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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson

Trump And Xi Extend Trade Truce, Look To Future Meetings; Trump Says Meetings with Xi - Great For Everybody; Putin Welcomes U.S.-China Talks In Washington; White House Bars CNN From Covering Trump's Tennessee Trip; U.S. Supreme Court Allows Use Of Citizenship Voter Data Tool; Poll - Abdul El-Sayed Leads Michigan Senate Race; Pope Leo Prays At Notre Dame Cathedral In Paris; Aired 12-1a ET

Aired September 26, 2026 - 00:00   ET

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

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ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: I'm Elex Michaelson, live in Los Angeles. Coming up, China's President ramping up a visit to the U.S. capital with a presidential team. What was discussed during the meeting at the White House. And in early season nor'easter is threatening much of the East Coast, we are live in New York with the latest forecast.

Plus, I head out to the Palisades to see how that community is rebuilding nearly a year after fires ripped through the community, an inspiring story of coming together to help rebuild.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Los Angeles, "The Story Is" with Elex Michaelson.

MICHAELSON: It's 9 o'clock here on the West Coast, midnight on the East Coast, and we begin in Washington where President Trump has wrapped up a landmark state visit by Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The two leaders said that they could meet in-person two more times this year.

President Trump and Xi are trading niceties Friday as the Chinese leader concluded his first visit to Washington in more than a decade. They extended a trade truce, talked about working together to address the risks of AI. President Trump says they also discussed the U.S. war with Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. The two also visited the national archives with their wives to view the declaration of independence and the U.S. constitution.

As the U.S. marks its 250th anniversary. This visit put the founding documents of American democracy on display for China's autocratic leader. Inside the rotunda, President Trump stopped to speak with reporters about the two countries' histories.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We're just comparing. Ours goes 250 years, which is great, and we're proud of it. Theirs goes 6,000 years. So there's a little difference between 6,000 and 250, but we're very proud of our 250. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you think (inaudible).

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Oh, everything. We had a great meeting. We had a really great meeting. Great for everybody. Great for the farmers. Great for everybody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Russia's President, Vladimir Putin, says that he welcomed the talk between the U.S. and Chinese leaders. Putin was asked on Friday if he was jealous of Xi for having face-to-face talks with President Trump. This is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (translated): Jealousy belongs in a completely different realm, one of a humanitarian nature concerning relations between a man and a woman. In international politics, I believe such categories are not used.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Mr. Putin also said that the U.S. and China are the world's two largest economies and that any agreement struck between them affect the entire global economy, including his country of Russia. Meanwhile, Russia's top diplomat Sergey Lavrov set to address the UN General Assembly in the next few hours. That is when the forum will resume day five of its general debate. Officials from 18 other countries also scheduled to speak including China, Germany, India, and Saudi Arabia.

For more analysis, we are joined by Bobby Ghosh, a Columnist and Geopolitics Analyst. He's live in Warren, Connecticut. Welcome to "The Story Is" for the first time.

BOBBY GHOSH, COLUMNIST & GEOPOLITICS ANALYST: Hi, Elex. Thanks for having me.

MICHAELSON: So let's start with President Trump and leader Xi. President Trump just said that everything was accomplished in the talks. From what you're hearing, from what you're seeing, obviously a lot of this is not public yet, what was accomplished?

GHOSH: Well, as far as we can tell, not a great deal. Usually, when Trump meets with Xi, there are big announcements of deals. Whether there's a follow through on those announcements is a different question. But there's talk of selling a lot of Boeing aircraft. There's talk of selling soybeans. China promises to buy more agricultural products from the U.S. There is some idea. There's some estimation of how much these deals are worth.

So far, this time, we've heard none of that. What we've heard actually is much more of a personal nature, where the President says he's having -- he's had a good relationship with the President of China and that they're going to meet, a couple of more times. This is much more about Trump and Xi sharing vibes rather than the United States and China making deals.

We haven't heard anything to suggest that China is willing to help end the war in the -- against Iran. We haven't heard anything to suggest that China is about to make a major announcements about AI policy. So as yet, we have heard nothing concrete beyond the optics of this, the photo opportunities, and the smiles that the two sides have exchanged.

MICHAELSON: We know that President Trump, very much values personal relationships and business. That's been a big part of his career ever before he was the President. Is Xi a vibes guy? Is he driven, by personal relationships? How does he view the world differently?

