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Trump Administration Continuing to Fight to Withhold Full SNAP Funding; Trump Meets with Syrian President in Historic White House Visit; Rep. Raskin: Whistleblower Says Maxwell Gets Special Treatment. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired November 10, 2025 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Today, the Trump administration told the Supreme Court that it will continue to fight to withhold full food stamp benefits while the government shut down. That's despite the Senate now moving toward an agreement that could end the historic shutdown and despite the roughly 42 million Americans who need those funds to buy food. The administration is fighting a lower court order that required it to use $4 billion from another fund, an emergency fund, to fully pay for stamp benefits.

I'm joined now by Jeanne Nihart. She is a single mom who is on disability and relies on SNAP to help feed her daughter. Thank you so much for being with us. We really appreciate it.

And I just want to know, what is your message to politicians on both sides of the aisle as you are reflecting on what you and your family have been through? Was this shutdown fight worth it?

JEANNE NIHART, SNAP BENEFITS RECIPIENT: I can't say that it's worth it when I am going grocery shopping and I actually can't go grocery shopping. As a disabled single mom, my disability check is about $1,000 a month. So I fully depend on SNAP for groceries and I have many friends that are in the same situation.

And we are all concerned about how we're going to feed our families right now.

[15:35:09]

KEILAR: And tell me, what is one example of, in this process, during the shutdown, of going grocery shopping and a decision that you had to make?

NIHART: I went grocery shopping and have had to put food back. I have an autistic daughter who has sensory processing disorder and some pretty severe food aversions. And I've really had to struggle with what food I can afford and what food she will eat and having to balance that at the grocery store every week lately.

KEILAR: And I know you finally received your November SNAP benefits over the weekend, which I can imagine that reprieve was so welcome. Tell us what the wait, though, was like for you. NIHART: The wait leading up to this, getting my SNAP benefits on Saturday has been, it feels like a roller coaster. Every day watching the news and getting different mixed messages about whether SNAP is going to be released and in what amount and in when. So when I received my SNAP benefits on Saturday morning, a friend told me that she got hers and to check my balance.

And when I logged into the app and saw that my SNAP benefits were distributed, I cried in relief. But the very next day, I found out the news that the administration is trying to reverse those SNAP benefits that were distributed. So even after getting my SNAP, I still don't feel relief.

KEILAR: Yes, the USDA has ordered some states to undo the distribution and states are resisting that, Jeanne. But as you hear that, I mean, what is your concern, that it's going to be pulled back or that you won't receive it for next month? What's your worry there?

NIHART: I am worried that either it can be pulled back. I'm worried that I might go to the grocery store and try to use my EBT card. And in the time that I've gone to the grocery store, that something has been reversed and I'm not able to use it.

I'm also worried that if I use it and they don't pull it back, that I might be penalized the following month and not receive any benefits that way either.

KEILAR: So what has this process been like for you, if you can just talk about it? I mean, I know collectively the stress has been incredible as we're talking to families relying on these benefits. And you all have children that we're talking to.

You know, just listening to these decisions you're making, it's gut- wrenching. Emotionally, what has this been like for you and what has it been like to talk publicly about it?

NIHART: Emotionally, it's been really difficult. And as a parent, I'm trying to do my best to shield my daughter from how concerned I am. But at the same time, she is seeing the difference in our cupboards.

She's seeing the difference in her meals. So as a parent, it's really hard to balance that.

KEILAR: What does she say when you say she's seeing the difference? What does she say to you?

NIHART: For instance, we've had to rely on the food shelf when we're able to access that. And so that's definitely different than the groceries that I'd be choosing to buy. And having to explain to her that this is what we have to eat this week.

And we're going to make do the best we can. And, you know, she's a little -- she's a little confused. As I mentioned, she's autistic.

So routine is very important to her. But, you know, she's trying to make the best of it. KEILAR: Yes, and that's really tricky. I think a lot of parents know a lot more now about food aversions. They know a lot more about autism and that. So as you are making those food choices and you're sort of knowing in your mind, OK, this is going to cause my daughter some stress. Can you give us an example of something where you've had to go through that sort of thought process?

NIHART: For instance, I was at the grocery store and having to choose what to buy. And having to put back the food that I know that she will eat. But I couldn't justify buying meat and cheese and fresh bread at the grocery store, even though that's what I know her favorite meal is.

That's her favorite way of getting protein. And so I've had to choose between buying affordable food and buying food that I know her body needs for fuel.

KEILAR: Jeanne Nihart, we really appreciate you speaking with us.

[15:40:00]

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us.

NIHART: Thank you very much for having me.

