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Katie Zacharia Fired as White House Press Secretary; Trump Will Hold Georgia Rally to Try to Boost GOP Candidates; Six Flags Over Georgia Reopens 4 Days After Rollercoaster Death. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired October 16, 2026 - 14:30   ET

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

[14:30:00]

MARSHALL COHEN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: That you want to see win, but the money's not going to them. It could be going somewhere shady. Of course, election officials remind people all the time during the season.

If you have any questions about anything you get in the mail or a text or an email in your inbox, reach out to your local election office. They are here to help. They want to help.

You could probably just Google your town or your county plus election office, call them up. They want to make sure everybody gets their vote counted.

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: Yes, exactly. And hey, scammers don't even pick sides. They'll take money from whoever, whatever side you're on, whoever you might be voting for.

COHEN: Talarico, Paxton, they don't care.

DEAN: They don't care. All right, Marshall Cohen. Thank you so much.

President Trump is on his way to Georgia and hoping to boost Republican candidates there with just 18 days now left until the midterm elections. Can he persuade voters frustrated by some of his own policies?

Plus, an open Senate seat in Minnesota has become one of the tightest races in the country heading into the midterms. We'll talk about the state of the race. That's next.

[14:35:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Back to the breaking news now, after five days on the... Is it five days, honestly?

DEAN: I think Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.

KEILAR: OK, five days. Five days on the job. President Trump has fired Katie Zacharia as press secretary. This comes after Zacharia had that shaky debut in the White House briefing room, where she appeared nervous. She only took three questions.

DEAN: There's also been growing scrutiny over how she's represented her backgrounds and legal credentials. We're joined now by Chuck Rocha. He served as senior advisor for Bernie Sanders' 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns.

He's also the president of Solidarity Strategies. Also with us is former RNC communications director and Republican strategist Doug Heye. It is great to have both of you here with us.

We were planning on talking about other things, but I think we do need to start here. Chuck, this news just developing in the last hour. I'll just let you -- what are your thoughts?

CHUCK ROCHA, FORMER SENIOR ADVISER, BERNIE SANDERS 2016 AND 2020 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS: Look, I think that this is probably the most important job in D.C. that's fixing to happen, because in the midterms, we all pretty much agree that Democrats are going to take control of the House. We can debate whether we take control of the Senate, and I would welcome that debate. But in the House, you're going to have an investigation palooza.

It may not be under Donald Trump. A lot of folks around Donald Trump and his mouthpiece at that podium is going to be uber-critical, and that's who people will be tuning into and Donald Trump, of course. That's why I think if this may be the right thing to do, if she wasn't the right person, because that job is going to be really crucial for Republicans after the midterms.

DEAN: That's so important to look ahead that way because it is -- If Democrats do indeed take the House, it is. It's going to be investigation after investigation after investigation.

DOUG HEYE, FORMER RNC COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Yes, absolutely. That's the name of the game. And Donald Trump doesn't care about legislation.

He doesn't care about legislative majorities. He should care about Congress, which is why this week, and I would say you almost counted in this administration, in this time of the week, wrong. It's sort of like the wife of Michael Corleone in The Godfather, Monday, Wednesday, Tuesday, Friday.

This administration some days can't get the days of the week straight, and this is a perfect example of this. What do Republican candidates want to be talking about? Here's what we've done on inflation.

Here's what we're going to do on inflation. But instead, they're talking about terrible press secretaries. We didn't know her name last week.

We won't remember it next week. We're talking about terrible ambassadors and every other Trump self-created, outraged du jour that gets in the way of what Republicans want and need to be talking about. This doesn't help Ashley Hinson.

This doesn't help Michael Whatley. It's yet again Donald Trump sticking his foot in other candidates' mouths.

KEILAR: I think we will remember her name --

HEYE: I'll forget it, on purpose.

KEILAR: -- for its temporal relevance, right? I mean, it's sort of, that's the Anthony Scaramucci test and one of the reasons that people still talk about him, right?

And in that regard, certainly she will be remembered. But I wonder, Doug, because it's so clear that when the president has had a press secretary who's very effective for him, Karoline Leavitt, right, what that meant for him. But it's also becoming very evident how difficult that is for him to find, right?

