this is "nightline." >> tonight inside the final 30. raising arizona. hillary clinton duking it out for the republican sprang hold with a little help from her friends. >> we are always stronger together. we're i >> they can taste it. >> and just one day after facing off, the two candidates are face to face again. and things get ugly at a new york dinner. >> donald really is as healthy as a horse. you know, the one vladimir putin rides around on. >> here she is tonight pretending not to hate catholics. >> plus the main man. lions and tigers and there's

cat trainer staring into the face of danger. and nasty, last night's insults. >> a nasty woman. >> tonight's viral sensation inspiring memes, and janet jackson songs. first the "nightline" 5. >> boost, it's about moving forward, not back. it's feeling up, thinking up, living up. it's being in motion in body, in spirit, in the now. boost, it's not just nutrition. it's intelligent nutrition with 26 vitamins and minerals and 10 grams of protein. it's choosing to go in one direction, up. boost, be up for it.

good evening. thank you for joining us. tonight this unprecedented presidential election cycle is quite literally transforming the political landscape in america. and that could mean good news for the democrats. as some die hard red states teeter on the brink of turning blue, team hillary is r fight for the finish. we have an election countdown series, inside the final 30. >> reporter: they can taste it and sense their state swinging hard blue. phoenix, middle of october, not exactly where you'd think 7,000 people would be at cheering for michelle obama. >> wow. when a presidential candidate threatens to ignore our voices

election, he is threatening the very idea of america itself. you do not keep american democracy in suspense. >> she is a political super star for somebody who didn't want to be in politics and didn't want her husband to be in politics, she's as good as they get. >> reporter: the first lady has been the democrat's secret weapon this time around, but arizona? it says a lot about the state of the race that team clinton is sending in the stars to try to flip this traditional red state. >> we've seen it this whole week with bernie sanders tuesday, yesterday was chelsea, and how michelle obama. >> reporter: those waiting to see the first lady wouldn't be more excited about the turn of events here. >> we are on the verge of making history in going blue for the first female president of the united states. >> reporter: who's ready for

swing state. >> i love it. swing going to blue. >> we're on the cutting edge of a shift, well deserved for the state of arizona. we're a melting pot and becoming more so and melting pots look out for each other. >> reporter: michelle backup's speech, appealing to this sentiment for inclusion. >> you learn that folks may not look or think like you, but when it comes to what really matters in life, our values and our dreams, we're not all that different. are you with [ cheers ] >> are we going to get this done? i'm counting on you. we can make this happen. thank you all so much. god bless. >> reporter: i haven't heard a cheer like that all year. that is the cheer that just is natural. it's not forced. it's not scripted. it just came out. but the story of the hillary surge in arizona goes far beyond this rally.

it's a newspaper older than the state, and in its 126 year history, it's never endorsed a democrat for president, until this year. did you feel you might catch flak? >> we see him as a danger to the republic, and feel like it's time to stand up. when you just have to say no, this guy is not fit for the office. >> reporter: phil runs the editorial page, a lifelong rebl which rurch runs the newspaper said what happened next was chilling. >> the first morning is when we got the first death threat. it referred a reporter assassinated by a car bomb. but because of your endorsement more of your reporters are going to get blown up. click. >> reporter: she says after she called people out on the death

civility seems to have returned. meanwhile gop activist sergio is trying to stem the tide against trump on the streets of tucson. >> we're identifying the republicans and the independents that live within this neighborhood, because if we make contact with this t people that are amenable, open, friendly, would you vote for donald trump? >> yes. >> you will? then they'll let their know. >> reporter: "nightline" caught up with him and a team of volunteers in tucson last month. >> i think donald trump has the answers. it's an alternative to the status quo that we've been seeing for the past eight years. is there a reason you'd like to tell us why you'd be voting for hillary as opposed to donald trump? >> donald trump has a problem with hispanics. >> why he decided to run for president is beyond me. >> reporter: his latino

trumpa a lot. they call him the trickster. >> reporter: 22 % of the voters are latino. convincing them to vote trump is tough. >> i will never vote for trump. >> is there a reason why? >> he's a racist. >> reporter: i think there are a lo that statement last night. we're also in a really surprising part of the campaign, because we're seeing the clinton campaign move into traditionally red states in arizona we're seeing the big name surrogates, m michelle obama, bernie sanders, chelsea clinton. it's not something that i think anybody saw coming. donald trump's comment last night that took people by surprise and offended a lot of people --

here. >> it could change the demographics in the state of arizona. >> reporter: and other newspapers breaking with tradition to endorse the democrat presidential candidate. the dallas morning news writing donald trump's improvisations and midnight tweets exhibit a lack of judgment and impulse control. the cincinnati inquirer wrote trump is a clear and present danger to our san diego union tribune which never has endorsed a democrat came to clinton's side. another state that could flip this time around, georgia. due in part to activists like justin pits. >> welcome to the democratic party of georgia's regional field office in savannah. >> reporter: the state has voted

when bill clinton won. >> the last time georgia went blue i was 11. >> the clinton campaign is sending money in the states. also her superpac launched ads in georgia for the first time. >> when i saw donald trump mock someone with a disability, it told me everything i need to know about his heart. >> it's a stunning development with just two and a half weeks to go. >> reporter: the underdog campaign is tryg african american population. >> hillary clinton has proven that she respects and she will work for the african american community. we don't need a johnny come lately. >> have you already voted? >> i have. >> reporter: today justin teamed up with a field organizer, katherine boswell talking to people at the door, in their car, and even mowing their yard.

