Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Chains Offering More Discounts This Year To Clear Shelves; Black Friday Spending Was Up 12 Percent This Year Over 2021; Liberal Appalachia Wrestler Says Attacks Getting "Too Real"; U.S. Soccer Alters Iran Flag On Social Media To Support Protesters; U.S. Must Beat Iran On Tuesday To Advance To Knockout Stage. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired November 27, 2022 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAULA REID, CNN HOST: Headed home. Millions of Americans are traveling today after the long holiday weekend, where weather is causing snags just ahead. Plus, remarkable rescue. A Coast Guard team pulls two fishermen from the water just moments before their boat sinks into the sea. And later, must win match, which teams are facing elimination today at the World Cup, CNN takes you live to Doha.

Hello. Thanks for joining me. I'm Paula Reid in for Fredericka Whitfield. We begin with unprecedented acts of defiance in cities and university campuses across China. Anger and frustration boiling over against the government's strict zero COVID lockdowns.

Protestors in Shanghai chanting "Step Down" aimed at China's leader Xi Jinping and the ruling communist party, but also this. Videos from Shanghai earlier today showing protestors being roughed up and dragged away by police. (Inaudible) can be heard yelling release them, as CNN's Selina Wang is in Beijing. Selina, what is happening there? What is the latest?

SELINA WANG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Paula, what we are witnessing right now, it's an extraordinary, historic moment in China. These protests are breaking out across the country from here in the capital in Beijing to elite college campuses to other major metropolis' and even far flank cities. This is an unprecedented level of public decent since Xi Jinping took power a decade ago, what we're seeing is people passed their breaking point.

It's years of pent up anger. This is three years of draconian lockdowns that have cost people's lives, their livelihoods but the trigger for this wave of protests was a deadly fire in Xinjiang that killed at least 10 people. Videos at the scene indicated that COVID restrictions prevented victims from getting help, but these protestors, not just angry about COVID lockdowns, they're also targeting their anger towards the supreme leader himself. This protesting in particular is extraordinary. Let's just take a listen to it again.

Paula, that is people in Shanghai calling Xi Jinping to step down, over and over again. Those chants go on for quite some time. They're also calling for the communist party to step down. I can't overstate just how shocking it is to hear this, hear this crowd in Shanghai, China's wealthiest and most cosmopolitan city, and that chanting happening in a central upscale part of the city, to be directly calling out for Xi -- Xi Jinping to resign.

I mean, this is virtually unheard of, and in China is it extremely dangerous to publicly criticize the party especially Xi himself. You risk prison time or even worse. Some protestors also chanted they don't want COVID tests. They don't want dictatorship. They want freedom and democracy. Witnesses told CNN as well that rows of police officers were making arrests, forcefully pushing protestors into police cars.

But the next day on Sunday, hundreds of Shanghai residents returned to continue protesting, despite heavy police presence and roadblock. Videos also showed some protestors violently dragged away and now that area has been mostly cordoned off. But what we're seeing is this tipping point across the country after years of suffering and death stream (sp?) lockdowns because people struggled to get food, necessities and emergency care on lockdown, Paula.

REID: A remarkable scene indeed, of course we don't realistically expect Xi Jinping to step down, but is there any sign that the government might back down on some of these restrictions?

WANG: Well, the government is in a difficult place right now because COVID cases continue so surge, continue to rise and the party's line has been that they need to keep Zero-COVID because it's protecting the vulnerable elderly population, where the vaccination rates are still lagging behind. But after that fire in Xinjiang, after there were protests in Xinjiang and across the country the government did say it was going to start to relax some of the COVID lockdowns there, but at the same time you have state media publishing headlines that are basically doubling down on Zero-COVID saying it is the best policy for China.

And I just want to reiterate that fire in Xinjiang, Paula, it -- it really triggered people's worst nightmares here because it's really the idea that any one of us here in the country could have been stuck in a lockdown building, while a fire is raging unable to get out or to get help.

REID: Terrifying. Selina Wang, thank you so much for your incredible reporting.

