Return to Transcripts main page
Isa Soares Tonight
President-Elect Trump's Rollout Of Contentious Cabinet Picks Continues With Allies Pushing For Controversial Republican Kash Patel To Head The FBI; Trump Picks RFK Jr. To Head Health And Human Services; Heavy Strikes Continue In Lebanon As Diplomatic Efforts To End The Israel- Hezbollah War Intensify; New Controversy Over Trump's Health And Human Services Pick; Day Five Of Climate Summit Wraps In Azerbaijan's Capital; New Delhi Rolls Out New Measures To Battle Air Pollution; U.S. And Russia Disagree On Cause, Severity Of ISS Leak; Severe Turbulence On Scandinavian Airlines Flight; Conan O'Brien Set To Host 97th Academy Awards; Rare Gladiator-Shaped Knife Handle Discovered In England. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired November 15, 2024 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Lynda Kinkade in for Isa Soares. Tonight, President-elect
Trump's rollout of contentious cabinet picks continues with allies pushing for controversial Republican Kash Patel to head the FBI. Plus, Trump picks
vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services as the Trump team braces for confirmation fights over some
cabinet picks.
And heavy strikes continue in Lebanon as diplomatic efforts to end the Israel-Hezbollah war intensify. We'll have the latest. With the author of a
book Donald Trump called a "Roadmap to End the Deep States Reign" is reportedly being considered to lead the FBI. CNN has learned that the
President-elect is weighing whether to fire FBI chief Christopher Wray and replace him with fierce loyalist Kash Patel.
Right wing allies are reportedly making a push for Patel, who is a former Defense Department official. Patel has long repeated baseless claims about
Intelligence agencies unlawfully targeting Donald Trump. And Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he wants to make America healthy again. But critics say
Donald Trump's choice for Health and Human Services Secretary could be a prescription for disaster.
Kennedy has a history of being an anti-vaxxer, falsely claiming, for example, that vaccines cause cancer. If confirmed, he would oversee the
agencies that regulate food and medicine here in the U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson says he will strongly suggest that an Ethics Committee report
on Trump's pick for Attorney General not be released.
Gaetz resigned his seat just before the committee was due to unveil its findings over allegations of sex trafficking against him. He denies any
wrongdoing. Well, let's take a closer look at some of Donald Trump's selections with CNN's Tom Foreman. Good to see you, Tom. So, let's start
with Gaetz. So, the House Ethics Committee was meant to meet today about Matt Gaetz, who is, of course, accused of sex trafficking and sex with a
minor.
Of course, he denies those. But the Ethics Committee canceled that after he was named or picked to be Donald Trump's Attorney General to lead the
Justice Department. What is the Ethics Committee saying about why they canceled that meeting?
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it wasn't because he was picked. It's because he resigned his seat because normally the committee says, hey we
only oversee members of Congress. The minute he resigns, he's no longer a member of Congress, he's on his way. Well, that's enough for the speaker of
the House, apparently who says, well, you know, we're not going to break that precedent.
It would be a terrible precedent to break that. Members of the Senate, both Republican and Democrat are saying, no, this is much too important of a
decision for us to not have the information from this report. We should be able to see it in some fashion. Now, could there be some kind of release
that was done privately, not made generally available to the public?
I suppose, although it's my belief that this report will wind up in public and somehow or another anyway. But we'll find out if that's the case. But
that's the rationale for all of this. But it's a measure of how exercised this town is right now about Trump's pick which in a broad consensus had
been wild.
KINKADE: Yes, wild, highly controversial. And we are hearing, Tom, that Donald Trump is trying to avoid these confirmation hearings and also FBI
background checks. What more can you tell us about that?
FOREMAN: Yes, I mean, he certainly can. FBI background checks have been a normal part of how this is done because we don't want the country exposed
to people who may have troublesome things in their background, who may be in somehow vulnerable to being leveraged by some other countries
everywhere.
It's been a normal thing to protect the country. But what seems very clear in the Trump approach to all of this is, he has never liked being hampered
by tradition, never liked being hampered by rules or laws. He wants to just do it his way, he knows that if they go through with these checks as they
did his first-time around, some of these people may suddenly not look like people he can put in place the way he wants.
All throughout his staff, so, he wants to put them in and basically says, I don't want anything to do with this. They talk about using private firms to
do the background checks.
