morning futures." i've got interviews with lee zeldin, congressman james comer, former secretary of state mike pompeo and congressman devin nuñes. join us for all of those exclusives on fox news on sunday at 10 a.m. plus, right here on fox business start smart if every weekday from 6-9 a.m. eastern for "mornings with maria." start your cay day -- day with us every weekend on fox business. that'll do it for us, everybody. thanks for watching, and i'll see you again next ♪ ♪ ♪ gerry: hello. this week on "the wall street journal" at large, midterm elections are just three weeks away now. with inflation and economic woes at the top of voters' minds, is

a red wave looming? even democrats are now acknowledging that there's chaos at the southern border. will something finally be done to secure it? plus, the house's january 6th committee plays its last card ahead of the election. have they made their case against donald trump? and kamala harris believes, yes, she really believes that children are our future. and that and more profound reflections from the woman who's a 79-year-old heartbeat from from -- the -- the presidency. we'll be discussing with katie pavlich and harold ford jr. but first, we're in the home stretch now with less than 25 days to go until americans conclude voting. all the indications are that republicans are well on course to take back control of the house of representatives. but the senate remains up for grabs. the latest fox news power rankings, an analysis on key races, suggests the gop will take 231 seats in the house. that's a gain of more than 20 seats for the gop.

now, there's a margin of error, of course, that could see the republicans take as many as 246 seats, and that would be a landslide, or to the other extreme, actually just fail to take control. in the senate the race is pretty well a dead heat with fox forecasting 49 seats for the gop, 47 for the democrats and 4 toss-ups. but in the final days of the campaign, it seems to be the economy that's foremost on voters' minds, and that may well favor the republicans. we had more bad news on the economy this week with inflation figures for september. this was the last report for the consumer price index ahead of election day, and it showed inflation last month running at #ing.2%. that's down slightly on a month earlier, but the core price index -- that's after you strip out food and energy costs -- is still rising. that was up 6.6%. the cost of living is rising faster than people's wages and puts more pressure on the

federal reserve to raise interest rates even higher. so it's no wonder that democratic candidates seem to be just running away from the biden record. the crucial senate contest, democrats have been conspicuously avoiding defending their record, and it's not just on the economy. on topics like immigration, crime and other issues. they act as though hair party hasn't actually been in power. this week in ohio the democratic contact senate candidate, tim ryan, faced off against j.d. vance for the republicans in their one and only debate on tv. ryan spent most of the debate running so far from his own party, he was out of sight. when he was challenged by vance on the administration's responsibility for inflation. >> i think everybody's to blame. we're coming out of a pandemic. it's a problem. the question is, are question -- we going to sit around for 10 years and point fingers? gerry: everybody's to blame? you, me, them? everybody, apparently. and then, vice president kamala harris' recent remark that the

border is secure. >> kamala harris is absolutely wrong on that. gerry: finally, asked if joe biden -- remember, the incumbent democratic president -- where he should be the party's nominee in the in 2024, he ran in the opposite direction. >> i've been very clear, i'd like to see a generational change. mitch mcconnell, donald trump, the president, everybody. we need a new generation. gerry: the other tight senate races in arizona, nevada, georgia, for example, while republicans put the focus on the democrat record in office, democrats want to talk about the abortion and donald trump. how will the campaign close in a few weeks? will voters decide it's the economy, stupid? look at surging inflation and kick the democrats out, or can somehow the incumbent party persuade people that one of these are their problems? tennessee congressman harold ford jr. and katie pavlich. it is stranging that the

democrats want to talk about anything but joe biden's record in office over the past two years. >> yeah. you've had the media come out and say joe biden was having a comeback, his approval rating was going up, and i thought about this in august. let's see if they then ask president biden to come out with them on the campaign trail the. so far they have not. they've been saying all summer they don't want him to campaign. tim ryan, as you were referencing in ohio, has distanced himself repeatedly from the president. and democrats like tim ryan and others have tried to say, look, inflation is a major problem for the country, crime is another one. but specifically on the issue of the economy, they're having a very difficult time reconciling their rhetoric on the campaign trail with their voting record whether it was the american rescue plan or whether it was the inflation reduction act which we know by all accounts actually increases inflation. and, of course, inflation impacts not just base voters, midterm elections tend to be base turnout elections, so you try to get both sides hyped up

