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Mar-a-Lago Now The Center Of Trump's Transition; U.N. Climate Change Conference Set To Start In Azerbaijan; Russia And Ukraine Trade Biggest Drone Attacks Of Conflict; Lahore's Air Quality Index Reaches Unprecedented Level; Mar-a-Lago Now the Center of Trump's Transition; Ukraine Russia Trade Massive Drone Attacks over the Weekend; Economic Concerns Helped Trump Win the White House; Why Some Voters in Blue New York City turned to Trump; Tourists Get View of Restoration Work. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired November 11, 2024 - 01:00   ET

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

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[01:00:23]

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and thanks for joining me. I'm Erica Hill in New York. Just ahead here on CNN newsroom, this second Trump administration really beginning to take shape, who the president elect just announced for several key positions.

Plus, officials from around the world gathering in Azerbaijan for the UN's annual climate conference. But is Donald Trump's reelection casting a shadow over this year's summit?

And Russia and Ukraine exchanging their biggest drone attacks of the war so far.

Less than a week after the U.S. Presidential election, President-elect Donald Trump is taking steps to build his new administration. Just announcing some new picks here, tapping former acting ICE director Tom Homan to join him again.

Donald Trump making that announcement on Truth Social, saying Homer will be in charge of the nation's borders, overseeing, quote, all deportation of illegal aliens back to their country of origin.

Earlier on Sunday, Trump announced that he had asked New York congresswoman and campaign surrogate Elise Stefanik to Serve as the U.S. ambassador to the UN. These announcements, of course, just part of Trump's transition back to the White House.

We know he's been holding daily meetings with advisors and with his transition team at his Mar-a-Lago Resort, getting input on a wide range of policy and personnel choices.

On Wednesday, Donald Trump is set to travel to the White House for the traditional meeting with the outgoing president. President Biden, of course, inviting him to that meeting. Important to note, it's a tradition that Donald Trump himself skipped when he was leaving the White House four years ago.

We are expecting several more announcements of key positions from Trump in the coming days. One person, though, who doesn't seem to have any desire to fill a formal role in the new transition, in the new administration is still playing a key role in this entire transition process. Alayna Treene has more now on the political evolution of Elon Musk.

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ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home has been teeming with allies, members and potential new officials over the last 48 hours, as many people are angling for a top spot in his second administration or trying to influence him and who he will select for those roles.

But the one person who has really been looming over all of it has been Elon Musk. Now, of course, Elon Musk was on stage with Donald Trump, his top campaign advisers and his family on Tuesday night when he declared victory during the election.

But he's also been at Mar-a-Lago and around Donald Trump in the days since. I'm told many days this week he dined with Donald Trump. Just the day after the election, he brought his children to Trump's Florida home, where Donald Trump gave them a tour of his resort.

But he's also been sitting in many times when he's been with Donald Trump on some of the calls from foreign leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Now, I'm also told that Elon Musk has been weighing in on some of Donald Trump's potential picks, making it clear to the president elect who he believes should have that role. And he's also been calling up allies of Donald Trump himself, including lawmakers, and starting to exert his influence in that way as well.

Now, one thing that we saw happen on Sunday is that he came out and waded into the Senate Republican leadership fight. He quickly endorsed Florida Senator Rick Scott after Scott had supported an idea from Donald Trump to allow for recess appointments, essentially trying to make sure that he can swiftly confirm some of his nominees and in many times bypass the Senate confirmation process. Three of the men are vying for that spot, but Elon Musk said that he supports Rick Scott.

And all to say, Musk has been very influential. He is very close with Donald Trump, specifically. So in these final weeks before Election Day, where he has been out there campaigning for the former president and now he is spending a lot of time with Donald Trump and making it clear that he's going to be a top person who Donald Trump relies on as we look ahead.

Now, sources familiar with the conversations say that Musk is not expected to take on some formal role in Donald Trump's second administration. Donald Trump has mused before that he would love for him to be a cabinet secretary.

However, Musk and others believe that he could have just as much power on the outside. Alayna Treene, CNN, West Palm Beach, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: Well, for Democrats, the soul searching continues today. It's important to note Democrats did better in a number of down ballot races than they did at the top of the ticket.

[01:05:03]

That's one of the questions they're trying to figure out is the why they're CNN's Edward-Isaac Dovere spoke with Democratic leaders about just what went wrong and also where the party goes from here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: They can't wrap their heads around it quite still. Not just that Kamala Harris lost, but the way that this loss was, the scale of it, the kinds of demographic moves towards Donald Trump.