[14:05:00]
I mean, honestly, I think lots and lots of people will say private firms, yes, we know what that means. They'll rubber-stamp what you want and give
it some facade of looking at it. But the bottom line is, if you look across the board at what the people Trump has picked here, they are people who
like Kash Patel, who we're hearing some possibilities about are totally committed to sort of dismantling Washington and the operation of Washington
as we know.
Totally committed to trying to dismantle any vestige of the history of prosecutions against Donald Trump and wrongdoing that he's been accused of
and convicted of. They'd like to get rid of all of that. And third part, the one thing we know, Donald Trump has campaigned on and has loved through
most of his life, revenge.
The notion of these people being instruments of him going after the folks that made him uncomfortable and made him feel as if he was a criminal,
which of course, now he is convicted of being. So, these are very unusual days in Washington.
KINKADE: Yes, exactly, as Kamala Harris said on the campaign trail, he might be starting his enemies list right now as he picks these various
people for his cabinet. Good to have you with us, Tom Foreman. Thank you --
FOREMAN: Good chatting.
KINKADE: Well, there are new questions today about the scope of influence Elon Musk could have in the new Trump administration, following a secret
meeting the Tesla billionaire may have had with a top Iranian official. The "New York Times" is reporting that Musk met earlier this week with Iran's
ambassador to the U.N.
The papers report cited two Iranian officials who said that the discussion was focused on ways to try to ease the decades long tensions between the
two nations. A U.S. official telling CNN that the Biden administration was not made aware of that meeting. And Jared Kushner is once again expected to
play an important role in the Middle East policy for the Trump administration.
Some regional diplomats and Trump allies tell CNN that Trump's son-in-law is not likely to take on a formal position, but will probably serve as an
outsider Middle East adviser. An Israeli source says Kushner developed and maintained friendships with leaders throughout the region, areas where he
has significant financial interests.
He played a major role in forging the Abraham Accords which normalized relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Well, diplomatic
efforts to end the Israel-Hezbollah war are intensifying today. Sources telling CNN that Hezbollah is considering a joint U.S.-Israeli ceasefire
proposal that was relayed to the Lebanese government.
But even amid those efforts, Israel is keeping up airstrikes on Lebanon, targeting southern Beirut for the fourth straight day. A state-run media --
state-run media in Syria also reports that new Israeli attacks are happening in Damascus, a day after an Israeli strike reportedly killed 15
people in the capital including women and children.
Well, a special U.N. committee has found that Israel's warfare in Gaza is consistent with the characteristics of genocide. It accuses Israel of
intentionally causing mass civilian casualties and using starvation as a weapon of war. The committee is expected to present the report to the U.N.
General Assembly on Monday.
CNN is reaching out to Israel for comment. The U.S. State Department says unequivocally, it disagrees with the report. Our Melissa Bell is following
all these developments and joins us tonight from Paris. Good to have you with us, Melissa. So, let's start with those airstrikes in Lebanon for the
fourth day in a row.
It's not only costing lives, but of course, livelihoods. We did hear from the World Bank today estimating that the war there has cost Lebanon $8.5
billion. What more can you tell us?
MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: When a country -- remember, Lynda, where the economy was already on its knees before Israel opened up
this second front a few months ago. Those strikes have continued fresh evacuation orders in some Beirut suburbs, but the last few days have been
particularly violent.
On Thursday alone, 48 civilians were killed in a building that collapsed there in Beirut. More than 40 people were killed, so, a particularly brutal
few days, the airstrikes have been fairly incessant, we're told for a few days. So, a great deal, more military pressure, even as what we understand
is that efforts are gearing up towards the possibility of a ceasefire along that front.
What we know is that the U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon has handed to the Lebanese government a ceasefire proposal, Lynda, drawn up on behalf of
Israel and the United States. The idea that if it's accepted by the Lebanese government and Hezbollah in particular, it would mean a 60-day
ceasefire.
And it is hoped if that held a more lasting peace along the basis of the lines of these U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 that had been drawn up
at the end of the 2006 conflict.
[14:10:00]
So, there is some hope that given its state after the decapitation of its leadership and all that it's been through over the last few months that
Hezbollah might choose to accept this deal, and certainly for the wider country and its civilians that would be good news. The Israeli government,
of course, on huge -- under huge pressure from its people, and specifically Lynda, those in the northern part of the country that have lived between
those rockets going back and forth in that violence now for many months, 60,000 of them displaced, they would be allowed to get home.
And the Netanyahu administration has been under pressure, not just to get a hostage deal for Gaza, but under substantial pressure to bring peace to the
north of Israel. So, this fresh deal could bring that to all of these sides. And there is hope that, that could lead to an agreement. The
question now, if it happens and it is agreed by the Lebanese government when a ceasefire might be implemented, would it happen during the last few
weeks of the Biden administration or indeed even as Donald Trump came into power, Lynda.
