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First Move with Julia Chatterley

Ukraine Fires Storm Shadow Missiles Into Russia; U.S. Embassy In Kyiv Resumes Services; Ukrainians Fighting Inside Russia; Adani Indicted In U.S. For Alleged Securities Fraud; House Dem Attempting To Force Vote To Release Gaetz Report; Ibarra Gets Life Without Parole; Jimmy Lai Takes Stand During National Security Law Trial; NVIDIA's Q3 Results; Cruise Company Offers Vacation Lasting Four Years. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired November 20, 2024 - 18:00   ET

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


[18:00:00]

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: And remember, Christmas is just around the corner. Hanukkah, just around the corner. These are some amazing, unique gifts you

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continues on CNN with Wolf Blitzer in The Situation Room. I'll see you tomorrow.

JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: It's 7:00 a.m. in Hong Kong, 7:00 p.m. in Dominica, and 6:00 p.m. here in New York. I'm Julia

Chatterley. And wherever you are in the world, this is your "First Move."

And a warm welcome to "First Move." And here's today's need to know. Storm surge. Ukraine targets Russia with British made missiles tomorrow. Some

embassies in Kyiv close over potential airstrike fears. Adani arrest warrant. The Indian billionaire indicted on fraud charges in New York tied

to allegations of bribery back home. Tycoon on trial. Jimmy Lai defends himself in a Hong Kong court while facing a life sentence under the new

national security law. And cruising into 2028. We'll speak to the firm offering a four-year long luxury escape that conversation and plenty more

coming up.

But first, another major escalation in Russia's war on Ukraine. There are reports that Kyiv has launched British supplied Storm Shadow missiles at

targets inside Russia for the first time. U.S. officials say Ukraine targeted Russia Tuesday with American-made longer-range missiles.

Meanwhile, the U.S. and some European nations closed their Kyiv embassies on Tuesday for security reasons. U.S. Authorities said it received

intelligence of a possible air attack, though the U.S. embassy say services have now resumed. And U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirming the

White House has approved sending anti-personnel mines now to Ukraine.

Nick Paton Walsh joins us now. Nick, they won't have closed these embassies without some form of credible intel. It underscores, I think, the rising

level of both tension and threat level just in the last few days.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I mean, and how fast-moving events are in this war now, and it's the thousand

and first day. Yes, the United States have supplied missiles to Ukraine that were fired into Russia. A startling policy decision there by the Biden

administration in the last 48 hours and does appear to have been joined by the United Kingdom's Storm Shadow missiles hitting Kursk, according to some

reports in the last 24 hours as well. Some social media videos coming from Russian locals there, saying they found fragments.

That, potentially, that sense of escalation may be contributing to the fast decision, the stock decision by the U.S. embassy to shut its doors today.

The first time it's done that since it relocated prior to the start of the war, that now appears to have passed, that concern with Ukrainian

officials, perhaps suggesting some of the anxieties may have been heightened by Russian misinformation about a mass scale attack, but still

serious enough warnings that NATO allies shut their doors as well. Here's what we know.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALSH (voice-over): Ukrainian special forces fighting up close and taking prisoners. Rare footage of them still inside Russia's Kursk region, where

British Storm Shadow missiles were claimed to have hit Wednesday, these fragments found by locals.

Just hours earlier, American supplied ATACMS missiles also plowed into Russia, marking a stark new escalation in the war. Yet, it was also in Kyiv

that fear grew. The U.S. embassy closing here for the first time since the invasion, citing a threat of air attack.

WALSH: It's a reflection of the heightened tension here felt in the capital, Kyiv. It's been under regular bombardment for over two months, but

other European allied embassies are also limiting their function today, perhaps a sense across NATO here that we're entering a new chapter of this

conflict.

WALSH (voice-over): As Kyiv braced for another sleepless night of sirens, the bereaved planted flags into this sea of loss in Central Kyiv. Anya's

father died of his injuries three weeks ago after five months in a coma. She is raw from both the talk of peace and fear of sirens.

ANYA IVANINA, LOST HER FATHER IN THE WAR (through translator): I will be honest, we went down to the basemen during every air raid siren today. It

was really scary indeed. I want peace very much. I don't want our country to be hurt, I want it to be as it was but without Russians, without all of

this.

[18:05:00]

WALSH (voice-over): But it's never over in Kyiv. The air raids intensifying in the past two months and the weekends seen here the worst for a while.

So, the heightened anxiety behind several NATO embassies reducing operations this day sparks Ukrainian officials to plead they hold their

nerve. And deride this piece of Russian misinformation online, a detailed and fake warning of wide scale attacks.

