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U.S. Carrier Strike Group Enters Caribbean Ahead Of Military Exercises; Marjorie Taylor Greene Reveals What She Says Is Causing The Feud With Trump; Trump Confronts MAGA Rift As Epstein Saga Enters Crucial Week; Georgia Election Interference Case Is Moving Forward With New Prosecutor; Source: Jets Cornerback Critically Wounded In Manhattan Shooting; World's Biggest Climate Conference Underway Without U.S. Delegation; U.S. Carrier Strike Group Enters Caribbean Ahead Of Military Exercises. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired November 16, 2025 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:00:33]
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Breaking news.
President Trump suggests he has made a decision on military action in Venezuela.
Plus, a CNN exclusive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): The most hurtful thing he said, which is absolutely untrue, is he called me a traitor. And that is -- that is so extremely wrong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: What Georgia Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene told CNN about the root of her feud with President Trump.
And news just in to CNN, New York Jets cornerback Kris Boyd was shot outside a New York city restaurant early this morning, according to a law enforcement source briefed on the situation. We've got details straight ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.
WHITFIELD: Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Sunday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
And we begin with this breaking news.
The U.S. says its biggest aircraft carrier strike group has now entered the Caribbean Sea. The U.S. Navy making that announcement a short time ago, the USS Gerald Ford is set to join major military exercises that are scheduled to begin today off the coast of Venezuela. The U.S. has already put more than a dozen warships and 15,000 troops
in the region as tensions with Venezuela continue to rise. Rise, rather.
We've got full coverage for you, CNN senior reporter Betsy Klein is in Florida, where the president is spending the weekend. And Stefano Pozzebon is in Venezuela, in the capital of Caracas.
So Betsy, let's begin with you. We're hearing from the Secretary of the Army today. What is he saying about Venezuela?
BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well Fredricka, there have been weeks of threats from President Trump as the U.S. has been amassing resources in the region.
And the president's administration has launched at least 20 strikes on alleged drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean since September.
President Trump himself has said that he has authorized the CIA to operate in Venezuela. And we understand, according to reporting from our sources, that the president has been briefed a number of times in recent days, at least three times last week on a range of options to move forward.
That includes the possibility of airstrikes on military or government facilities in Venezuela, as well as drug trafficking routes, as well as what could be a more direct attempt to oust the country's president, Nicolas Maduro.
The president told reporters Friday that he made up his mind, sort of, but declined to provide specifics.
Now, experts have described this military buildup in the region as significant. As you mentioned, we have learned that the USS Gerald R. Ford, that is the nation's largest aircraft carrier, has arrived in the Caribbean Sea as of today.
Separately, there are roughly 15,000 military personnel on the ground, 10 F-35 fighter Jets, as well as more than a dozen warships in the region.
And we heard from Army Secretary Dan Driscoll a short while ago about the plans. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAN DRISCOLL, SECRETARY OF THE ARMY: I think that the President and Secretary of War have spent a lot of time thinking about what is the best thing they can do for the American people. And I can speak from the army's perspective, which is we have a lot of training in that part of the world. We're reactivating our jungle school in Panama. We would be ready to act on whatever the president or secretary of War needed.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But no orders beyond these exercises at this point. DRISCOLL: We don't talk about those kinds of things, but we would be
ready if asked.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KLEIN: Now, I want to get into the why here. Of course, officially, the Trump administration is going after drug trafficking operations in Venezuela. But regime change could be a side effect of that.
And efforts to oust Maduro have proven elusive to so many administrations, including the president's first term.
Now, if Trump ousted Maduro, that could allow him to claim some major wins. Of course, getting a strong man out and potentially an elected leader in, the possibility of enhanced collaboration on drug trafficking and migration flows, as well as potential deals in oil.
[14:04:49]
KLEIN: Of course, all of this carries very high risks, and that is something that the president is now weighing, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Ok. Betsy Klein, let us know more as you learn it.
And Stefano, what is the reaction from the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, especially based on the most recent U.S. actions now and movement?
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes. Well, Fredricka, today feels much different day from yesterday. On Saturday, for example, we did see several of the top officials of the Maduro's government, including the president himself, really crisscrossing the country and taking part in these ceremonies.
And I think it's worth paying attention to. Basically, they've -- the Venezuelan government claims that up to 4 million Venezuelans have sworn in. They have taken an oath to defend the country in case of an aggression.
