let's talk about michigan cnn chief national affairs correspondent jeff zeleny with us. good morning, jeff hey, good morning. >> john. yes. from our president donald trump is going back to michigan, batch of detroit his insulting detroit just last week when he was there speaking was likely not about detroit, but about perhaps throughout michigan and who often look at detroit as a democratic liberal city. so he was trying to gain favor there, but we'll see if he cleans that up when he goes to detroit. but vice president kamala harris was actually in wisconsin last night. that of course is a place where battleground voters matter a little bit more to the outcome of this race and the people in that room there at the al smith dinner, but their paths will cross today and all eyes are on michigan once again, there are 15 reasons why 15 electoral votes in michigan. it's the center of that so-called blue wall. if you will. but the harris campaign is out this morning with the new ad. they are targeting latino voters specifically with songwriting superstar mark anthony this is mark

thank you very much for that report and we'll us now is cnn chief national affairs correspondent jeff zeleny. okay. so jeff, just hours ahead of trump's townhall today, he's now calling on harris to take a cognitive test, though he has not released his medical records. let's remember that. so tell us about the messages that we expect to hear shiny object alert 22 days before the election. >> look, i mean, this is what the former president has done, but he will be talking about immigration as he has been doing over the weekend, also talking about the economy, but where he's going is very interesting. the suburbs of philadelphia obviously are critical swing areas and we're priscilla was just coming to us from was erie, pennsylvania. that is a county that trump won in 16, lost in 20. so these are the battlegrounds with in these blue wall battlegrounds. so that is what this has come down to. but look, the former president is mining for votes wherever he can get them not trying to change minds, but trying to reach out to some of his people who are like-minded but may not vote. that's why the immi

every day is election day between now and november 5 jeff zeleny cnn, washington stock markets hit freshhs on friday in the u.s. >> the three major indices, the dow, the s&p 500, and the nasdaq composite all finished up for the week with investors sending the dow and s&p to record levels the market surge came on the back of strong bank earnings, both jpmorgan, chase and wells fargo beat third quarter expectations boeing's new ceo says the company will cut 10% of its total staff in the coming months. that's about 17,000 jobs. the troubled aircraft maker is contending with a month-long strike of hourly employees which has delayed production of some of its jets. boeing has been experiencing problems for years starting with two fatal crashes of its best selling plane, the 737 max. that jet was grounded for 20 months worldwide. the company has reported core operating losses of more than 33 billion well, the world's richest man says the autonomous future is here on thursday at tesla. ceo elon musk unveiled his long awaited robotaxi to glitzy event at the warner brothers studio near los angeles

we have cnn senior political analyst, gloria borger and cnn chief national affairs correspondent jeff zeleny all right. jeff first, let's talk about the kamala harris event where she's appearing in of all places, the birthplace of the republican party with liz cheney the orchestration of that is really something the messaging is clear. the question will be, does it make the the difference? >> but it also happens to be in battleground wisconsin. so it's a twofer, if you will, and symbolism, but also perhaps in a strategic votes that is a red county not far from milwaukee in southern wisconsin. look, it is not likely to make a big difference among republicans, but among independents it could, there is a new marquette law school survey out today that shows that in wisconsin, harris has a pretty subsidized sibyl edge over trump on independence, about 20 points or so. they are trying to expand that a little bit more among hardcore republicans. liz cheney is persona non grata to put it gently but i think among others not just never trumpers, but some independence and people have questions about tr

that contrast with the fact that she was wrong once again, on a major national security issue, jeff zeleny, the sort of looming prospect of an expanded conflict in the middle east has been hanging over this presidential campaign here i mean, they've been a lot of jokes about october surprise rises and could we be surprised by anything anymore? a but that is one when, when israel is considering their israeli, former israeli officials out saying this is the moment for israel to hit irans nuclear sites. we're still waiting for their retaliation against the most recent attacks from iran. how, what have you been hearing from the campaigns in the course of your reporting about how each is thinking about this conflict and how it may mean we are 18 days out from presidential election and voting is underway service is a part of the campaign. >> it has been a part of the campaign. both harris and the former presidents are going to michigan today front and center. donald trump is going to be having us the meeting with some arab american leaders. so look, this has been the white house back when presid

