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Trump Speed Ahead With Transition As He Completes Swing-State Sweep; Biden Prepares To Attend Final Summits And Make International Visits; FEMA Workers Fired For Telling Florida Responders To Avoid Homes With Trump Signs After Hurricane; Aired: 3-4p ET
Aired November 10, 2024 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: In a very sad departure in the dance and entertainment world to share with you. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater icon Judith Jamison passed away yesterday in New York after what is being called a brief illness. She was 81.
But those of us who knew her, admired her, and for so many others who were even more fortunate to have been taught, led and embraced by the former Alvin Ailey dance director, her indelible inspiration continues to endure.
Prior to being Alvin Ailey director for nearly two decades and handpicked by her predecessor and group namesake to lead the company, Judith Jamison was an unforgettable dance star and standout. We are so blessed to have had Jamison join me on this show a couple of times over the years including shortly after she hand selected her successor, Robert Battle as artistic director.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Good to see both of you.
JUDITH JAMISON. ALVIN AILEY DANCER AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: Hi, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: This is very exciting.
JAMISON: It is good to see you again and I am so glad to be here with Robert, because this is such an exciting time for us.
WHITFIELD: This really is wonderful, because you're both very joyous about this changing of the guard.
I know it has got to be bittersweet for you, too because you've been doing --
JAMISON: Absolutely. No, it is not.
WHITFIELD: No, no.
JAMISON: Not bittersweet. I am --
WHITFIELD: Because you've been doing this for so long. JAMISON: Well, I danced with the company for 15 years. Now, it is 21 years of directing it. I am so happy to be able to give it over to Robert.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: That chat was in 2011, and you can see, and probably feel Jamison's enthusiasm.
She was the real a person on stage whose sparkle and magic will continue to dazzle. Our hearts go out to the entire Alvin Ailey dance family.
[15:01:41]
WHITFIELD: Hello again and thank you so much for joining me, I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
And we are now just 71 days away from President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House, and with the countdown clock ticking towards his second inauguration, the president-elect is celebrating a clean sweep of all seven swing states as CNN can now project trump winning Arizona.
Meantime, Trump is hunkered down at his Florida resort, focusing on top positions and priorities for a second term. And as we await to hear his key administration picks, Trump is sending out a clear message that he is emphasizing loyalty in his new hires.
The president-elect is now ruling out two former Cabinet officials who criticized him in the past, and in a statement on Truth Social, Trump said he would not be inviting former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley nor former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to be a part of his new administration.
The president-elect is now preparing for an Oval Office meeting this week with President Joe Biden, a political tradition that didn't happen four years ago when Trump was defeated by Biden in the 2020 election. We've got a team of correspondents covering these developments.
Sunlen Serfaty is at the White House for us, but let's begin with Alayna Treene near Trump's Florida home.
Alayna, Trump is posting on Truth Social what he is really thinking and feeling.
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: That's right, and this is actually over the last day or so is when we've begun to hear more from Donald Trump. I note that really in the immediate aftermath of the election and the days after, we hadn't really heard from Donald Trump.
One, we didn't see him publicly at all, but he also was refraining from posting online. That has changed, both in that post that you mentioned about Pompeo and Haley. But also just moments ago, he sent a very clear message to the Republicans who are currently jockeying for the Senate leadership role now that Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader is on his way out.
I am going to read for you some of what he wrote, and then I will break it down for you, Fred. He said: "Republican senators seeking the coveted leadership position in the United States Senate must agree to recess appointments in the Senate, without which, we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner."
The post goes on to describe other things. But I want to explain why this is so important. Essentially, Donald Trump is calling for the shattering of norms. What this means? A recess appointment, I know this sounds like we are getting in the weeds a bit with the lingo, but recesses are normally avoided in Congress.
Normally, when they actually go can on break, they do something called a pro forma session, and part of that is because if you go to a recess, you actually have to have a vote in the House and the Senate, and Democrats in this case, giving Republicans control of the Senate come next year, would be able to filibuster.
