On the campaign trail
• Trump’s red-state rally: President Donald Trump held an event in Kentucky this afternoon, continuing a series of campaign stops in mostly conservative strongholds. The president promised his latest gift to voters if Republicans are victorious in the midterms: a $100 million investment in a pharmaceutical plant in the Bluegrass State.
• Top Democrats out in force: Meanwhile, top Democratic surrogates such as Gov. Gavin Newsom, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are campaigning with candidates in red and purple states this weekend, as the party grows more bullish about its chances of seizing control in Congress.
• “No Kings” events: Thousands of “No Kings: Vote Early” events are taking place across the United States today. Organizers say the goal for this round of demonstrations is to oppose voter suppression and to help people make plans to cast their midterm ballots.
Updates
(23)El-Sayed pressed on Muslim Brotherhood by town hall attendee
Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed was pressed by a town hall attendee Saturday over his disavowal of the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist political movement.
Seconds after El-Sayed finished stumping in Caro, Michigan, a man shouted from the crowd, “Abdul, will you disavow the Muslim Brotherhood?”
El-Sayed, who could make history as the first Muslim elected to the Senate, has frequently faced Republican accusations that he is sympathetic to interests connected to Islamic terror.
The question Saturday prompted a heated exchange as the attendee repeatedly pressed El-Sayed about the Muslim Brotherhood, saying he had yet to hear the candidate disavow the organization.
El-Sayed, after disavowing the movement, blasted the man for implicitly assuming his “dual loyalty.”
“You assume … that because I am Muslim, that somehow I would have some allegiance to something that is not our Constitution,” El-Sayed said. “For me, that Constitution is the guiding light.”
The audience member walked out after the exchange as the crowd cheered for El-Sayed.
The nominee has faced questions about potential connections to the organization. The latest attacks came after old tweets from El-Sayed’s half-sister resurfaced online, including a post from 2012 in which she described having “an amazing talk with my mom about her activism in the Muslim Brotherhood during the early 70s while she was in college.”
Earlier this week, El-Sayed denied allegations that he or his family has ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, telling reporters on Thursday that to think that anybody in his family was part of the organization was “an insane thing to assume.”
Sen. Darline Graham breaks from Trump on Russia sanctions waiver
Republican Sen. Darline Graham of South Carolina, who was appointed to fill her late brother’s seat and is now running for a full term, broke with President Donald Trump over his executive order waiving sanctions on Russian fossil fuel sales. The sanctions bill was named after her brother.
“The president and I share the same goal, which is to end the war, get gas and diesel prices down. And the sanctions bill is one of the tools he can use to do that,” Graham told reporters at an event Saturday in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
“I would choose to keep the pressure on Russia to end the war and get the gas prices down because I don’t trust Putin and I don’t trust Russia,” she said, referring to President Vladimir Putin.
She said she looks forward to talking to Trump when he’s in South Carolina to campaign with her next week.
Some context: The waiver announced in an executive order Friday comes as Trump increasingly feuds with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and as cracks appear in Washington’s support for Kyiv in its yearslong war against its invading neighbor.
The sanctions measures were included in the Graham Act, legislation named after the Graham’s late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham. US lawmakers, including a growing number of Republicans, have come out against the waiver.
Rallies, protests and town halls: Catch up on another day in the countdown to midterms
President Donald Trump continues to rally in conservative strongholds ahead of the midterm elections, amid growing signs that some deeper red areas are now in play for Democrats.
For their part, leading progressives and other Democratic surrogates are out in force this weekend in states that could determine control of Congress.
If you’re just joining us, catch up on the day so far:
- Red-state rally: Trump headlined an arena event in Northern Kentucky today in support of Republican Rep. Andy Barr — who is vying to fill the seat of retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell — and Republican Ed Gallrein, a retired Navy SEAL and Army Ranger who defeated Trump’s longtime political foe Rep. Thomas Massie in the state’s primary. During his remarks, Trump promised a $100 million investment in a Kentucky pharmaceutical plant if Republicans hold onto Congress, marking the latest gift he’s offered to supporters if his party wins in November.
