Return to Transcripts main page
CNN's The Arena with Kasie Hunt
Final Hours Of Voting Before Polls Close In High-Stakes Races; Dick Cheney, Architect Of War On Terror, Dies At 84. Aired 4-5p ET
Aired November 04, 2025 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[16:00:01]
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: So, a big difference in approach.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: All right. Bill Weir, thank you so much. We really appreciate it.
We should mention, Jake Tapper and Erin Burnett begin our special election coverage at 5:00 p.m.
And "THE ARENA WITH KASIE HUNT" starts right now.
(MUSIC)
KASIE HUNT, CNN HOST: Hi, everyone. I'm Kasie Hunt. Welcome to THE ARENA.
It is election day in America. A year after voters sent Donald Trump back to the White House, Americans are once again heading to the polls. And with Trump's popularity at the lowest since he's been reelected, a number of key races will reveal a lot tonight about the mood of the electorate.
One of the most closely watched contests, the race to run the nation's largest city. As of this afternoon, already more than 1 million people have voted. And President Trump is trying his best to get Andrew Cuomo across the finish line.
He posted online today, "Any Jewish person that votes for Zohran Mamdani, a proven and self-professed Jew hater, is a stupid person."
Trump, also threatening to pull federal funding for the city if Mamdani wins.
This morning, responded this way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D), NEW YORK CITY MAYORAL CANDIDATE: What we see in the language of Donald Trump is a promise, as if it is his decision on whether or not to fund a city the very money that this city is owed. And I look forward to utilizing every single tool at my disposal as the next mayor of the city to fight for the people of it. But I will not be intimidated by this president. I will not be intimidated by anyone because my job here is to serve the people of this city.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Also today, just to the west of New York City, New Jersey will pick its next governor. The two leading candidates locked in a close race. If Democrat Mikie Sherrill wins, it will be the first time since the 1960s that the state has elected a governor from the same party three times in a row.
And closer to home here in Virginia, the race for governor being watched closely as Democrats try to find their footing and hone in on what their message is going to be ahead of next year's midterm elections.
We have so much to get to over the next hour. Let's get off the sidelines and head into THE ARENA.
My panel is here and we have reporters live in New York, Virginia and New Jersey.
And let's get started at Mamdani's HQ, where we find Gloria Pazmino.
Gloria, what's the latest there?
GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kasie, we are inside of Brooklyn Paramount Theater. We are in downtown Brooklyn. And I have to say, it is significant that Mamdani's camp has chosen Brooklyn as their headquarters tonight. And the reason for that is because that is the largest and most populous borough in New York city, and it also has had the largest share of the voter turnout so far.
Now, I've been speaking with Mamdani's aides throughout the day, and they are closely watching the returns, specifically in Brooklyn. Even though this is not Mamdani territory, so to speak. He lives in Queens and has represented a Queens state assembly district for the past few years.
But they're focused in Brooklyn, and the reason for that is because this is where much of Zohran Mamdani's base is, and they are hoping that turnout is significant in specific areas of Brooklyn, including areas like Fort Greene, where he made a stop earlier today alongside with the state attorney general, Letitia James, what's referred to as brownstone Brooklyn here in New York City is very much Mamdani country. And they're hoping that if the numbers look good in those precincts, it means that he is increasing his share of the voter turnout.
Now, as you said in the beginning, already, this election has shattered records. More than 1 million New Yorkers have already cast their vote. That's already beat the record for the last mayoral election, and it beat the record for the last presidential election, which typically has more voter turnout.
Now we're in the lobby of the Brooklyn Paramount Theater. This theater has capacity for 3,000 people. Mamdani's aides tell me they expect to fill it tonight. We are hoping to get inside soon. For now, they are preparing this venue for what is expected to be a busy and nerve- wracking evening.
But as we heard it from Mamdani himself earlier today, he is feeling confident, although not complacent, going into tonight. The campaign just announced they have knocked on 3 million doors. So much about any campaign, no matter where you're running it, is about the ground game.
And no matter how you feel about the candidates, Mamdani definitely has had the strongest ground game of these three candidates, and we'll see if it shows this evening -- Kasie.
HUNT: All right. Gloria Pazmino for us, thanks very much for that.
Now let's head to Virginia, where Brad Todd joins us live in THE ARENA from Aldie, Virginia. This was a town that voted for Republican Glenn Youngkin in the last governor's race. Before that, it went for the Democrat, Ralph Northam.
Brian, Trump didn't endorse the Republican in this race.
[16:05:03]
And, of course, Abigail Spanberger the Democrat is the heavy favorite.
What are you hearing?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Kasie, that dynamic is interesting here because not only did Winsome Earle-Sears, the Republican not get President Trump's endorsement, but the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, John Reed, did not get full throated support from Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin, who actually asked Reed to get out of the race early in this race.
