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Dick Cheney Dies; Interview With Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA); Will Government Shut Down Parts of U.S. Airspace?; America Votes; Trump Threatens to Withhold SNAP Benefits. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired November 04, 2025 - 13:00   ET

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

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BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Local races, national impact. Voters go to the polls in elections that will be dissected for what they say about the country and the current political climate. Our CNN reporters are on the ground.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Plus, a warning of mass chaos from the nation's top transportation official, Secretary Sean Duffy saying parts of U.S. airspace may need to close if the government shutdown doesn't end in the next week, a government shutdown that is now tied for the longest ever.

And remembering the legacy of former Vice President Dick Cheney, an architect of the George W. Bush administration's global war on terror.

We're following these major developing stories and many more all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

KEILAR: We have breaking news. The transportation secretary is warning of -- quote -- "mass chaos" if the government shutdown stretches into next week.

Sean Duffy says it could all lead to mass cancellations and even shutting down some airspace.

SANCHEZ: CNN aviation correspondent Pete Muntean is joining us now.

Pete, what are you learning?

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's a tough day for air travelers all over the country today. There was that security incident that halted flights at Reagan National Airport for about two hours. That is now officially over. Wind is causing delays in a new work in La Guardia and now Phoenix is on the list of airports impacted by air traffic control, staffing shortages related to this government shutdown.

Phoenix Sky Harbor typically does not rank high for operational problems, but the latest from the FAA is that today's delays are being caused by staffing shortages in the control tower. The FAA says it's putting these delays in place to maintain safety. It's pretty significant, because Phoenix is one of American Airlines' primary domestic hubs for connecting flights, also a major base for Southwest Airlines, one of the carrier's top five busiest airports.

So you can expect ripple effects beyond just Phoenix. Right now, delays nationwide remain relatively low, but, yesterday, staffing shortages impacted about 17 different air traffic facilities across the country and delays climbed into the thousands, 4,600 flights delayed on Monday, according to FlightAware.

Transition Secretary Sean Duffy just held that press conference, saying he can't -- quote -- "just find money" to pay air traffic controllers, and he also had a stark warning about what happens if the shutdown continues and more controllers call out. Listen.

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SEAN DUFFY, U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: If you bring us to a week from today, Democrats, you will see mass chaos, you will see mass flight delays, you will see mass cancellations, and you may see us close certain parts of the airspace because we just cannot manage it.

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MUNTEAN: TSA officers also not getting paid and government shutdown- related staffing shortages are hitting TSA security lines as well. At Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport, the lines there stretched up to three hours yesterday, but the airport says today waits are down to about an hour, to an hour 15, still very long, considering the average TSA wait time nationwide for standard screening is about five minutes.

Remember, it was on day 35 of the shutdown back in 2019 air traffic control staffing shortages in a few key facilities really brought air travel to a halt, forced Congress to hammer out a deal. Right now, controllers still not being paid, but required to report to work, and one controller just told me they had already planned to pick up part- time work, but with the impacts of this shutdown getting worse, they may move that plan up a bit sooner.

KEILAR: That's really tough on these air traffic controllers.

MUNTEAN: Bleak, yes.

KEILAR: Bleak.

Pete Muntean, thank you so much.

Happening now, for the first time since President Trump's reelection, millions of voters are making their voices heard. Results at ballot boxes today could make or break political careers, change congressional maps and reshape midterm momentum.

SANCHEZ: To that point, in California, five Republican House seats are hanging in the balance, as Democrats in the Golden State rushed to counter a Republican redistricting push across the country.

We're also keeping a close eye on key matchups in New York, New Jersey and Virginia. We have teams standing by in each of those places.

Jason Carroll is in New York, where we just learned more than a million people have voted so far.

Jason, what are you seeing? What are you hearing from those voters?

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Huge interest in this race, and not surprising, given what we have seen here, Boris, ever since this morning when polls open at 6:00 a.m., lots of people coming into this polling place.

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In terms of what we're hearing about this specific spot on the Upper West Side, more than 16,000 voters cast early votes just right here at this location alone. And in terms of the voters that we have been speaking to, it's really this contrast between those who say they voted for the candidate who had the experience versus those who say they voted for the candidate with new and fresh ideas, Zohran Mamdani.

Mamdani has obviously appealed to a number of people with this platform that he's been running on, talking about affordability, affordable health care, affordable housing. Andrew Cuomo, the man, the candidate with experience, also talking about affordability, but public safety and also his experience, his experience being able to deal with the president, Donald Trump.

But, again, I want you to hear from the voters that we spoke to just a little bit earlier today.