- Protests: Thousands of “No Kings: Vote Early” events, aimed at promoting mass turnout for the midterm elections, are occurring across the United States today. While previous “No Kings” protests were framed primarily as opposition to Trump and his administration, today’s events are intended to oppose voter suppression efforts and help people make plans to cast their ballots, according to organizers. Protests were seen across the country, including in Georgia and Washington, DC, where CNN reporters spoke to first-time voters among the demonstrators.
- Town halls: Michigan voters lined up outside the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Midland, a congregation about two hours north of Detroit, where supporters packed the room today to hear directly from Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed. He has been crisscrossing Michigan for days, targeting areas where Republicans have performed well, hoping to appeal to moderate voters and even disgruntled Trump supporters. Here’s a roundup of some other marquee events for Democrats.
- Looking ahead: Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia is set to hold a major rally tonight in metro Atlanta as he seeks reelection. He will be joined by the state’s Democratic nominee for governor, Keisha Lance Bottoms.
CNN’s August Phillips, Julia Benbrook, Alayna Treene, Kaanita Iyer, Gloria Pazmino and Aleena Fayaz contributed reporting.
Battle for the House is shifting more deeply into red territory
In the latest ratings from The Cook Political Report, 11 House races have shifted toward Democrats — and the tightest battles are now taking place in areas that once went more reliably for Republicans.
Founder Charlie Cook spoke to CNN’s Jessica Dean about the phenomenon this afternoon:
Florida congresswoman who broke with Trump on immigration works to turn out early voters
GOP Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar greeted voters at a steakhouse in Miami this morning as she looks to mobilize supporters to participate in in-person early voting, which starts in Miami-Dade County on Monday.
Salazar, a former TV news anchor, represents Florida’s 27th congressional district. She is running for another term against Democrat Eliott Rodriguez, who was also a well-known TV anchor in Miami.
Salazar has fought to beat back a tide of Democratic enthusiasm in her district, going as far as to break with President Donald Trump over his ramped up immigration enforcement effort — prompting Trump to attack Salazar in a series of social media posts.
At the restaurant, Salazar, a daughter of Cuban exiles, worked to build a closer connection with her mostly Latino audience.
More than 70% of voters in the district identify as Hispanic or Latino, a key voting bloc heading into the November election.
“That’s the beauty of District 27,” Salazar told the cheering crowd. “That you speak in Spanish but you vote in English.”
Trump announces latest midterm gift if Republicans win: $100 million for Kentucky plant
President Donald Trump on Saturday promised a $100 million investment in a pharmaceutical plant in Kentucky if Republicans hold onto Congress, marking the latest gift he’s offered to supporters if his party wins in November.
“If the Republicans win, the Department of War, will be investing $100 million in the pharmaceutical company Antheia to revitalize a gigantic drug manufacturing facility in Winchester, Kentucky,” Trump told supporters at a rally in Highland Heights, Kentucky.
The president touted the investment as a “big revitalization project” in a state where Trump won by roughly 30 points in 2024.
CNN has reached out to the Pentagon and drug company, Antheia, for comment on the announcement.
The president’s rally in Kentucky is part of an aggressive midterm travel blitz that has taken him to traditional red strongholds he overwhelmingly won two years ago. During his appearances, Trump has frequently offered gifts to his supporters if Republicans win, including a vow to pay all American adults $5,000.
Pennsylvania swing district still full of undecided voters
I’m in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, today, home to one of the most competitive House races in the country that could determine the balance of power in Congress.
GOP Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, who was first elected to Congress in 2016, believes he can withstand a potential blue wave nationally because he told me he has positioned himself as a moderate who calls out his own party.
His Democratic challenger, Bob Harvie, thinks this is the year Democrats take back this district because people are so upset with the cost of living and the direction the administration is leading the country.
I’ve talked to a number of voters on the ground here who still haven’t made up their minds, proving that this area really still is a battleground, and both parties have more work to do to win over key voters in their closing message.
