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Early Start with Rahel Solomon

Trump Says He's Struck Deal With Xi; U.S. Government Shutdown Nightmare; Melissa Wreaks Havoc In Caribbean; Israel Launches New Strike Amid Shaky Ceasefire. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired October 30, 2025 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:22]

BRIAN ABEL, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning and welcome to our viewers, joining us from the United States and all around the world. I'm Brian Abel. Thank you so much for being with us.

It is Thursday, October 30th, 5:00 a.m. here in Washington.

And straight ahead on EARLY START.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The first meeting in six years between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: President Xi is a great leader of a great country, and I think we're going to have a fantastic relationship.

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The government shutdown is getting worse every single day for so many Americans.

SEN. JOHN THUNE (R-SD), MAJORITY LEADER: This isn't a political game. These are real people's lives that we're talking about.

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Widespread devastation after the deadly category five Hurricane Melissa whipped through Jamaica.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Catastrophe is a mild term based on what we are observing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

ABEL: The U.S. President Donald Trump is flying back to Washington right now after a crucial meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea. Those talks were the last engagement on his whirlwind tour of Asia, and it signals a de-escalation in the tariffs standoff between the U.S. and China.

The president and Xi agreed on, quote, "many" very important things -- points, rather, during their meeting, including efforts to end Russia's war in Ukraine. He says they came to an agreement on a trade deal which could be signed soon. Just a short time ago, Beijing officials confirming that -- saying they had, quote, reached a consensus on economic and trade issues with the U.S.

President Trump shared his thoughts on the prospective deal with reporters aboard Air Force One just a little while earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I think pretty soon, we have not too many major stumbling blocks. We were -- we have a deal. Now, every year, we'll renegotiate the deal. But I think the deal will go on for a long time, long beyond the year. We'll negotiate at the end of the year. But all of the rare earth has been settled.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: CNN's Will Ripley is in Seoul for us with the latest.

And, Will, many very important points. Walk us through them.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, I mean, it was a whirlwind, just over 24 hours for President Trump to land here in South Korea, finalize a trade deal with the South Korean president, then meet with the Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

And you heard it, he's talking about things that are music to the ears of the many in the global business community, certainly because he talked about the rare earths standoff that the U.S. and China have been engaged in. Rare earths, of course, are crucial to producing microchips, the semiconductors that power all of our tech. But China controls the mining and the processing of that crucial component.

China's commerce ministry now confirming what President Trump said on Air Force One. That they will suspend the implementation of their rare earth export controls.

Now, we have yet, of course, to see the fine print. We know that President Trump is also talking about potentially traveling to Beijing in April. So that would mean six months from now, giving teams perhaps enough time to hammer out the details and get the get the nitty-gritty out and negotiated in black and white.

But let's listen to what President Trump says is happening immediately, which is the reduction of tariffs. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I put a 20 percent tariff on China because of the fentanyl coming in, which is in. It's a big tariff. And based on his statements today, I reduced it by 10 percent. So, it's 10 percent instead of 20 percent effective immediately. I believe he's going to work very hard to stop the death that's coming in.

(END VIDEO CLIP) RIPLEY: President Trump also saying that China is about to buy a very large amount of American soybeans. That is one of the exports which provides billions of dollars for American agriculture. President Trump claiming a win there.

Chinese President Xi Jinping speaking before the meeting and before the talks, acknowledged the difficulties that have been straining the U.S.-China trade relationship as of late.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

XI JINPING, CHINESE PRESIDENT (through translator): Given our different national conditions, we do not always see eye to eye with each other, and it is normal for the two leading economies of the world to have frictions now and then.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLEY: It does now seem clear that what the U.S. and China were signaling ahead of this meeting was correct, that they had very come very close to agreeing upon the framework for a trade deal which could, put many minds at ease after so many fraught and uncertain months around the world.

[05:05:12]

There are obviously, Brian, still a lot of details that need to be hammered out. But the news lines, the headlines coming out of the APEC meeting here in South Korea, they are good. Of course, we await the fine print and things can change very quickly as we know, good or bad.