This situation should be interpreted, he says, as Russia's attempt to use any elements of psychological influence. They have one instrument, which is

to scare. This has always been a classic element of Russian politics, so I'd like our partners to be more careful as to the information coming from

Russia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALSH (on camera): So, Julia, just let me recap where we've come in about seven days. We had the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, breaking nearly two

years of isolation of the Kremlin head Vladimir Putin by ringing him and beginning, it seemed to be failed diplomacy, but at least suggesting that

talks were possible. Then we have the Biden administration allowing these missiles to be fired into Russia by Ukraine. Then the concerns over the

U.S. embassy her. And I think a growing feeling amongst those in the capital across Ukraine, that the tumult is likely to increase in the months

ahead.

Ukraine needs to show that it's able to regain momentum on the battlefield. It's clearly losing across multiple directions on the eastern front to

Russia, who've been consistent and sustained and enduring enormous losses of their own to make small gains. But I think all sides trying to put

themselves in the best position ahead of what many perceive to be the likelihood of talks when President-Elect Donald Trump takes office in

January. And I think that means quiet now in Kyiv, as it has been on some nights, but other nights, horrifically not so. I think it means more

sleepless nights for many Ukrainians, Julia.

CHATTERLEY: Nick Payton Walsh, thank you so much for that report. Now, we're also following Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, who's been indicted

on bribery charges in New York for his alleged role in a multibillion- dollar fraud scheme. This, according to the U.S. Justice Department. They allege Adani and seven other executives promised more than $215 million in

bribes to Indian government officials to secure energy contracts worth more than $85 billion. Bloomberg says the chairman of Adani Group is Asia's

second richest person behind Mukesh Ambani.

Jacob Frenkel is chairman of the Government Investigations and Securities Enforcement Practice at the law firm Dickinson Wright. Jacob, always great

to have you on the show. Just to give our audience a sense, this is sort of the equivalent of an Elon Musk or a Jeff Bezos in this country being

indicted.

For me, the first question is, why does the United States care about what took place in terms of alleged bribery back in India? And why now if it's

alleged to be tied to events in 2021?

JACOB S. FRENKEL, DICKINSON WRIGHT PLLC: Well, Julia, great question. Great to be back with you. I mean, the short answer to your question is the U.S.

takes interest when a U.S. company is involved, particularly a company that's traded on the U.S. markets. The bribery scheme that the U.S.

government alleges. Let's also be mindful, it's not just the Department of Justice that has brought a case, but the SEC also brought two related

cases, but involves a U.S. company with securities traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

And during the bribery scheme, the government alleges that the U.S. traded company was actively involved in conducting a note offering that raised

$750 million including about $170 -- $175 million from U.S. investors. You also have financial institutions that were involved in victimized, and from

a U.S. government perspective, you all -- I mean, so we're really talking about here issues involving U.S. investor protection, integrity of company,

doing business on U.S. capital markets, and the whole idea around the bribery enforcement -- or anti-bribery enforcement is ensuring fair

competitions for companies that operate under jurisdiction with anti- bribery laws.

Then you add on to that, during the government investigation, materially false and misleading statements were being made to the grand jury, the FBI

and to the SEC, where, I should say, false statements, but also acts to obstruct the investigation. So, if anything, all that was done here was

adding fuel to the fire around a real high-profile bribery scheme.

CHATTERLEY: Yes. So, basically, if you're trying to raise money from U.S. investors and there's allegations of bribery back home and in your offering

material, you include statements towards anti-corruption and anti-bribery efforts, we've got a problem if you've raised money from U.S. investors.

Very quickly, because I read that, according to the court records, a judge has issued arrest warrants both for Gautam Adani and Sagar Adani as well.

What about extradition? Can they be brought to the United States? How would that might, and how might that work?

[18:10:00]

FRENKEL: That's also a great question, because these are extraditable offenses.

CHATTERLEY: Right.

FRENKEL: You know, the issue in extradition is a concept of dual criminality. Is the conduct a violation in the U.S.? and in the country

where the person resides? And does it cross a certain penal penalty threshold, which it does here.

So, the answer to your question is, yes, extradition is possible, setting aside political considerations on the India side, meaning whether the

Indian government would actually extradite. But is this an extraditable offense? It absolutely is.

CHATTERLEY: Jacob, always great to have you, sir, on the show. Thank you so much for your wisdom. Jacob Frenkel there. We'll see where this goes.

Now, to the fight on Capitol Hill over the ethics report into Matt Gaetz, the former lawmaker vying to be attorney general. A House Democrat now

attempting to force a floor vote on the matter. That's after a vote by the Ethics Committee to release the report failed.

Annie Grayer joins me from Capitol Hill. Annie, you and I were saying a couple of hours ago, this is by no means over. What's the likelihood of

that vote and what will that then mean?

