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CNN International: Zelenskyy Fails to Convince Republicans on Ukraine Aid; DeSantis Attacks Trump on Inflation, Immigration, Abortion; New Details in Trump Classified Documents Case; Deadly Day for Israeli Forces; UN Peacekeeper Patrol in Southern Lebanon. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired December 13, 2023 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the U.S. and all around the world. I'm Max Foster in London. Bianca is off for the rest of the week, but you'll see her in Brussels later on. Just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: President Biden, making very clear that the world is watching to see exactly what the U.S. will do in terms of continuing to support Ukraine.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Ukraine will emerge from this war proud, free and firmly rooted in the West, unless we walk away.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The first caucuses are just weeks away. Ron DeSantis is finally, apparently seizing the opportunity to take the shot at Donald Trump.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When he gets off the teleprompter, now you don't know what he's going to say. He's a different Donald Trump than 15 and 16.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: According to the IDF, seven soldiers, including a battalion commander, were killed in a single incident in Gaza.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Live from London, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Max Foster and Bianca Nobilo.

FOSTER: It's Wednesday, December the 13th, 9:00 a.m. here in London, 4:00 a.m. in Washington, where the Ukrainian president's pleas for more funding for its war against Russia are going unanswered. The U.S. president says, letting aid run out would be, quote, the greatest Christmas gift for Vladimir Putin. Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Tuesday with Joe Biden at the White House and he met separately with senators and the U.S. House Speaker. But Republicans are unwilling to allocate more money unless they get their way on U.S. immigration controls and border security. But neither scenario seems likely to happen before the year's end.

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BIDEN: Without supplemental funding, we're rapidly coming to an end of our ability to help Ukraine respond with the urgent operational demands that it has. Putin is banking on the United States failing to deliver for Ukraine. We must, we must, we must prove him wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: CNN's Clare Sebastian are here to discuss those developments. I mean, you were always expecting him to have a problem here. But were you expecting him to go home pretty much empty handed and having to explain that to Kyiv?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, essentially, he didn't go completely empty handed. There was a $200 million aid package that was announced, but that comes out of the funding that's left. And frankly, in in the sort of -- in comparison to some of the aid packages we've seen over the course of the war, it's pretty small. So, look, he was he got some ammunition. He got some air defense missiles. It's what he was asking for.

But look, we were expecting this because it was an impossible task. Zelenskyy was put in a situation where he was coming up against U.S. partisan domestic politics going into an election season. And I think it was clear from this all-senators meeting that he emerged from on Tuesday that while he did, it was a sort of relatively warm welcome. He managed to convince some senators that there wouldn't be any corruption issues when U.S. aid was flowing into the country. He managed to talk up some of Ukraine's successes and say that they were, you know, going to continue to be determined and resilient as they have been throughout. That he wasn't going to change any minds when it comes to whether or not to include U.S. border controls in this aid package.

Now look, on the democratic side, President Biden did hint in that press conference that his team is looking for compromises with senators. But this was the last week that the Senate and the House in fact are in session before the Christmas holidays. So, it is looking pretty bleak on that side.

He's not giving up though, he's carrying on traveling. He's in Norway today, which has been a major donor. So, I think look, he doesn't want to appear defeated in this even though the fact of dwindling U.S. aid is having a serious impact on the battlefield and is a major blow to Ukrainian morale.

FOSTER: What about the incident overnight? Seemed pretty severe, although people didn't die, they were injured.

SEBASTIAN: Yes, so this is the third missile attack that we've seen targeting the capital in three days. And that comes after a sort of 2 1/2-month break where we haven't really seen major missile barrages. You can see the fires there. The striking thing when looking at those images is that actually the Ukrainian Air Force says that they shut down all of these 10 cruise missiles -- ballistic. Missiles, rather that were -- that were launched towards the capital. That it was actually the debris falling and the broken glass from the blast wave that caused the injuries and these fires.

But this led to President Zelenskyy coming out and renewing his call for more air defense missiles, which is something that he says have been in very short supply.

[04:05:00]

And that Ukrainian MP that I spoke to yesterday said that they simply don't have enough of at this moment to combat a much bigger missile attack, which they are expecting.

FOSTER: OK, Clare, thank you.

Last hour I spoke with the President of the Kyiv School for Economics and asked how Mr. Zelenskyy's visit has been interpreted back in Ukraine.

