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U.S. Vetoes U.N. Resolution on Gaza Ceasefire; Ukraine Fires U.S. and U.K. Missiles Deeper into Russia; Matt Gaetz Meets with Senators as Ethics Report Looms; How Trump Has Politicized Laken Riley's Murder; Trump Tariffs Could Impact Elon Musk's Businesses in China; Australia Moving to Ban Kids Under 16 from Social Media. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired November 21, 2024 - 00:00   ET

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

[00:00:40]

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Lynda Kinkade live in Atlanta.

Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, 14 votes in favor and one against. We'll speak to the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations about why he vetoed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Ukraine fires back using U.S. and now British longer range missiles to strike inside Russia. And later, Australia's plan to protect children. We'll tell you about a proposal to ban social media from children under the age of 16.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Lynda Kinkade.

KINKADE: We begin with more Israeli strikes in Gaza. One medical official in northern Gaza says Israel has launched deadly strikes overnight on the city of Beit Lahia. The medical director of Kamal Adwan Hospital says the medical team there has retrieved 65 bodies from the rubble. He expects the toll to rise because the injured continue to stream in. He also says the hospital lacks ambulances and is unable to provide adequate assistance.

Well, on Wednesday, the U.S. vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution that called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza. Ambassador Robert Wood said the U.S. has made it clear that it would not support a ceasefire that failed to secure the release of hostages still being held captive by Hamas. Palestinian officials condemned the veto, saying the U.S. move only, quote, "emboldens Israel to continue its crimes against innocent civilians."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJED BAMYA, PALESTINIAN DEPUTY U.N. ENVOY: A ceasefire doesn't resolve everything but it is the first step towards resolving anything. And what is the answer of those who are still unwilling now, after all this death and destruction, not to call for an unconditional ceasefire?

(END VIDEO CLIP) KINKADE: For more, we're joined by U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Robert Wood.

Great to have you with us, Ambassador.

ROBERT WOOD, DEPUTY U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: Great to be here, Lynda. Thank you for having me.

KINKADE: So you were at the United Nations today to veto a resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The U.S. was the only nation to vote against it. Explain why.

WOOD: well, let me just say, Lynda, that from the beginning, the U.S. approached these negotiations with an open mind. We engaged in good faith in these negotiations and we compromised quite a bit in this text. But one of the things we could not compromise on was the principle of having a linkage between a ceasefire and a hostage release. So that was a fundamental principle that we had to adhere to.

Unfortunately we tried many different language fixes to see if we could come to some kind of an agreement. But it was very clear we could not. And unfortunately we were backed into a corner with regard to this resolution and I've said before the council session this morning that if that particular resolution was put into blue which is U.N. speak for preparing it for a vote, that it would not garner consensus. And so it was put forward and I had to cast the veto.

KINKADE: And so other nations criticized the veto. I just want to play some sound from the French ambassador.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICOLAS DE RIVIERE, FRENCH AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N. (through translator): We deeply regret that the ceasefire resolution wasn't able to be adopted today. The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is disastrous, and it continues to worsen day by day. Under these conditions, the only response would have been and remains an immediate and permanent ceasefire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Ambassador, can you shed some light on which member states were against including the release of hostages as part of this ceasefire resolution?

WOOD: I don't want to specifically call out particular countries, but there were several that refuse to agree to link the two, and the two, meaning the ceasefire and the release of the hostages.

[00:05:07]

And that was, as I said, a fundamental principle for us that we could not -- that was a red line for us that could not be crossed. And it is unfortunate, but regardless of the outcome, and we know what the outcome was, we are going to continue to push for a ceasefire and a hostage release because we think that is the only way that we're going to bring about an end to this war. We want to see a durable end to it and so it's not going to come through.

Security council resolutions is going to come through the hard diplomacy that we have been engaged in, along with others, and so we will continue to do that but it was an unfortunate day. It didn't have to end this way. We, as I said earlier, compromised on a number of areas. But as I said that principal connection between a ceasefire and a hostage release was critical and fundamental for us.

