Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Taliban Peace Talks Uncertain; Cargo Ship Capsizes and Four People are Missing; The Aftermath of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas; Staff at NOAA Not to Contradict President Trump; Rafael Nadal Wins 2019 U.S. Open. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired September 09, 2019 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: The political backlash over the Trump administration's planned meeting with the Taliban at Camp David and the peace plan now in limbo.

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Aid for the Bahamas. Tens of thousands of people desperate for the need of necessities there. We'll hear from a philanthropist who is trying to help out.

CHURCH: Plus, the ongoing efforts to rescue four crew members from a capsized cargo ship off the coast of the U.S. state of Georgia. Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.

HOWELL: And I'm George Howell from CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. "Newsroom" starts right now.

Afghan peace talks are on hold for now. The U.S. Secretary of State says the militant group will have to make a number of commitments before talks can resume, including a reduction of violence.

CHURCH: The suspension comes after President Donald Trump announced he was cancelling a secret meeting with Taliban leaders at Camp David. CNN's Kylie Atwood has more now.

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: The decision to have this meeting was made about a week ago when President Trump met with his national security team and we're told that -- he was told by a number of folks, including Senator Lindsey Graham and his National Security advisor John Bolton, that too much trust was being put in the Taliban in these negotiations, the president want to get involved himself.

But we do know that the U.S. officials who have been watching over these negotiations felt that there was some progress made between the U.S. and the Taliban. The Taliban had agreed to reduce violence in Afghanistan, at least in part. We don't know the specifics of what they were committing to. They were also saying that they were going to break from al Qaeda. Now, when Secretary Pompeo was asked about how the U.S. could trust

the Taliban to actually break from al Qaeda or trust them to prevent al Qaeda from carrying out terrorist attacks outside of Afghan soil, Secretary Pompeo said that it was trust, but verified.

So, we'll have to see how the U.S. is able to verify those commitments if they are able to come back to the table with the Taliban. But for now, they have hit pause and they have canceled these talks. Let's listen to how Secretary Pompeo described that decision.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE POMPEO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We've been working on those for a while and it was the case, that when the Taliban tried to gain negotiating advantage by conducting terror attacks inside of the country, President Trump made the right decision to say that's not going to work.

We're going to walk away from a deal if others try to use violence to achieve better ends in the negotiation. It's not right, it's not appropriate. It killed an American and it made no sense for the Taliban to be rewarded for that kind of bad behavior.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ATWOOD: One of the things that the U.S. and the Taliban were discussing that would be part of their agreement was drawing down 5,000 U.S. troops within 135 days of any agreement that the U.S. and Taliban were able to reach.

Now, obviously there is no deal, but Secretary Pompeo did not say that there is a decision made on what is going to happen with U.S. troops in Afghanistan right now.

The numbers and the specifics on troop movements are still under consideration and that's one thing that we will be watching closely as we prepare for more news out of the WHITE HOUSE as President Trump meets with his National Security team later this week. Kylie Atwood, CNN, Washington.

CHURCH: And critics have said the proposed U.S.-Taliban deal would give too much to the militant group while getting little in return.

HOWELL: Also, there was criticism within the president's own party about having Taliban leaders in the United States for talks, especially near the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

REP. ADAM KINZINGER (R-IL): The idea that Taliban leaders in the week of 9/11, but even beyond that, Taliban leaders were going to come to really the area in the United States not too far from New York, Camp David, that has been a place of such wonderful things that have happened in the past. You know, negotiations between nation states can happen there. But a terrorist organization that doesn't recognize nation states,

that kills innocent women and children, that denies women the right to even really be in the same room as their husbands is just a minor part of the terrible things that they do.

To have them at Camp David is totally unacceptable. The president did the right thing by walking away. I'm very concerned though that we were really close to having Taliban leaders there.

REP. MICHAEL WALTZ (R-FL): My issue is with the terms of the deal as we understand them now. I do not think we are getting hardly anything in exchange for withdrawing our forces. Again, the Taliban are treating it as a victory.

[02:05:00]

And I don't buy that either rhetorically or from a military capability standpoint that the Taliban have walked away from -- have walked away from al Qaeda, which is what drove us to Afghanistan in the first place. I don't ever want to see, you know, again, as we head into the anniversary of 9/11, I do not ever want to see these terrorists step foot on United States soil, period.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

CHURCH: And for more on this, CNN's Nathan Hodge joins us now from Moscow. Good to see you, Nathan. So, it is significant that many of the critics of this now canceled secret Taliban meeting at Camp David are actually Republicans appalled that any such meeting was ever scheduled on U.S. soil just days before 9/11 anniversary. So, how was that ever considered acceptable and what is the likely next step with this?

