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U.S., Venezuela Open for Dialogue Amid Military Tensions; UNSC Passed a Resolution for a More Sustainable Peace in Gaza; Tom Cruise Received an Honorary Academy Award. Aired 3-3:45a ET

Aired November 18, 2025 - 03:00   ET

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

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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR: Hey everybody, I'm Polo Sandoval, live in New York. This is "CNN Newsroom," and here's what's coming your way.

Open to dialogue. The Venezuelan president says that he's willing to talk to Donald Trump amid heightened military tensions in the Caribbean.

The U.N. Security Council approves a U.S.-backed peace plan. This is Palestinians' struggle with the onset of winter, a lack of shelter, and still continue to deal with hunger.

And later, legendary actor and producer Tom Cruise honored for his work on the big screen.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from New York, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Polo Sandoval.

SANDOVAL: The U.S. and Venezuela, they are signaling that they are open to dialogue as a potential conflict in the Caribbean looms over both countries. President Donald Trump has said that he will be talking directly to President Nicolas Maduro at a certain time, he says. The Venezuelan leader responded on Monday, saying that any talk should be held face-to-face.

Despite the steps toward diplomacy, President Trump lashed out at President Maduro while speaking with reporters in the Oval Office on Monday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Look, he's done tremendous damage to our country, primarily because of drugs, but really because we have that problem with other countries too. But more than any other country, the release of prisoners into our country has been a disaster. He's emptied his jails, others have done that also. He has not been good to the United States, so we'll see what happens.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SANDOVAL: And all of this is coming as America's biggest and most lethal aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, has finally arrived in the Caribbean, off the coast of Venezuela. The U.S. is now believed to have some 15,000 military personnel stationed in the region.

And back to President Maduro, he reaffirmed Venezuela's commitment to diplomacy on State T.V. on Monday, saying that it's the only way free countries and governments can understand each other. He also confirmed that he sent a letter to President Trump requesting a dialogue with the U.S. back in September.

We get more now from CNN's Stefano Pozzebon.

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STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: The Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro revealed that he had written a letter to the U.S. President Donald Trump as early as the beginning of September, and that that letter was delivered to the White House on September 6, almost nine weeks ago, he said in his weekly T.V. show here in Caracas.

The letter had been rumored and reported on in the past, but it's the first time that the Venezuelan government confirmed its existence at such a high level. And this revelation comes less than 24 hours after the president of the United States, Trump, announced that he was ready to open discussions with Maduro. And on Monday, he even said that he would be open to speak with Maduro directly.

In his weekly T.V. show, Maduro had once again words that appeased Trump and called on his deal-making ability and suggested that he would be open to finding a deal.

NICOLAS MADURO, VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT (through translator): War? No. Never, ever war. Those who wish to engage in dialogue will always find among us people of their word, decent people, and people with the experience to lead Venezuela.

POZZEBON: At the same time, the White House accuses Maduro of being the leader of a narco-trafficking cartel called the Cartel de los Soles. And on Monday, Trump reiterated his intention to declare the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization. Maduro has, of course, denied his involvement in drug trafficking, but analysts believe that behind this designation could be paving the way to more forceful actions in Venezuela from the United States military.

I think that in the last few hours, the United States has resorted to a trident-astic tactic when it comes to Venezuela, which is the carrot of opening the door to a diplomatic solution with direct talks between the White House and the Miraflores presidential palace here in Caracas, but also envisioning what the alternative would be, a much more forceful and perhaps military direct action here in Venezuela.

For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Caracas.

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SANDOVAL: Mark Cancian is a retired marine colonel and senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies joining us here on "CNN Newsroom." Colonel, thank you so much for joining us.

COL. MARK CANCIAN (RET.), U.S. MARINE CORPS: Thanks for having me on the show.

SANDOVAL: So with President Trump insisting yet again that Venezuela apparently wants to hold discussions with his administration, perhaps even face-to-face, we're told that that is possible. Is it looking more likely that we could perhaps see a diplomatic conclusion to this versus U.S. military action?

CANCIAN: I think so. A couple of days ago, it looked like we were on the verge of military action, and the president started talking about negotiations. He likes person-to-person diplomacy, so it's not surprising that he has hinted at that and the fact that there will be some sort of discussions, that means that military action is at least not imminent.