HEYE: Well, ultimately, this isn't about the press secretary. And yes, it is a vitally important job. It's about Donald Trump.

Remember, he hires the best people. Let's look at the cast of characters that he's brought this time and the last time. I'd submit not the best people, not the people to help him do the job that he needs to do as president, and frankly, that Speaker Johnson and John Thune need.

The bucks should stop with Donald Trump. He just tries to make sure it stops everywhere else.

DEAN: And, Chuck, listen, this is a lot of meat to chew on for people like us here on a cable news afternoon show. But as these midterms are going on, and we're in the closing days now, what have -- I have to think that your average voter who's still trying to make up their mind, maybe even if they're going to vote, maybe they have a side, but they don't even know if they're going to vote yet.

Is this even factoring in? And what are they focused on right now?

ROCHA: Doug brings up a great point in the point of the messaging in the midterms. We were in the green room, and I was bragging to Doug that we just finished our 250th TV commercial that we've made at our firm for congressional clients. And in each one of those, there's some form of cost and corruption.

That's what Democrats have been running on. And any time this White House or any Republican is not talking about the cost of things or defending their records, they're losing, and they're having to talk about this. And as a Democrat, I don't want to talk about Kamala Harris.

I don't want to talk about Bernie Sanders. I want to talk about cost and corruption. And that's what I want to talk about for 19 more days.

And so this is the only thing that affects the midterms is another day they're not talking about the issues that Doug was saying that he wants them to be talking about.

[14:40:00]

KEILAR: So you've got -- I mean, it was Katie Zacharia who announced that his ambassador to Greece was stepping aside amid these questions about her conduct, right? When it goes to that question of corruption -- because that is on the mind of voters. So as he's looking to kind of sell himself, Chuck, I wonder how you are seeing that at this moment, how that reflects on Republicans. It's sort of like this chaos, that questionable nature of her departure.

Does it?

ROCHA: Not every single day. People aren't worried about who's the White House press secretary. Every day in focus groups that I'm talking about, though, they feel a disconnect to Washington as a whole.

They're not running to Democrats, listen to the Democrats, because they love Democrats. They're mad at who's ever in charge. It just happens to be the Republicans today.

HEYE: And we could be talking about reflecting pools and Kennedy Centers and arches and golf courses and all these other things that voters don't care about. And it really highlights, and her name has certainly come up a lot this week, the important job that Susie Wiles has. And essentially, given the sort of unique -- I'll use that term sort of gingerly -- way that Donald Trump comports himself, her job is to essentially take Donald Trump's fists and stop him from hitting himself and hitting himself.

But yet he keeps doing it again and again. Why? He doesn't always hire the best people, and his instincts often are so wrong for what he should need if he wants to prevent him and his family from being investigated by Senate Democrats and House Democrats if they take back majorities.

DEAN: And now today, right while we're speaking, Doug, the president is in Georgia, and he's been in a number of very red states, much more red than even Georgia. What does that say to you about where we are at this moment in time?

HEYE: Yes, look, we're in football season. It's about what the playing field is like. The Democrats right now have this field that is expanding and expanding.

The Republican field is getting smaller. You don't want Donald Trump going to swing states. So you send him to Georgia.

You send him to, gosh, I don't know, Oklahoma. Was anybody really talking about Oklahoma? He'll go to North Carolina, which I think is a mistake.

That Senate race is over. That's an albatross on the state. Trump is an albatross in North Carolina now, even though he won it three times.

And we have competitive seats there, potentially three of them. I wouldn't want him in my home state.

ROCHA: There's only one path to victory for Republicans, and they have to figure out a way to get Donald Trump's 2024 voters back who aren't regular voters, because the regular midterm voters are really skewed towards Democrats. And he's going to Georgia because the governor's race is probably still in play. The Ossoff race is off the table.

But the governor's race is going to be really close, and it's really, really important for him to figure out what they have to do. They've been sending him $90 checks. They've been talking about anything else that you want.

Please act like I'm on the ballot. Desperate to do that, because that's their game plan, to the football analogy.

