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U.S. Applauds Progress in Ukraine's Negotiations, Kremlin Tight-Lipped on the Latest Move So Far; Israel Strikes Lebanese Capital; Ukrainian Refugee Won the Coveted Grand Sumo Title to Close the November Tournament. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired November 24, 2025 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead.

The U.S. reports progress on plans to end the war in Ukraine as Europe puts forward alternative proposals. Details and reaction from Kyiv.

Plus, Israel strikes Lebanon's capital for the first time in months. We will look at the target.

And there's new concern about tourism in Japan. How tensions with China could impact the country's economy.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: I appreciate you joining us.

The U.S. says it's making progress with Kyiv on the Trump administration's plan to end the war in Ukraine. Delegations from the U.S. and Ukraine met in Geneva on Sunday.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the negotiations were, quote, "probably the most productive and meaningful yet." He says the terms of the 28-point plan are evolving with input from Ukraine and other European allies. But he's making it clear that, quote, "Russians get a vote here too."

Rubio also addressed the chances a deal will be made by Trump's self- imposed Thursday deadline.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: The deadline is we want to get this done as soon as possible. Obviously, you know, we'd love it to be Thursday.

We'd love to. But ultimately, the important point today is that we have made substantial progress. We've really moved forward.

So I feel very optimistic that we're going to get there in a very reasonable period of time very soon. Our goal is to end this war as soon as possible. But we need a little more time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Ukraine's president is striking a tone of optimism too, saying the Geneva talks were substantive. He says there are signs that President Trump's team is listening to their concerns.

CNN's Clare Sebastian joins me now live from London. Good morning to you, Clare. So what more are you learning about progress made at these Geneva meetings on Sunday? And what additional changes to the U.S. peace plan might still be in the works?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, I think that the immediate moment of peril sparked by the presentation to Ukraine at the end of last week of this 28-point peace plan, which seemed to come with this hard deadline of this Thursday, Thanksgiving, seems to have been averted for now.

You'll remember Zelenskyy addressed his nation on Friday, calling it one of the most difficult moments in their history. It seems that having spent the day on Sunday speaking to the U.S. side, they are now saying that the hard deadline is sort of off the table. And what they have now, according to their joint statement, is an updated and refined peace framework that they are going to continue to work through technical issues on.

Take a listen to the tone Zelenskyy struck on Sunday on this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMY ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Diplomacy has been activated, which is good, very good. We expect that the results will be the right steps. The first priority is reliable peace, guaranteed security, respect for our people, respect for everyone who gave their lives defending Ukraine from Russian aggression.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: So diplomacy has been activated, he says, and that is now the period that we're in. We're going to see an intense phase of diplomacy. The E.U. Council President Antonio Costa has proposed that E.U. leaders could meet on the sidelines of an E.U.-African Union summit today in Angola.

It's then suggested that the Coalition of the Willing, this group of 30 countries prepared to contribute to post-war security guarantees for Ukraine, will hold a video call on Tuesday. Zelenskyy has already been speaking this morning to his Finnish counterpart, Finnish President Alexander Stubbe. And I think from this tweet that he put out, you sort of get a sense of the true state of things here. He said, in part of that tweet, "the negotiations were a step forward, but there are still major issues that remain to be resolved." And I think that is where we are, because obviously we saw with this 28- point plan that came out last week, a lot of that was very favorable to Russians.

The Europeans have put forward a counter-proposal that walks back a lot of that, including removing any mention, for example, of territorial concessions.

So there are fundamental issues, despite the positive tone struck by Secretary of State Rubio, that still need to be resolved. And we've seen this pattern before, Rosemary, we've seen the U.S. have some progress with one side, with Russia or Ukraine, and then fail to bring them together.

[03:05:00]

And I think each time this happens, the Russians become more emboldened that they can continue to play for time, and to convince the U.S. that the best way to do this is on Russia's terms.

