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Joe Biden Pardons Son Hunter in Criminal Cases; Syrian Rebels Push into Aleppo's Northern Countryside; Protests Spread Amid Plans to Suspend E.U. Talks; Trump's History of Animosity Towards the FBI; Heavy Snow Blankets Several U.S. States; Inside the Newly Restored Notre Dame Cathedral. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired December 02, 2024 - 00:00   ET

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

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome. I'm Lynda Kinkade. We're following breaking news.

[00:00:34]

And with less than 50 days in office, U.S. President Joe Biden has made a move he vowed he'd never do. He's issued a full and unconditional pardon of his son Hunter Biden, for his crimes.

Republicans and Democrats are weighing in on the ramifications of that broken promise. A senior administration official says that the president reached the decision this weekend, while on a family Thanksgiving holiday.

Just last month, the White House said a pardon was not on the cards.

Hunter Biden was convicted on three federal felony gun charges in June in a trial that exposed details of his drug abuse. He was facing up to 25 years in prison for those crimes.

He also pleaded guilty to nine charges in a federal tax case in September.

He was due for sentencing in both cases later this month.

Hunter Biden is the first immediate family member of a sitting U.S. president to be found guilty of a crime.

Hunter Biden released a statement saying, in part, "I have admitted and taken responsibility for my mistakes during the darkest days of my addiction. I will never take the clemency I have been given today for granted and will devote the life I have rebuilt to helping those who are still sick and suffering."

CNN's Evan Perez has more now on how the president reached this decision.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EVAN PEREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Joe Biden has pardoned his son -- PEREZ (voice-over): -- Hunter Biden, saying that there were signs that his son was being selectively and unfairly prosecuted.

Now, Hunter Biden was facing the prospect of spending several years in prison after being convicted on gun charges --

PEREZ: -- in Delaware and on tax charges in Los Angeles. Now, the president has repeatedly said that he would not pardon his son. Take a listen.

DAVID MUIR, ABC NEWS ANCHOR: Let me ask you, will you accept the jury's outcome, their verdict, no matter what it is?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Yes.

MUIR: And have you ruled out a pardon for your son?

BIDEN: Yes.

MUIR: You have.

PEREZ (voice-over): In a statement on Sunday night, the president said the charges in this case came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigating them to attack me and oppose my election.

He also goes on to say that "For my entire career, I have followed a simple principle: just tell the American people the truth. They'll be fair-minded. And here's the truth: I believe in the justice system. But as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process, and it has led to a miscarriage of justice."

Now Joe Biden took office in 2021, promising to restore faith in the justice system. And this statement on Sunday night indicates that he believes the justice system has failed to treat his son fairly.

Now, Hunter Biden --

PEREZ: -- will be covered under this pardon for anything that happened between 2014 and 2024.

So, the question remains whether Republicans in Congress and whether the incoming Trump administration will find new reasons to investigate Hunter Biden and the Biden family, as they have said they repeatedly would do.

Evan Perez, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, earlier, I spoke with CNN senior reporter Edward-Isaac Dovere about the timing of the pardon and how it prevents Hunter Biden from facing additional charges.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: There was a feeling that Hunter Biden might very well have been headed to prison, but this pardon is a blanket pardon.

And I'll just read to you what it says. It says, "A full and unconditional pardon for those offenses against the United States, which he" -- Hunter Biden -- "has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1st, 2014 through December 1st, 2024, including but not limited to all offenses charged or prosecuted." And then lists the ones that are -- that were pending until this pardon was issued.

But what that means is that anything that Hunter Biden might be accused of in the future might be -- there might have been an attempt to prosecute him of in the future in a Trump administration, he is now pardoned for.

It's, of course, possible that there could be crimes that are sought out from before 2014 that he would be prosecuted for, but that length of time is one that is very carefully chosen here as a way to, in Joe Biden's feeling, shield his son from anything that might be coming at him and was already coming at him.

[00:05:08]

KINKADE: And interestingly, this is a complete reversal of Biden's long-standing pledge not to use his presidential power to protect his son.

What -- kind of what does that mean? What sort of message does that send?

