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Quest Means Business
Trump Named Person of the Year, Rings NYSE Opening Bell; Canadian Premiers Urge Tough Stance on Trump Tariff Threat; Unexplained Drone Sightings Raise Alarm in New Jersey; Syrians Hunting for Lost Family Members at Morgues; Man Believed to be Missing U.S. Citizen Found in Syria; Support for Suspect Luigi Mangione Exploding Online; European Central Bank Cuts Interest Rates; North Carolina Christmas Tree Farms Suffer Post Hurricane Helene. Aired 4-5p ET
Aired December 12, 2024 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[16:00:11]
ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: There's that closing bell and a retreat across major markets today. The Dow down about 200 points. Those are the markets. These
are the main events. Donald Trump visiting the New York Stock Exchange. Major CEOs joined the president-elect as he rang the opening bell.
Syria's rebel leader tells Reuters he will close the country's notorious prisons.
And the mysterious drones flying over one part of the United States.
Live from New York, it is Thursday, December 12th. I'm Erica Hill, in for Richard Quest. This is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.
It is good to have you with us. US President-elect Donald Trump leaning into his pro-business message, appearing this morning at the New York Stock
Exchange.
(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)
HILL: Trump ringing the opening bell to start the trading day and as you can see there behind him, part of the unveiling of "Time" Magazine's person
of the year, which of course, this year, is the president-elect. Trump using the occasion as well to hit on some familiar economic talking points.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: We are going to give tremendous incentive like no other country has. We are cutting your taxes.
We're going to cut them very substantially.
We are incentivizing everybody to come back to the United States. We want you back here. Car manufacturers, everybody.
And we have one product that nobody has really to the extent that we do. It is called oil and gas.
Prices are going to start coming down because people can't afford their groceries, and they're going to be affording their groceries very soon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Trump was joined by CEOs including Goldman Sachs' David Solomon and Citigroup's, Jane Fraser. Big companies have been trying to get on Trump's
good side before he assumes office in January. The latest of those companies, Meta, confirming that it donated a million dollars to Trump's
Inaugural Fund.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg met with the president-elect two weeks ago at Mar-a- Lago and if you think it feels like a major reversal, you're right. Remember, Meta, of course, banned Trump from its platforms after the
January 6th Capitol riot.
CNN media analyst Sara Fischer is with me. It is a large shift for Mark Zuckerberg, for Meta, but one that we have seen coming certainly in the
last several weeks.
What more do you expect to see from Mark Zuckerberg on this front?
SARA FISCHER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA ANALYST: It is a great question. One thing I do want to note, though, is that Meta has donated to Republican and
Democratic campaigns and causes in the past, so it is not like this is them suddenly, for the first time, throwing money at a Republican, but it is
notable that they are donating a million dollars to the inauguration. The message that it sends is that we support you as you head into this
administration.
You noted that Meta had Mark Zuckerberg, its CEO, had met with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago a few weeks ago. That message, we have been told, is all
about how can I support Donald Trump in investing in the American economy? I think, Erica, that is something that a lot of big tech CEOs, corporate
CEOs are trying to get on board with, especially when you think about how Donald Trump has discussed his trade war with China. They want to be the
ones who are helping to support the American economy, bringing jobs back here.
So for them, I think they think that there is a lot of added value for their businesses no in supporting Donald Trump.
HILL: And supporting him very publicly, as we know, because that does play into the president-elect's ego. He very much enjoys that.
FISCHER: That's right. And you know, what's fascinating is that some of these entities, it is not really just tech, also think about the media,
they are really doing this reversal because the election showed overwhelmingly that the population agrees with a lot of Donald Trump's
point of view.
And if you are a big tech company that has to have a wide spread of users, if you're a media company that wants to grow your audience, I think this
election was a wake-up call that you can't isolate half of the country just because of the way that you thought things should have gotten done, and I
think that will definitely change the policies that we see coming out of these tech companies, Erica.
You mentioned that meta had blocked Donald Trump before bringing him back. You know, many -- most internet platforms had banned him or blocked him
after the January 6th siege, so this is a very, very big reversal in just a few years. And I don't think that they are going to be doing as punitive of
policy enforcement in the second era of the Trump administration, if he were to tweet something off the rails or something like that, I don't think
you're going to see Donald Trump get banned again.
HILL: There is also an interesting play from -- you mentioned more traditional media companies, news organizations, for example. There does
seem to be this conversation, I am sure. I know that you hear it, but we certainly hear it as well and especially when we are talking with other
folks in the industry about Donald Trump's taste for revenge and promises of revenge and what it could mean during a second Trump administration if
President Trump 2.0 does not like the coverage or the facts, that's a concern.
