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U.S. Moves Bombers From U.K. Fairford Base Amid Terrorism Concerns; Interview With Florida Democratic Senate Nominee Angie Nixon; Demonstrators Back Jane Doe, Sexual Assault Survivors; Thousands Of Legal Immigrants Set To Lose Medicaid Benefits; Supreme Court Begins New Term Tomorrow; Airs Next; Trump, GOP Leaders Rush To Keep Iowa Senate Race From Slipping Away. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired October 04, 2026 - 19:00   ET

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

[19:00:34]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to the CNN NEWSROOM, everyone. I'm Omar Jimenez in New York.

We've got breaking news tonight. The U.S. military is moving all of its long-range Air Force bombers out of the United Kingdom. Now a person familiar with the situation tells CNN that the move follows an unspecified new threat at their base in the U.K..

I want to go straight to CNN's Julia Benbrook, who is live at the White House for us.

So, Julia, where have the bombers been moved to and what else do we know?

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are still gathering information on this. But according to a source familiar, the United States has moved the long-range bombers that were stationed in the U.K. back to their American home stations following an unspecified new threat.

According to a U.S. official they said this in a statement, "We can acknowledge now that all U.S. bombers that were deployed to RAF Fairford have redeployed to their home stations in the United States."

That official, though, did not go into detail on why these planes were moved. And this is all happening just days after the British government arrested a number of individuals in connection with an alleged Iranian plot to target the U.K. base, where these planes were stationed. Those individuals were arrested, but then quickly released on bail. That decision did draw some criticism.

Now, Iran has denied any connection to that incident, but this base has been used to deploy B-1 bombers that have been used in the war against Iran. We have reached out to the White House for more details on this -- Omar.

JIMENEZ: All right, Julia, really appreciate the reporting. I want to bring in CNN national security analyst Alex Plitsas. He's

also the director of the Counterterrorism Project at the Atlantic Council.

So, Alex, how unusual is this move? What are you taking away from this?

ALEX PLITSAS, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: It's unusual in the sense that we did move all of our aircraft from the base. There was probably several dozen bombers there plus that were been there deployed for quite some time. So it speaks to the credibility and the seriousness of the threat overall to the base that we're talking about. But this also didn't happen in a vacuum.

So at the same time, the bombers were sent home, what hasn't been as well publicized is of the two aircraft carriers that have been on station outside of Iran, the bush has been going -- basically is moving towards a port call and will be out of the region for quite some time, leaving only one aircraft carrier there, with the third one still inbound. So it's still several weeks until that second carrier will return, plus the third.

And in the face of the ongoing threat, plus the long deployment of the bombers in the face of that threat, it makes sense to redeploy those forces for right now for R&R back at home. In the event that they're needed, they'll be redeployed or some other platforms will be redeployed, if the president decides that they need to commence combat operations against Iran again, which he has threatened to do and potentially signaled after the midterms if the Iranians don't come to the table to make a deal in good faith.

JIMENEZ: How critical would you say is this base for the United States? Just contextualize this for us. And what does this move mean for the safety of U.S. troops overseas?

PLITSAS: Sure. So there's only so many bases that have runways long enough to host these long-range strategic bombers, and there's only so many governments willing to host them, given the fact that offensive operations against Iran are not supported by all governments nationwide, where we have bases. And so that limits options.

We've also seen Iran successfully target U.S. bases throughout the region, and many other European allies have said that we can't use bases to launch from. So it is a problem in the sense that it limits the number of bases that are available in the area. These planes obviously can fly long distances with aerial refueling, but that takes wear and tear on the aircraft flying back and forth from the U.S.. Would add, you know, a lot of time onto this.

So it does add operational difficulties. But then again, you know, this is a move right now, we don't know if this is a short term or long term move, but we'll see the implications in the coming weeks, depending on whether or not the U.S. and Iran are able to reach a deal.

