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Senator Warnock and Herschel Walker Final Campaign for the Senate Runoff in Georgia; Trump Wants to Terminate the Constitution; Tension Build on GOP House Speakership Race; Hijab Law in Iran Under Review; Mauna Loa Volcano Attracts Visitors; Volcano Erupts in Indonesia. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired December 05, 2022 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead here on "CNN Newsroom," we're just a day away from Georgia's all-important runoff election to fill the final U.S. Senate seat. We will take you on the campaign trail to see the final push from the Warnock Walker camps.

Iran reportedly reviewing its hijab law and the morality police. We'll have a live report on what it could mean for Iranian women.

And you are looking at live images from a volcano putting on a non- stop show in Hawaii. It's drawing lots of visitors but there are real concerns and we'll talk to a volcanologist about them this hour.

Good to have you with us. We are now just one day away from Georgia's high-stakes runoff election that will determine who will hold the final seat in the U.S. Senate. On Tuesday, voters will hit the polls to choose between incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock and his Republican challenger, Herschel Walker.

Both will be back on the campaign trail in the hours ahead after a weekend push to reach voters. Democrats hope for a Warnock win to solidify their Senate majority. Ahead of Tuesday's election. More than 1.8 million people across Georgia cast ballots during early voting. Now, time is running out for both candidates to sway those still undecided voters. CNN's Diane Gallagher has the latest from Loganville, Georgia.

DIANE GALLAGHER, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The Georgia senate runoff campaign entering the final stretch just days to go, really a matter of hours. More than 1.85 million Georgian have already cast their ballots but a woman told me today, I feel like we're always voting in Georgia.

And that's what the campaigns are up against here. In an election fatigue state, making sure that the people who haven't already voted actually show up on election day. Now, here in Loganville, Georgia Republican Herschel Walker was joined by Republican Senators Tim Scott and Joe Kennedy. They spent a lot of time talking about former President Barack Obama who, of course, came to Georgia on Thursday to rally for Senator Warnock.

Herschel Walker in these final days hasn't really changed some speech but he has a more -- having more pointed attacks against Senator Warnock when it comes to missing Senate votes for because he's been out campaigning and also working to tie him closely to President Biden.

Now, we are also seeing surrogates for Senator Warnock try and tie Herschel Walker to former President Trump. Senator Warnock keeping a very busy schedule for the duration of this four-week one-off period. He held a large event last night with the AAPI Victory Fund and also spent the day in Athens, which is often considered Herschel Walker territory.

The University of Georgia being there and outside of Atlanta in Gainesville. Warnock will maintain that aggressive campaign schedule through election day. We've talked about Heschel Walker having a bit of a lighter campaign schedule, not having as many events. This was the only one today. That changes on Monday.

The Walker campaign scheduling five different campaign events, a much more ramped up schedule than we have seen really throughout this entire runoff period as we go from days to hours before election time. Diane Gallagher, CNN. Back to you.

CHURCH: Well, Donald Trump's call for the termination of the Constitution has spurred swift and strong reaction but not among most members of his own party. The former president made that statement on Saturday after the release of internal Twitter communications about a 2020 "New York Post" story that the team suspected came from hacked materials. Several House Republicans were questioned about the former president's comments.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DAVID JOYCE (R-OH): -- whoever the Republicans end up pick, I'll fall in behind because that's --

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC NEWS HOST: Even if it's Donald Trump and he's called for the suspension of the Constitution?

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JOYCE: Well, again, I think it's going to be a big field. I don't think Donald Trump's going to clear out the field like he did in '16.

STEPHANOPOULOS: That's not what I'm asking. I'm asking you, if he's the nominee, will you support him?

JOYCE: I will support whoever the Republican nominee is. And I just don't think that, at this point, he will be able to get there because I think there's a lot of other good quality candidates out there.

MARGARET BRENNAN, CBS NEWS HOST: All elected leaders swear to uphold the constitution. Does calling for its suspension, is that disqualifying for a presidential candidate?

REP. MIKE TURNER (R-OH): It's certainly not consistent with the --

BRENNAN: You why I'm asking the question?

TURNER: I do. It's certainly not consistent with the oath that we all take.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: U.S. lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are reacting to a proposal that could lead to Iowa losing its status as the first state to vote in the presidential nominating process. That proposal by President Joe Biden would reshape the 2024 calendar. And on Friday, the rule-making arm of the Democratic National Committee voted to approve a plan that would make South Carolina the first state to hold a primary followed by other early voting states. It still needs to be approved at a full DNC meeting. One Republican senator from Iowa had this reaction.