Now, one thing to watch today is that Putin will be speaking, we expect, to the Turkish President Erdogan. He was saying at the G20 yesterday that, or suggesting that he will be preparing the groundwork, perhaps diplomatically, talking to Putin about ways to end the war, suggesting even that he wants to restart the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which was a diplomatic achievement of this war, allowed for the safe passage of grain through the Black Sea.

So that is something to watch today. But we have no suggestion at this point that the Russian side is straying from its immovable position on many of these points, Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. Our thanks to Clare Sebastian bringing us that live report from London.

While diplomats weigh potential peace plans, some Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines are upset with the options being presented. One unit commander in Donetsk says the sacrifices made by his troops must not be in vain, and they will not accept ceding Ukrainian land to Moscow.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VITALII TRIKALO, UKRAINIAN UNIT COMMANDER (through translator): How can I put it? Why are we fighting then, if they want us to give up everything? Are we defending our borders here just to give them away?

What's the point of all this, of all these sacrifices? People, soldiers are dying in large numbers. And on top of that, peaceful cities are being attacked.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Joining me now live from Kyiv, Ukraine, to discuss this is Ukrainian M.P. Inna Sovsun. Thank you so much for being with us.

INNA SOVSUN, UKRAINIAN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT: Thank you for having me.

CHURCH: So U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio calls these negotiations in Geneva, quote, "the most productive and meaningful yet." What is your response to that and your overall view of the U.S. plan to end the war in Ukraine?

SOVSUN: Well, we appreciate the effort. We want the war to end more than anybody. That's for sure.

However, we have not heard any details of what was agreed upon. And furthermore, we have not heard whether the Russians are willing to accept those conditions that Ukraine is putting forward. So I think it's good that the talks are taking place.

It's good that the communication is ongoing. However, without any details, it's way too early to say if that is something that can be satisfactory to Ukraine and Ukrainians altogether.

CHURCH: And some critics suggest the U.S. peace plan for Ukraine is a capitulation to Russia. What do you say to that? And what will this plan mean for your country now and, of course, in the years ahead?

SOVSUN: Well, if we look at the initial 28 point plan, it starts with a point of there is respect for Ukraine's sovereignty. Yet, if you read through the whole plan, it actually takes down the sovereign rights of Ukraine, like deciding on its own foreign policy, because it does set up limitation of Ukraine not joining NATO. It sets up limitations on internal policy, on issues like setting up the cap for the military or on issues related to language and educational policies, those are sovereign rights of the state and there are suggestions that those rights are taken down as part of that deal.

Furthermore, it even touches upon the sovereign rights of other countries, because it suggests that NATO member states will not be taking Ukraine in as a member, which, again, is their own right to decide whom they want to be in alliances with or not.

So under no conditions that the very spirit of the plan is acceptable to Ukraine, as it was presented initially, because we want Ukraine that will be strong and prosperous, will not be happening if we are not allowed to make decisions for ourselves, if we are not allowed to defend ourselves.

Ukraine will turn into a grey zone that nobody will see their future in and that is what we want to evade. Most of all, we don't want to be a grey zone where people are scared to leave because they're scared of yet another attack or leave in a country where they cannot decide upon their own future.

CHURCH: And U.S. Secretary Rubio says the terms of the 28 point plan are evolving with input from Ukraine. But he also points out, and you touched on this, that the Russians get a vote on this, too.

So how do you expect Moscow will respond to the changes made to the peace plan so far? Of course, we don't know exactly what those changes are, but we have a we can we can have a little bit of a guess here.

SOVSUN: Yes, we don't know what exactly is going to be there and how much it is involved, evolving, and if the evolution, so to speak, will be acceptable to the Ukrainian side. So that's yet to be decided and yet to be seen. But it would be critically important if the Russians will be to, you know, to go with it, because they are pretty tough on what is what their demands are.

