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Honorary Royal Family Member Resigns After Asking Racist Questions; Rioter Seeking Leniency: I Let One Man's Lies Detach Me From Reality; New Zealand And Finland Prime Ministers Fire Back At Reporter For Age Question. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired December 01, 2022 - 07:30   ET

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

[07:30:52]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR (on camera): With days left in Georgia's high-stakes Senate race, voters are swarming polling locations and shattering early voting records.

COLLINS (on camera): What was important to you as you were in there casting your ballot?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, the important thing is the economy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am concerned about women's rights, civil rights.

COLLINS (voice-over): More than one million Georgians have already voted, surpassing early turnout from past presidential elections, as voters decide between incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and his Republican challenger, Herschel Walker.

SEN. RAPHAEL WARNOCK (D-GA): This race is about Georgia. This race is about who is going to represent 11 million people.

COLLINS (voice-over): Neither candidate reached the 50 percent threshold in November, throwing Georgia into its second Senate runoff election since January 2021. And the outcome this time will determine whether Democrats have 50 Senate seats or 51.

WARNOCK: The stakes couldn't be higher and the contrast between me and my opponent could not be more obvious.

HERSCHEL WALKER, (R) GEORGIA Senate CANDIDATE: It is time we get this right and the way we get it right is by putting me in the Senate because I'm not going to dance and sing for nobody. I never have and never will.

COLLINS (voice-over): Both Warnock and Walker are courting the more than 200,000 Georgians who voted for Republican Gov. Brian Kemp but not Walker, whose campaign has been plagued by scandals, including allegations that he paid for abortions despite opposing the procedure. WARNOCK: You say something that doesn't happen in Georgia -- these split-ticket voters. I think they can see the contrast and I think we're going to see the results of that next week.

COLLINS (voice-over): While Kemp has endorsed Walker, Warnock is directly appealing to Kemp's voters with ads like this one.

WARNOCK POLITICAL AD: At the end of the day, I have to vote for someone that I can trust and that has integrity, and I don't believe that is Herschel Walker.

COLLINS (voice-over): One Georgian who voted for the Republican governor but not the Republican Senate candidate explained to CNN why.

BLAKE BRIESE, GEORGIA VOTER: Just based on the character, the interviews we've had, the type of stuff that Herschel Walker says. I'm of the opinion he'll say pretty much anything to get elected.

COLLINS (voice-over): Walker enjoys strong name recognition from his time as a Georgia Bulldog. But despite winning the Heisman Trophy in 1982, some voters say his accomplishments on the gridiron shouldn't matter at the polls.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm a great fan of Herschel on the football field. He has shown me nothing that would lead me to believe he would be a competent senator.

COLLINS (voice-over): Two voters who are supporting Walker in Tuesday's runoff election say inflation and the economy were top of mind, but not former President Trump's endorsement of Walker.

COLLINS (on camera): Was that a factor?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

COLLINS (on camera): And why not?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because the Republican Party is more than President Trump, OK?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're not all MAGA people.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: That was the sentiment that I heard from other voters there on the ground in Georgia.

We should note we did reach out to the Walker campaign to interview them but they declined.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: What did you leave feeling because you were there one week to the day before the election? COLLINS: Georgia voters are sick of runoffs. They don't -- they've been voting nonstop because they had that runoff --

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.

COLLINS: -- the last time around with David Perdue --

HARLOW: Yes.

COLLINS: -- and Kelly Loeffler. That's what sent Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff to the Senate. They're like we've been --

LEMON: That was just two years ago.

COLLINS: -- we've been voting a lot. We've been very -- exercising our right quite often.

HARLOW: Great piece -- all right.

LEMON: A Buckingham Palace official quitting after questioning whether a Black woman at the palace event was really British. We're going to talk about race and the royals. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL)

[07:37:28]

HARLOW: Welcome back to CNN THIS MORNING.

Coming up, two female prime ministers and one very sexist question from a reporter. How the leaders of Finland and New Zealand turned the tables on a member of the media.

And in a new letter, a January 6 defendant charged with two felonies asking the court for leniency -- writing, in part, quote, "I let one man's rhetoric and lies bring me to a place that couldn't be more far from reality."

And finally, French President Emmanuel Macron set to arrive at the White House this morning. We'll bring that to you live right here on CNN.

LEMON: An honorary member of the Buckingham Palace -- of Buckingham Palace has resigned and apologized after questioning whether a Black British woman was really British at a royal charity event earlier this week. Buckingham Palace did not name the senior official but released a statement saying the individual would like to apologize and is stepping aside.