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REP. JONI ERNST (R-IA): I am sorely disappointed that the Democrats chose not to have I0owa as their first in the nation caucus. We have seen a number of pushes in the past to change this. I'm glad that Republicans are staying the course. And you know, how I feel about this, I feel that Democrats have really given middle America the middle finger.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: All right, turning to the U.S. House where a potential fight is brewing over who will win the speakership. Republican Kevin McCarthy insists he will have the votes needed to secure the position, but his conservative opponents say otherwise, creating the possibility of a messy showdown that may bring uncertainty and chaos just as Republicans prepare to enter their new majority.

Well, meantime, incoming Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat, is weighing in on all that's at stake from his party's view.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): Well, I think the question right now is what other Republicans going to do? From our standpoint, we know what our mission is. The question on the other side of the aisle is, what will Republicans do? Are they going to double and triple down on the extremism that we've seen from people like Marjorie Taylor Greene? That would be unfortunate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: All right. For more on all of this, I am joined by Ron Brownstein, a CNN senior political analyst and senior editor at "The Atlantic." Great to have you with us.

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So, let's start with Georgia's runoff election. On Tuesday, nearly 2 million voters have already cast ballots in early voting. So, what are exit polls revealing at this point and how reliable are they?

BRWONSTEIN: Well, first of all, if I'm doing my math right, this is the 6th Senate election that voters in Georgia have had to cast ballots in the last two years, counting the two in the general election in '20, the two runoffs, the general election in '22 and the runoff. It's astounding how many people still showed up as you point out, almost 2 million ballots already.

Look, what we saw in the first round and reflected in the exit polls was a very close race. Georgia was probably the swing state that snapped back the most in general toward Republicans between '20 and '22. The other key states, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, all very clearly moved toward the Democrats, but in Georgia, Republicans did quite well on most -- in most races up and down the ballot.

But voters have enormous doubt about whether Herschel Walker is up to the job of being senator. They question his kind of command of the issues. Obviously, his morality, his veracity and all of that has really created an enormous opportunity for Raphael Warnock to buck the tide in the state.

The best thing that Herschel Walker had going for him was the chance that he could be the 51st vote creating a Republican majority Senate, which I think many voters in Georgia would support. That's not there anymore. So, whether Republicans are still going to come out and the numbers they need once they no longer have the opportunity to control the Senate, I think that's the big question and its one that gives, I think Warnock, the thumb on the scale edge here at the end.

CHURCH: Yeah. And not long to wait on that one either. So, meantime, former President Donald Trump is calling for the termination of the Constitution to overturn the 2020 election and reinstate him to power, an extension of course of his continued effort to deny the 2020 election results. Why are we not seeing more Republicans push back on this given more are starting to question his viability as a 2024 presidential candidate?

BROWNSTEIN: Right. I mean, this is -- and I'm glad you used the word terminate, because too many of the interviewers used the word suspend the Constitution. That isn't what he said in his tweet.

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He said that the Constitution should be terminated to restore him to power through non-Democratic means. I mean that is essentially as close as you can get to the definition of an autocratic coup, and yet, as you point out, once again, as we have seen throughout Trump's, really since his emergence as a national figure, virtual silence from Republicans as there was about personally criticizing Trump over his meeting with Fuentes and the rapper, Kanye West. And virtual silence over his suggestion in between that meeting and

these comments that the January 6 defendants are being railroaded and he would not only pardon, but apologize to them. And what you are seeing is the continued refusal of Republicans to stand up to Trump even when he clearly is threatening kind of the pillars of American democracy. And I think what's really important is that this is happening at a moment when Trump is at a low ebb.

Whereas you point out, elites in the party are saying that he has kind of led them into a dead-end after this disappointing midterm. And if Republicans are unwilling to stand up to him at this point, what does that say about what would happen if he became the nominee again, much less the president again and try to move down any of the paths that he has laid out in the last couple of weeks?

CHURCH: Yeah. We have seen it play out before, haven't we. And finally, Ron, trouble brewing for Republican Kevin McCarthy who doesn't yet have the support he needs to become House Speaker. How likely is it that he will get that full support in the end? He seems to thinks he will.

BROWNSTEIN: Yeah. Look, I don't know where the right goes in the end. They are not going, I mean, possibly Steve Scalise, who is the number two and is a few clicks to the right of Kevin McCarthy, might be an alternative if they can block McCarthy in the end. But they don't really have the capacity to install a speaker that would be fully responsive to what they want because there are enough Republicans from swing districts who would view that as electoral suicide.

