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Russia and Syria Back on Attack; Trump Uses Twitter to Push Back; Minister on Bribery; Transition Turmoil in Trump Administration; Professor Makes Prediction on Trump's Future; Fake Internet News; World Reacts. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired November 16, 2016 - 03:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:00:00] ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: Pounded. Russia and the Syrian government are back on the attack as warplanes continue to strike eastern Aleppo.

Pushing back. Donald Trump uses Twitter to reject reports his transition is a mess.

And the prediction professor. He's been calling U.S. presidential elections for decades and now he is making another prediction about Donald Trump's future.

Hello and welcome, everyone. I'm Zain Asher. And you are watching CNN NEWSROOM.

All right. We begin with this hour with heavy air strikes pounding rebel-held eastern Aleppo again for the first time in about two and a half weeks.

The Syrian government has renewed its assault to retake the city. Activists say a barrel bomb killed at least one woman and wounded five people. Residents actually received text messages on Sunday warning them to leave before the bombing began. They were warned to leave or die.

Meanwhile, Russia says its only aircraft carrier has begun targeting terrorists in Idlib and Homs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SERGEI SHOYGU, RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTER (TRANSLATED): Based on that research, we have defined the main targets. They are ammunition warehouses, places of concentration of illegal armed groups. Or to be precise, terrorist training centers and factories.

I won't call them otherwise because they are not small workshops. But namely, factories producing various kinds of rather serious weapons of mass destruction.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: All right. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh joins me live now from Amman, Jordan. So, Jomana, it just seems as though the bombing and air strikes this time around after that sort of two and a half week pause just seem much more vicious, much more aggressive.

If you are a resident, if you're someone who's living in Aleppo right now, what are you seeing? What are you hearing?

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Zain, according to an Aleppo resident, before these air strikes resumed he said, you know, they would rather have continuous artillery shelling over having air strikes. That is how devastating, as we have seen over recent months, those air strikes have been on eastern Aleppo.

And when you and I spoke yesterday we did say the people in eastern Aleppo had been telling us that they really are fearing these air strikes resuming and it seems this has happened again.

At about midday yesterday bombs were raining down on several neighborhoods of eastern Aleppo. According to activists that we've spoken to, they say that fighter jets were dropping these highly explosive munitions on several neighborhoods.

There were helicopters also bombing these indiscriminate barrel bombs on some of the neighborhoods too and there was also heavy artillery shelling.

According to a monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, they say that at least eight people were killed and several others were injured in this renewed bombardment of eastern Aleppo.

Now, according to Syrian state media, Zain, they say that this is the preliminary operation into eastern Aleppo. They say there will also be a ground push on several fronts to tighten the siege on eastern Aleppo.

One anchor on state TV describing this as the zero hour operation, that is going to be a countrywide operation in coordination with the Russians against the terrorists as they describe it. So, it would seem that this nightmare for the residents of eastern Aleppo has resumed, but it's just the beginning at this point, it would seem, Zain.

ASHER: And Jomana, given there was that sort of two and half-week lull, did that allow residents to actually use the humanitarian corridors to be able to get out in time and stand a chance?

KARADSHEH: No. People have not been able to leave eastern Aleppo as far as we know, as activists are telling us and people are telling us. We've also heard this from the United Nations too. People are pretty much trapped in eastern Aleppo.

And Zain, when you talk to people there, they tell you that they're very weary of these so-called humanitarian corridors, they really don't trust that they're going to be safe when they leave at all. It's part of this mistrust between them and the regime. They don't really think that they will be allowed safe passage.

These are the people who would think of leaving, and there are people who would want to leave eastern Aleppo after being trapped in what has become this giant kill box as it's been described.

And other people, Zain, say they do not want to leave, this is their homeland, this is their home, they have nowhere else to go. But the situation has never been so bad according to activist in eastern Aleppo. And it's not just this military campaign that seems to have started that people are facing this indiscriminate bombardment of their neighborhoods.

There's also that devastating humanitarian situation that is only going to get worse as we've heard the warnings from the U.N. with people running out of almost everything. All sorts of supplies.