We cannot allow, if we had, if that resolution had passed today, Hamas would have no incentive to release the hostages. It would have no incentive to try to negotiate an end to the war. And so we can continue to rearm and continue the disastrous policies that has been undertaking that have brought such horrible circumstances to the Palestinian people in Gaza.

KINKADE: Ambassador, you made a good point a moment ago about, you know, the fact that there does need to be a diplomatic solution on regards from both the Israel and Hamas. I mean, had the language been right, would it really make any difference? Ultimately, Hamas and Israel need to come to an agreement. So how much is a U.N. resolution worth in real terms?

WOOD: Well, it would have been great if we could have spoken with one voice on the council but clearly there were some countries on the council that were interested in seeing a U.S. veto and it's quite unfortunate we could have spoken with a unified voice, which is what the international community was calling for but again, for us, the most important thing to do right now is to return to diplomacy.

It is the only way we're going to get a durable solution to this conflict. And the other thing that I have to point out, Lynda, is that countries, some countries on the council refused to condemn Hamas. All we wanted was we wanted a simple condemnation of Hamas. Some of them could not bring themselves to do that. So it's a very sad day but the U.S. will continue to work hard to end this war so that the people of Gaza can live in peace and freedom and security, and that is what we're committed to.

KINKADE: Ambassador, you said diplomacy is key here. So what is it going to take for Israel and Hamas to move towards a solution that all parties can agree to?

WOOD: Well, one of the things that's going to take is Hamas needs to accept proposals. It has repeatedly said that it cannot accept proposals that have been put on the table. So this is really about Hamas. It's been a deal after deal after deal they have rejected. So Hamas needs to come to the table in good faith and negotiate. But again, Lynda, as I said, if that resolution had gone forward, there would be no incentive for Hamas to come to the table and negotiate in good faith. So we will continue that diplomatic effort along with our partners, so that we can bring an end to this horrific war.

KINKADE: U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Robert Wood, we really appreciate your time. Thanks so much for joining us. WOOD: Thank you for having me.

KINKADE: We're also following a diplomatic push to reach a ceasefire in the other ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein is expected to meet with Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He's hoping for further progress after spending two days in Beirut, working on efforts to try and broker a truce.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMOS HOCHSTEIN, U.S. ENVOY: The meeting today built on the meeting yesterday and made additional progress. So I will travel from here in a couple of hours to Israel to try to bring this to a close if we can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, Hezbollah's leader says negotiations on a ceasefire will test the seriousness of the Israeli side. He said they negotiated under two conditions, the complete and comprehensive cessation of aggression and the respect for Lebanese sovereignty.

Ukraine is now using missiles supplied by the U.K. to strike targets inside Russia for the first time. A Russian military blog and Reuters report said that Ukraine fired the storm shadow missiles like the one seen here into Russia's Kursk region.

[00:10:08]

It comes as U.S. Defense officials report that Ukraine used eight long range ATACM missiles to successfully hit an ammunition depot in Russia's Bryansk region earlier this week. Moscow had claimed the missiles didn't cause any damage. Ukraine has yet to confirm or deny using the longer range missiles.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUSTEM UMEROV, UKRAINIAN DEFENSE MINISTER: We are very good planners. We plan and will be defending and giving punches back.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

UMEROV: With all the means available.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, the U.S. embassy in Kyiv has resumed services one day after shutting down because of a threat of a possible attack on the capital. Ukraine accuses Russia of spreading a fake warning as part of a psychological attack.

More now from CNN's Nick Paton Walsh in Kyiv.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR (voice- over): Ukrainian special forces fighting up close and taking prisoners. Rare footage of them still inside Russia's Kursk region where British Storm Shadow missiles were claimed to have hit Wednesday. These fragments found by locals.

