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AAA: Nearly 80 Million People Traveling For Thanksgiving; FBI Aware Of Bomb Threats, Swatting Incidents Targeting Trump Appointees & Nominees; Trump Moves Quickly To Fill Key White House Posts; Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) Discusses About President-Elect's Picks And Qualification; WH Believes Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire Could Be A "Game Changer". Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired November 27, 2024 - 15:00   ET

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

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[15:00:16]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: The Rush is On: Millions of travelers are packing up and heading out to the airports and highways for a record Thanksgiving travel season. We're tracking all aspects of it.

Plus, more than 18 hours in and the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah seems to be holding. Now the U.S. is hoping that this deal could be a potential game changer and a renewed push for a deal in Gaza.

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN HOST: UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And a shocking twist in a Colorado murder case. A man suspected of poisoning his wife to death is now accused of taking steps to kill someone else.

We're following these major developing stories and many more all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

SANCHEZ: We're so grateful to share this Thanksgiving Eve with you. I'm Boris Sanchez alongside Rahel Solomon in for Brianna Keilar today.

It's going to be a nightmare out there if we're being honest. Hold on to your turkeys. This is expected to be the busiest Thanksgiving travel season ever, nearly 80 million people heading out for the holiday. Far and away, most are actually going to be hitting the roads, some 72 million hitting the highways.

SOLOMON: Yes, lower gas prices certainly welcome if you are one of them, if you're going a long way. AAA says that the national average is down to $3.07 a gallon. And more good news for travelers, weather conditions seem to be improving. You love to hear that. We've got a team of reporters standing by. CNN meteorologist Elisa Raffa is tracking the cold front that's coming in. But first, let's go back to CNN's Whitney Wild. She's at O'Hare Airport in Chicago.

It looks okay, Whitney, based on what we see behind you. How is it for flyers?

WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: Thank you, guys. It has been so smooth today. It has been low lines of security. The crowds come, they go, they come, they go. But for the most part, there have been no problems here. It is very, very smooth. This is the holy grail of holiday travel, especially when you consider, like you guys said, this is going to be a record travel weekend here in Chicago alone at the two local airports. They think there are going to be at least a million and a half people between Tuesday and next Monday flowing through Chicago and Midway. That is an 11 percent increase over what they saw in 2023.

So, perfect weather with these big crowds is keeping things very smooth. There are very few delays, very few cancellations across the country when you consider how many people are traveling. So this seriously could not get any better. Let me give you the proof. Look at this. TSA pre, 10 minutes through security. First class, five minutes through security. Economy, 10 minutes through security.

Do these numbers get any better? I don't think they do.

I talked to a couple of people about how they like to travel over Thanksgiving. What are their tips, especially when you're flying with kids? Here's a couple of things that people told me out here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILD: So what are your tips? I mean, I've got four kids. You've got three. What are your tips for other moms and dads who are coming through the airport? This is a really busy travel season. What are your tips?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good snacks, good shows and treats.

WILD: Treats for good behavior.

What are your travel tips for other kids?

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: I feel like you should bring like a lot of books, because like if you first traveling and you feel like, oh, it's going to be great. I'm not staying that long. I don't need like things to entertain you well. Most likely you're going to need something to entertain yourself.

WILD: What's your favorite part of flying?

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Getting the food and stuff.

WILD: Getting the snacks on the plane? Always a treat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WILD: Airplane pretzels just hit harder, you guys. That's the fact. Back to you.

SOLOMON: I love how self-aware that young boy is that you don't think you need the distraction, but you should probably pack it ...

WILD: Yes. SOLOMON: ... just in case.

SANCHEZ: You need a distraction.

SOLOMON: You need a distraction.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

WILD: Oh, yes. And you know what I loved? I felt like it was such a throwback that he was like, bring some books. He did not mention iPad, didn't mention devices. He was like, you got to bring the books. He went old school ...

SOLOMON: Yes.

WILD: ... for us today, which I really liked. And then, you know, one thing I forgot, guys, looking forward, Sunday is going to be the busiest day here. They're thinking 254,000 people coming through O'Hare on Sunday alone. So it's busy today, but it doesn't end. Back to you.

SOLOMON: yes.

SANCHEZ: Pack your patients and your snacks ...

WILD: Absolutely.

SANCHEZ: ... as that young one pointed out. Whitney Wild ...

SOLOMON: And your books.

SANCHEZ: Whitney Wild, thank you so much.

