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Trump in Washington to Meet with Biden, GOP Leaders; U.S. State Department Marks No Change in Policies toward Israel; U.S. Demands Israel Ensure Aid Deliveries to Gaza; Musk, Ramaswamy Tapped to Lead New Department of Government Efficiency; January 6 Rioters and Supporters Hope for Trump Pardon. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired November 13, 2024 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
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ANNOUCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): Well, it's taken four years longer than he wanted but Donald Trump is back in Washington to prepare for his
presidency 2.0. Trump meeting with Republican House members this hour. After that, he will sit down with President Joe Biden.
It's traditional for the incoming and outgoing presidents to meet. And Mr. Trump declined to do so when he handed off to Mr. Biden. Melania Trump
skipping a meeting with Jill Biden, someone who was on the plane with Donald Trump when he landed just moments ago with Elon Musk, who got his
role in the new Trump administration.
CNN's Arlette Saenz connecting us from the U.S. Capitol.
And it will be, I'm sure, described by Trump's campaign as a triumphant return to the Capitol. This is his first stop in Washington since he won
the election.
What can we expect today, starting with his meeting with Biden, in an hour's time?
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly the Trump side is painting this as a victorious return to the White House after he had been
ousted by voters back in 2020.
And President Biden and president-elect Donald Trump will sit down in the Oval Office face to face around 11 am, in just one hour from now. And it
comes at a very contentious time in the country.
You have had President Biden really trying to stress that he is committed to having this peaceful transfer of power to Trump.
And this meeting is a key portion of that, a symbolic moment, as Biden is now grappling with the reality that the man that he had beat back in 2020
is now going to return to the White House after voters made that decision in the election last Tuesday.
Now this has the potential to be a quite awkward meeting. Of course, Biden and Trump have gone after each other for years now, including in this
campaign, as Biden had initially been seeking reelection before that halting debate performance about Trump, which really derailed his bid for a
second term.
But it appears for the time being, Biden is trying to put those hard feelings about Trump aside as he is trying to show to the country that he
is committed to this transfer of power.
Now it is interesting to think about where this meeting will take place. The two men will be face to face for the most substantive time since that
debate.
And they will be sitting in the Oval Office just a few feet away from the dining room, the private dining room for the president, where then
president Trump watched the January 6th insurrection unfold.
That is something that Biden himself has oftentimes pointed to as an example of how he believes that Trump is a direct threat to democracy. It's
unlikely Biden is going to engage in any of that type of language today.
Officials have been very closely guarding what will be on the agenda but we do know that they are expected to talk about domestic and foreign policy
issues, including Biden's belief that the U.S. should continue to give aid to Ukraine beyond his presidency.
That comes at a time when Trump has really cast doubt about the future support for Ukraine going forward. So this meeting will be a very
significant one for Biden, who, personally, up until a few weeks ago, had confided in some that he believed he could still beat Trump in this
election.
And now he is facing this reality that Trump will be returning to the White House. It certainly is expected to be an emotional day also for staffers.
But we're told that, really, they've been taking their directives from the president, that this is going to be a professional day as he welcomes Trump
to the White House.
And so we will see how this all unfolds in a little bit over an hour.
ANDERSON: And one assumes that he won't call him Sleepy Joe. I mean the name calling has been well documented over the years, let's call it that.
[10:05:00]
We know that this is traditional for an incoming and outgoing president to meet. Trump, of course, declined to do so when Joe Biden was incoming after
the 2020 election. You talk about this sort of mood behind the scenes.
What are your sources telling you about what they expect the atmosphere to be in the room between the two men?
SAENZ: Well, sources over at the White House are really saying that they are taking their cues from the president that, since the election, in
meetings that he's had with his advisers, he's really just been heads down, trying to focus on the work.
Many are still trying to ascertain exactly what his personal feelings are. It's unclear whether that might come out in this meeting. Now just to think
back to 2016, when this type of meeting did occur, then President Barack Obama invited Trump to the White House.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Arlette, let me -- let me just stop you for one moment. I want to get to the Hill, if you don't mind -- apologies, because Donald Trump is
there meeting House Republicans. This is happening now. Trump -- I'm sorry.
This is at the Hyatt, of course, in Washington, where he is meeting House Republicans. Both the Senate and the House looking to vote in new leaders
today. So let's just have a listen to the president-elect.
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT-ELECT: So you know, we had like historic kind of numbers, especially for the president. But we won't get into that. But
the House did very well. And I think we're responsible for 31, helping you with 31, meaning we could have lost by quite a bit. And we ended up, I
guess you'll be five up.
Are you looking at five or four?
Five or four, right?
Doesn't matter. We get used to one for a little while. When you can get used to one, you can get used to anything.
