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Kanye West Says He Likes Hitler, Twitter Suspends His Account; U.S. Men's Soccer Team Gears Up for Epic Clash Against Netherlands; U.S. Soccer's Pulisic Cleared to Play in Knockout Match Tomorrow; Soon, Biden to Meet Prince of Wales in Boston. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired December 02, 2022 - 13:30   ET

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

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[13:32:34]

ANA CABRERA, CNN HOST: Don't expect to see any tweets from the artist formerly known as Kanye West for a while. Twitter has now suspended his account for inciting violence after he posted a Star of David with a swastika inside.

Now, just hours before that anti-Semitic image popped up, West, who has legally changed his name to Ye, made incredibly disturbing comments praising Adolf Hitler.

And I think it's important to hear him in West in his own words so you can hear his tone and you have the context.

So here's the exchange with right-wing conspiracy theorist, Alex Jones.

And I do want to warn you, it is deeply offensive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEX JONES, HOST, "INFOWARS": You're not Hitler. You're not a Nazi. You don't deserve to be called that and demonized.

KANYE WEST, RAP ARTIST NOW KNOWN AS YE: Well, I -- I see -- I see good things about Hitler also.

I'm done with the classifications. Every human being has something of value that they brought to the table. Especially Hitler.

JONES: I don't like Nazis. And I don't like what some of the mafias are doing either.

WEST: I like Hitler.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Joining us now is Adam Zimmerman. He teaches a seventh-grade class on the Holocaust and is the grandson of a Holocaust survivor.

Adam, great to have you here.

I have a physical reaction watching that. I'm wondering how you feel, what your reaction is to all of this.

ADAM ZIMMERMAN, TEACHER & GRANDSON OF HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR: Thanks, Ana, for having me.

It's really astonishing, no matter how many times you hear it, to know that those sorts of comments, those sorts of sentiments are so out in the open right now and in a much more welcoming environment than they should be.

When I think back on my grandparents, who both survived the Holocaust and what they went through, how much it took for them to rebuild the lives that had been shattered.

They each lost both of their parents, most of their siblings. They somehow were able to pick up the pieces and able to rebuild to start a new family, to own their own business, to raise successive generations of Zimmermans.

We've lost them for a time, about 15 years. But the power of their example lives on and gives me comfort thinking about their story in light of comments like this.

Because it's an important reminder that while the voices of hate are often the loudest voices in the room, there are more people in this world like Freida and Morris Zimmerman than anti-Semites like Ye.

[13:34:59]

And I think knowing that gives me hope and comfort that the forces of anti-Semitism will once again be an able to accomplish their ultimate aims.

CABRERA: Family -- we're going the wrong direction.

You teach 12 and 13-year-olds about the Holocaust and anti-Semitism. What would you say to Kanye West who clearly needs a lesson right now?

ZIMMERMAN: So, when I teach the kids about what happened in the past, one of the lessons that we try to impart to them is that while the Holocaust happened several decades ago, the seeds of anti-Semitism that led to that awful period in human history are very much with us today.

It's not some esoteric piece of history from a dusty old textbook. These things are happening right now. And that's a lesson that's been all too easy to impart to them this year.

And we've even had to postpone lessons on the Holocaust because of these incidents keep coming up and want the kids to know this is happening right now.

And we also want the kids to know that they have a responsibility as the next generation of Jews to understand what happens and be fighters in the battle against this hate.

And it gives me additional comfort to hear my kids, when they see comments like that, talk about educating their family and friends, standing up and speaking out when they hear things that shouldn't be said.

And just wanting to be a good person, make their communities a little better than they found it.

That's the sort of reaction we need right now from all corners, in addition to denouncing what are such horrible comments, but to keep acting in a way that proves that we, as Jewish people, are not the people that anti-Semites make us out to be. We're better than that and prove it each day.

CABRERA: It's important that it's not just the Jewish population that has to fight back against this.

I think about the age group that you teach and how peer pressure influences your thinking at that vulnerable age and stage in your development.

