most of them not wearing masks, although senator tillis was. and i think the big question right now on capitol hill, particularly given this massive supreme court nomination fight that's about to kick into gear, is how much bigger is this going to get? one republican official, a short while ago, said the blast radius right now feels like it's enormous. we don't actually know when it's going to be contained. so i think there's a lot of questions going forward. there's been two republican senators that have tested positive. >> i wonder how it's going to affect the timeline because you've got mike lee of utah. he was seen at the announcement. if we can put that up for the supreme court justice nominee amy coney barrett.

tillis believes his standing will be enhanced by his position on the judiciary committee.dge barrett thank you again. his large roll in possibly confirming the next supreme court justice >>> i think you're an extraordinary model. doning doning says he's on the winning side of healthcare and covid and will stay on message frjtsz that's what i'm going to do. >> either way he says this election will be hard to forget. >>> this is one that everybody will remember, not just next election cycle, bulletin years from now. >> they will remember and remember for a long time, dana, even if they don't want to. that's it from here back to you >> dana: i was just thinking, do you want to be remembered until i'm not sure. thank you douglas appreciate it. brick in the panel, marianne and colin. kole listen do you think that republicans believe they can win in north carolina for the senate race? >>> i do dana, here is why. standard surrounding cal cunningham his behavior was reprehensible, and it made him look like a hypocrite, his character has been shattered, what i think this does in th

the republican thom tillis tillis has the coronavirus. the democrat cunningham is dealing with potential sex scandal tonight. here is congressional correspondent chad pergram. >> double barrel bombshells. freshman g.o.p. incumbent senator thom tillis phillips up at the campaign trail after announcing friday he contracted the coronavirus. democratic challenger kyle cunningham led to listen the polls but then cunningham confirmed that he sent romantic messages to a woman who isn't his wife. this is a contrast to the wholesome image betrayed by cunningham. >> i'm a little traditional. >> i think the question many of us are curious about, are there r-rated texts coming? i think we are looking at a very different race. is this the end of the cunningham race or the beginning? >> cunningham said he will hurt my family, discipline of my friends and i'm deeply sorry. it is unclear if it resonates with the voters. president trump survived access hollywood tape. >> i think in a post trump political environment, these kinds of pg rated text messages

cal cunningham is up 46.9% over thom tillis, about a 6% lead. but there has been that news that could change the tenor of this race. how do you see that going? >> i think that both of the races in the carolinas we will win each of those races. and we've got great senators. they are running great campaigns. and they are on the path to win. and we look forward to that. >> those incumbents include senator martha mcsally, she's battling to retain the seat she was appointed to in arizona. david purdue in georgia, joanie ernst in iowa, susan collins in maine has been running behind her democratic challenger and senator gary peters is actually facing a tough race in michigan against his republican challenger. steve danes in montana, thom tillis in north carolina and lindsey graham we mentioned. how confident are you that republicans will maintain control of the senate? >> i have to tell you, i feel really good. the american people want to see us do our job, confirming a supreme court justice is doing our job. president trump has done a great job with b

thom tillis. thom tillis, i think, was actually wearing a mask. >> some of the time. yes. and i -- and i think, you know, people should know better. this is what their own cdc recommends to people, like us, and this is what we try and do. here's my mask. and this is what we try and do, every single day. >> here's my mask, right here, too. and i'm -- and i'm the only one. you're the only one in your studio, right? i'm the only one here. >> yeah. all alone. >> but just in case you bump into people, security guards, somebody working late in the building because usually, we're here, most of the cnn team's working from home. so just us, chickens, are here, as my grandma would say. but before i get to david, i have got to say there were so many people who were at that event, and then came in contact with other people. we saw, getting onto marine one, we saw all the -- the pictures, gloria, of -- we saw jared. we saw stephen miller and so on and so forth. >> hope. >> hope hicks was there with them. and i think you said they are -- it was a false sense of security and the testing.