DOVERE: Well, he was very clear when he was asked whether he would pardon Hunter Biden before. He said, no, I believe in the justice system. I believe in the Justice Department. It's a matter of principle.

He -- members of his administration, including the White House press secretary, were asked about this repeatedly. They were also told no, or they also said no. He will not pardon Hunter Biden.

But there was a feeling among not only close White House advisers, but among the family in a wider way that, when it really came down to it -- and, of course, we're in this countdown period of Biden's presidency until -- from now until January 20th, that he would eventually pardon Hunter Biden.

In making this pardon, Biden said that, once he made the decision to pardon Hunter Biden, he figured why not just do it right away? There's no need to drag it out and get to it.

But it is this reversal, and it puts him now in a position where it is obvious that Donald Trump will point to this for any decisions that he makes.

(END VIDEOTAPE) KINKADE: Donald Trump's team has issued a statement on Hunter Biden's pardon, saying in part, "The failed witch hunts against President Trump have proven that the Democrat-controlled DOJ and other radical prosecutors are guilty of weaponizing the justice system. That system of justice must be fixed, and due process must be restored for all Americans, which is exactly what President Trump will do."

Republican lawmakers are also seizing the moment to rail against President Biden and his decision. House Republican James Comer posted on social media, saying in part, quote, "Joe Biden has lied from the start to finish about his family's corrupt influence peddling activities. It's unfortunate that, rather than come clean about their decades of wrongdoing, President Biden and his family continue to do everything they can to avoid accountability."

Senate Republican Ron Johnson also weighed in, posting, quote, "Just confirming that under Democratic governance there truly is a dual system of justice. One that protects Democrats and another weaponized against their political opponents."

I want to discuss this now with Ron Brownstein, a CNN senior political analyst and senior editor at "The Atlantic." He joins us from Los Angeles.

Good to see you, Ron.

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Hello.

KINKADE: So, weeks before President Biden leaves office, this parting gift to his son, a blanket pardon, and, of course, a complete reversal of his decision to abide by the jury's decision. Right?

BROWNSTEIN: Yes. Look, I think it's -- it is going to be controversial, in large part because of that reversal.

But keep in mind, I mean, this is -- this is coming on the, you know, the same weekend that president -- former President Trump indicated he's going to be sending -- wants to send to France, the -- the father of his son-in-law, who he pardoned at the end of his presidency, along with many of his own, you know, senior political advisers that he pardoned; and that he named Kash Patel to his choice to run the FBI, who was often -- who has openly talked about using the FBI for retribution against critics of Trump, including journalists and -- and the prosecutors themselves.

I mean, we are -- you know, we are in a situation where Biden has violated what would have been considered a norm, but in many ways, in response to the threat that Trump has shown from the outset to those norms.

I mean, you know, Trump has made -- could not have made more abundantly clear his intent as president to pursue prosecutions against the Biden family. So, while this may be controversial, it strikes me as somewhat inevitable.

KINKADE: But it is interesting, Ron, when you think about the parallels. In the statement, President Biden said -- he said several of my political opponents in Congress instigated this case --

BROWNSTEIN: Yes.

KINKADE: -- to attack him. That reasoning sounds awfully similar to what Donald Trump has said about his own cases. Right?

BROWNSTEIN: Right. You know, and -- and look, I mean, you know, I say, this is -- this is the situation that we are in as a society.

You know, I think when Biden came in and, certainly, the view among Democrats was that, if they kind of reassert the pre-Trump norms -- for example, the way Merrick Garland dealt with the question of January 6th, which was not to deal with it by two years -- they could somehow kind of shame or coerce Republicans into reasserting those norms.

And, you know, what did we see? I mean, we saw Trump run on an explicit pledge not only to prosecute the Biden family, but to pardon the January 6th rioters. We saw him nominate Matt Gaetz and now Pam Bondi as attorney general. Kash Patel as FBI director.

[00:10:14]

There is no going back. I mean, the idea that, like, you know Tom Cotton said, well, this will, you know, justify Republicans doing whatever they -- Trump doing whatever he wants to do.

Trump was going to do whatever he wanted to do, regardless of what Biden did on Hunter Biden. And in some ways, it seems to me the question is -- should be, should Biden go further at this point?