But essentially, to get down to it, to really boil down to what this would mean is that Donald Trump is trying to find a way and use whoever the next Senate leader, Republican leader is, to try and avoid the confirmation process for his top Cabinet officials.
And I remind you, a lot of times when different presidential candidates or people are looking to make these hires, and to appoint different people to these different Cabinet roles, a key thing that is always at the top of their minds is whether or not this person can get confirmed in the Senate if they have a controversial background, if they are more conservative, in this case, if they were Democrats, they would maybe be too liberal.
[15:05:20]
But really, the Senate is kind of the last line of defense for who the president could put into office with him. So this would be a huge change. And I will also argue that really, this process that Congress has now about avoiding recess appointments in their entirety started back with George W. Bush and has continued since then under the different presidents with Obama and Trump and now Biden.
So this, again, would be a huge break from the norms that we currently have -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: Okay, and again, bucking norms. So far, Trump has not signed the ethics agreement required for a presidential transition. What's the story there?
TREENE: That's right. And I think the real thing to keep in mind here about this is that it is preventing Donald Trump and his team from receiving some of the key briefings, whether they are intelligence or otherwise, that typically a president-elect enjoys at this time.
What I was told when I talked to Donald Trump's team and his team and those around him is that he has not yet signed an ethics agreement that is required to sign before he can move forward with the official transition process.
It is unclear from my conversations, they would not share more details on what was the hold up with that agreement, but we are told that is the reason that he has not received some of these crucial briefings.
And I would remind you as well, Fred, that ethics has always kind of been a top issue in mind when it comes to the former President Donald Trump. We know that he has a lot of business deals. He has foreign business ties. A lot of those came under intense scrutiny in his first administration.
Of course, he also has Truth Social and other things that could potentially be seen as conflicts of interest. So that is currently being worked out, and I am told Donald Trump is expected to sign that ethics agreement at some point, it is unclear when though -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, Alayna Treene, thank you so much. Let's go to the White House now where Sunlen Serfaty is, so what do we know about how this meeting this week will play out on Wednesday between Trump and Biden?
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fred, this certainly is a big moment for the outgoing president, the incoming president, and of course the nation. This is a transition and a tradition here at the White House that did not get afforded -- did not get reached out for Biden in 2020, when Trump was the president.
Biden was not extended that invitation in 2020 as Trump was fighting the election results then. So it is very clear when the two men sit down in the Oval Office on Wednesday. According to aides, Biden will be very explicit when wanting to ensure the smooth transition of power, wanting a peaceful transfer of power, and being very clear that he sees this as a moment that the two men need to bring the country together.
Here is his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, talking about that meeting that is going to happen this week at the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAKE SULLIVAN, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: First and most important message will be that President Biden is committed to the peaceful transition of power, and to a responsible handoff from one president to the next, which is in the best tradition of our country and has been for the last 240 years.
And then they will go through the top issues, both domestic and foreign policy issues, including what is happening in Europe, and Asia, and the Middle East, and the president will have the chance to explain to President Trump how he sees things, where they stand, and talk to President Trump about how President Trump is thinking about taking on these issues when he takes office.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SERFATY: And that is certainly notable there what Jake Sullivan said this morning, the feeling that Biden will be sharing his views on domestic foreign policy issues.
This president now has 71 days left in office and he has been clear with his team. He says, according to aides that he wants to run through the tape and that means that he wants to refocus in this last time he is in office, ways to protect his key accomplishments, ways to protect them from being rolled over in the next administration.
And also actively making the case on the world stage for some of his key priorities, like making the case for the future of Ukraine. He in the coming months will be traveling next week to the APEC Summit in Peru, the G20 Summit in Brazil next week, and in early December, in Angola, very clear the president is focused of course, on ensuring the successful transition of power, but certainly his own personal legacy.
WHITFIELD: Okay, and then Sunlen, are there any serious discussions within the White House about Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, because reportedly, other Democrats have been talking about her stepping down potentially.