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GLORY MISSAN, VOTED FOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI: Love his ideas for education, for housing, for busing, all his concepts and his feeling for humanity.

DEWAYNE JACKSON, VOTED FOR ANDREW CUOMO: I decided to vote for Andrew Cuomo because he has a lot of experience. He's been the governor of New York. And he -- and I feel like we don't want our city to go in a direction that's not important for businesses, as well as our regular everyday New Yorkers.

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CARROLL: Again, massive voter turnout so far in New York City, both candidates, you guys, saying that heavy turnout will help each one of their campaigns. We will see what happens after polls close at 9:00 -- guys, back to you.

KEILAR: We will be watching with you. Jason Carroll, thank you.

And let's go to Virginia now, where the state will soon elect its first female governor either way. Brian Todd is there.

And, Brian, the shutdown has been front and center on this battle. What are you hearing?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right. Brianna, we're going to talk about the shutdown with a voter in just a moment, but we can tell you that this county where we're situated right now, Loudoun County, just west of Washington, D.C., has really exploded in electoral relevance and importance in recent years.

Right now, this is the fourth largest county as far as population and voting electorate in the state of Virginia. It's one of the fastest growing counties in the entire country. Here at Arcola Elementary School, people are coming in here, checking in, voting in these booths.

We're told by officials here that more than 600 people have already voted just in this precinct alone. They had more than a million people in Virginia, in the entire state of Virginia, vote either early voting in person or by mail-in. And even with all of that, it has not slowed down the foot traffic at some of these precincts.

I'm with Madina Mujadidi. She is a voter here in Loudoun County. She's been here a couple of years.

Madina, you talked to me about what's important as far as an issue for you. You say your husband is an air traffic controller.

MADINA MUJADIDI, VIRGINIA VOTER: Right.

TODD: What's the situation and how much did his situation kind of fuel your voting philosophy here?

MUJADIDI: Yes. Unfortunately, I think politics now is very divisive and there's not a lot of negotiation on either side, and it's impacting the livelihoods of federal workers. And that's important to me.

Obviously, my husband's not getting paid right now. And he works very, very hard, along with the other air traffic controllers. And I think that's important. I think that we forget the fact that it's impacting people's lives. And I'm voting for candidates that care about that.

TODD: And you brought your stepson, Ben. He's 9 years old.

What was the importance of bringing Ben here to show him kind of what your philosophy is and kind of the process?

MUJADIDI: Yes. So I want him -- I mean, he's going to be a future voter and I want him to understand that participating in government is important and your vote matters. And, again, I'm tired of the divisiveness in politics. So I'm hoping he can see there's -- no matter whether you're Republican or Democrat, you can go in, have a good time, like have fun voting and then, yes, leave positively, yes. TODD: All right, thank you, Madina. Really great of you to talk to us. Good luck to you and your family. Good luck to your husband with the job and everything.

MUJADIDI: Thank you so much.

TODD: Thanks very much.

All right, so you see it. We got about six more hours to go until polls close. They have already had 600-some people come here, guys, and we think there's going to be kind of a push more toward rush hour when people are getting off work. So, again, the early and mail-in voting in Virginia, which is very, very popular here, not slowing down the foot traffic at places like this.

SANCHEZ: Yes, and there you see with the voter that you just spoke to, Brian, the impact of the government shutdown on the spouse of an air traffic controller.

And shout-out to Ben with those shades.

TODD: That's right.

SANCHEZ: He's ready to have a good time in that voting place.

KEILAR: He is.

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: Brian Todd in Virginia, thank you so much.

Let's go over to New Jersey now with Danny Freeman, where another key governor's mansion is going to be decided tonight, who runs the governor's mansion?

Danny, what's the latest there?

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, Boris, right now I'm in Passaic County, New Jersey, and this is a very critical county, because this was a big swing county from 2020 to 2024. President Biden carried this county very handily in 2020, but then President Trump actually flipped this county very much in 2024, just about a year ago this month.

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Now, the two candidates in this race, Republican Jack Ciattarelli and Democrat Mikie Sherrill, the Republican at least, the question is, can Jack Ciattarelli continue the progress that President Trump has made in New Jersey, specifically in these areas that are heavily Latino as well?

I spoke to a number of Latino voters who came out today. One man, William Guzman (ph), said that he always votes Democrat no matter what, so it was an easy vote for Sherrill today. But then another man told me, Cesar Tavales (ph), that he used to vote Democratic, but now today he's voting for Ciattarelli because he just feels the Republican Party is speaking more to him now.

I want you to take a listen to an interview we just did with a gentleman, Claudio Martinez, and he described what he thinks is happening with the Latino community right now. Take a listen.