I mean, you know, given the threats from Trump and his allies to prosecute Jack Smith and his team, and maybe the team that worked on the original Russia investigation, should he be pardoning them to preclude their possibility of being prosecuted?

I think you're going to have questions like that asked in the next few weeks. I mean, this -- this is kind of the spiral we are in, in this country. And I think, as I've said to you before, it is simply not possible for one party alone to uphold the traditional norms of democracy and limits on presidential power. It just doesn't work.

And what we have seen is that kind of self-restraint on the part of the Democrats really had no impact on the -- on the behavior of Trump and his allies. And so, here we are.

KINKADE: Yes, exactly. You make a really good point, Ron. And you spoke earlier about the fact that Donald Trump has said that he wants to seek revenge and retribution, and that would be the focus of his second term. And he has picked people for his cabinet that would do just that.

BROWNSTEIN: Yes.

KINKADE: I'm wondering how much protection this pardon will give Hunter Biden outside the time frame of this pardon. BROWNSTEIN: Well, certainly, you've got to think from everything that, you know, Donald Trump said on the campaign trail and the kind of people he is putting in office, they will look for other -- other opportunities to -- to prosecute.

But, I mean, this is a -- this is a substantial period of time.

And as I said, look, I mean, you know, Trump could not have been more explicit on either side of the line. First, you know, you have the precedents from his first term: pardoning Roger Stone, pardoning Paul Manafort, pardoning Jared Kushner's father.

Now kind of really turning the screw by saying he's going to name him to one of the most prominent ambassadorships that are out there.

And at the same time, saying that he wants to use the machinery of the federal government to prosecute those he views as his opponents. And, as you say, putting in place people who are going to go along with that.

You know, remember the story that Bill Barr, who was his attorney general in the first term, you know, basically said, over my dead body, about the idea of putting Kash Patel at the FBI.

That's not what you're going to hear from Pam Bondi. That's not what you're going to hear from anybody in the cabinet room in this second term.

And so, you know, the risks for anyone that Trump views as -- as a critic or an opponent are obviously, I think, much greater than they were in the first term.

And as I say, the idea that Democrats could kind of shame Republicans into upholding these norms by, you know, exercising self -- the kind of self-restraint we saw from Merrick Garland, whatever else you think about Garland's decision, the idea that it would influence Republican behavior has clearly been shown to be nonsensical.

KINKADE: Exactly. Ron Brownstein, as always, great analysis. Thanks so much.

BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me.

KINKADE: Well, Syrian rebels say they are gaining ground in Aleppo and beyond as President Bashar al-Assad's allies in Moscow send in reinforcements. Coming up, we'll have the latest on the fighting in the country.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:16:53]

KINKADE: Welcome back.

Rebel forces are expanding their control in Syria after launching a surprise offensive last week. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(GUNFIRE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: They claim to have made significant gains in the Northern countryside of Aleppo, capturing several towns and villages.

Syrian state media says President Bashar al-Assad says he intends to fight what he calls terrorist organizations with, quote, "force and determination."

As the Iranian foreign minister arrived in Damascus Sunday, a show of support for a key ally.

Russia is also stepping in to help Syria, continuing to strike rebel targets in Aleppo, Hama and Idlib. Russian state media reports that more than 300 rebel fighters were killed over the past 24 hours.

CNN cannot independently verify those numbers.

Well, the United Nations special envoy for Syria is pushing for de- escalation, warning, quote, that "Syria is in danger of further division, deterioration, and destruction."

CNN's Nic Robertson is following the latest developments from London.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, all the indications are that --

ROBERTSON (voice-over): -- Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president backed by Russia, will try to fight, regroup, and take back control of Aleppo.

It was a lightning advance by that group, that rebel alliance, to get into the city, almost fully under their control now. And it does appear that they will take the last neighborhoods in -- in the coming days.

The situation right now for Bashar al-Assad, he has said that he will take on these terrorists, will regroup his forces. He met Sunday with the Iranian foreign minister, who flew into Syria for conversations.

The Iranian foreign minister saying that this was an indication of how much support Iran is giving to its neighbors at this time.

