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Venezuela Condems U.S. Seizure of Oil Tanker; Trump Launches Gold Card Program; Numbers on Noem, Trump and the Immigration Policies; Eileen Higgins is Interviewed about Becoming Maimi's Mayor; First Palisades Home Built after Fires; New Episodes of Variety's Interview Series on CNN. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired December 11, 2025 - 08:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:31:35]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, this morning, officials say a measles outbreak in South Carolina is accelerating, with hundreds of people now in quarantine. The state is reporting dozens of new cases since Friday, with most coming from an exposure at a church.

So, this outbreak began in October. More than 100 cases have been reported in the state so far. Most people -- mostly of the people who were infected were never vaccinated. This comes after a large outbreak in Texas earlier this year.

Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Also this morning, a serious escalation between the United States and Venezuela. U.S. forces rappelling from a helicopter, seizing a tanker off the Venezuelan coast that allegedly was transporting sanctioned oil. The Venezuelan government called the move an act of international piracy. The country's president, though, appears to be trying to deescalate things with the United States. But watch this

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICOLAS MADURO, PRESIDENT, VENEZUELA (singing): Don't worry, be happy. La, la, la, la, la, la, la. Don't worry, be happy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Journalist Stefano Pozzebon is in Caracas with much more on where things are and where things go from here.

I mean you spoke to President Maduro. What did he tell you, Stefano?

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, Kate, I think that the fact that we see Maduro on stage singing "Don't Worry, Be Happy," we shouldn't believe that he is actually not worried. I believe he wants to take the attention away to that escalation that we saw yesterday with the seizure of these oil tankers. It's hard to put into context how much the economy of this country and of the Maduro government in particular are dependent on oil exports. But according to estimates, more than 90 percent of foreign income come from the exports of crude oil.

Now, a big chunk of that, by the way, Kate, still goes to the United States through Chevron, which is a U.S. major, but a lot of it is sold on the black market to countries like Iran, China, Russia and India. And by the way, that tanker, according to sources at the White House, was indeed destined for Iran.

And it's interesting that when I was able to speak with Maduro yesterday, it was only the second time that I've been able to speak with him in more than two months since I've been here in Venezuela this year. I asked him if he had a message for President Trump, and he immediately pivoted on oil.

Now the news of the seizure of the tanker was not -- was not out yet, but he immediately referenced the oil when it came to his message for Trump.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICOLAS MADURO, VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Our message to the people of the United States remains the same, peace. Pace above all else. No to crazy war. No to bloodshed for oil. No to war for oil. The recipe for eternal wars.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POZZEBON: No more wars for oil. It's a -- it's a rhetoric that Maduro has used in the time -- in the past many, many times, accusing the United States of being interested in a regime change, or a regime collapse here in Venezuela, just to put their hands on the Venezuelan oil, which is, of course, Venezuela, sitting on the largest oil reserves in the world.

The fact that the U.S. administration wants now to start seizing these type of tankers is a direct blow to Nicolas Maduro himself, to his finances himself, and definitely something much more hurtful for the leadership of the Venezuelan authoritarian leader than any strike against alleged narco trafficking, both that we've seen in the last -- in the last few weeks.

[08:35:01]

So, clearly, the appetite for escalation from the White House has just gone much, much higher.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Yes and thank you for that context and great getting that interview. Thanks for bringing it to us, Stefano. Really appreciate it.

John. BERMAN: All right, new this morning, the Trump administration has

unveiled a new way for foreigners to speed up their visa applications in the United States as long as they can shell out $1 million. That is the price for the Trump "Gold Card." And companies that want to sponsor and bring in a foreign worker to the United States will need to pay even more.

Let's get to CNN's Alayna Treene at the White House for the latest on this.

So, what's going on here?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, look, John, I mean, this represents a major shift toward wealth based immigration policy. But there's also major legal implications, as well as questions over -- and really an intense debate we're seeing being sparked around the national security implications of this, the legal implications and, of course, the implications for immigration law.

Now, let's just get into some of this. So, the Trump "Gold Card" is being described by the administration as, "a premium pathway to U.S. residency for wealthy foreign nationals," who pay, of course, a hefty fee. And the website essentially says that these applicants who are successful could see their immigration and their visas be approved in record time. They said perhaps just a week.

