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Democrat Saver Win in New Jersey after Loss Virginia; Election Losses a Wakeup Call for Democrats; Judge to Hear Trump's Case on Asserting Executive Privilege; Source: Rebel Fighters on Outskirts of Ethiopian Capital; U.S.: China's Nuclear Capabilities Advancing at Record Pace; Push to Phase Out Coal Power Gains Momentum at COP26. Aired 4:4:30a ET

Aired November 04, 2021 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a very warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and right around the world. I'm Isa Soares in London, and just ahead right here on CNN NEWSROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. PHIL MURPHY (D-NJ): Thank you, New Jersey.

If you want to be governor of all of New Jersey, you must listen to all of New Jersey.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: A closer than expected race that dragged past election day turns into a sigh of relief for Democrats.

It's been one year since conflict erupted in northern Ethiopia. Why Tigray's rebel forces may now have the upper hand. And why some fear an all-out civil war may be near.

And a warning from the Pentagon. China is adding to its nuclear stockpile much faster than expected.

ANNOUNCER: Live from London, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Isa Soares.

SOARES: Hello, everyone. It is Thursday, November the 4th. After a day of waiting for results in what was a very narrow race, CNN projects New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy will be re-elected for another term. His victory is a sigh of relief for Democrats who saw their loss in the Virginia's governor election as a wakeup call. Now, Murphy became the first Democratic governor to win reelection in the state in more than 40 years. Winning a little over 50 percent of the vote there as you can see there.

Well, his slim victory was a lone bright spot in an otherwise dismal election day for Democratic candidates. It also defied the state's trend of voting for the party that is not in the White House. The governor spoke as his reelection was secure. Take a listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MURPHY: If you want to know what the future looks like, folks, come to New Jersey. If you want to understand where America is heading, look to New Jersey. And if you want to be governor of all of New Jersey, you must listen to all of New Jersey. And, New Jersey, I hear you. So tonight, I renew my promise to you. Whether you voted for me or not, to work every single day of the next four years to keep moving us forward. Forward with a deeper sense of fairness and a commitment to equity. Forward by rejecting the divisiveness and chaos that permeate too much of our politics. In short, forward, living up to our Jersey values.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Well, that was New Jersey. And then there is Virginia. If there is an upside for Democrats after the disastrous election losses there, it's knowing just how fragile their hold on power really is. Here's what U.S. President Joe Biden had to say about the outcome of Virginia's gubernatorial race.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think we should have passed before election day, but I'm not sure that I would be able to have changed the number of very conservative folks who turned out and the red districts who were Trump voters, but maybe, maybe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: While losing the top offices in Virginia, a state Mr. Biden won by 10 percentage points last year, is a demoralizing defeat for Democrats. And as CNN's Jeremy Diamond reports, it sets the stage for the midterms.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, there is certainly some soul searching even hand wringing here at the White House on Wednesday in the wake of Democrats' big loss in the state of Virginia. The Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe losing to Republican Glenn Youngkin, and some here at the White House and in Democratic circles seeing warning signs for the midterms, which are just a year away.

We did not see, though, that kind of soul searching from President Biden on Wednesday. He did not take responsibility for McAuliffe's loss in the state of Virginia, although he did acknowledge that maybe, just maybe passing his agenda in Congress before election day could have perhaps helped McAuliffe get over the top. Again, this is a state that President Biden won by ten points during the 2020 elections. But what the president did focus on is what Democrats can do between now and the midterm elections, and that's getting things done.

[04:05:00] BIDEN: I do know that people want us to get things done. They want us to get things done. And that's why I'm continuing to push very hard for the Democratic Party to move along and pass my infrastructure bill and my Build Back Better bill. I think if we -- look, think about what we're talking about here. People are upset and uncertain about a lot of things. From COVID to school, to jobs, to a whole range of things, and the cost of a gallon of gasoline. And so, if I'm able to pass -- sign into law my Build Back Better initiative, I'm in a position where you're going to see a lot of those things ameliorated quickly and swiftly. That has to be done.