mick sally, ernst, perdue, collins, tillis and graham. what are now deemed toss-ups. peters of michigan, and smith in minnesota and one democratic incumbent is in a race that's likely g.o.p., likely to go to republicans and that's doug jones in alabama. donovan, even all of that, what do you think are the chances of a blue wave sweeping democrats into control of the senate on november 3rd? >> well, i think you laid it out pretty efficiently. the seats that republicans strategists who are working on senate races are most concerned about, mick sally, tillis, collins in maine, and gardner are all been really, really bad shape. they're worried about iowa, running behind the president there, so you lose all of those, you've lost the senate, but you know, things can change and a lot of these races are very close. tom tillis in north carolina has been helped by the scandal involving his opponent, although that doesn't seem to have cut through in the polls as much as some of the tillis folks were hoping. so look, that's the situation. one of the

senator tillis also has his own miniscandal as well.askless at the now infamous amy coney barrett white house party. there's photos of him inside without a mask on. but, you know, our colleague she was talking to voters outside of a polling booth yesterday and every voter said that think know about the scandal but it didn't change their vote. yeah, they don't like it, but they don't want to see tillis win. polls kind of seem to be showing that as well. the race is still tied. some polls are still showing cunningham in the lead. and where cunningham has lost ground in polling is that people don't trust him as much. but it might not impact their vote because it's a choice of course between two people. between thom tillis who has not been popular in this state for quite some time. he's running behind the president here. he's not popular among the republican base and he's losing support among moderate suburban women. it's a story we see over and over again, in state after state with some of the senate candidates. so we'll be at the polls ag

we just learned senator tom 'ho tillis tested positive. mike lee was there. a number of others who tested positive. we certainly wish him well. so sanjay, another one. >> you're getting a sense that event, even though it was outside may have been a significant spreading event. we don't know. contact tracing is challenging to do. we have talked about this. we have 40,000 people a day roughly being infected. it's a lot of contact tracing. here, there is of usually the contact tracing is underway and starting to look more and more like that may have been a significant source of spread. so we'll get more data coming. there is loats of people that my not test positive if at all for up to two weeks. >> sanjay. >> you go through a couple days and think -- >> if it is that saturday event, then can one -- if in fact that is the case, that was an event where a number of people got positive and it spread among a number of people, if the president picked it up then, by the time the debate, would he have -- i mean, how long does it take to start to be able to detect the v

breaking news regarding tom tillis.e some breaking news for you, i think you want to get to it, from the president of the united states. do you have that. >> do i personally? i do not have that, but i have seen kayleigh mcenany's tweet, or are you talking about the president's tweet? >> since it's up, i'll let you respond. the president says it's going well, i think. thank you all, love. that's the latest tweet at 11:31 p.m. this evening. >> that's how you conclude all your tweets as well, love, straight up. and kayleigh mcenany has the latest from the doctor, and tom tillis, he met in person with amy coney barrett, the nominee for the supreme court, announced he's tested positive. he's quarantining for ten days. and republican officials on capitol hill are extremely unsettled. you've seen the people in the president's inner circle, journalis journalists, and senators, all of them appear to have been at the white house at this event. most of them not wearing masks, although senator tillis was, and the question is, how m

tillis and lee sit on judiciary committee. the senate is not working this weekend. it's starting monday. it will meet in proforma session meaning very few senators are going to be in town. it appears that four votes that were expected, they will be pushed back until october 19th at the earliest. senate democrats say now is not the time to confirm a supreme court nominee. minority leader chuck schumer tweeting, if it's too dangerous to have the senate in session it's too dangerous for committee hearings to continue. majority leader mitch mcconnell put out a statement defending the decision to keep judiciary polity -- committee working. operated flawlessly through hybrid method while other participates virtually. sandra, back to you. sandra: mark meredith live at the white house, thank you. the president's diagnosis shaking up joe biden's campaign. the questions the campaign now faces with the president in the hospital with the election only weeks away. the biden campaign just ahead here's another cleaning tip from mr. clean. cl

tom tillis republican of north carolina on the senate judiciary committee. dana perino with katie pavlich, greg gutfeld, jesse watters. this is "the five" in new york city. president trump is ready to rally. his campaign a understand knowing they will hold a make america great campaign rally monday night at 7:00 p.m. the president will have his first in-person event. tomorrow night he will do something else on law and order. president trump saying today he's feeling much better. >> i feel better now

mike lee and thom tillis and senator chris christie, hospitalized yesterday. on tuesday, he flew to the debate with his entourage. his family quickly took off masks as the president himself minimized mask wearing. >> when needed, i wear a mask. i don't wear a mask like him. every time you see him, he's wearing a mask. he could be speaking 200 feet away and he shows up with the biggest mask i've ever seen. >> on thursday, the president attended a multimillion dollar fund-raiser at his golf club, even after the white house learned of hope hicks' positive diagnosis before he took off. >> it was safe for the president to go. he socially distanced. it was an outdoor event and deemed safe. >> already on the campaign trail, biden, who says he had two negative tests on friday is suspending negative tv advertising for now but sending a pointed message. >> it's not going away automatically. we have to do our part to be responsible. it means following the science. it means having masking mandates nationwide. >> and joining me now is trump campaign senior adviser jason mi

