Return to Transcripts main page

Early Start with Rahel Solomon

Optimism Over Ukraine Peace Talks; FBI Seeking Interviews With Democrats In Viral Video; Thanksgiving Travel Rush. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired November 26, 2025 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:24]

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

It's Wednesday, November 26th, 5:00 a.m. here in Washington, D.C.

And straight ahead on EARLY START.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The White House remains incredibly optimistic that there will be a peace deal reached between Ukraine and Russia.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think everybody is tired of fighting at this moment.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The FBI is seeking interviews with six Democratic lawmakers.

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): We should look at this so-called interview request very skeptically, because it was all apparently ordered by Donald Trump.

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Tuesday marked the official start of the Thanksgiving travel rush, though the big days are still ahead.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Be patient. That's the key. Just be patient and go with the flow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

ABEL: U.S. President Donald Trump is now in Florida, where he'll spend the thanksgiving holiday, but he's got plenty on his mind. He is calling the Affordable Care Act a disaster and says although he doesn't want to extend health care subsidies, some kind of extension may be necessary.

He's also criticizing the dismissal of indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James' cases, claiming they're guilty. The ongoing peace negotiations with Russia and Ukraine is also on his radar. The president had said he wanted an agreement by Thursday, but not any more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I don't have a deadline. I just, you know, the deadline for me is when it's over and I think everybody's tired of fighting at this moment. They're losing. They're losing too many people

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: The U.S. president says he believes negotiators are making progress in those peace talks. Donald Trump is sending his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week and his son in law, Jared Kushner, may also join that trip, Trump posted on social media, quote, there are only a few remaining points of disagreement. However, the Russian foreign minister has indicated that Moscow could reject an amended peace plan if its terms are fundamentally different from the original 28-point framework.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's national security chief says President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may head to the White House before the end of the month to speak with President Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: That framework is on the table and we are ready to move forward together with the United States of America, with personal engagement of President Trump

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: All right. Let's go now to CNN's Clare Sebastian. Joining us live from London.

And, Clare, there's new reporting that kind of pulls back the curtain a bit on how this peace plan and the negotiations are being shaped.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. And a very confusing process it has been, Brian, this is reporting. That's coming from Bloomberg, essentially based on transcripts, leaked transcripts of calls. The first between Steve Witkoff, Trump's foreign policy envoy, and Yuri Uhakov, who was a top adviser to Putin, a top Kremlin aide that appears, according to this transcript have taken place on October 14th.

And there's a couple of key things I think that we learn from this. Number one, it appears that Witkoff actually sort of coached Ushakov on how to pitch a peace plan to Trump. I think that is critical because it reveals not only, I think the closeness of those two sides, but just how much all of this boils down to who can do the best job of convincing Trump in a given moment.

These very consequential issues affecting global security. I think another key thing that emerges is that Witkoff appears, according to this reporting, to have tried to arrange or advise Ushakov that he should have Putin speak to Trump before Zelenskyy's October meeting at the White House.

And you remember that meeting? There was a lot of hope that the U.S. might step up and provide long range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, and that didn't happen. We cannot definitively link those two things, but in that context, it is significant.

And I think another part of this that is really significant is that Bloomberg released a quote from that transcript where Witkoff appears to have accepted that Ukraine needs to give up the Donbas in order to reach a deal. He says, and I quote to Ushakov, me to you, I know what it's going to take to get a peace deal done. Donetsk and maybe a land swap somewhere.

Now Ukraine, of course, still controls a very heavily fortified portion of Donetsk, and this is a red line for Kyiv.

Now, President Trump has responded to this reporting really sort of playing it down.

[05:05:01]

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: He's got to sell Ukraine to Russia. That what he's -- that's what a dealmaker does. I haven't heard it, but I heard it was standard negotiation. And I would imagine he's saying the same thing to Ukraine because each party has to give and take.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: So, he's not putting too much store in this. We're also hearing some reaction this morning from Moscow, from Yuri Ushakov, who was, you know, a big player in this new reporting. And he says, look, this was leaked not by Russia, he says, but to, quote, interfere. And he says, this is unlikely to improve relations, which are being established with difficulty, not denying that regular phone calls do take place with Witkoff.

