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CNN International: Trudeau To Step Down As Canadian Prime Minister; Canadian PM Justin Trudeau Holds News Conference; Canadian PM: I Will Stay Until A Successor Is Selected. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired January 06, 2025 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.

OMAR JIMENEZ, HOST, "CNN NEWSROOM": Welcome to our viewers all around the world. I'm Omar Jimenez in New York.

I want to get right to our breaking news this hour. We are expecting a major announcement any moment now from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. A source tells CNN, Mr. Trudeau will resign as the leader of the ruling Liberal Party. He is expected to remain Prime Minister until a new leader is chosen. But, you can see there, we are waiting the Prime Minister to step up to that microphone and announce a resignation. He is facing a series of crises ahead of a general election later this year that he is expected to lose, including threats by Donald Trump to slap tariffs on Canadian goods, and a steep slump in his poll ratings.

I want to bring in Paula Newton for more. She is live in Ottawa for us. So, Paula, I think just, can you explain to our viewers -- I mean, how did we get to this point?

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think many viewers in Canada are wondering that same point, and why, Omar, is, it has been obvious for many months that Justin Trudeau could just not sustain any kind of popularity that would make it likely that he would be re-elected for a fourth time. Canada has to have an election by the end of 2025. The Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, now almost, on average, 20 percentage points --

JIMENEZ: Paula, I'm sorry. I'm just going to jump in really quickly. We're seeing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau step up to the microphone now. Let's listen in.

JUSTIN TRUDEAU, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: -- one more thing. Every morning I've woken up as Prime Minister, I've been inspired by the resilience, the generosity, and the determination of Canadians. It is the driving force of every single day I have the privilege of serving in this office. That is why, since 2015, I have fought for this country, for you, to strengthen and grow the middle class, why we rallied to support each other through the pandemic, to advance reconciliation, to defend free trade on this continent, to stand strong with Ukraine and our democracy, and to fight climate change and get our economy ready for the future. We are at a critical moment in the world.

TRUDEAU (Interpreted): Every morning I woke up as Prime Minister, I was struck by your generosity as Canadians. Every day I was aware of the privilege I had of serving you, and I have fought for this country to reinforce the frontiers, and particularly through the pandemic, to defend free trade and the unswerving support of Canada for Ukraine, as well as the fight against climate change. We are really going through a very critical period at the moment.

TRUDEAU: As you all know, I'm a fighter. Every bone in my body has always told me to fight because I care deeply about Canadians. I care deeply about this country, and I will always be motivated by what is in the best interest of Canadians. And the fact is, despite best efforts to work through it, parliament has been paralyzed for months after what has been the longest session of a minority parliament in Canadian history. That's why, this morning, I advised the Governor General that we need a new session of parliament. She has granted this request, and the House will now be prorogued until March 24th.

Over the holidays, I've also had a chance to reflect, and have had long talks with my family about our future. Throughout the course of my career, any success I have personally achieved has been because of their support and with their encouragement. So, last night, over dinner, I told my kids about the decision that I'm sharing with you today. I intend to resign as party leader, as Prime Minister, after the party selects its next leader through a robust, nationwide, competitive process. Last night, I asked the President of the Liberal Party to begin that process.

[11:05:00]

This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I'm having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election.

TRUDEAU (Interpreted): As you know, I'm a great fighter. I have always been deeply committed to the fight, and have done everything in the interests of Canadians. But, despite all the efforts which I deployed, I have had to fight very hard during the last month -- months after the historical crisis in parliament, and that is why I think we need a new session of parliament. So, my decision is that the Chamber should be prorogued. During the fiscal period, I had the opportunity of reflecting about our future, and I think that the support of my family has been due very much of the success that I have known has been due to my family.

And therefore, we have taken a decision, which I wish to share with you today. I have decided to resign, to step down from my post as leader of the Liberal Party, and I shall stay until the party has nominated another successor. I have asked the President of the party to open the competition, and we need a clear and real choice to emerge. And it has become clear to me that if I have to concentrate on internal battles, I am unable to remain as Prime Minister. Our democracy a very important institution in the history of Canada, and I am sure that all parties will bring forward the values and traditions we are -- we possess. In 2021, I was elected for the third time to reinforce the economy in

a very complex world, and that is precisely what I did with all my strength in the interests of Canadians.