NATHAN HODGE, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Rosemary, it's also worth pointing out that today also marks the anniversary of the assassination of Ahmad Shah Massoud, a prominent anti-Taliban commander who is also a national hero of Afghanistan.

And certainly over the past several months, President Trump's special envoy to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, has been meeting with the Taliban negotiating team in the Gulf emirate of Qatar where he has been discussing the outlines of what would be or what was hoped to be a withdrawal agreement.

But that is not necessarily the same as a broader peace deal that would bring together all of the different warring parties inside of Afghanistan. And certainly the Afghan government was essentially sidelined in this process.

The talks were just between Khalilzad's team and with the Taliban representatives. So certainly there's been consternation in Kabul in the Afghan capital. And here's what Sediq Sediqqi, the spokesman for the president of Afghanistan had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEDIQ SEDIQQI, AFGHAN PRESIDENT'S SPOKESMAN: We strongly believe in a process that can be led and owned by the Afghan government and Afghan people, and that will lead us to a dignified peace, a sustainable peace, and a peace in which Taliban will not kill Afghans any more. So that's what we think.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HODGE: So, Rosemary, what we have here is the possible peace talks being put on pause. And whether or not that holds the possibility that there could be a reboot of this process and one that might possibly involve or more greatly involve the Afghan government remains to be seen.

And certainly everyone is going to be watching to see what President Trump's next move is here because this is certainly a process that has been largely led from Washington and involving the Taliban. So, certainly a lot of moving parts here if there is to be a real genuine peace process, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes. We'll certainly be watching very closely on that. Nathan Hodge, many thanks to you. Appreciate it.

HOWELL: With an infrastructure in shambles and buildings reduced to piles of rubble, aid groups are facing a daunting task to help so many people who are in need after Hurricane Dorian. We'll speak with the one person is working at scale to make a difference.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:10:00]

(CNN WORLD SPORTS)

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, the U.S. Coast Guard is trying to rescue four South Koreans on board a cargo ship that overturned and caught fire off the coast of the U.S. state of Georgia on Sunday.

HOWELL: Twenty other crew members including other South Korean and Filipino nationals have been rescued. CNN's Natasha Chen is near the ship and has more.

NATASHA CHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There are a lot of people gathered on this pier right now looking at this giant cargo ship on its side going nowhere. There are four people who are still on board, and the U.S. Coast Guard is currently standing by outside the ship.

They were on board earlier looking for them, but they had to stop that mission because there was black smoke, flames visible, and so because of potential multiple fires and instability of the vessel they had to leave the ship.

So, right now they are waiting for a damage assessment team to come take a look at the situation and let them know that it is okay, that it is safe to get back on board and continue looking for those four people. They did rescue another 20 people from this crew in the early morning

hours Sunday, a very difficult mission where some of them were hoisted up into a helicopter. Others were lowered, some by fire hose onto boats.

Now, right now there is concern about how those four people are doing. A lot of people here gathered on the pier wondering that as well. Right now it is a waiting game. It could be hours, it could be days before any of this is resolved. Natasha Chen, CNN, St. Simons Island, Georgia.

HWOELL: All right, Natasha, thank you very much. Now, to the devastation in the Bahamas. The death toll continues to rise there.

CHURCH: Officials say 45 people are now dead, but with hundreds still missing, they expect that number to rise dramatically.

HOWELL: Rescue teams have been digging through debris fields. They are searching for any survivors they can find, but all the rubble is slowing down the efforts. You can see there is so much devastation there.

CHURCH: And in the worst hit areas, relief teams are delivering aid to 70,000 people left homeless. As CNN's Paula Newton reports, many of them are now trying to leave.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIAM STERN, SENIOR LIEUTENANT, ROYAL BAHAMAS DEFENCE FORCE: Give me the 50 persons who are going, OK.

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Finally they are going. Relief for the thousands stranded in apocalyptic conditions.

STERN: Anyone that wants to leave can leave. We have ships coming in back and forth all day taking folks out.

NEWTON (voice-over): In Marsh Harbor, they line the port hour after hour with one thing on their minds.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right now food doesn't matter to me right now. All I want us to reach is us to get on that boat.

NEWTON (voice-over): Lugging belongings they have scavenged from demolished homes and lives, thousands were finally evacuated.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello?