We are hitting the rush hour surge of voters here. A bunch of them just came in and this place has already been packed with activity all day long. Almost a thousand voters coming through this precinct, which is one of the busiest precincts in northern Virginia. Our photojournalist Manny is going to go in ahead of me.
Now, there are a lot of reasons here why we love covering elections here in Virginia. One is to show the process, which I'm going to show you in a second.
One other one is history being made here in Virginia. Manny, come on over here. I'm going to show you the ballot here.
History is going to be made here in Virginia. No matter who wins because, Kasie, you were just referring to it. Abigail Spanberger is on the ticket no matter who wins. Abigail Spanberger or Winsome Earle- Sears, Virginia gets its first. Its first female governor as of tonight.
Also, Ghazala Hashmi, the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, if she wins, she becomes the first Muslim to hold statewide office in the state of Virginia. So, history being made is a big reason that were jazzed about being here today. Another reason as we walk over here among this line of voters, in
between the voters here -- sorry, guys. Thanks very much. Another reason we love covering these races is to show you the process, because here in Virginia, they have changed the rules. In years past, they did not let us into the voting rooms, we had to stay outside and could maybe peer in from a long distance.
Now we get access and we can show you voters checking in here. They're standing in line. They get their paper ballots over there. They go old school here in Virginia with paper ballots. Then they go to these voting stations here. There are nine of them set up.
And the voters themselves have full ownership of their paper ballots. They are the only ones that can handle them. They're the only ones that can put them into the counter right there.
Another reason we love covering these races is because we get to speak to voters in real time about what is really driving them.
Maryam Jaradi is a voter we spoke to just a moment ago. Immigration was first and foremost on her mind. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARYAM JARADI, VOTED FOR VA DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE ABIGAIL SPANBERGER: I always vote since I became a citizen and that was 20 years ago. And I migrated from Kenya originally. My family is back home in Kenya. And how I see how things are going on, like with families being separated, as a human being, as a mother, separating families, especially children from their mothers or fathers, I don't believe in that. So that made me come out, and also come and vote.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TODD: So that's one big issue.
Another one is the government shutdown. Tens of thousands of government workers live here in Loudoun County. A lot of them told us that is really driving them to come out to vote today. Their anger over that.
You know, this county, Kasie, has just been growing by leaps and bounds.
Judy Brown is the head of the county board of elections here in Loudoun County. When she first started in that job, 40 years ago, there were 30 voting precincts. There are now 107 voting precincts here in Loudoun County. It has exploded in relevance and importance. That's why the candidates are here, and that's why they've been, you know, really emphasizing coming here during the campaign -- Kasie.
HUNT: Yeah. And, Brian, for any of us who actually live in this area, driving the highway that takes you to Loudoun county will tell you exactly what you just outlined, which is that it has exploded in population.
Brian Todd, thank you very much for that reporting.
All right. My panel is here in THE ARENA. Jamie Gangel, Lulu Garcia- Navarro, Ashley Allison, David Urban all here.
Thank you all very much. It's always wonderful to be here on Election Day.
Jamie Gangel, set the table here. I mean, obviously, Virginia and New Jersey have candidates that certainly the more establishment of the party want to cast as moderate. But it's Zohran Mamdani that has really garnered the attention, the headlines for the way he's been campaigning.
How do you see tonight playing out?
JAMIE GANGEL, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's all about Brooklyn, of course.
HUNT: What else would it be?
GANGEL: It is.
I just think you have to look at these races differently. The New York City's mayor's race -- I'm from New York. I'm from the city. There's nothing else like it.
You know, New Jersey looks like it's going to be a tight race. Virginia, not so much, completely different.
I also think we should mention in California, Prop 50, which is going to tell us about redistricting. I'll tell you one group that I think will watch all of these races for different reasons, carefully. And those are both Republicans and Democrats in the House who are thinking about the midterm elections.
When all is said and done after tonight, they're going to look at these numbers very carefully to see who turned out and where the votes went.
[16:10:00]
HUNT: David Urban, I want to talk about Donald Trump for a second, because at the top there, I noticed you're reacting to what he had to say about Andrew Cuomo, and this endorsement coming in last night. We read his most recent post, saying that any Jewish person that votes for him is a -- he calls him a professed Jew hater, calls Mamdani a Jew hater, and says that a Jewish person who votes for him is a stupid person.
He said, "I would much rather see a Democrat who has a record of success win than a communist with no experience and a record of total and complete failure. Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him and hope he does a fantastic job. He is capable of it. Mamdani is not."
Now, I thought the timing this was interesting, right? Republicans vote on election day, right? And there is a Republican in the race.
DAVID URBAN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah, a lot to unpack.
HUNT: There's a lot going on here is -- like, why are you laughing about this?
URBAN: Well, listen, I don't necessarily disagree with the president's tweet there. Maybe the tone and tenor of it, but you know, Zohran Mamdani never distanced himself from, you know, globalize the intifada kind of crowd and, and that's where -- that's where he, you know, got a lot of energy there.