Just hours earlier, American supplied ATACMS missiles also plowed into Russia marking a stark new escalation in the war. Yet it was also in Kyiv that fear grew. The U.S. embassy closing here for the first time since the invasion, citing a threat of air attack.

It's a reflection of the heightened tension here felt in the capital Kyiv. It's been under regular bombardment for over two months, but other European allied embassies are also limiting their function today. Perhaps a sense across NATO here that we're entering a new chapter of this conflict.

(Voice-over): As Kyiv braced for another sleepless night of sirens, the bereaved planted flags into this sea of loss in central Kyiv. Anya's father died of his injuries three weeks ago after five months in a coma. She is raw from both the talk of peace and fear of sirens.

ANYA IVANINA, LOST HER FATHER IN THE WAR (through text translation): I will be honest. We went down to the basement during every aid raid siren today. It was really scary indeed. I want peace very much. I don't want our country to be hurt. I want it to be as it was. But without the Russians, without all of this.

WALSH: But it's never over in Kyiv. The air raids intensifying in the past two months, and the weekend seen here the worst for a while. So the heightened anxiety behind several NATO embassies reducing operations this day sparked Ukrainian officials to plead. They hold their nerve, and deride this piece of Russian misinformation online. A detailed and fake warning of wide scale attacks.

This situation should be interpreted, he says, as Russia's attempt to use any elements of psychological influence. They have one instrument, which is to scare. This has always been a classic element of Russian politics, so I'd like our partners to be more careful as to the information coming from Russia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALSH (on-camera): Now being no doubt while the misinformation that the Ukrainian government highlighted fake warnings essentially may have contributed to anxieties today amongst some people in the capital. We don't really know the information behind the U.S. embassy's warning. There is still a severe threat to the Ukrainian capital.

There has been since the start of the war, intensifying in the past months. I think there is a concern amongst Ukrainians potentially, and their allies, too, that this escalatory move by the West, American and British missiles, it seems being fired into Russia now by Ukrainians may see some kind of Russian response in the weeks ahead. And I think the concern is the form that's going to take.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Kyiv, Ukraine. KINKADE: Former U.S. congressman Matt Gaetz has been meeting with

senators on Capitol Hill, hoping to secure enough support to be confirmed as Donald Trump's next attorney general. Gaetz was seen with Vice President-elect J.D. Vance and told reporters that the meetings were going great. That's despite the looming House ethics report into sexual misconduct allegations against Gaetz. A report that House Republicans so far have blocked from being released. But Democrats are not backing down trying to ensure that the report is made public.

More now from CNN's Manu Raju.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MANU RAJU, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: House Republicans on the Ethics Committee voted to block the release of this ethics report. The chairman of that committee, Michael Guest, told me ahead of that meeting that he had some reservations about releasing it because he contended it was not completely done yet.

Democrats said this is all an effort to bury damaging allegations against Matt Gaetz, potentially undercutting his ability to become the attorney general of the United States. And they argue that it should be released.

Now this is not over yet because Democrats say that they plan to force a vote on the House floor and that vote will have to occur under the rules of the House.

[00:15:06]

It would have to happen within two legislative days, meaning that this could happen since we're running up to the Thanksgiving recess. It could be punted until after Thanksgiving, but the vote would have to happen in some form, at least by that point when they return after the Thanksgiving holiday.

The question will be if Democrats have the majority of the House to force a vote, to actually forced this report to be released. That means they would have to ensure that at least three Republicans break ranks and join with them to move ahead on this issue. One Republican earlier this evening indicated he would in fact vote with Republican Democrats on this issue believing that the public and Republicans and Democrats need to see this information.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: There might be a vote in the House to release that report. Would you vote to release that report?

REP. DERRICK VAN ORDEN (R-MN): I think it's very important that everybody has as much knowledge as possible so that they can make an informed decision.

RAJU: It sounds like yes.

