Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Airport Security in Egypt under Scrutiny; University of Missouri Football Players Boycotting Games; Climate Change and World Poverty Examined; Ben Carson Stikes Back at Media; Senior US Official Claims Bomb in Russian Airliner Crash "All But Certain". Aired 3-4a ET

Aired November 09, 2015 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:05:01]

ERROL BARNETT, CNN INTERNATIONAL NEWSROOM HOST: Airport security is now under scrutiny in Egypt after the Metrojet crash, and it comes as the U.S. grows even more certain that a bomb brought the plane down.

Meanwhile, waits for the results in a historic election, and don't quit your day job, Donald Trump tries his hand at comedy, but the reviews are mixed.

Welcome to our viewers here in the states and to those of you watching all around the world. I am Errol Barnett. Thanks so much for joining me. This is CNN Newsroom.

Egypt's airports are under intense scrutiny even as authorities there insist it is still too soon to say what caused the crash of Metrojet flight 9268. There is growing consensus among investigators in the U.S. that a bomb bought down a airliner, and some American lawmakers say it reflects a massive vulnerability for civil aviation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADAM SCHIFF, U.S. HOUSE DEMOCRAT: ISIS may have concluded that the best way to defeat airport defenses is not to go through them, but to go around them with the help of somebody on the inside. And if that's the case, I think there are probably at least a dozen airports in the region and beyond that are vulnerable to the same kind of approach, which is exactly why we have to harden those defenses.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Adam Schiff is a League Member of the House Intelligence Committee. He said if a security breach could happen in an Egyptian airport, it could happen in the U.S.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCHIFF: This is a problem here at home, when we test the TSA, they fail, and I think we really need to step up our security here. But I do think, George, with this, if there is a bomb by the affiliate of ISIS in the Sinai, ISIS has fully eclipsed Al Qaeda as the gravest terrorist threat in the world. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: The latest on the plane crash from Russia, our Nic Robertson will join us in moments from St. Petersburg. But we begin with Ian Lee in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Ian, Egyptian officials at this point, they still seem reluctant to put the blame on a single bomb, but tell us what we know for sure about the plane's last moment and what the potential causes could be.

IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Errol, in the last moments of the plane, you can hear from the voice recorder a loud bang, now U.S. and U.K. officials believe that this is an explosion from a bomb, they are fairly certain. When Egyptian officials are saying it is still too soon to tell, they are saying it could be an engine exploding or it could be a battery exploding. They say they aren't sure. We are hearing though from U.S. officials that the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the FBI may lend some support to the Egyptians to help determine what brought this plane down.

One example they said was they could help them analyze this sound to determine exactly what it is. There's still an ongoing investigation on the ground to find any sort of debris and evidence of the bomb there, but still at this hour, there's a lot of scrutiny about the security at Egyptian airports, Russia has a team on the ground here not just in Sharm El Sheikh airport behind me, but also in Cairo and other airports around the country to make that it is safe to resume normal operations, normal procedures.

BARNETT: Now ISIS-linked groups in the Sinai Peninsula are among the key suspects here, but what kind of challenges would fighting with militants there pose?

LEE: Well, ISIS is in the northern part of the Sinai, and it has been an incredibly deadly -- the militant group rose after the 2011 revolution, but really unleashed its wave of terror after the 2013 overthrow of the Islamist President Mohammad Morse. But they have been fairly confined to the northern part of the country, not able to penetrate the south. CNN got an exclusive interview with three tribal leaders who explained why.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEE: This harsh landscape is the new front line in the battle against ISIS. And the men defending it are not soldiers or police, they are Bedouin tribes, nomads, who have ruled the Sinai for centuries. We traveled dusty, bumpy roads to find them.

[03:05:01]

We meet three from three different tribes who tell us they directly confronted ISIS, drawing a line in the sand.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We stopped ISIS more than 20 times, we went out with more than 50 cars and kicked them back. We didn't shoot one bullet, because if one bullet was shot there would be a war. LEE: The Bedouin accomplished something that billions of dollars in

weapons couldn't, they stopped ISIS expanding from the northern part of Sinai to here in the south without shedding any blood.