ANNE WILMORE, HURRICANE SURVIVOR: Hey, Lily (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey.

WILMORE: This is Anne.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you all right?

WILMORE: Yes, Lily (ph), I okay.

NEWTON (voice-over): Anne Wilmore was letting her family know she was okay and getting on a boat.

[02:15:01]

This little solace, though, she has friends and relatives she hasn't heard from since the storm. The government has warned the death toll will rise dramatically, a fact already known to those who lived through this.

Search dogs are on the islands, but strained already from the overwhelming job at hand. Morticians at this makeshift morgue told us they are still waiting for the real work to begin. The grim task of recovery will be a challenge, they say, as bodies are submerged, others buried alive.

Bahamian and U.S. aid officials confirm that based on aerial and ground assessments, the Abaco islands remain a priority for search and recovery nowhere more so than the mud, the Haitian neighborhood savagely flattened by the storm.

(on camera): They don't have an estimate as to how many people are here or how many people managed to get out alive, but I mean, look at this. There are family belongings strewn everywhere. It is impossible to make out even where the homes were and where they stood. And that means there is no way of knowing how many victims remain under the rubble.

WILLIAM DAVIS, HURRICANE SURVIVOR: You know, I processed today and there was one laying here and there was one laying there. And this is just the beginning of the mud.

NEWTON (voice-over): William Davis barely survived. This boat ended up on the rooftop of his business. That's how ferocious the surge was. He knows why the death toll so far won't stand.

DAVIS: No way. I think it's going to be astonishing --

NEWTON: How many do you think (inaudible) people you know?

DAVIS: Because, you know, just from right here we have, you know, four from right here.

NEWTON (voice-over): He believes those four victims were swept away to sea and that could be Dorian's indelible legacy. Not just the destruction, but the fact that loved ones now counted as missing may never be found. Paula Newton, CNN, Marsh Harbor, Bahamas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: The sheer devastation on the islands has driven many people around the world to pitch in to do what they can to help. One of them is an entrepreneur and philanthropist Bethenny Frankel. Bethany just returned from the islands and joins now by phone. Good to have you with us. BETHENNY FRANKEL, TV PERSONALITY AND ENTREPRENEUR (via telephone):

Hi, how are you?

HOWELL: Good. Thank you for your time today. So first of all, help our viewers in the United States and around the world understand exactly how your team is contributing here. Surely there's a lot of work to be done there.

You were able to do this at scale. You have planes making several trips delivering to several different bases throughout the Bahamas. This is by no means a small operation.

FRANKEL: It's not a small operation, but we are infrastructure, year round is small, 100 percent goes to the relief effort. So we're very lean and -- not lean, we're nice. But we partner with the right teams to be first in and really do a large-scale relief effort.

So, we now have four to eight planes a day going into the surrounding islands. People need to understand that there are probably, like, 700 or 800 -- 700 islands in the Bahamas. Only 100 of them are affected, but horribly affected, absolute catastrophic devastation. And many of them are very inaccessible.

So, a lot of things that you're seeing on the news are some of the more accessible islands that are getting relief. It was not -- it was the same way that in Maria you were seeing a lot of footage and that things seemed to be okay in San Juan --

HOWELL: Right.

FRANKEL: -- but what's going on in the really inaccessible islands is horrific. It is definitely the worst thing that's ever happened in this part of the world, by far. It is -- I mean, Maria is so near and dear to my heart and that effort was amazing to Puerto Rico to pull together. I thought I had seen the worst.

This is another level and I don't post really the extent to how bad some of the images are because they're just too horrific for people to actually see. I want to be positive and show people what we're doing.

We've been in there, as I said, four to eight planes a day since day two. We have bases setup at Treasure Cay, Marsh Harbour, Baker's Bay, which is a satellite for Iguana. We also have a caravan plane that brought over bikes, ATVs, rafts, drones to our bases. We set up bases.

We filled up a warehouse and depleted it and now we moved into another 60,000 square footwear house and we had a massive cargo plane go today. We have a big cargo ship -- I think it's about 110 feet that will start tomorrow that has already been loaded up.

So, the big thing now which is what happened for us with Maria was that we amassed the nation's relief because everybody gets passionate and excited, but they have no way to get their relief to where it needs to get to so, we have that capability.

So, right now Florida is pulling together and getting us their relief, but we'll take, you know, thousands to millions of pounds of relief from around the country --

[02:20:03]

HOWELL: Right. You know --

FRANKEL: -- and that's really a big part of it.