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FREEMAN: A lot of Latinos though, in this area, they went for Trump last time. Do you think that's going to happen again?

CLAUDIO MARTINEZ, NEW JERSEY RESIDENT: No. I think no. I'm doing Uber. Yesterday, I picked like 10 passenger between the age 22 and 30. And most say they vote for the first time for Donald Trump, not this time because the politics is completely different. Nothing that he promised is being done.

FREEMAN: You think that President Trump may be wasting the support from Latinos he got before?

MARTINEZ: Yes.

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FREEMAN: So, again, all eyes on communities like this here in Passaic County.

One other note, Brianna and Boris, you might have heard there were some threats earlier in the morning at certain polling locations in New Jersey. The good news is that none of those threats were credible and most of those voters were able to be accommodated and those polling places were able to be back open -- Boris, Brianna.

KEILAR: All right, that is good news.

Danny Freeman, thank you so much.

And still to come: Is the end in sight? We're learning that lawmakers are talking about possible off-ramps, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, as the government shutdown threatens to become the longest on record.

Plus: reversing course. President Trump now says SNAP benefits will not be sent out, in an apparent defiance of a court order.

SANCHEZ: And later: miles and miles of decimated communities. CNN has finally been able to access the hardest-hit areas of Jamaica one week after Hurricane Melissa broke records as the most powerful storm to ever strike the island.

We will take you there in just moments on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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KEILAR: New today:, the government shutdown is now tying the record for the longest in U.S. history. And sources tell CNN that both the House and the Senate are discussing some bipartisan off-ramps.

In the Senate, where Republicans need votes from Democrats, we're told negotiations include a new short-term funding bill and a promise of a stand alone vote to extend health insurance subsidies. But given that there's no guarantee the vote on subsidies would actually pass the Senate and even more so in the House, it's unclear whether enough Democrats will accept that.

And then, in the House, a group of four bipartisan lawmakers have announced a potential deal to extend the subsidies. Their plan would extend subsidies for two years, add an income cap between $200,000 and $400,000 for eligibility. It would also add more guardrails to prevent improper payments.

But it's unclear if party leadership has signed off on the proposal. And just a short time ago, President Trump said he's withholding SNAP benefits until the shutdown is over. Doing that would not only defy a court order. It would also deny tens of millions of Americans money that they use to buy food.

Republican Congressman Kevin Kiley of California is with us now.

Thank you so much for joining us in studio here, and a lot to talk about. But, first off, this bipartisan framework in the House talking about a way forward on the shutdown, do you know if GOP leadership supports it? Do you support it?

REP. KEVIN KILEY (R-CA): I don't know about GOP leadership, but I'm actually releasing my own bipartisan framework that I have been working on with a colleague in California today, where we essentially endorse the general principles of that framework, namely, that we need to have it be a temporary or limited-duration extension, there needs to be cost controls and then there needs to be some protections against improper payments.

And so we're not putting in specific numbers, because I think all of that is kind of subject to negotiation between the two parties and between the two houses, but I think that's generally the right approach.

KEILAR: Does this feel like a turning point to you?

KILEY: I think we're getting closer to some signs of life, yes. And on both sides, the tenor of the conversations has changed.

KEILAR: OK, so what about this Senate discussion? Because Democrats are weighing whether to accept a stand-alone vote on an extension of ACA subsidies, these health insurance subsidies. Is that something that you would back in the House?

KILEY: I think it makes sense. I mean, if the deal is, all right, we open the government and then everyone gets a chance to weigh in, up- or-down vote.

Of course, the trick is, what exactly is it we're going to vote on because there's certain things that need to be negotiated within the parameters I just set out. But there -- as I have been saying for a while now, there's interest on both sides in avoiding this cliff that's going to lead to a huge increase in premiums for our constituents.

And so, if that offers some pathway out of this terrible government shutdown that's having such escalating, compounding consequences, then that's something we should pursue.

KEILAR: SNAP benefits did not go out on the 1st. And then yesterday, in a court filing, the USDA said in response to what two federal judges said it will tap into that contingency fund for SNAP benefits to at least make partial food stamp payments this month.

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Then you heard what the president has now said on social media -- quote -- "The SNAP benefits will be given only when the radical left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before."

That sounds like a reversal of what the USDA has said in this court filing. How are you reading that?

KILEY: I'm extremely troubled by this. The fact that people who rely on these benefits to feed themselves and their family are not getting access to them because of the excessive partisanship here in Washington, D.C., it is a complete failure.

And it's no wonder Congress has a 13 percent approval rating. When it comes to SNAP, in particular, I have said that we need to pursue any and all avenues to make sure folks get their benefits. Number one, opening the government's the easiest way to do it. I have also co- sponsored a bill that would say you keep getting SNAP benefits even if the government isn't open.