JIMENEZ: You know, the Royal Air Force base at Fairford has been used, as we've been talking about, to deploy U.S. B-1 bombers involved in the war against Iran and is an operating -- forward operating location for U.S. global strike command. And while we're still trying to figure out what this new unspecified threat is, it is still resulting in the moving of U.S. military, I mean, bombers here, as we've been talking about.

Is this -- do you think Iran sees this as a win?

[19:05:06]

PLITSAS: I think Iran will certainly message it as a win. I think from the -- you know, the reality of the situation is this is a precautionary measure because they're not needed at the moment. It's pretty clear, again, based on the carrier movements and everything else that, you know, hostilities are not imminent, that they're not going to start in the next couple of weeks. And that's not because we have some access to some, you know, planning that we're not supposed to have here at the network.

It's because the force posture speaks to it. The carriers are being moved, the bombers are being redeployed. And if we look at the number of tankers that are out there, it's significantly less than when the war was going on. So the U.S. has not redeployed those forces in significant numbers. So it would make sense if there's a threat and they're not needed at the moment to send them back just to make sure that they're safe.

There's no reason to keep them there if they're not needed under a threat. But, yes, the Iranians will certainly message this as a win on their side. And speaking to British officials, you know, there is definitely a nexus to Iran with the threats that have taken place. The law enforcement authorities in the U.K. are still taking the lead on this. And that's really important. I'm told, for a motive, to also mapping this out, because we're talking about a nation state potentially conducting, you know, what would be, you know, an act of war, an act of terrorism.

The difference is terrorism is politically motivated violence against civilians. This would be an attack on a U.K. military base and against U.S. and U.K. military forces. It's actually an attack against the state entity, not necessarily an act of terrorism. That designation means something. That would draw a response from the U.K. if that's the case. And so I believe the U.K. government is working hard to make sure that they get this absolutely correct, airtight, so that the policy response is appropriate, but also that these individuals are charged with these criminal charges stick if in fact that's what the case was.

JIMENEZ: Alex Plitsas, really appreciate the perspective. Thanks for being here.

PLITSAS: Thanks for having me.

JIMENEZ: All right, on the politics front, we've only got 30 days to go until the midterm elections, and more than a million ballots have already been cast. A new polling out this morning shows President Donald Trump losing

support among Latino voters, which is a key bloc that helped him win the White House in 2024. The NBC-Telemundo poll shows Latino voters say they would prefer Democrats to win control of Congress by 24 percent margin. Those are the numbers there, and that is double, by the way, what it was at this time in 2024. And then you look among all Americans, CNN's polling tracker shows President Trump's average approval rating at 34 percent.

So I want to bring in Angie Nixon. She's the Democratic nominee running for Florida's Senate seat.

And one, I appreciate you being here, and thank you for taking the time. Florida has been voting pretty reliably Republican in recent years, at least when you look at statewide races. Do you think the party, the Democratic Party, has invested enough money in the state this election cycle?

ANGIE NIXON (D), FLORIDA SENATE CANDIDATE: You know, Florida is a big state. We have over 10 media markets here, and so we need as much investment as possible. But look, we are on the ground. We are not going to stop regardless of how much money we get or don't get. We're going to keep working, knocking on doors, making phone calls, having conversations with people and changing their hearts and minds.

JIMENEZ: You know, Senator Bernie Sanders has pledged $250,000 to your campaign and, as I understand, does plan to join you on the campaign trail. Have you heard from any other Democrats looking to help support your campaign?

NIXON: Oh, absolutely. Folks are -- I just left an event down in Broward County with Congressman Jamie Raskin and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. She actually had a virtual fundraiser for me last week. And so I've been talking with people all across the country. Congresswoman Summer Lee reached out to me today. And so we're excited and folks are excited about this momentum on the ground as well.

And so I'm about to head over to USF right now with Congressman Ro Khanna, who's here for a rally with the students there. And we are -- we're excited. We're fired up and we're getting everybody ready to vote.