FISCHER: It is a concern, and its especially a concern, Erica, if you are an entity that owns a media property and then some other business, because
the concern is that Donald Trump will leverage your weaknesses on the non- media side in order to bully you into doing positive coverage with your media company.
[16:05:09]
That is a really serious risk.
I also should note that if you think about some of the people that he has brought into his administration, think about Kash Patel for the FBI. These
are people who have said that they will go after the media just as hard as they will go after, you know, Deep State government people who spill
secrets, and so the environment coming into the Trump administration, for the media community is definitely one of a little bit of fear of
retribution.
And so I think a lot of entities are trying to get ahead of it. The one challenge, though, Erica, in trying to get ahead of it, if it doesn't seem
authentic to your audience, it is backfiring.
You know, Jeff Bezos yanking the editorial endorsement of Kamala Harris, even though he says that the timing was not meant to be so close to the
election, you know, resulted in hundreds of thousands of people canceling their subscription. "Morning Joe," the flagship news program in the morning
on MSNBC, saw its audiences flee after they admitted the two anchors publicly that they went and visited Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
So it is a fine dance that you have to do if you want to make sure that you're catering to this new reality, but also not abandoning your core
viewership, which for many outlets that might not be pro-Trump.
HILL: Yes, it is such a great point, Sarah. Always good to talk to you. Thank you.
FISCHER: Thank you.
HILL: Well, some Canadian premiers want Ottawa to hit back hard if Donald Trump enacts the new tariffs that he has floated. The US president-elect of
course, threatening a 25 percent tariff on Canadian imports. The country's premiers discussed that threat on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau. Some of them said Canada's minerals and metals could be used as leverage in trade talks.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Canada could also withhold electricity.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOUG FORD, PREMIER, ONTARIO, CANADA: We will go to the extent of cutting off their energy going down to Michigan, going down to New York State and
over to Wisconsin.
But we will use every tool in our toolbox, including cutting them off energy that we are sending down there. Folks, this is coming. It is not if
it is, it is coming and its coming January 20th or 21st and we need to be prepared.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Paula Newton joins us now from Ottawa.
Some pretty strong words there saying "it's coming" from Doug Ford. Realistically would that be coming, Paula?
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST AND CORRESPONDENT: Realistically, very difficult to implement, but this gives you an indication how difficult the
situation is right now and how seriously they are taking the threats from the president-elect even though again, 25 percent tariffs across the board
would be again, very difficult to implement and key here would hurt American consumers.
So what are the things they are looking at. In Canada, besides what the premier just said to the prime minister, they're looking at a list of
retaliation. And some of that may include critical minerals, energy, fertilizer, things that perhaps the last time around weren't on the list
may be this time around. And that also highlights the change in the economy, right?
I mean, look, with all of this AI and the supercomputing, there is a higher demand for electricity. And Erica, you know as well as anyone, the grid is
completely integrated, right? There is no border at certain times when it comes to energy between Canada and the United States.
What were the president-elect's demands? Right. He wanted that enforcement on the border. He said he wanted the fentanyl across the border to stop,
given what's going on in the southern border, the amounts -- on the Canadian border, on the northern side are minuscule, sill, Canada is
saying, look, we are prepared to put 700 million additional US dollars on that border. It is something we would like, too. So they're at the table
negotiating.
But I think this is what is really getting under a lot of people's collar. I mean, look, the president himself, the president-elect posting after he
had a dinner at Mar-a-Lago with Trudeau, which he thought would actually kind of quell some of the concern, it didn't work.
He posts: "It was a pleasure to have dinner the other night with Governor (governor) Justin Trudeau at the great state of Canada. I look forward to
seeing the governor again soon, so that we may continue our in-depth talks on tariffs and trade."
I mean, look, Erica, some people say that this is trolling, that it is just a joke. But what it does do is stiffen the spines of Canadians and it means
that, you know, for better or for worse, it means that these politicians can actually talk tougher and perhaps put in tougher retaliatory tariffs if
they need to, given how the president-elect is now, for lack of a better term, trolling the prime minister.
Also, Erica, look out. This is how allies are being treated, right? So these are the friends.
HILL: It's an excellent point. We saw the almost immediate pushback from the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum when this came out. It was a
little bit soft response until we saw this week. So I am so glad you brought up that post on social media about Justin Trudeau, because I was
curious, I have to say, Paula, about just how much that may have fueled some of the stronger language that we are hearing at this point now.
NEWTON: Absolutely. No doubt that it did. And again, think about how you can sell this to Canadians, because at the end of the day, if you put in
those retaliatory tariffs, it is going to hurt Canadians, again. But if you have a president-elect trolling this way, it certainly gives the
politicians that political cover that they need.
