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Interview with Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE): Trump Offers $1 Million for Voter Fraud Tips, But Experts Say It's Rare; Midterms Enter Final Week with Control of Congress at Stake; DOJ Charges Former FBI Director James Comey for Third Time; Posts Reveal Extremist Views of Hegseth's Key Adviser. Aired 8:00-8:30a ET

Aired October 27, 2026 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00]

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: All right, week seven of the NFL season wrapping up last night in Philly. The Eagles were up one on the Cowboys in the third, but Dallas then scored 18 unanswered.

Dak Prescott threw three touchdowns, two of them going to CeeDee Lamb and Javonte Williams. He ran for a career-high 155 yards, and he sealed the game with this touchdown here late. Cowboys win 38-21 to get to three and four in the season.

The Eagles, meanwhile, drop into two and five. And finally, it's official. Jay Z is going to be the halftime performer for the Super Bowl in LA on Valentine's Day.

Jay Z, he's helped produce the halftime show since 2019. This time, he's calling his own number to be the headliner. This is this year's the 30th anniversary of Reasonable Doubt, which was his debut album back in 1996.

And now, Sara, everyone's wondering all the collabs that are possible here. Of course, you got his wife, Beyonce, Linkin Park, Alicia Keys. It's pretty endless.

It's going to be a pretty cool show I bet.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: You know what? There are some of us just wondering if the Rams get to play in that Super Bowl, but it's just me. Andy Scholes, thank you so much. I do appreciate it.

A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Brand-new polling out of a key swing state that could determine control of the Senate.

Breaking overnight, exclusive reporting on the defense secretary's faith advisor uncovering racist and homophobic comments.

And then, it's a bird, it's a plane, it's a banana. The banana-clad hero -- there we go -- on the scene to help after a horrific clash -- crash, I should say. I'm so glad the banana showed up. I was nervous the banana would not appear in this tease. I'm John Berman with Kate Bolduan and Sara Sidner. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

SIDNER: We're in that final stretch just a week now until Election Day, hanging in the balance control of Congress and the future of President Trump's agenda. Now, if the polling is correct, it could be a rough night for Republicans. The president, once again, turning to a familiar playbook, trying to sow doubt in the election results before they're even in.

This time, he's doing something new, though, posting, anybody reporting voter fraud in the past elections or the upcoming 2026 midterm election will be paid a million dollars upon the arrest and conviction of those that created the fraud. Now, there's been no evidence of large-scale voter fraud occurring. An example, a review in Georgia last month found over the past 30 years, they found 432 people who have voted who may not have been citizens.

Still, the Justice Department is planning to send about a thousand lawyers to monitor polling places across all 50 states. The department says they'll only watch for violations of federal law, but some Democrats and voting rights activists are concerned they could be used to try and undermine the results -- Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you so much. Joining us right now is Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware. Thanks for being here, Senator.

I too have my water with me. Do not worry, sir, especially when we talk for so many hours, one must stay hydrated, especially in this final stretch. OK, let me ask you about what we're hearing from, with regard to the election.

An announcement from the president, money for election fraud tips. The way he's putting it, anybody reporting voter fraud in the past elections or the upcoming 2026 midterm election will be paid $1 million upon the arrest and conviction of those that created the fraud. Your take on that, do you believe him that he's going to pay out a million bucks?

SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE), FOREIGN RELATIONS AND JUDICIARY COMMITTEES: Of course I don't believe him, Kate. Did you get your DOGE check yet? Did you get your tariff refund check yet?

Don't wait by your mailbox because it's not coming. One of the realities, as you just said, of elections in the United States over decades is there are very, very, very few proven cases of anyone voting illegally. So this is Trump just trolling once again to suggest somehow that if Republicans lose, it's not because of his terrible policies.

It's not because his war with Iran has hiked up gas and prices. It's not because his tariff war with Canada has hiked up housing and grocery prices. It's because there's illegals voting.

Wasn't true before, isn't true now. BOLDUAN: If Democrats win back the Senate, what will be the single biggest factor? If Democrats don't win back the Senate, what will be the single biggest factor?

COONS: Costs, costs, costs. Look, your average American is saying when you -- I've been going door knocking up and down our state. I was in Sussex County last night knocking on doors with two state representative candidates.

And what people say to us is that stuff costs too much, whether it's rent or mortgage payments, car payments, groceries, gas, health care.

[08:05:00]

And they recognize that Republican policies have made those costs go up. And we haven't seen the worst of it yet.

Secretary Pete Hegseth and Elon Musk are conspiring to both cut off support for Ukraine and launch another war against Iran, another round of this costly war against Iran. If we're not successful, Kate, it's because the places we have to win as a party are deep red states.

I've recently been campaigning for candidates across the country, and I've been in some states like Ohio, where Donald Trump won by a lot. Other states like Texas, where we haven't elected a Democrat in a long time. And in states like New Hampshire, where it's neck and neck.