SERFATY: Yes, this certainly has been the chatter here in Washington, DC for a few months, but certainly has picked up in the post-election haze that some on the left are pushing for Sotomayor, who is the senior most liberal on the bench to step down to allow space for Biden to appoint a nominee, a new nominee that could be younger and could be in the Senate and get through the Senate when it is still in Democratic hands.
[15:10:23]
Now we know, according to people close to Sotomayor that she has no plans to step down. This source tells CNN, "She is in great health and the court needs her now more than ever" -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, Sunlen Serfaty at the White House, thanks so much, and Alayna Treene in Florida.
All right, New York City is known for its liberal politics and winnable races for Democrats. Vice President Harris easily won the Big Apple, but President-elect Donald Trump made inroads in every single New York district since he ran in 2020.
Joining me right now is CNN correspondent, Gloria Pazmino.
Gloria, great to see you.
So, which neighborhoods did Trump enjoy kind of the biggest shifts?
GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, he made gains in every single neighborhood across New York City. More than 94,000 people voted in New York, 94,000 more people voted on -- for Donald Trump this time around than in the previous election. And while that might sound like not so big numbers, it is actually sending a warning to Democrats who say that they have to do better and work harder to make sure that Democrats are coming out to support him, and for Republicans, they say it gives them hope that they might be able to pick up more votes in the next two years. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAZMINO (voice over): New York City just got a little more Republican.
STEVEN CHAN (R), NEW YORK STATE SENATE-ELECT: From corner to corner of New York City, we saw the Republicans gain traction.
PAZMINO (voice over): Here in Brooklyn, Republican Steven Chan defeated State Senator Iwen Chu, the Democratic incumbent in a race defined by public safety. Opposition to a homeless shelter in the district and concern about newly arrived migrants.
CHAN: People are not happy with the way things are going and they want change.
PAZMINO (voice over): While Harris easily carried the city with about 68 percent of the vote compared to Trump's 30 percent, Trump made significant gains this election cycle.
Roughly 94,000 more people voted for Trump than in 2020.
FRAN VELLA-MARONE, KINGS COUNTY CONSERVATIVE PARTY CHAIRWOMAN: If you look at the map of Southern Brooklyn now after his election, it is going to be actually almost all red.
PAZMINO (voice over): Trump main gains across all of New York City. The most significant shifts were in neighborhoods with large Asian and Latino communities. He narrowed the gap in the Bronx, parts of Queens, and here in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, where Asians, generations of Italians and Latinos live and work side by side.
CHAN: When we came, nobody supported us. Nobody gave us a handout. We went to work.
PAZMINO (voice over): More than 200,000 migrants have arrived in New York City since the spring of 2022. The crisis has manifested across different cities but has been particularly heartfelt here.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: They are poisoning the blood of our country. That's what they've done.
PAZMINO (on camera): Why are so many immigrants willing to support that kind of language?
CHAN: They understand exactly what President Trump is talking about. They understand that President Trump is not talking about them.
PAZMINO (voice over): This family from Ecuador agrees.
SILVANA SARI, TRUMP SUPPORTER: We need a change. The economy is really a mess right now. It is affecting all families.
PAZMINO (voice over): Sari and her husband say they've spent years working to open up a barbershop and put their kids through school.
SARI: He has to work 14 hours a day to have what he has right now, to have the business open and it is not fair another business is opening in the corner with no permit, with no insurance. I don't think it is fair at all.
PAZMINO (voice over): Republican operatives see Trump's inroads in New York as the beginning of what is to come, a chance to grow their party and elect more Republicans right here in blue New York.
VELLA-MARONE: Hochul better watch out. We are going to come after her. She is going to be in trouble and I believe we can win the governor's race in two years.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PAZMINO (on camera): Now, Governor Kathy Hochul was asked about the results after the election. She will be facing re-election in less than two years, and Fred, she told us that Democrats across the state should not be taking any voters for granted.
WHITFIELD: All right, Gloria Pazmino in New York, thanks so much.
All right, so overall, where does the Democratic Party go from here? For that, let's bring in former Democratic California senator, Barbara Boxer.
