Russia Plague Worry After Lab Worker Death, JD on Trail, Alleged Chinese Spy Arrest: AM Update 10/6

The Megyn Kelly Show

This AM Update examines a tightening Senate race map for Republicans four weeks before the election, highlighting unfavorable polling in key states like Kansas, Texas, and Alaska. The broadcast

Key takeaways

• Democratic Senate nominee Adam Hamilton holds a +12 net favorability rating in Kansas, creating a potential upset despite Trump winning the state by over 16 points in 2024.
• Republican Ken Paxton trails Democrat James Tallarico by six points in Texas, with independents and white evangelicals shifting significantly against him due to personal scandals.

Main topics

• 2026 Senate race polling and campaign dynamics
• Russian plague lab death and bioweapons scrutiny

Notable quotes

"What was in that test tube? And that's what I think everybody's pushing for transparency on. Had that bacteria been modified in any way during the research that they were doing?"

Conclusion

The episode underscores a volatile pre-election landscape where traditional Republican strongholds are showing

Transcript preview

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Had that bacteria been modified in any way during the research that they were doing? Speaker 1 (1:09) U.S. officials seeking answers after the unexplained death of a worker at a Russian plague research lab as Moscow offers few details about the case. A suspected Chinese spy arrested on American soil accused of surveilling the family of Taiwan's president. for the Chinese Communist Party. And Prince Andrew fighting to get police search warrants tossed months after his arrest for allegedly sharing sensitive government information with Jeffrey Epstein. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM Update. Speaker 3 (1:46) I want to talk to you about Cozy Earth. This is the most luxurious thing you can do for yourself. Just go on their website, search around, and buy anything. The quality is that good. I am telling you this from my own personal experience. 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If you want to elevate your everyday living space, this is the ultimate upgrade. Best of all, you can try Cozy Earth risk-free with their 100-night sleep trial. not to mention a 10-year warranty. Okay, so you can sleep on this thing for 100 nights, and if you don't want it after that and you think it hasn't worked out, send it back in for a full refund. Go to CozyEarth.com, use the code MeganAM for up to 20 % off home and sleepwear. That's CozyEarth.com, the code MeganAM. And when they ask you where you heard about them at checkout, tell them you heard about them on AM Update. Speaker 1 (3:31) Four weeks from Election Day, President Trump and Vice President Vance hitting the campaign trail as Republicans fight to hold seats in states the party carried comfortably just two years ago. The president campaigning in Nebraska yesterday for Republican Senator Pete Ricketts, who is facing a competitive challenge from independent Dan Osborne, while Vice President Vance traveled to Alaska to rally for Senator Dan Sullivan. More on that race in a minute. The push coming as new polling shows an increasingly difficult map for Republicans. New York Times polling showing Democrats ahead in Senate races in red states like Texas, Alaska, and Ohio, tied in Kansas, and trailing by just one point in Iowa. President Trump carrying all five states by double digits in 2024. His approval rating now averaging just 40 % across those five. In Kansas, Senator Roger Marshall locked in a dead heat with Democrat Adam Hamilton, despite President Trump winning the state by more than 16 points two years ago. Hamilton, a first-time candidate and senior pastor of the country's largest United Methodist congregation, posting the strongest favorability rating of any candidate tested across the five Senate races. CNN's chief data analyst, Harry Enten, breaking down the implications. Speaker 2 (4:48) Adam Hamilton. is popular. Take a look at this. Okay. Key Senate races, the highest net favorable rating of any of the candidates that the New York Times tested is Adam Hamilton in Kansas, the Democratic nominee. His net favorable rating is plus 12 points. The average candidate that the Times tested was actually a point underwater. This, to me, is potentially a mathematical perfect storm. A historically unpopular Republican in Kansas and Donald Trump and a historically popular Democratic Senate candidate and Adam Hamilton, that may be the equation that gets Kansas its first In Texas, Speaker 1 (5:23) an even more severe warning sign, Democrat James Tallarico leading Republican Ken Paxton by six points in the latest Times polling, matching a string of recent surveys showing an extremely competitive race. President Trump's approval rating among likely Texas voters falling to 38 percent, while Paxton is the least popular of the 10 Senate candidates tested across the five states. The race also showing a dramatic shift