And I think that this precluded the installation of further laws in case of an attack from the United States. We could talk, for example, about martial law imposed on this country, or mandatory conscription, which is similar to what we are seeing in other countries around the world that are facing an open conflict. That was yesterday.
Today it feels a much different day. It's Saturday -- it's a -- it's a day where most Venezuelans are either staying inside or -- it's Sunday, sorry.
It's a day where most Venezuelans are staying inside or spending time with their family. But it's still worth pointing to the words that Maduro pronounced yesterday late on Saturday evening, when he once again called for peace.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICOLAS MADURO, VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I reiterate this every day to the people of the United States.
The people of the United States, listen to me. War in the Caribbean, war in south America -- no. War eternal -- no. Peace -- yes. Peace for America -- yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
POZZEBON: So you have these two images, Fredricka, that maybe seem contradictory in itself. On one side, you have the same president that is receiving this oath and really preparing the country for what could potentially be an open conflict with the mightiest military power in the world.
And on the other one, you have Maduro on the stage and calling for peace. It was, frankly, a bit weird to hear him almost singing "Imagine" from The Beatles and John Lennon just a few minutes before pronouncing those words back on Saturday evening.
It's a -- it's a -- it's a nation of two faces. We are calling for peace but at the same time, preparing for the worst perhaps.
In the middle you also have 30 million Venezuelans who have to live through one of the most dramatic economic crises that any nation has lived outside of a war. Like, let's not -- let's not forget that this is a nation that is dealing with constant and incessant economic pain. The inflation here where I am, is about 30 percent per month. We're talking about 400 percent a year.
And that's why if you ask a regular person in Venezuela on the streets today, yesterday, and in the past few weeks since we have been here, the main question -- the main response for them is that they are looking to what to put on the table at dinner time, rather than what they would do in case of an attack from the U.S.
The economic troubles are far more urgent than anything coming down from Washington through the Caribbean.
WHITFIELD: All right. Stefano Pozzebon, thank you so much. And to Betsy Klein as well at the top. Appreciate it.
All right. U.S. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is speaking out today about her feud with President Donald J. Trump. In an exclusive interview with CNN, the Georgia Republican is giving her take on why Trump is publicly attacking her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GREENE: I stood with President Trump when virtually no one else did, campaigned all over the country, spent millions of my own dollars helping him get elected. And I think that's incredibly important.
And I do support him and his administration. And I support them in delivering the campaign promises we made to the American people.
His remarks, of course, have been hurtful. However, I have something in my heart that I think is incredibly important for our country, and that is to end the toxic fighting in politics. \
And this has been going on for years, and it has divided our country, split up friends and families, neighbors. And it's not solving our problems.
The most hurtful thing he said, which is absolutely untrue, is he called me a traitor. And that is -- that is so extremely wrong. And those are the types of words used that can radicalize people against me and put my life in danger.
DANA BASH, CNN HOST: What do you think happened? What do you think is the reason for this?
GREENE: Unfortunately, it has all come down to the Epstein files and that is shocking.
And, you know, I stand with these women. I stand with rape victims. I stand with children who are in terrible sex abuse situations. And I stand with survivors of trafficking and those that are trapped in sex trafficking.
[14:09:52]
GREENE: And I will not apologize for that. I believe the country deserves transparency in these files. And I don't believe that rich, powerful people should be protected if they have -- if they have done anything wrong.
And so, I'm standing with the women and I will continue to do my small part to get the files released.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right. Let's discuss more now with senior correspondent for "The Hill", Amie Parnes and "Bloomberg Government" senior White House reporter Mica Soellner. Great to see both of you.
So Mica, let me begin with you because, you know, Greene has been one of Trump's most ardent supporters really from the very beginning, right, when we saw her on the stage of politics.
What are you hearing from people in and outside of the administration about what has happened between the two of them, and whether it will be impactful?
MICA SOELLNER, SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER, BLOOMBERG GOVERNMENT: Yes, absolutely.
I mean, we saw congresswoman Greene for weeks Really step up her criticism of the administration. And the White House was very silent on this for a while.
I remember I reached out for comment when she first initially started talking about the Republican plan for health care. How she believed that there was one that was lacking, and she wanted to support the extension of the ACA credits, the heart of the Democrats fight in the shutdown that we just had.
