vice president kamala harris, she'll be in michigan on friday. they know this state is absolutely critical and this county wolf is absolutely critical for both campaigns. >> michigan, wisconsin, pennsylvania, key states, and you're there in michigan. we'll be watching very closely phil mattingly. thank you very much. fills in grand rapids, michigan and to our viewers. thanks very much for watching our breaking news coverage continues right now with a special edition of erin burnett outfront york with democrats republican vice presidential nominees, tim walz and j.d. >> vance are about to face off in their first in debate does come just hours after major iranian missile attack on it israel, a significant

escalation of tensions in the region that presents new challenges for leaders in the white house and around the world welcome to this special edition of erin burnett outfront. erin is on his side i'm in i'm anderson cooper and i'm jake tapper. >> we're covering the breaking news in the middle east are counting down to tonight's vice presidential debate that candidates will take the stage age and less than two hours and iran's attack is certainly to be a key line of questioning that's only adding to the pressure on ohio senator j.d. vance and minnesota gov tim walz as they take part in what could be the most important vice presidential debate in modern american political history. vance and walz are tasked with delivering closing arguments for their running mates, donald trump and kamala harris, since there are currently no plans for another presidential debate. what the vp nominee say tonight could potentially make a real difference in this razor close race for the white house with election day only five weeks it's a way our political team is here to set the stage for the vice presidential debate that you will see live on cnn. and our correspondents are

standing by in the middle east to give us the very latest on the aftermath of that iranian attack first up this hour, the dangerous escalation in the middle east as iran launched and unprecedented barrage of ballistic missiles into israel, let's go straight to cnn's jim sciutto, who is joining us now from tel aviv. jim, the israeli prime minister is vowing revenge initially both us and israeli officials described this attack, this iranian attack is unsuccessful, that it had been defeated by israel. >> and while that's largely true in the aftermath as a damage assessment begins we are beginning in des see that some missiles struck, they struck the ground either close to their targets or even hit their targets. it does not appear they drew a great deal of damage at this point. but first we can show some video here from are coming around and israeli airbase to the east of

east of where we are here in tel aviv. and in that video you can see that some of these missiles struck the ground. what you're seeing here actually these are in and around tel aviv. we do also have pictures from an airbase nearby. it is not clear whether there was significant damage to the airbase, but at least those missiles getting close to close to there that they were also images that we're seeing from just north of where our position is in central tel aviv where strike gets within, it appears kilometer of the headquarters of mossad that's the strike you're seeing right there, mossad, of course, israel's international intelligence services. in fact, we saw this strike from our vantage point as it happened. and i saw quite a large explosion from the roof of the hotel where we are right now when it struck, it is not clear what the damage is. and around there. but again, it shows just how close these missiles came to what appear to be their

targets. our understanding is that three of the main targets were two israeli airfield fields and one and the mossad headquarters. now, in addition to that, as we were here in central tel aviv we saw dozens and dozens of missile intercepts over the city, just over our heads. in fact, as they were happening and as those iranian missiles were struck pieces of either the missiles themselves or the interceptors fell in and around us here in tel aviv. so the truth is jake, even with a successful intercept, there's debris that falls to the ground. sometimes a great velocity. and with the capability of doing damage now, thank you so much, jim. appreciate it. stay safe now to the breaking news here in new york city, the vice presidential debate between minnesota governor tim walz and ohio senator j.d. vance cnn's kaitlan collins is in the debate spin room normally the

studio for john oliver's show on hbo last week tonight, kaitlan, what are you hearing from your sources ahead ahead of this high high-stakes debate well jake about the vance and walz campaigns have been keeping a close eye on the developments happening in the middle east this afternoon, watching and keeping an a response and ideal on the response on to they are waiting for israel to have for the prime minister promised to respond after iran attacked israel, would that barrage of missiles earlier today, or at least tried to, of course, a lot of them ended up being injured herceptin, but that is something both campaigns have been watching closely because it certainly is something that could come debate stage tonight. >> and they are each preparing their respective responses to that. you heard from former president donald trump earlier today saying that they don't respect us anymore. he is referring to iran not respected in the united states, implying that that is because of the biden administration, that is something that you could very well see j.d. vance echo when he is on that debate stage with governor they're walz tonight, but jake overall for this

debate, what this afternoon has also included is some last-minute preparations from both of these obviously, jd vance's campaign he has been preparing with tom emmer, the house minority whip, stepping in as governor walz, and that a fellow minnesotan for the vance campaign or for the walz campaign? i've been having secretary pete buttigieg step in as senator j.d vance. they've been having these preparations sessions for that meeting on this debate stage tonight, both of them are lowering there expectations for one another. jake, though i should note that each of them has plenty of debate experience on their own. donald trump for his part, has been voicing confidence he's actually spent less time really talking about how vance is going to do more time attacking governor walz and what he believes is going want to be his inability to perform well on that debate stage tonight, jake, i will say we are in the spin room right now. one thing we do know from the vance campaign is that we can't expect it you see the