[03:10:07]

And unfortunately, and that is the scary part in all of that is that instead of putting pressure on Russia, that the American side is for some reason trying to put pressure on Ukraine. American side now is saying that basically, if Ukraine doesn't agree to this plan by Thanksgiving, which is in a couple of days, then the Americans will take down the sharing of intelligence, they might not be sending their weapons to Ukraine.

So why instead of, you know, they could be going the other way around. The American administration -- the Trump administration could be saying, OK, if Russia doesn't agree to the terms that are being developed together with the Ukrainians, because after all, it's our fate that is being decided here, then we will increase the sanctions on Russia.

Then we will introduce secondary sanctions and so on and so forth. I wish to see that, that would be what we expect from the leaders of the free world. But unfortunately, they're just putting pressure on Ukraine while it has been our fate that has been decided.

CHURCH: Right. And you have previously said that Ukraine has sacrificed too much to give up sovereignty for a diplomatic compromise that benefits everyone except Ukraine. So what is the solution, in your view, given President Trump has said that if Ukraine rejects his peace plan, then it fights alone without U.S. support?

SOVSUN: Well, I think it is important at this point to talk to Donald Trump directly, to his representatives and to remind to all Americans that giving in to Russian demands is not making America great, that America was great when it was actually standing up against Russia, against Moscow. And that is what needs to happen here as well. I mean, I understand that Americans don't have to care about Ukraine, but they should care about the future world order and that they care about the world order where America is leading the way.

Right now, America doesn't seem to be leading the way and that is what we need to be talking to Donald Trump about. He needs to be as strong as the America itself is. And that is how we should proceed with those negotiations with the help of our European friends, who indeed have been very supportive.

But again, they are supportive in words, but we are not seeing the further developments with the Russian assets and the reparations loans that are being discussed. And I think that is the real leverage that the Europeans have at this point, at the critical juncture we're in. So we should be talking to the Europeans as well.

If they want to influence the outcome of the negotiations, they should be using the leverage that they have as well. So we hope for the best, but at this point, I wouldn't bet my life or anything on the fact that there will be a peace deal made by the end of this week.

CHURCH: Inna Sovsun, thank you so much for joining us and sharing your perspective on this issue. I appreciate it.

SOVSUN: Thank you.

CHURCH: Well, effective today, the United States plans to designate Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and allies in his government as members of a terrorist organization. The Trump administration accuses Maduro of running a vast drug trafficking cartel, which Maduro denies and his government argues doesn't even exist.

The terror designation will authorize President Trump to impose new sanctions. And the White House says it will allow expanded options for military strikes inside Venezuela. But legal experts say it will not explicitly authorize the use of lethal force.

A CBS News poll shows that 70 percent of Americans would oppose military action in Venezuela. It also found that 76 percent of Americans say the Trump administration has not clearly explained its position on military action in Venezuela.

Republican Senator and physician Bill Cassidy is stressing the importance of vaccinations after the CDC added a new update to their website. The update adds language claiming that the CDC's longtime statement that vaccines do not cause autism is not backed by evidence. The change was made after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. ordered the CDC to revise the page.

CNN's Julia Benbrook has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIAN BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Medical professionals are voicing concerns as scientific information on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website has been replaced with anti-vaccine talking points.

So let's take a closer look at the changes. Bullet points on the site now claim that the statement vaccines do not cause autism is not an evidence based claim, adding, quote, "studies supporting a link have been ignored by health authorities."

[03:15:03]

So that's what you see first on the webpage. And then you scroll down to the main header, it still states vaccines do not cause autism. But with an asterisk that directs readers to a footnote and there it states that the wording was not removed due to an agreement with the chair of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Now, that refers to a promise made by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy,

Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist with Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, who is also a physician and had a key vote in Kennedy's confirmation process. He did decide to support him.

Now, after the website changes came out, Cassidy commented in a statement.

He said, in part, "I'm a doctor who has seen people die from vaccine preventable diseases. What parents need to hear right now is vaccines for measles, polio, hepatitis B and other childhood diseases are safe and effective and will not cause autism. Any statement to the contrary is wrong, irresponsible and actively makes Americans sicker."