I mean, the challenge Republicans have is that the bulk of their caucus are from very Trump friendly districts that Trump won by 10 points or more. I think it's three-quarters of the House Republicans representing districts that are deep in Trump country. That's why in answering what we're talking about just a moment ago, you're seeing so few of them criticize him. But their majority is dependent on 18 House Republicans who are in districts that voted for Joe Biden.

A majority of those 18 are in New York and California alone. Those are states that are going to be more difficult for Republicans in a presidential year in 2024 than they were in the off year at 2022. And those members know that if the Freedom Caucus gets what it wants and further tattoos the Republican Party as the party of Trump, as the party of Marjorie Taylor Greene, that is going to make their life even more difficult in '24.

So, I think they are going to be a force that resists simply giving into what the right is demanding and I think in the end that does lead back to Kevin McCarthy although not without the possibility of someone like Steve Scalise becoming a compromised alternative.

CHURCH: All right. Ron Brownstein, always great to get your analysis. Appreciate it.

BRWONSTEIN: Thanks for having me.

CHURCH: Well, nearly three months into the protests that have rocked Iran, a pro-reform outlet says an Iranian official announced a review of the hijab law that requires women to cover their heads.

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The announcement likely aimed at quieting anti-government demonstrations that have swept Iran since the death of Mahsa Amini in mid-September. The reform group quotes the attorney general saying Iran's parliament and judiciary are reviewing the law which came into effect decades ago. He is also quoted as saying Iran has abolished its so-called morality police tasked with enforcing the dress code.

Well, for more on this we want to bring in Salma Abdelaziz. She joins us live from London. Good to see you Salma. So, what might this review of Iran's hijab law signal and what more are you learning about conflicting reports on Iran's morality police?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, indeed. Very conflicting reports that we're receiving from Iran over the weekend. Let's start -- there is really two parts to this. Let's start with a review of the hijab law. That's apparently being reviewed by the judiciary and Iran's parliament. We could hear a result of that in the next week or two. That's what Iran's attorney general said, quoted in a pro-reform paper.

And then there is tha second part that you mentioned, of course, these reports that the morality police are abolished. Now, take that with a grain of salt. Our interpretation does not show that that's the final ruling.

[02:14:57]

And Iran's state media was quick to push back on these reports saying that Iran's morality police simply does not fall under the judiciary. That the Iran's attorney general would not have the right to abolish the morality police, but still again, these reports, these headlines -- the Secretary of State, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was asked about this yesterday in Sunday's CBS "Face the Nation." Take a listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: That's up to the Iranian people. This is about them. It's not about us. And what we've seen since the killing of Mahsa Amini, has been the extraordinary courage of Iranian young people especially women who've been leading these protests, standing up for the right to be able to say what they want to say, wear what they want to wear.

And so, if the regime has now responded in some fashion to these protests, that could be a positive thing, but we have to see how it actually plays out in practice and what the Iranian people think. This is about them and it's up to them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: As you see there, Secretary of State Antony Blinken being very cautious with these reports saying let's wait and see. And it is really important here Rosemary to emphasize that, yes, morality police have largely not been seen on the streets by Iranians since these protests started about three months ago, but that hijab law is still very much on paper, the law, and it's been enforced by other parts of the security forces in Iran.

So, it's a really wait and see situation here, but important to remember that the protester's demands have grown way beyond this hijab law. So, unclear if these changes are made, if they'll even satisfy those taking to the streets. Rosemary?

CHURCH: All right. Salma Abdelaziz joining us live from London. Many thanks.

And still to come, lava from Hawaii's Mauna Loa volcano inches closer to a main highway. We will look at whether it poses a danger that the visitors' flocking to see the spectacle.

Covered in ash and fleeing for their lives, people in Indonesia are getting away from an erupting volcano anyway they can. We'll have the latest on that, too. Back in just a moment.

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CHURCH: You are looking at live pictures as lava continues to flow from Hawaii's Mauna Loa volcano with molten rock creeping closer to the big island's main highway. As of Sunday, the lava was moving about 40 feet per hour or about 12 meters. But officials are warning it could be unpredictable.

That's not stopping some people though from getting a closer look as tourists and locals flock to witness the world's largest active volcano. Hawaii's governor is urging visitors to follow instructions from local officials.

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DAVID IGE, GOVERNOR HAWAII: We continue to encourage residents and visitors to stay tuned to Hawaii County Civil Defense. They have set up a viewing area and certainly if -- for those who want to see the volcano, we are encouraging them to listen to instructions and cooperate with everyone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Ken Rubin is a professor of volcanology and geochemistry at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and he joins me now from Honolulu. Thank you so much for being with us.