senator from ohio here in the spin room after that debate tonight regardless of how it goes, it's a pre-planned decision for them to have the senator himself coming on here. jake all right. >> interesting stuff. kaitlan collins, thanks so much. anderson team here in new york. >> alyssa, i mean, all the polls show that this is a tight race. the latest cnn poll of polls shows no clear leader between in between harris and trump. could this make a difference traditionally, vp debates and vice presidents don't make a difference, but i would say an exception to that was mike pence and donald trump's first campaign in 2016. >> he was someone who helped him bring along evangelicals? no, he doesn't need that support now, but he does need somebody who can soften him with suburban women who give this answer that i hear constantly. i can't stand donald trump. i think he's a jerk, but my life was better under him. i might have liked his policies better if j.d. vance can show up tonight and give a final touch to trump policies. put a little more detail on, then trump has been capable of articulating that

could be a win, but this is a man with huge unfavorabilities to overcome one of the lowest unfavorability rankings of a modern vice president right now. so there's a lot of americans who think of him as the person who insulted childless cat ladies. the task for him tonight is to change that into show up like a statesman david i mean the walz i mean, certainly harris may excuse me. walz has less experience debating. i think then j.d. vance, he certainly has been honing himself on sunday shows a walz has not been doing many interviews. >> yeah. look, i think that he was hired basically as donald trump's designated hitter. donald trump as a casting director. and he was convinced that he would be good on tv for him in this debate is obviously the most important television appearance there is, you know, he comes in, we all know having worked with van jones, how these al educated lawyers very slick easy, ease, you're going

get trigger was they have very different personalities vance is, you know, he is a bit predatory on that debate platform. >> and walz, his strength is his warmth and is his every day enos, it's kind of like a labrador versus a coyote and the question is, people root for the labrador, but can he get enough swipes him to keep the coyote often? >> look, i think jd vance's dangerous to debate. first of all, you don't know which j.d. vance you're going to get. he's such a phony could either be the phony apalachee guy or he could be the kind of suck up that he was to get a job with donald trump we have done on somebody who has high iq, low integrity, high iq, low empathy, high iq, but really know willing to hurt patient children to get ahead, well, it changed his whole personality to get a position with donald trump that is a dangerous person for a good man to debate somebody who actually is going to be constrained by facts is going to be constrained by his desire to be

a unifier. so i think it's going to be a tough night for a coach walz to show that good guys can win even against low, low integrity people are just trying to lower expectations because a lot of democrats are no, no, no. >> i wouldn't want it to be somebody look, first of all, i would do that yale lawyer. i look i look i would go to people like j.d. vance who just want to get ahead, no matter what he will say, anything, do anything those people are tough to debate. i used to lose the base of them all the time scott, there's a cbs poll. >> the vp picks, finds democrats are more enthusiastic about walz the republicans are about penn, 65%, 49%. >> i mean look at what more do you need to know about donald trump he has been running for president since 2015. he was the president. we know everything we need to know about him, which is why i don't think whether vance wins or loses this debate is going to have a material impact. >> do you think this debate really matters? for i look, i think it matters because look, north carolina's underwater. >> israel is under siege the american supply chain is under

threat from a thuggish rogue union boss and the american people are under the impression that we have a void of leadership in the white house and what i want j.d. vance to do tonight and what i want a tim walz to have to explain is how is the doctrine of don't working out right now because we've had harris and we've had biden go on tv until he ran don't and they did. and now they're running, don't down the throat of our ally. and i think i agree it is a consequential night for that reason because of everything that's going on in the world. >> but i do think foreign policy may be a big part of tonight. and will i get that doesn't necessarily sway elections. we also have the war in ukraine going on i didn't j.d. vance is taking this hard line stance. i don't care about ukraine. he's advocated for not increasing or including funding going forward. donald trump has toyed with that. there are major implications to this ticket winning. and i think that that is a moment that he's going to have to explain. does america first mean america alone? does it replicate the 1920s and the 1930s? or is it? but something where you can work with allies

and you're going to show up. he's got some rough, you know, i i think scott is right. >> that that is where vance was going to go and i also think china walz has had an interesting relationship. oh yeah, china and i think he's going to go there as well. but they are surrogates for the mayor in candidates, as you said and they need to score points for their team, not for themselves. >> john king, what are you expecting tonight tenth presidential campaign, and i just want to say for the record, never in the history looking backwards as a vice presidential debate made on election day, a big difference, however, this could be the campaign, unlike no other right, because it as close as it gets and this may well be the last time the american people get to see a debate between the presidential candidates, but between the vice presidential candidates and look at the state of this race i've weeks from tonight, we count votes, five weeks from tonight, right now, essentially a tie for the electoral college to 25 votes strong are likely for the vice president. >> she'll hundred and 19 stronger likely for donald trump. you see the seven

battleground states in yellow plus nebraska's second congressional district. let's just take a quick look at the state of the race right here first, the national poll of polls stretch this out, forgive me for turning my back. if you average the five last reputable national polls 50 to 47, which means no clear leader. that's within the margin of error in a national poll. no clear leader heading in to five weeks, you've heard me for years. we don't pick presidents in national polls. we pick them state-by-state. so we look at the battleground states here, and let's pop this up and take the look wisconsin no clear leader. michigan, no clear leader, pennsylvania, no clear leader in north carolina, no clear leader. georgia, no clear leader. we don't have enough polls to have an average out in arizona and nevada, but there have been individual polls out there recently, anderson that show no clear leader maybe donald trump up a little bit in arizona. so that's where we are. so can the vice presidential candidates impact that a race that is closer than 2020? and i would argue even closer than 2016. >> all right john king, thanks very much. we'll be checking with you throughout the throughout the night coming up clues about how tim walz and

