Return to Transcripts main page

The Lead with Jake Tapper

Pope Leo Has Cancerous Growth Removed In Lung Operation; Desperate GOP Scrambles To Defend Once-Solid Red Seats; Vice President Vance Rallies In Texas For Ken Paxton; Zelenskyy: Russia Strikes Energy Facilities Despite Trump's Energy Ceasefire; Today: Canada's Opposition Leader Pushes Tariff-Free Trade; Selma Blair Facing Assault Charges Following Plane Incident. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired October 13, 2026 - 17:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:00:06]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Welcome to The Lead. I'm Jake Tapper. We're going to start off with some breaking news in our Faith Lead with news about Pope Leo, the very first American pope, native of Chicago. The Vatican confirming that Pope Leo had a cancerous growth in his lung. That diagnosis after surgery today to remove what had been originally described as a small nodule in his right lung. I want to get right to CNN Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb. He's outside the hospital in Rome.

Chris, what are you, what more are you hearing from the Vatican? What's the prognosis?

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jake, obviously alarming news to hear this from the Vatican that following the surgery, the test showing that the part of the lung that was removed from Pope Leo showing that it is cancerous, and the Vatican saying in a statement that to ensure a radical procedure, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed using a video assisted technique. The intraoperative histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma as suspected by the preoperative tests.

Now, what essentially this is saying is that the surgery was designed to remove as much or all of the cancer that could be done during that operation, that there was a suspicion that this could be cancerous, hence the need to operate when Pope Leo made the announcement that he was going in for surgery to the crowd in St. Peter's Square, he said that the growth on his lung had been detected early and was well contained.

That kind of language, I think raised some suspicions that it could be more than just a benign growth. I spoke to a lung expert, a pulmonologist, who said that it could well be cancer, that the outcomes, though, are quite good when detected early. Nevertheless, very concerning news for Pope Leo. He's cancelled all his audiences until 20th of October. There's also a big trip he's planned for Latin America early November. Question mark over that now, Jake.

TAPPER: Christopher Lamb, thank you so much. Appreciate it. Turning to our Politics Lead, it's just three weeks until midterm elections and Republicans are playing defense, scrambling to hold seats that were safe before President Donald Trump's unpopularity dragged down his party.

Right now, the president himself is heading all the way to red state Alaska, headlining a campaign rally to boost incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan. The last time Democrats won a Senate seat in Alaska was 2008.

Vice President JD Vance today is in deep red Texas campaigning for State Attorney General Ken Paxton, who's running for U.S. Senate. These states would normally not be the targets if things were going well for Republicans, but Republicans are battling headwinds, the consequences of Trump's unpopular war and the affordability crisis. Especially as President Trump continues to insist that the economy is doing well.

Just when you think the White House messaging couldn't get any worse. Well, something else happened. The debut of Trump's brand new White House press secretary, Katie Zacharia, which has left several White House officials questioning how long she will keep her job. One White House official calling her very first press briefing today brutal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATIE ZACHARIA, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Good morning. I am so honored to work for President Trump and the American people as the new White House press secretary. He had a historic one day war and now we are have a booming economy and a great relationship with Venezuela.

Something President Trump is delivering on just like he delivers on every promise. In addition to that, we will be -- we will be do -- yes. There is $54 billion tied to the Alaska LNG pipeline. The idea of not spending evenings with my kid -- kids are -- is completely unacceptable. So my president, excuse me, my husband. That's a -- that's a good one. My husband is out here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Other White House officials privately describing Zacharia's outing as unusual, awkward, stilted and at times uncomfortable. She was only at the podium for 14 minutes. Most of that time was spent reading her statement, which included a list of Trump accomplishments. Zacharia only called on three reporters for questions before calling it a day.

Some White House officials noted that her performance would be unlikely to satisfy President Trump. But in true Trumpian fashion, the White House publicly put out a press release saying that her performance was commanding inaugural press briefing as the 37th White House press secretary commanding, they said.

[17:05:05]

Now, Zacharia had already been under the microscope for past commentary. A CNN K File review of her social media shows that she has previously made some rather wild allegations of pedophilia against prominent Democrats. And she shared or reshared conspiracy theory related content, including claims that Hollywood elites are pedophiles and cannibals, that President Obama's gay first lady Obama, Michelle Obama is a man, and on and on, some wild stuff there.