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TYMOFIY MYLOVANOV, PRESIDENT, KYIV SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS: Well, it's difficult for us to see that Ukraine has become a victim of domestic political struggles in the U.S. And it's very personal because I've had several friends die and killed by Russians at the front lines over the last several days. And you know, it is true that the ammunition and weapons is scarce on Ukrainian side. It is true that Russia is pushing. And I think there's also a blind spot that Russia has also been deploying new technologies. Not just people. They are throwing bodies at the war and they don't count it, but they also have increased substantively their technological capabilities.

So, in fact, Russia in some ways are getting stronger and it is felt throughout Ukraine. So, you know, it's really painful and difficult for us to see the delay in the aid.

FOSTER: The reality is right now. Ukraine isn't getting the money it needs to make progress in this war. Does that mean -- what does it mean for the war and their position within it?

MYLOVANOV: Well, Russia has no incentive to stop. And I think Russia wants to get into a much better position to bargain with NATO or the U.S. over the next years over all kinds of foreign policy issues. So, it's not just about Ukraine, you know, people who think that somehow if Ukraine falls or if Ukraine negotiates and surrenders or pleases Russia, Russia will not use the new political capital or geopolitical capital, it will get in this victory to further some of its agenda. Well, those people are mistaken.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER (on camera): Republican presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis came out swinging against Donald Trump during Tuesday's CNN Town Hall in Iowa, the Florida governor looking to cast himself as the main Republican rival to Trump, who is the party's clear front runner. DeSantis attacked Trump on everything from inflation, abortion and immigration.

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RON DESANTIS, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The first three years of the Trump administration, the economy is better than it has been. But that last year, with COVID I think was mishandled dramatically. Shutting down the country was a huge mistake. Printing trillions and trillions of dollars was a huge mistake. That set the foundation for the inflation that we see.

One thing in this race that I think is important to point out is Donald Trump flip flopping on the right to life. So, if you look in January of 2020, when he was President, he stood in the March for Life and he gave a speech. And if you read that speech, he said that all life is a gift from God. He compared the unborn child in the mother's womb to being the image of God. He said it was important that we had protections in law. And that's what he was saying in January of 2020.

Now he has attacked states that have enacted protections like "Heartbeat" bills as being a terrible, terrible thing.

And I remember in 2016, I went to the rallies with Donald Trump. He said he was going to build the wall and have Mexico pay for it, and that didn't happen. And why didn't it happen? Well, one, I think he got distracted and he didn't do it on day one, but two, he didn't utilize the levers of power that he had.

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FOSTER: On the topic of the war between Israel and Hamas, DeSantis says the possibility of a two-state solution would not be possible because some groups, quote, want to destroy Israel more than they want their own state.

Attacking Donald Trump at every opportunity was a notable change in strategy for DeSantis. Up until now, he typically avoided criticizing the former U.S. President during prime-time appearances. CNN political analysts explain why that is.

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SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think his main theme on Trump is, he's a different person today than he was when he ran in 15 and 16. He said it tonight. He said he, you know, back then it was about America first. It was about you. Now it's more about him.

The one answer on Trump that I thought was the most interesting because it's aimed squarely at the people who show up at the Iowa caucus, was on abortion. And he hit Trump on flip flopping on abortion. Which was really squarely aimed at those voters.

PAUL BEGALA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: One year ago, Ron DeSantis was beating Donald Trump 56 to 33. He was 23 points ahead of Trump a year ago in the polls. Today, he's 48 points behind. That's a 71-point erosion after going to all 99 counties, spending $50 million. And that could have cost him $71 to finally say one of his points. ANA NAVARRO, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: He did say today he was

the only -- he talks about Nikki Haley being an establishment candidate. But he also is an establishment candidate who depends on big donors.

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And a lot of those big donors have now moved on. They were quick to be with him at the beginning. He had a lot of the big Republican whales with him in the beginning. They saw a disastrous campaign, a disastrous campaign launched, and it only got worse from then and they have moved.

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FOSTER: Meanwhile, DeSantis opponent Nikki Haley received an endorsement from Republican New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu. The support from the popular governor is a major boost for Haley, coming just weeks before New Hampshire primary on January the 23rd. Haley was in the New England state for a town hall on Tuesday during the event, Haley called out both Democrats and Republicans for the state of the U.S. debt.

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NIKKI HALEY, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are $34 trillion in debt. We're having to borrow money just to make our interest payments. China owns some of that debt. Now I would love to tell you that Biden did that to us. In the 2024 appropriations budget Republicans put in $7.4 billion worth of pet projects and earmarks. Democrats put in 2.8 billion. So now you tell me who the big spenders are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Well, later today, CNN's Abby Phillip will host the town hall with Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. That's at 9:00 p.m. Eastern here on CNN.