jeff zeleny, great to see you thank you so much. >> good to see you john. >> all right. a federal judge says the american people should be able to learn more about jack smith's case against donald trump for alleged interference in the 2020 election and they should be able to hear it today and loved and politics, how dating apps are helping singles swipe right to find love in the leadup to the election and asked questions like, what does the communist just seeing it too much but i want donald now can you slice that? >> the bodyguard news for you tomorrow at nine on cnn you're leaving me for a turbotax expert seeing it, adam turbotax will be your pride's >> were turbotax live expert and we'll beat the price you pay your pro last tax season came to reeva's support your brain health. mary janice. hey, eddie know appraiser, frank frank bred. >> how are you for up to seven brain health indicators, including memory when you need to remember, remember nerivan what does searching for medicare plan feel like? it's kind of confusing. >> it's so complicated. >> it's a pain, it's rea

jeff zeleny in milwaukee, jeff, great to see you this morning. thank you, sir. >> all right. kamala harris spoke to the fox news audience during that fiery interview. as you heard, in, trump took questions from the latino american voters in a univision townhall here are the responses to tough questions on particularly immigration. one of the big issues kamala is asked to detail how many immigrants had come into the country illegally during her time as vice president. trump is asked why he wants to crack down on haitian immigrants over the lie that they were eating people's pets it was called the uss citizenship act of 2000, exactly 21. and essentially, but i had to citizenship for the illness. yes. >> i finished man finished responding. but but you have to let me finish the wall to respect that clip was not what he has been saying about the enemy within that he has repeated when he's speaking about the american people that's not what you just show. >> i hope you got to say what you wanted to say about donald trump. there are a lot of things to say there are things that people

all right. >> jeff zeleny, thanks very much. want to get perspective now from cnn political commentators ashley allison, scott jennings also, gretchen carlson, journalism co-founder of lift our voices ashley, i mean, i don't know what you think about these polls. interesting that i mean, she seems to be this slightly uptake in these latest polls, whether that's real or not, how do you see the race right now? >> i don't i'm not a big believer in polls, even though when they say things that i like meaning that the person that i think should win, kamala harris is up i haven't been in michigan and wisconsin in this cycle, but i wasn't pennsylvania and i wasn't north carolina. and i think the narrative a little bit, if you're on the internet and twitter, is that it's all trump country out there in the black community is very donald trump heavy. and where just not seeing that the door knockers on that are going on canvases. >> you are canvassing in philadelphia? >> yes. yes. and what we're seeing is there are actually more the decided

we'll go live in a moment to madison we're seeing that jeff zeleny has been talking to his campaign sources about, among other things, new cnn polling from wisconsin. take a look at shows the vice president with a six-point lead there, a five-point lead in michigan, both are outside the margin of error. in pennsylvania, though it is all even at 48 zena, john king starts off with more so john i mean, looking at these numbers, what stands out to you president, they show competitive races and all three of these blue wall states, anderson, i can just show you, bring up my friend and many magic wall is with me here. remember, these are the blue wall states, pennsylvania, michigan, wisconsin, new polling shows the vice president you noted leads in michigan and in wisconsin a time in pennsylvania, white of these states matter. well, joe biden flipped them back to blue in 2020. he's president in 2016, if you go back in election, hillary clinton lost all three of those states. that was donald trump's big surprise. and he was president. so the blue wall states have mattered, have been decisive in the

jeff zeleny, thank you so much. let's expand the conversation now with lance trover, former spokesperson for doug burgum's 2020 four presidential campaign. and muddy, i got to go now cnn political commentator and democratic strategists, buddy, i want to start with you and that open question that jeff presented, obviously, vice president harris spending the day in pennsylvania, michigan, and wisconsin taking with her liz cheney, former congresswoman and noted conservative. where do you think this fits into their plans to try to lure those disaffected republicans, those independent voters versus folks that might vote for trump, or might just stay home i think it's really smart of a kamala harris campaign to be focused on those we'll disaffected voters and each of those specific three counties where she is today in those states, were counties that had massive votes for nikki haley and there's a lot of discontent among republican voters in those states, especially, especially in those counties that really do not like an

let's bring in cnn's jeff zeleny jeff, what is the harris campaign saying about the vice president's performance last night at the cnn town hall, there was some criticism in the party that perhaps you should have had a stronger performance. what are you picking up on? >> hey, jim, good morning. i mean, look, i think that town hall formats are never necessarily the vice president strongest settings. one thing about the upside of her accelerated campaign, she's certainly avoided a primary contest, but the downside potentially was during a primary contest, as you well know, you do hundreds of these townhall settings taking quiet questions from voters. look, she was not necessarily as fluent as some of as some of her advisers might have liked. but i do think she drew a contrast with the former president and that's what this stage of the campaign is all about. you could hear her throughout her answers though with anderson cooper there as well as talking directly to voters at every opportunities she would pivot to draw a distinction with her and the former president. some of her sharpest l