And I do think that the president now has -- to the extent the legal authority exists, I think that -- I'm just seeing that TRUTH post. I think that part of the issue is that it's administratively difficult to issue partial payments because this contingency fund doesn't have enough money in it even for one month of total payment, full payments.

KEILAR: There are rolling payments, though. I mean, it could also be easy to issue payments, right?

KILEY: Yes. So to the extent it can be done, I think it needs to be done. People cannot be left without that.

KEILAR: OK.

But is he talking about defying a court order?

KILEY: I don't think so. My understanding is that it's just pointing to the fact that it's administratively difficult. But if we had a reopening of the government...

KEILAR: Why are -- where are you getting that from? KILEY: That's the explanation the White House has put out.

KEILAR: OK.

So, Prop 50, which is top of mind for you today, a lot of -- we're watching a lot of elections. But I know this is the one that you were watching most closely on the ballot in your state, which is threatening your very congressional seat if it passes. It would very much change what your district looks like.

And noteworthy that Texas, of course, did redraw its maps first, but the president is questioning at this point the validity of the actual ballot process in your state. He called the entire process a giant scam, but then said, in particular, the voting itself is rigged.

Do you think the voting is rigged and do you have any concerns? I mean, you need people to come out and support your side in this. Do you have any concerns that that could actually make some people who you need to come to the ballots think twice about not coming?

KILEY: Well, there's certainly room for improving our election process in California. And in this race, they did suspend the number of the voter protections. They made the process a lot more rushed.

But that's -- that is what it is. The result tonight, we're going to get it around 11:00 Eastern time. And we will all certainly accept the result and we will go from there. And I voted no, but we will see what ends up happening. I think gerrymandering is wrong in California. It's wrong in Texas. It's wrong in any state where it's happening.

And I think regardless of how this vote comes out in California tonight, we need a national solution to this issue to end gerrymandering in all 50 states.

KEILAR: You have confidence in the process in California right now, even if you might disagree with the outcome?

KILEY: I certainly think there are things about our elections that can improve. I believe we need voter I.D. I think things like ballot harvesting are problematic. The fact that people didn't get the full time you're usually supposed to get in an election here is problematic.

But, yes, the result will be what it is tonight.

KEILAR: Do you expect it to pass, the redistricting measure?

KILEY: We will see. The recent polls show that the yes side is up, but that's one snapshot in time. In California, we often see the no side in propositions gains momentum towards the end. And so I'm certainly hoping it doesn't. I want to continue to represent the beautiful Third District as it's currently drawn.

But regardless of what happens, I'm confident I will be able to win reelection to the House.

KEILAR: It is a beautiful district as currently drawn. I can attest to that.

(LAUGHTER)

KEILAR: Congressman Kiley, thank you so much for being with us. We really, really appreciate it.

KILEY: Of course. Thanks for having me.

And the FBI says it arrested two people in connection with the explosion at Harvard Medical School over the weekend. We will have details just ahead.

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KEILAR: Former Vice President Dick Cheney has passed away at the age of 84. He was surrounded by his family, who say he died due to complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease.

Cheney was considered the most powerful vice president in American history. He was the chief architect of the post-9/11 war on terror and helped lead the U.S. into the ill-fated Iraq War on faulty assumptions.

SANCHEZ: In his later years, the lifelong conservative Republican became an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, branding him a coward and saying there was no greater threat to the republic.

We're joined now by CNN's special correspondent Jamie Gangel.

Jamie, you covered Dick Cheney extensively. You interviewed him multiple times. How do you think he's going to be remembered?

JAMIE GANGEL, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: So I think there are people who will obviously remember him as Vice President Cheney. And he was a lightning rod for critics who never forgave him and still don't to this day.

You can go on social media and see, because of his position on enhanced interrogation of U.S. detainees. We actually -- we're going to send the clock backwards a little bit. In 2011, I interviewed him then for NBC's "Today Show" about his memoir. And I picked this because he never backed down on those positions.

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GANGEL: In your view, we should still be using enhanced interrogation?

DICK CHENEY, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Yes.

GANGEL: No regrets?

CHENEY: No regrets.

GANGEL: Should we still be water-boarding terror suspects?

CHENEY: I would strongly support using it again if circumstances arose where we had a high-value detainee and that was the only way we could get him to talk.

GANGEL: Even though so many people have condemned it, people call it torture, you think it should still be a tool?

CHENEY: Yes.

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GANGEL: So the reason was that 9/11 changed him. As you may remember, President Bush was traveling that day. Vice President Cheney was at the White House.

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