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GOP PAC Pumps Cash into Mississippi; Lewandowski Faces DOJ Investigation; Trump Accuses LeBron James of Disrespect; El-Sayed Bench Presses on a Podcast. Aired 6:30-7a ET
Aired October 23, 2026 - 06:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:33:12]
AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: So, is it possible that the Senate seat in deep red Mississippi is actually in play? Well, national Democrats seem to think so. On Thursday, former Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to the state to boost Democrat Scott Colom. Now, Barack Obama has also cut an ad to air statewide. Now, the top Senate Republican super PAC is sending money for an ad campaign in the state, a state Trump won by 23 points just two years ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I need to -- you know, I want Mississippi as like I did just about everything else, in a landslide. So, if I need to get her over the top, I would go there. She's great. Cindy Hyde-Smith is great. So, if I need to go, I mean, I'm pretty well booked up as you see. But if I need to go, I'd go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: So, joining us in the group chat, Kyle Kondik, managing editor of "Sabato's Crystal Ball" at the UVA Center for Politics.
OK, Mississippi for real?
KYLE KONDIK, MANAGING EDITOR, "SABATO'S CRYSTAL BALL" AT UVA CENTER FOR POLITICS: I mean, I don't -- I don't think the Democrats are actually going to win down there. But, you know, both parties are spending money in that state now.
CORNISH: Like little bits of money? Texas amounts of money?
KONDIK: Well, you know, not -- no, not Texas amounts of money, but, you know, million dollars apiece it looks like. There's been some other Democratic spending in that state. And, you know, the state can also have more competitive races, not, you know, not necessarily at the -- at -- different from the presidential level. Cindy Hyde-Smith, the senator there, you know, her wins have been much more modest than Donald Trump's were. They had a competitive governor's race just a couple of years ago. And so, I think it's interesting. And there's also some people who think that the south will move a lot
this this election and not, again, not necessarily enough to allow Democrats to win in some of these states, but you might see margins that are a lot closer.
CORNISH: Yes, on the backs of whom? Who do you -- who?
KONDIK: Well, black voters. And also that, you know, white voter -- white rural voter turnout might be down.
I mean just next door in Arkansas, you know, a much -- a much more Republican state, Tom Cotton has actually been -- you know, these are polls -- like his own allies put out a poll that had him up only 11 points.
[06:35:10]
CORNISH: Yes.
KONDIK: And that's, you know, a state that's really -- even more of a landslide Republican state than Mississippi is.
CORNISH: So, Cindy Hyde-Smith, just to give an example, on X, talking about Colom campaigning across the state with Kamala Harris. And she does the, "he's beholden to the far left," "failed policies of Biden," "border crisis." She, in a way, it's sort of the argument that Trump made, right, in 2024.
KONDIK: Right.
CORNISH: But he's making an argument about policies now. So, I'm just going to play this clip that he did about the price of beef, because that's a big deal in Mississippi.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The price of beef continuing to go up.
CINDY HYDE-SMITH (R-MS): You know, you have so many proteins to choose from.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pick another protein? Shiiit, I'd rather pick another senator instead.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: Hot take there. Yes, does -- is something like that resonating?
KONDIK: I mean --
CORNISH: Is this in Iowa, where the policies would make people override their partisan instincts?
KONDIK: It's possible. And again, if you have a, you know, black voter turnout is better. You know, white voter turnout is lesser. That is an ad that's just a lot of people have noticed just because it's pretty funny, frankly. And so, there's just something -- a little -- a little something going on down there.
CORNISH: What makes you choose how -- that something goes from leans to likely? Because I don't even understand what likely means, by the way. Whenever I see you guys do that, I'm like, OK, likely is still going to happen? And what do those places have in common that you're seeing a shift?
KONDIK: Well, you know, since Labor Day, really, and for much of the cycle, you know, Democrats have just been getting upgraded and Republicans have been downgraded in the ratings. And this is -- it's more about the overall environment than a lot of the individual races. I mean there are certain things that happen that prompt those changes.
You know, when we do the ratings, I think a lean race, we really think, oh, well, you know, like if it leans Democratic, Democrats probably, you know, should win it will probably -- there still be some that go the other way. A likely race, you know, we really hope that it sticks, basically. And safe means that there's basically nothing interesting going on. It's -- you know, there's no -- there's no money being spent. And, you know, in the House, and really in the Senate too --
CORNISH: Oh, no money being spent, that's helpful. Yes.