SANDOVAL: As we continue to consider all possible options that the White House could follow, given the assets, given the momentum, certainly potential military action, I assume it's too early to roll out.

If we see that non-diplomatic route, is this conventional military presence off the coast of Venezuela the best tool? As we've learned in conflicts like Afghanistan and Iraq, it hasn't really been.

CANCIAN: The assets off of Venezuela now are excellent for conducting long-range air and missile strikes. They could attack the cartels, they could even attack the Maduro administration regime.

It's not designed for invasion. There are only 2200 Marines, and there are something like 90,000 Venezuelan ground forces.

So if there is military action, what you'll see are long-range strikes, maybe one strike to see what happens, see if the Maduro regime either surrenders or collapses, perhaps additional strikes after that. Right now, no boots on the ground.

SANDVAL: Colonel, just to give us perhaps a rough estimate of the timing of when we could see the next possible step, how long could these kinds of sophisticated assets, like the USS Gerald Ford, actually remain off the coast? I mean, I assume not only are they extremely expensive to mobilize, but they could perhaps be serving elsewhere.

CANCIAN: It's the opportunity cost that is the problem. The budget already includes money for the Ford to be deployed, but it wasn't expecting that the Ford would be in the Caribbean. The expectation had been that it would be in Europe and the Middle East and the Mediterranean.

So when it's in the Caribbean, that means it's not someplace else, it's also not a great place to train. So my estimate is that it could stay there a couple of weeks, but there'll be increasing pressure to use it or lose it. That is, if there's not going to be a military action, then to send it somewhere else where it's needed.

SANDOVAL: I'll pose the same question that I've posed to many of our experts that I've had the pleasure of speaking to in the last two months now. What do you believe to be the President's potential endgame here, Colonel?

CANCIAN: I think that there are discussions inside the White House about whether the administration should go for regime change. I don't think those are resolved.

The President said that he had sort of made up his mind. He's been presented with alternatives, some options, but the fact that he's reaching forward diplomacy negotiations indicates to me that he has not made up his mind and in fact may be stepping away from military action.

SANDOVAL: Retired Colonel Mark Cancian, thank you for your service and for your time. I appreciate it.

CANCIAN: Thanks for having me on the show.

SANDOVAL: And President Trump seems willing to ramp up tensions with other Latin American countries as well. He's not ruling out strikes on drug facilities in Mexico and in Colombia. That's if he thinks that that's necessary, but still some conflicting messages from the Trump administration.

You see, it was just last week that his Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the U.S. would not be sending any troops into Mexico, but that they would potentially provide them with some support if they requested it. And now Trump's sending a much different, much more aggressive message from the Oval Office.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Would I launch strikes in Mexico to stop drugs? It's okay with me.

Whatever we have to do to stop drugs. Colombia has cocaine factories where they make cocaine.

Would I knock out those factories? I would be proud to do it personally.

I didn't say I'm doing it, but I would be proud to do it.

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SANDOVAL: In the coming hours, the White House will be welcoming the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman. And this ahead of their meeting, President Trump announcing that he plans to sell F-35 fighter jets to the Gulf country.

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CNN's Salma Abdelaziz has more on what to expect from Tuesday's visit.

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SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Don't expect any signs of a rupture during the Saudi Crown Prince's first visit to the White House in more than seven years.

While the Crown Prince is not ahead of state, all the trappings of a state visit are planned for Mohammed bin Salman, a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office, and a black-tie dinner with some of America's most powerful executives.

At the top of President Donald Trump's agenda will be the Abraham Accords. He wants to see Saudi Arabia join this set of agreements that normalizes relations with Israel. It would amount to a major advancement of his signature policy in the region.

Saudi Arabia said it has set a, quote, "credible and irreversible pathway to Palestinian statehood as a precondition," which the ceasefire, President Trump brokered, stops short of providing.

Another major issue on the agenda will be money. Before Trump's first state visit of his second term to Saudi Arabia, Riyadh promised to invest $600 billion in the U.S. A good chunk is set to go to major new purchases of American-made fighter jets and weapons, a U.S. official said.

Trump and the Crown Prince are also expected to sign a defense cooperation agreement, though a formal treaty would require congressional approval. Unlikely to be a topic of discussion is the kingdom's human rights record, and the murder in 2018 of prominent journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which caused a schism in U.S.-Saudi relations.