ANNIE GRAYER, CNN REPORTER: Well, we're not sure what the likelihood of this vote is because leadership from both parties is going to have to weigh

in to decide if they want to put this issue on the House floor for members to have to vote up or down on. And a lot of leadership sources I'm talking

to are hesitant to do that at this time. They still want the process to play out.

But we are now seeing the pressure on both sides really reaching a boiling point. We saw committee Republicans on the Ethics -- the Republicans on the

Ethics Committee block the release of this report. That's what sources tell us after their nearly two-hour meeting earlier today. And then you have

Democrats who are doing everything they can, including trying to force this House floor vote to try and leverage their efforts and force Republicans to

vote on this.

So, both sides are really pushing as hard as they can, but the Ethics Committee is not going to meet again until December 5th. And the question

is will there be any movement between now and then? Gaetz was on the Hill today meeting with Senate -- Republican Senators, trying to argue and say,

please give me a chance. Let me go through the confirmation process as Trump's nominated him to be his attorney general instead of just ruling it

out right away.

Senate Republicans want to see this report. The Senate Judiciary Committee has requested to see it. We don't know if they've seen it yet. So, there's

just a lot of balls in the air here. A lot of pressure building and still no report to be seen.

CHATTERLEY: Yes, but this is by no means over. Annie Grayer, thank you for that. Now, to another closely watched story here in the United States. A

judge has sentenced Jose Iberra, the man convicted of killing a Georgia nursing student, to life in prison without the possibility of parole. 22-

year-old Laken Riley was killed in February while on a run at her university. Raphael Romo has more on the case that shocked America.

OK. I will try and get that report for you. I apologize for that. For now, we will move on. To Hong Kong, where activist Jimmy Lai took the stand in

his national security trial. It's the first time Lai has spoken in public since he was arrested nearly four years ago. Lai founded a pro-democracy

newspaper that was forced to close back in 2021.

Beijing has repeatedly criticized the media tycoon, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, calling Lai a, quote, "agent and pawn"

of the anti-China forces. Ivan Watson joins us now from Hong Kong. Ivan, good to have you with us. He's by far the most high-profile person charged

under these new national security laws. And this is the first time he's had a say. What did we hear from him?

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. The first time that people have kind of seen or heard from him in nearly four years

because he's been behind bars. The highest profile critic of the Chinese government here in Hong Kong.

He was questioned by his lawyer. He looked visibly thinner after his time in detention. He swore on a bible. He is a Catholic. At the start of his

testimony, he was asked about core values, which he said that he believes Hong Kong and he's now-defunct newspaper Apple Daily stand for, and he said

their rule of law, freedom, pursuit of democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly.

[18:15:00]

He then was questioned about his contacts with the first Trump administration. This is back in 2019 at a time when Hong Kong was being

roiled by antigovernment protests that started peacefully and then over the months turned increasingly violent. At that time, his newspaper was

lobbying in support of those protesters, and Lai himself traveled to the U.S., met face-to-face with the then-vice president, Mike Pence, and with

the then-speaker of the house, Nancy Pelosi, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

He insists that, in his meeting with Pence, he did not call for any specific actions beyond speaking up in support of Hong Kong. He was on the

record saying that the only person who could save Hong Kong's freedoms at that time were then-President Donald Trump. And those were things that

infuriated the Chinese government at that time.

He insisted that he did not donate any money to any American politician, only to think tanks and to religious organizations. And then he was asked

about what kind of involvement he had with a small kind of radical Hong Kong independence movement, he insisted that any kind of independence for

Hong Kong from mainland China was simply crazy and that he refused to hire anybody who supported independence for Hong Kong. So, that's what we heard

in the first day, really, of his testimony. Julia.

CHATTERLEY: And it will continue, Ivan. His son, Sebastian, described this as -- I think it was a show trial when he gave an interview back in May.

How is it being perceived there? And how likely is it that he's found guilty?

WATSON: Right. Well, there were about 100 supporters who lined up on a rainy day or early to try to get into the courtroom to witness this,

including his wife and his daughter. It is being perceived quite negatively by the Chinese government, which is not mincing any words about this.

Listen to what the foreign ministry spokesperson had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LIN JIAN, SPOKESPERSON, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY (through translator): Jimmy Lai is the main planner and participant of the anti-China and Hong

Kong rebellion, as well as an agent and frontrunner of the anti-Chinese forces.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: The Chinese government, the Hong Kong government have been talking about how this city is governed by rule of law, that all of these trials

will be evidence-based. If we're asking about how this may turn out, well, look at the results of Tuesday's sentencing of 45 other pro-democracy

activists who all got a mass combined sentence of more than 240 years behind bars. That was for organizing an unofficial primary election back in

2020.

