Critical Elections Today
48:26 Share

It's Tuesday, April 1st. Here's what's happening right now on CNN This Morning. I always make sure my voice is heard. Maybe April Fool's Day, but this is no joke. It is again a critical election day. Can Democrats whittle down the Republicans' razor-thin majority in the House? Plus this. The resources that have gone into this on both ends has definitely made an impact.

The most expensive judicial election in U.S. history. Why Democrats and Republicans are pouring millions into Wisconsin. Also... That would put us out of the market of buying this car. President Trump's tariffs are supposed to go into effect in less than 24 hours. How are you changing your spending? And... I rise with the intention of disrupting the normal business environment.

You might just be waking up, but Senator Cory Booker hasn't even gone to bed. Why he's holding a marathon speech on the Senate floor right now.

It's 6 a.m. here on the East Coast. Here's a live look at the Senate floor. Democrats led by New Jersey's Cory Booker have been staging an all-night protest speech. They're entering their 11th hour. Booker says it will continue as long as he's physically able. We're going to keep an eye on that throughout the morning. Good morning to you, everybody. I'm Audie Cornish. I want to thank you for waking up with me. Today, voters are set to give an early verdict on President Trump's agenda.

There are two House seats in Florida that are up for grabs. And in Wisconsin, you have the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history. So first up, Florida, where the polls open in less than an hour for the special election. Every vote counts here with Republicans clinging to a razor-thin majority in the House. The big race there pits middle school teacher Josh Weil against Trump-backed state Senator Randy Fine.

Democrats are angry because every time Donald Trump wins, they lose. They want open borders. They don't want to stop the waste, fraud and abuse. This is a district that is more than 25 percent age 65 and above and essential services they rely on have been put in jeopardy by this administration.

In Wisconsin, it's about the ideological control of the state Supreme Court. The race features Trump-backed conservative Brad Schimel against liberal Susan Crawford with more than $90 million already spent. That includes millions from George Soros and Elon Musk.

I don't control any of the spending from any outside group, whether it's Elon Musk or anyone else. I'm not running for anything for Elon Musk or any other person. This is about our Supreme Court. It is about our rights and it's about our state. And we're not going to let Elon Musk take any of that away from us.

Here's why this matters. State Supreme Courts are a crucial stop on the legal bullet train to the Supreme Court. Challenges to abortion rights, voting issues, redistricting, these are issues that affect all of us, and they frequently start in state courts. So I'm bringing in our group chat with CNN contributor Carrie Champion.

Democratic strategist Chuck Rocha and former White House official under President George W. Bush, Ashley Davis. Okay, we all love to talk about special elections, not just because we're immense nerds, but because...

They are also what I would call tea leaves, right? Like this is supposed to give us an idea of what might happen going forward. I see you smiling already. What are the tea leaves people are going to be looking at today? There's nothing like the smell of elections in the morning for a political consultant. So sad.

We sit around this table every week and we talk about what we think people are saying. We talk about polls. We talk about pundits. This is actually people voting. This is the greatest real test ever. And today, pay attention because it's way two different things. In Florida, you have two very Republican districts. Donald Trump carried both of those by 30 plus. And in Wisconsin, it couldn't be more even. I like to remind everybody at home, Donald Trump won Wisconsin.

just five months ago, but also a Democratic senator won a statewide election at the exact same time. It's a 50 50 state and then these two races in Florida, they just had primaries there. I remind everybody on January the 28th, just like six eight weeks ago and in that race, let's take Florida six or just one quick example.

In that primary, 41,000 Republicans voted in the Republican primary and only 16,000 Democrats. It's a very Republican seat. So this was going to be my next question. So I love the energy you have brought to this. We know. But Jeff also has worked in elections, right? You're not just here for the hat. You have actually consulted on elections. A lot. A lot.

- And so, Terry, I wanna bring in you for a second because what to you, like has this punched through? Meaning, do you hear people referencing Wisconsin? Do you hear people referencing these special election races? - Well, because earlier you said we are nerds. Perhaps in my nerd group, yes, the special elections. But to your point, this is a moment where we can see where we are as a community, as how we feel about what's happening with this current administration. I am not here for the hat. If he would allow me to wear the hat.

Elon Musk is out there talking about this, right? And the power of X. It just feels like there's a way to punch into the mainstream consciousness. You know, and I'm not from DC, I'll use this as an example. When I come here, I feel like I am more aware of what's happening. It is conversation that you hear in coffee shops. You hear where you sit at a restaurant, you know, by yourself, in my case, to eat.