j.d vance may do tonight? breaking down their preparations and their past debate performances as well, perhaps a lot there. plus another live report from israel on iranian missile attack, much more of our special coverage oh god. >> okay, guys. we got to get off the roof. these are coming down right next to us here this election, stay with cnn with more reporters on the ground and the best political team in the business, follow the candidates, follow the voters follow the facts, follow. cnn if anyone knows, halloween is all about blech and michael's has all the recall we made don't forget about black matched with these guides. i go measure with these car insurance companies, experience shops might unfold over 40 top providers saving me over 800 bucks a year but that kind of relationship start now free at

experian.com slash car choice hotels is a family of brands are the hotel for any traveler you want to be like number one, chef, dad, cook it up a free hot breakfast for the entire family at a comfort know tell mom made this. >> i added the garnish book, directed choice hotels.com our right to reproductive health care is being stolen from us. >> i can't believe this is the world we live yeah we're we're losing the freedom to control our own bodies. >> we need your support now more than ever, go online, call or scam this code with your $19 monthly gift and wilson you this care no matter what t shirt it is, you're right to have safe health care. >> that's it. >> go online call or scan right now, zach xr tech allergy relief works fast and last a full 24 hours, so they can bva, deliver dance okay. dave, let's be more than our allergies seize the day with

czar tech hub, home. >> have you been tracking her car's value with carbonic just like seven months. she will sell it. >> we hold all silver vance are going for more right now. should we are low mileage is paying off. you think we should depreciations really heating up we just did karwan go to car vanna and track your car's value today they need the lawn back fast and union scott's turf. rather grass, it goes glass two times faster under sea alone, given you a stronger laws the way i look at my lawn app today for lawn care tips and customize plans. p. diddy feeding, feeling are lacks works (♪♪)

behind every splenda product is a mission. helping millions of people reduce sugar from their diets. now try a sweetener grown by u.s. farmers. introducing zero-calorie splenda stevia. at splenda stevia farms, our plants are sweetened by sunshine. experience how great splenda stevia can be. grown on our farm, enjoyed at your table. (♪♪)

get your trial set for just $7 at harris.com slash smith cnn special event, the vice presidential debate. >> tonight at nine to new york city as we count down to the only they between the democratic and republican nominees for vice president governor tim walz and senator j.d. >> vance will see it here live on cnn in just a few minutes. we are also, of course, keeping close watch on the dire situation in the middle east after iran fired about 200 ballistic missiles at israel this was we're told in retaliation for the killing of hassan nasrallah, the leader of hezbollah, which is an iran backed group in lebanon, and that the united states considers a terrorist group. let's go to cnn's jeremy diamond, who is joining us from a location on the outskirts of tel aviv. jeremy, tell us what you're about to show us jake, we're on the outskirts of tel aviv where a couple of

those ballistic missiles appear to have landed. >> there was an enormous crater, right near where we're standing. you can see behind me the popped up from this explosion damaging this vehicle behind me and it appears that what iran was targeting in this area is israel's main intelligence, a military intelligence base, which is less than a kilometer away from here, but multiple rockets appearing to hit here. we actually have video of one of those missiles making impact in this very area where we are standing now showing the destructive the damage of one of these missiles that one of these missiles apparently wrought on an elementary school landing in the school yard right next to the second and third grade classroom severely damaging that school, building. the israeli really military is vowing tonight that they will exact serious consequences for

these attacks by iran. some 180 ballistic missiles fired several of them landing in central as well as in southern israel. the israeli military says they were able to intercept most of those missiles. but now jake, certainly a region even more on edge than it already was as israel threatens further retaliation, jake alright, thanks so much. let's bring in two of our middle east experts, cnn, military analyst, and retired lieutenant general mark hertling, also joining us cnn analyst barak ravid, who is a political and foreign policy reporter at axios general hertling. let me start with you. so many, if not most of these missiles from iran were intercepted but how so unprecedented and dangerous is a barrage of ballistic missiles such as this. it at least theoretically well, if you can take 180 plus 180 plus missiles, shoot them into an area and have most of them shot down. >> jake. it is tribute to the israeli defense forces, but it's also an indicator of how

important iran sees this attack to be when you're talking about only ballistic missiles, they are much more difficult to be intercepted than some of the cruise missiles and the drones that they sent during the april, attack on israel. so israel has probably used the david's sling and the arrow missile system to shoot them down. this capability of an iron dome. those are usually used for rockets and artillery shells. so israel has spent a lot of money tonight in shooting down those hundred and 80 missiles. in addition to the 180, what you're seeing whenever you have an air defense system it's usually going to shoot more missiles at the targets, the incoming cruise ballistic missiles incoming ballistic missile so they're very good