ABEL: Yes, they could change at a time.

Will Ripley for us in Seoul, South Korea -- Will, thank you.

When President Trump arrives back in Washington, he'll be coming back to something of a mess. With the government shutdown heading into its 30th day. But there does appear to be some movement in the standoff.

A group of Republicans and Democrats in the senate working behind the scenes believe they have found a possible path to end the weeks-long shutdown, and they may get a chance to discuss it with the Senate majority leader. The group is trying to resolve the impasse on health care subsidies, and their push comes as the food assistance program, known as SNAP, is set to lapse on Saturday if no deal is reached, leaving millions of Americans without food aid.

But on Wednesday, the Senate majority leader vented his frustrations at a Democratic lawmaker.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THUNE: SNAP recipients shouldn't go without food. People should be getting paid in this country, and we've tried to do that 13 times. And you voted no 13 times. This isn't a political game. These are real people's lives that we're talking about. And you all have just figured out 29 days in that, oh, there might be some consequences?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: We get more now on the political deadlock from CNN's Manu Raju on Capitol Hill.

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MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The government shutdown is getting worse every single day for so many Americans. And there are clear signs that this could drag on, perhaps be the longest ever in American history. The longest one, of course, was 35 days from 2018 to 2019. Now, we are a day 29, and there are all indications this is going into next week, and potentially beyond because of the fact that Republicans and Democrats have totally different ideas on how to proceed.

Democrats for the last 29 days have been demanding some level of negotiation over health care issues, specifically those expiring subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. They say that must be dealt with immediately, even though they expire at the end of the year because they say open enrollment is happening now. People will see their premiums increase.

So, this is an urgent issue before people deal with those huge health care premiums spikes. Republicans say that's not the way this works. Reopen the government now, negotiate later. And they say the health care issue should be dealt with on a completely separate track.

So, this all leaves things where they were on day one. They essentially nowhere near a deal to reopen the federal government. I did catch up with one of those Democrats who has voted with the Republicans time and again to reopen the government. That's Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada.

She's one of those three Democrats to vote yes to advance the Republican bill. They need eight total in order to get the 60 votes needed to break a Democratic led filibuster. And I asked her about the Democratic position and whether she believes her party is making a mistake.

SEN. CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO (D-NV): I don't think federal workers should be political pawns. I don't think we should swap the pain of some Americans for others. I think we should be lifting all of them up and helping them. I think we can keep the government open and address this looming crisis of the health care cliff that we are seeing.

RAJU: Have your fears about the shutdown been born out?

MASTO: I can tell you what I know, and I'm hearing in my state, people are suffering because they're not getting a paycheck.

RAJU: But even though there are huge concerns mounting as people are poised to lose benefits on food stamps, also known as SNAP, losing that as soon as Saturday, amid this stalemate as the administration indicates, it will not dip into an emergency reserve fund to help pay for those expiring benefits. There are still some signs that perhaps the thaw could be easing just a little bit. There are rank and file discussions happening among senators to try to figure out a way forward, both on health care and to fund at least part of the federal government.

The ultimate question here is whether they can get a deal, whether it can be done quickly, whether the House will come back to session, when they will come back to session. The House has been out since September 19th. A decision by the speaker of the house to try to pressure Senate Democrats to accept the Republican spending bill. If that will change, all of those things need to move and there needs to be an agreement on the policy. All huge questions.

And here's another big question, when will Donald Trump get directly involved in this? He is in Asia. Will he get involved when he comes back? Democrats say he must. Republicans say he will.

Once Democrats reopen the government, will all those things get sorted out? And how just how painful will it get for Americans who are losing now their benefits on food assistance and as well as losing paychecks, those federal furloughed federal employees now losing paychecks? When will Congress budge and when will they reach an agreement with the White House?

[05:10:04]

All huge questions for the American people at this moment of crisis.

Manu Raju, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: New developments now on a story that's captured the world's attention. Five new suspects have been arrested in connection with the theft of the French crown jewels from the Louvre in Paris, among them is a suspect who was believed to be part of the four-person crew that carried out the heist. Two suspects had previously been arrested in connection with the brazen theft.