KEN RUBIN, PROFESSOR PF VULCANOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA: Thank you for having me, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Now, it has to be said, the images that we're looking at are magnificent, but clearly very dangerous. What are some of your biggest concerns when a volcano like this erupts? RUBIN: It is spectacular and because of that it draws in visitors and

residents alike to be able to see and experience the activity. Often times the opening days of a volcanic eruption like this are the most spectacular. So, we of course worry about multiple things. Getting too close to the lava or the spatter, interacting with volcanic gas or volcanic particulates in the air which are called tephra.

And generally, clogging the roads and or making access for the first responders, the scientists on the ground, the civil defense officials and other people that need to be present to monitor the eruption, are all things that we worry about. However, once the parameter is established, we encourage people to come and take a look at the eruption from a safe and respectful distance.

CHURCH: And of course, you've been watching this closely. Anything that you would like to tell us? Have you noticed any major changes in volcanic activity in the last few hours?

RUBIN: So, this is a fascinating eruption. And one of the things that we're so interested in tracking is how the eruption location, the fissures in the ground where the volcanic vents are, how those change over time, how the pace of lava flowing out of the ground changes over time? How the amount of spattering that shoots material up into the atmosphere changes over time?

These tell us about changes in the supply and the pressurization. At the current time, the eruption hasn't changed very substantially in the last day and a half or so. It's focused down to only being erupting from one current fissure right now, which is (inaudible) the lava flow downslope. It has reached a relatively flat area of slope. And so, what this has done has caused the advanced rate of the lava flow to slow down substantially.

It's only moving at about 12 meters an hour or 40 feet an hour and this is also causing the lava flow further upslope to have what we call breakouts where new lobes are pushed out from the original channel. We don't know how those will evolve, but overall, what it seems to be doing is causing the primary active flow to become wider and to advance a little bit less slowly.

CHURCH: And of course, we do know -- right. And we do know that the lava is getting close to a major highway. What plans need to be made when it gets too close?

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RUBIN: Well, importantly, this highway has been in existence since the 1940s but it was majorly realigned in about 2009 and '10 to allow for larger vehicular traffic. And so, it has become a very important route going from one side of the island to the other. And of course, if it does become inundated with lava, if it's a little bit, it could probably be restored relatively quickly. If it's a lot, it will take longer to restore and obviously things won't be restored until the lava is cooled and the risk of additional inundation is over.

There is an alternate route which had been in use for many years. It's a fully improved highway. And so, I imagine it will mostly be an inconvenience, adding an hour or two on the commute between the two sides of the island rather than causing any sort of major break down in transportation of goods and services across the island.

CHURCH: And as you first shared with us, you don't want people getting too close at this particular juncture. What other safety concerns do you have?

RUBIN: So, that's the primary thing, is to not be in the zone where you can experience active spatter or fallout of volcanic material or accidentally step on lava that looks solidified on the surface, it might not be glowing red anymore, but it could still be quite hot underneath. Once we are out of that very immediate zone, it's a more distal or peripheral areas of the eruption, the things that we primarily concerned with our volcanic gas inhalation.

The winds can change direction rather rapidly and so an area that might seem like it is safe to be breathing in can change relatively quickly into an area where one can experience very noxious fumes. There are some mitigation strategies such as placing a wet towel or a wet cloth over your mouth.

This works in a temporary sense but it's something that as I say, people who have been exposed for great periods of time should not be present in that area. People who are out researching and monitoring the lava flow are wearing gas masks.

CHURCH: All right. Ken Rubin, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it.

RUBIN: Thank you.

CHURCH: Another erupting volcano, this one in Indonesia, has forced nearly 2,000 people to evacuate in east Java. While no casualties have been reported, there were many terrifying moments during the desperate flight to safety. CNN's Allison Chinchar has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ash fills the skies in Indonesia forming a thick caustic cloud over Mount Semeru on the island of Java. Video from the country's Ministry of Environment and Forestry captured the explosive eruption on Saturday. A burst of ash shooting 15 kilometers into the sky.

A sign for people living in the volcano's shadow it's time to go. This man escaping on a motorbike, the ash caking on his face. He says he doesn't know where he is going just somewhere out of the volcano's reach. Authorities say nearly 2,000 people have been evacuated from the slopes of the volcano which is located about 800 kilometers southeast of Jakarta.

The roads in the area packed with vehicles rushing to outrun the volcanic ash that is still raining down. Emergency workers are directing people out of the danger zone, handing out masks and urging them to go to shelters. UNKNOWN (through translation): We have readied some nearby schools

and village halls. We will prepare them until the observatory post declares it's safe.

CHINCHAR (voice-over): The damage already done to some areas. Rooftops are singed and the ground is covered with smoldering soot. Authorities are telling people to stay at least eight kilometers away from the eruption center. But there are fears the hot ash could drift further.