because at least 2 republicans are currently working from home because of a covert crisis one thom tillis with the self isolating ted cruz is doing so out in months of caution what was surprising is that mike lee who was at the event at the white house where any 20 but it was unveiled as

senator tillis, said he had no symptoms. but you talk about that saturday event and the schedule of how this is going forward, the committee that's going to have to consider this nomination. the hearings are supposed to start october 12th. many of the committee members were at that ceremony. that's why senator tillis was there. that's why senator lee was there. a number of other senators that were there have, since, taken tests and said they tested negative. so there's two questions. one, do any more senators get sick? and, two, what's the extent to how sick the senators who currently have it are? don, what we are hearing is they are full steam ahead right now. they plan to hold the hearings starting october 12th. they plan to hold the committee vote on october 22nd. and right now, the target is still have that vote, the final vote, before the lek. b election. but again, it's all contingent on the health of those senators. very narrow margin for mcconnell and graham to work with here if they want to get this through. >> gent

tillis can't do that. he's embraced trump to his core. cap there that he keeps running into. 0 on the other hand, if biden does win north carolina and biden does come out ahead, there's a strong impulse for those voters that may have been turned off by tillis for them to say gosh, we need a republican senate. if we're going to have a democratic president, we need a democratic senate. so that's where tillis can pick up votes from folks that he turned off in the raleigh suburbs, the republican bread basket of the tarheel state. >> bill: president obama will speak to a bunch of cars in philadelphia. joe biden won't be there. why not? >> man if joe biden could bury himself under the earth, he would do it. he thinks the less the better and he's probably right. >> bill: see you later, chris. there he is. nice to see you in your living room. i do believe. thanks. taking on big tech now. speaking with an sec staffer accusing twitter of censorship. later, a memorial in france after a history teacher was decapitated. we'll look at the intersection

the republican incumbent, thom tillis, has tested positive for coronavirus and is in quarantine, while, cal cunningham, deals with an october surprise of his own. cnn's diane gallagher is live in charlotte. what's the latest here, diane? >> reporter: yeah, alisyn, look, this is a closely watched senate race. both republicans and democrats have called north carolina a must-win and here voters are going to have to decide whether the personal decisions of a candidate are more important or do they need to win control of the senate? as the world watched the president, sick with coronavirus, go to the hospital in a helicopter, down in north carolina, the most expensive senate race in the country began tumbling into chaos. >> my phone's notifications are going off like crazy. >> reporter: republican senator thom tillis he too tested positive for covid-19 just one day after sharing the debate stage with democrat cal cunningham, who after wishing tillis well and saying he'd also get tested dropped a bombshell of his own friday night, apologizing for sending romantic tests to a woman who is not

you have senator thom tillis over his right shoulder. president directly in front of him.resident since then as well. so i think there's still more ongoing questions about whether that is, you know, safe for him to be on the campaign trail at this moment. jackie and abby, ladies, i appreciate your insights. >>> with only weeks until the election, it is time for mike pence and kamala harris to face off. and right now, the only vice presidential debate of 2020 is planning to be wednesday night. it will air on cnn. we'll have special coverage starting at 7:00 eastern. >>> some breaking news now. senator mitch mcconnell says he just spoke to president trump. we will head to capitol hill for a live report on what they discussed and what the senate majority leader is learning about the president's condition can. you're live in the "cnn newsroom." he shark vacmop combines powerful suction with spray mopping to lock away debris and absorb wet messes, all in one disposable pad. just vacuum, spray mop, and toss. the shark vacmop, a complete clean all in one disposable pad. monitorin

tilly was due to have surgery at the queen's medical centre.r of patients being treated for covid—19 across its two main hospital sites is now higher than in april, when cases were at their peak. it's why they've had to postpone some surgery — and is another key reason why nottingham has been moved into the tier 3 very high risk group. two weeks ago, this city had the highest coronavirus rate in england. it has now dropped out of the list of top 20 hot spots, but that hasn't been enough to prevent further restrictions being imposed. if you drive by any pub here, there's loads of people not social distancing, so it's their fault. it's our own fault. we need to just do it, buckle down, and let's get into a decent position for christmas so we can actually spend it with our family. tier 3 isjust worse, it's... it doesn't really give us anything. it feels like you're being locked up. there are unanswered questions tonight — people living here won't find out tomorrow exactly how they'll be affected by the new restrictions, which will last at least 28

