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Trump Rallies In NYC, Harris Hits Philly In Star-Powered Final Push; Qatar, U.S. Say Gaza Ceasefire Talks To Resume In Doha; Harris Presses For Black, Latino Votes In Philadelphia; Dark Rhetoric And Fear Mongering Focus On Trump Rally; Lebanon Says 8 Killed In Israel Strike Near Coastal City. Gaza: At least 30 Staff Arrested in Israeli Raid on Hospital; Early Voting Tops 40M+ Ballots with 8 Days to Go; Japan's Ruling Coalition Loses Majority for First Time in 15 Years; Catholic Women Press the Pope for Equal Leadership Roles; Menendez Brothers Await Judge's Resentencing Decision. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired October 28, 2024 - 01:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:00:24]

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome everyone. I'm Michael Holmes. Appreciate your company. Coming up here on newsroom. Dark rhetoric, fear mongering, offensive jokes and lies. A Donald Trump rally in New York City sets a worrisome tone as we approach the final week before Election Day in the US.

A new round of Gaza ceasefire and hostage release talks kicks off in Doha for the first time in two months.

Plus, gender reform in the Catholic Church. How women are pressuring the Pope for decision making roles in the church.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN Newsroom with Michael Holmes.

HOLMES: Well, with eight days left, the U.S. Presidential race is entering the final stretch. More than 40 million people have already cast their ballots. Early voting underway in most states now.

CNN's latest national polling average shows little to no daylight between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. It's a busy week, understandably for both candidates as campaigns blitz across the handful of battleground states expected to decide the election.

On Sunday, thousands of people queued up outside New York's legendary Madison Square Garden for a Trump campaign rally. The gathering featured a slate of Trump loyalists and included racist, profane attacks against Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, other Democratic leaders, and even the island of Puerto Rico.

In a rare campaign appearance, Melania Trump introduced her husband to the crowd during his, as usual, disjointed and meandering speech. The former president used dark rhetoric and invoked fear when talking about Democrats, women and immigrants and made a slew of false claims about his opponent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Over the past four years, Kamala Harris has orchestrated the most egregious betrayal that any leader in American history has ever inflicted upon our people. She has violated her oath, eradicated our sovereign border, and unleashed an army of migrant gangs who are waging a campaign of violence and terror against our citizens. There has never been anything like it anywhere in the world for any country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Overall, Trump painted a bleak and frequently dishonest picture of the US. Our Kristen Holmes was there and has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Former President Donald Trump spoke to a packed house at Madison Square Garden in New York, giving what was his traditional campaign speech filled with quite a few falsehoods, particularly when it came to immigration.

Just to go over a few of the things that he said, he talked about the fact that criminal migrants were pouring in across the border from prisons and insane asylums. Just to be clear, that's something CNN has fact checked on a number of occasions and found that even the campaign couldn't give any examples of that happening.

He talked about how Venezuelan gang were taking over all of America and in particular Aurora, Colorado. I will say as somebody who was with him in that rally at Aurora, Colorado, there was an incident at an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado.

We have spoken to a number of state and local officials who have said that it was completely blown out of proportion. Actually the rhetoric around it was creating more problems for the community. He also talked about immigration in general in Springfield, Illinois, saying that a load of illegal immigrants were dropped into Springfield, Illinois.

One thing we can say, or excuse me, Springfield, Ohio. One thing we can say that we know is that most of the people who are on the ground in Springfield are here legally through a specific program, the Department of Homeland Security.

In addition to that, he talked about the hurricane response to Helene, something that he's talked about a lot, saying that there were no federal officials on the ground, that no one could be seen, nobody was helping. That we know not to be true for both Republicans and Democrats on the ground who have described it as a helpful response, particularly the federal response.

He also said that FEMA didn't have enough money to help with disaster response. They do because they had moved all of their money to help with migrant housing. That is not true. FEMA has multiple pots of money. One of them is for disaster relief, another is for migrant housing, but it's a congressional allotment, meaning that money from migrant housing cannot be taken and used for disaster relief and same, not vice versa. So the other thing that he talked about, foreign policy, he said without any evidence or proof that neither Russia would have invaded Ukraine was he in office or the October 7th terrorist attacks in Israel.