KINKADE: All right, Melissa Bell for us live tonight for us from Paris, thanks so much. Well, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has urged Russia's
President to withdraw from Ukraine. Mr. Scholz held his first phone call with Vladimir Putin since 2022. This amid fears that the U.S. will pull its
support for Ukraine under a new Trump White House.
Scholz, who initiated the call, condemned Russian aggression towards Ukraine and urged for peace talks. The Kremlin says any agreement would
have to recognize what it calls new territorial realities. Well, "Reuters" reports that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Scholz about
speaking with Mr. Putin, saying it would help the Russian President by reducing his isolation.
Well, let's talk more about how U.S. foreign policy might change under Trump's upcoming administration. We're joined by Ravi Agarwal; the editor-
in-chief of "Foreign Policy Magazine", great to have you with us.
RAVI AGARWAL, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, FOREIGN POLICY MAGAZINE: Pleasure.
KINKADE: So, certainly, a lot of ground to cover today. But I want to start with what you highlighted before the election, you said, "this is what is
at stake. The fate of Ukraine, peace in the Middle East, competition with China and the broader question of America's role in the world. When we look
at the people that Trump has selected or picked so far for his cabinet, overall, what does that selection tell you?
AGARWAL: Well, that -- I mean, there are a range of interesting characters that we're learning about. Some of the selections are China hawks. So, you
look at Marco Rubio for Secretary of State, Mike Waltz for national security adviser. They are demonstrated China hawks who have a long history
of, you know, a tough rhetoric on China wanting to re-orient U.S. foreign policy to be tougher on China.
Now, the question is how much leeway will they actually have from Trump to exercise that agenda versus, you know, Trump's other priorities, whether it
is more tariffs on China, whether it is -- you know, maybe even striking some sort of a deal with China. Remember, one thing that's very interesting
to look out for with Trump 2.0 is that we have someone who is not an appointee in Elon Musk, who has immense sway.
Who's been on phone calls with Zelenskyy in Ukraine. He met the Iranians in New York. He's showing up with Trump to lots of meetings, has significant
interests in China. So, there's a lot that we don't know. Where I'm more comfortable going is what we do know. We do know that Trump, unlike Biden
is much more transactional.
He doesn't care so much about multilateralism. He cares about bilateral relationships. He cares about explaining what's in it for me in every
single deal. He is certainly going to increase tariffs in a way that could be very disruptive for the economy. He is going to deport some number of
illegal immigrants in the United States, which again, could have immense economic implications.
And then with the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, I actually think there won't be as much difference as people are imagining. But Ukraine, of
course, is an area that Europe is worried about because they really want and need American support.
KINKADE: Yes, exactly, and interestingly, Donald Trump has tapped Tulsi Gabbard to be the director of National Intelligence. This is the person who
has zero experience in Intelligence and hasn't served on any sort of Intelligence committee. She has, though, been accused of parroting Russian
propaganda. What sort of reaction are you seeing to that, and what does that suggest about the way Trump may view and handle Ukraine and the
Russian invasion going forward?
AGARWAL: So, I'd like to take those two things separately. I think we have a sense of how Trump is going to handle the war in Ukraine. Tulsi Gabbard
specifically, her appointment, I think speaks badly to the fact that she has no Intelligence experience as you said.
[14:15:00]
And this is a huge job. Director of National Intelligence, which includes command of 18 Intelligence agencies. It includes ability to access all
kinds of classified information, you know, and there is a reasonable chance that all the people who work under her are going to feel like they have a
leader in her, who doesn't understand what they do, who doesn't understand the risks and the trade-offs involved, and doesn't have the best track
record with classified information.
All of that is, you know, of a piece with the Trump administration and its staff to worry about. But on Ukraine, I think, you know, no matter who won
the election in November 5, there was going to be some big push towards some sort of change, whether it's a deal, whether it's a momentum shift.
And I think with Trump, he doesn't want to lose. This is a person who you know, doesn't want what happened in Afghanistan to happen in Ukraine, so,
there will be some sort of peace deal. The question is on what terms, and, you know, whether Trump cares at all about Ukraine's future.
So, if the conflict is frozen where it is right now and Ukraine retains the territory it currently controls, who actually defends it? Does it get to
join NATO? And I think that's where Trump could be pivotal and maybe not in a good way.