But it's Assad's Air Force, along with the Russian Air Force, that have been perpetrating the bombing raids in Aleppo and some of the other areas in the North of Syria, trying to hit rebel targets.

A couple of locations where at least a handful of people have been killed.

The real picture of what's going on is still emerging at the moment, but the rebel groups seem to be having -- having surprising success.

The concern here for the United States --

ROBERTSON (voice-over): -- is that this is a complicated situation; that the principal rebel group at the head of this rapid advance is -- is a proscribed terrorist organization that the United States has been watching closely for a long time. And it's allied here, as well, with -- with another rebel group that's not a fundamentalist Sunni group. It's a group that's backed by Turkey.

But the picture that emerges is Bashar al-Assad weaker. His allies, Russia and Iran, weaker. And for the United States, a complicated picture.

JAKE SULLIVAN, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: It's a complicated question, because the group at the vanguard of this rebel advance, HTS, is actually a terrorist organization designated by the United States.

So, we have real concerns about the designs and objectives of that organization.

At the same time, of course, we don't cry over the fact that the Assad government, backed by Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, you know, are facing certain kinds of pressures.

[00:20:12]

ROBERTSON: And the reasons to think that this offensive can continue --

ROBERTSON (voice-over): -- the rebels appear to want to push further South towards the Syrian cities of Hama, perhaps Homs, further South of that; Assad threatening to fight back.

But if you look back, back to 2016, when Bashar al-Assad took control over Aleppo, that was a very long, a very bloody and very destructive fight, with a huge number of casualties.

At this time, it's hard to see that we're not looking at the potential for that again.

ROBERTSON: Nic Robertson, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: for more, I'm joined by CNN military analyst and retired Air Force colonel, Cedric Leighton.

Good to have you with us.

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Great to be with you, Lynda.

KINKADE: So firstly, can we just start by explaining who these rebels are that have taken control of Syria's second largest city, Aleppo? LEIGHTON: Yes. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, is basically an offshoot

of Jabhat al-Nusra, which was an organization that existed during the first part of the Syrian civil war.

It was basically founded in 2011. And, Lynda, what it was really known for was its close relationship to al Qaeda. In fact, that group was founded, in part, by al-Baghdadi, the -- the famous ISIS in Iraq leader.

So, this group has morphed in several different ways. But the current HTS is an outgrowth of Jabhat al-Nusra that basically was created in 2017.

And it has tried to localize its efforts. Instead of concentrating on doing things outside of Syria or Iraq or the Middle East, it is concentrating on doing things in Syria. So, its main goal is the destruction of the Assad regime and also ridding Syria of Iranian militias.

So, that's -- that's why it's basically perceived as a threat to the Assad regime, as well as, of course, to the Iranians.

KINKADE: And of course, it was so surprising how quickly they were able to take over Aleppo.

What does this mean? How much manpower do they have? And do they have the support needed to potentially topple Assad?

LEIGHTON: Yes. So, when you look at manpower figures as we know them right now, they're supposed to have somewhere around 15,000 fighters.

Now, I suspect that total has gotten a bit larger, especially with the success that they've had in Aleppo.

And the one thing to keep in mind is Aleppo is basically the first stop on a -- on a journey that could take them all the way to Damascus. There's a highway called the M-5 that connects Aleppo, through Homs and Hama, all the way down to Damascus. And they could use that highway to basically advance along that axis and potentially on other axes.

And so, it is, in essence, a -- an organization that can move very quickly. And if the Syrian army continues to be as badly organized as it appears to be right now, they can basically overwhelm the Syrian army.

Although, of course, the Syrian army has far more in terms of manpower and in terms of weaponry. But that means nothing if they aren't willing to fight.

KINKADE: And talk to us about Syria's key allies, the -- the regime's key allies being Russia, Iran, Hezbollah, all weakened right now, all quite distracted. Right?

LEIGHTON: Yes, very much so. Hezbollah, of course, has been weakened because of the Israeli attacks on it in Lebanon and the fact that their entire leadership structure has been decimated. We remember the Patriot attacks from a few months ago in Lebanon that, in essence, took out the middle and upper levels of Hezbollah.

Then of course, you had Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, being killed by the Israelis, as well as other leaders. So, Hezbollah is basically out of the mix in terms of the Syrian civil war.

