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Crowds Gather for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC; Rain and Snow Headed for East Coast; Trump Transition Team says Several Cabinet Picks Targeted by Threats; Mexico's President Denies Trump Claims over Southern Border. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired November 28, 2024 - 06:00   ET

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

[06:00:30]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: It's Thursday, November 28th. Happy Thanksgiving.

Right now, on CNN THIS MORNING, giving thanks, with family, food, football and parades. America taking a time out from the chaos of the world to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Tumultuous transition. Aide of Donald Trump's picks allegedly targeted by bomb threats and swatting, none of them being protected by the Secret Service.

Ceasefire holding. With this week's deal between Israel and Hezbollah. We'll talk to the parents of an Israeli hostage held in Gaza. They're hoping the next step is the return of their son.

It is 6:00 a.m. here on the East Coast. A lot of clouds there in Seattle. Look at that. Live. Look at Seattle, Washington, where thick clouds are blanketing the city. It is 3:00 a.m. there on the West Coast.

Good morning, everyone. I'm Jim Acosta in for Kasie Hunt. Thank you for joining us on this Thanksgiving morning.

In just a couple of hours from now, the Macy's Day Parade will kick off as families across the country get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving. And right here on CNN, we'll be giving you a front row ticket to the biggest parades across the country with our inaugural "Thanksgiving in America" coverage starting at 8 a.m. Eastern.

Experts are predicting record travel numbers this holiday, with almost 80 million expected to either fly or drive. According to AAA. So hopefully you've made it to your destination because depending on where you live, rain and cold temperatures might make you want to stay inside. Certainly, the case here in Washington.

Tracking it all for us is CNN's Brynn Gingras in New York. And meteorologist, Allison Chinchar, live in Atlanta.

Brynn, I think let's start with you first. The umbrella there tells a story. Where do things stand right now with the weather and the security preparations for the parade this morning?

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Happy Thanksgiving, Jim. Believe it or not, the destination for some of the people is here, right along this parade route. And they're already here. And that parade does not begin for, you know, a couple hours at 8:30 this morning. Our coverage, of course, at 8:00 a.m.

But look, it is raining, but people are excited to be a part of the most iconic event in -- for this holiday, right? The Macy's Day Parade.

Let me get out of the way real quick so you guys can see Tom the turkey. He is here on this West Central Park, west here in New York City. He is, of course, the first float to come down this parade 100 years ago. Can you believe that? That was when the first Macy's Day Parade happened here in New York City. This is the 98th parade, and it's going to be a celebration. Despite the rain. I will say, Jim, I've covered this parade several times and this is the worst weather that I've experienced, but it's going to be incredible.

ACOSTA: Oh no.

GINGRAS: And when I talk about people -- and when I talk about -- listen. I talk about people who are along the parade route. We're kind of further up just so we can show you Tom the turkey further down.

There have been people here. Get this. Since 4:30 this morning, you can see some people lined up here. One woman I talked to from Salt Lake City dragged her kids out here at 4:30 in the rain. I said, is this the first time that you've ever been to the parade? Are you excited? And she's like, this is our second. And oh, by the way, the last time it poured as well. So they don't exactly have the best luck. But it's going to be exciting, of course.

Our coverage starts at 8:00 a.m. with Erica Hill and John Berman. It's going to be a blast. And you know what? We're just -- we're just going to get wet. It's OK. It's a great day to watch the parade from inside the comfort of your home and watch us get wet and enjoy it out here.

ACOSTA: Yeah.

GINGRAS: And we will show you everything, guys

ACOSTA: Yes, live TV. Just got to roll with it, right?

And, Allison, how could the weather --

GINGRAS: Got to roll it.

ACOSTA: Yeah, you got to roll with it. Maybe those parade floats will shield you from the rain a little bit. And, Allison, how could the weather impact Thanksgiving plans for folks today?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yeah, that's right. Now it is raining where I am too. I'm a little bit more fortunate than Brynn. I'm underneath the tent, which is the only thing that's saving me now. We're here in Atlanta. The half marathon is about to start behind me. Maybe just about an hour and a half from now. This is the largest half marathon in the country to take place on Thanksgiving Day. They have nearly 12,000 people signed up to race today. Either in the half marathon, there's a 5k, there's even a little 50-yard dash for the little ones to maybe break a sweat before they go and fill their stomachs up with all that food this afternoon.

But yes, any last-minute travelers are likely going to contend with some rain showers, especially in the eastern half of the country. We've got rain extending not just here in Atlanta, but it goes all the way up to Maine. Essentially Maine back down through Mississippi. We've got those rain showers going on right now. So that includes, yes, Atlanta, portions of the Carolinas, Virginia, Pennsylvania and into the northeast.

