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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

Trump Defense Pick, 7 Others Targeted By Bomb Threats, Swatting; Musk and Ramaswamy Headed To Hill Next Week; Zuckerberg has Private Meeting With Trump at Mar-A-Lago; Controversial Trump Cabinet Picks Could Face Uphill Confirmation Battles In Senate; Will Trump Pardon NYC Mayor Adams?; Mar-a-Lago Area Turns Into MAGA Universe After Trump's Victory; Colorado Dentist Accused Of Killing Wife Faces New Charges; Giant Balloons Ready For Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Aired: 8-9p ET

Aired November 27, 2024 - 20:00   ET

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

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: Melissa Bell, appreciate the reporting, thank you.

And before we leave, you tonight, just to note, one way to kick off your Thanksgiving, join John Berman and me for CNN's ultimate Thanksgiving watch party, "Thanksgiving in America." We are going to take you all around the country for parades across the country, some very special celebrity guests. The party starts right here 8:00 AM on CNN and also streaming on MAX.

We hope you'll join us. Have a very Happy Thanksgiving. Thanks so much for joining us tonight. AC360 with John Berman starts now.

[20:00:34]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN HOST: All right tonight on 360, breaking news: An eighth Trump Cabinet pick says he was targeted in a bomb threat today. The latest on the FBI investigation into a scare tactic that is becoming more prevalent.

And more breaking news, Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg reportedly visits the president-elect. Details on that private meeting.

Plus, no one has a more inflated sense of themselves than these guys. The balloons at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, an up close look at the night before preparations.

Good evening, John Berman here, in for Anderson.

Tonight, the FBI is investigating bomb scares that targeted at least eight picks that have been tapped for key positions in the Trump administration. The latest the president-elect's choice for Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth.

A short time ago, Hegseth tweeted: "This morning a police officer arrived at our home where our seven children were still sleeping. The officer notified my wife and I that they had received a credible pipe bomb threat targeting me and my family. We are all safe and the threat has been cleared. We want to thank law enforcement for their professionalism and bravery. I will not be bullied or intimidated. Never. President Trump has called on me to serve and that is what I intend to do."

Also targeted, were the homes of Elise Stefanik, Lee Zeldin, Brooke Rollins, Lori Chavez-Deremer, Scott Turner, and John Ratcliffe all up for Cabinet or Cabinet level positions. Matt Gaetz, who withdrew as the pick for attorney general last week, says he was also targeted.

This is a continuation of a dangerous trend we saw during the election, when election and other state officials were targeted by similar threats. Our chief national force correspondent, Jeff Zeleny joins us with the latest on this. Jeff, what can you tell us about all these threats?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL FORCE CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, unfortunately, these have become relatively common occurrences for public officials, particularly controversial ones in the news.

But what we are learning tonight, that list you were just reading there from Trump officials, these are people whose homes are in different parts of the country. Pete Hegseth for example, in Tennessee, the Ag Secretary, Brooke Rollins in Fort Worth. We have in Oregon, upstate New York these are all across the country, I'm told there may be more as well and it's a mix of bomb threats, as well as swatting incidents. And of course, that is essentially calling in a hoax to someone's home. The police charge in and its quite dangerous actually, because it could be a threat of a hostage situation or something else, which actually is not underway.

So, what we do know is the Trump transition officials are calling this un-American. They are linking these -- we don't know if they are linked. But of course, the timing certainly seems to be more than a coincidence coming on the eve of Thanksgiving, and certainly after all of them have been in the news in the Trump transition.

BERMAN: So, Jeff, we're any of these threatened under Secret Service protection?

ZELENY: They were not, as far as we know. I mean, once they are nominated in the Trump administration and of course are serving in his Cabinet, if they are confirmed, they will have protection.

A couple of members have security. Members of Congress have Capitol Police, of course, we don't know if there's private security for other members here, but no one is under Secret Service protection per se, but the FBI, we are told, is working with local law enforcement officials. That's what these all are, local law enforcement cases. But of course, tied together, it could be much more than that.

But again, officials say that this is actually quite common regardless of your ideology.

BERMAN: All right, Jeff, stick around for a second. I want to bring in our chief law enforcement and intelligence analyst, John Miller. So, John, considering all the ways threats like these can be made anonymously what are the first steps in an investigation? JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Well, I mean, the first steps on the side of the threat maker is, you know, they're doxing these people. They're doing searches, trying to figure out, here's the name. How do I eliminate the other people of the same name and find that address? Then how do I find out where I'm sending this?

But then they're using a series of ways to get in. Voice-over IP is often used in swatting cases to block the phone number being traced. In the case of Howard Lutnick today, the Commerce Secretary nominee, that threat came in to a New York State Police e-mail drop, which is there specifically for tips on crime and terrorism.