And it really has put a lot of pressure on people looking toward the future of the party to think how do we start winning these voters back for real? And so one of the things that I did in reporting this piece was talk to a number of people who won in House races as Democrats running ahead of Kamala Harris, some of them in swing states like Pennsylvania, but even in upstate New York and Washington state, people who were at least a couple points ahead of her and won their races by talking about what they said was getting really to the core of what voters are thinking about.

This is -- they say that this is a bigger thing than just liberal versus conservative. Pat Ryan, a congressman from New York who won, said to me, the actual way to think about this is not moderate or progressive, liberal or conservative, but are you with the people and against the elites with power? And he said that's the reality for people on the ground, but it's also about Democrats digging in and studying these election results.

J.B. Pritzker, the governor of Illinois, said to me that they have to look at, really dig in and say, why is it that Donald Trump did eight points better than he did against Hillary Clinton just in Illinois? And he says Donald Trump is a uniquely more popular figure, but what is it about him that makes him that way? We can all guess, but why don't we actually look and find out?

So this is going to be a long, drawn out process. It's going to play out while Democrats are maybe completely locked out of power if the House goes to Republicans, but at least largely locked out of power. And of course, with Donald Trump in the White House, a very different kind of future for them than they went into last week thinking that they had ahead of them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Well, as Isaac just mentioned, Democrats being basically locked out of power in many ways, Republicans really are on the cusp of holding that trifecta of power in Washington. They, of course have control of the White House, have control of the Senate and could take control of the House when those final House races are in. That has led to a concern that it would be unstoppable.

Donald Trump would be unstoppable in this second term. My colleague Jessica Dean spoke earlier with presidential historian Douglas Brinkley about what, if anything, may provide some balance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: What was impressive about Trump's win is he won the popular vote also. And I think that makes him feel he has a mandate. The Democrats are in a tough position, guardrail wise, because unless we're going to assume some of the Supreme Court justices, certainly not Alito and Thomas, but if Justice Roberts really wants to be a fair broker on some things, it might work. But most likely you are going to see a Trump take that presidential immunity clause and act as if the president does it. It must be legal. And he will act. He is going to sign dozens, if not hundreds of executive orders right out of the gate.

The guardrail will be the court system, judicial, because people will sue if somebody, you know, a Sierra Club will sue over a national monument order to be drilled or, you know, you'll have somebody sue over voting rights. If there's some kind of gerrymandering scheme, it's endless.

And so that will slow down Trump's executive order mania. And they'll try to run out the clock with an eye on the midterm election and try to develop a bench of new leaders once they figure out what the Democrats did so terribly this time around.

JESSICA DEAN, CNN ANCHOR: And I just want to ask you too, as a historian, as someone who studies our presidential history, about legacy and Biden's legacy, what he, what it may be and more broadly, you know, look, there was a lot of reporting that Obama had, you know, a lot of skin in this game because it also impacts his legacy as well. Because, you know, Trump came in between those two. What do you make of all of that?

BRINKELY: Well, it's correct. I mean, Barack Obama will always go down history a two term president, but the coattails of Joe Biden just left him. Biden's in a difficult place. I mean, it's a little bit like Jimmy Carter was in 1980 where, you know, there's a lot of anger within the Democratic Party directed at Biden. There's no question.

But look what Carter did over time. You know, he won a Nobel Peace Prize, eradicating guinea worm disease, river blindness, free and fair elections around the world, Habitat for Humanity. The difference was Carter was in his 50s and had decades to build this post presidential legacy.

Biden is all top fronted. You know, it's about his time in the Senate, about his time as VP. He doesn't have that much time left to do this incredible post-presidency, he's going to have to.

[01:10:05]

He'll try to do a book, a memoir. He'll build his presidential library in Wilmington, Delaware. They've got two public policy centers going one at University of Delaware and one at University of Pennsylvania. But that's a full order.

And meanwhile, everybody in the Democratic Party is looking to scapegoat somebody and he's it right now. Obama's scapegoating them, Pelosi scapegoating. I mean, even in a more subtle way, Harris is. And so it's going to take a while for these wounds to heal, people. The Democratic Party thought Biden should have gotten out and was a health cover up. And it's not going to be a great couple months for him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Yet another deadly weekend in Lebanon and Gaza. Lebanese media reporting Israeli strikes have now claimed at least 80 lives. You're looking at video here. This is from the town of Almat in central Lebanon. That's north of Beirut.

This is a Shiite Muslim majority village outside of Hezbollah's usual strongholds to the south and the east. On Saturday alone, more than a dozen separate locations in Lebanon were hit.

On Sunday, the IDF hit two homes in Gaza. At least 41 people killed in those strikes. Here's the aftermath of a strike in central Gaza. The other home was in Jabalya. Of course, you've heard a lot about this over the last several weeks. One NGO says parents, children and grandchildren are among those killed in that particular strike. The IDF says it was targeting terrorists.