And if you take it in whole, it is part of a much broader crackdown that has been underway here that has very seriously transformed the political

culture of this city, where people are afraid, I would say, argue to speak up and criticize the city and national authorities, that the opposition

groups that used to be very vibrant here have all but disappeared, opposition politicians either in jail or have fled. Independent newspapers

like Apple Daily, Jimmy Lai's newspaper, have been shut down after being raided by police. So -- and even one person who tried to hold up a protest

sign outside the courtroom on Tuesday, very quickly escorted away by police.

So, even holding up a sign in the city, which was considered part of the culture five, six years ago, all of that has gone in what the Hong Kong and

Chinese authorities would argue has been an effort to restore stability in this international financial hub in what critics have said -- have argued

is a crackdown on democratic freedoms that used to exist here. Julia.

CHATTERLEY: Consequently, an extraordinary chilling effect. Ivan, thank you for that report. Ivan Watson there from Hong Kong.

Now, returning once more to that closely watched story here in the U.S., a judge has sentenced Jose Ibarra to -- the man convicted of killing a

Georgia nursing student to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Rafael Romo has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JUDGE H. PATRICK HAGGARD, SUPERIOR COURT, WESTERN JUDICIAL CIRCUIT: Count one malice murder, I find the defendant guilty.

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Guilty on all 10 charges, that's the verdict in the bench trial of Jose Ibarra, convicted in the

killing of 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley while she was jogging on the University of Georgia campus back in February.

ALLYSON PHILLIPS, LAKEN RILEY'S MOTHER: This sick, twisted, and evil coward showed no regard for Laken or human life.

[18:20:00]

ROMO (voice-over): Her mother said Ibarra, an undocumented migrant from Venezuela, not only took her daughter's life, but he took away the life of

her family and friends.

A. PHILLIPS: This monster took away our chances to see Laken graduate from nursing school. He took away our ability to meet our future son-in-law. He

destroyed our chances of meeting our grandchildren. And he took my best friend.

LAUREN PHILLIPS, LAKEN RILEY'S SISTER: What Jose Ibarra did to my sister is almost unbearable to listen to. I'm completely disgusted having to even

look and be in the same room as him.

ROMO (voice-over): Today, Judge Haggard sentenced Ibarra to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

SHEILA ROSS, PROSECUTOR: The evidence in this case has spoken loud and clear that he is Laken Riley's killer and that he killed her because he

would -- she would not let him rape her.

ROMO (voice-over): During closing arguments, Prosecutor Sheila Ross called the evidence against the 26-year-old overwhelming that includes one key

item, a black hat. In surveillance video, investigators say an unknown person wearing a black Adidas hat stuffed a bloody jacket into a dumpster

near the crime scene. The day after the murder, investigators spotted Jose Barra's brother, Diego, wearing the same black hat, something the defense

tried to spin in closing arguments.

KAITLYN BECK, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: There is no way Diego put on that hat without noticing something was strange about it. And the reason he put it

on without questioning why it's got dirt and blood all over it is because he already knew that it was there.

ROMO (voice-over): But when officers started questioning Diego and his two brothers, they noticed scratches and injuries on Jose Ibarra.

ROSS: The fact is, if Diego had not been wearing that hat, we may have never caught these people. We may have never caught him.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHATTERLEY: And our thanks to Rafael Romo there for that report. All right. Straight ahead, coming up on "First Move," chip dip. NVIDIA shares fall in

afterhours trading after the release of closely watched results. What it means for perhaps the most important tech stock of them, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to a choppy day of trade on Wall Street in today's Money Moves. Stocks beginning the session in the red, finishing little

change with green arrows at least for the Dow. Shares of retail are Target, certainly missing the target. That stock fell 21 percent after week Q3

results and forecast. The company also warning Christmas is near cancelled. It fears holiday sales will be weak as customers remain cautious.

[18:25:00]

Target may be troubled, Bitcoin buoyant, rising to a fresh record above $94,000 per Bitcoin. And in Asia, gains for Chinese stocks as the nation's

Central Bank kept interest rates steady, that's after a rate cut in October. The Nikkei, as you can see, finishing virtually unchanged.

Now, to the big one, the earnings report that tech investors all around the world were waiting for. A.I. chip giant NVIDIA posting another strong

quarter with profits and sales both beating expectations. Revenues, in fact, nearly doubling, yes, you heard me right, compared to a year ago.

Shares, however, a little softer in afterhours trade. We perhaps chalk that up to some disappointment that the results weren't even stronger or just a

bit of profit taking. Remember, it's up almost 200 percent year to date. NVIDIA saying in its earnings call that production of its next generation

Blackwell chip is going full steam ahead. CEO Jensen Huang calling demand quote, "staggering."