in terms of defending the area. the other thing that i just saw, jeremy report was it was it was aimed at the mossad headquarters. i think that was in retaliation for the beeper in the walkie-talkie attacks that were conducted over a week ago that this was retaliation for the israeli killings of hassan nasrallah. and is ismail haniyeh among others. but do you think that iran and hezbollah mean, this is obviously escalatory, but the argument is being made elsewhere that they don't want a wider war. what involved in this war already, ten bit more than ten days ago after the pager attack and after the walkie-talkie attack and after israel started launching attacks against hizballah's long-range

missiles. >> hezbollah went to the iranians and told him we need your help up and the radians frontal told them, well, you know, maybe next week, this week are new president is in new york and gu general assembly, it's not a good time. and we saw that what happened was it? days later, hassan nasrallah was assassinated by israel. and i think that this is what pushed the iranians over the edge and in basically, in this internal discussion within the iranian leadership you know, gave more influence to the hardliners following the irgc, that said the total the supreme leader, we need to retaliate against israel so general hertling both israel and the u.s are vowing that there will be consequences what might like, what might that look like? do you think? >> i think there's going to be assistance from the united states on this on air defense. jake. again, the requirement to shoot down a ballistic missile so requires some type of ground

system to attack them. there it's very difficult to shoot them down with a jet so, you know, the united states has not only the two men and the lincoln battle groups in the area that not only had the aircraft carrier, but have cruisers and destroyers as well that have multiple air defense system so i think we're going to contribute to the defense of israel, but i really believe that israel will likely conduct some type of attack against iran in very short time frame barack this comes as israel has launched what it calls a limited ground offensive into southern lebanon. >> how does israel prevent that front from spiraling with the war in gaza approaching the one-year mark well, i think the war in gaza that's sort of, you know, it's strange to say. >> but in recent weeks it took the backseat and lebanon to the front seat and in the last 24 hours, lebanon to the backseat. and now oh, you ron takes the

front seat and who knows where this thing is going to go because i think we're going to see i don't think i know we're going to see it's, very significant israeli attack against iranian targets. what i hear from israeli officials is that most likely this will include strategic facilities the in iran, including in the energy and oil sectors, something that is very important to the uranium i think we will see other targets hit including in iran's air defense systems. i think it's going to be very significant that israeli cabinet just finished a meeting. an hour ago, something like that. there's still not a final decision and the reason does not a final decision. is because prime minister netanyahu told the ministers that he wants to coordinate first with the biden ministration before he takes the final decisions on the targets that will be hit inside iran they're coming down at one. >> all right. general hertling barak ravid. thanks to both of

you. appreciate it. just ahead. we're going to get back to our coverage of tonight's vice presidential debate, which you will see live right here on cnn. we just got that's some new information about governor walz's debate prep and we're going to show you how the two candidates have performed in previous debates will be right back >> tim walz and j.d vance in their first and only face-to-face debate, and cnn has covered with the best political the whole team in the business a cnn special event, the vice presidential debate. tonight at nine on cnn our wire monamore, i'll albion to, let's work on that french, shall we? >> i'll be held tv provider let you choose what i pay for. >> sling lets you do that i wish my choose what i pay for let me

pause lots of scripture flying. >> what do you do that have wished on tv provider, let me choose what i pay for and let me pause muscle friction when i walked hand hundred the free channels thanks to do that choosing customize your channel lineup will watch for free, sling. let you do that is dead. the throne is vacant. >> we're about to choose the most famous man in the world another cardinal has turned off he was never on our list. >> it has to be an impostor and man we're wanted to pay proceed the men were dangerous would do want careful. >> thomas, conclave rated pg only in theaters october 20. >> he told us who he was should

abortion be punished? >> it has to be some form of punishment. >> then he showed us for 54 years, they were trying to get roe v. wade terminated. and i did it and i'm proud to have done it now, donald trump wants to go a further with plans to restrict message, making the twist about it with one of the best decisions that we made a company. for you to build from work right now by two ap3 hundred s batteries and get a third api 300 asked for free real still find yours. >> remember when they said you've got your whole life ahead of you unitedhealthcare we say you still do to know you're free to focus on what matters with reliable

>> winning is everything stupid? saturday at seven on cnn coverage of the vice presidential debate between governor tim walz and senator jd vance. stay right here to see a live cnn's mj lee is also here in new york. >> she has new information on governor walz is debate preparations mj tell us what you've learned will take a course. >> the governor has been hunkered down the past few days at a small resort town in northern michigan, where he has spent a good amount of time with peep buddha, judge, of course, the transportation secretary, who has been filling in in the role of jd the dance in these mock debates and i'm told by a source familiar that on a range of topics and questions of the wall team has been preparing for people to do a it's had two versions of answers on the reading according to this source, the first version was the big audience answer. this is what they described as a common sense. we are normal not scary

version of the answer. and then secondly, he would also have prepared the rally audience answer. this is more described to me as the red meat commentary that you might expect to hear from bands or donald trump at their own campaign rallies. it's really geared towards riling up their own base and the truth is lead the walls campaign will say they don't know which version of an answer j.d. vance might give on any given topic. but the fact that they had been preparing like this for both versions really is a good reminder that the harris campaign is pushing this narrative and doing their best to push this zero to that they believe that a trump-vance administration is going to be extreme filled with fringe extreme end ideas that really are not acceptable to them. now, i will also note a buddha just has not been doing the full imitation acting, but i am told that he has tried to embrace the aggressive tone and style that you often see from j.d. vance. jake all right. >> down, jay, thanks so much. both governor balls and senator