[11:05:09]

REID: Appreciate it. And the White House reacting a short time ago to the situation in China. The White House COVID response coordinator saying China's strict COVID lockdown policy isn't realistic. President Biden's Chief Medical Advisor Anthony Fauci also saying today, he was baffled why China wasn't accepting foreign vaccines instead of relying on medications that were less effective. Now to severe weather that could impact travel plans for millions of people headed home from the Thanksgiving holiday. Rain and gusty winds from the southeast to the Midwest and northeast could create treacherous conditions on the road and cause flight delays and cancellations.

A few western states also facing winter weather advisories, there are already 1,100 flights delayed and that number is only expected to rise. The rain, snow and wind is coming on what the TSA and AAA expect to be the busiest travel day of the year. AAA says, nearly 55 million people are traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday. Now CNN's Gloria Pazmino is at LaGuardia Airport for us, but let's begin with Meteorologist Allison Chinchar. All right Allison, where are the trouble spots going to be?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yeah, it may be easier to tell you where the trouble spots are not, because we have multiple systems here and so that's impacting several different regions of the country. But let's begin in the eastern half of the country, this is where this main system is sliding through and you can see the Midwest, the northeast, the southeast, all being impacted by this one single system.

Right now, the biggest concern is the heavy rain bands that are sliding through, and if you're driving in it at times it's heavy enough that it's going to cause ponding on the roadways, slowing traffic down, adding some delays, but it also could also add some delays into the air, not just the rain but wind.

You've got several wind advisories out for numerous states here because it's gusting up to about 50 miles per hour. So that could lead to quite a bumpy flight in some of these states as well. Here's a look at where that system is expected to go over the next 24 hours. You can see it continues to surge into the northeast.

So by later this afternoon, especially this evening, Boston, New York, Hartford, Baltimore, all of the cities that are likely going to see some impacts there from this system before it finally exit's the area once we get to Monday. So for today specifically, Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., even Detroit, Chicago and Raleigh, all looking at the potential for some delays.

But out west we have our next system, a brand new one pushing into the Pacific northwest, and that could likely cause some delays as well. Especially for places like Seattle and Portland and then interior, across the intermountain west, a lot of snow. This snow will actually be measured in feet.

One to two feet will be widespread across those higher elevations, but this system as it progresses eastward over the coming days could lead to a very significant severe weather event on Tuesday of the upcoming week. The main threats will be tornadoes, damaging wind and even some large hail from Memphis, Shreveport, even stretching down to New Orleans, Paula.

REID: Allison, thank you so much. Now let's go to Gloria Pazmino at LaGuardia Airport. All right Gloria, yesterday you were out amid the shoppers. Today you're at the airport. You may be working but I feel like you're still getting the full holiday experience. So what is the situation there today at the airport? GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely Paula. I'm getting the

full holiday experience and today we've been talking with holiday travelers. As you mentioned at the beginning, this is supposed to be one of the busiest travel days of the year. After the Thanksgiving weekend, people going back home after the break.

In fact, AAA estimates that more than 50 million Americans traveled at least 50 miles away from their home. Today many of them are making their way back. Now I've been speaking to travelers here. Most of them have a plan, they also knew that delays could be a possibility and that bad weather is on the horizon. So many of them arrived early. They gave themselves extra time so that they could be prepared in the event of any delays, because travel is also increasing.

One and one-half increase from the previous year and 98 percent from pre-pandemic -- pre-pandemic volumes. So we are expecting to see this huge influx of travelers, in fact, the three airports that service the New York City area are all urging travelers to arrive to the airport earlier than they normally would here at LaGuardia Airport where we are right now. They're urging passengers to pre-book their parking spots because those parking spots are filling up quickly. Now we spoke to travelers to ask about how they were approaching this busiest day of the year. Many of them told us they are all expecting it, it's just part of traveling on a day like today.

MIRIAM LOWE, HOLIDAY TRAVELER: We got here two hours early, just in case anything would happen.

SHARON ELLIOTT, HOLIDAY TRAVELER: I've -- I've been traveling a lot of years on Thanksgiving. So, you know, and plus the weather's supposed to get bad, so I figured the earlier the better.

