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CNN This Morning
Source: 'Absolutely Critical' Day for Hegseth's Nomination; NYC Mayor to Meet with Trump Border Czar Soon; More Snow Expected for Great Lakes, Northeastern U.S. Aired 6-6:30a ET
Aired December 04, 2024 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: It's Wednesday, December 4th, right now on CNN THIS MORNING.
[06:00:19]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KENNEDY (R-LA): I have seen all the allegations, and Mr. Hegseth is going to have to address them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: A critical day. Trump's choice to lead the Pentagon in jeopardy as Trump allies raise questions about his past.
And --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Martial law surprise. South Korea plunged into political chaos after their president declares martial law before quickly backing down.
Plus, a desperate search underway. A grandmother missing right now after possibly falling into this sinkhole.
And --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): The airlines are relying more and more on these junk fees as a source of revenue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Airline cash grab. What a new Senate investigation is uncovering about those extra fees you pay to fly.
All right, 6 a.m. Here on the East Coast. A live look at the very, very beginning of the sunrise in New York City. Good morning, everyone. I'm Kasie Hunt. It's wonderful to have you
with us.
It is a make-or-break day for Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of defense. In just hours, Pete Hegseth plans to return to Capitol Hill. He's supposed to meet with key Republican senators, including the next majority leader, John Thune.
A senior Trump transition official telling CNN today will be, quote, "absolutely critical." That source also suggesting that Hegseth hadn't been forthcoming with transition officials about his past behavior.
Over the weekend, "The New Yorker" reported that he was, quote, "forced out of previous leadership positions for financial mismanagement, sexist behavior, and being repeatedly intoxicated on the job," end quote.
Responding to those allegations and others, Hegseth has denied all wrongdoing.
But amid these developments, a slight change in tone -- It might be slight, but it's significant -- from Senate Republicans, who would need to approve his nomination.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): You know, some of these articles are very disturbing. He, you know, obviously has a chance to defend himself here. But, you know, some of this stuff is going to be difficult. You know, time will tell.
SEN. MIKE ROUNDS (R-SD): I have not met with him yet. I'm looking forward to meeting with him. We'll be asking questions. But look, the president always gets the benefit of the doubt on his nominees.
SEN. KEVIN CRAMER (R-ND): Of course, its concerning, but I look forward to visiting with Pete about it and seeing. I'm interested in who Pete Hegseth is today and who he's -- he is going forward.
SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R-ME): I believe that we need an FBI background check to evaluate the allegations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Multiple sources telling CNN Trump's allies are now making a list of possible replacements to lead the Pentagon.
On that list: Florida governor, the former Trump challenger, Ron DeSantis; Iowa Senator Joni Ernst; and Tennessee Senator Bill Hagerty.
DeSantis and Ernst are both veterans, and like Hegseth, DeSantis has previously criticized the Pentagon for what he describes as "woke" policy.
Should Hegseth's name be withdrawn, it would be the second Trump cabinet nominee to fail, after would-be attorney general Matt Gaetz. Just yesterday, I spoke with senior Trump adviser Jason Miller, who
seemed fairly certain about Hegseth's chances on Capitol Hill.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Was the Trump transition aware of this information about Pete Hegseth's -- Hegseth's past, and are there any concerns inside the transition about it?
JASON MILLER, SENIOR TRUMP ADVISOR: Well, so, when it comes to Pete Hegseth, there aren't any concerns. And we feel very good about his positioning for being confirmed by the Senate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: All right. Our panel is here: Mark Preston, CNN senior political analyst; Alex Thompson, CNN political analyst, national political reporter for Axios; Meghan Hays, former director of message planning for the Biden White House; and Kristen Soltis Anderson, Republican pollster, strategist, and CNN political commentator.
Welcome to all of you.
I would be remiss for not mentioning that it's Wednesday, so we're wearing pink. It's wonderful to have both of you here. Kristen, let me start with you on Hegseth and how this is looking, because it does seem like what's coming out of Mar-a-Lago in the last 24 hours has really changed in tone. I think what Lindsey Graham is on the Hill saying about him is pretty significant.
Your sense of whether Trump is really willing to go to the mat, as we learn more about Pete Hegseth, when apparently, he didn't tell them a lot of this; and he could have.