VAN ORDEN: That's a yes. So if what the -- if the rumors are true about Mr. Gaetz's conduct, then there should be referrals to other agencies. And if they're not true then there's a whole lot of people that owe him an apology.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: Now that Republican Derrick Van Orden has had a fraught relationship with Matt Gaetz over the years, and it also underscores how Matt Gaetz, after years of battling with his colleagues, could potentially lose this vote on the House floor. We'll see if it ultimately comes to that or if Senate Republicans will get access to this information because a lot of GOP senators particularly on the Senate Judiciary Committee was considering this nomination, want to see all this information so they can understand the gravity of these allegations as they assess this critical decision about whether to move ahead with this nomination vote to confirm him.

One person who's not concerned with the blocking of this report, though, is Senator John Thune. The incoming majority leader told me earlier in the evening that it was, quote, "their call," the House Ethics Committee's call not to release the report, did not object to that decision at all.

Manu Raju, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, let's discuss this with Ron Brownstein, CNN senior political analyst and senior editor at "The Atlantic."

Good to see you, Ron.

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

KINKADE: So the report has been buried. The question is, for how long?

BROWNSTEIN: Yes. Look, I think one way or another Senate Republicans and Democrats are going to have access to the information in here. I mean, we already have the report tonight in "The New York Times" that discusses a document prepared by federal investigators that was obtained by the House Ethics Committee showing payments from Matt Gaetz to the two women who have testified, apparently testified that he paid them for sex.

So gradually, one way or another, this information is going to come out. I mean, obviously, witnesses as some senators have testified have suggested could testify in the Senate to the same effect that they testified to the House Ethics Committee. Hard to imagine that Senate Republicans have reached a point where they would be willing to confirm Matt Gaetz knowing that all of this is out there without seeing the specifics that are in this investigation, in this report.

KINKADE: Right. And those documents you mentioned, $10,000 in payments to two women who are witnesses in this investigation and their attorney was on CNN and said one of those women witnessed Gaetz having sex with a minor.

Gaetz has, of course, denied all these allegations. If he has nothing to hide, why doesn't he push for the report to be made public?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, it's an excellent question, right? I mean, and the answer is, obviously he has behavior he does want to hide. And you know, look, I mean, you know, as we've talked about before, two weeks ago, Republican senators probably never imagined under any circumstance they would be asked to confirm Matt Gaetz as attorney general or for that matter Tulsi Gabbard as the chief intelligence officer of the country, and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as the chief, you know, the head of HHS, and in effect, the person who will be running the health agencies of the federal government.

And this is a test on all of these fronts. I mean, how far are they willing to go? Obviously, a new president gets deference especially from his own party. I believe it's basically been a century since a Senate controlled by the president's own party formally voted down one of his cabinet nominees. But Trump, I think, is deliberately pushing the boundaries here to test how far he can push the Republican Senate not only on these appointments, not only on other appointments, but also on the policy issues where he intends to move very aggressively as well.

KINKADE: And it's interesting to note, Gaetz in the past had said that he wanted the job as A.G., as attorney general but even he conceded that he might find it difficult to get confirmed. Today he was seen talking with Republican lawmakers. And I just want to roll some sound of what he had to say.

[00:20:07]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATT GAETZ (R), FORMER FLORIDA REPRESENTATIVE: I'll be honest with you, I've been focused on what we got to do to reform the Department of Justice. I have been meeting with senators. I haven't been paying much attention to that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: So he and Trump reportedly meeting with senators, trying to shore up support because the incoming Senate Republican majority will be slim, which means Trump will need almost every Republican senator to push ahead with these nominations. And notably, Elon Musk was on his social media platform X today saying that Gaetz has an ax to grind, which he claims is necessary for the job.

I mean, Ron, is that really a prerequisite for a person set to run the Justice Department?

BROWNSTEIN: Right. I mean, that is, I mean, look, you know, in a strange way that's kind of, you know, taking the subtext and making it loud. You know, why was Matt Gaetz chosen? Why was Tulsi Gabbard chosen? Why was Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. chosen? Even Pete Hegseth at the Defense Department? These are all agencies that Trump wants, whose independence and traditions Trump wants to break. Either because he views them as places that have been unfair to him in the past or because he views them as critical to his designs going forward and his language during the campaign about taking on the, quote, "enemies from within."