And I think this does reveal, interestingly, that Moscow, despite clearly playing for time as these negotiations play out, is intent on trying to make a deal and does see a window to try to convince the Trump administration to do it on its terms. This is why the visit that appears to be now being prepared of Witkoff to Moscow next week is so critical and potentially another moment of danger for Ukraine -- Brian.

ABEL: Indeed, it is. And we do see Ukraine publicly showing that they want to negotiate. And now, privately behind the scenes, Moscow as well.

Clare Sebastian reporting for us from London. Clare, thank you. Let's turn now to Hong Kong, where authorities say at least four

people are dead after a fire engulfed several high rise buildings at a massive housing complex. Fire is still raging and police say several people are trapped inside and at least two have suffered severe burns.

Some firefighters have also been injured while trying to put out the flames. The city's transport department has closed an entire section of a nearby highway because of the fire.

Well, the Trump administration is turning up the heat on the six Democrats who put out a video reminding service members that they should refuse any unlawful orders.

CNN's Arlette Saenz has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The FBI is seeking interviews with six Democratic lawmakers who released a video urging members of the military and the intelligence community not to obey unlawful orders from President Donald Trump. The request for interviews marks a major escalation just days after President Trump accused those lawmakers of engaging in seditious behavior punishable by death.

Now, the FBI first made this request to the U.S. Capitol police, who referred the FBI to the house and senate sergeant at arms. The offices of each of those six Democratic lawmakers, four House members and two senators confirmed that they had received this inquiry.

And in a joint statement, the four House Democratic lawmakers involved said that they were undeterred, arguing that President Trump was weaponizing the FBI. They wrote, quote, President Trump is using the FBI as a tool to intimidate and harass members of Congress. No amount of intimidation or harassment will ever stop us from doing our jobs and honoring our Constitution.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told CNN that he sees no basis for any FBI investigation, but said it will be up to the lawmakers to decide whether they sit for those interviews.

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): We should look at this so-called interview request and whatever investigation is underway from this extreme administration, very skeptically, because it was all apparently ordered by Donald Trump. Now, ultimately, the members and their lawyers are going to make the determination as to what's the next appropriate step in this so-called process related to the Trump administration.

SAENZ: It's still unclear what exactly these interview requests are for. Senator Elissa Slotkin posted on X that the FBI's counterterrorism division appeared to open an inquiry into her after this video, but there are no other details about these FBI requests.

In addition to this, the Pentagon announced it was launching an investigation into Senator Mark Kelly, a retired U.S. Navy captain. Sources said that there is a potential he could be recalled to active duty in order to face a court martial or administrative punishment.

But all of these Democratic lawmakers so far have said that they are undeterred in their statements, and they will not be intimidated by President Trump.

Arlette Saenz, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: A cold front moving east across the United States is causing thunderstorms and snowstorms like you see here in Minnesota. Icy conditions causing a pileup of semitrucks on Tuesday. It was a similar scene in North Dakota, where parts of the state got up to eight inches of snow. A good reminder to stay cautious if you are hitting the road for Thanksgiving.

And CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam has more on the weather that could impact your holiday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It has been a challenging holiday travel period across the deep south thanks to this large storm system that has impacted the eastern two thirds of the country.

[05:10:00]

We've got a trailing cold front that brought rough thunderstorms from Atlanta to Birmingham, even causing ground stops Tuesday morning at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Now, we're contending with rain across the eastern seaboard. More precipitation along that I-95 corridor through the course of the winds, your Wednesday morning. That could impact some of the major airports here along the East Coast as well.

Behind it, we're going to draw on a lot of cold air. So once that rush is over, the relatively warm lake waters of the Great Lakes, that's going to kick in the lake effect snow machine for many locations. So, this is some of the first snowfall of the season. So, it's significant. And it's timing, of course, with a busy holiday travel period here it is. Several states under winter weather alerts.