So I just want to thank everybody. You've been incredible. We worked with a lot of you to get you in. And you helped me and you helped me, too, and my
numbers were, so they say, the -- 129 years, the most important election in 129 years. That's pretty good.
I said, who is the 129 years?
What was that dark Ronnie?
What was, who was the 129 years ago?
I never looked because it started at being 100. And then they upped it to that. But it's a great compliment. We won the majority by 7.1 million. We
won, which is great, because Republicans aren't supposed to be winning the majority, Marjorie.
You know that, right?
And we won that. And we won it every, every way, all seven swing states by a lot.
And Michigan was great. Couldn't be better. I'll tell you, Michigan was great. And, we had a couple of people -- almost New Jersey is right. Just a
few points.
It's got them very worried because they say, well, next time, if we go up even a fraction of what we went up, you're going to win New York, you're
going to win New Jersey, you're going to win places that weren't winnable.
California, too. I think, without one speech, without campaigning at all in California --
(AUDIO GAP)
TRUMP: -- I think without one speech, without campaigning at all in California --
(AUDIO GAP)
ANDERSON: All right. I think we've just lost the feed. I can, still on my monitor, just about see Donald Trump on the stage. So let's get back to
that when we get that camera steadied up. Mark Preston joining us now.
And we were just beginning to -- or we were hearing the beginning of what was a sort of victory speech by president-elect Donald Trump, the most
important election in 129 years, he said.
Mark, thoughts as we begin, what is a truly historic day in Washington.
MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes, and I think also a very humble Donald Trump walking into that room and saying, hey, we had great
election results.
Well, specifically, I had great election results. It was a minor dig at the House Republicans, who are going to hold on to the House majority but only
by a slim few votes.
Incredibly important because Donald Trump needs the likes of Marjorie Taylor Greene and the other hardliners not to cause problems for the
expected House Speaker, Mike Johnson. In fact, we saw Donald Trump there name check Marjorie Taylor Greene during his speech. I'm sure that was on
purpose.
ANDERSON: Can you explain why for our viewers?
PRESTON: Sure, sure. Now as our viewers around the world are peeking in here to American politics right now, Marjorie Taylor Greene is a
congresswoman from Georgia.
[10:10:00]
Somebody who has aligned herself very closely with Donald Trump but, at the same time, has gone out and has been very critical of her own Republican
leadership. She was one of the few people that helped oust Kevin McCarthy last year. So incredibly powerful.
What happens certainly in the U.S. Congress, in the House of Representatives, usually you have a comfortable majority or a president
usually has a comfortable majority.
When the House of Representatives are so tight at this point -- and we only expect Republicans to hold it by a handful of seats -- you're going to find
different factions within the House Republicans that may not agree with everything Donald Trump wants to do specifically.
They may not think that he's conservative enough on some of his issues, specifically on spending. What they're going to come to find out is that
you have to cut deals in Washington in order to get things done.
And there's been a lot of folks that are doing these victory laps. And, look, Republicans deserve to have a victory lap right now. Not only did
Donald Trump do extremely well in the popular vote but he's got over 300 electoral votes. He only needed 270 to win.
However, you know, when they talk about the word "mandate," just don't believe it. There is no such thing as a mandate in Washington, meaning just
because Donald Trump wants something to happen doesn't mean it's going to happen.
And you know, once he is sworn in, he becomes a lame duck immediately. So he has about two years, with the support of the American people, to get
things done. After that, it's going to be difficult going through the next presidential election
ANDERSON: Yes, I did not that he said, next time we will do X, Y and Z, you know, we'll get New Jersey and New York and California. I'm not sure
that that was necessarily a next time loaded, because, of course, this is constitutionally his last run at the president.
But be that as it may, let's bring in Alayna Treene and following all of this from just outside the Hyatt.
We lost the shot, I'm afraid, as we were listening in to Donald Trump's sort of victory speech.
What should we be watching for today?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, a few things, Becky.
One is, just from the remarks that I've listened to so far at the top of his meeting with House Republicans, it is very clear that he is taking a
victory lap, a victory lap.
And when I spoke with people who are familiar with what he was going to tell the group this morning, they told me that, yes, he wanted to, you
know, praise his win, to talk about his win but also to really try to remind them that, in his mind, as your other guest just said, in his mind,
he has a mandate.
He believes that he is going to win the popular vote. There are still millions of votes that are being counted. But he believes that the -- if he
wins the popular vote, that means that he really has the American people on his side to carry out his agenda.
And what he's supposed to, what he's planning to tell House Republicans this morning, I'm told, is that they should do that as well.