on the issues they care about. but independents are more interested in these midterm elections, and they're voting based on the economy which, of course, helps are republicans. gerry: harold ford p we can talk about who's to blame for inflation, but it's at a 40-year high. it's eroding people's real wages, interest rates are going up. usually elections like this do turn on the economy. is there any run -- reason to think this one will be different? >> no, i don't think it'll be any different. when you think who has the principal respondent for curbing the biden inflation, it's the fed. the fed was too late to the game. i think they were wrong when they talk about it being transitory. voters are smart. they're able to separate those two. i hear katie when she says some democrats don't want joe biden coming to campaign with them. who cares? if they win, they win. and in tim ryan's case, i like the way he talks about these issues. he's an independent-minded democrat. he may win this race, he may lose race, he's run running for

a seat that's been held by pat toomey for a while, but democrats like the manchins, the mark kellies, the mark warners who are willing to stand up to their party. i think one thing that republicans are going to have tg time between now and election day. people are already voting. who is going to stand up to republicans if they think republicans are going too far to the right? manchin has shown, he blocked an enormous amount of spending that a we should all be thanking him in huge ways for inflation not being even higher. i think mark kelly, tim ryan, they would all be a part of that caucus cuts and that's why i think voters in ohio seem to be rewarding him right now. gerry: katie, these races that harold talked about, ohio, pennsylvania, nevada, arizona, they seem to be pretty close right now. you would expect in a midterm election if republicans to be well ahead especially with the9 senate split 50-50 right now. why do the republican party seem

to be having such difficulty securing a senate majority in these circumstances? >> well, first of all, i would say you can't always fend on the polling. you remember in 2020 the republicans were not to be said to be even close to taking the house, and actually they won more races than predicted, and nancy pelosi has been oversee toking the slimmest majority in the house in decades. so, you know, the polling always undercuts republicans. i think you're seeing in nevada, pennsylvania a closing argument in these final weeks by republicans, and the issue of inflation and crime are at the top of mind for voters, and that's exactly what republican candidates are voting on. and we talk about moderate candidates like i'm ryan, but republicans like j.d. vance have done a good job of saying, look, you're presenting as a moderate on the campaign trail, but your voting record of 20 years in congress show you've voted with your party, specifically with nancy pelosi, chuck schumer and president joe biden 100% of the time. so forcing democrats to be on

the defensive for their record, not just their rhetoric has been an important tactic that they've used. gerry: so when we talk next, we'll talk about democrats who, finally even democrats seem to be unable to ignore the huge influx of migrants pouring in illegally at the southern border and even they are calling for reform. can another busy day? of course - you're a cio in 2022. but you're ready. because you've got the next generation in global secure networking from comcast business. with fully integrated security solutions all in one place. so you're covered. on-premise and in the cloud. you can run things the way you want - your team, ours or a mix of both. with the nation's largest ip converged network. from the most innovative company.

bring on today with comcast business. powering possibilities. your record label is taking off. but so is your sound engineer. you need to hire. i need indeed. indeed you do. indeed instant match instantly delivers quality candidates matching your job description. visit indeed.com/hire ♪ for over 100 years, lincoln's been exploring new ways to deliver sanctuary in its vehicles. comfort for body and mind. that's ambitious. but the future of sanctuary, well that's downright audacious.

♪

♪ gerry: a striking change in narrative from house speaker nancy pelosi. she create criticized the biden administration while speaking in new york this week for not doing can enough to fix the growing migrant crisis saying, quote, we all know we must secure our board a. that's our responsibility as a country. she called it a, quote, new phenomenon and called for comprehensive immigration reform. just two weeks ago she was scolding republican governors for not welcoming more into their states. >> we have a shortage of workers in our country, and you see even in florida some of the farmers

and growers say why are you shipping these immigrants up north? we need them to personal injury the crops -- pick the crops down here. gerry: meanwhile, homeland security secretary alejandro mayorkas is threatened with impeachment after a newly-up -- unveiled e-mail shows he misled the public in a press conference. let's take this up with harold ford jr. to be fair, you've always acknowledged that we have an immigration crisis, but many of your democratic friends and colleagues have denied it. now there -- they do seem to be, finally, acknowledging that we need to do something about it. what's the change of heart? >> it's a national security challenge. i think democrat, republicans alike, this should be something we ought to be able to come together. both sides are going to have to do things that are not comfortable. democrats are going to have to support a wall.

