Return to Transcripts main page

CNN This Morning

Biden Calls on Congress to Avert Rail Strike; U.S. vs. Iran Match Becomes Geopolitical Showdown. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired November 29, 2022 - 06:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. What is it?

[06:00:00]

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Tuesday.

LEMON: Tuesday. It is Tuesday. Welcome to CNN THIS MORNING. We're so glad that you could join us.

President Biden calling on Congress to intervene and block a rail strike as the deadline nears. Democratic leaders say they could act as soon as this week.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Also, ahead of today's match against the U.S., Iranian players told in get in line or their families could face torture or imprisonment.

Also this --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. KEVIN CRAMER (R-ND): Well, he should condemn any -- those kind of things that anybody -- anybody would stand for. No matter who they are.

SEN. MITT ROMNEY (R-UT): It's been clear that there's no bottom to the degree to which President Trump will degrade himself and the nation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: A stream of Republican lawmakers are now speaking out about the former president's decision to dine with an anti-Semite, with his former vice president essentially going further than all of them, as he urges his former boss to apologize.

LEMON: Well, we're going to begin with a very tall order from President Joe Biden calling on Congress to come together to keep the nation's freight rail workers from walking off the job. He's asking lawmakers to adopt a tentative contract agreement that was reached in September by rail management and labor leaders.

Getting Congress to come together on anything can be a real challenge, as we know, but the president says heading off a rail strike is a challenge that has to be met, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi agrees. She says we must act -- and I'm quoting here -- "to prevent a catastrophic nationwide rail strike which would grind our economy to a halt."

Let's bring in CNN's chief business correspondent, Christine Romans, this morning.

Christine, thank you very much.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT/ANCHOR: Hi, good morning.

LEMON: This is down to the wire.

ROMANS: Down to the wire, and this is a very big deal. This is something that an economy that has been showing shaky resilience just cannot afford a big nationwide rail strike.

And we thought this had been averted. A lot of concessions have been made: a 24 percent pay increase, improved healthcare benefits; flexibility for some time off. But the big sticking point here is paid sick leave.

So what you're seeing on your screen there is what would be affected by a rail strike: everything. Everything that touches America's rails. Gas, fertilizers, food. Factories would probably have to close. You would see disruptions again, and even commuter -- commuter traffic could be affected.

So this is a very big deal. It affects every corner of the economy.

HARLOW: Because Congress has not one, not two, but three different ways to avert this, is this -- what are the chances of this actually happening, a strike?

ROMANS: You know, everyone agrees it can't happen. The question is who has to pay for that? Right? Are you going to try to pressure these other unions into not accepting the paid time off they want?

They were granted one extra paid day off, but many of these union leaders of the four unions that have not agreed to this have said this is unsellable to our rank-and-file, that you have to have paid sick leave, especially in an economy where we're just gone through a pandemic.

HARLOW: Yes.

ROMANS: Where people have been forced to stay out because of sickness.

LEMON: Just real quick. You said, "can't happen," meaning it shouldn't?

HARLOW: I think she means won't. Right?

LEMON: Won't?

ROMANS: No, I mean, it should not. LEMON: It would be catastrophic, yes. Yes.

ROMANS: It should not. They all agree it can't happen. Now they have to figure out how to make it not happen.

LEMON: Not.

COLLINS: But here's the issue with that, is that Biden is calling on Congress to take action. Now, Nancy Pelosi says the House will take up the agreement. It's not totally clear to me --

HARLOW: That's a great point.

COLLINS: -- what the Senate is going to do.

HARLOW: Yes.

COLLINS: And of course, if this isn't resolved by December, that's when that strike could happen.

But this stance from Biden kind of surprised me yesterday.

ROMANS: Yes.

COLLINS: It was very aggressive. He was saying, this is what should happen. And it puts him at risk of pitting him against the rank-and- file rail workers here, who say that they have been mistreated by their bosses.

ROMANS: And he had called himself a proud pro-labor president and stepped back and wanted this process to be ratified along normal path -- normal pathway.

