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Elon Musk To Begin Restoring Banned Twitter Accounts Next Week; Biden Rails Against Assault Weapons Amid Wave Of Shootings; Trump Hosted Kanye West And Holocaust Denier Nick Fuentes At His Mar-A-Lago Resort This Week; Final Moments Of World Cup Battle Between U.S. And England; CNN Top 10 Hero: Meymuna Hussein-Cattan. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired November 25, 2022 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:01]

MARC MORIAL, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE: He broke any deal that was made, and I wasn't a part of that deal, so I don't know what he's talking about.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: Sure.

MORIAL: No one made a deal with Elon Musk to pause, if you will, activities while he set up this content moderation. If you were acting in good faith, he would have set this content moderation panel before taking a step. You know, in other words, unleash and reopen the gates to hell.

BLACKWELL: Let me ask you one more, because you say that the National Urban League is considering a menu of options or how to --

MORIAL: A range.

BLACKWELL: -- a range of options to try to combat this. Your group still operates a Twitter page. You promote your programs there. You still, in some ways, drive traffic in the page --

MORIAL: We do.

BLACKWELL: -- by trying to get people to follow and retweet and draw them to your elements. Why not start by pausing your own page if the place is so awful?

MORIAL: So Twitter is so powerful and it's monopolistic that what we can't do is unilaterally silence ourselves in an effort to, if you will, fight Twitter. For us to remove ourselves from Twitter would not by ourselves, have the impact of altering Musk's approach and, if you will, stopping him from doing what he's doing.

So that's why I said a range of options. And I'm not going to --

BLACKWELL: Yes.

MORIAL: -- telegraph all the steps that we're going to take, but we're not going to unilaterally disarm. We're not going to engage in symbolic gestures here. This is about something much bigger than that, and it's going to take action beyond what the NAACP can do. It's going to take a coalition of not only Americans, but people across the world.

Marc Morial of the National Urban League, thank you. Good to have you.

MORIAL: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: In the wake of the horrific mass shootings this week, President Biden vows to move on an assault weapons ban. But with a lame duck Congress in session, what can realistically be done? We'll get into that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:36:36]

BLACKWELL: All right, just weeks left until Republicans take control of the House and with the clock ticking in this lame duck session, President Biden says that he wants to ban assault weapons after the latest string of mass shootings across this country.

CNN Capitol Hill Reporter Melanie Zanona is with me now. So, what Biden is saying he wants to try to do -- look at the numbers, it just doesn't seem realistic.

MELANIE ZANONA, CNN CAPITOL HILL REPORTER: Yes, you're absolutely right, Victor. Look, Congress is already facing a jampacked to-do list when they return to Washington next week for the lame duck session. And then after the string of recent mass shootings, President Joe Biden added another one to the wish list. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The idea we still allow semiautomatic weapons to be purchased is sick, just sick. It has no, no social redeeming value. Zero. None. Not a single solitary rationale for it except profit for the gun manufacturer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you do anything about gun laws during a lame duck, sir?

BIDEN: I'm going to try.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What were you trying to?

BIDEN: I'm going to try to get rid of assault weapons.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: During the lame duck?

BIDEN: Whenever I got to make that assessment as I get in and start counting the votes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZANONA: Now, Victor, I can already tell you there are not the votes there for a ban on an assault weapons. There's virtually no appetite among Republicans to do that. There's also very little time left on the legislative calendar. And also it's going to be harder even next year to do that, when the power is divided between Congress.

So I do not expect to see action on that front. However, we can expect to see action on a number of other fronts over these next few weeks. Number one, Congress needs to tackle, two, different must pass items, that include funding the government by December 16. That's when the current funding patch expires.

They're also need to pass a bipartisan defense policy bill. That's something that gets passed every year. So we are expecting that to happen. And then there's another number of other items on the wish list. Same sex marriage bill. They've already begun work on that. We are expecting them to finish it and pass it.

They've also been working on election reforms to prevent another January 6, that's bipartisan. We could see action there, and they're also trying to figure out whether they can lift the debt ceiling. That's not something they need to do until next year, but there's concern over whether GOP House would be able to do it. So it's going to be a very, very busy few weeks over here on Capitol Hill, Victor.

BLACKWELL: Yes, I think you've got the right characterization there, the wish list for some of these things.

ZANONA: Yes.

BLACKWELL: Melanie Zanona, for us there in Washington. Thank you very much.

Laura Barron-Lopez is a CNN Political Analyst and White House Correspondent for PBS NewsHour. Good to see you. So Melanie just went through how realistic any of this action on an assault weapons ban really is. Is there any investment from the White House beyond a statement here, a speech there, a remark outside of a firehouse?

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, that's a really good question, Victor, because the President has long called for Congress to pass an assault weapons ban, essentially since he ran for the presidency, and he has repeated it after each mass shooting that has occurred while he's been president.

