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Exasperation And Dysfunction Inside Kamala Harris' Frustrating Start As VP; Steve Bannon To Turn Himself In On Contempt Of Congress Charges; Chris Christie Hinted A Possible 2024 Run; Biden To Sign Infrastructure Bill As Inflation Worries Grow; Growing Concern After Queen Elizabeth Misses Another Event. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired November 14, 2021 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:31]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: Stunning admission. New details tonight on the pressure Trump was putting on Vice President Mike Pence the day the Capitol was stormed.
JONATHAN KARL, ABC NEWS CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: You talked to him that morning and you said, you could be a patriot or you could be a (EXPLETIVE DELETED). Did you really say that or is that incorrect?
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT: I wouldn't dispute it.
NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Record inflation is hitting consumers' wallets, especially gas prices.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have one price one day and then tomorrow it's like up 30 cents.
CHEN: Biden's economic adviser says new legislation will help.
BRIAN DEESE, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL: But those concerns underscore why it's so important that we move forward on the Build Back Better legislation.
BROWN: Tension and frustration behind the scenes over Vice President Kamala Harris' role in the White House.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Madam Vice President, a little while after this is over, maybe we can talk and see how things are going OK for you. All right?
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'd like that. Thank you, Mr. President.
MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: The Queen pulled out of the Remembrance Day commemorations in Central London last minute and it's because she's strained her back according to Buckingham Palace.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It really does show how significant this is. How she's not cancelling lightly. She's obviously in pain. (END OF VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: I'm Pamela Brown in Washington. You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM on this Sunday.
And new tonight, tension and frustration simmering inside the White House. Sources tell CNN Vice President Kamala Harris feels increasingly sidelined and handicapped in her own presidential aspirations. CNN has compiled accounts from nearly three dozen current and former Harris aides, administration officials, Democratic operatives, donors, and outside advisers, and they describe a White House divided.
On one side members of Harris' inner circle who believe she's being set up to fail instead of being in position to be a future president. Excuse me. But on the other side, West Wing staffers are exasperated by what they perceive as Harris' blunders including fumbled answers on Israel and the border crisis.
One of the journalists behind all this reporting is CNN senior reporter Isaac Dovere.
Isaac, so what's going on here? What's behind this?
EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, we have a situation where the vice president could either be running for president herself in a couple of months, really, if Joe Biden doesn't run for re-election, or would be the most important validator for him running for re-election at 82 years old. He, of course, has said he's running for reelection. And she's a heartbeat away from the presidency.
There are people who care sincerely about her, who look and this and say she's not being positioned very well to be in any of those eventualities. And on top of that, they look at what's going on within her office and they see things that have really hamstrung her and put her in a bad position.
BROWN: And you and our colleague Jasmine Wright also have this reporting that some people inside the Biden orbit have talked about ways to replace her. What are you hearing?
DOVERE: On sort of like a gallows humor joke.
BROWN: Right.
DOVERE: That refer to in the reporting as like Aaron Sorkin-style stuff that they would nominate her to be on the Supreme Court, and that would be a way out. It's not something that would ever happen, but it speaks to the level of frantic panic among Harris supporters that this is even being discussed as a joke, that they're seeing that there's any kind of potential wedge between them.
This is a president who picked Harris as being the future of the party when he picked her for the ticket last year, and there is a real concern that that is not the way she's being positioned now. BROWN: Just to be clear, is this between -- is there friction between
Harris and Biden? Or is this like the, you know, the staffers where you see this friction?
DOVERE: I think it's really important that you see the dynamic between Joe Biden and Kamala Harris themselves is very good. They continue to have a warm relationship. By the way, that's also true of their spouses, Jill Biden and Doug Imhoff, close relationship. But this is a frustration about how things are going that is some folks in the West Wing looking over at the vice president's office and saying it's really dysfunctional. It can't get it together.
Also people inside the vice president's office and around Harris, people who have been advising her from the outside, looking at things and saying, why can't they get things more right to put her out in a better way?