TRUDEAU -- an important institution in the history of our great country and democracy. A new Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Party will carry its values and ideals into that next election. I am excited to see the process unfold in the months ahead. We were elected for the third time in 2021 to strengthen the economy post-pandemic and advance Canada's interests in a complicated world, and that is exactly the job that I and we will continue to do for Canadians.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Prime Minister. We'll now go to questions, starting with (FOREIGN LANGUAGE), Canada.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (Interpreted): Why did you decide to resign now after all the squabbles in the party over the past plus months?

TRUDEAU (Interpreted): I'm not somebody who do -- who recoils easily before such enormous challenges before the party and the country, because I'm doing this job in the interests of Canadians in Canada and to defend the democracy, which I cherish. But, I realize that I cannot be the leader in the next elections.

TRUDEAU: As you all know, I am a fighter, and I am not someone who backs away from a fight, particularly when a fight is as important as this one is.

[11:10:00]

But, I have always been driven by my love for Canada, by my desire to serve Canadians, and by what is in the best interest of Canadians, and Canadians deserve a real choice in the next election, and it has become obvious to me with the internal battles that I cannot be the one to carry the liberal standard into the next election.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (Interpreted): You've been in power for 10 years. What is the high point of your general office and what are your regrets?

TRUDEAU (Interpreted): It has been my privilege to work for the middle classes, and that is what I've done. We've helped families enormously preparing for a digital future. We have done an enormous amount of work, especially in the last couple of years. Regrets, I continue to think that if electoral system could be changed, and if we had a first and second, third choice on the ballots, I think that would avoid the polarization of today. And I think that what we need to do is to change our voting system.

TRUDEAU: We got elected in 2015 to fight for the middle class, and that's exactly what we have done over the past years. We've reduced their taxes. We increased the benefits to families. We made sure the economy was focused on working for everyone, and not just a few, and that has changed -- that has dropped poverty rates in Canada. That has brought more people into the workforce. That has moved us forward on reconciliation in a way that has deeply improved the opportunities and success of Canadians despite the incredibly difficult times the world is going through right now. There is lots more work to be done, and I know that this party in this country and Canadians will keep doing it.

If I have one regret, particularly as we approach this election, well, there are probably many regrets that I will think of, but I do wish that we'd been able to change the way we elect our governments in this country, so that people could simply choose a second choice or a third choice on the same ballot, so that parties would spend more time trying to be people's second or third choices, and people would have been looking for things they have in common, instead of trying to polarize and divide Canadians against each other. I think in this time, figuring out how to pull together and find common ground remains something that is really important for democracies, but I could not change unilaterally without support of other parties our electoral system that wouldn't have been responsible.

JIMENEZ: All right. We've been monitoring the press conference, stunning, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced that he will step down as party leader, and intends to step down as Prime Minister once a new party leader is elected.

I want to bring in from Ottawa Journalist Paul Wells. Paul, I think just basically for our viewers, how did we get to this moment where we are seeing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announcing he is stepping down?

PAUL WELLS, JOURNALIST: Trudeau and his liberal government have been in bad trouble in the polls for about a year and a half. A strong new challenger, the new conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre, has been putting the gears to the government on cost of living issues very effectively.

But, you can also draw a straight line between today's resignation and a post that Donald Trump made on Truth Social six weeks ago. He threatened 25 percent tariffs against all Canadian imports from the day of his inauguration, which is only two days -- two weeks from today, and that threw the Trudeau government into crisis. That led Justin Trudeau to try and bring former Central Bank Governor Mark Carney into his government. That didn't work, and the attempt led his Finance Minister, Chrystia Freeland, to quit.

[11:15:00]

Since then, Trudeau's days have been numbered. And today's announcement, which comes very much against his better nature and his wishes, was essentially a foregone moment from that crucial cabinet resignation two weeks ago -- three weeks ago.

JIMENEZ: Paul Wells, really appreciate the perspective.