KEILAR: And ahead, he was once labeled a terrorist and had a $10 million bounty on his head. Now he's meeting with President Trump at the White House. What we know about the president of Syria's visit to D.C. next.

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[15:45:00]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: President Trump today hosting a world leader who once joined an insurgency against U.S. troops in Iraq. Ahmed al- Shara this morning became the first president of Syria to ever visit the White House. After meeting with Trump, the former rebel leader whose forces toppled the Assad regime appeared to greet a group of supporters gathered near the White House gates.

During his talks with Trump, the Syrian president was expected to announce that his country will join the global coalition to defeat ISIS. This is according to an administration official. We're also learning the U.S. has decided to extend the pause on most sanctions against Syria for another six months.

Josh Rogin is the lead global security analyst for Washington Post Intelligence. And he joins us now live. Josh, your reaction to this visit? Clearly a historical.

JOSH ROGIN, LEAD GLOBAL SECURITY ANALYST, WASHING POST INTELLIGENCE: It is a historic day. He's not only the first Syrian president to ever visit the White House, he's the first former terrorist to ever visit the White House and meet with the president. And President Trump made a, what I would say, a very bold and somewhat risky decision to support Syria's transition and to support its new leadership after 14 years of war and 54 years of tyranny.

And because President Trump decided to do that, that opened up Syria and the president to every other country in the world. And this is, in my opinion, giving Syria the best chance of becoming a successful, stable country in the Middle East. And not only that, it has the best chance of Syria becoming a close friend and ally of the United States and working with us against things like ISIS, as they agreed to do today. Which is a pretty big change from the Syria that we knew under Bashar al-Assad, who was a real terrorist and who was best friends with Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah, which is not good.

SANCHEZ: You predicted where I was going to go next, and that is part of the benefit for the United States is that having more influence in Syria means that Russia will have less. Talk to us about the greater calculus in terms of U.S. influence in the Middle East.

ROGIN: Sure. Well, Syria is an indispensable country in the Middle East, and the approach that the new government has taken is to be friends with everybody. So Al-Shara went to Moscow.

He's going to go to Beijing. He's not choosing any side. They can't afford to.

It's a battered country that needs help and reconstruction from everywhere. But the realignment away from Russia and Iran and Hezbollah towards the United States and the West means that Syria can participate in all of the things that we want out of that region, including perhaps a deal with Israel to settle longstanding historical tensions there. It can be a contributor to energy and development in the region.

It can help stop the flow of refugees from the Middle East into Europe, which is a big problem. And let's remember that Russia and Iran and Hezbollah were doing terrible things in Syria to the Syrian people for all of those decades, and that stopped Syria from being a successful country democratically and economically. And it'll be a hard road.

Al-Shara is not perfect. The new Syrian government is not perfect. The situation is tough.

They've got a lot of work to do. But the only way that Syria can succeed is with the support of the United States. And that's what President Trump, I think, to his credit, promised today.

SANCHEZ: You mentioned some historical tension with Israel. There were also some fairly recent tension as well with some IDF strikes in the region. What can you tell us about the influence that Trump is going to have on perhaps securing some kind of deal?

ROGIN: Right. The Netanyahu government has taken a standoffish approach to the new Syrian government. Not only have they been attacking Syria, they've been occupying Syrian lands, new Syrian lands, ostensibly on behalf of the Druze, but really it's part of Israel's larger calculus that they want influence in Syria, and they're not big fans of Al-Shara.

The only one who can broker that is the United States, and in this case, President Trump. And I think that's what he's trying to do. But in the end, the Israelis are going to have to make a calculation, the same calculation as Trump, that working with Al-Shara is better than not working with him.

They're not quite there yet. So I think that's what the Trump team is trying to do. Again, I think to their credit, convince Israel that this government's doing the best that it can in a really tough neighborhood, in a really tough situation, and bombing them is not really the most helpful thing to do.

It's much better to trade with them and then hold them accountable and watch what they do and give Syrians a chance to succeed and to have a better future. And by the way, that's in the interests of Israel and of Europe and the United States as well.

SANCHEZ: Josh Rogin, thank you so much for the analysis. As we wait for further details about this meeting with the Syrian president inside the White House. Josh, thank you.

ROGIN: Anytime.

SANCHEZ: Brianna.

KEILAR: Now to some of the other headlines that we're watching this hour. Canada has been informed by the World Health Organization that it has lost its measles elimination status.

[15:50:00]

The Public Health Agency of Canada said the status was removed as the country has tallied more than 5,000 cases for the year. That's more than twice as many as the country has recorded in the past 25 years combined. The latest outbreak is centered in Ontario.

