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Interview with Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL): President Trump is Doubling Down on What He describes as Seditious Behavior by Some Democrats; Trump Give Ukraine Thursday Deadline to Agree to Plan to End War; Filing Reveals Criminal Case Possible in Teen Death on Cruise. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired November 21, 2025 - 14:30   ET

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

[14:30:00]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: New today, President Trump is doubling down on what he describes as seditious behavior by some Democrats. He's referring to a video featuring six lawmakers who are urging military troops to not follow illegal orders. On his Truth Social, Trump stated the message was punishable by death.

Here's what he said about it today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIAN KILMEADE, FOX NEWS RADIO, BRIAN KILMEADE SHOW: A lot of people are interpreting there's a threat in their security.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm not threatening them, but I think they're in serious trouble. I would say they're in serious trouble.

I'm not threatening death, but I think they're in serious trouble. In the old days, it was death. That was a, that was a traitorous statement. That was a horrible thing to do. I think, I believe they broke the law very strongly. I think it's a very -- I think it's a very serious violation of the law, yeah.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Let's discuss this and more with Democratic Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois. Congressman, thank you so much for being with us. What is your reaction to Trump saying that he's not threatening death, but that this video is traitorous and that these lawmakers are in serious trouble?

What do you think of that?

REP. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI (D-IL): Well, I think that he's in serious political trouble. I think the economy is softening. He knows it.

His, even his base is very unhappy with him. He's obviously in trouble because of the Epstein files situation. So he's trying to change the topic. And so now he's going after members of Congress for stating what is already the law, which is that members of the military and armed forces should not and must not follow illegal orders. And so again, I think this is a big distraction from his own troubles. And that's why he's gone after these lawmakers and my colleagues.

SANCHEZ: Separately, Congressman, I wanted to get your thoughts on President Trump giving Ukraine less than a week to accept this peace proposal. It pressures Kyiv to cede territory that it currently controls -- I see you shaking your head.

It limits the size of its military. It also forces Kyiv to promise not to join NATO in exchange for an end to the war. How do you think President Zelenskyy should respond?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: I don't -- I don't pretend to tell him what to do, but I doubt that he's going to accept these conditions. First of all, I have to say this looks like appeasement to me. It doesn't look like any kind of a truce on just terms.

And I think that it basically shows weakness on our part. And it's just going to invite more aggression and conflict and war in the future with the Russians. I think that the prohibiting them from being able to join NATO, giving up land that they currently occupy, the Russians haven't even conquered, as well as limiting the size of their military to 600,000 troops in return for some very weak security guarantees, is too high of a price for basically an illusory promise.

And so I just don't think this is the way forward.

SANCHEZ: You mentioned the Epstein files a moment ago, Congressman, and there are some threads there I wanted to ask you about. Oversight chairman James Comer specifically warning that after some delays, Bill and Hillary Clinton have to appear in person for depositions in the Epstein probe. Do you think that's actually going to happen?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: It might. I think that at this point, we need to get the files. We need to get all the documents.

Right now, the clock is ticking. 30 days is kind of the deadline for producing these files under the law that was just signed by President Trump.

[14:35:00]

And so I'll be eager to see what's in those files and who else needs to be interviewed and brought before Congress.

SANCHEZ: If it does happen and the former president and former secretary of state are brought for a deposition, what questions would you ask them?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Well, look, I think that I would ask them the same questions I would ask of anybody, which is what is their knowledge with regard to this whole situation. But again, I want to see the files. You can't really interview people and you can't really cross- examine them or talk about the situation without having those files.

That's why I believe that Ghislaine Maxwell should appear before our committee. But only after we receive the files. The interview that was done by Todd Blanche provided her a platform to just make stuff up. And that's why the survivors were so upset.

And if I could just say one thing about the survivors. I do think that those survivors and victims are the ones who have given people on Capitol Hill the resolve to see this through.

We have to do justice by them. The thousand plus victims of this heinous child sex trafficking ring. We have to get to the bottom of what happened and prevent this from ever happening again.

SANCHEZ: Do you know if the oversight committee is going to look into reports that Maxwell is receiving special treatment at this facility in Texas?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: I know that we have asked for an inquiry into that particular situation. My big concern is that Donald Trump is trying to shape her testimony through potential inducements, whether it's clemency, whether it's potentially even a pardon. And now these cushy conditions in the prison that somehow he's trying to block what she has in terms of her own knowledge from getting out into the public as well.

SANCHEZ: I also wonder, Congressman, how you might respond to criticism that Democrats aren't holding their own to account after it was revealed that Virgin Islands delegate Stacey Plaskett was texting with Epstein during an oversight committee hearing back in 2019. Do you know if there was a backroom deal between both parties to keep her from facing a formal reprimand?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: No, I'm not aware of any such backroom conversations. Look, I think that any such allegations should be referred to the ethics committee. I think I've been somewhat consistent in that, along with my colleagues.

I think everybody is entitled to some due process and investigations rather than, you know, jumping to a punishment before we've actually done the work of some due diligence.

