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Trump, Obama On Campaign Trail 10 Days Out From Election Day; 400K People Protested Today Across France; Interview With Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI). Aired 5-6p ET

Aired October 24, 2026 - 17:00   ET

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

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[17:00:45]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. Hi, everyone.

I'm Jessica Dean here in New York.

And tonight, just ten days until election day, Top leaders from both sides of the aisle are out in full force today. Early voting well underway, with more than 23 million votes already cast.

President Donald Trump voting last hour before traveling to Georgia for a rally tonight. He has been on a campaign blitz. And tonight he stops in Perry, Georgia. Tomorrow it will be Port Huron, Michigan.

Meantime, former president, Barack Obama is stumping for Democrats in Michigan and Ohio today. And later tonight, the two will be holding rallies around the same time trying to drum up voter turnout in some tight races in battleground states.

Earlier, two new Florida endorsements from former President Obama. He threw his support behind the Democratic Socialist running for Senate, Democratic nominee Angie Nixon and the Democrat running for governor there in Florida, David Jolly.

His support in reliably red Florida is just the latest sign Democrats are going on offense this election cycle and hoping to expand their victories into areas that have previously tended to vote Republican.

And we have coverage across the U.S. for you tonight. CNN correspondent Julia Benbrook is in West Palm Beach, Florida. CNN congressional correspondent Lauren Fox is in Cleveland. And CNN correspondent Arlette Saenz is in Detroit.

We will start with Julia, who is there in West Palm Beach. What are we hearing from the president today, Julia?

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, they just cast their ballots here in Palm Beach County, and they're joining the more than 23 million Americans who have already cast their ballots.

So we're learning a little bit about that data so far. In several key states, Democrats have made up a larger share of early voters than they did at this point two years ago.

So that's highlighting some of the Democratic enthusiasm edge that has also been evident when it comes to primary turnout, special elections and polling.

Of course, though that data only shows who is voting, not the candidates and the issues that are motivating them to do so. And Republicans typically prefer to go on election day.

But as Trump was leaving, he was asked, you know, did you vote party line? He said, quote, "very much so". And he also spoke a little bit to this recent campaign blitz, which he is now on his way to Georgia to continue.

He had a rally in Florida last night. He's been on the trail almost every day, very frequently over this past month. And he spoke a little bit about how effective he thinks he has been. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In fact, I heard a couple of the outlets saying nobody else has ever done it. And it's hard because I'm not campaigning for myself. I'm campaigning for other people, some of whom I don't know.

But in all cases, I find them to be very good. Some are really outstanding people, like in Kansas, like in Texas. I mean, in Nebraska I think we made big improvement.

[17:04:47]

TRUMP: I would say that just about every place I've been, we've brought them way up. South Carolina, Lindsey's sister, fantastic, Darline. I'll be doing another one there, I think.

But they've all come up and they're all doing well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: So you hear him run through the visits that he's made. Next on the list, of course, Georgia tonight. Then he's got Michigan tomorrow. Next week we expect him in Mississippi, in Texas, and in Ohio.

The message has remained pretty much the same throughout. He wants voters to pretend like he is on the ballot. He is hoping that that will motivate his base to get out to the polls.

He said this repeatedly, but it is a message that some Republicans hope still resonates as his approval rating has been at a career low.

In fact, a recent CNN poll showed it just above 30 percent, at 32 percent, to be exact.

DEAN: All right. Julia Benbrook, thank you so much. Let's go now to CNNs Lauren Fox, who's in Cleveland covering the

latest out of Ohio, where President Obama rallied today as Democrats hope to flip a Senate seat and win the governor's mansion, Lauren.

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Today in Cleveland, former president, Barack Obama making the argument that, yes, of course, this election is about the economy, Jessica. Prices are too high at the pump. They're too high at the grocery store. He said he understands the pain that people are feeling.

But he also argued he thought that that pain may also be about the direction, the leadership, and the morality of our leaders in this country. And he said that that was the kind of change he thought would actually inspire people to get to the polls.

