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Trump's Final Days; Unclear How Vaccines Will Work against Coronavirus Variant; Bethlehem Scales Back Christmas Celebrations. Aired 12-12:30a ET

Aired December 24, 2020 - 00:00   ET

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

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JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Hello and welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm John Vause.

Coming up on CNN NEWSROOM, pardons dangled, pardons delivered. Those closest to Trump who did not cooperate with the Russia investigation officially pardoned; all those who did, left out in the cold.

Growing concern the coronavirus mutations might just be able to -- might just be able to -- outsmart the vaccines we already have.

And Bethlehem at Christmas is usually a fairly miserable place but this year it's all being blamed not on the Israeli occupation but rather the pandemic.

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VAUSE: We'll have more on those stories in a moment.

But first there is word that an agreement might be close on a crucial Brexit trade deal. Negotiations are said to be moving but not there yet. The Ukraine (ph) commission spokesman tweeted, "Brexit work will continue through the night. Grabbing some sleep is recommended to all Brexit watchers at this point. It will hopefully be an early start tomorrow morning."

A deal would seal the messy divorce between the U.K. and the European Union and avoid a potential economic catastrophe come January 1st. The talks have been stuck on three major issues, how much fish E.U. boats catch in British waters; fair competition, as Europe fears the U.K. may relax regulations and gouge market share as well as oversight: who settles disputes and who will enforce the rules.

In the meantime, the U.K.'s getting the glimpse of a future after a no deal Brexit. Thousands of truck drivers have been stranded at the ports near Dover. The issue here is not trade but rather getting all of the drivers tested for COVID, before they're allowed to cross into France.

Those tests are ongoing but Britain's transport minister says it will take a while to clear the backlog. In the meantime, many of those truck drivers will not be back with their families in time for Christmas. Some British seats (ph) are doing what they can to help delivering hot meals all while these truck drivers wait.

CNN's Salma Abdelaziz as the very latest on the confusion and the chaos at the border.

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SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN PRODUCER (voice-over): As the sun rises on Dover's white cliffs, so does the exasperations of truck drivers stuck at the border.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are stupid people. You are stupid people.

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): Thousands of hauliers waiting to return to mainland Europe.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (from captions): No shower, no toilet.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (from captions): No toilets! Over there you have one fucking petrol station and they close the toilet!

Why close the fucking toilet? Why? Why close the fucking toilet?

No petrol station and they close the toilet, why close the toilet?

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): Blaming a new variant of coronavirus, the British government ramped up its lockdown. The French took their lead, temporarily closing the border.

ABDELAZIZ: This is what we've watched play out, all day, tensions between stranded truckers and the police, face-offs and shouting and yelling. But it's not just about the health and safety of these drivers. It's about the critical job they do, keeping this vital supply route opened between the U.K. and mainland Europe. It's leaving Britain feeling completely isolated.

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): Officially, the border is open to truckers with a negative test result from the past 72 hours. But it will take many days to clear the backlog.

This is why, more than 4,000 trucks parked on the tarmac of a local airport. Along the highway, the same.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).

ABDELAZIZ: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No good.

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): The view among the truckers crosses all language barriers. The testing program announced Tuesday was nowhere to be found for much of the day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The last night when we are come here, asked the police man and the police said we tried to all night. And we tried all the time and the right -- no test for England.

ABDELAZIZ: You tried online and you couldn't forget a test?

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- we try and no test.

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): The longer they wait, with little sanitation, the greater the risks amid a pandemic. Frustration leads to indignation from both drivers and police.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're trying to get you home but you need to get in your lorries and get --

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ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): Finally, a testing unit arrived as dusk fell.

And the day came to a close as it began, with tensions high. Most, anxiously trying to get home for Christmas and others, heading further from it -- Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, Dover, England.

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VAUSE: The U.S. president is using his final days in office to settle some scores, reward loyalty and he's at odds with the leadership of the Republican Party.