Meantime, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is eager to turn the page on his often difficult relations with the Biden administration. As Matthew Chance reports, the prime minister and the president-elect have already been discussing what lies ahead for the U.S. and Israel.

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MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CNIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he and President-elect Trump have spoken three times in recent days, a sign of just how closely the two figures are now collaborating.

Netanyahu described the conversations as very good and important and, quote, aimed at strengthening the alliance between Israel and the United States. He added that he and Trump, see, quote, eye to eye on the Iranian threat and the dangers that it poses.

Well, Netanyahu was among the first leaders to congratulate Trump after his U.S. election victory last week, calling it the world's greatest comeback. Many Israelis expect the Trump administration will offer full throated support to the Jewish state, especially amid an ongoing Israeli confrontation with Iran and its allies in the region. Matthew Chance, CNN, Jerusalem. (END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: For a closer look at just how the relationship between Trump and Netanyahu could impact the region. My colleague Jim Sciutto spoke with Steven Cook from the Council on Foreign Relations a short time ago, asking whether that alliance itself could mean the Israeli prime minister would have free rein to continue these wars.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVEN COOK, SENIOR FELLOW, MIDDLE EASTERN STUDIES, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: I think it is a lot of spinning that is going on among supporters of both Israel and President Trump. We know that President Trump has -- when he has spoken to Prime Minister Netanyahu even before the election, but certainly since the election, has told Prime Minister Netanyahu to get the war in Gaza over by the time he is inaugurated president.

Now, he doesn't have any control over what the Israelis do or American policy until then. But there is that signal that Trump will support whatever it is the Israelis feel that they need to do, but that they need to wrap things up by January 2025.

In Lebanon, there seems to be the potential for a diplomatic deal underway that the Israelis are fully in support of. And when it comes to Iran, President Trump has pursued in his first term what was called maximum pressure.

But maximum pressure wasn't really aimed at anything other than bringing the Iranians to the table so that the president could negotiate a better deal than the one that his predecessor, Barack Obama, had negotiated with the Iranians over Iran's nuclear program.

The idea that the president-elect was, when he was first in office, somehow stronger than any of his predecessors when it came to any of these issues. Israeli just has to go back to his bellicose rhetoric, but it doesn't have really anything to do with his policies.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNNANCHOR: Well, so let's talk two questions about Iran. First, on any potential negotiations. The world has changed in the last four years, and the fact Israel is far, sorry, Iran is far closer to nuclear weapon than it was under the JCPOA, which Donald Trump blew up in his first administration. It has many hundreds of kilograms of fissile material necessary to build a bomb. It's close, perhaps days, weeks away, as you know.

[01:15:00]

How does Donald Trump navigate that new reality? And is Iran even willing to make a deal given the threat it sees? I mean, Israel has certainly exposed the weaknesses in Iran's defenses with its recent attacks.

COOK: Undoubtedly the case. But these are details that President Trump when he was first in office didn't pay much attention to. The president is mostly interested in negotiating a deal so he could say that he got a deal. He fashions himself as a master negotiator. The book that put him on the map was called "The Art of the Deal." And he has everything to prove from coming back to office that he can turn up the pressure on the Iranians and bring them back to the negotiating table.

His State Department -- the head of his State Department transition team has as much admitted that the pressure will come on very, very quickly. But the president -- this is not a president who's interested in either regime change or a war with Iran.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Just ahead, the COP29 climate summit gets underway in the next hour with Donald Trump bringing his America first agenda back to the White House. How big is that shadow which looms over the global fight against climate change?

Plus, residents in parts of Pakistan urged to stay indoors as pollution hits unprecedented levels. Those details ahead.

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HILL: The United Nations Climate Change Conference COP29 kicks off today in Azerbaijan. Donald Trump's reelection already dominating the conversation. Trump has called, of course, climate change a hoax. And you'll recall during his first term, he withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 Paris climate accord. While President Biden did reverse that move, Trump has vowed to withdraw again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARJEET SINGH, FOSSIL FUEL NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY INITIATIVE: Trump winning elections is a huge setback to not only climate talks, but global cooperation in general. We know he's likely to reverse all clean energy policies and incentives in the US. He's going to go for fossil fuel extraction much more, which is going to be devastating for the planet. And he's not going to provide any climate finance, which is so vital for developing countries to transition away from fossil fuels.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: For more on the environmental implications of a second Trump presidency, I'm joined by Jeffrey Sachs. He's the director of the center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University. It's good to have you here today.