BROWN: Right, because you had Donna Brazile say why aren't they -- you know, she needs to be out there all the time, outside the beltway.
DOVERE: Right, Donna Brazile, importantly, longtime Democratic operative, was a person who pushed for Harris to be on the ticket, has remained an outside adviser. She said to me, she is not a creature of the beltway, let her out.
BROWN: And how much is Harris also feeling the burden of Biden's dismal approval ratings and the weight of inflation, the pandemic, Afghanistan?
[19:05:08]
DOVERE: Right. I mean, it's all on it. Right? And the question that she's facing and the people who want her to succeed are facing is her poll numbers and not CNN polls that we see, are lower than Joe Biden's
and the question that she's facing and the people who want her to succeed are facing is her poll numbers and not CNN polls that we see, are lower than Joe Biden's. Part of the reason for that may be that she is not being put out there on her own to build up the good feelings, especially with the base.
BROWN: All right, Edward-Isaac Dovere, thank you so much.
DOVERE: Thank you.
BROWN: Also tonight, shocking information about just how hard the Trump administration pushed Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the election before the Capitol riot. In "Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show," Jonathan Karl reveals the White House sent Pence a memo detailing a legal strategy they thought would allow him to essentially overturn the election results.
Obviously, Pence did not follow that guidance and went on to certify the Biden win. But not before then-President Trump issued a not-so- subtle threat at the Stop the Steal rally on January 6th.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KARL: There was a report, and excuse my language.
TRUMP: Go ahead.
KARL: Not mine, it was in the report.
TRUMP: Yes.
KARL: That you talked to him that morning and you said, you could be a patriot or you can be a (EXPLETIVE DELETED). Did you really say that or is that an incorrect?
TRUMP: I wouldn't dispute it.
KARL: Really?
TRUMP: I wouldn't dispute it.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: I spoke last hour with former Pence aide Olivia Troye and asked her about the way Trump pressured Pence to overturn valid election results and how Trump viewed the violent events of January 6th.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OLIVIA TROYE, FORMER PENCE ADVISER: I think it shows Donald Trump's plain disregard for our democracy and for our entire U.S. government system. I mean, it's a fact that this was the president of the United States who in very, very much dereliction of duty moment, he completely turns a blind eye to what's happening and I think he relished the events on January 6th.
I think that to him, it fueled his ego. I think that it played into his hand, and I don't think, you know, Mike Pence was an afterthought to him.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: So we have seen the allegiance Trump shows to people he feels betrayed him, whether they did or not. But now we're seeing just how loyal some Trump allies can be, even in the face of legal trouble. His former adviser Steve Bannon is expected to turn himself in tomorrow after being charged with defying a subpoena from the committee investigating the insurrection. Trump White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, could face similar charges soon.
CNN's Suzanne Malveaux joins me from Capitol Hill. Suzanne, when can we expect to -- what can we expect to happen in the coming days?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pam, in order to really get a sense of what's going to happen forward, all you have to do is take a look backward. It was the evening before the former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows was supposed to give a deposition to the committee, to the select committee, that the committee head, Bennie Thompson, issued a statement essentially he had anticipated a Meadows no show, saying that if he didn't show up, it would be considered willful noncompliance, and then he went on to say that would force the select committee to consider invoking contempt of Congress procedures.
So the question is, Pam, whether or not they move forward with that and how quickly. The select committee feels very emboldened by Bannon's indictment. They feel it would give Meadows more incentive to actually cooperate. This committee has complained that Meadows has failed to give even basic information, whether or not he used a private cell phone or where his texts came from on January 6th.
As for Meadows, he says that he's been trying really hard to work with this committee. And one of the few Republicans who actually voted for that criminal contempt in Bannon's case, that being Representative Fred Upton, says that he thinks that Meadows' case could be different than Bannon's because at least they're talking to his lawyers.