On the flip side, Zacharia had previously criticized the direction of Trump's second administration. She had warned Republicans of a potential midterm bloodbath in a now deleted tweet. In another deleted tweet, she had shared a post accusing the Trump Justice Department of covering up for folks implicated in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

Let's discuss all this with some folks who know a thing or two about White House messaging. Alyssa Farah Griffin, former Trump White House communications director, and Joe Lockhart, former White House press secretary for President Bill Clinton.

Alyssa, for the moment, the White House is defending Katie Zacharia as press secretary. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I think she's doing excellent. I thought she was very good.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Now the White House really needs a good messenger right now going into the midterms. Without question, this is a tough, an unforgiving gig for even the most talented person. Do you think she's the right person for this job?

ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN, FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Well, listen, it was a brutal debut, just to put it bluntly. And listen, this job has fundamentally changed since the days that Joe Lockhart and others did it, when you were truly speaking as a spokesperson for the American public. It's become much more partisan in the Trump era. It's something where you were there to be a spokesperson for that president.

But even by that standard, she didn't meet the moment. Karoline Leavitt, you could have a million criticisms of, but she always showed up confident, ready to divert questions, deflect questions, and get back to the messaging that the White House pushed. That's not what we saw today. We didn't see a confident, competent messenger.

And if there's one thing Donald Trump truly cares about in his press operation, it's that, it's actually pushing out a message in his favor and that it makes him look tough and it makes it look like they have his back. So, listen, it's a very tough job by any standards, but it's hard to

see how she's going to be able to improve to the level that she needs to and to satisfy the president in this amount of time, just based on today's performance.

TAPPER: And Joe, in Zacharia's defense, this is a tough job for anyone on the best day. But also today, three weeks before the midterms, she's trying to convince the American people that their views of the state of the economy and the direction of the country are wrong.

JOE LOCKHART, FORMER WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Yes, I think anyone who stood behind that podium has to feel for her a little bit, and it's just odd timing. She wasn't ready. She wasn't given time to get ready. I took two months. I'd been in the White House for two years and took two months off to make sure I understood all the intricacies of foreign policy, all of the things that the President had said. It feels like they gave her two days.

So I think she was set up here. Having said that, she knew what she was getting into. She was getting into a position where she was going to be a propagandist for Donald Trump. He's his own press secretary, so she can't be that surprised by today. But my guess is she'd be disappointed.

TAPPER: Alyssa, take a listen to what Zacharia said about Trump rallies in her brief moment at the podium, she had time to say this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZACHARIA: Americans are lining up and packing arenas to support President Trump and Republicans. It's not hard to see why.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: So they're again on crowd size. Although we know last night at Trump's rally in Youngstown, Ohio, the arena was not packed. CNN observed a large area of empty seats to the left and right of the press riser.

Is this a requirement for Trump's White House press secretary job? You have to talk about the crowds as being bigger than they actually were.

GRIFFIN: Yes, it did bring me back to Sean Spicer's early days. But listen, even that was an odd place to start. So in the topper, that part that the press secretary reads at the beginning, it's not uncommon to kind of brag about presidential accomplishments. But even in the Trump era, when, you know, the lines between political and official are constantly blurred, you still tend to try to keep them seemingly official. But she talked about the midterm. She talked about the Republican Party just from, like, them being written notes that she was reading. It was a very odd place to start.

And in light of the fact that in about three weeks, she's likely going to have to go to the podium after there's a very rocky night for Republicans after the midterm. So from, you know, walking right in and starting with the Hatch Act

violation to only taking a handful of questions, I think it was a very rough day.

[17:10:03]

And I don't mean to beat the gal up. I don't aspire to have that job. It's a very tough one in any White House, but I just don't see how it's a sustainable position.

TAPPER: And Joe, she did make some actual news. I mean, she announced that the White house has asked U.S. ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign, that they fired her. Here's what Trump said when asked about this after the briefing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On Kimberly Guilfoyle, she was almost a member of your family. How surprised were you to learn about these allegations?

TRUMP: No, she wasn't a member of my family. She, I guess, dated my son a long time ago. But she wasn't. No, she -- she went to Greece. She was doing a good job, but we didn't like what we were reading.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you speak with Kimberly Guilfoyle personally, and what did she say to you?

TRUMP: No, I didn't speak to her, no. But she will not be there. I didn't like what I read.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: So two points there. One, she didn't -- Don Jr. didn't date her. They were engaged to be married for a long time. And then two, it's so telling, Joe, it's not I didn't like what she was doing or I didn't like how she was doing her job. It's I didn't like what I was reading. It's about the press coverage in the Wall Street Journal and other places about her performance and questions about the -- her ethical behavior.