GHOSH: Well, he's not really. He's much more transactional. He's much more about making deals for his country. But that being said, he's a totalitarian leader of a very large country.

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He has an ego as much as you would expect from a person like that who has that sort of a position, and he's clearly enjoying this trip. To have the President of the United States fawning over him in this way, treating him as an equal, saying pleasant things about him without him offering to make any kind of deal, without him offering anything substantive in returns. Well, from his point of view, what's wrong with that? That makes him look good. That's makes China look good without him actually having to pay for anything.

So from Xi Jinping's point of view, this is a tremendous success already. From Trump's point of view, from America's point of view, we'll have to see if anything substantive comes out. So far, not so much.

MICHAELSON: While that's happening, of course, the war with Iran continues on. And some words that Iran is potentially interested in a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in seven days, we heard from the Iranian Foreign Minister. Here's some of what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABBAS ARAGHCHI, IRANIAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER: Iran has conveyed to the United States through Qatar a concrete seven day plan. If the necessary conditions are met, the strait can be reopened and normal maritime passage restored within seven days. The choice now rests with the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: How do you read into that, and how likely is that to actually accomplish, what he's talking about?

GHOSH: Well, what we've heard already, we've seen reporting that the Trump administration Trump has rejected that offer. It's not really much of an offer because the terms that he's talking about are terms that no American President can accept. And when he says that normal shipping will be resumed, he doesn't really mean normal. He means that the new normal will be imposed, which is that if ships go through the Strait of Hormuz, they will go through with Iran's permission and perhaps having to make a payment to Iran.

So Iran is trying to change the reality on the ground by saying, yes. We are willing to open the straits provided the United States agrees to our terms. Now in the past, those terms have included an apology, have included reparations for Iran, have included in removing all American sanctions. These are terms that that the United States cannot accept. And by the way, most of America's allies, especially allies in the region around the Persian Gulf, don't want America to accept.

So he's making it seem, he's making himself seem as making Iran seem much more reasonable than the reality would hold up.

MICHAELSON: Bobby Ghosh, Columnist, Geopolitical Analyst. First time on our show, hopefully, the first of many. Great to have your insights to start us off on this Friday into Saturday. Thanks so much for being with us.

GHOSH: My pleasure. Thanks for having me.

MICHAELSON: Meanwhile, another big story we've been following, CNN and the White House press corps facing a new challenge from the Trump administration. The White House says that it is barring CNN from flying on Air Force 1 in the hours ahead as President Trump heads to Tennessee. CNN was scheduled to serve as the TV pool for the trip. Now this comes after a judge blocked the White House from enforcing a ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico. CNN's Alayna Treene is at the White House.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The White House revealed on Friday that they are barring CNN from traveling with the President on Saturday on Air Force 1 to Knoxville, Tennessee. Now all this comes after, the White House had initially announced a ban on three different media organizations, CNN, MS NOW, and Politico last week.

However, a federal judge ruled on Thursday, that temporarily the White House needed to restore access to those different reporters and organizations, and that happened. But one question that was still left a little bit murkier was the question of the pool. And to give our viewers a sense of what the TV pool is, it is made up of five networks and essentially how viewers, whoever are tuning in on television, actually watch the President, and stay up-to-date on television with all of his movements.

Now every day, there is a rotation on one day when it's CNN's turn. You have photojournalists coming here to the White House, setting up, tracking the President's every movements. Whenever he speaks on camera, it is CNN's footage that day that will then be shared with all the other networks. And when he travels, similarly, CNN is the crew representing him on board. Another day would be Fox, another day would ABC, and the list goes on.

Now CNN was scheduled to be the TV pool representation on Saturday for the President's trip to Knoxville, Tennessee for a college football game. However, the White House revealed in a schedule released on Friday that CNN would not be accompanying the President. I will say I reached out to the White House. We have not yet gotten a comment on, what this means and whether or not this is something that will continue.

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We're still waiting to hear back from them, but this is very much likely to be another turn in the legal fight between this White House and the three media organizations. Alayna Treene, CNN, the White House.

MICHAELSON: Alayna, thank you. Happening now, a rare and dangerous storm gaining strength this hour set to bring strong wind, soaking rain, and coastal flooding to much of the U.S. East Coast. It is called a nor'easter named for the direction its winds come from. It is already having an impact on some coastal regions. Communities have been rushing to get ready with the peak of the storm forecast to arrive Saturday.