So, what investigators will do is look at how did the threats come in? What's the IP address associated with it? What was done to block it? Is it domestic or foreign? Is it foreign because it's a spoofed IP address that look foreign? Often these come in from out of the country, especially the swatting calls, but often enough they are made to appear to be foreign and they're here.

So, all they have to have is one slip, one mistake that the FBI can use with their advanced cyber team to trace this to a person or a place or a group of people. Sometimes gamers, sometimes it's part of a competition but the charges can be very serious.

A lot of these people are not in office yet, but they are sitting or elected federal officials and threatening a federal official through interstate commerce is a serious federal crime that comes at real time.

[20:05:31]

BERMAN: That's a good point. Jeff, what's the White House the current administration saying about this?

ZELENY: John, we know that President Biden was briefed on this, and he is condemning this. A spokesman from the White House has said that any types of political violence is being condemned by this administration. Chuck Schumer, the leading Democrat in the Senate, he also is condemning this tonight. He said someone, whoever is doing this should be brought to justice.

So this is being condemned on both sides. The question is, I mean, yes, these people appear to be targeted because of who they are being nominated for. But again, there are so many examples often that don't make the news for people on both sides of this. It's become quite common, unfortunately.

BERMAN: So John, what options are there to protect these individuals, I suppose you know, in the next 70 days or so?

MILLER: Well, they can be assigned protection in that they have not been nominated because the president-elect isn't the president yet but they are pending. But I mean, we also have to keep perspective here and this is really important, which is these threats aren't real threats. These threats are there for one single purpose, which is to create fear and disrupt people's lives and routines.

So one line of thinking in the security world is, first of all, deny the objective. The Trump campaign and the FBI have not made public statements about this, we probably wouldn't be giving it the amount of coverage we are, but it's out there.

So, I think in terms of protection, first you get past this and let the investigation go to where it is but any threat that comes in, you have to do an assessment. You know what is the threat? Is it credible? These are not credible threats.

BERMAN: All right. John Miller, thank you very much. Jeff Zeleny, our thanks to you as well. Happy Thanksgiving, sir.

Earlier today, House Speaker Mike Johnson announced that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will visit Republican leaders on Capitol Hill next week to discuss their new jobs in government cost-cutting plan.

This news comes as days after Musk targeted at least two federal workers online, Musk appeared to be agreeing that their jobs were useless.

In one post, Musk commented, "So, many fake jobs." On another, he sarcastically said, "But maybe her advice is amazing." Four workers, in all were mentioned in these posts by name and position. At least one of them has had to delete her social media accounts. Tens of millions have seen the comments, spawning a storm of negative reaction directed toward the women.

This is not the first time that Musk has targeted someone online, either. In 2021, Musk targeted a top advisor to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration after she was critical of Tesla's Driver Assistance Program. Also, when CNN reached out to multiple experts and academics who specialize in cyber harassment, several declined to comment on the record for fear of becoming Musk's next targets.

We should note 'X' did not respond to an e-mail seeking comment either.

Joined now by "The New York Times" Maggie Haberman, she is also the author of "Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America." Also here, CNN senior political commentator, Scott Jennings and former Democratic congressman, Mondaire Jones.

So, Maggie, let's just start with Elon Musk doing what he's doing on his social media platform, calling out people by name. What do you make of it?

MAGGIE HABERMAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Look, you know, I understand that Elon Musk has a very clear perspective on, you know, excessive government spending. And that's what he is doing in helping Trump form this next administration.

But when you talk about people who are not, you know, known figures or not public figures, it elevates them in ways that inevitably makes them a target and we have seen this over and over again, whether it's Musk doing that or whether it is, you know, Donald Trump as a citizen doing it, a candidate doing it, and then a president doing it and we have no idea what he's going to do once he is president again.

There are repercussions for the people involved and there are real- world consequences.

Again, whether that is the goal or not of what Musk is doing, that is the effect.

BERMAN: Mondaire, several of the government employees who Musk singled out, had jobs related to climate change, including the Department of Energy's chief climate officer in its loan programs office. So, what do you think of that? Given, we should note that Musk's Tesla did benefit from a loan from that office in 2010.

MONDAIRE JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, it got $465 million in loans in 2010 from the same office whose head he now has been, you know, putting at risk through amplifying details about that person's personal life. And you can't say that Elon doesn't know what he's doing when he does this stuff.

He has expressed the same concern about his own personal safety. You know, I'm old enough to remember December of 2022 when he suspended Twitter accounts for following the movements of his private jet.

So, this is really problematic behavior from someone who acts like a child, but who has unusual power and it should not surprise him then for him to be sued, among other things, by these individuals because of his reckless behavior that puts their lives at risk.

[20:10:42]

BERMAN: He's got plenty of lawyers, and he can pay for them. I will say that.