And they were very reluctant to say anything to criticize Marjorie Taylor Greene, you know, providing comments that had nothing to do with her.
But now there's been a very, very public break. This is really the first time the president has been so outspoken, for his longtime, perhaps top ally on Capitol Hill.
WHITFIELD: And Amie, you know, Greene says this, you know, central to all of this is the Epstein files. And you have to wonder, are other House Republicans feeling as strongly about the Epstein files? And two, could consider a kind of about-face like this with Trump over those files and the release of and the vote upcoming this week in the House?
AMIE PARNES, SENIOR CORRESPONDENT, THE HILL: Yes. Frederica, I think for the First time in a long time I'm hearing from House Republicans and aides that are, you know, a little worried about this.
They feel strongly about it. They've heard from their voters. They've seen polling that lots of people care about this issue. And they know that Donald Trump isn't going to be in office forever.
And that's a reminder that Congressman Massie made this morning that Donald Trump won't be there in in a few years in 2030. And so they are going to a vote -- to vote for something that maybe a lot of their constituents disagree with.
And so I think this is why you're seeing a lot of this. And I wouldn't be surprised to see other people come out, maybe not as vocally, but they're already talking about it behind the scenes about how uncomfortable they're feeling with all of this. And I think that's quite significant.
WHITFIELD: And then, you know, Amie -- or I'm sorry, Mica, I wonder, as it pertains to, you know, while we're zeroing in on Republicans, what about, you know, Democrats?
And I want to ask you about kind of the pushback some Democratic senators are getting for voting last week to end the shutdown, you know, sans the ACA considerations, or at least saying they're, you know, hoping that Senate Republicans will live up to their promise and that there will be eventually some vote on it.
Yesterday, Senator Jeanne Shaheen took on, you know, took some real heat, you know, in her home state in New Hampshire. Let's watch and see what happened and then talk about it on the other side.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JEANNE SHAHEEN (D-NH): Nobody wants to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits more than me or more than Senator Hassan.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Then why did you vote for it? SHAHEEN: You look at our record and you tell me what you've done to
protect the health care of Americans. And it's not even close to what we've done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Oh, boy. Ok, so the man who confronted the senator is a Democratic state lawmaker who is running for Congress -- just to help substantiate what she was saying and how she was, you know, directing this to him.
Does it seem like this issue could potentially come back to bite incumbent Democrats in particular, in next year's midterms, Mica?
SOELLNER: I think it's very possible, as Democrats really try to make health care a top issue next cycle. But I think it also shows some of the factions that the shutdown really brought.
I think in a lot of ways it really unified Democrats, especially in the House, when it came to holding strong on the issue of extending these ACA credits. But I think that Senator Shaheen, who was part of the bipartisan working group, to try and get a solution, was one of the many Senate Democrats that realized that their messaging was not working.
People were starting to miss paychecks. The shutdown needed to end. So I think that there's a huge split between maybe more progressive Democrats that are disappointed by the compromise that was made, and then those that say we need to move forward and find other solutions and work together.
[14:14:47]
WHITFIELD: Amie, how do you see the road ahead for some of these Democrats?
PARNES: It's tricky, Fredricka, to say the least. And I've been covering this issue for a few weeks now, obviously, and the fractions in the Democratic Party.
And I think that it's going to be quite complex. I mean, I've been hearing from people all week who want AOC to run against Chuck Schumer. I think that is there. We'll see if he wants to run for reelection again.
But there is a lot of pressure, I think, coming from progressives right now to kind of you know, get rid of a lot of these longtime Democrats who they think are not doing any favors for the party.
And so that's where the push, pull, and the tension exists. And I think that that is going to live for quite some time.
WHITFIELD: All right. We'll leave it there for now, ladies. Thanks so much, Amie Parnes and Mica Soellner, appreciate you.
All right. Straight ahead, House Speaker Mike Johnson weighs in on Tuesday's vote to release the Epstein files.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: President Trump has clean hands. He's not worried about it. I talk to him all the time. He has nothing to do with this.
He's frustrated that they're turning it into a political issue. And it's not surprising because the Democrats have nothing else to talk about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right.
And later, a finger pointing and yelling leading to a viral video from the South Carolina/Texas A&M game and a state trooper being sent home now. We'll explain what happened next.