But when he, you know, from California, I live in New York, you hear about it, but not so much. People are saying they believe Elon has been cover for this administration. People are mad at him when there are really other issues to be determined. But I think, as you said earlier, this race is something that we can really get the tea leaves, if you will. I want to play for you Wisconsin's Republican Senator Ron Johnson. He was asked by our Manu Raju about Elon Musk's wealth influencing the state Supreme Court election.

How do you feel, though, about him cutting personal checks to essentially get people to vote? No, I mean, they have a petition. How many tens of millions of dollars have George Soros and J.B. Pritzker put into these races? We're just not willing to unilaterally disarm.

So Johnson is absolutely right. There has been spending on both sides. The spending by Elon Musk, though, has been remarkable and in orders of magnitude more and also designed to draw in the average voter with the giant checks. So what do you see in this moment of how he's asserting himself?

Well, I think it's actually going to be very telling to see if he's the reason that people vote against the Republican candidate or not. Right. Because he had a rally in Wisconsin just a few days ago. Right. And I saw it yesterday and he had the cheese on his head. Hats are big things. Sorry, I don't mean it.

You heard it here first. But listen, I mean, George Soros has been brilliant on playing in the judge area for years. I mean, he's the most high-profile person that has been doing that. Republicans, this is the first time that someone as high-profile as Elon has spent as much money on the Republican side.

But again, first of all, it's almost $95 million total that's been spent on this race, which when I hear these numbers, I get so flustered because we could be doing such good with that money. So do the candidates because they're judges and they're going around telling people they're independent. That's what I'm just going to say on both sides. I mean, the Republican is saying you're not voting for Elon, you're voting for me. And then the Democrat...

who's currently the judge is kind of obviously she was talking about elon but i've heard her also say you're not voting for george soros or pritzker as well so i do think that the both of these candidates are trying to back themselves off the chaos

But going to Florida real quick, my thing for tonight is how many people are gonna vote? I guess like only 17% of the-- - We should be clear, we're talking about the congressional districts, the first district, and also the sixth, correct? And one is replacing Mike Waltz, who now is in the midst of both Signalgate and also holds a national security position.

and also Matt Gaetz, who's done many things, but one of them right now will not be sitting in that seat. These are safe Republican seats. They were won by Trump, they were won by Republicans. Why are we even talking about them today? - Well, the story that's gonna come out no matter what, even if the Republicans do win, they're never gonna win by the margins that Trump won. I mean, it looks like especially the Waltz seat may only be like two or 3% difference of the Republicans are ahead, obviously within the margin of error.

So I think that's going to be the story tomorrow morning, no matter what. Does that mean that they should be concerned, that Trump administration should be concerned, in your opinion? I am.

You know, here's what I think about this. I think that, and I was looking last night when I, obviously with this topic, every election right after a presidential, I mean, obviously watch Glenn Youngkin's race in Virginia. Obviously, I think he's a good governor, but like what he would have won if we weren't, it was obviously like a referendum on Biden at the time. I think these races so soon after an election, such as the presidency is...

Hold on. We're going to talk for the whole rest of the day about this. If you can believe that. We're going to be talking about this a lot today. In fact, I'm actually going to be talking to one of the candidates in today's races, Democrat Gay Valamont, who's hoping to win that seat vacated by Matt Gaetz. Plus, RNC Treasurer Joe Gruters will be here as well. Now, also coming up on CNN this morning, it was a Lone Star State showdown and the Longhorns came out on top.

the women's NCAA Final Four is set. Did your bracket survive? Plus, why one university could lose billions of dollars in funding and uncertainty and concern around the world as we brace for President Trump's tariffs. What exactly will it mean for you? I need to get something like right now so I can lock in the price before these tariffs go on. This podcast is supported by Sleep Number.

There's a reason the Sleep Number smart bed is the number one bed for couples. It's because you can each choose what's right for you whenever you like. Firmer or softer on either side, Sleep Number does that. One side cooler and the other side warmer, Sleep Number does that too. You have to feel it to believe it. Only Sleep Number smart beds let you choose your ideal comfort and support, your Sleep Number setting. Sleep Number smart beds learn how you sleep and provide personalized insights to help you sleep better.

The new Sleep Number Climate Cool Smart Bed lets you adjust up to 15 degrees cooler on either side. It's perfect for couples who struggle with sleeping too hot. Sleep better together. Why choose a Sleep Number Smart Bed? So you can choose your ideal comfort on either side. Sleep Number Smart Beds start at $999. Prices higher in Alaska and Hawaii. Exclusively at a Sleep Number store near you. See store or sleepnumber.com for details.