Scott, do you think there will be an exodus of government workers as a result of this or do you think that that government workers in general might not want to subject themselves to this type of pressure?

SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I don't know. I mean, it's possible that some people don't want to work for a government that's headed by Donald Trump or that has Elon Musk as an adviser, and that's fine.

I mean, they're not entitled to these jobs. I tend to agree that these people aren't public figures. And therefore I understand the consternation that its causing.

They do work for the public, however. They do work for the government and, you know, there is something to be said about what it's going to mean to have an examination of the government and whether these kinds of employees or any kind of employee really wants to operate in a government with a new president.

So, I don't know how many people will leave, but if Elon Musk and Vivek and Donald Trump end up shrinking the size of government, some of them may not have any choice.

You know, government may get a little bit smaller than we've gotten used to it, which for most Republicans wouldn't be a terrible thing.

BERMAN: I will note, my sons both do think it's ironic that the government efficiency panel has two people leading it, and not one. They don't think that's particularly efficient. But that's an aside.

Maggie, the president-elect and Elon Musk are both very rich people. They have large fortunes. People are fascinated by the nature of this relationship and whether it can last. Where do you see it going? Where does it stand now?

HABERMAN: Look it's stand -- it's in good standing now. There has certainly been a lot of complaints from people around Trump -- beginning soon after Election Day that Elon Musk was there too much. He was sitting in transition meetings that some people didn't care for him to be present for.

But if Trump is getting tired of him, Trump is not making that, especially public. You know, where I could see Trump chafing here and there because Trump never likes anybody around for too long. And one of the things that people around him have come to realize over time is that scarcity is a commodity for them. If they want to have longevity with him.

Musk is also, depends on the day, the richest or one of the richest men in the world and Trump has a huge fascination with wealth. As you noted. Trump equates wealth with intelligence and so I actually think this relationship could last for quite some time.

When relationships start to become problematic in Trump's mind, is usually when the person starts attracting negative headlines that bounce off on Trump that's not happening right now.

BERMAN: Maggie, while we have you, I just wanted to ask you about something that happened a short time ago. Trump posted on social media this. He said, "I just had a wonderful conversation with the new President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum. She has agreed to stop migration through Mexico and into the United States, effectively closing our southern border. We also talked about what can be done to stop the massive drug inflow into the United States, and also US consumption of these drugs. It was a very productive conversation."

So look, what does it tell you that they had this conversation? What does it tell you that he, I think, sort of half announcing that the southern border was closed in this conversation.

HABERMAN: I have no idea what that actually means, John. I mean, you know he has made statements like that before when he was president and but didn't actually amount to the closure of a border.

It comes a day after he made some very aggressive tariff threat against Mexico and Canada. And so, I think that's probably not a coincidence, although who knows. He's doing these foreign leader calls. Not in the way that we, you know, have come to expect people to do them in transitions.

Although he is doing them somewhat the way he did in his last transition where they're unstructured, they're informal, there's not, you know, sort of an intense government record keeper or transition record keeper.

So, who knows what actually happened in that call. At some point we may find out, but everything with him is the opening bid of a negotiation. And I look at this, plus the tariff threat most likely as a combined push toward Mexico to try to get what he wants.

BERMAN: All right, stick around everyone a lot more to cover, including a new report about that other famous social media billionaire, Mark Zuckerberg, about where he suddenly showed up today, as we discuss what the president-elect is thinking as he plans for day one.

Also tonight, the latest on a Colorado dentist charged with trying to kill his wife by poisoning her protein shake. New reporting on who else he was allegedly trying to kill, as well.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:19:25]

BERMAN: All right, more breaking news, Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg had a private meeting with the president-elect today at Mar-a-Lago. This was just confirmed by Trump aide, Stephen Miller.

Now, Zuckerberg did not endorse either candidate during the election, but did tell Bloomberg in an interview that Trump standing up and pumping his fist, telling crowds to "fight, fight, fight" after the first assassination attempt was, "one of the most badass things I've ever seen in my life."

Back with us, Maggie Haberman, who reported that story for "The New York Times."

So, Maggie, what more can you tell us about this meeting between the president-elect and Mark Zuckerberg?

HABERMAN: So, were still learning about it, John. It was earlier today. Zuckerberg may still be there. Zuckerberg showed up in Florida with some of his advisers.

It's not clear that whether Zuckerberg sought this meeting or Trump sought this meeting, but one person described it as Trump essentially saying hey, why don't why don't you come over to Mar-a-Lago? And as you said, Zuckerberg had expressed praise for Trump earlier this year for his defiant posture after he was shot in Butler, Pennsylvania, by a would-be assassin.

[20:20:26]

It's interesting, a couple of things about this. You know, clearly Zuckerberg wants to have a better relationship with Trump. Zuckerberg once upon a time, was a funder of an immigration advocacy group. Stephen Miller is Trump's -- one of his most powerful advisers and also the person who largely drives or shares with Trump his hard line immigration agenda.