KINKADE: And it's interesting, his pick for Defense Secretary. A "Fox News" personality, Pete Hegseth, who we know in 2019 successfully lobbied Trump
to pardon three service members who were convicted or accused of war crimes in Afghanistan and Iraq. How is that -- you know, the fact that Donald
Trump has named him to head up the Defense Department. Does that -- are you hearing that, that is of concern to other nations around the world?
AGARWAL: It is of concern. But I think again, if you look at the common thread between all the people that Trump is nominating, especially for
national security and foreign policy roles, they are all loyalists. That is the most important trait they have in common, and that means that Trump
actually has a lot more power than you would imagine.
A lot of these agencies are meant to be nonpartisan. I mean, especially the CIA or the DNI, for example, not Defense Secretary. But these are roles
that are meant to often rise above politics. In this case, the very clear signal is that, that won't be the case. These are loyalists who will report
to Trump and will put Trump's interests above all else.
We know that much. In Hegseth's case, again, in a very sort of classic Trump way, this is someone who is very televisual, knows how to speak
directly to a camera, you know looks the part in Trump world in terms of, you know what he expects or wants a Defense Secretary to look like.
I think for the rest of the world, these things aren't going to be too much of a concern in part because many leaders around the world have figured out
how to deal with Trump. They know him from the previous term. They understand that he's transactional. They also understand how to game that
system a little bit.
KINKADE: In what way?
AGARWAL: Well, for example, flattery works. So, if you are able to tell Trump that a certain scenario, you know, he had personally has moved the
needle, you know, he tends to like that kind of discourse. He tends to, if presented with a scenario in which he can sell a clear win, if he can put
his name on a new project or a new plan, he's more likely to say, yes.
I think there is now so much evidence from his four years in power and so many books that have now been written about Trump that, you know, all of
these leaders around the world and their policy makers and their teams, they've been poring over it for a long time. So, in some senses, we
shouldn't underestimate how prepared the rest of the world is for another Trump term.
And also in some cases, you know, Europe for example, is terrified of the idea of a world without American support as a guarantee. Many parts of the
world are not terrified. If you're in the global south, if you're in India, if you're in Nigeria, if you're in Kenya, you actually want a transactional
American President who is not going to lecture you about democracy and human rights and is going to sit down and be willing to make a deal. So,
it's a mixed picture, actually.
KINKADE: All right, interesting perspective. Ravi Agarwal; the editor-in- chief of "foreign Policy Magazine", good to have you on the program, thanks so much.
AGARWAL: Pleasure.
KINKADE: Well, underground for months in South Africa, illegal miners are in the middle of a standoff with police. After the break, the government
crackdown, their families say has put their lives at risk. Also, for the first time since the U.S. election outgoing President Joe Biden is meeting
with world leaders at a major summit. We'll have a live report.
[14:20:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back, I'm Lynda Kinkade. Joe Biden is meeting with world leaders right now in Peru for what could be his last major international
trip as President. But there is a cloud of diplomatic uncertainty over this APEC Summit as President-elect Trump prepares to once again take office.
On Saturday, President Biden will hold what is likely to be his last bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The two world leaders
have much to discuss considering Trump's economic agenda which threatens tariffs of 60 percent to 100 percent on imports on goods from China.
Well, CNN's Kayla Tausche is tracking these developments, is in Lima, Peru, and joins us now live. Good to see you there for us, Kayla. So, just what
is Joe Biden's message at this summit? And is he doing anything more to -- I guess Trump-proof some of the policies that are already in place.
KAYLA TAUSCHE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Lynda, the administration would say that they've been working for months to Trump-
proof the agreements and the partnerships that they've already had in place. But that there's little that they can do right now. They acknowledge
that many of their allies don't want to enter into any binding agreements that could put them in a bad negotiating position with the incoming
administration.
So, the priority for this week, both at the APEC Summit and the G20 in the coming days, is really to just reaffirm the alliances that President Biden
has sought to fortify over the last four years. That is why you will see him in just a few minutes, sitting down for a trilateral meeting with the
leaders of South Korea and Japan, where they work to strengthen security in the Indo-Pacific.
And then, of course, there is the meeting tomorrow with China's President Xi Jinping. They'll be talking about ways that they've charted progress
over the last four years, including just over the last 12 months on military level communication and efforts to curb illicit fentanyl. We know
that there will be very few, if any, deliverables from that meeting.
It's only because President Xi is reserving many of his bargaining chips for the incoming administration. President-elect Donald Trump has
threatened a widespread trade war against China with tariffs set to rise up to 60 percent on all goods imported into the United States from China.
