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One World with Zain Asher
Focus Is On China, Immigration In Latest Staff Picks; Decision On Trump's New York Hush Money Conviction Delayed; President Biden Meets With Israeli President Herzog; Lee Zeldin To Lead U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; What The New Trump Administration Might Look Like; China Hawk Marco Rubio Likely To Be Next U.S. Secretary Of State; Fresh Round Of Violence Breaks out In Dutch Capital. Aired 12-1p ET
Aired November 12, 2024 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:00:24]
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga. Zain is off today. You are watching ONE WORLD.
Well, any minute now we expect to hear from the Israeli and American presidents. Isaac Herzog is at the White House right now. The meeting comes
the same day as the U.S. deadline for Israel to allow more aid into Gaza. Aid groups say more aid has not arrived.
Sources tell CNN no policy change or announcement is expected. We will bring you their remarks when they happen.
But, first, China and immigration. Donald Trump's early picks for the top positions in his government reflects his concerns about both of those
issues. First, the China picks. Sources say Trump is likely to tap Marco Rubio to be his secretary of state.
Rubio has been one of the loudest voices in the U.S. Senate speaking out against China and raising questions about TikTok and Chinese electric cars.
China issued sanctions against Rubio in 2020 for his comments on China's role over Hong Kong.
Trump has also asked Congressman Mike Waltz to serve as his national security advisor. Waltz is another vocal China hawk in Congress. He has
deep military history with multiple tours of duty in Afghanistan and in the Middle East.
Now, as for the immigration focus picks, Trump has tapped South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem for the powerful position of Homeland Security
Secretary.
Noem often spoke about her concerns about immigration while appearing alongside Trump on the campaign trail. At Homeland Security, she will
likely be tasked with working on plans for mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.
Our Steve Contorno is tracking the formation of this new team. And as we discussed yesterday, Steve, the president-elect is making clear that his
cabinet picks and those around him will be announced and selected quite quickly. And we are seeing that come to fruition now.
STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Yes. This is a much swifter process than we saw back in 2016 when he was first elected and was sort of the dog that
accidentally caught the car and his team was not prepared for a transition in 2016. And it really showed in how they rolled out their cabinet and who
would be filling these key jobs at that time.
And here we have just total 180 and how this process has gone, where we have several key appointments filled, really demonstrating where Donald
Trump's priorities are. He has picked a group of three people, Stephen Miller, Kristi Noem, and Tom Homan, to be the faces of his immigration
policies.
No surprise that Stephen Miller and Thomas Homan are involved. Miller was the architect of his immigration policies in 2016 to 2020. And Tom Homan,
in many ways, was the enforcer.
Kristi Noem is someone who doesn't necessarily have a lot of experience with Homeland Security Departments. In fact, it's hard to find a state
further from the border, the southern border at least, than South Dakota.
But she has been a close ally of Donald Trump. She's very close to Corey Lewandowski, who is another top adviser to Trump. And so it's not
necessarily surprising that she has found herself with a cabinet position.
And then obviously with a pick of Marco Rubio for secretary of state and Mike Waltz to lead his national security team just shows how much Donald
Trump is going to be engaged with foreign policy right out of the gate. And these are the people who are going to be in charge of pitching and tracking
Trump's tariff policies to the world and trying to convince our adversaries in some of -- some hostile countries in Latin America to take on the
thousands, maybe millions of people that his administration plans to deport.
So very clearly, these are his focuses. They were a focus on the campaign trail. And these picks signify just how much these are going to be a
priority for him going into the early days of his administration.
GOLODRYGA: And they also signify how much he values loyalty, true and true, throughout this campaign cycle, and that perhaps even trumping experience
on these particular issues.
Lee Zeldin appointed to EPA. He has been a loyal supporter of the former president's. And as you mentioned, Governor Kristi Noem, not a state that
it's a border state. Nonetheless, she too has been very supportive of the former president.
CONTORNO: That's absolutely correct. And Marco Rubio, even though he was an adversary at one point, in fact, he was very critical of Trump's foreign
policy chops and didn't believe he had the demeanor or the experience to lead the U.S. on a world stage when these two were rivals back in 2016.
[12:05:04]
Total 180 on his end as well. He is someone who's been an unabashed supporter of the former president. He is -- he joined Trump on the campaign
trail down the stretch making multiple appearances together.
It just shows you, for Donald Trump, your policy history, your voting history, your partisan history is not nearly as important to him as loyalty
is and your willingness to demonstrate it and Rubio is someone who, on many issues, has been very different from Trump, especially on foreign affairs.