Just this week, in Florida, what really caught my eye here, thinking about all that is that there were three 16-year-olds arrested for writing racist and anti-Semitic messages in public spaces, a playground, a bath bathroom. Just 16 years old.

How is it this kind of hate is seeping into this new generation?

ZIMMERMAN: Well, unfortunately, Ana, we live in an age where those sorts of comments are given more quarter, a whole lot more quarter than they should.

There's an opening for anti-Semites that they've driven a Mac truck through. And it's a scary time for Jewish people and our allies.

And we've seen it -- I've seen it at my local elementary school. Swastikas posted on the sidewalk or anti-Semitic flyers in our neighborhood.

Kids are not born to hate. They learn it. In the same way they can learn to love.

And what we try to do in our classroom, what we teach when we bring them to the Holocaust museum in Washington, D.C., is to show them the forces of love are stronger than the forces of hate.

And they can be soldiers in that battle. They have to be because, in order for the hate to go back underground where it belongs, it is the forces of love and good conscience, respect and tolerance that need to win the day.

Those are the forces that were the example of my grandparents' lives. And those are the forces I try to bring to my classroom and successive generations in order to fight back against this. CABRERA: Adam, I'll admit that when my show team discussed covering

this story today, this issue, we were pulled between not wanting to give hate like this oxygen and also making sure we're not ignoring people in positions of influence like Kanye West, who are spreading such vitriol.

Do you think it's important, conversations like this one, happen and what's missing from the conversations like in that we're having?

ZIMMERMAN: I think it's essential, Ana, we have these conversations.

The oxygen in the room is already being taken up too much by those forces of hate, and the longer we allow that to happen without fighting back, the more emboldened and empowered they will feel.

At our Hebrew school, in our class, we have a saying that we remind the kids all the time, the importance of being an upstander and not a bystander.

Not being silent when we hear these things. Not being silent even in the face of violence against our religious institutions, our neighborhoods and our people.

The only way anti-Semitism can get driven back down underground where it belongs is if those who espouse a far different world view stand up and say, this is wrong, there's a better way.

And we will happily sit with any allies we have across all races, religions. The forces of love strongly outnumber the forces of hate. And when we rise together, we can put anti-Semitism back where it belongs.

CABRERA: I hope you are right.

Adam Zimmerman, thank you for giving your voice to this issue. And I appreciate the conversation with you today. Such an important discussion. I wish you the best as you head into the weekend.

[13:40:08]

ZIMMERMAN: Thanks, Ana. Appreciate it.

We are now less than a day away from one of the most important sporting events in American history. The U.S. men's soccer team getting ready for an epic round of 16. The World Cup clash with a star-studded Netherlands squad.

And we have a big update on the injury status of a U.S. star, Christian Pulisic, that's next.

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[13:45:19]

CABRERA: Can Captain America deliver a heroic sequel? After he sacrificed his body literally for the goal that propelled

Team USA to the knockout round of the World Cup, Star Christian Pulisic is officially clear to play tomorrow when the U.S. faces the eighth-ranked Netherlands.

At stake, what could be Team USA's first visit to the quarterfinals in 20 years.

CNN's Don Riddell is live there for us in Qatar at the World Cup.

He's been dubbed Captain America, even though he's not technically the team captain. So how did he look running through the drills today?

DON RIDDELL, CNN ANCHOR, "WORLD SPORT" Hey, Ana. Yes, we spent 15 minutes training with the U.S. team a couple of hours ago. I was about 50 yards away from Captain America and his dazzling orange boots and he looked pretty good.

I mean, he was out there kind of running the drills. I wouldn't say he was going at it full tilt but looked pretty good. And the news is that he has been cleared to play.

We can bring up the tweet now from the U.S. men's national team. After the training session, they had a good look at him and decided that he's good enough to play. And that's just huge news for the United States.

They've looked really good this tournament, but they've really struggled to score goals. They've only scored two and he's been involved in both.

If it wasn't for his goal against Iran, they'd be already home back now. They wouldn't be in the knockout round.