LOCKHART: Yes, I mean, it's just really odd that she didn't open with that. If she had opened with that, it would have seen that she was in charge, she had news to make. And, you know, that would have been, you know, a very strong opening for her, but it was sort of buried.

Her talking points at the beginning was almost like she was standing in the -- outside the Oval Office and said to the president, what do you think I should say? And because it sounded something like he would say, it's again, getting back to Trump. It is all about what's in the moment, what's in on his mind. And his entire staff, but particularly his press secretary, is required to just reflect and amplify that.

And it's, you know, in some ways, it's very easy. You just listen to him and you repeat it. And another way, it's probably really hard to come across as someone who knows what they're talking about. TAPPER: Alyssa, there are a lot of Trump appointees with scandalous behavior, laundry lists of scandals, some of them with body counts. They're still on the job. Why do you think Kim Guilfoyle was not able to hold onto hers?

GRIFFIN: It felt like there was just this deluge of reporting. It was one story after another. It's splashy. It's something that people are going to read because of her close association with the family. And I think it created an unnecessary and kind of unsustainable headache for the White House.

And listen, this is somebody who was once very close to Trump world and I don't think is quite as close as she once was. I think sending her to Greece was an appointment that, you know, was meant to keep her out of sight, out of mind and not in the headlines. So once she spilled over into the headlines, I think it was -- it was only a matter of time before she had to go.

And by the way, these allegations are also quite serious. There could be unlawful conduct potentially involved. So I do think it was the right move by the State Department to remove her.

TAPPER: Alyssa Farah Griffin and Joe Lockhart, thanks to both of you. Appreciate it.

21 days out from the midterm election. CNN's all over the country right now for campaign crunch time as the president makes his way to Alaska this evening. We're going to stop first in Texas where the vice president, JD Vance, spent the day making insinuations that might be a louder call for attention.

Plus, new details into a man's deadly fall off a Six Flags roller coaster as authorities investigate what went so terribly wrong.

And we're going to have much more on the breaking news. This troubling cancer diagnosis for Pope Leo, the very first American pope. A leading cancer surgeon is going to join us coming up. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:17:53]

TAPPER: Let us cue the CNN election jam for our Politics Lead. Thank you, folks. From the seashore to its mountain valleys, North Carolina looks a lot more peaceful than it did at this point in 2024, when the state had just been devastated by Hurricane Helene. CNN's John King recently went to the Tar Heel State for his all over the Map series, and he asked North Carolinians how much the storm recovery might affect their vote and what other issues are at the top of their priority lists.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Big Pillow Brewery was among the first hot springs businesses to reopen. Owner Amy Rubin is an independent who leans blue, calls Trump classless and corrupt, makes clear she wants big change.

Have you ever been this close to an election in recent years thinking a Democrat can win this House seat?

AMY RUBIN, NORTH CAROLINA VOTER: No.

KING (voice-over): Why the Democrats have better odds even here this time is no secret. Higher prices make recovering from the flood even harder.

RUBIN: We had hoped for a busier summer this year than last year, and that didn't happen. I think the economy has been really hard on people for travel this past summer.

KING: The history in North Carolina in recent years is overwhelmingly Republican when the winner of an election goes off to work in Washington. Republicans, for example, have won nine of the last 10 presidential elections here. North Carolina last elected a Democrat to the Senate 18 years ago, back in 2008, and Republicans have easily won all seven elections here in the 11th congressional district since the lines were redrawn and the district was made more red after the 2010 census, Republicans in those elections here averaging 58 percent of the vote.

KING (voice-over): But the 11th district is a toss-up in the final days this year. This isn't the only North Carolina House race critical to the balance of power in Washington. A second is 400 miles east along North Carolina's Atlantic coast.

KING: It's a big late campaign question because the president's poll numbers are simply so bad. Are Democrats going to have a good midterm election night, or is there a big blue wave brewing? Well, where I'm standing right now will be a big part of the answer.

[17:20:03]

This is North Carolina's 1st congressional district. Democrat Don Davis is the incumbent. Back in 2024, Congressman Davis narrowly won reelection, but at the same time, President Trump carried his district by three points. So Don Davis was going to be a top Republican target this year anyway. But then North Carolina Republicans redrew the lines. They took away from the district several predominantly black Democratic counties, and they added a handful of Republican counties like this one.