So frankly, if we don't take the majority in the Senate, it's because of the map. If we do, it's because the average American is fed up with Donald Trump's policies. And he's not helping on the campaign trail.

Just this week, he said we're making billions, huge amounts of money from this war in Iran, and gas prices going up. No, his billionaire friends are, but your average American is paying more at the pump.

BOLDUAN: On this, you, among other top Democrats, have penned a letter to major U.S. banks and ports warning them to preserve records related to the deal that the president struck and bringing in Russian diesel, if you will. A quote from the letter I'll read for everyone at home. "Any importation of Russian diesel into the U.S. raises significant legal questions and may be subject to legal action as well as congressional investigations." This is a letter that went to the likes of JP Morgan, Bank of America, Citi, Wells Fargo, I mean all of them, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley. What are you all going to do here?

COONS: So Kate, that was a bipartisan letter, and I'll remind you, a shipment of Russian diesel is about to land in New York in violation of sanctions that passed unanimously out of the U.S. Senate. There is still strong support, both Democrat and Republican, in the Senate for fighting for Ukraine's freedom, for defending Ukraine against Russia's aggression, but Donald Trump and Elon Musk and Pete Hegseth, in a heartbreaking, tragic, recent betrayal of Ukraine, throttled their ability to defend themselves, slowed down Starlink, and are siding with Putin, the aggressor. This letter is simply sending up a flare that we intend to investigate how and why this happened and to hold accountable those who violated U.S. sanctions law. BOLDUAN: The Treasury Department has repeatedly claimed the agreement that Trump struck is legal. The White House gave a statement in reaction to your letter to Axios. Let me read this.

"The Democrats are already telegraphing that once again they have no agenda to improve the lives of Americans and will instead continue their decade-long obsession with investigating President Trump." What do you say to that?

COONS: First, I say that it's the Trump Department of Justice that is trying for the third time to investigate and indict James Comey over incidents that are a decade old, so the retribution campaign is certainly one of his top priorities. Second, I'll say that betraying Ukraine is something that outrages many Americans. I'm old enough to remember when Republican presidents thought Russian aggression was a bad thing.

BOLDUAN: Overseas still, Israel's voting today. If Democrats win back the Senate, you are definitely talked about as potentially the chair, next chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and regardless, you will have a lot of influence and be at the forefront of decisions on U.S. relationship with Israel going forward. A senior Democrat told Punchbowl that a Netanyahu victory right now would be bad for Israel, bad for the United States, and bad for Democrats.

Do you think he is bad for the U.S. and bad for Democrats?

COONS: Kate, this is the first election held in Israel after the horrors of October 7th, and Prime Minister Netanyahu is the longest serving Israeli Prime Minister. Members of his cabinet who are far- right extremists, like Ben Gavir and Smotrich, have carried out actions and supported actions in the West Bank and in Gaza that I agree deeply strain our relations, go against our core values and standards, and a Netanyahu government that continues to rely on that partnership with those far-right extremists would deeply hurt the U.S.-Israel alliance and partnership. My hope is that the Israelis who go to the polls today will look towards finding a path towards peace and stability in the region. Recent elections in Serbia and Brazil and the return of Maria Machado to Venezuela have given me hope that with very large turnouts in elections, people are making change.

[08:10:00]

They're looking for a new future. I hope that's what will happen here a week from today in our elections, and I hope there will be a change in Israel.

BOLDUAN: Senator Chris Coons, thank you very much for coming on today -- John.

BERMAN: All right, former FBI Director James Comey speaking out of being charged by the Justice Department for the third time in the last year. Our senior legal analyst Elie Honig just conveyed, shall we say, healthy skepticism about this case.

Exclusive reporting on how a top aide for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has a history of sexist and controversial posts.

And an urgent manhunt now underway to catch an escaped convicted killer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SIDNER: Former FBI Director James Comey is fighting new charges from the Justice Department and slamming the latest attempt to prosecute him.

[08:15:00]

This is the third time the DOJ has charged him. This time it's alleging Comey leaked a sensitive national security document when he was FBI director 10 years ago. Now, Comey's attorneys arguing the charges are invalid because the statute of limitations has expired.

Joining us now is CNN's Holmes Lybrand. Holmes, what are you learning about this particular case?

HOLMES LYBRAND, CNN REPORTER: That's right, Sara. So these two charges, they're around an alleged conspiracy to transmit national defense information to a media outlet back, as you mentioned, in 2016. Now I'm going to call these charges placeholders because really, they're not actionable charges.

They can't be brought to trial on these charges because they haven't gone through a grand jury or a judge or anything like that. But instead, what prosecutors are trying to do here is delay where that statute of limitations would have expired, which would have been on October 5th of this year. So they have filed this information to try to give them more time in order to go before a grand jury and get a formal indictment against Comey.