Senator, great to see you.
BARBARA BOXER (D), FORMER US SENATOR: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: All right, so it has now been five days since the election. How are you processing the outcome? How are you feeling?
BOXER: It took me two days to open my eyes to the world. I am not going to, you know, sugar coat it. But I've been here before. I've been in a Senate that was down to 44 Democrats and we lost the House and we lost the presidency.
[15:15:02]
So the question is, how do we respond? Now I am going to admit to you, I was stunned, because I thought optimism and hope and unity would defeat anger. I was wrong. So here we you.
So first, I think what we have to do is determine what went wrong, and as I look at it, and so many people look at it, I am not an expert, I don't think we should overthink it. Trump cut into our coalition. I will give you an example.
We still won with young voters pretty good. It was 52 to 46. But they didn't really vote in the numbers that we needed them to. Why? It was a low turnout there. It wasn't even 50 percent nationwide of young people. That was shocking. We are not reaching them.
Second thing we have to do is set up a truth-telling resistance. We have great governors. We have great leaders in Congress. We've got to make sure everything Trump does to come after the middle class and give all of these breaks to his billionaire friends, that is going to set people on fire, because the billionaires are fine, thank you very much; the middle class is struggling.
In California, the last time Trump was president, we had 104 lawsuits. We won most of them against Trump. He came after our clean air, clean water, our health and safety legislation. And one really good example, he says drill, baby, drill. If he goes to the coast of California and all of the coastal communities, he is going to destroy tourism. So we have to have these truth-telling resisters.
Lastly, we have to get ready for 2026. It is around the corner. And we have to stand up. Look, it is the not how you fall down, it is how you get back up and I am ready to get back up, as long as I have, you know, a voice.
WHITFIELD: You know, I wonder what you think about Senator Bernie Sanders' point of view on this. He says, you know, too, that he believes this was a real gut check for Democrats, and this is what he said today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): The working class of this country is angry, and they have a reason to be angry.
We are living in an economy today, Dana, where the people on top are doing phenomenally well while 60 percent of our people are living paycheck to paycheck, 25 percent of elderly people are trying to get by on $15,000.00 a year or less. We have the highest rate of childhood poverty of almost any major country on earth, and parents all over this country, worry their kids will have a lower standard of living than they do. That is the economic reality.
And what Donald Trump did is provide an explanation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: So you mentioned a little bit, the working class, something tells me you're in somewhat of agreement with him?
BOXER: Absolutely. I agree with Bernie on this particular point. I really do. And it doesn't mean we forget about all of the other issues. But absolutely, this one is a gift to us, and we clearly assumed the working class knew we were working for them, because we do.
If you look at the record, everything Biden did was for jobs. Trump was the only president in history since records have been kept to leave office with fewer jobs than he came in with. He said oh, it was COVID. Biden had much more COVID, and he had record jobs numbers.
We assume that people knew. We are not getting the message across. So yes, I think Bernie knows and he delivered that message beautifully.
WHITFIELD: All right, you mentioned, it is time to prepare for the next chapter. So, do you see someone ready to take up the mantle, you know, as your party's next leader? Who is being groomed or who shows real winning potential in your opinion? BOXER: We are Democrats. We are not organized. But I will tell you what, we have a fabulous bench, a fabulous bench of governors, of senators, of members of Congress and the cream will rise to the top.
I would like to see these truth-telling resisters really get organized and let the people know what Trump is doing. Because he promised a lot, he picked off a lot of our coalition as I said before. We still kept the majority of the working people, but he cut deeply into it and we have to win them back, first by telling them the truth about what Trump is doing, and telling them the truth about what we are doing.
WHITFIELD: All right, Senator Barbara Boxer, always a pleasure. Thank you so much.
All right, still to come, Donald Trump vowed to impose across the board tariffs on all imports, especially those from China. And fashion giant, Steve Madden is already planning to cut its Chinese production, but there is a catch. Why those jobs won't be coming to the US.