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VAUSE: Before leaving the White House for the holidays, Trump vetoed the sweeping bipartisan defense bill. Republican lawmakers will now have a choice; they can override that veto or change their vote to support the president.

And Trump continued to unravel the Mueller investigation with another round of presidential pardons. Here's CNN's Pamela Brown.

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PAMELA BROWN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The president continues his revenge against the Russia investigation, rewarding two former advisers indicted by special counsel Robert Mueller, issuing these full pardons to his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, who was convicted for a slew of financial crimes, and to Roger Stone after commuting his sentence earlier this year.

Also on this list is Jared Kushner's father, Charles Kushner. Let's tick through these. You have Paul Manafort and Roger Stone. They were indicted by special counsel Mueller, went to trial and convicted by juries of multiple crimes.

Investigators say Manafort broke the cooperation agreement by lying to them, Roger Stone never cooperated after lying to Congress to protect the president and has never shown remorse. So now both men are being rewarded by the president for their loyalty.

The president has been long aggrieved by the Russia probe and has said he thinks his advisers were treated unfairly. But it's worth noting here, the Mueller report detailed, in the obstruction of justice part, how Trump's team dangled pardons as a way to protect the president.

How Trump himself did that and now we're seeing the president plan play out with these pardons.

Also, Charles Kushner, the father of the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, he was convicted of illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion and witness tampering and served a 24-month sentence. The White House officials say Jared did not advocate for his father to get the pardon, because it was the unspoken word between him and Trump that this would happen.

This is what sources have told me and my colleague, Gloria Borger. But overall, the story emerging from these pardons is that the president is using his pardon power to reward those close to him, some of whom would likely not meet the DOJ criteria for pardoning -- Pamela Brown, CNN, Washington.

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VAUSE: There is bipartisan condemnation of these pardons. Republican senator Ben Sasse said simply, "This is rotten to the core."

House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff and president Trump's lawyer floated a pardon to Paul Manafort. Manafort stopped cooperating with the Russia investigation after he was convicted of lying, the president praised him for, quote, "not ratting."

Schiff said Trump is lawless until the bitter end.

OK.

Evan McMullin is with us from Salt Lake City, he spent almost a decade with the CIA and after that he worked as a senior intelligence adviser to congressional Republicans but resigned in 2016 to run as a independent presidential candidate.

Great to have you with us. Thank you for taking the Time

EVAN MCMULLIN, FORMER CHIEF POLICY DIRECTOR, HOUSE REPUBLICAN CONFERENCE: Great to be, with you thank. You

VAUSE: OK to paraphrase comedian John Milaney (ph), a lame duck one- term horse is loose in the hospital. And these sudden decisions opposing the COVID relief package like using the presidential veto on budget for the Defense Act, is this all about Trump setting himself up for a run in four years' time?

Or is it turning on the Republican leadership?

What's going on? MCMULLIN: I think it's a couple of things, if we know anything about Trump, he is self interested to the core. He thinks about himself, even when it puts the country, the party, his own party, the Republican Party, in a bad position. He's thinking about himself.

So look, I think it's a bit of a tantrum. He is losing power, he doesn't like, that it's very off brand for him to be a loser. And he understands that he'll be losing power, therefore some influence, although not all of his influence, in a matter of weeks.

But also I think he, knows that, like many populist leaders, that the easiest thing he can do, is to promise or to appear to be fighting for government largesse for the people. And that's what he's doing, asking for or demanding over tripling of the aid checks that would be sent out, according to the current language of the bill, to Americans who need the help.

Many Americans think that support should be higher than it is. Trump has done nothing to help shape that bill until now at this very last critical moment, stepping forward to block the agreement that was forged between Republicans and Democrats.

But I think he thinks this serves his narrow political interest. I don't know if he'll run again in 2024 but I certainly expect him to try to be -- and to try to have some influence on the political scene in America. And I think he thinks this will help him do that.

VAUSE: One of the biggest consequences of setting this Defense budget back to Congress will be delays in a pay increase for service men and women, who Trump once told them this.

