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One World with Zain Asher
Trump Floats Diplomacy with Venezuela Amid Growing Tensions; Epstein Survivors Call for Release of All Files in New PSA; Trump Changes Course, Tells House GOP to Vote for Release; U.N. to Vote on Next Phase of Gaza Peace Plan; Border Patrol Agens Carry Out Raids in Charlotte, North Carolina; Norway Qualify for World Cup for First Time Since 1998. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired November 17, 2025 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: The U.S. is ramping up its military presence in the Caribbean. "One World" starts right now. As the world's
largest aircraft carrier arrives in the Caribbean. The U.S. conducts its 21st strike on an alleged drug board in the region.
We're live in Caracas, with the latest. Plus, President Trump is changing his tune on releasing the Epstein files as the House gets ready to vote.
We'll look at what's behind the president's U turn. And CNN's Sports Don Riddell joins us live to break down the team's vying for a place at the
men's 2026 Football World Cup.
Live from Atlanta, I'm Lynda Kinkade, Zain and Bianna are off today. This is "One World". Good to have you with us, well as the U.S. intensifies its
military pressure on Venezuela and paves the way for possible strikes inside the country. President Trump is now suggesting there may be a path
to diplomacy.
Over the weekend, America's largest, most advanced aircraft carrier, accompanied by squadrons of fighter jets and guided missile destroyers
crossed into Caribbean waters. Hours later, the State Department announced it would designate an alleged Venezuelan drug gang that Washington claims,
is run by President Nicolas Maduro as a foreign terrorist organization.
Maduro denies those allegations. Well, a day earlier, the Pentagon conducted its 21st strike on what it's calling drug trafficking votes, this
time in the eastern Pacific, without providing any evidence. The U.S. says three people were killed, bringing the total number of people killed in
similar strikes since September to 83.
Now amid all of this, Trump said Venezuela would like to talk without offering any details.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We may be having some discussions with Maduro. And we'll see how that turns out. They would
like -- they would like to talk.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: CNN's Stefano Pozzebon joins us now live from Caracas. Good to have you with us, Stefano. So, I want to ask you first about those comments
from Donald Trump saying that Venezuela might want to talk. What is the Maduro government saying publicly about the possibility of dialog right
now?
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, Lynda, we haven't heard directly from Maduro nor any senior government officials since those remarks that
were made late on Sunday night from the president. However, we will hear from both the interior minister here in Venezuela and later from Maduro
throughout the day.
So, we will definitely bring that up to you. But I think that -- Maduro would like to talk is quite a stating the obvious. Maduro, for the last few
weeks, if not months, has been trying to make the case for a peaceful negotiation. Even when he spoke with us exclusively last Thursday, he said
that he was trying to speak directly to Donald Trump.
They told me, peace, peace, yes, peace, peace. He tried to even say that in English, because he really wanted to make that message clear. And it's not
really that far away back in history when Maduro welcomed here Richard Grenell, who, at that time, I'm talking about February, earlier this year.
He was the U.S. Presidential Envoy on hostage negotiation. So, we know that this administration has had talks, has had communication with the Maduro's
government. And that was the case up until pretty much July and August, when there was a turn of events that brought a more bellicose rhetoric
towards Venezuela.
We heard that Richard Grenell had been sort of sidelined in a meeting at the White House with Marco Rubio. And now we hear that Donald Trump would
like to talk again, and so we will probably hear that they're willing to give diplomacy one last chance. But at the same time, I think that it's
very interesting that on the same day that Donald Trump opens the door to diplomacy.
His Secretary of State, Mark Rubio, announces that the Department of State will try to designate the Cartel de los Soles, which is a collective name
for high government officials here in Venezuela, involved in drug trafficking, designate them as a foreign terrorist organization.
That, of course, paves the way to further strike and further more robust action against Venezuela.
[11:05:00]
So, I think that the White House as a whole is once again retorting to the old strategy of the carrot and the stick. We give you a carrot and open the
door to diplomacy. But you know what's happening if you don't, if you don't comply. And we're going to see some developments, I think, in the next few
hours and days, perhaps, Lynda.
KINKADE: All right, we will come back to you again soon, and we're going to have much more on this story later this hour.
POZZEBON: Yeah.
KINKADE: Stefano Pozzebon, thanks so much. Well, for months, Donald Trump has rallied against the release of the Epstein files and attacked members
of his own party who called for full transparency. Well now, in a stunning reversal, he says Republicans in the House should vote in favor of full
disclosure.