. >> just stump for harris cnn's jeff zeleny reports arizona is not only a battleground, it's also at the epicenter of two major campaign issues, abortion and immigration it was a right. that we had for 50 years. it's crazy to think that you can take it down right away. who does that? >> donna ross is voting and to protect abortion rights. candy purdue is to everybody on that issue. i believe has the right to decide what they want and what they can live with. >> beyond that, their views diverge sharply here in battleground arizona, where ross is supporting kamala harris. >> i'm very excited she is so dynamic and purdue, his backing donald trump, you darn right. i am the scrambled politics of abortion are at the center of the first presidential race since the supreme court overturned roe versus wade the fight has been an anthem of harris, his candidacy arizona we need to fight this battle on every front and in this election you have the chance on the state level to vote. >> yes. on proposition 130 yet it's far from certain whether proposition 139, a measure to enshrine abortion rights

let's bring in chief national affairs correspondent jeff zeleny. now, jeff, that moment it clear, top takeaway this morning, gone from the joy and the weird talk to calling donald trump a fascist will it work to sway minds they sara, good morning. >> i mean, that of course is an open question which minds will it sway if any, but it is clear listening to the vice president there. it is time for voting. we know that more than 25 million americans have voted. she is drawing a very sharp contrast at every turn she can against the former president. she's closing this campaign really drawing this contrast, but this is her message that campaign about donald trump has become really the anthem of her candidates. these trunk, she's trying to rally some of the democrats, of course, who may still be on the fence or not voting at all to focus on this race? and see this a distinction here. but she also has been trying for weeks to really explain how she would be the candidate of change. so that's one of the central issues here which candidate is viewed as a candi

people want i want to bring in cnn's jeff zeleny and jeff, let's start with tonight's town hall. >> how is the harris campaign preparing jake, the vice president, sees this in two phases. she wants to persuade voters and mobilize voters at the same time those are the marching orders to her campaign for the next about week-and-a-half or so. and by persuading voters that is really reaching out to the undecided and persuadable voters in this audience tonight, and that is trying to again, repeat what she did earlier today by trying to disqualify former president donald trump. you may wonder what could possibly be said now that has not already been said over and over. i talked to one advisor who said, it does take repetition. and now that more people are paying attention, the former president's own words, every single day is something that she is seizing on every single day. it's been pretty extraordinary if you're at her rallies, she now has big screens. she's playing his words at her rallies, so i expect her she intends to i'm told talk about the generals comment here tonight as part of he

cnn's chief national affairs correspondent, jeff zeleny is here. jeff we're seeing kamala harris is lead in national polls leveling off. you heard john fetterman there a few moments ago, say he thinks kamala harris is going to win pennsylvania, but it's going to be a battle all the way to the end. well, he certainly right about the second part of that being a battle all the way to the end, you can see it. >> you can feel it. whether she wins pennsylvania will likely or could answer the question of whether she wins the white house look some of the anxiety and the democratic quarters is because she has not continued to rise. she's not necessarily fallen, but she has leveled off. so that is the central question here going forward. but when you listen to this rhetoric from the former president over the weekend, and i'm sure it will be repeated today. it's reminded of the fact that this is an absolute to base election. he's not trying to win over some of those suburban voters that he'll be standing in front of in pennsylvania today. so the question is, i

are jeff zeleny learning about this rare appearance clearly there is a pattern here from the campaign to leverage celebrities in order to get their message out there. some people may be not paying attention to politics, but eminem fans, are sure fans. lizzo fans will start to tune into this contest is the hope and also clear court of the strategy here is using the former president's own words and actions against him and to get under trump's skin in a way that the vice president can steer this contest back to the issues where she is most strong. it's a mix of this and doing these big events aimed to get at tension, the cnn town hall tomorrow, talking about reproductive rights on the campaign trail, as well as trying to reach disaffected republicans through these country over party events with liz cheney, take a listen i want my children to know that there's someone sitting in the oval office that they can look up to. you can vote your conscience and not ever have to say a word to anybody. there will be millions of republicans who do that on november 5, structure there for republicans w

that of course, is coming up here and jeff zeleny is outfront live inside that town hall. it's in delaware county, pennsylvania. so jeff, what are you hearing from the campaign about tonight? and how much hair is obviously today, they have seized on the atlantic and they have been running with that pounding the table. is that going to be what she tries to do tonight as well? >> erin, this now presidential campaign, or certainly a big chunk of it. this is something that of course, she's been pointing to many comments from the former president from his time in office, but also his time on the campaign trail about how he in her words, he's unfit. he's unhinged. he's unstable. we do expect the vice president to continue that this evening. we saw her remarks earlier today really trying to jump on every single piece of new information that comes out about the former president to amplify her message, why she believes it's time for change we're also learning tonight that she is scheduled to hold a speech next tuesday night, one week before election on the ellipse course. that is wh