vans have debated before, but never on such a big national, even international stage, never with such high stakes let's get more on that was seen as jeff's elon and jeff, you've been looking at the vice presidential candidates pass debate performances and their preparations for tonight's face off well, jake, tim walz and j.d. vance have never met before, but they'd been studying the game tape of one another, particularly those old debates, we have to, and i can tell you they have very different debating styles on stage in the campaign trail i can't wait to debate this guy. >> i cannot wait to talk about what they think. tim walz and j.d vance will meet for the first time tonight look, the way i'm doing debate prep is by spending time with these fine people. >> this is how i do debate prep their sons of the midwest, a minnesota governor, and ohio senator who've been road-testing attacks on their top of the ticket, rivals and the problem with kamala harris is that she has been the vice

president for three-and-a-half years and has failed this country say it every single day. he lost the election. >> he's trying to lie about it and he will do so again, i'm tim walz. i ask for your support. >> walz it's advance have also been watching each other's old debates, studying style and substance, including when vance seize the moment to break out of a crowded senate primary fight, two tours in iraq don't tell me i've been working on that nearly came to blows. think about what we just saw. this guy wants to be a us senator is up here, hold me back, home, way back. i got two tours in the marine corps the joke, answer the question, stop playing around. >> vance has also been scrutinizing walz's record as governor, hoping to paint him in harris as extreme and liberal while blasting waltzes, folksiness as a facade fans his combative steeped in policy and striving to come across as more likable aides say i mean, we're we're we're white guys from the midwest, i guess there are similarities. there, yet he may have his hands full with a minnesota governor. he got

under trump and vance's skin even before he joined the democratic ticket, by branding them as weird. >> these guys are creepy and yes, just where it is, how walz does not like debating aides insist, but as plenty of them under his belt during six winning bids for congress and two for governor from that first race in 2006, my optimism in this country is so great. >> his sunny cited outlook has long been a trademark. >> he's also known to deploy strategic flashes of anger and don't you dare call us lazy. >> but the law he is signed and his overall record including the violence after the police killing of george floyd, presents a new test that's terrifying for minnesotans in those days. nothing like this had been seen before at the level of violence after the murder of george floyd to help vance prepare, he's enlisted minnesota republican congressman tom emmer to assume the role of walz needling, pushing back, and forcing him i'm to defend trump. >> he comes across as a just a folksy, friendly outdoorsman

until you start peeling back the layers. >> transportation secretary pete buttigieg, has been playing vance. >> i'm just thinking a lot about how to penetrate that veneer, putting walls through a rigorous test to defend misstatements about his military service occasional exaggerations and harris's record while vice presidential debates are intended to promote and defend their candidates at the top of the ticket, history is filled with exchanges you've got to that have forever defined running mates. >> senator i served with jack kennedy. i knew jack kennedy jack kennedy was a friend of mine senator, you're no, jack kennedy walz and vance have studied many of those two, hoping to avoid any such history-making moments themselves previous debates that walz and vance did not have that was the spin room like this. >> of course, they were doing the off-broadway version of political debates. now, this of course, is front and center

here in new york on a national and international stage with five weeks left before election day vice presidential debates don't often matter, but this one certainly could, because it's the last marquee moment of this campaign, at least a scheduled one on television. but jake, for all that old game tape, for debates, the one that matters now is the one that's coming up tonight jake all right. jeff zeleny. thanks so much. i really appreciate it. let's talk about this with my panel so first of all, lloyd bentsen clip from getting enough for that, lloyd i just did the math in my head. i'm not strong at math, but they were closer to the 1960 election when, when lloyd bentsen said that in 1988, then we are two lloyd benson saying that if i thought you were gonna say that j.d. vance born, then yes, he was 1988 fairly fairly. okay. >> was that who has the tougher tougher job tonight, you think j.d. >> vance or tim walz? >> i think they both have a tough job and one of the things

that j.d. vance said in jail that's excellent piece about the fact that there are two white guys for a minute from the midwest. >> i think that's really something that i'm going to be watching tonight because that is true. >> but they could not be more different in their approach. and their outlook on on politics, on philosophy, on political policy, on everything under the sun, except that they'd both do have some populist tendencies and, what they are both trying to do for the people at the top of their ticket is to try to get those midwestern states. pennsylvania is not in the midwest, but there's some of pennsylvania that has kind of that sensibility candidate at the top of the ticket. i mean, that was really why they each that these men were chosen. >> i think it's also apparent to me and j.d. vance has a little bit of an edge on the