I want to bring in Paula Newton as well for more to pick up on a little bit of what Paul was talking about. Obviously, he mentioned finance minister Freeland, who resigned just hours before she was set to deliver her annual fiscal update. And Paula, I know you were listening to this press conference, again, that we're continuing to monitor. I wonder what stuck out to you, and sort of his reasoning and explanations of not just what he says are his achievements, but also his explanations on why he is making this decision now.

NEWTON: Yeah. A couple of things, Omar, but first and foremost, the somber tone. Listen, I've been covering him since he has come into office here, and I have rarely seen him that downbeat. I think it gives us some insight into the fact that he really did not want to resign, that he really believes that he is the best person to lead Canada, and more than that, that he believes he could have taken on this conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre, even though he is ahead by 20 percentage points in the polls. But, he made it clear, Omar, right, those around him were not convinced that he could do it. And again, it does have some similarities with what happened with President Biden. Those similarities really stick out to me at this point in time, especially because it leaves the Liberal Party kind of hobbled in terms of a succession plan.

I say as well, though, when we think about this in terms of Donald Trump's first term, right, Justin Trudeau was pretty much seen as the polar opposite. He had progressive values, and he put them on display, Omar, loud and proud on social media, on a global stage, to anyone who would listen. The pendulum, as you know all too well, Omar, has completely swung. His challenger, Pierre Poilievre, for so many years now, from the Conservative Party, has found some currency in the MAGA base. They do retweet what he has been saying about Trudeau and about policy efforts. We had Elon Musk call Trudeau on a social post, I guess, an insufferable tool, and saying that he wouldn't be in power long. Elon Musk does not wield power in any kind of government sense.

But, if you're looking to see the strain of where some of that angst, some of that anger with inflation, legal immigration, where it is now putting some of its sentiment it's putting it into, I would call, a center right, if not a completely right posture even here in Canada, many Canadians fed up with the economy. And again, mirroring the United States, it is not so much the social agenda that they had trouble with, but certainly any kind of virtue signaling was looked down upon, Omar, but again, the economy, the fact that Justin Trudeau just wasn't getting them in terms of inflation and other hardships they had with things like housing.

JIMENEZ: And we saw the economy play such a significant role in elections across the world, really making -- incumbents really had a tough time over the course of these recent set of elections. Canada seems to be no different facing some of those headwinds.

Paula Newton, thank you so much. We'll come back to you in a little bit.

I want to bring -- expand the conversation a little bit and bring in London-based opinion columnist Andrew MacDougall. Andrew is Director of Communications for Justin Trudeau's predecessor as Prime Minister, Stephen Harper. Thank you for being here.

I want to touch on one thing that we heard from the Prime Minister over the course of his comments here, saying that as far as one of his regrets that he says is he wishes they could have started a process so that people could elect their second and third choices as a way to sort of tamp down on polarization that he has observed, and in his view, allow people to find more ways to come together and find common ground. I'm curious what you think about that, and if you do think that polarization had any form of significant hand in getting us to this moment here.

ANDREW MACDOUGALL, FMR. COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, PM STEPHEN HARPER, & OPINION COLUMNIST: Omar, well, I think there are two things. In Justin Trudeau's first term as Prime Minister, he had a majority government, and he tried to move ahead with electoral reform, and it was he who walked away from the process because he didn't want to follow through with it, because it was going to be too difficult. So, I think he is doing a bit of retrospective marking his own homework here. So, he had his chance. He decided not to go ahead with it.

Would it have helped? It's a great question. I think when you look at a democracy like Canada's and a parliament and a system like Canada's, much like it is here in Britain, you are able to get large government mandates on very small percentages of the vote, and you do have a lot of votes that are wasted. So, I think it is a worthwhile conversation to have. I don't really think that's what Justin Trudeau was getting at here today. This is a man who made it nine, almost 10 years as Prime Minister, and just couldn't read the writing on the wall, and has now put his party and the government and the country behind the eight ball when it comes to dealing with Donald Trump.