But there's a big difference between calling for it and also, as he said recently, saying that he was going to try to count votes and make a push for it. So how much muscle the White House actually puts behind this in the lame duck is something that remains to be seen.

Again, though, to Melanie's point, I -- the votes aren't really there, even though there are senators like Senator Joe Manchin, a centrist Democrat who has expressed --

BLACKWELL: Yes.

BARRON-LOPEZ: -- some support for an assault weapon's ban, the idea that there are 10 Republicans right now in the Senate seems very unlikely. [15:40:03]

BLACKWELL: A lot of pictures here. This is -- you saw there the President, the First Lady who were leaving Nantucket Bookworks, doing a little shopping on this Black Friday as they take a break from Washington there in Nantucket. So what to tell you, what you were looking at there.

Let's turn now to this dinner at Mar-a-Lago. Former President Trump hosting Kanye West, or Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, Nick Fuentes, a holocaust denier, what is happening here? We know that the former president likes to surround himself with anybody who likes him. But to suggest that I have no idea who Fuentes is, he clearly knows what Ye has said over the last couple of months. What do you see happening here with this dinner?

BARRON-LOPEZ: The former President has repeatedly said that he doesn't know people when he does know them, when there has been photographic evidence of him with people, with extremists. And Nick Fuentes is an extremist who's labeled a white supremacist by the Justice Department.

And to me, Victor, look, what we're seeing is the President to continue to surround himself with yes people, to continue to surround himself with people who push antisemitism, push racism, and push white supremacy and white nationalist ideologies. That is not new for the former President. It's something that he did when he was in office and it's something that he has continued to do since he's been out of office.

Now the question is whether or not the base supporters, Republican base supporters, continue to vote for him since he has announced that he is going to seek the presidency yet again. Even though voters did reject election denialism, extremism, you know, a lot of statewide races, there were still more than 100 election deniers that were elected to seats in the House, some seats in the Senate, and some gubernatorial seats.

So the extremist element that the former President has tied himself to isn't going anywhere. And we could definitely see more of it, gain a stronger voice among the House Republican Conference as they take the majority next Congress.

BLACKWELL: All right, Laura Barron-Lopez, thank you so much.

BARRON-LOPEZ: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: Soccer fans are glued to the final minutes of the highly anticipated matchup. The U.S. men's national team is facing off against England. We're live at watch parties on both sides of the pond. That's next.

But first, the holiday season is here, and it comes with the treasured celebrations and traditions that make it so special, including all of those holiday films and TV specials. The new CNN original series of special event "Tis the Season: The Holidays on Screen" unwraps the most memorable and festive moments of holiday classics, new and old, and explores why these stories continue to delight audiences everywhere.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM HANKS, ACTOR: Christmas movies and television specials are always about someone who has lost their faith in humankind, regaining it.

PHIL ROSENTHAL, CREATOR, EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND: Christmas story is one of the best movies about nostalgia, family and Christmas.

SARA SIDNER, JOURNALIST, CNN: I watch it every year at least twice. It's the script of my life.

RAMI MALEK, ACTOR: It's hard to beat "Home Alone."

DAVID E. TALBERT, WRITER/DIRECTOR: Just have fun in high jinks. It is on the Mount Rushmore of holiday movies.

RON HOWARD, DIRECTOR: I lost myself in "Miracle on 34th Street."

ALONSO DURALDE, FILM CRITIC/AUTHOR: "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" was capturing how the holidays make us all insane.

BEN MANKIEWICZ, HOST, TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES: There is that consistent Christmas element in "Elf" of change, of realization.

TIM NAFTALI, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Watch a good Christmas show? And it doesn't matter when it was made. These ideas don't get old.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Unwrap the stories behind everything we love to watch in Christmas. A two-hour special event. "Tis the Season: The Holidays on Screen," Sunday at 8:00 on CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:48:22]

BLACKWELL: All right, right now, we're an additional time at the World Cup showdown between U.S. and England. We're with fans at pubs in both countries. CNN's Andy Scholes at a pub in Atlanta. CNN's Anna Stewart is live at a pub in London. I hate to interrupt, because I've been watching your shots, and you're focused on that. Andy, let me come to you first with the reaction where you are.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Victor, I tell you what. I don't think I've ever been in a bar with more nervous energy than I am right now. I mean, all these fans are hanging on every single kick of this game right now. And here comes an England corner. Oh, boy. OK, we saved it. Don't worry. That's what that cheer is for.

But, you know, this game it's still 0-0. You know, in my lifetime, Victor, I've ever been so into or seen more excitement from a 0-0 game. And the fans here, so just to give you a -- set the scene for you, this place holds about 600 people. Fans got here at 8:00-9:00 a.m. in order to get a spot. There's been a line around the building the entire time. People just wanting to be a part of this atmosphere. U.S., of course, missed the World Cup last time around, so this is eight years in the making. They've been playing amazing so far, Victor, giving these fans a lot of hope.