On the other hand, you have Representative Adam Schiff who is part of the select committee and head of the House Intelligence Committee who says look, they are getting impatient, they're fed up, and that Meadows is running out of time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. FRED UPTON (R-MI): You know, one of the reasons that I voted to hold Steve Bannon in contempt is he didn't cooperate at all. In fact, at the time, one of the arguments was even Mark Meadows was having his lawyers communicate with the committee. It seemed like there was going to be some progress that was going to be made.
REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): But we want to make sure that we have the strongest possible case to present to the Justice Department, and for the Justice Department to present to a grand jury. And that means making sure that we bend over backwards to reach any agreement we can with witnesses that are showing any willingness to engage.
But when ultimately witnesses decide, as Meadows has, that they're not even going to bother showing up, that they have that much contempt for the law, then it pretty much forces our hand, and we'll move quickly.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Pam, the House is back in session this week. The select committee will see if Meadows takes a different posture, if he offers perhaps written questions, certain documents, anything that they might be able to work with that would thwart those criminal contempt charges -- Pam.
[19:10:05]
BROWN: Yes, pretty brazen of him to not show up for his deposition with the committee and then show up on Newsmax after that.
Suzanne Malveaux, thank you so much.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SCOTT GOTTLIEB, FORMER FDA COMMISSIONER: Well, if we're going to see a post-holiday spike, there's no question about that. People are exhausted right now. But if you're in the southwest right now, you're in the Great Lakes region, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, you're in parts of New England or Western Pennsylvania or northern New York or certain mountain states like Colorado, things don't look good. You haven't experienced the Delta wave yet and things are going to get worse before they get better.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Winter is coming, as we all know, but how much COVID will follow, and where is what health experts are keeping a close eye on. Here are some early warning signs from the data that we're looking at. During Delta's summer surge, this map from the CDC of the level of COVID transmission across the U.S. was nearly inverted. A lot of red in the south.
As you see now, as Dr. Scott Gottlieb points out, it's really impacting regions in the northeast, Midwest, west, and southwest. And we're also seeing, look at this, a similar dilemma play out with hospitalizations. Across the U.S., the number of people in the hospital due to COVID is ticking up. Here you see what that looks like in terms of ICU bed capacity.
But here's the question this map brings up. What is the difference between Montana, a darker shade right now, compared to, say, New York? You guessed it. Experts point to a higher vaccination rate in places like New York and across New England. Highlighting the importance of getting the shot or even boosters if you're eligible and getting more people protected before the cold weather comes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. VIVEK MURTHY, U.S. SURGEON GENERAL: If you are vaccinated, your chances of both getting sick and transmitting the virus to someone else are much, much lower, so this makes it all the more important as winter approaches to get vaccinated. And second, if you are eligible to get a booster shot, it's especially helpful if you go ahead and do that now, as winter approaches, again, and as people get prepared for the holidays.
So we should be prepared for the fact that there may be an uptick in cases that we see in various parts of the country with cold weather. But what has held true for the last year is still true, which is that vaccines still give you a high degree of protection, especially against the worst outcomes of COVID like hospitalization and death.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Still ahead on this Sunday, another shocking incident of airline violence after a passenger sends a Southwest staffer to the hospital.
But first, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie looking to rebrand, as he eyes his own future and the future of his Republican Party.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Donald Trump has made it pretty clear he wants to run for president again. Would you support him?
CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), FORMER NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR: Oh, look, I don't know that he's going to run.
BASH: What if he does?
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: My friend and colleague Dana Bash live with me next with the answer to that and much, much more.
You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:17:07]
BROWN: Nearly a year since the capitol riot, many leading Republicans still have a hard time deciding if Trump is good for the party or not, or at least publicly talking about what they really think. Listen to GOP Senator John Barrasso try to thread the needle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC NEWS HOST: Can your party tolerate a leader who defends murderous chants against his own vice president?
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO (R-WY): Well, let me just say the Republican Party is incredibly united right now.
STEPHANOPOULOS: So you have no problem with the president saying, "Hang Mike Pence" is common sense?
BARRASSO: I was with Mike Pence in the Senate chamber during January 6th. And what happened was, they quickly got Vice President Pence out of there, certainly a lot faster than they removed the senators. I believed he was safe the whole time.