ALEXANDER KIEFER, HOLIDAY TRAVELER: That's why we're early.

PAZMINO: You're early. How early?

KIEFER: Like four or five hours early.

[11:10:10]

PAZMINO: Four or five hours, that is a lot of time to be sitting around at the airport but it may be worth it if you know your flight could potentially be delayed. If you're going to have to come up with different travel plans and all of this, people seem to be taking it in stride at least for now. They're trying to get to where they're going. They have a plan. They know that it's a possibility that they make -- may get delayed already more than 1,000 flights cancelled across the country. So we are expecting it get a little bit more difficult as the hours where on, Paula.

REID: Gloria Pazmino, Allison Chinchar, thank you so much. And with travel expected to reach pre-pandemic levels this year, airlines have been preparing to meet that demand. They're on a hiring boom and hoping for far fewer cancellations at the airport than in recent years. CNN's Pete Muntean reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Airlines have been preparing for the rush at airports with a rush all their own, hiring thousands of new workers from the front desk to the flight deck. Twenty-four year old Ellie Gal is about to follow in her dad's footsteps as a new commercial pilot.

ELLIE GAL, NEW COMMERCIAL PILOT: This is probably one of the best times in history to become a pilot.

MUNTEAN: Ellie is joining Piedmont Airlines which operates thousands of regional flights for American Airlines. At its Charlotte Training Center, 400 new pilots have been trained here since June.

EDDIE LEVERTON, VP OF FLIGHT OPERATIONS, PIEDMONT AIRLINES: We have real ambitions to (inaudible) the airline, essentially double the size of the airline.

MUNTEAN: Seasoned pilots are also in demand. Piedmont just announced a $100,000 signing bonus for new captains.

DOUG MCFARLANE, NEW HIRE CAPTAIN FOR PIEDMONT AIRLINES: The opportunities have never been better.

MUNTEAN: New industry numbers show staffing at the major airlines has now exceeded pre-pandemic levels. The hiring blitz comes after airlines struggled this summer, cancelling 5,500 flight due, in part, to staffing shortages. But hiring is happening beyond just pilots, American Airlines says it has hired 12,000 employees this year, company wide. Southwest Airlines says it has hired more than 15,000 and that United Airlines 2,000 new customer service representatives are helping passengers in new ways.

DEBBIE REYNOLDS, AGENT ON DEMAND: This is Debbie (sp?) speaking, may I help you?

MUNTEAN: Called agent on demand, you scan a QR code for a video call. Agents can now connect with a stranded passenger at O'Hare when they're not busy at another airport like Dulles.

REYNOLDS: I think this is going to be a great help, especially now that we're having snow everywhere. We want to be there for our customers. Support them, make it easy and just make them feel good about the trip and -- and take off some of the stress.

MUNTEAN: Airlines insist they now have the right people in the right places. Now the pressure is on them to perform. Are you worried at all?

NICK CALIO, CEO OF AIRLINES FOR AMERICA: I'm worried about the weather. I always worry about the weather because that's the number one thing that can ruin a flight. I think we're flexible enough now that if there are cancellations or delays, we will be ready to try to get people to where they want to go.

(END VIDEO TAPE) REID: Pete Muntean, thank you. And joining us now is Henry Harteveldt, he is a travel industry analyst. Henry, thanks so much for joining us on this busy holiday weekend. The TSA is, of course, bracing for the possibility that this could be the busiest travel day on record. So do you think that the airlines are prepared for that, especially as we're emerging from the pandemic?

HENRY HARTEVELDT, TRAVEL INDUSTRY ANALYST: Absolutely Paula. I think it's really important to understand airlines and aviation is -- are a team sport, and it's the airlines, the TSA, the FAA, even the military who play a role in all of this and everyone has shown up and is bringing their a-game. It's not 100 percent perfect, but it is so much better than we saw during the summer. There've been very few cancellations, relatively speaking, almost none among the big airlines and relatively few delays as well.

REID: Well we've already seen, though, more than 1,100 flight delays. It's not so many but that is significant, particularly if it's your flight. So what advice do you have for travelers who's flights have been delayed or they've been cancelled? What's the best way to respond?