JIMENEZ: You know, as I'm sure you know, based on, again, the voting record in statewide races, you are fighting an uphill battle right now as the Democrat running for this Senate seat. And I want you to take a listen to what Vice President J.D. Vance said this week about you. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When Angie Nixon calls herself a socialist, I think the right response is to say, then get the hell out of here. You don't belong in America, if those are your views.

(END VIDEO CLIP) JIMENEZ: What is your response to that?

NIXON: My response to that is that the United States should be welcoming to all folks, regardless of whatever their ideology is. And I -- there's absolutely nothing wrong with me wanting to ensure people have access to quality health care, universal health care. Ashley Moody, my opponent, voted to end health care for 440,000 people here in the state of Florida.

There's nothing wrong -- there's nothing wrong with me wanting to ensure that we stop all the corruption and the chaos happening in Washington, D.C..

[19:10:01]

Ashley Moody stole $10 million from sick kids here in our state for Medicaid program and diverted it to political PACs to defeat two citizen-led ballot initiatives. She's also continued to be a rubber stamp for Donald Trump as it relates to this war in Iran. She runs away from constituents. She doesn't have in-person town hall meetings. She won't even debate me because she has a very horrible record to run on.

Look, I am someone who is running for U.S. Senate because I want to help cut peoples costs. I want to put money back in folks' pockets. And I also want to hold Donald Trump and this authoritarian fascist regime accountable.

Look, we are in the state of Florida, and Donald Trump is the deporter-in-chief and Ashley Moody has been OK with that. Right now there are people who are living in fear, and they are afraid to go out of their homes because they're worried that ICE, which has become weaponized, is going to snatch them up, potentially kill them or lock them up for God knows how long without any due process.

And then when they're ready to deport them, deport them to a country they don't even know, that they never even came from. And so people are fed up with what's happening in Washington, D.C.. They're ready to ensure that government works for people, and this economy works for everyone. And I plan to win this election to do just that.

JIMENEZ: And a few things I should mention. One, we did invite Republican Ashley Moody to join us as well. The invitation still stands. But also just for some background, for one of the things you mentioned, the $10 million figure that was reported by CBS Miami, a state grand jury found the DeSantis administration misappropriated taxpayer money when it diverted $10 million from a Medicaid settlement into the Hope Florida Foundation.

But the grand jury report also found that the money was misappropriated but found insufficient evidence to charge anyone criminally even if there is criticism, as you have not been shy about in terms of Ashley Moody.

NIXON: You know, you know, Omar --

JIMENEZ: Yes.

NIXON: Yes. When you have four lawyers that don't know who told what person to sign off on anything, it sounds like a cover-up to me.

JIMENEZ: Well, and --

NIXON: And that is just in line with this Trump administration.

JIMENEZ: Well, and what I was going to say was, you know, look, a lot has been made about you being a member of the Democratic socialists, even if you don't agree with every issue. You're also a member of the Working Families Party, in addition to the NAACP, which all of which you have talked about. And I wonder that, why do you believe that this race is different in terms of having someone like you represent the state of Florida in what, again, has been a pretty documented history as of late with Republicans in this seat?

NIXON: This is different. This race is different because I am someone who puts people over politics, people over profit, and people over party. I have a proven track record here in the state of Florida of working not just for Democrats, for working for everyone. I've been able to expand access to early childhood education and to stop price gouging from happening. So a lot of people across the state know me.

They know me because Ashley Moody won't even return phone calls or e- mails to her offices. And so guess what? Those people actually wind up reaching out to my office and we help connect them to the resources that they need with these different agencies, as well as these different departments. And let me be clear, because Ashley Moody is saying a lot of things and is spreading a lot of lies and disinformation about me.

Of course, I do not want to defund the police or abolish prisons because I want Ashley Moody to be arrested and locked up in a prison because of this $10 million that went missing. And no one knows what happened to it.