That they should, you know, be taking cues from him, that they need to be a unified party, that he wants to hit the ground running as soon as he is
sworn in in January and that he needs all of the Republicans in Washington to be at his back.
Now, one other thing I was told is that he's likely to walk them through his different cabinet positions. Some of the decisions that he has made,
obviously, overnight, we saw in the last 24 hours him announce a flurry of new hires.
And one other thing I'll note as well is who he traveled with today. First of all, we know Elon Musk has been a huge influence on Donald Trump,
particularly in the last few weeks.
I was told by two Trump advisers that Musk traveled with him on his plane this morning from Palm Beach, came here to D.C. with him and is intending
that meeting with him right now with House Republicans.
Now, of course, there's another meeting today, where Donald Trump will be face to face with Joe Biden, the first time since they faced off at that
debate in June. I am told Musk is not accompanying Donald Trump to that meeting.
But, of course, he is a very unpredictable man. Things can change. But as far as we know, Musk is only attending this first meeting this morning at
that Hyatt behind me -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Gotcha. All right. We'll stick around because he is still speaking. It's good to have you there outside the Hyatt in Washington.
Looks like a nice day. It's 10:30 in the morning. Let's bring back Mark.
Mark, we were talking there about Elon Musk and the role that he has been given alongside Vivek Ramaswamy. This is his DOGE, Department of Government
Efficiency. We've got a new pick for Secretary of Defense.
What more can you tell us about these picks and what these picks in principle say about the direction that Donald Trump is likely to take as
president going forward?
PRESTON: Sure. Now let's split these picks apart and put Elon Musk in.
[10:15:00]
Vivek Ramaswamy, who ran against Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, obviously lost. You know, these gentlemen have
talked a lot about how they can give -- they can come in and they can slim down the size of the federal government.
They can do -- they can basically privatize the federal government in many ways, move out bureaucrats that they think are hindering business
development here in the U.S. and also folks that they just plainly don't like.
And we've even heard, you know, there's been reporting that there's talk of a -- of a, like a blue ribbon committee of -- that would decide what
generals would be kept in the United States Army and what would be, you know, who would be asked to retire.
I mean, this is stuff that we just necessarily haven't seen before. We've heard presidents, past presidents, Al Gore talked about reinventing
government, changing things over. But we're talking about, if they were to be successful, a whole, you know, a wholesale change of how things are done
in Washington.
Meaning we could see some of these cabinet secretaries, some of these departments here that are in charge of specific areas in the United States
-- for instance, the Department of the Interior, which oversees all of the land in the United States.
Could that be moved out of Washington out into the Western part of the United States?
Who knows?
I mean, we'll have to see what happens. On the other side, though, which I think is probably more important to our viewers around the world, is you
see Pete Hegseth, who has been named or nominated to become the next Secretary of Defense.
In addition to that, we also saw that Mike Huckabee in the last 24 hours was named or nominated to be the next U.S. ambassador to Israel.
And then Steve Witkoff will serve as a special envoy to the Middle East. Basically, it's important that these three people have been chosen because
they will implement the America First foreign policy agenda that Donald Trump has been talking about.
ANDERSON: It's good to have you, Mark.
And Alayna outside the Hyatt in Washington.
More, of course, to come. Thank you.
Well, Israeli officials are welcoming Donald Trump's announcement that he will make Mike Huckabee his ambassador to Israel.
If confirmed by the Senate, the former Arkansas governor would play a critical role helping Trump fulfill his pledge of bringing so-called peace
to the Middle East, the great deal for peace, and in other regions around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE HUCKABEE (R-AR), FORMER STATE GOVERNOR: It's time for a complete reset of our internal and international relationships. That's what Donald
Trump is clearly setting out to do. And I couldn't be more delighted to see this take place.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, Huckabee is a controversial choice and he just made headlines when he said on Israeli radio that it's possible the U.S. would
back the Israeli government if it tried to annex the West Bank.
Well, this follows, of course, the far right finance minister calling for preparations earlier this week for that annexation.
In the past, Huckabee has also said quote, "There really is no such thing as a Palestinian."
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HUCKABEE: We have to be in Israel to really think about what's your -- what should it be. And basically, I mean, there really is no such thing as
-- I have to be careful in saying this because people will really get upset. There's really no such thing as a Palestinian.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's true.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's not.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was 1948.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was all Arabs (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Arabs and Persians.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, not carefully enough, of course. He was caught on a hot mic there.
He has been a staunch defender of Israel throughout his career and has long rejected the establishment of a Palestinian state.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HUCKABEE: I think Israel has title deed to Judea and Samaria. There are certain words I refuse to use. There is no such thing as a West Bank. It's
Judea and Samaria. There's no such thing as a settlement. There are communities, there are neighborhoods, there are cities. There's no such
thing as an occupation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: CNN has reached out to Huckabee and the Trump transition team for comment on whether Huckabee stands by his comments today. As and when
we get a response, of course, you will get it here on CNN.