HOWELL: We have some images here of some of the things that you're delivering. We also have a time lapse -- if we can show that to our viewers, showing your team there on the ground there at Treasure Cay in the Bahamas, again, delivering food, water, medicine, these basic supplies that are so important.

But Bethenny, when you reach these islands, those islands that you say that is so hard to reach, what does it mean to the people when you get there?

FRANKEL: They're desperate. This is desperation. And unlike Puerto Rico -- Puerto Rico had no clean water that you could purify. There is no running water. There's no water. Think about going to the bathroom, think about bathing -- forget drinking. There's no water whatsoever.

There's no service, so Puerto Rico lost service in a lot of the island. So, something's wrong, nobody can find you. You can't, you know, track where somebody is. It's complete and utter desperation. People are begging to get off the island.

And you mentioned food, water, et cetera, but it's hard to imagine that it's really even more sub basic than that. It's actual like people are getting infections. They need disinfectant. They need bleach. They need tarps. They need chainsaws to get out of places. It's beyond -- I would say its ground zero because it's just -- there's nothing there.

HOWELL: We have been covering a lot of the efforts to get to those bigger islands, but that's why I wanted to speak with you, again, your group getting into those smaller islands. People live there. They lost so much. It is good to know that your team is out there moving about, doing its best to help people in need. Bethenny Frankel, we appreciate your time. Thank you.

FRANKEL: Thank you so much.

CHURCHL: Well, U.S. President Donald Trump has taken some heat for false claims he made about Hurricane Dorian. Last week, he doubled down on his comments that the storm would likely impact the state of Alabama. Initially, the national weather service in Birmingham responded with this tweet saying, "Alabama will not see any impact from Dorian. We repeat, no impact from Dorian will be felt across Alabama."

HOWELL: But now we have new information on that story. This is a story that we just learned. The "Washington Post" reports a top official of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration told the staff on September 1st not to contradict the president. So that is interesting. A meteorologist who wishes to remain anonymous

told "The Post" this, "This is the first time I have ever felt pressure from above not to say what truly is the forecast." So --

CHURCH: Yes, I want to get a little bit more on this because let's go to our meteorologist, Pedram Javaheri. He joins us live. And Pedram, as a meteorologist yourself, I would be very -- we would both be very interested to get your reaction to this direction given by a top official to a staff at NOAA not to contradict the president when it comes to the forecast. What did you think?

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, absolutely. You know, of course, you know how the funding are set up in place when it comes to the National Weather Service. NOAA and of course the White House dictates where the funding is transferred to and it comes to those.

So it makes sense where you don't want to bite the hand that feeds you. But of course it is a first when you hear about a forecast potentially being swayed in one direction or another when it comes to something like this.

And we know models, of course, suggest storms can end up in various locations many, many days out. But the official forecast the national Hurricane Center puts out, that was what was really at the heart of discussion in the meteorological community that that was never directed into portions of Alabama as potentially it was depicted.

But again, that is a long day -- many days ago and we're going to talk about what's happening at this point because there is still what is left of Dorian impacting portions of the Canadian maritime. It's about half a million customers without power.

This storm came ashore with 100 mile per hour winds across portions of Nova Scotia. You look at the broader perspective, 40 percent chance of formation within the next week across portions of the Atlantic, 20 percent chance closer towards the Bahamas.

And of course, whether this forms into a tropical system or not, that is to be seen, but the rainfall that is almost is certainly across an area that we do not want to see additional rainfall within the next several days or several weeks.

And notice we are beginning to reach the peak of tropical season, September 10th, a whole 24-hour a period away from the historic peak of hurricanes and tropical systems, reaching their peak across the Atlantic.

And again, here's what's left of Dorian, 95 kilometer per hour winds, which is about 60 miles per hour. Post tropical means essentially it's a cold core system. It is no longer a tropical system with a warm core associated with it.

But here are the models' suggestions of where the storm will end up within the next week or so. And guess what, over the next couple of days, remnants of it skirt by across the northern tier of Europe. So if you're tuned in across portions of Ireland, portions of Scottish

highlands region, tremendous winds in the forecast here potentially as much as 60 miles per hour or 100 kilometers per hour.

That would be as early as Tuesday afternoon. Potentials in power outages across that region as well, so the storm not done with at least what is left of it, not done with yet across parts of Europe, guys?

