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Interview with Pete Buttigieg, (D) Former Transportation Secretary: GOP's Rogers, Dem El-Sayed Face Off in Final Michigan Senate Debate; DOJ Investigating GOP Operative Corey Lewandowski Over Alleged Contact Misconduct at Department of Homeland Security; New Bodycam Video Shows Moments Mississippi Police Shot Toddler. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired October 22, 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]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: In a season of contested races, the battle for a US Senate seat in Michigan is one of the tightest and most closely watched. And during their final debate last night, the two candidates who are neck and neck in polling lashed out at one another over their loyalties to party and country. Democrat Abdul El-Sayed pinned Republican rival Mike Rogers to President Trump in the unpopular Iran war, while Rogers accused El-Sayed of being bought off by the Muslim Brotherhood.

For the record, El-Sayed has repudiated that Islamist group.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE ROGERS, (R) U.S. SENATE NOMINEE IN MICHIGAN: If you are going to go to the United States Senate, we need to know are you for America or are you for these terrorist groups overseas? You can grin and you can smile and you can talk real pretty, but I'm going to tell you what, that is a risk to our national security.

ABDUL EL-SAYED, (D) U.S. SENATE NOMINEE IN MICHIGAN: To bring into question my commitment to the Constitution is really beneath you. I am proud of America. I'm proud to be an American.

I'm proud of our Constitution that guarantees all of us the right to pray as we choose to pray.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: All right, let's talk about the midterms with Pete Buttigieg, former Transportation Secretary and former Democratic presidential candidate. Secretary, of course, Michigan, your adopted home state, how are you seeing that moment there that we just played?

PETE BUTTIGIEG, (D) FORMER TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: Well, I think it showed that Mike Rogers wants to talk about anything but the issues, right? He can't afford to have this be about health care because Mike Rogers voted against the Affordable Care Act.

[14:35:00]

He can't afford to have this be about the economy because Mike Rogers is with Donald Trump on the Iran war, which is why, as I noticed here in Michigan on the way to drop the kids off to school this morning, gas is about $4.60 around here, which for Michigan is very high. We've got diesel seeing some of the highest prices in history as a direct result of what Republicans are doing. Mike Rogers cannot defend his record. He cannot defend his extremely unpopular policies, so he's resorting to personal attacks, which is unfortunately something you see a lot when you get into the last two, three weeks of a race, and we're seeing that here and a lot of other places around the country.

Republicans desperately running away from President Trump and from the issues and running toward whatever ugly personal attack they can think of to try to change the subject.

KEILAR: During the primary, El-Sayed underperformed in areas with large Black populations, and Black leaders here of late, they've been sounding alarms for what he could be facing in the general election. You did struggle to win over enough Black voters during your primary run for president. I'm sure that you did an after-action review on that and have thought a lot about it.

Do you think that El-Sayed has been doing what he needs to do to win that support from Michigan's Black voters since August?

BUTTIGIEG: Yes, I've seen how hard he's working on that, and I think it is driven again by the issues. When you talk to leaders in Black communities, when you talk to people who are facing such economic pain right now across Michigan, and one of the things you see is that they want to know who has their interests at heart, and you know, Abdul El- Sayed has a pretty clear message about making sure everyone can get health care and getting big money out of politics. Of course, these are broadly shared among the American people, but they're also one of the things you hear the most when you're speaking to Black communities that have felt often let down by both parties, want to see who's got their back.

And it couldn't be a bigger contrast from somebody like Mike Rogers, who has voted to cut everything from public education to the Affordable Care Act, somebody who acted to cut Medicaid, cut SNAP, and wants to continue cutting taxes for the largest corporations and the largest people in the country. It is very clear from the perspective of the vast majority of Michiganders who's with them on the issues, and it is not Mike Rogers.

KEILAR: I spoke to Florida Democratic Senate candidate Angie Nixon yesterday about how former Vice President Kamala Harris is going to be joining her for this virtual organizing event next week. Since Harris lost Florida by 12 points when she ran for president two years ago, I asked Nixon how she sees Harris moving the needle for her, and this is what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGIE NIXON, (D) U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE IN FLORIDA: She is going to move the needle for us because there's a lot of people who have buyer's remorse in regards to Donald Trump because there is a culture of corruption and chaos that Ashley Moody is at the center of with Donald Trump, and so people are looking for something different. They're kind of feeling like, dang, she was right. Vice President Harris told us so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: How much do you think buyer's remorse is playing into the motivation of some voters, or how much do you think Democrats might over-rely on that in some cases?

BUTTIGIEG: Well, look, this is about the present and not the past, but I do think one reason why Angie Nixon is competitive in this U.S. Senate race is that there are a lot of voters who believed Donald Trump when he said he was going to cut prices on day one and then watched him do the opposite, make our life more expenses with tariffs that are costing about $1,000 per family, those cuts to health care support, which means so many families are paying more for health insurance right now, and, of course, the Iran war, something else he promised he would keep us out of that is costing, as Moody's recently discovered, different Moody from Ashley Moody.