ISIS' Egyptian offshoot is already one of the most dangerous. It has killed hundreds of soldiers and police officers in northern Sinai. And it is trying to expand. Sinai is a desert to the north is flat, the south covered in mountains, and that's why ISIS wants to push south, so that they can use this rocky, mountainous terrain for cover, while fighting the guerilla war. Their cousins in the north face a dilemma, they want to fight ISIS, but if they are caught with weapons, the Egyptian army might see them as militants. If they help the army, terrible retribution, here, ISIS beheads alleged army collaborators, but these men are ready to take that risk, even though their communities in Sinai have long been marginalized by government in far off Cairo.

The Bedouins reject ISIS' twisted version of Islam and its invasion of their lands.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The tribes could defeat ISIS, if the government came and gave us arms and said, fight ISIS, they would fight ISIS, says this tribal leader. They would finish them completely.

And they are ready for battle to save their families, their honor, and their age-old way of life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEE: Well, Errol, these tribal leaders have told me that while they are ready to fight ISIS, they do need those weapons. But there has been a lot of mistrust between Cairo and the Bedouin tribes. The Bedouins say they do support the army in their operations, but if they were given the word to go ahead and clear out ISIS from the Sinai, they said they are more than happy to do it.

BARNETT: So there you have it, those Bedouin men ready to act. And of course, they know the terrain and the topography so very well. That's our Ian Lee, live for us in Sharm El Sheikh.

We cross now to our International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson in St. Petersburg, Russia, that is the destination for the Metrojet flight. Nic, no matter what the cause was of this disaster, hundreds of lives were lost and families there of course, devastated, but I am wondering if people see ISIS as possible or do they blame the Russian government in any way for its intervention in Syria.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: At the moment, Errol, it really seems to be a case of people are just beginning to take stock that this could possibly be a terrorist event. This is the something that the government here has pushed back on, perhaps because of political sensitivity, it certainly doesn't want to link the downing of the Metrojet 9268 with the military campaign it is fighting inside Syria, so perhaps that's why people are beginning to grapple with that. We're just learning today, that 100 bodies now, victims aboard that plane have been identified, more bodies arrived back in St. Petersburg on a plane from Egypt on Sunday.

It was also a memorial service here, perhaps providing some solace for some of the victims' families.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: Amidst the rich splendor of Russia's Christian orthodox tradition, mourners young and old came to show their respects, came together in the face of calamity.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a horrible tragedy for all of Russia, family of those people. ROBERTSON: Bells tolled for each of the victims, 224 times, for a

ten-month-old, (Inaudible) for her parents Alexi and Tatiana. For Leonard and Alexander, whose friends believe became engaged in Sharm El Sheikh. For 32-year-old Darius Schiller, whose body has yet to be found, for Miller, a 33-year-old businessman, and so many more, the congregation dwarfed in the cavernous cathedral still grappling with the enormity of the growing likelihood terrorism brought the plane down.

[03:10:01]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A machine in the air. No terrorist.

ROBERTSON: This longtime St. Petersburg resident, not so sure.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it will be proved at some point that it was a terrorist attack, she tells us. So of course, I am worried. We are all worried.

ROBERTSON: Whatever the truth, few here think it will impact the government's offensive in Syria.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think the government will follow the line they have chosen already.

ROBERTSON: That it was hundreds, not thousands here surprising given that this is the countries deadliest ever air disaster, an apparent direct targeting of its citizens by oversea terrorists, a potential game-changer.

Such a moment in this nation's history, its leaders are conspicuous by their absence, President Putin is not here. Leadership for this day at least is being left to God. A temporary glitch, a pause perhaps in the continuum of Russian politics as their leaders ponder their next move.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: Well, another imperative for the politicians here is to get those was close to 80,000 Russian tourists that have been stranded in Egypt to get them back over. Over the weekend, 15,000 have been brought back to Russia. We are also learning this morning that President Putin has gone to the southern coastal resort of Sochi. He'll be spending the week in conference with the defense chiefs and the leaders of the armaments industry, perhaps planning his future campaigns, Errol.

BARNETT: Perhaps a bit of a symbolism in that. Nic Robertson, live for us in St. Petersburg, Russia, and our thanks to Ian Lee, live for us in Sharm El Sheikh this morning as well.

Now, Russian bloggers say they have spotted Russian soldiers in areas of Syria that have seen heavy fighting. They group reportedly used photos on social media to geo-locate three current Russian soldiers. The bloggers say they don't have proof the soldiers have been involved in ground fighting, but they suggest that Russia's involvement in Syria goes beyond just an air campaign.