So as we look at where things right, we've heard some of the concerns, the talk about Donald Trump overshadowing COP29, which kicks off today. As you look at where this could go, there are a lot of lessons in Donald Trump's first term. What does that tell you in terms of what we should expect for round two?

[01:20:00]

JEFFREY SACHS, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: Well, first, let's be clear. Climate action will continue no matter what because the world faces a very great peril. Countries around the world are moving to renewable energy or zero carbon energy. Countries around the world are moving to electric vehicles. Countries around the world are moving to take steps to make their societies more resilient to droughts, floods, heat waves and so forth. None of that's going to stop, not in the United States or in the world, because the climate crisis is going to continue.

We're going to have a bigger problem, though, with making formal global agreements. I find it hard to believe that there will be anything significant achieved in that regard in the coming months. Simply, if nothing else, because the fact is that Biden is finished. It's the lame duck last weeks of an administration.

They cannot actually commit the United States to anything. There are major issues on the table that Biden, even if he wanted to, could not agree to in a way that is credible.

So negotiations, major global issues will definitely have to spill over to 2025 and beyond. Then comes Trump's specifics, which is that he's got strong fossil fuel interests among his backers, but at the same time, his lead backer is Elon Musk, who is our lead producer of electric vehicles. This is not so straightforward inside the United States. There's a struggle going on between the old guard and the new interests, and Trump is in the middle of that actually.

HILL: You also haven't, in terms of the struggle or even perhaps what we'll just see in terms of differences, there is Donald Trump pulling out of Paris again, talking about changes that he wants to make based on what President Biden did.

But the reality is there are actions being taken at the local, at the state level that Donald Trump does not control. How much of those actions are going to continue to be helpful even if we're not seeing that on a larger scale from the federal level.

SACHS: Well, it's a funny thing. Most of the new projects that are coming online because of the Inflation Reduction act IRA, which is a misnamed piece of legislation to promote decarbonization, are actually going to Republican dominated states. And the Republicans in Congress know this. It's creating jobs, creating new industries. Many of the fossil fuel producing states actually have lots of solar power and wind power. Texas is an example of that.

And so it's not so clear cut even within a state, even within a fossil fuel producing region. For this reason it's not an all or nothing proposition by any means. I think we're going to continue to see lots of investment in the new sectors.

Also, the United States should be aware China is absolutely in the lead of zero carbon technologies, whether it's low cost photovoltaics, wind power, fourth generation nuclear, electric vehicles, battery supply chains, hydrogen economy.

So, if the United States wants to be competitive, if it wants to be competitive in the world, it has to understand that the world's going forward on these technologies, whether that's the political rhetoric or not.

HILL: In terms of the world going forward, what is your sense of -- how much of the world has maybe just decided that, look, the U.S. is not going to be a consistent player here, likely not going to be a leader, at least at this point.

So, I mean, how important, given the back and forth that we've seen here in the United States, is the rest of the world moving on without the United States?

SACHS: Well, I think psychologically that's definitely the view all over the world. Everyone would like to say, look, we're not waiting on any one country, even one country as significant as the United States. So that's the mood.

The practical issues are financing how to get this transformation done. Most of the world, or I should say more precisely, the poorer half of the world, does not have access to the climate financing that it needs actually to carry forward. So there are real issues on the table. Would be much easier if the United States is present at the table. I think it's going to have to be one way or another, no matter what the campaign rhetoric or President Trump has said. But I think that it's going to take a while actually to sort that out.

There are real issues of how to get the job done of making the energy transformation. It will get done.

[01:25:05]

The question is whether it gets done in time to avert extraordinarily bad outcomes on global warming and climate change.

HILL: Jeffrey Sachs, good to have you with us. Thank you.

SACHS: Great to be with you.

HILL: Residents in Lahore, Pakistan, are being urged to stay at home as record pollution continues to engulf the city, forcing schools and other public places to close. Just last week, the city's air quality index again pushed past the 1,000 mark. That's actually more than three times the level needed to be deemed hazardous. CNN's Sophia Saifi has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SOPHIA SAIFI, CNN PRODUCER (voice-over): The traffic is still flowing in Lahore. The government officials are urging people to stay at home. The smog too toxic for a city that often ranks as one of the worst in the world for air pollution. Face masks are mandatory, a thin shield against the skyrocketing amount of pollutants in the air.

The city's air quality index topped 1,000 again last week. That's an unprecedented level as the IQ Air Index defines hazardous as anything over 301. Many public spaces like zoos, parks and historic monuments have been closed, along with many scar which have shifted to online classes for at least another week. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everyone has a right to clean air. Everyone has a

right to enjoy seeing the sun.