He has been more of a saber-rattler than the Trump-J.D. Vance isolationist wing of the GOP has been, but he has been a staunch ally of Trump's since
Trump was elected president. He became a vocal surrogate on behalf of Trump, and now he finds himself with one of the most important positions in
Trump's White House.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. Same could be said of Elise Stefanik who was picked to be his ambassador to the United Nations earlier this week.
Steve Contorno, thank you so much.
Well, the New York judge overseeing Donald Trump's hush money case has agreed to push back a deadline originally set for today until next week.
Judge Juan Merchan was scheduled to issue a decision on whether the case should be tossed out due to the Supreme Court's presidential immunity
ruling.
Now in May, Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in order to cover up a sex scandal. That prosecutor said was an
attempt to interfere in the 2016 presidential election.
CNN's Kara Scannell joins me now live from New York. So Judge Merchan delaying this till next week. Is this a surprise? Any indication as to why
he chose to do that?
KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I mean, this isn't a surprise in the sense that we were all expecting today the judge to make a ruling on
whether the conviction would stand in this case or if he would dismiss it based on the Supreme Court's decision.
Ultimately, he said that he would agree to delay anything from happening for a week. That's to give the prosecution time to come back to him with
what they think should happen going forward.
Today was the day for this immunity decision. Two weeks from today is when Donald Trump was scheduled to be sentenced in this case if the conviction
stood.
So prosecutors acknowledged that this is an unprecedented time, unprecedented circumstances. Trump's lawyers are still trying to get this
case dismissed, and they're saying that the judge should still do that because Trump is now a president-elect, he's a federal official, he will be
in January, and that this is a state judge overseeing a state case where there's federal supremacy. So that's one of the arguments that they're
making.
Now, prosecutors, though, have not said what they are going to propose as we look at this going forward. It's possible they could just say they agree
with Trump's team to just keep all of this on hold, that they don't want the judge to issue a ruling on immunity. That would allow their conviction
to stand unchallenged.
But if they say that they think that the judge should move forward with the ruling, then we'll see what this judge ultimately decides to do. And, you
know, the clock gets closer to Inauguration Day. That leaves less room for Donald Trump to be sentenced if this conviction stands. And, of course, we
do expect Trump's attorneys to appeal this every step of the way. Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Kara Scannell, thank you so much.
Well, as we mentioned, U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli President Isaac Herzog are in the White House meeting right now. The meeting comes as the
Biden administration called on Israel to boost aid into Gaza, warning that failure to comply could put U.S. military aid to Israel in jeopardy.
The 30-day deadline is set to expire, but sources say the U.S. is not expected to announce any Israel policy changes today.
Earlier, eight aid organizations said that Israel is not failed -- not only failed to improve aid but took actions that dramatically worsened the
situation.
Now, this amid more deaths in Gaza. Health officials report at least 62 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes over the past two days. We are
covering all the angles. MJ Lee is at the White House for us. Let's begin with CNN's Jeremy Diamond in Jerusalem.
And, Jeremy, it is notable that just today Israel announced that it has opened an additional crossing to allow for the flow of additional aid into
Central -- in Southern Gaza. Give us more insight into that.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's no question that there has been a flurry of activity on the Israeli side and also in terms
of meetings between Israeli officials and U.S. officials as Israel makes a kind of last-minute push to see if they can address some of the U.S.
demands as the deadline hits here to try and avert any potential consequences that the U.S. could impose.
I can tell you from speaking with sources that there's no question that the Israelis have been concerned about this matter.
GOLODRYGA: White House. We're going to go to the White House, Jeremy. I'm sorry. For the president of the United States and the Israeli President
Herzog in their meeting. We'll be right back to you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[12:10:03]
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My commitment to Israel is ironclad, and we share a deep friendship. And I want to thank you again for
being here. And the floor is yours.
ISAAC HERZOG, PRESIDENT OF ISRAEL: Thank you, Mr. President. It's always a great honor to be here in the Oval Office and to be with a friend such as
you, Mr. President.
I will start, of course, with the sad news of the day. In the last two hours, two Israelis were murdered by rocket attacks from Lebanon in the
northern town of Nahariya, a beautiful seashore town in the northern part of Israel.
Early in the day, a kindergarten teacher, of a kindergarten of special needs, children with special needs, rescued bravely and wisely the toddlers
in the kindergarten from a drone attack. A drone exploded in the kindergarten.
This is what we're going through from Lebanon, Mr. President. And you know it all too well. We are fighting hard. We are defending our people, our
brave soldiers and pilots. And I know that you're working very hard to make sure that this war will end and that there will be, first and foremost,
security for the people of Israel, as well as for the people of Lebanon.
