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Good Samaritan Helps Officers Catch Suspected Shoplifters; Voters Head to the Polls in Local Races; California Becomes Battleground for Nationwide Redistricting Fight; Voters Cast Ballots for NYC Mayor, Governors of New Jersey and Virginia; Pirro Reverses FBI Firings, Then They Are Fired Again. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired November 04, 2025 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": -- into an alleged accomplice's car. When a nearby driver notices the officer wasn't near his patrol car, she offers him a ride to follow the suspects.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out, stop. Stop the vehicle. Stop it. HBH 031, Mississippi -- HBH 031, Mississippi. Silver Buick going towards Marshalls. Follow her, follow her. Go, go, go.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: HBH. It was a white.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They went left. They went left.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: And off they go. The citizen-officer duo following the suspects before backup officers arrive and take them into custody. And a new hour of "CNN News Central" starts right now.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": It is Election Day in America and in local races, voters could choose to send a message to both parties. We're going to break down what's at stake in a handful of key contests.

KEILAR: Threats and warnings as the government shutdown ties a record for longest ever, the country's transportation secretary now warning about mass chaos in the skies. And bending the knee like Beckham, the new honor that the famous soccer player says he is -- is his "proudest moment." We're following these major developing stories and many more, all coming in right here to "CNN News Central."

SANCHEZ: It is Election Day and voters are hitting the polls across the country. All eyes right now on some key races that could make this off-year election a consequential day. Governors are being decided in New Jersey and Virginia. Democratic candidates in both states vowing to stand up to President Donald Trump. Meantime in New York, President Trump's endorsement in the mayor's race has been a big focus there. KEILAR: California voters are now getting their chance to weigh in on a Democratic-led effort that would ultimately cost House Republicans perhaps five seats. We have reporters on both coasts, but first Omar Jimenez is in New York City where the mayor's race has now seen about a million votes cast. Omar, you've been speaking with voters, what are they telling you?

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, so we've been -- we've heard a mix of things over the course of the day from some of these voters. One of the dynamics we've been watching for is how many potential Curtis Sliwa voters or Republican actually switched over to vote for Andrew Cuomo. And we've heard that from two -- about two people we've spoken to over the course of today. But we've also heard a lot of enthusiasm over Mamdani and the new ideas in the youth he is bringing to the potential of New York City leadership.

Where we are right now, we're at a polling location in Queens in Forest Hills Gardens area, and it's a little, not as busy as it was earlier this morning at the moment. But we have seen a lot of people come in over the course of the day. Before work started, lunchtime and then likely post work is when we'll see another swell as well.

When you look at the overall turnout numbers here, they have been incredibly high, the highest turnout day for early voting in New York City history on Sunday. But then today, when you look at those total vote numbers, as you just mentioned, coming to me, already over 1.1 million when you factor in the hundreds of thousands that voted early, combined with those that voted here on Election Day. As I mentioned, we've been speaking to some voters. Just take a listen to one voter we spoke to just a few minutes ago about why she decided to vote for Mamdani.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIRAN NAQUI, ZOHRAN MAMDANI VOTER: Rents are going up and up. So, the living here is not easy anymore. So I hope that the things he mentioned he will do, he really do it. And I am sure he's going to do it because it looks like he's a man of his words.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: Well, and part of what we were talking about just before that was her complaints right now were that rent was going up too much, that transportation was a little bit too expensive. As -- it's an active site here, people going in and out over the course of today. But one of the things she was talking about were those high prices and that of course has been a major aspect of Mamdani's platform here. That woman in particular is a preschool teacher here in the area in Queens.

So part of what we're trying to do in speaking to these voters is, look, these aren't official results. These aren't macro analyses or anything like that, but when those results do come, potentially there is a through line through what some of the people have been telling us here on the ground. And one of the through lines to this point that we have heard from people here in Queens is about affordability. SANCHEZ: Omar Jimenez, appreciate the flexibility even though that guy clearly doesn't recognize the camera and the reporter with a microphone standing doing a live shot. Omar in New York, thank you so much.

JIMENEZ: Hey, we're all friends here. We're all friends here.

(LAUGH)

SANCHEZ: That's the attitude. Omar, thank you so much. Let's go to Veronica Miracle in Santa Ana, California. Veronica, Prop. 50 is the headline out of the West Coast. A lot of interest, a lot of money has been poured into that redistricting fight. What are you seeing there?