[14:25:00]
We understand that, that could happen within days of him taking office. So, certainly, President Xi is not going to want to give anything away to the
outgoing administration, though we expect those talks to be cordial. Lynda?
KINKADE: All right, Kayla Tausche, good to have you there for us in Lima, Peru. We will be following that meeting closely tomorrow with Joe Biden and
Xi Jinping. Thank you. Well, turning to South Africa now, where illegal miners are in the middle of a standoff with police.
The miners are underground inside an abandoned gold mine and are believed to be running out of food and water after police closed off the entrances
which were used to deliver supplies. Their families left in limbo not knowing if they are alive. CNN's Victoria Rubadiri has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VICTORIA RUBADIRI, CNN INTERNATIONAL REPORTER (voice-over): Exhausted, but finally above ground. An illegal miner in South Africa forced to return to
the surface and into the hands of police. At the bottom of this mine shaft, hundreds of others like him holed up without food or water. A bid by South
African authorities to cut off and flush out workers illegally operating in a disused gold mine.
Any miner who leaves is searched for gold dust as the government continues its crackdown on illegal activity in the industry. Nearby friends and
relatives left to wait anxiously to see if their loved ones resurface alive. "One worker has a wife here", this family member says. "She's just
crying. We don't know how to help her.
Her husband went underground in April and has been down there until now." Many clearly angry with the ANC-led government's hard line approach. One
decomposed body was brought to the surface on Thursday. It's not clear how many others may have already died.
"We are asking for help from the government", this woman says, "so our children can come out of the mine. All we are asking is for their remains
to come out." This is one of several abandoned mines where illegal workers, many from neighboring countries like Zimbabwe can travel up to 4 kilometers
underground and sometimes spend months beneath the surface.
Authorities are physically blocking any supplies from going into the mine shafts and detaining anyone who comes out. A mining community group told
CNN, food replenishments had been halted for as long as three months, with supplies now running dangerously low.
SENZO MCHUNU, MINISTER OF POLICE, SOUTH AFRICA: We want by end of the week to hear positive news. We can't say by end of the week they will have been
-- been moved out. But we want to see results within the shortest possible time. And it must happen because it is dangerous to stay like that. So, the
sooner the better.
RUBADIRI: Extreme measures to tackle a practice the government says costs South Africa a billion dollars a year. Victoria Rubadiri, CNN, Nairobi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, still to come tonight, Donald Trump picks Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent anti-vaxxer to oversee the U.S. agency that regulates
vaccines. Ahead, more on why Kennedy is so polarizing. Plus, with COP29 well underway, what might a second Trump term mean for climate policy? I'll
speak with one expert later in the show.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Hello! Welcome back! I'm Lynda Kinkade.
Well, Donald Trump is keeping several campaign promises with his latest cabinet picks. And we're learning that his team is bypassing traditional
FBI background checks for at least some of his picks, turning to private companies to vet them instead.
Well, former Democrat Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has been chosen as the national -- the Director of National Intelligence. Gabbard served in the
Hawaii Army National Guard and is currently an officer in the Army Reserves. She was deployed multiple times.
While former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz has been tapped to be the new Attorney General. But Gaetz may have a tough time getting confirmed. He's
been the subject of a House Ethics Committee investigation.
And as part of Trump's make America healthy again pledge, he's chosen one- time presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr to head the Department of Health and Human Services. The choice of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a
controversial one, for as many supporters as he has, there are just as many if not more detractors who say his skepticism about vaccine safety is
disqualifying.
The Department of Health and Human Services oversees several agencies including the CDC and the FDA. Kennedy has frequently criticize the
relationship between the FDA and pharmaceutical companies.
Brian Todd has a look at some of Kennedy's past comments.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm going to let him go wild on health. I'm going to let him go wild on the food. I'm going to let
him go wild on medicines.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The person Donald Trump's going to let go wild, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is the 70-year-old son of Democratic
icon Robert Kennedy and has become known mostly for espousing outlandish, false conspiracy theories about the COVID virus.
ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people. The people who are most immune are
Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese.
TODD (voice-over): And he's repeatedly baselessly called the COVID-19 vaccines unsafe.
LAURA BARRON LOPEZ, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: There could be widespread disinformation to the public about what they should or shouldn't be doing
in terms of their public health.
TODD (voice-over): The co-chair of Trump's transition team told CNN's Kaitlan Collins this about what Kennedy might try to do with the COVID
vaccines that are in place now which have been proven to be mostly safe.