Now I want to get you new information out of Myanmar, where millions of votes are being can counted right now following the country's historic election. Results are expected early this week and anticipation is already growing. Our Ivan Watson joins us now with the latest from the country's largest city of Yangon. And Ivan, as we said here, there is such enthusiasm and optimism ahead of this election, it could truly could represent a turning point for the country, so just explain the importance of the outcome of this Democratic vote.

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. I mean there's great deal of anticipation, Errol, because this was the first openly contested national parliamentary election in 25 years, so there's a great deal of anticipation as people are waiting for the election commission to announce the final results. The preliminary statements that we are starting to get from some of the different political parties that competed in the election, suggest that it did not go very well for the ruling political party, the USDP Party, which enjoys the backing of the military that have long dominated this country for more than half a century.

The acting chairman of the USDP, Tai Ou has given a number of on- camera interviews, in which we heard him, say "We have a higher percentage of losses than wins." And he went on to say that he himself have lost his own bid for a seat in parliament, which suggests again, that this has not been a good election for the ruling political party. Now we also talked to some officials from the main opposition party of Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and her National League for Democracy, and some of them claiming some big wins in this election. But some of the math is very important here, Errol. This is not entirely a reelection.

The military has the constitutional right to appoint 25 percent to the seats in the next parliament. And that means if the opposition party wants to win a majority of seats, it has to win at least two-thirds of the seats that are up for grabs right now. In any election in the world, that would have to be a massive margin for Aung San Suu Kyi's party to win by, and it is quite a serious handicap that her party will be working against. So even though we are getting signs that the ruling party has not done well, even its chairman hasn't won his election bid, we still don't know the margin by which some of the opposition parties may have performed at, Errol.

[03:15:01] BARNETT: So much on the line here. We want to wait until all of those votes are counted, many of them coming from rural areas as well. So it may take some time to get the official number, Ivan Watson, live for us in Yangon, Myanmar, a quarter to three in the afternoon there. Ivan, thank you.

Now, Croatia's conservative opposition party is claiming victory in the country's first parliamentary elections since it joined the European Union back in 2013. The early results from Sunday's voting show the conservatives won 61 seats in parliament, and the ruling sent a left party won 53. The conservatives are expected to begin talks soon to build a coalition government.

Two police officers are facing murder charges for the death of a young boy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's the most disturbing thing I have seen. Now I will leave it at that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Coming up, the evidence that investigators say led to the officers' arrests.

And football players at a U.S. university are boycotting upcoming games after a series of race-related incidents. What they are demanding, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:20:01]

BARNETT: African-American football players at the University of Missouri say they are boycotting all games. They will not play, and they're a growing call for the school system President to step down. They say Tim Wolf has been negligent in his response to racial incidents on the campus. In August, a swastika was drawn with feces on a dormitory wall, leading to angry protests.

In a statement on Sunday, Wolf said he's dedicated to ongoing dialogue to address these very complex societal issues. But one student is continuing a hunger strike demanding Wolf's removal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JONATHAN BUTLER, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI GRADUATE STUDENT: So I am in this because it is that serious. We are dealing with humanity here, and at this point, we can't afford to continue to work with individuals who just don't care for their constituents. And when you see what's happening on campus now, with the racial incidents, the instance with graduate health insurance, and everything else that's going on, we just have leadership that doesn't care about its student body.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Now for his part, Wolf says the University will unveil its diversity and inclusion strategy next April.

A community in Louisiana is mourning the death of a 6-year-old boy, and now two police officers face murder charges for killing him. Investigators are trying to figure out what led up to the fatal shooting. CNN's Nick Valencia is there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was just an innocent little boy.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Nearly a week since the death of Jeremy Mardis, there are still two big questions, why would law enforcement chase the boy's father down a dead-end road, and why would they use lethal force? The boy was buckled in the passenger seat of his father's car when police opened fire. He was hit five times in the chest and the head. His father, Chris Few, was also hit and wounded.

MICHAEL EDMONSON, LOUISIANA STATE POLICE: Jeremy Mardis, six-years- old, he didn't deserve to die like that, and that's what unfortunate.

VALENCIA: Days after the shooting, the head of Louisiana State Police announced two marshals face second degree murder, and attempted murder charges, 32 year old Derek Stafford and 23 year old Norris Greenhouse Jr. taken into custody and placed on administrative leave. The incident was captured on police body cameras.

EDMONSON: I'm not going to talk about, but I'm going to tell you this. It is the most disturbing thing I have seen. And I will leave it at that.