And in Gaza, we have 101 hostages. Over 400 days, I know, Mr. President, that you know, you're say in, day out, actively seeking their safe return
home, as they are going through hell in the dungeons of Gaza.
Clearly, you're thinking and working about the day after as well, which perhaps should be a trajectory of hope to the people of the region and the
ability to have our neighbors, as well as us live in security and peace.
But first and foremost, we have to get the hostages back home.
BIDEN: I agree.
HERZOG: And it all starts in Tehran. It all starts in the empire of evil where in Tehran, with its proxies, they are doing whatever they can to
derail stability and security and peace, calling for the annihilation of the state of Israel and seeking nuclear weapons.
And, Mr. President, this has to be a major objective all throughout your term and the next term of the next president, because we have to make sure
that they cannot fulfill their evil intentions.
There are also major engine of anti-Semitism, Mr. President. And I know how much you put a focus on fighting and combating anti-Semitism.
But most importantly, I'm here on behalf of the people of Israel and the nation of Israel and the state of Israel to say to you, Mr. President,
thank you very much. As we say in Hebrew, toda raba.
You've been an incredible friend of Israel and the Jewish people for decades. And we will never forget, ever in history, how you stood up with
us in our darkest hour, which became our finest hour, how you came to Israel a few days after the barbaric attack of October 7th, how you helped
us and supported us with words and deeds.
And I want to express my -- our heartfelt thanks to you, Mr. President, which is a great legacy that you stood up with the Jewish people and the
state of Israel, as you always did.
So I brought you a little gift, which is an archaeological artifact fact, from the foot of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, which has the word Joseph,
Yosef. And as you know in the Bible, it says that Joseph will strengthen Israel. And clearly, Mr. President, you've done it. Thank you very much.
BIDEN: Well, I hope my father heard it. My father was what we call a righteous Christian. He couldn't understand why we didn't move more rapidly
back in World War II (INAUDIBLE). And anyway.
HERZOG: Well, that was a great legacy with -- of your father.
BIDEN: Well, it was. And I remember how I got in trouble. We were friends even back then when I said years ago as a senator, I said, you don't have
to be a Jew to be a Zionist.
HERZOG: And I know you are. You're clearly a Zionist, Mr. President.
BIDEN: Well, God love you.
HERZOG: Thank you very much.
BIDEN: Thanks for being here, pal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Well, you just heard a warm exchange between President Biden and Israeli President, Isaac Herzog. Isaac Herzog laying out a number of
challenges. Israel, he says, is now encompassing in terms of its fight with Lebanon in the north and in Gaza in the south, all of it, in his words, the
direction of Tehran. Also noting the 101 hostages that remain in Gaza.
And let's go back to Jeremy Diamond, because in that statement, in regards to those hostages and the fighting in Gaza, the president, Isaac Herzog,
also recognizing the need for a day after plan as well.
[12:15:09]
DIAMOND: Yes. No doubt about it. And that will be a key part of those behind the scenes discussions between these two men. I do think it's
notable that Herzog, you know, really wanted to take a moment to thank President Biden for his support for Israel, as he said, in its darkest
hour.
That is obviously a sentiment that is still felt here very much in Israel as it relates to President Biden, even as Biden and Netanyahu's
relationship has certainly grown much, much frostier as the U.S. has brought some pressure to bear on Israel for the conduct of its military in
Gaza, for the numbers of civilian casualties.
And another topic of conversation that they will certainly engage in, and that is ultimately a key reason why this meeting is happening today, is on
that issue of humanitarian aid that we were talking about just moments ago, because even as Israeli officials are clearly trying to show the United
States that they are taking this seriously, there is also a key recognition among U.S. officials and also among those eight humanitarian organizations
who put out a statement today that Israel simply has not done enough on the humanitarian aid front in the month since the United States issued that
letter on behalf of the U.S. Secretary of Defense and the secretary of state, demanding that Israel do more on humanitarian aid.
Israel is nowhere close to the 350 trucks per day that the U.S. called for. Instead, they are at something like 75 trucks per day this month of
November. And a lot of roadblocks still remain.
But those conversations are very much still ongoing. We saw Ron Dermer meeting with the secretary of state yesterday. Dermer is a key adviser to
Netanyahu and the minister of strategic affairs. And today, Herzog meeting with President Biden.
So even as that deadline has now hit, we aren't expecting the U.S. to announce any of those any potential policy changes. And we also know that
those conversations between U.S. and Israeli officials on humanitarian aid are very much still ongoing and that the U.S. is going to continue to urge
Israel to do more.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Jeremy Diamond, thank you.