More than 40 million people in its path right now. The storm's effects being felt as far south as North Carolina's outer banks. Up and down the East Coast, organizers are canceling or rescheduling events. The Boston Red Sox moved their Saturday game against the Chicago Cubs to Florida. Major airlines are waiving change fees for some flights through certain airports. That nor'easter expected to slow down and linger over the region, complicating the situation. Much of the Mid- Atlantic has already soaked from rain since Wednesday, and tides are rising ahead of Saturday's full moon, which will make coastal flooding even worse.

Chris Gloninger is a Meteorologist and Climate Scientist. He joins us from Sag Harbor, New York, battling the elements. Hopefully, this shot is able to hold. Chris, what are you seeing?

CHRIS GLONINGER, CNN, METEOROLOGIST AND CLIMATE SCIENTIST: Elex, things are really going downhill pretty quickly here. You see the waves crashing behind me. I had to take the tripod down because it kept blowing over (Technical Difficulty). Event as coastal flooding ramps up as we go through the overnight. I just put the wave crashing behind me. A lot of sailboats still out here because we couple of kids after Labor Day. So it's still want to get out of the -- it was left in summer, but, wow, it is a nasty night out here in Sag Harbor, New York.

So this Green park, there's Bay Street in front of me that had some coastal flooding this morning, this afternoon, and this evening. And the worst of it will likely be later on morning. That is what we expect major coastal flooding.

MICHAELSON: Well, obviously, we're...

GLONINGER: (Technical Difficulty) coastal flooding tomorrow morning. And then they can begin to ramp down by Sunday into early Monday. A lot of heavy rain, strong, dusty winds. (Technical Difficulty).

MICHAELSON: All right. We're obviously having some problems with the tech of this, but we appreciate you, Chris, bearing the elements. And maybe the problems are part of the story here that the -- that this is a challenge for folks. We appreciate you out there, and we can tell it's a rough night in Sag Harbor, New York. Chris Gloninger, best of luck out there in the elements. Thanks for being with us.

Still ahead this hour on "The Story Is" the U.S. Supreme Court issues a consequential ruling involving voters and citizenship data. We'll speak to U.S. Senator Gary Peters about that decision plus his future and the big competition to replace him in Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed versus Mike Rogers.

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MICHAELSON: In a victory for President Trump, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states can review voter rolls by using a controversial citizenship data tool. In an unsigned opinion, the court rejected claims that the administration broke the law by making it easier for officials to use that system. But the justices said that the program should be used for individualized citizenship checks. Court also indicated that federal law prohibits mass voter removals so close to an election. The three liberal justices dissented, saying there could be harm if even a few law abiding voters lose their rights to cast ballots. They said that outweighs what they called the non-existent harm the government might suffer by taking action it has no authority to take.

Joining us now from Michigan is Democratic Senator Gary Peters, the Ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee. Senator Peters, welcome back to "The Story Is."

GARY PETERS, U.S. SENATE DEMOCRAT: Well, it's good to be with you.

MICHAELSON: So what's wrong with stopping non-citizens from voting?

PETERS: Well, there's nothing wrong with that at all. That that should never occur. And if it does occur, this -- the penalties are very severe. But let's be clear, there's real no evidence that that happens really on a -- certainly not on a widespread basis, but incredibly rarely. And what's the problem with this particular database is that even the administration itself has acknowledged that it is full of flaws, and so to use this database to potentially disenfranchise folks who are far here legally and can vote their citizens for a really non- existent problem is really problematic.

MICHAELSON: Your name is not going to be on the ballot, because you're retiring. And because of that, we are seeing one of the most closely watched, most competitive senate races in the country to take your seat. There's Abdul El-Sayed on the Democratic side, Mike Rogers on the Republican side.

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Mike Rogers has a new ad out talking about the Iran war. This is a war that early on he seemed to support, but here's what he's saying now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MIKE ROGERS, FORMER UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE: Groceries cost too much. We have to bring prices down. The war with Iran needs to end and end quickly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: What's your reaction to that?