Well, you're watching CONNECT THE WORLD, live from our Middle East broadcasting headquarters here in Abu Dhabi. I'm Becky Anderson for you.
Time is 7:20 in the evening here, 10:20 in the morning in Washington.
Still ahead, the dire warnings from humanitarian groups about conditions for Palestinians in Gaza amid appeals for more aid. We're going to break it
down and talk with an Israeli official, whose group coordinates aid activities in the enclave.
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ANDERSON: The Biden administration says there will be no change in U.S. policies toward Israel right now. The decision, announced on Tuesday, comes
after a 30-day period, where the U.S. told Israel to improve humanitarian conditions in Gaza or face a possible reduction in military aid.
Here's what the State Department spokesman had to say yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VEDANT PATEL, PRINCIPAL DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT: we, at this time, have not made an assessment that there -- that the Israelis are
in violation of U.S. law.
But most importantly, we are going to continue to watch how these steps that they've taken, how they are being implemented, how that they can be
continued to be expanded on. And through that, we're going to continue to assess their compliance with U.S. law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, dozens of humanitarian groups have made that assessment and they are sharply critical of the U.S. decision, saying, instead of
improving conditions in Gaza, Israel has actually made things worse.
Civilians fleeing northern Gaza tell of a chronic lack of food and people dying of hunger as aid agencies warn the area is on the brink of famine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABU AHMED SUBAIH, DISPLACED PALESTINIAN (through translator): We have no clothes, no food, no drinks of any kind. We were forced out as we are, now
carrying nothing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: We'll get some perspective for you now from the Israeli side. Shimon Freedman is the spokesperson for COGAT. That stands for Coordination
of Government Activities in the Territories. And COGAT charged with implementing the government's civilian policy within the West Bank and
coordinates with the IDF for activities in Gaza.
Shimon, it's good to have you and thank you. The humanitarian situation in Gaza now has been described as apocalyptic for months now by multiple
people I spoke to. Mohammed Hadi just recently, one of the U.N. agency's leads, who described northern Gaza as beyond imagination.
Since the letter the U.S. sent to the Israeli government last month, what changes have been made to improve the humanitarian situation?
SHIMON FREEDMAN, SPOKESPERSON, COORDINATION OF GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES IN THE TERRITORIES: Israel -- thank you for having me.
Israel has been continuously improving our capacity to facilitate humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. And this has been something -- an
ongoing process since the beginning of the war, with the openings of additional crossings with increasing our capabilities for security
inspections and so on.
As a part of those ongoing processes in the past few weeks, we have had many additional projects take place. One of them was the opening of the
Kissufim crossing yesterday.
[10:25:00]
So this is the fifth crossing where humanitarian aid can make its way into the Gaza Strip. We're seeing continued aid coming through land and sea. So
lots of different projects have been taking place.
ANDERSON: I spoke to one of the groups who has not only made an assessment on the ground as one of a series of humanitarian groups and aid agencies
but actually were part of what was a scorecard, put together to rate the Israeli activities on the ground.
This is what the Mercy Corps group told me yesterday. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATE PHILLIPS-BARRASSO, VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL POLICY AND ADVOCACY, MERCY CORPS: noting that there was an announcement of an additional border
crossing that's been added to the other existing ones, which, by and large, for the course of this crisis, have not been open all the time or
frequently closed and have really been bottlenecks to getting aid into Gaza.
This is obviously a positive development and one of the things that we very much hope would happen.
But I think it's important to note the announcement of another border crossing or maybe a few days of enough trucks getting in is simply not
going to cut it when it comes to aiding the 2 million plus people who are at imminent risk of acute food insecurity at a scale that is going to
matter.
So the 19 points that were laid out in the Blinken and Austin letter must be all met together to have a sustainable impact and turning the ship
around on this famine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: This is simply not enough, Mercy Corps say. And those words supported by so many others.
Do you concede that more needs to be done?
FREEDMAN: We form an assessment of the situation on the ground on an ongoing basis to understand what needs to happen and what humanitarian aid
needs to make its way into the Gaza Strip.
We've been doing this since the --
(AUDIO GAP)
FREEDMAN: -- people on the ground, including the international organizations but also (INAUDIBLE) who are able to see what's going on with
the population.
And based on all of these different pieces of information that we gather, we understand what the assessment is on the ground. And we understand that
there is sufficient aid making its way in.
But it's important to understand that we have placed no limit on the amount of humanitarian aid that can make its way into the Gaza Strip. We
understand that our war is with Hamas and not with the people of Gaza.