SOLOMON: Whitney Wild, thank you.

All right. Let's turn now to Elisa at the CNN Weather Center.

Elisa, I think when you say conditions are improving, people perk up. So talk to us about what that means for Thanksgiving Day and also this weekend.

ELISA RAFFA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. I think today is definitely the best travel day.

[15:05:02]

Unfortunately, tomorrow looks like a mess on the East Coast. We have a storm that's developing. It's bringing some rain and snow from Colorado through Kansas over to Missouri. You see all the green airplanes right now. Things are going smoothly in the air on the roads. Could be a little bit dicier when it comes to that mix of rain and snow along I-70 through Kansas, Kansas City, Missouri there seeing some of that rain and snow come in.

So again, in the Midwest, there could be some problem spots on the roads. But what happens is the storm is really going to flourish as we go into tomorrow and pack so much rain and snow along the East Coast. It's going to be a pretty soggy Thanksgiving for a lot of those parade spots too in New York and Philadelphia.

When it comes to travel, you can see now we have major problems possible in New England where we could have some snow really pile on a couple of inches, and that could be a problem going into tomorrow. So you can see the storm really starts to pump up and flourish going into Thursday. Rain and snow in interior New England, that rain stretching from New York down to D.C., Philly, and then even into the southeast here.

The rain in the southeast looks on the lighter side, but that snow could be a little bit more problematic in New England. Then behind this, we have cold air coming in, and that's going to pump the lake effect snow machine through the weekend. If you're trying to travel in the Great Lakes region through Saturday and Sunday, you're going to have several feet of snow to contend with.

So again, in the air, we could be looking at some problems with some of that rain in the Central Plains, Tennessee Valley, St. Louis, Nashville today. Tomorrow, the problems really shift to the big cities on the East Coast. We're talking New York and D.C. in the morning as that rain really starts going into the afternoon. New England is a problem with some of that heavy snow that could come down, a couple of inches of snow possible there, and then the snow continues to wrap around the Great Lakes through the weekend. Could be some problems in Chicago. We're starting to find winter storm warnings posted in New England going into the rest of the Thanksgiving weekend. Guys?

SOLOMON: Elisa Raffa, thank you.

All right. And new today, the FBI says that it is aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents against some members of Donald Trump's incoming administration.

SANCHEZ: And Brooke Rollins tapped for secretary of agriculture, confirming that she was one of those targeted. Let's get to CNN's Steve Contorno, who's live for us not far from Mar-a-Lago in West Palm Beach.

Steve, Trump's pick to run the EPA, former New York congressman, Lee Zeldin, also says that he was targeted. And we learned that the pick for U.N. ambassador also was targeted. Tell us about all these folks in the Trump transition team that are getting these threats.

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Yes. So far, we know from the Trump transition team that these swatting incidents and bomb threats took place Tuesday night through Wednesday morning. And the FBI has confirmed that it is aware of some of these incidents and has been involved in investigating the origins of these threats. And so far, as you said, Rollins, his pick for agriculture secretary, as well as Lee Zeldin, his EPA administrator, his choice to lead that agency, Matt Gaetz, who withdrew as a choice for attorney general, also acknowledged that he received threats as well as Congresswoman Elise Stefanik of New York. She is Trump's pick to lead to be the U.N. ambassador for the United States. Zeldin, I think we have some footage of some of the police activity outside his home, if you want to take a look at what that threat looked like in his neighborhood. He also posted a statement on social media saying, quote, "a pipe bomb threat targeting me and my family at our home today was sent in with a pro-Palestinian themed message. My family and I were not home at the time and are safe. We are working with law enforcement to learn more as this situation develops. We are thankful for the swift actions taken by local officers to keep our family, neighbors and local community secure."

We are also learning from our White House team that President Joe Biden was briefed about these targeted threats and has been getting updates from law enforcement officials about what transpired and what they are learning, telling us, quote, "The President has been briefed. The White House is in touch with federal law enforcement and the President-elect's team and continues to monitor the situation closely. Biden is currently vacationing in Nantucket, Massachusetts."

SOLOMON: Yes, clearly still a lot of questions here.

Steve, you have new reporting on why President-elect Trump is moving so quickly to fill key roles in his incoming administration. What are you hearing?

CONTORNO: Yes, aides and allies say part of the reason is he's just much more comfortable this go around than he was eight years ago when he didn't really know anyone or have any idea of who we might put in his cabinet. And he didn't really understand how Washington worked. That is not the case this go around.