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TRUMP: For our military I just want to let you know there's never been a president that has your back like I do.

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VAUSE: Guess not.

The bill passed out overwhelmingly with majorities in both houses but there is no guarantee that it will pass again, because the Republicans, they've been falling in and dodging Trump on almost everything. So they may not vote the same way twice.

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MCMULLIN: Well, that's right, Congress has never overwritten a veto by Trump. So Republicans at the end of the day, if the bill that they've supported has been vetoed by the president, they have not been willing to stand up to him. Now this will be a new test, because the president, even Republicans who are feigning otherwise, know that the president lost this election.

So will they stand up to him now? Look, I think that's a fair question. But it's quite possible that they won't Half of the Republicans in the House recently signed on to an amicus brief, a legal brief, supporting a lawsuit from Texas that attempted to overturn the election.

That's an incredible step and an indication that the party continues to move in an anti-democracy, authoritarian direction. The fact that they were willing to take that extreme step for the president, even members, Republican members in the House, who were previously thought to be moderate, joined and signed that brief.

So they may not be able to override his veto, even now.

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MCMULLIN: -- willing to, rather, I have to clarify. They're able to but they may not be willing to.

VAUSE: OK. If this gets any worse, if Trump gets even more erratic, like apparently the Twitter video on Tuesday threatening to blow up the COVID relief bill, was recorded in secret, just ahead before aides knew. About it.

If this goes any more erratic and off the rails, what are the chances that vice president Pence will step in, Republicans will step in with maybe Article 25, have him removed from office?

MCMULLIN: Zero chance. Zero chance. I think if they'll do anything, they'll try to ensure that aid gets passed or at least that the government stays open. Of course, that aid package is combined with a government spending bill that the government needs to continue to operate past Monday.

So they'll at least try to pass a bill that will keep the government open beyond Monday and then come back after the president leaves office and try to pass a new relief package.

But that will be very harmful and destructive for the country obviously. There are people suffering who need the help but also it will be damaging to the Republican Party's own interests as it tries to win and keep two seats in -- two Senate seats in Georgia. They may lose one or both.

But this certainly doesn't, help the two Republican senators in Georgia, who have been running in part on this bill, will no longer be able to champion their participation and advancing that bill because it stalled.

And that could hurt their chances of winning their races and the Republicans' chances of holding on to the Senate. So I think it's certainly not helpful for the country, it's not helpful for the GOP. But I think Trump thinks that, in his narrow self interest, it's the thing to do.

VAUSE: Very quickly, we're running out of time but there's some talk now that the Never Trump Republicans should move away, form their own conservative party, leave the GOP because it has gone so far off the rails in Trump world.

There are those who argue against that, like Adam Sullivan (ph), fellow never Trumper. He basically says it's not practical.

"If we leave the party," he writes, "we relegate ourselves to second- class political status. No-party voters and politicians are systematically excluded from full participation in the electoral and governing processes."

If the GOP continues as it is without reform, does that mean that essentially it becomes this party of voter suppression, anti- democratic, white nationalism?

MCMULLIN: I think it certainly has become an anti-democracy party. It's become a party driven by fear and by the pursuit of power by almost any means necessary. It simply is become a dangerous force in American politics, so much so that, even though some say -- and I agree with them -- that starting a new party is so difficult in the United States, an effective, one a successful one. that it's not worth doing, I agree with that.

We can have another discussion about how difficult that is but, at the same time, the party has become so destructive and so extreme under Trump's leadership and under his influence, which will extend beyond his presidential term, that he's leaving, they're leaving Republicans of principle and moderate Republicans, even who have supported Trump in the past, maybe no other option.

But there is a middle ground, in the United States system instead of forming new parties, we form new subparties or movements that try to take control of the existing parties. That's a model that has worked in the past. That is probably principled conservatives' next step.

Whether a new party is the right move or not, we'll just have to see. But even today I had a conversation with a sitting House Republican, who told me that he simply can't stomach the Republican Party anymore and he's ready for something new. And that is a big development.