I mean, they are all designed to break the culture of those institutions, to break the independence they have traditionally had from simply executing a president's will. You know, under any circumstances. And so, again, like for Senate -- I mean, I think in all of these cases, Senate Republicans are being asked to do something they could not have imagined ever being asked to do. The vast majority of them will do it.

The question will be, assuming David McCormick wins the recount in Pennsylvania, it's a 53-seat majority, are there four who will not? I did note that today there was one of those more moderate, relatively more centrist Republican senators, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who said he would consider it inappropriate to try to have recess appointments at the cabinet level, maybe sub-cabinet level, he said.

But for cabinet, he thought they should have to go through the normal advise and consent confirmation process. We'll see how hardball Trump wants to get because, as you know, there's a constitutional argument where if the House goes along with him trying to recess the Congress and the Senate doesn't, he, by some readings of the Constitution, has the authority to do so himself, which would allow him to push through some of these. you know, clearly controversial and by most conventional metrics unqualified appointees.

KINKADE: Yes, exactly. Quite controversial. We will chat again soon, no doubt.

Ron Brownstein, thanks so much as always.

BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me.

KINKADE: And still to come, a judge issues a sentence for a man accused of murdering a college student in the U.S. state of Georgia but her case has been politicized. We'll explain next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:25:10]

KINKADE: Indian billionaire Gautam Adani was indicted in New York Wednesday for his alleged role in a multi-billion dollar fraud scheme. He was charged along with seven other business executives accused of offering more than $250 million in bribes for solar energy contracts with India's government. They were expected to generate more than $2 billion in profits over 20 years.

Adani is worth more than $85 billion and is Asia's second richest person according to Bloomberg's billionaires' index.

A judge in the U.S. state of Georgia has sentenced an undocumented Venezuelan migrant to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley. Riley's violent death in February ignited a political firestorm in the United States with the then Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump lashing out at immigrants and at the Biden administration's border policies.

On Wednesday, Jose Ibarra was convicted on 10 charges, including murder, kidnaping with bodily injury, and aggravated assault with intent to rape. Riley's mother told the court that she lost on the day of Ibarra's brutal crimes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALLYSON PHILLIPS, MOTHER OF LAKEN RILEY: Laken's life was not the only life taken on that day that Jose Ibarra attacked her. The life of her family and friends was taken, too. None of us will ever be the same.

This monster took away our chances to see Laken graduate from nursing school. He took away our ability to meet our future son in law. He destroyed our chances of meeting our grandchildren and he took my best friend.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, after the verdict Trump spoke out about the case on social media saying, in part, quote, "Although the pain and heartbreak will last forever hopefully this can help bring some peace and closure to her wonderful family who fought for justice and to ensure that other families don't have to go through what they have.

Trump has used Laken Riley's murder case as an example to employ hateful rhetoric around immigrants in the U.S. Data reviewed by CNN suggest there is no significant connection between immigration and any increase in crime. Republicans led by Trump are lashing out.

CNN's Brian Todd reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The February murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley quickly became about more than one family's tragedy. Well before undocumented Venezuelan migrant Jose Ibarra was convicted, it was exhibit A in President-elect Donald Trump's effort on the campaign trail to draw a link between problems at the border and crime.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT-ELECT: Laken Riley would be alive today if Joe Biden had not willfully and maliciously eviscerated the borders of the United States and set loose thousands and thousands of dangerous criminals into our country.

ASTEAD HERNDON, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, NEW YORK TIMES: Trump has really used this case to highlight his policy position about mass deportations and about deporting violent criminals specifically. He mentions this case at nearly every rally, and for a lot of his supporters, it's become a rallying cry.