HOWARD LUTNICK, CO-CHAIR, TRUMP-VANCE TRANSITION TEAM: He says if you give me the data, all I want is the data, and I'll take on the data and show
that it's not safe. And then if you pull the product liability, the companies will yank these vaccines right off of the market.
TODD (voice-over): In May of this year, it was revealed that Kennedy once claimed in a deposition that a parasitic worm had once entered his brain
and died which he said led to "severe brain fog and trouble with his short- term memory." He actually joked about it.
KENNEDY JR.: Maybe the brainworm ate that part of my memory.
TODD (voice-over): Early ear this year, in a rambling video posted on X, Kennedy admitted that about 10 years ago he was driving in Upstate New York
when he found the carcass of a dead bear that had been hit by a vehicle.
KENNEDY JR.: So, I pulled over and I picked up the bear and put him in the back of my van because I was going to skin the bear.
TODD (voice-over): But Kennedy said he got sidetracked by several events that day and couldn't go home. He didn't know what to do with the bear. So,
he decided to leave the carcass in New York's Central Park and make it look like a bike accident.
[14:35:08]
KENNEDY JR.: So, we went and did that, and we thought it would be amusing for whoever found it or something.
LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA'S CENTER FOR POLITICS: The whole story, the wild, weird story that RFK Jr. told about the bear cub and
how it got into Central Park has really made an impact and not a positive one for him.
TODD (voice-over): This Summer, an article in Vanity Fair had a photo of Kennedy appearing to pantomime eating a dog carcass. Kennedy denied it was
a dog.
KENNEDY JR.: It's actually me eating a goat in Patagonia.
TODD (voice-over): That same Vanity Fair article published allegations that Kennedy had sexually assaulted a former nanny for his family. Kennedy
sidestepped the accusations.
KENNEDY JR.: I am not a church boy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TODD (on camera): Robert Kennedy Jr. has already floated ideas for major turnover at public health agencies. In one recent interview, he said he
would cut the number of employees in Nutrition Departments at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. And at a recent conference, he proposed replacing
about 600 officials at the National Institutes of Health with handpicked staff.
Brian Todd, CNN Washington.
KINKADE: Well, joining us now for more is medical correspondent Meg Tirrell. Good to see you, Meg. So, I mean, we just heard some of the
misinformation coming from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. when it comes to health issues. If you didn't hear enough there, I just want to play another
snippet of some other things he's had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KENNEDY JR.: I do believe that autism does come from vaccines.
COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese.
COVID was clearly a bioweapons problem.
Wi-Fi radiation is -- does all kinds of bad things, including causing cancer.
Some of these mass shootings that we're seeing in this country may be related to this new -- these new class of drugs like benzos.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: I mean, there's a lot to go through but certainly after Donald Trump named him for the top health job, shares in the big vaccine producers
including Pfizer and Moderna certainly tumbled. Just take us through, Meg, some of that misinformation and the effectiveness of vaccines.
MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. The main concern that public health experts have is the effect on vaccination rates in the United States
from somebody like RFK Jr. taking the top health post. But they say even now having such a platform, they're already starting to see signs that
parents may be backing off from getting their kids vaccinated. And that could lead to the measles and polio and other diseases we have eliminated
coming back and putting people's lives at risk.
In terms of the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, the link to autism has been debunked in multiple studies between autism and vaccines. But in
terms of just we often hear him talk about trying to get into these secret troves of data on vaccine safety that the FDA or CDC are keeping hidden,
those agencies go through very public review processes. They post data as they're going through those reviews with outside advisors. You can watch
the whole meeting of these outside advisors on vaccines both before they're approved at the FDA and afterwards with the CDC.
And then as vaccines are on the market, they are continuously monitored for safety signals even then. And so, experts are sort of scratching their
heads wondering what he's talking about, while at the same time very, very worried that what we have sometimes seen in other places like in Samoa in
2019, he's been linked to a measles outbreak there for spreading vaccine skepticism which he denies that he did. They are worried that we will see
something like that happen in the United States too.
KINKADE: It really is frightening. There is one area, Meg, where he has some support which is his willingness to disrupt the food industry,
especially when it comes to additives and food dyes. I just want to play a snippet of his sound.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KENNEDY JR.: So, what are they ignoring when they make it all about you and your body and your willpower and your character, and the solution is always
a shot or a pill that somebody is going to cash in on. What they're ignoring is a food supply that's loaded with high fructose corn syrup and
seed oils and hundreds of artificial additives and flavors and processed carbohydrates that don't exist in nature and that are banned in other
countries.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: I mean, it's certainly easy to support that sort of an idea. He's certainly got support from the so-called organic granola influences online.