In a social media post, the president continued to claim the Epstein files are what he calls a Democrat hoax, but says it's time for Republicans to
move on from this issue. The House is expected to hold a vote on Tuesday to compel the Department of Justice to release its files.
The Republican who has been pushing for that vote, says he expects that more than 100 of his Republican colleagues to vote in favor of it. Well,
despite changing his tune on the Epstein files, Trump continues to criticize Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. For months, she has been
one of the few Republicans willing to defy Trump when it came to the Epstein files.
Trump now says he will not endorse her next year when she runs for re- election. And with the House vote looming, several women who survived Epstein's abuse have joined forces for a public service announcement making
a powerful plea to Congress to finally release the files.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was 14 years old.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was 16 years old.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 16.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 17.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 14 years old.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is me when I met Jeffrey Epstein.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is me when I met Jeffrey Epstein.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's time to bring the secrets out of the shadows. It's time to shine a light into the darkness.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: For a better understanding of why President Trump so abruptly changed his course. I want to go to the White House and CNN's Alayna
Treene, good to have you with us, Alayna. So, the president has reversed course now urging the House Republicans to vote to release the Epstein
files. Why the change?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: I think the biggest reason, Lynda, is because the White House knows very well that a number of House
Republicans were essentially going to defect on this. We if you actually listen to what we heard from Thomas Massie, a Republican who is one of the
two people who had actually pushed for this vote him, alongside his colleague, Ro Khanna, who brought this bill forward.
He said that he believes at least 100 Republicans in the House are going to vote for this. And so essentially, the calculus that the White House is
making is that they were likely going to lose this battle anyway, and so at this point, why not own it? And I will tell you it is, you know, you talked
about it being a stark reversal.
I mean, if you just look at where we were a couple days ago, when they were looking at what they called the discharge position, which would essentially
force this vote that's going to happen tomorrow. There was four Republicans who got behind it, and the White House had actually called one of them,
Lauren Boebert, to the White House, and actually in the Situation Room, they met with her to try and convince her not to do that.
And so, it really is a big turn from where the president has been. But part of this as well is his argument is that the Justice Department has already
released a lot of files, and he wants to move on from this story. It's a distraction, but still, it begs the question of, why haven't they just
released everything in the justice war and every material that they have on this to get rid of it anyway, because you don't need Congress to have the
Trump Administration actually release all of these documents, Lynda.
KINKADE: Yeah, Alayna Treene, we will speak to you again on this story, but we are going to stay on it right now. Thanks to you. I want to do a deep
dive into the politics behind all of this. Joining me now are a pair of CNN Political Commentators, S.E. Cupp is the Host of "Off the Cupp" Podcast and
a Columnist for the New York Daily News, and Maria Cardona is a Democratic Strategist. Good to have you both with us.
MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Thank you, Lynda, great to be here.
S.E. CUPP, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Hi.
KINKADE: So, Maria, I'll start with you, because Trump previously called the Epstein case a hoax, but after these petitions that forced a House
vote, he's finally supporting this vote. Did he really have a choice here? Or is this really about political optics?
CARDONA: It is an empty gesture, full of desperation on behalf of Donald Trump. And he didn't just call it a hoax, Lynda, he called it a Democrat
hoax, which I think goes to how afraid he is, and fearful he is that he has completely lost control of his House caucus, which I think is true.
And one of the things that you're seeing with over 100 Republicans possibly defecting and voting for this. But I think politically, it also shows how
damning this whole issue has been and how ironically, this has been an issue of his own making and of his party's own making.
[11:10:00]
They were the ones who ran on this. In the 2024 elections, promising the MAGA base that they were going to be completely transparent and release
everything. Pam Bondi went on television and literally said, the files are on my desk and I am about to release them. So why haven't they?
Did they find stuff in there that is going to be hurtful to Trump? Is Trump afraid of everything that is in there and now just trying to pretend that
he is not? It's not going to look good for him moving forward, unless he takes the step, Lynda, of saying to the Department of Justice, not just to
his members, saying you can vote for this, but no, he's got to say to his Department of Justice, release everything.
If he really has nothing to hide, that is what he will do. If he doesn't, then everyone is going to assume that he is trying to hide something and
that the party is trying to cover something up, and politically, that will continue to be damning for him.