Let's go to MJ Lee at the White House. And on that point, MJ, you're reporting that the U.S. administration, the Biden administration,
specifically, is not expected to release a formal report or announce any sort of policy shift with regards to that aid deadline for Israel into
Gaza, which expired today. They're not expecting to announce anything today or at all or what you're hearing.
MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And, Bianna, if I could, first of all start, with this meeting that is happening in the Oval Office
for a second. We were told by sources here that President Herzog happened to be in D.C. for an event and had asked the U.S. to set up this meeting
with President Biden, specifically, so that he could express his gratitude to the president for his support for the Israeli people.
And we obviously saw him do exactly that. Not only for what he described as sort of the decades long friendship that President Biden, he said, has
offered the people of Israel, but also the ways in which he had supported Israel post-October 7th.
You know, this could very well be the last time that these two leaders meet, at least in the U.S. before President Biden leaves office and
certainly as they now go into this bilateral meeting behind closed doors. We expect a number of issues to come up, obviously, the situation int he
Middle East, the Gaza conflict, the hostilities that continue across the Israeli-Lebanon border as well, both conflicts where the U.S. has been
unsuccessfully pushing for a ceasefire.
But back to your question about this question of whether there might be any U.S. policy changes that are coming as a result of the humanitarian
situation in Gaza, our sources are telling us, no, that no policy changes are expected, at least today. And Jeremy was summing this up earlier.
But basically, this was a letter that was sent 30 days ago by the U.S. government to the Israeli government saying, unless you take a number of
concrete measures to demonstrate your commitment to improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza, which is not acceptable, there could be
some potential changes coming.
Now, at the time there was a lot of discussion about whether, you know, was this the U.S. government making a threat? Were they saying, if you don't do
these things, there would definitely be policy changes? And at the time, they were pretty careful.
So what we expect today is for some kind of indication that the U.S. government, even though our reporting indicates the consensus is that the
Israeli government isn't doing quite enough, that that isn't enough to actually prompt a policy change from the U.S. government.
Obviously, the political ramifications, as you understand so well, have been tremendous across the United States, leading up to last week's U.S.
presidential election as well. So very notable that for the time being, the U.S. government is not ready to make any policy changes.
[12:20:09]
GOLODRYGA: All right. MJ Lee at the White House for us. Thank you so much.
For more on the developments, let's bring in Steven Cook. He's a senior fellow from Middle East Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. He's
also the author of "The End of Ambition: America's Past, President, Future in the Middle East."
Steven, it's really good to see you as always. So in addition to the United States not changing its policy with regard to Israel and perhaps
withholding aid, given this deadline today to get more humanitarian aid into Gaza, there's also, I know, concern within the Israeli government
about what the Biden administration may or may not do in this lame duck period as it relates to its involvement at the United Nations and perhaps
failing to veto any sort of anti-Israel legislation.
I've heard this from a number of officials and experts. Is there any merit to this concern? What possibly could the Biden administration do now?
STEVEN COOK, SENIOR FELLOW FROM MIDDLE EAST STUDIES, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: Well, a couple of things, Bianna. First, the Biden
administration says that it's not prepared to make any major changes in Israeli policy today. But that doesn't mean that it can't make any changes
next week, given the dire situation in the Gaza Strip.
And then when it comes to the U.N., of course, there's precedent for this. As the Obama administration was going out the door, it abstained from an
anti-Israel resolution within the U.N. Security Council. And Israel really does rely on the United States to veto these types of resolutions. The
record of the United States vetoing these resolutions is very, very long.
And in this situation, as we come down to the end of the Biden administration, I think the Israelis only have themselves to blame for
this. There really is, over the recent weeks and months, less and less reason for the Israelis to be conducting major military operations in the
Gaza Strip and basically starving people.
GOLODRYGA: Specifically, because we were talking about two fronts, obviously, the war in Lebanon and the ongoing war in Gaza. And what is
really notable is that many experts believe if one or two are going to end, it would likely be the war in Lebanon that could be resolved sooner at this
rate than the war in Gaza.
And Mike Waltz, who we now know is going to be Trump's pick for national security adviser, wrote an op-ed in "The Economist" just a few months ago.
And he said that the next president should act urgently to bring the conflict in the Middle East to an end and reiterating what candidate Trump,
at the time, said and that is, let Israel finish the job and get it over with fast against Hamas.
It appears from how politics are playing out domestically in Israel, one of the factors in the firing of Defense Minister Gallant is disagreements
between the defense establishment and the Netanyahu government about the war in Gaza, many in the defense establishment saying the war there could
end right now and there could be a ceasefire hostage deal.