[01:05:03]

They said that both of those things would have never happened if he was in office. But all in all, it was his traditional campaign speech. And I will say that despite using this dark, fear based rhetoric on immigration, the crowd here, a full house at Madison Square Garden, was incredibly receptive to this rhetoric. It's unsurprising that we learned that Donald Trump, who believes that this kind of rhetoric helped propel him to the White House in 2016, is also of the belief that it could help him again in 2024.

And if you base it just on this ground tonight, he might have a point. People were standing up, they were using applause lines for several of these various points, particularly the darkest points when it came to immigration.

Now, one thing I do just want to quickly point out is what happened before the rally because as somebody who has attended dozens of these Trump rallies, the pre-show rhetoric before Donald Trump took the stage with some of the darkest rhetoric I've ever heard at one of these rallies, they were name calling.

I just want to point out some of the things that we heard from these speakers ahead of time. One person called Kamala Harris the anti- Christ and the devil, another person said referred to Puerto Rico as a floating island of garbage, something that has received massive backlash from both Democrats and Republicans. Another person referred to illegal immigrants as effing illegals. Someone else said Hillary Clinton was a, quote, sick bastard. And that is just the actual specifics.

We also heard a lot of nativist rhetoric talking about how America is for Americans only and that type of thing. It is clear that this is the tone that Donald Trump's team, Donald Trump's campaign is setting. Because keep in mind what this event was. This was the kickoff of the final week of the campaign before voters head to the polls on November 5th. Kristen Holmes, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: The Trump campaign's messaging during this rally was in line with what we've been hearing throughout the presidential race. Here's more now from CNN's Dana Bash.

(BEGIN TAPECLIP)

DANA BASH, CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Donald Trump has always wanted to, quote, unquote, play Madison Square Garden. That's what he's doing right now. But he's doing it as somebody who is continuing to stoke the fears, play on the anger and just flat out lie over and over again in order to whip up people who he first of all needs to vote. But also people who just feel obviously that they are entertained by this kind of rhetoric.

I mean, let's just be blunt about it. And you have an entire iconic arena, Madison Square garden that is filled with people there to listen to this kind of thing. I just want to give one example of something that fell flat. Now, this is not something that he said, but this is part of the opening acts.

TONY HINCHCLIFFEE, COMEDIAN: There's a lot going on. Like, I don't know if you guys know this, but there's literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. Yes. I think it's called Puerto Rico. OK.

BASH: You are seeing cleanup by Republicans, or at least attempt at cleanup by Republicans who are relying on big portions of the -- who have big portions of Puerto Rican voters who they rely on. Like, for example, Rick Scott, Republican senator from Florida, he tweeted something trying to separate himself, but suggested that it was a joke that didn't land.

I don't see any evidence that the joke didn't land. I think that there was a lot of laughter, sadly, to that horrible, horrible joke. On the Democratic side, John Fetterman tweeted from the very important state of Pennsylvania that there are half a million Puerto Rican voters, three quarters of whom are able to vote, and that's not going to land well with them.

So, listen, I mean, I think that the most important thing to understand is that as Kristen has been saying, as you have said -- as we have told our viewers over and over again, this is not the kind of rhetoric that is new for him.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: The Trump campaign now distancing itself from that comment. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is of Puerto Rican descent, blasted the remark. Here she is during an online conversation with Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ, U.S. HOUSE DEMOCRAT: I mean, it's like super upsetting. Obviously, it's superseded to me, my family is from Puerto Rico. I'm a Puerto Rican. I need people to understand that when they -- when you have some A-hole calling Puerto Rico floating garbage, know that's what they think about you.

TIM WALZ, U.S. DEMOCATIC VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: There are hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans across in battleground states that need to send them a message on this. Need to send those message.

[01:10:04]

OCASIO-CORTEZ: I want them to like --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: While Donald Trump focused on the massive crowd in New York, Kamala Harris took more of a grassroots approach to campaigning Sunday. She spent the day in the battleground state of Pennsylvania visiting several Philadelphia neighborhoods to push a message of unity. CNN's Priscilla Alvarez reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday visiting battleground Pennsylvania. She tries to mobilize voters in the final push to Election Day. The vice president blitzing around the Philadelphia area over the course of the day, starting with a church service for a predominantly black church, then a barbershop followed by a bookstore and then a Puerto Rican restaurant. All of that intended to court black and Latino voters as her team tries to lock in her coalition.