Now, Comey has moved to dismiss this charge, saying that making all of these reasons of why the statute of limitations is over and beyond that. But prosecutors are saying, no, no, no, there's nothing to dismiss because there's no indictment yet. So really, it's kind of this placeholder that they're moving so that they can have more time to really formally bring those charges.

And again, that is before -- that discussion is actually being adjudicated before a D.C. judge right now. So we're even a little step away from a grand jury being able to review this information. And I really want -- I want to play a clip from Comey last night on these charges.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES COMEY, FORMER FBI DIRECTOR: It would almost be funny if it weren't such an appalling abuse of the Department of Justice, one that we cannot become numb to. Nothing's changed with me. I'm still innocent.

I'm still not afraid of these people, and I still believe in the independent federal judiciary. (END VIDEO CLIP)

LYBRAND: And as you mentioned before, this is the third case against Comey. The first being a lying to Congress charge that was dismissed because the U.S. attorney who had brought it was unlawfully appointed. And that second case where Comey is being charged of threatening President Trump by posting a picture of seashells on a beach that spelled out 86-47 -- Sara.

SIDNER: Holmes Lybrand, thank you so much for your reporting on this this morning -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: New Mexico now suing Jeffrey Epstein's longtime attorney and his accountant and New Mexico's attorney general is here to lay it out.

And breaking news overnight, Microsoft is now offering voluntary buyouts to a quarter of its global workforce. What is going on here?

[08:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: We're at breaking this morning. New CNN reporting has uncovered a history of racist and homophobic social media posts from Pete Hegseth's senior faith advisor. I want to get right to CNN senior investigative reporter Allison Gordon, will break this story. Allison, again, remind us of who we're talking about here and what he has been posting.

ALLISON GORDON, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER: John, Ryan Higgins is not a household name. But he has an important role at the Pentagon, serving as Hegseth's senior advisor. Now, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter, Higgins has helped shape some of Hegseth's messaging and his policy priorities.

I reviewed hundreds of social media posts, live streams, and blog entries spanning years. Including shocking examples from just the past few months. Now, Higgins repeatedly promoted a Christian nationalist agenda, including a post declaring, this is a Christian nation.

He also posted in June that separation of church and state does not exist. Higgins has become a key aide to Hegseth, according to multiple sources who spoke with my colleague Haley Britsky, particularly in shaping the defense secretary's embrace of Christian nationalist themes in speeches and in his public appearances.

BERMAN: What role has he played inside the attempt by Pete Hegseth to sort of rebuild the culture inside the Pentagon?

GORDON: Multiple sources told us that Higgins contributed to Hegseth's focus on those culture war issues, though other sources say he's just one of many voices. But Higgins is very vocal about his views on abortion and gay marriage and other social issues. Let's take a listen to just some of what he said on this Instagram stream in 2021.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RYAN HIGGINS, SENIOR HEGSETH ADVISER: They need to know that abortion is murder. They need to know that marriage is between a man and a woman and anything else is abominable. They need to know that transgender isn't something you choose, but it's actually a mental disorder.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORDON: So that was just one of many examples that I reviewed. He also posted derogatory comments about women, including in a post questioning how many abortions former Vice President Kamala Harris might have had, citing her age and claiming that she has, quote, a long record of sleeping around. Now, since joining the Pentagon, he has he has continued to promote traditional gender roles, writing in May, quote, "No career will ever give you the fulfillment you're looking for that can only be found from being a mother."

In August, he called Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's decision to delay motherhood as, quote, "a self-centered mindset." He also has extreme views on abortion.

Like, check out this post from August where he said quote, "Demonic human sacrifice packaged as women's health care would be like saying Nazi concentration camps were ethnic end of life care. Be wise and prudent. Don't fall victim to the ways of the devil, the prince of lies."

Higgins also had scores of homophobic posts that I reviewed, like when he referred to the satanic cult of LGBTQ in March.

BERMAN: Has there been a Pentagon response to your reporting?

[08:25:00]

GORDON: Yes, in a statement, the Pentagon said quote, "Mr. Higgins is a valued member of the secretary's team and does an outstanding job serving as a senior advisor. He has been completely focused on the spiritual health of our troops and the historic establishment of the Office of Religious Affairs -- John.

BERMAN: All right, Allison Gordon, thank you for sharing this exclusive new reporting. We appreciate the work you've done on this -- Sara.

SIDNER: All right, ahead, battleground Georgia. We will see former President Obama make a closing message for incumbent senator there, Jon Ossoff. But first, Harry Anton running the numbers on Michigan's Senate race where Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers are neck and neck.

What might shift the outcome of this race? Those stories and more ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SIDNER: Just seven days until that final vote. We're focusing in on the Senate contest in Michigan between Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed. Their positions on U.S. support for Israel have become a key focal point of the race. And it turns out poll numbers are starting to pull strongly in favor of one side. CNN Chief Data Analyst Harry Enten is here. So, does this issue of Israel seem to be helping Rogers or El-Sayed in Michigan?

[08:30:00]