Dan Ives joins us now. He's managing director and senior equity strategist at Wedbush Securities. There's lots to be staggered about in these numbers.

Dan, what do you make of it?

DAN IVES, SENIOR EQUITY RESEARCH ANALYST, WEDBUSH SECURITIES: These are jaw dropper earnings. And I think it just shows the godfather of A.I. Jensen

and NVIDIA. This A.I. revolution is just in the early days of playing out, Julia. I think we're looking at a $4 trillion mark cap into 2025, any

weakness, I think this thing's bought. I believe this is a stock that's up tomorrow.

CHATTERLEY: Blackwell was one of the big questions because they said, look, demand is simply outstripping supply and that's going to take place into

2025. You think the street is vastly underestimating the demand that we see over the next 12 to 18 months. The big question is as good as that is, can

they meet it?

IVES: Look, I mean, obviously, it's a high-class problem they have, but I mean, this is something the stream maybe thought to be 2, 3 billion, a

quarter. Now, we're talking something that could be 7, 8, 9 billion per quarter, and that's why it continues to be Jensen and NVIDIA's world and

everyone else is paying rent, because their GPUs are the new oil and gold.

And this is important. This means the tech rally, get ready. I think get the popcorn out. And I think this is a tech rally that continues into

holidays.

CHATTERLEY: Well, you've quantified it, though. I mean, you're saying every $1 spent on NVIDIA GPU chip, there is an $8 to $10 multiplier across the

tech sector. That is huge, Dan.

IVES: That's why I think me and you, we're going to be talking at one point about NASDAQ 25,000 in the next, call it, 18, 20. Because, Julia, it starts

-- me and you are talking about so much, it starts with NVIDIA, the godfather of A.I., Jensen and NVIDIA. But now, it's the second, third,

fourth derivatives across the board to the rest of tech, 2 trillion of A.I. cap backs. This is a fourth industrial revolution playing out in front of

our eyes.

CHATTERLEY: What could possibly derail it, Dan? Is it just nervousness about, hey, the high spending, the expectations of seeing the profitability

materialized from some of the spending out there that we're seeing on A.I.? Because you do see in here at times nervousness. Do people just have to get

a grip?

IVES: Look, I think some of that's been proven out with names like Palantir, ServiceNow, Oracle, and others. Look, if you said, well, what

could go wrong? China, tariffs, it's all related to the chips, right? So, if there's any major issues there, but there's more and more comfort in a

twilight zone way of Musk being at the negotiation table, who understands A.I., who knows Jensen well.

I believe that, you know, NVIDIA is going to come out of this being fine, but that probably continues to be the broader risk.

CHATTERLEY: Dan, can we please talk about the most important subject here, which is your shirt and also the vest, because I always want to talk to you

about your outfit because they're always spectacular, but we did note on X that someone is suggesting that Trump appoints you as the chief wardrobe

strategist. How do you feel about that?

IVES: Look, I'd have to consider it, you know, in terms of a chief worker.

CHATTERLEY: I know. Take a pause.

IVES: But again, it's -- I'd have to consider it. But look, it's one of those -- Julia, if I'm -- it speaks to just like Jensen and NVIDIA are

global, I get my stuff everywhere globally, and that's all part of it.

CHATTERLEY: I think the president-elect would look fantastic in that vest, my friend.

IVES: Oh, I think Trump could maybe look at this vest or the shirt, you never know where this is going. I'll talk to him more.

CHATTERLEY: It's a whole another conversation. Dan, great to chat to you. Thank you.

IVES: Thank you.

CHATTERLEY: Dan Ives there. All right. Still ahead, Elon Musk trying not to break the China with China. His delicate dance with Beijing as Tesla CEO

and Trump transition team VIP.

[18:30:07]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to First Move. Elon Musk is playing a significant role in Donald Trump's return to power. However, the Tesla CEO's strong

ties to China could put him at odds with members of the cabinet and even Trump himself. The U.S. president-elect, of course, has promised repeatedly

to raise tariffs further on Chinese goods. Will Ripley has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Elon Musk was making moves in China years before stepping into U.S. politics. China

is Tesla's second biggest market.

ELON MUSK, TESLA MOTORS CEO: We are looking for the very best talent in China.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Tesla's Shanghai gigafactory churns out nearly a million cars a year, the company's most productive plant. Musk built strong

ties with Chinese leaders, making Tesla the first foreign automaker with full factory ownership in China. Musk even got the government to officially

use Tesla vehicles.

MUSK: We intend to make -- continue making a significant investment and increasing the investment in China.

RIPLEY (voice-over): And he's not done yet. A $200 million mega battery factory is coming soon to Shanghai.