KINKADE: Yeah, I was going to ask you about that, S.E. Cupp, because if these files are heavily redacted, the question will be, what's the point
here? What's your assessment of all of this and the calculation behind Trump's reversal?
CUPP: Yeah, I think you know, everyone here is correct that Trump is out of options. Trump tried everything to avoid this moment. Trump tried denying
he was close with Jeffrey Epstein. We know that's not true. He's called it a hoax and a scam. He's tried to pressure House Democrats, House
Republicans to back off of this.
He's tried to work MAGA influencers off of this story, and nothing has worked. So rather than be the lone guy out there, fighting everyone,
fighting the right, fighting the left, fighting the center. He's really out of options, and so he's now, at this moment, trying to look like it's his
idea, right?
Make it look like I'm the one that wants it released, because I have nothing to hide. The problem is the refusal, over the past year to do
anything, has made him look very, very guilty. And you know, as you noted, Lynda, if they were released just a redacted stack of papers that's going
to satisfy no one and prolong this story much longer and much closer to the midterms, which would be disastrous.
KINKADE: And in the midst of all this, we can't forget about the survivors, the Epstein survivors, who were just teenagers when many of them were
trafficked.
CUPP: Yes.
KINKADE: I just want to play some sound from two survivors, Danielle Bensky and Liz Stein.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANIELLE BENSKY, EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: I think the e mails really speak for themselves. You read it and you have a very visceral reaction to them. And
I think survivors have been very clear and consistent about our messaging that anyone who performs harm or anybody that has done any wrongdoing or
has harmed people should face accountability.
LIZ STEIN, EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: We need the government to release everything that's in these files, of course, with the appropriate redactions to
protect the privacy of the survivors, but we really need this information to be out there so these crimes can be investigated.
I think it's really upsetting to us that this is so politicized when it's not a political issue. This was a crime, and it's a crime of sex
trafficking, and we really just want to see justice for the crime that happened to us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: I mean, it shouldn't be political, right? But it potentially could involve high profile people, politicians, political donors, even. We have
heard from some of the Epstein survivors that they you know, they're preparing their own list of alleged associates.
Should these files largely be redacted? Could that create a bigger headache? First to you, Maria.
CARDONA: I mean, I think the more that these survivors speak out, Lynda, the more the pressure is going to be on Republicans and Trump to actually
release everything. Democrats have been on record saying, release it all. I don't think they care. I certainly don't care, as a Democrat, what
democratic name is on there.
I think everyone needs to see who did what and when, who knew what and when, and I think that the damaging pieces that are coming out right now
about Donald Trump makes it look possibly worse than it might even be. We know that he hasn't been accused of anything, but when you have Epstein
saying I could destroy Donald Trump, and when you have him saying he spent hours with one of the victims, that really makes people wonder.
Well, what else is in there that makes him look guilty. And so, if, in fact, again, for Donald Trump, and not that he would ever take my advice,
but as a crisis communications expert, you don't want the drip, drip, drip on this, because that is what is being so harmful to him and Republicans
politically.
[11:15:00]
And those Republicans who have to run next year, Lynda, in the 2026 midterm elections. They know that, which is why now they have to choose, am I going
to continue to bend over backward and genuflect at the altar of Donald Trump, or am I going to finally serve my constituents. And importantly, the
survivors, which is what we should all be about. So, we'll see.
KINKADE: And the other thing to S.E. Cupp, that is not only potentially damaging, it doesn't help the conservative cause when you have, you know,
podcasters like Megyn Kelly come out and say that, well, maybe Epstein wasn't a pedophile because he was targeting teenagers and trafficking
teenagers rather than five-year-olds.
It sounds like she is minimizing abuse. What is your response?
CUPP: The shame in all of this, of course, is that this has been political from the beginning years ago, when Julie K. Brown, first, you know, gave us
this incredible investigation, investigating a story that a lot of other news outlets wouldn't. Both parties have seized on this for political
purposes, the right because they think Democrats are in it, Democrats because they think Trump is in it.
And we've lost sight of these victims so much so that MAGA influencers with giant platforms, go on television making money off of denouncing and
diminishing and dismissing pedophilia. That's how gross and bad and politically corrosive this issue has become, and it's so unfortunate for
the victims who just want their stories told.
They just want to know what happened. They just want someone to believe them and take them seriously, and instead, what everyone is talking about
is whether Trump is in it or Bill Clinton is in it. What kind of political fallout there might be from this? People like Megyn Kelly are profiting off
of the dismissing Jeffrey Epstein's disgusting crimes.