Has he given any specifics as to how he would do it?
TIRRELL: He has talked about this a little bit. He wrote a an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal back in September where he talked about things like
changing agricultural subsidies, making it so that SNAP assistance, Food Stamps, can't be used for things like soda and ultra-processed foods. He's
even talking about bringing back the sort of Presidential Fitness Standards. Remember those?
Well, here in the United States, in elementary school, we had to do push- ups and sit-ups and all kinds of things the Presidential Fitness Test, bringing back things like that. You know folks aren't opposed to that
certainly and about looking more at nutrition and food additives at places like the FDA. Some of that stuff would be the Department of Agriculture or
even the EPA looking at pesticides and things like that which he wouldn't have under his purview as HHS Secretary.
A lot of folks are on board with those ideas, but they are not really sure about how he is going to go about it necessarily. And a lot of the things
he says about science and misrepresenting established science of course has folks pretty worried.
[14:40:44]
KINKADE: Yes, exactly. Meg Tirrell, good to have you on the program to break it all down for us. Thanks so much.
Well, still to come tonight, a fundamental overhaul. That's what some experts say is needed for the U.N. Climate Process. We're going to discuss
the future of climate talks with an expert when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back! I'm Lynda Kinkade.
The U.N. Climate Conference COP 29 has just wrapped up its fifth day in Azerbaijan with many attendees anxious about what a second Trump presidency
could mean for future policy. Global climate experts signed an open letter calling for a fundamental overhaul of the entire U.N. climate process. It
was originally published saying that that the annual talks were no longer fit for purpose. But that language was quickly removed.
COP 29 marks the third year in a row that climate talks have been held in either a petrostate or economy that relies heavily on oil or gas. And
previous two were held in the UAE and Egypt. The conference comes against a backdrop of extreme weather events in a year that is set to be the hottest
one on record.
I'd like to welcome Porter Fox, journalist and author of the book Category Five: Super Storms and the Warming Oceans That Feed Them. Good to have you
with us, Porter.
PORTER FOX, AUTHOR, CATEGORY FIVE: Thanks for having me.
KINKADE: So, the 29th U.N. Climate Conference underway right now. The prospects of any breakthrough certainly appear to be bleak at best. What if
anything can be achieved at this conference?
FOX: It's hard to say at this point. These COP conferences are seemingly getting farther and farther away from the point. I mean, you have these
petrostates hosting them. Their best interest is quite obvious. Almost 2000 oil and gas lobbyists and executives in the oil industry are attending this
COP and kind of peddling their wares. It's seemingly been infiltrated where it was once about science, now it is very much about economies and about
profits. And once again, it kind of leaves the science out of it and kind of leaves us all out in the cold.
[14:45:35]
KINKADE: Yes, it certainly does. One person who got quite fired up at this conference was of course climate activist and former Vice President Al
Gore. I just want to play some sound from him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AL GORE, FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: The fact that the scientists who predicted all of this decades ago or have been proven dead right should
cause the rest of us to pay more attention to what they're telling us now. Do we listen to the polluters who don't want to do anything meaningful that
might reduce fossil fuels or do we listen to the scientists who have been telling us what we need to do?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: You know, I interviewed him back when he released the Inconvenient Truth Documentary. And you know the truth is still inconvenient for many
people even when you look at the leadup to the U.S. Election. The concern over climate change and climate policy was pretty far down on the list of
issues that voters were caring about in the lead-up to this election.
How -- like, why do you think that is given the extreme weather events that people are living through month after month?
FOX: I mean, what's inconvenient is that people are putting profits and money ahead of the future of their children and grandchildren essentially.
You know, on November 5th, Americans voted to extend the mega drought in the U.S. West, to continue to see amplifying hurricanes and extreme
weather, to see more wildfires burn across the U.S., to starve farmers of the water that they desperately need to grow our food.
That vote for Donald Trump was a vote against the environment. It was a vote against our future, and it was a vote for likely their retirement
packages and for their personal vested interest in that which you can't undervalue that but there are times when the larger picture really you have
to focus on.