tilly was due to have surgery at the queen's medical centre.at the number of patients being treated for covid—19 across its two main hospital site is now higher than in april, when cases were at their peak. it's why they've had to postpone some surgery. and there is a key reason why nottingham has been moved into the tier 3 very high risk group tonight. two weeks ago, this city had the highest coronavirus rate in england. it has now dropped out of the list of top 20 hot spots, but that hasn't been enough to prevent further restrictions being imposed. if you drive by any pub here, there's lots of people not social distancing, so it's their fault. it's our own fault. we need tojust do it, buckle down and let's get into a decent position for christmas so we can actually spend it with our family. tier 3 isjust worse. it doesn't really give us anything. it feels like you are being locked up. after days of talks, the decision isn't a surprise but it will be questioned by some, given the drop in cases. however, at one minute past midnight on thursday,

senator tom tillis facing a challenge from iraq war veteran cal cunningham. and back in the beginning of september, cunningham was performing pretty well. a point ahead of tillis in the monmouth university poll which left a lot of people thinking, wow, this could happen. could this be a democratic senate pick-up? a week and a half ago, that all seemed to be upended pup on october 2nd, tillis' campaign confirmed the senator tested positive for coronavirus and later that very same day text messages surfaced between cal cunningham and a woman who is not his wife. after about a week of pretty brutal extramarital relationship accusations that started to look like, i don't know, maybe democrats were counting their chickens a little too early in the north carolina senate race. then new polling came out and guess what? the whole thing seems to have helped cal cunningham. in a monmouth university poll released today, his lead over senator tom tillis has now actually expanded. he is now up by four points where he was only up one year in september. it's a very, very wei

we have two members of the senate judiciary committee, tillis and lee, out having tested positive for covid-19. both of them attended the ceremony at the white house. there was an indoor reception and an outdoor press conference. i believe the math is republicans enjoyed a 12-10 majority. there's senator lee hugging people without masks. republicans enjoy a 12-10 majority on that committee. you got to be present to vote. so as of tonight, we're looking at a 10-10 committee? >> it's a serious issue for senate republicans. i reported earlier today about my conversation with a very well placed senate republican aide, who said some top senate republican lawmakers are already talking to leader mcconnell about making sure the senate's off next week, having it recessed, because they need to make sure that they have enough votes to have a senate judiciary committee vote in mid-october to have the hearings in mid-october on the judiciary committee. leader mcconnell has not signed on to that idea. he's going full steam ahead at this point. this is a critical moment for senate republicans, who w

if a republican wins, thom tillis, mitch mcconnell will probably hold the gavel.are about most. >> how does tillis deal with this. you would think here's a gift, the other guy is in trouble. if it is not working, what do you do about it? >> reporter: they're talking about it louder. you're seeing outside republican groups pouring in money, putting ads on tv that tout the scandal, say it is not just about sex, it is about the fact that cunningham who was in the military was having a relationship with a fellow veteran's wife and it triggered an investigation. they're trying to talk about it louder. they think his unfavorability ratings have gone up, and there's hope of getting people to change their vote. one voter said this could potentially change support for cunningham, but the problem was, it was too late. he already sent in the ballot for cunningham so couldn't do anything about it. >> i saw tillis saying i trust dr. fauci. so clearly the president, a bit of a dragon the incumbent. >> reporter: that's right. tillis will try to talk about the relief package pass

thom tillis is the incumbent. he came down with covid. there was a report that came out that cal cunningham, the democrat in the race, had an affair with a woman. he has not spoken since. cal cunningham was ahead. that has narrowed to where the presidential race is. race, ray cooper, the current governor, a democrat, this is a close race. i think it is going to be closer to 6% when it is down to it. it is not affecting the governor's race. the governor has been doing news conferences since march almost weekly. he has a clear advantage. host: why is it that the governor is running against his lieutenant governor? guest: they do not run together. they are separate elected positions. the lieutenant governor is a stepping stone to running for governor. we knew all along he wanted to run for governor. he does not believe in wearing masks. he has been critical of what the governor has done on covid-19 on the shutdowns. it is sort of the classic republican versus democrat in north carolina. host: we are talking with tim boyum. he will take your