There doesn't seem to be any appetite for Netanyahu to end this war soon. How do you see things resolving between Netanyahu and Trump on this issue?
COOK: That is a very, very good question, Bianna. And in fact, the fired defense minister, Yoav Gallant, has been very straightforward in saying
that there is a deal that could bring the war to an end and bring the remaining hostages who are alive home.
Trump has also called on Netanyahu to end the war by Inauguration Day. But Netanyahu, of course, has coalition partners who have threatened the
stability of the coalition if he were to agree to ending the war before the destruction of Hamas, however, they define it. So there may be an early
tension between the Israeli government and the new Trump administration over conflicting timelines.
The stunning irony here is that the war in the Gaza Strip can come to an end. And for months now, the Israeli government has been saying that major
military operations will be coming to an end and it was time to turn the page and focus on the fight against Hezbollah.
Yet, they seem more interested in bringing the fight with Hezbollah to an end diplomatically than finally ending the suffering in Gaza.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. And what I've heard from a number of hostage families is that perhaps they see some hope, some reason for optimism with an incoming
Trump administration, if for no other reason, then it is their view that if there is one person who can convince, who could pressure Netanyahu to
change the course of the war and agree to a deal, it could in fact be Donald Trump.
I want to get you to weigh in on really controversial comments made by far- right Israeli finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, on Monday. Who said that he hoped Israel would extend sovereignty into the West Bank in 2025.
[12:25:05]
And then he went as far as to say that he would push the government to engage with the incoming Trump administration to gain Washington's support
for that.
From everything that you glean, is there an appetite with this new Trump 2.0 and his policies and vision for the Middle East to support that?
COOK: You know, Bianna, I was in the West Bank and spent some time with settlers in mid-September. And it was their view that with a Trump
administration, they could move very quickly to annex 30 percent of the West Bank.
I think that that is something that they believe to be the case, but I'm not quite sure it's the case.
If the Israelis were to annex that territory, it would put the Abraham Accords in significant jeopardy. If you remember back to 2020, the Emiratis
said, you can have normalization or annexation, but you cannot have both.
And to the extent that Donald Trump regards the Abraham Accords as his, as his signature Middle East achievement, the Israeli government moving to
undermine those accords is likely going to run into problems with President Trump.
GOLODRYGA: And by the way, the same would apply for any sort of Saudi normalization deal as well.
Steven Cook, always good to see you. Thank you so much.
COOK: Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: Well, what will the next Trump administration look like? The president-elect has assembled a team of loyalists, including former rival,
Marco Rubio, for a key role. Coming up, what you can expect once he's in office.
Then the U.N. chief makes a passionate plea for urgent action at the COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan. And he warns, time is almost out. But is
anyone listening?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: One week after Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election, anxiety is running high at the COP29 climate conference in Azerbaijan. Many
world leaders and activists gathered in Baku are worried Trump's second term will dramatically cripple efforts to tackle global warming.
And his pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency, Lee Zeldin, is doing little to calm jittery nerves. Zeldin is expected to aggressively
roll back climate regulations.
But the U.N. Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, says there is not a second to waste when it adding the crisis. And he warns that the world is
on the final countdown.
CNN's Bill Weir joins me now live from New York with more on this.
Just to spend a bit more time on Lee Zeldin as Donald Trump's pick at the head of the EPA, shortly after the announcement, Zeldin posted on X that
he, quote, restore U.S. energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs and make the U.S. the global leader of A.I. while
protecting access to clean air and clean water.
[12:30:17]
I always remember in terms of the climate change, Donald Trump always said that he supported clean air and clean water. So it's interesting that he
picked those specific words there in that post.
What has the reaction been to this appointment?
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: Well, given that Lee Zeldin, in most of his congressional career, voted against clean air and clean water
regulations, it's curious. Obviously, the president is stacking his cabinet with loyalists, and Lee Zeldin is among those who voted not to certify the
2020 election and has sort of lashed himself to the -- to the Trump mast and this is a reward.
We found one exchange, it's 10 years old, but it's the most recent soundbite we have from Lee Zeldin, talking about whether he acknowledges
man-made climate change. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEE ZELDIN, FORMER UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE: I think it would be very productive if, you know, if we could just get to, you know, exactly what is
real and what is not real. Because I think both sides of the climate change debate are filled with people who are stretching truths.
I'm not sold yet on the whole argument that we have as seriously a problem with climate change as other people are.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WEIR: So that was 10 years ago. The planet is a lot hotter. The science a lot clearer about that. We asked his spokes folks for a statement and only
they just reaffirmed that he spent his career in Congress advocating for clean air and water.