A CIA assessment later found the prince had likely ordered the assassination, although he has long denied any involvement.

Critics accuse the Trump administration of foregoing human rights concerns for weapons and trade. But Trump has long cultivated a close relationship with the kingdom's de facto ruler, and this visit is set to only deepen their alliance.

Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.

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SANDOVAL: And CNN spoke with the widow of Jamal Khashoggi ahead of Crown Prince Salman's U.S. visit. In her conversation with our colleague Jim Sciutto, Hanan Khashoggi said that she hopes that the U.S. will uphold its role as a leader for human rights.

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HANAN ELATR KHASHOGGI, WIDOW OF JAMAL KASHOGGI: I hope they look at the American value for human rights and democracy. Besides economic ties and selling weapons or any kind of deal, it has to be also there is something missing there, which is looking for the real justice and applying the human rights and the value of the U.S. We look at the U.S. as the leader of these great values.

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SANDOVAL: Hanan Khashoggi also said that she wished that her husband could have had a chance to share his ideas for Saudi Arabia with the Crown Prince before her husband was killed.

The United Nations is giving the green light to President Trump's 20- point plan that aims to implement a more sustainable peace in Gaza. On Monday, the U.N. Security Council passed the U.S.-backed resolution that includes the establishment of a so-called Board of Peace as a transitional authority. The U.S. ambassador to the U.N. praising the vote, calling it a major milestone for Gaza.

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MIKE WALTZ, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: Today's resolution represents another significant step towards a stable Gaza that will be able to prosper and an environment that will allow Israel to live in security.

The Board of Peace, which will be led by President Trump, remains the cornerstone of our effort. The Board will coordinate the delivery of humanitarian assistance, facilitate Gaza's development, and support a technocratic committee of Palestinians responsible for day-to-day operations of Gaza's civil service and administration, while the Palestinian Authority fully implements its reform program.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: President Trump took to social media praising the resolution. He wrote that the members of the Board will be announced in the coming weeks.

But Hamas is currently pushing back on the resolution. The militant group says that giving any stabilization force quote, "tasks and roles inside the Gaza Strip, including disarming the resistance, that it strips it of its neutrality and turns it into a party to the conflict."

Then, in Israel, the United States has already set up a presence to monitor the ceasefire agreement. CNN's Oren Liebermann has this report from the facility.

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OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: We got our first chance to take you inside the U.S.-led Coordination Center for Gaza here in Kiryat Gat. And the first thing that strikes you is the size of the facility, what's called the CMCC, the Civil Military Coordination Center.

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There's a floor for the Israelis, a floor for the Americans, and what we were able to see, which is a joint floor, where there's a multinational force that's monitoring what's happening on the ground in Gaza and planning the key next steps of the U.S.-brokered 20-point ceasefire plan.

We saw troops from Germany, Spain, Singapore, and a number of other countries. The joint floor is dominated by a map of Gaza showing the so-called yellow line. One side is Israeli-occupied territory, on the other is Hamas-controlled territory.

Teams inside are monitoring what's happening in real time. As for planning for what's next, there are teams working on the intended reconstruction effort, focused on debris removal right now. There's also a large group that works on humanitarian issues, the aid going in, logistics, and more.

One of the crucial teams here also works on security, not only planning for the intended disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarization of Gaza, but also managing the training of a Palestinian police force for Gaza.

One key step here is the International Security Force for Gaza. A number of countries have signaled they're willing to contribute troops, but not until there's a clear, well-defined international mandate to make that happen. This whole effort is still waiting on that mandate.

Oren Liebermann, CNN, in Kiryat Gat.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: In the occupied West Bank, Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian vehicles and homes on Monday. Surveillance footage obtained by CNN captured some of the violence.

There were no reported injuries, though. In a rare move, the Israeli prime minister condemned the violence, and the Israel Defense Forces says that it is trying to locate those involved. The attack is the latest in a surge of brazen settler violence in the Palestinian territory.

The House of Representatives will soon be voting on a bill seeking to force the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. The measure will be requiring a two-thirds majority to pass as representatives head here to Capitol Hill.

And it was just last week Republican leaders were bracing for mass defections. But now, with President Trump's blessing, the bill is actually expected to receive even more GOP support.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I'm all for it. You know, we've already given 50,000 pages. You do know that. They can do whatever they want. We'll give them everything.