So we've taken many steps to increase our capacity to facilitate humanitarian aid coming in. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about
the international organizations.
ANDERSON: Right.
FREEDMAN: Israel can facilitate the entry of the aid into the Gaza Strip but the distribution is something that is done by the international
organizations. And right now there are about close to 900 trucks' worth of aid waiting on the Gaza side of Kerem Shalom, waiting to be picked up and
distributed.
So that is a bottleneck to aid getting to where it needs to get to --
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Sorry, can I just stop you there?
Let me just be clear here for the viewers. My understanding is that COGAT need to organize and oversee the distribution of that aid by those aid
agencies. You have to -- they have to coordinate with COGAT.
Correct?
There is a responsibility --
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: -- for coordination.
FREEDMAN: Yes. The coordination does happen with COGAT. And there are dozens of coordinations of humanitarian movements every single day.
We want to work together with the organizations to see the aid get to where it needs to get to. We've already cleared this aid. It's gone through
security and it's now waiting on the Gaza side, waiting to be distributed.
But the international organizations need to increase their capacity for distribution. Since the beginning of the war, they've entered a total of
around 30 trucks to expand their capabilities. It's not nearly enough trucks and we've been encouraging them for months to purchase additional
trucks.
And we've been willing to facilitate that but they just aren't taking the steps that need to get there. So the international organizations need to
also increase their capacity if we want to see more humanitarian aid getting to where it needs to.
ANDERSON: Media analysis and dozens of these aid agencies have said that Israel has failed to meet the first three demands of the U.S.' letter. I
want to read those out for our viewers so that we're all just very clear about what is going on here.
U.S. demand number one, as I understand it, ahead of winter surge, all forms of humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza.
These are demands on Israel.
U.S. demand two, ensure that the commercial and Jordan armed forces corridors are functioning at full and continuous capacity.
U.S. demand number three, end isolation of northern Gaza.
Are you saying that that each of those three have been fully achieved?
[10:30:00]
FREEDMAN: So let's talk about them one by one.
In terms of the first one that you mentioned, increasing the amount of aid, as I said, we are more than willing to increase the amount of aid that is
going into the Gaza Strip. That's why we've opened an additional crossing.
That's why we continue to increase our capacity. And right now the bottleneck is with the international organizations.
In terms of the Jordanian route, which is one of the routes through which aid comes in -- so this aid that comes in through Egypt, into Israel,
inspected at Kerem Shalom and then makes its way to Gaza, other aid comes from Jordan.
Some of it comes to the Ashdod port and then makes its way into northern Gaza, which I think was the third point that you mentioned --
ANDERSON: Right.
FREEDMAN: -- is aid getting into northern Gaza?
And the answer to that is absolutely yes, not only to the larger aspect of northern Gaza but even to where we are --
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: In full numbers?
Sorry, can I just stop you?
I just want to be quite clear.
So the full numbers on the Jordanian corridor, you're saying that it's not small numbers; it's the full, complete number.
Correct?
That's what you're saying?
FREEDMAN: We are coordinating together. We're coordinating together with Jordanians so that they can deliver their convoys to the Gaza Strip, that
that aid is what's coming into the northern side of Gaza going in through Erez crossing, mostly through the Erez crossing.
Coming into northern Gaza, where aid has absolutely been coming in, including into places where we've seen intense fighting. It's important to
remember that there's a war going on with Hamas right now, which is hiding behind civilians.
And war that has only taken place because Hamas decided to declare war on October 7th, when they murdered over 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped an
additional over 250.
But still, aid is making its way to where those battlegrounds are. Last week, we saw a convoy make its way to Jabalya. Just a few days ago, we saw
a convoy make its way to Hanoun (ph).
So aid is absolutely getting to northern Gaza.
ANDERSON: Let me put this to you because the aid agencies are refuting the efforts that are being made by COGAT. I mean, you're aware of those. The
Americans are putting heavy demands. They concede that not enough is being done yet, although they say they are seeing some improvement.
Shouldn't COGAT be doing more alongside the IDF to ensure a safe and stable environment, to be able to reach the affected population?
And speaking very specifically to U.S. demand number three, end isolation of northern Gaza, that isn't happening, is it?
FREEDMAN: As I mentioned, there isn't an isolation of northern Gaza. Aid is making its way to northern Gaza and has been making its way -- been
making its way consistently. There are trucks coming in from the northern - - from the western Erez crossing, excuse me, which is in northern Gaza, around 50 trucks a day.
But I want to go back to what you said in the beginning of your question, where you mentioned the criticism that's coming from international
organizations. I think it's important to note that the international organizations each have their own perspective on what is coming in and what
is being done.