He also feels like his - the size of his victory has given him a much larger electoral mandate.

[15:10:03]

But there's also an acute awareness that Donald Trump will be a lame duck president from the moment he takes office. And there's also a very narrow window for him to act with both the majority in the House and the Senate before those midterm elections, where we often see the pendulum swing back the other way. And in fact, the people we - I have spoken with said that if you think he is moving quickly now, just wait until he gets in office on January 20th.

One of his close advisors and allies, Brian Ballard, telling me that, 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."

So that's the message from Trump's allies and his advisers as we get ready for January 20th. Boris and Rahel?

SANCHEZ: Yes, clearly preparing for what they anticipate will be a difficult midterm election, as it historically is for the party of the incumbent president. Steve Contorno, live for us from West Palm Beach. Thank you so much. Let's discuss the Trump transition and more with Republican congressman, Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin. He serves on the House Veteran Affairs Committee and is also a retired Navy SEAL.

And congressman, I wanted to start there. First, thank you so much for joining us.

Your thoughts on the President-elect's recently announced pick for secretary of the Navy, John Phelan. He's not someone who has military experience or any significant public connection to the Navy or the Pentagon. He's someone who founded a private investment company. He was a large donor to Trump's reelection campaign, we should note. Do you think Phelan has the right qualifications to be secretary of the Navy?

REP. DERRICK VAN ORDEN (R-WI): Well, first of all, Happy Thanksgiving to everybody. I'm also on the House Agriculture Committee, so when you're eating your Thanksgiving feast tomorrow, make sure you thank a farmer.

You know what? I'm the longest serving enlisted member of the United States military to ever be elected to Congress in the history of our nation. I have multiple combat tours as a United States Navy SEAL, and I'm completely comfortable with our incoming SECNAV. The reason being is that we need somebody that's able to make sure that they can lay out a strategic vision and then follow through with it.

That's what the Navy's about, projecting strategic power through keeping sea lanes open. And I have the utmost confidence that our incoming secretary is going to be able to do just that, because he understands that in order to get things done, you have to be able to put something above yourself. He's done that in the private sector, putting the company and the welfare of the stockholders above himself. And he's going to be able to do that as the incoming SECNAV by putting the United States of America, our well-being and the well-being of our allies above himself.

SANCHEZ: Congressman, I am glad that you mentioned agriculture. It is a huge part of Wisconsin's economy. Your home state exports something like $2 billion worth of food products to Mexico, Canada and China alone. What happens to farmers in your state if those countries decide to slap retaliatory tariffs on their goods?

VAN ORDEN: Let's remember that 75 plus percent of all exports from Mexico and about 85 percent of all exports from Canada go into the United States of America. So if you want to talk about negotiating from a position of strength, it's not Trudeau and the new president of Mexico. It's President Donald Trump.

We have to make sure that we have a level playing field. Canada, unfortunately, has decided to not follow the regulations, or excuse me, the USMCA agreement, and they're eating our lunch with our dairy farmers. Mexico is doing the same thing across the board with a lot of our different commodities. Brazil is gutting out our corn and ethanol industry. So what we need is someone that's going to stand up for the American farmer because when the American farmer has a level playing field, they will be able to produce enough food to feed our country and the world. This is historically proven and I'm really looking forward to getting this done.

SANCHEZ: Congressman, as you know, farmers generally and especially dairy farmers were seriously impacted during the first Trump administration because of his trade policies. U.S. farm bankruptcies jumped some 20 percent back in 2019, and that's despite the Trump administration spending billions of dollars to bail out farmers. You're not concerned that another trade war would ultimately atrophy their businesses and have a lot of farmers at risk of having to close up shop?

VAN ORDEN: You know what I'm very concerned about is the fact that the Democrat-controlled Senate was two years late in producing their homework. That's called the Farm Bill text.

So in the Farm Bill text, which was passed by the Republican House through a committee in a bipartisan manner last year, we lay out the conditions to make sure that all dairy industry, from our small farmers to the larger to the larger - to our larger producers, to our row croppers, to everybody in the entire spectrum of folks that are producing food, have the ability to do so at a level playing field.

So I'm deeply disappointed that the Democrat-controlled Senate did not get the bill to us.