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VAUSE: We're going to go, Evan, thank you so much, it's an interesting note to finish on, we appreciate your insights. (INAUDIBLE). Thank you.

MCMULLIN: Thank you.

VAUSE: Cheers.

Well, still to come, the U.S. is already setting pandemic records but experts predict even more hardships after the holidays, the very latest from the CDC when we come back.

Also more cases of allergic reactions to Pfizer's vaccine have been recorded as inoculation expands across the U.S.

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VAUSE: A second variant of the coronavirus has been identified in the U.K. and the newest one, originally identified in South Africa, seems to be even more. Contagious

British health officials have found two infections with the new variant and they are now imposing restrictions for travelers coming in from South Africa.

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MATT HANCOCK, BRITISH HEALTH SECRETARY: This new variant is highly concerning, because it is yet more transmissible and it appears to have mutated further than the new variant that has been discovered in the U.K.

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VAUSE: Officials are now ramping up restrictions in South East England, from the day after Christmas, Boxing Day onward, to try to slow the spread of the pandemic.

Nearly 120,000 Americans are in hospitals with COVID, a record high, almost 40 percent more than a month ago. And with hospital admissions soaring, the CDC now projects the U.S. death toll could reach 420,000 by mid January, meaning almost 100,000 more lives would be lost in less than a month. We get more details now from CNN's Alexandra Field.

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ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A crisis now on the verge of a horrific new milestone. By the end of the week, it is likely that 330,000 Americans, roughly one in 1,000 Americans, will have died from COVID-19.

For the fifth time in the U.S., deaths climbed higher than 3,000 on Tuesday. It was the second deadliest day of the pandemic. California is on track to be the first state in the nation to hit 2 million cases.

DR. SEEMA YASMIN, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: It is so bad here that if our state was its own country, we would be ahead of the U.K., India and Germany in terms of the number of new infections. So this situation is. Dire

FIELD (voice-over): The little relief that could be on the way to Americans is now in jeopardy, with President Trump casting doubt on the future of a $900 billion stimulus bill in a surprise Twitter video.

TRUMP: I'm asking Congress to amend this bill.

FIELD (voice-over): The chaos surrounding this deal coming as the government strikes another deal to purchase 100 million more doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Nine days after the first shots in arms, just over 1 million doses of Pfizer vaccines have been administered, according to the CDC's website.

There's no data yet on how many Moderna shots have been given but it is likely the country will fall well short of a big goal, 20 million vaccines given by the end of the year.

DR. FRANCIS COLLINS, DIRECTOR, NIH: If we don't quite get to 20 million people being vaccinated this month, I hope people will understand. This is a logistic challenge of enormous proportions.

FIELD (voice-over): A pressing question about those vaccines.

Are they as effective against the variant of the virus identified in the U.K.?

COLLINS: We would expect that the vaccine should still be effective against that. So I want everybody to take a breath here. One of the things we are worried about is it appears to be more transmissible.

FIELD (voice-over): And possibly more infectious for children but more study is needed. Researchers suggest the U.S. may already have hundreds of cases.

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DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: We have been saying loud and clear to the entire American people we need to be limiting our mobility, period.

FIELD (voice-over): That warning coming just as the TSA reports record high pandemic-era travel in time for the holidays. The number of people passing through America's airports, around 1 million for each of the last five days and likely to hit a new high tomorrow.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: This type of travel is risky, particularly if people start congregating when they get to their destination in larger crowds, in indoor settings.

FIELD (voice-over): New York City taking no chances with anyone coming in.

MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO (D-NY), NEW YORK CITY: If you don't comply with the quarantine, that's $1,000 dollar fine to begin, day one. If you continue not to comply with the quarantine, it's $1,000 for each additional. Day

FIELD: As far as these newest restrictions here in New York City, anyone travels into the city will be getting an order to quarantine from the Department of Health. But if you're coming from the United Kingdom, enforcement of that order will be stepped up.