Look, that money was supposed to go towards kids, and now we don't even know how much of an impact this is going to have. There is a potential for children to die because they didn't receive that $10 million worth of Medicaid funding. And that is not the type of person that we want in Washington, D.C.. We want someone who's going to put people first, which is me, like I have always been.

We need to make sure that we have fully funded public schools. We need to make sure that people have homes to live in. Right now, people are working harder than ever, and they're struggling just to stay afloat. And Ashley Moody is working less and less and less, and she's getting richer. She's trading stocks and sitting on committees, health care committees, and she's also trading health care stocks.

Like when does this end? We need to make sure that we are looking out for regular, everyday people here in this country. And I plan to do that come November 3rd when I become the next United States senator.

JIMENEZ: And as we have mentioned, we've invited Ashley Moody to come on and defend some of what you're saying as well. The invitation still stands. We haven't heard from her on that front, but Florida state representative and Democratic nominee for Senate, Angie Nixon, really appreciate you taking the time. Thank you for being here.

[19:15:04]

NIXON: Thank you for having me, Omar. I appreciate it.

JIMENEZ: Of course. And I should also mention that CBS Miami report did find that there was insufficient evidence to charge anyone criminally as well, in terms of how she was talking about Ashley Moody.

All right, more news we are talking about, still to come, thousands of immigrants living legally in the United States are losing their Medicaid coverage under President Trump's tax and spending law. We're going to take a closer look at the painful choices they now face. Plus the latest on local outrage and beyond over Cornell University's handling of a disturbing sexual assault case.

And the Coast Guard suspends its search for survivors after a medical jet disappears off the coast of Nantucket. We'll bring you those details.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:20:31]

JIMENEZ: Officials say two people are dead and nearly three dozen others are injured after a shooting at a block party early this morning in south central Georgia. Police were on patrol at a neighborhood block party about an hour south of Macon in Vienna when the Georgia Bureau of Investigation says shots were fired. Deputies found multiple people had been shot. Two died at the scene and 35 others were injured and transported to hospitals. The injured ranged from 14 to 51 years old.

Now, officials say the conditions range from critical to stable and that the majority of those injured were gunshot victims. The GBI is investigating, but we'll, of course, bring you more details as we learn them.

Also tonight, another show of solidarity from students and community members in New York. A large crowd gathered in downtown Ithaca to show support for the former student known as Jane Doe and survivors of sexual assault more broadly, after allegations of gang rape at Cornell University.

We're also hearing from the attorney representing Jane Doe, and he told CNN earlier today that he recently spoke with New York Attorney General Letitia James' office and expects the new investigation will be handled fairly.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) THOMAS GIUFFRA, JANE DOE'S ATTORNEY: Tish James, at least what her office has told to me, is they're reaching out to outside people to get involved because the attorney general's office doesn't typically investigate crimes of this sort. So it sounds to me that people are being brought in who are experienced in crime and investigating crimes. So I think there will be impartiality. I think there'll be fairness.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: CNN's Mark Morales joins me now.

So, Mark, what is the latest here?

MARK MORALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, these demonstrations today are the latest example of the emotions sort of boiling over past the university. I mean, this thing went down about a mile away from the university, and you had a lot of folks there that were talking about two different things. One was just how unhappy they were with just how the university and local law enforcement handled this case.

But also there was this message of support for Jane Doe and for anybody else that's in a similar situation to hers, not just at Cornell University, but at other universities elsewhere. And they're not the only ones that have been very upset and have a lot of questions stemming from this. You have New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who has since appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James to be the special prosecutor.