STEPHANOPOULOS: But you're not going to criticize President Trump for those views?
BARRASSO: I don't agree with President Trump on everything.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Joining me to discuss, CNN chief political correspondent and "STATE OF THE UNION" co-anchor, Dana Bash.
Dana, how can so many Republicans still be trying to side step the questions like "Hang Mike Pence" and really coming out and condemning what Trump said about that?
BASH: It's almost painful to watch the contortions that Republicans like John Barrasso put themselves in to avoid answering the questions. Especially when you juxtapose what he won't say with what the at-large House member, Liz Cheney, Republican, Wyoming, will say. And then some and then some and then some, which is we have to condemn this in order to move forward as a country, but as a Republican Party.
And you know, he is a member of -- John Barrasso is a member of Republican leadership. He clearly doesn't want to talk about these things. But until and unless they condemn comments like the former president has made, it's very hard for them to then move on to the issues, the real policy issues that they want to talk about and the real differences they have with the current president.
BROWN: And he has seen how Liz Cheney has been treated, people in his own state, right?
BASH: Yes. Exactly.
BROWN: Wyoming. You have a special interview coming out in this series called "BEING" where you interviewed the former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former Trump loyalist, former loyalist of Donald Trump. Tell us about that.
BASH: Well, I mean, there is a study in contrast right there. He also is very outspoken about the fact that what happened on January 6th was horrible. What happened leading up to January 6th and the president's involvement in that was reprehensible effectively and that the party needs to acknowledge that and move forward.
The question is, and one of the many things that we spoke about in this hour-long special tomorrow night, is how he deals with the former president now in issues beyond January 6th. This is what we talked about.
[19:20:11]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Donald Trump has made it pretty clear he wants to run for president again. Would you support him?
CHRISTIE: Oh, look, I don't know that he's going to run. I don't know whether I'm going to run.
BASH: What if he does?
CHRISTIE: Look, what if? I have learned --
BASH: I mean it's not as if it's a big secret that he's seriously considering it?
CHRISTIE: He's seriously considering it. Let's see what happens when he does and let's see who he is and what he says. And how he conducts himself. BASH: After everything you've described that he has done, you still
would potentially vote for him.
(CROSSTALK)
CHRISTIE: Dana, look, what I'm saying to you is that I'm not going to sit here in 2021 and prejudge all this. I voted for him in '16 and in '20. On election night in '20, I said that what he was doing was absolutely horrible and wrong and continued to be. You can draw whatever conclusions from that you want. But in the end, in 2021, the idea of making predictions for 2024 is folly. And by the way --
BASH: With all due respect, that sounds like a cop-out.
CHRISTIE: I'm sure you think it's a cop-out, but you know what, I also know that there's no reason to create tumult in a party that already has a lot of tumult in it.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Hmm. So is he saying there basically, look, I don't want to -- I don't want to say what I'm really thinking, but if I come out against Trump, I don't want to create any more waves?
BASH: Or, and the fact is that he ran for president in 2016 when Donald Trump did and it was Trump who got all the oxygen. He had to bow out after the New Hampshire primary and decided to back Donald Trump. So he knows first-hand how things can change very quickly, so he's trying to keep all of his options open.
And that is, given the fact that he has been so out there and critical of the former president's lies about election 2020, he himself, Christie, is getting criticized for, you know, having it both ways. And he says, you know, I know, I realize that's the criticism I'm getting, but --
BROWN: Right.
BASH: You know, I'm in politics and I'm going to basically play the political game. Those are my words, not his, but that's effectively what he was saying.
BROWN: And you did a good job pressing him on that because if he is so critical of Trump about January 6th and the election lie, what else does he need to know when it comes to 2024 and whether he runs or whether he would -- you know?
BASH: Right. Well, and I will tell you, I'm not going to give too much away, but of course, I ask him, Chris Christie, about his own plans for 2024. And his answer is interesting when it comes to what he will do, but even more interesting when it comes to whether his decision has any bearing on what Donald Trump does or vice versa.