Now, this gold program is offering a $15,000 application fee and then paying $1 million in order to get that type of status. And if you go on to look at what they are saying, in addition to just the "Gold Card," they're also offering now a "Corporate Gold Card." And essentially, that would be employers sponsoring their employees by paying also a $15,000 application fee and then $2 million to have that type of status to expedite their visa.

Now, if approved, I think this is important to note out, if approved, the applicants would receive lawful, permanent resident status as an EB-1 or EB-2 visa holder. And just explain what that is. It's essentially employment-based visas that are awarded to individuals who typically would have, quote, "extraordinary or exceptional abilities."

And to break this all down, this is something that is not entirely new. The president and the administration has been talking about this for months now. Trump actually signed an executive order approving this program back in September. But this is actually the formal launch of this event.

And there's something new as well that we saw on the website that the Trump administration is promising. And this is this idea of a platinum card. Again, also, having the president's likeness, his image on these cards. Essentially this platinum card would offer a $5 million contribution. So, essentially, if you pay $5 million, that would allow the successful applicants to spend up to 270 days in the United States without being subject to non-U.S. income taxes, which is quite a departure from what we've seen for residents who are staying in the United States on some of these visas. Now, just to be clear, breaking this all down, there are, again, major

critics and -- who are criticizing this, but also noting the legal implications. Some are saying that this is unfair, it's not ethical. It's creating a two-tiered system of immigration policy that would really favor wealthy individuals. Legal experts are also saying, essentially, that a lot of this would likely need to be approved by Congress. So, we could see some challenges to this program. But important to note, because it is officially rolling out and we're starting to see some applicants come in.

BERMAN: Yes. Congress has not wanted to get involved or challenge the president in any way on much else. So, we'll see what happens here.

Alayna Treene, thank you very much.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Especially in the realm of immigration, right? Yes.

That "Gold Card" program is just one of the latest moves on immigration by the Trump administration. The president's immigration crackdown is, as we know, the centerpiece, really, of his second term so far. And nearly one year in, how are Americans feeling about the administration, about President Trump's point person on immigration, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem?

CNN's Harry Enten is here. He's been running the numbers on this.

Harry, how do -- what do people think? How do people feel about Kristi Noem right now, in general?

HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Yes. What are we talking about here? We're talking wire to wire in terms of negative ratings. Negative ratings for the DHS secretary.

Kristi Noem's net popularity in the last year. I looked at all the polls. Not a single one of them, not a single one of them had her net popularity rating in the positive territory. All of them -- all of them had them in the negative. The last ones I was looking at had her in the negative double digits. It's actually only become worse as Americans have gotten to know Noem and, of course, being the point person for Trump's deportation program.

BOLDUAN: How about the administration's deportation program, in general?

ENTEN: Yes. OK. So, if she's the point person for it, right?

BOLDUAN: Yes.

ENTEN: What are we talking about in terms of the actual policy? And I think that this kind of gives the game away here, which is, take a look here, Trump's -- the net approval rating for the Trump -- Trump admin's program on immigrant deportation.

[08:40:01] In February, look at this, it was sky high at plus 18 points. But as the program has gotten underway, as Americans have been seeing what has been going on, seeing all those deportations, it has gone way, way down. We're talking about now underwater at minus four points. And more than that, you look at the center of the electorate. You look at independence. That was in the positive territory at the beginning of the Trump term back in February. We're talking about plus 18 points among independents. Now, Kate Bolduan, get this, it is way underwater at minus 16 points as I look at that little note that I have to myself.

So, the bottom line is this, Americans started off with high promises for Trump's immigration deportation program. But as it's gone underway, as Americans have seen it, they have turned against it. And those in the center of the electorate, those who determine elections, have really gone against it on something that, of course, Donald Trump ran on in 2024. His main -- one of the main centerpieces of his campaign and now his administration, Americans, simply put, don't like it.

BOLDUAN: And one of the things that was also the centerpiece of the conversation around this is who is actually being deported. You've heard the messaging from the administration. There have been obviously many other stories that it is far broader than just the hardened criminals that they said they were targeting. Who do Americans think are actually being deported?