DIAMOND: It's clear there is a new sense of urgency among officials here at the White House as well as on Capitol Hill working to advance with that new sense of urgency these two pieces of legislation. The infrastructure bill and that reconciliation package, seeing the need to get something done in order to try and preserve the majorities in the House and Senate in the midterm elections a year from now.

One thing, though, that was clear in speaking with Biden advisers, beyond this need to get things done, beyond the sense that voters were frustrated with the inaction in Washington was also this sense that Democrats need to run for something, and not just run against Donald Trump as we frequently saw governor Terry McAuliffe do in that Virginia gubernatorial election. That is certainly something that will get easier once and if Democrats can pass those two major pieces of legislation.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: Well, some Democrats on Capitol Hill are being a bit more blunt with their election assessments. Many Senators are describing what happened in Virginia as a wakeup call and placing much of the blame on progressives within their party. Take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARK WARNER (D-VA): Only in Washington could people think that it is a smarter strategy to take a once in a generation investment in infrastructure and prevent your president from signing that bill into law.

SEN. TIM KAINE (D-VA): Congressional Dems hurt Terry McAuliffe. Our inability to come together and get a result hurt him.

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): Failure to deliver, Congress has to deliver. Windows closing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Well, meantime House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is switching her strategy for advancing the stalled bill. She is adding back pay family medical leave to the social spending bill and that could result in a version that the Senate is likely to reject due to Senator Manchin's repeated objections to the measure. Well, CNN senior commentator and former Republican Governor John

Kasich also weighed in on the Democrats' election performance and as one of the House progressives that some Senators are pointing fingers at.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KASICH, CNN SENIOR COMMENTATOR: Had Democrats gotten together and passed the infrastructure bill things would have been better in both of these states had they passed that. But now it's all jumbled up. And you said the word, you said it and it was very, very good, the word sausage. People in America don't want sausage, they're watching it being made when it comes to legislation.

REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL (D-WA): Look, we have to pay attention to local politics, and I think that Democrats are the party of parents, not Republicans. We are the ones that are looking to universal childcare, universal pre-k, to cut prescription drug costs. And as soon as we get that done, I think people will see that and we'll be able to, you know, really show people that we have their backs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: We'll have much more election coverage, of course, on EARLY START in less than 50 minutes. Do stay with CNN for that.

Now, Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked the John Lewis Voting Rights Act from advancing in a procedural vote on whether to open debate. The count was 50-49 with Senator Lisa Murkowski, the only Republican to join Democrats in support of moving the legislation forward. Democrats have been under pressure to pass voter legislation but have faced opposition from Republicans who call such attempts partisan and unnecessary.

Now to the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. In the coming hours, a federal judge will hear arguments of whether former President Trump can block a wide range of documents related to the attack from the House committee investigating it. CNN's Ryan Nobles reports now from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN NOBLES, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Thursday is going to be a big day in Washington, D.C., District Court. That's when a judge is going to hear arguments over an attempt by the former President Donald Trump to keep secret some 700 documents in the hands of the National Archives that are of interest to the January 6 Select Committee. The committee has requested those documents. The archives had granted that request and the Biden administration has said that they are not going to use executive privilege to block the receipt of those documents.

[04:10:00]

But the former president has stood in the way of this and he's filed a lawsuit to try and keep that information secret. In a court filing former president's lawyers have said that this effort is nothing more than a political exercise by the January 6 Select Committee, that they have already decided that the former president is responsible for the violence and the chaos on January 6. And as a result, those documents shouldn't be handed over.

Now, that is a different opinion of the committee. It's also a different opinion of the Biden administration who is really the most important player in the fight of executive privilege between both the executive and the legislative branches. So, this judge in this case could make a decision on the release of this information from the bench on Thursday. How she rules could play an important role as to how this process plays outgoing forward.

This isn't the first tranche of documents that the committee is interested in, and they're also, of course, very interested in talking to Trump officials who were in and around the president on that day. And many of them may attempt to use executive privilege as a shield from coming before the committee and telling them what they know about what happened on January 6.