HEYE: And remember, when he went to Texas for Ken Paxton, what was the takeaway from that? Ken Paxton's a pain in the ass. And what Donald Trump didn't say, not helping Paxton, he didn't say, you know, he's a pain in the ass because he never stops fighting for you.

He never stops fighting for Texas. He just did name-calling. So he can go to Georgia.

Does that help or not help? He can go to Ohio. Does that help or not help?

I'd argue he's not helping Republicans in any way right now. It's why the super PACs, CLF and SLF, are so important right now. They're really shoring up a ground that's eroding for Republicans.

DEAN: Yes, and just really quickly, not to get too much in the weeds, but the idea that the super PACs is where a lot of the Republican money is. We're looking at these fundraiser reports coming in. There's that difference between PAC money and hard dollars.

But what that means is, like, you're able to buy more advertising because your dollar goes farther. It also suggests an enthusiasm gap, right?

ROCHA: Yes, and it's a 5-1, and the money's too late. Like, there's so much money out there. Most folks have made up their minds so now it's become a turnout operation.

That's why J.D. Vance, when he went to Texas this week, went to the reddest county where I'm from in Tyler, Texas, to have a rally. Last time a VP was in Tyler, Texas, is because they need red voters to show up because they're not getting the bang for the buck for these dollars that they're spending because it's too late.

KEILAR: Too late. Chuck and Doug, thank you so much.

ROCHA: Thank you --

DEAN: Good to see you guys.

KEILAR: -- for the conversation. So here in just a few hours, six flags over Georgia is set to reopen

for the first time since a man fell to his death from a roller coaster. What Cobb County officials have to say about the investigation next.

[14:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DEAN: Turning now to some of the other headlines we're watching this hour. The Milwaukee Brewers are headed to the World Series for the first time in 44 years. They beat the reigning World Series champs, the L.A. Dodgers, completing a stunning four-game series sweep last night. The Brewers will face either the Tampa Bay Rays or Cleveland Guardians in the World Series. That starts next Friday. The Guardians currently lead the Rays two games to one in their best-of-seven American League Championship Series.

Elon Musk has settled the last of several lawsuits connected to his million-dollar giveaway during the 2024 election. His super PAC launched the daily giveaway while Musk was campaigning for Donald Trump. He said winners would be chosen at random, but his lawyers later acknowledged they were hand-picked.

Some voters sued, saying they were led to believe they had a real chance of winning. Musk and his political group deny any wrongdoing.

Four days after surgery, Pope Leo spoke with Russia's president from the hospital in Rome. The pope expressed his, quote, deep concern over a grave humanitarian situation in a Russian-occupied city in Ukraine. The Pope then requested a local ceasefire for evacuations and delivery, the Kremlin confirming that call. These are the first images you're looking at of the Pope after surgeons removed a cancerous growth on part of his lung, his right lung, Tuesday.

He's seen here celebrating Mass at a makeshift hospital chapel.

Five people, including three preschoolers, now in the hospital after an SUV crashed into an Orlando-area daycare, an emergency responder calling it a miracle that no one was killed in this accident. The 79- year-old driver of the SUV is among those hospitalized, and according to reports, everyone is in good condition.

The daycare building has been deemed unsafe, though, to occupy because of the extent of that damage. The cause of the crash is now under investigation.

Katie Zacharia is out. After only five days as White House press secretary, the latest we're learning about the shakeup is still ahead.

[14:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: In three hours, Six Flags Over Georgia will open for the first time since a man fell to his death from one of the park's roller coasters. 42-year-old Hassan Kariem was riding the hypercoaster called Goliath on Monday when he was somehow ejected from his seat. Goliath will remain closed as the park reopens this evening.

CNN correspondent Isabel Rosales is at Six Flags there in Cobb County, Georgia. Isabel, officials there just gave an update on the case. What did you learn?

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Brianna, that big question we still have. We do not have an answer to how in the world does a man fall from a roller coaster to his death? Was this human caused?

[14:55:00]

Was safety and procedures followed here? Was this equipment failure? We don't know yet.

We just heard from Cobb County, the Deputy Chief Damon Ballard of Cobb County PD. He warned that they would not be announcing any sort of investigative findings. That state investigators and their unit as well, which is assisting the state, that they need the time and the space to work through this investigation.