[11:20:00]

JIMENEZ: And on that front, lot of different factors at play. We've seen, obviously, from President. Trump, his talking and promises, I guess I should say, of imposing an over 20 percent tariff on goods coming across borders. But also, I mean, in a way that I think many Canadians viewed as disrespectful, called Justin Trudeau, the governor of the 51st State of the United States. So, clearly that relationship was always going to be one that would be seen as a conflict, or at the very least, a hurdle to overcome for whether it was him or the next person in office. I wonder how you see Pierre Poilievre, who I think is expected to sort of step into the Prime Minister's mantle, or at least a frontrunner. How you see that relationship potentially changing, or if it stays a significant hurdle?

MACDOUGALL: It will always be a hurdle. That's Canada's history, Omar, when it comes to the United States of America. It's a very small country sitting economy wise, sitting atop a very large and powerful country, and that's always going to be difficult. And I think Pierre Poilievre at least has his finger on the pulse of what's ailing Canadians, a bit more than Justin Trudeau did.

But, make no mistake, dealing with Donald Trump is not a rational proposition. I think he is a man who respects strength and respects someone telling it like it is. And I think Justin Trudeau spent his -- Trump's first term in office preaching a different story and really looking down his nose at the President what he represented, instead of dealing with the world as it is, and you have to deal with who you have. And the Prime Minister, Trudeau, did a good job renegotiating the free trade agreement in North America, but I think he had no currency left in his own account, either with Canadians or with the incoming President, who saw a weak target, and we know this President sees weakness and preys on it, and that's what Justin Trudeau is, and that's where he has left Canada, unfortunately, in a weakened state, in front of a very aggressive President.

JIMENEZ: And on that note, I just want to expand a little bit, because I think it's fair to say, it has been a difficult wave of elections for incumbents globally, driven in large part by inflation, financial forces. I mean, looking at an analysis by the Financial Times, for example, every governing party facing election in a developed country this year lost vote share. How much do you think that was a factor in Justin Trudeau's fate, and was it, in a sense, preordained, given the trends that we are seeing in many other developed countries?

MACDOUGALL: Oh, massively so, Omar. I think any incumbent in this environment, after COVID, after Ukraine and the hit that put on supply chains and inflationary pressures, was always going to have a hard job. That said, I don't think Justin Trudeau did himself any favors in coming into that and basically spending the government out of money and not doing anything to address people's pocketbook concerns, and that's ultimately what's really angered Canadians, is their lives has gotten materially worse, and per the Prime Minister's words, or paced his words at his press conference, people are feeling pain, and he didn't do enough to alleviate it.

And if you don't have a good record, in the face of that very stiff headwind, electorally, it was always going to end in tears. It will end in tears for the Liberal Party, no matter who is selected as the leader. Pierre Poilievre will be the next Prime Minister of Canada, and with a massive mandate.

JIMENEZ: Andrew MacDougall, really appreciate the time and perspective. As Trudeau says, we are at a critical moment in the world, punctuated by his announcement today. Thank you so much.

MACDOUGALL: Thank you.

JIMENEZ: Meanwhile, in the United States, what a difference four years makes. In less than two hours, the U.S. Congress will certify Donald Trump's election win, something that seemed not only improbable, but impossible, after his supporters attacked the Capitol in 2021. Stay with us.

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[11:25:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JIMENEZ: In just a couple of hours, Congress will begin the task of certifying the 2024 election results in a snowy Washington, D.C. Vice President Kamala Harris says she will carry out her constitutional duty and certify her own election loss to Donald Trump. It's a process that used to be purely a formality and part of the peaceful transfer of power, until, of course, the horrific violence of January 6, 2021, when Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND CURRENT PRESIDENTIAL-

ELECT: To everyone here, we will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard. And we fight. We fight like hell, and if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: More now from our Chief Congressional Correspondent Manu Raju who is on Capitol Hill. I think fair to say, not many people outside of congressional leaders and reporters knew about January 6 before 2021 are focused on it. How much of a contrast are we seeing now and what is the process expected ahead?

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. This is going to be a lot like it was before January 6, 2021, a really routine process. Typically, Congress certifies the votes and sort of moves on. But, of course, what we saw four years ago was anything but a nonviolent routine action by the United States Congress, and today, we expect there to essentially be done, probably within one hour's timeframe.