VALENCIA: Two other marshals were also present during the shooting. Stafford and Greenhouse so far the only two arrested.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He had his wings on -- and now he's soaring in heaven.

VALENCIA: Roxanne (Inaudible) was Jeremy's Special Needs Teacher, the child was nonverbal autistic. He was one of her favorite students. She specially loved the way his eyes lit up when he smiled.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He loved class. I sent all of the pictures that we have to the family members, they have mementoes, and he loved dress up centers we have -- pretend play. He was an awesome boy.

VALENCIA: At a nearby convenience store, Rudy and Wally says, he heard gun shots on the way home from work. He says he knows the officers well.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are cool people, they ain't bad, sir. They never did anything bad.

VALENCIA: In fact, neither marshal has been convicted of a crime. But according to local news reports, in 2011, Stafford was indicted on two counts of aggravated rape, the case was eventually dismissed. Both marshals are expected to make their first court appearance on Monday. Nick Valencia, CNN, Marksville Louisiana.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Fifteen years from now, 100 million more of the world's population could be forced into poverty, this is a result of climate change. This according to a new report from the World Bank, which points to the increased threat of floods, droughts, and disease, the report says eradicating poverty will be essentially impossible if the effects of global warming aren't taken into account. A World Bank executive said ending poverty and tackling climate change are the defining issues of our generation.

Now California ski resorts are beginning to open their doors after recent heavy snows blanketed the regions slopes, and given the states' horrible drought conditions, that's pretty good news. Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri joins us now with more details on that, Pedram.

[03:25:01]

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is fantastic news. You know lot of these ski resorts typically would open later into November. Recent years, a bad season it has been across this portion of the world when it comes to snowfall in general. There's the 100 percent line, 5 percent of normal. That is how much we had in the way of accumulating snow across at least parts of the sierras. Take a look at the perspective, this time last month, the snow levels were 30 percent lower, about .9 percent, we are up to about 31 percent in the snow coverage area from Bishop, Mammoth Lake, 24 to 36 inches of snow depth across this region at this hour and it is improving very, very quickly.

Another storm system coming in, with it higher elevation snowfall, we are talking about decent accumulations up and down the I-5 corridor. Another storm comes in later on Monday, into Tuesday, so you would winter weather advisories locked in across this region with additional accumulation. Upwards of 12 to 18 inches when it comes to the snowfall department over that area, certainly fantastic news. Across parts of the southeastern U.S., it has been the opposite in the way of moisture and rainfall across this region, a lot of it across the southeast.

In fact, the Atlanta metro region has seen a lot of rain, it has rained every day except the day before Halloween. The rain locked in across the southeast. Atlanta, rain coming down, it looks like it is going continue if the El Nino continues to hold a firm grip.

BARNETT: It changes the mood, you can't go out running. All right, thanks very much.

Still to come here on CNN Newsroom, Israel's Prime Minister and the U.S. President often don't see eye to eye, but they'll try to put those feelings aside in the coming hours when they meet face to face. Also ahead, Republican Candidate Ben Carson is hitting back at the

media for what he calls unfair treatment, and rival Donald Trump has something to say about how Carson is handling it all. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:30:18]

BARNETT: A big welcome back to those of you watching here in the states and everyone tuned in around the world. This is CNN Newsroom. I am Errol Barnett. Here are your headlines.

A senior U.S. official tells CNN it is all but certain that a bomb took down Russia's Metrojet flight 9268, killing all 224 people. Sources say Israel has passed along intercepts of ISIS chatter, Egypt says it's too soon to conclude a bomb was on the plane.

In Myanmar, ballots are being counted from the country's historic election, millions of people went to the polls on Sunday and many are hoping that the military will lose some of its power after decades of tight control. Results are expected early this week.

Dozens of African-American football players at the University of Missouri are calling for the school system's President to resign, they are striking over his response to racial incidents on that campus. In a statement Sunday, the President said he wants to improve students' experiences there at the school.

Now, we want to get to Washington, where the White House is preparing for Monday's visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. U.S. President Barack Obama and Mr. Netanyahu will try to set aside tensions over the Iran nuclear deal in order to discuss U.S. defense aid to Israel. Let's bring in CNN Correspondent Oren Lieberman for more on this. He joins us live from Jerusalem, Oren, they may not be best bros but the U.S. and Israel do share a special geopolitical relationship. So what's likely to be negotiated Monday?

