group of European diplomats was attacked. The Trump administration has been calling on Israel
to take action against settler violence.
Coming up, it was billed as a day of action to rally opponents of Donald Trump. But on the day of the No Kings protests, the group's Instagram page
was unceremoniously taken offline. Next, why the protesters are unhappy with Instagram's explanation.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:41:16]
FOSTER: Returning to our top story, the protests that have rocked several European capitals, France saw its most violent disruptions and
demonstrations in years over the weekend as protesters clashed with police and burned several government buildings. Numerous French cities are under
curfew this evening as France's prime minister seeks to head off another night of violence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LECORNU (through translator): It's understandable that French people watching on television are thinking its chaos everywhere. Fortunately, no.
The chaos, to put it bluntly, is very localized to urban centers.
Therefore, I've asked the prefects to implement a number of curfews for this evening. Partial curfews. The prefects will be working with mayors,
but also with chambers of commerce and industry, because one of the key issues with this curfew is the protection of people, but also of property,
and particularly businesses.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Well, France isn't the only country being rocked by protests. Demonstrations in Italy are in their third day. Dozens were arrested in
Milan this weekend after demonstrations turned violent there. The high cost of living and poor services bringing residents to the streets. Prime
minister Giorgia Meloni calling an emergency government meeting today to address the violence.
And in Albania, student led anti-government protests are now in their seventh day. Many of the demonstrations have become violent as Prime
Minister Edi Rama refuses to resign. Police used batons and water cannon to turn back demonstrators who set buildings alight and threw Molotov
cocktails.
For a better understanding of all of this, we are joined by Alberto Alemanno. He is professor of European union law at HEC business school in
Paris.
Thank you so much for joining us, Professor.
Obviously, there's been so much coverage of what's been happening in France, but it does appear to be spreading to other European countries. Do
you think that's an accurate observation?
ALBERTO ALEMANNO, PROFESSOR OF EUROPEAN UNION LAW, HEC PARIS: Well, this is no longer only a French story. It is pretty clear that this protest
exists and they are somehow spreading across the continent. And there are different explanations behind this spread. I think some say this is a Pan-
European teenage revolt, one movement sweeping the continent.
Others say, like Trump and the European far right, it is about Islam and migration and that Europeans should close their borders. And in reality,
there's little evidence for this.
And then finally, we have the left saying, well, this is a left insurrection. We are against the establishment.
And I think each of these narrative is somehow serving a political agenda, but none of them is really explaining what is really happening, what is
behind these protests. I don't think we are seeing a pan-European movement at the moment. There's no coordination, and each of these European
countries witnessing protests have their own drivers behind it.
So in France, in Belgium, in Austria and also in Italy, its mainly about education and public spending. But if you go to Greece, it's about rising.
And in Germany it's about military conscription and military policy. And in Albania is basically about political accountability with the student
movement joining a preexisting anti-government space and movement that has developed over the past few months.
FOSTER: But they are generally led by young people. And we've seen that in other continents, haven't we? We've seen it in Morocco. we've seen it in
Nepal as well. Do you think there's something within that generation which is uniting them, even if it is around national issues?
ALEMANNO: Yes. Europe's youth protests are not one -- one movement, but they clearly reflect some shared anxieties about jobs, living costs in the
future.
[15:45:06]
And of course, what connects them is probably more a generational angst in a unique geopolitical moment. Housing has become increasingly unaffordable.
Public services are under pressure, and the transition into secure employment is also uncertain.
However, we should not read too much into this common protest. These common anxieties alone do not automatically produce some common demands and still
less a coordinated political movement. I think most of these protests are now nonviolent, but some have been increasingly hijacked by violent groups
that have very little to do with the student movements that actually prompt them in the first place.
FOSTER: We do have this frustration amongst young people, as you say, and it is being accompanied by a collapse in support for mainstream politics,
right? And, you know, a greater power to the to the left and the right of politics. And as you say, those, you know, groups associated with the left
and right are getting involved in this as well.
So, is this what's unique here? A disillusionment amongst the youth combined with a collapse in mainstream politics?
ALEMANNO: Well, there's no doubt that there is a combination of factors and constituencies coming together all at the same time. The source of
frustration now is that what I've been protest nonviolent in nature that were claiming and putting forward legitimate claims have been discredited
by few violent groups that are somehow hijacking the entire narrative and actually fueling a narrative of, let's say, insurgence, under which Europe
worst enemies are already, you know, benefiting from.
It's very easy to say that this is a self-destructive, self-defeating pan- European movement, but I think it's basically part of the design. Any specific incident today can come to stand for an entire mobilization. And
that mobilization can then be presented as evidence of a continental scale crisis.