national approach to that set of issues. because in his last campaign when he ran for the senate, part of what he was doing was, he was on the receiving end of a lot of national narratives aren't abortion a brown crime, around the economy, and when you look back at that game tape when you see somebody who didn't back away from by that point, he had pivoted to trump. he had gone pretty far to the right, didn't back away from some of these far-right positions, but tried to repackage them but as common sense. and i think we'll see a lot of that from j.d vance tonight. i think this is going to be tough for tim walz. his biggest advantage in my my sense of it is just sort of personality. i mean, i think that's what got him here. the whole weird. thing was something that came out of his brain that is going to be his biggest advantage. >> try let me bring in david axelrod, who has helped to prepare people for debates, as well as helped cover debates in his previous life as a journalist david what are the

challenges you see for vance and walz? all right well, first of all, let me just say parents statically, that bone crushing rebuke of benson two quail where he said, senator, you're no you're no, jack kennedy. >> we should note that he wasn't a jack kennedy, but he was vice president after that debate, which tells you just how much vice presidential debates may not matter but they, they matter in the sense that if people can make the case for their, that their candidate wants to make it what's interesting about the packages that we just heard is each candidate says they want to paint the other as extreme and i think you're going to see a lot of that. i think that nadh vance's naturally better at this. he's trained for it. he lives on tv right now. as i said earlier, this is his assignment we haven't seen

while to really do this. do interviews very much since he became the vice presidential candidate. and now he has to stand up. he has to deal with the, i think it will be one of the trump people told me this is going to be a brawl i think vance is going to go after him hard in the question is, how does he counter punch without sacrificing that sort of warmth and accessibility that has been his hallmark and has made him popular in the short run. he's the most popular of the four candidates, partly because people i think he's a nice guy so how does a nice guy score points here? i think it's more challenging for him yeah. >> i mean, it's it's an excellent point. i mean, one of the things about j.d vance is that donald trump picked him and j.d. vance is on tv all the time. he goes on not just fox, he goes on cnn and he goes on abc, cbs, nbc walz, david, and i just wonder what you think about this decision by the

harris campaign was kind of auditioned for the job doing these interviews, was considered by kamala harris and her crew to be really good and charming and feisty and all that. that's what they thought about him. and then he got picked i assume does the sunday show host. i don't know. dana. i can't speak for you, but i thought, oh, you know, this is going to be our democratic guest for the next eight weeks. he's really not done much at all. and obviously the last week or so he's been in debate prep. but what are you? think about that decision yeah. >> listen, i think i'd be wilder a little bit by the absence of both presidential candidate and the vice presidential candidate on television since they became the nominees. because that's how people get to know you and they don't, they haven't really spent a lot of time with either of them before now, so i also think that it may be a little bit of a problem for walz having not done this you

know, sitting with you guys as good prep for debates it's good batting practice for these events. walz has not been doing it, so i do question i do question that. i mean, you are ready was all over before the before he became the nominee when he was campaigning for vice president. that's when he turned the word weird into kind of a thing for awhile. on one of those interviews. so it's bewildering to me why he has been out there more and i think that that harris to benefit from just being out there, man all right. >> david, thanks so much coming up. we're going to check in with our focus group of undecided voters. what's on their mind as they look ahead to tonight, vice presidential debate, you can see it. all right here on cnn. but first, the former us ambassador to israel joins us. we're going to get his thoughts on the iranian missile attack against israel, just a few hours ago the whole story, of former first lady and the first second

gentleman, kaitlan collins, takes a closer look at the potential for spouses the history and possible future of this iconic office. >> the whole story with anderson cooper, sunday at 8:00 on cnn simply safe, your safety is the only thing that matters. >> we designed smarter ways to detect motion for fast emergency response we create hd cameras. so you could see what's happening in your home from anywhere all howard by fast protect technology exclusively from simply safe for faster police response. get simply safe today with no contracts are cancellation so you're never locked in. there is no safe like simply safe do you have subscriptions that are forgotten or even hit him? >> see and cancel them all in one place. experience the app and see how much you could save all goes. well, i'm

getting a new car yeah. >> been contemplating the same carbonic convenient for xi at the tip but over there by that car yet, the her thursday question for a more decisive me. if i need to think about it more only thing you can do this, come on definitely a no-brainer row, decisive same-day delivery only took you a few days. i know i know. >> however you buy buying your car with carvajal, their biden-nomics led to the highest inflation in 40 years highest gas prices ever skyrocketing interest rates on affordable housing in comes down unemployment rising, and recession. now headed our way. >> we had kamala harris is clueless. >> we are very proud of bidennomics. >> bidenomics is working on donald j. >> trump and i approve this message eight, ryan reynolds here for i guess my hundreds meant to marshal. and then no,

no, no. no, no i mean, it's unlimited premium wireless for $15 a month. me honestly, when i started this, i thought only have to be like for power there still people paying two or three times that much so i shouldn't be victim blaming here it still $15 a month. >> so whenever you're ready right on that production value zero tech allergy relief works fast and last a full 24 hours. >> so they can bva, deliver dance ok dave let's be online t

thousands of children are waiting a cnn special event, the vice presidential debate. tonight at nine we are closing in on the first and only vice presidential debate. >> the two candidates that are j.d. vance, governor tim walz now, just over an hour away from facing during work that critically important showdown of course, night's event is happening amid the backdrop of

rods, massive missile barrage against israel right now kristen holmes let me ask with details and center vance and his strategy tonight, kristen, what can you tell us? >> yeah. anderson, move on. it comes to those iranian strikes in israel. we are told that don vance has been preparing for this response is likely to take on donald trump's stance on this, which is that nothing, none of this would have ever happened it had donald trump's still been in office, particularly talking about iran not striking israel, not making any attacks because they were broke from sanctions. obviously, this is something trump has said over and over again without any evidence that iran wouldn't do this. but the real issue here to be the vice presidential nominee, he has had a rocky rollout polling shows that he is underwater when it comes to public opinion. and one of the reasons that donald trump chose j.d vance was because he was good at debating. he watched him in