KONDIK: Yes. In the House and the Senate, I mean, you know, the House, hundreds of races are safe for one side or the other.
CORNISH: I want to ask you about Ohio. We've been talking about Ohio. We're in the final stretch. And it's been a toss-up for the longest time, particularly in this conversation with Vivek Ramaswamy and Amy Acton. However, I don't know if it was always a toss-up. I don't know if Vivek was always struggling. Like, give me some context for what this ad could or could not do in the final stretch.
KONDIK: I think, over the course of the last, you know, couple of months or so, Acton has moved into a leading position in public polls and to the point where, you know, Ramaswamy is -- I mean frankly he's kind of a weak candidate. I mean I think that he's trying to be a sort of Trump-ish person, but he doesn't have a lot of Trump -- you know, Trump's sort of charisma.
And, you know, you look at an ad and, you know -- this this ad and Trump is defending it. This is the sort of thing that maybe Trump can get away with, but I'm not so sure that Vivek Ramaswamy can get away with it. You know, we'll see. I mean I think this ad is going to go down as being memorable and notorious, frankly, whatever ends up happening in the race itself.
But I think Acton was leading anyway. Now, look, this is Ohio. It's a red state now. And Trump won it by 11 points. So, like, Ramaswamy could run a horrible campaign, Jon Husted could run a horrible campaign for Senate, and they both could still win because the state has just moved to being very much right of center. But again, I think this -- I think Acton was already leading and I don't think this ad helps.
CORNISH: At the end of the day, are you going into election night thinking the Democrats could have a pretty good night just the way these numbers are? Or are you going into it thinking, these are all red states?
KONDIK: Well, this is the -- this is the push and pull. And it's more applicable to the Senate than it is to the House. I think the House is going to flip regardless.
But in the Senate, you know, Democrats -- it could be a, quote/unquote, blue wave environment, and Republicans could still hold the Senate because you look at, you know, Ohio, Texas, Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, all these Senate races we're talking about. These are places that Trump won by, you know, 10 to 15-ish points.
CORNISH: Yes.
KONDIK: And so, again, even if you see like a big ten-point swing, it might not be enough in some of these -- in some of these states. So, that's what, as a -- just trying to forecast this stuff that's what I'm really leery of. And it's why I think the Senate is really still very much up for grabs, even though, again, the environment is very good for Democrats.
CORNISH: OK, godspeed to the forecasters. Good luck.
Thank you so much, Kyle.
Next on CNN THIS MORNING, Abdul El-Sayed tries to make inroads with black voters in Michigan. Here is an example. Is bench pressing on a rapper's podcast going to help?
Plus, why Trump says LeBron James disrespects our country by practicing during the national anthem
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:43:53]
CORNISH: So, Republican operative Corey Lewandowski is apparently the latest political figure under investigation by the Trump Justice Department. A source telling CNN that the criminal investigation is looking into how Lewandowski may have influenced contracts awarded by the Department of Homeland Security while he worked there with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Now, Trump was asked about this investigation yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want my people to be honest. And if they're not honest, I'll have my DOJ go and do whatever they have to do.
REPORTER: But you're OK with that investigation then? TRUMP: Well, I guess I can stop anything. Look, if my people are not -- I have no idea what he did. I have just heard about it a little while (ph). I want the people that work for this administration to be 100 percent honest.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: So, it sounds like you're talking about him specifically when you're talking about people stealing.
TRUMP: I would say this. If somebody is dishonest, I consider them not only against the country, I consider that dishonest against me. So, I will never, I will never do anything to stop a prosecution if somebody is dishonest.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[06:45:02]
CORNISH: Group chat is back.
At this point, when we contacted the lawyer for Corey Lewandowski, he said, "Mr. Lewandowski has not been contacted by the Justice Department regarding any investigation. He denies any wrongdoing when he was proudly serving his country in a voluntary capacity."
So, putting my reporter hat on, when this kind of stuff is leaked through sources in the press --
NOEL KING, CO-HOST AND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, "TODAY, EXPLAINED" PODCAST: Yes.
CORNISH: What does that mean?