It is grotesque, and it is a really sad commentary on the state of American politics today, where we can't even come together and treat this like a
crime with victims who were children at the time. And now we're talking about a president who might even potentially pardon a person who was
convicted of a crime in this Ghislaine Maxwell. It's really gross, it's really sad, it's really awful for the victims.
KINKADE: I want to turn to the immigration raids, because both the Epstein files and the ICE raids touch on public trust in government institutions.
We've just seen this massive raid in Charlotte, North Carolina over the weekend, 80 people, over 80 people detained, reportedly the largest sweep
in the history of that state.
For you, Maria, how does this play out in especially in democratic led cities and states?
CARDONA: It's playing out across the board, horribly, Lynda, and as an immigrant, this is incredibly personal to me. And I have heard from these
families. I have heard from immigrants who have been detained, many of them, by the way, U.S. citizens and even those that aren't, have no
criminal record whatsoever.
And so, what you're seeing across the board are these ICE thugs who are masked and who are unidentified, who go into these cities, into these
communities, open up vans, grab people from their cars, break the windows, they gas and they tear gas toddlers, they smash young mothers' heads on the
pavement.
And all of these images, Lynda, are having a corrosive political effect on Republicans and on Trump, who, by the way, won the 2024 election in large
part on his stance on immigration. Well, the American people are now turning on him. Latinos are turning on him, and we're going to see it in
the 2026 midterm elections, if, again, Republicans who are running in those midterm elections don't stand up and say, you know what?
This is not what America stands for. This is -- these are not the values that the vast majority of the American people support. This is not what the
majority of the American people voted for. And so, I think that they have an opportunity. Democrats have an opportunity to come together and say
immigration reform is needed.
Let's do this in a balanced humane way, which is what the majority of the American voters agree with. This is not it.
KINKADE: And it's interesting you note that Trump won the Latino male vote in the last election. So, should he lose that, you know, or his colleagues
at the midterms? That will be an issue.
CARDONA: Absolutely.
KINKADE: To you S.E. Cupp, you know, for Republicans, this might reinforce that tough on immigration stance, but overall, politically, is it working
for the Republican Party?
[11:20:00]
CUPP: Listen, Trump made this promise. He made a promise to lower crime and attack illegal immigration. So, I think to a lot of MAGA, this looks like
he's keeping his promise to a lot of the rest of America, though, even if they were in for the crackdown, this isn't the way they wanted it,
prosecuted and executed, and so there is some fear about how that is looking inside Republican circles.
But I think the important thing to note here is that this is also being used as a giant distraction from an economy that is not working. An economy
that a lot of voters believe is worse since Donald Trump took office, worse because of a dumb trade war and tariffs, worse because of DOGE cuts, worse
because unemployment is down and Trump is about to make the same mistake that cost Democrats the 2024 election.
Democrats lost because they told voters that on the three issues that mattered most to them, economy, crime and immigration, those things weren't
problems. They said the economy is great. Immigration isn't a crisis. Crime is down. They didn't believe people when they were talking about their
pain.
People are in pain right now, economically and Trump is saying the numbers are great. Inflation is gone. Don't worry about the jobless numbers. We
won't even tell you what they are, but they're going to be fine. That is a huge political malpractice, and he's at risk of losing his base over the
issue they care about, the post, an issue they know is not better than it was a year ago.
They can feel it. They can see it. They're not stupid, and Trump is looking at them in the eye and saying, you're stupid. The economy's great. It's the
best ever. Big, big, big warning caution signs ahead if he keeps doing that.
KINKADE: Yeah, we still certainly await that key economic data. S.E. Cupp, Maria Cardona, appreciate both of you. Thank you very much.
CARDONA: Thanks, Lynda.
CUPP: Thank you.
KINKADE: We're going to have more on the U.S. immigration crackdown later in the show with CNN's Dianne Gallagher. Still ahead, the United Nations is
set to vote on the future of Gaza building on President Trump's peace plan. We'll have a live report on the details coming up.
Plus, months after the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, it's unclear how much damage was done, a top Iranian official
is providing some answers. We'll have part of that exclusive interview, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:25:00]
KINKADE: Welcome back. In the coming hours, the United Nations Security Council is set to vote on a draft resolution to take Gaza beyond the truce
that took effect last month. It builds on President Donald Trump's ceasefire plan for the enclave. The details are vague, but it calls for a
board of peace to run Gaza for a two-year period.
