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White House Official Says Kimberly Guilfoyle Has Formally Resigned; Now: Trump Flying To Alaska As GOP Fights To Hold Senate Seat; Top Dem Group Cancels Ads In Georgia's Senate Race; Duane Davis Sentenced To 40 Years To Life For Tupac Shakur's Death; Officials Identify Man Who Died After Falling Off Roller Coaster. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired October 13, 2026 - 15:00   ET

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

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Kyung Lah, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: With just three weeks until the midterms, President Trump is headed to Alaska. It's part of the President's red state strategy. The Democrats are increasingly optimistic about their chances of winning both chambers of Congress come November.

Plus, a fatal roller coaster fall: what we're learning about the man killed after falling off a ride at Six Flags over Georgia.

And later, Apple's new gadgets, how the company's new device for your home is critical in its push to harness the power of A.I.

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

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

SANCHEZ: We begin this hour with breaking news. A White House official tells CNN that Kimberly Guilfoyle has now formally resigned as U.S. ambassador to Greece. This resignation comes hours after new White House press secretary Katie Zacharia told reporters that Guilfoyle had been asked to resign. Guilfoyle was recently accused of accepting lavish gifts as ambassador, also seeking money in exchange for providing access to administration figures. We have much more on the breaking news in just a moment.

At the same time, CNN is learning that President Trump is adding yet another stop to his busy midterm calendar, an NFL game. Sources tell CNN that he's now expected to attend the Bucs-Steelers game in Tampa Bay this Sunday. First, though, he's traveling through a lot of red states where Republicans are feeling the squeeze of tight Senate races, including today in Alaska. Let's go live to Wasilla with CNN's Kristen Holmes. That's where the President is going to be in front of a new rally crowd tonight.

Kristen, it is an old-fashioned Dan Sullivan-off in Alaska. KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It is the tale of two Dan Sullivans. This is an incredibly complicated election, just based on the unique election laws here in Alaska. And part of that is the idea that they have this open primary. So, there's actually going to be two Dan Sullivans on the ballot because the top four vote- getters in the open primary go on to the general election. One of them is the incumbent, who President Trump is coming here to campaign for. The other is a retired teacher.

Republicans have said that the second Dan Sullivan is a sham candidate. He has denied that. But there is a lot of concern when they're already in this precarious race that it's potentially going to mess up or confuse people when they go to the ballot. So, what we expect to see here tonight is that President Trump, he's going to be campaigning with that incumbent.

And the fact that he is traveling on a plane and for roughly 20 hours to come to Alaska for what is a state that has not backed a Democrat for Senate in nearly 20 years just shows you how concerned Republicans are that they're not only going to lose the House, but they could also lose the Senate.

Now, add that to this concern about the second Dan Sullivan. We'll see him up there on the podium giving a speech trying to rally those conservative voters later tonight.

SANCHEZ: And, Kristen, before leaving the White House, President Trump was asked about Kimberly Guilfoyle. He -- he made it a point to put some distance between his family and her.

HOLMES: I mean, Boris, the only word I can use here is brutal. I -- I want you to keep in mind one thing, before this happened, before she went to Greece, she was engaged to President Trump's son, Don Jr., for four years. The two of them lived together. They were raising their children together. And Don Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle appeared alongside President Trump on regular occasions.

Now, President Trump was asked about Guilfoyle, and this is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was almost a member of your family. How surprised were you to learn about these allegations? What did you think of that?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: 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 went to Greece. She was doing a good job, but we didn't like what we were reading.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Not a part of our family, briefly dated his son. Clearly, he is putting that distance there, and he seems to be done with Guilfoyle, who, as you noted, just announced, or we've just learned from the White House, that she has submitted that formal resignation and will be leaving as the ambassador to Greece.

SANCHEZ: And we'll have more reporting on that momentarily. Kristen Holmes, thank you so much for that update from Alaska.

As early voting kicks off today in Georgia, a top Democratic Super PAC is making a move signaling confidence in the reelection campaign of Senator Jon Ossoff. As Ossoff consistently leads Republican Congressman Mike Collins in the polls, the Senate majority PAC says it has decided to cancel ad spending for the week, even as they are set to have a debate tonight. CNN's Ryan Young is at a polling place outside Atlanta.

Ryan, what are you seeing as voters get their first chance to cast their ballots?

[15:05:00]

RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Boris, as I can tell you right now, this has been red meat in terms of election day politics, because people have been showing up in number to vote all across the state of Georgia.

More than 107,000 people have already cast their early vote today. And the people that we talked to were excited about being here. In fact, they were talking about all sorts of issues, but the kitchen table issues seem to be the one top of mind. Gas prices, the -- the cost of medicine, inflation, grocery prices. These are all things that voters were telling us were something that they wanted addressed immediately.