Under the new lines, President Trump would have carried the district by 11 points. So by that new math, in 2026, Congressman Davis should be toast, right?

KING (voice-over): Laurie Buckhout is the Republican candidate.

NICK MACFERRAN, NORTH CAROLINA VOTER: It's a side charger.

KING (voice-over): Nick McFerrin bought this gun shop in Morehead City 10 years ago. Says business is pretty good. His politics could not be clearer. KING: What is it you like about him?

MACFERRAN: What's not to like about him? I think he's straightforward. I like what he does.

KING (voice-over): He's confident Republicans will turn out and flip the House seat.

MACFERRAN: Constantly people talk about the election. Definitely she will win.

KING (voice-over): Morehead City is in Carteret County. Trump won 71 percent here two years ago. Local Democrats, though, insist that even here, the midterm mood is change.

LISA HOLMAN, 1ST VICE CHAIR, CARTERET COUNTY DEMOCRAT: We're going to roll it blue. We are going to roll it blue. And what's interesting is the people that we're talking to, we have a lot of unaffiliateds that in the past have potentially voted red. People are angry. They're ready for a change.

KING (voice-over): Be skeptical, especially when it comes to this House race. But North Carolina hugging the Atlantic coast has two big pluses. One, it's gorgeous. And on election night, it gives us a giant early test of the midterm blue wave debate. John King, CNN, Morehead City, North Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TAPPER: He has the best gig in news. Our thanks to CNN's John King for that report. Vice President JD Vance was in Texas today rallying for State Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is a Senate nominee there. His scandals have given Democrats hope of taking a Texas Senate seat for the first time since 1988.

So how worried are Republicans about Paxton losing? Well, we've apparently reached a brand new campaign stage where the vice president is insinuating that the Texas Democratic Senate nominee, James Talarico is gay.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JD VANCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: I love you too, sir. In a totally platonic way. To be clear, I'm the vice president, not James Talarico. But I got to --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: It's worse than that. A Talarico statement in the past in which Talarico was trying to express compassion for trans kids was twisted by the vice president into, well, this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VANCE: He was asked what he loves in life besides his own family and friends, and he responded without skipping a beat, and I quote, trans children. Now, you got to wonder what the Internet search history of a man like that looks like, ladies and gentlemen. You don't want to find out. Neither do I.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Not exactly the sign of a party convinced that they can win on their record or on ideas. CNN's Jeff Zeleny is in Roanoke, Texas. Jeff, quite a message from the vice president. But more importantly, what are you hearing from Texas voters about this race?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jake, barely a week goes by that President Trump or Vice President Vance or some other leading Republican is coming to Texas to try and rescue Ken Paxton. That's exactly what we saw today. And where JD Vance was is also very instructive.

In Tyler, Texas, East Tustic, Texas, that is the reddest part of the state, or one of them. They're clearly trying to gin up support that simply is not there and enthusiasm for Ken Paxton. But we've been talking to voters here of all kinds, lifelong Republicans as well, and this conversation actually is instructive, coming on the heels of vice -- the vice president's remarks, because Peter Nodecker, who's a lifelong Republican, voted for Trump twice, said he is fed up with the vice president and the president talking in this way about James Talarico. He says he's supporting him. He's trying to send a message to Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: If Talarico wins here and Texas elects a Democrat to the U.S. Senate, there's probably a decent chance that Democrats win the Senate majority. Is that something you would like to see?

PETE NODECKER, LIFELONG REPUBLICAN VOTING FOR TALARICO: Absolutely.

ZELENY: To send a message to Trump?

NODECKER: Well, to send a message and to try to get Congress back doing their job. They've had ample opportunities to step in and say, no, you cannot start that war. That's our responsibility to make that decision. You can't just go off and do it on your own.

[17:25:00]

You don't have the authority to tear down the east wing of the White House and build your ballroom, you know, but they haven't.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: So there's no doubt that most Republicans are likely still supporting Ken Paxton and the president. But Jake, we are running into a lot of lifelong Republicans who are not. And this is just one example of that, of the coalition that James Talarico is trying to build.

TAPPER: And Jeff, you've gotten a glimpse at how expensive this race has been, which is a good indicator of not only how important it is, but how much work Republicans have to do to keep it in Republican hands given the ruby red status of the state.