The president also addressing that very controversial ad from Vivek Ramaswamy campaign that has really reshaped the political landscape here in Ohio. Here's what he said about that ad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's a decency that we should expect out of our public officials. And I don't know what's happened where the standards of behavior have gotten so low that somebody can run an ad like that.

There's got to be something inside you where you just say, you know, no office is worth stooping that low. Because you know what, character matters.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOX: And, Jessica, this used to be the battleground state that everyone would watch. And over the last three presidential cycles, Donald Trump has won here.

But Democrats feel like with the appearance today of former President Obama, as well as with the momentum they're feeling in this campaign, they can turn this state blue again.

And you really felt that audience really excited about this election. Over and over again a couple of times they tried to boo, and Obama just made the case. Don't boo, go vote.

So I think that that is certainly the underlying message, the closing argument here from the president here from Sherrod Brown and Amy Acton, is people are feeling like Democrats have a chance to take back control of statewide offices in this state again.

But what they need to do is make a plan and make sure that they go and vote. Because we do know that in a place like Ohio, turnout is going to matter. And Sherrod Brown and Amy Acton are going to have to do some things that they have not been able to do as Democrats over the course of the last several elections.

So that was a closing argument from Obama here in Cleveland, Jessica. DEAN: All right. Lauren Fox there in Cleveland.

We go now to Arlette Saenz, who is in Detroit, where President Obama will headline that second rally following that Ohio rally. There's a tight Senate race there in Michigan.

Arlette, tell us what the atmosphere is like.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jessica, this weekend on the campaign trail really features a very rare presidential split screen.

Former president, Barack Obama will be here in just a short while to rally voters for the Democrats on the ballot here in Michigan at the very same time that the man who succeeded him in the White House, president Donald Trump, will be rallying voters in Georgia.

Trump is also slated to be here in Michigan tomorrow, really setting up an opportunity for both Obama and Trump to offer competing visions for the country.

Now, Obama will be here in Michigan, one of those races with a very close Senate contest, the battle for control of the U.S. Senate is up for grabs.

Obama will be campaigning here with the Democratic Senate nominee, Abdul el-Sayed, and also the gubernatorial nominee, Jocelyn Benson.

It comes as Obama is reprising his role as the closer-in-chief. This is a role that he often takes in the closing weeks of the election to try to get his Democratic candidates across the finish line.

[17:09:47]

SAENZ: Obama is still a key motivator, especially for the Democratic base, and they are hoping that he can help in the closing stretch of this campaign.

Now, el-Sayed has struggled to fully bring together the entire Democratic coalition following that very bruising primary against Congresswoman Haley Stevens back in August.

One of the groups that el-Sayed still has some work to do with are black voters. So there is the potential that Obama could serve as a motivator for those types of voters, as they are weighing their decisions.

After Obama campaigns here in Michigan, he is also slated to be down in Georgia on Wednesday to campaign for Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff and the candidate for governor down there Keisha Lance Bottoms, to round out his campaign sprint of this election.

But tonight, certainly many will be watching that split screen as Obama and Trump are speaking. At the same time making their case for their respective candidates in the final ten days of this election, Jessica.

DEAN: All right. Arlette Saenz, thank you so much. Also, our thanks to Julia Benbrook and Lauren Fox for all of that reporting.

Still ahead here, my conversation with Democratic Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin. We asked her if she thinks the different wings of her party are coming together in that tight Senate race that Arlette just laid out with the election now just days away.

Plus, police use water cannons on protesters in France during another weekend of demonstrations against the cost of living.

CNN is on the scene there, with crowds in Paris.

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DEAN: New tonight, another wave of protests across France, from Paris to Lyon. Over 400,000 people marched in what authorities called mostly peaceful demonstrations against student conditions and the cost of living. They say there was far less damage or looting compared to last week.

But after those main marches ended, police did clash with smaller, more aggressive groups. Officers used tear gas to try to disperse those groups. Overall, nearly 1,000 people were detained.

In Paris, police used tear gas and a water cannon to block a crowd of protesters who tried to confront officers. Our team saw some protesters lighting flares and then throwing them at police.