It also includes the possibility of a pathway to Palestinian statehood, which Israel strongly rejects. Well, CNN's International Diplomatic Editor
Nic Robertson is in Jerusalem and joins us now live. Great to see you, Nic. So just walk us through this U.N. resolution set to vote regarding Gaza and
what the board of peace would actually do and who would control it?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, so the board of peace is an international body. It will, as you say, be in charge of Gaza
for two years minimum, before it hands over to Palestinian control, of some description, if the Palestinian control, whatever that is, is ready to take
over.
It will be led by President Trump. That's what he said. He spoke a month or so ago about Tony Blair, the Former British Prime Minister, perhaps having
a leading role that narratives gone quiet. So, we don't know which international figure will be leading it, but it will be international
figures.
They'll be working through and with the CMCC here in Israel, that will be the sort of military oversight body for what many of the things that
affects military effects that will be happening inside of Gaza. They will be overseeing the international stabilizing force. They'll be overseeing
the training and the implementation of a Palestinian police force.
They're being trained in Egypt and Jordan. But the draft that CNN has seen of this resolution is pretty vague and unspecific in some of those areas,
and that does cause concern to diplomats here that the specificity isn't there because this, in essence, this resolution puts detail on the bones of
President Trump's 20-point plan that was announced a month, you know, just over a month ago.
So, there are a lot of questions, despite this being designed to answer many of those questions.
KINKADE: And of course, as you mentioned, this draft talks about a two-year stabilization period. Plus, a potential pathway to Palestinian statehood.
How is Israel responding to that?
ROBERTSON: So, Israel is responding at a political level from the prime minister, and he is facing pressure from within his far-right cabinet, from
the far-right members saying there's no way, in essence, that there can be, well, saying it straight out, there's no way there can be a Palestinian
state. The prime minister has responded in this way. This is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Our opposition to a Palestinian state in any territory west of the Jordan exists is valid and has not
changed one bit. I have been rebuffing these attempts for decades, and I am doing it both against pressure from outside and against pressure from
within, so I do not need affirmations, tweets or lectures from anyone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: So that seems to be also a reference to his own cabinet. So, it seems pretty testy and determined about it. But look, the language that's
in this draft resolution, again, stressing a draft version that we at CNN have seen. The language may well change by the time there's a vote on it,
but the language around getting to the possibility of a Palestinian statehood, again, at the moment, seems ambiguous.
It seems unclear. It says, once the Palestinian Authority has reformed and reformed adequately, what is that reform? What is adequately? Who decides
those things? Those questions are not there. And then it goes on to say, this may, may not, does, but may provide a pathway to a Palestinian,
something that's not clear again, and it opens the door to discussions going forward that sort of language.
Diplomats have looked at it and think that that sort of is going to fall short of what Palestinians are hoping for. Not only that, it's buried low
within this draft resolution. So, it's something that doesn't seem palatable to either side at the moment.
KINKADE: All right, Nic Robertson in Jerusalem for us. Thanks very much. Iran says its nuclear program is still intact five months after the U.S.
and Israel carried out strikes against three of its facilities. President Trump initially claimed the Fordow nuclear facility had been obliterated.
But U.S. intelligence assessments later suggested Iran's nuclear program may have only been set back by about two years.
[11:30:00]
In an exclusive interview with CNN'S Fred Pleitgen, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister says the strikes badly damaged the sites.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAEED KHATIBZADEH, IRANIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER: The nuclear program, the peaceful nuclear program, is intact, as we are speaking. Yes. They have
attacked. They have ruined many of our infrastructure, machineries, you know, buildings. But the program is very much based on our indigenous
knowledge, very much spread across our country, which is a huge country, 90 million people, 1,600,000 square meter country.
And this country is not a country that you can bomb and then think that you know you are going to ruin everything. This is a science, and this is a
knowledge, and this is a no -- that we actually possess and we are going to be protecting that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: And we will have Fred's full interview coming up in the next hour. Well, still to come, talk of diplomacy, while apparently preparing for war,
as America flexes its military muscle in the Caribbean U.S. President Trump suggests there may be a path to peace.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back to "One World". I'm Lynda Kinkade. Here are some of the headlines we're watching today. U.S. President Donald Trump says
Venezuela would like to talk as America increases its military presence in the region and strikes yet another alleged drug trafficking boat without
providing any evidence.