Of course, Steve Bannon, a Trump ally, whose already attempted to do that and has faced a criminal contempt of Congress referral from the January 6 Select Committee. So that hearing will be key in learning just how this battle over executive privilege will play out and just how aggressive the January 6 check that may be.

Ryan Nobles, CNN, on Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: Well, CNN spoke earlier to a top Democrat on the committee about why Donald Trump might be using this lawsuit as a delay tactic in the January the 6th probe. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): If it doesn't go our way, it means further delay. I think it will go our way because the merits are so strongly with us. There is really no executive privilege claim here, and the determiner of that privilege is the existing president, Joe Biden, who has said, I'm not asserting executive privilege. I think Donald Trump knows he's going to lose but is hoping to delay just as he did for four years when he said, I want to stonewall all subpoenas.

But in terms of witnesses, the Justice Department is in position to prosecute Steve Bannon. That could happen much more quickly than the civil litigation. And if they move forward as I expect they will, that will have a real focusing effect on other witnesses who will not want to be prosecuted for refusing to follow their lawful duty when they're subpoenaed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Adam Schiff there on Trump's delay tactic. Stay with CNN for much more on the January 6 investigation, of course.

Now, the U.S. Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa is expected to arrive in Ethiopia in the coming hours. There is a growing concern the Ethiopian governments conflict with the Tigrayan forces is nearing an all-out war. A diplomatic source tells CNN a combined rebel force is on the outskirts of the Ethiopian capital and they have the fire power to be inside Addis Ababa within hours if they choose.

Some vigils were held Wednesday to mark the one-year anniversary of the conflict. You can see there. And it comes the same day the U.N. revealed a joint investigation had found possible war crimes committed by all parties in this conflict. We brought you that story as it happened yesterday on the show. The U.N. Human Rights Commissioner warns the situation is quickly deteriorating.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHELLE BACHELET, U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: There has been escalation in the last days, in the last hours of the conflict that could lead to a real civil war, with a lot of bloodshed and more pain and suffering, not only for the military forces who are least fighting, but also for the civilians.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Michelle Bachelet there.

Well, CNN's David McKenzie is following the story from Johannesburg and he joins me now. David, good morning to you. I understand there's a state enforced blackout in the country. But what are you hearing from your sources regarding the rebel fighters and how close are they, in fact, to the capital?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Isa, we have gathered enough information to ascertain that Addis Ababa, the capital, is calm today. Even in regions where the OLA., the Oromo Liberation Army said they were operating. So, we had to be very careful about the threat posed imminently. But it was definitely a surprise to the government and to diplomats that the Tigray defense forces and their now new allies, the OLA, appear to be closer to the capital. And at least in terms of rhetoric, threatening to move onto the capital.

You had very robust statements and rhetoric from the Prime Minister saying that they should dig in, calling on people to take up arms.

[04:15:00]

The equivalent of the cabinet in Ethiopia has called for a state of emergency which gives them broad powers to arrest people. And you have, as you said, the special envoy -- the U.S. Special Envoy of the Horn of Africa flying into Addis Ababa for two days of meetings. Which shows you the intense diplomatic efforts to get the sides to talk. That the strategic options for Abiy may be starting to narrow and there are murmurs he should look to leave office. Something he is not doing.

And in the very awful one-year anniversary of this bloody conflict, you had this joint release from the U.N. and Ethiopian human rights groups painting a dire picture of alleged allegations of atrocities from all sides. Here's the U.N. commissioner.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BACHELET: People were -- I will tell you -- detained. There were execution killings. There were terrible amounts of sexual violence and rapes. There were people who had to find refugees. They were having problems as well as internally displaced people. So, there were many violations of human rights abuses by all parties.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKENZIE: There is an impending famine in Tigray, the far northern province, which has been the site of much of the conflict, Isa. But this is potentially going to expand into a nationwide civil war. And that's what everyone fears. Ethiopia is a key ally of the U.S., a recipient of billions of dollars of military and humanitarian aid over the years. And certainly, the special envoy will look to try and at first, persuade the sides to ease the tension. But, you know, at this point it's very hard to see how they could get to a negotiating table quickly because I think the rebel groups smell blood.