[06:05:02]

And yes, that also does include New York City, where, yes, they're starting to see those showers begin to pick up. It's going to be off and on throughout much of the morning. So you may get some lighter waves. You may get some heavier waves. But the real question is the forecast for the Macy's Day Parade itself.

Yes, there were showers. Yes, it's going to be on the cool side, but we're not expecting snow in the city of New York. So just going to be a little bit of a cool rain right there. Snow, however, is expected for other areas of interior northeast, especially when you start getting up into the white and green mountains. You could be looking at as much as a foot of snow total to fall there. Some of the lower elevations, still going to see several inches of snow.

Now the rest of the country, actually some pretty nice spots out there. So if you waited to travel but you live in the Central U.S. or maybe out in the west, Jim, conditions should be much, much better in those areas than we're seeing here in the east.

ACOSTA: All right, some good news out there. But folks on the East Coast just going to have to take your time today. Happy Thanksgiving to Allison and Brynn. Thanks so much. We really appreciate it. We'll check back in with you.

Straight ahead on CNN THIS MORNING. Violent threats. The transition team says several of Trump's top picks for his second administration targeted with bomb threats and swatting. Plus, how a stowaway successfully boarded a flight from New York to Paris during the holiday travel blitz.

And Thanksgiving in America. Time for food, friends, football and family, for millions around the country. CNN spoke with singer and songwriter, Andy Grammer, about what's important to him during this holiday season.

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[06:11:10] ACOSTA: This morning, the FBI is investigating a rash of threats against Donald Trump's picks to lead his incoming administration.

CNN has now confirmed eight people chosen for cabinet roles have been the targets of bomb threats or swatting incidents in recent days. Trump's choice for Defense secretary is among those threatened. He posted about it -- posted about what happened on social media. Pete Hegseth said on X, "a police officer arrived at our home -- where our seven children were still sleeping. The officer notified" my -- "my family and I that they had received a pipe bomb threat targeting me and my family."

Forgive me. Just trying to read that there.

"He adds that the threat has been cleared."

"I will not be bullied or intimidated. Never."

Meanwhile, after President Biden was briefed on the incidents, the White House said the administration, "unequivocally condemns threats of political violence."

Joining us now for the latest on the transition and the transition of the latest there that's happening is CNN's Steve Contorno in West Palm Beach, Florida. Steve, what's the latest? Good morning.

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Good morning, Jim. Happy Thanksgiving.

The latest that we know is that on Tuesday evening through Wednesday morning about eight -- at least eight members of Donald Trump's incoming cabinet received similar threats to the one that Pete Hegseth described in that message. You just read.

And it includes Trump's picks for Agriculture secretary, Brooke Rollins, U.N. ambassador, Elise Stefanik, his onetime pick for attorney general, Matt Gaetz, Lee Zeldin his choice to lead the EPA, HUD -- incoming HUD secretary, Scott Turner, his choice for CIA director, John Ratcliffe, as well as his choice for Labor secretary, Lori Chavez-DeRemer.

And what we know at this point is that none of these incidents proved to be actual threats. It was, as you said, threats of pipe bombs as well as swatting. Swatting is when you call the police saying that there's some sort of activity going on at a residence, hoping that the police show up with guns drawn. And it's a very scary situation.

It's also, unfortunately, a phenomenon that has become increasingly common in our -- in our political environments. Many of Trump's political enemies over the years and political foes have also been on the receiving ends of these pipe bomb threats and swat threats, including special counsel, Jack Smith, for example.

Now, the FBI did tell us that they are taking these threats seriously. And they encourage the public to report anything that they see immediately if they have any information. ACOSTA: And, Steve, just this week, the Trump transition team signed a transition agreement with the White House. But one name is notably absent from the ethics pledge. What do we know about that?

CONTORNO: Yeah, that name is Donald Trump.

We talked to ethics experts who said when they reviewed the -- the memorandum of understanding and the ethics pledge that was put forward by the Trump transition team, it does not cover the president himself. And here's why that's important.

There were so many questions in the first time Trump ran for president about how he would untangle his personal wealth from the office of the presidency, and he took some nominal steps toward that. Well, this time he has not even said if he would do anything close to what he did the first time, which itself raised questions about whether it was enough to disentangle himself from potential conflicts of interest. And he has really only even added to the potential conflicts during this campaign.

He has launched a multibillion-dollar social media and technology company. He has been hawking products and licensing -- with licensing agreements with companies of unknown origins. He has launched a crypto industry company with his sons. And while he at the same time, he is promising to unleash the cryptocurrency industry and there's no way to know how the steps he is taking wouldn't benefit his family.

That kind of information would be explained by some sort of ethics arrangement or some sort of agreement that that announces how he intends to distance himself from his financial holdings.