[03:05:05] When you're talking about the fuel that they need for -- they would use for cooking, that also now with the harsh winter ahead, that they would use for heating. They are running out of all sorts of food too.

And that's -- again, we're talking about the dried foods, whatever little food they had left and stored in their home. So, a really, really devastating situation for the civilians in eastern Aleppo, and it seems that there's no end in sight at this point for their plight, Zain.

ASHER: All right. Jomana Karadsheh, live for us there. Thank you so much. I appreciate that.

All right. Let's talk about world reaction to U.S. elections. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said he's actually ready to cooperate with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump if he delivers on his promise to fight terrorism in Syria.

Let me read for you the exact quote from Mr. Assad. He says, "We cannot tell anything about what he was going to do but if he is going to fight the terrorists we are of course going to be an ally, natural ally in that regard, with the Russian, with the Iranians and with many other countries who wanted to defeat the terrorists."

In the meantime, Donald Trump is disputing reports of turmoil in his transition team. He says that the process is actually very organized. But sources are telling CNN that Trump's son-in-law, aka Ivanka Trump's husband, Jared Kushner, is at the center of the infighting among the team.

Here's our Jim Acosta with more.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Don't tell Mike Pence Vice-presidents don't have much power. The new chair of Donald Trump's transition team now has a critical mission, to end the infighting over who will snatch up some of the most powerful positions inside the new administration.

Among the front-runners for key cabinet spots, Senator Jeff Sessions for attorney general. Senator Tom Cotton for defense. Trump campaign finance chair Steve Mnuchin and Congressman Jeb Hensarling for treasury, and former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton and Rudy Giuliani for secretary of state. Giuliani is publicly jockeying to become the nation's top diplomat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: John would be a very good choice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is there anybody better?

RUDY GIULIANI, FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: Maybe me. I don't know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: But Giuliani may not be a lock as some transition officials worry about his past business dealings overseas and Bolton could put Trump in an odd position. Bolton was a strong supporter of the Iraq war, which Trump insisted he opposed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: Does everybody believe me? I was against going into Iraq.

SEN. RAND PAUL (R), KENTUCKY: You want to have a diplomat in charge of diplomacy. You don't want a bomb thrower.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Inside the transition team, one source describes a knife fight as high-level adviser former Congressman and CNN contributor Mike Rogers has stepped down. Along with a slew of officials who worked for the team's ousted chairman New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

One former Bush administration official tweeted after his own exchange with the Trump transition team that "applicants should stay away, they're angry, arrogant, screaming you lost. It will be ugly." Sources say Christie may be blocked from the cabinet altogether and Trump surrogate Dr. Ben Carson said he's also out.

(BEGIN VOICE CLIP)

BEN CARSON, FOMER U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I've have lots of offers, but you know, I don't particularly want to work inside the government.

(END VOICE CLIP)

ACOSTA: Another headache, democrats are howling over Trump's selection of Breitbart News executive Steve Bannon as chief strategist, accusing the president-elect of putting a white nationalist in the west wing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELIZABETH WARREN, MASSACHUSETTS SENATOR: I just want to underline something that every one of you know. Bigotry is bad for business.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: After once criticizing Trump for using racist language during the campaign, House Speaker Paul Ryan is defending Bannon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. PAUL RYAN (R-WI), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: This is a person who helped him win an incredible victory, an incredible campaign. The president's going to be judged on the results of this administration.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: But Trump appears to be sensitive to critics who point out he'll become the fifth president to have lost the popular vote. After once slamming the Electoral College, Trump has changed his tune, tweeting, "the Electoral College is actually genius. And that it brings all states including the smaller states into play, campaigning is much different. And if it was based on total popular vote I would have campaigned in New York, Florida, and California and won even bigger and easily."

One victory Trump can point to, he appears to now have much of the GOP on board.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. STEVE SCALISE (R), LOUISIANA: We got these hats at conference today and it's not just a great slogan. But inside the tag you see made in the USA.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Another sign of dysfunction inside the Trump transition team the president-elect went out to dinner after the news media was told he was staying in for the night. That is a break in protocol as the press is typically kept aware of all of the president-elect's movements.