And so, it's really interesting hearing Stephen Miller talking about this meeting on television earlier.

I think we will learn more, but we are seeing as with a number of industries, but certainly the tech industry, a lot of people coming to Trump and not the other way around.

BERMAN: That Miller-Zuckerberg dynamic, really interesting to note that.

So, other than these meetings, right, I mean, Trump is by and large, filled out a lot of his administration way quicker than he did in 2016. So, the question now is, what does he do with December, for instance? Do you have any sense of how he plans to spend his time?

HABERMAN: Golfing? You know, meeting with people at Mar-a-Lago, I think enjoying the time that he's still in Florida before he comes back to Washington which has never been a city he especially loves. You know, I think it's impossible he will take a trip somewhere, it's possible, but I don't think there's any plans to at the moment.

I think the goal was to try to get as many of these positions in place as possible for a variety of reasons, but one is so that hearings, you know assuming that they don't get recess appointments and the Senate to recess and then shove a lot of these more controversial nominees through which I think is not likely, it's still possible. I just think it's not likely at the moment, assuming there are hearings and Senate confirmation hearings, the goal is to get those done pretty fast so that Trump can hit the ground running once he gets in office. That is part of the goal for this breakneck pace.

It's also to avoid some of the jockeying that you had in the 2016 transition. It's not to say there has not been a lot of internal knife fighting in this one, because there has. It's just been different.

BERMAN: All right, Maggie, stick around. I want to bring back Scott Jennings and former Democratic Congressman Mondaire Jones.

Scott, let's just start with this Mark Zuckerberg meeting. What do you make of it?

JENNINGS: Well, I'm not surprised that he would want to go see the president-elect and I'm not surprised Donald Trump would want to see him, too. I mean, these are two of the most powerful people in the world, and they can probably help each other with a tremendous amount of stuff, whether it's a of a policy nature or information distribution nature so.

I'm glad to see though, that people are going and what this tells me is there's some acceptance that Donald Trump is the president-elect and that he's going to be our president come January. You know, I remember back in 2016, it just felt like there was this sort of immediate resistance to Trump that there was a lot of external and internal resistance to him. I don't really sense that this time around and I see world leaders engaging with Trump. I see Mark Zuckerberg engaging with Trump. This is a good thing. We may have a couple of years of political peace in this country. If this kind of you know, these kinds of things keep up.

BERMAN: I'm going to clip and save that comment from you right there Scott, and play it back to you in six to eight months. We'll see if it still holds.

JENNINGS: Please do.

BERMAN: Congressman, is the Democratic Party losing Silicon Valley? It really does seem like more and more Silicon Valley executives and insiders are at least going out of their way to, if not meet with the president, at least president-elect praise him.

JONES: Like, I think if Kamala Harris had won the election, Mark Zuckerberg would be going to pay homage to her, too. He's got a significant policy interest in this.

Having served on the Antitrust Subcommittee in Congress, I know that regulating the nation's -- the world's largest tech companies -- Facebook, Google, Apple and Amazon -- is one of those rare areas of bipartisan consensus, Republicans want to do it for different reasons. They think that these companies are censoring conservative speech. Democrats typically want to do it, regulation that is because they think that these companies have been anti-competitive in the marketplace.

And so, I think it behooves him from a business standpoint to visit with Donald Trump. This is very different, by the way, from Joe Scarborough going down to Mar-a-Lago and bending the knee after cultivating a brand for himself as someone who's going to stand up to Donald Trump, who poses an existential threat to our democracy that's just hypocrisy.

BERMAN: Maggie, you brought up Trump not being a fan necessarily, of Washington, DC as a city. You know, this transition has been really all in Mar-a-Lago. The last transition was in Mar-a-Lago. It was in New York, it was in Bedminster. What do you think that move back to Washington just as a place is going to be like for him?

HABERMAN: It's a great question, John. I mean, look, I think as a place it will be interesting to see how he integrates in the city. Not that a sitting president ever spends a lot of time hanging around downtown Washington, but Trump used to, as one of his escapes from the White House and you know, we have seen lots of presidents leave the White House. President Biden has spent extensive time outside of the White House, as we know, in Delaware.

[20:25:21]

In Trump's case, he used to own this hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue, or at least it, I should say, from the government and refurbished it, that has been sold. They don't have that place anymore. They don't run that hotel so I don't know what his recreational space in Washington would be. But in terms of the city, he is coming back to a city that he has changed. He has bent Congress to his will in a pretty dramatic fashion.

He started doing that during his time in office last time he has continued doing it since he left office in disgrace after the January 6th, 2021 attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob.