But similarly, they are trying to fortify the blue wall, which includes Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan, what her team sees as the most favorable path to 270 electoral votes. And here at a community center in Philadelphia, the vice president stressing the stakes of the election, saying it is, quote, one of the most consequential elections of our lifetime.

And then also talking about some of the broader themes of her campaign around unity, saying that her team has been trying to build a broad coalition to unify Americans. Now, the vice president also speaking directly to young voters and young leaders and then urging those in the crowd to vote and encourage those around them to do the same, noting that Pennsylvania holds extra significance and is the path to victory.

KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I'm very excited about the reports that we're getting about enthusiasm here in Philadelphia. And to your point, Philadelphia is a very important part of our path to victory and it is the reason I'm spending time here, have been spending time here.

But I'm feeling very optimistic about the enthusiasm that is here and the commitment that folks of every background have to vote and to really invest in the future of our country.

ALVAREZ: Now, Sunday stop in Pennsylvania or multiple stops in Pennsylvania will kick off a blitz over the course of the week as ahead of Election Day as her and her team try to hit all the battleground states and shore up support. Priscilla Alvarez, CNN, Philadelphia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Donald Trump's running mate is insisting former U.S. president's enemy from within comments are not directed at political rivals. Trump has used that term frequently, most recently suggesting using the military to handle what he called the enemy from within on Election Day. Vance defended Trump in this exchange with CNN's Jake Tapper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: We're talking about Donald Trump and what he says.

J.D. VANCE, U.S. REPUBLICAN VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Yes --

(CROSSTALK)

TAPPER: Donald Trump says --

(CROSSTALK)

VANCE: And you'd much rather talk about what Donald Trump allegedly said --

(CROSSTALK)

TAPPER: I'm talking about what Donald Trump --

VANCE: -- than what Donald Trump did in office.

TAPPER: I'm talking about what he said publicly.

VANCE: What he did in office, Jake --

TAPPER: I'm talking about what he said publicly. What he said publicly, he wants to use the military to go after the enemy within, which is the American people --

VANCE: He did not say that, Jake. He said -

TAPPER: The enemy within?

(CROSSTALK)

VANCE: He said that he was going to send the military after the American people? Show me the quote where he said -

TAPPER: He said he was going to -- the enemy within --

VANCE: He said far-left lunatics. He's talking about the people rioting--

TAPPER: Like the Pelosis, and Schiff.

VANCE: He's talking about people rioting after the election.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: All right, let's bring in Ron Brownstein, CNN senior political analyst and senior editor at the Atlantic. Good to see you, Ron. I mean, the Donald Trump rally was quite something. I mean, I watched it. I mean, a quote unquote comedian calling Puerto Rico a pile of garbage. Another speaker spoke about what said he spoke at what he called a Nazi rally. Kamala Harris being called the anti-Christ. And that was before Trump spoke. And we know what he said.

Who is the Trump campaign trying to appeal to literally days out from the election?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: I mean, you know, the two precedents of this kind of rally was George Wallace in 1968, which is what going in, I imagined it might be like. But of course, the darker, more distant precedent was the 1939 Nazi rally, pro-Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden, which it may have had more overlap with.

In the end, I mean, Trump is, you know, all in on trying to mobilize the voters who are most alienated from the way America is evolving, changing demography, changing cultural norms, changing relationships between men and women.

And at the same time, he is counting on unprecedented support among Latino and black voters who are the targets for much of this rhetoric and indeed for very sharp edged policies like mass deportation and national stop and frisk.

HOLMES: And what you see tonight, I thought, was the inherent tension there may be coming to a point with all of the backlash, in particular in response to those comments about Puerto Rico and the parade of Puerto Rican celebrities, the procession of Puerto Rican celebrities who came out tonight in support of Harris, which could be a critical factor.

[01:15:12]

Interestingly enough, in Pennsylvania, which still seems to me the tipping point state in this election.

HOLMES: 500,000, I think, Puerto Rican voters in Pennsylvania.

BROWNSTEIN: Yes.