This is Moody's, the economic analyst, found that about $2,000 per household is the bill for that Iran war. So you do have a lot of people who voted for Donald Trump because they believed that he would make their lives better and then watched step by step as he's made their lives worse. And I do think that's one reason why in a lot of places that Republicans used to take for granted, he got Democrats very competitive, whether it's Angie Nixon and her race in Florida, also David Jolly running a very competitive race in Florida, or you look at places like Mississippi.

I'll be campaigning with Scott Cologne, the Democratic candidate for Senate there. I think similarly a lot of people who don't normally vote Democrat are giving him a look because they are so fed up with what they are seeing right now out of these Republicans who promised that they would cut costs and instead, they cut health care, they cut Medicaid, they cut SNAP, and they cut taxes for the richest people in the country.

[14:40:00]

KEILAR: So if Democrats do win back the House, if they win back both chambers, they will have to confront some pretty significant economic challenges facing the American people. They're going to have to work with a Republican president. How do you see them doing that?

BUTTIGIEG: Well I think there's a chance to focus on so many of these issues where 60 or 70 percent of Americans agree, agree with each other, agree with Democrats, and disagree with Washington Republicans. Whether we're talking about restoring those tax credits to make health care more affordable, whether we're talking about making sure that we are supporting people with Medicaid and SNAP, not getting rid of it. Things like raising the minimum wage, something that most Republicans, not Washington Republicans, but most Republicans around the country agree that we need to do.

Fairer tax code, and also political reforms like ending partisan gerrymandering. These are things that a Democratic majority in Congress can do one by one. I would love to see a rapid fire sequence of 10 or 15 of these bills on things that are overwhelmingly popular among the American people and then get it to the President's desk.

Whether he signs it, it's difficult to say, but at the very least, we will know who's on what side of these issues. And you know, as somebody who has never been very consistent when it comes to ideology, maybe he will sign them, and then Americans will be better off. If he stands in the way, we will know who's on what side.

KEILAR: What do you say to liberal Democrats who perhaps will not be satisfied by those policy aims, who perhaps if Democrats do very well in the midterm elections, are going to wonder why those are the issues, perhaps not their issues, that are being pursued?

BUTTIGIEG: Well, I think those are their issues. I mean, one thing that's really striking right now is how you've got so many people, Democratic candidates, whether they're moderate to conservative Democrats in red and purple territory, or Democrats who are considered further to the left, talking about the same thing, cost of living and the corruption that's going on in Washington. Every one of the things that I just mentioned is something that a vast majority of Americans support, and that Democrats, at least almost every Democrat I know, from left to center to the more conservative corners of the party, all feel ought to be a priority.

Let's start with that, make those things happen. And I think in doing that, earn a lot of trust with the American people.

KEILAR: And I want to ask you about this controversial Ramaswamy ad that you have no doubt seen in Ohio featuring his Democratic gubernatorial opponent, Amy Acton's mother. Of course, Acton's mother lost custody of her and her brother when Acton was 12 years old. Acton's stepfather, who her mother stayed with for decades until he died, was indicted by a grand jury on charges of sexually abusing her, including when she was 12 years old and younger.

How are you seeing this ad?

BUTTIGIEG: It's disgusting. And seeing Vivek Ramaswamy try to turn the pain of being sexually abused, Amy Acton being a victim of abuse, try to turn that into a political weapon and use it against her, is a new low in a season that has already brought us so many lows that we didn't think we'd see before. It not only demonstrates why he is spectacularly unfit for office but also shows just how off the rails the Republican Party has gone.

And the failure of his fellow Ohio Republican, J.D. Vance, to condemn this more clearly, the way that, for example, Republican Governor Mike DeWine made clear that this ad should not be on the air. I think that just shows how the party as a whole, especially the Trump-Vance party and the Trump-Vance administration, has lost its way.

KEILAR: Secretary Pete Buttigieg, thank you so much for being with us.

BUTTIGIEG: Thank you. Good to be with you.

KEILAR: We'll be right back.

[14:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Breaking news to CNN. The Department of Justice is now investigating Republican operative Corey Lewandowski over allegations of contract misconduct at the Department of Homeland Security, where he worked as de facto chief of staff to former Secretary Kristi Noem. This is according to multiple people familiar with the investigation.

KEILAR: CNN's Evan Perez has this breaking news. All right, Evan, tell us more about this.

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, this is an investigation that is now being done after receiving a referral from the Homeland Security Department's Inspector General. Now, they've been looking at contracting at the Homeland Security Department for the last few months, going back to the tenure of Kristi Noem, who was a secretary, and Corey Lewandowski, who was essentially her chief of staff. Back during the time that Noem was leading the department, Lewandowski was put at a very prominent place.

He was, for example, a person who suggested firings, putting people on administrative leave. She had ordered that any contracts at DHS above $100,000 had to come to her office for approval. She said at the time that it was as a way to cut back on waste, fraud, and abuse, but there have been allegations over the last few months, guys, that Corey Lewandowski was making requests of people who were seeking contracts that they pay kickbacks.