Sure I would. Let the Senate look at it. Let anybody look at it.

But don't talk about it too much, because honestly, I don't want to take it away from us.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: And a White House official tells CNN that Trump has not directed the Justice Department to stand in the way of turning over any of the files to Congress. But Trump was asked, he at least has asked, I should say, the Justice Department to open a criminal investigation into various high-profile figures connected to Epstein, which might have actually kept the department from turning over the files.

And still to come here on "CNN Newsroom," CNN investigating how vulnerable HIV and AIDS patients in South Africa, how they're coping after the Trump administration cut off some of the aid there.

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SANDOVAL: Now to a CNN investigation. It reveals the devastating impacts of President Trump's USAID cuts on the fight against HIV and AIDS. CNN's Donie O'Sullivan reports from South Africa.

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DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We'll follow you. You lead the way. Thank you.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): This is Odwa Mbane.

ODWA MBANE, SOUTH AFRICAN TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER: Our trans community, they come from different parts of the world.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): She's showing us around what was a clinic for trans people in central Johannesburg.

O'SULLIVAN: And so this has all gone away.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): The clinic was funded by USAID and it was a lifeline for more than 1000 transgender people until it was forced to shut down after President Trump closed the aid agency earlier this year.

O'SULLIVAN: As soon as Trump was inaugurated, basically as soon as he came back into office.

MBANE: Within like a week, he just decided that he wants nothing to do, more especially with LGBTQI plus people and more especially he said transgender community.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Odwa is a trans woman who worked at the clinic. She's also HIV positive and depended on the clinic for care.

O'SULLIVAN: You were smiling. This place means a lot to you.

MBANE: Yes, it meant a lot, even with my community as well, because that's where they would feel like they are in a safe space.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): The South African government has stepped in to try to fill the gap in care for people living with HIV that was created when USAID shut down. But stigma against LGBTQ people is still getting in the way of care.

TINY, SOUTH AFRICAN LIVING WITH HIV: If you go to the government clinics, there's a lot of gossiping. Especially if you are gay or if you are trans or if you are gay. Believe me, you won't survive.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): This is Tiny. He's been living with HIV for 14 years. And for care, he relied on a USAID-funded clinic.

TINY: I was very disappointed with what Donald Trump did. My biggest fear is for now.

So many people, they're in danger. And I'm scared that so many people are going to die without medication.

SIVE MJINDI, PROJECT COORDINATOR, OUT LGBT WELLBEING: America was so influential, so powerful in taking the world forward.

[03:25:00]

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Sive Mjindi worked for USAID-supported groups. He says without proper access to care, there were fears here of a rise in HIV cases.

MJINDI: And so it kind of really drew a picture of just going back in time to when HIV and AIDS was still unknown about. It was all of a sudden, you go from one day, everybody accessing health care, living great lives, just within like a week or two, that script completely flips.

O'SULLIVAN: And I see what I guess was a USAID sign, advertising services, has now just been reduced to a tablecloth.

MJINDI: Once it was a flag flying high, actually a proud call for people to come on through. And well, now the reality is what it is.

TINY: My message to Donald Trump and Mr. Trump, please, you must have mercy.

Please help us. Please just give us medication. We still want to survive.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: Our thanks to Donie O'Sullivan for that report.

Still ahead here on "CNN Newsroom," Ukraine. It is getting a major show of support from France. But President Emmanuel Macron is promising to help in the fight against Russia.

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SANDOVAL: Welcome back, I'm Polo Sandoval in New York and these are today's top stories.

A window for diplomacy is opening up in the Caribbean, despite tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela continuing to worsen. On Monday, President Trump said that he will talk directly with his counterpart, Nicolas Maduro, as the U.S. considers possible military action on the ground in Venezuela. President Maduro has also signaled his willingness to talk face-to-face.

The United Nations passed a U.S.-backed resolution that aims to implement a more sustainable peace in Gaza. The resolution approved elements of President Trump's 20-point peace plan in Gaza and that includes the establishment of a Board of Peace Transitional Authority and the creation of a Temporary International Stabilization Force in Gaza.

The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia will be visiting the White House in the coming hours. He is set to discuss the Gulf countries' military cooperation with the U.S. And that includes the sale of U.S. F-35 fighter jets. Middle Eastern powers, like Israel, worry that this growing alliance could possibly disrupt the military balance in the region.