[02:25:03]

CHURCH: Wow, that's amazing. Thank you so much.

HOWELL: Thank you.

JAVAHERI: Thank you.

CHURCH: Rafael Nadal is the winner of the U.S. Open. The 33-year-old Spaniard won his fourth U.S. Open title and his 19th grand slam in a five-hour-long match against Russian Daniil Medvedev.

HOWELL: And he felt good about that right there. Nadal spoke with our World Sport anchor Don Riddell after his win.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: Rafa, just a few short minutes ago you were lying right here. I can't believe you're standing up. Many congratulations. That was intense. That was exhausting. That was clearly very emotional for you. How would you describe the last five hours of your life?

RAFAEL NADAL, PROFESSIONAL TENNIS PLAYER: Well, it have been a dramatic match. The match had everything. Daniil Medvedev is one of the toughest competitors and the best players of the world, of course. So, it means a lot for me to have this trophy in my hands now. I was just -- well, during the last three hours of the match, he played amazing I think. For me personally, the personal satisfaction was high (ph) impossible.

RIDDELL: You're such a phenomenal competitor. At times you're like the terminator. But at the end of the match when you saw the video of all of your accomplishments, you were so emotional, you just crumbled. Why do you think you reacted like that?

NADAL: Well, I don't know, emotions sometimes are impossible to control. I try to resist, but it was difficult tonight. All these people supporting the way that match became, you know, the fatigue of course of the body and on the mental side, too. So, all these things make this day unforgettable for me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: And Nadal is only one championship behind Roger Federer at this point. The two will face off in January at the Australian Open. A lot of people will be watching. CHURCH: Yes, powerful moments there. Well, under fire from his own

party in a rare push back, Republicans are criticizing President Trump for his planned talks with the Taliban. We'll have more on that on the other side of the break.

[02:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOWELL: Welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from the ATL, I'm George Howell.

CHURCH: And I'm Rosemary Church. Let's check the headlines for you this hour, the death toll from Hurricane Dorian has now climbed to 45 in the Bahamas. That number will likely rise as rescue teams continue searching for hundred still missing. 70,000 people in the hardest-hit areas are homeless and many are trying to leave.

HOWELL: Iran has indicated it will soon release the British flag oil tanker it seized back in July. The foreign ministry says it's finishing up the legal paperwork before letting the ship go. Iran seized the vessel two weeks after one of its own tankers was briefly detained by British forces near Gibraltar.

CHURCH: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the U.S. still wants a peace deal with the Taliban. But talks won't move ahead until the Taliban deliver on a number of commitments including reducing violence. President Trump says he cancelled a secret meeting with Taliban leaders after the militants took credit for a bombing that killed a U.S. soldier.

HOWELL: The story we're following here, if you plan to fly British Airways today or tomorrow, it's important to check your flight status. This story breaking here, the airline says it's cancelled almost all of its flights as pilots began a 48-hour strike. The pilots ever by B.A. pilots, a first rather by B.A. pilots. The British Pilots Association is calling on the airline to share more of its profits with its pilots. B.A. has countered that a pay increase that's been offered was fair. There's criticism for President Trump's own party over the idea of inviting the Taliban to the United States for talks.

CHURCH: Mike Pompeo spoke with CNN's Jake Tapper about it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: You know, it was just a few weeks ago, and I'm sure you're well aware of this. It was just a few weeks ago that the Taliban put out a video in which they supported the 911 attacks, reiterating their support for the 911 attacks, blaming it -- blaming the 911 attacks on the United States and foreign policy. I guess the question would be, here is an organization that still supports 911, still believes that the United States was to blame. We brought that on ourselves. Why bring people like that to Camp David? I understand why you want to negotiate for peace, but why bring people like that to Camp David? MIKE POMPEO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Jake, we're trying to get this

accomplished. The American people are demanding it. Now, almost two decades and the loss of life when I was with that family last night, amazing patriots, almost the whole family. Sergeant Barreto's father himself served honorably in the United States Armed Forces.

We have an obligation to do everything we can to protect those men and women and take down that risk. That's what President Trump was aiming to do. We understand who the Taliban are. There's no more clear administration. I -- when I was the Director of CIA, I had young men and women serving in Afghanistan taking enormous risk to their lives. And we're aiming to get this right. We're working to talk with those leaders that can actually deliver on these outcomes. That's what President Trump and I are both focused on, and we're going to keep driving towards that outcome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Jessica Levinson joins me now from Los Angeles. She is a law professor at Loyola Law School. Always great to have you with us.