KING: Well, I think he's probably under investigation. I think it makes sense that his lawyer would say, not at the moment. President Trump seems to have just gone on my television and convicted Corey Lewandowski.
CORNISH: Well, no. He said if somebody is dishonest.
KING: But when he says -- but when he says "if" in that tone, you might as well take out the "if," right?
CORNISH: Meaning, instead of fake news, what are you talking about? That's bad.
KING: Exactly. Yes. I mean, look, there was reporting over the summer. My show did some reporting on this. Corey Lewandowski and Kristi Noem were flying around the world in a gilded jet and they were -- there were all kinds of contracts that there were all kinds of questions about. And we talked earlier about voters really caring about corruption.
I don't know how big a name Lewandowski is --
CORNISH: Yes. KING: But he became a big name over the summer for a while. And Kristi Noem is, of course, out. So, maybe this is one of those instance -- one of those instances where the administration says, look, we got to pin corruption on somebody. Let's look into what Lewandowski (INAUDIBLE) do.
CORNISH: Or are you just quietly, you don't help that person who is struggling with their headlines, right? Like you're getting Guilfoyle- ed (ph).
CARINE HAJJAR, EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBER, "WASHINGTON POST": I mean, I think maybe the president is just paying attention to the polling. We talked about this early but -- earlier, but voters are, in some polls, rating corruption as an even bigger issue than inflation and gas. And those have been the issues of the election. So, clearly, voters are paying attention here.
I think the other problem, though, OK, if the president wants to make sure that everyone is good and honest in the administration, OK, great. But what culture of impunity is empowering so many people to be caught up in all these different alleged schemes and entanglements, right?
CORNISH: Yes. Yes. With the Kimberly Guilfoyle thing of, please pay my credit card, one of the things that shocked me was the way that donor was just public with his goals and intent.
HAJJAR: Uh-huh.
CORNISH: You know what I mean? Like, we're hearing a disgruntled customer of corruption who's like, I didn't get what I paid for. And I was like, why are we saying this out loud? I don't understand.
LUKE THOMAS, JOURNALIST AND HOST, "MORNING KOMBAT" PODCAST: Some of the reporting on this is kind of interesting because, again, it's reporting, it's alleged, but sort of alleged that he tried to maybe shake down I believe the Saudis, shake down the Emirates for a consulting job related to whatever position he held in the government.
CORNISH: Yes, this was the reporting (INAUDIBLE) investigated of Lewandowski.
THOMAS: And they didn't like that at all. In addition, he tried to -- he tried to I think to strong arm Alex Karp of Palantir, who apparently did not like that at all. And I wonder, if you get sideways with enough people who are close to Trump, I think he may say, well, geez, I don't care so much about corruption per se, but if you're trying to defraud my circle of people, the people that we trust, this is actually a bridge -- it's sort of like bringing the problem in house rather than externalizing it.
CORNISH: Yes. Well, it will be an interesting story because Noem's divorce, you know, it's in "The Daily Beast." Like, this has sort of penetrated pop culture in a strange way. And Trump has a very love, love, love, hate, love, love relationship with Corey Lewandowski. All right, I want to talk about who the president is picking a fight
with, LeBron James. He called him a total disgrace. And he claimed that James disrespected our country. Here's why. James was stretching and practicing free throws during the national anthem. The president demanding that he wants James to apologize to all those great American warriors and heroes who died for the American flag.
Group chat is back.
This guy's been in the game for a long time, so I don't know why he was practicing free throws at that time, but somebody, tell me, tell me, is this a thing?
HAJJAR: I mean, I think it's really important to be reverent during that time. That being said, I don't know that picking a fight with LeBron -- I don't know that much about sports, but I do know that that's probably an unpopular position to take.
CORNISH: Yes. But you remember during 2018, Laura Ingraham doing the shut up and dribble kind of thing.
THOMAS: Yes.
CORNISH: Because, as you mentioned, LeBron James was campaigning, right, with Democrats.
THOMAS: I mean this is such a ridiculous -- I mean the guy trying to put an arch to block the view of Arlington National Cemetery is trying to police black athletes because they were, in his mind, insufficiently reverential during a time which, yes, he should have been more still. I certainly agree. But the guy's been in the league 20 years. This is not a common problem. It's all so phony. It's just red meat. Like, again, what -- we're in this election cycle where anything we can get just red meat to the base to get them energized, to get them thinking as a group again, I think this is just part of that.