Cassidy spoke with CNN's Jake Tapper over the weekend and reiterated that stance. Take a listen.

SEN. BILL CASSIDY (R-LA): Anything that undermines the understanding, the correct understanding, the absolute scientifically based understanding that vaccines are safe and that if you don't take them, anything that underlines that message is a problem.

BENBROOK: And while there are many credible studies showing no relationship between vaccines and autism, an HHS spokesperson in a statement defended the website changes, saying that they reflected gold standard evidence based science.

Julia Benbrook, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Israel says it has killed Hezbollah's second most senior figure. Details of the deadly airstrike and Hezbollah's response just ahead.

Blasphemy spreads across Nigeria after hundreds were kidnapped from a private Catholic school. And now the pope is weighing in on the abductions. Back in just a moment.

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[03:20:00]

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CHURCH: Hezbollah is calling the killing of its chief of staff a, quote, "treacherous" Israeli attack on southern Beirut. The Israeli military says it killed Hezbollah's second most senior figure in the first airstrike on the Lebanese capital in months.

Lebanon's health ministry says five people were killed and more than two dozen injured in Sunday's attack. The IDF says the strike was meant to prevent Hezbollah from further strengthening its capabilities.

CNN's Nic Robertson is following all the developments from Jerusalem. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, Haitham Ali Tabtabai was the number two in Hezbollah. The chief of staff, Israeli officials said that he had the blood of both Israelis and Americans on his hands, that he had been a special forces commander training forces in Syria, training them in Yemen as well.

But what we've heard from the Prime Minister's office here is a very clear message that they believe that Hezbollah is trying to regroup itself. And we've seen an uptick in the number of Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah positions or what the IDF says that Hezbollah positions in the south of Lebanon over the last few days and recent weeks.

And it's sort of significant because the ceasefire agreement that was made between Israel and Lebanon almost a year ago called for Hezbollah to disarm and get out of the border region. But what Israel has been maintaining is that Hezbollah is sort of trying to set up back in that region.

So a decision clearly taken to go after this number two in Hezbollah and go back to striking in the suburbs of Beirut, hitting this multi- story building in the southern suburbs, hitting it with a direct precision strike, the Israelis say, sort of on the fourth or fifth floor of this apartment building. As you say, five people killed, 28, according to Lebanese officials, injured in that. But Israel's Prime Minister coming down very clearly and indicating that this may not be the last strike.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): The policy I'm leading is absolutely clear. Under my leadership, the state of Israel will not allow Hezbollah to rebuild its power and will not allow it to once again pose a threat to the state of Israel.

ROBERTSON: So the Lebanese President has called on the international community to do more to pressure Israel to curb its attacks here. Similarly, in the south of Israel, in Gaza, to the south of Israel, Hamas calling on the international community to do the same there with the IDF, with Israel, to push them to cut back on strikes, increasing strikes in Gaza as well.

In the past 24 hours, more than 20 people killed, according to Hamas officials in the past, according to health officials inside of Gaza in the past 24 hours, and many others injured as well.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Fifty students who were abducted from their Catholic school in Nigeria are now home with their families, but 250 others are still being held by their captors. The students, along with a dozen teachers, were taken by armed bandits on Friday, and now Pope Leo is calling for their safe release.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE LEO XIV, HEAD OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator): We will make a heartfelt appeal for the immediate release of the hostages and urge the competent authorities to take appropriate and timely decisions to ensure their release. Let us pray for these brothers and sisters of ours and that churches and schools may always and everywhere remain places of safety and hope.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN's Larry Madowo has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Anxious parents scramble to pick up their children from a boarding school in Nigeria. The nightmare scenario of armed gangs kidnapping students has once again set the country on edge.

The school in Kaduna State told parents the school was closing because of unspecified security threats.