Minneapolis, you could pick up over four to five inches of snow. That's not as impressive as what's happening downwind of Lake Superior. Check this out. The Keweenaw Peninsula of Northern Michigan could pick up over a foot quite easily with this system moving through, three to six inches across Western Michigan, impacting places like grand rapids and traverse city. Certainly, some potential delays with this system moving through for Chicago O'Hare, that's for the day today.

And then the east coast. We finally see this system depart by Thanksgiving morning. So the cold front will be off the eastern seaboard, with the exception of the trailing cold front here, potentially bringing some thunderstorm activity to Miami. We will dry out, clear out, but there will be plenty of wind. And again, some snow across the Great Lakes.

Look at the temperatures as they drop as this cold front advances eastward. This is more seasonable for this time of year. You'll want to definitely bundle up as you head to family, friends and loved ones for the holidays because, well, we've got quite a wake-up call with our temperatures coming up. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: All right. Let's now go to our Pete Muntean, who spoke with travelers about how they're getting through flying during this Thanksgiving rush.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Tuesday marked the official start of the Thanksgiving travel rush. The Transportation Security Administration anticipated handling about 2.7 million people at airport checkpoints nationwide, though the big days are still ahead and the TSA anticipates screening 3 million people at airports on Sunday, when everybody begins coming home all at once.

The delays have gone up into the thousands, driven in part by weather issues at a major hub, the world's busiest airport, Atlanta- Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. In fact, thunderstorms there caused the air traffic control tower to close for about 10 minutes on Tuesday, causing the entire facility to be evacuated.

Passengers tell us, though, they are taking all of the snags that come with Thanksgiving travel in stride. Listen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was a 70-passenger plane with 50 people on it, so it was like, actually, I don't know, I expected it to be packed and it was not, so that was great.

MUNTEAN: Pretty easy day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I don't know why we've been taking the car for years instead of just flying here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Be flexible and roll with it, and if an opportunity presents, which was this, because it was non-stop, I took it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Be patient. That's the key. Just be patient and go with the flow.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don't check (inaudible). It'll save you some time. Travel light if possible, but also, you know, be kind to others, let people pass if they're trying to catch a quick connection, and yes, just keep it simple.

MUNTEAN: Naturally, so many people would rather drive instead of fly, and AAA says of the 80 million people traveling 50 miles or more, about 90 percent of them will drive. The worst hours are in the afternoon and evening, so AAA says if you can hit it in the morning, that's the best thing to do, or wait until Thanksgiving Day on Thursday when traffic will be a lot, lot less.

Pete Muntean, CNN, Reagan National Airport.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: A missing high school football coach is now a wanted fugitive. We'll have new details on the disturbing charges against him.

Plus, a 2014 "Slender Man" attacker is set to be extradited back to Wisconsin after she fled the state over the weekend. Still ahead, the latest on what now awaits Morgan Geyser.

And later, federal agents clashing with protesters in Minnesota. Details on the ICE raid and the tension in the streets.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:18:47]

ABEL: State police in Virginia are hunting for a missing high school football coach, who is now considered a fugitive. Forty-six-year-old Travis Turner is facing charges of possessing child pornography and using a computer to solicit a minor. Police have been using drones and dogs to search for Turner after he disappeared on Thursday. Authorities say he was last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt, sweatpants and glasses, but they did not share details about where he was last spotted.

A judge in New Zealand has sentenced a woman to life in prison for murdering her two children and leaving their bodies in suitcases for years. Her attorneys had argued she was insane when she killed the eight and six-year-olds back in 2018. Their bodies were discovered in a storage unit four years later. The 45-year-old woman had fled to South Korea and changed her name, but she was extradited in 2022. The judge has approved psychiatric treatment at a secure facility, with the condition that the woman goes to prison once she's deemed mentally fit.

And now to the woman institutionalized for the 2014 "Slender Man" stabbing. She will now be returned to Wisconsin authorities after running over 100 miles away from a group home on Saturday.

[05:20:02]

Morgan Geyser was just 12 when she attacked a classmate as a sacrifice to the fictional character.