They know what number of trucks they are coordinating and what they're being able to bring into the Gaza Strip. But they don't know what the other
organizations are doing. The only body that has the ability to look at it holistically is COGAT.
We have representatives at all five crossings, who see what is going into the Gaza Strip. We are also the ones who are coordinating the movements.
And so we know what is going in and that is based on that information.
We are able to present our numbers and to stand behind our assessment.
ANDERSON: Can I just ask you finally what your perspective is on the looting of trucks and the -- what is being reported as significant
criminality on the Gaza side of the border?
I mean, how do you describe how that is hampering efforts at this point?
FREEDMAN: Looting is definitely a problem but it's one that we're trying to help the organizations solve. So we've done that by providing
alternative routes, by -- if we see that it is a terrorist related attempt to take over the trucks, then we will actually carry out an attack.
So we're trying to help these different organizations and prevent the looting.
ANDERSON: We'll have to leave it there. We thank you very much indeed for joining us, Shimon Freedman from COGAT.
And we will be right back.
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[10:35:00]
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ANDERSON: Well, welcome back. You're with CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson. Time in Abu Dhabi is 35 minutes past 7. The time in New York, of
course -- not New York, Washington is 10:36, 10:37 in the morning.
Well, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump is back in Washington this hour. He landed a short time ago, accompanied by the world's richest person, Elon
Musk. The billionaire joining the president-elect for some of the day's meetings.
However, CNN is told he is not expected to accompany the president-elect to his meeting with President Joe Biden later today.
Trump just named Musk and the conservative politician and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a new department aimed at trimming the federal budget.
Well, let's stay on this. Tyler Pager is a White House reporter for "The Washington Post." Doug Heye is a Republican strategist and a former
Republican National Committee communications director.
That's a title and a half, isn't it?
Doug, thanks for -- to both of you for joining us.
Let's start with you, Doug.
What do you make of these two very significant announcements, these picks?
Elon Musk, world's richest man, and Vivek to lead what is we will all get to know as a department known as DOGE.
(CROSSTALK)
DOUG HEYE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Obviously, Becky, is the name of a cryptocurrency. Probably not a coincidence there. It caught a lot of people
by surprise last night and in part not because Vivek was in was in the mix or Elon Musk is obviously been everywhere on Mar-a-Lago and now Washington.
But this isn't a government body that existed until last night. And we'll actually see if it fully exists. And so there are a lot of questions about
what this will be and then what will be the mission of this organization.
And how deep will it go into specific cuts and streamlining of services, of which Republicans and Democrats should be able to applaud in a bipartisan
way?
Or does it get to just rhetoric without, you know, real substance behind it?
And one of the things that makes me slightly nervous about this, if you're talking about streamlining and reducing waste, having co-chairs of a
committee to do so suggests that maybe we're not streamlining this. This should be a one person at the top, maybe not two.
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: Tyler, it may not have existed before but the American people were promised it during this campaign.
You know, any sense from you in the sources that you're speaking to and the reporting that you are doing about how this will physically work, how these
two men-- I think it was Elon Musk who said he reckons he can find, what, $2 trillion worth of savings from a budget, which is what, $6 billion at
this point?
So looking at a 30 percent cut in costs, how is that going to work?
Have they made it clear?
TYLER PAGER, WHITE HOUSE REPORTER, "THE WASHINGTON POST": So there's a lot of questions about exactly what this will look like.
[10:40:00]
I think it's important to note from the outset that in the announcement Trump made last night, he said that these positions would be held from
outside of government. So Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk are not expected to enter government in an official capacity.
And I think that's important to note, that this seems more of an advisory position than something with real power to implement some of these actions.
But I also think, relatedly, it's very important to remind people that Congress is the body that authorizes government spending. The budget needs
to pass through Congress. So while the president always puts out a budget, that's more of a manifestation of desire than the reality of what the
Congress is going to appropriate money for.
So I think there's a lot of questions about how this, you know, department, as it's called, will operate mechanically, logistically, but also I think
it's important to note, once again, that they don't have unilateral discretion over spending.
I do think, though, it is important from a messaging perspective. Trump was very clear that he was going to give Elon Musk responsibility and
authority.
Whether that is implemented as it's intended or as it's outlined, I think those are the questions that people are asking, as it's been less than 24
hours since the president-elect made this announcement.
Well, yes.
What do you make of Elon Musk's influence on the president today and what he wants out of all of this?
Tyler, let me start with you.
PAGER: Yes, look, I think it's very clear that Elon went all in on Trump and Trump is enjoying having him around.