GLORIA SAMUEL, MATRON, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GIRLS COLLEGE ZARIA: They have to let children go for their safety. Their life is important, their education, as far as now is concerned. So I think it's the best.

[03:25:08]

MADOWO (voice-over): Meanwhile, a mass abduction from a Catholic school in the neighboring Nigerian state of Niger is terrifying parents. More than 300 children and 12 teachers were kidnapped on Friday, though dozens have since escaped, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria. All schools in the state of Niger have been closed.

And people across the country are demanding that the government provide more security at schools and churches.

IFEOMA ANEKE, BUSINESSWOMAN: I don't think anybody feels safe for what is happening in Nigeria presently, because the kidnapping, the bandits everywhere, the killing, everybody is so scared. Even to sleep, if you are sleeping, I don't think people are sleeping with their eyes closed.

MADOWO (voice-over): So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the abductions, and authorities say tactical squads and local hunters are looking for the children.

MOHAMMED UMARU BAGO, NIGER STATE GOVERNOR: It's not the time for blame game, our mission today is to see how we can rescue these children and all those that have been kidnapped in that incident.

MADOWO (voice-over): But there is a growing fear and anger across Nigeria about security concerns, especially after several brazen attacks in the past week.

In western Nigeria's Kwara state, gunmen raided a church service, killing at least two people. Dozens of worshippers were kidnapped but have since been freed, and 25 female students were taken after armed men stormed a government boarding school in the northwestern Kebe state.

The violence once again putting Nigeria in the international spotlight. Just over a decade ago, there was a global outcry after 276 girls from a school in Chibok were kidnapped by the terror group Boko Haram. Many of those girls never returned home.

U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed outrage over the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria and has even threatened military action to protect Christians from Islamist insurgents. The radical groups in the area attacked both Christians and Muslims.

Pope Leo also weighing in on Sunday, saying he is saddened by the incidents and appealed for the immediate release of the captives.

Larry Madowo, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: More on our top stories when we return, including the latest on U.S. talks with Ukraine on a peace plan and why U.S. officials say they're optimistic about securing an agreement.

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[03:30:00]

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CHURCH: Welcome back to "CNN Newsroom," I'm Rosemary Church. I want to check today's top stories for you.

The U.S. Secretary of State is praising negotiations with Ukrainian officials over Donald Trump's peace plan. Marco Rubio is calling the Geneva talks productive and meaningful, Ukrainian officials are thanking the U.S. for their diplomatic efforts. Ukraine's President says the talks were substantive and his goals include a reliable peace and guaranteed security for his country.

The Israeli military says it has killed Hezbollah's chief of staff in the first strike on southern Beirut in months. Lebanon's health ministry says five people were killed and more than two dozen injured in Sunday's attack. The IDF says the strike was meant to prevent Hezbollah from further strengthening its capabilities.

Fifty Nigerian students have escaped from their captors after being kidnapped from their private Catholic school on Friday. But 250 other students and around a dozen teachers remain in captivity. The abductions have renewed fears across Nigeria, with some schools staying closed and parents withdrawing their students from classes.

The first G20 summit to be hosted on the African continent officially came to a close Sunday in Johannesburg. Most notable was the absence of next year's host, the United States.

The U.S. boycotted the gathering over discredited allegations by the Trump administration that South Africa is persecuting its white minority population. For months, the White House has also been critical of South Africa's agenda for the summit, which focused on climate change and global inequality. Leaders issued a unified declaration highlighting those agenda topics, something the U.S. called shameful.

A custody dispute in Italy is raising questions about parental rights and alternative lifestyles. Authorities removed three children from parents who have chosen to live off the grid. CNN's Barbie Latza Nadeau has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: An Italian court has removed three young children from their Anglo-Australian parents who have been living off-grid in a forest in the Abruzzo region of central Italy, with horses, chickens and a donkey, and without running water or indoor plumbing. They have six-year-old twins and an eight-year-old, none of whom go to traditional school. The family captured authorities' attention when all five were hospitalized with food poisoning from eating wild mushrooms in September 2024.