But the consequences are just so great here. There's a lot of pressure in Washington and, frankly, in the business world. We've heard from business leaders, and trade groups have been saying Congress has got to do this now, because we cannot risk this.

And the deadline, I think, is December 6th, but really, the deadline is right now, because companies are ordering products for their factories, and they are planning shipments of things. That's happening right now.

HARLOW: Yes.

ROMANS: And if you don't have certainty, that is a real enemy of economic growth.

HARLOW: To Kaitlan's point, it's such a good point. Because as senator, '92, he was one of a few senators to vote against legislation to block a rail strike. It's different when you're president. Right?

LEMON: Yes. We have lots more to come on this.

ROMANS: Yes.

LEMON: We'll continue this, as a matter of fact.

HARLOW: Thank you.

LEMON: Thanks, Christine Romans, appreciate it.

We're going to speak to a rail worker who says that Biden is catering to oligarchs. More on that, straight ahead.

HARLOW: New this morning, Shanghai Disneyland shut down again because of China's rigid zero-COVID policies. The theme park had just reopened four days ago after shutting down at the end of October. Ahead, we'll have new CNN reporting on President Biden's view of what is happening: the protests and the unrest in China.

COLLINS: Also, the U.S. and Iran are going to face off this afternoon in a World Cup match. It is expected to be tense, but it is also being overshadowed by those anti-government protests that are happening at home in Iran.

CNN has learned that Iran's players have been warned by their government to, quote, "behave or risk their families being tortured, potentially, or imprisoned." Earlier in the World Cup, you saw the Iranian team refusing to sing its national anthem.

[06:05:06]

Meanwhile, Iranian media is asking the U.S. men's team captain what it's like to represent a country they claim has, quote, "discrimination within its borders."

Amanda Davies is live for CNN this morning in Doha. I mean, this is such an intense match. A, just because it is consequential, decisive for either side, whether or not they are going to continue to play.

But also we are seeing the way that politics at home is just overshadowing all of this.

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes. Good morning, Kaitlan.

The U.S. team facing a pre-match press conference like never before, being confronted head-on by talk of politics and international relations. That was always going to be the case when this draw was made, but given events in Iran over the last couple of months, here in Qatar over the last couple of weeks, it's impossible to extricate this sporting matchup from the international diplomatic landscape.

Much like the last time these two sides met at a World Cup back at France '98.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVIES (voice-over): A winner-take-all match at the World Cup bringing politics center stage. The U.S. Men's Soccer Team will face off against Iran in a match that will determine which team proceeds to the knockout stages here in Qatar. GREGG BERHALTER, MANAGER, U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM: There's no

real distractions. You know, I know there's a lot going on here, but the group is focused on how do we get a win?

DAVIES (voice-over): This is the first time the two teams have played in a World Cup match since 1998 when Iran beat the U.S.

In recent days, Iran's state media has called for Team USA to be disqualified from the games after the team changed Iran's flag on its social media accounts for 24 hours to show solidarity with protests for women's rights.

MICHAEL KAMMARMAN, SPOKESMAN, U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM: It was meant to be a moment. We made the post at the time. All of the other representations of the flag remain consistent, and will continue to.

DAVIES (voice-over): The players and their coach say they have no previous knowledge of the posts.

TIM REAM, DEFENDER, U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM: We support the women's rights. We always have. We always will. That -- that message will -- will remain consistent. And -- and what we're doing as a team is -- is supporting that, while also trying to prepare for the biggest game that this squad has had to date.

DAVIES (voice-over): At a press conference Monday, an Iranian reporter called for U.S. team captain Tyler Adams to correct his pronunciation of the country's name, and pushed him to address discrimination in the U.S.

TYLER ADAMS, CAPTAIN, U.S. NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM: My apologies on the mispronunciation of your country. Yes, that being said, you know, there's discrimination everywhere you go.

You know, one thing that I've learned, especially from living abroad in the past years and having to fit in in different cultures and kind of assimilate into different cultures, is that in the U.S., we're continuing to make progress every single day.

DAVIES (voice-over): This comes as a source involved with the security of the games tells CNN that Iranian players' families were threatened with imprisonment and even torture if the players did not behave ahead of the match.