After Oregon school shooting, El-Sayed says guns have "more rights" than women in America
Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee US Senate in Michigan, slammed gun policies today during a town hall meeting in Midland, where news of a school shooting in Bend, Oregon, on Friday that left three children dead still reverberated.
A third-grade teacher and mother asked El-Sayed what he could do to prevent school shootings if he joins the US Senate.
“I’m really tired of looking at [my children] wondering if it’s the last time that I’ll see them again, and I’m really tired of lockdowns and my students who are scared, even though they know it’s a drill,” the teacher, who identified herself as Amanda, said.
The Giffords Law Center has given Michigan a B- grade for its gun laws. El-Sayed said the issue of America’s gun violence is in part being driven by “originalism” — the idea that the US Constitution should be interpreted within the context of the time from when it was written.
“Now, the crazy thing about America right now is it feels like guns have more rights than women do,” El-Sayed said, referring in part to the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn the constitutional right to an abortion.
“When they promised the right to bear arms, they had muskets. So yeah, everyone should have equal rights to a musket,” El-Sayed said about the nation’s founders, to laughs from the crowd.
As he travels across the state, El-Sayed said he has spoken to gun owners who are fierce defenders of the Second Amendment.
“When you talk to those gun owners, they’re parents or grandparents too, and they don’t want their kids being killed either,” El Sayed said. “If you’re using your shotgun for hunting, nobody wants to take that away from you. Enjoy hunting, go hunt. But I don’t want somebody with credible threats of violence hunting people, and that’s where our public policy ought to be able to be negotiated.”
Voters line up for El-Sayed town hall in Michigan
Voters lined up outside the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Midland, a congregation about two hours north of Detroit, where supporters packed the room today waiting for a chance to hear directly from Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed.
Blythe Sene told CNN she was attracted to El-Sayed’s campaign because of his Medicare For All proposal.
“The reason why I really want to vote for Abdul Sayed is because I’m a medical biller, and at my job, I rarely see insurance fully pay for care, and I’ve seen the kind of debt that people can get into just trying to stay healthy, so it’s really important to me that he wants to help,” Sene said.
Midland County has been a reliably red area of the state. President Donald Trump won this county in 2024 with 56% of the vote.
El-Sayed has been crisscrossing Michigan for days, targeting areas where Republicans have performed well, hoping to appeal to moderate voters and even diehard Trump supporters.
The crowd in Midland was mostly made up of middle-age and young voters, including 19-year-old Savanna Lewis, who will be casting her first vote in the upcoming election.
“It’s a little nerve-wracking because it’s like, you know, my decision counts now,” Lewis said. “I just agree with the stuff he says already, and I want to know a lot more.”
What we're hearing at a "No Kings" event in suburban Atlanta today
CNN’s Rafael Romo is reporting from a “No Kings: Vote Early” event in Marietta, Georgia today.
The protest movement has previously focused primarily on opposition to the Trump administration, but this time around, organizers are placing an emphasis on encouraging people to make a plan and ensure they vote in the midterm elections:
Troy Jackson stands by telling his opponent to "shut up" during Maine debate
Democratic nominee Troy Jackson is standing by his comment from a Thursday debate when he told his opponent, Sen. Susan Collins, to “shut up” after she suggested a protester was one of his supporters.
Collins discussed the moment with Fox News’ Sean Hannity yesterday, saying it was a telling sign of her opponent’s disposition.
The Democratic candidate has faced scrutiny during the campaign over alleged angry outbursts during his time in state politics.
But Jackson told WGME CBS 13 on Friday that he does not regret the remark.
He added: “I think the people in Maine should be offended at Susan Collins for the job that she’s been doing here in this state, you know. I’m going to fight for everyday Mainers and like I said, I’m just not going to get pushed around by someone like her or Donald Trump.”
Here’s a recap if you missed the moment: Within minutes of the heated debate for one of the country’s most competitive Senate races, a protester shouted at Collins about the impact of data centers, forcing the debate to a brief halt.
“AI data centers are destroying our climate. They are poisoning our waters,” the protester yelled.