[16:10:06]
I mean, look, the president this morning, president-elect, I should say this morning when he was at the Stock Exchange, kind of, you know, again,
tried to soft pedal it and saying, look, we will see. We will see what happens.
But you heard from Doug Ford there at the top, they are ready. All governments across Canada are ready. They are going to put their proposals
on the table next week. I spoke to a border intelligence official a few days ago. They're going to put the proposals on the table next week. The
president-elect and his staff will see them. If it is not enough, those tariffs will come into play, as the premier said, likely January 20th or
21st.
HILL: We will be watching for it all. Paula, good to see you. Thank you.
Let's take you back now to the New York Stock Exchange.
Peter Tuchman has been called the most photographed trader on wall street. The Einstein of Wall Street, of course, Peter joins me now.
Peter, good to see you.
When we look at where things stand, we saw the Dow down a little bit for the day. A lot of excitement though this morning with the president-elect
there ringing the bell for the very first time in connection with "Times" Person of the Year.
Just bring me inside the room. What was the mood on the floor? There was a lot of CEO support.
PETER TUCHMAN, STOCK TRADER: You know what? First of all, you know, the floor is a very Republican place and it has been for many, many years. So I
would probably say 85 or 90 percent plus percent of the people on the floor, whether they are brokers or clerks or whatever voted for Mr. Trump,
and so there was huge support, and you could feel that. It was palpable. Right?
And there was a lot of security. There was a lot of Secret Service, as well as a lot of corporate support, as you said. You know, there were a number
of heads, the CEOs of almost all the brokerage firms were here, Goldman Sachs and whatnot. Bill Ackman was here.
So a number of higher level hedge fund representation was also here. And so there was a lot of wonderful discussion between CNBC, which tends to be a
little bit more of a liberal station, but you know, Bob Pisani had a nice conversation, Jim Cramer had a wonderful time with Mr. Trump underneath the
bell, underneath the podium.
And you saw a lot of nice conversation with Lynn Martin who went on to go on CNBC and discussed the conversation that was had with Mr. Trump from the
boardroom.
I was not in the boardroom, I was on the floor through the whole time. The boardroom was strictly exclusive, basically, all of that corporate high
stuff.
HILL: The corporate high stuff.
You know, I am not sure how much of the conversation you could hear though I just had with my colleague, Paula Newton out of Ottawa, but this talk
about now, we are hearing a little bit more pushback from folks in Canada right after the threat of tariffs from the president-elect. How much of
that is a discussion on Wall Street at this point about what if, and again, it is a big if, because we don't know if these tariffs will be implemented,
but what that could look like and how much of an impact those tariffs could have.
TUCHMAN: Well, that is the biggest question that we've had. That was a question that we were seeing leading up to the election that peoples fear.
I have -- I do a podcast with Dan Ives, number one tech analyst in my opinion in the world, and he is very much in the pulse of what is going on
in tech and in AI and globally as well.
And I asked him that question, I said, what are the fears? You know when we were weighing out whether Kamala Harris would be president and/or Mr. Trump
and the fear about Mr. Trump obviously was all about the tariff question and how that would impact AI and how that it would impact the whole tech
sector in general.
And then once Mr. Trump brought Elon Musk into the inner circle that they felt that they had carved out a little bit of protection because they
didn't feel -- they felt that Elon was going to protect the tech sector from Mr. Trump going on the all-out defensive -- offensive, excuse me
around tariffs, whether it will affect an individual country or an individual sector on the stock market.
So once they brought Elon into the fold, they felt they had carved out some kind of a cushion and that we would not be fearful of Mr. Trump being
president and having that effect on the tech sector.
Look, we know that about Mr. Trump. He is a wild card. Right? And I am hoping that he is not going to -- look, the past administration has left us
with one of the most amazing four years of a stock market coming out of COVID. Surely the last -- this year itself, up 27 percent in the S&P,
literally just a day ago, hitting record highs, we broke through 20,000 on NASDAQ.
We were at record highs in the Russell and the S&P and the Dow. So the market couldn't be any better. It couldn't have been a better year.
So I am hopeful that Mr. Trump is going to surround himself by people who are bright enough to know that look, that whether he wants to raise tariffs
or not, we do not want to interrupt the incredible market that we've had over the last number of years, you know, and find a softer way to handle
his aggressiveness around the tariff question.
Peter Tuchman, really great to have you here tonight. Thank you.
TUCHMAN: Pleasure.
[16:15:09]
HILL: Well, the White House is now downplaying drone sightings on the East Coast, drones that one mayor says are clearly surveilling critical
infrastructure. We are live in New Jersey, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: The White House is downplaying concerns about unidentified flying drones over the state of New Jersey. They've been spotted over sensitive
areas, including Army bases and Donald Trump's golf course.