PETERS: Well, it's far too late. This war was ill conceived to begin with. It's basically a war of choice that Donald Trump decided to go into without the kind of plans necessary to understand how you're actually going to win it. If you recall, the President said this would be a short war. It only lasts a few weeks. Here we are now months later. The impact of -- on energy prices is significant. It's costing people more and more money just to fill up their gas tank, and those costs are then also translated into the transportation systems. We're paying more for groceries. We're now seeing interest rates go up because of the inflation caused by all of this. People are paying more to borrow money, to buy a house, to buy a car on their credit cards.

This is completely out of control. This is, on the part of Mike Rogers, way too late. Clearly, he sees now that roughly 75 percent of the people in Michigan are opposed to this war, but he should have been a leader. If he really wants to be a United States Senator, he should have been a leader way back months ago when it was very clear that this was on a very wrong path and was not going to come to any kind of quick resolution. And in the end, Americans are going to pay a huge price with really nothing to show for it.

MICHAELSON: The election to replace you seems to be very close in recent polls. The latest poll from The New York Times showed that El- Sayed is ahead 49 to 44, but that is close to the margin of error in that race. Democrats doing exceptionally well across the country. And there's a lot of Democrats that wish that this race wasn't as close as it was. Are there any moments that you regret the decision to retire and that life may be easier for Democrats if your name was on the ballot?

PETERS: Well, no. I -- the decision I made, and I did it two years prior to the election. I wanted to make sure the Democrats had plenty of time to mount a campaign and to be successful in the election. So there's been much preparation. We have a strong candidate. Abdul is a very strong candidate. But we have to remember that Michigan is a purple state. We will always have close elections. That's the way it has been in the past. It'll continue. They are hard fought.

But right now, given the fact that the President's approval rating continues to bottom out, he has very low approval ratings, costs continue to go up. And as I travel around the state of Michigan, people are incredibly frustrated. I would say even angry with what they have seen from this administration. They are going to show up to vote. They're going to show up in very large numbers. I'm confident, Abdul will win the race, but it will likely be a very close race. But that should not be a surprise, to anyone because that's basically what happens in a purple state like Michigan. MICHAELSON: So the last time that we saw you in-person, we have some video of this, we were in Washington, and we interviewed you there. The reason we were in Washington was for a retirement ceremony for Bob Shrum. The longtime Democratic strategist became, the Director of the USC Center for the Political Future, an effort to bring people together from both sides to talk about politics in a civil way. The big question that night was who is going to replace Bob Shrum? Well, now we know. It's you. You are going to be replacing Bob Shrum as leading the USC Center for the Political Future. Why the decision to do that? And what are you hoping to accomplish in academia that maybe you couldn't accomplish in the United States Senate?

PETERS: Well, I -- when I was leaving the senate, I was very clear I wasn't going to retire. I was just not running for reelection. I had served 18 years in the Congress, and as our founders believe that folks should go to congress, should serve, and then return to their private life, and not stay there for their life, which is why then I decided to leave and pass the torch to someone in the next generation. But I really wanted to make sure that I was actively involved in working with that next generation, preparing them, giving them the tools to be successful in public life.

We need young people engaged in politics. Right now, many of them do not want to get engaged. They see politics as very toxic, and it is. But we can do better, and that's really what the center is all about. How do we come together? How do we work on the tough issues that our country faces and do it in a bipartisan way? And I'm very attracted to that. That's how I've run my career, I'm ranked as one of the most bipartisan senators, the most effective.

[00:25:00]

I've passed more legislation over the last three congresses than any other senator, and I've always reached out to get a Republican, cosponsor. We work together. We get things done. That's the way the system is supposed to work. I'm going to talk about how we can make the system work that way. I've been able to demonstrate that and give students the tools they need to either pursue public office, work for the government, or just be informed citizens that can be actively engaged in the process, which makes democracy stronger.

MICHAELSON: Well, it'd be great to have you in Los Angeles doing this and also splitting your time with Washington where there's a USC campus and as a USC Alum, we like to say fight on and put the V up for victory. So fight on, Senator.

PETERS: Sounds good.

MICHAELSON: By the time you're here, you're going to say fight on back. Thank you so much.

PETERS: Oh, OK, I will do that. Fight on. No. I'm excited.

MICHAELSON: Peters thanks for being with us.

Yeah. Fight on beat the ducks as we like to say. Ukraine's President says his U.S. counterpart is giving Kyiv the go ahead to start producing Patriot interceptor missiles. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Donald Trump told him during their meeting at the UN this week that he had made the final decision. President Trump first suggested giving Ukraine a license to make Patriots in July, but he later appeared to backtrack. Ukraine is facing a major shortage of Patriots, the only weapon that can shoot down Russia's most powerful ballistic missiles.