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WHITFIELD: In just two days, the U.S. House is set to vote on whether to release more files on Jeffrey Epstein. A discharge petition has collected enough signatures to force House Speaker Mike Johnson to hold a floor vote.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNSON: So it will be on the floor again next week. I suspect there will be lots of votes that will just get this done.
President Trump has clean hands. He's not worried about it. I talk to him all the time. He has nothing to do with this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The Epstein vote will happen despite President Trump's repeated attempts to make the story go away.
On Friday, the president ordered a Justice Department investigation into Democrats' potential ties to Epstein, despite the DOJ's past assessment that the case was not worth pursuing.
CNN's Julia Benbrook is joining us right now. So Julia, what are we hearing about anything leading up to the vote.
JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, when the House members returned last week, they got the final signature that they needed to force this vote on the full release of Department of Justice files related to convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.
Shortly after that, House Speaker Mike Johnson said that he would move quickly. That vote is expected to take place next week. Now, that marks a shift in strategy, both for him and for the White
House. A White House official tells our team that President Donald Trump was made aware ahead of time that Johnson was going to expedite this vote and that essentially there was an understanding that it was an inevitable reality at this point.
The effort on Capitol Hill has been led by a bipartisan pair of lawmakers -- Representative Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California, and Representative Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky.
They only had a handful of Republicans sign on to the discharge petition that got us to this point, including Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene. She was one of them.
But they do expect to have much more support when it comes to the House floor for a vote. Massie has set a goal of getting a veto-proof majority, that would be two thirds of the House or 290 members. If everyone is there. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. THOMAS MASSIE (R-KY): I think we would have a deluge of Republicans. There could be 100 or more. I'm hoping to get a veto proof majority on this legislation when it comes up for a vote.
And you know, the president's been saying this is a hoax. He's been saying that for months. Well, he's just now decided to investigate a hoax, if it's a hoax.
And I have another concern about these investigations that he's announced. If they have ongoing investigations in certain areas, those documents can't be released.
So this might be a big smoke screen, these investigations to open a bunch of them to, as a last-ditch effort to prevent the release of the Epstein files.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BENBROOK: And it is always important to note that Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing when it comes to Epstein.
His intense focus though, on bringing an end to this, on shifting his party away to focus elsewhere has in some ways only brought more attention to their previous relationship.
In recent social media posts, Trump called those supporting this effort for the release of the files, quote, "soft and foolish". He has repeatedly branded this as a hoax.
And then, as you hear Massie say there, he has recently called on his Department of Justice to investigate other high-profile figures and their ties to Epstein, which could be a way to discredit these efforts on Capitol Hill.
WHITFIELD: All right. Julia Benbrook, thanks so much. All right. Still to come, border patrol agents arrest dozens of people
on day one of the immigration enforcement efforts now in and around Charlotte, North Carolina.
[14:24:28]
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WHITFIELD: All right. As warned, federal agents are now on the ground in North Carolina after executing controversial ICE operations in Chicago.
A border patrol officers arrived in the charlotte area on Saturday to continue their immigration crackdown campaign. President Trump's top border patrol official, Gregory Bovino, says 81 people were arrested in a span of five hours.
CNN correspondent Rafael Romo joining me now with more on all this. What are you learning about how these operations are going?
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the reality is that up until Friday, Thursday, people didn't even know what was happening, or where it was going to happen. And there was no prior announcement by the federal government about any plans to send immigration agents to Charlotte, North Carolina.
Word on the move, Fred, came from Mecklenburg County Sheriff, Gary McFadden, who told CNN in a statement on Thursday that two federal officials had told him enforcement personnel would arrive as early as this weekend in North Carolina's largest city.
[14:29:53]
ROMO: And then the operation started including one encounter with border patrol agents caught on a cell phone camera by a man while he was driving.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[14:30:03]
ROMO: That's the voice of Willy Aceituno asking an agent why he broke his pickup truck's window.
The Honduran-born man who says he's a U.S. citizen, later told CNN affiliate WCNC that he was getting breakfast before going to work when he was stopped twice by Border Patrol agents.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLY ACEITUNO, DETAINED BY FEDERAL AGENT: He broke open a door and too hard to take out to me out, you know? And second, I go to the ground like this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMO: And this just in, in a statement to CNN, CBP said that Aceituno acted increasingly erratic, escalated the situation and refused to comply to lawful commands by officers.