there and getting new reaction to the controversial remark by president biden let's go to cnn's jeff zeleny paterson wisconsin. first, he's covering the harris campaign for us tonight. jeff, how is harris navigating his very delicate moment is trying to turn the page her candidacy, her elected next week depends upon that. >> that was the entire theme of her crossed from the ellipse last night of course, as she set off for north carolina, pennsylvania and a closing rally here in wisconsin tonight. it has all been complicated by those comments from president biden that he was making about the former president's supporters and the puerto rico voters. take a listen to what president biden said. words that have been hanging over the campaign all day just the other day, a speaker at his rally called puerto rico, a floating island of garbage. >> well, let me tell you something. i don't i don't know the puerto rican that i know or puerto rico where i'm in my home state of delaware they're good, decent, honorable people. the only garbage i see floating out there is his supporter's, his, his demoniza

a rally for his supporters this evening let's go to cnn, chief national affairs correspondent, jeff zeleny and aston pennsylvania. the site of cnn's town hall with harris jeff, what can you tell us about tonight's event and the format were going to be undecided and persuadable voters who are here on hand in delaware county, just one of the critical suburban areas outside of philadelphia, asking questions, have vice president kamala harris, of course, these are representing tentative of many voters who still have questions in this race, even as millions and millions vote across the country more than 1 million pennsylvania voters have already cast early ballots. >> there are still a sliver of undecided or movable voters. so those voters will be on hand here, at least tastes smattering of them, asking questions of the vice president harris campaign believes this is an opportunity for her to explain her policy positions, but also give some voters who perhaps are not yet sold on her candidacy bit more to hang on to, but we do know that she also will actually spoke earlier this afternoon outside

cnn's alayna treene is here with the latest on the trump campaign, jeff zeleny is in michigan where the vice president has said to begin her next event with liz cheney at any moment, jeff vice president harris, talking more and more about mr. trump as we get closer to election day. is that the case so far in her events today more about the negative of trump and less about the positive of what of what she wants to accomplish. a balanced but you heard it really, they're in real time vice president harris is responding to most everything former president donald trump just saying she's seizing on every comment and this is why they're trying to convince perhaps some of those reluctant former trump voters here in the suburbs of america oakland county, a critical piece of this battleground map and the vice president is going to be on stage behind me here with former congresswoman liz cheney. she's traveling across these blue wall states with her today from pennsylvania earlier here in michigan, wisconsin this evening to make the case that should it's time to turn the page to move forward. and

jeff zeleny is outfront and royal oak michigan to begin our coverage. and jeff, you are standing right now in a crucial suburb of what is obviously a crucial swing state. harris is on the trail with liz cheney at the attempt. there is to reach out to moderate republicans what is trump doing to keep those voters in the fold? in michigan working loss when them we aren't behind me here. >> what donald trump is trying to do, he's reaching out to not the republicans who vice president harris is reaching out to. >> he isn't in fact trying to expand his base, trying to find trump voters who did not vote for him before they didn't vote for. here is why, because vice president harris and liz cheney, of course, the former republican congresswoman, are traveling through pennsylvania here in michigan later on tonight hi and wisconsin trying to reach out to some of those suburban voters, some of those moderate republican voters who have had enough of donald trump the question here is, what is that balance? are there enough of those voters who are willing to vote for

jeff zeleny is joining us now from inside the debate's spin room here in new york. jeff, the iranian missile attack on israel is sure to be a major topic tonight. what can you tell us on that front? >> well, if there is no question that foreign policy is hanging over this debate much more so than it would've been even a few hours ago. i am told that both governor walz and senator vance are likely to join us officials condemning this attack, but they're agreement is likely to end there. but look, this is not an entire foreign policy debate. it's certainly will likely lead the question, but there are so many other issues on the economy, on immigration. and just on the top of the ticket as well. i mean, even though this is a vice presidential debate between tim walz and between mean j.d. vance. it is also about the top of the ticket. donald trump and kamala harris. so look for both of these running mates to try and defendant promote the candidacies for the people they are running with. but also it is the biggest moment and the biggest opportunity for both vance and walz

jeff zeleny is such important context. let's start here with our panel, but margaret, let me start with you. trump's supportive comments on hitler and interesting, you know, jeff's view, right? that didn't firing up the base and in people's minds being hardened, what impact does something like this have? but the campaign is on plus pushing back. they don't want this to be something that takes out there saying is absolutely false. so you end up in a story here where it appears its john kelly versus trump. >> yeah. look if you have followed every twist and turn of the things that are reported to have been said in the white house to trump's top advisers over many years. >> this is this new report is simultaneously chilling outlandish and totally believable because it tracks with what we have come to know about donald trump as somebody who authority and has become this sort of demagogic figure that adores dictators and authoritarians and complete yes, men and yet never really achieved that. the adoration for putin, the adoratio