KRISTEN SOLTIS ANDERSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: So, my sense is that Republican senators want to get to "yes" on as many of these choices as possible.
They are not relishing the thought of a fight with Donald Trump.
And frankly, Matt Gaetz, who had been nominated for attorney general and then withdrew, that was going to be, I think, the spiciest fight of all of them.
[06:05:01]
So, with him, then, stepping down, I wonder to what extent Republican senators are thinking, OK, if we put pressure on now for some of these more difficult choices, can we actually avoid a big fight with Trump in front of the cameras during hearings?
I think it's notable. That list of alternatives, folks like Joni Ernst Joni Ernst from the Senate, very well liked in Trump world, would be very capable.
But I think these senators, they're not relishing a fight with Trump. I think they'd rather avoid it if they can.
HUNT: Right. Well, but pulling Hegseth out now would, of course, avoid a public fight later.
I mean, Mark Preston, I -- it's like if the list of people that's going to replace you is already out there, I mean, like -- I mean, has the ship sailed?
(CROSSTALK)
MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: -- lost by noon, you know. Who knows?
HUNT: What's your sense of whether he can -- I mean, this is a critical test day for him. We're expecting him to appear in the media, possibly with his mother --
PRESTON: Right.
HUNT: -- who sent an email during his 2018 divorce, basically saying that he needed to seek help because of the behavior that he was exhibiting toward women.
PRESTON: Yes. Devastating. I mean, no matter what his mother says right now, I mean, what she said initially in -- in that email, I think, was the final nail in the coffin for Hegseth.
You know, not only is it an important day for him, which I think it will probably be his last day, if not one of his last days. It's an important day for John -- John Thune right now. Somebody who has to tell Hegseth today, listen, you're not going to get through. Like, that's his job now, as the Republican leader: to try to clear the decks where there are problems. As Kristen was saying, try to get through as many people as possible.
And you know what? Joni Ernst? I mean, what a twist on this. Joni Ernst is basically going to sink his -- you know, we would think that he -- she would sink Hegseth's nomination. She could be defense secretary.
And she is very well-liked. I mean, she is well-liked.
ALEX THOMPSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I mean, to add to that, you know, don't look now, but the Senate Republicans may have really found their backbone in the last two weeks.
I mean, you could see -- if what you're saying is true, they could have sunk both -- quietly sunk Trump's nominees for attorney general and secretary of defense, despite this reputation of like, oh, they're doing -- they're just, like, overly loyal.
And they're basically, very quietly, telling Trump, you know, this person can get through. This person can't get through.
About Joni Ernst. You know, the one thing that she's going to have to over -- overcome is that she's been very supportive of Ukraine and its war against Russia. A lot of sort of the MAGA base are very, very skeptical of her, in a way they aren't about Ron DeSantis.
And Ron DeSantis, you know, despite the tensions between the two, the one thing about DeSantis that I've heard appeals to sort of some of the Trump team, the guy is a nerd. The guy is a wonk. And -- and --
HUNT: So, why does this appeal to the Trump team?
THOMPSON: Well, because the Pentagon is a huge, sprawling bureaucracy.
PRESTON: Right.
THOMPSON: And they feel like maybe he actually would be good for that.
PRESTON: Let me say this. If -- if DeSantis does become a secretary of defense, I mean, look, if he gets to the Senate, he will be confirmed.
If he becomes in, we're talking about now a redrawing of what the MAGA political party is going to look like, you know, in a couple of years.
Because now Ron DeSantis is going to be taken out of Florida, where he knows he's been very successful. He's been a successful governor. Now he's going to get that foreign policy background you know, with him.
And then it's going to be J.D. who? You know, there's going to be follow to that (ph).
HUNT: Well, yes. I mean, we're setting up for a -- yes. I mean, for -- for DeSantis, definitely some significant steps towards another.
The idea that he doesn't want to run for president again is -- probably is not -- is not realistic.
Meghan, but to that point, I mean, DeSantis likely he at least has been publicly vetted in a presidential campaign. Right?
MEGHAN HAYS, FORMER DIRECTOR OF MESSAGE PLANNING FOR BIDEN WHITE HOUSE: Well, right. And it's easier for senators to take a vote on him. Right?
