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Trump to Hold Cabinet Meeting Amid Questions Over Boat Strikes; Witkoff and Kushner in Moscow for High-Stakes Putin Meeting; Storm Barrels into Northeast, Threatening Havoc for Morning Commute. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired December 02, 2025 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: It was the admiral's decision. Amid accusations of possible war crimes, the White House deflects responsibility for a strike in the Caribbean that killed survivors of initial attack.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: A bomb cyclone, friends, is set to hammer the morning commute for huge parts of the east. Snow, sleet, freezing rain, more than 55 million people under winter weather alerts today.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: And this morning, experts warning there could be trouble in Toyland and A.I. infused toys are here. But are they safe?

I'm Sara with John Berman and Kate Bolduan. This is CNN News Central.

BOLDUAN: All right. This morning, President Trump is calling a meeting of his cabinet. This comes at quite a moment as he faces growing scrutiny over the deadly U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean, and he's facing louder and louder questions from Ds and Rs alike, is the U.S. preparing for war with Venezuela?

The president huddled Monday with his national security team to talk about the next steps that he wants to take there. Added into the mix right now, as John was alluding to, continued concern that the U.S. possibly committed a war crime when it comes to Venezuela already and shifting blame over who ordered what strike and when.

Well, it was, it appeared, up in the air for a minute, the White House now confirms that the U.S. military did launch a second strike on this boat that we're showing you right here, unclassified video, that they released this boat allegedly tied to a Venezuelan cartel. This strike happened on September 2nd. Critical here, sources say there were survivors hanging onto the disabled boat after the initial attack and the second strike, then that was ordered, killed them all.

The White House is making a distinction here saying that final order for that follow-up strike did not come from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, saying instead it came from U.S. Navy Admiral Frank Mitch Bradley. The White House is defending his actions. Hegseth is also posting about it, saying this, I stand by him and the combat decisions he has made on the September 2nd mission and all others since.

CNN's Betsy Klein is live at the White House this morning. Lots of questions swirling, one of them being, where is this headed today, Betsy?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Great question, Kate. We will be watching very closely. And there were already questions about the legality of these airstrikes that the Trump administration had launched on these alleged drug boats in the Caribbean, but now the White House facing mounting scrutiny about this double tap attack on September 2nd and specifically Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's role in it.

Now, our reporting indicates that after it was assessed that there were survivors, a second strike was ordered. And if it was determined that those survivors could pose no danger to the United States, that could constitute a war crime.

So, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says that it was Admiral Mitch Bradley who ordered that second strike. They say that he was acting well within his authority. They say that presidentially designated narco-terrorist groups are subject to lethal targeting, though the White House has not outlined the legal justification and evidence for that second strike. And President Trump himself told reporters over the weekend that he would not have wanted a second strike.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle now saying that they want the full audio and video around this attack, and I want you to listen to what Senator Roger Wicker, he is a Republican and the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told our colleague, Manu Raju. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ROGER WICKER (R-MS): We're going to conduct oversight and we're going to try to get to the facts and to the extent that we're able to see videos and see what the orders were. We'll have a lot more information.

I've spoken to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I've spoken to the secretary of defense. And we will be speaking to the admiral that was in charge of the operation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KLEIN: Now, Wicker says he does expect to receive classified briefings on this, and all of this comes after weeks of mounting threats as the president weighs action in Venezuela, huddling with top cabinet officials, including Secretary Hegseth, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine and Secretary of State Marco Rubio yesterday yesterday at the White House.

[07:05:09]

The president is set to convene his cabinet today for their ninth meeting. Much to discuss there and we will have many questions for the president. Kate?

BOLDUAN: That's absolutely right. Betsy, thank you so much for being there and starting us off this morning. Sarah?

SIDNER: All right. Thank you, Kate.

Happening today in Moscow, President Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, are set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It is a critical moment in the Trump administration's effort to try and secure a peace deal as they worked to sell Putin on the new terms of their proposal that had been heavily criticized to end the fighting in Ukraine.

The meeting comes as Putin hopes to negotiate from a position of strength on the battlefield. Russian military officials say they are gaining ground in Ukraine now, claiming to have taken the key strategic city of Pokrovsk.

CNN's Matthew Chance is joining me now from Moscow. What are you learning about these talks and this meeting that is going to happen at a crucial time as they try to figure out a peace deal?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, hey, Sara. You're right. It is a crucial time. And this visit by Steve Witkoff, President Trump's special envoy, and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as well, who's been part of these negotiations over the past couple of weeks with the Ukrainians, he's in Moscow as well. I mean, it really is kind of make-or-break for this latest round of U.S. efforts to bring the Ukraine war to an end.