And so, what that ends up looking like when he returns is an open question. I will say, John, the transition being in Mar-a-Lago as opposed to in New York and half New York, half Washington, like last time, means that it exists in a little bit of a halcyon bubble of the sun is always shining literally and bad news doesn't really enter.

It might make it a bit more of a jarring entry into DC than he might have had otherwise because it is -- you know, it is looser, people can come up to him in a different way. We'll see what it looks like.

BERMAN: Scott, this length of time between now and January 20th, do you think the holidays might take some of the heat off some of the more controversial Cabinet picks? Tulsi Gabbard? Pete Hegseth?

JENNINGS: That's an interesting question. I don't think so because they do have unique issues each and the issues are going to be aired out in these hearings. I mean, it's not like they're going to go away just because, you know, we've got some time between now and then.

So, no, I do think this, I was reading a column in "The National Journal" this week, actually, you know, most Americans are not really all that interested in talking about or fighting about politics this Thanksgiving.

So, I do think that over this period of time, you know while were all talking about this all day, every day, most Americans may not be focused on it. But of course, Senators are not most Americans, and they will be focused on it.

So, I think Trump's likely to continue to get high marks for his transition, which he is in a lot of the public polling now. But at the same time, these senators are going to have serious questions for these folks and they're going to have to be prepared to perform when they get in front of these hearing tables come January, February.

BERMAN: Congressman, what do you think the right strategy is for Democrats? Fight on all of them or do you think that one of the picks is worth fighting harder against than others?

JONES: Well, I think the picks that have gotten the most attention have been the ones that are worthy of fighting. There are a lot of nominations that he's made that are not going to be seriously contested. I think in Senate confirmation hearings and that's because Democrats understand that a president typically gets great deference when he or she makes nominations to the Cabinet and to the Supreme Court for that matter. But here's the thing, Democrats have to be really precise when they decide to take on these battles. Some are more important than others. And you want to be perceived by the American people as, you know, only pushing back on the things that are really going to pose a problem to the health and safety for example, in the case of RFK of the American people and not just pushing back because you don't like the incoming president.

BERMAN: Maggie, I think now we are down to one Congressional race that hasn't been called yet. California 13 and the Democrats ahead by like 180 votes. I mean, it's still razor thin, but there's the possibility that after a few members of Congress leave and join the administration, that the Republican margin in the House could be two, which is almost unprecedented in terms of how narrow it is. Does the incoming administration, do they have plans to deal with this? How much of a problem do you think that will be?

HABERMAN: They're certainly aware of it. You know, I think -- they think that it is a manageable problem. They think that they are going to be able to get people over the line in order to keep the House in Republican hands. We'll see if that's the case.

But you are correct that there is a risk here for not just the House Republicans as their own body, but for Donald Trump and the fact that this margin could change and the power dynamics could shift, and it becomes a Democratic held House again. They don't believe that that will happen but if it were to happen, the risk is that Donald Trump and this is what a number of people around him have said to him for a long period of time will be investigated by Congress, will be potentially impeached again.

And so, all of that is, you know, front of mind for a number of people.

BERMAN: Just very quickly, Mondaire, that'd be a heck of a place to work. I don't mean I'm not rubbing salt in the wound. I know you ran for congress this time, it didn't work out, but a two-vote margin in the House, that's pretty narrow.

JONES: Yes, it's pretty narrow but, you know, look, I think with Donald Trump in the White House, you're going to see more discipline because he's going to exert more influence. That's not to say that all of a sudden Republicans in the House are going to develop a desire to function effectively for the American people. But it is to say that, I think the dynamic will be different with Donald Trump in the White House.

BERMAN: All right friends, thank you all very much. I hope you all have a wonderful, wonderful Thanksgiving.

[20:30:26]

Up next, the Democrat who could possibly benefit from a second Trump presidency and MAGA takes over the Palm Beach, Florida area. What it means for real estate, restaurants and the roadways.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:34:56]

BERMAN: As President-elect Trump prepares for his second White House term and builds his staff, there is talk of tariffs, government reform, and a crackdown on immigration. That's an agenda voters expect from him, but will he also pardon a Democrat? Eric Adams is the first sitting New York City mayor to be indicted on federal criminal charges.

He's facing bribery, conspiracy, and other allegations. Adams denies wrongdoing and has some support from the President-elect who compared it to his own legal fight against the Department of Justice. More now from CNN's John Miller.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP (R) PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The ridiculous and baseless indictment of me by the Biden Administration's weaponized Department of Injustice will go down as among the most horrific abuses of power in the history of our country.

MILLER (voice-over): It's one of President-elect Donald Trump's most common refrains.

TRUMP: They weaponized the Justice Department. Every one of those cases was involved with the DOJ.

MILLER (voice-over): Repeated claims without any evidence that the multiple criminal cases against him, even the ones brought by state prosecutors, were ordered by the Biden White House. The Justice Department has consistently denied the baseless claim.