Jim Acosta, CNN, New York.

ASHER: And while all that turmoil is going on inside the Trump transition team, the Senate's top democrat Harry Reid is actually joining the long list of people who are blasting Donald Trump for picking Steve Bannon as his chief strategist.

On Tuesday, Harry Reid said that Bannon was linked to white nationalists and urged Trump to rethink that appointment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[03:09:58] SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MINORITY LEADER: Healing the words he inflicted will take more than words. Talk is cheap and tweets are cheaper. Healing wounds is going to take action. But so far, Mr. President, rather than healing these wounds Trump's actions have deepened them. In one of his very first if not his first official act he appointed a

man seen as a champion of white supremacy as the number one strategist in the White House. Number one. Everybody else under him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan is back in the good graces of President-elect Donald Trump and rank-and-file republicans as well. The republicans actually nominated him for re-election on Tuesday. They're going to be voting on it in January.

But it may be a very different story if the House democratic leader Nancy Pelosi. Her party's actually delaying a vote on her re-election until the end of the month.

U.S. President Barack Obama is urging European leaders to confront populist movements that exploit people's fears.

During a news conference in Greece he said that Donald Trump won the presidency with troubling rhetoric that played on Americans' dread and their fears about globalization. He encouraged leaders to speak out against divisive rhetoric.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I do believe, separate and apart from any particular election or movement, that we are going to have to guard against a rise in a crude sort of nationalism or ethnic identity or tribalism that is built around an us and a them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Meantime, while President Obama was there making that visit, thousands of protesters clashed with riot police in the streets just a few kilometers away. Leftist groups are angry that Barack Obama is visiting Greece two days before the anniversary of a bloody revolt that helped topple a U.S.-backed military junta.

Our CNN's international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson joins me live now from Athens. So Nic, this is happening at a time when President Obama's obviously bringing a message of debt relief. He says that you know, he wants the Greek people to have a future. So explain why there are these sort of anti-U.S., anti-capitalist protests happening now as well.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Sure. I mean, if you look at the newspaper headlines today, the Greek headlines, they're saying, you know, President Obama talks about you cannot bring about prosperity through austerity alone, meaning that he supports if not verbally, tacitly the understanding that there needs to be some debt relief.

And he said yesterday at his press conference that he believed perhaps now was the time for the European Union chancellor, German Chancellor Angela Merkel in particular, to revisit a longer-term repayment deal with Greece, obviously hinting toward debt relief. What these protests were about, and the police have put 5,000 police

on the streets of Athens yesterday, just in case there were such protests. That they'd also put in place a ban on protests in the center of the city close to where President Obama was going to be. Closed the streets around where he was meeting.

Communists have threatened a protest. Protests are not untypical here or atypical, if you will, in Athens. It was the anarchists who actually protested last night. And it was a fairly short protest the police contain quickly. They typically used tear gas here. They did that last night and the protest was over.

But again, (TECHNICAL PROBLEM)

[03:15:00] (TECHNICAL PROBLEM)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WORLD SPORTS)

[03:20:07] ASHER: U.S.-led coalition forces are striking ISIS targets relentlessly in Iraq, trying to help Iraqi troops recapture Mosul. A military spokesperson said the coalition hit ISIS with 4,000 bombs, artillery strikes and missiles over the past month.

They've destroyed dozens of vehicle bombs and tunnels and killed hundreds of ISIS fighters. Iraqi forces retook the ancient city of Nimrud over the weekend but it's been heavily damaged by ISIS.

Nimrud was built nearly 3,000 years ago and became the capital of the Assyrian kingdom. ISIS destroyed many of its monuments and artifacts. The U.N. has condemned the destruction as a war crime.

Mexico, Syria, Iraq, all of them were discussed at length throughout the U.S. presidential campaign but one country that was barely mentioned at all was Afghanistan. It is now the scene of America's longest war, and it could give President-elect Donald Trump headaches.