One official says law enforcement hasn't identified the origin nor the landing sites of those drones. Here is what the White House National
Security communications adviser had to say about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADM. JOHN KIRBY (RET), COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS AT THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: We have no evidence at this time that the
reported drone sightings pose a National Security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Omar Jimenez joins us from Denville, New Jersey.
Those claims, though, have certainly not stopped. The questions that are coming not just from residents, but also from local officials and from
lawmakers -- Omar.
OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, I think with the lack of confirmation as to what this is leaves people wondering, okay, what is
this? And people have been apparently seeing a lot of drones, especially in this northern New Jersey area.
We've been going around talking to people over the course of today, and really, it was hard to find someone who either had not seen one personally
or knew someone that had seen one, but of course, all of them have that same question, even though they're not too concerned about potential safety
risks or anything like that, they do want to know who might be flying these drones and where are they coming from.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LISA ROSSETTO, WITNESSED DRONE: What are they? Who is sending them up there? What are they doing there? Why doesn't anybody know what they are,
you know? And why New Jersey?
JANET MOSNER, WITNESSED DRONE: They actually flew in a circle around our building, both of them and then across and then disappeared.
JIMENEZ (voice over): The FBI is now investigating weeks of reported drones over New Jersey, that's according to a document given to state and local
officials, as a growing number of people report seeing drones, some described as six feet in diameter, flying in the skies.
NICK TECCHIO, WITNESSED DRONE: You see like red and green, like flashing lights on the like the corners. They'll just change direction, like go from
like 90 to like 270 degrees, just like fly in different directions and planes obviously can't do that.
JIMENEZ (voice over): There have been questions about when these drones first started popping up. Reports seem to vary, but the Picatinny Arsenal,
which is a military installation in Northern New Jersey, has confirmed sightings in the area going back to November 13th, and public officials are
starting to get frustrated.
[16:20:09]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're creating so much fear and uneasiness in the public.
MAYOR MICHAEL MELHAM, BELLEVILLE TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY: They appear to actually avoid detection by traditional methods. So when our helicopter,
our State Police helicopter has gotten close, the lights go off and they go away.
JIMENEZ (voice over): So far, authorities have stressed there is no known threat to the public. That's not enough for some.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's really concerning and quite frankly, it is not acceptable.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JIMENEZ (on camera): And that lawmaker went on to say that if this was someone who was just a hobbyist or anything like that, given all the media
coverage, he believes that person would have come forward a long time ago.
Now, we do know, according to a source familiar with the briefing given to some members of Congress, that the US Intelligence community and federal
law enforcement do not believe this is a foreign government that is acting or a foreign state actor at this point, but of course, they haven't
confirmed what this is so far, and that leaves a gap that has manifested in the form of skepticism in a lot of the people here.
HILL: It is certainly skepticism. Look, there is also a lot of conspiracy theories online. It is impossible to ignore that as well.
And there are a lot of questions about why police can't just shoot these drones down. Is that an option for them?
JIMENEZ: Yes, a lot of people have been asking that, and for starters, no, they can't and no regular residents can. State or local officials can't
shoot down these drones. It is against federal law.
Now, some federal law authorities and military personnel, they have a little bit more leeway in very specific circumstances, but trying to pull
these out of the air just becomes a lot more complicated than one would think. And so the next best option, at least what folks have tried to do on
the state law enforcement side is try to track where these are coming from.
But even with the maneuverability of some of these drones versus a helicopter or from the ground, it has proven to be a little bit more
difficult. And look, drones were spotted here as early as mid-November, and here we are in mid-December and they still don't have those answers.
So whether that's for lack of paying much significance to this or just difficulty in trying to nail this down, that amount of time, a lot of doubt
can sow in, and I think we are seeing that here.
HILL: Yes, absolutely. Omar, appreciate it. Good to have you there on the ground. Thank you.
US National Security adviser, Jake Sullivan is cautiously optimistic about the possibility of a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza. Earlier, he met
with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and top officials in Jerusalem to discuss securing a potential deal.
This comes as a diplomatic source tells CNN Hamas and Israel are "talking seriously."
Jeremy Diamond has more from Tel Aviv.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, with just over a month left in President Biden's term in office, his national security adviser, Jake
Sullivan, sitting down with the Israeli prime minister to see if a hostage and ceasefire deal can be reached before Biden leaves office and Sullivan
struck a tone of cautious optimism, saying that he believes that there is optimism in the air, that there is cause to believe that a deal can indeed
be reached, and that he believes the Israeli prime minister is indeed ready to reach a deal.
He gave a number of reasons for why things have changed, for why there is more optimism in the air. He said that following the ceasefire between
Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, that Hamas seems to have changed its negotiating posture somewhat, recognizing that it was no longer receiving
the support of Hezbollah and that perhaps, other actors that it had hoped would come into play in its defense ultimately will not.