and two senators, thom tillis and mike lee. tillis from north carolina up for re-election.ee from utah. kellyanne conway a former senior counselor to the president who recently left the white house. three journalists, and later we learned that bill stepien a campaign manager for president trump tested positive. what all of these particular individuals have in common they were at that event on saturday where the president announced his nomination of amy coney barrett to become the next member of the supreme court. keep in mind, many were not wearing masks. some were tested ahead of him, if they were in close proximity to the president they had to have tested negative there are many not tested and some of them have been diagnosed with a positive test. of course, there's a vice presidential debate set to take place on wednesday. as of right now, plans for that continue to move forward. they've made some accommodations both kamala harris and mike pence are expected to be farther apart than originally planned from seven feet to 12 feet apart on the stage. and vice president mike

two of those new coronavirus cases, lee and tillis, involved republican members of the senate judiciary committee which now raises questions about the supreme court confirmation process. senate majority leader mitch mcconnell says the confirmation process will still begin on october 12th whether some members have to join virtually or not. he has, though, requested that all other senate business be delayed until october 19th. democrats are calling for a delay in the hearings altogether. and first lady melania trump also diagnosed with coronavirus. a live look for you at the white house where she remains in isolation. a spokeswoman says the first lady is doing well and that her symptoms have not worsened. >>> back here locally a heartbreaking story in the east bay, some good samaritans did all they could to rescue two men from a burning car on i-80 in contra costa county. sadly neither of the man survived. the victims' families tell us they are in awe by the kindness of strangers who tried to help. thom jensen reports. >>> hurry-up! >> reporter: it happened shortly before 6:00 on i-80 wes

two senators, thom tillis of north carolina, mike lee of utah.he reverend john jenkins from notre dame at that event saturday where amy coney barrett was announced. and ronna mcdaniel, and kellyanne conway, and bill stepien, the campaign manager. two events we're looking at very closely. first, was that event with a large group of people where the president announced amy coney barrett as the supreme court nominee. a number of people subsequently diagnosed with the coronavirus. and then there was the president's debate prep. there were a small number of people with the president not wearing masks. many of them have been diagnosed by coronavirus. bill stepien, kellyanne conway among them. there are others, former governor chris krchristie, he tk a test today and expected to get the results today. the business continues. there's no invoking of the 25th amendment. that means that president trump is still in charge but vice president mike pence will take on a bigger role. today, he's expected to head up a meeting of the coronavirus task force. this is

and thom tillis is not a young man. there are serious repercussions that continue to emanate out here. >> that's right. and we should say the trump staffers and trump officials today who tested negative and they almost sort of touted their negative diagnosis, that's a snapshot in time. it's a good indicator but it's not a final indicator. what we know is that these folks who were in close proximity, either at the vent that preceded that rose garden event for judge amy cohen barrett, they're going to have to get tested day after day after day. >> cdc guidelines would be quarantine for people extended for -- exposed for an extended period of time. and you were on the bus with -- the vice president and his wife announcing they tested negative. what is the perspective from that campaign right now? >> if is interesting for somebody who is normally hanging out with my friend and colleague, geoff bennett, at the white house, it's a much different ethos to bring in the word and the conversation we were having earlier. people do

senators mike lee and thom tillis were there. nine members of the committee need to be present to consider the nomination. mitch mcconnell sent an email asking all gop senators to be back on the hill by october 19th. senate minority leader chuck schumer called the move, quote, reckless and dangerous. >> 30 days, as we said, until election. how will the president's diagnosis and hospitalization impact the campaign, how voters feel about that confirmation? let's bring in margaret talov who is with us this morning. good morning, margaret. >> good morning, victor. >> let's start right there with amy coney barrett and the timeline set out by mitch mcconnell. any indication that the diagnoses of ron johnson, not on senate judiciary, but thom tillis and mike lee, who are, will derail, delay this at all? >> well, victor, the democrats see a window now that they didn't see. it's not clear how big this window is. mitch mcconnell and republicans on judicial committee have made clear they intend for this to go forward and they intend to do i

tillis: i for one hope every registered voter and in this country vote on november 11. do youou agree with that? hon. barrett: of course. yes. amy: for the record, elelection day is n november 3, not novembr 11. u.u.s. felony disenfranchihisemt will bar 5.2 million american citizens from voting in november's election. that's according to a new report by the sentencing project, which finds nearly 2.5% of the voting-age u.s. population is disenfranchised due to a felony conviction. in north carolina, a federal judge ruled absentee ballots wednesday submitted by mail must have a third-party witness signature. the ruling, which will make it harder for people to safely vote during the pandemic, was celebrated by north carolina republicans. in california, republican party officials say they will refuse a cease-and-desist order to remove falsely labeled drop boxes for mail-in ballots from public locations in several counties. after california's secretary of state threatened criminal prosecutions, republican officials removed the word "official" from labels reading "official ba