Since then, they've been under scrutiny for their lifestyle, which includes heating the house with fireplaces, relying on solar panels for power, using an outdoor compost toilet and avoiding medical care. The parents are fighting to get their kids back, saying that they have the right to choose how they want to live. Many agree with them.

Tens of thousands of people have signed an online petition against the court order, and even Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has chimed in, calling the separation alarming. The family's lawyers say they will be appealing the removal this week.

Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Hackers have some of Wall Street's biggest banks on high alert. What happened and who may have been hit? That's ahead on "CNN Newsroom."

Plus, a growing rift between China and Japan. How controversial comments from Japan's Prime Minister could impact tourism in her country. We'll explain.

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[03:35:00]

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CHURCH: Welcome back to CNN, this is your Business Breakout.

Markets across Asia have been mixed at the start of a new trading week. The KOSPI in Seoul ended Monday down, while the Hang Seng in Hong Kong closed up more than 400 points. The Tokyo Stock Exchange was closed for a holiday. Now, a look at business headlines.

The FBI is investigating a hacking incident that may affect some of the biggest banks on Wall Street. The hackers accessed a trove of data from a company that Wall Street banks use for real estate loans and mortgages. The firm notified banks, including JPMorgan Chase and Citibank, that their data may have been stolen.

The TSA says 90 percent of its workforce has received back pay from the government shutdown. Some federal workers did not get paid for more than a month. The agency says it's focused on paying everyone as fast as possible, and all employees are expected to have their back pay by Monday.

Donald Trump's top economic adviser says the administration has already sent out $2,000 checks to Americans who have worked overtime or rely on tips. This comes after the president previously floated the idea of using revenue from tariffs to send checks to the American people. However, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says that plan would require congressional approval.

A war of words between China and Japan could soon impact tourism in the region, with the Chinese government now advising its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan. CNN's Hanako Montgomery has more on what's behind this growing rift.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Chinese tourists have cancelled flights to Japan and Japanese hotels have reported last minute changes. Why is this happening?

Because China's warning its citizens against travelling here after Japan's Prime Minister made comments that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could prompt a Japanese military response.

A travel warning is a big deal because far more Chinese tourists come to Japan every year than visitors from any other country.

[03:40:10]

MELODY XIONG, CHINESE TOURIST: I think Japan is safe. It's not about it's safe or not. It's about that you've been very unkind to China.

The government of China, of course we want to warn our people that they are not kind to us. Maybe to think about if you have plan to go to Japan, they might not be kind to you.

UNKNOWN (through translator): Japan doesn't need to beg people to visit. We have always welcomed anyone who comes.

MONTGOMERY: In the first nine months of the year, nearly 7.5 million travelers from China made the trip to Japan. In that time, Chinese tourists spent about 1.6 trillion yen, or $10.3 billion. So if Chinese visitors do decide to go elsewhere, Japan's tourism industry could find itself severely short of change. Hanako Montgomery, CNN, Tokyo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And thank you for your company. For those of you watching overseas, "World Sport" is next. And for those of you here in the U.S. and Canada, we will have more of today's stories after a short break.

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[03:45:00]

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CHURCH: New York City Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani and President Donald Trump had a nearly hour-long meeting at the White House last week. But despite the cordial atmosphere, Mamdani told NBC that he still believes President Trump is a fascist.

CNN's Gloria Pazmino spoke with Mamdani about his meeting with the President and plans for when he takes office in the new year.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Zohran Mamdani returned to New York City on Sunday and spoke at a congregation in the Bronx during their church services, where he talked to the crowd about how he understood that the need to deliver on his agenda would require him working with people that he doesn't necessarily agree with. A reference to President Donald Trump after that meeting that the two of them had on Friday, which went apparently extremely well considering how opposed these two politicians have been for the past few months.