When it comes to Iran, Iran has militias and, of course, the IRGC, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps has liaisons with the Syrians. The Syrians have received Iranian support all the way since the 1980s, all the way back to that period in time.

But the Iranians are distracted by multiple things, especially by the conflict that it has with Israel and also, of course, helping Russia fight in Ukraine.

And then you have the Russians, which have bases in Syria, including both army and air bases.

And the basic Russian issue here is that the Russians wanted to have a foothold in the Eastern Mediterranean, but that's at risk, because they wanted to prop up the Assad regime.

[00:25:06]

And the Assad regime, of course, is a victim of HTS and its own, basically, incompetence when it comes to securing the countryside, not only from HTS but also from ISIS and other forces, including the Kurdish forces in the Northeast.

KINKADE: We'll have to leave it there for now, but always great analysis. Retired Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton, thanks so much.

LEIGHTON: Thank you, Lynda.

KINKADE: Well, still to come this hour, much more on our breaking news story. Saying raw politics has led to a miscarriage of justice, U.S. President Biden pardoning his son Hunter on gun and tax charges.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: Welcome back. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Lynda Kinkade.

I want to update you on the breaking news out of Washington right now. U.S. President Joe Biden announcing Sunday that he has pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, who faced sentencing this month for federal tax and gun convictions.

The decision coming after Biden and White House officials repeatedly said in recent months that he would not pardon Hunter or commute his sentence.

Hunter Biden released a statement, saying in part, "I have admitted and taken responsibility for my mistakes during the darkest days of my addiction. I will never take the clemency I have been given today for granted and will devote the life I have rebuilt to helping those who are still sick and suffering."

[00:30:09]

For more now, I'm joined by CNN political analyst Julian Zelizer. He is a historian and professor at Princeton University.

Good to have you with us.

JULIAN ZELIZER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Nice to be with you.

KINKADE: So, less than six months ago, you penned an op-ed on CNN.com, writing that President Biden has made it clear that unlike Trump, he will respect the decisions of the courts and not use his power to pardon Hunter Biden, even if the outcome is devastating for his son.

How times have changed. What's your reaction?

ZELIZER: Well, yes, he's -- he's changed. The times have changed, meaning, he ultimately withdrew from the race. He was defeated.

I think, like many of Trump's opponents, he's worried about how Trump will use presidential power. And he's decided to reverse this and protect family, in this case, through this awesome power of the presidency.

So, I think President Biden is willing to live with the inconsistency and the change in position to protect his son.

KINKADE: And historically speaking, is this a fair and reasonable way for a president to use their power to grant a pardon?

ZELIZER: Well, yes. I mean, the power of the pardon is incredibly broad. That's why it's controversial. People have used it for political reasons. People have used it for very controversial decisions. Famously, President Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon for crimes that he might have committed in 1974.

So, there's not much of a template in terms of what you can or can't do. And this seems to fall under that jurisdiction pretty clearly.

KINKADE: And of course, Biden has tried to reassure the public, the American citizens that they can trust in these institutions. So, what sort of message does this now send, that he's saying that these were politically motivated charges?

ZELIZER: Well, I think he's being a little more candid and open with positions. He was more leery about talking about, really, even through the time he was still campaigning.

And I think some of this is a kind of departing warning. It's not simply about his son, but it's a warning about the need to be proactive and aggressive in protecting people and protecting institutions against what he is arguing is someone who will make politically motivated decisions like this, and he said elsewhere, stretch or abuse presidential power. So, I think this serves both purposes. KINKADE: Let's talk about Trump's controversial picks both for cabinet

and other positions. Quite a few family members have now been picked for particular posts: Jared Kushner's father, Charles, who Trump gave a pardon to from criminal convictions that included filing false tax returns. He's been nominated to be ambassador to France.

And, of course, Tiffany Trump's father-in-law has been picked to be a Middle East adviser. What are your thoughts?

ZELIZER: It's not a total surprise, in that during the first term, we saw this. Obviously, Jared Kushner, for example, as a son-in-law, was a very important adviser. His sons and daughter played a big role in the administration.

He is not someone who has felt the need to create a very significant, if any, firewall between his family, his business and himself. And so, now he is doing it again.