Border Patrol agents have been spotted around Charlotte over the weekend, stopping people suspected of being in the country illegally and making arrests while traveling in vans and SUVs and covering their face -- their faces, as this video obtained by CNN shows.
In a post on X, top Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino said agents arrested 81 people in Charlotte on Saturday during a search of immigration enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security has dubbed Operation Charlotte's Web, the arrests, Bovino said, took place during a span of about five hours, adding that those arrested had, quote, significant criminal and immigration history and are off the streets.
The agents' presence in Charlotte has already prompted residents to take to the streets, with the goal of sending two messages, telling federal agents they're not welcome in their city and supporting immigrants.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENNIFER ROBERTS, CHARLOTTE PROTESTER: I'm here to tell our immigrant community that I stand with them, along with thousands and thousands of others who know that they have been contributing to our community, to our culture, to our education, to our business community.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMO: The Trump administration has defended unprecedented federal enforcement operations in cities like Los Angeles and Chicago as necessary for fighting crime and enforcing immigration laws, according to AH Datalytics, homicides, rapes, robberies and motor vehicle thefts fell by more than 20 percent in Charlotte this year compared with the same time period in 2024.
So, when you look at these statistics, people begin to wonder, is it politically motivated? Is it truly an effort to try to address crime? They're wondering why they're being targeted.
WHITFIELD: So in the case of the first, you know, story, gentlemen, that you portrayed with the red pickup truck and the glass was broken, police saying erratic behavior. A, did they ever describe what is the erratic behavior? And then obviously, he wasn't detained or arrested because he was after the fact talking about it willfully and voluntarily.
ROMO: They have not described it. But what you can see in the video is that there was this tense moment when they were not communicating to each other very well with the agents telling him, you have to open the window, and the men refusing to do so. And that's what you read in the statement.
But the reality is that we haven't seen what transpired before and how the agents addressed this man who he claims he is U.S. citizen, and he maintains that he did nothing wrong.
WHITFIELD: All right. Rafael Romo, let us know as you know, more and all of these cases. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.
All right. Straight ahead, the Georgia election interference case against President Trump will carry on for now with a new prosecutor. What this means for the case, next.
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WHITFIELD: All right. You may have thought the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump and his allies was gone. And central to that case was this moment.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So look, all I want to do is this -- I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have because we won the state.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right. Well, the case remains open for now and is now in the hands of a new prosecutor. Peter Skandalakis now takes the lead in prosecuting the 2023 racketeering case after Fani Willis was removed for conflict of interest when she appointed her boyfriend to work that case. She was the Fulton County and still is -- Fulton County district attorney.
Here with me now is Judge Glenda Hatchett. She is the host of "The Verdict" and is a former chief judge with the Fulton County juvenile court.
Always great to see you.
So, okay, here we go again with this case. People kind of thought it went away only because it wasn't top of mind. And wondering after Fani Willis was removed what was going to be made of it. Well, here it is. Still, despite having a veteran prosecutor overseeing, it's unclear if this case will actually move forward.
But what will it come down to? And what were the considerations that Skandalakis perhaps had to make when he realized that no, no other prosecutor would was willing to do it, but then he had to personally think about what is he professionally and personally want to put on the line by saying, "Yes, I'll do it".
JUDGE GLENDA HATCHETT, HOST, "THE VERDICT": Right. And the alternative was for them to just say that it would be dismissed for lack of prosecution when nobody else stood up. And he said this, and I pulled this out because I think it's important. He said, "The public has a legitimate interest in this case."
[14:40:01]
And he went on to say accordingly, "It's important that someone make an informed and transparent determination on how best to proceed." So, I applaud him for raising his hand because he could have just said, okay, I'm not going to do this because --
WHITFIELD: He could also -- because he has to also look at whether he will be scrutinized. Or whether his personal and professional life will endure some of the same things that Fani Willis encountered, not necessarily because of the same circumstances, but scrutinized and put under the microscope.
HATCHETT: Because -- also, we have to remember that there cannot be any pardons. These are Georgia filed cases. And people say, well, you know, can't Trump just come in and pardon everybody?
WHITFIELD: He did that on the federal level.