At the same time, he also indicated that there were changes on the Israeli side as well, noting that Israel has killed Hamas' leader, Yahya Sinwar,
and that some of its other military successes in Gaza may have made Israel more willing to reach for an agreement.
Now, at the same time, Sullivan did caution that the United States has said that a deal was close, that a deal was at hand before, and ultimately, it
didn't happen. So here was that more cautious side that he voiced.
JAKE SULLIVAN, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: We have been in a place before where American officials have stood before podiums and said,
we are close and we were close, but we didn't get there.
I believe we are close again. Will we get there? It is not yet clear whether we will or we won't, but we are determined to try to drive this
across the finish line.
DIAMOND: And I asked Jake Sullivan what new concessions Israel and Hamas have made at the negotiating table so far. He refused to confirm or comment
on any specifics about the negotiations, making clear that they are trying to keep this close to the vest at this critical juncture.
But at this critical juncture, he is now headed to Doha, Qatar and to Cairo, Egypt, where, of course, the two key mediators in these negotiations
are based. As he said it, to try and, "put us in a position to close this deal this month."
And so that is ultimately the aim here of the US administration to get to a deal, potentially as soon as in the coming weeks. And, of course, to get
the Americans who have been held hostage in Gaza out as well.
[16:25:06]
He actually confirmed tonight that of the seven Americans who are in Gaza, we know that four of those have already been confirmed dead. The three
other American hostages, Sullivan said, are indeed believed to be alive. Some hope, perhaps now for their families that they can get out as part of
this deal, if indeed it can be reached.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: A missing American found wandering the streets of Damascus months after he disappeared. Those details next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: Hello, there. I'm Erica Hill. There is more QUEST MEANS BUSINESS in a moment.
The European Central Bank cutting rates as its president warns about the potential impact of tariffs, and Christmas tree farmers warning of more
shortages after devastating storms.
But first, the headlines this hour: Brazil's President Lula undergoing a follow up procedure Thursday linked to a head injury. This, of course,
follows emergency surgery on Monday to drain bleeding on Lula's brain. Doctors in Sao Paulo said the 79-year-old was awake and speaking after
Thursday's procedure. He remains in the intensive care.
President Biden commuting the sentences of 1,500 Americans today, in addition to 39 pardons for people convicted of nonviolent crimes. The White
House says it was the biggest single day of clemency in modern history.
Protesters clashing with police near the home of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, many calling for his resignation and arrest. The president,
of course, still refusing to step down over his attempt to impose martial law. Lawmakers are expected to hold a new vote on impeachment this week.
In Syria, thousands have been released from prisons this week, but many families are still desperately waiting for news of their loved ones.
CNN's Clarissa Ward traveled to a morgue in Damascus, where families have been gathering now to look for answers. I do want to warn you, some of this
report is disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A woman wails on the floor of the Mujtahid Hospital.
My mother, she's been missing for 14 years, she says. Where is she? Where's my brother? Where's my husband? Where are they?
Doctor Ahmed Abdullah shows us into the morgue where about 35 bodies have been brought in. Discovered in a military hospital days after the regime
fell, they are believed to be some of the last victims of Bashar al-Assad.
Take a look, this is the crime of the regime, he says. Even in the Middle Ages, they didn't torture people like this.
Another man points to their tattered clothing, evidence he says that most were detainees at the much feared Saydnaya prison. Even in death, they are
still only identified by numbers.
Everyone here heard about the horrors that took place in Assad's notorious prisons. But to see it up close is something entirely different.
A lot of them have bruises, have horrible wounds that seem to be consistent with torture. I just saw one woman retching as she came out of the other
room. Families are now going through trying to see if their loved ones are here.
(Voice-over): There's not enough room for all of them in the morgue so a makeshift area has been set up outside. More and more families stream in.
The light from their cell phones the only way of identifying the dead.
My only son, I don't have another, they took him for 12 years now just because he said no. 12 years, my only son, this woman shouts. I don't know
anything about him. I ask Allah to burn him, she says, of Assad. Burn him and his sons like he burned my heart.
A crowd swarms when they see our camera. Everyone here has lost someone.
All of these people are asking us to take the names of their loved ones to help them try to find them.
(Voice-over): It is a mark of desperation. Such is the need for answers. But finding those answers will not be easy. At the military intelligence
facility known as the Palestine Branch, officers burned documents and destroyed hard drives before fleeing. But their terror was on an industrial
scale. Troves and troves of prisoner files remain. It will take investigators years to go through them. Below ground more clues etched on
the walls of cells that look more like dungeons.