Now, the Congress did in the aftermath of January 6, 2021, make some -- take some steps to make it harder to do what Donald Trump wanted his Republican allies to do at a time, which is to overturn the election results. Back then, though, under the law back then, it allowed for one Republican member -- any one House member, Democrat or Republican, or any one Senate member, Democrat or Republican, could object, if one in each chamber objected, that would force a vote in both chambers to throw out a state-certified electoral result.

But, in the aftermath of 2021, Congress stepped in and made that threshold much higher. Now it requires one fifth of the members in the House and the Senate. Remember, there are 535 members in both bodies. Then you have one fifth in each body to force a vote in the House and Senate. That is a very high threshold that is unlikely to be met anytime soon. Also, it would -- it ensures that law that was passed in 2022, it ensures that the Vice President, this time, Kamala Harris, is overseeing her own defeat, that she -- her role is ceremonial, which is much different than how Donald Trump thought Mike Pence's roll back in 2021, when he said, reject the state election results, send it back to the states. Mike Pence, of course, resisted that. That forced Congress to act.

So, what we're expected to see today, Omar, is a pretty routine event, which is a way it has been for so many years, and then Donald Trump will be sworn in on January 20th.

JIMENEZ: Manu Raju, really appreciate it.

I want to bring in Andrew Desiderio, Senior Congressional Reporter for Punchbowl News, as well. Andrew, just a little bit -- to pick up a little bit on what Manu was talking about, what is the sense you are getting from leaders on Capitol Hill about how they are approaching today, and obviously a much different security presence on the Hill today than we saw ahead of the violence four years ago? ANDREW DESIDERIO, SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER, PUNCHBOWL NEWS: Yeah.

I just came from the Capitol building, and it quite literally is a fortress right now. You've got police officers from multiple jurisdictions. There are NYPD officers, Baltimore police officers all around the Capitol building, and that is because it was -- today was declared as a special national security event, which is what brings that extra security presence. That, of course, was not present four years ago when the Capitol was attacked by supporters of President Donald Trump.

Now, what's going to be happening inside the building is going to be relatively tame. As Manu was saying, it's going to be pretty ceremonial, mostly pro forma. I'm told there are no House Democrats that plan to try to object to individual states, like some of them did after the 2016 election when Donald Trump, of course, was first elected President. So, again, it's going to be pretty tame, pretty ceremonial, pro forma, if you will, inside the building, while outside the building, obviously there is a ton of snow on the ground as well.

[11:30:00]

But, it's going to be pretty much a fortress outside the Capitol building.

JIMENEZ: Yeah. And again, a true contrast to the scene on Capitol Hill ahead of, of course, what we saw play out four years ago.

Andrew, I got to leave it there, but thanks so much for being here.

DESIDERIO: Thank you.

JIMENEZ: And CNN's special coverage of the U.S. Congress certifying President-elect Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election begins right here in about 30 minutes. That is 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time, at 05:00 p.m. in London. Stick around. You're going to want to see it.

We'll be right back.

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JIMENEZ: Welcome back, everyone. You're watching CNN Newsroom. I'm Omar Jimenez in New York.

I want to get back to our breaking news now, a major shakeup in Canadian politics. Justin Trudeau just announced that he will step down as leader of the ruling Liberal Party, but will stay on as Prime Minister for now until the party chooses his replacement. Now, Mr. Trudeau was making way for new leadership amid a series of political crises. He has been under pressure to quit as his popularity sinks and as polls show the Liberal Party could get trounced in the next general election. Mr. Trudeau says he cannot be the best choice for that election if he is having to fight internal party battles.

Paula Newton is joining us again from Ottawa with more. So, Paula, we were just talking to you a few minutes ago. You're giving us some perspective on how we got here. I guess now the question is, where do we go from here? We obviously heard that the Prime Minister wants a chance for the party to elect a new leader there. But, what are the prospects for a new Prime Minister and for the country of Canada ahead?