The state is leading. That's the state insurance commissioner's office. Here in the state of Georgia, they're the ones that overlook safety, permitting for amusement parks.

Unlike in other states like Florida, for example, where major amusement parks are mostly self-regulated. We also heard from the Deputy Chief that they don't have the authority, therefore, to go in, inspect the equipment, go into the park. They also mentioned that if no criminal charges will be filed, they will close their portion of this investigation.

And then he also revealed this, that an officer was on the ground that day when Hassan Kariem, 42 years old, a beloved educator, fell to his death, and that officer quickly responded. But that was the extent of the details that were given. We also heard from the chairwoman of the Board of Commissioners here in Cobb County, Lisa Cupid.

Here's what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LISA CUPID, CHAIRWOMAN OF COBB COUNTY, GEORGIA: We know that you have questions. Our community has questions. I think we're all deserving of answers with respect to what has taken place.

And we're all deserving of some compassion because no one could have anticipated that something this grave would occur here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: And Brianna, pass holders did receive an email today from the park president saying that they never take responsibility to our guests for granted, that serious incidents are exceedingly rare. But they also said this, "The safety of our guests and team members remains our highest priority. We maintain rigorous inspection, maintenance, and operational procedures that meet or exceed industry standards".

And again, the park opens here in under three hours.

KEILAR: All right, we'll be looking to see when it does. Isabel, thank you so much.

Here in this week's episode of "THE DETOUR WITH DAVID CHANG," the acclaimed chef travels across Florida with comedian Eric Andre to discover the state's hidden gems.

CNN's Sara Sidner sat down with Chang to get his reflections on the show ahead of the upcoming series finale.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: What are we eating here?

DAVID CHANG, CELEBRITY CHEF: Well, this is a mini bo-ssam. It's a slow-cooked pork butt. We have some bread, there's some salmon. You just make a little hand roll.

SIDNER: You like a hand roll. I like to eat it separately.

CHANG: That too.

SIDNER: Maybe I'm a weirdo. You talk about being the product of tiger parenting. Can you give me some sense of what was imparted by your family as far as cooking?

CHANG: What's funny is like so many parents that come to this country do it to actually have a life that is very different from the country they're coming from. My dad worked his entire life really to make sure that his kids would never work in a restaurant. Yet I still did it.

SIDNER: Give me also an idea of what you're trying to tell people with the food that you make now. Because you're not just someone who's like, yes, I worked in kitchens. You freaking have restaurants all over the country.

CHANG: I think it's a misnomer. I'm not in the kitchens anymore. And that is because of the teams that we have.

And that's the next generation that are taking a lot of the DNA that we created in 2004. The same ideas about the flavors, about what American food could be. I never once said our food was Asian. I always said it was American.

SIDNER: I did read some of your book. You talked about sort of having these feelings of not being good enough. Do you still feel that way? Because you're kind of top-dogging it.

CHANG: I always feel that way. That it's never enough. This is such a hard business, which is why I feel so lucky that a lot of things that I never thought would happen like me sitting here having a show on CNN talking to you.

This is crazy.

SIDNER: Is this the American dream?

CHANG: You know what? I probably will always be a curmudgeon and somebody that thinks that everything will be taken away. What I'm trying to do more of is to be grateful for the things that everybody has. And I need to appreciate it more myself.

SIDNER: It's beautiful that you said that because I have these feelings as well growing up without money. And so I think that touches a lot of people. But also where you went in this series was not the $200 plates, right?

You went to a lot of places like truck stops and hardware stores. And in Miami, you ate outside of a laundry mat. Every time, was it a hit?

CHANG: No. And that's why I'm like, when you think about your best food memories, I'm not thinking about a specific dish from a specific place, right? I'm thinking about moments in time, who I was with, what I was feeling. You can't find something that you're going to really love without some bad meals.

But when you do find something, you love, you're really going to love it. Right? You put in the work.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: An all now episode of "THE DETOUR WITH DAVID CHANG" airs Saturday night at 10:00 Eastern and Pacific and the next day with an ...

END