SOARES: Yes, I know you'll keep us on top of all the developments. David McKenzie for us there. Thanks very much, David, great to see you.

Now, the U.S. military says China's military buildup is outpacing anything seen before with its nuclear arsenal growing much bigger than anticipated. Just ahead, we'll explain what that could mean for Taiwan as well as the rest of the region.

Plus, phasing out fossil fuels in sharp focus of the climate summit in Scotland. But one European country is leading the way toward hundred percent renewable energy. We'll take you where they've already gone coal free. Those two stories after a very short break.

[04:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOARES: Now, the U.S. military warns that China's nuclear capability has advanced faster than expected and the country could have 1,000 war heads by 2030. That is five times what it has now, and much higher than the Pentagon had projected, in fact, a year ago. The annual report also notes with alarm that China's rapidly modernizing every aspect of its military with an eye on dominating the Indo-Pacific region by the midcentury. CNN's Oren Liebermann has all the details for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: In the latest China military power report from the Pentagon, the Defense Department focused partially on the rapid modernization of China's nuclear force. Saying they have a nascent nuclear triad. Similar to the United States nuclear triad of air-launched, sub-launched and ground-launched ballistic missiles. The estimate from last year that they could roughly double their force

or stockpile of 200 nukes within ten years, well, that's old news now. Now the Pentagon says they could have a thousand nuclear warheads by 2030. And then comes from the speed with which they are modernizing and building out their nuclear stockpile and their nuclear options.

But that's just a part of what's concerning here in this short term. In the bigger picture, over the long term the China military power report says that by 2049, so before the midpoint of the century, China aims to supplant U.S. global influence and replace U.S. partnerships and alliances in the region with its own partnerships and alliances in the region. How disturbing is that? Well, Joint Chiefs Chairman, General Mark Milley, said it best at the Aspen Security Summit on Wednesday.

GEN. MARK MILLEY, CHAIRMAN, U.S. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: We are witnessing, in my view, we are witnessing one of the largest shifts in global geostrategic power that the world has witnessed and it only happens once in a while.

LIEBERMANN: One of the interim goals laid out in the China Military Power Report is 2027, where China looks to build a system of systems within its military and modernize or at least advance modernization dramatically over what it is now. The China Military Power Report, the Defense Department says a lot of that is aimed towards Taiwan and options that would give China when it comes to Taiwan. That would include blockading the islands, perhaps an amphibious attack on Taiwan itself or in some of the outlying islands.

All of this modernization is also meant to build deterrence and essentially act as a warning sign against foreign intervention or any moves by Taiwan towards independence. A lot of that points straight at the U.S.

Oren Liebermann, CNN in the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: Well, an investigation into that U.S. drone strike that killed ten civilians in Kabul has found execution errors were made but says there was no violation of law. Seven children were among those killed in the August strike. The review found there was evidence children were at the site two minutes before the missile was strike. But the strike cell has not aware of that that time. The deadly strike has only added concerns over how the U.S. handled its chaotic exit from Afghanistan.

Iran has released footage of the last month's alleged confrontation between its Revolutionary Guard and the U.S. Navy in the Gulf of Oman. The video shows what appears to be two American warships next to a large tanker and smaller Iranian military vessels. Iran claims it stopped those U.S. ships from seizing Iranian crude oil onboard the tanker. But Pentagon spokesman John Kirby says those allegations are absolutely false and it was Iran that illegally seized a merchant vessel in the Gulf of Oman. Listen to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[04:25:00]

JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON SPOKESMAN: We monitor a lot of activity in that part of the world. It's not about wait. We are reacting to false claims that the Iranians made today. So, if you're asking me why am I talking about this today, because you're asking me about it today. Because the Iranians lied about it today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Well, despite the latest tensions, Iran nuclear talks are set to resume at the end of the month. The seventh round of negotiations are scheduled to be held in Vienna on November 29. The U.S. State Department says these talks will pick up exactly where they left off in June. Since then, Iran has elected a new president and assembled a new negotiating team to try and revive the 2015 nuclear deal. The talks are aimed at bringing the U.S. back into the agreement and getting Iran to comply with it.