TRUMP: When I'm reelected, we will begin removing these criminals, these horrible people, from our midst and we'll end up doing it immediately. TODD: Before Riley's murder, Ibarra had been arrested and released

twice in the U.S., once when he was accused of crossing the border illegally in 2022, and then in New York City last year when he was charged with acting in a manner to injure a child under 17. By February of this year, Ibarra was living in Athens, Georgia, where Laken Riley was killed.

Trump spoke about the case again at the Republican National Convention.

TRUMP: I've also met with the wonderful family of Laken Riley, yet another American life was stolen by a criminal alien set free by this administration.

TODD: President Biden acknowledged Riley's case at the State of the Union address this year but misstated her first name.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Lincoln Riley, an innocent young woman, who was killed by an illegal.

TODD: The Democrats have blamed Trump for scuttling a bipartisan border security bill earlier this year. Vice President Kamala Harris speaking about that to FOX about three weeks before the election.

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If a border security had actually been passed nine months ago, it would be nine months that we would have had more border agents at the border, more support for the folks who are working around the clock trying to hold it all together.

BRIAN KILMEADE, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Madam Vice President --

HARRIS: To ensure that no future harm would occur.

TODD: Analyst Astead Herndon says Donald Trump and his allies could actually get bipartisan support for deportations if they focus those deportations mostly on violent criminals. But if they start targeting all undocumented migrants for deportation, he says, the political brushback would likely be much more severe.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[00:30:04]

KINKADE: The family and friends of former One Direction singer Liam Payne gathered to pay tribute to him on Wednesday.

A horse-drawn carriage brought Payne's casket to the church for a private funeral in Amersham, Northwest of London. Payne's former One Direction bandmates -- Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson -- all attended the service.

One Direction became the first group to have its first four albums debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The 31-year-old singer died last month after falling from a third-

floor balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Officials say Payne had alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription antidepressant in his system at the time of his death.

We're going to take a short break. We'll be back in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: You're watching CNN NWESROOM. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Thanks for being with us.

Well, President-elect Donald Trump campaigned on a pledge to impose tariffs of 60 percent or more on products imported from China. But China is a major market for Elon Musk, who invested significant resources in Trump's reelection.

CNN's Will Ripley has more on how Trump's approach to U.S.-China relations could create a friction with his billionaire backer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Elon Musk was making moves in China years before stepping into U.S. politics.

China is Tesla's second biggest market.

ELON MUSK, OWNER, TESLA: We are looking for the very best talent in China.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Tesla's Shanghai gigafactory churns out nearly a million cars a year, the company's most productive plant.

Musk built strong ties with Chinese leaders, making Tesla the first foreign automaker with full factory ownership in China. Musk even got the government to officially use Tesla vehicles.

MUSK: We intend to make -- continue making a significant investment and increasing the investment in China.

RIPLEY (voice-over): And he's not done yet. A $200 million mega battery factory is coming soon to Shanghai.

MUSK: Fight, fight, fight! Vote, vote, vote. Thank you.

RIPLEY (voice-over): But in the Trump 2.0 era, Musk may find himself navigating tricky terrain.

President-elect Donald Trump is promising a 60 percent tariff or more on Chinese imports, a move that could create friction for Tesla's China operations.

LEV NACHMAN, POLITICAL ANALYST: This is the classic conflict of interest with having someone like Elon Musk in politics. He's not a politician.

[00:35:02]

RIPLEY (voice-over): And he's definitely not a China hawk. That could put him at odds with Trump's incoming cabinet, widely seen as the toughest on Beijing in U.S. history.

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL): They allowed the Chinese Communist Party to gain access to all of the private data.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Take secretary of state nominee Marco Rubio, a staunch critic of China, sanctioned twice by Beijing.

Rubio has championed human rights in Hong Kong and democracy in Taiwan, positions that clash with Musk, criticized for these comments last year, seen as siding with authoritarian Beijing over the self- governing island.