Another visit that we're closely going to be monitoring is Ukraine's President, as he is expected to meet today with Spain's king and Prime Minister, seeking more support in the war with Russia. Volodymyr Zelenskyy scored a major victory in France on Monday.

Here's CNN's Clare Sebastian with the details.

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CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There was a major show of support for Ukraine's president in Paris on Monday. President Zelenskyy greeted at an airbase just outside Paris with French-made heavy weapons displayed on the tarmac, including the Rafale fighter jet. And the two leaders in that spot signed a letter of intent for Ukraine to be able to purchase up to 100 of those jets by 2035.

Now, clearly, this was the first time they've been supplied in this war. And it was, both in terms of substance and symbolism, a very welcome moment for Zelenskyy as Russia escalates attacks, not only on the eastern front but now stepping up attacks in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, which has been a relatively stable part of the front line, as well as escalating aerial attacks on Ukraine's energy grid. And, of course, as President Zelenskyy's credibility at home has been tested by a massive corruption scandal.

He spent the weekend announcing a major overhaul of the energy sector involved in that corruption scandal, including new leadership at three state-owned energy companies. Now, President Macron of France did address this but struck a relatively supportive tone.

EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): The path to the European Union will be demanding. It will require deep efforts and reforms, especially in terms of the rule of law, transparency, governance and the fight against corruption. I trust the determination of the Ukrainian people to carry this out and I trust President Zelenskyy to do so.

SEBASTIAN: While Zelenskyy and Macron agreed on future aid, Poland Monday was grappling with the result of what it said was a deliberate attack to a key railroad used to transport aid into Ukraine. Poland's Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, describing the damage to the track between the capital Warsaw and Lublin as an unprecedented act of sabotage.

Now, Poland has not explicitly blamed Russia for this incident but it is the latest in a series of sabotage incidents and airspace incursions that has put European governments on high alert.

Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: Still to come, Tom Cruise accepts one of the highest honors in the world of film, what the movie star had to say about his love for his craft.

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SANDOVAL: Welcome back to CNN. This is your Business Breakout.

Stocks in the Asia-Pacific region are slumping today. Japan's Nikkei is looking at its worst one-day loss since April. Investors are also worried about a weakening in the A.I. sector. Chipmaker Nvidia is set to report its quarterly earnings on Wednesday.

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And these are your business headlines.

President Trump says, quote, "there's never been a time like this, in reference to the U.S. economy." He claims a country is in the midst of a golden age and is doing better than it ever has. And this despite millions of Americans still facing rising prices on everyday goods, many of them facing food insecurity as the holidays approach.

The cost to rebuild Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, it has more than doubled with estimates as high as $5.2 billion. You'll recall the overpass collapsed in 2024 after a cargo ship hit one of the support pillars on the bridge, killing six construction workers.

That incident also crippled the city's port. The bridge is now set to reopen in late 2030, that's two years later than initial estimates.

Canada just narrowly avoided a snap election after parliament passed the country's budget. Prime Minister Mark Carney says that it's a critical step toward reducing dependence on trade with the U.S. He says President Trump's tariffs and the uncertainty surrounding them could cost Canada nearly 2 percent of its GDP.

Tom Cruise can now add honorary Oscar winner to his very long resume of accomplishments. The actor was one of four honorees who were picked by the Academy's board to the board of governors to actually receive an award. Cruise shared with the audience just how much working on film means to him.

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TOM CRUISE, ACTOR; No matter where we come from, in that theater, we laugh together, we feel together, we hope together, we dream together. And that is the power of this art form. That is why it matters, that is why it matters to me. So, making films is not what I do, it is who I am.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: This is actually the first Oscar for Cruise who has been nominated four times across his career.

Also, London's favorite quirky rom-com heroine, she is back in statue form.

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A lot to celebrate there. Actress Renee Zellweger was on hand for the unveiling of the Bridget Jones statue, now permanently on location there in London. Zellweger first brought the book's character to life, to the screen, in the early 2000s. Renee Zellweger was joined at the statue unveiling by her co-stars from the fourth Bridget Jones installment, "Mad About the Boy."

And with that, we want to thank you so much for joining us. This is the last 42 minutes of news, I'm Polo Sandoval in New York. "World Sport" is next.

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