He reaches out to people he feels he's close to, who he trusts. But it will cause, you know, concerns. There's a reason that many presidents have avoided this kind of familial connection in the last few decades, just to avoid these kinds of issues. But this is not something that troubles the president-elect.

KINKADE: Julian Zelizer, political analyst. Good to have you with us, as always. Thanks so much.

ZELIZER: Thanks for having me.

KINKADE: Well, protests in Georgia are spreading as people in the country react to the government's decision to suspend talks on joining the European Union. That story, when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:37:57]

KINKADE: Well, protesters and police have clashed in Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, in the early morning hours.

In a sign that opposition is spreading to the government's decision to suspend talks on joining the European Union, tensions remain high between the ruling Georgia Dream Party and its opponents, who accuse it of pursuing anti-Western and pro-Russian policies.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE (voice-over): Facing down a row of riot police, a protester in Georgia defiantly waves a European Union flag. A powerful symbol of what's galvanized thousands of protesters in Tbilisi to rally nightly since Thursday, when the government said it was suspending talks to join the E.U. for four years.

Night after night, demonstrators have set off fireworks near Parliament, clashing with police, who've responded with tear gas and water cannons. Protesters say the future of the country is at stake. Polls show more

than 80 percent of Georgians support joining the E.U., a longtime goal of the country that's enshrined in its constitution.

MARIAM TSKITISHVILI, PROTESTOR: Just the fact that my country deserves to be free from the Russian regime that has haunted us for many centuries, and I believe that we need to get into Europe. It's truly what we've wanted for many, many centuries.

KINKADE (voice-over): But that path has become less clear lately. Critics say the country's ruling Georgian Dream Party has become increasingly authoritarian and, in recent years, has moved away from the West, deepening ties with Russia, which the party denies.

In parliamentary elections in October, which were widely seen as a referendum on whether to align with Russia or the West, the Georgian Dream Party claimed victory, in a vote the opposition says was rigged.

The European Parliament called it neither free nor fair.

Opposition M.P.'s are boycotting the new Parliament. The country's outgoing president, who supports joining the E.U., says she won't step down until new elections are held.

[00:40:07]

SALOME ZOURABICHVILI, GEORGIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): There is no legitimate parliament, and therefore, an illegitimate parliament cannot elect a new president.

Thus, no inauguration can take place, and my mandate continues until a legitimately elected Parliament is formed.

KINKADE (voice-over): Georgia's prime minister says there will be no new elections. He accuses the opposition of plotting a revolution and says Georgia is committed to E.U. membership, despite the delay.

IRAKIL KOBAKHIDZE, GEORGIAN PRIME MINISTER: The response is very clear, so we have not suspended anything related to the European integration. It's just a lie.

KINKADE (voice-over): But the protests are not only continuing but spreading to more cities. So, too, concerns over the treatment of the protesters.

The U.S. and E.U. have condemned the use of excessive force against them. On Saturday, the U.S. suspended its strategic partnership with Georgia, something the Georgian prime minister says he will revisit with the new administration in January.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: That does it for this edition of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Lynda Kinkade.

For our international viewers, WORLD SPORT is next. For our viewers here in North America, I'll be back with much more news in just a moment. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:45:37]

KINKADE: Welcome back to our viewers here in North America. I'm Lynda Kinkade. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

We want to update you now on some breaking news: U.S. President Joe Biden's decision to pardon his son Hunter Biden.

President Biden made the announcement Sunday, saying raw politics have led to a miscarriage of justice in the cases against his son.

Hunter Biden faced sentencing this month on federal tax and gun related charges, including two counts of making a false statement on a federal gun form, as well as unlawful possession of a firearm.

Donald Trump's decision to nominate long-time loyalist and partisan firebrand Kash Patel to head the FBI is getting mixed reactions from Republicans, even among those close to the president-elect.

It would require Trump to force current FBI director Christopher Wray out of the job, but it wouldn't be the first time Trump has made such a move.

CNN's Brian Todd has a closer look at Trump's history of animosity towards the bureau and its directors.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: We need an honest FBI, and we need it fast.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The president-elect, by all accounts planning a shakeup of the FBI as soon as he takes office.