So you can see this list of names of it looks like 93 prisoners here. There's also a schedule for keeping the cell tidy and just graffiti
everywhere. People trying to leave marks for someone to find.
(Voice-over): Down here insects are the only life form that thrives. It's clear that anyone who could survive this will never be the same again.
The cells are empty, but the doors are finally open and the quest for answers is just beginning.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: And our thanks again to Clarissa Ward for that reporting.
Now, the U.S. says it is working to bring back an American man found in Syria. That man, who is believed to be Travis Timmerman, says he was
detained for months in a Syrian jail after crossing into the country without permission.
CNN's Salma Abdelaziz is tracking this story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A U.S. citizen that went missing in Hungary has turned up in Damascus. Travis Timmerman, a Missouri native, 29
years old, a U.S. citizen, was found disoriented, barefoot and wandering south of Damascus in a field. He has spoken to media. He has spoken to
residents in the area.
I want you to take a listen to this interview with NBC to get a sense of his state of being.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRAVIS TIMMERMAN, MISSING AMERICAN: After that, I entered into the Syrian border illegally.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: OK.
TIMMERMAN: I crossed the mountains between Lebanon and Syria, and I was living in that mountain for three days and three nights. And I was seen by
a border guard whilst I did that. And then that's when I was arrested. I was sent to a Syrian prison called Philistine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABDELAZIZ: Now, as you heard there, Timmerman does admit that he illegally crossed into Syria from Lebanon under the very tight control of President
Bashar al-Assad's regime.
[16:35:00]
Anyone crossing into Syria would absolutely be stopped by security forces. That's what took place a few days after he arrived in Syria. Timmerman was
then taken to a regime prison. He was held there for seven months. He says he was treated relatively well, given food, given water, given bathroom
breaks. But he says he heard the sound of people being tortured in that prison every single day.
Now, when rebels liberated Damascus, he among others was able to break out of prison. The U.S. says it is aware of his case and is providing support
on the ground. An extraordinary tale and a welcome end for his family.
Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: This just into us here at CNN. Authorities have executed as many as three search warrants we're learning in New York as part of the
investigation into the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. That is according to our sources.
Now, separately, sources are telling ABC News that prosecutors from the Manhattan DA's office have also begun presenting evidence to a grand jury
in the case against Luigi Mangione. Evidence is mounting against the suspect. His attorney says, though, he still needs to see that evidence and
have his own experts review it.
However, a group of vocal group of supporters is coming to the suspect's defense, especially on social media.
Here's CNN's Randi Kaye with that part of the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He's accused of cold-blooded murder on a New York City street yet support for Luigi
Mangione is exploding online.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If we let O.J. off the hook, why can't we let Luigi off the hook?
KAYE: On TikTok, the hashtag "Free Luigi" is inspiring videos like these.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We need to go ahead and get down to business and figure out how we're going to help my boy, Luigi. We need to put some money
on the man's books, make sure he can have honey buns for days, OK, while he's in there.
KAYE: This TikToker echoed frustrations, writing, "People are tired of being treated like a number."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People get into these jobs and positions and forget that these numbers that they're interacting with affects actual people's lives.
KAYE: Others offering themselves up as alibis.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Listen, Luigi Mangione could not have killed that CEO that morning. I know, because he was on a Zoom call with me organizing a
fundraiser for kids and canines with cancer. Free Luigi.
KAYE: The propping up of Mangione is so outsized one TikToker even suggested "TIME" magazine should make him their "Person of the Year."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Free my boy. He didn't even do it.
KAYE: Mangione has inspired merchandise, too. Online retailers are selling "Free Luigi" Christmas ornaments, sweatshirts and coffee mugs, one
emblazoned with the words "I'm in love with a criminal."
Mangione's lawyer told CNN that people have been reaching out to his office offering to pay Mangione legal bills. He's not sure he'd accept the money.
THOMAS DICKEY, ATTORNEY FOR LUIGI MANGIONE: Obviously, my client appreciates the support that he has, but it just doesn't sit right with me.
KAYE: A legal defense fund has also been set up on behalf of Mangione. By Wednesday afternoon, the fund had reached over $30,000. Some of the
anonymous donors included the words "deny, defend, depose" in their message. At least one referred to Mangione as an American hero.
In Altoona, Pennsylvania, where Mangione was arrested at a McDonald's after an employee called police, support for him has given rise to threats in the
community.
CHIEF DEREK SWOPE, ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA POLICE: We have received some threats against our officers and building here. We've started investigating
some threats against some citizens in our community. We're taking all those threats seriously.
KAYE: The McDonald's is being targeted, too. Fake reviewers online writing, "Never eating at this McDonald's again. Imagine going to grab a Big Mac and
witnessing officer Snitchy McSnitch, employee of the month, calling the feds on a hero," referring to Mangione. Another fake review reads, "Why go
here when Taco Bell is just across the way and knows how to keep their mouths shut?"