Alright, wake up, it's 15 minutes past the hour. I want to give you your morning roundup, some of the stories you need to know to get your day going. Harvard University could end up losing nearly $9 billion in grants. Three federal agencies say those grants are under review because the school is accused of not doing enough to suppress anti-Semitism on campus. Harvard's president says losing that money would end life-saving research.

An incredible video shows the moment the roof was ripped off of a home in Michigan. Deadly storms have swept through the area. In fact, tornadoes have touched down in at least seven states. Now, so far, several people have been confirmed killed. This did include at least three children. If you're in the area, understand a new storm system is rolling through the central plains and it could bring more tornadoes and thunderstorms. Please stay safe.

In the meantime, the NCAA's women's final four is set. Last night, Texas defeated TCU 58-47. The Longhorns make their first appearance in the final four since 2003. They're going to face South Carolina on Friday. The other final four matchup includes UCLA and UConn, who also won last night. And you got to see this.

A first of its kind mission, SpaceX blasting off overnight, sending four tourists into orbit, of course led by a Bitcoin investor. Here's the thing about where they're going that actually makes this historic. The crew will orbit the North and South Poles and they will spend a few days in space before coming back home.

Coming up after the break, you might start to see the price of everyday items go up. That's depending on what President Trump decides to do with tariffs tomorrow. Plus, all night long, Democrats staging a protest speech on the Senate floor. It's now in its 11th hour. Is it resonating with you? And good morning, Wichita.

A potent storm system is actually sweeping across that state today. You could see tornado warnings or even hail the size of tennis balls. Everyone be careful out there. - A lot of our grain and malts are sourced from overseas, from Germany and the UK, and that will impact a lot of breweries across the board. - I can tell you, you know, our costs have gone up on our cans. There's nothing I can do about it.

Could soon cost you more to crack open a cold one. You just heard from those craft brewers in Asheville, North Carolina. That's because President Trump's sweeping tariffs are expected to go into effect tomorrow.

So prices will likely go up, that part is certain. Another thing that's certain, markets don't like it. Here are the livestock futures in the red where I think they've been the last couple of days. Joining me now, Editorial Director for the Economic Innovation Group and host of the New Bizarre Podcast, Cardiff Garcia. Cardiff, welcome to the program. - Thanks for having me. - Trump did tariffs in his first term. Biden actually kept some of them. What is so different about what he's doing now? - One simple, very big difference

Both Trump won and the Biden administration largely focused on China. What's happening now is that the tariffs we're looking to implement and some of the ones that have already been implemented are large, much bigger and indiscriminate. They're being applied to allies and not just to geopolitical rivals and not just to China. You said indiscriminate. They use the term reciprocal.

which means, look, they've got tariffs on us, we've got tariffs on them. Does that wash? How do you understand that definition? Well, what's a little tricky about it is that we don't have the details yet. We'll find out a lot more tomorrow. But even then, the matter won't be settled because it's expected that a lot of countries are going to try to get exemptions for themselves. A lot of American industries and businesses are also going to try to get exemptions. In terms of the reciprocity angle here, what's a little bit tough to square is that

Other foreign countries, including the allies that we're likely to put these tariffs against, already have very low tariffs on the products that Americans sell to them. And so it's a little bit tough to see exactly what the rationale is going to be. You know, I'm awaiting this like everybody else. Yeah, which gets to the point of uncertainty, which honestly seems to be

my go-to descriptor frankly for so much of what's happening in the Trump administration. CNN's Stephen Collinson actually has a piece out this morning that says Trump has the world on edge as he mulls fateful tariffs decades in the making. Can you talk about this on edge? Because when I kind of dug into the numbers, the numbers I don't normally dig into, what I saw was just like the uncertainty is creating a problem.

Why? Yeah, so it becomes very hard for American businesses to plan what they're going to do over the course of the next year if they don't know what a lot of the intermediate inputs that they use to make their products are going to cost. So we heard from beer makers. They were even talking about the cans. We heard from coffee people earlier this week. And the Fed actually tracks this, right? They track uncertainty at the Federal Reserve of St. Louis. Can you talk about why and what it shows us if we were to look at it now?