Here's our Ivan Watson with more.

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is America's longest war, the conflict in Afghanistan. It began 15 years ago after the September 11 terror attacks orchestrated by Osama Bin Laden. The Al Qaeda leader was a guest and ally of Afghanistan's ruling Taliban in 2001.

Less than a month later, U.S. warplanes attacked the Taliban, and after barely six weeks of air strikes the Taliban was on the run, abandoning Kabul to Afghan fighters allied with the U.S.

I was here on the day 15 years ago when U.S.-backed rebels liberated the Afghan capital. It was a day of hope and euphoria coming on the back of a swift military victory. I did not expect it would lead to 15 years of constant war.

In the years after their defeat the Taliban regrouped and fought back against new western-backed governments in Kabul. And now in its 15th year the war against the Taliban has cost at least 2,380 American lives.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Possible heat casualty.

WATSON: That killed tens of thousands of Afghan civilians. And cost an estimated $780 billion U.S. taxpayer dollars. And yet, Afghanistan was barely discussed during the recent U.S. presidential debates. But Donald Trump did say this to CNN i October (TECHNICAL PROBLEM).

[03:25:00] (TECHNICAL PROBLEM)

ASHER: ... offer from Facebook a few years ago back in 2013. Snap Inc. declined to comment on that report about their IPO.

Russia's Prime Minister says he doesn't understand what happened to the economy minister who is now at the center of a bribery scandal. Alexei Ulyukayev is under house arrest after being charged with accepting a $2 million bribe from Russia's biggest oil company.

Prime Minister Dimitri Medvedev says he discussed the case with President Putin and neither one of them can understand it. Mr. Putin fired Ulyukayev from his post. He faces up to 15 years in jail if he is convicted.

All right. Coming up next on CNN, we'll examine the sharp increase of hate crimes across the United States since the election.

Plus, and this is really interesting, a professor who predicted Donald Trump's win is now making another prediction about the president- elect. And lots of people are talking about this one. That's next after this short break.

[03:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: A warm welcome back to our viewers all around the world. I'm Zain Asher.

Let's get you caught up on your top stories this hour.

Heavy air strikes pounded neighborhoods in eastern Aleppo Tuesday for the first time in weeks. The Syrian military is renewing its assault against rebels there.

Activists say a barrel bomb killed at least one woman and wounded five people. Residents actually received text messages on Sunday warning them to leave before the bombing began.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is voicing cautious optimism when it comes to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Mr. Assad says he's ready to cooperate with Trump if he delivers on his promise to fight terrorism in Syria.

Indonesian police are investigating Jakarta's Christian governor for blasphemy. Islamic hard-liners accuse the governor known as Ahok of insulting the religion by quoting from the Koran during a campaign speech. A protest against Ahok earlier this month turned violent.

Let's talk politics now because many had hoped the election of Barack Obama in 2008 would lead to some sort of post-racial America. But events over the past eight years show that it's been anything but.

In fact, in one West Virginia County there's controversy because of this post. You have a public official here describing First Lady Michelle Obama as, quote, "an ape in heels."

Then you have the mayor of the town commenting just below it saying, quote, "That just made my day." The mayor resigned and the other official was removed from her position.

And actually, since last week's election there have been a number of reports of incidents throughout the United States that have been targeting minorities specifically.

Here's our Miguel Marquez with more.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Idiot!

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The rise of hate. A protester pushed down a flight of stairs in the midst of an anti-Trump rally at Ohio State University. The student who did the pushing arrested for assault.

The bitterness of an ugly campaign taking new form after the surprise election of Donald Trump.

Build the wall, a Trump signature phrase, chanted by middle-schoolers in Detroit, Michigan, taunting Latino students during lunch period. The advocacy group the Southern Poverty Law Center has researched and solicited claims of harassment nationwide since the election.

