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Axios Reports, Paxton Privately Blames Woes on Iran War, Gas Prices; Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Troy Jackson Face Off in Maine Senate Race Debate; Jane Doe's Attorney Says, Somebody Made Threat to Shoot Up Her House. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired October 07, 2026 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: New warning signs flashing for the Republican Party. Insiders now tell CNN they are preparing for a November bloodbath. On that note, the president's hitting the campaign trail in Texas today.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: A sit-in planned today at Cornell University over its handling of the alleged gang rape there. The attorney for the alleged victim says she's receiving daily threats.

And if you're going to drive your car in circles like a maniac, one place you might want to avoid is the lawn of a courthouse where there are cameras.

Sara is out today. I'm John Berman with Kate Bolduan, and this is CNN News Central.

BOLDUAN: A bloodbath. That is the word that a White House ally has now used to describe Republican fears for the midterms. That's according to new CNN reporting. With less than a month to go now, Republicans appear to be bracing for the worst, some resigned to losing the House. Well, quite a few resigned to losing the House. But now there's a lot of question about the Senate as well.

And feeling that pressure, President Trump is hitting the road again to another red state, he's going to be traveling to San Antonio, his third trip to Texas in less than a month. He's campaigning for Senate candidate Ken Paxton, who's locked in that tight race with Democrat James Talarico.

But this trip also comes just after that leaked audio obtained by Axios has come out, Paxton privately blaming the Iran war and gas prices for his troubles.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEN PAXTON (R), TEXAS SENATE CANDIDATE: It's not tariffs. It's the war. It's gas prices. It's diesel. When it's over $6 a gallon for diesel, I mean, it's -- put money, they have a lot of trucks that are diesel. People are feeling the pinch.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Texas is not the only red state making Republicans nervous right now. A top political forecaster has now moved two more Senate races towards Democrats. You can see it right there, Alaska and South Carolina. Alaska going from toss-up to lean Democrat. South Carolina going from safe Republican to likely Republican.

CNN's Alayna Treene is live this morning at the White House. And forecasts and projections and leans are one thing, but what you, but what is very real is what Ken Paxton was saying in private and what that's going to mean in public when President Trump heads there now.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, and it does create kind of an awkward meeting for these two men today when the president heads down to San Antonio, Kate.

Look, from the conversations I've been having behind the scenes with Republican allies, with Trump advisers themselves, members of his political operation, the shift in the last couple of weeks has really been alarming. I recently spoke with a Trump adviser who had told me, it's going to be effing rough, when referring to the midterms.

You mentioned this, but there was a sense that perhaps they would be able to hang on to slim margins in the, the Senate this coming November, potentially lose the House, but wanted to see if they could keep it really tight. That is beginning to change. The mood is definitely souring among Republicans, and including Republican operatives and advisers who are in the president's ear. They are looking at the same polling that we do. There's a lot of concern about the state of the environment around this.

And a lot of people point to the same factors. One, the biggest really being, they argue, is the Iran war and how that has dragged down, you know, concerns about the economy, and also -- I should say, raised concerns about the economy, dragged down, I should say, you know, a broad enthusiasm for these midterm elections, but then also concerns about these high gas prices, all of that really weighing on Republicans across the board.

And you brought up Texas specifically, and I think one of the things that is so interesting is I spoke with one Republican operative recently who was essentially telling me it's so rare that they would ever argue that they'd be worried about Texas. And they were saying there's actually a better chance in their eyes that Democrats will be successful in Texas more than they would be in Maine, which is an astonishing statement when you just think about the trajectory and the history of these two different states.

And that's why you're seeing the president spend so much of his time, Kate, in places that I think a couple months ago people would think he was crazy for going to. You mentioned Texas today, his third time in less than a month that he is visiting that state, trying to get Ken Paxton across the finish line.

[07:05:01] I think, you know, the quiet part that people aren't necessarily saying out loud is that Paxton is the reason -- or Trump is the reason that Paxton is on the ballot right now in November. A lot of Republicans wanted to be spending a lot of these resources in other states, but because the president got behind Paxton, that is why he is now the Republican nominee for this Senate seat, and why they're spending so much time there.

You saw the president also, though, spending a lot of time in Oklahoma, Alabama, Ohio, Nebraska on Monday, places that Republicans a couple months ago would argue would be more safe. Now, they're having to spend a lot of resources in these places as they reckon with what is going to happen in just a couple in 28 days or so from now. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Absolutely right. All right, Alayna. Thank you so much. John?

BERMAN: I got to say, more and more of this Ken Paxton sound where he seems to blame the administration's policies for his own problems, that might make the relationship a little bit tense.

BOLDUAN: I might stick close to John Cornyn's Twitter feed today.

BERMAN: That's a very good point, very good point.