[06:15:08]

But we have not received that from the former president and president- elect, and we are getting that from his incoming cabinet at this point, but still not from him. Jim?

ACOSTA: OK. Steve Contorno in West Palm Beach. Thank you very much.

Our panel joins us now for more on everything going on with the Trump transition. Scott Jennings, CNN political commentator, former special assistant to President George W. Bush. Bakari Sellers, CNN political commentator, former South Carolina state representative. And Leah Wright, CNN political historian and associate professor of history at Johns Hopkins University.

Guys, thanks so much for being with us. Happy Thanksgiving.

Bakari, let me start with you. Last night, Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma reacted to these threats. Seemed to blame the Biden administration. Let's listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARKWAYNE MULLIN (R-OK): It's extremely concerning. And at the same time, President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, they're going to have to come forth and tell their group to calm down, to not take it this far, because they're the ones that fed the fire, and they're also the ones that can kill the fire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Bakari, what do you think about that?

BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I mean, its ignorance is more ignorance coming from Markwayne Mullin. I believe that the fact is we need to figure out where these threats are coming from before you go out blaming one side or another. We have no idea who is perpetrating these threats.

I can say just resoundingly, just as the president of the United States has said, that these threats have no place in our discourse, have no place in our democracy. And -- and need to be stamped out but to come on TV, to come on national TV or Fox News or anywhere else and say that your group is doing x, y or z without knowing who is doing what is irresponsible.

And what -- what -- what he's talking about is the same type of rhetoric that needs to stop. We go back and forth with this both sides of what rhetoric needs to be done this time, and who said what when where, how.

But as a United States senator, you have to have some responsibility and let's at least figure out where these are coming from. Let's figure out who's perpetrating them. Let's let law enforcement do their job. And let's let the president lead, as he did with his comments. And quotes.

ACOSTA: Yes. Scott, what do you think about that?

SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I mean there's a long history for the last several years of people trying to do stuff to Republicans and conservatives. Go back to the congressional baseball shooting. Steve Scalise got the crazy person who tried to kill Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Of course, Donald Trump was nearly assassinated during the campaign.

So I agree with Bakari. I don't know where they're coming from, but I do know that we have the climate in this country that has somehow, over the last several years, led to several conservatives and Republicans being targeted with these kinds of swat things, or with actual violence.

So I'm not happy about it honestly, as a Republican, I don't like it that these people have been -- had their names put forward for public service, and now they are immediately being treated this way. So I hope folks calm it down and whoever is doing it stops doing it. Because when you have this kind of climate, it's -- it's supposed to instill fear, and it's supposed to keep people from wanting to step forward and serve our government. And it's pretty darn despicable. So I hope they stop.

ACOSTA: And, Leigh, what do you make of the Trump transition team? Steve Contorno, we just talked about this a few moments ago. This ethics pledge that apparently excludes the president-elect himself.

LEIGH WRIGHT RIGUEUR, CNN POLITICAL HISTORIAN: Well, I don't think that I'm very surprised about the president-elect being excluded from an ethics pledge.

First of all, I think if we think about when the -- the ethics pledge actually came into action it comes about because there are a lot of questions about Donald Trump's business dealings and he does it in part to relieve the American public of these questions about business dealings, about very large investments.

But a lot has changed in the last four years. An incredible amount has changed in the last four years, including that there are certain protections around the office of the presidency, irrespective of who is president of the United States, that allows for certain criminal protections or legal -- legal protections of presidential privilege.

So in this case there may not actually be a need for Donald Trump to sign an ethics pledge. And I'm sure that his cabinet is considering this right now. The rest of his cabinet, the rest of the transition team doesn't have those same protections. They don't have the same legal framework that that has been, you know, pounded out in court.

And so, I think I would be -- I would pay very close attention to what is going on with Donald Trump's business dealings, especially the ones around the media holdings and media companies. Truth Social, in particular, has made a lot of money just in the last month alone.

So I would pay very, very close attention to this but also recognize that we are entering into a very, very different legal and political landscape, one in which there are -- there are new kinds of protections around presidential privilege, executive privilege, the executive privilege of the office. And we may actually be seeing Donald Trump take advantage of that.

[06:20:04]

ACOSTA: And Bakari, I did want to ask you about this, this back and forth between Trump and the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum. This week, Trump posted on Truth Social that the president of Mexico has agreed to stop migration through Mexico and into the United States, effectively closing our southern border.

President of Mexico seemed to push back on that characterization, writing in part, we reiterate that Mexico's position is not to close borders but to build bridges between governments and between peoples.

Bakari, I mean it -- it was interesting when -- when Trump came out with that -- that post. He made it sound as though he had solved the immigration crisis and what's happening down at the border. And -- and the president of Mexico had a very different characterization.