HOLMES: Kamala Harris, more and more focusing on Trump's extreme comments, but also his cognition and so on. Is that smart tactically? Is that win people over?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, you know, someone said to me many months ago, before Biden got out of the race, someone smarter than me said, in many ways, and I guess it's my paraphrase, in many ways, the question about the final days of this election is going to be what is the question?

You heard Trump's attempt almost in passing to point toward the question that most Republicans want voters to be asking, are you better off than you were four years ago? Because most people will say no. I mean, there's a lot of frustration with the Biden economy.

He's had a lot of accomplishments, but they've been overshadowed by inflation. And that in particular is opening the door for Trump with a lot of working, you know, working families that are living paycheck to paycheck, including those in the minority community.

But that isn't necessarily the question we'll be asking in the final days. The other question is it too much of a risk to restore to power this Donald Trump who is talking so overtly in xenophobic, racist and authoritarian language? And that rally tonight, you know, was a kind of potentially a crystallizing moment for the small number of voters that we are talking about that are still in play, particularly in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, maybe Georgia, who are being reminded constantly that reelecting Trump entails more than potentially lower prices for groceries and gas.

There's a lot more that goes with it. And tonight was a kind of peel the mask back, mom argument to remind everyone, really, of exactly all that is involved there.

HOLMES: Yes, I find the economy argument interesting. I mean, you had half of the living American Nobel Prize winners for economics saying Trump's policies, just this last week, saying Trump's policies would tank the economy.

I want to ask you this, though, about the polling, because despite Trump, it's neck and neck. Young people in particular don't pick up the phone for pollsters. There might be people who lie and say they're not voting for Trump, then do, or perhaps there are some that might say they are voting for Trump and don't. How reliable do you think these poll numbers are? Could there be a surprise?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, I think there are two ways to think about this. I mean, first, pollsters have done triple backflips in terms of honing and rethinking their methodology to try to avoid the problems that we saw in the 2020 and 2016 elections when polls significantly understated the number of particularly non college whites who would come out and vote for Trump.

But, you know, I feel like in some way we are almost beyond this question, because if polls are telling you that they see a one or two- point race in a state that they're not really, polls are not capable of, you know, divining down with the level of precision that would tell you who would win that.

You know, someone said to me earlier in this cycle, when you're dealing with a race that's within the margin of error in terms of polling, it's really within the margin of effort of the two sides. And if we're talking about Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, maybe Georgia, as I said, the states that are most likely to decide this race, all the polling can tell us, I think, is that they are within reach for both candidates. And the question is both the execution at the end, but also, as I said, what is the question that voters are walking into the ballot box asking?

Are they asking are you better off than you were four years ago, or are they looking at everything that we've seen from Trump in this campaign and questioning whether they want to take the chance of giving him power again, even if they might lean toward his policies on issues like the economy? And I do think that is the critical question in the final days. HOLMES: Yes, yes,. Fascinating. Ron, always good to see you. Thanks

for that. Ron Brownstein there.

The U.N. says the Israeli military operation in northern Gaza is making life, quote, untenable for Palestinians there. You just have to have a look to see that's true. We'll take a closer look at what civilians and medical staff on the ground are facing.

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[01:23:29]

HOLMES: CNN has learned that a new round of Gaza ceasefire and hostage release talks have begun in Doha. This marks the first high level talks in more than two months. Top negotiators from the U.S., Israel and Qatar will be working to reach a deal. Egypt, which has long played a key role as a mediator in these talks, is proposing an initial two-day ceasefire.

But for now, there is no end in sight to the war in Gaza for Palestinians. On Sunday, Israel's military claimed targeted Hamas in an airstrike on a school near Gaza City. Gaza's civil defense says several people were killed in a place where hundreds of displaced civilians are sheltering.

Meanwhile, Iran says it does not seek war with Israel, but is vowing an appropriate response to Israel's weekend attacks on the country. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his country severely damaged Iran's defense capabilities.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): The attack in Iran was precise and powerful and achieved all of its objectives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Israeli military operations have also targeted Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iran's most important proxy in the region. But Israel's defense minister says neither Hezbollah nor Hamas are effective proxies for Iran anymore.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YOAV GALLANT, ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER (through translator): These two organizations, Hamas and Hezbollah that were prepared for years as a long arm the state of Israel, are no longer an effective tool as a proxy of Iran in the arena.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[01:25:07]

HOLMES: That comment as Israeli strikes in Lebanon continue. The health Ministry there says at least eight people were killed on Sunday in an attack in the south.