Still ahead this hour, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez leaves the door open to higher office as she begins a tour of Upstate New York. The questions about what comes next are only growing. Plus, the Supreme Court steps in to the high stakes battle over congressional maps dealing a blow to President Trump and the GOP. Our political panel standing by live, Caroline Sunshine and Eric Messersmith. They're here. We get to them next.

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MICHAELSON: Welcome back. I'm Elex Michaelson. Let's take a look at today's top stories as we're half past the hour. President Trump says he will meet with China's leader again later this year after hosting Xi Jinping for a whirlwind three day state visit that ended late Friday. The two visited the National Archives to view the declaration of independence and U.S. constitution in honor of America's 250th anniversary. President Trump says they discussed the war with Iran and the Strait of Hormuz during their talks this week. The two also extended a trade truce and talked about working together to address the risks of AI.

Experts are raising the alarm over a breach into the Pentagon's human resources computer server. Pentagon says the breach has exposed social security numbers and other data of current and former military numbers. Still not clear who was behind it. Experts say the information is a gold mine for foreign intelligence agencies or anybody who may want to export U.S. service members.

The U.S. Supreme Court has blocked Missouri from using a new congressional map in the upcoming midterm elections. That ruling likely ends a week long legal fight over district that could have helped Republicans pick up an extra house seat. It is a setback for President Trump who had urged Missouri to redraw its congressional maps last year.

New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is not ruling out a future run for the U.S. senate or even the White House. She says she's keeping her options open as she kicks off a tour of Upstate New York. CNN's Gloria Pazmino is there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ, (D-NY): Hey, everyone. How are we doing? GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 400 miles from her home district in the Bronx and Queens, New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is testing political waters.

OCASIO-CORTEZ: I think Buffalo is one of the most exciting places in New York state in terms of the rejuvenation of voter mobilization and input.

PAZMINO, (voice-over): The four term Congresswoman is on a tour of Upstate New York. First stop, Buffalo, meeting with Mayor Sean Ryan and hosting a training event with organizers, targeting voters who missed the last two federal elections and risk forfeiting their votes.

OCASIO-CORTEZ: Low income residents get purged from the polls. Working class people of all backgrounds can get purged from the polls. And what we want to do is flip that script.

PAZMINO, (voice-over): It's part of a statewide effort to increase turnout. So far, Ocasio-Cortez has donated $300,000 to boost Democrats in her home state with money earmarked for voter organizing and Spanish language outreach. Here in the city of Good Neighbors, supporters hope she's laying the groundwork for a potential run for U.S. senate.

OCASIO-CORTEZ: I'm leaving all my options open.

PAZMINO, (voice-over): Or maybe even the White House.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's great. I love her.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you can motivate people and get them to believe in something, you can go a long way.

PAZMINO: So you'd support her either for senate or for President if she goes for it?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, yeah.

PAZMINO, (voice-over): Republicans hope to attract moderate Democrats who worry AOC's Democratic Socialists of America brand of politics is too far left.

MICHAEL KRACKER, CHAIRMAN, ERIE COUNTY REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE: AOC and Zohran Mamdani are the ideological leaders of today's Democratic party, and I think that puts them out of step with a lot of moderate old school Democrats. And that's where I think there's opportunities for the Republican party to say, we welcome your voices.

PAZMINO, (voice-over): For now, she says she's focused on voter turnout and her own reelection.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Congresswoman, it sounds like you're running for something. Are you running for President?

OCASIO-CORTEZ: I am running for reelection.

PAZMINO, (voice-over): The tour will continue throughout the weekend. Ocasio-Cortez is expected to stop in Ithaca where she's holding a student versus billionaires town hall hosted by Cornell University student groups. She's also stopping in Syracuse, and she is expected to campaign alongside a more moderate Democrat, New York Governor Kathy Hochul. Gloria Pazmino, CNN, Buffalo.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Let's bring in our political panel to discuss Caroline Sunshine, former Communications Aide for Trump's 2024 Presidential Campaign, and Political Commentator Eric Messersmith, a podcast host for the Red, Blue, and Real YouTube channel. Welcome back both of you to the show.