SAIFI (voice-over): Some types of tuktuks and barbecue restaurants have been banned. But the smog is a recurring problem, especially at this time of the year when particles from low grade diesel fumes and crop burning get trapped in the cold air. And some residents say that the closures are stopping that.

MOHAMMAD QASIM, LAHORE VISITOR (through translator): They have closed schools. That don't create the smog. They have not closed the factories and break kilns. They are now closing the things which create the smog.

SAIFI (voice-over): Delhi's air has also reached hazardous levels in recent days, though some residents are still exercising outdoors. The World Health Organization says breathing toxic air is harmful and can cause strokes, heart diseases and respiratory infections.

One clinic in New Delhi says there is a 20 to 25 percent rise in patients, especially after the Diwali holiday when people set off illegal fireworks. Sore throats, burning eyes and trouble breathing are common complaints.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I have a severe cold and cough. No medicine seems to be working. I have been taking medicines, but there is no relief.

SAIFI (voice-over) Officials in New Delhi began a trial program recently to spread spray water from drones to clear away dust and pollutants. But critics say this is just a band aid. And the smog problem in South Asia is in need of more long term solutions. Sophia Saifi, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: A powerful earthquake off the coast of eastern Cuba Sunday, triggering landslides and damage to homes and infrastructure, according to the island nation's president. Here's Stefano Pozzebon with the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: The 6.8 magnitude earthquake that hit off the coast of Cuba on Sunday afternoon was so powerful it was felt in Miami and southern Florida. However, at this point, there are no reported deaths in the island nation.

The quake hit the eastern Cuban provinces of Guantanamo, Jogin and Santiago, but did not produce a significant tsunami threat. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said that authorities are evaluating the situation before starting the recovery efforts less than a week after powerful Hurricane Rafael struck the western provinces of Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane.

The pictures out of Cuba show cracks in the buildings and piles of debris as the island is still reeling from a very intense hurricane season as well as continuous blackouts due to a chronic shortage of electricity. For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Bogota.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: Still to come, both Russia and Ukraine launching their largest ever drone strikes one another. We'll update you on the war.

Plus, China waiting to see how the economy will be impacted by Donald Trump's action on trade and tariffs as our American companies. We're live in Beijing.

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[01:31:56]

HILL: Welcome back. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Erica Hill in New York.

Right now, the eyes of the political world are focused squarely on Florida and specifically Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort. That's where the president-elect has been receiving a stream of visitors including many who are seeking jobs in his new administration and those looking to influence his choices for the top spots.

Mr. Trump is expected to announce several key positions in the coming days as he prepares to return to the White House. He's also set to travel to the White House on Wednesday for a transition meeting with outgoing President Joe Biden.

Sunlen Serfaty has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is a big moment for the incoming and outgoing president when the two men are set to meet here at the White House on Wednesday. And this is a tradition that, notably was not afforded to President Biden when he beat Donald Trump in 2020 as Trump then really was challenging the election results.

So the White House going into this meeting being very clear and explicit that Biden is going to emphasize the smooth transition of power, emphasize that the transition should be peaceful, and also talk about the importance of working to bring the country together after the election season.

Here's national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

JAKE SULLIVAN, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: President Biden made clear when President Zelenskyy was here in Washington a couple of months ago, that we would spend all of the resources that were provided to us by the congress on time and in full.

And, of course, President Biden will have the opportunity over the next 70 days to make the case to the Congress and to the incoming administration that the United States should not walk away from Ukraine. That walking away from Ukraine means more instability in Europe.

SERFATY: And that's certainly notable there that President Biden plans to really push incoming President Trump on some of his top domestic and foreign policy issues, many issues where the two men certainly have divergent viewpoints, most notably on Ukraine aid.

The White House telling us that this is something that Biden will make the case about the future of Ukraine, specially making sure that Ukraine continues to receive aid from the U.S.

Certainly, President Biden's legacy at stake here, as he deals with what he focuses on, both domestically and on the world stage in the last 70 or so days, he has, in office.

Sunlen Serfaty CNN -- at the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: In Ukraine, a record number of drone strikes overnight. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia launched 145 drones Saturday night, causing damage to residential buildings and shops in the port of Odessa.

Zelenskyy also says in the past week, Russia has launched more than 800 guided bombs, 600 drones and 20 other missiles. Ukraine, for its part, launched its largest drone attack on Moscow overnight Saturday. Russia's defense ministry says all 34 of those drones were shot down, but that shrapnel caused some buildings to catch fire.

[01:34:49]

HILL: The attack also disrupted flights from two airports in the Moscow region on Sunday.

Well, it's not just attacks from the sky. A massive number of Russian troops are preparing to launch an assault on Ukrainian forces in the coming days in an attempt to push Ukraine out of Russia's Kursk region where they've held ground since the summer.