Joining me now is Dr. Mads Gilbert, a professor of emergency medicine and a senior consultant for the Clinic of Emergency Medicine at the University Hospital of North Norway. Doctor, it's good to see you. You have worked extensively in Gaza over the years. You've been working in the region since 1982, I think, and you've been in contact with colleagues there.

What have you heard about the Israeli attacks on the Kamal Adwan Hospital in the north and the impact of those attacks?

DR. MADS GILBERT, PROF. OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL OF NORTH NORWAY: Well, all the three hospitals in northern Gaza, Kamala Adwan and El Awda Hospital and the Indonesian Hospital, have been severely sieged and attacked by the Israeli occupation forces. And the attack and the entry of military forces into the Kamal Adwan Hospital has been very dramatic.

And we have all, I guess, heard about the medical director, Dr. Hussam, who is defending his patients and who was experiencing the tragic loss of his own son who was shot at the gate of the hospital. Currently, the situation in Kamal Adwan is desperate. They have at least 145 trauma patients in the hospital. They have lost the solar panel electricity, the oxygen machine, concentration machine has been shot to pieces by the Israeli forces. And they have only two doctors left, used to be 57 and they have only seven nurses, used to be 70 nurses.

So the situation is beyond dramatic, it's beyond desperate.

HOLMES: Often we hear the broad strokes of what's going on, you know, the casualty totals, the mass destruction. We were just looking at some of that and so on. But you do know people there. You work shoulder to shoulder alongside them. You just mentioned the director of the hospital, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya. I want to play something that was recorded with him in the last day or so. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. HUSSAM ABU SAFIYA, DIRECTOR OF KAMAL ADWAN HOSPITAL: They have burned out hearts with what they've done in the hospital. They burned the hospital entirely. My son was killed because we are carrying humanitarian message. Our children are being killed. I buried my son by the hospital wall.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES Now, You know Dr. Hussam personally. What's it like hearing that, what he went through, his emotion there and seeing what's going on, particularly in the north where Palestinians are being displaced in the tens of thousands.

GILBERT: I'll be honest with you, it is unbearable and I have to contain myself not to start weeping. But there are two sides to this recording. One is, of course, the personal loss and the immense grief that he's feeling not only for his son, but for his hospital and for his patients and staff.

The other side is the bravery of the Palestinian healthcare workers who are standing tall under these immense Israeli attacks which have been going on now for a year and for long, much longer than that, because the Israeli army, the occupation army, has a Moody's operandi to attack healthcare.

I just read through the last expert report to the United Nations General Assembly on the attacks on healthcare, and they sum up that Israeli occupation forces, from 7th of October until the 1st of August this year, have perpetrated more than 1,000 attacks on health care in Gaza and the West Bank, and they have killed more than 800 healthcare workers.

So unfortunately, his story is not a single story. It is one of many stories. In fact, the attacks on healthcare are so common that the report states that, quote, the Israelis have plans and procedures to attack health care, unquote. And this, of course, is a war crime.

Healthcare and patients and staff should be protected by international law and they should be a part of the civilian society where you could feel safe. In Gaza, they are targets, and that is absolutely a war crime.

HOLMES: As I say, you've been there many times. I've been there many times myself as well. There are the images now and video of Palestinians being forced en masse from the north. Do you fear, as many do, that this is a deliberate operation underway to clear the northern sector of all Palestinians, (INAUDIBLE) permanently in the south? What do you fear is going on?

[01:30:00]

GILBERT: No, absolutely. You're absolutely right. And I mean, you don't have to be neither a military expert nor a geographer to understand that the ambition of the Israeli occupation forces is ethnically cleansing of north Gaza and reoccupying north Gaza.

And this is part of the occupation project of the state of Israel. I mean, it's all about land grab. It's all about expanding the occupation of Palestine.

I'm a doctor. I'm not used to treat symptoms. If you come to me with pain, I have to find the reason for the pain and not just give you some painkiller.