2022. now we're told the two of them spoke on the phone earlier today. just now in wisconsin at his press conference, he was asked he been in donald trump, what he said to j.d. vance in that phone call conversation, he said he told him to have fun. anderson thanks very much joining me to talk about the conflict in the middle east as the former us ambassador to israel, tom goes, he's also married to a cnn executive. >> thanks for being with us how critical is this moment right now, the u.s. is saying this it was twice the size in terms of the number of ballistic missiles fired at israel as the last attack by iran in april. >> well, listen anderson, it's, it's quite serious, but i think we need to also step back and put this in perspective. we're about a few days away from one-year anniversary of the worst terrorist attack in israel's history, 4,000 jews got killed that day and still 50 or 60 israelis and arabs also civilian tunnels in gaza may attack these hostage families every day. and they're there waiting for them become out in the same time over the last year has been lot has been firing rockets into israel in

the north. every single day and 100,000 israelis had to leave the north to go to tel aviv. that said today's rocket barrage was sort of a disaster for iran to some extent because natalie, because the united states support of the state of israel and israel's ability to knock these out of the sky. and so i think from iran's perspective, it certainly wasn't a great day for them and for israel, obviously they showed with israel and with american support what stand together with israel means, which is basically stopping. i ran from doing what they're doing and i think that's really important. >> i mean, the real question is, what is the next step enough to former prime minister naftali bennett was just on talking to wolf blitzer. he's saying now is the moment for israel's to strike nuclear facilities, energy facilities. the iranian regime himself itself there's a lot of, i mean, a lot of members of the israeli government probably are arguing the same thing right now tonight. >> listen i, again, what would a strike on the nuclear facilities? >> i'm not going to speculate

about what israel may or may not want or plan to do. i can tell you one thing i have had many conversations with the biden-harris administration today. they're spending every he's single moment working on this, working with israel, working on not only to solve what happened today with 180 rockets, but working with israel on what may come next. and clearly, this is something that the biden-harris administration cares deeply about. obviously, they're not interested in escalating this war. we have a lot of our own resources as you know, but, but, but the u.s. >> hasn't been informed. it seems like on a number of actions that israel is taken of late the assassination of the leader of hezbollah, the ground operation into southern lebanon how much would the biden administration know about and the israeli response against her on i again, i've assumed not in the situation room right now, as jake sullivan is as the president is the vice president who's heavily engaged in this

constant contact. >> i know that the secretary defense has been on the phone with the minister of defense and israel one thing israel knows is we got their back. now, again, how this all unfolds in the next 24, 48 hours is basically the decision is going to have to be done by the israelis and working with the americans. >> there's certainly though in israel, among members of the government, there then yahoo and others a desire to have a stronger response certainly than it was the response in april, the israeli israeli response then was symbolic. i guess you could they sent a missile toward an area that's near nuclear facilities, sort of sending a message we could do worse if this was twice the size of the last attack by iran, do it anticipate a larger response by listen anderson again is what i want when i started my conversation with you i tried to put this in context for the american people that are understand what israel is going through, and we understand that. i mean, i

think both biden and harris have been unbelievably focused by making sure we protect israel because no country should be going through what israel's going through, what they've gone through in gaza, what they're going through with hezbollah, with have gone through with lebanon with the going through the syria with a gun through the hoodies, know what to be going through. that said it has been the position of this administration that we do not want it all out regional war. i don't think any of us want that. and again, we have a lot of american resources on the ground. we american troops around the middle east and europe, first foremost, is to protect those american forces. and i think that's president biden and vice president harris's full focus today. >> all right. well, ambassador nides, i appreciate your time. thank you very much. >> i'm knights. just had we'll turn back to the vice presidential debate. take a closer look. the rules. >> the candidates have agreed to follow. plus our focus group and undecided voters is standing by to give us their thoughts and the face-off i'm not here on cnn would in. >> favor of israel with the wait is over. tim walz and j.d.