. >> let's go straight to detroit, michigan, where cnn's jeff zeleny is ahead of obama's second rally of the day for harris. jeff is vice president harris, not on the campaign trail at all today? >> jake she is. doing interviews today back in washington at the naval observatory the vice president's residence. but she has a parade of surrogates a leading with former president barak obama. he just finished his speech and wisconsin were early voting is underway starting today. one more state where election day is every day some 16 million people have voted across the country. election day also underway in michigan here, but the former president will be making his way here. there's already a very large crowd gathering here in detroit. but he made the case just a short time ago about why this election matters. >> or the other i don't elections really do matter who you vote for matters. so one of this election is making you feel excited or scared, or hopeful? or frustrated or anything in between. >> do not sit back and hope for the best actually be on the campaign trail for the first time t

that is where jeff zeleny is very early, waiting for people to get there at that town hall. jeff, what are you learning as you talk to voters in pennsylvania dan as, you said, governor tim walz has voted so many millions of americans now, 23 million in counting have voted vice president harris is trying to reach those who have not voted. >> and the harris campaign believes there is still a decent sliver here in battleground, pennsylvania, as well as other battleground states across the country of people who are still missing making up their minds and deciding if they're even going to vote. so her audience tonight is going to be some undecided and persuadable voters right here in delaware county, not far from philadelphia. but of course she will be addressing a national audience as well tonight. she had hoped would be a presidential debate with donald trump. he did not accept that. so she will be taking questions hear from voters, but what the campaign is really trying to do is show more of her, her personality, her policy. yes. and also, just trying to fill in some of those

cnn's jeff zeleny, cnn's gloria borger, zolan, kanno youngs of the new york times and leanne caldwell of the washington post. it's just remarkable to see those numbers. i mean, have you ever seen anything like this? and i just want to say i'm sure you guys are all hearing this from your sources as well. i mean, that's sort of the public polling. they're seeing the same thing in their private polling. and in their data analytics, which takes into account a whole lot more than then polling. >> yeah, i mean, it's so tight and, you know, the estimates are some people in the harris campaign say 4% undecided voters and we saw some of them last night in the town hall. but that's a small number and a lot of those people may stay home and decide that they don't want to vote. how many people are these candidates trying to persuade right now, it's as if they have to pick single people out of the crowd and say please vote for me, please vote for me. that'll make the difference. >> beyonce. this is your reporting, jeff, about bringing ban say out, particularly in her home state of texas, which is

jeff zeleny has more from voters in arizona it was a right that we've had for 50 years. >> it's crazyat you can take it back right away. who does that donna ross is voting to protect abortion rights. >> candy purdue is to everybody on that issue, i believe has the right to decide what they want and what they can live with. >> beyond that, their views diverge sharply here in battleground arizona, where ross is supporting kamala harris. >> i'm very excited she is so dynamic and purdue, his backing donald trump, you darn right. >> i am the scrambled politics of abortion are at the center of the first presidential race let's the supreme court overturned roe versus wade. the fight has been an anthem of harris his candidacy arizona we need to fight this battle on every front. and in this election you have the chance on the state level to vote yes, on proposition 130 yet it's far from certain whether proposition 139, a measure to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution will give her a definite edge abortion and immigration are colliding in arizona doughnut like few other battlegro

all at the same time jeff zeleny, can you just kind of give us the big picture of what we just heard and where the trump campaign strategy is. because a lot of times when trump talks, it's like okay, he's just being trump and he's kind of going off script and not exactly what his campaign wants him to do. that's not what this is. >> this is the script, right? i mean, this is exactly what his plan to find those voters who may not be you know, they like him they're on his side, but they may not be motivated to vote to get out and vote. i mean, he is trying to use immigration mixing it in with crime as a rallying cry to his base. this is absolutely a base election and trying to widen the base because he knows that he has they ceiling at probably 47, 48% or so which is enough to win an election. but to broaden out his base and find some of those voters who are not necessarily sporadic voters and other things to try and gin them up. one difference here is he just not the president of the united states. he's not the commander-in chief. he cannot mobilize the military in november. if he win