JESSICA LEVINSON, PROFESSOR OF LAW, LOYOLA LAW SCHOOL (via Skype): Good to be with you.

CHURCH: So, President Trump just cancelled a secret meeting at Camp David with Taliban leaders after they claimed responsibility for a bombing that killed a U.S. soldier. Now, critics, many of them Republicans, are asking why Taliban leaders were ever scheduled to meet on U.S. soil just days before the 9/11 anniversary, particularly when they recently released a video reiterating their support for the 9/11 attack on this country. What was the president thinking?

LEVINSON: Well, I think the President was thinking that he is a master dealmaker, and that he could make a deal with the Taliban. I think he was thinking that he could announce that we were going to draw down true. You know, he's famous and he thinks it's absurd, and that there's no reason that there are all those U.S. troops there. I think what he thought is he could get in there, he could use the negotiation skills that he claims he has. He could talk to the Taliban and say that they needed to reduce their violent attacks, which of course, they've only actually ramped up recently.

And that he could announce, you know, I made this huge deal on the world stage. Now, of course, as you said in the introduction, optics of this are horrible. It's September 8th, we're coming up on the anniversary (AUDIO GAP) only two hours of September 11.

[02:35:05]

The idea that you would invite the leaders of the Taliban, the members of this administration have called the terrorist Taliban, to Camp David. I think it's done something that President Trump really hasn't been able to do for much of his presidency, which is unite both Republicans and Democrats in their criticism of this position.

CHURCH: Yes, it has many scratching their heads, for sure. And of course, with Congress poised to reconvene after their August break, what progress if any, will likely be made on gun control legislation, particularly in the wake of multiple deadly mass shootings in this country?

LEVINSON: Yes, I mean, I think that the real answer is no progress. This time, for the first time, when I started my semester, we talked about the fact with my undergraduate students, that people are advertising backpacks that are bulletproof backpacks, and we've talked about what type of country we're living in now. And I think the response is that the people -- our behavior is changing. We're sending kindergarteners who are coming home to school talking about shelter in place drills. We're sending, you know, middle schoolers who are talking about lockdown drills. And yet, our representatives, really, I think it's almost guaranteed will not act on this issue.

Mitch McConnell has been very clear that he will take President Trump's feet on this issue. I think President Trump has shown absolutely no appetite. Although, he has walked all the times, but really no appetite for gun control. I think this will continue to be an issue in the 2020 election. And I think it is one of those issues that can really motivate voters because it hits a lot of people where it matters, it hits them at home, it affects their daily lives.

CHURCH: Yes. All of this when the majority of Americans want to see some sort of progress on gun control legislation. And also, I want to ask you this because with the House Judiciary Committee preparing to vote to define a Trump impeachment inquiry, some Democrats feel such a move will only embolden the president politically, while Liberal Democrats say it has to be done -- has to be done now. Where is this all going and where will it likely land, do you think?

LEVINSON: Yes, I think that both are true. So, I think that critics of President Trump will say we absolutely need to go forward with impeachment. This is our job. This is our constitutional duty. Robert Mueller wrote us a -- basically, a letter, saying, Congress, I don't have a role here. I just have an investigatory role, it's up to you. I think that supporters of President Trump will say, I cannot believe that Democrats can't just go to work for the American people. They keep beating this dead horse. And you know, why are they such sore losers?

Where's it going? I think we really have to look for the leader of the House, Nancy Pelosi, to be very careful about wanting to start an initiative impeachment proceedings. I think she's going to have a talk with the caucus (AUDIO GAP) who is invulnerable to beat 2020. I think largely, this will be not just a moral calculation, but of course, it will be a political calculation to determine whether or not it's palatable to go forward.

CHURCH: We'll see where that goes. I did want to just very quickly ask you former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford has announced he plans to challenge President Trump for the Republican nomination next year along with two other Republicans. But given Mr. Trump enjoys, what about 90 percent approval rating within his own party, what's the point of doing this, and what impact might it have? LEVINSON: I think the impact is very little. I feel like this has been the answer that I've had to all of your questions, which is nothing's going to happen. The impact will be little. But I think it's largely true. Look, Mark Sanford is not a strong candidate, he's not a strong candidate against this president, who as you've said, enjoys large support in the Republican Party. This challenge is going nowhere. I think largely, it is either just a vanity exercise or it's for people who want to set up a run for 2024. But if you look at the primary states, if you look at how energize the Republican primary voters are, I don't think this is going anywhere.