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yo, good morning to everyone other than the person that snitched to my dog Luigi. Like you -- what, didn't your mother teach you
snitches get stitches?
KAYE: Back in New York City, so-called wanted posters have turned up, possibly suggesting some sort of rallying cry. The posters show faces of
executives and CEOs, including Brian Thompson, who Mangione allegedly gunned down. His is marked with a red X. It's unclear who is behind the
posters.
Randi Kaye, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Well, shifting gears here, the European Central Bank says E.U. economic growth appears to be running out of steam. It cut interest rates
by a quarter percentage point on Thursday and left the door open to further cuts next year. ECB president Christine Lagarde said potential U.S. tariffs
are clouding the bank's near-term outlook.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE LAGARDE, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK: Restrictions on trade protectionist measures are not conducive to growth and ultimately have an
impact on inflation that is largely uncertain.
[16:40:02]
In the short term, it's probably net inflationary, probable, but the overall impact on inflation is uncertain.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Anna Stewart joins us now from London.
So in terms of this decision, walk us through a little bit more about the decision today and just how soon people expect these cuts to take the rates
below neutral.
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erica, this was rate cut number four for the ECB. And as any ECB or general central bank nerd worth their salt
knows, it's not just about the rate decision, but all the language that comes along with it. And I think really interesting in this meeting because
they've actually dropped a line that has been in every single rate decision for months and months, years, I think, where they've said they're going to
keep interest rates sufficiently restrictive for as long as needed.
That is now gone, which certainly suggests that not only are we likely to see more rate cuts ahead, but perhaps that rate might not always be
restrictive. It may go below the so-called neutral rate. And actually that's what markets are pricing in. ING is one bank. They think the rate
will drop to under 2 percent by next summer.
And why, why are we seeing so many rate cuts sort of forecast perhaps ahead? Well, this is largely due to the very anemic growth we're seeing in
the Eurozone, barely growing at all, not helped by political turmoil both in France and in Germany, the two biggest members of the Eurozone. And of
course, there's also this potential very dark cloud on the horizon, which Christine Lagarde, the ECB president, did mention, which is the new U.S.
president incoming with potential, of course, for a trade war.
HILL: Yes. And so that, that potential for tariffs, the potential trade war that could follow, that certainly is impacting the decisions, but also how
they're being received.
STEWART: Absolutely. And it's something the ECB and Europe more broadly, the leaders of European countries, need to be thinking about very carefully
what are they going to do. And it was very interesting that the ECB president today addressed it and essentially said she's spoken a lot
already about the potential for tariffs and how they would be inflationary and how it could impact the Eurozone.
But also very recently, she did a long interview with the "Financial Times" in which she essentially said the strategy for Europe needs to be to avoid
a trade war. And if it comes to it, she actually mentioned a checkbook strategy, i.e. throw some money at it, buy more American products, be it
LNG, be it agricultural products.
What Europe really can't afford right now is a trade war with its biggest partner, which is the U.S., while its economy is so anemic. Inflation of
course may drop well below 2 percent and it's already struggling. So an interesting strategy therefore.
HILL: Yes, it certainly is, Anna. Appreciate it. Thank you.
Well, the Christmas season is in full swing. For some tree farmers, though, in the state of North Carolina, their future is now in jeopardy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:45:54]
HILL: All this week on "Call to Earth," we're following the work of explorers Ghislain and Emmanuelle Perie-Bardout. So today we join them in
Greece, where as part of the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, they're searching for an elusive coral forest deep in the Mediterranean Sea.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Greece's Fourni archipelago, husband and wife team Ghislain Bardout and Emmanuelle Perie-
Bardout are on the hunt for an underwater oasis never before documented, and a tip off on a potential location from some local fishermen has doubled
their resolve. And as they approach the site, a welcome party is already there to greet them.
EMMANUELLE PERIE-BARDOUT, CO-FOUNDER, UNDER THE POLE: I've been fascinated by dolphins and whales since I'm a very small girl, so it was really a nice
show. They are named as common dolphin. But they are not so common these days. We don't see them all the time. It showed how wild and special this
place is.
WEIR: Seeing such a large pod of dolphins is a good indicator of the area's marine health. And after seven dives without success, the Under the Pole
crew are eager to see if they can finally locate the elusive marine animal forest down in the depths.
GHISLAIN BARDOUT, CO-FOUNDER, UNDER THE POLE: We have never been so close to find it. We discussed with the fishermen and they gave us alignment.
