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TSA Braces for Busiest Thanksgiving on Record; Trump Sprinting Through Transition to Prepare for Narrow Window to Act While GOP Has Control of Congress; Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire Deal Now in Effect. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired November 27, 2024 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Find the kids, start your engines, gird your loins. Thanksgiving travel, it is on. Today is set to be one of the busiest days at airports ever. We have everything you need to know to numb the pain.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Consider them girded. Sprinting through his transition, the new reporting on President-elect Donald Trump and how he's preparing for his second term, another flurry of job announcements and his moves to make this transition very different from his first.

And are you familiar with the manosphere? CNN looking at one influencer with millions of followers online and what it means for the future of politics.

I'm Kate Bolduan with John Berman. Sara Sidner is out today. This is CNN News Central.

BERMAN: So, get ready for the busiest Thanksgiving for travel ever. 80 million people expected to fly for the holiday this year, most flying today, Sunday and Monday. Travelers could catch a break with the weather today ahead of what could be a cold, damp, even snowy Thanksgiving tomorrow.

CNN's Whitney Wilde is at O'Hare Airport in Chicago, Derek Van Dam, tracking the weather. Whitney, let's start with you. What do you see?

WHITNEY WILD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, it is already very busy. It's just 6:00 A.M. here in Chicago. Already busy crowds. This year, like you said, is going to be record numbers of travelers. A 6 percent increase this year over last year at O'Hare and Midway. That's an even bigger jump. They're expecting an 11 percent increase compared with last year, John. That means, numbers-wise, they're looking at about a million and a half people coming through O'Hare and Midway, the two Chicago area airports. It is going to be busy, but the good news is, John, it is smooth.

Let me just walk you through here. This is what we want to see, John. This is what we want to be thankful for. Ten minutes TSA pre, 15 minutes regular security, 5 minutes premier access, can't get any better than that, John. But the rules remain. Try to get here like two hours early if you can, John. Be prepared to make sure that you've checked through the TSA rules to smooth out your security process because you don't want to be the guy who's like going through your bag, throwing out your huge water bottle because you didn't check the TSA rules ahead of time, John.

BERMAN: You don't want to be that guy, not when you have all sorts of other issues like me. In fact, this is a true story. One time for Thanksgiving, I tried to get through security with a Brussels sprout stock, Whitney, and I don't know if you know this, but that looks like some kind of savage weapon, a Brussels sprout stock did. And I said, no, we're cooking this for Thanksgiving.

And, Whitney, I understand you've got some advice for people traveling with some of their Thanksgiving food.

WILD: Yes, exactly. So, just take a step back. I know everybody's really focused on the ingredients, but you also have to make sure that you're prepared per the TSA rules. So, the general rule of thumb is 3.4 ounces per like liquid gel, aerosol. It's got to be in a one quart clear plastic bag, and that's only one bag per person. Make sure it's on the top of your bag so you can whip it out pretty quickly, get through security quickly.

And then the other thing is, if you're bringing items like, you know, a blender. I don't know who's bringing a blender, but you might bring a blender. The TSA has specific rules about how to carry through some of these extra items. So, generally, if it's a weapon or can be used as a weapon in any capacity, it has to be disassembled and in your checked bag. So, just make sure you check that. Think through the security process because even the best of us, we forget things, John.

I went through security a couple months ago with my kids. I've got four kids. I've been through security dozens of times with strollers. I forgot the stroller has to go through the screening process, which meant that I was holding one baby and trying to disassemble a stroller. Just be prepared that these things happen and you need to move through slowly, patiently and be a little prepared to think ahead. I did not do that. I was a little caught off guard by the stroller situation, but we made it.

BERMAN: You've had a lot going on, no doubt about that. And I want to fly next to the person who puts the casserole underneath the seat in front of them, but that's a whole other thing.

All right, Derek, let's talk about the weather today and tomorrow. What do you see?

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: A note to self. You have to check in your gravy and maple syrup, but you learn something new every morning.

[07:05:02]

This is the jackpot. If you are leaving today at the airports, we don't see or foresee any major weather delays. That's why we have green means go from coast to coast. That's about as good as it can get. But things are going to change very quickly. So, settle into grandma and grandpa's house because watch how this storm evolves.

There it is across Colorado, very active radar across that particular location. The plains, yes, there is some wintry precip mixing in at times, but this is going to change as we had a little bit further to the east for the day tomorrow. It is creating, though, a winter wonderland, a real life snow globe here in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, looking fantastic.

But watch how the energy from this very storm system you saw across Colorado moved to the eastern seaboard. And notice the time frame on the top portion of the screen there, that's Thursday midday, just as you're about sitting down for that Thanksgiving feast.

We do expect this to be a rain system for the major East Coast cities, Boston, New York, Philadelphia to Washington and Atlanta. But there will be snowfall just north of there, across the Hudson Valley, Northern New England, and then the lake effect snow machine kicks in earnest, behind it.