OREN LIEBERMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the aftermath of the Iran nuclear deal will certainly be tops on the agenda for Prime Minister Netanyahu. He criticized the deal up until the deal was done. Now he knows that deal is a fact, and he's focusing on the future, and the primary focus for him there is that U.S. military aid package. Right now, it is about $3 billion a year. It is set to expire in 2018. This is chance for Prime Minister Netanyahu to lobby for a larger package, 4 perhaps even $5 billion a year. It won't happen that quickly. It is a long process. But Netanyahu can begin pushing for that added military aid.

We know and we have seen in the past the sort of military aid, including fighter jets and weapons that the U.S. has given Israel, and we know that Israel is set to receive the U.S.' latest fighter jet, the F35. So again, this is a chance for Netanyahu to keep pushing to increase that deal in the wake of the Iran nuclear deal, now, of course, what will also be on Netanyahu's agenda will be the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Three alleged attacks in the west bank yesterday, one more this morning. So Netanyahu could announce what measures he is willing to take

towards the Palestinians. As they try to ease that tension and put an end to that violence. Errol, there was perhaps a bit of hope that it was trailing off. We saw relatively quiet days, but these recent attacks dashing that hope. So it's certain to be two big items on the agenda there, one the aftermath of the Iran nuclear deal, and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

BARNETT: Yeah, we always say when world leaders meet, to be a fly on the wall on the White House when Netanyahu and Obama -- really think to each other. Oren Lieberman, live for us in Jerusalem this morning, thanks.

U.S. Republican Presidential Candidate Ben Carson is lashing out at the media, calling some of the coverage of his campaign sick, calling some of it stupid. This comes in response to news outlets questioning how accurate he's been in writing about incidents in his past. On NBC's Meet the Press, Carson said no other politician has been subjected to this type of scrutiny.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Vetting is a normal part of the process, did you not expect this?

BEN CARSON, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have always said that I expect to be vetted. But being vetted, and what is going with me, you said this 30 years ago, you said this 20 years ago, this didn't exist. You know I have not seen that with anyone else.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: President Obama had a bit of a tough time, right, when he was running, does he not remember that. Now rival Donald Trump is weighing in on this issue, speaking to CNN's Jake Tapper. Trump says time will tell how Carson's campaign will get through all of this scrutiny. But Trump also implied that he had a hard believing Carson's story about attempting to stab a friend in his youth only to have the knife break when Carson hit a belt buckle, listen.

[03:35:01]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't really know. It is a lot of things. When you say hitting your mother over the head with a hammer, and you know, and you talk about stabbing someone and it got stopped by a belt buckle, which you know belt buckles don't stop stabbing. Pretty lucky if that happened. He talked about him having a pathological disease, that's a serious statement when you say you have pathological disease, because as I understand it, you can't really cure it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Now, we've got two political commentators to help us discuss some of the biggest headlines in the political world right now.

Ben Ferguson joins us from Dallas, Texas, he is a CNN Political Commentator, you see him at the center of the screen, and Elaine Heard joins us from Mesquite, Nevada, a CNN Political Commentator and writer, Editor of Let's Talk, Nevada. Welcome to you both. We should establish that we still have a full year until Election Day here in the U.S., and we got so much time before Americans really start paying close attention to this race. So I am wondering what issue do you think will determine the winner ultimately, is it the economy, could it be climate change, or perhaps ISIS and Syria? Elaine, let's start with you.

ELAINE HEARD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think that people are very concerned about what's going on in the Middle East, and I think anything could happen over there. I think it is an explosive situation and that is the wild card. I think we know how people stand on climate change, we know what the issues are on immigration. I think the wild card is the Middle East and anything could happen there.

BARNETT: And Ben, what do you make of that, because we now have a Russian aircraft potentially brought down by ISIS, which candidate on Republican side would foreign policy benefit.

BEN FERGUSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think -- one of the things that you see among the leaders in the GOP right now, they all seem to agree that we should be doing more to attack ISIS and go after ISIS. And also should be doing more to push Russia out of Syria on the front of Assad. And I that is something that they have all seemed to understand and agree on, and people seem to be connecting with them. So I think that will be a pivotal point in this election -- where something climate change is much more political. I think when it comes to national security, we are seeing -- you know, an issue that many people were tired about talking about and dealing with.

In 2008, when Barack Obama ran for President, we are seeing that same issue come up in a very big way, especially with ISIS and the possibility of this plane coming down, but also how well funded they are compared to Al Qaeda. As we see them grow in the Middle East and the way they are growing with influence around the world, that's something that both candidates on both sides...