The British media has identified the woman as Lady Susan Hussey. She served as lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth for more than 60 years and is Prince William's godmother. She's also the widow of a former chairman of the BBC's board of governors, and was portrayed in the latest season of Netflix's show, "THE CROWN."

It has also been reported that she was charged with helping Meghan Markle adjust to royal life. How to be a royal, basically.

So this is just the latest incident involving the royals and race. During a trip to Jamaica -- this was back in March -- Prince William and Kate were accused of reinforcing Colonial values. Their decision to hold a parade wrapped in royal linen and riding in a -- in the same Land Rover that the queen used during a 1962 visit was viewed as tone- deaf.

The Guardian published archived photos -- or archived papers in June of 2021, which reveal that minority immigrants and foreigners were banned from holding certain positions at Buckingham Palace until at least the late 1960s.

And Meghan and Harry cited racism as one of the top reasons why they decided to leave their role as royals. Remember what they told Oprah about what an unnamed member of the royal family had to say about their first child's skin tone -- watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MEGHAN MARKLE, DUCHESS OF SUSSEX: So we have in tandem the conversation of he won't be given security. He's not going to be given a title. And also, concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he's born.

OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: There is a conversation -- hold up -- hold up. Stop right now.

DUCHESS OF SUSSEX: There were several -- there were several conversations about it.

WINFREY: There's a conversation with you --

DUCHESS OF SUSSEX: With Harry.

WINFREY: -- about how dark your baby is going to be?

[07:40:00]

DUCHESS OF SUSSEX: Potentially, and what that would mean or look like.

WINFREY: Ooh.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, joining me now is Trisha Goddard. She's a CNN contributor and host of "The Week With Trisha Goddard." And Emily Nash, a CNN royal commentator and a royal editor at HELLO! magazine. Hello to both of you. She's covering the royal visit, by the way -- Emily -- from Boston. So I appreciate both of you joining us.

Trisha, here we go again --

TRISHA GODDARD, CNN CONTRIBUTOR, HOST, "THE WEEK WITH TRISHA GODDARD": Yes, here we -- LEMON: -- talking about this. Remember, we talked about it during the wedding. We talked about it during the Queen's funeral. This is some deep stuff.

And so, I'm wondering what does this mean? Do you know the person who is involved in this --

GODDARD: Ngozi Fulani, yes.

LEMON: -- Ngozi Fulani?

GODDARD: Yes. She's done some amazing work.

And I think, to me, this whole event was about women and domestic violence. So if somebody asks where you're from you tell them the organization where you're from. But this was sustained questioning.

And a lot of us have been through that, you know. People in the U.K. maybe 20-30 years ago would say where are you from, and I'd say Surrey. No -- where are you really from? I was born in Hackney. No -- where are you really from? And I thought my God, hasn't this conversation ever stopped?

LEMON: So you weren't surprised at all?

GODDARD: No, no. I was shocked but not surprised.

LEMON: And Ngozi Fulani is a credible figure?

GODDARD: Yes, yes -- oh gosh, she is. She's done some amazing work for women in domestic violence situations in the Afro-Caribbean area. And remember, this is what this function was all about.

LEMON: Yes.

Emily, talk to me about Lady Hussey, please. She is Prince William's grandmother (sic). What's your take on this? Or godmother, excuse me -- godmother. Are you surprised by this?

EMILY NASH, CNN ROYAL COMMENTATOR, ROYAL EDITOR, HELLO! MAGAZINE: I am surprised. And it's really shocking in terms of the high-profile nature of the event for the queen consort. This was meant to be a huge moment for her. It's completely overshadowed that. And, of course, it's also really overshadowing what's going on in Boston this week. So the timing of it is terrible.

But moreover, it's just inexcusable. And I think it's very interesting that the palace has been very quick to act this time around. It's possibly a changing of the old guards. This might not have happened, I think, in the previous reign as quickly as it has done.

GODDARD: Agreed.

LEMON: Yes. Because Charles and the queen consort have said that they want to modernize the royal family.

GODDARD: Yes, yes.

LEMON: They want it to be more diverse. And also limit the roles -- the kind of roles that Hussey had as a lady in waiting.

Go on.

GODDARD: Absolutely. And I think with Harry and Meghan in the family, as well, and what they've done, and also with the -- you know, with William and Catherine, they are trying to move things forward. I think they recognize that earlier tour was tone-deaf. They got very quick feedback.