Well, if you were to look at a chart now, I think what you'd see is that uncertainty is spiking. I mean, it's almost a vertical line. So that line all the way at the end is 2025. And it's...

the one in the middle is COVID. So we're not in that level of crisis. So why is that number so high? It's similar. And by the way, you can also see that in surveys of American individuals and businesses as well. Individuals meaning me, consumers. Consumers, people who are worried that unemployment is going to be higher in the coming year, that inflation remains persistently high. American businesses citing that uncertainty in how they make their plans for the coming year. All

All of that enacts a big economic cost. How big it's going to be, again, just depends on the details of the tariffs themselves and what comes next. All right. Cardiff Garcia, I hope you come back, especially because we might actually know more in the coming days. Cardiff Garcia is the editorial director for the Economic Innovation Group. So coming up on CNN this morning, we're going to talk about Elon Musk and his spending of millions on elections. We're also going to find out about

just how much power and influence it's giving him over voters. Plus, two astronauts in space for nine months now speaking out about their trip and revealing would they do it again? I don't think it's going to have a lot of influence on people. You vote who you vote for, right? What you believe in. And I just really don't think it's going to make a huge difference.

Voters said to the polls today in elections that could prove to be a referendum on President Trump's agenda. Good morning, everybody. I'm Adi Cornish. I want to thank you for joining us here on CNN. It's half past the hour on the East Coast, and here's what's happening right now.

In just 30 minutes, polls will open in Florida for two special elections in ruby red districts. Democrats hoping to make a slight dent in the Republicans' House majority. And in Wisconsin, it's the most expensive judicial election in U.S. history. Voters head to the polls there about an hour later.

Also today, in a last-minute bid to avoid tariffs on his country, Mexico's economic secretary is heading to D.C. President Trump has been teasing an announcement on those tariffs against global trade partners. Karen Reid, who's accused of killing her Boston police officer boyfriend, will go before a jury again, this time for her retrial. The high-profile case ended in a hung jury last year. Her defense is arguing that she was framed.

And Democrats are now in the 11th hour of a marathon Senate floor speech led by Cory Booker of New Jersey. He's been talking since late last night, pausing only briefly for questions from Democratic colleagues. He says he's protesting the actions of the Trump administration. I rise with the intention of getting in some good trouble. I rise with the intention of disrupting the normal business of the United States Senate.

for as long as I am physically able. Group chat is back to talk about this. Democrats, specifically at town halls, you have been hearing supporters say, "Do something. You need to do something." And now someone is doing something. Ashley, you're nodding. Does it... Yeah, I mean, listen, it's bringing attention to... When you're in the minority in the House and Senate, I mean, this is one way to do it, and it's bringing attention to the issues that he has with this administration.

I also, and I was joking with Chuck earlier, I'm like, are we running against Chuck Schumer for majority leader or what's he doing? Because obviously he's taking a leadership position. Oh, meeting Booker. Yeah. So I think this is probably...

a bigger move in his overall strategy, but listen, it's what you're able to do. - Ooh, let's talk strategy, Chuck. People have been talking about AOC because she has been out campaigning with Bernie Sanders, Gavin Newsom and his podcast. Anyone who sticks their neck out a little is a little bit like, are they the new leader? What do you see in what Booker's doing?

I think you see Democrats trying to find their lane of how to protest like they all have their own way working for lots of different politicians across including AOC including Bernie Sanders also includes a very conservative members everybody has their own way what they're comfortable with protesting it comes natural for AOC it's natural for Bernie don't come natural for everybody so some people are very professorial like Bill Clinton was very professorial he loved to explain things to people but he wasn't dynamic but when he talked he kind of connected so

A good consultant can figure out what their strengths are. And then you highlight their strengths. It's just like somebody on TV. Where are you best? I would also argue that with the House shutdown for oversight by Republicans, there is not a venue to have that conversation.

there. Kari, can you talk about what you're seeing in this moment and whether it'll punch through? I don't know if it'll punch through. And I think that everyone is just trying to see what will work. The Bernie and the AOC thing, I think they're looking for a different group of people. Yes, those rallies are drawing thousands of people when they touch down in those states. When they touch down. And I don't think it's the...

I think it's more people that feel like they're tired of the same old, same old from the Democrats and they want to see a little more edge and they want to see a little more fight. The same things that I think I'm seeing when I'm looking at these town hall meetings where people are just so frustrated. I don't know what Corey's

long-term play is here. I'm sure there is some strategy there. - In the short-term plays, we're talking about it. - Yeah, exactly. - So, mission accomplished. - But he looks, it's like, okay, thank you, something, something, give me something. 'Cause I feel almost as if there is, well, it's not even feel, it's true, there's no fight. It's so lackluster. - You're saying there is no fight. Chuck, is there no fight? - There's fight that you wouldn't know was fight unless you've been in a fight. - Is that good enough? - No, it's not good enough.

I also think that this is part of the Trump strategy. He's putting so much out to fight about even this third term conversation over the weekend.