the main event is jake, you were saying kicks off at nine eastern jake let's first go to cnn's jeff zeleny, who has more on what to expect during tonight's town hall, jeff set the stage for us would you as you said, donald trump will not be on stage, but he will be at the center of the conversation and he's certainly has been really for the last several days as vice president, harris has been seizing on every remark he made, including talking about the generals. of course, those new reports in the waning days of this campaign the vice president has a couple of objectives tonight talking to her advisors, they said she still wants to persuade some of those undecided and persuadable voters over to her side. she also wants to motivate some people who are likely to vote for her, but are either have not yet made a plan to do so, or are ambivalent about voting at all. she has 13 days left to do it, even as millions of americans have voted more than 1 million here in battleground pennsylvania, more than 25 million across the country. so her objective is to fill in some of those blanks really try a

cnn's jeff zeleny has more on how democrats are working to win the so-called blue wall in an incredibly tight race so much is at stake in this election democrats are grabbing a bullhorn and feverishly working to fortify their blue wall this election is going to come down to a handful. >> hey, it's, and that's why we're doing the blue wall bus tour michigan, pennsylvania, and of course the great state of wisconsin are going to decide the outcome in this election. >> you battlegrounds hold as much critical symbolism as this trio of states where democrats are still haunted by donald trump's 2016 victory is the anxiety among democrats it's justified or you know what? >> i would always want my side to be anxious, right? it means we're taking it seriously, means we understand how high the stakes are. >> michigan governor gretchen whitmer is making the case for kamala harris and tim walz hitting the road with wisconsin governor tony evers. >> we're going to need every single freaking we can get in hopes of helping harris win over voters skeptical of trump who are not yet sold on her we've got

grand rapids is and that's where harris is going to start our day so it's an interesting john and jeff zeleny were talking about earlier. it's definitely a county to keep an eye on and it's very interesting for this very reason it's leaned republican. it leaned republican for years. trump won the county in 2016 biden then won the county in 2020 when it comes to outreach in a critical place like that, do you think the strategy should be turning out more democrats are winning over more republicans there? yes. and in a utopian political strategy, it's all but if there's one, you need to focus on more, which is it? >> well, i speak good thing about the kamala harris campaign in terms of its robust infrastructure, is that she can do both and she should do both. and she is doing both because in this in this area where we are now, the timing, the constricted timing of her campaign, and the nature of how everything is going to be won on the margins. kate, she must do both. and her message is focused on exactly that. because the fact of the matter is to turn out more democratic voters she has to make

i want to bring in cnn's chief national affairs correspondent, jeff zeleny to talk about what we heard fm david plouffe. you covered the obama campaign you are familiar with his work and obviously he gave us a lot of information about where he thinks this race is right now, what was your biggest takeaway is a tactician and david plouffe knows well, what he speaks in terms of nuts and bolts. i thought a couple of interesting things. one, this is still a race in seven battleground states. they're not saying the three blue wall states are more important than the four sun the belt states. we don't know if they're treating them equally in their minds, but they are in terms of spending. so this late stage in the campaign, the fact that there are still so many routes to the presidency that is key. i thought on the trans issue, your questions there, so key thinking it back to 2000 for that gay marriage question in ohio yes, it's a different different time, a couple of decades on. but it is resonating out there and worrying some democrats. he is saying, this isn't new to them. they obviously kn

margaret talev of axios cnn's jeff zeleny, and cnn's mj lee happy friday or because they're so close, it's literally a day that ends in y, like who cares, but we are getting so much closer. jeff, you have been on the road most of the week. i believe talk specifically about this blue wall boy. >> i mean, it really is the easiest path, the strongest most likely path or vice president harris to hit that 200 270 electoral votes, of course, with the blue wall, you also need the blue.in nebraska is second electoral district to win the 270, but the blue wall is something that they, that the vice president spent her entire week on. she shuttled back and forth from pennsylvania to michigan, back to pennsylvania, over to wisconsin for three stops yesterday back to michigan today. that tells you all you need to know the of course, all three states are ones that to joe biden won in 20 and didn't in 16 being on the road this week, i'm struck by one thing. how much? 2016 hangs over this campaign in every single way, democrats are haunted by donald trump winning the three states in 2016, there are d