So far, many people are heeding the warnings. A lesson learned last year when more than 50 people were killed in a previous eruption and thousands were forced from their homes. Allison Chinchar, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Still to come, police in Ukraine's Kherson region are combing the area for dangerous surprises left by Russian forces. We'll have the latest from the conflict. Do stay with us.

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[02:33:03]

CHURCH: The European Union's ban on Russian oil imports shipped by sea is now coming into effect as western nations tried to deprive the Kremlin of revenue amid the war in Ukraine. Also taking effect on Monday, a price cap on Russian oil, the E.U. G7 nations and Australia agreed Friday to impose a price cap of $60.00 a barrel on oil shipped to other countries that have not adopted an embargo.

It's another step to put pressure on Russia without adding stress on the global economy by further reducing the supply of energy. Russia's deputy prime minister says the country will not export oil to countries that impose price caps.

Ukrainian authorities say at least one person has been killed and three wounded in the past few hours in central Ukraine after three missiles strike and industrial area CNN's Will Ripley has more on the latest fighting from Kyiv.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's been a relatively quiet day here in the Ukrainian capital key but that is certainly not the situation and many other parts of this battle- scarred country on the eastern front in the Donetsk region, which has been the site of fighting that goes back eight years to Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea that started this whole thing.

The fighting has really intensified with Russia aiming its sights at the town of Bakhmut which the Ukrainian military says is Russia's target number one, as they try desperately to show some sort of success on the battlefield that has eluded them after a series of humiliating defeats by the Ukrainians who have just been more effective in pretty much every category with the exception of course, of bombardment because Russia has a huge arsenal. And there is growing concern here that Russia will use that arsenal of rockets and missiles to launch a major attack on the power grid here in the coming days. Power has been restored back up to 75 percent and liberated Kherson in southern Ukraine.

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But they also have been the targets on Sunday of bombardment, not necessarily missiles per se but artillery and rockets have been raining down they had hit private apartment buildings, civilian, homes, one civilian has been killed at least, two others injured. And this is in addition to the huge mess that the Russians left behind there when you're talking about mines and trip wires and other dangerous objects. More than 4200 explosive devices have been collected by the Ukrainians and seized.

They've managed to destroy just over 1200 of them so far. So, clearly a very difficult and precarious situation for people both in south of Ukraine and also in the east as Russia continues its unprovoked assault on Ukraine.

Will Ripley, CNN, Kyiv.

CHURCH: Cities in China are easing some COVID restrictions but zero COVID is not going away just yet. The latest from Beijing ahead on CNN NEWSROOM.

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CHURCH: The angry protests against China's harsh zero-COVID policies appear to be getting results. Multiple cities eased some restrictions over the weekend. Residents of Shanghai no longer need a negative test to enter outdoor venues including parks and scenic attractions. Shanghai and other cities also no longer require a negative test to ride public transportation. But many restrictions still remain in place.

So, let's bring in CNN's Steven Jiang. He joins us live from Beijing. Always good to see you, Steven. So, while some of these restrictions have been eased and that's a good thing, it appears China's zero COVID policy is still very much in place. What is the latest on all of this?

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: That's right, Rosemary, for one thing most school campuses around the country remain closed which is one reason I'm working from home today because of childcare issues. And as you mentioned, there are a lot of changes at the announced over the weekend by local authorities around the country in addition to the ones you mentioned.

[02:40:04]

They have also said from now on people no longer have to register their names when buying fever medication or antibiotics. And in some locations, authorities are telling their residents don't do COVID tests unless necessary. That's obviously in sharp contrast to what they have been saying for months, which is, you know, conducting these incessant mass testing often city wide.

But the problem here is the contradiction because for a lot of indoor public venues, you still need a test result. And that includes office buildings and shopping malls, obviously going to work and grocery shopping. Two of the most basic things most people need to do in their daily lives. And another thing is local authorities suddenly close to remove the many testing kiosks, really forcing people to line up for hours to get tested in at remaining locations often in very bad weather, like heavy rain or even snow storm.

So, there is just this lack of consistency and clarity across the country. Not to mention there are still quite a few holdouts in terms of some locations sticking to their very strict COVID rules. This is not surprising probably because of the centralized systems. So, a lot of people, officials and local officials still waiting to hear from the very top including Xi Jinping who has not addressed this issue publicly in recent days. Rosemary?

CHURCH: All right. Steven Jiang. Many thanks. Appreciate it. For our international viewers, World Sport is coming up next. Everyone else, do stay with us. I'll be back with more news after a short break.

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(WORLD SPORT)

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