other democrats up and down the ballot. >> reporter: tonight the candidates are together again. this time at a fancy charity dinner in manhattan. at the al smith dinner for more than 50 years the presidential candidates have been poking fun at themselves. >> some people call you the elite. i call you my base. >> reporter: and each other. >> i went shopping at some stores in midtown. i understand governor rommy went shopping for some stores in midtown. nasty. it actually began frostily enough when neither clinton or trump appeared to acknowledge the other person when they were only separated by one person. >> donald is as healthy as a horse, the one vladimir putin rides around on. >> hillary is to corrupt she got kicked off the water gate commission. >> reporter: another break with

in phoenix. >> to get live streaming for the results, get our abc news app. think of it as your election political magic button. up next the circus performer and big cat trainer lying around on the job, and later, why that nasty debate rhetoric is giving an unexpected boost to janet

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is what they did this week, pleading for people to stop degrading its proud heritage by comparing the election atmosphere to a circus. and when you see how this lion tamer is risking his life for your entertainment, you'll you said -- understand why. here's nick watt. >> reporter: there are 14 wild animals in that cage on the circus floor and just one man. a dashingly handsome englishman in sequins, brave, stupid? watch as a growling tiger casts a paw in his direction. alex lacy doesn't even flinch. a ad adre adrenaline, but it's life like for the man traveling with the ci circus? this chilly morning in colorado,

>> good boy. are you done? you're done. off you go. good boy. that's how he takes vitamins. we're going to give him the other leg. >> reporter: that's his mom. you'll understand why she's here in a minute. >> they can eat up to 16 pounds of meat a day. >> reporter: the loudest, the lionesses. his the lionesses get jells you. when they come into heat, they rub themselves all over me expecting me to do business because i'm the top cat. >> reporter: the cats hang here when they're not eating, sleeping or performing. it's clean but captivity o. on the move their caged for everyone but alex's safety.

>> reporter: he's in. >> come here. here. here. here. good boy. here. here. all right. good boy. >> reporter: i remember the first time i was actually in the cage with these guys without this netting inbetween. these guys seemed at least ten times bigger than they were, and i was absolutely petrified. >> reporter: the parents started training the animalsnd joined the circus. this is a human being controlling a 700 pound animal that could kill you. >> exactly. this is the secret. he doesn't realize he can kill me. >> reporter: never ask a tiger to do something you don't think he'll do. then he'll never realize he can say no. >> the minute you come to blows, he's going to run. >> reporter: he doesn't realize he could kill you right now? >> he doesn't realize that. he's never been given the opportunity.

we don't declaw any of the cats or take their teeth out. >> reporter: you think they enjoy it? >> if you're going to keep any animal in a captive environment, you can't expect them to live in a beautiful enclosure for the rest of their lives and do nothing. >> reporter: that's alex's wife, kate. she and her sister were acrobats, their parents clowns, now kate trains what they call the fuzzies. >> i've been working with >> reporter: most of the circus, around 300 people travel the country and live on this train. alex and kate have a pickup, a motorcycle and a double wide. they live next door to their animals. >> everyone knows everyone. even if you haven't worked together but you've heard of that person or their family. >> reporter: it must be like a soap opera, affairs,gossip. >> you wouldn't believe it.

it. >> reporter: his mother lives on the next trailer. there are people who believe such captivity is fundamentally cruel. >> you think they are content? >> as long as you provide them with an environment that allows them to eat, sleep, and reproduce, they're content. people don't care about things unless they've seen it with their own >> reporter: his brother is a big cat trainer in germany. >> he works an act with 28 lions and tigers. it's the biggest act in the world at the moment. >> reporter: aren't you scared one is going to creep up behind you? >> we train them to think we have eyes on the back of their heads. >> reporter: turn your back, a spotter tells you, and you bark orders and they assume you have

nearly show time. an opening number, some acrobat, then his 12 minutes of fame every day. pays the bills, allows him to spend all day every day with his beloved wild animals. that most of us would run from, screaming like babies. i'm nick watt for "nightline" at >> when we come back, an explosion of support for hillary clinton. and the jump in janet jackson's song streams all in response to one nasty comment. [ "on the road again," by willie nelson ] ? on the road again ? [ rear alert sounds ] [ music stops ] ?ust can't wait to get the road again ?

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i'm russ feingold and i approve this message. on healthcare, russ feingold will work with both parties to lower premiums and cut health care taxes. i want to do the hard work of improving the system so it works for middle class families. but in washington, senator ron johnson sides with big insurance. voting to make medicare a voucher program, forcing seniors to pay more for prescription drugs, deny coverage to cancer patients.

hombre, but i'm voting for a nasty woman. feels like the 80s all over again. thanks for watching abc news, and as always we're online at a abcnews.com and our facebook page. good night, america. brad pitt's face-off with his son. what happened inside their closed door meeting. >> brad is devastated, but he's

then -- ? if i could turn back time ? >> cher's love life. you tended to date very pretty men. >> also on the other side, there's a bunch of them that weren't. new video of the alleged kim k. robbers. kourtney's embarrassing video about the heist. >> what? >> and our backstage exclusive with country's hot >> can you just smile? hopefully he'll be like, looking happy. now, for october 20th, 2016, this is entertainment tonight. the aaleged gunman who robbed kim kardashian caught on tape. we are breaking down the just released surveillance video in minutes. brad pitt has finally met