SANCHEZ: It seems pretty clear, though, that she was texting with Jeffrey Epstein almost a decade or about a decade after he struck this plea deal and was convicted for inappropriate behavior with underage women. Do you think it was appropriate for her to be exchanging messages with him?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: That's not something I would be doing, and I don't think it's appropriate to be texting with Jeffrey Epstein. But on the other hand, you know, I think that it's important for anything like that to be verified in ethics investigation if there's any ethical violations that are being alleged. And in this case, they were alleging all kinds of things on the other side.

So take it to the ethics committee, have it investigated. I've served on the ethics committee subcommittees in the past. I know they do a good job, an impartial job.

That's the way everyone should be treated.

SANCHEZ: Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, we have to leave the conversation there. We do appreciate your time.

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Thank you so much.

SANCHEZ: Thanks so much.

Up next, we have new details on the mysterious death of a high school cheerleader on a cruise ship. Why the FBI is now leading this investigation, next.

And live pictures over at the White House. New York City Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani will be meeting with the president just minutes from now.

It should be interesting, given all the attacks between the two over the past few months. A lot at stake for this sit down as we follow all these details. Don't go anywhere.

[14:40:09]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Now to the mystery death at sea of a Florida high school cheerleader. Last night, mourners came together to celebrate the life of Anna Kepner. She was just 18-years-old when her body was found on the Carnival Horizon cruise ship early this month.

So far, authorities have not said when or how she died. But a filing this week in a case tied to her stepmother revealed the FBI is involved. The stepmother is dissolving a marriage to a past partner.

And a court document tied to that proceeding said the stepmom, quote, "... has been advised through discussions with FBI investigators and her attorneys that a criminal case may be initiated against one of the minor children."

The stepmother was on the cruise with her kids along with Kepner. Her friends at last night's memorial are demanding answers and an arrest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSH TEW, ANNA KEPNER'S FORMER BOYFRIEND: I felt very sad, you know, because that was my first love. She was the best that ever happened to me. And I'd even walked her to work to see her, you know, for like five, ten minutes.

Yes, I'd like to see a lot of justice. Yes, ma'am.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Let's talk about this with CNN law enforcement contributor Steve Moore. He's a retired FBI supervisory special agent. All right, Steve, first off, why do you think an arrest has not been made at this point, considering what we're learning from this filing?

[14:45:00]

STEVE MOORE, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTRIBUTOR: Well, you have to get everything in order first of all. I mean, you get the notification that a ship's coming in with a murder victim in it. And you know, people are all going to leave that boat, all the witnesses, all the evidence is going to get cleaned up. So you're going to have to get agents on the ship, secure rooms, secure luggage.

And then they're going to have to go with the boat because they won't be finished. So by the time they get their information, they're going to have to physically fly it back to Miami. This is going to be a long case.

KEILAR: So explain the jurisdiction here of the FBI. Why does the death occurring on that cruise ship matter?

MOORE: Well, it makes it a federal matter, first of all, because it was in international waters. And at that point, obviously, no police departments, no states have jurisdiction over it. So it was leaving and terminating in Miami.

So the FBI has jurisdiction under U.S. admiralty or maritime law.

KEILAR: So if there are charges coming, you would expect that to come from the DOJ?

MOORE: Yes. Well, it would come from the FBI, DOJ, the United States attorney in Miami. And what will happen here is, you know, they're dealing with a minor and that potentially.

And so if the suspect is a minor, that's going to lengthen the case dramatically. Because one thing you can't do is is just trample on the rights of minors, especially. And so there's going to be all sorts of -- all sorts of safeguards taken.

Things are not going to go the same way as they usually do, because minors are presumed to be able -- easier to be manipulated. And so you want to make sure that your prosecution is not vulnerable to that kind of charge.

KEILAR: OK, and so the reason and I think this is probably what people have a lot of questions about. We're learning of this step sibling's potential involvement, and that is because of a separate divorce related case to the child's mother, right?

In which her attorney argued that her client cannot be compelled to testify as any testimony the stepmother may give, quote, "... could be prejudicial to her or her adolescent child in this pending criminal investigation."

Explain what you're seeing here and what does that filing say to investigators?

MOORE: Well, first of all, what she's saying is what you've heard so many times on television. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. Doesn't matter if what you said was in another court of law, it still can be used against you.

And so she apparently believes and has said that the FBI and the DOJ have informed her that her minor child might be a suspect in this. And so she doesn't want to say anything in that court case that can be used in evidence against her minor child, which makes one wonder, you know, what -- why couldn't she just speak the truth over there if there's no issues with her minor child?

KEILAR: Yes, what does she know is what they'll want to know. What are you looking for next in this case?

MOORE: I, you know, I'm sitting here on the sidelines. And so what I want more than anything right now is to see the autopsy reports and any information on how the -- how the body was found and cause of death, obviously. And that's going to take you to the next phase.

I think what's going to happen is you're not going to see a lot because it is a federal case and they don't talk much. And so you're going to -- you're going to have to wait till charges come out. This may not happen in a week or two weeks or a month because, you know, the individual who is potentially a suspect is not really a risk to kill again.

If the belief is true that this person might have been obsessed with the victim, then you're talking about somebody who's not likely to reoffend.

KEILAR: All right, Steve Moore, thank you very much.