In fact, take a listen to some of the voters we talked to since early this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm a lifelong Georgian and I remember long ago and I've seen the change and I don't like that change. So, we need to make new -- new changes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just feel the energy that we can turn things around. A lot of people voted differently in 2024. And I think I hope those people have changed their mind and they've jumped on the wagon with us and we're going to fix America.

Because of the economy, the prices of the food and everything, and this needs to stop that we can't -- there's a lot of people that's actually struggling to even make it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For the last almost 300 years, far too many women and men have given their lives, been injured or disfigured for us to have this privilege. So by God, the easiest or the only thing I could do is get up, study the candidates and come and do my civic duty. That's what all of us should be doing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: Yes, Boris, you've done this before. You know, there's a -- usually a morning rush and a lunch rush. There has never been a -- a time where this is stopped. There's been more than a hundred people in line at the location where I'm at. At some point, Senator Warnock came to vote here a little earlier. I can just tell you, though, people seem to be energized and saying they hope to get more of their neighbors to come here as well.

SANCHEZ: I love that last guy's answer. That was really impassioned. You -- you also got a chance to catch up with the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta. What did she tell you?

YOUNG: Yes, she's locked in a battle with Rick Jackson, the billionaire. And look, he's been spending a lot of money on the airwaves, more than a hundred million dollars of his own money. The ads are just crisscrossing the airwaves here in Georgia.

Last night, there was a debate. Rick Jackson didn't show up. So, Keisha actually had a debate against herself in some sense. But she said she's focused on trying to make things easier for the people across the state. Take a listen to what she had to say as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS, (D) GEORGIA GOV. CANDIDATE: I feel good. I'm going to feel great when we win across this state, but I feel good. The energy that we're seeing is the energy we need every single day of early voting. We're asking people to treat every day of early voting as if it is election day. And if the morning has been in any indication, we're off to a great start.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: Boris, sometimes when you cover these elections, you get the yada, yada, yada. Nobody wants to stop and talk to you. Today's one of those days where you just stick the mic out and everyone seems to come over and have something to say. This election, of course, in the next three weeks will be pretty important to see who gets out to vote early. It goes to seven o'clock tonight, but any indication early on, we're going to break some numbers here. Boris.

SANCHEZ: Ryan Young live for us in Decatur. Thank you so much, Ryan.

Still to come, Six Flags say it -- says it is temporarily closing multiple rides across the country after a man falls off a roller coaster and dies at one of its parks.

Plus, Duane "Keffe D" Davis learning his fate for the murder of Tupac Shakur. You're going to hear his words as he spoke at a sentencing hearing and eventually the sentencing that he is going to serve.

And later, new data shows how much the Iran war is costing households across the U.S. We have those numbers for you when we come back.

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[15:12:59] SANCHEZ: We're following breaking news out of Las Vegas. A judge sentencing Duane Davis to 40 years to life for the death of rap legend Tupac Shakur 30 years ago. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDGE CARLI KIERNY, EIGHTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT: Mr. Davis, for three years, I've heard you say some variation of the same thing to law enforcement, to BET, in your book, and it's something like, "Yeah, I was involved in this, but I'm different. I've moved on. I got out of Compton. I'm a grandfather now." I'm here to tell you that's not how this works, okay?

You don't get to take a man from his family. You don't get to take his very life, his whole future from him, and just walk away from it. Especially when that man is Tupac Shakur. The world never forgot about him and his death, and neither did Las Vegas. It took us 30 years, but at this time, you are going to face justice for what you did on September 7th 1996.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: CNN's Nick Watt joins us now.

Nick, this decision came after the court heard testimony from Tupac's family about the impact that his death had on them.

NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Listen, Keffe D, though, was the first person to speak, Boris. And he did not show any remorse. In fact, he was quite combative. He brought up how many days served he has to -- to count against the sentence. And then he was asking for stuff back that was taken in a police raid. Take a listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DUANE "KEFFE D" DAVIS, CONVICTED IN MURDER OF TUPAC SHAKUR: Davis: I just want my stuff back that they took out of my house. I just want all my stuff back. All them pictures, that -- that photo log, that -- that was my daughter's.

KIERNY: Okay.

DAVIS: You know, I just want my stuff back.

KIERNY: Anything else you want to say?

DAVIS: What?

KIERNY: Anything else you want to say.

DAVIS: I'm good. I'm -- I'm going to appeal this case for sure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATT: No expression of remorse. Now, remember, it was Keffe D's own words that landed him here. The murder more than 30 years ago. No weapon. Very reluctant witnesses. Some bad police work. It was Keffe D's own words to investigators in another case in 2008.