HARTEVELDT: Look, absolutely, look I actually have family who are on a delayed flight right now. So, look, if your flight is delayed, first and foremost, keep your cool. Second, check the airlines mobile app. The airlines mobile app is your best friend, because the airline may have rebooked you or the mobile app may allow you to rebook yourself if you need to be rebooked.

The other thing is some airlines have even allowed now to check -- speak with an agent virtually through the mobile app, saving you the need to go and wait in a line. So, you know, do that. Time is also important. Don't wait if your flight is delayed, check -- check to see what options exist. If you need to talk to somebody, get in that line or call as quickly as you can.

REID: You make a great point about the app.

[11:15:07]

REID: I've heard a few experts say that this weekend, that even if you're not a frequent traveler, it's worth it to just take the time and the space on your phone to get that app. We know inflation has also made it more expensive to fly. So where do you see ticket prices going for the Christmas holiday and beyond? Is there any hope in sight for consumers?

HARTEVELDT: Well, look, jet -- the price of jet fuel is a big factor in how the airlines price their fares, along with demand, and it's important to remember we still don't have all the flights and all the seats back that we did before COVID. So, airfares for Christmas will probably be higher than you remember pre-COVID, but perhaps not quite as high as Thanksgiving because Christmas travel is spread over a longer period of time.

And also, looking into 2023, I believe we may see some airfares come down a little bit, especially if business travel remains soft and honestly if the economy starts to get even more uncertain. Airlines are really good about pricing to meet market demand, and if the market gets soft, airlines will lower fares.

REID: Interesting. All right, Henry Harteveldt, thank you so much for joining us.

HARTEVELDT: Thank you.

REID: And still ahead, an unbelievable rescue with just moments to spare. Two fishermen were saved right as their boat began to sink. I'll talk with one of the Coast Guard members involved in the rescue next. Plus, 'tis the season for holiday shopping, how retailers are getting consumers in the door with inflation pushing prices higher, we'll see. That's ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:20:10]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

REID: Just days after this miraculous rescue in the Gulf of Mexico, the man who went overboard from a Carnival Cruise ship is still recovering. The 28 year old waved down a Coast Guard helicopter after spending around 15 hours in the water, but this wasn't the only remarkable rescue for the Coast Guard this month. Just over a week ago, a fishing vessel off North Carolina's coast started sinking prompting two mariners to abandon ship.

Fortunately, Coast Guard members brought them safely to shore. For more details, I want to bring in U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Tyler Robinson who took part in the rescue. All right, well -- well done. Great work here. Tell us what went through your mind as you tried to save these two fishermen?

TYLER ROBINSON, COAST GUARD PETTY OFFICER: Yes ma'am. So we got the call about a fishing vessel taking on water about an hour away. So, just off of that we had a lot going on in our heads, a lot of the crewmen trying to get everything together to make our way toward their last known position. We got on scene, unfortunately we couldn't keep up with the water, the rate of flooding was too high so our dewatering wasn't able to keep up, and then our next mission was to get the people off and -- and then you can see in the video how the vessel capsized so quickly and how quick the situation can go south and put lives in jeopardy.

REID: Now talk to us a little bit about the conditions here, because looking at this video we can see people, but that appears to be a light -- a piece of equipment. That looks to be pretty choppy waters and it's -- it's dark. I mean, doesn't that make it a lot more difficult to conduct this kind of operation?

ROBINSON: Yes, so we -- we train in all kinds of weather and unfortunately this night, the weather wasn't ideal for the current situation. So it definitely makes it a little more stressful and I can only imagine and the mariners on the boat how it peaked their distress level.

REID: Absolutely. I mean, we know the water off of North Carolina is -- is pretty choppy. They're certainly fortunate that you guys were close enough to help. Now you were the coxswain in this particular rescue. So what is -- what is that? What was your role specifically in this mission?

ROBINSON: Yes ma'am. So the coxswain in the Coast Guard is pretty much ahead of our boat, our Coast Guard asset, we run the crew and everyone on the crew is qualified to be there. So we trust our crewmen just like they trust me to drive the boat, and we're all one team. So I wouldn't have asked for a better team to be a part of.