ENTEN: Yes. OK. So, that, I think, is the key question. Why is this number now negative four points in terms of the net approval rating on the immigrant deportation program? And it is because, simply put, the American people, the bare majority, but still a majority, aren't buying what the Trump administration is saying. OK. Trump administration is prioritizing deporting who? Dangerous Criminals. Back in June, that was the leader at 53 percent. But look now, in the latest poll that we have from CBS News/YouGov, in fact, the 52 percent, the majority, say it is not dangerous criminals. They are not prioritizing deporting dangerous criminals. And so, therefore, the Trump case falls apart on deportation. And that is why the American people have turned against the program. The Trump administration is losing the messaging war on this one.

BOLDUAN: And that really explains that drop that you saw.

ENTEN: Yes, it is huge.

BOLDUAN: That totally says --

ENTEN: That's a huge drop, over a 20-point drop.

KV: Yes. Yes. Thanks so much, Harry.

ENTEN: Thank you.

BOLDUAN: Important context around it all.

John. BERMAN: All right, for the first time this century, the city of Miami

has elected a Democrat as mayor. Eileen Higgins won her race by 19 points against a candidate backed by President Trump. And that was an 18-point swing in the city from the presidential election.

With us now is the mayor-elect of Miami, Eileen Higgins.

Thank you so much for being with us, Mayor-elect.

First time in 30 years a Democrat is going to be mayor of Miami. As I said, about an 18-point swing in the city from the Democratic election -- from the presidential election. So, why? How'd you do it?

EILEEN HIGGINS (D), MIAMI MAYOR-ELECT: Well, I have served for eight years now on the county commission. I served about a third of the city. And so, the residents here know me. They know me very well. They know that I have a track record of building affordable housing, accelerating drainage projects and building rapid transit.

So, I came with that track record. And we have a city that is notorious for corruption. They wanted that to end. Of course, I've served with integrity, with no scandals for the past eight years, so they trusted me.

But this year, there's a lot going on that is creating a lot of fear in our community, especially the politics of trickle-down hatred when our federal government is speaking about our immigrant population. And our population here is primarily from other places.

BERMAN: In Florida, obviously, elections the last several cycles have favored Republicans, including President Trump, who have been in the Republican electorate, including the Latino vote there, has been supportive of his policies largely. So, what do you think has shifted in the last year?

HIGGINS: Well, when I've been talking to residents, you can't go to a community meeting where you don't speak to someone. They come up and they whisper to you. My brother, my uncle, Alligator Alcatraz, we don't know where he is. He was -- just disappeared. And that terrifies people.

And then, of course, just close to a month ago we saw temporary protected status eliminated for our Venezuelan residents. In Miami- Dade County, so larger than the city, we have about 100,000 Venezuelan immigrants. And they all lost their ability to work. I was speaking to a gentleman, has a health clinic, received notice from the federal government. He had to immediately fire 27 employees. That's 27 families without a breadwinner and a health clinic that's' missing 27 people to serve clients and patients. This is not only cruel and inhumane, but it's also really, really bad for our economy.

[08:45:02]

BERMAN: Other Democrats running across the country the last several months have been focusing on affordability. How big of a role do you think that played? HIGGINS: Well, affordability is the top issue in people's mind here.

That was why I'm convinced I won this election. It is because of my ruthless focus on building affordable housing, accelerating the permitting process for affordable housing, de-bureaucratizing the whole building of housing here in my role as county commissioner. And so, people trusted me to do the same at the city, because that is top of mind.

BERMAN: So --

HIGGINS: So, that was going to drive me over the finish line. But the immigration thing made that gap even stronger.

BERMAN: So, the combination of the two. And maybe this is unique to Miami, where you are going to be -- where you serve now and will be serving as mayor. But elections are copycat endeavors, right? And I imagine there will be a lot of Democrats running for a lot of offices around the country who might call you in the next weeks and months and say, you know, Mayor-elect Higgins, you know, what do I do? What do I do? What can you teach me about how to win in my congressional district or city? What would you say?

HIGGINS: Well, first of all, you've got to do what you say. And I've done that for eight years on the county commission. I said I was going to expand mass transit. I got federal funds for two new transit lines. I said I was going to build affordable housing. I built thousands of units. I said I was going to support small business. I've supported them. We've launched new funds for access to capital.

