Trump's 'fake polls', WH infighting, Ohio ad controversy & more | Erin Burnett OutFront this week

Trump's red state rescue. The president tonight  defending Kansas. His ally, Republican Senator. Roger Marshall, is in danger of losing in a state  where Republicans have held both Senate seats for. nearly a century. And now Trump has to spend  the precious last days of the campaign in a. state that few would ever have imagined would be  in play. Is it a bad sign for Republicans that. you have to go campaign in Kansas today? 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. He's uh I think he's tied or up  by a little bit according to polls. Look, the polls are fake. All right. Trump did  win Kansas by a lot. And it shouldn't have. to be a thing. But if the polls are fake, you  know, if Trump really thought they were fake, obviously he wouldn't bother going to Kansas,  right? Because he wouldn't have to worry about. it. There would be other more important places  to be. swing states, for example. So, you know, his actions speak a lot louder than his words.  He also wasted no opportunity casting doubt.

on the integrity of America's upcoming  election. And I mean, as I said, right, this is not where Republicans spend their time  campaigning. They don't need to go to Kansas. It. is also not a place where they would pour millions  of dollars in ads to try to prop up a Republican. candidate. It simply would not be necessary. Well,  as Trump referenced that poll, a recent New York. Times poll did find Marshall in a dead heat with  his Democratic opponent, Pastor Adam Hamilton. 4545. Now, Marshall won his last election by  more than 11 percentage points. So, obviously,

this is a flashing red sign for Republicans.  And whatever the polls are or aren't, Trump sure. believes them. Marshall raised just $800,000  between July and September. His Democratic. challenger, Adam Hamilton, got $9 million in  just the same time frame. That is a stunning. differential. And Kansas is far from the only  red state where Trump has traveled to recently. With the exception of New York, Trump won all  of the other states that he has campaigned in.

North Carolina, special place. And hello to  Oklahoma. We love Alabama. I love Nebraska. Hello. to the great state of Texas. Very special. Hello  to Tennessee. I like Ohio. Hello, Montana. Say a. very special hello to Arizona. Thank you, Alaska.  Hello, Georgia. A very special hello to Kentucky. Pretty much none of those states would be states  that he would be spending time in if this weren't.

the sort of election that it it looks like  it might be. Later this week, he's going to. go to North Carolina, South Carolina, Iowa, and  Florida. All also on that list. And early voting, by the way, is underway in many of those states.  In fact, more than 9 million people have already. voted. And it was just last month that Trump said  he would travel to the biggest swing states that. that's where he would spend his time. But he's  really only been to well less than a third of. them and he's ramping up his red state tour. And  as part of all of this, there's been this strange.

talking point that's emerged. If you watch Trump  and how he conducts himself, which actually is. really important and sometimes because people have  become so inured and immune to the things that he. says and does, we forget to mention it. So, it  is worth mentioning this that he what he talks. about in terms of candidates and how they look. I  actually think Mike Collins is a good-looking man. And and he's all man. These are handsome,  beautiful. These are like central casting guys.

I looked at his ass and I looked at the whole and  then I looked at his hands. Look at that jawline. I'm telling you, he's a handsome guy. Look at  this beautiful guy. Great guy. Young, handsome. guy. He's a handsome guy. You're a handsome guy.  Well, Aaron, it's really remarkable that Kansas. has emerged as one of the most competitive  battleground races in this midterm election. Democrats are hoping that they can make a Senate  victory for the first time here since 1932. So,

President Trump has arrived on site. He is  expected to stomp for Senator Roger Marshall, the Republican who is in a much tighter thanex  expected race against the Democrat Adam Hamilton, that mega church pastor. The president has  framed Hamilton as radical left. Hamilton, meanwhile, we are seeing in the polls that  are just neck andneck has been able to peel. off some registered Republican voters. And the  president's appearance here just 15 days away. from that midterm election really underscores how  Republicans are on the defense in these reliably.

red places and we are seeing Republican aligned  groups pour millions of dollars into bolstering. Marshall's candidacy. The strategy here and for  all of President Trump's midterm travel this. week is to bolster turnout among his MAGA base.  They're not necessarily looking to find new voters. or persuade undecided voters. They're looking to  turn out the voters that they have. have and I've. talked to a number of undecided voters in the  Witchah area, including some actually here at. this rally who haven't decided who they are going  to vote for. And economic discontent is the main.