That plan, according to a U.S. official, will also include North Korean troops. Thousands of North Korean soldiers have been training in Russia in recent weeks. One Ukrainian commander telling CNN, North Korean troops are already taking part in combat operations in Kursk and are engaged in Russia's defense of the neighboring Belgorod region.

Earlier, my colleague Kaitlan Collins spoke with CNN military analyst, Retired Colonel Cedric Leighton about the impact of having those North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: The big thing about the North Koreans is that their presence could expand quite a bit. So if you talk about 10,000 now being basically what we'd say in theater is somewhere probably near Kursk in or near the Kursk region, there's the possibility of a total of 100,000 coming in over the course of the next year.

So if that's the case, that could definitely tip the balance in favor of the Russian forces as they maneuver in and around Ukraine. And that could definitely make a difference when it comes to the personnel shortages that the Russians are experiencing.

It could basically backfill those Russians that are being lost to attrition, either being wounded or being killed in Ukraine. And it could also, of course, cement the relationship between North Korea and Russia even further.

So this is a major development, and it could very much affect the course of the war.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN HOST: Yes. What's happening on the battleground, but also what's happening here in the U.S. when it comes to the politics around supporting Ukraine.

And, you know, Trump is someone who has never -- he's never visited, you know Ukraine, Kyiv during the war or anything like we've seen obviously other world leaders do and certainly President Biden went obviously, as you know as well.

I was there last February talking to Zelenskyy about Trump. And he was saying, you know, he should come and see this for himself to understand really what it's like here.

I wonder how he's viewing this likely right now, knowing that someone who has pledged to end the war in one day is about to take office.

LEIGHTON: I think for President Zelenskyy, this is a very challenging moment. It's interesting to note that when President Zelenskyy spoke with President-elect Trump -- Trump put Elon Musk on the line.

And in some ways that could be a good thing because it allows everybody to, in essence, talk the same language be it the same moment in time when they're you know, when they're discussing this.

So if that, you know, if that does have benefits for Zelenskyy, it could be that it at least gives Trump a bit of pause because if he withdraws from Ukraine, withdraws U.S. support from Ukraine that could, in essence, show weakness of the U.S. position.

And I don't think Trump wants to show weakness. So, this is a dilemma that Trump has. He's got the campaign rhetoric on one side, but on the other side, he's got the possibility of flagging weakness to the Russian leader and others around the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Well, President-elect Trump's promise of steep across-the-board tariffs on imports to the U.S. with a significant tax on goods coming from China is already impacting the way some companies do business. But could Trump's past relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping further influence the president-elect's decision on those pledged tariffs? My colleague Marc Stewart joining me now live from Beijing. Marc, good

to talk to you as always.

So in terms of that relationship -- what is the current state of the relationship between Xi and Trump?

MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Erica, this relationship between the U.S. and China, just broadly speaking, it's always a fragile one and this moment is no exception.

In fact, over the last few days, we've seen Beijing take a lot of care to make sure that any kind of public remarks are very safe.

We do know that Chinese President Xi Jinping did congratulate President-elect Trump. And if we look at a readout from some of the remarks that were made, full of diplomatic speak, phrases like "win- win cooperation", "mutual respect", "peaceful coexistence".

This is -- has been a very complicated relationship between these two world leaders. I was thinking back to early on in the first Trump administration when President Trump hosted Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago. The two bonded together. They had chocolate cake together.

But then some of the realities of the world seeped in. Of course, COVID and the President Trump then was very critical of the Chinese response to COVID. And then this bigger, thornier issue of trade and tariffs, something that likely will -- that will force China and the U.S. to confront each other once again.

[01:39:47]

STEWART: I think Beijing is wondering, will things, you know have a fresh start or will it be the frosty finish from the first -- from the first Trump administration.

Erica, that we will just have to see.

HILL: Yes, we will. We wait and we watch.

You know, as you cover, obviously the Chinese economy, I know you've been to several factories. There is real talk about how these Trump tariffs will, in fact, impact a number of businesses.

What have you seen so far? What are you hearing from companies?

STEWART: Well, for example, over the weekend, shoemaker Steve Madden, known for very stylish designer shoes, announced that it was going to basically cut its Chinese production in half.

Now despite all of the contention between these two nations, China is known as the world's factory and for a company like Steve Madden that is very fashion-centric, that often has to make changes based on consumer tastes, whether it be color or style, China is the place to do business because the factories here are equipped to do that.

But this threat of tariffs is certainly -- would certainly cost companies like Steve Madden more. It certainly would impact U.S. consumers.

But there really is no other place in the world that has the sophistication that China has.