She had one of her aides at this rally where he expressed that -- from Hochul that she was very upset and horrified by what she had seen, but wanted to get to the bottom of this through two different investigations. And we also heard from Jane Doe's attorney today who from the very beginning was very upset with how this was handled because the local district attorney decided to, aside from not even reviewing even more evidence, but to not pursue charges based on a six-page document that Jane Doe signed, which he says was lacking in a lot of evidence.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GIUFFRA: It seems that if you have a complaining witness saying, I'm 100 percent certain I was raped, that should make it into a report. You had the group chat inviting people to participate in a rape. You had a complaining witness. You had evidence of a crime and they didn't follow up on it. They didn't include it. And that's very concerning to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MORALES: It's those elements that were not in that report that he was referencing there that's got people up in arms. And that's why the New York Attorney General Letitia James is going to be the special prosecutor. And she is just focused on the criminal end of this. So she's going to go wherever the investigation takes her and her office. And if that -- and that remains to be seen as to where that goes. But she's in charge of the criminal aspect.

Now, there is a question as to what the university's responsibility was in reacting to all this, and that's going to be done by a special outside counsel that the university has hired. It's going to be somebody independent who's going to do a search to decide what everyone did, what was everybody's role, who knew what, when did they know it, and if so, why did they not act? And all this is coming down pretty soon -- Omar.

JIMENEZ: Mark Morales, really appreciate the reporting for us.

Meanwhile, we're following major changes to Medicaid that could kick thousands of eligible immigrants from their coverage. We'll bring you those details coming up.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:29:10]

JIMENEZ: We're just getting this in to CNN. The U.S. Coast Guard is suspending its search for the medical transport jet that went missing off the coast of Nantucket. Authorities did find debris from that missing jet earlier today, but still haven't located any survivors. Six people were on board the plane when it disappeared yesterday morning, flying from Bermuda to Boston. The FAA reportedly lost contact with the aircraft after air traffic controllers got word the plane was having some sort of issue.

Now, according to Canadian News Broadcast or CBC, a four-person Canadian crew flew to Bermuda to pick up a patient and their relative. Both were Bermuda nationals.

All right. Meanwhile, thousands of legal immigrants in the United States are losing their Medicaid benefits, and the Republican-led cuts many effective October 1st, were approved by Congress last year as part of President Trump's domestic policy bill, the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, as it's been known.

CNN national correspondent Rafael Romo has been looking into the extended impact of this.

So, Rafael, what are you finding here?

[19:30:09]

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Omar, among the people who have already been impacted by changes to Medicaid eligibility under President Donald Trump's Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law last year, are refugees asylees who fled persecution and some victims of sex trafficking.

This is according to an analysis by KFF Health News, an independent health policy publication that also says interpreters who risked their lives assisting U.S. service members in Afghanistan, all of whom are in the country with the federal government's permission have also lost benefits.

Trump administration officials say they are reserving taxpayer funded programs for American citizens. The laws changes to key safety net programs such as Medicaid and food stamps, are also a hard blow to some immigrants who have legal status, but are not yet permanent residents.

The immigrants affected are people living legally in the country, but not yet eligible for a green card. That's the case of a Romanian immigrant in Chicago who depended on Medicaid to pay for nursing home care after suffering a stroke, and who, according to his partner, was notified by the state of Illinois, the federal government will no longer pay for it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERESITA MORALES, PARTNER LOSING MEDICAID BENEFITS: And suddenly they decided to cut him off. I am not having it. I am going to fight for him and everyone else that needs it.

And this is, to me, insane!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: Another group that is deeply affected by the Medicaid cuts under President Trump's law are refugees, including Ukrainians who fled their native country after Russia invaded it in 2022.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OLENA LEVKO-SENDEHA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SELF-RELIANCE ASSOCIATION: People are disappointed. People are discouraged. They really don t know what to do because, unfortunately, they cannot go back yet.

Because, as you know, the war is still going on.

ROMO: Now, just to be clear, Olena, these are people who are here in the country legally, right? These are not undocumented immigrants.

LEVKO-SENDEHA: Yes. These people are here legally. They are here on the program of U4U, which is United for Ukraine, and they are also called parolees, which is different than refugees and asylum seekers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: And just to clarify, asylum seekers are immigrants who fled persecution in their home country and have requested U.S. protection while parolees are those allowed into the country by the U.S. government for humanitarian reasons.