[14:05:00]

VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, that's right, Boris. As of late October in the efforts in support of this proposition spent about $80 million in just television ad revenue alone. Groups opposing it have spent about $30 million. So a lot of money being poured into this and we're actually seeing that. It appears to be working. We've actually spoken to a lot of voters who have come out, first-time voters, young voters, 18, 19-year-olds who say they either didn't or weren't able to vote in the last presidential election. And so, they felt really just moved to come here and vote today. Take a listen to one voter we just spoke with.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLAIRE SISSON, FIRST TIME VOTER: I voted yes on Prop. 50.

MIRACLE: Where did you hear about it and why did you feel that it was important to come out here and vote yes?

SISSON: I heard about it on the news and just social media and everything, and I did some more research about it. And yeah, I really wanted to make sure that I made an effort to make sure that everybody's voice is heard and that it's a fair fight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MIRACLE: I spoke to another young woman who said she heard about it on TikTok. All of her friends have been talking about it. And so she knew it was important and knew she needed to come out here and vote. As we know, Proposition 50 is the only measure on the statewide ballot. So, we're really struck by how many people are coming out to make sure their voices are heard on this. You can see that the workers, they're sorting ballots behind us, and we'll be keeping track on this for the rest of the day. Boris, Brianna, back to you.'

KEILAR: All right, we'll be watching it with you. Veronica Miracle in the county seat of the best county in California. Some people say, like myself.

SANCHEZ: Many people are saying KEILAR: OC girl here. All right, joining us now is Marc Short, former Chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence. He also served as White House Legislative Affairs Director during the first Trump administration. He's currently the Board Chair of Advancing American Freedom. All right, Marc, how do you think today is going to go for Republicans and how much do you think it matters?

MARC SHORT, FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF TO VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE: Well, I think it's largely being played out in Democrat terrain. I think California, New York, New Jersey, and even Virginia that was purple. It's pretty much a blue state now. So how much that matters, I don't know, but I think there's a lot of subplots at play. In other words, if California proposition passes by a significant margin, does it give other states pause in their efforts to redistrict?

In New York, if Mamdani wins by a huge margin, that's going to boost the enthusiasm of the AOC and Bernie Sanders crowds inside the Democrat Party. Will that become an albatross for some other Democrats? And I think in Virginia, will Democrats vote a straight ticket or will there be pause about voting for an attorney general candidate who called for political assassination of an opponent and his family? So, I think those are a lot of subplots to keep in mind.

SANCHEZ: Just for our viewer's awareness, that was in private text messages. It wasn't something that he came out and said like publicly, this is what he wants to see happen. Nevertheless --

SHORT: It still seems to me that's what he said he wanted to see happen, whether or not it's a text or verbal communication.

SANCHEZ: I am curious about your thoughts on President Trump's approach to all of these races. He's come out in a frequent refrain suggesting that the vote in California is rigged, that Prop. 50 is potentially illegal. He endorsed Democrat Andrew Cuomo, a former rival of his, from back during his first administration in the New York City mayor's race. No endorsement of Winsome Earle-Sears in Virginia. What do you make of all that?

SHORT: I think that the president is keeping a little bit of distance in part because for some of the states, his endorsement may not be helpful. At the same time, it gives him the opportunity after the election to say these candidates weren't truly MAGA candidates, they never sought my full endorsement. And so, it gives him sort of a pathway to say, this isn't on me, after the election.

KEILAR: So in New York, Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is calling Zohran Mamdani, "a jihadist candidate for mayor." And Florida Congressman Randy Fine called him a Muslim terrorist. He's used rhetoric kind of like that for other people in the past too. I guess my question for you is, if you -- if you wish Republicans would stay away from rhetoric like that, do you think -- and do you think it really works because there are other approaches that they could take when it comes to Mamdani if they wanted to criticize him or raise concerns that voters may have.

SHORT: I think there's an effort to try to elevate him into a bigger national figure because they feel like that will be an albatross for Democrats if they're having to defend policies he said. And I think that we all have talked about the need to tone down the political violence and so I don't want to endorse rhetoric of that nature. At the same time, he was given multiple opportunities to denounce Hamas and refuse to do so. And so, he has his own statements that he needs to defend too.

SANCHEZ: As someone on the right, I'm curious about how you see this race in New York City playing out in the context of the broader Democratic Party, because we just heard that voter talking about how much she trusts Zohran Mamdani, saying that he's a man of his word. Conversely, the candidate for governor in Virginia, Abigail Spanberger said that of Mamdani, we shouldn't try to sell these aspirational ideas and go too far and potentially deceive voters.