So it seems like AOC has what I think of probably four options. One, run for -- well, she's run for reelection right now for November. So that's already happening. We're talking about in 2028. She can run for her current seat again. She could run for the senate seat. Chuck Schumer is up in 2028. She could run for President of the United States. Or she could become the biggest influencer and YouTuber in the progressive space. Just leave it all behind, make a lot of money, and just get to talk for a living because she's very good at that. What do you think is the most likely option?

CAROLINE SUNSHINE, COMMUNICATIONS AIDE, TRUMP 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: The fourth door is interesting. I think she's going to run for President. And I think if she does run for President, she'll be the Democrat nominee in 2028.

MICHAELSON: You really think so?

SUNSHINE: Roll this tape, in 2028, see if I'm right.

MICHAELSON: You're right about the Iran war.

SUNSHINE: So I've got a good thing going. For all you polymarket, but I'm just kidding. Yeah. I think she'll have a really good shot. I think she could be the '28 nominee for the Dems for sure. I think that she has a really strong background in community organizing, which president Obama had. And I think in 2028, we know that young people, millennials and Gen Z combined are going to be the largest portion of the electorate voting power wise for the first time in U.S. history.

So for the first time, that demographic is going to have more political power than boomers, and I think that's going to work well for her. So if I'm Republicans, I want to be operating as if she's the nominee and not be caught off guard by that. And I know we have a lot of stop socialism rhetoric on our side, but I think a better message for us would be fix capitalism.

Capitalism is great, but a lot of people feel it's not working well enough. That doesn't mean we need to throw the baby out with the bathwater. The message of fix capitalism --

MICHAELSON: How do you do that real quickly? How do you fix capital?

SUNSHINE: We're doing some of it with the deportations of it readjusting the labor market to protect the American worker. We're doing it with Trump accounts, which is allowing more people to get access to the stock market. But the correction that's needed is the top 10 percent own 80 percent of the stock market. Bottom 50 percent of Americans have debt. We have to fix that.

MICHAELSON: Yeah. And those are issues that Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have both been talking about for years. Your take on AOC's future.

ERIC MESSERSMITH, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think she'll run for the senate. I really do. I mean, she basically said in that interview she did, I think it was with the New Yorker last week, she really was very candid about her options and laid it all out. And she said if I run for President and don't win, I'm done. Because she can't run for the house again and President at the same time. And I don't know if I agree that she's done. She could always come back and try again. But, certainly, if she ran and didn't win, the bloom would be off the road, so to speak, right?

And I think in the senate, they're six-year terms. She's so young. She could essentially be what Bernie has been, which is a progressive champion from a perch in the senate, one of a 100 instead of one of 435. She -- I think Chuck Schumer probably would almost certainly retire rather than run against her in a primary, where I think he'd be almost certain to lose if he even attempted to do that. The democrats want a change in leadership anyway. So Schumer probably is not going to want to stick around if he's not the Democratic leader. So that senate seats don't come up that often.

And when you have a chance to 90 percent, 95 percent lock that in and then know in six years you're almost certain to get reelected and you can run for President in '32 or '36 or '40 or '44. So I feel like that's the best bet, and I think that's what you'll probably do.

MICHAELSON: And the senator from New York is a particularly powerful perch. If you think about Robert Kennedy and Hillary Clinton and Daniel Patrick Moynihan and people that have been in that seat over the years. To your point though when it's your time and people want you to be President, oftentimes, you kind of got to go. People thought Barack Obama was too young, but it was his time and he went. Some people, when they wait, they kind of miss their window. But it's a little early to be talking about 2028.

Let's talk about what's happening in 2026, because we've got an election within the next month. People are voting in certain parts of the country. And a sort of stunning news from the Cook Political Report. want to put this up on the screen. GOP on track to lose house majority as 15 race ratings shift towards Dems.

[00:40:00]

This is the non-partisan Cook Political Report. Both parties look to their data. They've got really good data. Here's what Axios wrote about it, and why it matters. Cook Political Report shifted 15 house races towards Democrats on Friday, the latest sign that the political environment is deteriorating for Republicans. Eric, not good if you're a GOP.

MESSERSMITH: Well, I think what's happened is the people who do the ratings are starting to catch up with what the polling is, what the people who do the forecasting based on polling in the model show, which is this is almost certainly to be not just a blue wave, but potentially a blue tsunami.