SELLERS: Yeah. And I just think that that this is going to be somewhat typical of the next four years of the Trump administration. It's something that we see on X a lot, where -- which has really become this, this kind of -- very in terms of intellectual honesty, very shallow. But President Sheinbaum, in her response, ran circles around the incoming 47th president of the United States talking about the agreements that Mexico has already made and the reduction that we've seen of border crossings and the things they're already doing. And she's going to be more than a formidable foe for Donald Trump.

But I would -- I would tell people who are watching and sometimes we don't do this. But Donald Trump is going to claim credit and then send a tweet out without actually doing anything. And claiming some victories or success. That is who he is and that's who he's always been. He has not solved anything yet. Although he's claimed victory.

And so this is going to be something that's happening. And this is why journalism matters. And people like you matter, Jim. Because you're going to have to turn the page and be able to show people that. Look, I mean, just because you tweeted and say it, doesn't mean anything. I tweet the fact that I should be in the NBA all the time, but I am not there.

ACOSTA: Yeah. I would love that too. I would love to be in the NBA.

But Scott, you know, let me ask you -- does this mean that if we start to see -- you know, migration coming across the border during a second Trump term, that that means that this, this tweet from him is this post is no longer operative. What does that -- what does that mean? Does that mean he didn't solve it, or she didn't solve it? What does that mean?

JENNINGS: I'll tell you what this whole thing means to me. First of all, it was interesting to hear Bakari describe the president of Mexico as a formidable foe. I don't think we ought to have to think of Mexico as a foe, although we currently should, because they've been a terrible neighbor. And I think he got her attention this week with his threat of tariffs. And she clearly hopped on the phone with him. And that's a good thing.

She needs to pay attention to Donald Trump, and they need to pay attention to the United States. They have an important economic relationship with us, but they've been a terrible neighbor, and they do need to do more in terms of migration and drugs. This poison comes across the border. It kills Americans.

And so, I'm glad they talked. And I know that they're both doing their own public posturing for their own political purposes, but they have an important role to play. And I don't think they've done near enough to do what they can do to help the United States solve this crisis.

So we'll see how it turns out. But there's -- there's a lot of things yet to happen. Trump hasn't even taken office yet, and he's already got the attention of both Mexico and Canada in a way that I don't think Joe Biden ever did.

ACOSTA: But, Leigh, I guess -- well, Bakari, if you want a quick response to that.

SELLERS: Oh, yeah -- it's Leigh -- I think that irresponsible fiscal policy is something that well be able to discuss for a long period of time. If anybody thinks 25 percent tariffs on anything is good policy. And yes, she is a formidable foe. It's a colloquialism that means somebody who's going to be able to go back and forth with the president of the United States, not any type of other characterization. But Scott knows that.

ACOSTA: And, Leigh, I guess just go back to you finally on this.

I mean the flip side of this is that when Trump comes into office, if these tariffs do go into effect, I mean, the president of Mexico has threatened to retaliate. We could have a trade war at the beginning of this new administration, which could have a pretty serious effect on -- on inflation in this country. And that's what a lot of economic experts are saying right now. What do you think?

RIGUEUR: Exactly. And I think one of the things that we're seeing right now is a little bit of saber rattling and a little bit of, I think to -- to Scott and Bakari's point is a little bit of posturing and that the ultimate outcome is that nobody really wants a trade war, nobody wants a tariff war, nobody wants to be, you know, clearly the American public was very, you know, very open and very transparent that they are tired of really high inflation.

And that also includes inflation that went into effect roughly around 2019 from earlier tariffs that were put into place that the Biden administration didn't overturn, but also contributed and gotten worse due to the global pandemic. So I honestly think that part of what this is designed to do is to create, you know, a leverage moment, a moment of negotiation. And they're putting the cards on the table before Donald Trump has even gotten into office.

[06:25:08]

What I would really be curious to see ultimately, is where the negotiation ends up in large part because Donald Trump does not want massive inflation. He just doesn't. It's not a politically good thing. It's also economically not a good thing.

ACOSTA: Right.

RIGUEUR: So what does the actual breakdown look like in the end.

ACOSTA: Yeah. That is the key question in all of these. But in the meantime, Scott, Bakari, Leigh, thank you so much. Happy Thanksgiving guys, really appreciate it. Thanks for getting up.

(CROSSTALK)

SELLERS: Thank you.

RIGUEUR: Happy Thanksgiving.

ACOSTA: Happy Thanksgiving. All right. Still ahead on CNN THIS MORNING. A theme park nightmare for any roller coaster fan. We'll show you the scary moment from this weekend. Plus, plenty of turkey and side of sports this Thanksgiving. We have a preview of all the action coming up. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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