Of course, you've described how he put his body on the line. It was the pelvic contusion heard all around the world. And for the last few days, it's led to a lot of speculation about what that injury actually meant.

So he was asked about that in the press conference. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTIAN PULISIC, MIDFIELDER, U.S. MEN'S SOCCER TEAM: I mean, it's a pelvic contusion. You know, I just -- it's not a euphemism. It's what it sounds like.

No, but at the same time. I didn't get hit in the balls. I'm all right. It was very painful. And it just, you know, that bone is there for a reason to protect you, I think. And I hit it well and it was sore. But like I said I'm getting better.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIDDELL: You know, whatever it was, Ana, it makes my eyes water.

If the United States gets through this game, the next opponent will make their eyes water, too. It could be Messi and Argentina.

CABRERA: I got to love how he's so mature he can talk about that so openly.

Don Riddell, thank you for the update.

RIDDELL: All right.

CABRERA: So glad that Christian Pulisic is feeling better and on his way to recovery and, hopefully, a win tomorrow.

OK, President Biden is on his way to Boston to meet with the prince and princess of Wales. We have details on that.

Plus, what on earth is Pilk and what does it taste like? I'm about to find out, next.

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[13:52:25]

CABRERA: The royal visit is almost over but not before a meeting with President Biden. In just a few minutes, the president is expected to land in Boston where he'll meet with the prince of Wales.

CNN royal historian, Kate Williams, joins us now.

Kate, what has stood out to you from this trip?

KATE WILLIAMS, CNN ROYAL HISTORIAN: This has been the royal's big trip. Going to be a big moment for them really to show America a big relationship, meeting with Biden, the Earth Shot prize.

It has been successful but obviously overshadowed by many questions about racism. There was a controversy about racism going on here with a conversation at the queen consort reception between a lady in waiting and a black charity campaigner.

And also, the Meghan and Harry's trailer for the Netflix, in which it clearly shows that Meghan had a very difficult and distressing time in the royal family.

CABRERA: And so let's ask about that Netflix clip. And I want to play it because they have a big documentary coming out and we got a sneak peek at the trailer, a documentary featuring Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Here's a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX: I had to do everything I could to protect my family.

MEGHAN, DUCHESS OF SUSSEX: When the stakes are this high, doesn't it make more sense to hear our story from us? (END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: This was dropped yesterday. The first and only full day of the trip with prince and princess, Will and Kate.

Any word on whether the palace is concerned about what could be revealed?

WILLIAMS: I think the palace is going to be concerned. I think it shows, this trailer, there has been a lot of distress. We know Harry and Meghan have said this, saying deeply distressed at times in the royal family.

Meghan made it clear that she suffered racism within the household. There was racism from the press, all the attacks she got.

And also the controversy I was just mentioned about the conversation between the charity campaigner and lady in waiting. That lady in waiting repeatedly asked the lady, from Hackney, where she was born. She was born in Britain.

She said, exactly where are you from? And she was also sent to induce and help Meghan into public life. I think this is quite suggestive.

So I think there are going to be damaging revelations. And really it's going to show that Meghan and Harry struggled a lot within the royal family.

They said, it is our story, we're honest. And it's going to really impact questions on whether or not there is racism within the royal household.

[13:55:01]

CABRERA: I know I'm curious to see what it's all about.

Thank you so much, Kate Williams, for joining us.

Now to my team's favorite story of the day. It requires Pepsi and milk. Should they ever go together? That is the question.

And Lindsay Lohan says yes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LINDSAY LOHAN, ACTRESS: Nice. Oh. Naughty. Pepsi and milk. Pilk.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: So they're calling it Pilk. I had no idea this was a thing but it is. Apparently, it has been for a while now. On the 1970s sitcom, "Laverne & Shirley," Laverne would drinking Pilk on the show.

So my staff begged me to try it. Why not, right? I will give it a go for the very first time. Give it a whirl here.

Like a root beer float but with Pepsi maybe? Not for me. See what you think.

That's going to do it for us today. Thank you so much.

Don't go anywhere. Much more news straight ahead here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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