. >> cnn's jeff zeleny and priscilla alvarez and the atlantic's >> she spoke with representative brad sherman of california. he said something that was kind of jaw dropping, but very instructive. he said, you're fighting on eight fronts. and on one of those fronts, you're not winning the eighth front is world opinion and opinion in the united states, particularly the left half of the united states, the israelis have to win the eighth front look >> i'm ways was telling of that. i will also just say that when we're watching the developments over the last year, the statements that were put out by the president and the vice president today for indicated that it put a pin in that because not only was it the first half of the semen saying israel has a right to defend itself and we need to think of the jewish people today, but also included in that was the situation in gaza and the palestinians, anything that's sort of set a marker as to how much is this evolved on the question of where the boats are. we're not talking about the biggest populations in this country, i mean they're very small

the garbage remarks that were sparked by trump's msg rally that we've been talking about cnn's jeff zeleny joins us from madison, wisconsin. were both harris and donald trump campaign yesterday and jeff harris is also responding to trump's take now how he's talking about protecting women, what she saying and what is her campaign planning to do with it >> it was those comments from former president donald trump in green bay, wisconsin. it certainly coffee a fresh attention of the harris campaign and the vice president and i would not be at all surprised if sheet references those again, as she leaves wisconsin, she'll be waking up here and traveling out west to those western battleground states. the gender gap in this campaign in the closing days is one of the most important things we are watching in terms of an outcome next week, harris has a strong lead among women, donald trump of course, is doing much better among men. but the harris it's campaign was seizing on those comments that former president made about protecting women. now at her rally last night here, she's also trying to draw a

. >> let's go straight to detroit, michigan, where cnn's jeff zeleny is ahead of obama's second rally of the day for harris. jeff is vice president harris, not on the campaign trail at all today? >> jake she is. doing interviews today back in washington at the naval observatory the vice president's residence. but she has a parade

let's go to jeff zeleny in madison first at the harris rally. so jeff, what is the mood there and the feeling in that room? >> what are not surprisingly the mood here at this rally is one of excitement. >> it's one of optimism. you can perhaps hear the cheering behind me. it's also a concert. >> this is a get out, the vote rally, but the harris campaign is more focused on the people who are not in this room and here's why hi wisconsin has until sunday to cast early ballots. >> there's some concern from democrats that some of their levels from four years ago have not been reached even though 1 million voters here, more than 1 million have already cast their ballots. but this is a get out. the vote rally in deep-blue dane county. that of course is home to madison, home to the university of wisconsin at madison. >> and harris is trying to run up her margins in these areas where she knows she needs them for all the controversy over the garbage comments for all the back-and-forth over what president biden said, what vice president harris is responds w

and defended his mass deportation plan while making his pitch to undecided latino voters seen as jeff zeleny is on the trail following kamala harris today, following all of this for us in milwaukee jeff, as i mentioned, the first stop to the court college voters, what's going to happen today and what's the impact slash fallout from last night >> good morning, vice president harris will be waking up here in milwaukee. her blue state tour continues, michigan, pennsylvania, and now here in wisconsin, but it is that interview from fox news that is still hanging over the campaign trail today as she was trying to present and ourselves as a candidate of change that has been one central question underwriting this entire campaign. she had this to say about how she might be different from the biden administration? >> let me be very clear my presidency will not be a continuation of joe biden's presidency and like every new president that comes in to office, i will bring my life experiences, my professional special experiences, and fresh and new ideas i invite ideas, whether it be from the republicans w

of course, this morning our great panel joining me now, anna palmer, punchbowl news cnn's jeff zeleny may rusting with the washington post and cnn's harry enten. good morning to you guys. thanks for being here. all right. jeff, so you are on the campaign trail. you're talking to the campaigns. there's this wave of democratic anxiety that's just been percolating. we we've been hearing about it you what you're hearing on the ground and what were you hearing from operatives and the like, is this really where the race's at right now? is there a real fear that harris has hit a wall here or is it just your classic democratic concerns? >> i would say yes to both. there's no doubt that there is it's. elevated to more than just typical democratic bedwetting, which we see at the end of cycles and things there is real anxiety. i mean, but for months, the harris campaign has been saying that she is the underdog in this race. now, some democrats are really starting to believe it. >> i mean, of course october is the month where more people are paying attack tension to the election. >> more voters a