issue. The high price of diesel, the high price of  gas, the president's tariff policies, all a major. issue of concern. I spoke with one Republican  who's on the ballot and he is increasingly. worried that these policies are going to impact  Republicans up and down that ballot. Republicans, he says, are disillusioned. Democrats, meanwhile,  he says, are motivated. And there's some data to. back that up from the Secretary of State's office  indicating that Democratic voter registration is.

significantly up. Aaron, what does it say to you  that President Trump is in your state? He is in. Kansas tonight with two weeks to go. Well, it uh  first of all, it says what a incredibly poor job. Roger Marshall has done as an incumbent United  States senator. Uh in fact, I'm I have yet to. understand what platform he is running for  reelection on. I mean, as you just outlined, gas prices, grocery prices, the cost of everything  is just skyhigh. Uh the tariff wars have have have.

hurt the agricultural sector significantly. I  mean, ironic that they're in Witchah where Trump. has taken pot shots at one of the leading  employers in that city, Bombardier, which. essentially is Lear Jet, been a been a fixture  in Witchah since the late 1950s. So, I mean, the fact that this is happening is is a testament  to how poorly Republicans have performed Roger and.

and others and the president in Washington. So,  Adam Hamilton told and obviously he's who you're. supporting in the Senate race. He's the Democrat  uh pastor running in in Kansas. Just told Jake. Tapper that he's happy to see Trump in Kansas.  Here's his logic. I took it as a big compliment. I took it as a statement that the Republican party  felt they needed to send the most powerful man in. the country to try to save Roger Marshall. And  um I I think it's only going to hurt him. So, I I'm glad he's here. So, do you agree with him?  And I guess the context around that governor that.

I'd like to put is Betsy Klein's reporting that  she's at a Trump rally where she said she spoke to. people who described themselves as undecided and  that while they said the economy is our top issue, they're they're undecided, but they're there at  a Trump rally. Obviously, they're still open to. to Trump and Marshall. Well, I mean, going to a  Trump rally is kind of like going to the freak. show at the carnival. I mean, what's he going  to say? What's he going to do? It's always very.

entertaining, but but whether or not it it it  translates into increased voter turnout on behalf. of Roger Marshall is, in my opinion, uh yet to be  seen and and hard to be believed. I mean, this is. this is just another indication of I think Trump's  infatuation with his own self, loving to get in. front of audiences. there obviously, you know,  the MAGA crowd that's going to to adore him, uh, which he he gravitates towards, but whether it has  any real political benefit, in fact, if anything,

it as as Adam Hamilton has said, this may end up  energizing his supporters even more. Well, Trump, of course, you know, he comes to to to Kansas  and he talks about Marshall in glowing terms, right before he left. He's just uh I I believe  taking the stage now, but just before he left, he said this. Going to take a nice trip to Kansas  where we have a wonderful Senator Marshall. He's. going to do very well. I think he's going to uh  win. Roger Marshall is one of the finest people in.

in government as far as I'm concerned. 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. Many of us have have have have said. that that electing a Democrat to the United States  Senate in Kansas is is probably not probable, but in this instance, it is possible. Uh we have  the right candidate. He has the right message.

Uh he's running against an incumbent who is  is, you know, has nothing to run on. I mean, just saying we ought to reelect Roger Marshall cuz  he's a nice guy. the president thinks he's a nice. guy because he says yes every time the president  asks him to do something. Uh as I've said before, uh part of my problem as a former executive branch  official is I actually respect the legislative. branch and the role they're supposed to play  in the checks and balances and the president. loves Roger Marshall because he's abdicated  any responsibility to be a check on President.

Trump. Countdown to election day, which is now  less than two weeks away because, you know, we're on Tuesday night. though we'll be almost  done voting in two weeks. And in these final days, the president is tonight in North Carolina trying  to keep the state's current Republican Senate seat. from turning Carolina blue. Trump has his work cut  out for him, though, because a new poll from North. Carolina shows Trump's candidate, Michael Wattley,  trailing the state's former governor, Democrat Roy. Cooper, by double digits. I mean, that is a  massive a massive differential. That's not a.

neck-and-neck poll. And it doesn't stop there. One  of the nation's top election forecasters tonight, Larry Sabado, moving 28 House races towards  Democrats. And that is across 20 states, not. a single one moving in the Republican direction.  The Cook Political Report tonight is moving two. Senate races in the Deep South to the left. Those  states Mississippi and South Carolina. Now, it is. no wonder, given all of that, that Republicans are  now keeping their distance from Trump. In fact, um, John Cenounu really takes the cake on  this. Let's just show you this new ad from.