Now, as far as this potential threat of tariffs. I was talking to one source over the weekend who feels that in many ways, this could be a negotiation ploy -- a tool by the incoming administration to try and level the playing field and try to create a global marketplace.

And Erica that is not just an American concern. We've heard that from around the world, including Europe, which has been very concerned about the flood of EVs there.

So we will have to see on that one as well. Hate to be so ambiguous, but this is just a big period of unknown.

HILL: Right. It is. I mean look -- look, it's hard to be specific about something when all we have -- we, the collective we -- are threats of tariffs, right? So until something is in place, I think the ambiguity -- easy for me to say -- is warranted, my friend. Thank you, Marc.

Donald Trump's decisive victory was about many things. Voters though have repeatedly said the top issue for them in this election was the economy and by several major metrics.

Yes, we know the U.S. economy is strong, but poll after poll shows Americans don't necessarily feel that way and really, maybe that's not surprising.

Home prices have reached new record highs for 15 straight months, and yes, inflation is back down to normal, but prices on a number of goods are still roughly 20 percent higher today than they were when Joe Biden took office.

Ultimately, a significant amount of voters blame Joe Biden and Trump's political opponent, Kamala Harris for not making enough progress that they can see and feel in their daily lives.

Earlier, my colleague Jim Sciutto spoke with CNN global economic analyst Rana Foroohar about the impact Trump policies could have on consumers.

Here's her take.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RANA FOROOHAR, CNN GLOBAL ECONOMIC ANALYST: one of the things you have to start from is the fact that we actually have a very strong economy, and that's one of the great ironies.

There is -- there is an inflation issue. It is, as you -- as you pointed out, it's been cumulative over time. It's hurt working people in important ways. And it's very rare for an incumbent to be able to, come back after a big inflation hike during their tenure.

And if you think about the Biden-Harris administration as one, that's the case.

Now, how do Trump's policies look going forward? Yes, they are inflationary. What's interesting is that it's possible that we could see now this good economy that we have, start to overheat because of some of the things that Trump wants to put into place.

Let's assume he were to put his tariff proposals into place. That's immediately inflationary. It hits consumers right in their pocketbook. It makes goods more expensive.

Unlike the Biden administration, the Trump administration doesn't really have an industrial strategy to bolster American exports, which would be the whole point of having a tariff to try and make American goods more competitive. But there really isn't that kind of growth plan.

On the other hand, there is a plan to use debt and deficit spending to bolster a kind of what I would call saccharine, sort of a growth, a bit of a sugar high. The markets like that, they like the idea of tax cuts.

But again, that just kind of creates a stock bubble. It creates an asset bubble. And to be honest, that's one of the things I think that really is in play with working people in this country being so angry.

If you make your money from the stock market, you're doing great. If you make it from a paycheck they're not. And so this terrible irony for me is that swing state voters that thought Trump was going to make inflation better, their lot may really end up being worse in the next year or two.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[01:44:49]

HILL: New York City is known for fairly liberal politics, winnable races for Democrats. Vice President Harris easily won the Big Apple. President-elect Donald Trump, though, really made significant inroads here in New York City and frankly, in just about every district since 2020.

Here's CNN's Gloria Pazmino with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: New York City just got a little more Republican.

STEVEN CHAN, (R) NEW YORK SENATE-ELECT: From corner to corner of New York City, we saw the Republicans gain traction.

PAZMINO: 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: 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-MARRONE, CHAIRWOMAN, KINGS COUNTY CONSERVATIVE PARTY: If you look at a map of Southern Brooklyn now, after this election, it's going to be, actually, almost all red.

PAZMINO: Trump made 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: 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're poisoning the blood of our country. That's what they've done.

PAZMINO: Why are so many immigrants willing to support that kind of language?

CHAN: They understand exactly what President Trump is talking about. He understands that President Trump is not talking about them.

PAZMINO: This family from Ecuador agrees.

SILVANA SARI, TRUMP SUPPORTER: We need a change. The economy is really a mess right now. It's affecting all families.

PAZMINO: 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 a business open. And it's not fair another business open on the corner with no permit, with no insurance. I don't think it's fair at all.

PAZMINO: Republican operatives see Trump's inroads in New York as the beginning of what's 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're going to come after her. And I -- she's going to be in trouble. And I believe that we can win the governor's race in two years.

PAZMINO: Now, Governor Kathy Hochul is facing reelection is less than two years away. We asked her about the results and told us that Democrats across the state should not be taking their voters for granted.

Gloria Pazmino, CNN -- New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: And we'll be right back.

[01:47:50]

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HILL: The fate of Japan's prime minister hanging in the balance right now, Japanese lawmakers have been casting their ballots in a special parliamentary session to decide whether to oust Shigeru Ishiba as the prime minister.