HATCHETT: He did that on the federal.
WHITFIELD: But he can't in Georgia.
HATCHETT: Based in this Georgia case.
And that's important to say. So, they say, well, you know what's the big deal. The big deal is that in December on the first, the judge who's been overseeing this case will have him come in and decide what's going to happen next.
I don't think it's reasonable to think that he's going to understand everything in this case, between now and December 1st, but it will give us an indication of what he's thinking. Several things could happen. He could proceed with the indictments as they are written. He could then go back and come up with some new charges. He could dismiss some people. He could add some people. He can basically start all over again with this case.
WHITFIELD: Wow, it's still beginning stages, even though it's also a continuation of --
So, today's courtrooms. Law firms, you know, and the law on many levels are being tested in extraordinary ways.
Do you see that prosecuting this case, you know, as having potentially larger ramifications? I mean, might there be much, more read into whether this case continues or not?
HATCHETT: I think there's a lot of scrutiny. I think we've seen such a shift. We've seen a sea change now in what's happening in compliance, things that law firms are being asked to do.
And we have to remember, there were four cases originally. One, Trump was found guilty, 34 charges. Two were dismissed. This is the only case still pending. Will there be a case against him
as he's a sitting president? Absolutely not. It will not happen. But there are all these other co-defendants in this case, and I think this is --
WHITFIELD: They will be subjected to it potentially, potentially, right away.
HATCHETT: Potentially, if he decides to go for it. We don't know yet whether he will be doing it, but the fact that he has said that this case needs attention, I think speaks volumes.
WHITFIELD: Okay. All right. So, now, you know, let's switch gears a little bit to Trump appointed federal prosecutor Lindsey Halligan successfully bringing criminal indictments against New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey.
So, lawyers for both argued last week that because Halligan wasn't confirmed by the Senate, she had no authority to indict. However, you know, we knew that Comey and James attorneys were going to challenge Halligan's qualifications.
So, you know, Comey's attorney, Ephraim McDowell, said, I'm quoting now, "When the only person presenting to the grand jury lacks government authority, it's a fundamental error." So what do you think about this argument?
HATCHETT: Well, I think it's very interesting. Can we go back a little bit to put it in context for the viewers? What happened is that there was a U.S. attorney that was appointed for the eastern district of Virginia back in January, right?
That person served, and then was going to be confirmed permanently. He was interim then was going to be made permanent. The point was that he refused to bring these indictments. And under pressure, he was forced to resign.
So, now, we're at September of this year, and the U.S. attorney then appoints Halligan. But the 120 days for an interim appointment had already expired. Go back. The president can appoint, recommend. The Senate has to confirm. You can have an interim person without the Senate being involved, but only for 120 days.
The position of Comey and James's attorney is. Wait a minute. After the 120 days, the only authority to appoint a U.S. attorney has to be with the federal court.
WHITFIELD: So, you see merit in those attorneys' challenge here.
HATCHETT: I do. I absolutely do, because the 120 days has expired. And after that happens, only the federal judges can appoint -- make that appointment.
WHITFIELD: So, if her appointment is not legitimate, if she's not able to maintain this job, that means those indictments go away, even though grand jury was involved? HATCHETT: It doesn't matter.
WHITFIELD: Interesting.
HATCHETT: I would -- I would say I would think that. And we'll have a decision. The judges said we'll have a decision by Thanksgiving.
WHITFIELD: Thanksgiving?
HATCHETT: Yeah.
WHITFIELD: Yeah. By -- well, I see that as before Thanksgiving -- before Thanksgiving. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, right?
HATCHETT: And the question then becomes, what happens?
WHITFIELD: Yeah.
HATCHETT: The legal thing I think is that Comey's will go away because of the statute of limitations. I think that it's possible that a new indictment could be filed against.
[14:45:00]
WHITFIELD: We're all learning so much.
HATCHETT: Thanks.
WHITFIELD: Those were non-lawyers learning so much from you.
Judge Glenda Hatchett --
HATCHETT: Thank you a lot.
WHITFIELD: Yeah. Thank you so much. Learning so much from you and learning from so much of this process as well.
Glenda Hatchett, thank you so much.
HATCHETT: Thank you for having me.
WHITFIELD: Appreciate it.