CORNISH: Well, here's how LeBron responded. And I take -- I take the criticism.
LeBron, here we go.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEBRON JAMES, PHILADELPHIA 76ERS: Slow news day at the office, you know. Slow news day in the office.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Yes.
CORNISH: I gotcha. He's --
THOMAS: I don't even like LeBron James. But how can you not appreciate that?
CORNISH: I mean, he's not wrong.
I want to turn to something else. Do you even lift bro? That's the pressing question for Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VIC MENSA, HOST, "THE VIC MENSA SHOW": Let's talk about something that every American cares about. Who can bench more, you or Hasan Piker?
[06:50:01]
ABDUL EL-SAYED (D), MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE: Me.
MENSA: Let me see.
EL-SAYED: All right.
Two fifty-five, two sixty-five.
MENSA: There we go.
EL-SAYED: One, two, three.
MENSA: There we go.
I don't feel like you should be able to hold public office if you can't do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: OK, but we're getting swole (ph) on rapper Vic Mensa's podcast. Help him win over black voters.
Back to the chat.
As a person who can bench 30, I want to know how big a deal this is.
Luke, you were very dubious about this metric in the first place.
THOMAS: Two things I would say. I mean, I like Abdul El-Sayed a lot. I hope he wins. But I will say this. I think that one big mistake that everyone on the left makes is that they try to perform masculinity on the terms that the right sets. And he has been -- he's able to do that. You can see that. He certainly lifts weights better than Pete Hegseth, which is a low bar, speaking of bars. But the point I'm trying to make is, you really can't win that battle. They --
CORNISH: Did you say, speaking of bars?
THOMAS: Well, you know, I mean, I got -- I got a few myself.
CORNISH: Well done. It's a bar. It's a bar. OK.
THOMAS: But the point -- but the point I'm trying to make is you just cant -- you can't beat them at their own game. In that sense, for the podcast side, where we're just talking to podcasters that have ostensibly nothing to do with politics --
CORNISH: Yes.
THOMAS: We know that this works. So, whether it's the Vic Mensa one, I don't know the exact, you know, impact that that has. But as a general idea, it's a pretty good one.
CORNISH: OK, Noel, you actually talked about El-Sayed's thirst traps on the podcast, which made me cackle.
KING: Yes, we did. Yes, we did.
CORNISH: Please, can I play for the listeners? OK, this -- the viewers here. This is the "Today, Explained" podcast. Here we go.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE PANETTA, POLITICS REPORTER, "THE 19TH": In the aftermath of 2024, one thing a lot of people in that digital space have been talking about is how Republicans and the Trump campaign really capitalized on, you know, getting that organic engagement on platforms like TikTok, Instagram. One Democrat I talked to put it, you know, she thinks it's a way for Democrats to sort of win back the internet. And she said to have fun on the internet because Republicans are having fun on the internet. And it appears to be working for them. Or at least it was in 2024.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: So, are Democrats finally having fun on the internet?
KING: I think so, I think -- I think we disagree on this a little bit. I understand you saying that Democrats can't win it -- you can't win on somebody else's terms. However, voters respond to authenticity and Abdul El-Sayed authentically is a guy who, like, works out, goes to the gas station for Gatorade.
CORNISH: OK, but look at these pictures. Look at these pictures, Noel.
KING: I -- well --
CORNISH: Is it giving authentic to you right now?
KING: I can't -- my eyes are bad. I can't --
THOMAS: Do you wrestle?
HAJJAR: I think he (INAUDIBLE) in real time.
KING: No, no, make him lift again.
THOMAS: He wrestled. He wrestled in high school and he played football in high school. That matters.
KING: No, he's --
HAJJAR: It's making me cringe in real time.
KING: He's a legit jockey and he clearly -- look at the way he's built. He clearly lifts.
CORNISH: All right. Are you OK?
KING: And I just think authenticity is very important to voters.
CORNISH: Uh-huh. OK.