CNN obtaining exclusive new information on the Trump classified documents case. We are learning about a former staffer at Trump's private club who was a witness to several episodes mentioned in the case and the unusual circumstances around his sudden resignation last year following two decades of service. Katelyn Polantz has the details and looks at what it means for the case.

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KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME INJUSTICE REPORTER: A longtime employee of Donald Trump's at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida left his job last year after that search of Mar-a-Lago and it became quite clear that the Justice Department was investigating Donald Trump. And then a series of very unusual interactions took place.

Now, I've gathered this through various sources and also material I've been able to see. And what happened with this particular former employee was a pattern of communication that really gives you insight into how Donald Trump's world works around the people in Mar-a-Lago, and particularly people who were wrapped. In this criminal investigation that led to the indictment of the former president for mishandling classified documents, as well as trying to obstruct the Justice Department investigation.

So, this former employee he received a personal call on his cell phone from Donald Trump just days after he left his job there at Mar-a-Lago. Trump was calling him to see why he was leaving and then word got back to him after that call took place that Trump believed he was a good guy. So just some graciousness from his former employee. But what was so unusual and sticking out about this to the former employee was that Trump never called him. Didn't even have his cell phone number prior to this.

And then also it came among several other interactions that this employee had with other people he knew either quite close or people who were colleagues at a bit more of a distance, who were very close to Trump. People who were talking to him about the legal representation he might be using as he became a witness in the Mar-a- Lago investigation. Turns out this former employee had witnessed quite a lot. Had moved boxes, had overheard conversations, and became a crucial witness in the Justice Department investigation just after this time where he leaves working at the club.

We also understand that one of his close friends, who is now charged as a co-conspirator of Donald Trump, talked to him about getting free tickets to a golf match. Donald Trump might love to see him at that golf match. And also reminded him repeatedly that he could always return to his job at the club.

Now taken together, these could be very gracious and just to the sort of interactions among friends that might be happening. But these interactions and the pattern of them did became -- become apparent to the special Counsel investigation as it was looking at Trump and others. Because it was an obstruction investigation and many of these things were the types of things to take a look at because this witness told the federal investigators about these instances.

Now this is the sort of thing, too, that the special counsel office will continue to be looking for as Donald Trump and his co-defendants await trial. So, at very least, this is something that the special counsel's office has been looking at. And also, it provides us just another window into how Donald Trump and the people around him keep tabs on one another.

Katelyn Polantz, CNN Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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FOSTER: Up next, one of the deadliest days for the Israeli military since the ground offensive in Gaza began. We'll have the details in a live report just ahead.

Plus, CNN rides along with UN peacekeepers on patrol in southern Lebanon, where cross-border fire is a daily occurrence at the moment.

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FOSTER: The Israeli military now says nine soldiers have been killed in a single instance in northern Gaza as the ongoing battle against Hamas intensifies and expands. One of those killed was a battalion commander. This is one of the deadliest days for Israeli forces since ground operations began in Gaza back in October.

Elliott's been looking at this for us. I mean, what do we know about the nature of this? Was it, you know, on the search for hostages, was it a single attack?

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: We don't know full details, certainly not from the IDF. But it has been briefing military correspondents in Israel. And from what we understand, this Golani Brigade, which is one of Israel's commando units, was in Shijaiya just east of Gaza City. This is one of the last two holdouts, readouts, if you like, of Hamas, that Israel has been concentrating on in the northern part of the Gaza Strip and it seems that they came under fire.

[04:20:04]

There was then an IED or some explosive device detonated. They then went into a building. And then there was another explosive device detonated as additional troops came to join them or to help them in some capacity. And that's what's resulted in these casualties.

So, as you say, nine deaths, several wounded. It's not the deadliest single incident since ground operations began in earnest around October the 27th. There was one, I think, 11 killed on October the 31st to November the 1st. But clearly this shows that even though, Yoav Gallant, the Israeli Defense Minister, just the other day saying Hamas is dismantling. Their people are surrendering, handing in their weapons, and giving them lots of intelligence, complaining of a lack of food and a lack of -- and a lack of arms. They still have the capacity to do serious damage to Israeli forces, even as Israeli forces kind of try to focus their attention on the southern part of the Gaza Strip, Khan Younis, where it believes the top leadership of Hamas such as Yahya Sinwar, holed up underground.

FOSTER: In terms of the underground network, talk about flushing Hamas out, but obviously a huge amount of concern about what effect that might have on hostages too.

GOTKINE: Well, this has been talked about for a bit. It's at the testing stage right now -- according to the Israelis. And what they're trying to do is they've got pumps there and they are going to pump sea water from the Mediterranean into these tunnels to see if there's an opportunity to flush out militants. Of course, as you say, there's a danger that hostages might also be in those tunnels that are flooded. There are about 300 miles worth I think of tunnels underground. You can't flood the whole lot.