the New Hampshire Republican Senate candidate  and that is of course John Cenounu. The way. Chris Papis tells it, "I'm President Trump's  long lost son. I've never even met the man.". I mean, here's the thing. It's not like it was  an interview where it just came out. I mean, he recorded an ad. They checked it. He probably  did like 20 takes. It wasn't a slip of the tongue. Never met the man. And it's a whole new level  of napalm from a man that Republicans used to.

fall all over themselves to get close to and  say that they knew. And CNU is not alone. He's. joining a long list of Republicans now running  from Trump. Byron Dan Donald. He is rolling. running for governor in Florida. Donald's all  but erase Trump from his campaign website. It. was literally a day where you know Trump all over  it and the next day he was gone. And Fox News. tonight shifted that race in the dem direction  of the Democratic nominee David Jolly. So there. are warning signs obviously and that seemed to  tee Trump up to offer once again money to people.

this time if they report cases of corruption  or fraud. If you turn somebody in and you let's. say report and you find a billion dollars we  are giving a commission to that person of 1%. Now, when it comes to putting billions on things,  if we're going to look at people who are involved. in billion dollar gains on corruption, well, that  just is going to raise a whole lot of questions,

isn't it? It comes less than 24 hours after Trump  promised American farmers more money as well. I'm also pleased to announce that the Department  of Agriculture will be launching a new harvest. fuel relief program providing our farmers with  $8 billion in support. And of course, there's. the $5,000 checks. Remember that Trump said that  Americans would get all Americans if Republicans.

kept control of Congress. One thing is for sure  when it comes down to actually what Americans. think about all this, they're already voting. So  far, more than 11 million votes have been cast in. 41 states as well as the District of Columbia. And  more and more Americans are turning out. You're. seeing uh numbers that are back up or topping even  presidential years in some states. But Trump's. issue message on issue number one for voters at  least remains the same. We have more growth than. this country has ever had and we have more growth  than any country in the world is having right now.

We have the single greatest moment in the history  of our country in terms of the economy. Now, America does not have more growth than it's  ever had. I that's just that's just fact. You could look was very easy to see. But in fact,  if you look at the most recent quarterly growth, it was half the rate as it was in the same quarter  of 2023, just as one example. Okay. So Trump lied. there and Americans know it, which is why he is  spending his final weeks on the road traveling. to the reddest of red states that should not be  issues for Republicans, but now are major question.

marks. North Carolina, special place. And hello  to Oklahoma. We love Alabama. I love Nebraska. Hello to the great state of Texas. Very special  hello to Tennessee. I like Ohio. Hello Montana. Say a very special hello to Arizona. Thank you,  Alaska. Hello, Georgia. A very special hello to. Kentucky. Thank you very much, Kansas. I love you,  Kansas. Kristen Holmes is out front in Greenville,

North Carolina. That's where Trump is tonight.  And Kristen, you've got some new reporting, I know. What are you learning? Well, Erin, even  though those midterms are two weeks away, inside. the White House, the knives are out. There is fear  of a rampage by President Trump if they do lose. those midterms, particularly both the Senate and  the House, and it's led to some brutal internal. jockeying. One, we have seen knives out for Chief  of Staff Susie Wilds. There was some perception.

among some of the administration that because she  was not there when Katie Zachariah had been hired, that that meant that President Trump was looking  for replacements. We've seen multiple reports on. that. We've seen uh the attacks and the reports on  James Blair as well as Chris Los Sevita. We know. that in addition to those different allies, there  are administration officials across the board. who are looking for potential openings. There  have been conversations speculation that some.

cabinet officials might want to get out before  Democrats take over. Fear of those Democratic. investigations. One of the people that there's  been a much speculation about is Secretary of. Defense Pete Hexath, who is expected to  be a very main focus for those Democrats. right out of the gate. Another speculation has  been around Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, that he's going to try uh and leave and go into  some kind of lucrative private energy industry.

Just right now, the real the real focus, Erin,  is that the knives are out. and you're seeing. that leaking and that infighting that this  administration this time around had been very. good at controlling. So we we talk about the  top concern obviously for many voters it was. the economy and then there was that recent Fox  poll SE that showed it was corruption right that. corruption was the top thing. So Trump saw that  because it's on Fox and so now he's going to pay. people if they expose corruption. I'll I'll play  again the claim here of the money you could get.