What we're not talking about right now is the signal issue right because he's diverted it I mean, that's all I've been talking about the last few days. I think that was a good strategy for four years Yeah, but you know I'm really glad you brought that up because one of the people I noted who was talking about Signalgate was Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports Yeah, going on to X giving this direct-to-camera speech about how Mike Walt should be fired That is a that's not a pundit

That's not, you know, that's like injecting it into, yeah, tell me more. He has a huge, huge Republican following. He's known for going after people. I talked to them in the break about, you know, stick to sports and how politics and sports are always intersecting. And he's always usually on the conservative side. He was the one who was really upset with about,

the way the women were being treated, or Caitlin Clark more specifically, and he created that divisive conversation. But for him to come on and say that, that was huge, and he was very clear about this. He was like, this is not what we signed up for. Yeah, but I'm bringing it up because it's all about punching through. How does something go beyond this table to everyone else's kitchen tables to their phones? And Ashley, that felt like a problem for

for Trump and the MAGA to have that be talked about. - Yeah, absolutely, but I also think that there is a swelling of very conservatives on the right that are really angry at Waltz about this, and I think that's the target.

They're not going, the right's not going after Hegseth because they feel he's just being targeted, right or wrong. But Waltz is the conservative's target. The reason that that punched through is nobody knows what USAID did, including me, and I'm a consultant. You know what they know? They know that they put somebody wrong on their signal chat. Like, oh my God, I included Mama, and I was trying to get my boy.

on this thing. They were like, wait, you're in charge of national security and you're putting people on your signal chat? Folks are like, I can relate with that. Okay, don't let Chuck fool you playing dumb here on USAID. He does know. Okay, but stay with us because we are going to talk more on CNN this morning about election day in April, special election, two House elections in Florida that could lead to even slimmer margins for Republicans in Congress.

And then also, why is Joe Rogan saying that one recent move from the Trump administration has gone too far? We're going to bring back the group chat after this. The new season of United States of Scandal has bribery, fraud, undercover agents and politicians suffering from a moral virus. You know, the usual. United States of Scandal with Jake Tapper, Sunday at 9 on CNN.

In just moments, polls open in Florida for two special elections, posing the first major test for Republicans since the 2024 election. There were two House seats up for grabs in districts that overwhelmingly voted for President Trump.

That doesn't mean Democrats aren't still looking to make up ground and narrow the House GOP majority. Joining me now to talk about one of those races is Gaye Vallemont, the Democratic nominee in Florida's first congressional district. I want to thank you so much for joining us today. You're running as a Democrat, obviously, at a time when the Democratic Party is actually really struggling in their polling numbers. I think a CNN poll found that

just 29% of voters have a favorable view. That's the lowest since the 90s. Are you worried that the national brand could hurt you in this state special election race? - I mean, I guess a little bit, but I've spent 19 months talking to the people of this district. They should know who I am by now. And I believe that is gonna work to my benefit.

You also have a very high number of federal workers in your district. And I'm wondering for you how you have been feeling the effects of the cuts and sort of reimagining of federal agencies. What are they saying to you that you're actually able to talk about in your campaigning? - Oh yeah, we are having, so we have 20,000 federal workers that work in our district. That's of the 90,000 in Florida.

Because we're made up of active duty military bases, retired military vets, and retired civilians. So we are having lots of kickbacks from what's going on, particularly with our federal workers walking in the door from the IRS, from the Social Security office, wondering if they're going to have a job the next day. And our vets are really struggling.

You've got more than half, I think 55% of registered voters in your district are Republican. So you're looking for crossover votes, even if you're just narrowing down the margins in a district that traditionally was very Republican. How have you changed your message? What do you talk about to these Republicans to get them to maybe cast their vote for you? - Well, what I'm telling them is that I live here. My opponent doesn't even live in the district, which is not illegal, but a little unethical.

People know that from the beginning, even when I was running against Matt Gaetz, that I am the only one that's ever really wanted to represent them.

This district is very special to me. I will always live here no matter what, win or lose. And I will always take care of the people here. It means a lot to me. And I think that Republicans understand the mission. Now, we need somebody here that's going to actually be a surrogate to the federal government for us when we have not had that representation in many, many years.