So, residents need to know that you serve them. You're going to deliver for them. And then what that means is you build a broad coalition. To become mayor of the city of Miami, you cannot just have Democrats voting for you. You need Democrats, you need Republicans, and independents. And to bring that broad coalition together, your actions have to speak louder than words. So, focus on results, get things done for the people, the things that matter for them, and they will honor you with their vote.

BERMAN: Mayor-elect Eileen Higgins from the city of Miami, we appreciate you being with us this morning. Thank you so much.

All right, a suspected drunk driver arrested for driving on the wrong side of the highway. She told police she was just following her GPS.

And a skydiver's parachute gets caught on the plane's wing moments after jumping out. Yikes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:51:56]

BERMAN: All right, breaking news and swirling questions this morning after the University of Michigan fired its head football coach, Sherrone Moore, for alleged inappropriate relationship with a staff member. And hours after that, he ended up in jail. Now, it's not immediately clear why Moore was detained, although local police said in a statement they responded to a report of an alleged assault investigation. And it is not clear what, if any, charges he could be facing. But again, just a stunning series of developments there, first getting fired, then ending up in jail.

A Missouri state trooper stopped a suspected drunk driver who was driving on the wrong side of the highway. The trooper tried to get the driver's attention. When he realized she was not listening to his warnings, he made a u-turn and drove into her car to stop it. The driver reportedly told the trooper she had been drinking.

A skydiver in Australia got stuck on a plane wing just after jumping. You can see it there. The chute gets stuck on the wing. He had to cut himself free. Lucky for him, that chute that was caught was the reserve parachute. He was able to land after cutting himself off. And that must have been something going through that. He was able to land using the main parachute, suffering only minor injuries. Now, authorities did find the pilot and aircraft operator did not make sure the aircraft was properly loaded and balanced, but that did not contribute to the accident, they say.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: It is -- that is crazy video, right?

BERMAN: Yes.

BOLDUAN: This morning, nearly a year after the devastating Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, people there are still picking up the pieces. One sign of progress, though, the city has just issued its first certificate of occupancy to a newly built home in that community.

And CNN's Nick Watt has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: New house smell. That's kind of encouraging.

WATT (voice over): Because within a year of the most destructive fire in the history of L.A., the first certificate of occupancy was issued for a rebuild in the Palisades.

WATT: Wow! Wow! Wow!

WATT (voice over): A major priority, making sure all this doesn't burn down again.

WATT: So, that's not wood?

STEVE SCHLAGETER, COO, THOMAS JAMES HOMES: It's not. It's cement and fibers that hold it together. You'll also notice up in the eaves, those little nozzles.

WATT: Yes.

SCHLAGETER: Will, in the case of a fire, douse the house with either water or a fire retardant. There are sprinklers that pop up on the roof and douse the roof like a lawn system.

The other thing that we've added is the six-foot aluminum fence around the entire perimeter.

WATT (voice over): He's CEO of the developer that bought this lot last November to tear down, rebuild and sell. Then it burned down. So, they built this as a show home.

SCHLAGETER: And so the people who are thinking, like, what do I do? Do I want to build again? Do I want to move? Do I want to sell my lot? It gives them an idea of what's possible out here.

WATT (voice over): Four thousand square feet, four beds, four and a half baths, walk in his and hers closets.

WATT: Did you ever think, you know what, we're going to move to Florida?

JIM HUSER, PACIFIC PALISADES RESIDENT: Never.

SUSAN HUSER, PACIFIC PALISADES RESIDENT: Our community was here. You know, our church, our friends, our kids, our kids' friends.

WATT (voice over): Susan and Jim Huser have asked these developers to build on the lot where they lived 28 years. They miss the view.

[08:55:07]

WATT: When are they going to break ground?

S. HUSER: Well, they've started grading. Our permits are already --

J. HUSER: Last week.

S. HUSER: Are already approved.

WATT (voice over): Some people, like the old neighbors, are selling up. Plenty others, still fighting insurance companies for the money to rebuild or wrapped up in red tape.

J. HUSER: When we talk to other people who are waiting for a year and a half, two years, we feel like we're on the speedy train.