. >> jeff zeleny. >> and thanks to all of you as always, ac36ts now tonight on 360 mile after mile destruction, heartbreak, and you have live reports and where helene hit the hardest and people from near and far who are answering the call for help. >> north carolina's governor joins us. so does chef jose andres also both presidential candidates address the disaster which won the former president playing politics with the relief effort by claiming the biden administration is playing politics with the relief effort. plus israel ramps up airstrikes on lebanon and launches. would they call a limited ground operation? good evening. thanks for joining us. what began with exploding pagers and walkie-talkies than the israeli air force killing hezbollah's leadership is now entering a new phase. cnn's jeremy diamond is on the ground in northern israel right now. what are you learning tonight? is that israel begins this ground operation for months now, we have wondered whether or not israel would expand this conflict against hezbollah, whether it might send ground troops into the sovereign country of leb

jeff zeleny, you're with the harris campaign in madison, wisconsin. how much have these comments become a distraction for the a problem for the vice president? >> look jake, vice president harris and her team clearly wanted to be talking about the big screech she gave last night. >> i'd washington he took her campaign back to the road. >> instead. the first thing she had to do was just associate herself from the president's remarks. but beyond that, there is no doubt when you talk to advisers there's privately they wish president biden wouldn't have said it. they do believe it's a motivating factor for trump supporters, but they do not believe there's any significant long-term political damage. why because this race is locked in, it is a turn-out race by now, people largely believed that president biden misspoke, once again but it is cleanup aisle for the president and that's not what vice president harris wanted to do. >> what she wants to do in her closing days here is really trying to extend a bit of unity pretty not becomes much more difficult whe

our jeff zeleny is on the ground there tonight for a closer look at what voters really want. geoff is outfront with the latest installment of our voters outfront series i'm ready for it to be over. >> dave flannery is exhausted by the election. >> it's getting more and more difficult to listen to all vitriol and that sort of thing from his apple orchard in battleground, wisconsin. he's at a front row seat to the caustic campaign when we met earlier this year, flannery was fed up with the political division and dysfunction. >> what else can you think about it? >> it's a mess. >> how does it get fixed i wish i knew with the election days away, we paid another visit. >> he said he's voting for kamala harris. >> is it a vote? >> for vice president harris or against donald trump for harris? no, let me rephrase that. >> both walz it's a vote against trump and for harris? yes the fight is on for wisconsin harris and trump set to make dueling visits friday, we're winning, we're winning for the second time in three days. i don't want to make any predictions because i think it's that c

rather have a liz cheney standing up with us and choosing the country as opposed choosing a call it jeff zeleny was saying to me it's a sort of a play for the nikki haley voters who may not be swayed yet and still could change their minds. i do want to ask about this new book coming out from melania trump the guardian got some excerpts and the former first lady talks about abortion and has a diametrically different view than her husband in the republican party. she says, a woman is fundamental right of individual liberty. her own life grants or the authority to terminate her pregnancy if she wishes, it is imperative to guarantee that women have autonomy and deciding their preference of having children free from any intervention or pressure from the government okay? >> 12-dimensional chess here, where you think that melania trump is in cahoots with the trump campaign trying to muddy the waters on abortion or just something she doesn't care what her husband thinks about. >> i think melania is making it very clear that she stands on the right side of justice as opposed to her husband and so when w

cnn's jeff zeleny margaret talev of axios and laura barron-lopez of pbs newshour. good to see you all. so we are we are done now with the parts of the campaign that we knew were going to happen. the debates, the conventions and now we are full on october surprises, if you will. we have what happened and what's happened in florida the tension escalating, tension in the middle east, strikes among port workers this is this could this change what's been a very very remarkably steady and even race? >> look, it's hard for me to imagine one single defining event being big enough or consequential enough to change the campaign in ways that others haven't. look back to july an assassination attempt the change of the democratic nominee. i mean, this race has been filled with sort of one whiplash moment after another. so i do not believe that there will be one singular event that will change the trajectory and break open. this really stubbornly close race however, so many pieces now, so many challenges now are tied together. i mean the hurricane effort is going to show the eff

trust that or believed that one is gone, said tonight, his on stage right now, and i should've jeff zeleny, who is there from cnn. he said that she was just interrupted by protesters who were chanting entering about a ceasefire happening. now, harris said she also said that she's working as hard as she can to make a ceasefire happen in a hostage release. but this is something that we keep seeing, showing up. and the question is how it shows up in the votes. next week, are you worried or do you think that the harris and walz campaign has done enough to address those voices? >> well, kaitlan, i checked the vice president at her word that they're working around the clock for a exactly what we need, which is a bilateral and permanent ceasefire. it been intentional some leaders of the arab and muslim community recently in my experience with the vice president, she's not afraid to have a hard conversations and so i'm glad that they do continue to actively do the work of earning as many votes as possible. and building confidence and trust with community. i don't want to ever talk anyone out of th