We also talk a lot with him about some personal stuff for him that you don't normally hear politicians talk about, about his physical self, his body, his weight, things that people might be surprised to hear him say.
BROWN: Always leaving us at the edge of our seats wanting more, Dana. Thank you so much.
BASH: Thanks, Pam.
BROWN: We're looking forward to watching this.
Again, don't miss Dana's special, "BEING CHRIS CHRISTIE," airs 10:00 p.m., tomorrow right here on CNN.
Exclusive new reporting tonight. The simmering tension between the vice president and the White House. What insiders are saying tonight.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:27:43]
BROWN: A White House divided. Insiders reveal to CNN Vice President Kamala Harris is growing increasingly frustrated behind the scenes. She is feeling sidelined, set up to fail, and handicapped in her own presidential ambitions.
This is according to more than three dozen sources who spoke to CNN, some on the record, some on background.
Let's start there. Joining me now is CNN political commentator Alice Stewart who was a former communications director to Ted Cruz, and Maria Cardona, a CNN political commentator and Democratic strategist.
Thanks for both. I love having you both on. It's always so fun. I love it.
MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: We love being on.
ALICE STEWART, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: We love being here.
BROWN: And we have new reporting that we can talk about tonight. This reporting from Isaac Dovere and Jasmine Wright saying that Democrats, as we know, they face a steep uphill battle to maintain their slim control of Congress a year from now. How damaging could this dysfunction and infighting be that is laid out in the report that is mainly, we should be clear, between the aides, the staff of those in Kamala Harris' side of the house and President Biden's?
CARDONA: And I think that is a critical point that you just made, Pam. Look, I don't think it has to be that damaging, but it's really up to the people around her and the people around President Biden. I can understand those kinds of frustrations. Anyone who understands how a White House works understands that there will always be tensions between the president, between the vice president.
But I think that the president's aides and the VP's aides need to take a look at the bigger picture here, right? If they look at Kamala Harris, which I think all of them do, and importantly, the president does, as a huge asset to this administration, on so many issues that she can be talking about, she can be talking about voting rights. She can be talking about democracy, she can be talking about the foreign trip that she just came back from, which was hugely successful.
Those are things that I think if you put it in the spotlight, she is a huge asset. She will always be the consummate team player, and do what Joe Biden wants. And importantly from this piece, we also saw that Joe Biden has confidence in her. He chose her. She has his confidence. And what I think everybody needs to understand is if she looks bad, he looks bad.
[19:30:03]
If she looks good, he looks good. And we are at a historic moment in time of a presidency that I think has been barraged by, you know, some unforced errors, but a lot of historical issues that have just sort of appeared, right, the pandemic, the recession, all of it. And they need to work together because they are their best selves when they are focused on trying to find solutions for the country.
And so moving forward, I think that's what both of the teams need to focus on, so I don't think it needs to have any negative repercussions, if you will.
BROWN: How do you see it?
STEWART: In her defense, I see this as a possibility, very well sourced story. We have on and off the record information and comments from people in the White House and the V.P. office. She could possibly be a scapegoat for a White House that has not having many accomplishments. They have terrible economy, they certainly -- the foreign policy has not been well.
We have pocketbook issues that are impacting everyday Americans, and the president's approval ratings are very bad right now, with CNN at 45 percent, and it's easy to point the finger at her when they were unable to get the spending bills passed for weeks and weeks, they said it was a messaging issue. So, instead of accepting blame for how poorly the White House is doing, she could be an easy scapegoat.
On the other hand, you have to look at what has she actually done? She has been given a very impressive portfolio. She was tasked with looking at what's going on with the immigration issue, specifically with the northern triangle. We have had no progress on that. She has been tasked as part of her portfolio on abortion, there's no real success on that, as well as voting rights, and nothing with that.