CHURCH: All right, Jessica Levinson, always a pleasure to chat with you. Many thanks.

LEVINSON: Thank you.

HOWELL: Come Halloween day in the U.K., what's scarier, Halloween or Brexit? The deadlines looming and no E.U. deal is insight. Britain's Prime Minister, well, has his hands full. We'll take a look at what's next in the U.K.'s long journey to leave the E.U. Brexit. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:40:00]

HOWELL: The British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is meeting with Ireland's leader Leo Varadkar on Monday. They're set to discuss whether they can make a breakthrough on the Irish backstop issue which might form the basis, might form the basis of Brexit.

CHURCH: Even though Brexit hasn't even happened yet, Ireland's Prime Minister is already feeling the pressure. And Nic Robertson has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: At Dublin's port, soon to be a front line managing the outfall of Brexit, Ireland's prime minister or "Teashop" Leo Varadkar, is holding out little hope of a breakthrough with the weakened British Prime Minister Boris Johnson when they meet Monday.

LEO VARADKAR, PRIME MINISTER OF IRELAND: Prime Minister Johnson doesn't have a majority. So, I'll be asking him how he can convince us, Ireland and the European Union. But he actually is capable or has the votes to get a deal through.

ROBERTSON: The Teashop's inspections Sunday, seemed intended to bolster his image of protecting Irelands interest, as debate here over Brexit ratchets up.

He's under pressure to protect Ireland's economy. Government data made public last week predicts a No Deal Brexit could cost thousands of jobs in the tourism sector and create carnage in the fishing industry.

He is also taking heat over Brexit's threat to peace in Northern Ireland. The pro-United Ireland party Sinn Fein accusing him of failing commitments to uphold Northern Ireland's Good Friday peace agreement, enshrining an open border.

MARY LOU MCDONALD, SINN FEIN LEADER: We're very concerned to hear the Teashops think out load, and to concede to the point that there might be checks.

ROBERTSON: When he became Teashop two years ago, Varadkar broke the mold for Irish leaders, young, gay, the first ever born to immigrant parents.

Brexit is by far his biggest challenge. And while housing and health care have taken the shine of his early popularity, his handling of Brexit is well received.

For the past year, he has had plenty of E.U. support. Meetings with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, and European Council President Donald Tusk have come apace.

[02:45:10]

His meeting with Johnson in the face of the U.K. P.M.'s no-deal, no extension Brexit threat could be less smooth. Varadkar appears less than impressed with Johnson's tactics.

VARADKAR: This isn't about politicians, that isn't about our electoral prospects, it's about protecting our people's jobs, people's livelihoods, protecting business, protecting peace, and protection security. And if an extension is required to do those things, well I think any politicians will be prepared to do that.

ROBERTSON: As Ireland's post-Brexit preparations gather pace, political patience here seems to be wearing thin. Nic Robertson, CNN, Dublin Ireland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: And we'll be monitoring, of course, for that meeting with the Irish leader, and Boris Johnson. But, let's go live the Number 10 now with Anna Stewart. Anna, live in London for us.

Anna, look, this has been you could say a challenging week for the prime minister. His own brother resigned. Amber Rudd, resigning as well, and this week, the prime minister may be required by law to ask for an extension. As you will remember, he is famously said, he would rather be dead in a ditch than do that. But, he might have to.

ANNA STEWART, CNN INTERNATIONAL REPORTER: So, essentially, you're right. The bill to block a no-deal Brexit, that becomes law today once it gets royal assent, essentially, a rubber stamp of approval. And that will mean, if Boris Johnson cannot get a deal with the E.U. that is passed by Parliament by October 19th, then he absolutely has to go to the E.U. and request an extension by law. However, he says he won't do it. At the same time, George, all weekend, lots of politicians coming out, lots of ministers from the government saying that the prime minister will not be breaking the law, which easy to think what is he going to do, instead.

One suggestion from the foreign secretary is that he might challenge the bill itself in the courts, challenge the legality try and find a workaround there. Or, suggestion today, many of the British newspapers -- an idea that he could ask for an extension to E.U., the document that he has to hand over. But at the same time, hand over an additional document which could say something absolutely different, try and sabotage the E.U. from actually allowing the U.K. to have an extension. All sorts of complications.

Meanwhile, over the weekend, as he mentioned, another resignation from another minister. And this one, Amber Rudd, saying that she doesn't believe the government is making -- finding a deal with E.U. priority. She thinks that they're spending far too much time just working on the no-deal Brexit basis. George?