The kind of money that's been stolen is trillions  from this country by crooked politicians that. made things and set things up. Crooked  attorney generals like we have in New York, like we have in Minnesota, like we have I can name  all of them. I don't know if um you know how much. money money they're getting, but he's saying  you know it's a percent. So if it's a billion, it's a lot. Now, I mean, just according to  Forbes, Trump is an estimated $2.7 billion richer.

uh now than he was when he came into office. So,  you know, what's the corruption that voters are. are most worried about? Well, just before air, um  the White House official ex account posted this, right? if you've seen fraud, if you notice fraud,  they're all here. And it was a long list of people. pointing to Trump and then listing all of the  people he's pardoned for fraud, right? So I mean. this really just probably unintentionally draws  attention draws the eye to Trump's own corruption.

and this problem of corruption that is Eric Deers  who who exposed Kimberly Wilfoil and says there's. more to come does he get paid a finder fee percent  of the of the AMX bill there really is something. of a OJ looking for the real killer kind of  this if I did it and and you know I mean it. really goes on and on. We talk about hard and it's  like 15 minutes before we went on air the New York. Times came up with a came out with an exclusive  story about another group bunch of people being.

hired who are friendly with Trump a former lawyer  two former lawyers to for a billionaire to get. a pardon and it just never stops and that's what  people associate when they're thinking corruption. when those polls that Harry's going to cite um  talk about corruption they're thinking of this. administration they're not thinking of Tish James  and and that is what the polling shows the polls. show that Democrat rats have a double-digit  advantage on which party is more trusted on. corruption. We are a long way away from 2016 in  which corruption was an issue that Donald Trump.

hammered Hillary Clinton over and over and over  again. Trump's net approval rating on corruption. is minus 20 minus 30 points, perhaps even worse  depending on which poll you look at. The the name. of the game has stayed the same, but the game is  fought over a very different ground from what it. once was. Ugly. The Ohio governor's race is now  firmly in the gutter and tonight the president. is defending one of the is what is one of the most  controversial political ads in memory. An ad paid.

for by Republican nominee Vik Ramiswami featuring  the aranged mother of Ramaswani's Democratic. opponent Amy Actton. The ad calls her daughter  a liar and not fit for office. Actton's mother. who fled the state with her husband after a grand  jury indicted him for raping Amy Actton when she. was a child. It is the worst thing imaginable.  And tonight, President Trump is defending the. ad. The fact is I know nothing about it. But  uh I heard the mother went very rogue on the.

daughter. Doesn't have a lot of respect for the  daughter and I think the mother is a witness to. things also. So who knows? And you'll have to  figure that out. It's a very unusual situation. to have a mother hate a daughter that much, but  I don't think that has anything to do with me. Trump actually seemed to know quite a bit about  the situation. Now, Actton has been open that she. has not seen her mother since she was 12 years  old because that's when she testified that her.

stepfather abused her. A grand jury indicted  him on a rape charge of a child, pedophilia. Her stepfather and her mother then fled the  state together to avoid facing those charges. These allegations are horrific. Abuse, rape, and  pedophilia. And even as Democrats and Republicans. are disgusted and stunned, the two most prominent  Republicans in America, Trump and Vance, are defending Ramaswani. The Democrats in the  state of Ohio are obsessed because guess what?

Viv Ramaswami had the audacity to run a TV  commercial which calls it out like it is. and calls Amy Actton a liar. I have to admit that  I'm a little bit disgusted when I see Republicans. across the country who are whining more about  that advertisement than they are about what the. congressional Democrats and other Democrats  want to do to the United States of America.

So Vance is disgusted by people who are  disgusted by a candidate running an an ad. legitimizing a mother who defended her husband  when a grand jury returned an indictment saying. that he raped her daughter. Does he truly know  the details? Because it doesn't seem possible. that he's disgusted by people who are disgusted  by that. And the Republican who took over Vance's. Senate seat does not think the ad is acceptable.  John Husted is in locked in a tight race against. Democratic nominee shared Brown. He told the AP he  would not have run that ad. Here's what Republican.

Congresswoman Nancy Mace just told Jake Tapper.  This ad is going to go down as the most shameful, disgusting, offensive ad this election season.  Trump's former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, another whining Republican calling Ramaswami quote  a bad guy. Well, Ramiswani's ad was also the final. straw for his Republican opponent in the primary.  Yeah, it's revolting. They don't have anything.

left. Uh VC's already a loser. You know, if this  is the kind of crap they do, if gets in office, you can be sure they're going to lead with zero  moral compass. It's time to break the spell. of the party lines. I I don't love it, but I'd  rather see Amy be the governor than Vbec. Again, he's a Republican. And the historically  conservativeleaning editorial board of. the Columbus Dispatch also endoring endorsing  Actton, writing, "The reckless behavior of this.