Plus, a FEMA employee fired after telling relief workers to skip houses with Trump signs after Hurricane Milton slammed Florida. Congress is now calling on the FEMA administrator to testify.
And later, the Princess of Wales joining the Royal family for her first major official appearance since completing chemotherapy. We've got all the details.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:24:53]
WHITFIELD: The head of FEMA, Deanne Criswell is being asked to appear before the GOP-led House Oversight Committee later on this month. Chairman James Comer want answers after it was discovered that a FEMA employee told the disaster relief team in Florida to avoid houses with signs supporting Donald Trump following Hurricane Milton. That employee has since been fired.
CNN's Rafael Romo joining me with more on this.
So you've covered the hurricanes. You've seen the conditions that people are dealing with. And now, we are hearing of this reportedly happening.
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it is especially hard, Fred, because I've talked to business owners who lost everything. I spoke with somebody in the hospitality industry in North Carolina, who is going can to be shut until April, and then you hear this. It is just very, very difficult.
And it is going to be something that we will be talking about for a long time. And the House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, a Kentucky Republican has invited FEMA's top official to testify at a hearing to discuss what happened.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell is set to appear at the hearing Tuesday, November 19.
What we know so far, Fred is that the employee has been fired. According to Criswell, the employee advised the disaster relief team to avoid homes with signs supporting former President Donald Trump, while canvassing in Florida in the aftermath with of Hurricane Milton.
FEMA is now investigating how many houses were passed over, although the agency says it believes it was an isolated incident. Criswell, the FEMA administrator called what happened reprehensible.
In a statement published Saturday, Criswell said the following: "More than 2,000 FEMA employees every day adhere to FEMA's core values and are dedicated to helping people before, during, and after disasters often sacrificing time with their own families to help disaster survivors."
Criswell also added that this is a clear violation of FEMA's core values and principles to help people regardless of their political affiliation.
We have also heard from Republicans who are demanding swift action in condemning the incident.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. BYRON DONALDS (R-FL): Anybody involved with that should be fired immediately, not asked to resign, not brought in front of a congressional hearing, they should be fired immediately.
We are not going to have a country where we are going to decide who gets help and who doesn't based upon who you support politically or what you look like, or anything else.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMO: And Fred, the allegations first surfaced in a report published by "The Daily Wire" citing internal correspondence between the employee and workers canvassing homes in Lake Placid, Florida.
A FEMA spokesperson told CNN, the incident happened on October 27, and the agency has deployed a new team to knock on doors in the affected area to contact those who may not have been previously reached.
The spokesperson declined to provide additional information on the incident or detail how agency officials were notified of it, citing the investigation, but said in the incident that FEMA officials are horrified that this took place and therefore have taken extreme actions to correct the situation and have ensured that the matter was addressed at all levels.
In a new development, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced he has directed state officials to also investigate the incident. So they're looking at it at the federal level and now, also at the state level.
WHITFIELD: It sounds like it is just getting started then.
Rafael Romo, thank you so much.
All right, still to come, Melania Trump set to return to the White House as First Lady for a second time. What we can expect, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:32:24]
WHITFIELD: President Biden is set to meet with President-elect Trump in the Oval Office this week. An official with the East Wing also tells CNN that the First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden invited Melania Trump for a meeting at the White House as well.
It, of course, resumes the tradition of the current First Lady hosting the incoming First Lady.
Joining me right now to discuss is Anita McBride, former chief-of- staff to First Lady Laura Bush.
Great to see you.
So Jill Biden, she is in the position of not only hosting someone who has already been in the White House, but who also did not host Biden, meaning Melania did not host Biden in 2020, when she was the incoming First Lady.
So things are a little different. How do you see things playing out if Melania accepts?
ANITA MCBRIDE, FORMER CHIEF-OF-STAFF TO FIRST LADY LAURA BUSH: Well, I think that that's great that that tradition would continue again. I think it just sets a tone for the whole country that our transition process will go forth in a way we have come to expect.
Now what is different of course for Mrs. Trump is this won't be her first visit to the White House. She has lived there, so she is not burdened by the unknown. So, if she does accept which I hope she does, it would be an opportunity for the two women to be together, but not for the needs that she would have had the first time to see the White House.