MUSK: Fight, fight, fight. Vote, vote, vote. Thank you.

RIPLEY (voice-over): But in the Trump 2.0 era, Musk may find himself navigating tricky terrain. President-elect Donald Trump is promising a 60

percent tariff or more on Chinese imports, a move that could create friction for Tesla's China operations.

LEV NACHMAN, POLITICAL ANALYST: This is the classic conflict of interest with having someone like Elon Musk in politics. He's not a politician.

RIPLEY (voice-over): And he's definitely not a China hawk. That could put him at odds with Trump's incoming Cabinet. Widely seen as the toughest on

Beijing in U.S. History.

[18:35:01]

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SENATE REPUBLICAN: They allow the Chinese Communist Party to gain access to all of the private data.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Take Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio, a staunch critic of China, sanctioned twice by Beijing. Rubio has championed human

rights in Hong Kong and democracy in Taiwan, positions that clash with Musk. Criticized for these comments last year, seen as siding with

authoritarian Beijing over the self-governing island.

MUSK: Their policy has been to reunite Taiwan with China. From their standpoint, you know, maybe it's analogous to like Hawaii.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Two power players, two very different views on China, both potentially shaping policy in the second Trump administration.

NACHMAN: The potential for fallout is very real.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Some say Musk may serve as a bridge between Beijing and Washington. Others warned his business interests could outweigh U.S.

National priorities, creating more problems than solutions.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY (on camera): The real wild card here is President-elect Donald Trump. He'll likely be getting completely opposite advice on China from

Musk and Rubio. So, nobody really has a clue as to which way he's going to go. And that unpredictability, that uncertainty is really being felt right

now on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.

CHATTERLEY: It's certainly going to keep things interesting. Our thanks to Will Ripley there. Now more on the Trump transition. Next, we return to the

state where his campaign strategy kicked off and paid off, Iowa. What Trump supporters say about their hopes for his new administration.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHATTERLEY: Welcome back. As Donald Trump prepares for his new term, some Trump voters say they're questioning the controversial choices he's been

making for his new administration. We revisited Iowa, where the president's race for the Republican Party began, and asked voters how they feel about

Trump's victory and what they hope to see from the next four years. John King reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHANEN EBERSOLE, IOWA VOTER: There's some right at the gate right now.

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Shanen Ebersole loves her land and her cows, rain or shine.

EBERSOLE: Sometimes if you want to play cowboy, you got to do cowboy things like stand in the rain.

KING (voice-over): Her vote for Donald Trump a vote to protect her way of life.

EBERSOLE: The vast majority of people who voted for Trump are not the far right craziest. That is not who we are. We're simple Americans who want to

live our lives and do our jobs and make our own choices in our own homes. And we want that for our neighbors who feel differently than us, too.

[18:40:12]

KING (voice-over): You have to be an optimist to run a family cattle ranch. And Ebersole says she hopes Trump sees his mandate as the economy and the

border. Hopes he understands a lot of his voters didn't like all that campaign talk about the enemy within and retribution.

EBERSOLE: We have spoken. We are not letting him be a bully, but we want him to stand firm.

KING (voice-over): She is more bullish about Trump now than when we first met. Back then, Trump had competition in the Iowa caucuses, and Ebersole

wanted a Republican who could be both president and role model.

EBERSOLE: He didn't bring us together because of the divisiveness, because of my liberal friends that were literally scared for their safety.

KING (voice-over): But when Trump rolled to the nomination, Ebersole's choice was easy. Because of Biden-Harris farm and climate policies, Trump

won 75 percent of the vote here in rural Ringgold County.

EBERSOLE: We felt as though Washington and the far edges of our country were governing the rest of middle America.

BETSY SARCONE, IOWA VOTER: OK, come over here.

KING (voice-over): Betsy Sarcone is another now proud Trump voter who initially wanted something very different.

KING: So, how did you get from, I can't take it, I'll vote for Biden to I'm going to vote for Donald Trump and I'm actually relieved and happy about

it.

SARCONE: I think I've come to the conclusion that I don't love Donald Trump as a person, but I do think that he is right for the country right now and

that he is going to chart a different course than we're currently on.

KING (voice-over): Sarcone lives in the Des Moines suburbs. Says her real estate business is slow and she hopes Trump somehow helps lower grocery

prices, also high on her wish list.

SARCONE: I'm a mom, single mom of three kids, so that does make a huge difference in my life.

KING (voice-over): Sarcone finds some of Trump's cabinet picks disappointing, but she frames it this way. She could not support Vice

President Harris, so now she thinks she has to be patient with a president- elect whose calling card is unpredictable.