And you have to remember, during the Democratic primary, in this presidential race, she had big problems in her campaign, the campaign was in turmoil. She couldn't raise money. Her polling numbers were bad. She dropped out before the Iowa caucus. So, to say she is a tremendous asset to the Democratic Party, you have to get back and look how great was she during the primary, and I would say not very.
CARDONA: I obviously have to respond to that. I think the majority of Democrats believe she is a tremendous asset. You had her -- Jim, I think it was Jim Acosta had Jim Clyburn on here, and he is one of her closest friends and advisers, and he said he didn't know anything about this. He wasn't under the impression that any of this really was going on.
But I will say this. You talk about her campaign, you talk about the coverage leading up to this. Let's remember, she is a historic vice president. She is in a role that has never been seen in this country before, a woman and a woman of color.
The coverage of her up until now, I think, has been through the microscope of racism through the lens of misogyny. I'm not saying that she is perfect but every single one of her imperfections has been blown out of proportion, mostly by the right-wing media, and I think that has cost her as well in terms of the image.
There is no playbook for her. Let's remember this. There is no instruction booklet on how a woman of color takes on this historic role. And because it is a historic role, and this was in the piece, and I completely agree with it, people expect for her to be making history every single day. That is too big of a burden for anyone to live up to.
So, I think that moving forward, she is -- she is going to continue to be a tremendous as asset. She should go out there, as Donna Brazile said, and talk to the Democratic base about everything that this president is doing for them. She should be talking about the Build Back Better agenda, and she will. And she should be talking about the past trip, which I think was a tremendous success for her, and something that she can continue to build on.
I think it's important, though, to focus on the policy. Everything I mentioned had to do with policy. Maria, my dear friend, and the one who brought up misogyny and the gender issue and the race issue. That's really not what this article is about. This is about what has she been able to accomplish as V.P. and how is that working to further the Biden agenda. And right now, it hasn't proven very successful.
As for what this means for her future, if she wants to run for president, I think they need to get a lot of this behind them and focus on some of the things that she has done well. Yes, Maria, she did have a very successful trip to France, and this was a great opportunity for her team to really promote that and push that. But as things stand now, if these kind of whisper campaigns continue, it doesn't look very good for her political aspirations moving forward.
BROWN: OK, I know you want to talk. We had a great conversation. I hope you both feel like you got the fair time here. The host of the podcast, Hot Mics from Left to Right, Alice Stewart, Maria Cardona, thank you both so much.
CARDONA: Thank you, Pam.
BROWN: I appreciate it.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. [19:35:00]
Coming up, another shocking incident of airline violence after a passenger sends a Southwest staffer to the hospital.
And also to come tonight, the pain at the pump hits a record level in California. We're going to take you there live.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: President Biden just hours away from cementing his hard-fought and much needed legislative win. Tomorrow, he'll sign his infrastructure spending plan into law.
[19:40:00]
It will fund improvements to a sprawling list of items, roads, bridges, airports, even environmental clean-ups. And it comes as Americans are filing the pinch of the worst inflation in decades.
CNN's Natasha Chen is in Los Angeles as California wrestles with record high gas prices. We also have Polo Sandoval. He is at The Bowery Mission in New York as food charities around the country struggle to feed the hungry.
Natasha, let's kick it off with you. What are drivers telling you?
NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pamela, even longtime residents here in California say they're used to paying high gas prices because of environmental fees and higher gas taxes here. But this is extreme. The station behind me, for example, every type of gas is more than $5 per gallon.
Here are a couple of drivers I spoke to in Los Angeles talking to me about how the high prices this year even forced one of them to buy a hybrid.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITZI ARCHER, LOS ANGELES DRIVER: The freeways are more packed. People are going back to work. So, you know, you have a lot of commuters. School has started. So, I think we're really feeling the crunch right now.
ANTHONY GEORGE, LOS ANGELES DRIVER: With the emissions requirements, our gas prices are definitely higher than the nation. We know that. So, you know, I just say, forget it, I'm going to get a hybrid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHEN: And that hybrid he tells me has saved him about $400 to $500 per month, a decision he definitely doesn't regret, as everyone else is paying through the nose at the pump right now.