The visit to Moscow, which is the sixth visit, I think, of Steve Witkoff in the second term of President Trump comes after, you know, a couple of very intensive rounds of negotiations between U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators in Geneva, and more recently at the weekend in South Florida, where they've kind of explored various concessions, possible concessions that could be presented that would get around some of the big obstacles in the peace process, things like Ukraine's desire to join NATO in the future, things like the call for Ukraine to hand over territory to Russia that has been annexed by Moscow but not yet conquered by its military forces. These are all sort of red lines for Ukraine. They're also red lines and key demands for the Russians as well.

And so, you know, the wording of what compromises could be made to try and satisfy both parties. That's what's being presented to the Kremlin right now or in the hours ahead when the meeting with Putin and Witkoff and Kushner finally happens. The big question is whether Putin's going to accept that, whether he thinks those potential concessions go far enough. They give Russia the victory that Putin wants so much because they made it quite clear that if they don't get all of their objectives in their Ukraine war, what they call their special military operation, the Kremlin says it's quite prepared to continue with the military operations on the ground and press ahead with the conflict zone.

SIDNER: Yes, the devil is always, always, always in the details. We will see what happened today, but this is a crucial time and a crucial meeting.

Thank you so much, Matthew Chance, there live for us from Moscow. John?

BERMAN: All right. 55 million people on the path of this winter bomb cyclone moving east through the morning commute, heavy snow, freezing rain, and lots of ice. The latest forecast on what could be a wild weather day.

Crypto crumbles, the huge stock market slump for cryptocurrency. What it means for your investments even if you don't dabble in those markets.

And not fun at all, a power outage leaves people stranded on a ski lift. We'll tell you if they made it down.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:10:00]

BERMAN: All right, happening now, a treacherous winter bomb cyclone bearing down on millions in the east. More than 55 million people are under winter weather alerts. Snow is falling at a rate of more than an inch an hour in some parts. St. Louis already broke a record for daily snowfall that was set in 1937.

Let's get right to CNN Meteorologist Derek Van Dam. Derek, 55 million of us want to know where this thing is going and how bad it's going to be.

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know, John, you ever get that feeling where the walls are closing in on you?

BERMAN: Every morning?

VAN DAM: Well, that's what it feels like. Yes, every morning, that's what it feels like in New York right now. Look at this. We've got precip on basically all sides, and it's coming right for the Big Apple. But the devil in the detail here about what type of precipitation you're going to get along that critical I-95 corridor, and here's a clue. You can see the weather alerts. The winter weather alerts are located to the north of the I-95 corridor, stretching from Boston, New York to Philadelphia.

This is where we have the impactful snow. That is the interior of New England. We will have a cold rain across the coastal regions of the East Coast, New England. And that is, of course, so important because of the density of population that lives here. It's all about the surface temperature.

The New Jersey Turnpike, we've seen some interesting takes here, though the temperatures flirting just above the freezing mark. We've had the mix of rain and snow there, so it could get dicey here in the coming hours. But we do see enough of a southerly flow with this system that will bring in enough warm air, and we do believe that this will be just a cold rain for the major East coast cities.

But you head inland, that's a whole another story. Things will really start to change as you travel along some of the interstates and highways throughout Maryland into Central Pennsylvania, even northwestern sections of New Jersey. That's where we could see some of that snowfall mixed in at times, and it will become heavier the further into the interior you go.

[07:15:00]

Of course, we still have ice. That is a concern for the higher elevations of Virginia, even into West Virginia. This region is getting pummeled with this series of winter storms. And there's that critical rain snow line. You could see it just off the coastline as the storm continues to deepen and strengthen.

We've got this term, a bomb cyclone. It's just a rapidly intensifying low pressure system that often happens off the East Coast, and it can be destructive at times. This fortunately won't have a significant amount of wind with it, and the bulk of the precipitation in terms of snow will be away from the East Coast.

But the ski resorts, they're rejoicing, they could get over a half a foot in many locations, so the Poconos to the Berkshires. That is an area that could see 6 to 12 inches of snowfall. And guess what? The hits just keep on coming, John. The cold air is locked in place. Some of the coldest air of the season will be headed our way as we head into the first weeks of December.

Back to you.

BERMAN: Oh, that's good. So, it's going to snow in those places then it's going to stick because it's going to freeze in place.

VAN DAM: That's right.

BERMAN: All right. Derek Van Dan, thank you very much. That line there, that snow rain line will be really important to watch today. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Perfect day to not wear sleeves is what I'm gathering.