Shops began boarding up their displays Friday and many popular places like the Louvre are closed today. The NFL closed its fan experience NFL house ahead of its first ever game there in Paris.

Let's bring in bring in David Andelman from Paris. He's a former correspondent for "The New York Times and CBS News, and is now the author of "Andelman Unleashed" on Substack.

David, it's great to see you. One week after we first spoke with you, when these protests really began flaring up. How, in your opinion, has the situation developed in the past week to where we are tonight?

DAVID ANDELMAN, "ANDELMAN UNLEASHED": Well, it's interesting. The minister of the interior, who is kind of France's top cop, said that -- congratulate himself, saying we avoided a new Saturday of chaos.

Well, it was a trifle calmer today, but this was largely due to the fact that it was raining and in the upper 40s, not great demonstration weather.

70,000 police and gendarmes -- that's the paramilitary police -- were deployed all over France. There were new routes for the marches away from the central cities. So away from all of the, you know, fabulous shops on the Champs Elysees and so on.

Still, tear gas was deployed in Paris. Six other big cities as well, but there were fewer than a thousand arrests about half of last week. There was still some pillaging at the end of the march, but -- and above all, it was still pretty politicized.

The leader of the far-left movement, Jean-Luc Melenchon, was in the front row of the Paris march. So that's where we stand right now.

DEAN: Yes. And as we were mentioning when we were -- we were going over everything into to interviewing you, these protests were largely peaceful during the day. Then as the evening fell, that's when they got more charged. And when we saw things like what we're looking at right now.

What changed as we entered those evening hours?

ANDELMAN: Well, what happened was a lot of the peaceful demonstrators from the day just dispersed. I mean, they left and they went home and they, you know, the march had ended.

They had run out of their standard route. So there was then -- then what they called the surge, the breakers, they came out. They are the ones who go pillaging. They're the ones who really knock -- knock things around.

And that's when the cops had to deploy the tear gas. And there and in six other big cities, as well as Paris, there was tear gas. There were a thousand arrests. Now, that was half of last weeks.

So it's still going on. That's the big thing. They're already talking now about marching again next week. And the presidential elections don't happen for six more months.

So -- and that's -- those are the -- that's the undercurrent of the whole thing. The fact is that there is a political season that we're entering now that is just fodder for marches like this. And that can in turn lead to violence from the people who aren't politicized, but who seize on that as an opportunity.

DEAN: Right. And so many of these original protesters are Gen Z students. What kind of a role is that generation playing in these protests?

ANDELMAN: That's how this all started this time. This time it was the students protesting how bad conditions are in their school, the leases, the high schools. And they're the first ones who went into the streets.

But over and above that, then the unions began to come in, the trade unions. And they're all worried about the cost of living. Everybody here is worried about the cost of living.

Gasoline is skyrocketing. Food is going up, and so on. Just like in the United States. So they've now taken over some of the motivation of these marches.

The students are still there in the streets. They still want the government to deal with their problems. But there's a whole new layer on top of that.

[17:19:47]

ANDELMAN: That is, you know, overlaying all of this, that that's really very, very difficult for the government to deal with.

DEAN: And so you mentioned this, the politics surrounding all of this, the presidential election that's on the horizon in march. Macron has accused left wing agitators of hijacking that student movement.

Politically, where might this take France?

ANDELMAN: Well, the big fear right now is that you won't -- The center is collapsing in France as it is in many countries. So you have a very powerful far right and Marine Le Pen, who is the heir apparent to her father's legacy of the far right in France. And then there's the far left, Jean-Luc Melenchon.

The fear is that in the final second round, there are like a dozen people who run for election for president in the first round of voting next April. Then in May, if no one gets more than 50 percent, there's a -- there's a second round.

And the fear is that only you're going to have a far-right and a far- left candidate. That's the only choice the French people will have.

That's the battle that's going on right now. Who's going into head-to- head in the second round? And will there be a moderate in there at all? Or will France be run by an extremist for the next five years?

DEAN: Yes, a big questions. David Andelman, always good to see you. Thank you so much for your time.

ANDELMAN: Thanks for having me. It's great to be with you.