BARNETT: Interesting on the Republican's side to see how the outsiders make voters believe they are best to handle foreign policy, speaking of those outsiders, Ben Carson currently in this news cycle saying he's being attacked by the media over inconsistencies in his biography. Meanwhile, the other Republican front runner Donald Trump just appeared to great ratings on SNL. So is the media as much an enemy as the Republicans claim? Ben, let's start with you on that.

FERGUSON: I think with Ben Carson on this, yes. No disputing that he was a brilliant young student. This whole controversy over did or did he not go West Point seems a little bit ludicrous to me. Athletes for example, they recruited by multiple universities and they ultimately commit to one. Many of will tell a coach early on, I am not going that far away from home. Same with Ben Carson, he was the head of ROTC, he was young, and he was wanted. He decided to go to YALE. It worked out for him. And I think this story is being blown up and it's unfair by the media.

BARNETT: And Elaine, what do you make of it, is the media biased?

HEARD: No, I think the Republicans are a bunch of whiners. I think they use the media as an convenient foil to hide their own inability to communicate to the people what their policies are, and you can take Hillary Clinton's performance in front of the Benghazi Committee for 11 hours and compare to a couple of CNBC commentators or a few questions from an interviewer, and I think the Republicans are one after another a bunch of whiners and complainers.

[03:40:01]

BARNETT: I want to say here, Elaine is not holding back and she's telling us how she feels here. Ben, you do the same. Let me move on to this other topic, quickly, because it is something after the Democrats. And Elaine, I want to start with you. There is an enthusiasm issue for Democrats. Incumbent parties historically, find it difficult to stay in power after occupying two terms in the White House, how can Democrats beat history here?

HEARD: It's going to be difficult for Democrats to get out their voters, because it is always is. And I wish I knew what the magic bullet was for Democrats, the only thing I can say, is whether the nominee is Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton, the race is going to be tough for the Democrats next year.

BARNETT: And Ben, it would be a big deal historically speaking if Republicans don't win, right?

FERGUSON: Well, it is certainly an advantage when you have eight years of a current administration with a current party, and there's fatigue, obviously we have seen that throughout history. Let's be clear, voter turnout is an issue for Hillary Clinton. It was not for Barack Obama. People came out for Barack Obama not once but twice. People are not inspired by Hillary Clinton. Lack of excitement is, the number one issue that people voters have a problem with Hillary Clinton is trustworthiness, and when the majority of people in this country say they have a problem when it comes to trusting you, it is going to very hard to get people excited come out and vote for you.

Obama never had to deal with that. Hillary Clinton has a lot of trust issues, that's what the voters are saying. And I think that's going to her biggest weakness in this campaign.

BARNETT: All right, Ben Ferguson in Dallas, Texas, Elaine Heard, you don't think Ben is a whiner before we go.

HEARD: No, I don't. But I think the Republican candidates are.

BARNETT: There we go. Nothing but love here, thanks to you both for joining us.

FERGUSON: Thanks. HEARD: Thank you.

BARNETT: All right, more to come on this hour of CNN Newsroom.

A tiny Mexican village has become the starting point of misery for victims of human trafficking. Our freedom project has one woman's story after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:45:01]

BARNETT: Welcome back.

A tiny village in Mexico has a global reputation among anti-slavery activists. It's the beginning of a pipeline of forced prostitution that stretches from Mexico into the United States. In part one of this CNN freedom project series, the story of one woman who was drugged as a teen and forced to be a sex worker for years.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a fight that we absolutely have to win.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Secretary of State John Kerry vowing a crackdown on human traffickers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They target the weak, the despairing, the isolated.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The State Department admits that there are tens of thousands of modern-day slaves living in fear, hidden in plain sight in the United States. At the National Human Trafficking Hotline Center in Washington, D.C., Bradley Miles hears one name over and over again as the source of this brutal slavery. Referred to by many as the anti-slavery community as the sex trafficking capital of the world, this small village in Mexico is said to be overrun by human traffickers that mastered the dark art of exploitation.