republicans are going to have to support an easy way, when i say easy, easy to understand how you become a a citizen. the people who should be most affronted are people who waited many line and did it the right way. seeing all these people come across our border and many of them are are asking for asylum, our asylum process needs to be streamlined. i'm delighted and thrilled to hear the speaker say that, but this is where i think we're most vulnerable as democrats. it should be bipartisan, but we are the leaders of the congress and the white house, we should be with addressing it more forcefully. gerry: katie pavlich, when the biden administration came in, the signal that they were sending to people, frankly, who were eager to come to the united states was come on in, you're welcome. so they're really reaping the product of their own rhetoric, aren't they? >> yeah. they've made this bed, and now they're suffering the consequence as a result. and it's interesting that the rhetoric now changing just four weeks before the midterm

election when the open border is something voters are paying attention to. the rhetoric has changed now that migrants have been flown to places like martha's vineyard or the a mayor of new york city is saying there's an emergency because all of their homeless shelters are are overwhelmed. so democrats are now seeing the consequences of rhetoric of saying we're going to be a sanctuary city, everybody's welcome, but the reality of illegal immigration is that it costs money, it costs resources, it costs localities billions of dollars every single year. border states, of course, have dealt with this for a very long time. and i agree with harold that the asylum laws have to be reformed in the sense that the bar is far too low when all they have to say is i fear for my if life, and they get released into the country and rarely show up for court dates. and now democrat mayors around the country are dealing with the consequences of the influx of just thousands of people whereas in places like el paso or texas

towns, arizona towns see an influx of 5,000 people a day as a result of this crisis that the white house refuses to change. gerry: we have to move on. next, a committee investigating the january 6th capitol hill riot say they want to summon donald trump, and the former president says he could be fine with that. we'll talk about that next discomfort back there? instead of using aloe, or baby wipes, or powders, try the cooling, soothing relief or preparation h. because your derriere deserves expert care. preparation h. get comfortable with it. this isn't just freight. these aren't just shipments. they're promises. promises of all shapes and sizes. each, with a time and a place they've been promised to be. a promise is everything to old dominion, because it means everything to you.

millions have made the switch from the big three

to the best kept secret in wireless: xfinity mobile. that means millions are saving hundreds a year with the fastest mobile service. and now, introducing, the best price for two lines of unlimited. just $30 per line. there are millions of happy campers out there. and this is the perfect time to join them... add a line to your existing plan, or see for yourself how easy it is to save by talking to our helpful switch squad at your local xfinity store today.

gerry: what was expected to be the final hearing on the january with 6th capitol hill riot, the house committee unanimously voted to subpoena former president donald trump. >> we are obligated to seek answers directly from the man who set this all in motion. gerry: but a subpoena this late in the investigation is almost entirely symbolic. if republicans take control of the house after next month's

election, the committee's likely to be dismantled. katie pavlich, first of all, setting aside this theater of whether or not donald trump would actually even be possibly, testify before this committee, do you think the committee has made its case in a way that really damages trump and actually really points the pinger of blame at him in -- finger of blame for what happened on that day? >> i think that they've made their case that they think that president donald trump should be disqualified from running for election in 2024. they're giving fodder to the department of justice to possibly go after him on a number of other legal issues. i think it would be interesting to see if they decide to subpoena the former president who has said he's interested in coming to testify. they may get more anticipation for these hearings than -- attention than they've received in the past. but in term of the way that they've been carried out with a lack of back and forth, a lack

of due process even though this is not a courtroom, they've tried to make that political case. but in terms of the list of things that poem are paying -- people are paying attention to, it isn't panning out. are republicans were actually beating democrats on the issue of who's better at preserving democracy. so given all the political capital they've poured into accusing republicans and donald trump of attacking democracy, it hasn't paid out in dividends in the way that they had hoped. gerry:ed harold ford, i think most reasonable, decent people abhor what happened on january 6th. this was a terrible event, terrible in the life of this country, and it's right that it should be properly investigated. but do you think, as katie says, the committee has a maybe suffered somewhat from being such a one-sided, partisan affair when even republican, obviously, on the committee, the couple of republicans are strongly anti-trump? do you think it would have been better if it would have been a

more each-handed approach? >> i -- even-handed approach. >> i struggle with that. what i don't get is all of the witnesses that came before the committee, they were former staffers of president trump. they were people he appointed to senior, senior positions including white house counsel, his attorney general and former chiefs of staff, not to mention other medium to high-level staffers. so i don't know what we mean by the other side. did you -- i mean, you've got to assume that all these people who went under oath -- gerry: you could have had cross-examination by people who were skeptical of the case the committee were trying to make. you could have had jim jordan or others questioning d. >> so in that regard, and mr. mccarthy should have given more names. i think the who names, you mentioned congressman jordan, the committee didn't want that name. but here's what i also struggle with, and if i was president trump, i'd want to come before this committee as well. i'd want to clear my name.