thom tillis has been helped by the sex scandal engulfing his opponent.hat doesn't seem to have cut through as much as some of the tillis folks were hoping. one of the biggest problems is almost all of the republicans, almost without exception, are getting out-raised dramatically by their opponents, in some cases by huge magnitudes. this is a big problem, a problem you across the board, not just because of ad spending, because it's also potentially -- not in all cases. sometimes it's out-of-state money. in some cases, it's a proxy for voteen enthusiasm. chris: kim, let's take a look at the balance of power now in the senate so we can understand what democrats have to do to take back control of the senate. as you can see there, republicans now you have 53 to 47 vote majority to take control. democrats need a net pick-up of 4 seats for a net pick-up of 3 seats plus kamala harris to break tie as vice president. kim, what do you think are the chances of that happening, democrats regaining control of the senate? >> well, look at those numbers, you just put up

lindsey graham, thom tillis. profile senate raises, republicans on the judiciary committee are going to hope to use these next couple of weeks as a real base rallying donation moment to get the grass roots enthused, to get people really excited about the conservative movement and you know how much courts are part of that, getting judges on the court, none higher than the supreme court. they hope to use this to actually blunt some of the momentum you're discussing that the democrats demonstrated. >> only under one condition, that they don't die because this is a hearing being held in the middle of a pandemic in the middle of a hot spot. tillis has covid, mike lee has covid, lindsey graham refuses to get tested, chuck grassly also on the committee, refuses to be tested. this is so unbelievable that they're doing this. they're three members of the committee, grassley, pat leahy, dianne feinstein in their 80s exposing themselves to the farce. the idea they're doing this hearing now is so surreal and so dangerous. i t

tillis: my daughter was thrilled to meet you. they will cherish those gifts. it will take a few more years. i really enjoyed that discussion. there is something i would like you to share with the committee. you have stellar academic credentials. you have a stellar record as a professor. you have done an excellent job on the seventh circuit. you have been a great mother and wife. you have so many options are there are so many things he could be doing besides going rudely first confirmation hearing, which was not pleasant. i was here and i remember it. he knew this would be even more challenging. , knowing you do this how this was going to play out? knowing you would be attacked and unfairly treated? to a level where your constitutional rights have been the night. why are you doing this? why not to say thank you but no thank you, leave it for someone else? ms. barrett: as i said to , thisr graham yesterday is a very difficult process. i think i have used the word excruciating over the week. the knowledge that people will say horrible things. my private life will

gop senator thom tillis elbow to elbow with barrett's young son, both not wearing masks. and republican senator mike lee of utah, here he is, up close with judge barrett. he tested positive. the white house said that all guests at the barrett nomination ceremony tested negative for the coronavirus prior to the event. joining me now, author of the "washington post's" early-morning newsletter "power up," jacquelin almini. thank you so much for being up early with me this morning. i think what we just ran through, this shows americans why they're not going to concerts, why they're not going to large gatherings, why they're wearing masks. it's very clear that this event had some sort of effect and has now sickened so many who are at the top echelons of our government. what's the white house doing now to prevent further spread inside the white house and at the top echelons of the trump campaign? >> it's a really great question. and as we're trying to figure out just how sick the president is, due to the dearth of information that's coming out of the white house and to the lack

and they're doing it at a hearing involving not one but two republican senators, mike lee and tom tillis, who have tested positive for covid. and until very recently, apparently, were shedding viral load. hopefully that's stopped now because they're all in the room together. just let's take a step back for a foment from the particulars of judge barrett. because what's been happening today isn't really about any one person. i mean, take a look at where the country finds itself right now, specifically where the republican party so dead-set on pushing through this confirmation finds itself, and you've got to ask, why are they doing this? i mean, it's not -- it's not what people want, right? 77% want the senate to pass another pandemic relief package. which they have so far refused to take up. 66% want it before a vote on judge barrett. and with two senators on the committee having tested positive for the virus just in the last ten days, 54% saying in-person hearings should be delayed. we're three weeks before an election. people are voting in record numbers already. there is no economic rel