ZELENY: Jake, it's extraordinary. We are talking about a half a billion dollar race here. Now this Texas Senate race from the beginning until the end, when you look at the closing spend spending numbers here, it is just absolutely remarkable how much money Republicans are spending on this Texas Senate race. So the latest figures are from September 1 through Election Day, $232 million in TV ads spent by Republicans, $65 million spent by Democratic groups.

So that is the lengths to which that Republican groups, super PACs are going to try and rescue Paxton. But Jake, the question is, will it work? We'll find out three weeks from tonight.

TAPPER: All right, Jeff Zeleny in Texas for us. Thanks so much. Still ahead, one president's word versus another's. Trump says there is an energy cease fire between Ukraine and Russia. That is not what Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says. Hear how all the back and forth is playing out in Ukraine. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:31:04]

TAPPER: In our World Lead today, reporters asked President Trump to clarify where his so-called energy ceasefire stands between Russia and Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They're both a little bit off. But look, you know what? Bottom line, it's going to all work out. You know why? It always does.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Trump announced Sunday that both Russia and Ukraine had agreed to immediately stop attacks on each other's energy infrastructure. The announcement caught the leaders of both countries by surprise. By Monday, Trump suggested there actually had been no buy-in from either Ukraine or Russia, but that didn't matter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You said Russia and Ukraine agreed to a ceasefire, but both sides say they have not agreed to that.

TRUMP: Well, they agreed. You know why? Because I said, you agreed. That's why. They agreed because I said they agreed. And that thing has to get settled. That war is a disaster.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv supported Trump's plan, though they had not known about it ahead of time. Moscow declined to say if it backed the Trump proposal. Russian forces continue to target several Ukrainian energy sites.

Here to discuss this is Ukrainian journalist Nataliya Gumenyuk. She is in Kyiv. Nataliya, thanks for joining us. So we've seen emergency crews responding to overnight attacks by Russia on Kharkiv. President Zelenskyy says since Trump's announcement Sunday, Russia has targeted energy and civilian infrastructure. Give us a brief overview of what is happening on the ground in Ukraine right now.

NATALIYA GUMENYUK, UKRAINIAN JOURNALIST: So if we talked some minutes before, you've been able to hear yourself some quite loud explosions behind my window because there are attacks currently going on on Kyiv. And they're quite daily and quite dangerous. They're quite serious.

And we can specifically speak about the attacks on the energy infrastructure. As we know, in some cases, these attacks, for instance, to the power distribution stations which connect Kyiv with the nuclear power station and things like that. So again, there are still the opportunities for Ukraine to defend itself with all kind of means.

Ukrainians are pretty creative in its defense and trying to develop all means. But indeed, it's quite difficult to talk about anything, something like the energy ceasefire. Also, as far as we try to understand, President Trump meant by the energy ceasefire, the attacks on Ukraine on attacking oil refineries, especially in Russia.

The paradox is that in Ukraine, there are no working oil refineries. So we can speak just about Russia not attacking, just about Ukraine not attacking Russia. We also heard from the Ukrainian president that Ukraine, for some moment, somehow kind of withdrew from the attacks on Russia. But the attacks back are still following all the time. So despite how unserious these discussions are, as there is no essence, the attacks are real.

TAPPER: Russia's attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure have caused rolling blackouts across Ukraine. How are Ukrainians coping as temperatures drop and winter comes?

GUMENYUK: So we should say we're still in the warm period. So probably we're lucky it's still mid of October. But we knew that the winter would be difficult. So people are considering all the ideas of relocation. But something very important that, yes, there is a way how we organize our life. And the attacks are targeting more civilians.

But there is a lot of attacks which are aimed to cost Trump. So for instance -- to cost Trump, for instance, those attacks on the bridges, on the civilian infrastructure, especially during the daytime, to create chaos, to break the political wheel.

[17:35:04]

And what's also very important to understand that exactly at this moment, Ukraine is gaining the initiative on the battlefield. And the situation is actually on the Ukrainian side if we speak about the actual front line. So yes, Russia is trying to kind of break this difference between the rear and the battlefield. But -- and this -- and probably also to break the narrative that Ukraine can be winning in the front line, that Ukraine is in a strong position, that Ukraine is trying to push Russia to stop and push to talk because Russia is talking when the other side is stronger.

So I think that part of their campaign, that how we understand it, is also like to sow the division among the Ukrainians, to break the morale, but also to break this idea that Ukraine is capable to advance.