These threats were made after the Iranian players did not sing the national anthem during one of their matches. The players sang during their following game against Wales just days later.

CAMERON KHANSARINIA, NATIONAL UNION FOR DEMOCRACY IN IRAN: If what we're seeing right now in the past two months of this protest movement is any indication, it could be very dire. They could be killed. They could be tortured. They could be prevented from leaving the country.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DAVIES (on camera): The Iran coach, Carlos Queiroz, has called for the politics to be put to one side for 90 minutes of the match. His side just a draw away from a place in the knockout stage for the first time at the World Cup.

For the U.S., it's simple. Win or go home.

COLLINS: Yes. We'll be watching this afternoon: 2 p.m. Eastern. Amanda Amanda, thank you so much for that update.

HARLOW: Joining us now to talk about all of this, HBO "Real Sports" correspondent David Scott. His latest report on Qatar and the treatment of migrant workers there, which is a critical aspect in all of this, is streaming right now on HBO Max.

David, thank you very much --

DAVID SCOTT, CORRESPONDENT, HBO'S "REAL SPORTS": Good morning to you all.

HARLOW: -- for -- for being here, and good morning to you.

I mean, where do we start? That exchange we were just talking about, what's remarkable between that Iranian journalist and -- and the U.S. teammate.

I thought it was interesting that Omid Djalili, who's an Iranian British actor and comedian, said this. He said, "This will be the most significant and politically-charged match in the history of the World Cup."

You think about '98, when the U.S. played Iran. The white roses the Iran team brought. They hugged at the end of the match, right, despite tension. This is so much different.

Will this be as big as he says? The most significant and most politically-charged?

SCOTT: Very likely it is the most politicized match in modern World Cup history.

In 1998, it was all about bilateral geopolitics. Today, it's all about the rebellions that are burning in the streets of Tehran, and that really has changed everything.

HARLOW: Wow.

LEMON: What does this -- look, everyone using the World Cup: Our team wants to win, our team wants to win. This is, I mean, just to, you know -- to go off what Poppy was saying, this is more than just sports.

[06:10:08]

This is about the women in Iran. This is about the LGBTQ people in Iran, and worldwide. This is -- this is about civil rights. It's more than just a soccer match. SCOTT: Much more. And it really gives lie to FIFA's almost delusional

claim that -- that the World Cup is somehow above and beyond sports [SIC]. No. It's -- it's showcasing politics.

And, you know, inadvertently, and even in spite of itself, millions of people will learn about the rebellions in Iran through the World Cup games. That's not what FIFA intends, but that's what's -- that's what will happen.

COLLINS: Such an important point, because this is what is putting it front and foremost for so many people. You know, we talk about this every single day, because we're -- it's our job to pay close attention to this. But for a lot of people who are tuning in to watch, this is putting it front and center.

I wonder what you're watching today to see how Iran's team handles this, once they're on the pitch.

SCOTT: Your heart has to go out to the Iranian players. You know, they're playing at this level of the game in front of pro-government protesters, anti-government protestors. They themselves have not been silent. In fact, their own protest has been extraordinary.

Wearing black jackets over their uniform for the friendly against Senegal. Not singing the national anthem in a country where, you know, you provoke that regime and anything could happen. And --

COLLINS: Yes. They're threatening their families.

SCOTT: That's right. That's right. And so -- and so this is, you know, the stakes couldn't be higher for the players, for the -- for the regime; and in some ways, you know, the world has an opportunity to -- to learn what's happening in -- in the country of Iran because of these games.

LEMON: And for the people of Qatar. Can we show -- can we highlight some of your reporting? Because you did a "REAL SPORTS" reporting -- it's streaming now on HBO Max. Shows some of the squalid living conditions of migrant workers in Qatar. Have a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SCOTT (voice-over): Twenty-two-year-old Kum (ph) lived here among 150 other men, all of whom had to share two bathrooms.

KUM (ph), MIGRANT WORKER: This is one.

SCOTT: One of two.