But look, we had Curtis Sliwa on the other day -- yesterday actually, it seems like a lot longer ago. And, you know, I really wish Republicans would have given him a chance. You know, he did an incredible job, a great job with the debate. I loved his slogan, jingoistic kind of, let's lock up criminals. Not toothpaste, right?
I mean, that's the guy -- he is of New York. He's from New York. I think if he had been given a chance, an opportunity.
Listen, he might not have, you know, toppled Mamdani, who is kind of a generational figure here politically. But I think he'd be doing much, much better than, than governor, former Governor Cuomo, who's got so much baggage. He's dragging it around like a duffel bag everywhere he goes.
Like people -- nobody in Staten Island, no matter how much they love Donald Trump is going to vote for Cuomo. Like they love Donald Trump on Staten Island, but they're not voting for Cuomo no matter what he says.
Now, you could have turned out an entire Staten Island for Curtis Sliwa. You could have had so many more Republicans. It might have been a little bit more of a sporty race.
I just think it's -- you know, I'm sure the president likes him because of his time in New York. But, you know, I'm a Sliwa guy, not a Cuomo guy.
LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Womp, womp, womp. I mean, come on, Curtis Sliwa was never going to be a viable candidate. And he's, you know, he's running, he's running, he's run. This is not a man that was ever going to get traction.
And let's talk about the real issue in New York, which is affordability, which is what Mamdani was able to talk about over and over again smartly. He did not get distracted by allegations about his, you know, beliefs on Israel-Palestine or his religion or his ethnicity. He was very focused on what he was going to do for New Yorkers. And that resonated --
URBAN: I think --
GARCIA-NAVARRO: -- in Brooklyn and beyond. URBAN: Yeah, not just not there. I think in New Jersey, I think in
Virginia. Look, I think Democrats Wednesday morning, they're going to wake up. They should say maybe this economy thing is really something important, right? I think that's the ticket, right?
ASHLEY ALLISON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Okay. I --
(LAUGHTER)
ALLISON: Well, wait a minute. Wait. You're literally -- what experience does Curtis Sliwa have actually, other than running the Guardian Angels?
URBAN: What did Mamdani -- nothing.
ALLISON: Right, right. My point -- you just made my point exactly.
The hit on Mamdani has been, despite Donald Trump's, you know, aggressive tweet he just put out. The big issue is like, people are like, Mamdani doesn't have experience and you literally are saying you wanted to vote for somebody else that really doesn't have any experience of running.
So like if -- if a Republican --
URBAN: But at least Curtis Sliwa doesn't -- like Sliwa's got things -- policies I think that align with people.
ALLISON: I'm not disagreeing with that. But I'm saying --
(CROSSTALK)
URBAN: Let's put criminals in jail, like bring stability in our city.
ALLISON: The reason why the Republicans did not rally around Sliwa is because he too is a flawed candidate that doesn't have it.
Cuomo -- so I never thought Cuomo -- Cuomo should lost. He should have got out of the race and disappeared. He was not the person that should have been the intervention. And I don't think Republicans were running Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo was running Andrew Cuomo.
HUNT: That is definitely the case. Cuomo running Andrew Cuomo.
I want to play what some of what Democrats have been saying inside their own party about Zohran Mamdani, okay, who is a self-professed Democratic socialist, and that has divided the party here in Washington in many ways. It's on display here. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-PA): Socialism is not the future of my party. We all know how socialism works out.
REP. JOSH GOTTHEIMER (D-NJ): He shouldn't be in the Democratic Party. He's an admitted socialist. He should be in the socialist party. REP. TOM SOUZZI (D-NY): Someone asked me before, is Zohran Mamdani the
future of the Democratic Party? I said, no, he's the future of the Democratic Socialist Party. He's not a Democrat.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: I mean, Ashley, is he the future of the party?
ALLISON: I don't know, but I don't think they are either.
(CROSSTALK)
GARCIA-NAVARRO: In Brooklyn, in Brooklyn.
(CROSSTALK)
ALLSION: I think -- I think -- I actually think it's funny. The people who are saying that he's not the future of the Democratic Party, they aren't either.
[16:15:01]
So, we actually don't know who the future of the Democratic Party is.
But here's the thing -- my party needs to wake up and actually look at what just happened to the Republican Party.
When Donald Trump ran in 2016, the same thing that people are saying about Zohran Mamdani people were saying about Donald Trump. And Donald Trump reinvented the Republican Party, which is what allowed -- it is the MAGA party now. I'm not saying that Zohran's agenda should be the framework of the Democratic Party, but there is an opportunity for Democrats to use this election to start to rebrand themselves, because as much as people dislike Donald Trump, they actually are disliking the Democrats in Washington.