i still can't get my arms around the three hours in which -- not one person disputedded that the9 president with us in the white house and watching what was happen. you're the president of the united of america. you could be the city councilman from if memphis, tennessee, if you have that responsibility and you don't pick up the phone, you don't act, i would want to answer that question if i were former president trump more than any other. gerry: vice president kamala harris gave us another of her pearls of wisdom this week. she was talking onset meyers' late night -- on

♪ what will you do? ♪ what will you change? ♪ will you make something better? ♪ will you create something entirely new? ♪ our dell technologies advisors provide you with the tools and expertise you need to do incredible things. because we believe there's an innovator in all of us. (driver) conventional thinking would say verizon has the largest and fastest 5g network. but, they don't. they only cover select cities with 5g. and with coverage of over 96% of interstate highway miles,

they've got us covered. ♪ ♪ we all need a rock we can rely on. to be strong. to overcome anything. ♪ ♪ to be... unstoppable. that's why the world's largest companies and over 30 million people rely on prudential's retirement and workplace benefits. who's your rock?

♪ ♪ ♪ voltaren. the joy of movement. ♪

gerry: she really is the gift that keeps on giving, at least for her opponents. vice president kamala harris was taking flak again after referring to america's youth as, quote, our children, while also attempting to push a green agenda. listen to this. >> when you see our kids, and i truly believe that they are, our children, they are the children of our country, of our communities, i mean, our future is really bright if we, if we prioritize them. and, therefore, prioritize the climate crisis and the need to address it. gerry: harold ford, it's always easy to mock vice president harris, she does say at lot of things that are easily mocked. but the serious question here is, i mean, she is the vice president. typically speaking, vice presidents are the favorites for their party's nomination for

president when the president steps down. is the democratic party going to be stuck with kamala harris? >> well, if president biden decides not to run, the one candidate nationally who is out saying he hopes he does not run, that's tim ryan, would you have a wing of the party that would want to challenge vice president harris and others? you likely would. and this is not to presume -- i hope president biden runs, and i'll support him. if he doesn't, it will be a free-for-all. i'd always take vice president harris in the most favorable light. she's talking about energy security and how we prepare ourselves not only for a green platform, but how we insure that it's part of our national security matrix as well. gerry: just to say that children, we need to prioritize our children, and we need to prioritize the green agenda. it's just a strange allusion, isn't it? katie pavlich, same to you. kamala harris provides no shortage of material not for

late night talk shows, because they don't talk about it -- [laughter] but clearly for her opponents. as harold ford says, do you think there's going to be a real, serious contest? first of all, do you think joe biden is going to run again? and if not, is kamala harris the favorite? >> well, i can only go off of what the white house has said about president joe biden's plans to run again. they say he's planning on it. he has not officially filed yet, so until we get news from them, i will assume he's rubbing -- running again. but in terms of the vice president, she'd have a lot of tough to opponents. gavin newsom, governor of california, being number one. i think he has his eye on '24 if joe biden were not to run again. but in terms of her role right now, the vice president usually is someone who can go out in public, go on late night talk shows and talk about the accomplishments of the administration to try and bring the party together. and she is, she's failed to do that. she's failed to really have any success with the portfolio she's

been given by the president. she has failed to go out and really bring the party together on big agenda items, voting rights being one of them. so in terms of her duties now, she's failed. and so in terms of asking for voters to give her a second chance as the president, democrats are going to have to hammer that out in a primary, but there's some folks who think that she should get in line for that job. gerry: okay. well, that's all we've got time for this week. plenty more to discuss can, my thanks to katie pavlich and harold ford jr. we'll be back next week with more commentary on "the wall street journal at large. >> "barron's roundtable" sponsored by global x etfs. >> welcome to "barron's roundtable" where we get behind the headlines an