And I do just want to note. I think we had some Border Patrol video up that is unrelated to this story. We'll double check on that. But for the time being, let's just say I believe that to be unrelated to that so that our viewers are aware.

Steve Moore. Thank you very much -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: Now to some of the other headlines we're watching this hour. There's significant confusion surrounding the status of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Mecklenburg County sheriff announced early Thursday the five day DHS operation in the city has ended.

[14:50:00]

But moments later, the Homeland Security assistant secretary refuted those claims, saying the operation is not ending anytime soon. CNN has reached out to DHS for clarification on the status of the operation. The sheriff's office says they stand by that earlier statement.

Also, video captures the moment that flames and smoke sent people scrambling for safety at the COP 30 climate conference in Brazil. A panel discussion was going on when the fire broke out. Various speakers at the conference had to cut the presentation short to just get out of there. Thirteen people were treated for smoke inhalation. The fire was contained within minutes. Still not clear, though, exactly what caused it.

And scientists off the coast of Colombia recovered gold and bronze coins, a porcelain cup, even a cannon from a shipwreck. This could all be worth billions of dollars. The Spanish warship San Jose sank more than 300 years ago, loaded with gold, silver and emeralds that were meant for the Spanish king.

The treasures are now at the center of a legal fight between the South American country, which found the ship in 2015, and a U.S. salvage company which claims to have first found the shipwreck back in the 1980s.

And the Grinch is crashing the Golden Arches this holiday season, and he's bringing snacks. Starting December 2nd, McDonald's is rolling out a limited time Grinch meal that includes dill pickle, Grinch salt, McShaker fries. Every box also comes with a pair of Grinch socks in wild holiday colors.

So Thanksgiving is less than a week away, and the weather could disrupt travel for tens of millions of Americans planning to visit family and friends. We have a look at your forecast when we come back.

[14:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: All right, we're looking at live pictures of the White House, where here in not too long, the mayor-elect of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, will be meeting with President Trump. And this is going to be a very interesting meeting. Unfortunately, it will be one we will not see.

These are two individuals, of course, who have had a lot of words to say about each other. So we'll see if they're able to come out of this seeing eye to eye on some things. But there will be no cameras in that meeting.

Ahead, millions of Americans are getting ready to fly or hit the road for Thanksgiving. The FAA is saying that it will be the busiest Thanksgiving travel period in 15 years. Just next Tuesday, over 52,000 flights are forecast.

The next busiest day will be Sunday. That's November 30th, when travelers are presumably returning home. But wet and windy weather could create travel troubles for some folks.

Meteorologist Derek Van Dam is showing us what to expect in the days ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Chances are you're one of the 80 million plus people expected to travel over the upcoming holiday week. I can't change the weather, but I can at least show you the forecast as multiple weather systems traverse the country from the West Coast to the East Coast. So whether you're hitting the skies or the roads, you're likely to be impacted at least by some form of the weather here.

We have record warmth on Saturday across the southeast. A few showers entering into the equation late in the day for Atlanta. Light showers along the eastern seaboard.

Scattered showers expected across the southwest, particularly throughout Arizona and New Mexico. Best travel conditions really between Minneapolis and Chicago. If you're getting that early start to the travel this weekend on Saturday.

But Sunday, now we start to increase the flood threat. Here across the hill country of western Texas and into the southern plains, we're picking up a lot of moisture throughout this area. And that could cause some travel problems, not only in the skies, but also on the ground.

So if you're driving, perhaps cold front will move through Atlanta. Stays dry for the day on Sunday. But all in all, you can see the accumulated forecast from Saturday to Tuesday.

In terms of the precipitation, chances of rain really dotting the entire landscape here from Pittsburgh to Phoenix, all the way to San Diego. So drive with care. Now, our particular trouble spots that we have on Sunday is across the hill country of Texas and into southern Oklahoma.

So heads up could be some localized flash flooding. That chance of flooding moves a little further to the north and east, inclusive of the southern Mississippi Valley as well. So if you're going to travel by plane, we do have the potential for some weather-induced travel delays across the central parts of our country on Monday.

And then we see that system move to the east coast by Tuesday. Of course, we're not quite to Thanksgiving just yet, but certainly a lot of people making their way to the airports. A lot of warmth in advance of a cold front that will dramatically change our temperatures as we head into Thanksgiving and bring us back to more seasonable conditions.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: All right, Derek Van Dam, thank you so much.

With so many of you heading off to feast with family for Thanksgiving, we have perhaps the cutest video of one family sharing a meal. Giant panda twins seen enjoying a playful lunch together.

Let's pretend this is Panda Thanksgiving here. That is big sister Chunya snatching that bamboo shoot from her younger brother Chuya. They're behaving, yes, like siblings, right? She keeps taking his bamboo. He's just putting up a kind of pitiful, really, protest there. This is at the Conservation and Research Center for the giant panda in southwest China's Sichuan province.

It may not be the kids' table at Thanksgiving, but later they are sitting side by side, chewing on long bamboo stalks in perfect harmony. These beautiful twins were born in August of 2023 to mama giant panda Pan Wang. Some cuteness overload ...

END