AAA spokesperson did tell us demand is higher than typical this time of year. Typically, you would see travel slow down after summer months, but because people have stayed at home throughout the pandemic, they are eager to travel, eager to gather for the holidays. At the same time, you have U.S. oil production 14 percent lower than at the end of 2019.
So, the situation with gas, though, applies to a lot of other products, which is why we're seeing inflation when you have a lot of money chasing too few products. And my colleague, Polo Sandoval, is chasing and tracking how inflation is impacting one of the oldest soup kitchens in New York City. So, Polo, what are you seeing there?
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Natasha, the reality, we're feeling the pain at the pump or higher food prices. And we're all seeing that here, and, of course, you have inflation, and, of course, you also have disruptions in supply chains that are big factors in all this. And that means many of the nation's -- some of their soup kitchens are getting hit particularly hard.
We'll give you an example, The Bowery Mission here in New York City, that has been sheltering and feeding families, needy families for well over 100 years, I spoke to some of the folks here. Actually they took us inside, preparing for one of the busiest times of the year, in this case, Thanksgiving, as they prepare to take some of the families in. They say that it's still unclear whether some of those are key factors and some of the challenges that they're facing.
But, look, at the end of the day, they still have to cover lot more ground, help a lot of people with fewer resources. Some of their partners, some of their crucial partners that donate a lot of resources and food to feed the hungry, they're now having to spend more money to actually contribute to some of their stock here.
So, I want you to hear directly from the CEO of the organization here, James Winans, as he not only shows us how they're trying to keep up with demand but also preparing for Thanksgiving.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES WINANS, CEO, BOWERY MISSION: This year, for example, we have many -- received many, many fewer turkeys than we're used to for Thanksgiving. And so where we're used to distributing out an abundance of food to other partners in the community, this year, we're really focused on those probably 1,000 people we're expecting on Thanksgiving Day right here at The Bowery Mission.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: So, you have that turkey shortage, but they're certainly hoping that that won't lead to a shortage in their generosity. Here's the thing, Pamela. Usually, they tend to overproduce some of these meals so that they make sure they have extra leftover after they help some of the families that show up here, and then after that, those extra meals are usually shared with other nonprofit groups throughout the community, throughout New York City.
This year, however, because they're so short on some of their stock, they really just are going to have to focus on some of those families that get here and hope that there's enough leftover to share with the rest of the city, those who need a warm meal this Thanksgiving in less than two weeks.
BROWN: All right, Polo Sandoval, Natasha Chen, thank you both for bringing us that reporting.
And now to a yet another violent incident involving commercial air travel, Arielle Jackson was arrested and charged with aggravated assault after reports that she assaulted a Southwest Airlines employee in Dallas. Police say Jackson hit a female operations agent on the head with a closed fist during the boarding process for a flight to New York. Southwest says its employee was released from the hospital last night.
The FAA says there have been more than 5,100 reports of unruly passengers this year, most cases involve passengers refusing to wear masks.
And coming up on the Sunday night, Donald Trump's controversial property in Washington, D.C. is getting a new owner.
Plus, reassuring words from the British prime minister after another public no-show by the queen.
[19:45:02]
You're in the CNN newsroom. We'll be right back.
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BROWN: Britain's Queen Elizabeth has missed another big event, raising questions about her health. Buckingham Palace says the queen sprained her back and that she's disappointed to miss the Remembrance Sunday service in honor of those who died in conflicts.
The queen is 95 years old and has been absent from public life for several weeks.
[19:50:03]
She spent a night in the hospital last month.
Joining us now is Rachel Bowie, host of the Royally Obsessed podcast. Nice to see you.
So, how concerned are people about the queen, especially after her husband, Prince Phillip, passed away earlier this year?
RACHEL BOWIE, HOST, ROYALLY OBSESSED PODCAST: Well, Pamela, it's a really big deal for the queen to miss the Remembrance Day Sunday service. She's only missed it a handful of times throughout her life and that has been because of royal tours or pregnancies. It's also a day that has personal significance for her because, as we know, she served as a member of the auxiliary services during World War II.