Four hundred thirty seven incidents so far, an apparent sharp increase. One hundred forty on November 9th alone, the day after the election. Since then reports have decreased significantly.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I say it right to the camera. Stop it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUEZ: The president-elect himself made a plea for calm in his first television interview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I'm going to bring this country together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUEZ: The incidents run the gamut. Swastikas scratched onto doors of Jewish students at a New York new school dorm. Trump nation whites only scrawled on the sign of a Latino church in Silver Spring, Maryland. "Heil Trump," a swastika and "fag church" spray painted on St. David's Episcopal in the small town of Bean Blossom, Indiana.

Celebrity Clinton supporter Emmy Rossum trolled on twitter. This image of Auschwitz with Trump's name added. The message, "this is in all of your ilk's future. You will be seeing a train shortly. Hollywood days of subjugation is over. Sieg heil."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERNEST WALKER, AFRICAN-AMERICAN VETERAN: Did you see my military information?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUEZ: And in Dallas African-American veteran Ernest Walker denied a free meal at Chili's on Veterans Day after a man wearing a Trump shirt questioned whether he truly served. Allegedly saying that he had served in Germany and they didn't let blacks serve there. The manager took the Trump supporter's side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: Now you're grabbing my food away from me? You're taking my food away from me now?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUEZ: Taking away Walker's meal even after he showed his military credentials for him and his service dog. Chili's has issued a lengthy apology to Mr. Walker, thanked him for his service, and saying the Chili's manager has been removed.

Miguel Marquez, CNN, New York.

ASHER: So a lot of people are wondering who exactly is to blame for the rise in hate crimes happening right now across the United States. But the Southern Poverty Law Center says the answer is clear.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[03:35:02] MARK POTOK, SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER SENIOR FELLOW: I lay very much of the blame at the feet of Donald Trump and the Trump campaign. You know, that campaign has in effect kind of ripped off the lid of Pandora's Box and let these demons of bigotry and racism, misogyny, out.

And these are very hard things to get back in the box once they're kind of set loose on the land. You know, I think what has happened is that large numbers of Trump supporters somehow feel that his victory has given them permission to say things like the United States of America is a white man's country. Those kinds of statements.

That's essentially the emotion, the feeling that we are seeing expressed in many case violently around the country.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ASHER: Donald Trump may not serve out a full term if our next guest

is correct. Professor and presidential historian Allan Lichtman predicted Trump would win the White House, even when almost every other poll said otherwise. He joins us now.

So Allan, you're basically predicting right now that Donald Trump will be impeached. Just explain to us why and what that is based on.

ALLAN LICHTMAN, HISTORIAN: Of course it's not a formal scientific prediction. Like my prediction of a Trump victory which was based on my keys to the White House. This is just my gut. And there are two reasons.

Number one, throughout his life Trump has played fast and loose with the law. He has run an illegal charity, an unregistered one, in the state of New York. He has made an illegal campaign contribution from that charity. There is strong evidence that he used his charity to settle personal business debts.

There is strong documentation that he broke the embargo against Cuba at a time when that was a federal crime. He faces a civil suit on racketeering relative to the Trump University. And it's certainly possible that one of the dozen or so women who said he sexually assaulted them could also file a civil lawsuit.

And let us not forget, it was a civil lawsuit on sexual harassment by Paula Jones that opened the door to the impeachment of Bill Clinton. Second reason is Trump is a loose Bannon. He's unpredictable. The establishment republicans and even the fringe republicans like control.

Trump cannot be controlled. You never know what he might do. And the republicans would certainly prefer to have Mike Pence, a down the line predictable Christian conservative republican. You know what Mike Pence is going to do. And the republicans love it.

ASHER: So Allan, you mentioned that, you know, Donald Trump plays fast and loose with the law. Can you actually, I mean, just explain to our international audience because they may not be aware of the rules.

But can you actually be impeached based on something that's haunted you from your past that you that did decades ago well before you ended up in the White House?

LICHTMAN: That is an open question. The Constitution says you can be impeached for bribery, treason, or high crimes and misdemeanors. In other words, it is left vague.

Gerald Ford, later president, was Minority Leader of the House of Representatives in the 1960s and he was leading a movement to impeach the chief justice of the United States Earl Warren. And he was asked what is an impeachable offense? And he replied whatever the United States House of Representatives decides it is.