I think that the senators don't want to have to publicly go against Trump here. They can do this quietly, and no one knows. They don't become a target for the MAGA base or the Republicans outside that want to, you know, wage a primary campaign against some of these people. So, they can -- DeSantis is a person that they can take a vote on.
HUNT: Yes. All right. Coming up next here on CNN THIS MORNING, search- and-rescue efforts continue to save a woman who fell into a sinkhole while searching for her missing cat.
Plus, the balance of power. How a few Republicans may be able to wield significant power in the House, decided by the slimmest of margins. We're going to talk live with Republican Congressman Tim Burchett.
And potential allies? New York City's Democratic mayor singing a similar tune to the president-elect.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIC ADAMS, NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: President Biden and President-elect Donald Trump now agree on one thing: the Biden Justice Department has been politicized.
Does that sound familiar? I rest my case.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:13:49]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: Mayor Adams. I'd like to poke some fun at Eric, but I'm going to be nice.
I just want to be nice, because I know what it's like to be persecuted by the DOJ for speaking out against open borders. We were persecuted, Eric.
I was persecuted, and so are you, Eric.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: President-elect Donald Trump may have a sympathetic New York City mayor to work with in his upcoming administration.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Mayor Eric Adams, who is facing a federal indictment from the Department of Justice under the Biden administration, says he's looking to work with the incoming administration on issues like immigration.
Adams has been outspoken on how current immigration policies have impacted his city.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADAMS: The American people have communicated to us loudly and clearly, we have a broken system. They want it fixed. And we need to fix our immigration system. We need to secure our border.
I made it clear that I'm not going to be warring with this administration. I'm going to be working with this administration.
In the -- in the era of cancel culture, no one is afraid to be honest about the truth. Well, cancel me, because I'm going to protect the people of this city.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[06:15:04]
HUNT: Meghan Hays, there's a -- there's a lot going on there.
HAYS: I was thinking about that, all the messaging in the back. It's -- when, since the pandemic years, is the subway safe?
HUNT: No. But, like, so he's the cover of "The New York Post" this morning: "Cancel me. I don't care." But there's -- he's got personal reasons to work with the incoming Trump administration. No?
HAYS: Well, absolutely. I think he needs a pardon. And I think he's going to need a job.
There's an election for -- you know, his reelection. I don't know that New Yorkers are going to support him, and he will win. But I mean, absolutely, he needs to work with the Trump administration. He needs to save himself from going to jail.
THOMPSON: There's this fascinating evolution, because you remember, when he was elected, you know, he was Joe Biden's best friend. He was calling himself the Joe Biden of Brooklyn, because they saw their bases as very similar, is that they were anti-woke. They were really appealing, especially to older black voters in New York.
And then, that relationship completely frayed over this migration issue. The Adams -- the Adams administration felt the Biden White House was very dismissive and did not realize the severity of the problem until two years too late.
HUNT: Right. And Adams was willing to speak out against it in a way that --
THOMPSON: Yes.
HUNT: -- didn't sit well, right?
THOMPSON: And the Biden administration basically just deemed him as disloyal, rather than taking some of his concerns seriously.
HUNT: Par for the course for the Biden administration, Meghan?
HAYS: Sure. I think something that's really interesting about all of this is the way that the conversation about immigration has changed so dramatically in major cities in America over the last year or two, frankly, as a result of some of those policies that were derided as very cruel, of governors from Southern states sort of sending migrants along up to these bigger cities.
It has really changed the conversation that we're having in this country about the challenges folks are facing.
I mean, you look in the news media at any headline coming out of New York: crimes being committed, it's so often, Oh, this was a person who was here undocumented. They've been living at the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan.
I mean, it has so dramatically changed the way many of these mayors talk about this issue.
HUNT: In many ways, what Republican governors did worked for them. PRESTON: I mean, we go back to the time when Ron DeSantis -- remember
all of the mystery around how did -- how did these folks get to, you know, up to Cape Cod, basically. And it turns out --
HUNT: When he flew people to Martha's Vineyard.
PRESTON: Correct, correct.
HUNT: With great fanfare.
PRESTON: Correct. But again, you know, if you go back to that time and you think, oh, you know, that was cruel, that was cruel, the folks up in those cities and in those areas really got a taste of what it was like living along the border. And they didn't like it.
HUNT: All right. So, coming up here on CNN THIS MORNING, just in the nick of time. Officers stop a runaway car with a pregnant woman trapped inside. That's just one of five things you need to see this morning.