[11:35:00]
The U.S. State Department announced it will designate a Venezuelan cartel as a foreign air. Terrorist organization. In a stunning reversal, Trump is
now telling Republicans in the House of Representatives to vote in favor of the release of the Epstein files. Trump has long rallied against the
release, calling the saga a Democratic hoax.
His reversal comes as the House is expected to vote on that issue on Tuesday. Flight operations at U.S. airports are expected to return to
normal after the Federal Aviation Administration lifted its flight reduction emergency order earlier today. The mandatory flight reductions
were put in place at 40 different airports during the government shutdown due to staffing shortages.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron just outside of Paris today. Signing an agreement that will
bolster Ukraine's air defenses, including the purchase of up to 100 French fighter jets. Let's get you back to one of the top stories we're following
as the U.S. dramatically expands its military presence in the Caribbean.
Donald Trump is suggesting there may be a diplomatic way out with Venezuela. Over the weekend, the State Department announced it would
designate Cartel de los Soles, a group Washington claims, is run by the country's president, as a foreign terrorist organization.
It's a move Trump suggested could allow the U.S. to strike certain assets inside of Venezuela. Hours earlier, the world's largest aircraft carrier
crossed over into Caribbean waters. And a day before that, the Pentagon announced its 21st known strike on what it's calling drug trafficking
boats.
International concerns are growing over the legality of those attacks. A few weeks ago, Trump suggested that he does not need congressional approval
for the strikes, and now he's indicating that he doesn't need it either for any military action inside of Venezuela.
Well, the president is also suggesting that Venezuela wants to talk. CNN's Military Analyst and Retired Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton, joins me
now live. Great to see you.
COLONEL CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: It's good to see you, too, Lynda.
KINKADE: So, I mean, we heard just over the weekend, colonel, that the president said he's made up his mind, sort of when it comes to options for
Venezuela. When a president signals that publicly, what does that usually tell you as to where things stand and how close we could be to any sort of
operation?
LEIGHTON: Usually, it would indicate that you're fairly close to seeing something happen in a military sense. In other words, a type of kinetic
strike possibly would be in the offing. But it could also have served as a signal to the Venezuelans that if they don't act soon, in a diplomatic
sense, they might lose time when it comes to the military action.
So, it may have been an effort by President Trump to pressure Venezuelan President Maduro and have him basically go to the table at this point
diplomatically.
KINKADE: I mean, it's certainly an interesting way to go about getting diplomatic talks, really, when you think of the scale of what's been
deployed so far, a dozen ships, 15,000 troops, and attack submarine, F-35 is ready to go as part of this operation, Southern spear.
Some analysts are calling this the biggest build up since the 1989 Panama invasion. I mean is -- would you do all of this just to get on the phone
with a foreign leader?
LEIGHTON: I personally wouldn't, but this is a very different type of administration when it comes to these kinds of things. And I think what
we're seeing here is the preponderance of force, as you described, Lynda, is much more than what you would need for normal counter drug operations.
So now they have moved assets, in the case of the USS Gerald R. Ford, from the European theater and the Middle Eastern theater all the way to the
Caribbean. And that is a lot of firepower just on the Gerald Ford, you have 4000 Sailors and Marines on that vessel, plus a contingent of F/A-18
fighter jets that are that could be added, then to the 10 F-35 that are based in Puerto Rico at the moment.
So, this is an effort by the Trump Administration to really focus attention on Latin America, as opposed to other parts of the world. And it seems to
be something that is been top of mind from for this administration, from a geopolitical standpoint and a policy standpoint.
Now this, of course, is the other question here would be, does this leave other parts of the world unattended to and in this case, I think it does
so. It's a dangerous situation that we're possibly in here, because other things could be happening in the Middle East. Certainly, we have the
Russia, Ukraine situation, and, of course, Taiwan, China. So, each of these areas would require attention by themselves.
[11:40:00]
But now, with Venezuela basically being at the forefront of everything it really begs the question as to what real foreign policy efforts are
underway within the Trump Administration, and it seems that they're going to be focused on the Western Hemisphere more than anything else, at least,
that's their plan at the moment.
KINKADE: You make some good points there. We know that the president was briefed on a range of options, from airstrikes on government military
facilities, to trafficking drug, trafficking routes and even options that could potentially remove the President Nicolas Maduro.
From a military point of view, how sophisticated and risky are those types of operations?