URBAN: Yeah. But as a Republican, I'm worried because the coalition that we put together, right, of Black and Brown working class people, not traditional Republican voters, right. If we can figure out a way to lure those people back somehow and get them in the tent, that's going to be bad for the Republican Party, right? And so, we ignore those people at our own peril.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: And I would also say that the lesson, I think of the 2018 election, when they tried to make AOC and the Squad the face of the Democratic Party, and that did not go well for them.
ALLISON: That's right.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: So, you know, I would just warn Republicans and the administration that, you know, people aren't so gullible to think that one man is, is actually representing an entire party and an entire movement.
HUNT: Jamie? GANGEL: Just quickly, New York is different, but one other thing -- he
hasn't been elected yet. He hasn't managed the city yet. What if this guy who has never managed anything, turns out to be a brilliant manager and surrounds himself with the right people?
URBAN: Well, I think you're getting a little --
GANGEL: I'm not getting ahead of him.
(CROSSTALK)
ALLISON: I don't think, though.
GANGEL: So, we don't know yet what kind of a leader --
URBAN: I'll give it to you. Womp, womp, womp, I don't think that's happening.
HUNT: All right. Now, we've got little, little clips of both of you doing that for the Internet's fun.
All right, coming up next here in THE ARENA, California voters right now deciding whether to try to reshape the balance of power, not just in their state, but across the country for years to come.
Plus, Democrat Mikie Sherrill's answer or lack thereof, when asked what piece of legislation she would pass. It's been coming back to haunt her in these final hours of the race for New Jersey governor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKIE SHERRILL (D-NJ), GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: Wow. I would love -- that's a really good question because there's so many that are coming to mind right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:21:42]
HUNT: Welcome back to our special election day coverage. Americans surging to the polls now, with just hours left in the day to vote. This, of course, the first major test of Trump's second term. Republicans trying to downplay expectations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): So, in 2024, Kamala Harris won Virginia. Kamala Harris won New Jersey. And Kamala Harris won New York. Of course, Democrats, of course, win New York.
So, I think this election is actually a referendum on, where is the Democrat Party?
(END VIDEO CLIP) HUNT: Where is the Democratic Party?
I mean, Jamie Gangel obviously, you know, that's Marjorie Taylor Greene on the view today, taking her kind of view of things.
URBAN: By the way, how about that? Marjorie Taylor Greene on "The View"?
HUNT: I mean, you've got to appeal to a statewide electorate, David. You might make different choices.
But, Jamie Gangel, I want to read -- "The New York Times" took a look at kind of what we're seeing play out today across the map. And they pointed out something interesting, which is that there is a divide in how Democrats today have been approaching how to run for the election.
So, they write this, quote, "Amid months of tortured political soul searching, Democrats have tried to address their party's failings with new strategies in New York City. Zohran Mamdani, the frontrunner for mayor, powered a come from behind campaign with bold, progressive promises.
In California, Gavin Newsom has abandoned the party's longstanding preference for abiding by political norms to champion an extraordinary effort to approve a new congressional map. But in New Jersey and Virginia, Ms. Spanberger and Ms. Sherrill have decided to stick with reruns rather than pilot new programing."
And what they're talking about when they say these reruns is the way that Sherrill and Spanberger are basically making this about Trump. They're running against President Trump. Here's an example from New Jersey of how Mikie Sherrill has been doing that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERRILL: Jack has decided, I'm going to defend Trump. He even gives Trump an A.
He'll do whatever Trump tells him to do.
The real problem here is who is not taking on Trump.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Jamie, what strategy here do you think is going to be the most effective in the long run?
GANGEL: I think the keyword in that "New York Times", "tortured". We are having to torture. Look, you're seeing them appeal in their states and in their races.
I do want to go back to Marjorie Taylor Greene for a moment. I think Republicans are really worried when they go back to mispronouncing Kamala Harris name. It rhymes with Momala. This is easy. Not hard.
But I just -- I just really think the Democratic Party does not know -- there is not this unifying force. For better or worse, they do not have Donald Trump and they're figuring it out one race at a time.
ALLISON: I think it's easier for Donald or for Democrats to win when they go after Donald Trump, when Donald Trump is not on the ballot, actually.
HUNT: Yeah.
ALLISON: And I think that there could be a wrong lesson that Democrats learn after tonight.
HUNT: Interesting.
ALLISON: If Sherrill and Spanberger win, there will be people, institutionalists in the party that will say, attack Donald Trump. And I don't actually think that's the lesson that we should be learning. We should be learning how -- are there creative ways?
I think the thing, Prop 50 in California and Zohran in Mamdani -- Zohran in New York got a higher turnout.
[16:25:04]
You should not just be looking at who wins the race, but what type of voters turnout, at what pace and cadence do they turn out? Were you able to get people off the sidelines that didn't vote in 2024 that came out?
Those are the lessons, not a messaging framework, but who can you actually activate?