Sheriff's deputies could be knocking on the door of your hotel room or your home to make sure that you are, in fact, complying with that order -- in New York, Alexandra Field, CNN.

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VAUSE: There have been two more cases of severe allergic reactions to the Pfizer vaccine in the U.S., one in New York City, a health care worker; the other in Alabama, a patient with a history of allergic reactions.

While only a few adverse reactions have been reported nationwide, the chief scientific advisor to Operation Warp Speed said the number is greater than expected.

Meantime, developers of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine have submitted a full data package to Britain's medical regulators, bringing them one step to approval in the. U.K. And vaccinations are underway in Sweden as of Wednesday. A 90 year old woman in a nursing home was the first to get the initial dose.

Human rights activists said Amani action (ph) after another deadly flare-up of ethnic violence in Western Ethiopia. The country's human rights commission says unknown gunmen opened fire on residents early Wednesday as they slept, set their homes on fire and shot some of them as they tried to flee.

At least 100 people, including children, were reportedly killed. This attack comes just a day after the prime minister was in the area to ease tensions and promised justice for victims of previous attacks.

Still to come, the holidays are here but it's a COVID Christmas in Bethlehem. No tourists, small crowds and very few celebrations. How the political town is keeping the holiday spirit alive. That's next.

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VAUSE: Still searching for that last minute holiday gift?

Well, how about a face mask made of pure gold?

A Turkish craftsman is selling masks made of precious gold and silver, only catering to those who want something a little more glamorous than the old surgical mask. One of the gold masks weighs anywhere from 25 to 30 grams and costs $2,600. But here's the question.

Will the coverage actually protect anyone from the coronavirus?

It's uncertain. Perhaps a best as decorative piece with a real mask underneath.

Christmas caroling canceled, a ban on tourists, midnight mass restricted, it all means a very COVID Christmas at the place where Jesus is said to have been born. Elliott Gotkine reports now from Bethlehem. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

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ELLIOTT GOTKINE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It may not quite have been canceled.

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GOTKINE (voice-over): The annual holiday season market popped up for one day but Bethlehem at this coronavirus Christmas just isn't the same.

GOTKINE: At this time of year, Bethlehem is usually crammed with visitors. The hotels are all full and you would be hard-pressed to get a table at a restaurant. This year, though, it's only locals are allowed to be here and the hotels and restaurants that have managed to stay open are all empty.

GOTKINE (voice-over): Shops at what should be their busiest time of year are mostly shuttered. Even the visitor's center is closed. Luis Michel helps his wife run a souvenir store. He is also a tour guide.

LUIS MICHEL, SOUVENIR STORE OWNER: We ask all people to go and pray with faith, pray that God will give us a miracle and finish this virus and everything will come back as it is before.

GOTKINE (voice-over): Vaccinations should help but, so far, they are only happening in Israel. Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza will have to. Wait not that COVID or anything else is getting Nuha Muslen down.

NUHA MUSLEN, STORE OWNER: It also has positive aspects, because it made you back to your inner souls and appreciate all the little things that you have missed on all those years.

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GOTKINE (voice-over): Religious leaders, too, say that now, more than ever, was a time for introspection.

RAMI ASAKRIYE, PRIEST: Sometimes we forget to concentrate on our spiritual -- spirituality and our -- on the event itself. So it's -- I think it is a good moment. This is a positive side, to pray, really, to contemplate this love of God for us.

GOTKINE (voice-over): And if prayer doesn't work, there is also song.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For the first time in history, Bethlehem lacks its people, its visitors, its guests, its pilgrims. But in spite of all, we thought that sharing this song more and more would at least give a hope that Bethlehem still is the place that delivers Christmas to the whole world. And it is the place where hope was born, where it all started. GOTKINE (voice-over): Elliott Gotkine, CNN, Bethlehem.

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VAUSE: Thank you for watching. I'm John Vause, there's more CNN NEWSROOM in half an hour from. Now in the meantime, "AFRICAN VOICES CHANGEMAKERS."