WATT (voice over): The city has streamlined the permitting process, near tripling the speeds says the mayor.

WATT: Is it streamlined?

SCHLAGETER: It's better. Yes, it's certainly better than it was pre- fire.

WATT (voice over): But so much to rebuild. More than 9,000 structures were destroyed in the Eaton Fire to the east, nearly 7,000 structures in the Palisades Fire, 1,200 construction permits issued here so far, a shade over 340 projects actually underway in what was one of the most beautiful and tranquil corners of this city. Less tranquil right now. Still beautiful.

SCHLAGETER: I think when people are displaced, they just want to get home. Even if it's a bit of a construction zone, it's still home.

WATT: There's a lot of work going on, but there's a lot of work to be done.

J. HUSER: Yes.

S. HUSER: Yes. It's going to be a while before there's a real community here again.

J. HUSER: Getting the supermarkets back and the drugstores and the library and all that, that's going to take years.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: It is nice to see the process beginning at least.

All right, a brand-new episode of "Actors on Actors" premieres in moments exclusively on the CNN app. This one brings together Sydney Sweeney, you might have heard of her, and Ethan Hawke.

CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister has the latest.

Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Hey, John, good morning.

So, this was a really interesting conversation. Maybe not a conventional pairing, but I was on set as production was going on. And I have to tell you, the conversation is really fascinating.

Now, Sydney Sweeney getting rave reviews for the biopic "Christy," in which she plays Christy Martin, the famous female boxer.

Let's take a look at a clip from the conversation where she tells Ethan Hawke about doing her own stunts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SYDNEY SWEENEY, ACTRESS: I got a concussion, though.

ETHAN HAWKE, ACTOR: You did?

SWEENEY: I did.

HAWKE: You said that with pride. You said, like --

SWEENEY: I was proud of it.

HAWKE: You were?

SWEENEY: Yes. I loved the fighting sequences in the movie. HAWKE: Tell me about them.

SWEENEY: About them. We actually took all the real fights from Christy's real life. So, every fight that you saw in the movie was the exact combinations that she had in those fights. And then I told all the stunt girls, I was like, I really want to be hit. And they were down for me to hit them. So, everything you see, we were just going at each other. There were bloody noses. It was real.

HAWKE: It's kind of fun to know that you're not as fragile as we think we are.

SWEENEY: Yes, you can take a lot.

HAWKE: Yes, we're tougher than we think we are as human beings.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WAGMEISTER: Now, of course, Ethan Hawke had to ask Sydney Sweeney about "Euphoria." You didn't think that they would not talk about that show. So, let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAWKE: What was "Euphoria" like?

SWEENEY: I think "Euphoria" was the beginning of everything for me. Cassie is a very emotional and heart-driven character, and so I had to be very free with every choice that I made. I had to not question myself. I had to just, like, dive in, make crazy decisions and not judge what I was doing. And the more and more I did it, I just wrapped season three, I am so thankful for it because I'm so free in all my choices.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WAGMEISTER: Now, season three is coming, John, in the spring of 2026. So, I'm a fan. Very excited for that.

But look, after all of the actors filmed their conversations, I was right off the set to catch up further with them. And when I spoke to Ethan Hawke and Sydney Sweeney, Ethan actually was talking about how his daughter was so inspired by this movie, "Christy." They also talk about this in their conversation, which you said is now on the CNN app.

But Sydney Sweeney was really so touched and she spoke to me about how this film in particular has really touched women of all ages around the world. And for that she is so grateful because she's hoping that's exactly what this film "Christy" would do.

BERMAN: It is so cool that you got to be there to see them filming all of this, to watch these discussions take place.

"Euphoria" makes me feel old. I tried -- I tried to watch. My wife, who's much younger than I am, watches and seems to understand it. But, yes, it's a -- it's a tough one.

WAGMEISTER: I'm glad that that's not what my high school experience was like, John, that's for sure. It's a tough watch, but it's so good. And people have been waiting for a very, very long time for it to come back.

[09:00:00]

So, very excited for season three. But as you see with Sydney Sweeney and also Jacob Elordi, who was in one of our other conversations of "Actors on Actors," this entire cast from