But pulling back methane emissions, all these sorts of things, which really are climate initiatives, do have impact on clean air and water and
economies and supply chains and immigrant streams and building codes and property values, all of these things connected.
And it's interesting, Bianna, in just the last hour, news broke out of Baku that Darren Woods, the CEO of ExxonMobil, is urging Donald Trump not to
pull out of the Paris Accords, saying they need some stability, that there needs to be a global system for managing these planet-cooking emissions.
There is progress being made in the United States, and pulling out again would damage that in many ways. So an interesting new counterpoint to this
new administration.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. And many of these energy companies, over the last several years, have invested a lot of money in renewables as well. We should note
Exxon is headquartered in Texas. And you have touched on this point many times now. Texas, I believe, has outspent California on renewable
investment?
WEIR: Yes. They're the greenest state in the country. Forty percent of Texas' power comes from wind and solar, not because they're woke or tree
huggers, but because it makes the most economic sense these days right now.
And that's why 90 percent of new power plants that are looking to the future are going for renewables instead of coal, oil, and gas. That, of
course, the backdrop in a petro state hosting this, Azerbaijan.
The president welcomed those delegates today by saying that their gas reserves are a gift from God and was chiding western countries for saying
we need to get off of petro fuels.
So it's a very messy time, these climate negotiations, but so much more going on now with the specter of the U.S. pulling out for a second time.
GOLODRYGA: Interesting comments from the CEO of ExxonMobil, no doubt.
Bill Weir, thank you so much.
WEIR: You bet.
GOLODRYGA: Well, still to come for us, who will be America's top international diplomat under Donald Trump? It appears the president-elect
is ready to name a formal rival.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:35:47]
GOLODRYGA: Welcome back to ONE WORLD. I'm Bianna Golodryga.
Well, several cabinet picks are giving us a preview of what the new Trump administration may look like. Sources tell CNN Donald Trump is likely to
pick Florida Senator Marco Rubio to be his secretary of state.
Years ago, he and Trump had a contentious relationship, but Rubio's credentials include serving on both the Senate Intelligence and Foreign
Relations Committees. Rubio will join the people you see here, including South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to be Secretary of Homeland Security.
Well, time now for The Exchange and a look at what the new Trump administration might look like. We're joined by Republican strategist Lance
Trover. He was the press secretary for Doug Burgum's presidential campaign. Lance, it's good to see you. Welcome back to the program.
So, what are you hearing about how these selections and decisions are being made in Florida? And who is there advising the president along this
process? Because a lot of focus has been on one name, and that is Elon Musk.
LANCE TROVER, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: I'm hearing the very good things from here on Capitol Hill. People are very pleased with the process as it is
unfolding. I think they are to be commended for their discipline and methodical approach with which they are moving forward on these -- on these
picks.
You know, you're really a focus on the homeland security, the border czar, and that's really, I'd say, coming from the campaign. The number two issue
in this country was the border and getting it under control, and that's why we've seen a focus with Homeland Security border czar, and National
Security Advisor.
Yes. Elon Musk is there and I think that's a great pick. And the criticism of Elon Musk, in my opinion, are coming from the folks here in Washington
who fear him the most, the entrenched bureaucrats and the elites who don't like the idea that he wants to come in and streamline government and make
it easier to get things done.
And I'm guessing if you go out into America and say, hey, what do you think about the idea of streamlining government and making things easier for
taxpayers? It's probably a 90 percent issue out there.
GOLODRYGA: Do you expect him to have eventually a formal role in the administration?
TROVER: That's a decision for the president-elect Trump to make. But I mean, obviously, it's been something that's been discussed out there, and
obviously, he has a lot of good ideas.
And I think, you know, Donald Trump is somebody who welcomes a broad swath of ideas. That's how he operates. That's how he's operated as president.
That's how he operated on his campaign.
And again, I think he's to be commended for his approach, a disciplined approach that he's taking here in this -- in this transition process and by
hearing from all sides. And I think you look at that list of folks who he has announced so far. They are quality, they are competent, they are people
who have service to this country and will do a good job.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. We're starting to get a sense of what a Trump foreign policy agenda may look like in his second term. Well, Rubio picked likely
to be the nominee. We don't yet know at state officially. Mike Waltz, a combat veteran, as his national security advisor, and obviously you have
Elise Stefanik at the United Nations.
What they all share is they all appear to be fiercely pro-Israel, fiercely anti-Iran, tough on China, and skeptical on Ukraine.
Lay out for us how you envision his foreign policy agenda to look like and as it's implemented with some of these names as his top advisors.