All right. We're following breaking news out of New York. Jets cornerback Kris Boyd is in critical condition after a shooting in midtown Manhattan. Details on what happened when we come right back.
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[14:50:02]
WHITFIELD: COP30, the world's biggest climate conference, has been underway for nearly a week now, with representatives from nearly 200 countries around the world, not including the U.S., descending on the Brazilian city of Belem. They are spending two weeks negotiating how to rein in global warming. With me now to talk about this is Kim Cobb. She's a climate scientist
and the director of Brown University's Institute for Environment and Society.
Kim, great to see you.
KIM COBB, DIRECTOR, INSTITUTE FOR ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY, BROWN UNIVERSITY: Thanks for having me.
WHITFIELD: So, talk to me about the importance of this happening and the fact that the U.S. is not there with the delegation. What kind of message is that sending?
COBB: Well, this is an important marker on our march to a climate stable future. This is the ten years after the famous Paris agreement, which set a limit for warming to 1.5 degree Celsius, or two degrees if needs be. And the fact that the United States isn't there this year really sends a signal. It's a leadership vacuum, and others are rushing to leap into that void right now.
WHITFIELD: So, while the Trump administration didn't send a formal delegation, there are dozens of U.S. leaders consisting of mayors and governors such as California Governor Gavin Newsom at this summit. Does that help, I guess, advance the concerns that a lot of Americans have about climate change and climate related issues?
COBB: Well, I think it's important to remember that while it's great to have a U.S. presence from some noted climate leaders, it's really insufficient. The only entities that can really sign and speak on behalf of the United States at these international climate negotiations are official representatives from the government.
And this is the first time in many decades that the U.S. hasn't had a delegation to sit at the table and negotiate these greenhouse emissions scenarios. On the other hand, what we have is China, which is really stepping up its efforts this year in the leadership role. And of course, all eyes on Brazil, the host of this climate convention, as they seek to make a bold advance in managing deforestation-related emissions, which are 10 percent of global emissions and rising. So really, that's where the attention is right now.
WHITFIELD: So, it's believed that the U.S. is the world's biggest polluter, right? So do you worry that America's absence will encourage other countries to scale back on plans to lower pollution, improve the climate?
COBB: So it's important to note that China actually remains the world's largest emitter. The United States, of course, per capita emissions are on the podium. But China, of course, transitioning its economy very, very quickly to, clean energy sources. About 84 percent of the demand last year in China for electricity was met by clean energy sources. They are owning EVs, batteries and solar cells to the tune of 70 to 80 percent of global manufacturing taking place in China for a $2 trillion industry. So right now, what we're looking at is China taking a very bold
leadership role and charting its clean energy future? The U.S. in the meantime, swimming very much upstream against the global currents of deployed renewables, which are cheaper than fossil fuels right now.
WHITFIELD: What do you anticipate might be the consensus once this COP30 summit closes out later on in the week?
COBB: Well, I think we'll see some new actors and perhaps less thwarting by a more reluctant U.S. administration that has gummed up some of the works in the past conference of the parties. So, again, Brazil is eager for a big win right now. China, of course, playing to the Global South's appetite for clean energy, cheap, resilient energy systems at this moment as well.
So, I would not be surprised if this wasn't a sleeper of a success for the conference of the parties drumbeat over the years. I'm definitely looking forward to what I expect to be a pretty exciting end, and I'm hoping for a high level of ambition, as are, of course, many Americans and people around the world.
WHITFIELD: All right, your smile to me says you have a lot of optimism in this. Kim Cobb of Brown University, thank you so much.
We'll be right back.
COBB: Thanks for having me.
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[14:59:09]
WHITFIELD: All right. She led her country through some of its greatest crises, and now she's looking ahead to her next chapter. Take an intimate look into the extraordinary political career and life of New Zealand's former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in the new CNN film, "PRIME MINISTER". That's tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on CNN, and the next day on the CNN app.
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ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
WHITFIELD: All right. Hello again everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Sunday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
And we begin this hour with this breaking news. The U.S. says its biggest aircraft carrier strike group has now entered the Caribbean Sea. The U.S. Navy making that announcement a short time ago, the USS Gerald R. Ford is set to join military exercises that are scheduled to begin today off the coast of Venezuela.
The U.S. has already put more than a dozen warships and 15,000 troops in the region, as tensions with Venezuela continue to rise.