According to the Self-Reliance Association, a Chicago based organization that offers support services for immigrants, as many as 9,400 Ukrainians are affected by the cuts just in the state of Illinois. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that 100,000 people would become uninsured over a decade as a result of Medicaid cuts under President Trump's law. But the KFF Health News analysis of state level data says that more than 281,000 immigrants from nine states and the District of Columbia who are expected to lose Medicaid starting in October.

Omar, now back to you.

JIMENEZ: All right, Rafael Romo, I really appreciate the reporting and breaking that down for us. Thank you for being here.

All right, also tonight on "The Whole Story" with Anderson Cooper, Ed Lavandera and his team spend 30 days inside a small town hospital struggling to survive. Here is a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Omar, we spent 30 days inside the West River Health Services Hospital in the tiny town of Hettinger, North Dakota.

This hospital serves a massive area in Southwest North Dakota, South Dakota, as well as Montana as well. And what we heard over and over from people there in this community is that if it wasn t for this hospital and all the services that it provides, the town would simply die. That is their fear.

And this town in this place sits at a crossroads in America in 2026, rural health care is struggling. You also have the confluence of the raging immigration debate across the country. All of this sits at this crossroads in Hettinger, North Dakota.

And one of the health care workers that we met there kind of talked to us about how difficult it is to get health care workers to come to small places like Hettinger.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody wears multiple hats. The CEO drove the ambulance. It is hard to recruit people because there is a lot of education required to be an EMT.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, Paul. I am a doctor. What happened today? Did you get lightheaded? Did you have chest pain? Shortness of breath? What happened?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ive been doing ambulance runs for about three years now, just as a driver.

Help get people from here to there.

DR. CATHY HOULE, FAMILY PHYSICIAN: Did you happen to get a 12 lead?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have over 40 positions open right now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is my office --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With around 200 current employees.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This used to be the full lobby.

[19:35:02]

This job has probably been open for about 10 years. 2016.

LAVANDERA: I am incredibly grateful to the CNN documentary team, the photographers and producers that we worked with to embed ourselves in this hospital. Get to know community members and the people who run this hospital. I think you'll really appreciate the way all of this kind of comes together.

And it is a fascinating look into this community that is changing and has changed drastically over the last few years -- Omar.

JIMENEZ: Ed Lavandera, thank you so much.

It is going to be very fascinating. "The Whole Story" with Anderson Cooper airs at the top of the hour on CNN and then tomorrow on the CNN app.

Also, tomorrow begins a new term for the Supreme Court. So what can we expect from the justices? We will analyze that next in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:40:36]

JIMENEZ: Tomorrow, the Supreme Court kicks off its new nine-month term, and on the docket is a slew of high profile cases. The court is taking up a major test of President Trump's immigration crackdown, including his mandatory detention policy, along with his push to deport migrants to countries her than their homelands.

Justices will also hear arguments over gun rights, voting rules, religious liberty and climate change accountability. So lots to talk about here. I want to bring in Michael Gerhardt, a Burton Craige Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

So what do you see as the single most significant issue or topic on the docket this year?

MICHAEL GERHARDT, BURTON CRAIGE DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR OF LAW, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL: That's a great question because there are so many important cases. I think the -- I think the religion cases might be at the top of the list and that is because I think the Supreme Court is on the verge of overturning how the Supreme Court itself has dealt with issues relating to free exercise of religion for decades.

And I think in two different cases, the Supreme Court is going to have a chance to kind of rewrite the law, rewrite the First Amendment. In one case. It has to do with whether or not it is possible for a church, for example, to build a shrine next door, but local zoning laws forbid that because it is a residential area. So that case has come before the Supreme Court.

And in another case, it deals with also a local law that barred or actually required universal preschool throughout Colorado. But some entities, if they wanted to have that coverage, had to sign a form saying they would not discriminate.