[14:10:00]

Because a lot of the things that he's promising, they require the state legislature, they require independent boards to make happen things, like the rent freeze, et cetera. So, I'm curious just from your perspective watching on the outside, are you hoping that Mamdani wins because it makes it easier for Republicans?

SHORT: I don't know. I think in many cases, Republicans look at that and say, yes, he has these crazy positions that we'll be able to campaign against. But at the same time, I think our nation is in a populous mood. I think there's been a populous rise on the right and a populist rise on the left. And so, as much as I condemn the notion of taking government control of the grocery stores, I think there is an appeal right now for a lot of Americans who want to say, "Hey, we're going to take on big businesses and take on big in every element."

And so, the rise of that is striking a chord and you see the energy with AOC and Bernie. And so, I don't want to necessarily see that energy rise too high, that to me is frightening. So yes, on the one hand, you want to try to use it to your political advantage because you feel it's out of the mainstream, but on the other hand, you don't want to give it too much air and oxygen either, Boris.

KEILAR: The popularity of Trump has taught us nothing. Right? It is something to behold here perhaps.

SHORT: For sure.

SANCHEZ: Marc Short, thank you so much for the analysis. Thank you as always.

(CROSSTALK)

SHORT: Thanks for having me.

SANCHEZ: Yeah. Still to come, the shutdown one day from setting a new record and there's concern and confusion over SNAP benefits after President Trump weighs in. KEILAR: Plus, D.C. U.S. Attorney, Jeanine Pirro reversing the firings of four FBI agents and just 24 hours later, they're out of a job again. Our new CNN reporting. And we look back as well at the life and influence of former Vice President Dick Cheney. Former White House Chief of Staff, Andy Card will join us live. We'll have that a much more coming up on "CNN News Central."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:16:22]

KEILAR: A federal judge has set a hearing for Thursday to consider a new request to require the Trump administration to provide full food stamp benefits in November. Just yesterday, the Department of Agriculture said it will tap into a contingency fund to pay 50 percent of SNAP benefits for this month. It followed two court rulings requiring the administration to provide at least partial benefits for tens of millions of Americans.

SANCHEZ: And just a short time ago, President Trump, as he often does, made things very confusing by posting on Truth Social that he's withholding the SNAP benefits until the shutdown is over. Yet, his Press Secretary at the White House, Karoline Leavitt says the administration is complying with the court order and that they would follow through on its plan to fund partial food aid this month. Let's go to Capitol Hill right now where sources say that bipartisan talks on ending the shutdown are ramping up. CNN's Annie Grayer is there. Annie, what are you hearing from lawmakers?

ANNIE GRAYER, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, Boris, it really depends on who you talk to. There is some glimmers of optimism that they're getting closer -- lawmakers are getting closer to a deal here, particularly if you talk to Republicans. They came in this morning very optimistic thinking that Democrats could be more willing to negotiate with them after tonight's elections. Very optimistic from a number of Senators there.

But then you start talking to Democrats and realize that there is a major divide in the party right now about what they would be willing to accept at this point and still be able to call it a win. I mean, you could have a single vote on extending the Affordable Care Act subsidies, but if that fails, would that be enough? Do they need to have more of a negotiation on funding other parts of the federal government? There are a lot of details that still need to be worked out.

I'm going to play for you some sound from Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin and Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, just to show you the different views on where things are right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARKWAYNE MULLIN, (R-OK): Fortunately, this nightmare is going to end for our federal employees and those that depend on SNAP this week. But it's unfortunate they've been held hostage by the Democrat Party as leverage points. SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN, (D-MA): My view on this is that we are in this fight for people who have no voice, who have no lobbyists, and who are literally making decisions, do they keep their health insurance or do they figure out how to pay rent? Or in the case of people who know that they can't afford to keep their health insurance, it's which one of them gets the medical care they need and which one dies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRAYER: So while sources are signaling that behind the scenes there is some thawing here, there are some negotiations that are going on, we are still far away from a resolution and from Democrat and Republican leaders actually signing off on any semblance of a deal. And meanwhile, we are now tied for the longest government shutdown in history. Tomorrow would break that record and the pain that people are feeling as a result of this shutdown continues to worsen.

Federal workers are going without pay. People who are rely on federal food assistance are missing those payments. There's a huge question on if those payments are going to go out, as you pointed out at the top here, and the delays and the lines at airports only continue to worsen. So the pressure on lawmakers to make a deal continues to increase. We are still trying to read the tea leaves on how much progress is actually being made.