Coming up for us --

BERMAN: I got (INAUDIBLE) wore my tank myself.

BOLDUAN: All right. Coming up for us, testimony resumes in the trial of the man accused of murdering and dismembering his wife. Now, for the first time, Brian Walshe's defense team is offering. Their explanation for what happened.

And a field goal fail from the Giants, to say the least. You definitely cannot make it. If you do not even kick it. We'll be back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:20:00]

SIDNER: We've got a couple of people in here. One is very happy, the other one is crying in their sleep, a Monday night matchup of two teams going in very different directions. The Patriots, John, rolled over the Giants and grabbed their tenth straight win, improving to an NFL best 11-2.

CNN's Andy Scholes has the highlights. I think the words that came out of most people's mouths during this game was a particular kick situation where I think what the (INAUDIBLE) double hockey sticks was used.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes. We'll show you that in a moment here, Sara. But I mean, Berman's Patriots, what more can you say other than they're just rolling, the first team in the NFL to get to 11 wins right now. They would be the one seed. Get that by in the first round of the playoffs.

Now, Giants Quarterback Jaxson Dart, meanwhile, he was returning from missing two games of the concussion. First quarter takes off here, but then just gets blown up by Christian Elliss before going out of bounds. The Giants were really mad, but it was a legal hit. And here's what Dart had to say about it after the game.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAXSON DART, NEW YORK GIANTS Q.B.: This is football, like I'm going to get hit if I'm in the pocket or outside the pocket. I'm not playing soccer out here, like you're going to get hit, things happen. It's part of the game.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Giants fans don't want to see him get hurt.

Now, in the second quarter, Giants were down 17-7, they were lining up for a field goal, and look what kicker Younghoe Koo does. He just completely bought just the attempt and kicks the turf. Pretty much sums up the Giant's season right there.

But the Patriots' Drake Maye, meanwhile, just another great performance, threw for 282 yards, two touchdowns. Patriots would win this one, 33-15. Maye leads the league in passing despite never throwing for 300 yards in a game this season. But the 23-year-old is the favorite to win MVP right now.

All right, Lakers, meanwhile, saw their seven-game winning streak snapped by the Suns last night. In the fourth quarter, LeBron's incredible streak of scoring at least ten points was in jeopardy. But with under seven minutes to go, LeBron James' going to make a three here. It gives him ten points, so the streak goes on. He's now had ten points in 1,297 straight games. It is an absurd streak, the most we've ever seen in the NBA ever by far.

All right, finally, Lane Kiffin was introduced as the new head football coach in Baton Rouge yesterday. Been a wild week as Kiffin made the decision to leave Ole Miss and he says, mentors Pete Carroll and Nick Saban helped him as he was wrestling with what to do.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LANE KIFFIN, NEW LSU HEAD COACH: They all said, and you are going to regret it if you don't take the shot and you don't go to LSU. Coach Saban kind of coached at another place in this conference, so I can't. I can't really say exactly what he said, but I'll say I thank the word of Coach Saban and I respect him and so there's a reason I'm here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Ole Miss fans, Sara, not laughing right now. You know, the second to last college football rankings, they come out tonight. Ole Miss likely going to host a playoff game, and it's going to be the biggest game ever in the State of Mississippi. And, you know, a lot of people considering what's happened over the last week, certainly rooting for the Rebels will come playoff time.

SIDNER: Yes, not me. Still rooting for the Gators and Kiffin didn't go there. So, maybe there's some bitterness that I still feel in my heart. I don't know, just saying.

Thank you so much, Andy Scholes. There is one man who is super happy today and that would be John Berman.

BERMAN: Happy and a little bit tired, these kind of games, not really --

SIDNER: You got to stay up to see what happened.

BERMAN: All right. A crypto slump hits the stock market wide as investors concern even those who do not own cryptocurrency.

And a town that is trying to ban pickleball, dare to play and you could be fined up to $1,000.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:25:00]

BOLDUAN: So, this morning, the White House and President Trump is set to -- at the White House, President Trump's set to hold a meeting with his cabinet, the ninth cabinet meeting actually of a second term. And, no doubt, a top issue will be the developing situations in Venezuela.

Last night, the president met with his national security team and more in the Oval Office to talk about next steps, and that also applies to Congress in terms of next steps, as both Ds and Rs alike are raising more and more questions now, promising investigations about a decision in September to strike a suspected drug trafficking boat and then follow up with a second strike when it was determined there were survivors after the first hit, so the second strike, that double tap we've been talking about.

[07:30:02]

All of this comes as the United States is moving a massive amount of military might to the region. The show of force.