On Wednesday. French prosecutors say those two suspects admitted their involvement in the heist. The crown jewels have not been found yet.

Well, right now, Hurricane Melissa is making its way out of the Bahamas and heading toward Bermuda after regaining strength into a category two storm once again. It is expected to pass near Bermuda later today and further strengthening is possible. Melissa has already left a trail of destruction across the Caribbean, hammering Jamaica, Cuba and other islands with torrential rain, flash flooding, dangerous storm surge and fierce winds.

Flooding remains the biggest concern in Cuba. Streets and homes washed out, and the flood waters, damaged hospitals and schools and knocked out communications. Melissa is one of the strongest Atlantic storms on record, responsible for at least 30 deaths throughout the Caribbean, including 23 people in Haiti. Officials in Jamaica say catastrophic isn't strong enough to describe

the type of devastation they are seeing in the hardest hit areas. More than 70 percent of the country has no electricity, and heavy equipment is needed to reach some cut off areas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD SOLOMON, BLACK RIVER, JAMAICA MAYOR: The conditions here are devastating. Catastrophic is a mild term based on what we are observing, we are unable to do any rescuing. We are unable to respond.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam reports from Jamaica, where there is a long road to recovery.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): Widespread devastation after the deadly category five Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, whipped through Jamaica Tuesday, leaving behind a path of destruction. Most of the island without power.

On the ground, a muddy mess as people come out to survey the damage for the first time. Crumbling infrastructure, flooded roads, downed trees, causing major disruption and making getting aid to those most in need a very difficult task.

VAN DAM: We are literally on the front lines of the Jamaica defense force. Ambulances, local NGOs, police, volunteers trying to clear the roadway leading into Black River, some of the -- what we believe is the hardest hit areas from Hurricane Melissa.

It's a monumental effort to try and get aid through to this area, including medical provisions. We've seen ambulances and people coming together to push those ambulances through debris and thick mud. This effort trying to get aid and people and the help that is desperately needed into portions of western Jamaica.

VAN DAM (voice-over): People banded together. Some did whatever they could to survive.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I had to climb over a house, a wall, just to get shelter in another person's home. Just so that I didn't drown to death with my child.

VAN DAM (voice-over): Jamaicans also can't get a break from the heat. The humidity from Melissa shot the heat index over 100 degrees, making conditions to clean up even harder.

PRIME MINISTER ANDREW HOLNESS, JAMAICA: Black River is what you would describe as ground zero. The people are still coming to grips with the destruction but from what I've seen and the interaction, the people here are strong, resilient and positive in outlook.

VAN DAM (voice-over): Melissa also hit Cuba, flooding streets of Santiago and cutting off road access to.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): There was a lot of wind, a lot of rain. This area was flooded. Where you see now, the water reached almost knee high.

VAN DAM (voice-over): In Haiti, Melissa's outer bands brought deadly flooding.

Back in Jamaica, the road to recovery is long, but some are staying strong.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jamaica the disaster right now, so we just have to pray for the best and the good. Help each one when we can help. And that's it.

VAN DAM: This is some of the heavy machinery being used to clear a route into the Black River region, which is still about 15 miles to my south and west, a very difficult and challenging task ahead. We were on a medical convoy following along with the Jamaican defense forces today, working along this very road. But we encountered so much debris that we had to turn around, and many other people clearly are doing the same.

[05:15:03]

It is going to be a challenging, monumental task to clear this road to get the necessary aid to the hardest hit areas of western Jamaica.

I'm CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam in Santa Cruz, Jamaica. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: Derek, thank you.

Despite the ceasefire in effect in Gaza, many Palestinians who have lost loved ones say they don't see any real difference on the ground. That story is just ahead.

And a blowout win for the Blue Jays. We'll have highlights from game five of the World Series.

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[05:20:02]

ABEL: Going now to Gaza where a U.S.-brokered ceasefire is technically still in effect. But Palestinians say it is hard to see any real difference on the ground. Israel says it carried out another strike in northern Gaza last night, targeting what it described as a weapons storage facility. It says the weapons would have been used in an imminent terrorist attack against Israel and its troops.