TAPPER: All right, Nataliya Gumenyuk, thank you so much coming to us from Kyiv. We appreciate it.

A top Canadian leader is in Detroit right now making the case for a tariff-free trade deal between Canada and the U.S., specifically for the auto industry. Might President Trump be open to such a deal? I will ask the leader of the Canadian Opposition Party. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:40:44]

TAPPER: In our Money Lead, with 21 days to go until the polls close in the midterm elections, the economy and inflation remain a driving force for voters and one major factor driving up prices around the country, President Trump's trade wars, tariffs, including the trade war he launched with Canada.

Now joining me now is the leader of Canada's opposition party, Pierre Poilievre. He was in Detroit earlier today to pitch a new tariff-free trade deal between the United States and Canada, specifically tailored to the auto industry. Pierre, thanks for joining us. So this is not the first time you've pitched tariff-free trade for this industry. You did so in March. It didn't work. You're back doing it again. Why will it be different this time? And why might it work this time?

PIERRE POILIEVRE, CANADIAN OPPOSITION LEADER: Well, because we have a plan that would be good for both sides of the border. It would save money and jobs for Americans and Canadians, particularly in the auto sector. What I'm proposing is to bring back the great auto pack. I'm here in Windsor. The other side of the water is Detroit. This became the production hub of global automaking because of the auto pack.

It allowed tariff-free trade, but it required automakers to make a vehicle in each market, to sell a vehicle in each market, or at least in dollar equivalents. And that is consistent with the administration's objective to repatriate production. It's also consistent with my objective to make more automobiles on the Canadian side. By knocking down the tariff barriers between our two countries, we could make these vehicles a lot more affordably.

So today, Mr. Tapper, I went to, for example, the Dearborn Rouge plant for Ford, where they make Ford F-150s with Canadian aluminum and Canadian motors. And by getting rid of the tariffs on our aluminum and other auto parts, we could ultimately lower the cost for American electricians, plumbers, farmers to buy the most popular pickup truck running 50 years now. So let's lower costs for Americans and Canadians, and let's create jobs on both sides of the border.

TAPPER: So you've been saying since this trade war started that what's needed is a fair deal for all. What would be your solution and why do you think a deal has not been reached yet? Do you think any of the points that President Trump makes when he complains about Canada are valid?

POILIEVRE: Look, I think in any, you have a 200-year-old relationship, there's always going to be grievances on both sides of the border. We have our grievances with the United States even predating this most recent trade dispute, but I would focus on what we can do together. Look, American youth need to buy homes. We can sell you tariff-free lumber. That will allow that to happen.

The United States is looking for diesel right now. Guess what? Your friend north of the border, Reliable Predictable, is the fourth biggest producer of oil. We could sign a deal with you that would commit us to produce even more diesel that would flood North American markets with affordable fuel for your farmers, your business people. It would save both of us money and jobs.

And then of course, we've got 10 of the 12 NATO-defined minerals necessary to fight a war. So if America wants to be affordable and safe in the world, then we're the partner to do it. So let's sign a deal and get it done.

TAPPER: You've been reaching out to both Democrats and Republicans for your pitch, basically anyone who will listen to you on this trade issue. Do you see any meaningful differences between the parties right now on how they're approaching the trading relationship with Canada?

POILIEVRE: The truth is, as I wander across your wonderful country, whether in New York or Texas or Detroit, I can't seem to find anybody that wants to tariff Canada or be tariffed by Canada.

TAPPER: Well, you should come here in Washington, D.C. That's where there are people who want to tariff Canada here in D.C., where I am. But keep going, I'm sorry.

[17:44:56]

POILIEVRE: Well, listen, I just sat down with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. They've actually cooperate on both sides of the border. And these electricians, they want to do more work with Canadian and American trade flowing freely. Then I went off to GM to sit down with their management. And then as I set off to Ford, and everyone agrees that if we a tariff-free trade, that we align ourselves against the real trade abusers like China, we can strengthen North America. We can make life more affordable for both our people. And we can make this continent a lot richer. So that's what I'm fighting for. And I believe we can get there.

TAPPER: Pierre Poilievre, thank you so much for joining us. We really appreciate it. Come back soon.

POILIEVRE: Great to be with you. Many blessings.