GARCIA-NAVARRO: But can I just say something about this, which is the reason that that you're seeing Trump being so sort of discussed in New Jersey is because you are running against an incumbent Democrat who is unpopular. And so therefore, the unifying figure that the Democrats can rally around is Donald Trump. Better, you know, vote for the Democrat who I might not like so much, rather than the enemy that's in the White House.
HUNT: Fair.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: So that's what's happening there.
And in Virginia, I also think it's a smart move, because that is a state that has been heavily impacted by what has happened in the federal government. So, you know, I think one thing that Democrats are best at is when they look at their races locally and they say, how are we going to run for this community instead of trying to extrapolate sort of what is the national message? Because I do think it is different in every place.
URBAN: Listen here, look at this. Two things I agree with both of these fine women. I agree that you got to learn how to, you know, different message than orange man bad, right? That doesn't work.
But I do agree with Lulu that in Virginia, where there are hundreds of thousands of furloughed federal employees who are, you know, quite upset with Donald Trump and the administration, that's a message that probably sells and the same in New Jersey.
But I do agree with Ms. Allison that orange man bad, not a great strategy. I've been working. Got to figure out a way. The economy, the economic message, right, which is really underpinning a lot of this is people are saying again back to that coalition of working class people, Beaver County, Pennsylvania, where I'm born and raised, Youngstown, Ohio, right?
These are the places that Trump won that traditionally is not winning. And if Democrats could figure out how to crack that nut, we're in trouble.
ALLISON: I also think Republicans should take notice of it's also not like boogeyman socialist. That actually might not work for you all either, because I do think the --
URBAN: I'm trying that for a while.
ALLISON: I know, I know. I think the Youngstownian --
HUNT: I do think we are going to see --
ALLISON: Aliquippa on that playbook, you know? Yeah, I know.
URBAN: I'm trying --
ALLISON: I know.
URBAN: Listen, John Fetterman and David urban were going against the Democrats.
ALLISON: I know, but if people feel like their rent actually starts to go lower or people feel like --
GANGEL: That's right.
ALLISON: Some people might be like socialism -- good. You know what I mean? So, like, just be careful of how you assign --
GARCIA-NAVARRO: What is -- what is the big lesson of Donald Trump? The big lesson of Donald Trump is do something.
ALLISON: Yes.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Do something. It doesn't matter. Maybe sometimes what you do, but seem like you are trying to actually help people.
HUNT: Be seen acting instead of sitting on the sidelines.
All right. Coming up next here in THE ARENA, New Jersey Senator Andy Kim will join us. He has been on the trail campaigning for Mikie Sherrill in what has been a close race. Well talk about how confident he may be going into tonight.
Plus, some MAGA Republicans going after Liz Cheney just hours after her father, the former vice president, passed away. Dick Cheney's friend and former secretary, Elaine Chao, will be our guest here in THE ARENA.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:32:35]
HUNT: All right, election day in America. Trump, of course, looming over the New Jersey governor's race as Republican Jack Ciattarelli vies to turn the state red. Polls show him narrowing the gap with Democrat Mikie Sherrill, four-term congresswoman, former Navy helicopter pilot.
Let's head into THE ARENA with Danny Freeman. He is live outside polling -- a polling place in Passaic, New Jersey. Less than an hour from Trump's, quote/unquote, summer White House in Bedminster, New Jersey.
Danny, what are you hearing on the ground?
DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Kasie, it's been a very interesting day because I think to your first point there, there have been two things that I've been watching. First, how much has this particular governor's race been nationalized and essentially become a referendum on Donald Trump? And then also, I'm keeping an eye on how Latino voters are acting.
But first, at that point, about how nationalized this race has become, remember, Democratic candidate Mikie Sherrill? She's really been trying to tie Republican Jack Ciattarelli to some of the more unpopular parts of the second Trump presidency. And we actually heard a lot of voters on the ground here say that they were voting for Mikie Sherrill mostly to be a check on the president.
So that was the first thing that stood out to me. And then I want to talk about Passaic county, where we are. This was one of those swing counties, Kasie, where President Biden won it in 2020. And then President Trump flipped it in 2024.
And this county has a very, very large Latino population. And of course, Latinos were drifting towards President Trump, certainly in the last election. So, take a listen to a little bit of the sound, because I think both of these bites are -- these bites together, rather, speak to both the nationalization and gives a clue about how Latinos may behave in this particular race.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FREEMAN: Was your vote today for Sherrill more about her plan to be governor or more about being a check against the Trump administration?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Being a check against the Trump administration?
FREEMAN: What made you come out and vote today?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, it's so very important. We have to save the, you know, democracy and the right to vote and the right to speech.