SARCONE: The Kristi Noem, the Matt Gaetz, not necessarily excited about it. Worried, I wouldn't say I'm worried. I voted for change, as did the

majority of the people, and that's what we're going to get. So I don't think worrying about it every day is going to do me any good.

KING (voice-over): That Trump won the popular vote emboldens his most fervent supporters. People like Chris Mudd.

CHRIS MUDD, IOWA VOTER: I think it's important that we round up every illegal and ship them out. And we have to come -- we have to figure out a

way to get them back to work. I do believe that we do need immigration. A country needs immigration, just needs to be legal.

KING: What would you say to Democrats who say that they are literally fearful, that they think that mass deportation is mean spirited or they

think his ads about, you know, transgender Americans were mean? What would you say to them?

MUDD: I would say get over it. You know, there's -- I don't believe that there's anything to be scared of.

KING (voice-over): Mudd owns Midwest Solar, a startup that benefited from Biden clean energy incentives. His vote for Trump could hurt his business.

MUDD: But like I've said since I started talking to you, I sell value. I'm selling saving money. I'm not selling the green energy side of the

business. I'm selling value.

KING (voice-over): Some big solar jobs require parts made in China. But again, Mudd says Trump should go full steam ahead with trade tariffs.

MUDD: Most of our stuff is tariff free. So I want to see more products and services get built in this country. I want to see our pharmaceuticals get

produced here instead of in China. I think that we need an American economy that's building things, creating things.

KING (voice-over): Trump's critics call it sloganeering. But the America First thing echoes in the small cities and rural outposts where Trump ran

strongest.

EBERSOLE: Why are we bringing Argentinian beef in? Why are we bringing New Zealand and Australian beef in and then exporting some of our beef? Why

don't we first just feed our beef to our Americans?

KING (voice-over): Maisie helps keep the cows on track in the pastures. Tia is a show cow, so grooming is an everyday chore.

EBERSOLE: Let me live my life in the middle of nowhere where there's more cows than there are people. Doordash isn't a thing. Pizza delivery is not a

thing. You can't even get pizza delivered. Hey, Mamas.

KING (voice-over): Ebersole's hope is that Trump changes a lot in Washington. Leaves her happy place just as it is.

EBERSOLE: I just stand here and watch my cows and enjoy it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHATTERLEY: All right, coming up on First Move, a vacation sensation. How about setting sail on a voyage lasting four years? The company offering

homes at sea. Up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:46:55]

CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to First Move. Our appetite for meat comes at a cost. Despite feeding for centuries, cheap protein has left our planet in

significantly worse shape. But researchers continue to make huge strides in meat alternatives. Veronica Miracle travels to Chicago to see how one tiny

fungi could start a food revolution.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the United Arab Emirates, Al Safadi eateries have been serving up traditional Lebanese food

for more than two decades. But I've come to sample something new on the menu, plant based meat alternatives sourced locally from food tech startup

Switch Foods.

EDWARD HAMOND, CEO, SWITCH FOOD: Today, if you look at statistics, people globally consume three to four times more meat than they used to 50 years

ago. So we are excessively over consuming meat. Food tech is the solution.

MIRACLE (voice-over): When they opened in 2022, Switch Foods was the first plant based meat production facility in Abu Dhabi. Today the company uses

pea protein to create products for more than 100 restaurants across the country.

MIRACLE: Why did you decide to go into Lebanese cuisine?

HAMOND: I think the more offers or the more products you put on the market for consumers, the more they're able to lay off a little bit of beef

intake, which means a lot less imports, more local food production, more local food consumption.

MIRACLE (voice-over): In the ever evolving landscape of protein alternatives, a lot of effort goes into crafting food that tastes like the

meat products we know and love. With novel protein sources ranging from algae to insects and even air, one company found inspiration in the most

unlikely of places.

THOMAS JONAS, CO-FOUNDER & CEO, NATURE'S FYND: Nature's Fynd started from NASA sponsored research on the origin of life. And that took us to studying

the very different life forms that managed to evolve at least a few hundred thousand years ago in the volcanic springs of Yellowstone.

MIRACLE (voice-over): Thomas Jonas is the cofounder and CEO of Nature's Fynd. In his hand, a wonder of nature, a fungi based microbe with bold

ambitions.

JONAS: What's really exciting to me every time I come here, I look at this fridge and out of this fridge we can literally feed the world.

MIRACLE: That is so mind boggling.

JONAS: Well, that is really the magic of biology.

MIRACLE (voice-over): That's because at the heart of Nature's Fynd is a natural process of fermentation. It harnesses the power of the

microorganism to create a protein rich ingredient known as bi.

MIRACLE: How did you think to create it into a sustainable source of food?