All right, you heard Alayna bring up Maine. Overnight, in the first of four debates for Maine's Senate race, we saw up there, Maine of course is a crucial state for control of the Senate. The Democratic candidate, Troy Jackson, is trying to unseat longtime Republican incumbent Susan Collins. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R-ME): Troy mocked it, but I was successful in getting concrete, pulp, and road salt removed from the tariff list.

TROY JACKSON (D), MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE: Well, look, Mainers can't afford to pay their bills with a press release or a strongly worded letter like Senator Collins keeps talking about. I didn't mock the fact that she got road salt back. I mocked the fact that what about everything else? I mean, we can't eat road salt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Let's now CNN Senior Political Analyst Mark Preston. You saw a microcosm there of what this Maine battle is. Susan Collins, who's been up there forever, talking about how she's doing all the little things for Maine, but Troy Jackson, the Democrat trying to unseat her, saying, you know what? Let's take this national. Really interesting.

MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes, really. Well, it just goes to show you that all politics is local, and certainly in Maine. Maine is a much different state than it is f- many of these races that we're seeing playing out going into these midterm elections. But, really, this has come down to whether Susan Collins and her seniority, 30 years as a senator, trying to get six more right now, is it strong enough? Is she a protector of Maine, John, or is her resistance insufficient enough against Trump's policies?

And folks in Maine, specifically because it rests along the Canadian border, you know, the tariffs are hitting Maine pretty hard. And we're seeing the likes of Troy Jackson just out there on the campaign trail trying to hit hard on the fact and making this election all about Donald Trump and Susan Collins' support of Donald Trump, even though it is well known that Susan Collins and Donald Trump are not necessarily best of friends. John?

BERMAN: She voted to confirm one of his Supreme Court nominees, Brett Kavanaugh, during Trump's first term, which has been an issue for Democrats in Maine for a long time, and it was an issue at the debate again overnight. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACKSON: I mean, Brett Kavanaugh was against abortion when she met with him. She knew that was going to happen, and now after it's been overturned, she doesn't regret the vote.

COLLINS: I clearly don't agree with how Brett Kavanaugh voted on Roe v. Wade. I would point out that there's only one of us on this stage who has always been pro-choice, and that's me. Mentioning the fact that Troy Jackson once ran as a Republican and once was not pro- choice.

But I will say, Mark, you said, you quoted Tip O'Neill saying, all politics is local. I think it's an open question for Maine. I think we're about to find out if all politics is local. Susan Collins wants it to be, but Troy Jackson and Democrats want this very much to be national, as in about Donald Trump.

PRESTON: For sure. And then Susan Collins is trying to make it all about local issues and about everything that she has delivered for Maine. At the same time, you do have Troy Jackson out there really just trying to link her to Donald Trump, saying that she has supported him 95, 96 percent of the time.

Now, Susan Collins disputes that and really as a badge of honor will say that she pushes back very hard against Donald Trump. But the reality is like we're not going to see Donald Trump in Maine for Susan Collins, for sure. He will be in other states, like Texas, trying to show up support there. But, really, the road for the Senate majority, John, is going to go through Maine. If Democrats are able to pick up Maine, that is going to be a key win for them as they do try to take back the U.S. Senate in this midterm.

BERMAN: If it does go through Maine, I'd stick on 95 and not go to Route 1 as long as you possibly can, because it gets really hard to drive up that way.

Mark Preston --

PRESTON: It is tough in the summer.

BERMAN: It is. Great to see. I will say hurrah for the people of Maine. This is the first of four debates between these two candidates. All the more, the better. Fantastic.

All right, the woman at the center of the investigation of the alleged gang rape at Cornell University now says she's facing death threats.

[07:10:01]

An attorney claims the fraternity had meetings to, quote, try to cover it up.

And the woman who survived a failed execution in Tennessee is now speaking from her hospital bed. Today, an emergency hearing on her case.

And new details in the investigation of the mysterious death connected to a lab that studies the plague.

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BOLDUAN: Today, student groups at Cornell University are planning a seven-hour sit-in in solidarity with Jane Doe, the former student who's brought a civil suit against the school over the gang rape investigation that has now been reopened. And now there is also news about new alleged threats against Jane Doe herself.

[07:15:04]

I want to play for you what her attorney told Anderson Cooper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THOMAS GIUFFRA, ATTORNEY FOR JANE DOE: Just before I got on with you, somebody called her, made a threat to shoot up her house, shoot her mother, her father. She's calling the police as we speak now. I'm absolutely appalled that this has gone so far, that people are doing this, but I see this fire of hate that's being fanned lately, and I'm just shocked.

She's had regular nasty emails, calling her names, threatening her. She had one yesterday with three emojis with Colt 45s on them saying she should be killed and things like that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: CNN's Gloria Pazmino is in Ithaca, New York for more on where things are today, where things are headed with all of this. What are you learning?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kate, certainly, you know, troubling sound from Jane Doe's attorney talking about these threats that she has been receiving. You know, we are hearing more about what Jane Doe's attorney believes in terms of how the fraternity reacted in the days following the incident, and once they became aware that perhaps there was going to be an investigation, that this was not quite going in the right direction in terms of how it would potentially affect them in the end.