SANCHEZ: I agree. Thank you so much for that update from Capitol Hill.

KEILAR: And still to come, reaction to the death of former Vice President Dick Cheney and a look at the changing perception of him inside the Republican Party.

SANCHEZ: And if Democratic candidates pick up wins today, will the party be able to build on that success in next year's midterms? That and much more coming your way on "CNN News Central."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:24:34]

SANCHEZ: Tributes continue to pour in for former Vice President Dick Cheney, who's passed away at the age of 84. President George W. Bush releasing this statement saying, "Dick was a calm and steady presence in the White House amid great national challenges. I counted on him for his honest, forthright counsel and he never failed to give me his best. He held his convictions and prioritized the freedom and security of the American people. For those two terms in office and throughout his remarkable career,

[14:25:00]

Dick Cheney's service always reflected credit on the country he loved. Dick's love for America was second only to his family."

KEILAR: Bush also releasing this photo of himself with Cheney. Cheney of course, was considered the most powerful vice president in American history and the chief architect of the post-9/11 war on terrorism. He was also a driving force behind the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. His family says he died due to complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease. We're joined now by Andy Card who served as the White House Chief of Staff under President George W. Bush.

Andy, thank you so much for being with us today. Just give us a sense of how you're reflecting on Vice President Cheney's passing and his legacy.

ANDY CARD, FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF UNDER PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: Thank you very much for having me on. Vice President Cheney and I worked very closely together. First of all, his office was right next to my office. The chief of staff's office is right beside the vice president's office in the West Wing. But what was particularly appreciated from Dick Cheney was he had great empathy for the chief of staff. And he was always there to guide me, to -- he never blindsided me. If he had problems with people, he was candid about talking about them.

He was a calming influence in the West wing of the White House. He was opinionated in what he was supposed to be opinionated. He had his views, he understood them. But he also was highly respected on Capitol Hill, especially in the House where he served with great distinction. And I consider Dick Cheney probably the MVP player in terms of the West Wing of the White House. He was always easy to communicate with and he was sympathetic to the challenges that I had as chief of staff. But he was also a good ally when we were looking to give greater definition to some of the issues that we were confronted with.

Yes, he was a person who had strong convictions. He really stood up for America, inside America and outside America. And he was just a joy to work with because he was a good listener. And when he spoke, people listened, and I certainly paid attention to what he had to say.

SANCHEZ: You were, of course, President Bush's Chief of Staff on September 11th and our Jamie Gangel describes that after multiple interviews with the former vice president, as a day that changed Dick Cheney. I wonder if you could speak to that, how it affected the vice president and how it changed the way that he viewed his role.

CARD: Well, first of all, he was in constant communication with the president. The president was obviously, on Air Force one most of the day, flying back to Washington, D.C. going first to Barksdale Air Force Base, then to the Stratcom in Omaha, Nebraska, and eventually coming back to Washington, D.C. after eight o'clock at night. And Dick Cheney was really in the White House, in the bunker underneath the White House basically, helping to coordinate everything that was going on.

And I'll never forget the call that Dick Cheney placed to the president of the United States asking if the president would authorize our fighter jets to shoot down commercial jet liners if they were not complying with the FAA call to go land. And it was something that the president did confirm that he would allow that authorization. I kind of think Dick Cheney had already told the military they could do that, but that's another story. But he had constant communication with us on Air Force One, and he was a source to be complimented because he was thinking of the greater challenge to protect us. Where there other attacks coming? And I don't want to say that he was paranoid, but he was appropriately respectful of the burden that the president would be carrying because of what happened on 9/11/2001.

KEILAR: He was uniquely powerful as a vice president. Can you speak to that dynamic, how that worked in George W. Bush's presidency and how Dick Cheney saw his role as Vice President?

CARD: Vice President Cheney and his team were considered to be part of an equal team in the West Wing. So we did not have the caste system, if you will, where the vice president was at a lower caste than those of us who worked for the president. This was -- he was -- his team and he made this team really part of the White House team and we worked very well together. I've been -- I served President Ronald Reagan, President George HW Bush, and President George W. Bush.

Dick Cheney was the best Vice President in terms of making sure that the West Wing was never blindsided by some opinion or some recognition that the vice president might have that was contrary to what the president was doing, or his staff was not playing, well, appropriately. They were constructive because I think he led them to be constructive rather than have a contentious relationship between the vice president and the president --