senator tillis. sen. tillis: thank you.efore i get started, i would like unanimous consent to submit a letter from a primary care physician indicating i have fully complied with cdc that like carolinians yesterday, and i'm glad -- >> without objection. sen. tillis: i would als like to put three -- put forward three letters, including one who speaks highly of your academic prowess, but also your compassion. whatld also like to cover senator blumenthalseven -- senat just did. i believe he alluded to judge barrett. it asks for letter to the editor, and other published material you have written or edited. is it fair to say that you dinner at -- that you did not write any of that petition you signed? judge barrett: i did not. all --llis: appreciate your being forthcoming, that you have submitted 1800 pages of documents. i. chairman, just going back, also wanted to mention that, as part of my journey through my time in quarantine, i have far.led in two studies so i will be giving blood on friday to enroll in another program at un

we will now have senator tillis, who is with us remotely. after his opening statement, we'll come back at 12:20. senator hirono, you will be the first one to make a statement. senator tillis? >> thank you, chairman graham and ranking member feinstein. i want to take a moment to honor the life and legacy of justice ginsberg. she was a living legend and a giant in the legal world. as a professor, as a lawyer, and a judge and a justice. she was an inspirational role model, and we honor her legacy. i want to make sure her family knows the nation mourns her loss. today, we're here to consider a nomination of a highly qualified jurist to the united states supreme court. judge amy coney barrett. she's a top legal scroll lholar professor in the mold of the late justice scalia. she is respected in the legal community. it is clear why her students voted her to be the distinguished professor after the year at the notre dame law school. it is also why every full-time faculty member of notre dame law supports her nomination. her legal work and teaching h

republican senators mike lee and tom tillis testing positive for covid-19. both on the senate judiciary committee. some question whether judge amy coney barrett's confirmation hearing should proceed. lindsey graham pushing back against democrats tweeting i feel fine and look forward to hearing for amy coney barrett on october 12th. any senator who wants to participate virtually will be allowed to do so. for more on the political fallout we turn to brad blakeman, advisor to the bush cheney campaign and joel ruben, secretary of state under president obama and president of the washington strategy, brad, this is an unexpected twist. it could get uglier as far as the president's condition and the senator's condition and the opposition that is there and growing to the hearings to be held before the election. >> we got to stay true to the constitution, we've got to do that which the constitution calls for. when there is a vacancy the president must fill it and the senate must do their job to confirm or not confirm, democrats will try every trick in the book to have

one small update from an aide to senator tillis tonight, norah. they say he has mild symptoms and no fever. >> o'donnell: all right, nancy cordes, thank you. president trump's battle with covid-19 is raising the stakes in an already-unprecedented campaign. joe biden has suspended negative ads, but he's still campaigning. and with the vice presidential debates just days away, all eyes are on the number twos. here's cbs' ed o'keefe. >> hello, hello, hello. >> reporter: during a virtual campaign event today, joe biden again addressed his rival's diagnosis with coronavirus. >> jill and i pray for their quick and full recovery, but our thoughts are with the families and the members you've lost. >> reporter: biden's campaign is trying to avoid the appearance it is taking advantage of president trump's condition by taking down negative ads. but he criticized the president today for fail to provide protective gear to transportation workers. >> if that's not the president's responsibility, what the hell-- what the heck is his responsibility? "not my fault.

coronavirus in addition to president trump and the first lady, republican senators mike lee and tom tillishope hicks, rnc chair at ronna mcdaniel, kellyanne conway, president of notre dame and the campaign manager bill stepian. of before the election clearly not a good time that his demand to have his campaign manager skyline. he remains the commander in chief in the conference to me there's no plans to transfer power to the vice president and the pentagon spokesman issued the following statement. "there's no change to dod alert levels. there's no chance the readiness or the capability of our armed forces and the national command-and-control structure in no way affected by this announcement." reaction was swift once they tested positive with friends and foes alike weighing in. a kim jong un of north korea wished president trump a quick recovery along with british prime minister boris johnson will also lead his nation from the hospital battling the virus. >> obviously, i think we all want to send our best wishes to the president and the first lady. i've done that this morning as you can ima

[applause] and, with senator thom tillis in a renewed republican majority in the united states senateth north carolina's republican delegation in a new republican majority in the house of with danatives, forrest in the governor's office -- [applause] with president trump in the white house -- [applause] help, we wills make north carolina and america more prosperous and secure than ever before. we will make north carolina and america more united than ever before. and, we will make america great again. again. thank you all very much. god bless you, god bless america. now let us go get it done, north carolina. ♪ the sun is coming up over bus driver in a traffic jam. at the bank in her at thew mirror, looking plan. one kid dreams of fame and fortune. one kid helps play -- pay the rent. one could end up going to prison. one just might be president. only in america, dreaming in red white, and blue. dreamn america, when we as big as we want to. we all get a chance, everybody america.ance, only in down on nla freeway, -- on an l.a. freeway. newlyweds in the back of a limousine. banker'ss son