BRADLEY MYLES, POLARIS PROJECT: One, the sex acts were $30 for 15 minutes of sex. So they would be on shift from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and they have to see 40 different guys in a raw, and that was a volume of frequency of different customers that we had never heard of before.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Matilda is a trafficking survivor, she asked us to use that name for her safety and that of her family's back in Mexico. We can't show you her face and what part of the U.S. she lives in now. Matilda was 19 and working at a shoe store when she was approached by an older man six years ago

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He gave me some water to drink, but the water had something that put me to sleep.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The next thing she remembers, she came to in a room in (Inaudible) hundreds of miles from her home. The trafficker had changed by her feet and soon was forcing her to have sex with as many as 60 men a day.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would have sex with men from India, Mexicans, Guatemalans, white men, black men, and all kinds of men.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is her trafficker, (Inaudible) boasted to authorities that he's responsible for enslaving more than 100 women and girls. He's now serving 60 years in a federal prison in Mexico City. Matilda's friend who tried to escape was murdered.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They shot her in the head. She was thrown into a ravine.

MYLES: This has been going on for decades, and the money is flowing back and building these mansions and places that are built entirely from the proceeds of women and children suffering in the United States.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Raids on sex trafficking operations with connections to this city have been carried out in L.A., Phoenix, Dallas, Atlanta, Miami, and New York. The money is so big, in places like Atlanta, traffickers can make upwards of $32,000 a week. Matilda freed during a raid in 2013, is now 25 and raising her twin girls. The girls were fathered by (Inaudible).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He would beat me with sticks, with cables. He would kick until I couldn't take it anymore. The worst part was that my girls would see that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Alone now in a foreign land, Mexico with its slightly organized web of traffickers is too dangerous for them to return. I told Matilda that we are going to investigate this place, that if this is happening the crimes need to be exposed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Be very careful if you go, she warns me, it is like the devil's cave.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rafael Romo, CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Such an eye-opening report there. You can head to CNN.com/freedom, and see how you can join our fly to freedom campaign, and help end modern slavery. Our five-part series continues Tuesday. We'll be right back.

[03:50:01]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BARNETT: Now this may be a tempest in a coffee cup, Starbucks removed symbols of the holiday season line reindeer ornaments from its cups this year, for a simple all-red design. But in a video that has gone viral, a former pastor said Starbucks made this move and I am quoting there, "Because they hate Jesus," Starbucks says it is trying to create a culture of belonging, inclusion, and diversity. I think that might be a little more likely. U.S. Presidential Candidate Donald Trump showed off his comedic skills

and a few dance moves on the American TV comedy show Saturday Night Live. Some critics say his performance didn't live up to the hype. But the episode still brought in the show's biggest ratings in years, our Brian Stelter has a look at some of the highlights for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, expectations were absolutely huge for Donald Trump's premiere on SNL. There has been anticipation building for weeks before he stepped out on the stage last night. And the reviews are mixed. Lot of TV critics have been panning Trump saying that the show was unfunny, and the writers and producers went easy on Trump. Lot of the fans loved it and Trump himself said it was a great honor. He was the first leading Presidential candidate to ever host this famous variety show, lot of politicians have made cameos on the show, Hillary Clinton a few weeks ago. But Trump was actually the star of all SNL. Here's one skit from the show, this imagines him as President in the White House in 2018.

[03:55:01]

TRUMP: General, how are we doing in Syria.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, ISIS is completely eliminated, sir. The country is at peace. All the refugees have returned. And they have great jobs as blackjack dealers in the Trump Hotel and Casino in Damascus.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President, the President of Mexico is here to see you.

TRUMP: Oh, that's great. Send him in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, Donald.

TRUMP: Enrique.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I brought you the check for the wall.

TRUMP: I am so proud of you and changing Telemundo to all English for me. Jimmy, how is the economy?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Amazing, sir. In the words of our new national anthem, it is huge. I have no idea how you did it, sir.

TRUMP: You know what I don't have to get specific, with me, it just works, you know it is magic.

STELTER: Now with everything that involves Donald Trump, this came with a lot of controversy. There were actually more than a hundred protesters outside the building before the show went on the air. They were protesting Trump and his anti-immigrant rhetoric. Of course, sometimes controversy helps with the television ratings, and that's what we saw with the television show. It was the highest rated SNL episode in more than three years. It goes to show as we've seen the past few months, that Donald Trump is a ratings magnet. He's a one of a kind figure, and the fact that he was able to host SNL just proves that once again, back to you.

BARNETT: All right, thanks, Brian. I am Errol Barnett. Thank you for staying with me, folks. Early Start is next for those of you in the states and for everyone else, there is another edition of CNN Newsroom. I'll see you tomorrow.