FREEMAN: A lot of Latinos, though, in this area, they went for Trump last time. Do you think that's going to happen again?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I think no. I'm doing Uber yesterday. I picked like a ten passenger between the age 22 and 30. And most say they vote in the first time for Donald Trump. No, this time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FREEMAN: Now, Kasie, I will say I did speak to a Latino voter who spoke only Spanish, who did say to me that he actually was supporting Ciattarelli.
[16:35:04]
But he was one of those voters that we've been watching because he used to vote only Democrat. But then in this particular election, he decided to go with the Republicans because he knew he feels that Republicans are the ones that are looking out for his communities.
Again, these are kind of the storylines that I think we're going to see as polls begin to close in a few hours, Kasie.
HUNT: All right. Danny Freeman for us on the ground in New Jersey -- Danny, thanks very much.
Now joining us here live in THE ARENA is Democratic Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey. He's been on the trail for Mikie Sherrill all over New Jersey the past couple of weeks.
Senator, thanks very much for being here.
SEN. ANDY KIM (D-NJ): Yeah, thanks for having me.
HUNT: So, let's just talk about where you think this race stands heading into tonight, and we can take a look at how New Jersey has moved in recent elections. I mean, back in 2016, Hillary Clinton won by 14. Biden wins in 2020 by 16 points. But Phil murphy only three points in 2021. And he, of course, is pretty unpopular. Kamala Harris wins by six.
There is a real question tonight of how tight this race is going to be. What do you think?
KIM: Well, look, I also wanted last year by about 10 percent. I was the last Democrat to run statewide. And what ill say, you know, I was with mike for a lot of this weekend. I did about 500 miles of driving around the state and everything honestly looks really strong for her.
She's closing incredibly strong. Her message about focus on affordability and tying it to the corruption and the lawlessness that were seeing with the Trump administration. The party is united. I mean, I've never seen the Democratic Party in New Jersey this laser- focused and united on a mission since 2018, honestly.
And I think that that's all making a big difference. The energy on the ground in New Jersey is even stronger and more focused than it was this time last year. And I say that as being the candidate last year, the energy is even stronger there. So, I feel like the momentum is really on Mikie's side.
HUNT: What do you think that Democrats are doing wrong this time in the second Trump era, where if you look back to 2016 to the 2018 midterms, Trump's approval ratings were down. But Democrats were pretty solid. That's not the case right now. Democrats nationally are having a really hard time. Why?
KIM: Well, look, I feel it too. And so far as like, you know, in 2016, 2017, that was Trump's first term. There was a real sense of saying like, look, you know, this is something that doesn't represent us. We can really show that, look, in a second term. That's harder to say. And there's a reality that we need to comprehend.
Plus, the challenges of affordability are so much more pronounced now than they were even just a few years ago. The pandemic and other issues, the high costs, the inflation the continued challenges were seeing from Trump with the tariffs, that is all very pronounced now. And the politics is even more toxic and divided than they were just eight years ago.
So, I understand the challenges that are out there. People are tired, they're exhausted by just, you know, eight years of just nonstop battling it out. And it wasn't great even before that.
So -- but what we're seeing right now, though, is a clarity of mission right now. People know what's at stake. And Donald Trump has frankly helped make that crystal clear. Here at the end, we have 800,000 people in New Jersey right now not getting food assistance. About half of them are children.
HUNT: Yeah.
KIM: We got 174 percent increase in health care costs right now for those on the Affordable Care Act. They just got word about that on Saturday. So they're taking that energy into election day. And I think that's absolutely on the top of people's minds.
HUNT: The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, obviously, the progressive wing of the party, they've been quoted as saying they think Sherrill's campaign is, quote, "milquetoast". Are they right or wrong?
KIM: Well, look, no, they're wrong. I mean, look, I've been in Congress alongside Mikie. You know, she's been a general election juggernaut in every single race that she's run. You know, and I truly believe that, you know, she is somebody who is connecting with people right now, especially because of her service background.
But it's also about building a movement, a building, a coalition. And that's not just on her, that's on all of us. And I will say, when I was out there this past weekend, that movement is there, that energy is there. And we have to make sure that we're running through the tape here. But we also need to get this ready for --
HUNT: Is she or Mandani the future of the party? KIM: Look, you know, I say that the future is about focusing on the
people and in particular about a change message. Now, those different candidates, they are change in different ways. But there's clearly a desire for a change in the status quo. So that is the future of the Democratic Party.
The future of the Democratic Party is to embrace a message of change, to stand up against a broken status quo that clearly hasn't delivered for so many people around the country. I believe that needs to be a message of change, a message of anti-corruption, a message of standing up against this lawlessness that were seeing right now with the Trump administration. I think focusing on any particular person is the wrong approach.
HUNT: We'll see if that holds when we get to the presidential race.
[16:40:00]
Senator Andy Kim, thank you very much.
KIM: Thanks for having me.
HUNT: I really appreciate your time today. Good luck tonight.
KIM: Thank you.