I mean, you look around the country, there are races in places like Kansas and the senate that are very close. Nebraska is close.

MICHAELSON: Yeah.

MESSERSMITH: In the house, there are races in seats that Trump won by 10, 15, 20 points that are within the margin of error. And you look at Congresswoman Salazar in Florida, she came out last week against Trump on immigration publicly, and that's a Trump 15 plus 15 seat, which shows you her internals are not good. I think this is the bottom is falling out. Wall Street Journal poll came out today, Trump approval at 37 percent. That's the lowest a President has had since 1990 heading into a midterm.

MICHAELSON: You've worked for Trump. You've worked what it's like to be in a White House communications shop. What should the message be these days?

SUNSHINE: Go to the mat and create contrast. Look the President's party typically does lose seats in a midterm election. That's history will tell you that's exactly what happens. But if Republicans lose this, it will be their fault, because I am not seeing us on offense only, and I'm not seeing us create the contrast for voters.

Good news doesn't sell. People don't go buy magazines because they have happy news on that. Bad news sells. So voters aren't turning on the TV right now and seeing thousands of illegal immigrants coming across the border because that's not happening anymore because there have been zero border crossings for the last 15 months under President Trump, which is exactly what people voted for in 2024. They're not seeing drag queens on military bases because that's not happening anymore. So you have to create the contrast.

MICHAELSON: But they are going to the gas station. And fill up their car, and they see that price every single time they drive by. They are going to the grocery store and buying food, and they're seeing that price increase. That stuff's in people's faces. I mean, and that's hard to deny. No matter how much you spend, the price is the price.

SUNSHINE: Yes. And so my advice would be don't deny it. Why deny it? Look the American people in the eye and say, yeah. I know your gas prices and your grocery prices are high, and we're doing everything we can to bring that down. I see you, I hear you. But you didn't just elect us to bring your gas and grocery prices down. You brought us, you elected us to close your border, which we've done. You elected us to bring fentanyl deaths down, which we've done by 36 percent. The labor market right now is the best it's been for people without a college degree in two decades, largely thanks to deportations. Rents are coming down.

MICHAELSON: We're way over time. Do it in one sentence.

MESSERSMITH: No, I was just saying, I think the two worst things for a President, a war that's not going well and really high inflation. Trump is facing both.

MICHAELSON: Thank you, guys. There is more to talk about, which is why we're bringing you back in our next hour. Caroline Sunshine and Eric Messersmith, thanks for joining us.

Up next, some well-known names focused on more than just building bigger fan bases.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I just stopped the car, and I just lost it.

ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Started crying.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not for the house, for everything that went with it.

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MICHAELSON: Nearly two years since fires left parts of LA County in ashes, volunteers are banding together to rebuild.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got him?

ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Time lapse video shows hundreds of volunteers coming together in part to help rebuild Layla Hawkins' home.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel like the sky has opened and the good door the box have dropped these lovely engines.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): For 40 years, this is what Layla's Malibu residents looked like. But on January 7, 2025, the Palisades fire left her home looking like this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I just stopped the car and I just lost it.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): Started crying.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not for the house, for everything that went with it.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): Hawkins says rebuilding has not been easy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I kind of lost hope after almost two years.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): She says an email from Habitat for Humanity changed everything.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ms. Hawkins, we would like to help you to rebuild your house. And I read it again, and I read it again, and I read it again. And I walked around the yard, and I cried, and I cried.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): In January 2025, wildfires in Los Angeles County destroyed an estimated more than 16,000 structures.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I looked up and saw smoke and glow, like right there.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): Actor Haley Joel Osment lost his home in the Eaton fire. He's out here volunteering to help other fire victims as part of Habitat for Humanity LA's Community Build Week.

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HALEY JOEL OSMENT, ACTOR: It's a good feeling around here, connecting with people who've gone through what we've all gone through.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): Habitat for Humanity LA says approximately three out of four Palisade fire survivors are still not back in their homes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I could not even get my head around what had just happened.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): TV personality Melissa Rivers shot these images as the Palisades fire approached and then destroyed her Palisades home.

MELISSA RIVERS, TV PERSONALITY: I just went like almost flat line.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): She's here with her neighbors to take action together.

MICHAELSON: Is there something meaningful about like physically doing something?

RIVERS: Well, my family were big doers. We don't sit around.