[15:15:05]

And the book he himself wrote and released in 2019 that led to this moment.

Now, two of Tupac Shakur's siblings spoke also before the sentencing. His brother asked for the maximum possible. He said Tupac never had a chance to have kids. And that Keffe D should be -- have the book thrown at him.

Now, Tupac's sister also spoke. She talked about Tupac being born an icon. Him looking after his younger siblings as they grew up. And him financing like 17 different families at the time of his death. And she talked about what he could have achieved had he lived beyond 25. She mentioned, you know, what Malcolm X achieved, what JFK achieved, what Martin Luther King Jr. achieved.

Tupac dead at 25. What could he have done? She said he could have gone into government and done a lot more good work. Take a listen to another bit of what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEKYIWA SHAKUR, TUPAC'S SISTER: That day, the loss of Tupac for a long time crippled my entire family emotionally and mentally. Both of my children were raised in my grief. So, they have trust issues, abandonment issues, relationship issues. Because the first 10 years of their lives, I really couldn't get over the loss of one brother, Tupac.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATT: So, finally, more than 30 years after Tupac was killed, somebody is now paying a price. That is Keffe D, sentenced just now. He didn't pull the trigger, prosecutors say, but he was the shot caller who ordered the hit. As you just heard him say, Boris, he does plan to appeal.

SANCHEZ: Yes, we'll see how that goes. Nick Watt, thank you so much for the update on that sentencing.

Ahead, the latest on the tragic death of a Georgia man who fell off a popular roller coaster. Six Flags says nearly a dozen rides at its parks across the U.S. and Canada are temporarily closed after the accident. A live report on their response and what we're learning about this tragedy next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:21:58]

SANCHEZ: New today, officials have identified the man who fell to his death from a roller coaster at Six Flags over Georgia. Witnesses say they saw him fall from the Goliath yesterday afternoon. And this happened in the final seconds of the ride. Here's how part of the roller coaster looks like.

The roller coaster travels over three bunny hills before reaching a small curve in the area where photos are taken of people on board. And this right here is where the man apparently came loose from his seat. Several investigations are now underway to determine exactly how that happened.

Let's go live near the amusement park where CNN's Isabel Rosales is reporting on this story.

Isabel, what are you learning about the ride and -- and the individual who fell off?

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, let me start, Boris, with the human being who lost his life. We now, as you mentioned there, know his name, 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem. 42 years old. We also have this picture of him. We now know what he looks like. This is from Atlanta Public Schools, where he worked there for 12 years as an IT member -- manager.

The school system saying that he will be severely missed. He was a cherished member of the school community whose presence and impact will be deeply missed.

This is Goliath right behind me. Take a look at this. There's a teal and orange ride. Cobb County Police Department said that they found Kariem unresponsive and not breathing, that he was ejected from the ride and struck other riders before falling.

CNN spoke to a witness, Cici Nelson, who said her stomach dropped when their cart returned back there into the platform. And she noticed that empty seat, riders in hysterics saying that someone had fallen. Another -- another witness told our CNN affiliate WXIA that she saw Kariem fall and felt him hit the car three different times before falling onto the roof of a haunted house attraction here, that he appeared to be on the ride with his son, that at the bottom here were his wife, it appears, and his daughter watching him on that ride, just horrifying.

Here's what else we heard from witnesses.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERRY SUTTON, SIX FLAGS OVER GEORGIA VISITOR: Two of my children had just been on that ride maybe 20 minutes before. Whenever you go to amusement parks, whenever you get in a car, whenever you live your life, it's always subject to risk. So, you just never know when something's going to happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: And the Swiss manufacturer behind Goliath says it is investigating what happened here. We checked, by the way, with a roller coaster expert who says that they have a stellar reputation, but notably, this ride does not have a secondary restraint system should something happen to the primary system. Again, we don't know what happened here, if this was human error, mechanical error. The Cobb County Police Department is investigating.

SANCHEZ: And Isabel, a spokesperson for Six Flags says that several roller coasters are now closed. Do -- do we know if there's some kind of investigation going on? What comes next?

[15:25:05]

ROSALES: Right. We heard from that spokesperson who says a total of nine different attractions, giga and hyper coasters across different -- six different parks have been shut down out of an abundance of caution. We are also checking in with SeaWorld, King's Island, Hersheypark that has similar rides made by that same manufacturer. We haven't heard back yet. Boris.

SANCHEZ: Isabel Rosales live for us outside Six Flags Over Georgia. Thank you so much.

Coming up, the financial toll of the war with Iran. Some new data showing just how much this is costing American families.

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