HUNT: All right. Coming up ahead here in THE ARENA, we remember one of the most influential vice presidents, Dick Cheney. We'll talk to his former -- his friend, the former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.
Plus, our Harry Enten will join us to tell us how the results from tonight could shape next year's critical midterm elections.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HUNT: All right. Welcome back to our special coverage of election day here in THE ARENA.
Another major story we've been covering today. The former vice president, Dick Cheney, has died at 84 years old. Cheney's family saying this morning that he died due to complications from pneumonia, as well as cardiac and vascular disease.
[16:45:04]
A chief architect of America's war on terror and the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Cheney was the most powerful modern vice president. He was also a hardline conservative who was ostracized by his party in recent years over his unsparing criticism of President Trump.
Here with me now in THE ARENA, Elaine Chao. She served closely with Cheney as labor secretary for the entirety of the George W. Bush administration. She's also a former transportation secretary under President Trump.
Madam Secretary, thanks very much for spending some time with us. ELAINE CHAO, FORMER U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: Thanks for having me.
HUNT: You know, I'd just like to start, there's some photos that we have of you with the former vice president. You worked together for so many years, and what are you remembering? How are you remembering him today?
CHAO: You know, he's actually a very quiet man. And I think it was deliberate. When he became vice president, he was very parsimonious with his words, and I think it was in retrospect, he knew that he was going to be quoted every time he opened his mouth.
So, he was very cautious. He knew his role, and that was to support the president. And he wanted to make sure that the president actually remained the focus of attention. So, he always took care to convey his opinions.
But away from the cameras, in a very judicious way, and because he has so much experience and such gravitas that whatever he said took on a great deal of importance and people listened.
HUNT: Is that part of what enabled him to be such a powerful number two, because it is a very difficult place to be? But he really did have a lot more power than many vice presidents.
CHAO: Well, I think that's because he has such experience. Now, so few people have had the ability to accumulate such a record of accomplishments, not only in the public sector, not only in the executive branch, but in the legislative branch. He was in leadership when he was a congressman, and then he also was the CEO of a major energy company, Halliburton.
Very few people can make that transition with such ease and facility. And so, he carried with him again, a lot of gravitas. And because of that, people listened.
HUNT: And, Madam Secretary, he was at the top echelons of the leadership of Republican Party for decades. He was the vice president. He was the secretary of defense. He was the White House chief of staff, right?
CHAO: As --
HUNT: At the age of 34.
CHAO: Right.
HUNT: Which is youngest ever, right?
CHAO: Yes.
HUNT: But he passes away as a pariah in the party that he was a leader in for so long. What do you think his legacy is going to be among Republicans? CHAO: Well, let's remember, history takes a long-term point of view.
The story is not yet complete. We've been through a very tumultuous time. I think the Republican Party is in itself trying to figure out where exactly its headed. So, the story is yet to be told.
HUNT: You broke with your party over January 6th, as did the vice president in favor of his daughter. How do you consider that now? How will that be considered by history?
CHAO: I did what I thought was right. I had friends up on the Hill who were terrified and who were basically concerned about their life. And so, I made a statement. I think the statements, you know, stands and speaks for itself. And we go on from there.
HUNT: And you find --
CHAO: The president has come back. He's governing in a new way. And so, there's a new chapter.
HUNT: I want to bring in. Our panel is back with us.
And, Jamie Gangel, I mean, you interviewed Dick Cheney. Repeatedly in your career. And you actually asked him in 2015 how he would like to be remembered. I want to watch a little bit of what he said in the answer to that question.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GANGEL: Looking back at your career, how would you like to be remembered?
DICK CHENEY, FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: Well, as somebody who didn't spend a lot of time worried about his public standing, I guess, the fact is that that, I've had a wonderful career. I loved every minute of it. I've worked with some fantastic people and been able to participate in historic events.
FORMER REP. LIZ CHENEY (R-WY): I feel confident that he will be remembered as a man of tremendous courage and someone who did what he knew was right, even when it was tough, and even when people were criticizing him for it. And we love him for that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Jamie, your reflections as we sit with the secretary, too?
GANGEL: So, there's no question we know that he will be remembered as probably the most powerful vice president in history, certainly controversial. A lightning rod for critics because of his support for the Iraq war, enhanced interrogation. But I think that that interview is just interesting.
First of all, Donald Trump was not president yet. Liz Cheney was not a member of congress yet. [16:50:01]
But there's something very prescient about both of their answers, because there's a whole generation that only knows Dick Cheney as Liz Cheney's father. And I spoke to Liz Cheney several times in the last couple of weeks, and she hopes that part of her father's legacy will be the most recent years. She says that the way he raised her gave her, as she said, the courage of her convictions and that his standing up to Donald Trump, showed that he picked country over party.
HUNT: And country over party. But of course, he also -- you know, when he was vice president, it's interesting you mentioned that this this generational shift, if we flash back to 2008, Cheney was, you know, often, I think the comparison was Darth Vader, right? Which was something -- which was something that he was willing to joke about.