[15:15:00]

What we're going to try to do before the end of the year is get Title I, that's commodities, and Title XI, which is crop insurance, peeled off and make sure that stuff passes. And in addition to that, we also want to get whole milk for healthy kids through both the House and the Senate and have President Biden signing it into law. And what that will do is radically change the dairy market as we know it, and we're going to get rid of all the reforms that they tried in 2010 and got an entire generation of kids not drinking milk.

So if we get our whole milk for healthy kids, Title I and Title XI through with an abbreviated version of the Farm Bill that's going to be attached to a emergency bill, the farmers, in particular our dairy farmers, are going to be in good shape.

SANCHEZ: There are serious concerns about the way that these tariffs could potentially wind up hitting consumers, and there's a belief that these tariffs could be inflationary, not just on one hand the tariffs, but also the potential for disruption of supply chains if Donald Trump's mass deportation plans were to take effect. There are estimates from the USDA that show nearly half of all agricultural workers in this country are undocumented, including by at least one count a majority of dairy workers. How is the Trump administration planning to mass deport those workers without disrupting the nation's supply of food? VAN ORDEN: Well, here's what's really been inflationary, the last four years of the radical, out-of-control Biden spending with his Inflation Reduction Act, that's what has caused inflation. And if it means that I have to pay more for guacamole, but fentanyl poison does not come across the Canadian and Mexican border, and our mothers, and sisters, and brothers and daughters aren't poisoned to death by this chemical that's coming across the borders, I'm willing to pay more for guacamole, as is the rest of the United States of America.

And we got to understand that this is not a political statement. It's not a Republican or a Democrat issue or independent or libertarian. We're sick and tired of our children and our neighbors dying from fentanyl poisoning. There's not a single person listening to the show right now that is farther than one degree separated from someone that has died from fentanyl poisoning. And that's exactly what President Trump is getting to with these tariffs.

SANCHEZ: Congressman, I wholeheartedly understand your point about fentanyl poisoning. I myself have friends who served in the U.S. Armed Services who are no longer with us because of it. It is an epidemic, but it doesn't completely answer the question about keeping the food supply chain intact if you're going to deport roughly half of that workforce. How is that going to work?

VAN ORDEN: Let's remember for the first time in the longest time, we are a net importer of foods. So under Biden's war on agriculture, which is what it's been from that war on energy because the input costs are what's incredibly important, and that goes from fuel to seed to nutrients. We have become a net importer of food.

So when we get rid of the disastrous Joe Biden and Kamala Harris Green New Deal war on agriculture, we're going to be able to produce enough food here in the United States for ourselves. When people say food security is national security, it's not some glib little statement that you throw out. It really means something.

If you're incapable as a nation to provide - of providing food for your own country, you are by definition beholden on other nations. And I'm not concerned that we're going to not be able to produce enough food here in the United States. I just simply am not. We have an E- Verify system that is marginally at best functioning, but we'll make sure that we have the folks that are here legally and lawfully here to make sure that we can produce our food.

SANCHEZ: Congressman Derrick Van Orden, we have to leave the conversation there. I can hear some company in the background, so we'll let you enjoy your Thanksgiving.

VAN ORDEN: (INAUDIBLE), hey, listen, Sara Jane and I have 11 grandchildren, and those are three more there. You know what that is, man? That's the sound of joy and it's the sound of freedom. So I hope everybody watching this, I just wish that God would bless you and your families, and you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. And don't forget, you thank a farmer when you say your prayers over your dinner tomorrow night. SANCHEZ: I'm sure the farmers in Wisconsin are thrilled to hear your shout out to them. Congressman Derrick Van Orden, thank you again for the time and Happy Thanksgiving. I look forward to continuing the debate soon.

VAN ORDEN: Yes, sir. You take care.

SANCHEZ: Still to come, the ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah is holding thousands now returning to their homes after months of war. How this is giving hope to some for the future of the Middle East.

SOLOMON: Plus, a Thanksgiving message from space. We are hearing from Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams as they wait for a ride home.

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SUNI WILLIAMS: Greetings from the International Space Station. Our crew up here just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving to all our friends and family who are down on Earth and everyone who is supporting us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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[15:24:13]

SANCHEZ: The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah appears to be holding and sparking new hope for the possibility of peace in Gaza. Right now, thousands of residents displaced by the fighting are heading back to their homes in southern Lebanon, as the truce brings a pause to the bloodshed that's now been going on for more than a year.

SOLOMON: Yes. Over the next 60 days, Israeli forces are expected to withdraw from Lebanese territory, while Hezbollah fighters have to retreat from the Israel-Lebanon border.