However, European democracy won't be judged on their ability to control the protest, but their ability to allow some peaceful protest and to
potentially respond to some distinct demands and somehow rebuild confidence in the future. I think the very way in which this protest will go down in
history will depend on how, ultimately this European governments will be able to address the legitimate concerns that millions of people are about
to express. And now in the street and very soon in the elections, because 2027 will be a super cycle of elections, very unprecedented to have the
largest European countries, at least four out of five of them voting, starting from Spain, going to Italy, France, of course, as well as Poland.
FOSTER: It's going to be fascinating.
Professor Alberto Alemanno, appreciate your time. Thank you for joining us from Paris tonight.
Let's check the U.S. markets now in the final minutes of trade on Wall Street, tech stocks have bounced back from Friday's losses. The Dow has
been flat for most of the session, while the Nasdaq is up around 1 percent.
This is our Business Breakout. Saudi Arabia's Davos in the desert has been canceled in the wake of deadly attacks from Houthi militants. The future
investment initiative, a business conference featuring major Wall Street CEOs, was due to begin in Riyadh next week. Organizers say this year's
event will now take place sometime in 2027.
The OpenAI engineer arrested for allegedly planting a recording device at the company's headquarters, was in regular contact with a member of the
Saudi royal family. That is according to a new court filing from federal authorities. The engineer, who is a Saudi national, appeared for a
detention hearing a few minutes ago in California.
A new film about Elizabeth Holmes, the disgraced founder of Theranos, has become a box office smash in its opening weekend. "You Can See Everything"
by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, made more than $15 million in ticket sales. That is the biggest box office for a documentary in more than 20
years.
Meta has apologized after it took down the Instagram page of the No Kings protest movement on the day that it held a national rally to get out the
vote. Now, Meta says it took down the groups Instagram page by mistake on Saturday, just as the anti-Trump group staged its day of action. A Meta
spokesman offered a sincere apology and blames an A.I. tool for the error. However, No Kings says the story doesn't add up and that an apology isn't
enough.
Clare Duffy joins me now from New York on that.
I think because part of the issue here is that they took so long to respond to bringing the page back, as it were.
CLARE DUFFY, CNN TECH REPORTER: Well, Max, let me walk you through what happened here. As you said, this, No Kings coalition account went down
briefly in the middle of what was a nationwide protest and day of action, trying to get out the vote ahead of the midterms.
[15:50:04]
This account was being used to organize that activity.
Now, the account itself was only down and inaccessible to other Instagram users for about an hour, the account organizers say it took another few
hours for them to regain access to the account, and this has caused outcry not just from the organizers themselves, but other advocates who are
concerned about censorship online.
Now, as you said, Max, Meta has apologized here and blamed this mistake, removal of this account on its automated bot detection systems, essentially
saying that when its automated moderation systems detect unusual levels of activity from an account posting, commenting, sharing information that they
sometimes can be automatically removed because it is suspected bot activity.
Now, Meta says that after the account was removed, it went through an automatic rereview, realized that it was an error and restored the account.
But even after Meta's apology, you now have critics, including Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, who are calling for an investigation into what
happened here and asking really why Meta was not prepared for what many people knew was going to be a massive nationwide protest.
As you said, the No Kings group also claiming that Meta's apology and explanation does not add up here.
And, Max, I think when we take a step back from this, it really does speak to the role that Meta still plays in the information ecosystem as we head
into these midterms. This central role in communicating about elections, we've seen how that has gone haywire for Meta in the past. And so, I think
certainly the stakes are very high again, here as people continue to rely on this platform for information about voting ahead of these critical
midterm elections -- Max.
FOSTER: Clare Duffy, appreciate it. Thank you so much. We'll be back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: Heavy rain in the Spanish province of Valencia has caused destructive flooding. It's all due to what Spain's weather service has
dubbed Storm Adam. The rain from this storm is the most significant the region has received since 1987. Roads have been washed out, cars partially
submerged and destroyed, mud, debris and fallen trees, making it difficult to clean up. The weather service says more rain is possible over the next
few days.
A Japanese space mission is heading to Mars. The Martian Moons Exploration, as the name implies, will survey the two moons of the Red Planet. The
journey to get there is expected to take about ten months.
[15:55:01]
The plan is to collect soil samples that scientists hope will explain the origins of the two moons.
Japan is hoping this will be the first time a spacecraft travels to the Mars system, and brings a sample back to Earth.
And finally, tonight, in a world that may sometimes seem chaotic, a group of puppies are providing around the clock relief. These adorable pups have
been taking Finland by an absolute storm. The national broadcaster has been getting millions of views to its puppy channel. The live stream will remain
up until the puppies leave for their new homes in December.
I'm Max Foster. That's WHAT WE KNOW. Stay with CNN.
END
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