WHITFIELD: Right. If she is to accept, what will be -- what will be the centerpiece of the meeting? Because it is not going to be a let me show you around, let me tell you what traditionally happens, because she has been there before.
So what might it be like?
MCBRIDE: Well, sure. It is an opportunity to see some of the resident staff who Mrs. Trump would have known before. That will be familiar to her, of course, but there are also some things that Dr. Biden has done in the White House, including a reimagined White House tour experience, which is something different that she could show her.
So again, what is important about this though is this would be a private meeting between the two women, if it does happen. So I am not sure we would know much more beyond that, anyway.
WHITFIELD: Okay, and First Ladies, you know, often take up a cause as part of their role. In 2018, Melania launched her Be Best initiative focused on children and cyber bullying. Apparently, she also kind of redid a garden right near the Rose Garden. Prior to that, Michelle Obama had made it more of a vegetable garden and her platform was health for the whole family.
So what do you expect Melania's mission to be this go around.
[15:35:07]
MCBRIDE: Well, I think as we know with this position, every occupant gets to do with it what they want or nothing if they choose that as well.
And I think we saw with Mrs. Trump, even the first go around, she did not feel burdened by others' expectations of her. She would define the role that suited her.
And when she did unveil her initiative, which she has since as a former First Lady expanded to include a focus on foster children, I think we could expect that she would work on that, come back and work on that.
And as far as the Rose Garden, you know, it was something that unfairly, frankly, Mrs. Trump took a lot of criticism for in the redo of the Rose Garden, which in reality was something that prior administrations, ours included that I worked in, kicked the can down the road for a lot of the necessary changes that needed to be made in terms of irrigation and also accessibility to be compliant with ADA standards.
WHITFIELD: Okay, and then on Thursday, Trump named Susie Whiles as his incoming White House chief-of-staff, making her the first woman to ever hold the title. She has known him for many, many years. How She knows, you know, I guess, his tics, you know, how to handle him. How do you see her as potentially even transforming this position?
MCBRIDE: I think that is a good word that you use in transforming because it just shows the evolution of the White House and how things always can change. And the fact that this is the first woman to serve, this is the most important job in the White House next to the president of the United States. This is the gatekeeper to everything.
This keeps not only trains running on time, but keeps the president's priorities focused and needs to know everything going on in the White House.
So to have that level of confidence put in her is really a demonstration that the president is going to depend on her. And I think it is, you know, it is a great chapter in White House history to have a woman finally serving in this role.
I will say, I will give one shout out to Nancy Reagan who was First Lady, only had men as her chief-of-staff. So it just shows you, things are constantly evolving at the White House.
WHITFIELD: Indeed. All right, Anita McBride, always great to see you, thank you so much.
MCBRIDE: Thanks, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, still to come, he spent more than $100 million to help get Donald Trump elected. Now, Elon Musk takes part in meetings as Trump builds his Cabinet. What the world's richest man could gain from being so close to the White House, next.
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[15:42:08]
WHITFIELD: Billionaire tech entrepreneur, Elon Musk bet big on Donald Trump in this election, donating more than $118 million to help him retake the White House. And now, that support could pay off in a big way for Musk and his companies.
CNN's Jason Carroll explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TRUMP: A star is born, Elon.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Cheers for the president-elect and the richest man in the world who helped get him there, Elon Musk.
ELON MUSK, CEO, TESLA: As you can see, I am not just MAGA, I'm Dark MAGA.
CARROLL (voice over): Musk spent some $119 million to help get Trump elected. The return on that investment is already paying off.
Tesla shares have soared 29 percent since the election. Musk's stake has gained more than $30 billion. Investors betting that Trump's win will boost the electric vehicle company because of his closeness with Musk.
Remember, there was a time not long ago, when Tesla wasn't looking so great with reports of sagging profits.
MAX CHAPKIN. SENIOR REPORTER, BUSINESSWEEK: When you look ahead, I mean, there are definitely opportunities for him to make money.