[18:50:02]

JONAS: As we started cultivating the microorganism, we realized that it's not only about 50 percent to 60 percent protein, but it also has fibers. It

has a bunch of nutrients that are really very exciting. We talk about fungi powered nutrition.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHATTERLEY: Now, what are your plans for the next four years if you want to get away from it all for whatever reason? A cruise company is floating an

interesting idea your way. It's an epic journey living on a ship that will last for the entire time. Donald Trump is in office. Now, just to be clear,

the offer from Villa Vie Residences was planned long before Election Day, so it's not in response to the outcome of the vote.

The program called Tour La Vie, is open to anyone from around the world. One hundred and sixty thousand dollars will get you a cabin for four years

on their ship called the Odyssey. That's around $110 a day. It includes free dining with beer or wine, Internet, housekeeping and laundry. It's

scheduled to stop in 425 destinations across 147 nations, food and drink included. Let's hear more.

Joining us now from the Odyssey, which is docked in Dominica is the CEO of Villa Vie Residences, Michael Peterson. Michael, fantastic to have you on

the show.

First and foremost, who are you targeting to come aboard the cruise? Because it's not just weary Democrats that want to escape the next four

years. Let's be clear.

MICHAEL PETERSON, CEO, VILLA VIE RESIDENCES: No, we have residents from all around the world actually, and we have about a third that are digital

nomads slash business owners that are as young as 30 and we have about a third that are retirees as old as 92 and then everything in between.

CHATTERLEY: So we mentioned some of the resources, some of the things that people can do while they're aboard. Just explain what a traditional

residence actually involves. How much time of that four years do you anticipate people being aboard ship?

PETERSON: Yes. Well, most people that join us actually have chosen to make this the permanent lifestyle. And so they live on board full time and they

do everything you'd expect on a cruise ship like this. We have free high speed Wi-Fi. So a lot of people do work on board and so they take the most

advantage on sea days to do their work. And then they can take advantage of where we go in port to go out and explore.

CHATTERLEY: And I mentioned some of the costs of this, a one year escape from reality starting at $49,000 a year. Is that the base level price? I

mean, how expensive, how much money could I spend if I really wanted to go wild and do this with serious luxury for a year?

PETERSON: Yes. So we, you know, you -- Villa Vie is one of the four options you have to buy and you can buy a cabin outright for up to $900,000. They

start around $120,000 and there's maintenance fees of course with that from 1,750 per person. But you know, we make it very affordable for people that

want to buy or rent or do this latest annual program that we've come up with Tour La Vie.

CHATTERLEY: Fantastic. So if you have a cool $1 million around then you could buy this and then this is not a four year thing, this is a permanent

residence as you suggested. So then you could travel, I guess, for as long as you like.

What kind of demand have you seen already? What proportion of these residencies have already been taken up? How full are you? I'm sort of

slightly surprised even now where we are sort of what, two years post pandemic really that we have seen such a recovery in cruises. Do you have

some people that are at least in some way cautious about some of the challenges perhaps of being on board ship or is that ship sailed? Pardon

the pun.

PETERSON: Yes, no, the cruise market has recovered completely. And we -- you know, we've sold 345 cabins of the 480 cabins we have in total. And so,

we're definitely looking to fill the ship up here before the end of Q1, hopefully.

CHATTERLEY: Wow. Now when I was googling about where you're headed and where you're going, I did see that there was a rather extended stay at the

initial stages of this in Belfast. And some people were fine about it because they were saying, look, they got to explore Ireland and they went

across to Europe. Can I ask what happened in are all the technical issues now ironed out so no one has to worry about being stuck anywhere for too

long?

PETERSON: No, no, no, no. We did find some things, you know, it's hard to predict coming out of a, you know, full year layup, right?

CHATTERLEY: Of course.

PETERSON: And when we took the ship out of the water we had a couple of surprises that we had to deal with, but that's all dealt with now. We don't

anticipate any issues going forward. We're now spending the next month in the Caribbean and then heading down through South America, making all the

way around. And then we'll be back up in the U.S. around June 1st of 2026 - - 2025. I'm sorry

[18:55:16]

CHATTERLEY: And people know about -- no, that's fine. And people are welcome to talk about politics. They just have to be nice to each other.

PETERSON: Yes, you know what, Actually, politics isn't really spoken on board. We did have two separated parties during election night. We had the

Conservatives in the back and the Democrats in the front. But other than that, people have way too much to worry about, you know, their next stops

and what to explore and so forth. So --

CHATTERLEY: Yes.

PETERSON: -- no -- there's no animosity on board.

CHATTERLEY: There's more fun things to do. Mike, great to chat to you, sir. Thank you so much.

PETERSON: Sure.

CHATTERLEY: And that just about wraps up the show. Thank you for joining us. We'll see you tomorrow.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END