You're replacing, obviously you mentioned Matt Gaetz. I mean, is part of your argument what the House Republicans are or are not doing in this last couple of months? How are you talking about this? Or are you leaving national issues alone? - Well, national issues kind of don't work into our politics. I mean, what we're concerned about right now are the Doge cuts. And I believe that the majority of people voted for Donald Trump because they wanted some sort of change.

but the people that were told that they were going to cut the deep state thought that was going to happen in DC. They didn't believe that it was going to happen right here at home. And we're seeing the effects. These people that are losing their jobs on our military bases,

have very specific jobs. They're not going to be able to find a job across town. They're going to have to pick up their family and move and take their money out of our local economy. That's going to affect us locally. And that's what I'm concerned about, preserving jobs for this district and making sure that we take care of our vets. Gaye Balamon in Florida in your special election today. Thank you so much for talking with us. Thank you.

and to be clear we invited valamont's republican opponent jimmy patronus on air as well he said he was unable to join us fortunately we are joined by florida state senator joe gruters he's also the treasurer of the republican national committee committee senator thank you for being with us here first i want to get your reaction from what we just heard from gay valamon who's looking to flip the seat that was once held by matt gates

What does the fact that she's actually raised more than $6 million for her race, what does that say to you, someone who's watching the money?

Well, listen, if you look at all these special elections, what's happening is every day the president winning the intensity on the left and their base increases. That's why these races are close. But at the end of the day, you have Jimmy Petronas, who's probably one of the nicest, one of the most well-respected elected officials in all of Florida running for this congressional district. Not only that, he's one of the president's good friends. He has a great relationship with them. He's going to be able to go up there.

you know, with a running start and it doesn't matter how much money she raises, Jimmy Petronas is absolutely going to destroy her because I think that Florida is Trump country, CD1 specifically with veterans,

the voters of District 1 are gonna wanna champion at the end of the day. And there's no better champion to have, Jimmy Petronas. - The thing is, it's Florida and these districts, they have been Trump country for a long time. In a way, we're reporting on them because there's this chance that those margins could be smaller. And you mentioned the money.

Josh Welf fundraised nearly 10 times more than your candidate state senator Randy Fine. So your argument is that Trump is winning and that activates people, but we're talking about large sums of people kind of putting their money where their mouth is.

Well, listen, it goes back to it's because the president is winning on a daily basis. These these donations are not from inside the district. They are from outside the district. It's probably going to end up being a 15 to one margin in CD six with Randy Fine. And let me tell you that Randy Fine is the Hebrew hammer. He's probably going to be the smartest guy in Congress, a double Harvard grad graduate.

Absolutely crushed it here in Tallahassee. And he's another guy who's going to go up there and have an immediate impact because what both these guys are going to do is they're going to be team players with the president. And they both agree with the president's agenda. They were handpicked by the president. And it doesn't matter how much the Democrats raise. Both these guys are going to win big.

Given what you just said, I want to bring up something that we heard from a local GOP chairman who told the Associated Press, if we don't win decisively, then we have failed. Is anything less than a blowout a warning sign to national Republicans?

No, because what you've seen in Iowa, what you saw in Pennsylvania last week, it goes back to the fact that the left is motivated. This happens every election cycle. When somebody wins, when Barack Obama won, what happened? The Tea Party emerged and we started winning all these special elections. The Democrats are in the same position now. They're upset and frustrated because the president is doing such a great job. It'd be one thing if President Trump went into office and didn't do anything.

But every single day he's winning. He's winning for the American people. And as a result, these two candidates directly represent the president of the United States. They represent his policies. It's going to be a win. It doesn't matter if they win by one point or 30 points. A win is a win. It's going to increase our majority in Congress. They're going to be able to help the president pass his agenda up in D.C. At this point, are these referendums on Trump or Elon Musk?

uh listen at the end of the day this is about the agenda and the policies the president elon musk is pushing the president's agenda listen we're 36 trillion dollars in debt uh the president's always been for the american people and trying to make sure the working man and trying to make sure that we have the the fairest possible trade deal that we put americans first over and over and over again some people don't want to have america be number one it

everything. I know President Trump very well. He wants America to be number one across the board. He loves America. He loves Americans. And he's doing everything he can. And these candidates directly reflect the president. They will both win tonight. And they're both going to deliver on behalf of Florida up in Congress. And they're going to make sure president's agenda is first and foremost on the minds of everybody in D.C. after they win. All right, Joe's treasurer of the National Republican Committee. Thank you for your time. Appreciate it.

Thank you so much. And to track the latest updates on these special elections, be sure to follow CNN for complete coverage. CNN Election Night begins tonight at 6 Eastern.

It's 50 minutes past the hour. Want to give you your morning roundup. A few more stories to get your day going. Dozens of IRS employees placed on leave. Sources say the group included some of the agency's top cyber security experts. It comes as the Trump administration looks to finalize controversial plans to share taxpayer information with immigration authorities.