SCOTT (voice-over): Kum (ph) told us there were fights in the morning just to get to one before the work bus left.

SCOTT: Where's the shower?

KUM (ph): Shower not -- shower not --

SCOTT: There's no shower here? There's nowhere to wash your body?

KUM (ph): No.

SCOTT: Where do you wash your body?

KUM (ph): On seat.

SCOTT: You wash your body in the toilet?

KUM (ph): Yes, but --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The buckets. They fill it in the buckets.

KUM (ph): And --

SCOTT: Take the buckets, and -- to go in the toilet and you wash up?

KUM (ph): Yes.

SCOTT (voice-over): The men were being paid just a few dollars a day, when they were being paid at all, as many were forced to wait months, even years, for any money.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: So they've invested billions of dollars, Qatar, in putting on these global events. But --

SCOTT: Yes.

HARLOW: Behind the shiny facade.

SCOTT: Qatar is very much a modern feudal society. It's an absolute monarchy. They can do whatever they want. It's a society that relies on some of the poorest people in the world to do all the heavy lifting. And -- and so, yes.

The, you know -- when we went it was 8 1/2 years ago, and the -- and the construction of the World Cup was in the very early stages, and -- and they can hardly hide it, when you have, you know, a million people or so, you know, buildings stadiums, building freeways, all kinds of infrastructure, and being treated, really, as you know, not just sub- citizens but subhuman in many cases.

HARLOW: Yes.

LEMON: David, thank you very much. It's a pleasure. It's good to see you. Great reporting.

SCOTT: Thank you. Good morning.

LEMON: Yes.

HARLOW: Well, ahead, Republican senators slamming Donald Trump over his dinner with an anti-Semitic white nationalist, who from his own admission, just called him out. His administration, I should say, just called him out. We'll tell you.

LEMON: And the owner of Twitter, Elon Musk, accusing Apple of making a threat that could bring Twitter to its knees.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:18:34]

LEMON: So this could potentially really affect our economy. As we just told you moments ago, President Biden urging Congress to do something to avert a rail strike, saying, quote, "a rail shutdown would devastate our economy."

A strike would happen as soon as December 9th, leading to travel disruptions, chain supply [SIC] -- supply chain, I should say, shortages, and higher food and gas prices.

Let's discuss now. Matthew Weaver is here. He serves as an organizer and Ohio's legislative director for the third largest rail workers' union in the U.S. His union, the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees, represents 23,000 rail workers.

Good morning to you, Matthew. There's about 150,000 railway workers around the country. So this could potentially affect a lot of people. We're glad that you're joining us. Talk about the main sticking point here: paid leave. Why is it so important for you guys?

MATTHEW WEAVER, OHIO'S LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR, BROTHERHOOD OF MAINTENANCE OF WAY EMPLOYEES: At this point in time, it's paid sick days that maintenance of way employees need. We are considered essential, and it seems like when you look at a ticker tape, we're expendable, from essential to expendable in the snap of fingers. It's very frustrating.

HARLOW: I want to play something President Biden said last year, about how important unions are to him and get your reaction. Here he was.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You know, you've heard me say many times, I intend to be the most pro-union president leading the most pro-union administration in American history.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[06:20:09]

HARLOW: Now, he's made clear that he believes Congress should step in and stop you guys from being able to strike. You said he is" quote, "catering to the oligarchs." What do you mean?

WEAVER: It certainly seems that campaign -- campaign finance and lobbying affect our politicians', our public servants' votes and their actions. I think that, if he wants to really serve the American people, he should take what the tentative agreement was and impose paid sick days. That would make -- I believe that would have many -- many more of our members would be voting yes on something with paid sick days.

HARLOW: Do you believe a strike is worth it if it cripples the U.S. economy and costs up to $2 billion a day and the president says, you know, up to 765,000 union jobs in the first two weeks? Is it worth it?

WEAVER: I honestly don't think we are that near a strike. Most -- many of our members don't want to strike. We don't want to strike. We want what's just. We want, in this day and age of high inflation, you know, and a pandemic around illness, we would like paid sick days.