Ohio governor candidate can't be ignored."  And the fallout doesn't stop there. Tonight, one of the nation's top election forecasters,  Larry Sabado, changed the race for governor in. that state from tossup to lean Democrat. It is  not the only race that Trump, Vance, and others, though, are unleashing innuendo and insults  about. Like when Vance last week suggested. suggested I mean he all but said it that Texas  Democratic Senate nominee James Telerico is gay.

I love you too sir in a totally platonic way to  be clear. I'm the vice president not James Karico. And in Michigan, this is what Trump and Senator  Ted Cruz are saying in their closing arguments. to take down the Democratic Senate nominee,  Abdul Alied. To me, he's Muhammad and he's. a radical jihadist. I believe this man is Muslim  Brotherhood. There's every reason to believe Abdul.

Al sayed would share that classified information  with Muslim Brotherhood terrorists. That is a. stunning charge. And those of course are claims  designed to weaponize Elsa's Muslim faith. Ads. like Ramiswami's all these things do not come from  a place of strength. You don't go running an ad. like that from the mother of someone um who said  their stepfather raped them. You don't do that.

from a position of strength. And today a brand new  CNN poll finds Trump's approval rating at a record. low, just 32%. Perhaps desperate times call for  desperate measures. He's underwater when it comes. to handling the economy, immigration, and foreign  affairs. Governor Graves, when when you see these. kinds of attacks uh being used obviously by the  president, the vice president and and others, right? Um the vague Ramaswani in these closing  weeks of the election, right? Um the ad itself,

defending the ad, uh all but saying Talerico is  is gay as as to a reason not to vote for him. Um. calling Elsad a jihadist. Um Do do these come from  a position of strength as you see it? You know, I certainly not, Aaron. And I think um I may have  said before, you know, if you're if you're digging. yourself into a hole, stop digging. Um this  is just uh gotten almost crazy, inexplicable.

um that that starting with the president and  the vice president that Republicans are are. doubling down multiple times over on what I  think are real strategic mistakes in in the. way they're conducting their campaigns. I mean,  I think that this is probably uh the final nail. in the coffin in the Ohio governor's race. I just  think people will react so negatively to to this. kind of of of of ad u that he's probably  you know he's probably taking himself out.

of having any chance to win this race and for a  guy that has all the money that he allegedly has. uh whoever he's paying to advise him to do this  kind of stuff probably needs to be fired. I saw. the ad and my first reaction is when you bring  family into politics, it is a high high risk issue. and a very low reward issue. And this did not  meet the the mark. And this was this was a Hail.

Mary that landed in the end zone and may have been  returned for a touchdown for the other team. And I. agree with the governor. I agree with Governor  Graves. This may have sealed the deal in Ohio. And the question is, how bad is it for everyone  down ballot in Ohio? And with all due respect for. the president needs to actually watch that ad and  understand the gravity of the situation and what. Miss Actton went through as a a human being and  what that actually means as a sexual abuse victim.

and not dismiss it. This this is a these are  human beings. This is real. This is real actions. that happened in someone's lives and you cannot  just dismiss it as a political ad. And I'm sorry, but I cannot believe I was speechless. I was  speechless when I saw that ad. I really was. Trump defending the indefensible today, doubling  down again and again and again on his defense of.

Aake Ramaswani's ad featuring the aranged mother  of his Democratic opponent Amy Actton. In the ad, Actton's mother, Donna Arthur, accuses her  daughter of being a liar and says she's. not fit for office. Actton's mother is the same  woman, the same mother who fled Ohio along with. her husband after a grand jury indicted him for  sexually abusing Actton when she was a child. A. pedophile. Yet, this is what the president of the  United States said today. I know nothing about.

it. And all I know is the mother said very bad  things about Actton who I guess is running for. governor against Mik and all I can say is Mik is  great. Why did you make no mention of the sexual. abuse allegations that they acted against her  stepmom who stayed married to her mother? Well, I have no idea. I don't know the mother. I don't  know her. I never heard of her until just recently.

as somebody running for governor of Ohio. Wait  a minute. The mother made a horrible statement. about the daughter. What about the daughter said  about mother? I don't know what the daughter. said. I don't know. Her stepmother, her mother  remained married to her stepmother who sexually. abused when she was 12 years old. Well, when did  she make that statement? Was it just recently? You know, I have no idea. All I  know is Amy Actton's mother said. horrible things about Amy Actton. That is an  unbelievable exchange. And there was more.