Following the incident, Collins said the protester “is obviously one of Troy’s supporters.”
“Oh, shut up,” Jackson replied, saying he did not know who the person was.
College students at "No Kings" event in DC say they're excited to be first-time voters
Several college students gathered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, this morning, carrying signs ranging from “veto the cheeto” to “grab ‘em by the mid-terms.”
Jeremiah Fuentes, an 18-year-old freshman at Georgetown University, attended the event with the Georgetown College Democrats group. He said he’s “really excited” to vote for the first time and that his top issues are immigration and affordability.
Karlee Clark, a Pittsburg native, updated her voter registration to be able to vote in Virginia because she believes the election there is “more competitive.”
Her top issues are the referendums that are on Virginia’s ballot, including one that — if passed — would enshrine interracial and same-sex marriage rights in the state Constitution.
Instead of a sign, she opted for a decorated umbrella that had multiple slogans, including, “Democracy needs your courage” and “I’ve seen better cabinets at IKEA.”
“I made it sitting on the floor in my dorm room,” Clark said. “It’s peak midterms season so it was, it was kind of a race in the end to get it done on time but I think it turned out fun.”
Rallygoers in DC area march to get out the vote ahead of midterms
A crowd of people gathered this morning just steps away from the site of President Donald Trump’s proposed triumphal arch in Washington, DC, to protest several of the president’s policies and encourage others to vote during the midterm election.
With signs ranging from “Hands off our vote” to “You can’t fix stupid but you can vote it out,” attendees marched from Northern Virginia across the Arlington Memorial Bridge to make their way to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The event in the capital is one of dozens of “No Kings: Vote Early” rallies planned throughout the country today.
Several wore costumes while others carried large paper mache figurines of Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other Republican leaders.
Jipp shared that he plans to vote early in Virginia with his wife and daughter.
One protester, Megan Ascher, traveled to Washington, DC, from North Carolina.
Ascher, who was dressed as Cher from the movie “Clueless,” said the candidates she is supporting in this election are “all blue and all women.”
For Judi Garland, who works in commercial real estate, there are a slew of prominent issues in this election and society, including “corruption in our government,” women’s reproductive rights and racism. She already cast her ballot in Virginia and shared that she “voted down the Democratic ticket.”
“Trump cannot be in power any longer. I’m very, I’m afraid for our democracy, and I take great strength in being around other people who feel the same way,” she told CNN.
Cost-of-living issues loom large in the midterms. Here's where gas prices stand today
The global oil benchmark briefly climbed to $110 a barrel yesterday for the first time since May, a surge that threatens to push gas and diesel prices even higher ahead of the midterm elections.
Energy market traders blamed the spike on renewed fears about the supply of oil and fuel as the US-Iran war drags on.
Although President Donald Trump has repeatedly insisted that prices will soon come tumbling down, oil has rarely been as expensive in recent years as it was this week.
Brent crude, the global benchmark, jumped about 3.7% to settle at $109.86 a barrel yesterday — the highest close since May 19. At one point, Brent traded as high as $110.
Gasoline prices remain historically high for this time of year, with the national average for regular gas at $4.31 a gallon on Saturday, up from $2.98 before the war started.
Trump set to arrive soon for rally in Kentucky
President Donald Trump is on his way to Northern Kentucky, where he is set to hold a rally in the district of a longtime political foe — outgoing GOP Rep. Thomas Massie.
While Highland Heights, Kentucky, is a solidly red district, it’s also on the border of Ohio and part of the media market for nearby Cincinnati, providing Trump with an opportunity to once again target a state the president’s political operation is working overtime to keep red.
Trump on Saturday will be stumping for Kentucky Rep. Andy Barr, who is running for the Senate seat being vacated this fall by Sen. Mitch McConnell, as well as Republican Ed Gallrein, a retired Navy SEAL and Army Ranger who defeated Massie in the state’s primary.