LEIGHTON: So, they can be very, very sophisticated, and even if they don't involve a lot of force, they in terms of numbers of personnel, they require
a great deal of planning.
In the run up to the operation in Panama, the 1999, excuse me, 1989 option, that invasion that you referred to, we had 26,000 troops conduct that
operation. And we had the advantage of having military bases still within Panamanian territory. This is very different. There are no U.S. military
bases on Venezuelan territory.
We don't have the number of troops that would be necessary to take over a country that is basically 10 times the size of Panama. The other part of
this, though, is that when it comes to the actual planning for something like this, it took about two years to plan for Panama, we certainly haven't
seen that degree of planning, at least consistent planning, with regards to Venezuela.
Now, Maduro could very well be a target, in the sense of being somebody that the Trump Administration would like to see removed from office. And
there's a certain legitimacy to that when it comes to the fact that Maduro actually did not win, based on international observations, did not win the
last presidential election in Venezuela.
But putting that aside for a second, we really don't have the manpower right now, from a military sense, to do that particular operation unless
it's a very precise special operations type mission, and that would be the kind of thing that we would have to see here. They do have the capability
of doing that, but the question is whether or not they'll use it and use it for that particular purpose.
KINKADE: Colonel Cedric Leighton, always great to get your analysis. Thanks so much.
LEIGHTON: You bet, Lynda, thank you so much.
KINKADE: Well, still to come, a city on edge as U.S. border control agents target Charlotte, North Carolina. How some residents are reacting, just
ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:45:00]
KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Dozens of people who are arrested in North Carolina's largest city as intense immigration raids played out
over the weekend. Charlotte officials say they haven't received any information from customs and borders protection on how it's conducting its
latest operation. North Carolina's Democratic Governor criticized the operation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. JOSH STEIN (D-NC): We've seen masked, heavily armed agents and paramilitary garb driving unmarked cars targeting American citizens based
on their skin color, racially profiling and picking up random people in parking lots and off of our sidewalks, going after landscapers simply
decorating a Christmas tree in someone's front yard.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: A county official says federal agents seemed to profile a Charlotte resident living in the U.S. legally, when they put him over and
smashed his window. As you can see here, the man was let go a short time later, agents said the man had refused to comply with lawful commands from
officers.
Well, many businesses have closed their doors because they say they don't want to put their customers at risk. CNN's Dianne Gallagher is in Charlotte
where the Department of Homeland Security said they have made 130 arrests so far. That's nearly 50 more than what was reported at the time of
Dianne's report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm actually on Central Avenue. This is an area that is usually very vibrant and busy. It is full
of businesses that are owned by and cater to immigrants. And since Saturday, when that U.S. Customs and Border Protection operation dubbed
Charlotte's Web began, it has been a ghost town.
I have never seen it like this in East Charlotte. We're in front of Manolo's Colombian bakery. It's a popular bakery here in Charlotte. They
have been closed since Saturday when the owner, who was a naturalized U.S. citizen, who now carries his passport everywhere with him, he tells me.
Showed me security video of two men in green uniforms chasing people through his parking lot. He said at that point he decided that he should
shut down for the safety of his customers, even though people from the community came out and sort of guarded his bakery. He said it was not worth
the risk to customers, so he shut down his bakery for the first time in more than a quarter century.
MANOLO BETANCUR, OWNER OF MANOLO'S BAKERY: I don't know when I'm going to open back, but I need to protect my customers. I need to protect my people.
I need to protect myself and my family. I don't even know who are approaching me and who is going to throw me to the floor.
GALLAGHER: Now, hundreds of people showed up in uptown Charlotte on Saturday afternoon to protest the operation. DHS said that in just five
hours on that first day, they arrested more than 80 people. Now videos of people being detained in front yards at Home Depot and Lowe's and parking
lots of restaurants quickly went viral around the city.
This one here where federal agents smashed a car window in and then detained a man who had a real ID and says he's been a U.S. citizen since
2019. He told CNN that he pleaded with the federal agents to check his ID. Said they eventually did, and then dropped him off, letting him go.
Now in a statement, a Customs and Border Patrol agent said that officers had quote, approached an individual who acted increasingly erratic. The
individual escalated the situation and refused to comply to lawful commands by officers. One of the big concerns today is that this operation started
over the weekend, and this is the first day that school is back in session.