HOWELL: Anna Stewart, we'll see where this goes today. A very crucial vote. Anna, thank you.

CHURCH: And for the first time ever, a member of the Saudi Arabia's royal family has been named the country's new oil minister. Who does he replace and why is this change happening now?

We'll have a live report for you after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:51:52]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Khalid Al-Falih, widely seen as the most powerful man in global oil and de facto leader of OPEC is now out of a job.

HOWELL: And he's been replaced by Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman the half-brother of the Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The appointment represents the first time a member of the royal family has served on Saudi's oil as Saudi's oil minister.

CHURCH: And John Defterios, joins us now from Abu Dhabi. Good to see you, John. So, what's going on here? Why was Khalid Al-Falih fired and replaced by the half-brother of the crown prince and what impact might this have?

JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: Well, Rosemary, meant the world energy Congress where there's 5,000 delegates, most are in the opening session right now. But it's the number one topic, no doubt, somewhat of a whispering campaign. And they have a lot to worry about because U.S.-China trade and a potential global economic slowdown which would hit oil demand.

But you'd -- the simple answer to your question is, it's about a $2 trillion valuation for Saudi Aramco, the state oil giant. Minister Al-Falih, although he's the most powerful man in the oil business wasn't a huge supporter of that. And more importantly, didn't think it deserved probably $2 trillion.

Most on Wall Street think it could be worth $1 trillion to $1.4 trillion when it goes out next year or the year after that.

So, he puts in his allies and that would be his half-brother, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, and he replaced Al-Falih as chairman of Aramco just a week before. So, I asked the UAE minister as hosting this major Congress, what impact this could have on OPEC, the geopolitics, its alliance with Russia, and all this production we see coming from the United States at the same time? Here is the interview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUHAIL AL MAZROUEI, MINISTER OF ENERGY, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: I think it's going to be a positive notion that to the -- to the market that a personality like Prince Abdulaziz is taking it with all of that history of OPEC that he has.

DEFTERIOS: As you know, trying to wrangle 24 producers within the OPEC, non-OPEC apparatus is not easy, it takes a certain personality. You don't lose momentum or steam with the removal of Khalid Al-Falih?

AL MAZROUEI: No, I don't think so. I think the role of Saudi Arabia as a country has been always leading, has been always bringing people together, producers together, and I'm counting on that continuation is going to happen.

Especially that Prince Abdulaziz is very knowledgeable of the market, is very influential, and all of the decisions that has been taken before by the kingdom.

DEFTERIOS: If I have this conversation with you in six months, is the OPEC and non-OPEC agreement stay intact without Khalid Al-Falih, who is an architect of that agreement.

AL MAZROUEI: I think the agreement is big than -- bigger than all of us as ministers. It's the agreements between and new commitment by countries.

DEFTERIOS: We've had four weeks of gains in the energy price and hovering around $60 a barrel. But there's a belief that it's capped because of concerns about a global recession coming.

From your vantage point, do you see any slowdown in orders that indicate a recession is coming in the hydrocarbon sector?

[02:55:00]

AL MAZROUEI: We see the demand is healthy. The notion or the effect from the trade tension is affecting everyone, all commodities, not only oil and gas, it affect in the oil markets.

We're hoping to see lower -- lowering the tension between the U.S. and China in that regards. DEFTERIOS: Well, China is a big customer of yours for the UAE in terms of energy here. What would you say to the U.S. and China because it's been carrying on for months? From your vantage point to protect global growth, what would you like to see happen?

AL MAZROUEI: I think it's to the benefit of the world, economy including their economies. They need to settle this trade dispute between them and end it quickly.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEFTERIOS: Suhail Al Mazrouei, the minister of energy and industry here in the UAE, and the host of the World Energy Congress. You can see the complexity having all that drama taking place in Saudi Arabia. And Rosemary, the U.S.-China trade tensions. That was a message to President Trump and President Xi Jinping.

Let's get it over with because there's too much uncertainty not only in the oil market, of course, but also in the global economy.

CHURCH: Yes, and it's definitely. John Defterios, always great to chat with you. Many thanks.

HOWELL: But no end in sight at this point of a trade war.

CHURCH: No, absolutely.

HOWELL: Thank you for being with us. I'm George Howell.

CHURCH: And I'm Rosemary Church. We'll be back with another hour of news, next. You're watching CNN. Do stick around

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:00:00]