CARROLL (voice over): Max Chapkin is a senior reporter at Bloomberg BusinessWeek who covers Musk.
CHAPKIN: SpaceX, Musk's other main company is a major defense contractor. Its most important customer is the US government, and Trump on the campaign trail talked about handing Elon Musk new contracts. TRUMP: What a great guy, and he would rather be making rocket ships because he'd really rather do that.
CARROLL (voice over): SpaceX is a privately held company, so it is tough to put a hard number on how much Musk stands to gain.
The same can be said of his other privately held businesses, such as the brain impact company, Neuralink.
TRUMP: He is a special guy. He is a super genius. We have to protect our geniuses. We don't have that many of them.
CARROLL (voice over): Musk could receive a position in the Trump administration running what he has called a department of government efficiency.
TRUMP: Take over, Elon. Yes, take over.
CARROLL (voice over): Where he could roll back government regulations and cut what he determines is wasteful spending.
HOWARD LUTNICK, WALL STREET CEO: How much do you think we can rip out of this wasted $6.5 trillion Harris-Biden budget?
MUSK: Well, I think we can do at least $2 trillion.
LUTNICK: Yes.
MUSK: Your money is being wasted, and the department of government efficiency is going to fix that.
CARROLL: Whatever happens, Musk is gloating in the wake of Trump's victory. A political bro-mance brewing. Musk pictured on election night with his family and with Caitlyn Jenner.
Musk posted this image showing him carrying a sink into the Oval Office saying "Let that sink in," a throwback to when Musk bought Twitter and posted this video of him carrying a sink into the headquarters with promises to shake things up on the social media platform.
Though it should be noted, Musk and his co-investors bought Twitter for $44 billion, one recent accounting has it valued at less than $10 billion.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[15:45:09]
WHITFIELD: Jason Carroll, thank you so much.
When we come back, Coco Gauff makes history. She is now the youngest player in 20 years to win the prestigious WTA Finals, and gets the largest payout in WTA history, that's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: All right, this weekend, Catherine, the Princess of Wales made her first major public appearance since completing chemotherapy for an undisclosed cancer.
Catherine joined other members of the Royal family this morning in London for the annual Remembrance Day service as they paid respects to those who died in conflicts. King Charles led his family and the nation in honoring fallen servicemen and women. The service featured a 10,000 veteran march, and a moment of silence.
The prime minister and other leaders also attended the ceremony and laid wreaths.
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[15:50:13]
WHITFIELD: What a contrast, and then there was this. Atlanta United celebrating a huge upset victory in the MLS playoffs. The team defeated the odds on favorite to win, Lionel Messi, and Inter Miami, delivering a stunning first round result.
CNN's Don Riddell joining us now.
Oh, my gosh. We've been talking about postmortem for the elections, now there's postmortem of this. What in the world happened?
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT HOST: It was just amazing.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
RIDDELL: So, I mean, first of all, Atlanta United only just squeaked into the playoffs. They had a 10 percent chance of making the playoffs on the last game of the season. They had to win, other results had to go their way. They got through, they had been playing a game, they won on penalties.
And so they were up against Inter Miami, who dominated the regular season and actually set a points record in the process.
This game was amazing. That was Lionel Messi scoring the kind of goal we never see him score, a header to equalize against Atlanta to make it two-two. But in the end, Atlanta United had just enough. This was the goal that won this game for them, sending them into the Eastern Conference semifinals.
But when you think about, you know, everything is different in the postseason. In the regular season, Inter Miami finished 34 points ahead of Atlanta United making this the biggest mismatch ever in MLS postseason history, and the underdogs came through.
I am sure the game is very upset that Messi is done. His first full season in Major League Soccer is now over. Atlanta United, what a story. They are --
WHITFIELD: I mean, how incredible. I am sure the Miami fans, they were a little disappointed by all of that happening. How did that happen in Atlanta? I mean, already the Atlanta fans are through the roof, excited about them, but that would have been something else, too.