FOSTER: They are connected -- GOTKINE: Well, exactly. We don't know exactly how they're all connected. We don't know what impact there could be environmentally or on the drinking supplies. Egypt did something similar to flush out tunnels between Egypt and into the Gaza Strip, which Hamas and other militant groups were using to smuggle weapons and other things inside the Gaza Strip, including necessities. And there were complaints from some farmers in that in that land there. So, it's at the testing phase right now. But this is certainly one option that Israel is looking into.

FOSTER: Elliott, thank you.

Israel's military says it's struck Syrian Army targets and Hezbollah positions in Lebanon amid fresh exchanges along its northern border. Israel says the strikes are in response to launches from inside Syria and missile and mortar fire coming from Lebanese territory. Cross- border exchanges have become a daily occurrent since the Hamas attack on Israel on October the 7th. CNN's Ivan Watson rode along with UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon and filed this report.

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IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On patrol with United Nations peacekeepers. Armored personnel carriers rumbling through towns and villages of southern Lebanon.

WATSON: This is what a daily patrol looks like for the U.N. peacekeepers and, as you can see, they take security very, very seriously.

WATSON (voice-over): Communities near the border with neighboring Israel appear all but deserted. That is because this tense border region has been the scene of a deadly cross border conflict between the Israeli military and the Lebanese militia, Hezbollah.

WATSON: That is the Israeli security fence, just a couple of hundred yards away, and this United Nations peacekeeping post is as close as we can safely get to the Lebanese border with Israel, which has been a frontline now in a conflict that has gone on for more than two months.

WATSON (voice-over): From this post, we can easily see the Israeli village of Avivim, also apparently deserted.

LT. ESSIE O'CONNELL, UNITED NATIONS INTERIM FORCE IN LEBANON: It's quieter today. Earlier this morning, there was a few exposures heard to an east.

WATSON (voice-over): Lieutenant Essie O'Connell commands a platoon of around 30 Irish and Maltese soldiers at this small outpost.

WATSON: Have any of these explosions and munitions come close to this position?

O'CONNELL: Yes. We've had some land 200-300 meters away from the position here. WATSON (voice-over): The UNIFIL peacekeeping force has been deployed in southern Lebanon since 1978 and currently consists of more than 10,000 troops. Its primary mission is to monitor this tense border and to help the Lebanese armed forces take over security here.

LT. COL. STEPHEN MACEOIN, UNITED NATIONS INTERIM FORCE IN LEBANON: Our very presence here makes it very, very difficult for actors on either side to do, shall we say, unsavory things in this area.

WATSON (voice-over): Southern Lebanon is the stronghold of the powerful Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia, whose guerrilla fighters blend into the countryside. Hezbollah says it is attacking Israel to show support for Palestinians in Gaza. And the Israeli military is quick to retaliate.

MACEOIN: We have seen advanced antitank guided missiles. We've seen airstrikes. We've seen artillery strikes. We've seen small arms fire.

WATSON (voice-over): Despite these weapons, the peacekeepers only have a mandate to shoot in self-defense. And their mission is dangerous.

[04:25:00]

During a month-long war with Hezbollah in 2006, Israeli strikes killed five U.N. peacekeepers and wounded many more. And last year, Lebanese gunman attacked a UNIFIL vehicle, killing an Irish peacekeeper and wounding three others. Hezbollah denied a Lebanese judge's accusation that the chief suspect was a Hezbollah member.

At sunset, the engines of Israeli drones echo over the hills.

MACEOIN: There are ordinary men, women and children living here in South Lebanon and indeed, across the border in Israel. My hope is that the conflict will recede. But am I concerned that it will escalate? Absolutely.

WATSON (voice-over): Peacekeepers, afraid they can't stop this conflict from spiraling into a much bigger war.

Ivan Watson, CNN, on the Lebanese border with Israel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Outrage in Poland after a far-right lawmaker disrupted a Hanukkah celebration in parliament by using a fire extinguisher to put out candles on a large menorah. And then he took to the podium and described the Jewish holiday as, quote, satanic. The Parliament speaker excluded him from the session, saying there will be no tolerance for racism, xenophobia or anti-Semitism.

Still to come, disturbing voicemails left for two Georgia election workers after they say Rudy Giuliani spread lies about them. How the recordings could impact his defamation trial after a day of extremely emotional testimony.

Plus, House Republicans are eyeing a vote today to formalize the impeachment inquiry into U.S. President Joe Biden. Details ahead.