Ishiba came into office just last month, of course. His premiership, though off to a tumultuous start after he called a snap election. His scandal-ridden coalition lost its lower house majority for the first time in more than a decade.

He's now expected to remain in power, but does face the risk of running a weakened minority government.

Meantime, in Haiti, the country's prime minister is out, fired by the country's transitional presidential council. Garry Conille had only been in office for about six months when council members said they voted to remove Conille because he had made decisions without informing them. And also that he took on duties of the president.

He's set to be replaced by businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aime. It's the latest political shakeup in a country which has been devastated, of course, in recent years by widespread gang violence, food shortages and significant political instability.

Paris police announcing they're going to deploy some -- deploy some 4,000 officers and 1,600 stadium employees to monitor this week's upcoming football match between France and Israel. The added security measures will be both in and around the stadium and also on public transportation.

The move comes days after Israeli fans were assaulted in Amsterdam following a match there. Dutch police say groups of young people were responding to online attacks -- online calls rather to attack Jewish individuals, leading to clashes with police.

At least five people were sent to the hospital., dozens arrested. On Sunday, Dutch police detained several people for taking part in a demonstration -- in demonstrations. Of course, protests have been banned there following last week's violence.

And as for the upcoming match in France, French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to attend in part as a show of solidarity against anti-Semitism.

Stay with us. CNN NEWSROOM continues on the other side of a quick break.

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HILL: A big cleanup in Rome offering a rare chance to see the famous Trevi Fountain up close. Workers are painstakingly cleaning and restoring the masterpiece. And while they do so, the city is offering a bird's eye view of the sculpture from a metal walkway over the fountain.

Here's CNN's Barbie Nadeau in Rome with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Trevi Fountain is normally gurgling with water into which millions of tourists throw coins each year. But thanks to a massive renovation project worth more than $300,000, that includes cleaning and scrubbing up of calcium (ph), rust and dirt, this iconic fountain is dry.

You know where the water should be is this metal walkway that is going to offer the tourists who come here a rare opportunity to take an intimate look at this 18th century masterpiece.

The walkway will also allow the city to study a proposed ticket system by tracking the ebbs and flows of the tourists through the day.

ROBERTO GUALTIERI, MAYOR, ROME: By improving the experience of visitors to make a unique experience to -- to admire the fountain, to avoid overcrowding. That's why there is a limit on people that can stay on this walkway.

But also after the end of the maintenance working, there will be a cap on the people that could at the same time be inside the fountain to admire it in order to avoid the fact that overcrowding makes the experience worse.

[01:54:51]

NADEAU: Rome sees some 35 million visitors a year and around four million are believed to visit this site. The city believes that by eventually charging a small entrance fee, they can better control over tourism and protect the ancient stone.

ARLENE SPELLING, FLORIDA TOURIST: It was one of the things I couldn't wait to see and I'm sort of disappointed. But I still get to see the beauty of it, you know. So yes, I would pay.

NADEAU: The fountain's last cleaning and repair began in 2014 and took more than a year. But increasingly hot temperatures and a steady growth in tourism traffic have also led to the erosion of some of the basin.

The Trevi project is one of many conservation and renovation projects slated to finish in time for the kickoff of the Vatican's Holy Jubilee year of 2025 which will draw millions more visitors than usual to the Eternal City's popular sites. And for those who have come during this Roman construction season, all is not lost. They can still throw their coin into this smaller basin for luck. And they're getting an opportunity of a lifetime to see this fountain up close.

Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN -- Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: An emotional tribute to the late One Direction member Liam Payne at Sunday's MTV Europe Music Awards. That tribute led by host Rita Ora. She had collaborated with him on the 2018 song "For You".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RITA ORA, SINGER: He brought so much joy to every room he walked into. And he left such a mark on this world.

So let's just take a moment to remember our friend Liam.

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Payne died last month at the age of 31 after falling from a third-floor hotel room balcony in Buenos Aires.

As we take a look at the rest of that awards ceremony, Taylor Swift, the big winner. The pop megastar landing four trophies including best artist and best video.

She wasn't at the event in Manchester. She, of course, is currently wrapping up her Eras Tour here in America but she did thank fans via video message.

Swift was followed by South African singer Tyla, who picked up three prizes. Other winners also include Peso Pluma for best Latin. Sabrina Carpenter claimed best song with you guessed it, "Espresso" and rapper Busta Rhymes receiving the global icon award.

Thanks so much for joining me this hour. I'm Erica Hill in New York.

Stay tuned. CNN NEWSROOM continues after a short break.

[01:57:27]

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