And so there are several churches that have said they can't sign that form because they do want to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

JIMENEZ: You know, one of the other significant questions and cases that will be answered by this court around immigration and how the administration has been trying to enforce some of its policies here, and the administration has shifted away from a three-decade old policy by essentially denying bond hearings to thousands of migrants being held in detention. What is the constitutional argument that The White House is relying on or arguing to carry out some of these mandatory detentions?

GERHARDT: I think the administration's basic argument is that it doesn t have the time or resources to allow for these kinds of hearings. But as you point out, we've had bond hearings for decades for undocumented migrants or immigrants, and the point of those hearings is to be able to make the case for why those people should be able to stay at their homes while their issue is being litigated.

The Trump administration doesn t want that. They want instead to deport these people as quickly as possible. And then there is another case dealing with whether or not the Trump administration can send people to what they call third countries when their country of origin doesn t want them back.

And so essentially, the Trump administration would be dropping people that are deported into countries they have never lived and don t know anyone.

JIMENEZ: Sure. You know, the makeup of the Supreme Court obviously has been such a point of emphasis and scrutiny over the past few years. And Justice Samuel Alito recently told CBS that he considers whether to retire every year, which that might apply to a lot of jobs across the world. But let's just focus on the Supreme Court itself.

I wonder, do you think the possibility of a Senate Majority flip could influence his decision? How are the sort of outside politics typically viewed or weighed by a justice who might be considering retiring?

GERHARDT: It is an important question and so the short answer is every justice makes those calculations for themselves. But for Justice Alito, as you point out, he is kind of been the subject of rumors for some time about his possible retirement. But I think a critical factor is what you just said. A critical factor will be whether or not the Democrats retake the senate, and in that circumstance, it is not at all clear that any hearing would be given to any Trump nominee.

[19:45:10]

JIMENEZ: Sure. Michael Gerhardt, appreciate the time and perspective ahead of what is going to be a busy slate here. Thank you.

GERHARDT: Thank you.

JIMENEZ: And you can join us on CNN All-Access tomorrow morning for an in-depth look at the new Supreme Court term. CNN chief legal analyst and anchor, Laura Coates hosts our special at 9:00 A.M. Eastern. You can go to cnn.com/watch and send us your questions as well. You can e- mail them to CNNAllAccess-questions@cnn.com. It might get answered by our panel.

All right, with control of the senate up for grabs, some Republicans are trying to thread a very delicate needle separating themselves from President Trump without alienating his base.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:50:34]

JIMENEZ: With the midterm elections just 30 days away, we are watching some tight races for the Senate, among them the showdown in Iowa between Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson and her challenger, Democrat Josh Turek. It is a race that could help decide which party gains control of the Senate. And a new "New York Times" - Siena poll shows it is a tossup right now for who is actually going to win in November.

CNN's Jeff Zeleny caught up with Congresswoman Hinson in Des Moines, Iowa.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Congresswoman, how are you? Good to see you.

REP. ASHLEY HINSON (R-IA): Welcome to Iowa. Glad to have you here.

ZELENY (voice over): We are back in Iowa to see Ashley Hinson, who is suddenly emerging as Exhibit A for how Republicans are trying to thread a delicate needle with the president here in Trump country.

ZELENY: As you know, President Trump won just two years ago here by 13 points. It's the third time he won in Iowa. How would you assess his popularity now versus those times?

HINSON: Well, certainly in a midterm, everything narrows, and I think that's true no matter who is in The White House.

ZELENY (voice over): It's a remarkable balancing act to watch. From loyalty in the Oval Office earlier this week --

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: You are doing a fantastic job.

HINSON: We are working hard and appreciate your agenda.

ZELENY (voice over): To creating some distance back home in Iowa.

HINSON: I have called for an immediate and successful end to the war in Iran, so that families can get some relief at the pump and the checkout line.

ZELENY (voice over): Yet, she didn't vote that way, like two of her fellow Iowa Republicans in Congress, who switched their votes to help pass a resolution directing the president to end the war.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One, two, three.