REID: And did they say anything once you -- once you pulled them out of the water? What was their reaction?

ROBINSON: Yes, we got them out of the water they were super thankful. They just said that they bought that boat today. So it's hard to hear for someone that just purchased a vessel to have this outcome. Just makes it super imperative that you have, like, the proper equipment on board for any type of situation.

REID: Yes, absolutely and it's been a busy week for Coast Guard rescues. Of course, a lot of people talking about the Carnival Cruise rescue. So in a situation like that, where do you even begin? I imagine it's so much more difficult to spot one person out there in the ocean than a vessel. So how would you approach a situation like that?

ROBINSON: Yes, so it's super crucial as you see in the video, the one mariner didn't have his lifejacket properly on. So, to be aware of your equipment and how to appropriately put it on is super important, and then its, like you said, easier to spot a vessel than it is for a person in the water. So if you could stay with either the vessel or as you saw on the back deck the coolers, anything that's easier for help to spot is -- makes it a life or death situation a lot better.

REID: Absolutely. What is your advice for folks when they're out at sea, to stay safe in a vessel of any size? I mean, you just mentioned about life vests, would you recommend people keep them on at all times? What would you tell your family if they're out in a boat?

[11:25:10]

ROBINSON: I would definitely tell them to make sure they know how the equipment works. Try it on before and then once you're out there, if you have any hesitation of a situation arise whether it's taking on water, even losing your engines, to put a life jacket on. It's better to have it done then, prior to being in that panic mode as you saw the mariners, to where they're just scavenging for whatever they can do. It's super important to do that.

REID: Well Coast Guard Petty Officer Tyler Robinson, thank you so much for your service and thank you so much for joining us today. We appreciate it.

ROBINSON: Yes ma'am. Thank you.

REID: And authorities in Italy have declared a state of emergency after at least one person was killed in a landslide on the tourist island of Ischia, near Naples. Now 10 people are missing, officials say heavy rains triggered the mudslide that damaged or destroyed several homes on the island. Search and rescue crews say bad weather made it more difficult to reach the victims. At least eight people now have been rescued, including a child and more than 200 were evacuated as the recovery continues. And getting ready for you holiday shopping, well we'll tell you some of what stores are doing to entice shoppers this season. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:30:52]

REID: 'Tis the season for shopping. This year, Americans are expected to spend for the holidays, but with record high inflation, shoppers will likely be choosy about their purchases, leaning on savings and credit to afford gifts. So to entice holiday spenders, large retail chains are offering more discounts than last year to clear out their inventory and have spread out deals throughout the fall and winter to cater to middleclass budgets.

Now CNN's Nathaniel Meyersohn joins me now. All right, Nathaniel, I've got to admit, I've done quite a bit of shopping already on this Black Friday and this Thanksgiving holiday. So, are we going to get more good deals or what does holiday season going to look like for shoppers?

NATHANIEL MEYERSOHN, CNN BUSINESS REPORTER: Right. So you think back to last year, Paula, there were not that many deals, and that's because of all of the supply chain issues and shortages that stores saw. This year, the situation is much different. Stores have actually too much stuff, they're overstocked. And to clear it off shelves, they're going to mark it down. And so you're going to see discounts on toys, electronics, clothing, furniture.

As the CEO of Best Buy said this week, "The promotional environment continues to be considerably more intense than last year."

REID: I love that statement, the promotional environment. I enjoy the promotional environment. I think it's great for consumers. We just had Black Friday. Like I said, I did my part, but how did it go overall for the businesses and consumers?

MEYERSOHN: So those deals this year were enough to get Black Friday shoppers back in stores and online. Black Friday sales increased 12 percent from a year ago, and that was a lot driven by customers seeking discounts, getting back in stores. They wanted to try on new clothes, see if that new TV was the right size, and they stayed home the last couple of years on Black Friday due to pandemic concerns. But that wasn't the case this year.