TROVER: I think -- I don't think I could say it much better than you did right there. I mean, it's exactly what Donald Trump's policies have been.
Fiercely pro-Israel? Yes, absolutely.
[12:40:10]
Elise Stefanik has been the leader in Congress when it comes to standing up against these anti-Semitic protests on college campuses with her role on
the Education and Workforce Committee. So, yes, absolutely. She's going to be a staunch advocate for Israel at the U.N. There's no question about
that.
Donald Trump has made it clear, as has everybody in the Republican Party, that we need to get tougher on China. And so whether it's through tariffs
or whatever and sticking up for Taiwan, I think, yes, absolutely. We're going to be a hard line on China.
And that is what the voters want. If you look back to Tuesday and the resounding mandate that he received from voters, it's clear that's the type
of foreign policy that they're looking for.
When it comes to Ukraine, they had a call last week. It was reported out that it went very well. I know they've been reported on skepticism, but
there's also been reports that Trump said, we're not going to abandon you.
Again, these are decisions that Donald Trump will make once he gets into office. And so I wouldn't get too far ahead in terms of the speculation on
Ukraine at this point.
GOLODRYGA: How about Iran? Because there had been some mixed signals seen from within Trump's transition team and even his own administration with
J.D. Vance in an interview just a few weeks ago saying that the U.S. does not seek war with Iran. The U.S. does not seek regime change in Iran.
We've seen more open options from other, more hawkish people. And those that even Marco Rubio in the past has really pointed the finger at Iran in
wanting to tackle the issue there head on.
Where do you see that landing? Do you think the president should be open to U.S. involvement in the region?
TROVER: Again, those are decisions that the president's going to make. I will note that over the course of the last four years, we have seen an
undoing of the sanctions against Iran, which have poured billions and billions of dollars back into their country, which has funded terrorism
throughout the world and right there in the Middle East.
So, yes, I expect there to be a tough stance on Iran and looking at getting many of those sanctions back into place so we can cut off this spigot of
money that is funding terrorism throughout the region and around the world.
GOLODRYGA: Let me get you to weigh in on Trump signaling that he's ready to run rough shot over Congress. I mean, an early sign of this came over the
weekend when he demanded for recess appointments.
This is obviously a GOP-controlled Senate taking away, perhaps, it appears from his language, their duty, their constitutional duty in appointing
nominees for the cabinet and confirming them.
One GOP Senate aide told "POLITICO," I would encourage him to work within the norms of the Senate as frustrating as it can be.
Do you agree with that assessment?
TROVER: I think they will work this out over time. When I saw that note from him on Truth Social, it read to me as someone who is very anxious to
hit the ground running. And, you know, he's a business guy. This is a guy who doesn't like the slow bureaucratic movements of Washington speak.
So my guess is he will -- he has a GOP Senate. He has their friends and allies on his side. My guess is they will work together to find a way
forward to ensure that his nominees get in and on the job and moving quickly.
GOLODRYGA: So you think that he will allow the Senate to do their standard procedure of confirming his nominees?
TROVER: I think that's a decision for he and the Senate to work through. Again, they're all on the same side here and everybody wants to hit the
ground running. So, again, I think this is something that it will be worked out in due time. I'm not super concerned about it.
GOLODRYGA: Quickly, quickly, because I'm being wrapped. Do you envision or are you hearing reports of any possible position in the cabinet for your
former boss, Doug Burgum?
TROVER: I'm a big fan of Doug Burgum. And I think if he wants to be a part of the -- a part of the cabinet, he would do a great job. He is obviously
the governor of the second largest energy producing state in the country, grew a big international business, has experience overseas.
So if Donald Trump wants him, I think he would be a great addition to the cabinet, for sure.
GOLODRYGA: That is a ringing endorsement. Lance Trover, thank you so much. Good to see you.
TROVER: Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: Well, as we mentioned, sources say U.S. Senator Marco Rubio will be Donald Trump's pick for secretary of state. There are few members of
Congress who are so vocal about their concerns over China.
CNN's Marc Stewart is in Beijing and gives us the reaction from there to Rubio becoming America's top international diplomat.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARC STEWART, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Marco Rubio is already a well-known figure among government officials here in Beijing. He is well-
versed on the most contentious issues in the U.S.-China relationship.
This likely appointment signals the incoming administration isn't going to be afraid to be tough on China.
Looking at his background, he's been the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee. He introduced legislation blocking tax credits for
electric vehicle batteries produced using Chinese technology.