And a gas pipeline burst this morning, causing a massive fire in Malaysia. Here you can see the flames. They could be seen for miles. At one point, rescuers had to save people who were trapped. When their homes caught fire nearby, others had to be evacuated. And the astronauts who unexpectedly spent nine months in space said they were amazed by all the attention their journey received. They actually did a Q&A about it. Given the opportunity, would you guys go up on Starliner again? Yes.

because we're going to rectify all the issues that we encounter. Butch Wilmore says as the commander of the Starliner, he regrets not asking more questions before lifting off last year. He says those answers could have made a difference.

And the Trump administration now admitting that a Maryland father from El Salvador was mistakenly deported to a super prison. Government lawyers just confirmed that the man who was granted protected status in 2019 was deported due to quote, "an administrative error."

But here's the thing. The administration argues he can't be brought back because now he's in El Salvador's custody. Cases like this are starting to break into the national conversation about deportations. Here's podcaster Joe Rogan. You got to get scared that people who are not criminals are getting like lassoed up and deported and sent to like El Salvador prisons. This is kind of.

Crazy that that could be possible. That's horrific and that's again. That's bad for the cause like the cause is let's get the gang members out everybody agrees

So can President Trump's aggressive immigration policies backfire if these kinds of supporters are starting to question him? I want to bring it back to the group. Chuck, yeah. This is a very personal thing for me and my firm. One of my business partners who's an immigrant from El Salvador has been in this country legally for 22 years. She was about when she was four years old. We're having a wedding this weekend in Puerto Rico, and I literally told her she should not come because we are worried. What if she got stopped? She has TPS. She's protected.

But if she got scooped into this, you know how much guilt I would have? How much hell we would put her family through? Like it's real and I think that's why you're starting to see Joe Rogan and other people talk about this. Sure, deport bad people. If you've done something in this country, do that. But it's people like my business partner, Daisy's and others who've been here paying taxes and playing by the rules. Hell, she don't even drink.

These are the people we should want here. And we were talking earlier about what punches through, what creates what people call unearned media, where people are just covering the story because of the person who's saying it, the messenger. What do you make of this messenger? I think this is interesting because I think there are people,

who would believe Joe Rogan would just say what he needed to say to support Trump. - And these are lengthy episodes. We're just playing a clip or two. This means he's spending time on this. - He has hour plus time. He flushes it out. He talks to you. I listen to his podcast. That's the kind of conversation that brings people that are in the middle more to understanding why he is who he is.

And earlier we talked about Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports. That punches through because these people traditionally seem like they're part of that bro code. And so now I'm thinking, oh, well, this is not going to work for this administration. Are people really going to start turning? I want to play that clip of Portnoy. As we mentioned, he's the founder of Barstool Sports. In this case, he was talking about the president and I don't know what we're calling it. Signalgate, Signalstaffoo, Fubargate. Here it is.

Jeffrey Goldberg is telling the truth. It's obvious these texts are real. It's obvious they're classified. It's obvious we gave away the strike information two hours before it happened. We are lucky it didn't cause the death of American military members. Somebody has to go down for this.

Ashley, can I get your response? I feel like no amount of messaging, talk at points, boardroom tats about what to say can counter something like that. No, and I think this is how a lot of Americans are getting their news right now. I mean, my son who's 16 has watched Joe Rogan for years or listened to him for years before I even knew who he was. And that's how he gets his information. But I do have to say about the signal conversation, listen, it was a big mistake. And I think that especially like

My national security background. It was a huge mistake. However, there is an investigation going on right now, obviously, with the I.G. Even as the White House is saying case closed, you're saying there is no Republicans in the Senate are doing it. So I think that but I think that American people probably have moved on unless there's something else that comes out. But that's going to bring it back. We're talking about still because of what he said.

I want to bring it back to this father who was mistakenly deported. It feels like so much of this conversation from the White House has relied on

maybe saying the person at the center of something is basically bad, and therefore, why should you care about them as much, right? Whether it be someone who is a pro-Palestinian student protester, whether it is in this case a father, whether it's a Venezuelan gang members, the idea is public sentiment isn't gonna rise

for this person. Here's Senator Cory Booker speaking about the case during his all-night Senate speech, because here's how he's framing it. No one should be denied due process that the government can't walk up to a human being and grab them off the street and put them on a plane and send them to one of the most notorious prisons in the world and just say, as one of our authority did, oopsie.