The strike came a day after Palestinians saw their deadliest day since the ceasefire began three weeks ago.

For more, let's head over to Abu Dhabi, where we are joined by Paula Hancocks.

And, Paula, it appears as if right now, it's a ceasefire while there's fire. Truly testing the agreements between Israel and Hamas, and there's consequences on the ground for Gazans.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Brian, it's certainly not the first time we've seen this, this spark of violence since the ceasefire was signed. But it is the most deadly, as you say, since that ceasefire began. We know that Israel says Hamas killed an Israeli soldier in Gaza. And they then carried out strikes, which Palestinian officials on the ground say killed more than 100 people.

Now, according to health officials, they say almost half of those were Palestinian children. They say another 20 were women.

Now, this retaliation has been condemned by the U.N. Security -- Secretary General Antonio Guterres, saying he condemns the killing of civilians and of children. And we've heard from the director of Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza that the situation was catastrophic.

Now, we do know that both sides then recommitted to the ceasefire after that, but it certainly seems to be that we are going to see these upticks in violence. That one particularly violent.

Now, we have heard from Hamas that they denied killing the soldier. We also heard from Hamas that they have now decided to postpone handing over the remains of a hostage of a body that they had intended to hand over because of what has happened. And we believe from Hamas that they had found this hostage body in a tunnel in Khan Younis. They also say they have found the remains of a hostage in a body, in of a body in a building in Nuseirat in central Gaza. They claim it is the same area where back in June 2024, Israel rescued four Israeli hostages.

So, certainly, what we're seeing at this point is, is pressure from both sides, denials from both sides and violence on both sides. We're hearing from the United States, though, that this ceasefire is in place.

We heard from the U.S. president, Donald Trump, albeit before he before we knew of the more than 100 Palestinians killed. He said that the ceasefire was not in jeopardy. He said they killed a soldier, so the Israelis hit back.

We've also heard just last week from the U.S. secretary of state, Marco Rubio, that there were going to be ups and downs, twists and turns, as he put it, saying that the ceasefire was not going to be a linear journey.

So, we are hearing from those in power, certainly in the Trump administration, that have a strong vested interest in this ceasefire, continuing that, there is no reason to be concerned about these upticks in violence. Obviously, a very different story for those impacted on the ground -- Brian.

ABEL: Yes, it is. And of course, those officials very much monitoring the situation every step of the way, as we are as well. Paula Hancocks, for us in Abu Dhabi -- Paula, thank you.

The U.S. military has conducted another strike on an alleged drug smuggling boat, killing four people, this one taking place in the Eastern Pacific. That's near the coast of Mexico. It's the 14th known strike the Trump administration has carried out against suspected drug traffickers at sea. But Democratic lawmakers are raising concerns now about how these strikes are being handled.

Mark warner, the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, criticized the administration for only briefing Republicans about the strikes, not Democrats. Warner said, quote, "Decisions about the use of American military force are not campaign strategy sessions, and they are not the private property of one political party. For any administration to treat them that way erodes our national security and flies in the face of Congress's constitutional obligation to oversee matters of war and peace."

Still to come, more on President Trump's meeting with Xi Jinping. We'll tell you some of the new agreements made while in South Korea.

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[05:29:19]

ABEL: We are learning more about the specifics of what U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese Leader Xi Jinping discussed just hours ago during their meeting in South Korea. In addition to a trade deal that could be signed soon, the president says he and his counterpart also, quote, settled a discussion over rare earths. Trump told reporters that China also pledged to buy large amounts of soybeans, and in return, he would reduce fentanyl related tariffs.

Joining me now to discuss all of this, Josh Lipsky, senior director of the Atlantic Council's Geoeconomics Center.

Josh, thanks for being with us.

First, what stands out to you as the most significant of these agreements announced?

JOSH LIPSKY, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL'S GEOECONOMICS CENTER: Well, thanks, Brian.

The first thing I would say is I wouldn't describe it as much of a trade deal as a temporary trade truce if they can keep it. This is very limited in scope. If you go back a few months, there was.