MERRICK GARLAND, ATTORNEY GENERAL: I have devoted my entire career to ensuring that the rule of law is the rule that the Justice Department applies, that we do not have enemies or friends, that we do not pay attention to the political parties or the wealth or the power or the influence of the people that we are investigating.

MILLER (voice-over): And when New York's Democratic Mayor Eric Adams was indicted earlier this year, he pleaded not guilty and began to invoke a similar argument.

MAYOR ERIC ADAMS, (D) NEW YORK CITY: I always knew that if I stood my ground for all of you that I would be a target and a target I became.

MILLER (voice-over): Adams has been indicted on five federal charges related to bribery, wire fraud, conspiracy, and soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals. Prosecutors allege his illegal actions stretch back a decade, but Adams claims that those charges seem to emerge only after he sharply criticized the Biden White House for not doing enough to help New York City with an influx of migrants.

ADAMS: The president and the White House has failed New York City on this issue. Despite our police, when the federal government did nothing as its broken immigration policies overloaded our shelter system with no relief, I put the people of New York before party and politics.

MILLER (voice-over): If Mayor Adams was taking a page from Donald Trump's playbook, he was also becoming a validator of Trump's claims, and Donald Trump became one of the Democratic mayor's most prominent defenders.

TRUMP: We were persecuted, Eric. I was persecuted and so are you, Eric. Mayor Adams has been treated pretty badly. You know when he said that this whole thing with the migrants coming into New York, this is just not sustainable. He said it very nicely. I said, well, he's going to be indicted by these lunatics for saying that. A year later, he got indicted.

MILLER (voice-over): Would the founder of the MAGA movement use his power to rescue a high-profile Democrat from criminal charges and scandal? Sources tell CNN the two men have spoken since Trump's election win, but it's unclear whether a pardon has ever been discussed.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR OF "THE SITUATION ROOM": Would you accept the pardon if Trump offered it to you?

ADAMS: I don't deal with hypotheticals.

BLITZER: So, can I assume that's a yes?

ADAMS: Nope. I wouldn't do any assumption. I will allow my legal team to handle that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: All right. And John Miller is with us now. So John, when Trump is back in office, if he wanted to make this case go away, if he wanted to intervene, what are the ways he could do it?

MILLER (on camera): Well, three things could happen. He could direct the Attorney General to tell the U.S. attorney in New York to not oppose the defense motion to dismiss the case on the grounds that there isn't enough proof. He could go a step further and tell the U.S. attorney, make a motion to dismiss the indictment because we think it's now in the interest of justice. Or he could take a bold step and actually give Eric Adams a pardon, which means the charges could never come back within the statute of limitations.

BERMAN: But he could make it go away without a pardon? A pardon would be a very aggressive, very public measure. But there are other ways where the case could just sort of disappear or fizzle out?

MILLER (on camera): Well, it could, and I mean, one of the knocks on the case has been many have argued, there's a lack of a quid pro quo that whatever benefits he received were in return for a specific official act, and that's what the appeal is all about. So we'll see where it goes, but what do they say? Politics made strange bedfellows.

BERMAN: And Adams has always alleged some kind of a Biden Administration conspiracy? MILLER (on camera): Well, if you talk to the people around Eric Adams and say, OK, we get kind of coat tailing the theory of a weaponized Justice Department, but when and how and why? They say, there was a meeting at the National Association of Mayors where the White House, Head of Domestic Intergovernmental Relations and the mayor got into a heated argument.

[20:40:00]

They say the investigation kicked off after that and that it was on the very day that Mayor Adams came to visit the White House to complain about the lack of help on the migrant issue, that they searched the offices of his campaign treasurer and a dozen other people. So, they have their conspiracy theory.

BERMAN: John Miller, great to see you. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

MILLER (on camera): Thanks, John. You too.

BERMAN: All right. Now to South Florida and the wealthy community surrounding Trump's Mar-a-Lago. The club serves as the President- elect's home and political headquarters, and after his victory, more MAGA Republicans are descending on the area. Details from our Randi Kaye.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRUCE HELANDER, ARTIST & LONGTIME PALM BEACH RESIDENT: This is the magnet, where everybody who wants to see Trump has got to come to Palm Beach?

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Artist Bruce Helander first came to Palm Beach in 1983 to open an art gallery on the exclusive Worth Avenue. A lot has changed since then and with Donald Trump once again the President-elect, Palm Beach which leans Democratic is again the center of the MAGA universe.

VINCE MAROTTA, ILLUSTRATED PROPERTIES: We've definitely seen a major Trump bump. I've got my phone ringing non-stop, so there's definitely been increase in traffic. This is the one that we're going to show to the news (ph).