So, I think it was a really big surprise not to see her participate and is raising a lot of concerns about the state of her health.
BROWN: This CNN original series, Diana, wraps up this week with a look at how the death of the people's princess impacted billions around the world and how her presence continues to be felt even to this day. Let's watch a clip.
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JENNIE BOND, ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: The news came through to Balmoral directly from Paris from our ambassador out there, Sir Michael Jay. I think Charles was in absolute shock that this had happened. He felt immediately for his sons obviously and there was personal grief, as well. This is a woman he had loved, but it was also this feeling of oh my god, I'm going to get blamed for this.
RICHARD KAY, JOURNALIST AND FRIEND: The marriage was over but he still felt a huge obligation towards her mainly in the shape of his sons who were sleeping just a few yards away.
BOND: The queen and Prince Charles got up and talked together, discussed whether they should tell the boys. And I think what rightly Charles decided what is the point of waking up the boys right now. We don't know the truth of it. We'll wait until the morning. He chose, I believe, to talk to William first, his eldest, which is understandable. And together, they then went and told Prince Harry, who was just 12.
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BROWN: That's just so sad. You know, the world had dealt with the shocking deaths of beloved public figures but nothing compared to the globally outpouring of grief for Princess Diana. What was it about her that connected her with billions of people around the world?
BOWIE: Well, I think Tony Blair really said it best, Diana was the people's princess. He coined that term in a speech that he gave shortly after her death. But she really, really -- she was young. She was modern. She was fresh. She was accessible. She really made an impact on every corner of the world that she touched.
BROWN: And it's been nearly 25 years since Diana's death. What has become the most lasting part of her legacy?
BOWIE: Well, I think what is so fascinating about Diana, she was the most glamorous woman in the world yet she was incredibly open and vulnerable about her struggles with mental health, her battle with bulimia and the ups and downs of her marriage. She really demonstrated a different way to be royal, and that really resonated with people. People felt like she was their family.
BROWN: And how do we see her sons carrying on her legacy today?
BOWIE: I think whenever you see William and Harry, you can only see Diana. Her spirit lives on in them. I think a lot of people said she was responsible for deroyaling the boys and they have spoken so openly about the impact that she's had on their lives. BROWN: Rachel Bowie, thank you for joining us. And don't miss the final episode of the CNN original series, Diana. That is tonight at 9:00 only on CNN.
Donald Trump's controversial property in Washington D.C. is getting a new owner and soon a new name. The sale of the Trump International Hotel up next.
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BROWN: Say goodbye to the Trump International Hotel in Washington. A source says the Trump Organization will sell the lease to a Miami- based investment firm for $375 million. They're planning to partner with Hilton and rebrand the hotel as a Waldorf Astoria. The deal must still be approved by the federal government.
Well, Saturday Night Live taking on Senator Ted Cruz this weekend and his feud with Big Bird.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For 50 years, I stood by Sesame Street, taught our children dangerous ideas, like numbers and kindness, but when Big Bird told children to get vaccinated against a deadly disease, I said, enough. And I created my own Sesame Street called Cruz Street. It's a gated community. Our kids are safe from the woke government. Tell them, kids.
Crazy days sweeping the lids away and he hopes you'll say that his beard looks sweet. Grab an eagle and a gun. Bring the gun to Cruz Street.
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BROWN: First guest up on Cruz Street, sendoff (ph) of Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. Cruz also brought on a Joe Rogan character. It's so funny.
Well, listen, the gavel has fallen on the eBay auction for a half hour Zoom call with yours truly. I want to thank everyone for the bids. My final take, $2,650, but darn it, that John Berman, he did beat me.
[20:00:02]
He took in $3,800 and Brian Stelter edged me out to raising $3,050. Hard to be upset, though, man. All of this money is for such a worthy cause, all net profits going to homes for our troops. Thanks for being here with us. I'll see you again next weekend. I'm Pamela Brown.