Sources telling CNN Donald Trump plans to fire FBI director Christopher Wray, even though Trump appointed Wray in 2017, and Wray has three years left in his ten-year term.

Why has Trump turned on Wray? Analysts say it's Trump who believes Wray has turned on him.

GARRETT GRAFF, FBI HISTORIAN: Donald Trump sees the FBI, over the last decade, as the agency sort of most to blame for his own legal troubles and the troubles of those around him.

TODD (voice-over): Wray headed the FBI when the bureau launched a search of Trump's Mar-a-Lago home in August 2022.

TRUMP: They broke into my house.

TODD (voice-over): The search uncovered classified documents that Trump had allegedly stored inappropriately at Mar-a-Lago. It led to federal criminal charges against Trump, which were just dropped by the special counsel. Trump has denied any wrongdoing.

GRAFF: To him, a major sign of how the Biden administration was trying to politicize the FBI and use it for political payback.

TODD (voice-over): Agents from Wray's FBI also assisted Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe of the 2016 Trump campaign's alleged ties to Russia.

If Trump removes Wray, Wray would be the second FBI director Trump will have fired.

TRUMP: Oh, and there's James Comey. Will you please? He's become more famous than me.

TODD (voice-over): Then-FBI Director James Comey awkwardly greeting then-President Trump in Trump's early days in the White House after Comey said he had tried to blend in with the blue curtains so he wouldn't be noticed.

Soon after taking office, Trump pressured Comey to drop an investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn. Comey claimed Trump put the squeeze on him personally.

JAMES COMEY, FORMER FBI DIRECTOR: I got the sense my job would be contingent upon how he felt I conducted myself and whether I demonstrated loyalty.

TODD (voice-over): Trump denied asking for Comey's loyalty, but ended up firing Comey, later saying he was frustrated over the ongoing Russia probe.

ZELIZER: He wanted that investigation shut down. He saw it as a political problem. And this was what Comey was up to.

TODD (voice-over): By naming as his new FBI director Kash Patel, a vociferous critic of the bureau, Trump is making a controversial choice.

KASH PATEL, FORMER ADVISOR, TRUMP NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: I'd shut down the FBI Hoover Building on day one and reopening it the next day as a museum of the deep state.

TODD: Historian Garrett Graff says Donald Trump is not alone among presidents who believe the FBI should have been more beholden to them. He points out that John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Bill Clinton had all expressed frustration with FBI directors who served during their administrations.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, post-Thanksgiving travel has been treacherous in parts of the Great Lakes region due to several feet of snow as cold temperatures sweep across the U.S. Take a look at this scene just North of Cleveland, Ohio, where poor

visibility made for hazardous driving conditions.

And the city of Erie, Pennsylvania, saw 31 inches of snowfall since Thanksgiving eve.

The lake effect warnings are in place for parts of New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania until Tuesday morning.

CNN's Polo Sandoval reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Record-setting snowfall is complicating the post-Thanksgiving ride home for travelers in the Great Lakes region.

[00:45:04]

SANDOVAL: This could be a 24- to 35-inch snow, for sure.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): Daily snowfall totals have paralyzed stretches of the highly trafficked I-90 corridor this holiday weekend.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a car underneath that. Yes.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): Here in Erie, Pennsylvania, nearly 23 inches fell on Friday alone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yesterday, I shoveled for four hours.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): Shattering a 1979 record, burying cars, and interrupting flight operations at Erie International.

In Michigan's Upper Peninsula, over two feet of snow fell on Friday, eclipsing a daily record set in 1942. And the list of cities impacted by the locally heavy lake effect snow goes on.

In Buffalo, New York, Bills fans are once again being hired as shovelers to clear out the stadium ahead of a snowy Sunday night game against San Francisco.

And there's more to come, warn meteorologists, with nearly 2 million people still under lake effect snow warnings come Monday.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The biggest concern right here along that Eastern flank of Lake Erie, as well as portions of Lake Ontario.

Now, the reason you're getting that lake effect, you've got the slightly warmer lakes, that very cold air rushing over it.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): Then there's the cold. Some of the chilliest temperatures since last winter, which are expected to linger into the week ahead. They've been felt as far South as Florida, where many residents endured freeze warnings this weekend.