KAYE (voice-over): Vince Marotta is a top-selling real estate agent here. He says some people meeting with Trump are now also looking to put down roots in the area.

KAYE: Did your phone start ringing right after the election?

MAROTTA: They did. In fact, just a few days after I got a call from a major broker who said to me, she's working with somebody in the Trump Brain Trust and they're looking to find something somewhere close to Mar-a-Lago in the $10 million to $15 million range.

KAYE (voice-over): Mar-a-Lago, the 58-bedroom estate that Trump calls home is where the President-elect has been conducting job interviews to fill his cabinet and holding key meetings during the transition period. In Palm Beach and neighboring West Palm Beach, just across the water from Mar-a-Lago, there has been a steady stream of limousines ferrying prominent Republicans, world leaders and others around the area.

BERNARDO NETO, GENERAL MANAGER, THE BEN HOTEL: We've seen the president of Argentina was in the city. We've seen NATO dignitaries, we've seen Fortune-500 CEOs.

KAYE (voice-over): Bernardo Neto is the General Manager at The Ben Hotel, which sits just about two miles from Mar-a-Lago. These days, it's a popular spot for media, dignitaries and anyone hoping to get access to Trump or a job with the new administration.

NETO: I think having any president-elect two miles away, but absolutely, since the election, we've seen a big uptake, reservations, but we've seen an increase at least 15 percent.

HELANDER: The airports are filled. The hotels are filled. The restaurants, impossible to get a reservation. It's a very exciting time.

KAYE (voice-over): Exciting for some, but stressful too. Security around Palm Beach is tighter than ever, especially along what's known as Billionaires' Row. That's the area of South Ocean Boulevard where Mar-a-Lago is located. It's now closed to traffic, which has turned into a nightmare.

ELDA TARRAGO, PALM BEACH RESIDENT: Nobody likes the traffic because you know, what used to take 15 minutes to get somewhere, now you're taking 40 minutes to an hour. So traffic is always an issue, but that's what happens when a city grows.

KAYE: Would you like to see them put the helipad back at Mar-a-Lago?

TARRAGO: I would say, why not? Yeah, why not? It'll be fun to watch.

(LAUGH)

KAYE (voice-over): Palm Beach may be at the epicenter of it all, but business just over the bridge in West Palm Beach is also booming. Billionaire Jeff Green is building a 1.5 million-square foot office, hotel and apartment complex. Vanderbilt University has plans to build a $520 million graduate campus. And companies like Goldman Sachs are moving in, helping to transform West Palm Beach into the Wall Street of the south.

Longtime Palm Beach resident, Suebelle Whitworth Robbins came here 50 years ago and loves all the attention on their tiny enclave and surrounding areas.

SUEBELLE WHITWORTH ROBBINS, THE INSTAQUEEN OF PALM BEACH: Oh, it's magical. I think it's sort of exciting. It's always fun to be around important people.

(END VIDEOTAPE) KAYE (on camera): And John, I also spoke to another real estate agent who told me that he has two clients, he did not name names, but he said that they are also looking for homes near Mar-a-Lago. He said they have connections to the incoming administration. Nobody is naming names, but there's certainly a trend here. And John, I also spoke to billionaire Jeff Green, who lives just south of Mar-a-Lago, where all that traffic is happening because the roads are closed due to security reasons, and he said that even though he is not happy about the traffic, he said he does think that all this attention is a good thing for his community. He said it's like a global billboard every day, having Donald Trump here. He said it does bring a little cachet to his tiny town. John?

BERMAN: A global billboard. All right, Randi Kaye, thank you very much.

Much more ahead, a Colorado dentist accused of killing his wife by putting poison in her protein shake is now alleged to have plotted to kill one of the investigators, the details next. And we'll take you live to where the action is, our Gary Tuchman is behind the scenes as they get ready for tomorrow's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:49:30]

BERMAN: A Colorado dentist accused of murdering his wife by poisoning her protein shake last year is now facing new charges and he's looking for a new attorney. Jean Casarez reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. JAMES CRAIG, DENTIST, SUMMERBROOK DENTAL GROUP: My name is Dr. Jim Craig and I practice at Summerbrook Dental Group.

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New felony charges against Dr. James Craig, already behind bars facing a first-degree murder charge of his wife. Now, an Aurora Police Department spokesperson says Craig allegedly plotted to have a detective on the case killed and was trying to recruit a former inmate to do it.

[20:50:00]

Court records show Craig is also accused of asking his daughter and a different former inmate to help cover up the crime. Prosecutors say Craig sent that former inmate a letter from prison, promising to reimburse any costs, take care of the inmate and his family financially, and provide expensive dental work at no cost.

He also asked if he could recruit a couple attractive women who he'd be willing to pay to say they had an affair with Craig and dated on and off for about a year or so, and that the women would claim that at some point Angela Craig found out about the affair and had had enough, in what appears to be an effort to show Angela was suicidal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It seemed like something that he could ever do to her.