There's no check if the House votes by a majority to impeach a president. Of course it's another matter. He must then be convicted by the Senate and that's never happened even though two presidents, Andrew Johnson in 1868, and of course Bill Clinton were impeached.

ASHER: OK. So you really don't know at this point. But I mean, it's only been, what, a week since Donald Trump officially became president. I mean, is there any indication based on what you've seen so far, based on the sort of few handful of interviews Donald Trump has given, that he might actually end up being a much more calmer, much more predictable president than his campaign would suggest?

LICHTMAN: Look, I have a Lichtman rule of politics, which is what you see is what you get and people don't fundamentally change. Neither do politicians. You know, it's that old myth...

(CROSSTALK)

ASHER: That's interesting because Donald Trump actually said the same thing. That's an interesting point you bring up.

LICHTMAN: That's right. It's like you're marrying someone and oh, my gosh, I'm going to change them. Never happens. So Donald Trump is going to be Trump. And while he has, you know, talked the talk somewhat, look what he's done. He appointed Steve Bannon, with ties to white nationalists, anti-Semites, anti-Semites, the worst elements of our society, as a top White House strategist.

[03:39:56] He has turned over his business dealings to his children. No blind trust there. And he's suggested that they should get top security clearance, setting up a huge train wreck for a conflict of interest that could lead on a path to impeachment.

ASHER: Well, we shall see. I mean, you have a very sort of accurate record when it comes to making these sorts of predictions. We shall see if you are right. Allan Lichtman, thank you so much for being with us. I appreciate that.

LICHTMAN: Thank you.

ASHER: Well, Twitter is launching new tools to help fight harassment. One new feature is a button in the reporting flow that lets users mark tweets as hateful.

Twitter is also expanding its mute feature to let people filter out words and phrases they don't want to see in their mentions. And just last year the company updated its policies to define hate speech.

Tech giants Google and Facebook are cracking down on fake news on the internet. The move follows accusations that misleading news items influenced voters ahead of the U.S. election.

Facebook says it will not display ads from fake news publishers. Google said it will ban fake sites from its advertising service.

Time for a quick break here on CNN newsroom. When we come back, Barack Obama is on an international trip, his last as the U.S. commander in chief, but he's being overshadowed by the very man who is going to replace him. And while Trump's win surprised many European leaders, Marine Le Pen

is welcoming it. We'll hear from France's far-right leader just after this short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: Welcome back, everybody. Barack Obama is on his last overseas trip as U.S. president, but much of the focus and the attention is on Donald Trump.

Here's our Michelle Kosinski with more.

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: For a year he's been reassuring allies that a Trump presidency would not happen. That his policies would continue. Now, president Obama offers reassurance in a much different form.

[03:45:01] OBAMA: Time will now tell...

KOSINSKI: As the world reacts. The Greek Prime Minister, who had called what Donald Trump represents evil, today didn't want to criticize.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEXIS TSIPRAS, GREEK PRIME MINISTER (TRANSLATED): to be honest, I know very little of Donald Trump. Not much is going to change in the relation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSINSKI: Others not so reticent. The French ambassador to the U.S. tweeted then deleted a world is collapsing before our eyes. Vertigo. Iran warned that the U.S. should keep the nuclear deal.

Here in Europe one poll showed that only 9 percent of people feel that Donald Trump will do the right thing in world affairs. In China it was 22 percent. But just as President Obama has been expressing resignation, even optimism, other world leaders offer congratulations and tenuous hopes.

Mexico's President, who compared Trump to Hitler and Mussolini, now talks about opening new paths of cooperation. Trudeau of Canada, who had called for a ban on Trump as long as he expressed, quote, "racist views," now says...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUSTIN TRUDEAU, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: I'm going to work with President-elect Trump's administration, as we move forward in a positive way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSINSKI: South Korea now says it believes Donald Trump will pressure North Korea over its nuclear program, and Benjamin Netanyahu called Trump a true friend of the state of Israel. Britain's Foreign Minister, Boris Johnson, the Brexit's most vocal supporter, even criticized the complainers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: It's time we snapped out of the general doom and gloom about the result of this election and the collective wind drama.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSINSKI: China says it wants to keep close contact, build a good working relationship, and meet with Trump soon, which Trump echoed, even though he had threatened a trade war during the campaign.