DEAN: Thank you.

Democrats and Republicans both bringing out the heavy hitters ahead of the midterms.

I just spoke with Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin about the race and the closing message Democrats need to make to undecided voters there in Michigan. That's next.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

[17:21:21]

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Tonight, former president, Barack Obama and Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin are in Detroit campaigning for Abdul el-Sayed. He is running against Republican Mike Rogers in a race that's critical to Democrats chances of winning control of the Senate.

Earlier, I spoke with Senator Slotkin ahead of that rally in Detroit. And here's our conversation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: Senator Elissa Slotkin, thank you so much for joining us today. We really appreciate your time.

I know you've been very active on the campaign trail. You've appeared many times with Abdul el-Sayed and other candidates.

And I don't want to be too simplistic here, but you're more of a moderate Democrat. He's considered part of the progressive wing of the party.

Do you see yourself as a bridge between the various parts of the Democratic Party in Michigan?

SEN. ELISSA SLOTKIN (D-MI): Well look, I mean, I think at this point, you know, like, you know, we can disagree on certain things, but the reality is we agree on so much more, particularly on the really, really important things.

Putting a check and balance on Donald Trump, getting our economy back on track so we have a middle class. And then holding people who break the law accountable. So we are going to have disagreements among Democrats. That's normal.

But to me, it's like the fundamental question is these two different visions of America. Like, where do I fall? And Abdul and I have differences, but we work together and focus on what we have in common.

So I don't know if that's a bridge. You know, Michigan is an independently-minded place, and we're showing that every single day. And I'm proud of that.

DEAN: Yes. And so to that point, you two hold different positions on, as you mentioned, a number of issues.

Foreign policy is an example. You have said you see Israel as an American ally. He told ABC News in his words, it's time for us to realize Israel is not our friend.

There are Democratic voters in Michigan who are hesitant to vote for him on that particular issue. What are you saying to them?

SLOTKIN: Yes, I mean, look, some of those issues, you know, certainly on general foreign policy issues, there's a number of issues where we disagree. And we've been on, you know, like in car rides to events together where we debate and disagree in the car ride, right.

But what I say to those voters is, first of all, like, everyone has to decide, every single American has to decide what their most important thing is. What issue drives them to vote and make their own decision.

And for me right now, watching what's coming out of the White House, watching what's happening to our democracy, what's happening to our economy, for me, what is most important is to put a check and balance on that and push back and send a signal. But for those who feel differently, I mean, that's your prerogative as

a voter. I hope that people see the importance of our democracy and our economy. But at the end of the day, it's what any voter prioritizes.

DEAN: And el-Sayed is facing the same opponent, Mike Rogers, the Republican that you did in your most recent race. And in that race, you received 85 percent support from black voters.

Currently, el-Sayed is at 77 percent, and in a close race like this one, those numbers can really matter. We know President Obama is going to headline this rally. He's trying to shore up support with these very voters.

Why do you think his numbers are lagging behind yours? What can be done to convince these voters who you're going to need to win?

SLOTKIN: Well, look, I think President Obama is a big draw. He was out here in 2018 when I ran for the first time. He was out here in 2024 when I ran for Senate. Like he is a big draw for Democrats and I think a unifier for the party.

And I think that, look, I mean, the -- I think Abdul is doing something different, right? And it's a -- it's a test. And we'll -- I think we're watching in real time, you know, where we are as a state and how people feel about the White House.

And so, you know, that -- he's aware of that. He is tracking that and having rallies like these and the rallies he's been having all over the country or the state are really important to sort of rev up energy and bring turnout up.

So, look, everyone has different ways that they can win. And -- but for me, I think the important thing, you know, is that we're all on the same team here.

[17:29:46]

SLOTKIN: Now, I will say the, the lines of Islamophobia coming out of Mike Rogers and the campaign on TV and on digital and with surrogates has taken like a decidedly Islamophobic bent. And, you know, I have no problem if people want to debate policy issues.

But for many of this, the stuff that's coming out of their campaign, that's not what we're talking about. And I have a real problem with that.