And the root cause of the mystery we see in the medical sector, the root cause of all the ill-health we see in Gaza and in the West Bank is the illegal occupation of Palestine. And that has to be dealt with.

We cannot just patch up with humanitarian help and (INAUDIBLE) we have to solve somebody's health (ph), you have to solve the root cause. And that will not be solved by itself. It has to take more international power, more international actions (ph) to safeguard the security and the right to health of the Palestinian people be it in the West Bank or in Gaza. This cannot go on. HOLMES: Yes.

GILBERT: And -- yes.

HOLMES: I wish we had more time. We don't. I appreciate you, Dr. Mads Gilbert and the work you've done in Gaza, and I know you're in touch with people there who you know very well.

Dr. Gilbert, thank you so much.

GILBERT: Thank you.

HOLMES: Well, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris crisscrossing battleground states in the final stretch of the U.S. election. We'll have the latest from the campaign trail coming up.

[01:31:41]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Welcome back. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM with me, Michael Holmes.

We are only eight days away from the U.S. election, of course. And Kamala Harris and Donald Trump remain statistically dead even. Polls showing no clear leader and they haven't for some time now.

The former U.S. president kicking off his final week of campaigning at Madison Square Garden in New York on Sunday, where he repeated his dark rhetoric on immigration and attacked his political rivals.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Now the fate of our nation is in your hands. Next Tuesday, you have to stand up and you have to tell Kamala Harris that you've done a terrible job. That Crooked Joe Biden has done a terrible job. You've destroyed our country.

We're not going to take it anymore. Kamala, you're fired. Get out. Get out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Kamala Harris planning to give her closing argument on the national mall in Washington on Tuesday. It's being held at the same place where Trump spoke on January 6 before his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.

Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny is signaling his support for Harris after a speaker at Trump's rally made those offensive comments about the U.S. territory.

The singer shared a clip of the vice president's newly-announced economic plan for Puerto Rico to his more than 45 million Instagram followers. This comes as both the Harris and Trump campaigns vie with for the Puerto Rican vote. Several other Puerto Rican celebrities including Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin voice support for Harris after a comedian called Puerto Rico, a quote "floating island of garbage" during Trump's Madison Square Garden event in New York.

Now, more than 40 million people have already cast their ballots with early voting underway now in most states. Voting centers opened on Saturday in 29 counties across California where the race for the U.S. House and Senate is also heating up.

CNN's Julia Vargas reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Voters here in Orange County saying that they are keenly aware of the importance of their votes this time around. Not something you hear often in California that usually goes blue.

But here in the 45th congressional district this is one of the most watched races, one of the tightest races that could end up deciding if Democrats or Republicans end up taking control of the House of Representatives.

The incumbent Michelle Steel, she's running for a third term and she's being challenged by Democrat Derek Tran. Bill Clinton was here on Saturday campaigning for Tran in this district that was redistricted in 2020 making now about 40 percent of the population Asian-American, about 30 percent of the population here Hispanic.

Now we spoke to one of those voters who told us a little bit why they came to vote early and the issues they care the most about.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: Why vote early versus coming here on election day.

ANSELMO FELICIANO, CALIFORNIA VOTER: Well, that was if anything happens on election day, like I have an accident or something and I know my about my ballot is going to be taken care of. I don't have to worry about it.

But now I'm retired, it's not as big a deal. But when you're working, it's a little bit bigger of a deal.

I'm particularly worried about the Senate and the house to make sure that they get on the side I want. I'm a Democrat.

And then I'm also you know, -- the prepositions -- the propositions. Democracy probably the biggest one, and that kind of tells what I'm worried about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: California has 21 million registered voters, 1.8 million of those voters here in Orange County. At this polling station in Cyprus, there was about 300 people coming in to vote on the first day of early voting.

Julia Vargas Jones, CNN -- Cyprus, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Well, Japan has been plunged into political uncertainty after the ruling coalition lost its majority for the first time in 15 years.

New Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba faces some tough decisions. He'll have to team up with other smaller parties or risk ruling through minority government.

CNN's Marc Stewart is following the story for us from Beijing. And Marc this -- this was a -- this was a big punch for a troubled coalition. So what happens next?

MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's been a lot of questions Michael about the fate of the prime minister. And as we come on the air, we have just heard some remarks from Prime Minister Ishiba.

[01:39:49]

STEWART: And the big headline being is that he will not step down. He said he will fulfill his commitment.

Let me read to you some of his remarks from this news conference he just held. He said that the party has been held under harsh judgment from voters. This vote was harsh.

He called the loss painful and said that the party needs to basically be reborn. And that is very important because right now, Japan has some very big issues that it needs to confront.

And the question is, does the party in this current landscape, have the power and the poll to get things done. That is what the big challenge is going to be.

So there's a lot of work taking place behind the scenes. Most likely to try to strengthen the existing coalition from some parties outside. So that's going to be the behind the scenes maneuvering that is taking place.

Now, as far as the issues that need to -- that need to be confronted, certainly the economy. Right now, the Japanese yen, it has become week once again. Inflation is high. So there is this economic unease facing the country.

And then the other issue that has really hit this party hard was a political scandal, allegations of kickbacks, allegations of lawmakers, not necessarily disclosing the true state of their finances.

So that is why this is going to be so difficult for this government moving forward. So the real question Michael, is will the prime minister be able to get the support he needs or is this a sign that the government's going to go in a different direction.

I should point out, it's not unusual for prime ministers to change to change position on a frequent basis. We had Prime Minister Abe there for a long time. We had Prime Minister Kishida there. But there's often this phrase of musical chairs or realignment in Japan when it comes to the prime minister's office, that spot.

We do see things change frequently. So if that does happen again, that wouldn't necessarily be out of the norm.

But a lot of people are watching. A lot of nations are watching, including the United States which has -- certainly Japan depends on the United States for military support, but the United States also very actively helping Japan's strained relationships with North Korea in many ways as a front because of the concerns being faced from here in China, Michael.

HOLMES: All right.

Appreciate the reporting. Marc Stewart there, thanks.

Well, for centuries, women have been banned from holding leadership roles in the Catholic Church, but many faithful Catholics are hoping to change that. We'll tell you how after the break.

[01:42:35]

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HOLMES: The Catholic Church has just wrapped up a three-year long global meeting focused on the church's future. But Catholic women say there will be no future if their voices are not heard.

As Christopher Lamb reports, women are pressuring the Pope for equality in an institution that will not let them serve in leadership roles.

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CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Many women impatient for reform, calling on the Pope to take action.

KATE MCELWEE, WOMEN'S ORDINATION WORLDWIDE: It's time now to open all ordained ministries to women.

LAMB: Finding a greater role for women in the Catholic Church has become an urgent issue.

WOMEN: Don't kick the can.

LAMB: The all-male clergy continue to dominate decision-making roles in the church even more so in the Vatican.

Women are barred from ordination as priests and like previous popes, Francis has upheld that ruling. But this pope has opened a door to reform, appointing women to senior positions in the Vatican, recognizing the role women are already playing in the church, seeking to give them greater visibility, and for the first time, giving women the right to vote at the Vatican Synod Assembly which concluded on Sunday.

One of those voter participants is a 23-year-old studying geology and physics in Philadelphia, the youngest woman to take part in such an event.

JULIA OSEKA, STUDENT, ST. JOSEPH'S UNIVERSITY, PHILADELPHIA: There is definitely an urgent need to not only realize and accept that women have an equal (INAUDIBLE) dignity to man in the Catholic Church but also to take action.

And our Synod is discussing issues on how to better make women visible, give them leadership roles, give them the same platform of action as men in the Catholic Church.

LAMB: Nevertheless Francis has faced criticism for expressing conservative views on women's roles. The Pope also knocking back a proposal for women to become deacons, an ordained church position.

But the Vatican assembly insisting this topic must continue to be looked at and for women to be given leadership roles.

Francis is accepting their proposals, recognizing the need for more reform.

HELENA JEPPESEN-SPUHLER, SYNOD DELEGATE: If we don't take a strong stand we are -- it's contradicting our own message inside our old institution. We also have to do more steps.

LAMB: In the face of a male-dominated Vatican culture and centuries of inequality, change won't come overnight.