I mean, we have one of five November hurricanes in the last 170 years forming in the Western Caribbean right now. We had the one-two punch of
Milton and Helene. These terrifying storms that were fueled 100 percent by excess heat in the oceans. And we are suffering from this geophysical
fallout of the climate crisis while oil and gas executives sow just a little seam of doubt in the science, enough for people to avoid their
conscience and vote for someone who is going to go against most of our best interests in terms of climate change and environmental progress.
KINKADE: All right. We'll have to unfortunately leave it there for now, Porter, but we really appreciate your time and perspective. Porter Fox,
thanks so much.
FOX: Thank you.
KINKADE: Well, I want to go to some live pictures right now. President Biden is at the APEC Summit in Lima, Peru. He has been meeting with the
leaders of Japan and South Korea. And of course he is going to meet with China's President Xi Jinping tomorrow, what will probably be his last
meeting with the Chinese leader.
Well, India is rolling out new measures to combat toxic air pollution. New Delhi is Banning non-essential construction work and will ramp up road
sweeping. The move comes as the capital's air quality plummets to severe levels blanketing the city in toxic smoke. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): A canopy of toxic smog hangs over the skies of Northern India, blotting out the country's color, choking
its people. Across Delhi, people go to hospital with serious respiratory problems.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Within last 15 days, there's been at least 25 percent rise in my OPD patients.
STOUT (voice-over): Many like 65-year-old Atatia Kumar Shukla (ph) tried to stay home. So many others in Delhi are forced out into the pollution each
day to work often menial jobs for little pay. People like auto driver Mohammad Ibrahim.
MOHAMMAD IBRAHIM, AUTOR RICKSHAW DRIVER (through translator): It feels like chilly in my eyes with the pollution. When I go home in the evening and
wash my hands and face, black stuff comes out of my nose. If I don't go to work, how will I fill my stomach? How will I pay my rent? How will I pay my
autos rent? I'm a poor man. How will I eat? Only if I earn can I eat.
[14:50:22]
STOUT (voice-over): Delhi is in its dry period. When emissions from cars and factories hang in the winter air, smoke from farmers burning their
fields after harvest lingers all day.
LALITA KUMARI, NURSE (through translator): I use a mask. I use a cloth to cover my face. When I feel the problems acutely, I do deep breathing and
exercises. That is what I do.
STOUT (voice-over): This month, the particulate matter in Delhi's air has levels 40 times over the WHO's safety levels. And many say government
efforts to reduce air pollution are not working.
ASHA MISHRA, DELHI RESIDENT: There is no question of it getting better. Last year, it was not this bad. This year it's worse. Next year it'll be
even worse than now.
STOUT (voice-over): In Delhi, some outdoor work has been stopped and schools have moved classes online. Flights have been diverted for poor
visibility, but so many throughout Northern India must struggle through the haze.
Kristie Lu Stout, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, still to come tonight, an unexplained leak is happening at the International Space Station. We'll have details ahead on the U.S. and
Russia's conflicting views about it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back. A concerning situation is unfolding on the International Space Station. The rate at which a module is leaking air has
hit a new high. The U.S. and Russia disagree on what's behind the problem or the level of risk. NASA is concerned that the air leak could possibly
lead to catastrophic failure. U.S. officials say the Russian space agency thinks that continued operations are safe. One leak is happening in the
Russian-controlled segment of the ISS, in a tunnel that connects the Russian module to a docking port.
Officials say no one is severely injured after a Scandinavian Airlines flight faced severe turbulence. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody all right?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[14:55:00]
KINKADE: Those terrifying moments were captured by passenger Sammy Solstad who says he feels lucky to be alive. The airline says the Miami-bound
flight SK957 was forced to return to Europe after encountering extreme turbulence over Greenland on Thursday.
Well, next year's Oscar ceremony now has a host and it is a familiar face to many. Comedian and TV host Conan O'Brien will lead the 97th Academy
Awards. The academy making the announcement today saying O'Brien is the perfect choice thanks to his humor TV experience and love of films. O'Brien
is best known for hosting late-night talk shows. The 97th Oscars will take place on Sunday, March 2nd in Hollywood.
And finally, a new discovery shines a lighted on the celebrity status of ancient Roman fighters. This rare knife handle in the shape of a gladiator
has been uncovered at Hadrian's Wall in the north of England. The copper alloy handle depicts a class of gladiators known as secutor. That's
according to a conservation charity English Heritage which looks after the site where the artifact was found.
Despite being enslaved and socially outcast, due to their profession, Gladiators could become huge celebrities inspiring memorability like that
knife handle. That's a very small knife handle.
Thanks so much for watching. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Stay with CNN. "NEWSROOM" with Richard Quest is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