Plus, Republicans might be preparing to control both chambers, but with an extremely thin margin in the House. Republican Congressman Tim Burchett joins us live.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:22:11]
HUNT: All right, 21 minutes past the hour. Five things you have to be -- to see this morning.
Take a look at this sinkhole in Pennsylvania, the scene of a desperate search, now underway at this hour for a grandmother who's believed to have fallen in.
Police say Elizabeth Pollard disappeared last night. Her cat [SIC] was found just feet away from a fresh sinkhole. Her car.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE LIMANI, PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER, PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE: You know, in my heart of hearts were pushing forward to try and you know, find her. But that mine is becoming very unsafe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Police say that Pollard was looking for her cat when she went missing.
A dramatic fire rescue caught on camera. Police body cam footage shows officers helping two children out of a burning home in Colorado.
Glad that they are safe.
A snowboarder in New Hampshire narrowly escaping from an early season avalanche. He stayed just ahead of the snow while hurrying down Mount Washington last week, following a winter storm.
Again, glad he is also OK.
New video shows the moment a stowaway on an international flight from New York to Paris was confronted by Delta crew members. The 57-year- old woman with a Russian passport boarded the flight during the busy Thanksgiving travel rush last week without a ticket.
She is scheduled to return to the U.S. on a flight today.
And --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I need help. My brakes won't stop. My car won't stop. My brakes aren't working. I'm 20 weeks pregnant. I cannot die today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Dash cam video showing the moments that deputies in Illinois saved a pregnant woman whose car brakes were malfunctioning.
The rescue happened just moments before the car drove into -- was set to -- drove into a lake. Officials positioned their car, so it gently collided with the runaway vehicle, stopping it.
All right. Time now for weather. If you're in the Great Lakes region, do not put your snow shovels away just yet. More snow on the way for parts of the upper Midwest through the Northeast United States.
Let's get straight to our meteorologist, our weatherman, Derek van Dam.
Derek, good morning.
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. Good morning, Kasie.
This is the culprit. So, we're winding down the lake-effect snow that we've been talking about the past several days. And now a reinforcing shot of wind, cold air that will help trigger another lake-effect band over the next couple of days.
So, this is called an Alberta clipper. The name comes from where it is developed. Alberta being the province in Canada, and then a clipper, moving as quickly as a clipper. You know, the ships named over 100 years ago or so. They move very quickly.
And that's just kind of the nature of these storm systems. But there's a lot of wind and energy associated with them, as well.
So, when you get wind, arctic wind moving across the relatively warm Great Lakes, yes,-you're going to kick up some lake enhanced snowfall.
That's why we have these winter weather alerts. This is kind of a mixture of the snow that will fall from the clipper but also the lake- enhanced snowfall that will fall from the sky once it passes.
[06:25:07]
By the way, there's a blizzard warning across the mountains of West Virginia right now. So, we could see near whiteout conditions there.
Lots of wind that will impact the Plains all the way to the East Coast.
This is for today and into the day tomorrow, because winds are really going to pick up. I want you to notice this, kind of like a bowling ball moving across the Great Lakes and then eventually reaching the East Coast cities.
This time tomorrow is going to feel very cold, because the wind-chill factor will make it feel like the 20s and even in the teens for some locations.
So yes, there will be snow associated with this system, mainly for the higher elevations away from the coastline. It should remain all rain with the exception of Boston. Maybe one inch of slushy, wet snow on the ground.
But again, those favored areas downwind of Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and Lake Michigan could see another two to upwards of six inches of additional snow -- Kasie.
HUNT: All right. Derek van Dam for us this morning. Derek, thank you. I appreciate it.
VAN DAM: Have a good day.
HUNT: See you tomorrow.
All right. Straight ahead here on CNN THIS MORNING, South Korea plunged into political chaos. The country's president facing possible impeachment and treason charges if he doesn't resign.
Plus, Republican Congressman Tim Burchett of Tennessee is here. We're going to ask him about navigating a historically razor-thin majority in the House.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): We have an embarrassment of riches. We have a really talented Republican conference.
Many of them could serve in -- in really important positions in the new administration. But President Trump fully understands and appreciates the -- the math here. And it's just a numbers game.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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[06:30:00]