NEWTON: Well, look, one thing that the Liberal Party will be trying to do right now is to give any new Liberal leader as much runway as possible. So, they want a very tough contest to make sure that they do elect the best person. I will mention Mark Carney, which may be familiar to many in the international audience. He was a former Governor of the Bank of England and Bank of Canada. They're -- no one says that he is going to enter the race, but he is certainly considering it, as is Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, and of course, Chrystia Freeland, the former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, but other candidates could also come out of the woodwork.

And the fact remains, Omar, that when you're 20 percent behind in the polls as a party, it is going to be difficult for them in that short span to really convince Canadians that they shouldn't switch parties at this point in time, given that this has been the ruling party for nearly a decade, and it is a sobering reality that Canadians have soured on the economy as given to them by this Trudeau government right now. Fiscally, there is a close to a record setting deficit here.

[11:35:00]

There doesn't seem to be a lot of powder dry economically to really try and fight back against those 25 percent tariffs that Donald Trump is threatening, affordable housing crisis, a crisis with immigration, population records being set in the last year. A lot going on there, Omar, and people in Canada have, as I said, soured. You'd have to really separate yourself from the Trudeau government, and that will be difficult for anyone that served in his cabinet.

JIMENEZ: And a lot of what Canada faced -- was faced globally, as far as those forces of inflation that seemed to really hit every sector of society.

You mentioned Donald Trump because obviously we have heard Donald Trump say he will impose an over 20 percent tariff on all products coming into the U.S. from Canada. He has also repeatedly called Prime Minister Trudeau, the governor of the state of Canada as well. I mean, how much of an impact has that had on the Canadian population and Canadian confidence in government? And do you expect someone like Pierre Poilievre, if he does get into office later on, do you expect that relationship to be different in any significant way?

NEWTON: It could be different, and I say that because Elon Musk has already posted on social media, certainly some favorable comments about Pierre Poilievre. But, Omar, as you've already witnessed yourself, it's quite capricious those kinds of relationships, and Elon Musk so far has not been elected to anything.

When it comes to Donald Trump, Canadians certainly prefer a relationship that's close, but not too close, on many of the social issues, and on many issues in general, they do not agree with Donald Trump. At the same time, they certainly realize, many Canadians that they cannot afford to antagonize a Trump administration. It is the Trudeau government that has a good track record there, meaning standing up for some Canadian principles, but negotiating a good trade deal with the United States during its first term.

I think once those tweets came out, pardon me, those social posts, not tweets, and dating myself here, that Donald Trump calling the governor and calling Trudeau a governor, saying it was the 51st state, it did two things. One is it certainly stiffened the spine of many Canadians, understanding what they were up against here in terms of trying to get another good deal from an American administration. But, more than that, it also made them think, look, if we have this leader already dismissing Justin Trudeau out of the gate, perhaps we do need someone who has a fresh relationship.

I will add, Omar, that Donald J. Trump posted some comments that were not too favorable of Chrystia Freeland, the deputy -- the former Deputy Prime Minister as well. I'm sure the President-elect is watching all of this closely, and his administration will parse, in the coming weeks, exactly how to handle this in the next few months. I will add, though, Omar, Justin Trudeau will be Prime Minister for at least the next few months, it looks like, at least until the end of March, and Canada now has the presidency of the G7. They're supposed to hold their G7 meeting in Alberta, Canada, in June. There will be a lot of facetime still between Donald J. Trump and Justin Trudeau.

JIMENEZ: It is a crucial point on this historic day, an announcement of an intended resignation, but not quite yet. He will remain in office for now.

Paula Newton, really appreciate the reporting and perspective today. Thank you.

All right. I want to get you up to speed on some other international headlines we are watching today, including Ukraine, who has launched a surprise operation in Russia's Kursk region. A top Ukrainian official says Moscow is, quote, "getting what it deserves". Kyiv says it targeted Russian forces in several parts of Kursk months after launching an incursion there. Russia says its forces repelled the attacks, however. Moscow is also claiming advances in a key part of the Donetsk region. You're looking at images shared on Telegram appearing to show Russian forces raising the flag in one town there on Sunday.