And we also know that Jane Doe herself tried to gather some information. We have heard over the past few days that there were secretly recorded phone calls between her and some of the fraternity members that were there last night. But all of this has sort of affect this idea that the fraternity was working behind the scenes to try and protect itself and its members.

That's part of what Jane Doe's attorney was talking last night about as well. I want you to take a listen to him describing what he think went on here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GIUFFRA: The whole fraternity had meetings to try to cover this up and to, you know, be part of the conspiracy of silence, and that's really frightening that this happened. I mean, these guys, there were 57 people who got that group chat, and not one of them, other than the person who leaked it to her, did anything. Nobody walked out of those meetings and say, hey, this is wrong. We're going to the police. We're throwing these guys under the bus and holding them accountable. All they were interested in was protecting their fraternity brothers, and keeping it as business as usual.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: Now, Kate, while all of this is unfolding, we also have the mood here on campus, right? We attended a student town hall yesterday evening where students came together for conversation, to share stories, to come up with ideas and strategies to try and get some accountability from the administration.

And we also have some brand-new reporting this morning. We have obtained a recording of a meeting between student between faculty and staff and the university leadership yesterday afternoon. We heard that call. We listened to that meeting, and we can see that there's still a lot of frustration and a lot of questions being directed at the university leadership from the staff about how the university is responding.

But I think, you know, one thing that was telling out of that meeting was that it was a highly controlled environment. It was a webinar where people had to submit questions. The questions were read out loud by an emcee. But the questions that were asked give you an idea of what the mood here is on campus among the faculty. They asked questions about Title IX. They asked about how Jane Doe's incident was handled in its immediate aftermath.

And we also learned, Kate, pretty significantly, that two of the seven students who have been accused by Jane Doe remain on campus. They are still enrolled at the university. The university had declined to give that information to the media, but now we know, according to this meeting and discussion between university officials, that two of them are still here, and faculty was asking questions about how to deal with those dynamics and accommodate both those two students and the others who are upset by it. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Gloria Pazmino, thank you so much, Gloria. Much more clearly to come today.

So, ahead for us right now, there's some dangerous new threats along the Gulf Coast. A tropical storm that is expected to rapidly strengthen into a hurricane. We've got a new forecast on where it is headed. We're going to bring that to you.

Also today, the question is what now? After a death row inmate survives her execution, her failed execution, Christa Pike conscious and speaking in the hospital. What her attorneys are now saying.

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[07:20:00]

BERMAN: All right. This morning, attorneys for Christa Pike says she is conscious and speaking. Pike, convicted of murder, survived what was supposed to be an execution by lethal injection. A hearing on what happened begins shortly.

Let's get right to CNN's Ryan Young for all the latest on this. Ryan, you're in Nashville. What is the latest happening there?

RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. In Nashville, John, that hearing going to happen behind us in this courthouse at 11:00 A.M. local, 12:00 Eastern. And, of course, a lot of questions about how to move forward. I think a lot of people were surprised yesterday when the news came out that Krista Pike was alert and talking. Let's jump right to that attorney statement.

They say basically, against all odds, Krista Pike is conscious, speaking, and continues to receive critical medical care. Despite the severe damage she endured to her arms, she's still handcuffed and shackled to the bed. Her recovery is medically unprecedented. Her progress remains unclear, but at a minimum, we expect a long recovery.

Still, a lot of conversation here about next steps. We've even tried to figure out how this court proceeding will move forward. We know her attorneys want to preserve a lot of the evidence and of the communications that went on during this botched execution.

[07:25:03]

Take a listen to one of her attorneys talking to us on Sunday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHEN FERRELL, ATTORNEY FOR CHRISTA PIKE: Nothing that anyone can do will bring back Colleen Slemmer. Nothing that anyone can do will make this right for May Martinez, her mother. I can't give any better solution than the fact that Christa has been, and may very well continue to be, severely punished.

I don't think that attempting another execution is going to bring justice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: Yes, John, of course, a lot of the conversation about what happens next, how do the state move forward? These are calls that we've been making since that botched execution just last week.

Still no news conference at this point from the governor or from anyone under the governor. We know the, the guy who ran basically the corrections office here has stepped down. We tried to reach out to them several times. No one's answering these questions. Today in court, we should be able to hear from the state and their position about how they will move forward.

Still a lot of questions about what will happen next, but obviously Christa Pike still suffering and still trying to recover from what happened just last week. John?

BERMAN: A lot to be learned where you are. Ryan Young in Nashville at that hearing today, great to have you there, thank you very much.

The Trump administration says it is struggling to get answers on the death of a researcher at a lab that studies the plague.

And a dog trapped in a raging river, multiple rescue attempts fail. Wait until you see how he was able to get out.

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