before Trump even went before the cameras  and took those questions, you know, saying, "Yeah, I don't know anything about it." He  fired off a more than 400word rant online, repeating many of the same talking points. And  he also brought his own mother into it, writing, "If my mother, the legendary Mary McClude Trump,  said anything bad about me, the fake news would. play it up." Going on to say, "The press is  trying to convince everyone that this ad is. bad because it's so good. Who wouldn't use such  an ad? I would." Well, that's interesting. So,

he just said that he would use an ad where where  someone uh whose husband was charged with raping. their own daughter when she was under 12. He  would use that ad. That's that's incredible. The list of Republicans condemning Ramiswami  for the ad is growing tonight. Iowa Republican. Senate hopeful Ashley Henson. Any moment she'll be  appearing alongside Trump actually told ABC News, "I think it's absolutely terrible. They should  take the ad down." She went on to say the ad. is forcing Ramiswani's Democratic opponent to  relive childhood trauma and that was that it's.

inexcusable and that's really crucial too. Forcing  someone to relive the childhood trauma of being. raped by their stepfather. That's disgusting.  It's inexcusable. So what's Trump's response. for athlete night in Iowa? She said that the  Ramas Swami ad is absolutely terrible and it. should be taken down. Why are you defending it?  It's her opinion. Well, it's her opinion. It's. also the opinion of many others, decent people.  Ohio's Governor Mike DeWine called on Ramiswami.

to remove the ad, calling it deeply troubling.  Ohio Senator John Hustid, who's in a tight race, saying he would not run the ad. Former Ohio  Republican Senator Rob Portman told Politico, "It crosses the line. I hope the ad will be taken  down and the final days of the campaign will focus. on policy differences." Instead, this story is  consuming headlines and and day after day because. when Trump comes out and double and triples down  on it, well, there it is. It's putting Republicans.

in tight races in uncomfortable positions at a  time when millions of people are already voting. At this hour, nearly 20 million people have  already voted. And that includes Iowa, where the. president is tonight. 167,000 people have voted  early there. More than half of them registered. Democrats. And it's why so many Republicans are  reportedly furious with Ramiswami because this is. what's become Trump's closing message with just  12 days before the election, right? Defending an.

ad and saying that it's so great he would run it.  An ad using someone's mother who fled the state. with her husband after he was charged with raping  her daughter. So the question is, what are voters. saying about it? What are voters thinking about  it? Lauren Fox is out front in Ohio. Like why? Why? And I I don't know what his angle was. Like  did who is that speaking to anyone? She is a liar. A brutal political ad from gubernatorial candidate  Vavak Ramaswami is dividing the Republican party.

and voters in Ohio. At this point with what  I know, I would probably lean toward acting. Do you think that that ad might backfire for  Ramas Swami? I think the ad is definitely going. to backfire particularly with women. I think  there's going to be some problems for Vivic. and also potentially the Republican party across  the board. Even in an era of hyperartisanship, the ad featuring Actton's a strange mother calling  her a liar has struck a nerve. I couldn't believe.

it. And the fact that he hasn't disowned it  is beyond my comprehension. Really is. It It's. the ugliest thing I've seen in pretty much my  lifetime. It's heinous and horrible and I just. I think I don't care if Ramas Swami's policies are  the best. That shows just a judgment of character. that I don't want to see anymore. Actton's  mother lost custody of her and her brother. when she was just 12 years old and her stepfather  was indicted by a grand jury of sexually abusing.

her. I had a childhood of extreme physical abuse  and and sexual abuse as a kid. My brother and I. a frequent flyers in children's services finally  removed after a grand jury saw evidence that was. so so shocking that we were removed from my  mother's custody. The ad comes as voters here. say they want their leaders more focused on the  economy and less on personal attacks. Talk about.

the plans you have to make grocery costs go down,  to make gas prices go down, to do something about. the tariffs and how they're charging us more  money at the grocery store. Don't talk about. people's parents. One Republican operative told  CNN that Republican officials in the state are. furious at Ramaswami for airing it at a moment  when the party is trying desperately to guard. against a Democratic comeback in November. The ad  on its face is deeply deeply troubling. But when.

you know the rest of the story, when you know  the back story, it makes it just more wrong. Governor Dwine is a Republican who is sticking  with Ramaswami despite hating the ad. Actton holds. a six-point lead over her Republican rival.  According to the CNN poll of polls in Ohio,

Republicans in the state probably couldn't  be more pissed at him. The source told CNN, "President Trump sees it differently. I don't know  what it is, but I guess the mother said very bad. things about the one who's running for governor,  and I think you have to take that seriously." That. message may be resonating with some Republican  voters. I don't think it reflects well on Amy. Actton, but I also don't think it reflects  well on her mother. It's a messy situation. And Lauren is with me now. I mean, Lauren,  so important just to hear as you're talking.