REID: So I want to talk to you a little bit about your reporting on JCPenney. That was a staple in my childhood. They're trying to make a comeback. This is really a make-or-break holiday for them. You recently spoke to the CEO based on your reporting. I mean, can JCPenney really survive?

MEYERSOHN: Right. So you think about JCPenney. This is a beloved American retailer. It dressed the middle class during the 20th century, but then the company fell on hard times. About a decade ago, they made the decision to cut coupons. And that was a disaster. It completely backfired, drove off shoppers.

And then early in the pandemic in 2020, they filed for bankruptcy. One of the largest companies to file for bankruptcy during the pandemic. But now they're back. They have new owners, a new strategy. They've closed more than 200 of their underperforming stores.

I spoke with the CEO recently, and he said that JCPenney is targeting middleclass shoppers, working class families. About 30 percent of their customers are people of color, which is a larger share than a lot of their competitors. And they're going after shoppers with new brands. They have new beauty sections in stores. But the question is, will this work?

Department stores like JCPenney are stuck in the middle. There's so much competition. You have discount stores like TJ Maxx, Walmart, then you have Amazon and more upscale chains. So the long-term future of JCPenney is very much in doubt, despite some of the moves that it's making.

REID: Nathaniel, thanks so much for your great reporting. That's a really interesting story. And JCPenney, we'll see what happens over the next month. See if they survive.

And this quick programming note, on an all-new season of "This Is Life with Lisa Ling," find out why there's always more to the stories we think we know all about. Discover the connections shaping our shared humanity. "This Is Life with Lisa Ling," tonight at 10:00 Eastern on CNN.

And coming up, there's no doubt politics can sometimes feel like a professional wrestling match. But what happens when a wrestler actually brings his politics to the job? Hint, it's not very pretty. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:39:01]

REID: A fun surprise yesterday for a few kids in Nantucket.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, here's Jill.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ms. Jill.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my gosh. Hi. Hi, hi, hi. Hi.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my God. Yes!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

REID: Some children taking video from a restaurant could not contain their excitement when they saw the president walking by. President Biden heard the commotion and walked over smiling, waving and even taking some selfies. The clip was posted on the Nantucket Current. Biden was visiting with his family for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Fans of former President Trump in and around Appalachia don't have to wait for a possible matchup against President Biden. They already have a version of it, complete with full Nelsons, pile drivers, and maybe the occasional atomic drop.

CNN's Elle Reeve has the story of how a popular villain on the local pro-wrestling circuits has turned a mirror on our national politics.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(SCREAMING)

[11:40:04]

ELLE REEVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is politics in America right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).

REEVE (voice-over): Channeled through a pro-wrestling ring.

DAN HARNSBERGER, AKA, "THE PROGRESSIVE LIBERAL", INDEPENDENT PRO- WRESTLER: I just criticize their way of life and tell them how they need to follow a real manlike myself or my hero, Joseph R. Biden.

REEVE (voice-over): The progressive liberal, Dan Richards is a wrestler who fans in Appalachia love to hate.

BEAU JAMES, INDEPENDENT PRO-WRESTLER: When I grab ahold of him and I look in the crowd and say, hit him in the mouth, and they all come to their feet. Yes, I hit him in the mouth. And they go, he did that for us.

REEVE (voice-over): Dan and his mentor, Beau James, came up with the gimmick when Trump was first running for president.

JAMES: I said, my God, if we had a guy that was the anti-Trump and we could send him to the ring in these towns, how much heat would we get?

HARNSBERGER: They want to see you get your ass kicked. That's the heat we want.

JAMES: It's the greatest feeling in the world. It's a high.

REEVE (voice-over): Now that politics has gotten so intense, it's getting too real for Dan.

HARNSBERGER: The response to me and people would think like me are more violent.

REEVE (voice-over): Dan really is liberal. I first interviewed him in 2017, which now, bizarrely, feels like a more innocent time.

(on-camera): So in 2017, you wore like an Oliver print Hillary shirt. And so you're Hillary focused.

HARNSBERGER: Hillary.

REEVE (on-camera): Like, what pieces of current events do you pull from to sort of trigger people?