Again, those are allegations that surfaced first in the Wall Street Journal a few months ago, and we know the Homeland Security IG has been investigating those claims. Now, we reached out to Corey Lewandowski today to ask him about this. He did not comment, and so we're waiting to see what more happens as part of this investigation.

SANCHEZ: Evan, this referral is an unusual move for the Trump administration. Historically, they've been hesitant to investigate people in the president's orbit that have been close to him.

PEREZ: Yes, this is really the first time that we've seen anyone close to the president, someone like Kristi Noem, who was a cabinet member, obviously, and of course, Corey Lewandowski, who worked in the Trump White House in the first term.

[14:50:00]

He was also, obviously, a very prominent voice for the president that there is an actual investigation that appears to be going into some of the alleged conduct. And again, nothing -- there's been no public allegation against Corey Lewandowski by the Justice Department, and we're going to have to wait to see what this investigation shows, but just the fact that it has gotten this far is unusual for this administration.

It's been a hesitancy, really, to look at some of the allegations of grift and of fraud that have come forward, and we've seen so many of them during this current term.

KEILAR: All right, Evan, thank you for the very latest there.

Ahead, flu season is picking up months ahead of schedule. Why might a mutated virus -- why a mutated virus might be to blame?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:55:00]

SANCHEZ: Newly released body camera video shows the moments a Mississippi police officer opened fire on a car killing a one-year-old boy. Officers were chasing shoplifting suspects at a Walmart in June when the shooting happened. We should warn you this video is disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop. Stop. Stop the car right here. Show me your hands.

(GUN SHOTS)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Mississippi's attorney general ruled this week that the officer's use of force was justified. The family of one-year-old Kohen Wiley, who was fatally shot, watched that video today before it's released to the public. CNN's Ryan Young joins us with more on this.

Ryan, the family and attorney Ben Crump held a news conference a short time ago. What are they saying about this incident?

RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Boris, you can understand they are still upset about this. They're still asking the questions of why this had to happen. A few things to clear up here.

First of all, we're still waiting for the official release from the authorities with additional body cam angles. So that should happen later on this afternoon. The video that we have right now is from Dark Horse Press.

They were able to get the video and that pretty much was released around the same time that the family found out that there will be no charges pressed. And the fact that because there are no charges pressed, there will be no grand jury looking into this as well. So the family has really reached a point where they need some sort of outside help in terms of maybe a federal investigation into this. Now, there is talk about them wanting to also look into the officer, Hunter Foster, who fired the shots. There were five officers there and only one opened fire. And of course, that child was sitting in the front seat and was hit.

And what Ben Crump said was the child was shot when the car would already pass the officer's body. Let's take a listen to Ben Crump addressing the public just about an hour ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN CRUMP, ATTORNEY FOR FAMILY OF KOHEN WILEY: The shot that killed one-year-old baby Kohen Wiley was not justified. He was not in harm's way when he shot from the side. You look at the video for yourself.

We believe that when he fired that shot, that fatal shot that killed this one-year-old baby, it was from the side of the vehicle. And it was not justified.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: Yes, Boris, you know, we've covered a few of these incidents where someone shot in a car. And we know that officers and many people in law enforcement treat cars like a weapon. And so you heard that car back into another car before accelerating forward.

So there's so many questions about how this case will move forward. I should note one other thing here. No one has been charged in shoplifting as of right now.

So there's still a lot of questions about this case. And we'll have to see what additional video we get this afternoon when more videos released -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: Ryan Young, thank you so much for that update -- Brianna.

KEILAR: Flu season is off to a fierce and early start, especially on the West Coast. CNN's Meg Tirrell is with us now on this story. Meg, what's behind this surge?

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brianna, what we're seeing is that a version of the virus called H1N1, which we're familiar with, is the dominant strain that's circulating right now. But there is a mutation in that virus that's been detected. And at least in Japan, our Brenda Goodman reports that did contribute to a pretty severe flu season.

And so what we are seeing at a national level is a bit of a mixed picture. But if you look at a map of emergency department visits due to flu, you can see that in the Western states and then across the South, you are starting to see flu activity really start to heat up. And when you look into the CDC data, you're really seeing that it's the smallest children who are going to the doctor the most for influenza-like illness visits right now, kids under the age of four.

And that's not necessarily unusual. But, of course, it is something folks are watching. Walgreens is saying on a national level that flu season has started about four weeks earlier than typically does, at least on a national basis.

And so the recommendation, even though there is this mutated strain of the virus out there, is that folks should get vaccinated for the flu if they haven't already. And the recommendation is that everybody over the age of six months who can get a flu shot is recommended to get an updated one this year. And for folks over the age of 65, it's recommended they get a high-dose flu shot or, new this year, an mRNA flu shot.

That was just approved by the FDA and provides an additional option. Folks say that even though the flu shot is not perfect, it never is, it can often make what could be a severe illness a lot less severe. So I'm reminding myself, go get my flu shot this weekend, guys.

KEILAR: I already got mine, Meg. Be very, very proud of me.

TIRRELL: Good. That's great.

KEILAR: Thanks, Meg, I appreciate that affirmation.

A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

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