Now this trailing cold front, all associated with the same storm, and the southern flank of the storm could bring some severe weather chances. So, today we've got a marginal risk. It's not a great risk, but it is something to be aware of from Jackson to Birmingham and then tomorrow in Atlanta all the way to Charlotte could see some of those stronger thunderstorms form that could lead to some localized damaging winds as well.

Winter storm watches have been posted across Northern New England. This is all in advance of the system. And then check this out, frigid continental air mass. This is what we refer to it as will slide in from Canada all the way to the Midwest and the East Coast, bringing the coldest air of the season. D.C. to New York, yes, I'm looking at you, John, you're going to be shivering on Thursday morning tomorrow for that Macy's Day Parade. Sorry about that.

BERMAN: The good thing is it won't just be cold. It will also be very, very wet as well.

All right, Derek Van Dam, thank you, Whitney Wild, our thanks to you. Kate Bolduan. Green means go.

BOLDUAN: Green is also the color of Brussels sprout stock. I mean, that is -- you are such a smart man, that is so ill-advised. What are you talking about?

BERMAN: I got pulled aside by TSA.

BOLDUAN: As it should have been.

BERMAN: It was the longest TSA entry we've ever had.

BOLDUAN: As you should have been. It's offensive.

Coming up for us, new reporting from inside the Trump transition. How and why Donald Trump is operating so differently this time versus last. And overnight, multiple new job announcements for the final open roles in his administration.

And hours into the ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, it is holding. Thousands of Lebanese are returning to their homes in the south now, but both Lebanese and Israeli officials are warning they should not be returning yet.

The words Caitlin Clark and pardon in the same sentence. Yes, there's a Thanksgiving twist to this.

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[07:10:00]

BOLDUAN: Things are looking different for Donald Trump's second go- around as the president-elect. At this point in 2016, Donald Trump had announced just four cabinet picks. And now, he's basically named his entire cabinet at this point, and more. Overnight, the president-elect put out another flurry of names, filling out more public health roles and adding to his list of economic and domestic advisers. And allies say this time that Donald Trump is more aware of the limited amount of time that he may have to act, said another way, he's very aware of the political calendar, which is he has only two years of Republicans in charge of all of Congress before they hit a midterm election.

CNN's Steve Contorno has new reporting from the Trump transition team for us this morning. What are you learning, Steve?

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Kate, here we are, the day before Thanksgiving, just three weeks after Donald Trump woke up as president-elect, and his entire cabinet is nearly full, and he keeps adding new positions underneath those top jobs, such a different approach to eight years ago. And when we talked to allies and advisors close to the president-elect, they said that Trump is more emboldened this time by the size of his Electoral College victory. He's more confident in how Washington works, and that is partly why he is acting rapidly.

But he is also acutely aware that his time in office is immediately on the clock as soon as he is sworn in on January 20th. And that is not only because he is a lame duck essentially from that very first day, but because there is this two-year window to act while they have control of the House and Senate. I talked to one longtime adviser to Donald Trump, a lobbyist who was close to him, and many of his cabinet picks named Brian Ballard, and he said, quote, everyone understands we have a two-year window with a majority in the House and Senate. Who knows what happens after that? And if you are not running at breakneck speed, you shouldn't be part of this administration.

And Trump, as you said, in the last 24 hours, continuing to put people in place, naming Jamieson Greer, his U.S. trade rep, Kevin Hassett as his economic council director, Vince Haley, his domestic policy council director, Haley was an individual involved with the fake elector strategy to overturn the 2020 election, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya as his NIH director, a Stanford professor who was opposed to COVID lockdowns, and then John Phelan, the secretary of the Navy.

[07:15:04]

Interesting background for him, he doesn't have a military background. Instead, he founded a private investment firm. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Steve Contorno, thank you so much. So coming up for us, Donie O'Sullivan takes a trip into what's now called the manosphere.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: One thing we've been hearing for weeks now is that the left needs a Joe Rogan.

HASAN PIKER, PROGRESSIVE TWITCH STREAMER: Yes. I don't think that the Democratic Party can podcast itself out of this issue. Joe Rogan, he endorsed Bernie Sanders in 2020. Maybe they should do an autopsy on why he left the party.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: What the mostly young, mostly male group of influencers say Democrats need to learn from the '24 election.

And Customs and Border Patrol agents, Border Protection agents, make a record bust worth more than $18 million dollars, and it's likely not what you're thinking they picked up.

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[07:20:00]

BERMAN: This morning, a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, the Shia militant group in Lebanon, is officially in effect. It ends a 13- month conflict on Israel's northern border that spiraled into an all- out war. Some people in Lebanon are heading back to their homes, even though the IDF evacuation orders are still in effect.