We've seen on social media that Elon was photographed with the entire Trump family. Trump's grandchild, you know, saying that he has achieved uncle
status. Elon has been sort of bopping around Mar-a-Lago with his son. It is very clear that he is enmeshing himself in Trump's inner circle, sitting in
on phone calls and meetings.
I think the question becomes, once Trump moves to the White House, Elon has a lot of business interests that he's involved in -- SpaceX -- you know,
there's a whole lot of things that Elon -- X formerly known as Twitter -- that Elon Musk does outside of government.
So I think it's an open question right now of what his role looks like once Trump takes office. But it is very clear he is deeply engaged in this
transition process and enmeshing himself in Trump's not just inner circle, in his family life as well.
ANDERSON: Doug, Musk posting on X that this new department that we've just been discussing would be transparent but there are still massive ethical
issues.
Look, you could argue that, you know, Elon Musk is the most powerful man in the world, arguably the richest, an incredibly successful businessman.
Could bring an awful lot to the table as far as advice for an incoming U.S. president.
And why not?
But what about these ethical issues?
HEYE: Look, they're very real. Anybody who goes into any senior sort of level of government, whether it's in the Congress or the administration,
certainly Supreme Court, you have very real financial disclosures that you have to make and very real limits on what you're able to accept as a gift,
what you're -- what you have to refuse.
I've dealt with it a whole lot in my career and it can be maddening paperwork but it's there for a reason. That this organization is going to
operate outside of government, it looks like, means that that transparency isn't necessarily there.
And that means there are going to be a lot of questions, not just today but moving forward. And I think one of the one of the challenges here, Becky,
is I've seen this for 20 years now.
If you go to a department, whether it's the Department of Treasury or the Small Business Administration, and say we need you to cut 1 percent of your
budget, they scream and howl and say we can't do it. We can't do it.
And that answer has not been good enough for the American people. It's something that Donald Trump has been able to take advantage of. So
rhetorically, Musk and Vivek here are in a place where the American people are, by and large, going to agree with them. The devil will be in the
details.
And what actually then they want to cut, on the 30,000 foot level, they may be in a strong position. As you dig down that's where it gets a bit more
challenging.
ANDERSON: Tyler, briefly, Donald Trump meeting Joe Biden next hour.
How do you expect that meeting to go?
We've been -- you know, it's been described as certainly expected to be cordial on the part of President Joe Biden.
What are your expectations?
PAGER: Yes. Look, I don't think this is going to be a meeting where they dive deep into policy and transition matters. I think the reason that
President Biden is doing this meeting is because he wants to keep with tradition.
[10:45:00]
And the precedent of inviting your successor to meet in the Oval Office -- obviously, this is not something president Trump did at the end of his
first term. Joe Biden was not granted a White House meeting in part because president Trump never conceded that he lost that election.
So I think it is more of a formality of tradition than one of, you know, something that is going to have real impact. But I think just the picture
and the images that we'll see out of the White House is what the president, Joe Biden, wants the American people to see.
ANDERSON: Well, and we are expecting to see Donald Trump depart the Hyatt through the door that our viewers see on the screens here, on his way to
that meeting with Joe Biden. So all will be revealed soonest.
To both of you, it's a joy to have you on. Thank you very much indeed.
Right. Still to come, January the 6th rioters who are locked up are counting on president-elect Donald Trump to make good on his promise to
pardon them. Straight ahead, how his team has already pulled back somewhat from that promise. More on that is coming up.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ANDERSON: Well, these are live pictures, all from the city of Washington, D.C. President-elect Donald Trump should leave the Hyatt through that door
on the right any second now.
[10:50:00]
He will then head to the White House to meet Joe Biden.
And also happening in Washington, the Senate voting on its next leader. That is, of course, happening on Capitol Hill.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Trump supporters arrested for their roles in the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol back in 2021 are waiting to see
whether the president-elect will deliver on a promise to pardon all of the defendants.
His team, though, has since hedged somewhat, saying any decisions would be made on a case by case basis. CNN's Donie O'Sullivan with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Today was amazing. Woke up with the president of the United States, the rightful president, back in his spot. And today, after
828 days, we're going to pop some champagne and raise a glass to President Trump.
DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the mother of Ashli Babbitt, the rioter who was shot and killed by Capitol Police on
January 6th.
SHERRI HAFNER, J6 PARDON ACTIVIST: Mama Mickey, we love you honey. And we are so grateful for you bringing this freedom family together.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): It's the night after the election. Trump supporters have gathered here, as they have every night for the last 800
nights outside the Washington, D.C., jail.
O'SULLIVAN: How did you feel when Trump won last night?
HAFNER: I knew that meant freedom for our guys. And I was overwhelmed, thankful. And I know that God heard our prayers. O'SULLIVAN: Are you
emotional?