James Talarico has a different point of view, and I want to talk about that because, in Texas, they're going after his manhood left and right. They're calling him low t Talarico and something something, he's a vegan, like all the things that somehow make you less of a man. Anyway, here is how he is approaching things in Texas.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know what's interesting though? Just going back to the macho thing. It's like Abdul El-Sayed, Wes Moore, they've made the calculus, like, I need to lean in to being a man. I'm going to post videos of me lifting.
JAMES TALARICO (D), TEXAS SENATE CANDIDATE: Sure.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And so even the people in your party, though, they think like, I got to lean into being a man.
TALARICO: Maybe so. I don't -- I don't have that insecurity, I guess. So -- but I -- everybody's got to do their own thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Fair play.
CORNISH: Fair play.
And I think it's interesting who he named. I know the reporter there, Jacob at TMZ. And in a way he looks and is the age of the exact voter that this appeal is supposed to be to. It's like, hey man, hey dude, I'm like you. I'm just a guy trying at the gym. And they are, you know, do they find it -- do they find it cringe? Do they find it trying hard? Or do they find it appealing?
HAJJAR: I mean, I find it cringe, but I'm not the target demographic, obviously.
CORNISH: Yes.
HAJJAR: Look --
CORNISH: Can you even lift, bro?
HAJJAR: Not like that.
CORNISH: Because that's a joke that lifting people say. THOMAS: That's right.
CORNISH: Yes. OK.
HAJJAR: Right. I outed myself here.
CORNISH: You're welcome.
HAJJAR: I do think that we should get back to a culture where people don't want to work out in public and on camera. Personally, I don't want to be seen when I'm sweating.
CORNISH: You just took a whole other stand there.
HAJJAR: But --
CORNISH: Did you just say don't work out in public?
HAJJAR: No, no, work out in --
CORNISH: Oh, social media.
HAJJAR: I just don't want to be -- like, who wants to be seen when they're sweating and grunting?
But anyways, putting that aside, zooming out, young men don't -- are not high propensity voters. So, this was -- what Trump did was really singular. And just like the pattern of Democrats trying to copy Trump to gain the same successes has not really worked well. And I don't think it's working well here either.
I'm just -- look, if Abdul El-Sayed wants to be bench pressing on podcasts, that's fine. What are his solutions to affordability issues? That is like -- was the issue for young men. I mean, they felt seen by the president going into their spaces, but President Trump went into their spaces, was completely himself, wasn't trying to be anything else.
[06:55:03]
CORNISH: He did. But he wasn't policy heavy, right? People weren't over indexed on policy hearing Theo Von (ph) talk about his addiction. Like, I just want to be clear, right? You go and do these things to show you are a person people want to hang with, not because you're about to talk politics.
THOMAS: To me, the more interesting angle to the story is, when he does these lifting videos with podcasters, because this is hardly the only one, he did one with the people with the fitness community itself, which, in my opinion, having been in it for a while -- well, I'm not in the community, but like having been adjacent to it, is pretty right wing or at least center right at a bare minimum. And it gives him audience with the kind of people who hear the messages that Abdul El-Sayed wants to deliver that you couldn't really get ordinarily. So, I think -- I think there's huge value in that. But just performing masculinity for the right, to me is a fool's errand that will end nowhere.
KING: Which is why Talarico is interesting because he's a littler guy and he's like, I'm not going to do that. Good on him.
CORNISH: Yes.
KING: He recognizes it's inauthentic.
I was in Texas earlier this week asking Texas voters about this exact thing. Do the attacks on Talarico's masculinity, are they resonating with you? And what I found was that conservatives, the conservatives I interviewed, were quite embarrassed by it, by -- they were like, I don't -- I don't want to talk about whether he's a man or not a man. I want to talk about whether or not he is somebody I'm going to vote for.
CORNISH: They felt it was cringe.
KING: And I'm absolutely not going to vote for --
CORNISH: They thought it was cringe.
KING: Yes, they were like, please don't talk about his sexuality or his testosterone with me. I'm like, I didn't start it.
CORNISH: Luke, what's in your group chat?
THOMAS: If you think politics is crazy, you just need to spend five minutes in combat sports. How about -- how about this?
CORNISH: I thought it was combat sports.
THOMAS: Yes, it's a version of it, I suppose.