Let's bring in CNN's Nic Robertson, who is live for us in Jerusalem, as well as Arlette Saenz who's traveling with President Biden in Nantucket, Massachusetts.

First, let's get to you, Nic. What comes next now for both sides now that this deal is in place?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, here in Israel, I think there's obviously going to be a respite from the Hezbollah rockets and drones.

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They've really become, over the past couple of months, brought a changed reality to the people of central Israel and the north who really hadn't been under this much rocket fire before. Seventy-eight people were killed during the period. Seven hundred and seventy-nine people injured. And in the north - while in Lebanon, there are more than 3,000 killed, more than 13,000 injured. So for both sides, there's a pause in that loss of life. There's a pause in all the injuries. In both communities, north and south of the border, there will be rebuilding. I think there's a greater level of excitement on the Lebanese side for people, because there's more than one million people displaced there, to get to their properties close to the border with Israel. That's going to take a little while. Probably not everyone getting back until the Israeli forces, the IDF pulls out completely.

And I think on the Israeli side, for moving north, it's about 60,000 people that are expected to go back to their homes. But I think there's going to be a greater degree of hesitancy on the Israeli side, because there really isn't, among many people who live in the north, a great degree of confidence that this new deal, this new ceasefire, is that much different to the one 18 years ago, that the Israeli government hammered out with Hezbollah. Because people aren't confident that the UN and the Lebanese army, who are supposed to be moving into place, who are supposed to keep Hezbollah back, there's a low degree of confidence that over time that that is actually going to work.

But I think, where does it go from here? The Prime Minister says that he wants to focus on Iran, and he wants to give the troops a chance to rest. There are troops obviously still in combat in Gaza, and that raises the question you mentioned about a ceasefire there. We're not seeing any political moves at the moment towards a ceasefire in Gaza.

So I think really it's rest and recuperate for the troops, re-equip for the troops and focusing on the occupied West Bank. This is where the prime minister seems to be turning his attention right now.

SANCHEZ: Yes, and also pivoting some of his focus at least to Iran, as he said yesterday. Nic Robertson live in Jerusalem for us. Thank you so much, Nic.

I want to go to CNN White House Correspondent, Arlette Saenz, now.

Arlette, we heard President Biden yesterday draw a direct line between this Israel-Hezbollah deal and his efforts to secure a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza. What are we hearing from President Biden as the ceasefire appears to now be holding?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well Boris, President Biden certainly and his team believe that - or hoping that this ceasefire agreement in Lebanon could be a game changer, could potentially push forward efforts to try to secure a hostage and ceasefire deal in Gaza. It comes as President Biden yesterday said that they would be renewing a push to try to secure such a deal working with countries like Israel, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey to try to hammer out some type of agreement.

Earlier today, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that they really view this as a fresh opportunity because in the United States' eyes, they believe that this ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon really further isolates Hamas, that perhaps this could push Hamas back to the negotiating table as talks to try to achieve a ceasefire deal in Gaza have really stalled out over the course of the past few months.

Now for President Biden, he's expressing a lot of hope that they might be able to achieve that type of ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza, but there are many questions whether that is just wishful thinking or if they can actually turn this into a reality. We know that the President's Middle East coordinator, Brett McGurk, was in Saudi Arabia yesterday to talk about this ceasefire deal in Lebanon, but also the potential for it to unlock negotiations relating to Gaza.

But as you heard Nic talking about there, there so far haven't been any political moves from Israel relating to a ceasefire deal in Gaza. But for President Biden, having the ceasefire in Lebanon, for him, it really is an effort to restore calm in at least one front of this multifaceted war. President Biden argued yesterday that it shows that peace is possible. He said he'll be dedicating his remaining time in office to trying to secure peace on other fronts in the Middle East.

And then there's the also the factor of President-elect Donald Trump. We know when President Biden met with Trump in the Oval Office just about two weeks ago, the two talked about this conflict in the Middle East, specifically trying to get those American hostages back home. The hostage families have been urging for the two sides to work together. So we will see whether there will be any type of coordination in the coming weeks as President Biden is very quite hopeful that he can try to finish off this deal, try to get those loved ones back home before he leaves office.

SANCHEZ: Yes, clearly a point that he's passionate about, as he repeated that refrain yesterday, that peace in the Middle East is possible. Arlette Saenz, live for us in Nantucket. Have a Happy Thanksgiving, Arlette.

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