AUSTEN IVEREIGH, PAPAL BIOGRAPHER: I think the Pope has opened a window for women.

LAMB: Yes.

IVEREIGH: There's no question. Under his pontificate, we've seen women occupy really important senior roles here in Rome, in the Vatican, but also increasingly across the church. And we've got women voting in the Synod of Bishops for the first time.

LAMB: What may seem like small steps to those on the outside side are in fact leaps for many within the church.

Christopher Lamb, CNN -- Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Well, it was a case that captivated the world.

The Menendez brothers were sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murders of their parents. But now they could be released from prison. We'll have the latest after the break. [01:48:49]

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HOLMES: Mexico City's Formula 1 Grand Prix ended with a surprise victory. Ferrari's Carlos Sainz won on Sunday. It was Ferrari's was first win in Mexico since 1990. And the fourth time Sainz has won there. Three-time world champ Verstappen finished sixth because of two 10-second penalties.

Now after more than three decades in prison, the Menendez brothers could be free by Thanksgiving. The brothers admitted to and were convicted of killing their parents. But they claim they acted in self- defense after a lifetime of abuse at the hands of their father, Jose Menendez. And now there is new evidence that could lend credence to the brothers' claims.

Our Elizabeth Wagmeister reports.

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ROY ROSELLO, FORMER MEMBER OF BOY BAND MENUDO: That's the man here that had raped me, this guy. That's the pedophile.

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Roy Rosello, a former member of the boy band Menudo, alleging that he too was raped in the mid-80s by Jose Menendez, then a top executive for RCA Records infamously shot dead by his sons.

ROSELLO: I was in terrible pain for a week. I could barely stand the pain. I couldn't even move.

WAGMEISTER: This account, first revealed last year in a Peacock documentary, is part of the evidence the Menendez brothers included in their petition to have their case re-examined.

ROBERT RAND, JOURNALIST: The 1990s had caught up with the truth.

WAGMEISTER: Journalist Robert Rand is a co-executive producer of "Menendez plus Menudo: Boys Betrayed. He uncovered Rosello's chilling account.

RAND: No other young man has ever come forward and said that he was raped by Jose Menendez. We believe that there might be other victims out there and we are hoping that they'll contact us.

WAGMEISTER: His documentary is one of several Hollywood projects about the Menendez case released in 2023, along with both a Netflix documentary and a splashy drama from mega producer Ryan Murphy.

[01:54:46]

WAGMEISTER: Earlier this week, Los Angeles County district attorney George Gascon, up for reelection, told CNN the publicity and renewed interest caused him to expedite his decision on the Menendez case. GEORGE CASCON, LOS ANGELES COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Given the public attention to this case, I've decided to try to come up with a statement (ph) earlier.

ESTHER REYES, FILMMAKER: It is satisfying to know0 that, for example, our documentary was cited as evidenced in the boys' habeas petition.

WAGMEISTER: Esther Reyes directed the Peacock doc and tells CNN Roy Rosello will testify if the court demands.

REYES: He's an incredibly credible witness. I interviewed him for hours. He's very consistent.

WAGMEISTER: Not everyone thinks the Menendez brothers who admit to the murders should go free. But celebrities like Rosie O'Donnell and Kim Kardashian have led Hollywood's push for a renewed understanding of sexual abuse survivors today.

Docs like "Surviving R. Kelly" and "The Jinx" had a real impact on the courts. Now another Hollywood production aims to tip the scales of justice.

RAND: Some of the Menendez supporters were saying, well, where was Roy Rosello 30 years ago when the brothers were on trial. But you have to understand that some people are so ashamed of being abuse survivors they take that secret to their graves.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: That was Elizabeth Wagmeister reporting for us.

Well, there was a special guest in the crowd for Adele's Saturday night concert in Las Vegas. Have a look at this emotional hug between Adele and Celine Dion. It brought the two powerhouse singers to tears and brought the crowd to its feet.

Adele is in the final weeks of her Las Vegas residency. She's performing in the Caesar's Palace venue that was specially built more than two decades ago to host Celine Dion's own residency. A couple of legends there.

Thanks for watching CNN NEWSROOM, spending part of your day with me. I'm Michael Holmes.

Stick around. My friend and colleague, Paula Newton picks up with more news after the break.

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