MUSK: Their policy has been to -- to sort of reunite Taiwan with China. From this standpoint, you know, it may be analogous to, like, Hawaii.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Two power players, two very different views on China, both potentially shaping policy in the second Trump administration.

NACHMAN: The potential for fallout is very real.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Some say Musk may serve as a bridge between Beijing and Washington. Others warn his business interests could outweigh U.S. national priorities, creating more problems than solutions.

RIPLEY: The real wild card here is President-elect Donald Trump. He'll likely be getting completely opposite advice on China from Musk and Rubio.

So, nobody really has a clue as to which way he's going to go. And that unpredictability, that uncertainty is really being felt right now on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Australia makes what it calls a trailblazing move to protect kids from the harms of social media.

Still ahead, details on a proposed ban and the uphill battle to enforce it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:38:54]

KINKADE: A volcano in Iceland is spewing lava and smoke for a sixth time this year, the latest eruption happening about 30 kilometers from the capital, Reykjavik. But the city itself is not affected, and the volcano's not expected to disrupt international air traffic like other volcanic eruptions in Iceland 14 years ago.

This volcano was dormant for about 800 years before it started erupting in 2021. Scientists say it's now likely to stay active for decades to come.

Australia is moving to ban social media for children under the age of 16, calling it a world-leading reform to protect kids from harmful content.

The new legislation would force social media companies to verify user's age, or else face hefty fines. But exactly how that would be done is still an open question.

Well, for more, I want to welcome CNN's Hanako Montgomery, who joins us live from Tokyo.

Good to see you, Hanako. So, under this ban, no one under the age of 16 would be allowed to use platforms like TikTok and Snapchat, Instagram and the like.

The question is, I mean, how will it work.

[00:40:04]

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Lynda, it's good to see you.

So, as you just described, right. This proposed legislation would effectively ban kids under the age of 16 from accessing some social media platforms,

But there are still lots of questions to be answered in terms of how it's going to be regulated, how it's going to be passed. But what we do know from today's Parliament session is that this proposal, essentially, would be a blanket ban.

There would be no exemptions, meaning kids who receive parental consent still can't create accounts. And for those who already have accounts, those will be disactivated.

Now, the Australian government has also proposed fining these tech companies up to 32.5 million U.S. dollars, if they don't respect the new rules.

But kids and parents, on the other hand, who do violate the new rules won't be penalized.

Now, we also know that these tech companies have about 12 months before this legislation becomes law to effectively remove under-16- year-olds from their apps.

Now Lynda, this proposed legislation is politically quite popular. It's received bipartisan support. And it also comes after several high-profile cases where kids actually ended their own lives, because, their parents say, they were bullied online.

So, for those parents and for supporters of this bill, these regulations are a long time coming. They think the Internet could now be a safe place for these kids. And these rules could essentially prevent kids from accessing some of the bad content that is, at times, allowed to fester online.

But of course, this bill isn't without its own problems. Critics argue that, actually, it would reduce digital literacy for children, especially at a time when technology is in practically everything that we do.

They also argue that social media isn't all bad, that at times kids can find better communities online, as they can connect with more people from different backgrounds and find these safe spaces.

Of course, also, Lynda, there's the technical aspect of it, as well, because to verify each Australian's age on these social media platforms is a monumental task.

There's also security concerns because, for instance, if these apps now have to ask users for their personal identification documents and, for instance, if that's stored online and that security is breached, those are huge, huge risks for the entire country and for its citizens.

So, Lynda, lots of questions that still need to be answered. Lots of really debate around this, as well. But the next step for this legislation is for it to go through the Senate, where it will be deliberated further -- Lynda.

KINKADE: Hanako Montgomery, certainly an interesting move. And as you say, it does have widespread support in Australia.

Good to have you with us from Tokyo.

Well, I'm Lynda Kinkade. I'll be back at the top of the hour with much more CNN NEWSROOM. But first, stick around. WORLD SPORT is next.

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