So this quick, out-of-the-gate response from Kensington Palace is actually something very new.

LEMON: There was a denial when Meghan and Harry made their claims, right?

GODDARD: Yes.

LEMON: And then they got a lot of guff in the British press and even the American press from people who --

GODDARD: Yes, yes.

LEMON: -- who were not believing their stories, and basically saying suck it up.

Does this give credence to what Meghan and Harry have been saying?

GODDARD: Well, it gives credence to people who didn't believe before. I mean, there still will be pushback in some areas in the British press. There still is pushback. Remember, we don't have as diverse a press as you have here in the United States.

LEMON: What does that mean?

GODDARD: Well, the journalists in Britain can still use the phrase "uppity" when referring to Meghan and not understand the connotations. I mean, that wouldn't happen as much here.

Our newsrooms are almost exclusively white, apart from sports areas and what have you. So that in itself has problems with the reporting because I think a lot of the reporting about this has been overblown. And even Ngozi Fulani has said the same thing.

LEMON: Yes.

There were -- Emily, people didn't believe a lot of what Meghan and Harry said, especially about the threats made to them. They -- Meghan spoke about it in her interview with Oprah. I want you to listen to it and then I'll get your response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DUCHESS OF SUSSEX: So, I mean, I think there's a reason that these tabloids have holiday parties at the palace. They're hosted by the palace -- the tabloids are. There is a construct that's at play there and because from the beginning of our relationship, they were so attacking and inciting so much racism, really. And it changed our -- the risk level because it went -- it wasn't just caddy gossip, it was bringing out a part of people that was racist in how it was charged.

WINFREY: Yes.

DUCHESS OF SUSSEX: And that changed the threat. That changed the level of death threats. That changed everything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So, this new interview now, Emily, with Britain's Channel 4. It aired on Tuesday. Neil Basu said that threats against Meghan were serious and credible enough that authorities had assigned teams to investigate them. He is a former counterterrorism police chief -- and he is a former now. He's able to speak about it.

NASH: Absolutely. And, you know, it's very shocking to hear about this. We've known for some time that there had been threats made against them. In fact, there have been people successfully prosecuted for making threats against Harry and Meghan.

[07:45:05]

And it comes, I'm afraid, partly with royal territory as well because you do have people who become obsessed with members of the royal family and occasionally these threats arise.

But it's easy to see that there has been this link, unfortunately, with Meghan's race and she has been the target of some vile abuse.

GODDARD: Absolutely.

LEMON: I've got it.

Trisha, I'm going to give you the last word here. So what does this mean? And how are people back, do you think, in the U.K. -- how are they reacting to this? Is there skepticism?

GODDARD: I don't think there is -- people of color are not that shocked. People of color are not that shocked.

And remember, one of the headlines that was first brought out about Meghan when she first joined the royal family was "(Almost) Straight Outta Compton." I mean -- so we aren't surprised at it.

Sadly, I think things are going to change slowly. They are changing but it's going to be a slow process.

LEMON: Listen, I remember -- look, I have eaten a lot of crow in my years on Earth. And so, you and I --

GODDARD: Yes.

LEMON: -- talked about it during --

GODDARD: Yes.

LEMON: -- the wedding and you said Don, this is not really going to change anything.

GODDARD: Yes, yes.

LEMON: I said, yes, but she may make a difference in it.

GODDARD: No, no, no.

LEMON: No.

GODDARD: It'll take a lot longer than this and a lot more than just one person.

LEMON: Yes.

Emily, thank you. Safe travels to you. And thank you very much, Trisha. Appreciate you joining us.

GODDARD: Thank you.

NASH: Thanks, Don.

COLLINS: All right. Up next here on CNN THIS MORNING, a January 6 defendant is now writing a letter asking for leniency because he says he believed former President Trump's lies.

And the understatement of the year from the fallen crypto boss, Sam Bankman-Fried.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAM BANKMAN-FRIED, FORMER CEO, FTX: I mean, look, I've had a bad month. This is not been any fun for me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: It spurred laughter in the audience. But we'll tell you what SBF said about the $32 billion company that plunged into bankruptcy basically overnight.

(COMMERCIAL)

[07:51:04]

HARLOW: Well, there's this. In a new letter, a January 6 defendant who has been charged with two felonies is asking a court for leniency. We'll tell you why with our Paula Reid. She joins us live from Washington this morning. I thought this letter was fascinating.

PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: It is fascinating, Poppy, and it's not the first time we've seen this. Remember, the Justice Department still has hundreds of outstanding January 6 cases, many of which are headed to sentencing, where some defendants have tried to express remorse.

For example, in this letter, George Tenney -- he's scheduled to be sentenced next week for his admitted role in the Capitol attack. And like many defendants before him, he is trying to shift blame onto former President Trump.

Now, prosecutors allege that Tenney played a key role in exacerbating violence at the Capitol. He was the one who forced open the doors of the Rotunda for the first time, allowing approximately 48 rioters to enter. Those rioters, of course, then fanned out throughout the Capitol, destroying property, assaulting police, threatening members of Congress.

Well, Tenney has penned this letter to the judge hoping for leniency. And in it, he takes responsibility for his actions, but he also places blame on Trump, writing, "I let one man's rhetoric and lies bring me to a place that couldn't be more far from reality." He goes on to say, "I did get caught up in the lies and made-up news going around from politicians and celebrities in child sex rings, corruption allegations, supposed communism, to election fraud."

HARLOW: What do you think? I mean, I suppose -- is this -- I don't know if it's a bench trial or up to a judge, or a jury trial -- but, I mean, it's one strategy. Do you think it will work?

REID: I don't.

HARLOW: You're a lawyer. You're a lawyer.

REID: I do -- I do not. I mean, I'll wipe off that dusty law license and tell you it's unlikely. And I say that based on our previous reporting, which is that judges and juries have not been sympathetic to these arguments.

Look, some judges have agreed, yes, Trump bears some responsibility. But they aren't allowing defendants to successfully argue he made me do it.

And government prosecutors here -- they're seeking a 4-year prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to civil disorder and obstruction of an official proceeding. He's scheduled to be sentenced next Monday. But, no -- I don't think this is successfully going to keep him out of prison.

HARLOW: We'll see. It's one tactic but it does speak to a broader, more serious issue of words matter when you're the president --

REID: Yes.

HARLOW: -- and leader.

Thank you, Paula -- Kaitlan.

COLLINS: All right. Finland's Sanna Marin made history this week as the first Finish prime minister to visit New Zealand. She, there, joined New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for a news conference yesterday. And there was a moment that -- I really can't even sum it up. You just have to watch it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: A lot of people will be wondering are you two meeting just because, you know, you're similar in age and got a lot of common stuff there, and when you got into politics and stuff, or can Kiwis actually expect to see more deals

JACINDA ARDERN, PRIME MINISTER OF NEW ZEALAND: (INAUDIBLE).

REPORTER: -- between our two countries down the line? Because there is -- I mean --

ARDERN: My first -- my first question is I wonder whether or not anyone ever asked Barack Obama and John Key if they met because they were of similar age. We, of course, have a high proportion of men in politics -- it's reality. Because two women meet it's not simply because of their gender.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: John Key was, obviously, New Zealand's former prime minister.

Ardern shooting down what some are calling a sexist question by that reporter. She said that they were meeting because they are prime ministers.

For context, they are two of the youngest world leaders. Ardern is 42; Marin is 37.

They're no strangers to questions about their age or their gender. Most recently, you'll remember when Marin faced some backlash just because of videos of her dancing at a private party with her friends. They were leaked without her consent.

But her supporters took to social media at the time, posting their own videos dancing, saying that critics were applying a double standard to her. One of them said, quote, "Why can't she party after work? Do we expect our leaders not to be human beings?"

And when it comes to that press conference, obviously, there's a war in Ukraine, there's an energy crisis, there's a pandemic that's happening. A lot of important topics to talk about.

[07:55:03]

LEMON: All right.

We are just moments away from President Biden welcoming French President Emmanuel Macron. This is the White House. We're going to be there live for you.

COLLINS: Plus, Kevin McCarthy making a plea to his party to stay united as he is trying to find his potential path to the speakership. Whether or not that's in jeopardy, we'll tell you next. (COMMERCIAL)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: France is a vital ally to the United States and this visit demonstrates the strength of our partnership, our friendship, and our cooperation. And truly, all as -- is the background to an enduring relationship between the United States and France.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The vice president and the president there.

Good morning, everyone. It is Thursday, December 1. Welcome to CNN THIS MORNING.

That was the French President Emmanuel Macron in Washington for the first state visit of Joe Biden's presidency.

[08:00:00]