HAFNER: Yes.
O'SULLIVAN: Yes.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Jan 6 inmates call in to talk to the organizers nightly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The stressful, barren journey has finally come to an end with the election of our beloved president, Donald J. Trump.
HAFNER: I couldn't stop crying last night that you guys are finally going to get pardoned. You're going to be set free. And all of this is going to
be behind us.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Trump has repeatedly promised to give pardons to some people serving time for their actions on January 6th.
SUZZANNE MONK, FOUNDER, J6 PARDON PROJECT: And now we have to continue to put pressure on the president to make that right decision to fulfill that
promise. And I know that he will. But I also know my president understands trust but verify.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): One person who certainly hopes to be pardoned is Rachel Powell.
O'SULLIVAN: How do you feel when you watch this?
RACHEL POWELL, PARTICIPANT IN THE JANUARY 6 UNITED STATES CAPITOL ATTACK: You know, I think I am more numb when I look at this stuff. It's like
surreal to me. I mean, look how angry I look.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): I met Rachel back in January of this year, right before she was about to go to prison for crimes she committed at the
Capitol on January 6th, while protesting what she believed was a stolen election.
O'SULLIVAN: Have you ever had a moment where you're like, you know, maybe I'm wrong?
Maybe Biden actually won the election. Maybe I'm the conspiracy theorist.
R. POWELL: No, not at all.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This call is from a federal prison.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Rachel and I stayed in touch throughout the year.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel like I just need to be home with my family.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Rachel has eight children, ranging in ages from eight to 28, along with seven grandkids. We spoke to three of Rachel's
older daughters, Ada, Rebecca and Savannah.
O'SULLIVAN: Wait, this is you and your mom?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
O'SULLIVAN: When was this taken?
REBEKAH FEDOSICK, DAUGHTER OF RACHEL POWELL: Yes, this is in the prison. This is Ada, our mom. This is Gideon (ph), me and my husband.
SAVANNAH HUNTINGTON, DAUGHTER OF RACHEL POWELL: The only thing I could think of when I heard that Trump won the election was that my mom is coming
home. She's going to be able to come home now.
FEDOSICK: Yes.
HUNTINGTON: Just -- we're going to have our mom back.
FEDOSICK: You just know she's freaking out.
HUNGTINGTON: Yes. She's so excited. She's so happy.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Their mom was found guilty of engaging in physical violence and of destruction of government property for breaking a
window at the Capitol with an ice axe.
O'SULLIVAN: Do you ever just think, oh mom, I wish you didn't go to Washington, D.C., that day?
ADAH POWELL, DAUGHTER OF RACHEL POWELL: I feel like that's a pretty normal thought to have when there's so many consequences to the actions but
ultimately she was going to support something she believed in --
FEDOSICK: Yes.
A. POWELL: And she is our mother. So we support her in whatever she decides to do.
O'SULLIVAN: Yes.
FEDOSICK: I don't blame her for going. I kind of wish she had a little like held herself back.
A. POWELL: Maybe a little more restraint would have been nice.
FEDOSICK: Exactly. Yes.
O'SULLIVAN: You guys are not of the opinion. Your mom went to Washington, D.C., chasing a conspiracy theory, chasing a lie.
HUNTINGTON: No.
A. POWELL: No.
HUNTINGTON: No.
A. POWELL: Yes. She had a strong belief, she wanted to go support it and we all share her belief that it was definitely stolen in our opinions.
O'SULLIVAN: You're certain he will pardon your mom?
A. POWELL: Yes.
HUNTINGTON: Yes. Yes. He will keep to what he said. He will keep his word.
[10:55:00]
He is going to pardon her.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): While we were at Rachel's home, she called from prison.
R. POWELL: Oh man, when Trump won, it was amazing. It was -- which I knew, I knew that that's what the American people wanted, so I had no doubt. But
as everybody knows, I believe there was election fraud last time and so I just wondered, are we going to have a fair election this time?
And it appears that we did, because Trump got elected.
O'SULLIVAN: And do you think he's going to pardon you?
R. POWELL: I know he's going to pardon me.
O'SULLIVAN: There's already some media talk about Trump shouldn't pardon people, Trump shouldn't pardon J6 people.
What do you say to those people?
R. POWELL: I'm not worried about what they say because I believe that Trump's a man of his word. And I believe that he's going to do what
(INAUDIBLE) --
O'SULLIVAN: And we get cut off.
That's how it normally is, isn't it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What it does; 15 minutes, you're done.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Donie O'Sullivan reporting for you.
And that is it from this show, CONNECT THE WORLD. Stay with CNN though. "NEWSROOM" is up next. From the team here, it's a very good evening.
END