CNN's Jean Casarez brings us the latest on her weekend escape and her court hearing in neighboring Illinois.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Morgan Geyser waived extradition in Illinois on Tuesday, and now, Wisconsin authorities have the right to come in and take her back to that original jurisdiction where it all began. That would be Waukesha, Wisconsin. It is close to Milwaukee, and it is where in 2014, Morgan Geyser, along with another 12-year- old, took we now know the victim, also 12 years old, to a park. Morgan Geyser pleaded guilty to stabbing her 19 times.

And now that she will be returning to Wisconsin, the Department of Health Services that currently has custody of Morgan Geyser, they have a decision to make whether they will file a petition to revoke conditional release. In other words, she would have to go back to the state mental hospital instead of returning to the group home.

Now, the prosecutor of Waukesha has been very aggressive in wanting her to be at a state mental hospital. They were very against the judge in January, deciding to downgrade her to this group home. And the district attorney is now saying that their office remains committed to protecting the community and ensuring this case moves forward without delay. Her alleged actions this past weekend only reference our position that a conditional release is not appropriate at this time.

Well, she was not alone as she traveled to Illinois because some surveillance cameras on the street of Madison, Wisconsin, where the group home was, saw her with what seemed to be an adult. Well, that adult has come forward, who accompanied her on a bus to Illinois. The person with Geyser at the time of her apprehension at that truck stop asked our CNN affiliate WKOW, to be identified as Charly Mecca.

Charly Mecca gave an interview to our affiliate. I want you to listen to what Charly Mecca says about Morgan and what he says about why they were in Illinois and why it all happened at all.

CHARLY MECCA, GEYSER'S FRIEND: We understand how to talk to each other and validate and just how to communicate in a really good, healthy way. And it was -- it was really nice.

It was like, I don't hate you. I think clearly you're not that person anymore. And you're trying really hard to move away from it. That much is very obvious. She ran because of me. She already made it clear if I didn't' go with her or not, she was still going and she was not going back to jail. And I know what that means.

And I was scared and I was nervous, and I still chose to for my friend who I knew wasn't going to make it on her own.

CASAREZ: The district attorney's office in Waukesha, Wisconsin, says that one of the reasons that they have been so aggressive and not wanting that conditional release to be allowed by a judge, is that when she was in the state mental hospital, they learned that she was reading gory books about murder, and she was actually communicating with someone who sells murder memorabilia.

Jean Casarez, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: Still ahead, Colombia's president speaks exclusively with CNN and what he believes is the real reason for the Trump administrations pressure campaign against Venezuela.

Plus, President Trump weighs in on expiring health care subsidies and says some kind of extension may be needed. Details ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:28:17]

ABEL: The President of Colombia says he knows why Donald Trump is pressuring Venezuela and that drug trafficking has little to do with it. He spoke exclusively with CNN's Isa Soares

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GUSTAVO PETRO, COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): A negotiation about oil, I believe that is Trump's logic. He is not thinking about the democratization of Venezuela, let alone the narco trafficking. They are going to get the oil almost for free, because that's what the anecdotal evidence suggests. Trump is not negotiating with Maduro when it comes to drugs, because Trump is not a fool.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: Gustavo Petro's comments come as the U.S. amasses thousands of troops and more than a dozen warships in the Caribbean. President Trump has signaled he is open to direct talks with Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, but he has repeatedly expressed frustration with the South American country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: They've caused a lot of problems and they've sent millions of people into our country. They had -- I mean, they were probably the biggest abuser with Tren de Aragua and all the others that they sent in, the drug dealers and drug lords, the people that they send in, the jailbirds. They opened their jails in prisons and dumped them into the United States. And we're not happy about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: Tensions erupting on the streets of St. Paul, Minnesota, as federal agents clashed and sprayed a crowd that was gathered to protest an ICE operation. Look at this.

The Department of Homeland Security says a Honduran man in the country illegally was arrested. Witnesses say he wasn't the only person taken into custody

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've seen them aggressively arrest at least four people since we've been standing here that were doing nothing but shouting too loud.