HARNSBERGER: Well, I've got a Biden collage shirt and one of Kamala Harris. The Biden one triggers more people than anything, because I don't think half of these people even know who Kamala Harris is.

REEVE (voice-over): Dan says he gets more heat now than when Trump was in office. He thinks fans feel like they got their hero taken away.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dan, go.

JAMES: There's so many people that think an election was stolen. I sell realism and emotions. It gets an emotion out of people. So whatever the headlines are of that week, that's what we're going to use.

REEVE (on-camera): But do you ever talk about the election being stolen?

JAMES: Yes. If Dan wins by cheating, then his opponent can go the microphone like I do, and I say, a lot of these good people here tonight think you stole that just like an election was stolen. The building goes nuts.

REEVE (voice-over): They usually wrestle in Appalachian counties. Some went for Trump by more than 80 percent.

JAMES: It's a small mountain town, poor county, poor community, no hope. He represents to them everything that's put them in that position.

REEVE (on-camera): And do you think it's changed in the last five years, how intense it is?

JAMES: Yes. It's more dangerous.

HARNSBERGER: The moment I realize things have changed, I think, is when I had rocks thrown at me and someone tried to light me on fire and someone pull a knife on me.

REEVE (on-camera): So recently?

HARNSBERGER: Yes, I mean, that was a month ago.

JAMES: People are even more frustrated. They're even more divided. So now here's this guy in our town saying this stuff that we see on television that we don't agree with. So we can't get those people, we can't get the politicians. Let's get him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).

REEVE (voice-over): They'd advertise Dan would be wrestling bow in Stickleyville, Virginia, a community of about 330 people. Fans get ready to boo Dan.

ALEX ADKINS, INDEPENDENT PRO-WRESTLER: We all have our own opinion, but his, especially in this area, is a lot different, and, you know, everybody wants to punch him in the face.

JESSE PROFIT, WRESTLING FAN: We love wrestling, first of all. But to come and show the liberal like, hey, we know what we stand for.

REEVE (voice-over): Yes.

PROFIT: Yes. And definitely not the left side.

REEVE (on-camera): So do you want to see him get beat up?

PROFIT: Yes.

REEVE (on-camera): Do you want Trump to run again?

PROFIT: Amen.

REEVE (on-camera): You do?

PROFIT: Yes.

REEVE (on-camera): Yes? OK.

(voice-over): Corey Smith wrestles as white trash millionaire. He doesn't like Dan's politics, but he's off the Trump train.

COREY SMITH, AKA "WHITE TRASH MILLIONAIRE", INDEPENDENT PRO-WRESTLER: I don't see how things could get any worse, but with Trump, we would find out.

REEVE (on-camera): You think so?

SMITH: I believe so, yes. When you stop putting America first, start putting yourself in what you want to do first. I'm jumping off any trainer.

REEVE (on-camera): You have to tell me when that moment was.

SMITH: Twitter. If I'm at my job and I'm constantly tweeting, I'm getting fired. I want somebody that leads this country by actions, not by words.

REEVE (voice-over): The crowd was loud for other matches, but when Dan walked out, it was next level.

(BOOING)

Then he got out of the ring and riled them up more. A guy looked ready to fight Dan. Some fans fought each other.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Give me some face (INAUDIBLE) something of fame.

REEVE (voice-over): Though cut the match short. Backstage, they said the crowd got too hot too fast.

[11:45:01]

JAMES: We felt it coming. We pushed it too far.

HARNSBERGER: It's a different kind of heat now, and it's -- at a level that I haven't experienced previously. So anyone doesn't think it's getting more violent and on what side it's coming from, means, they have a reality check.

JAMES: You have to know how to let it breathe. You have to know how to hear it, feel it, live it. You can be great and do all the athletic moves, all the stuff. If you don't know your audience, it doesn't matter.

Elle Reeve, CNN, Stickleyville, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

REID: Always fascinating reports from Elle Reeve.