The school district here in Charlotte, Mecklenburg, they said that they are still going to have school as scheduled. And at this point, there's been no
notification there is any sort of immigration enforcement on their properties.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Our thanks to CNN's Dianne Gallagher for that report. Well, still to come. Get your football kits ready, we'll be taking a look at the highs
and lows of the World Cup qualifiers with CNN Sport, after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:50:00]
KINKADE: We are closer to knowing who will be playing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament. The qualifying matches have seen some surprises and
some heartache for fans, with men's teams across the globe battling it out on the pitch for their place in next year's football tournament.
The first round wraps up this week. Some teams will be headed to the playoffs in a couple of months to earn their spot. Let's get the latest
from CNN's Don Riddell. So, 206 national teams vying for a spot. There are only 48 World Cup spots, three already taken by the hosts. How are things
looking
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: We're getting there. As you say, the draw is coming up in just a couple of weeks, and it really was another exciting
weekend of action. Let's start in Europe, where Norway have clinched their first tickets to the tournament in what will be some 28 years.
And they did so at the expense of one of the competition's great teams, the four-time champions Italy. It's been a rough time for the Azzurri, the 2020
European champions, but they've missed out on the last two World Cups. Could soon miss out on three in a row.
Francesco Pio Esposito, at least gave everybody something to smile about was the opening goal here. But Italy had to win this game, and they had to
win it by a really wide margin to have any hope of automatic qualification. Frankly, that was always unlikely, and in the end, they were well beaten.
Of course, it was Erling Haaland who put them out of their misery. Haaland has scored half of his team's goals in qualifying, more than some other
teams have done in this campaign. The quick-fire brace late in the second half means he's now got 16 in qualifying. Norway, top of group I.
They're back on the world stage for the first time since 1998. Italy will have to try again via the playoffs in the spring. Meanwhile, there was an
incredible hat trick and some incredible drama as Ireland came from behind to beat Hungary, snatching second place in their group and clinching a spot
in the playoffs.
It was Troy Parrott's goals midweek that saw off the Portuguese on this occasion, he equalized in the 80th minute to tie the game up at two all.
Hungary would have been happy with a draw and a point that would have sent them to the playoffs. Instead, Parrott broke their hearts with a
sensational 96th minute winner, virtually the last kick of the game.
That was his fifth goal in two games Ireland now heading to the playoffs in March.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TROY PARROTT, IRELAND FORWARD: This is why we love football, because things like this can happen. Look Tony. I love where I'm from. So, this means the
world to me. My family is here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I saw you go over to them. It's a beautiful moment.
PARROTT: Yeah, It's the first time I've cried in years as well. I just I really, really can't believe it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIDDELL: Just an amazing sports moment, Lynda and the Irish living to fight another day.
KINKADE: Yeah, I love that scene. But sadly, for Nigeria, it looks like the Super Eagles won't be there at next year's tournament.
RIDDELL: Definitely not. They are going to be missing out on a Third World Cup since 2006 after a playoff defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo
and their coach Eric Chelle accused Congo of voodoo during the decisive penalty shootout, having brought in their goalkeeper, Timothy Fayulu at the
11th hour.
This was the final of the mini tournament for the best runners up of the African qualifying groups. Good start for Nigeria, looking to make amends
for missing out on the last World Cup in Qatar. One up after just three minutes, thanks to Frank Onyeka, but it was all square one all after 32
minutes, Meschak Elia equalizing for Congo.
[11:55:00]
That's how it stayed through 90 minutes and into the final seconds of extra time, penalties looming, Congo brought on their substitute goalie, Fayulu
with just a minute left on.
For Congo, that's how it stayed through 90 minutes and into the final seconds of extra time. Penalties looming, Congo brought on their substitute
goalie, Fayulu with just a minute left on the clock.
He then made two saves in the shootout, and then up stepped Congo's captain, Chancel Mbemba to convert the decisive spot kick, ending Nigeria's
chances of qualification. It puts Congo into March's inter-Confederation playoffs for the final two spots at the 2026 World Cup.
And Lynda, if you're going to ask me, what kind of voodoo they were performing, it's not clear. The Nigeria coach didn't exactly elaborate. He
just said there was some kind of voodoo going on. So that's all we have.
KINKADE: Fair enough.
RIDDELL: All right.
KINKADE: More investigation needed.
RIDDELL: Yeah.
KINKADE: Don Riddell, thanks so much. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Do stay with CNN. I'm going to have much more news and much more "One World" in just a
moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