Yes, I told you earlier that a lot of the fans were pointing to the Revolutionary War in 1776 or the Upset in 1950 is reason to be optimistic. And, hey, I was skeptical, but it's worked out so far.

BLACKWELL: All right. Every cheer that we hear in Atlanta matches a groan that we hear in London. Anna, what do you see?

ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: We've got less than two minutes to go. It's not looking that good.

[15:50:03]

And honestly, a couple of hours ago, I would not have believed this. England were the favorites, U.S. were the underdogs. This was meant to be a four-nil victory, a five-nil victory is what I heard from fans. Their faces are looking a lot less confident right now.

Rupert (ph) is on the edge of his seat. Rupert, are we going to win this one?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not sure right now. I'm nervous.

STEWART: He's not taking his eyes off the game. It's a 1 minute 20 seconds to go. It doesn't matter if we don't make this one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As long as it will be Wales, fascinating thing.

STEWART: Your girlfriend as well.

STEWART: Oh no, it wasn't a goal. Listen, I'll throw it back to you, guys. It is not looking good. I think there'll be many people drowning their sorrows in just a few seconds.

BLACKWELL: Andy, listen, I'm sure -- can you hear me, Andy? All right, Andy can't hear me there. So let me stay with Anna. You said that this was expected to be -- all right, let's let Andy go. You can't hear me at all.

Let me stay with Anna. You can't -- you expected that this would be four -- you can hear me, Andy? All right, let me --

SCHOLES: I can hear you now, Victor. Sorry, call dropped.

BLACKWELL: All right, give me -- I want to know what you're feeling, Andy, because your face is telling a lot.

SCHOLES: Well, I'm hanging on every kick, just like all of these bands, Victor. And this is the thing. You know, England was supposed to win this game. The U.S. has outplayed them the entire time. They've had pressure on the entire time. So it's almost been like building it. Their fans just at one point expecting us to get a golden win. It has to happen so far, but still a draw against England in this scenario. You consider that a big win for Team USA.

BLACKWELL: All right. Andy Scholes, Anna Stewart, thank you both. And thank you watching, for dealing with some of these technical issues and the audio, it's really loud in these spaces.

We're learning some new details, disturbing details about the man who killed six of his coworkers at a Virginia Walmart. We have those for you ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:57:10]

BLACKWELL: The top ten CNN Heroes of 2022 have been announced, and one will be named the CNN Hero of the Year by you, our viewers. So we are reintroducing each of our top 10. Last year, millions of refugees fled Afghanistan and Ukraine. And this top 10 CNN Hero knows firsthand the challenges of rebuilding a life in a new country.

Born in a refugee camp to parents who fled Ethiopia, she's working to help others in her community thrive by using food.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For all refugees and immigrants, food is a sense of self-preservation. So as long as you preserve those family recipes, it really instills a sense of rootedness, feeling connected to your cultural upbringing.

In August, Chef Urbal (ph) will be partnering with Flavors from Afar to highlight her dishes from Afghanistan.

My restaurant Flavors from Afar, we really bring international cuisine to Los Angeles in a way that hasn't been done before and it's a way to highlight chefs who all share some form of displacement. Giving these home trained chefs an opportunity to shine, it's amazing. And 40 percent of the proceeds go back to the nonprofit.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can I borrow some of yours?

The Tia (ph) Foundation serves immigrants, refugees, and displaced indigenous communities. My mom and I, we knew that we could help make the path easier for other families. We want to create a sense of community.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Good work. Go to cnnheroes.com to vote for your CNN Hero of the Year. And you can vote for any or all of them up to ten times a day, every day.

All right, it's the day after Thanksgiving, and if you're fortunate enough to have a fridge full of leftovers, I offer this Thanksgiving classic from Rapper Plies. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PLIES, RAPPER: Go ahead and explain to some of you all, what I just had to tell my mom. Because some of you all don't think you bought to throw the leftovers away. At some point, the leftovers got a expiration date on them. There's a cap on the leftover. You get eating the leftovers as long as you want to, man. Some of you all might want to write it down, because I'm going to give you the calendar and the itinerary for the leftover.

You cook the food on Wednesday tonight. Thursday, you ate the food. Friday, that when it was the best. Saturday, you're pushing it. Sunday, ain't no more leftover. Monday, you tripping. Tuesday, you all worried that you're still eating them left over. Wednesday, hospital. Thursday, dead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: You all, please don't make it to Thursday with the leftover still in the fridge. I tweeted that out if you couldn't grab a pen for the calendar. And thankyou to Plies for that, a Thanksgiving classic.

Now, the guidance from the Department of Health and Human Services is not far off from that. It's foodsafety.dotgov website advises. Leftovers be kept in the for three to four days. It even says not enough consumers know that food can become unsafe in the refrigerator after four days.

So today is the day it's its best. "THE LEAD" starts right now.