We talked to Zohran Mamdani on Sunday about how he had prepared for this meeting and learned a little bit more about what the two discussed behind closed doors. Take a listen.

Talk to me about how you deciphered his language.

ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D), NEW YORK CITY MAYOR-ELECT: You know, I approached this meeting thinking about what I'd heard from New Yorkers who voted for the President. And when I asked them why they did so last November, they told me cost of living, cost of living, cost of living.

Oftentimes in the conversation between two politicians, the conversation rarely extends beyond either of them. Our conversation focused on New York City. And I think that is a point of shared focus, a point of shared admiration for the city that we both call home and a city that is in danger of becoming a museum of where working people once were.

PAZMINO: Now Mamdani told us that he and the president discussed everything from the complicated building code in New York City, which makes it very difficult to build housing here in New York. Something that we know the President is familiar with because he has a background in construction, real estate, and it's something that he knows and likes to talk about.

They talked about whether or not they would be able to ask Con Edison, the utility company here in the United States, to lower rates for New Yorkers. They talked about immigration and federal enforcement. And that last part is key because that's one of the big questions heading into January 1st, which is when Zohran Mamdani will take office here in New York City, whether or not the Trump administration will deploy federal forces into the city.

Mamdani told us that he did not exactly get a commitment from the President to not send those forces. But he told me that the two did have a conversation about immigration enforcement. And he believes that now that they have this early and young relationship between the two, he is hoping that he can talk to him and work together to accomplish major parts of the agenda that he ran on affordability, making life more affordable for people here in New York City.

And we'll see. This is a relationship that we're going to be closely watching for the next several months, particularly as Mamdani prepares to take office in the new year.

I'm Gloria Pazmino, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Republican lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene's resignation announcement is drawing mixed reactions from Democrats. Greene had become a key bipartisan ally on releasing the Epstein files and extending Affordable Care Act subsidies. Despite her willingness to cooperate, Greene still remains a divisive figure on the left.

Texas lawmaker Jasmine Crockett, who's made headlines in her public sparring matches with Greene, had this to say about her resignation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JASMINE CROCKETT (D-TX): Honestly, I was like, you've got to be kidding me. You're on the other side of the President for one week and you can't take the heat. Imagine what it is to sit in my shoes to not only be on the opposite side of him, but to have people like her who are constantly fanning the flames of hate.

And imagine what those threats look like when you literally are someone like me. But at the end of the day, I know that I serve the people of Texas 30.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Meanwhile, Greene took to social media to shut down rumors that she's eyeing the highest office in the land, saying in part that she laughed at the idea of running for President when anyone would mention it.

[03:50:04]

Joining me now is Larry Sabato. He is the director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia and co-author of the book "Campaign of Chaos: Trump, Biden, Harris and the 2024 American Election." Good to have you with us.

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA-CENTER FOR POLITICS: Thank you.

CHURCH: So, Larry, how do you interpret this political moment for the MAGA movement with Marjorie Taylor Greene announcing she's resigning from Congress on January 5th due to her feud with Donald Trump?

SABATO: Well, this was quite a surprise. I don't think anybody expected Marjorie Taylor Greene to step down, but she did.

I thought she'd outlast Donald Trump, but she has a lot of motives for doing it. Some of them include personal motives. She gets her congressional pension in early January and she resigns a couple of days thereafter.

She can go into private work and probably make many times what she's been making as a member of Congress, and then she can come back and run for something else statewide in Georgia or who knows, maybe even President.

CHURCH: Right. Although she has said she is not intending to run for President, but we'll see. We are talking about politics here.

So what will Taylor Greene's resignation likely mean when it comes to the critical spending bill vote that's looming at the end of January?

SABATO: She must have had this in mind, perhaps to stick it to the Republican speaker. She's had some arguments with him, not just with Trump. And it makes it a little more difficult for Mike Johnson, the speaker, to come up with the votes he needs in the House.