ZELENY (voice over): But even at her own campaign stop in Waterloo.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my goodness.

HINSON: There you go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

ZELENY (voice over): She saw that speaking out against an unpopular war can be unpopular with some Republicans.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But just saying stop and just walking away is not the ending.

HINSON: No, successful.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She (inaudible) had that word to herself.

HINSON: Because when you say stop -- yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It almost sounds like --

HINSON: Successful end.

ZELENY (voice over): In the final month of the race, Republicans are on a red state rescue mission, pouring $20 million more in Hinson ads this week, which could bring the Iowa tally to more than a hundred million dollars, with far bigger investments in Ohio and Texas.

ZELENY: Why is this race so difficult?

HINSON: I don't think it's difficult. I'm out there in all 99 counties. I run every race the same. So, for me, it's always been going out and earning every vote and running like I'm 10 points behind, which I don't think I am. I think I'm going to win on November 3rd.

ZELENY: I mean, you were saying that same thing two months ago, running like you are 10 points behind. But now, some Republicans, actually, are concerned you may be, and the Senate leadership fund, as you know, invested $20 million more dollars this week.

HINSON: When I talk about issues that are affecting families, we do need to bring prices down. We need to figure out how we provide relief to working families.

ZELENY (voice over): She is locked in a tight race with Josh Turek, a Democratic state lawmaker and two-time gold medal Paralympian. We met earlier this year.

JOSH TUREK (D), SENATORIAL CANDIDATE, IOWA: Seat number 51, it's right here. It's Iowa, and this isn't pie in the sky.

ZELENY (voice over): A year ago, Hinson tightly embraced Trump as she launched her Senate campaign.

HINSON: I am running to be President Trump's top ally in the United States Senate.

ZELENY (voice over): But her tone has steadily shifted.

HINSON: I have a record of delivering that shows that I don't care about party labels.

ZELENY (voice over): Now, airing T.V. ads stressing bipartisanship.

HINSON: Working across the aisle isn't always easy, but it's how you get results.

ZELENY (voice over): How do you square that?

HINSON: Yes, I am a bipartisan fighter, and nothing changes about who is in The White House or who has the gavel. I'm still going to operate that way. I think, you can agree with somebody, or you can be a thorn in their side and always do what's right for your state, and that's what I --

ZELENY: Have you gone too MAGA?

HINSON: No.

ZELENY: Have you gone too MAGA?

HINSON: I think, I am pro-Iowa and I'm pro-American, and that's what I will always support.

ZELENY (on camera): In the final month of this campaign, Republicans are trying to defend their own turf. Democrats are trying to pick up four seats to win control of the U.S. Senate. It is clear the battle for the balance of power in Washington runs straight through Trump country.

Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Des Moines.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JIMENEZ: Jeff Zeleny, really appreciate it. Still ahead, you are going to hear a World War Two vet's incredible rendition of the national anthem. Stay with us. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:59:09]

JIMENEZ: All right, everybody, caught on camera. Look at this, an incredible video out of Egypt. That was a man that was standing outside of his shop as a boy points up at a child falling from a second floor balcony. So what you just saw was that man catching that child. The child seemed to get tangled in a clothesline and boom, there is a catch right there.

He was tangled in the clothesline, slowing the fall. But it was just enough time for the man to rush over and catch the little boy in his arms. Afterward, you can see him making his way to a nearby mattress. He later told local media that after this miraculous catch, he had to sit because he was so shaken up. I would be too.

All right, the New York Islanders kicked off their home opener with a very special guest, 105-year-old World War Two veteran, Dominick Critelli brought down the house as he played the National Anthem on his saxophone.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

JIMENEZ: Just incredible. Thank you for joining me tonight and for joining me this summer.

Jessica Dean is back next weekend. I am Omar Jimenez, I will see you when I see you.

Remember if you're in the U.S., you can now stream CNN whenever you want on the CNN App. Visit CNN.com/watch for more. "The Whole Story" with Anderson Cooper starts right now.