-- senators thom tillis and mike lee of utah are now covid-19-positive. at all delay this type of timeline? >> it could absolutely delay it. we know we don't have much time at this point. now, it looks like politics has won out over principle because with both mitch mcconnell and lindsey graham assuring the american people there would not be a confirmation hearing for a supreme court nominee in year 4 of trump's presidency, it looks like that's gone by the wayside. now there are two challenges facing mitch mcconnell. one, can he hold his slim majority because it looks like there are already some senators who have expressed that they're not willing to vote this late in the game, this close in time to a presidential election. we heard that from senator murkowski. the second issue is can they get enough senators to the floor in this day and age of covid with the reporting we're hearing about senators, you know, falling ill, testing positive. can he get enough senators to the floor to vote. so there are multiple challenges at this point to an amy coney barret

, and while we know that tillis is expected to attend the hearings in person later this week, we still don't know whether or not senator mike lee will attend in person. it's critical whether or not they show up. because the top democrat in the senate chuck schumer told reporters that if those two members, and it has to be both of them being absent are not there on thursday, the day of a critical vote in the judiciary committee he will not provide the number of democrats a quorum. that could slow down the nomination process. while the first order of business is what lawmakers say in their opening statements, what amy coney barrett says in her opening statement on monday, it's also important to remember that the health of the individual members on this committee is going to be closely watched over the upcoming days. for cnn in washington i'm lauren fox. >>> new polling finding democratic presidential nominee joe biden well ahead of president trump nationally. biden is also leading or neck in neck with mr. trump in key battleground states. cbs news polls show biden favored 52 to 46 points

if both senator lee and tillis were out, that thursday vote could be compromised because essentially democrats could procedurally just not show up. that makes it hard for senator lindsey graham, the chairman of the committee, to even hold a vote. now, this vote on thursday is traditionally won in which they try to get the nominee out of committee but we do know based on past judiciary committee markups, that you can hold that nomination over for an additional week. so, because of the tight timeline that we are talking about here, it was essential that members are in place on thursday so they can have that vote, sessentially a democrat will ask for it to be held over an additional week and then they can have the vote a week from thursday. i know it's a little complicated but it's very important. that's why senator schumer said here, and i want to play the tape in just a minute, that he wanted to promise that democrats will not make sure there's a quorum in the judiciary committee. here's what he said. >> well, they're going to the hearing and i will say this, democrat -- we will talk

cruz was not at the event, but hawley was sitting next to tillis. cruz interacted with senator mike lee who tested positive for the virus. >> again, both negative there for those two. we want to bring in kathy park who is outside the medical center in morristown. what more can you tell us about the complicated efforts to contact trace after all the action in new jersey this week? >> reporter: hey, lindsey, kendis, good morning to you both. i will start with former governor chris christie since we are outside of the hospital. he's pretty good about posting updates on his twitter page. he checked himself into the hospital yesterday afternoon. he says he is feeling good, but he did experience mild symptoms. just as a precaution he checked himself into the hospital. he does have a history of asthma. he says that he's looking forward to going home. that is the latest as far as his condition goes. going back to your question on contact tracing, 15 minutes away is bedminster, new jersey. there is a big headline coming out of there because, as you know on t

both senator and tillis can participate by video conference, you can go in person and social instancelly. >> reporter: there are indications republicans may be increasingly vulnerable of losing control of the senate as covid-19 continues to be front and center on the minds of voters. that could be a boost for former vice president joe biden and down-ballot senate democrats. this latest abc news poll shows 58% of americans disapprove of the way trump is handling the pandemic. democrats need to flip three seat ifs biden wins or four seats if his loses to take control of the senate. and, by the way, thom tillis is locked in a very tight senate race in the country, and now he'll be off the campaign trail for a little bit, so we'll see. bret: bryan, thanks. we're back with the panel, harold ford, julie pace and marc thiessen. marc, any way, shape or form that this confirmation process for judge barrett does not go through before election day. >> oh, it's going to go through, without a doubt. you don't even have to have a hearing. there's no rule that requires a hearing whatsoever, and cert