They gave us a GPS location. And another fisherman is fishing here around. So definitely it's a fishing spot. And they know from their nets that they
are black corals and Gorgonians, what we are looking for. So it will be a good spot. We'll see. Now we are just waiting for the red parachute.
WEIR: Around 40 minutes later word from the sea bed arrives.
G. BARDOUT: Amazing. Huge Gorgona forest. Many black corals, sponges, unbelievable and beautiful. A lot, a lot of fish. Forest between 178 meters
on a very large range. So that's a very, very good news. Yes. Yes.
E. BARDOUT: The first time we see the forest is like a huge relief. And also a very beautiful surprise, because it's one of the most beautiful
marine animal forest I have ever seen. It's very big. With one dive, you cannot explore all the forest. You have so many fish, so many species. It
really gives hope.
At that depths, we are not used to see so much coral. It was amazing. It's really for this moment that I'm doing this. So I was very happy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: And we will have more from "Call to Earth" and Under the Pole tomorrow. You can watch the full documentary "FOREST OF THE DEEP" on CNN
this weekend.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:52:31]
HILL: We are now officially less than two weeks out from Christmas. The outlook, though, not so merry for many Christmas tree farmers across parts
of the U.S. Heavy storms wreaking havoc on their production.
Elisa Raffa visited North Carolina to take a closer look at the damage.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELISA RAFFA, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Wow.
WAIGHTSTILL AVERY, CHRISTMAS TREE FARMER: Oh, yes, it's a mess. Come right on. We'll walk and look. You can see how high the water was up in this tree
is here. And this is the knotweed we were talking about. It ain't supposed to be here. It's an invasive weed that you can't get rid of. And it all
floated in with the storm.
RAFFA (voice-over): A nearby river sent eight feet of water rushing into this Christmas tree farm as Hurricane Helene ravaged North Carolina. Avery
Farm is the namesake of the county, in the family for more than 200 years, gifted by the English monarchy.
I literally see like pieces of sheds and homes and fences, and a whole trailer.
AVERY: Yes, it floated trucks a half a mile down there. That's how much water. It was crazy.
RAFFA: So you lost 60,000 trees this year?
AVERY: Yes, yes. Everything you see from here to the green grass will have to be dozed. The money being made is half. If you get half, we're going to
be lucky.
JILL BIDEN, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: This beautiful Fraser Fir was grown at the Cartner's Christmas tree farm, nestled in the Blue Ridge
mountains of North Carolina, a region that was recently devastated by Hurricane Helene.
RAFFA (voice-over): North Carolina ranked second in the nation for Christmas tree production there. Their Fraser Fir gifted to the White House
more than any other tree.
Some tough decision-making happening over here?
(Voice-over): But excess water from Helene's heavy rain could still cause problems in the future.
RUSTY BARR, CHRISTMAS TREE FARMER: So we're about to walk over one.
RAFFA: Oh, no.
BARR: So you can kind of, I mean, it's dead but you can kind of sea the ridge structure and everything there with the --
RAFFA: So what happens with the floodwaters? Because this is way too water logged and it's got other stuff in it.
BARR: And it gets stuff, all the pollutants and contaminants that came from the ground. And you know, we won't sell them because we think they might
have root rot.
RAFFA: How many of them?
BARR: It's like 270,000 is pretty much all gone. This is one year, two years, three years. I mean, and this is making the fourth year.
[16:55:06]
AVERY: It's five years to get them here and then to let them grow. And they only grow about a foot a year. We've got a 10-year loss is what this will
end up being. And you don't really make that up. It's a disaster that's coming later. You just -- you accept it. And because there's nothing you
can change, you can't change anything. We'll clean it up. Two years you'll come back. This field will be planted back.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: And again, our thanks to Elisa Raffa reporting from North Carolina.
Just ahead, the final numbers from Wall Street. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: Wall Street finishing the day lower after wholesale inflation came in hotter than expected. The Dow finishing the session down 234 points. That's
due in large part to UnitedHealth Group. Shares in the company have really been on a downward trend since the murder of one of its top executives.
Our stock of the day on this Thursday, Warner Brothers Discovery, which, of course, is CNN's parent company. WBD closing at more than 15 percent higher
today on its new restructuring plan. That plan, linear networks in one division, streaming and studios in another.
That is going to do it for QUEST MEANS BUSINESS on this Thursday. I'm Erica Hill, thanks for spending some time with me. "THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER"
starts right now.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to THE LEAD. I'm Jake Tapper.
This hour, quote, "We are literally being invaded by drones," unquote. Those comments from one New Jersey mayor as weeks of mysterious drone
sightings across the Garden State are prompting new security concerns. Where did these drones come from? Who's controlling them? And why are they
spending time over U.S. Military sites? Not to mention Trump's New Jersey golf course.
END