vance in their first and only face to debate. and cnn has covered with the best political team in the business a cnn special event the vice presidential debate. tonight at nine on cnn. >> we know how to turn something that needs fixing into something fabulous. >> we're excited to share some fabulous new designs that we created for your next week. even now, at rayban.com you think about the order to take everything down to this from design and products to removal and installation in turned out amazing about this with you through every step of your remodel the color visit rebirth.com for your free and home design consultation. >> ryan reynolds, hear from it mobile now you might be noticing that something has changed and it's not mince offer unlimited premium wireless and $50 a month. >> that's the same. >> it's the camera were shooting with. i got this one in at a county swap meet for a couple of bucks, which is a lot cheaper than running a fancy commercial camera. there was

even a tape already in it pre-fill this another way there were passing vague savings on to you so sorry, ashley happy birthday our right to reproductive health care is being stolen from us. >> i can't believe this is the world we live via where we're losing the freedom to control our own bodies. we need your support now more than ever go online, call or scan this code with your $19 monthly gift and we'll send you this care no matter what t-shirt it is, you're right to have safe healthcare that's it. >> go online, call or scan, right now own heart would medical precision from anywhere. >> introducing cardio mobile six out, the fda cleared ekg that provides six times more hard data than any smartwatch the tech. three of the most common arrhythmias and just 30

seconds, including atrial fibrillation, bradycardia attacker cardia. check your heart with the most advanced personal ekg outside the hospital. get yours at cardia.com or amazon? >> every halloween, she copies me but it different you're terrifying know your tariff, know exactly. you hear the most tariff. me look the same diet. do >> winning is everything? stupid? saturday at seven on cnn you are watching cnn's special coverage of the vice presidential debate live from new york. >> it is a potentially pivotal moment then the campaign has minnesota governor tim walz and ohio senator j.d vance prepare

for a showdown that could change the course of an extremely tight race, perhaps the tightest in modern history we expect both candidates to make a strong play tonight for voters who have yet to make up their minds. and we have in fact a focus group of undecided voters standing by in grand rapids, michigan, a battleground state we're going to check in with him in just a moment. but first let's go to john king john, tell us about kent county in the grand rapids area. >> well, jake, we know michigan is a battleground. all things being equal, democrats turn out their base, republicans turn out their base will be settled in the american suburbs, right? so here's grand rapids, here's ken county, bring it out. you notice in 2020, it's blue joe biden won this county with 52% of the vote. well, go back to 2016 donald trump carried michigan. any carried kent county, just barely 48% to 45%. so why is this so important? this election might well be settled in the suburbs just like 2020 was donald trump carried michigan in 2016, joe biden did here grand rapids. it's the home of gerald ford used to be reliably republican,

but it is part of america, one of the places we saw in 2020 he the suburban revolt against donald trump. this is one of the places it played out. kenny improve in the suburbs in 2024, if the answer is yes, he might win the race thanks so much. >> let's go now to ground rapids, michigan, where we find our own cnn's phil mattingly standing by with our focus group, phil, have you told them that you want and to ohio state just joking. fell. what's on the mind of knowledge that publicly acknowledge the ohio state thing when i'm in this state, look, i think john, the key point here, right? we are in kent county. this is a suburb heavy area. this is an area that we'll be clear battleground. it's also an area with a lot of younger voters. what we're going to see, what the group that's behind me tonight is. they will each have dials. they have told us they are undecided voters. some of them have voted for republicans in the past, some have voted for democrats. a number of them have never voted at all. this will be their first election with their dials. if they feel positive about whatever they're seeing or hearing at any given moment during the 90 minute debate,

they will turn the dial to the right, will be tried backing that if they feel like something negative is going on, they will turn it to the left, will be watching throughout the course of the 90 minutes of that debate. get a read on what moments are critical for these undecided voters. what may help them make up their minds in the lead up to november. and i do want to talk to a couple of his voters beforehand because i think one of the big questions i want to start with hope who is a freshman in college? this will be the first election that she's ever voted for. future president the united states, or at least one of the candidates and hope at this moment in time, i think a lot of people are asking, how could you be undecided in october of an election with these two candidates? why, why are you in this place right now? >> i would say i'm undecided because i agree with a lot of policies on both sides, but probably more on the republican side. however, i have a problem like trusting donald trump based on his previous remarks and comments in his previous performance in o what is the one who thinks you're gonna be watching tonight? that will help you make up your mind.

maybe even tonight i'm just really hoping to hear a lot more on specific policy ideas and less like zingers and personal attacks. ryan, i would start with the same question to you of its october, i think a lot of people know a lot about at least one of these candidates, newer candidate on the democratic side? why aren't you there yet on a decision one way or the other you know, i think specifically for me, it's just, you know, when joe biden dropped out of the race and kamala harris came in, i don't know if she's done enough to sort of split herself from biden, but also, i don't know if i'm entirely the biggest fan of donald trump can i ask you this is also your first election as well how is their weight with that is a pressure. >> do you feel at this moment i mean, certainly i'm nervous. >> you know, you would expect in the first election, you've voted in that you'd feel confident, but i feel a little nervous to be frank. >> do you feel like tonight will help you decide you know, i think it will a good president has a good vice president and if mr. walser,

mr. vans, can really show they're showing really, i think it could turn my it could turn the dial red or blue it's going to be a great question. i think all of the people hit their on this focus. object will be paying attention through throughout the course of the 90 minutes undecided voters in october, the clock is obviously ticking down and the young voters that both campaigns desperately want to come out for them will be watching them, seeing how they feel about the specific moments. and then we will be talking to them after the debate. see if they've made up their minds and see what moments really stuck out to them. jake alright, fell, go blue. >> we're getting closer to the start of the vice presidential debate. our coverage continues, right now under the bright lights of the big apple, go vice presidential nominees are front and center to promote their tickets and deliver their attacks face to face. >> tim maltin