But perhaps none are so welcoming as Russia. Parliament cheered when Trump's win was announced, and Vladimir Putin's government has been in touch with Trump's people during the campaign.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But Russia is ready and wants to restore the full- fledged relations with the United States.

KOSINSKI: For now, publicly, the insults of the past are put aside, despite some deep concerns in private.

Michelle Kosinski, CNN, Athens.

ASHER: And more now on international reaction to Donald Trump's victory. President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte is praising Trump, saying that he trusts his judgment when it comes to dealing with undocumented immigrants fairly and also he's praising him for not meddling in human rights.

Mr. Duterte hasn't really got along well with President Obama because he voiced concerns about the violence in the Philippines president's drug war.

South Korea is wasting no time in trying to build a relationship with the incoming U.S. president. Despite an ongoing political scandal at home South Korea says it's sending a senior delegation to Washington this week to meet with Trump's transition team.

Major issues on the agenda include their alliance and North Korea's nuclear program as well. In the past, though, Trump has suggested that South Korea should consider developing its own nuclear weapon.

A far-right leader in France is describing Trumping surprising win as, quote, "a sign of hope." Analysts predict Marine Le Pen will be a front-runner in the French presidential election next year, and she told CNN's Melissa Bell that anything is possible after Trump's victory.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARINE LE PEN, NATIONAL FRONT PARTY PRESIDENT (TRANSLATED): He is without a doubt the anti-system candidate. The entire system was against him and wanted Hillary Clinton. This victory shows that the people are taking their future back.

MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What do you think Donald Trump's victory means for your own chances of making it to the Elyse in 2017?

LE PEN (TRANSLATED): It makes the French realize that what they want they can get if they mobilize themselves. Donald Trump has made possible what was presented as completely impossible. So it's a sign of hope for those who cannot bear wild globalization, who cannot bear the political life led by the elites.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: And Le Pen actually also accused the so-called establishment of using scare tactics to persuade voters to stick with the current situation.

And in Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel will run for a fourth term in elections next September. One of her party's senior politician told CNN Ms. Merkel is both determined and willing as well. Germany's first female leader has come under fire for her open door refugee policy, and Ms. Merkel admits she did make mistakes with that refugee program.

Barack Obama is the first U.S. President to visit Greece in almost two decades. We'll be going to the streets of Athens to find out what people think of him, next.

[03:50:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: President Obama is in Greece to voice his support for the country as it continues to deal with its financial troubles. But what do ordinary Greeks think of him and think of his successor?

Our international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson traveled through the streets of Athens to find out.

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ROBERTSON: President Obama's last official overseas trip begins here in Greece. What impact has he had on the world and what do people here think of President-elect Donald Trump?

Has he been a good president for the world?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he's a good president but slow down president.

ROBERTSON: President Obama's visiting today. What do you think about that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello. I think this is very important. And I don't know the exact reason. But I think this is important for Greece.

[03:55:04] ROBERTSON: he's finishing as a president now. Has he been a good president for the world?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think yes.

ROBERTSON: What about Donald Trump coming? What do you expect?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know. Different times, huh?

ROBERTSON: Question about President Obama's visit.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm late for my work.

ROBERTSON: But is it a good thing this is his last visit as president around the world. His last trip.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a good thing. But we don't know exactly how it's going to help us. But we hope that it's...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Something good will come finally.

ROBERTSON: And of course then there's Donald Trump as President- elect, what do you expect from him?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Actually, in the beginning we are very -- we were very angry about that. But now, OK, we are waiting to see because maybe he has a plan and he has to do something.

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ASHER: Always nice to end on some optimism there. Well, thank you so much for you guys at home for joining us. I'm Zain Asher. There's much more news after this break with Hannah Vaughan Jones in London. You're watching CNN.

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