The event is being held at Truist Arena, on the campus of Northern Kentucky University. By the time the rally began at 12:30 p.m. ET, the majority of the arena’s seats were not filled. Large screens flanking both sides of the stage showed key voting dates for Kentucky, including when mail-in and early in-person voting begins.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said he was watching footage of the rally from Air Force One.
“Will be landing soon. Big Crowd,” he said. “The coverage is spectacular. In fact, it’s so good, that I don’t want to leave Air Force One.”
Trump has recently urged his supporters to vote early and by mail as part of his broader efforts to close the gap with Democrats, despite his history of condemning both with false claims that the methods are rife with fraud.
GOP Rep. Barr "fired up" to have Trump in northern Kentucky ahead of midterms
President Donald Trump will headline a rally in Kentucky today, continuing a series of campaign events and rallies mostly held in conservative strongholds.
Republican Rep. Andy Barr, who is vying to fill the seat of retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell, is slated to speak at the event and said he is “fired up” to welcome the president to Highland Heights. A Republican source familiar with the plans framed Trump’s visit as an effort to help “fight for Kentucky common sense” in the days leading up to the midterms.
Trump sought to reshape the Kentucky Senate primary race in May when he endorsed Barr moments after offering a rival candidate an ambassadorship as an enticement to leave the race. In a social media post, Trump called Barr the “only Candidate who will easily defeat the Democrat.”
Barr will face off against Democrat Charles Booker, a former Kentucky state representative, in November.
An RNC official tells CNN that the goal of these rallies featuring the president is to drive turnout and “push Republicans to the polls.”
This MAGA diehard stands by the president — even as Trump's base shows signs of fraying
As some MAGA supporters grow disillusioned with President Donald Trump, CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan spoke to one Colorado superfan about why he’s standing by the president, even as Trump breaks campaign promises.
Watch the clip below, and subscribers can read O’Sullivan’s full takeaways from a year immersed in MAGA world.
As some MAGA supporters grow disillusioned with President Trump, Colorado Trump superfan Joe Black isn't budging. Donie O’Sullivan catches up with the diehard supporter to find out why he's standing by the president... even as Trump breaks some of his biggest campaign promises. Watch the full documentary "Maga Ever After?" On The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper Saturday, October 17, at 8 p.m. on CNN and stream it on the CNN App for subscribers.
Thousands of "No Kings" voter events are taking place today
Thousands of “No Kings: Vote Early” events, aimed at promoting mass turnout for the midterm elections, are planned across the United States today.
While previous “No Kings” protests were framed primarily as opposition to President Donald Trump and his administration, today’s events are intended to oppose voter suppression efforts and help people make plans to cast their ballots, according to organizers.
A map on the website shows events planned in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. The events are organized with a variety of partners, including the ACLU and Indivisible, a progressive nonprofit.
“No Kings” rallies were most recently held in March, following similar country-wide demonstrations last year in June and October. Protesters marched in the thousands in major cities including New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Minneapolis, while smaller demonstrations also snaked through suburbs and rural communities, including in Republican-led states.
CNN’s Zoe Sottile contributed reporting.
Use this map to see how control of the Senate might shake out
A handful of critical races will determine control of the upper chamber in Congress. This interactive map allows you to switch the status of key states and plot out the path to a Senate majority:
Jon Ossoff will hold major rally tonight after Trump tore into him in Georgia
Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia is set to hold a major rally tonight in metro Atlanta as he seeks reelection — a day after President Donald Trump visited the state and criticized him during a campaign appearance.
At a Friday rally in Dalton, Georgia, Trump showed his support for Rep. Mike Collins, the GOP candidate facing an uphill fight to unseat the Democratic senator. During his remarks, he took shots at Ossoff’s physical appearance, saying: “Somebody said he’s a good looking man. I don’t think he’s a good looking man.”
Besides dwelling on appearances, he also criticized the Democratic senator as “Open Borders Ossoff.”
Ossoff and the state’s Democratic nominee for governor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, will deliver remarks in Cobb County tonight. It’s the first weekend of early voting in Georgia.
CNN’s Kaanita Iyer, Kit Maher and Molly English contributed reporting.