ERIN RANK, CEO, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF GREATER LOS ANGELES: Thank you for coming to the Community Build.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): CEO Erin Rank helped to organize this to help the uninsured and underinsured who are struggling.

RANK: We're showing folks that the community is coming out and still standing beside them. MICHAELSON: All this work happening 50 years to the day from when Habitat Humanity was first founded.

RANK: We decided that instead of having a birthday party, we're doing what Habitat does best, and that's bringing the community together and helping people build their homes.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): Habitat for Humanity LA is one of more than 1,000 affiliate chapters to the national organization. Amy Dunham is the National Chief Communications Officer.

AMY DUNHAM, CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY INTERNATIONAL: At our founding in 1976, our Board at the time convened and dreamed of maybe someday building a 100,000 homes. Today, we've helped 65 million people around the world --

MICHAELSON: Wow.

DUNHAM: To build or improve their homes.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): Since the beginning, they've relied on volunteers.

RANK: It's so nice to meet you.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): Among them, boxing legend and Palisades resident, Sugar Ray Leonard.

MICHAELSON: This reminds you in a way of boxing. How so?

SUGAR RAY LEONARD, LEGENDARY FORMER WORLD CHAMPION BOXER: Because, you need a great corner. I had a great corner.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): Also in that corner, corporations like CNN's parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery. The group includes Celebrity Chef, Duff Goldman.

DUFF GOLDMAN, CELEBRITY CHEF: It makes me feel like part of a real community, like a real true sense of what that word means.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): Joining in, David Chokachi from Fox's Baywatch.

DAVID CHOKACHI, FOX'S BAYWATCH: Being of service, I think is the greatest thing we can do as human beings.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): All this work is being done in the parking lot of the Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church, which burned down in the fire. Matthew Hardin is the pastor.

MICHAELSON: So there was only one thing that survived during the fire?

MATTHEW HARDIN, PASTOR: That's right.

MICHAELSON: That's this. The cross?

HARDIN: Chantle cross.

MICHAELSON: What is that represent to you?

HARDIN: It represents the power of faith. It represents the power of perseverance.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): Harden says, they are determined to turn this dirt lot into a church structure once again.

HARDIN: I'd like to say that we're in the middle of a miracle. Miracle has started, hasn't finished yet, but we're going to keep going.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): And for Layla, this outpouring feels like a miracle.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here I'm go. Hugging these people, it's like I can't get enough.

MICHAELSON: Yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't give enough.

MICHAELSON: And now you have hope.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not only hope. I have -- my wish and my hope is turning into reality.

MICHAELSON: Yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because of Habitat for Humanity.

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MICHAELSON: We love her. Thanks to everybody who stepped up to volunteer. If you want to volunteer at a Habitat for Humanity in your community, go to habitat.org. We'll be back with our top stories right after this.

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MICHAELSON: The second day of Pope Leo's four day trip to France gets underway in just a few hours. On Friday, the pontiff prayed at Notre- Dame Cathedral in Paris, now rebuilt after a devastating fire. CNN Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb was there and reports from the scene.

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CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pope Leo is in Notre-Dame in Paris. It's really an historic moment because he is the first pope to go into the cathedral since its restoration in 2024. Of course, the world was shocked when Notre-Dame went up in flames almost seven and a half years ago. Notre-Dame is not just a place that is, loved by Catholics, it is iconic across France and in one of the most visited cathedrals in the world.

Pope Leo arrived in his Popemobile. He was greeted with applause and cheers. He went into the cathedral, prayed in front of the ancient relic of the crown of thorns, which is said to have been placed on Jesus' head at the crucifixion and was a relic that was miraculously saved during the fire.

Pope Leo hoping that his visit to Notre-Dame, after its restoration, because, of course, it was a cathedral that was closed after the fire for many years. He hopes that his visit can send a message of hope and renewal, not just to Catholics, but to the entirety of France. Christopher Lamb, CNN, Paris.

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MICHAELSON: Christopher Lamb, thank you. How beautiful is the music behind him and just the imagery? It's so amazing to see that cathedral rebuilt as it should be. Thanks for watching the first hour of "The Story Is." The next hour starts right now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Live from Los Angeles, "The Story Is" with Elex Michaelson.

ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: I am Elex Michaelson live in Los Angeles where it's 10:00 p.m. Coming up, "The Story Is" a --