Well, the United States is taking a stand in support of Iranian protesters just days before they face off in a must win match against Iran at the World Cup. We're live in Qatar next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:50:18]

REID: Just days ahead of the U.S. Men's Soccer Team's crucial game against Iran, the U.S. Soccer Federation changed Iran's flag on social media in a show of support for protesters. The flag no longer bears the emblem of the Islamic Republic in the middle.

All right, let's bring in CNN's Don Riddell live in Doha. Don, what's going on with this flag? What can you tell us?

DON RIDDELL, CNN HOST, WORLD SPORT: Well, I mean, you've pretty much expressed the U.S. Soccer Federation's point of view there, Paula. They changed it for a 24-hour period. It was going to appear as that way on their website and other places. But it has really kicked off a fire storm with Iranian state media now calling for the United States team to be kicked out of the World Cup and suspended for 10 games.

The soccer federation did it in support, as you say, of the women who've been protesting in Iran. Separately to that, the former World Cup winner from Germany, Jurgen Klinsmann, who's a former U.S. coach, has been sharply criticized by the Iranian team because he's accused them of gaming the referee and their thrilling win against Wales the other day. And so they're now throwing it all at him and basically saying they would like him to come to the training ground to have a little chat, insinuating that he dived throughout his career, essentially calling him a cheat. And they even invoked Germany's responsibility for two world wars.

So the tension between the United States and Iran is definitely ramping up before they meet on Tuesday night. It is a repeat of their World Cup clash in 1998, which Iran won. And for both teams, this is going to be a must win game.

REID: Wow. Well, apart from the controversies and drama, as you say, there's also some soccer going on. So what's in store for the matches today?

RIDDELL: Yes, another four games happening today. I'm actually at the Al Bayt Stadium looking ahead to a game which people have been excited about from the moment the draw was made. It's between the European heavyweights, Germany and Spain. Germany really needing to play well after they lost their opening game to Japan.

Earlier today, we've seen Morocco beat Belgium, easily the biggest result in Moroccan football history. Belgium are the world number two ranked team. That is an absolutely huge win for them.

REID: All right, Don Riddell, thank you so much. And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:57:26]

REID: When you think of quilts, you might think of a holiday gift or a new winter project to sew at home. But quilts can also tell stories, sometimes surviving for generation. As we now see, the country changes, and so do these oh so familiar items. And Mike Valerio reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When you look into these faces, emerging from every stitch, every block, you realize great quilts can also be great art.

JENNIFER M. SWOPE, MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON: Quilts can have so many layers of stories and abilities to connect.

VALERIO (voice-over): The fabric of ancient exhibition which started at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, now traveling cross country to the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles is about reshaping expectations of what quilts can be. Round, revolutionary, but ultimately fabric accessible to us all. Designs often deeply dedicated to memory.

SWOPE: It actually brings up stories that they have forgotten about a quilt they might have made in elementary school. And because I think textiles are something that literally touch us all, people are willing to turn to the person next to them who they might not even know and start sharing those stories.

Curator Jennifer Swope says this is a democratic art form. Quilting bees from generations ago demanding the right to vote. A quilt by Harriet Powers, born into slavery in Georgia, depicting biblical stories next to struggles of American life.

SWOPE: Quilts are a soft landing for tough conversations.

CARON TABB, ARTIST: What you have in the background is the fabric of my humanity.

Artist Caron Tabb's more than 12-foot by 9-foot quilt has more than 1,500 pieces of fabric, all sent to her during the days of the pandemic. Masks, messages, even a sleeve of a wedding dress mailed to Tabb so the people closest to her, isolating, could be stitched together in a quilt of comfort.

TABB: In my studio, I was doing the opposite of what was happening on the outside. I was repairing my world.

VALERIO (on-camera): Do you think, Jen, that people realize that we can look into the depths of America by looking at these quilts?

SWOPE: Maybe people who wouldn't feel quite as welcome in a gallery full of paintings, they're going to feel more welcome in a gallery full of quilts.

VALERIO (voice-over): In Los Angeles, I'm Mike Valerio reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

REID: That's very cool. I'm Paula Reid in for Fredricka Whitfield. Coming up on CNN, Dana Bash talks to Democratic Representative Adam Schiff, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and Democratic Senator Chris Murphy.