about that and early voting is in progress,  right? You had an undecided voter there say. regardless of Ramiswami's policies, the ad is a  judgment of character, right? that policy aside, you can't get past the character aspect. How often  did that sentiment come up in your conversations. with voters today? I mean, this is a really tight  gubinatorial race here in the critical state of. Ohio. And I heard over and over again that this  ad was having a definitive moment right now for.

voters in their minds as they are attempting  to consider whether or not they are going to. vote for the Republican or the Democrat in this  race. And I talked to several independents who. said that they were really right now on the nice  edge on which way they were going to go. And the. more that they thought about it, the more they  thought that central issue of character really. mattered. I think it's really important to point  out that people are tired right now. They feel. like partisanship has gone too far and a lot of  people want to return to a time where maybe they.

didn't always agree with the other side, but  there is a civil discourse in conversation. And I think that that is the overarching message  I heard today from Republicans, from Democrats, and from independents. President Trump uh now  appearing to be desperate in his attempt to. keep control of Congress because he's admitted  that he was the one who ordered the Justice. Department to block Alaska from certifying its  election results if and only if Democrats win.

based off of the Alaska lawsuit with uh well  I'm the I'm the one that said do it. They have. two guys run named Dan Sullivan running. Okay,  so there it is, right? He said I'm the one who. told them to do it. Maybe no one really expect him  to come out and admit to that. But what Trump is. referring to in terms of Alaska is this. You  can see there are two Dan Sullivanss on the. ballot. The incumbent Republican Senator  Dan Sullivan and Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.

The DOJ argues the confusion over the two  could taint the results, but they say that. they could only be tainted if the Republican  loses. And Trump directed this himself, right? He he admitted that he told the DOJ to  insert itself into an election if and only if his. side loses. So when you listen to Attorney General  Todd Blanch's own words, though it is clear that. he has no problem with this role, that his role  as AG, as he sees it, is to do Trump's bidding.

So there's there was this um misperception  that there's this separation and independence. um between the Department of Justice and the  White House and everybody likes to champion. that and they accuse me of of of not suffering  from independence. I don't I work for President. Trump. That's why I said there's no fig leaf.  There's no attempt to say, "Oh, we're we're we're. trying to be fair and square here." Uh Blanch  is is saying is saying the truth. He's saying. what he thinks the job is. President Trump has  not been shy about his plans to interfere with. the upcoming election either. For weeks, he has  been laying the groundwork to undermine trust. In.

an interview with Time magazine, I don't know  if you remember this, but he refused to rule. out invoking the insurrection act or declaring a  national emergency around the midterms. He said, quote, "I don't rule anything out or in. We'll  see." Reporter asks, "You mean the ins?" He said, "You mean the insurrection act?" The reporter  says, "Yeah." To which Trump responds, "No, I've never used it. I could use it." And then  of course there are his comments about the polls. which Trump is using to create fears of a rigged  election. The polls are fake. A lot of the polls.

are rigged. The polls are fake. Fake news, fake  polls are all fake. They're rigged polls. A lot. of crooked polls. We're talking about a situation  where the the DOJ is essentially stating ahead of. time that any votes that are cast for this  third party candidate should be counted in. favor of the senator. And we know that all  the time Republicans and Democrats, voters, they're they're frustrated with both, so they vote  for independent candidates. Um, it is a preemptive.

decision that unless I guess Mary Patrol wins by  more votes than this third party candidate gets, they're going to try to enjoin the result and  stop the certification. By the way, that is not. the federal government or the DOJ's job. It's the  state's job. It's it's really incredible. This is. what we had the confirmation hearings for. I think  what a lot of the people who watched learned, but not all the Republican senators or they wanted  to learn. I made a bet with a friend of mine who. worked for one of the three, what we call the  YOLO caucus, right? Tom Tillis, Bill Cassidy,

John Cornin. I said, I'll bet you a real fancy  steak dinner that all three of them are really. troubled with Todd Blanch vote yes. He called  me a name I'm not going to repeat on on air, but he wouldn't take the bet. So, when all three  voted yes, I said, "Do I get my steak dinner?". This is what Republicans have signed up for. And  unfortunately, if chaos is isn't is ensued here. in the next couple weeks, and Alaska is a mess  anyways, and I don't believe any polling that. I ever see come out of Alaska because it's the  hardest state in the country to poll. Donald Trump. is already laying his case out for how he's going  to muddy these waters. And unfortunately, I would.