Some are making the best of these snowy scenes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): Oh, the weather outside is frightful, and the fire is so delightful.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): But they may also be foretelling a Wicked winter ahead.

Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: U.S. President Joe Biden spent World AIDS Day on Sunday remembering the 105,000 people who have lost their lives to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

He announced that before he leaves office, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services will update its guidance for states on HIV care.

He also praised survivors and advocates for their resilience.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: This movement is fully woven into the fabric and history of America, shining a light on the memory and the legacy of all the sisters and brothers, sons and daughters, husbands and wives, moms and dads, partners and friends who have lost -- we've lost to this terrible disease.

Together, we honor the spirit of resilience and the extraordinary strength of people, families, and communities affected by HIV/AIDS.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: You can see there behind him, as he spoke, the AIDS memorial quilt displayed on the White House South Lawn for the first time.

More than five years after a devastating fire at Notre Dame cathedral, is set to officially reopen to the public this Sunday.

But French President Emmanuel Macron is already giving the world a look at the glorious restoration.

CNN's Melissa Bell reports for us from Paris.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A new dawn for Notre Dame Cathedral, more than five and a half years after a fire tore through parts of the gothic structure in the heart of Paris.

Sparkling stonework highlighting the stunning results of the estimated $737 million restoration as it was unveiled to France's president, Emmanuel Macron, on Friday.

After the 2019 blaze, the president had vowed to rebuild Notre Dame even more beautiful than it was.

Entering the cathedral with his wife Brigitte on Friday, it was clear that France had achieved just that.

"It was, at the same time, repaired, restored, and rebaptized," Macron said.

Millions had watched in shock and horror as Notre Dame's 96-meter spire tumbled into the church during the 2019 blaze. Now, its renaissance is complete.

Touring the epicenter of the blaze, the medieval roof structure known as "the Forest," Macron saw the beams rebuilt by hand from 1,200 oak trees from across France.

Among the highlights of Macron's tour, a mural in the North enclosure of the choir that was badly damaged in the fire, and the virgin of Paris, a 14th Century statue that became a symbol of resistance when it was found standing resolute, surrounded by burnt wood and collapsed stone.

And the beautiful Saint Marcel's Chapel, one of 29 chapels that have been lovingly restored.

Viewing the 12-meter-wide grand organ, Macron described it as sublime.

more than 1,300 people involved in the restoration were invited inside, as the French President wrapped up his final visit to the site before its formal reopening.

[00:55:00]

EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

"You have transformed ashes into art," he told them. "The whole planet was upset that day in April. The shock of the reopening will be as big as that of the fire," he said, thanking the crowds.

BELL: The delicacy of the restoration is really quite extraordinary. Not only have they sought to renovate Notre Dame as it was before the fire, but they've taken the opportunity to clean it, to make it brighter, to restore the paintwork, the gold work.

And so, the overall impression is really quite different to what it was. Many centuries of crowds and worship and candles and smoke had meant that it was fairly dark inside. No longer. Now there is really a sense of light and an ability, therefore, to appreciate the majesty of Notre Dame in a way that really wasn't possible before.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Our thanks to Melissa Bell there.

Well, the Thanksgiving holiday provided a big boost to the U.S. domestic box office, with the premiere of Disney's "Moana 2" and the draw of "Wicked" and "Gladiator 2." These three blockbusters pulled in a record estimated $420 million as

of Sunday, with "Moana 2" seeing a record five-day opening of nearly $221 million in the U.S.

"Wicked" and "Gladiator 2" also continue to draw large crowds. They've been named "Glicked."

Well finally, for all the aspiring treasure hunters out there, a man has hidden more than $2 million worth of loot in chests scattered throughout the United States.

All the clues needed to find the five chests are in this book, titled, "There's Treasure Inside," written by the man behind the hunt, John Collins Black.

The treasures include everything from gold to Pokemon cards, sports memorabilia, even a brooch once owned by Jackie Kennedy Onassis.

It's a good way to sell a book.

Well, thanks so much for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Lynda Kinkade. I'll be back with much more news in just a few minutes.

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