Now, phasing out fossil fuels is a key priority of the COP26 summit, and that effort is gaining momentum. In the coming hours, according to one U.K. official, a deal will be announced involving at least 20 countries who agreed to end financing for fossil fuel projects abroad. This, of course, as more countries pledge to stop the use of coal. Among them Ukraine, Europe's third largest coal consumer. It became one of seven countries to join the Powering Past Coal Alliance and says it will stop coal power by 2035. These pledges come at a critical time of course. Use of coal has risen in the past year after seeing declines in 2020.

CNN's Phil Black joins us now with the latest from Scotland. And Phil, I heard the U.K. business secretary say this morning -- the last hour, in fact -- we're confining coal to history, those were his words. But this announcement that we are expecting on coal doesn't include China, and it doesn't include the U.S. How is it being received by climate experts that you have been talking to?

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Isa, they point out as you do it doesn't include the biggest users of coal. They say the time frame where they exist are pretty loose. And crucially we are only just talking about coal. Yes, the dirtiest of fossil fuels, but not the only one. And so, is really a question of what these countries do next.

If, for example, they simply replace coal with natural gas. Well, yes, that's lower carbon, but it's not zero carbon and that sort of move could even delay by decades a country's move to fully embracing renewable energy. But the British government is keen to point out today that it believes this is a momentous turning point. That it shows the end of coal is now in sight.

We know that giving up coal is difficult for countries because it often involves at least in the short term an economic hit, social difficulty as well, and that can obviously result in short-term political issues. So, it can be quite hard to find the money and the will to make the change. And even for countries that are rich, ambitious and where coal is a relatively small part of the energy mix, giving up coal entirely can be hugely challenging, as we saw when we visited one of the few countries in the world to take that step. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLACK (voice over): Two power stations near the Austrian city of Graz. The one on the left is retired, a silent minute monument to a recent time when the country burned coal for some of its electricity. The neighboring shiny new gas field facility now does the work.

The upgrade is significant. Austria is one of only three countries in Europe to shut down all coal fired plants. Replacing coal with natural gas isn't carbon free, but it's a step in the right direction.

CHRISTOF KURZMANN-FRIEDL, OPERATIONS MANAGER, MELLACH POWER PLANT: The CO2 footprint of this power plant is much lower than this footprint.

BLACK (voice-over): About 60 percent lower, but gas can only be an interim move if Austria is to achieve its green power ambitions.

Christof Kurzmann-Friedl manages this side.

BLACK: Austria wants to be 100 percent renewable by 2030. Does that mean this will close down by 2030?

KURZMANN-FRIEDL: I'm not sure.

BLACK (voice-over): Austria embraced a big renewable energy source decades before the first warnings about climate change. Most of its electricity comes from hydropower.

MICHAEL STRUGL, CEO, VERBUND: We also have to build new capacity in solar power and wind power as well.

BLACK (voice-over): Michael Strugl, the CEO of Australia's largest energy company, says even with a big head start from hydro, getting to 100 percent renewables in under a decade won't be easy.

STRUGL: It's ambitious, for sure.

BLACK: And you don't necessarily have all the answers yet?

STRUGL: Yes.

BLACK: But it's important to try?

STRUGL: We do not have all the answers. We have to do research. we have to put strong efforts on innovation as well.

BLACK (voice-over): Much of the research, innovation and hope in Austria is focused on green hydrogen. The basic idea is on windy or sunny days, you use excess electricity to make hydrogen gas which can be stored or transported.

Then, when it's cloudy, all the turbines aren't spinning, you turn the hydrogen back into electricity using a clean chemical reaction.