Meanwhile, U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel have filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration. This comes just days after the U.S. President blocked a merger worth more than $14 billion. The companies say they are still committed to seeing through the deal, despite what they call, quote, "political interference". Now, Biden opposed Nippon's plan to buy the struggling U.S. Steel on the grounds of protecting national security and supply chains.

And in Kenya, four people who were reported missing after criticizing the government online have now reappeared, and it comes ahead of more planned protests against the abduction of dozens of government critics. These are, of course, recent scenes of police firing tear gas to disperse demonstrators in Nairobi. Kenya's President has vowed to stop the abductions, having previously denied they were even happening.

And in the past hour, a warrant for the arrest of the suspended South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has expired. Investigators said they would ask the warrant to be extended, but for now, it's not clear what happens next.

Authorities have been trying to detain Yoon for question over his short-lived declaration of martial law near the end of last year.

[11:40:00]

Mike Valerio has more from Seoul.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, investigators here in Seoul did two major things today, and let's spend some time talking about the first thing. Corruption investigators asked South Korea's police force to take over, to carry out the arrest warrant against South Korea's suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol. He is suspended because lawmakers voted last month to impeach him after he declared martial law on December 3rd, into the early morning hours of December 4th. He has not been removed from office. That decision is up to a court, and that decision could be made within the next six months.

So, why would corruption investigators here ask the police force to carry out this warrant? It is because, on Friday, these corruption investigators tried and failed to arrest suspended President Yoon. They went to his home, but Yoon's presidential security service and members of the military formed a human shield protecting Yoon from arrest. Now, Yoon's lawyers say the warrant was illegal and invalid. So, again, why move this into the hands of South Korean police rather than keep this with those same corruption investigators? Well, the police have a larger force, more people and more resources to carry out an arrest. But, it is still anybody's guess if this will be successful, because Yoon has told his supporters he does not intend to turn himself in.

Investigators are also working against the clock here. That is the second major thing that they did today. They have requested an extension of their arrest warrant because they were facing a midnight local time deadline. Now, even though suspended President Yoon has managed to escape arrest, at least up until this point, there is still the first trial session for his impeachment process that has been set for next week, and again, that process is what could remove him from office.

Mike Valerio, CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JIMENEZ: All right. Coming up, Joe Biden is set to meet some of the people who lost loved ones in the New Year's terror attack in New Orleans. We're going to have the details of that visit just ahead.

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JIMENEZ: This is the last day people in Georgia can pay their respects to c. The late President is lying in repose at the Carter Center in Atlanta. On Tuesday, Carter's remains will be flown to Washington, D.C., where he will lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda. A national funeral service is scheduled for Thursday, where dignitaries from around the world are expected to attend that event, honoring the man who forever changed expectations of what an ex-President can accomplish.

And in the coming hours, U.S. President Joe Biden is set to travel to New Orleans just days after the terror attack early New Year's Day that killed 14 people.

[11:45:00]

The President and First Lady, Jill Biden, are expected to attend a vigil tonight, meeting with community leaders and possibly victims' families. And this comes as authorities reveal new details about the timeline of the Bourbon Street attack.

CNN's Arlette Saenz has the details.

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ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Biden is hoping to offer some solace and comfort to those families who are grieving in the wake of that terror attack on New Year's Day in New Orleans. The President and First Lady, Jill Biden, will travel down to New Orleans on Monday afternoon, spending about five and a half hours on the ground there. They are set to meet with local officials, but also meet face-to-face with some of the families of those 14 individuals who lost their lives in that New Year's Day attack. President Biden spoke to reporters a bit about the personal message he is hoping to convey to those families during his visit.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: There's nothing you can really say to somebody who's had such a tragic loss. About they just have to hang on to each other. There will come a day when they think of their loved one and they'll smile before a tear comes to their eye. That's when they know they're going to make it, but it takes time. They just gotta hang on. They gotta hang on.

SAENZ: This could be one of the final moments where we really see Biden step into that role as consoler in chief. It's a role he has taken on time and time again in the wake of senseless tragedies. President Biden, a bit later in the week, will also deliver the eulogy for former President Jimmy Carter, another moment where you will see that role on display. But, for President Biden's focus today, on Monday, he will be trying to grieve, try to mourn with those who lost their loved ones in that New Orleans New Year's Day attack.