Understand something. Obviously, Saudi Arabia has been bombed a lot recently for a lot of different reasons. We don't have to get into it. Most events, really all events, have been canceled in the country except Canelo Alvarez (ph), who is arguably -- he's Mexican, but he's arguably the greatest, in that sense, American boxing star, is set to compete in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Halloween, ready for this, on a card that's supposed to be called Mexico versus the world. No one's going to show up. There is a belief that he doesn't want to withdraw, because if he invokes force majeure, he'll lose his guarantee. But now he and Saudi Arabia, who are his benefactors here, are playing this game of chicken, where they're still set next weekend to have a boxing event in Riyadh. It just shows you --
CORNISH: Wait, but one that they feel could be potentially unsafe given the attacks there.
THOMAS: Yes.
CORNISH: OK.
THOMAS: They have to fly into Bahrain and bust their way in. They don't even have the ability to fly. I just want to point out some things. The combat sports world is
absolutely addicted to the bone to sports washing money. And nothing is more humiliating than watching them go through this ritual.
CORNISH: All right, we'll see if this this match actually happens.
Noel, what's in your chat?
KING: We have all stated at Airbnbs, yes.
THOMAS: Yes.
CORNISH: It's happened.
KING: We have all had a host tell us we have to, like, wash the dishes and do the laundry and sweep the front stoop.
THOMAS: Grab the sheets. Yes.
CORNISH: Yes.
KING: OK, so Airbnb is telling hosts, property owners, they can no longer require guests to do chores for them. And the hosts are crashing out over this on Reddit. They're like, how dare you tell us that we can't tell people --
CORNISH: Yes, because it's not a hotel. That's the whole point.
KING: It's really good. I mean I think we are at a point -- a unique point in American history where people just are generally bitter at property owners and landlords, right? And so it's sort of like the landlords are getting theirs. Reddit has told the landlords they can't make you do dishes and good on -- it's --
CORNISH: All right, I'm going to pay attention to it because they're not your employees, right?
KING: They're not your employees.
CORNISH: This is like the Uber thing.
KING: Right.
CORNISH: It's like, unless you are paying for the cleaning bills in my house, I don't have Airbnb, by the way. I don't know why I'm going to the mat for this.
OK, Carine, tell me what's in your group chat.
HAJJAR: Well, I'm from New England. So, we've been -- everyone's been watching the Maine poll in particular. And I've been up in Maine since last year just consistently checking in on that race. And recently I got to go up for a different race, though, which was the North American Wife Carrying Championship at Sunday River Ski Resort, which was really fun. And the prize is something like your wife's weight in beer. So, a really fun day in Maine. THOMAS: Wow.
HAJJAR: But I did get to -- the other prize that was being discussed with some Maine voters on the mountain there was the Senate and whether or not --
CORNISH: Oh, my God, don't mess up the story.
HAJJAR: I know. I'm trying to -- trying to process --
CORNISH: I need time to understand. You get weighed for --
THOMAS: Troy Jackson's got to get out there if he wants to win this race.
CORNISH: Honestly. Honestly.
HAJJAR: But, yes, it was a really fun day. A lot -- and really impressive to watch people of all different ages doing the whole obstacle course.
THOMAS: It looks crowded.
HAJJAR: It was really crowded.
CORNISH: That's -- yes, that looks amazing.
HAJJAR: Yes, beautiful (INAUDIBLE) day.
CORNISH: All right, mine is my -- this is an actual thing in my group chat because I just keep sending it to my husband over and over again. It is the cheetah pup cam at the Smithsonian Zoo. I love this so much, guys. I'm sorry, I just do.
So, I think the mom is named Zura and you can watch this live. As you can see, even they are asleep right now. But there's five cubs in the litter and there are two dens that you can watch in real time. And it is so cute.
THOMAS: They have names yet?
CORNISH: I don't think so.
[07:00:00]
Their names are like, Audie loves me one, Audie loves me two.
KING: They should name one Audie.
HAJJAR: Awe.
CORNISH: Audie is available. It is a unisex name. But anytime I'm feeling like a little bit down, I'm just like, OK, you just got to -- you got to bring it in. Bring it in.
KING: (INAUDIBLE) -- CORNISH: Well, that's the millennial one. I think, you're --
KING: Right.
CORNISH: Yes,
KING: Got it.
CORNISH: OK. I want to thank you all for being with us and stay with us because "CNN NEWS CENTRAL" is next.