Yeah, oopsie. Like, that's powerful. I don't know. Why is that powerful? Because it literally feels that way. Oh, we made an administrative error, but here's the, as you're reading it, you're saying, and he can't come back. Yeah. Actually, you've got national security. That is terrifying. Yeah, help us translate. This is a tough one because, as you know, I'm pretty tough on the,

the border in general and making sure that we are getting people out of the country that are causing crimes and are dangerous. But there are stories like this that are going to continue to happen that is not going to be a good reflection on the administration. That's when we have rules. That's when we have laws. When we say due process, all we will do is make sure if they're gang members, sure. They're gang members, not somebody's father.

and that's all they're saying in the due process is just saying look let's make sure that they are in a gang let's make sure that they did commit a crime and then deport them if that's what you choose to do let's just make sure it's not somebody innocent do we do we tie up our court systems based on people that are in our country illegally

Look, we're the greatest country in the world, the greatest town, but when it seemed like we could figure out how to walk and chew gum, it's 250 people. It wasn't a ton of people. That's a beautiful thing that you just said. We can walk and chew gum. We can figure it out. I think that if we see more of this, and this is so dangerous in my opinion, plain clothes people walking up to people with

badges, if you will, in arresting people, they're going to find somebody who's not going to go willingly and it's not going to be pretty sitting on the side of the street of what could possibly happen. And I think in the U.S., we, A, do care about due process. We feel like it sets us apart from other countries. And B, what you described, the idea of being taken off the street in this capacity is...

unnerving to hear the lack of due process. It's unnerving for regular people to hear. I think that this is somehow getting into the conversation in an unexpected way. This is why we need some sort of change in our laws in regards to having people that are here. From your lips to God's ears, like it's been broken for a long time. No party, Democrats or Republicans, have had the intentional fortitude to actually fix it.

because they need to pay the politics we were we were this close in two thousand seven which you can remember with kennedy and i covered that as well and then it blew up because of the banks fell well also every bipartisan like congressional kind of comprehensive immigration reform blows up at a certain point they never quite get there i want to talk about what you guys are keeping an eye on in the next couple of days chuck let me start with you

Well, keep an eye on lots of things. First, it's election day in America, so I'm looking at results tonight. How bad do we win or lose? But also, we're moving into basketball weekend, Final Four, so I'm watching that. And for all of you on here, you should know I am from Texas. This hat is not a problem. Five slamma jamma, I'm going to ride Houston all the way to the end. I don't know what any of that means, Carrie. I don't know what it means.

But I'm excited. He's going for Houston. That's what you're saying. Actually, that's funny because we were just talking to somebody about here. Hey, he's going for Houston over there as well. I am. I'm being realistic. All number ones aren't created equal. I don't want to be rude because they all are number ones. Yeah, that is rude. Continue. Yeah, so I'm going to go

with Duke and I was just saying their offense just clicks so well. Houston has great defense and I say defense wins championships but Duke just looks so special and they're so big. The shortest player on the team is 6'6". They're the biggest team in D1 basketball right now. And this cool flag's a superstar so who do you

- Who do you have? - Cooper Flagg. No, I'm not getting involved in that. I'm scared. - Okay, we won't actually. - So to be completely honest, I really don't care that much. However, I try to connect with my 16 year old any way I can. - I love those teens. - Yes, and so he's got Florida and Duke. So I just, you know. - What is with you guys rooting for like,

Okay, so this is so... It's supposed to be Cinderella stories. All the Cinderella stories are gone because we're now in the final four. All the number ones are there. We went essentially chalk, not really, but chalk. So now we have Duke, and I'm like, let's return to a time when things were normal. Okay. And if you believe that time is ahead, I want to thank you for waking up with us. I'm Adi Cornish. We're going to give you more headlines because CNN News Central starts right now.

Have you heard you can listen to your favorite news podcasts ad-free? Good news. With Amazon Music, you have access to the largest catalog of ad-free top podcasts, included with your Prime membership. To start listening, download the Amazon Music app for free or go to amazon.com slash ad-free news podcasts. That's amazon.com slash ad-free news podcasts to catch up on the latest episodes without the ads.

This week on The Assignment with me, Adi Cornish. Is there a place in the U.S. that Democrats can point to and say, see, this is the way forward? Well, first of all, let me just say it is truly an honor to represent the working people of the greatest city in the entire country, right? And that's the city of Chicago. Mayor Brandon Johnson is the leader of a city seen by many as the very symbol of Democratic dysfunction. But he says we should give Chicago a second look.

And that despite the blowback from the Trump White House, we shouldn't underestimate Democratic city leaders at the forefront of navigating the new political landscape. Listen to The Assignment with me, Adi Cornish, streaming now on your favorite podcast app.