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JIMENEZ: Arlette Saenz, thank you for that reporting.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump is asking to delay sentencing for his hush money conviction, which is scheduled for this Friday. The President- elect's lawyers are arguing that his sentencing should be put on hold while his appeals play out. But, last week, the judge in the case rejected Trump's attempt to have his convictions tossed out because he was elected President. Judge Juan Merchan did signal, however, that he would not sentence Trump to any jail time. Last spring, if you remember, Trump was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records.

And before we go, one more thing, people. Awards season is underway in Hollywood, starting with Sunday night's Golden Globe Awards.

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NIKKI GLASER, HOST, 82ND GOLDEN GLOBES AWARDS: Welcome to the 82nd Golden Globes, Ozempic's biggest night. The Bear, The Penguin, Baby Reindeer, these are not just things found in RFK's freezer. These are TV shows nominated tonight. And Challengers, girl, oh, my God, it was so good. I mean, that movie was more sexually charged than Diddy's credit card. I mean, seriously.

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JIMENEZ: Comedian Nikki Glaser handled hosting duties at the Golden Globes, which honors the best in film and television. Big winners of the night, including, Demi Moore and Zoe Saldana in the actress categories, Adrien Brody and Kieran Culkin topped the winners list in the Actor category.

So, joining us now from Los Angeles is CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister. Neither of us Golden Globe winners, but we did watch the ceremony and know a little bit about what happened. Elizabeth --

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: One day, Omar.

JIMENEZ: One day. Yeah. Yeah. I got to start somewhere. I mean, what stood out to you in these awards? I mean, I watched all of it. It seemed pretty festive throughout.

WAGMEISTER: It really was. So, first of all, Nikki Glaser did a phenomenal job. The critics are giving her rave reviews today. And Omar, I was in the room, and I have to tell you, her jokes really landed. It's different when you're watching from home in the room, but it worked in both places, and she, I think, maybe could be invited back. And I sat down with her a few days before she hosted the Globes, and she told me that she really wants to do this more than once. She wants to be a repeat host like Tina Fey and Amy Poehler or Ricky Gervais. So, that was the first thing, right? Nikki Glaser really set the tone, and was hilarious.

But, the next really exciting thing about the night, Omar, is a lot of the awards were actually quite unexpected, which obviously makes for a more exciting show. So, on the television side, those awards were expected. This was a repeat of the Emmys. You had Shogun winning the most for the drama category, Hacks winning a ton for comedy, and then Baby Reindeer in the limited.

But, when you went to the film side, that is where we got some really welcome surprises that are going to set the stage for this road to the Oscars. So, you had Emilia Perez, which went in with the most nominations, with 10, and they won big, and The Brutalist winning a ton of major awards, and both of these films are now going to be major players at the Oscars.

Now, Omar, the first award of the night went to Zoe Saldana, and it's hard to believe this was her first ever Golden Globe nomination. She has been around for so long with such a successful career.

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But, not only was she a first-time nominee, she also won. She gave a great acceptance speech. Let's take a look at that.

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ZOE SALDANA, GOLDEN GLOBES WINNER, BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, MOTION PICTURE: My heart is full of gratitude. Thank you so much to the Golden Globes for celebrating our film and honoring the women of Emilia Perez. Thank you so much. Oh my God. I know that it is a competition, but all that I have witnessed is just us showing up for each other and celebrating each other, and it's just so beautiful.

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WAGMEISTER: So, that was a powerful moment. And also Demi Moore winning her first Golden Globe, also hard to believe. She really gave the speech of the night. And it was just a great night overall, Omar.

JIMENEZ: Yeah, it really was. Zoe Saldana, tears on stage, but when she won, she was in tears immediately. You could feel the weight of what she was feeling in that moment.

Elizabeth Wagmeister, thanks for being there, and thanks for being here. Really appreciate it.

WAGMEISTER: Thank you.

And thanks for spending part of your day with me. I'm Omar Jimenez in New York. Stick with CNN, though. Our special coverage of the U.S. Congress certifying Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election is next. Stick around.

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