The Florida lawmaker has also grilled the FBI director on Beijing's influence over TikTok. And he's offered harsh words about China's place on
the world stage, something he addressed back in 2023. Let's listen.
[12:45:07]
SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL): China today is the single most formidable adversary the United States has ever faced. Soviet Union was not an
industrial power, technological power, commercial power.
And, you know, we have both foreign policies, geo-economic policies, and military postures that were built for a world that no longer exists.
STEWART: Rubio has been sanctioned by the Chinese government for his stance on human rights in Xinjiang and the Hong Kong protests.
As far as the Chinese government responds, a spokesperson said it's not going to comment on the internal affairs of the United States.
Marc Stewart, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: And still to come for us, another night of unrest in Amsterdam, as the Dutch capital still reels after violence between locals and Israeli
fans from last week and more anti-Semitic attacks. We have a live report, ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: A fresh round of violence has broken out in Amsterdam. Video posted on social media shows a firework being lit inside a tram, causing it
to catch fire. Dutch police say three people were arrested Monday night.
And tensions have been rising over last week's Europa League football game between a Dutch team and an Israeli team. Israeli fans were beaten in
violent clashes. Social media shows Israeli fans chanting anti-Arab slurs ahead of the match. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz joins us now from London.
And, Salma, you have government officials both there, locally and from Israel, really speaking out vehemently against some of these scenes and
anti-Semitism. And a lot of concern now as to what comes next. There are more games expected, a game in particular Thursday in Paris. Security has
been beefed up. What more do we know?
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. Let's just start with the violence that erupted Monday night last night in Amsterdam. I want to show
that social media video again of the tram that's been set ablaze because it begins to illustrate what took place in this video that's been verified,
geolocated by CNN.
You can see assailants who are throwing these fireworks. One lands inside the tram and explodes. Other objects are also being thrown. Our translators
also listened to this video and you can hear anti-Semitic chants, anti- Semitic slogans being shouted by the individuals in this video.
[12:50:59]
Riot police quickly moved in to clear the square in the western part of the city. They arrested three individuals. And it's just the latest wave of
arrests. There's been unrest, as you mentioned, for days now in Amsterdam that really crescendoed with that football match on Thursday evening.
After that football match, authorities say that dozens of Israeli soccer fans were chased to be injured in the streets. This, of course, triggered a
huge crisis, diplomatic crisis, between the Netherlands and Israel.
Prime Minister Netanyahu was quick to scramble planes to evacuate people out of Amsterdam. The Dutch prime minister hopped on the phone and promised
calm, promised to restore order.
Now, all of this unrest had really been culminating as tensions rose when these Israeli soccer fans first landed in Amsterdam. Social media video
emerged of some of them shouting slogans against Arabs using racist language.
But the Dutch prime minister was unequivocal in his statements. He said that those attacks against Israeli soccer fans are anti-Semitic. He said
that there is no excuse for what he called horrible behavior.
And he put security measures in place, including banning protests for several days, launching an investigation, ordering additional measures,
additional riot police on the streets.
But Prime Minister Netanyahu is also taking matters into his own hands. As you mentioned, Israel is reviewing security measures around any
international sports events and may issue new guidance.
GOLODRYGA: All right. We'll keep a close watch. Really disturbing events unfolding in the last few days.
Salma Abdelaziz, thank you so much.
Well, at least 35 people are dead and dozens injured after a car plowed into crowds at a sports center in southern China on Monday night.
Videos of the aftermath, geolocated by CNN, show scores of people lying on the ground. According to Chinese media, an SUV crashed into multiple
fitness walking groups.
Police statements as the driver, a 62-year-old man, was upset about a divorce settlement. Police say he is unconscious in the hospital after
trying to harm himself with a knife.
We'll be right back with more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything you were, everything you've done, has come to this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: That's the new trailer of what could be the final "Mission Impossible." The film titled, "The Final Reckoning" is due out next May.
[12:55:02]
The trailer shows Trump's -- Tom Cruise, excuse me, character, Ethan Hunt, scuba diving and falling out of an airplane.
The movie was supposed to come out in 2022, but the pandemic and SAG-AFTRA after strike caused multiple production delays.
And before we go, we have one last story for you about a rare flower that stinks. Thousands are lining up in Australia for the rare chance to see and
smell the so called "Corpse Flower." Now, it only blooms once every 10 years and lasts up to 48 hours. Some say the flower is so ranked that it
smells like a dead possum, dead mouse, or even a stink pond. Gross. I'll just look at it from afar on this T.V. monitor.
Well, that does it for this hour of ONE WORLD. I'm Bianna Golodryga. Thanks so much for watching. "AMANPOUR" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:00:00]
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