Now, he'll come up with them one way or the other. They'll find a way to do it. But every single vote in this coming year is going to be very tight and the Republicans can't afford any more defections.

CHURCH: And Larry, do you think that Taylor Greene's resignation, the Epstein files, health care subsidies and, of course, the government shutdown all signal that Donald Trump may have lost his iron grip on the Republican Party with the cracks showing in support for his leadership on those issues and others?

SABATO: I think he has lost support. And it's among the Republicans who publicly identify as pro-Trump, but privately are very critical of many of the things that Trump does. They're using this as an opportunity to break with the President and break with the congressional leadership.

Now, how much they'll actually do about it, how negative they'll be and whether they'll ever say anything publicly. Those are questions we can't answer yet.

CHURCH: And what did you make of the meeting in the Oval Office last week between Donald Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, with the two holding a very friendly news conference after some pretty nasty back and forth between the two in the recent past? And what is the likely future of their new relationship, given Mamdani was reiterating on Sunday that he still believes Trump is a fascist?

SABATO: Yes, he very quickly retreated on some of the things that he said. And, of course, Trump will, too.

We know how this is going to go, we've seen it so many times. They will break bread for a while and then they'll break up. If it happened with Elon Musk, it's bound to happen with Mayor Mamdani.

Now, what was so interesting to me is the real losers from that event are Republican politicians around the country and the Republican National Committee. They had built half of their campaign to retain Congress in 2026 around opposing Mamdani and claiming that he is the kind of socialist that Democrats will bring into office if they're elected to control Congress.

CHURCH: You mentioned 2026. How is all of this likely to play out in the midterms next year for each party?

SABATO: Well, it's a long time to go, but right now Democrats are riding a wave. They feel great after November 4th. They didn't just win, they won a landslide and they won small local races, not just big statewide races.

It's also true that the partisan makeup of the electorate in 2026, at least preliminarily, seems to be more Democratic. So the vote that is taken in polling at this point indicates Democrats are winning by five or six or seven points. Well, that's enough to take control of the House of Representatives.

It's not enough to take control of the Senate, although you actually have to look at the Senate now, too. So Democrats are doing great, Republicans hope that they're going to get their mojo back through the economy and that's up to Donald Trump. He's going to have to do more to convince Americans not only that he's thinking about affordability, but that he's actually doing something about prices.

[03:55:04]

CHURCH: We'll be watching to see what happens. Larry Sabato, many thanks for joining us. I appreciate it.

SABATO: Thank you, Rosemary. Thank you.

CHURCH: Award winning actor and musician Donald Glover says he suffered a stroke last year. Glover cancelled his Childish Gambino tour last year. At the time, he announced that it was because of an ailment.

This past weekend, he told an audience in Los Angeles that his ailment was actually a stroke. Glover also says doctors found a hole in his heart and he had two surgeries to repair it.

But he appeared positive, telling fans, quote, "You got one life. The life I've lived with you guys has been such a blessing."

A Ukrainian refugee has won an elite level sumo wrestling competition in Japan, the 21-year old emerged victorious from the November Grand Sumo tournament on Sunday. In just three years since fleeing Russia's invasion, he has rapidly risen in Japan's hyper competitive world of professional sumo wrestling. Japanese media says after his latest win, the country's national sumo governing body is considering promoting him to the second highest title.

Well, a startling ruling after the Las Vegas Grand Prix has driver Max Verstappen back in the race for the Formula One title. Verstappen finished first in Saturday's race.

Title leader Lando Norris finished second but after the race, Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri were disqualified. Officials say their undercar skid planks were below the minimum thickness. Norris can still secure his first title in Qatar next weekend but Verstappen is now within striking distance of a fifth consecutive title.

I want to thank you so much for watching, I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day. "Amanpour" is coming up next, then stay tuned for "Early Start" with Brian Abel starting at 5:00 a.m. in New York, 10:00 a.m. in London.

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