The situation is still tense. Just hours ago, the Israeli military reportedly fired towards several vehicles approaching a restricted area. No casualties reported there.

With us now from the White House, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. Jake, very nice to see you. Just a few hours into this ceasefire, what's your assessment of the situation so far?

JAKE SULLIVAN, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Well, first, today is a good day. As you noted, the ceasefire has gone into effect. It's designed to be a permanent ceasefire, a permanent end to the war across that border between Israel and Lebanon. But, of course, implementation is going to be key. And that means ensuring that Hezbollah, the terrorist group, cannot rebuild its terror infrastructure in Southern Lebanon, and that the Lebanese Armed Forces do their job in filling in the security vacuum in Southern Lebanon rather than Hezbollah.

The United States, along with France and other countries, are committed to ensuring this deal is implemented effectively, and we're going to take steps until the time comes when we can all breathe easy and say, yes, this is actually in effect, it is going to stick, it is going to work. But day in, day out, we are going to make sure that we're doing everything to see to it that the terms of this agreement are enforced.

BERMAN: What did Israel achieve in the last few months of this conflict with Hezbollah? And would they have achieved as much had they agreed to a ceasefire back when the White House was pushing so hard back in, what was it, September?

SULLIVAN: Well, first, what Israel has achieved is they've been able to very badly degrade Hezbollah. They have taken out all of that terrorist infrastructure in Southern Lebanon. They have taken out the leader of Hezbollah, Nasrallah, many other top deputies. They have taken out rocket and missile emplacements, and therefore Hezbollah is badly weakened. It's a shadow of its former self.

And, by the way, they were able to do all of that because of the skill and effectiveness of their soldiers, but also because of the backing of the United States. At critical moments in this conflict, President Biden dispatched military assets and capabilities to the region and aircraft carrier, another aircraft carrier, fighter squadrons and even an advanced, sophisticated air defense battery, to ensure that Israel had what it needed to be able to carry out effectively this campaign against the terrorist group Hezbollah.

And the September ceasefire call that you're referring to was actually something coordinated between the U.S. and Israel. Israel decided ultimately it didn't want to do, that it wanted to go forward with a ground campaign to take out emplacements on the other side of the border. The U.S. backed that and we've arrived today where we are because of the steps Israel has taken, but critically because of the steps the United States has taken. And we've also achieved all of this without the United States being dragged into a war in the Middle East on Joe Biden's watch.

BERMAN: So, the incoming national security adviser for the incoming Trump administration, Congressman Mike Waltz, who I know you've met with in the last few days, he put out a tweet that said, quote, everyone is coming to the table because of President Trump. His resounding victory sent a clear message to the rest of the world that chaos won't be tolerated. How responsible do you think the election is for the fact that this peace deal, the ceasefire, was reached?

SULLIVAN: This peace deal was reached because Israel achieved its military objectives, because the stakeholders in Lebanon decided they didn't want war anymore and because of relentless American diplomacy led by President Biden, driven by our envoy, almost Hochstein, coordinated in this building behind me by the National Security Council. That's how this came to pass.

I have been grateful to work with Congressman Waltz in the last few days to keep him apprised of what we've been doing, to let him know as we've taken these diplomatic steps. I would just point out that, you know you've done a really good thing when other people take credit for it. We are very proud of what we have done and we look forward to passing off a better situation to the incoming team.

BERMAN: President Biden said he is hopeful that the ceasefire with Hezbollah will lead to perhaps a way to find peace between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Besides hope, what is your reasonable expectation that that could happen in the next 50 days?

SULLIVAN: It's a very good question. Look, since the beginning of this conflict, Hezbollah linked its fight against Israel to the fight that Hamas was having with Israel from Gaza.

[07:25:01]

And it said we won't stop until the war in Gaza ends. That link has now been broken, which means Hamas is isolated. Hamas is now under pressure. And all eyes, not just from the U.S. and Israel, but the rest of the world, are going to turn to Hamas.

And so there is now newfound opportunity and possibility to drive forward a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza. But I'm not going to stand here and make any predictions that when or how that will come into effect. All I can tell you is, as the president said yesterday, we are going to begin that work today to try to push for a ceasefire and hostage deal to get those hostages home, to get relief to the innocent civilians of Gaza, and to ensure an end to the war without Hamas in power.

BERMAN: Jake Sullivan, national security adviser, I know you're headed up to New Hampshire soon where your wife was just elected to Congress, so good luck with all of that. Thanks so much for being with us.

SULLIVAN: Thank you.

BERMAN: All right. This morning, Vice President Harris, for the first time since her election loss, is sharing her thoughts on the future of the Democratic Party. And Democratic Strategist James Carville tells us what he is not thankful for.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES CARVILLE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: I'm really not interested in your uninformed, stupid (BLEEP) opinion as to whether you go on Joe Rogan or not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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[07:30:00]