COLLINS: Matthew, I think you make a really important point there. That you don't want to strike. This isn't something you're seeking.

WEAVER: Right.

COLLINS: But it's something that rail workers feel they need to push for because of -- of not getting what you need here.

In President Biden's statement yesterday, he said that the secretaries of labor, agriculture, and transportation, his three top lieutenants who have been dealing with this, basically see that there is no path to resolve the dispute at the bargaining table, and that's why they're recommending they seek Congress to take action here.

Do you trust that the administration has basically done their best at the bargaining table to -- to advocate for you?

WEAVER: I like the fact that the influence from the DOL and DOT are helping us, but I feel like the carriers are not bargaining in good faith. They are worshipping the shareholders. It's profit over people in America, and it's very frustrating.

LEMON: You said that you -- you just said that you don't want to strike, right? You said you don't think you're that close to a strike. But I mean, to be quite honest with you, right -- and I think you know this -- this is the most bargaining power that you probably have had or may have.

You know, it's getting close to the holidays. We've had supply chain issues from the pandemic and so on and so forth.

If you're going to bargain, you're going to do it now, so I'm sure you're aware of the power that you have in this moment?

WEAVER: I think it's all of the working class, not just rail labor, that has this power. And people, it's like an epiphany. The light bulb's going off. It's like, oh, yes. We produce this. We make this. And that's very important for the working class to realize the strength they have.

I really think this is a time of awakening for the person who works 40 hours and just wants to raise a family and put their kids through school.

HARLOW: Just Matthew, quickly before you go, one thing that I think is getting missed in these conversations and the headlines, is that you guys have also been asked to do a lot more work.

As I understand it, one of the big groups that regulates freight rail says that you guys, the workforce largely has been reduced by 30 percent over the past six years. So you have to do more work. Right?

WEAVER: Yes.

HARLOW: And a lot of the substantive workers that would fill in for you guys when you're out are gone. So then you have to cover for, like, doing double the work. That's a big part of this. Right?

WEAVER: Absolutely. We've lost substantial manpower because of the consequences of precision scheduled railroading, PSR. It's all about that profit margin and not about serving the customers, the employees or the infrastructure.

COLLINS: Matthew, we know how important this is to you. Thank you for joining us this morning to talk about this.

LEMON: Thank you. Good luck.

WEAVER: Thanks so much. Call on me anytime.

COLLINS: Thanks, Matthew.

All right. Also this morning, protests against China -- against China's zero-COVID lockdowns have spread to cities around the world. At least one campus even here in New York.

Also this, this morning --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROMNEY: I think it's disgusting to invite people like that to meet with a former president of the United States.

MIKE PENCE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And he should denounce those individuals and their hateful rhetoric without qualification.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Those are top Republicans coming out to condemn Donald Trump for having dinner with a white nationalist at Mar-a-Lago.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:28:50]

LEMON: Welcome back, everyone, to CNN THIS MORNING. It is half past 6, and this is what's coming up.

A rebuke from Mike Pence and other Republicans over Donald Trump's dinner with a white nationalist. Audie Cornish and John Avlon are standing by.

Elon Musk starts a war with Apple, accusing the tech giant of hating free speech.

And Hawaii's Mauna Loa volcano erupting for the first time in nearly 40 years. Our Bill Weir is going to join us live.

Plus, a remarkable story. A woman is found 51 years later after she was kidnapped as a toddler. That story is straight ahead.

COLLINS: But we start this morning with the criticism of what we've seen happening, not only on Capitol Hill but many places. A number of Republicans are now issuing rare rebukes of former President Trump after he hosted a well-known anti-Semite, a white supremacist, Nick Fuentes, for dinner at his private club last week, alongside Kanye West, who has also espoused anti-Semitic conspiracies.

Most of that criticism of Trump came from Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill yesterday, marking a rare break with the former president in the upper echelons of the GOP.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CRAMER: Well, he should condemn any -- those kind of things that anybody -- anybody would stand for, no matter who they are. Clearly, it's not our view. It's not my view. I would -- I don't think it's his view.

[06:30:00]