Okay, well, that was super fabulous.
Super fabulous, tennis star Coco Gauff. Wow.
RIDDELL: Yes, just wow.
So, I mean, first of all, she is still only 20, which is incredible, because she has been around like five years as a pro now and she has already achieved and experienced so much, but this was another first for her.
The season ending, WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia. She was up against China's Qinwen Zheng who is the Olympic champion. Gauff had to come from behind in this match. It was a real battle.
She won it in three hours and four minutes. That was the winning shot, a match point.
WHITFIELD: That's exciting.
RIDDELL: Brilliantly executed. She won $4.8 million for this.
WHITFIELD: I mean, that's a huge purse.
RIDDELL: She says she has got no idea how she is going to spend it, of course.
WHITFIELD: How does she spend -- yes. I love it. She's like, I don't know how I am going to spend that.
RIDDELL: Yes, she said, I already bought a house, I mean, what else do I need?
WHITFIELD: Go, girl.
RIDDELL: But she thoroughly, thoroughly deserves this. She beat the world number one and two, Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka in this tournament. And I mean, she is just on top of the world.
WHITFIELD: I've got to go back and watch this because I know it was extraordinary. Because you know, it really was kind of a tough summer for her.
I mean, you know, French didn't turn out the way she wanted to, nor Wimbledon. And now this, I mean, talk about comeback.
RIDDELL: Yes, and again, remember, she is still only 20.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
RIDDELL: She has played in 10 Finals and won nine of them.
WHITFIELD: Incredible. RIDDELL: And when she gets to the business end of a tournament, she almost always takes care of it. This was the biggest purse in the history of women's tennis.
WHITFIELD: Love that.
RIDDELL: And she has got every reason to feel really, really pleased with how things are going. And with this, she is the youngest player to win this WTA Finals in 20 years. Maria Sharapova was 17 when she was the youngest and she is the youngest American to do it since Serena Williams back in 2001, so --
WHITFIELD: I love it.
RIDDELL: I mean, she is set up for greatness, and is doing really well.
WHITFIELD: Incredible. Okay, we celebrate her. Thank you so much, Don Riddell, appreciate it.
All right, a quick programming note, Dr. Sanjay Gupta ventures across the globe to see how new weight loss medications are transforming lives. Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports, "Is Ozempic Right For You?" That premieres next Sunday, November 17th at 8:00 PM Eastern right here on CNN.
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[15:58:47]
WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back.
Russia and Ukraine overnight attacking each other with the most drone strikes in one single night since the war began. Ukraine's President Zelenskyy claiming Russia launched a total of 145 drone strikes toward his country. Meanwhile, Kyiv launched an unprecedented number of drones toward Moscow this weekend.
Russian Defense officials say all of Ukraine's drones were shot down, but two houses caught fire after being hit by debris.
Zelenskyy also said has Russia fired more than 1,000 aerial bombs and drone strikes just this past week.
President-elect Trump is promising to slap steep tariffs on imported goods especially on goods coming from China. And now, just days after Trump was re-elected, Steve Madden, a $3 billion shoe company is planning to cut its Chinese manufacturing in half.
CNN's Marc Stewart has more from Beijing.
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MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There are two big reasons why fashion giants like Steve Madden depend on China for manufacturing. Number one, workforce. Number two, work space. China is known as the world's factory.
I want to show you video from a government tour CNN went on last fall. We traveled to a port city of Dalian where we saw a massive factory complex.
Across the country, these developments are large and they can adapt to change quickly. So in the case of a fashion company like Steve Madden, they can shift pretty fast to the latest fashion trends and styles which can shift season to season.
I remember going to China about ten years ago and visited a cashmere factory. It was very efficient and high tech back then.
Then the other factor at play is workforce. Labor here in the world's second largest economy isn't expensive.
As far as the threat of tariffs, the government has been asked about it. A government spokesperson wouldn't answer a hypothetical, but broadly speaking said there would be no winner in a trade war and it is not good for the world.
Marc Stewart, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, Marc.
[16:01:04]