Also, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree has arrived there in Manhattan. It's a 75-foot tall Norway spruce from upstate New York. It made a roughly 150-mile journey south and will soon be decorated with more than 50,000 multicolored lights. It will be lit December 3rd. It will remain on display until mid-January. And after that, the 11-ton tree will be milled into lumber for use by the affordable housing nonprofit Habitat for Humanity.

And a police officer in Ohio was responding to a call about a suspicious person riding a bull in a parking lot. Watch what happened when he showed up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have so many questions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is Gus. This is Gus is famous.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's a Brahman bull. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can I pet Gus?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Gus is more famous now.

All right, that's Officer Ron Hook of the Alliance Ohio Police Department. He not only got to pet the bull, he also got to hop on it.

There he is mounting on the bull. Turns out the bull and its owner were, you know, just in town for a rodeo. They weren't, as the kids say, sus at all. Rather cute, actually.

And ahead, a whistleblower says Jeffrey Epstein's co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, is getting special treatment in prison, really special treatment, and is working on a commutation application. We'll have the allegations next.

[15:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: So we're following new developments surrounding Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's ex-girlfriend and co-conspirator. Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin says a whistleblower told him that Maxwell has been getting special treatment in prison and that she's in the process of filing a commutation application. Maxwell is serving 20 years in federal prison over a years-long scheme to groom and sexually abuse underage girls for Epstein. She was recently moved to a lower security prison in Texas in August.

Let's bring in CNN senior reporter Annie Grayer. You are learning some very interesting things here. Tell us.

ANNIE GRAYER, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: So Jamie Raskin, who's the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, sent this letter directly to President Trump, revealing this information that he's received from the whistleblower who makes all these claims about the special treatment that Maxwell is receiving in prison. Now, I haven't reviewed the whistleblower claims independently, but this is what Raskin put in writing to the president about the kind of treatment that Maxwell is receiving.

So the whistleblower is claiming that Maxwell gets customized meals delivered directly to her in her prison cell, that she's allowed to have private meetings with visitors in special cornered-off locations, that the warden has helped Maxwell directly receive e-mails and documents and information sharing. That Maxwell has even been given a service dog to play with when other prisoners are not given that option, and she's allowed to use prison exercise areas after hours.

Now, this whistleblower claims that other prisoners are not given any of this treatment. And on top of that, the whistleblower is saying that Maxwell's in the process of finalizing her commutation application. So Raskin is putting all this in a letter to the president, asking what role, if anything, he has to do with this, what he knows about this.

As we know, Maxwell has been serving her 20-year prison sentence since 2022 and met with Justice Department over the summer.

KEILAR: So he's asking Trump to do something, or he's just asking what he knows about this? What is it?

GRAYER: So he's also, in addition to getting this information, he's asking the president to make available the Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche for a public hearing in front of the House Judiciary Committee. Now, the committee is controlled by Republicans, so it's unlikely that Raskin's going to get this request made, but it's raising all sorts of questions about this kind of treatment that Maxwell is receiving. Blanche actually met with Maxwell over the summer, and it was after that meeting that Maxwell got moved to a lesser security prison.

KEILAR: All right, Annie, thank you so much. A really interesting report. We'll continue to follow -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: Before we go today, a quintessentially Canadian football finale at Canada's Premier League Championship over the weekend. These were the ice-covered conditions facing Atletico Ottawa and Calvary FC. A blizzard rolled in for the match, leading to stoppages every 15 minutes or so to clear off the pitch.

Even the goalies picked up shovels and got in on the cleanup efforts. Despite these snow efforts, we got to see one of the most electric finishes of the year. David Rodriguez pulling off what some are calling an icicle kick, an over-the-head shot to tie the game at one, and then some more antics in overtime.

KEILAR: That's right. The 23-year-old from Mexico scoring again, giving Atletico Ottawa its first-ever championship. And get this, Rodriguez says he'd never before experienced snow until he moved to Canada back in February.

That's amazing. Oh my goodness. That reminds me of my kids. I'm like, really? You're going to wear shorts today? It's snowing, you known.

SANCHEZ: If they have fun, they have fun. If it gets to like 55 degrees, my body starts to shut down. I admire folks who do it.

KEILAR: Miami.

SANCHEZ: But as I watch that, I can only ask, why?

KEILAR: But that looks -- that's not something I ever associate with soccer, right?

SANCHEZ: Or Canada.

KEILAR: Right, it's such a football thing. Well.

SANCHEZ: Or Canada. They didn't really play soccer in Canada.

KEILAR: But soccer with Canada. I'm like, snow?

SANCHEZ: No, of course. Come on, come on, come on. Maple, bacon.

KEILAR: It's wild though.

SANCHEZ: Canada.

KEILAR: Unbelievable pictures.

"THE ARENA" with Kasie Hunt starts right now.

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