TAPPER: Actress Selma Blair is facing multiple charges after an alleged violent outburst on a commercial flight. Up next, what attorneys for the star of "Cruel Intentions" say led to the disturbance. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:50:22]

TAPPER: In our National Lead, actress Selma Blair is facing assault charges in court after authorities say she attacked two flight attendants. That's before she allegedly attacked an officer and a nurse who met Blair Sunday night when her plane landed at JFK Airport in New York. Here are a bit of the allegations laid out in court.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JARED BRADY, ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY: The defendant kicked the officer in the face, the neck, and the chest while the officer was on active duty. That officer sustained swelling to the face, substantial pain to the arm. The defendant was subsequently then transferred to the hospital for treatment, where the defendant allegedly then kicked the nurse in the chest.

SHAWN BARNES, BLAIR'S ATTORNEY: Your Honor, the circumstances alleged in the complaint are the product of a medical emergency, not intentional criminal conduct.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Now Blair's attorney says she fell and hit her head on the plane, and she missed her medication. It is perhaps significant that she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2018.

Joining me now is Dr. Victoria Leavitt of Columbia University. Thanks for joining us, Dr. Leavitt. Blair's attorney told the court that his client took the flight after extensive hours on a filming set. She fell, she hit her head on the plane, she missed her medication. Could that lead to the alleged behavior? Is there a multiple sclerosis part of this that you see?

DR. VICTORIA LEAVITT, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF NEUROPSYCHOLOGY: Well, Jake, multiple sclerosis is a very heterogeneous disease. It's a neurological disease that affects everybody a little bit differently, and there's a wide constellation of symptoms that people experience.

That said, violent outbursts, violent physical outbursts like this that kind of look like a psychotic break are certainly not within the constellation of symptoms that we tend to see in M.S.

TAPPER: What about removing the M.S. from it? What about missing her M.S. medication and hitting her head? Is that something that you would describe possibly as a medical event as opposed to a violent outburst? LEAVITT: Well, it's difficult to say, right? And it's difficult to diagnose a person that one has never met. And I want to say that I'm very sorry for Ms. Blair and the challenges she's facing. Having a chronic disease is a huge obstacle in life. It's challenging, and the circumstances that can arise are unforeseen. Multiple sclerosis disease-modifying therapies, the drugs that we use to treat people for M.S., actually act to slow the disease progression. They are not anti- psychotic medications.

This is not a piece of the puzzle that we treat because it's really not a piece of the, as I said, the symptoms of M.S.

TAPPER: OK, that's good to know.

LEAVITT: The different circumstances.

TAPPER: Yes. Are there psychological symptoms commonly experienced by people with M.S.?

LEAVITT: Absolutely, and the most common ones are depression and anxiety. And they can be severe, but --

TAPPER: Yes, go on, I'm sorry.

LEAVITT: Well, you know, there's a big spectrum of symptoms of depression and anxiety, but psychosis and violent outbursts are not on those spectrums.

TAPPER: What brain changes brought about by M.S., which is a horrible disease, horrible disease, people in my family have had it. It's brutal and unforgiving. What brain changes brought about by M.S. could possibly explain the types of behaviors that Blair allegedly presented, or are there none?

LEAVITT: Yes, that's not something I would speculate on because it's not really been documented in the literature. There's no evidence linking M.S. to psychosis or the types of things that would lead to an event like this, a violent outburst on an airplane.

TAPPER: Stepping away from this incident on the plane, what challenges face Selma Blair and others who are experiencing multiple sclerosis? There's a lot that people don't know. So if you could just give us a brief description of this disease.

LEAVITT: Sure, thank you. I think that the biggest thing that many people face is their disease is invisible. And so unlike Selma Blair, who has very courageously made herself a mouthpiece for M.S., many people walk through the world with this hidden disability and they have to cope with it in a way that's very lonely. They might look just fine and their friends might tell them they look great, but they're actually privately suffering.

[17:55:12]

TAPPER: It's a horrible disease. Dr. Victoria Leavitt, thank you so much for bringing us some insights into all of this. Much appreciated. LEAVITT: Thank you for having me.

TAPPER: President Trump once again is on the campaign trail this evening, ready to rally the base in Alaska. Yes, Alaska, the neck and neck race there that has him traveling thousands of miles across the United States.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: Welcome to The Lead. I'm Jake Tapper. This hour, we're now just three weeks away from the very first poll closing in the midterm elections. And soon President Trump's going to speak in ruby red, Alaska, where current polling shows a neck and neck race for the U.S. Senate. We're going to go live to the campaign trail in moments. [18:00:01]

Plus, a Republican senator is here with his midterm predictions.