CASAREZ (voice-over): Police say Craig killed his wife and the mother of his six children by poisoning her protein shakes with toxic chemicals like arsenic and potassium cyanide, something that stunned some of his longtime patients.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mind blown. I have no other words. I just stood there completely baffled and confused.

CASAREZ (voice-over): In March of 2023, Angela was hospitalized multiple times, complaining of a severe headache and dizziness. She died March 18th, after she was declared brain dead. Police say Angela knew something was wrong, citing earlier text messages between the two of them.

ANGELA CRAIG, LATE WIFE OF JAMES CRAIG: I feel drugged and he texts back, "Just for the record, I didn't drug you."

CASAREZ (voice-over): Last week, the day jury selection was set to begin, Craig's attorney suddenly quit, citing rules of professional conduct about his client's behavior. James Craig continues to maintain his innocence.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: And Jean Casarez is with us now. So with all of these charges, do you have a sense of what the defense will be?

CASAREZ (on camera): It's going to be tough, but his business partner, which was also a dentist, there was a text exchange right after Angela died and because he had actually gone to the police because he finds this potassium cyanide in the dental office and they don't use that for dental work. And James Craig said, just stay out of this, OK? Just stay out of it. You don't know what was happening at home with Angela. You don't know. You don't know the other side of the story.

So I think they are going to say suicide that she wanted to end her life, but also I think he spoke to so many inmates and working deals with them. He'll say he is just joking, maybe. I was just joking. I wasn't serious about it. And they'll try to show that reasonable doubt.

BERMAN: Yeah. Heck of a story. Jean Casarez, thank you so much.

Next, something we hope brings a smile to your night. We're talking Thanksgiving and it has nothing to do with food. Some of the iconic balloons are ready to take flight here in New York City for tomorrow's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Our Gary Tuchman is there and we'll check in.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:57:28] BERMAN: It is the eve of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and our Gary Tuchman is near the starting point, right here in New York City. So Gary, what's it like there right now?

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Thanksgiving eve, John, is very festive in New York City because it's also Inflation Day. It's the day that people from the New York area and all over the world can watch the Macy's Parade balloons get inflated here on the Upper West Side where the parade begins. This behind me is Tom Turkey. Tom Turkey is not a balloon, he is a float. There are 22 floats in the parade. He's the traditional beginning of the parade that you'll see tomorrow morning.

The balloons that are over here, 32 balloons in this parade, the one getting the most attention right here is Minnie Mouse. Minnie Mouse is 60-feet tall. This is her debut in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Her husband and I know it's her husband because Walt Disney said this many years ago, Mickey Mouse has been in four parades. He will not be in this parade. But other balloons that were blown up and people watching them, thousands of people watching them, were minion from the minions and Dora the Explorer, also Spiderman. And it's really a wonderful day for the people who have been here watching.

I could tell you something really amazing that it was 100 years ago on this very day, November 27, 1924, that the first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade took place. This is the 98th annual because three parades were canceled in the 1940s because of World War II. The hundredth will take place in 2026, but either way, it's a festive day and I talked to people from all over the world who are very happy to be here.

TUCHMAN: David, where are you from?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From Sydney, Australia.

TUCHMAN: Sydney, Australia.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah. Yeah.

TUCHMAN: How are you enjoying this so far?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, it's amazing. I've never seen anything like it.

(LAUGH)

TUCHMAN: What's the favorite thing you've seen?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Definitely Bluey, of course. Australian character.

TUCHMAN: Where are you folks from?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm from Spain.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're from Madrid, Spain.

TUCHMAN: Welcome to New York.

(LAUGH)

TUCHMAN: What's your favorite part of what you've seen so far?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The balloons.

TUCHMAN: What is your name?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My name is Mary Maletta (ph).

TUCHMAN: And how old are you, if you don't mind me asking?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, 98. I tell everybody now.

TUCHMAN: You look much younger than that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

TUCHMAN: Have you ever seen all the balloons being blown up before?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I never -- never did.

TUCHMAN: This is amazing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the first time I've been --

TUCHMAN: Do you know that this parade, the first one was exactly a hundred years ago.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Really? So --

TUCHMAN: And you're 98, so you were here for the third one.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am from Colombia.

TUCHMAN: And where in Columbia?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Medellin.

TUCHMAN: Medellin is a beautiful city.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Of course it is. You should come to see it.

TUCHMAN: Well, I've been there and it's beautiful. That's why I know that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, you've been.

TUCHMAN: So what's your favorite balloon? What's the most beautiful balloon?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do love Dora the Explorer, Dora, because my daughter (ph).

TUCHMAN: Minnie Mouse is 60-feet tall. This gives you an idea.