say to my Democratic friends, if you're scared  of what Trump is going to do with a loaded gun, don't give him any bullets. Two Dan Sullivans  on the ballot is a bullet for Donald Trump. You've given him opportunity to do this. What do  you say, Terry? Uh well, Doug is right. I mean, this is literally just the tip of the iceberg. I  mean, Donald Trump has been laying the foundation. for interfering in these midterms for years. A lot  of his acolytes have been studying how to um how. to manipulate the system, how to stress test it  ever since January 6th. And now you have no guard.

rails. And there are so many people in positions  of power now that there that weren't there the. first time around that are looking at wargaming  things ways to do this. I'm I'm concerned about. a trifecta here. And the and and the thing about  it, he's so audacious now. They're telegraphing. what they're going to do. I mean, they've been  telling us for years. They laid it out in Project. 2025. You had these the these different  legal think tanks that under the guise of. constitutional law that a lot of MAGA supporters  were doing were were cooking up these ideas.

I just don't want Democrats to suffer from a lack  of imagination of what this administration is is. laying the foundation to do come election day.  They're showing us they have people in power who. can do it. And Todd Blanch, I guess he fell asleep  during the Watergate history books because that. is why we had that separation between the Justice  Department and the president of the United States. And Doug and I when I was a Republican along  with Doug and you know we used to do things.

at the RNC. I was up in Alaska in 2004 when um  Senator Murowski was running and uh she was down. a couple points. It was about this time in the  election. They they the RNC had a program and. they would bring uh staffers and campaign folks  up there into different campaigns to help them win. and she turned around in within 10 days and ended  up winning by three points. So, a lot can happen. in Alaska and clearly the polling is making the  Republicans nervous. So, they're they're going to. mess with the system and we have to stay vigilant  on this. It's this is not a surprise. I guess this.

is a case of, you know, Trump likes to say the  polls are are I mean, who knows what whether the. polls are right or wrong, but he likes to say  they're rigged when they're not in his favor, of course. But, as I say, his actions speak  louder than words. You're not filing a preemptive. lawsuit to to not certify the results if you  lose. If your view isn't that you're losing, well, listen, kudos to him for not even trying to  hide it here. this not just partisan behavior but. also just this reckless anti-democratic behavior.  But us Democrats knew this was coming. For months.

we have been talking about the fact that the  individual who architected, catalyzed, incited, whatever you want to say, January 6th violent riot  to overturn an election would continue with this. reckless behavior. The positive news though is  that our governors throughout the country, where. the majority of these contested swing districts  actually are, have been preparing for this, coordinating with state law enforcement, national  guard, local judicial authorities, I think,

to rapidly respond to these very instances. And  Aaron, none of this is happening in a vacuum. Judges are going to see exactly what Donald Trump  said in a preemptive filing. That makes it really. hard to prove your case in court when you said,  "Well, this was going to be the case only if we. lost." It's a real bad statement for him to  make politically, but also if you want to win. this case in the courts. So, so Ryan, you know,  when we come to the DOJ and the D, you know, Todd Blanch saying independence is a farce and  I don't pretend to be independent and I work. for the president, right? You heard him say that.  He was very clear and and I just wanted to play a.

short exchange in that context that he had during  his confirmation hearing. If you're confirmed and. you're asked to take an action you believe to  be illegal or unethical, would you resign? I'm. I that will never happen. But yes, if it were to  happen, I'm not going to violate my oath to the. Constitution. So So where are we, Ryan, in your  eyes? Is is this lawsuit and obviously Blanch. is completely fine with this lawsuit, right? Um  but is this something that would that would cross.

that line that would be taking an action that is  illegal or unethical? Yes. I mean, look, I don't. I don't I think that Todd Blanch considers ethical  to be whatever is in the interest of Donald Trump, but understand this was litigated already.  The Supreme Court of Alaska decided this. So, this is like making an end run around their  decision, and it just it it breaks my heart, Aaron. I I served the DOJ for 10 years. They're  supposed to protect our elections, and for the. first time, they are the threat. We've heard  stories of prosecutors being told they have no.

discretion to decline election interference cases.  My former section, the public integrity section, was essentially gutted. We protect elections in a  nonpartisan way. And just this week, for the first. time in history, the National Voting Rights Act  provision that prevents int voter intimidation was. used against DHS. You're talking about a law that  was passed during the civil rights era to protect. voters in the south is now being used against  our own government. And Todd Blanch is the top.

of this. And I just have to ask you, I mean,  if ask the American people, if if this if the. second candidate was named Mary Bata, do you think  Todd Blanch would be doing this? Some cosy wand.