GANGEL: He was quite proud of.
HUNT: Yeah. Let's watch. Let's watch it, because he had a sense of humor about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHENEY: I have been, given the I suppose the reputation and the image of someone who keeps secrets who was a Darth Vader.
(LAUGHTER)
CHENEY: I asked Lynn the other day if how she felt about me being called Darth Vader, and she said, "Well, it humanizes you."
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: What do you think that says about him, Madam Secretary?
CHAO: You know, he kept America safe. Let's remember that, from 2001 -- September 11th, 2001, until they left in January 20th, President Bush and Vice President Cheney kept our country safe and that's quite a legacy.
URBAN: Yeah. Look, I -- there's obviously incredibly controversial individual. But, you know, a great patriot and his service to our nation from a young, young age to most recently, you know, was always in THE ARENA kind of mixing it up, in the Teddy Roosevelt sense. But I think the most important thing that he did as secretary said is, with President Bush, and a very tough time in America, kept our country safe from another attack on the homeland. And that in and of itself is to be commended because I don't know if people remember, I'm sure many this around this table do what it felt like to be in this town or anywhere in America on September 12th.
HUNT: Yep.
URBAN: Dick Ccheney and George Bush kept that from happening again for a long, long time. So, they're commended for that.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: As someone who was based in Iraq for many, many years, the one thing that I think also needs to be said is that it was also Dick Cheney who -- and George W. Bush misled the American people into war in Iraq.
URBAN: Controversial part, right?
GARCIA-NAVARRO: And hundreds of thousands of Iraqis died.
And let us not forget that in both Afghanistan and Iraq, there were at least 6,000 to 7,000 U.S. soldiers who died. And so, part of his legacy, of course, is many of the things you've said. But the stain of that is something we're still living with today.
ALLISON: Can I say one thing? Let's -- I'm not going to have a policy debate about Dick Cheney's legacy. I will do that another day. But in a world where we just had a vice president run for president and not win, I -- even people I don't agree with, I try and learn lessons from them.
And there is a lesson about how you exude power that Dick Cheney -- a lot of people could actually learn. And I think, Madam Secretary, to your point about not needing to be in the forefront, not needing to be the center of attention, but still having power behind closed doors is something some people in D.C. could learn a little more about.
HUNT: Elaine Chao, thank you very much for joining us today. Really appreciate your time.
CHAO: Thanks for having me.
HUNT: All right. Thanks to our panel as well.
Coming up next, our Harry Enten breaks down how today's election could signal who is going to take control of the House next year.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:57:59]
HUNT: All right. We're just minutes away from the first exit poll results of election day. Tonight's races should give us some signs of how the country views President Trump and the Republicans that control both chambers of Congress right now.
Harry Enten joins us now to break some of this down.
Harry, what do you think that we're going to learn from tonight about next year's midterms, when in particular, the House is going to be up for grabs?
HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Yeah. You know me. I'm a big student of history. And so, we can go back since 1989 and find out what these different results. New Jersey governor, Virginia governor, New York City mayor. Who wins that race? Do they go on and actually win the House the next year?
You see it on your screen right there. You see in the governors seven out of nine for Virginia and New Jersey in terms of -- the winning party winning the House the next year, New York City mayor is six of nine.
So pretty decent. But when you combine all three, okay, if let's say the Democrats are able to win in New Jersey, are able to win in Virginia and are able to win in New York City, what does that tell us? If you go all the way back since FDR, you find five out of five times the Democrats went on to win the House the next year.
HUNT: There you go.
All right. So, Harry, the other thing we want to dig into, you have something extremely fun. I'm actually really excited about this. I'm going to be sitting on our main set, but I'm hoping to FaceTime -- I'm told I'm supposed to FaceTime you.
Oh, what are you doing?
ENTEN: Oh, you gave it away. Yes. We're going to have special guests. So, it's me and a bunch of friends. Charlamagne Tha God, Ben Shapiro and a host of folks on the left and the right. Me right there as your nonpartisan guy in the middle of the screen there.
Starting at 8:30, we're going to be doing sort of a manning cast. All the folks on the screen are going to join me on the couch. We have a foosball table. We've got a pinball machine, and we're going to be discussing the results and tell you what they actually mean.
And of course, I will make sure to keep everybody up to date on the latest election results. But I just think it's going to be a fun time, a different way to watch the results, especially in this day and age in which we have multiple screens.
HUNT: Sounds like a great hangout. We'll be watching. Harry Enten, thank you very much.
ENTEN: Thank you.
HUNT: And of course, we're going to have all the live results and analysis throughout the night right here on CNN. I'm going to be here throughout the night alongside Dana Bash.
Our coverage anchored by Erin Burnett and Jake Tapper, starting right now.
