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CNN This Morning
Gunman On The Loose After Killing CEO In "Targeted Attack"; French Prime Minister Forced To Resign; Lake-Effect Snowstorm Hits Midwest And Northeast; Pete Hegseth Vows To Fight On With Nomination In Peril. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired December 05, 2024 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:40]
KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: It's Thursday, December 5th.
Right now on CNN THIS MORNING:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JESSICA TISCH, NEW YORK CITY POLICE COMMISSIONER: We will not rest until we identify and apprehend the shooter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Killer on the loose. Police still searching for the suspect who fatally shot the UnitedHealthcare CEO nearly 24 hours ago.
And this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE HEGSETH, TRUMP PICK FOR DEFENSE SECRETARY: And we're going to fight like hell. There's no reason to back down.
(EBD VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Remaining defiant. Donald Trump's pick to lead the Pentagon, fighting to keep his nomination from being derailed.
And this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLPI)
JEFF BEZOS, AMAZON FOUNDER: If we're talking about Trump, I think it's very interesting. I'm -- I'm actually very optimistic this time around.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: A positive shift. Jeff Bezos, looking ahead to Donald Trump's next term with a positive outlook despite previously butting heads.
(MUSIC)
HUNT: All right, 5:00 a.m. here on the East Coast, a live look at the United States Capitol on this Thursday morning.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Kasie Hunt. It's wonderful to have you with us.
We're going to begin with the ongoing manhunt for the gunman who shot and killed the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, right in the heart of Manhattan, nearly 24 hours ago, before calmly escaping. And I do want to warn you, before we continue, we're about to show you surveillance video of the moments leading up to the shooting. We're not showing the entire clip because its just too disturbing.
(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)
HUNT: Police say that 50-year-old Brian Thompson traveled to New York from Minnesota for his company's annual investor meeting. He was walking to that meeting yesterday when the gunman emerged from behind him and opened fire, immediately after shooting Thompson, the suspect walked quickly across the street and then was picked up by surveillance cameras escaping on a bicycle into Central Park.
Moments before the incident, the masked suspect stopped at a nearby Starbucks providing police with the clearest images so far of his face.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TISCH: Every indication is that this was a premeditated pre-planned, targeted attack.
JOE KENNY, NYPD CHIEF OF DETECTIVES: We're reaching out to law enforcement in Minnesota, and we're also interviewing his coworkers and family members to see if there have been any specific threats against him in the past.
As far as who was he in the hotel with? We're doing a search warrant in his hotel room right now. That might lead us give us some more information.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: And there is this from ABC News this morning. The words "deny", "defend" and "depose" were found on the shell casings discovered at the scene where Thompson was shot.
Matt Fogg is with us now. He is a former member of the U.S. Marshals Special Operation Group.
Sir, thanks very much for being here this morning.
What are the implications of the reality that this man who shot the CEO of UnitedHealthcare e is still on the loose?
MATT FOGG, CHIEF DEPUTY U.S. MARSHALS (RET.): Well, he is -- he's definitely still on the loose. They're trying to find him. So all of the things they're doing -- they're doing through all the investigative tactics, tactics, everything they know of, try to figure out you know, last surveillance, where he went all of the things that he was doing before, you know, he actually did the shooting.
HUNT: Yeah, I guess my -- my question is it seems remarkable in this day and age, considering the amount of surveillance and the level of information that we do have, that this person is still out there.
So it seems as though he got on a bicycle, escaped into Central Park. They're looking at some of the data from Citi Bike even which is the company that provides these public bicycles in the in the city of New York to try to see if they can identify a bike. He may have been on.
What do you think is perhaps the most promising piece of evidence that police have right now, as they continue to try to find him?
FOGG: I would say Starbucks. What he did at Starbucks, if they can just backtrack, it's like a puzzle. They backtrack it all the way back the way he went, all of his steps, if they can do that.
But that Starbucks is key because DNA, anything they can get out of that they can identify him. That's the key, right now.
HUNT: Is it still true that the farther we get from were nearly 24 hours right from when this happened, the longer it goes without finding him, the harder it might be to find him or not?
[05:05:04]
FOGG: No, I think right now its trying to identify him. And I think right now, they've got information probably not even given us on the media because they want to make certain that they cannot nail this thing down. This man had a cell phone. Maybe it's possibly if that if that is true, they will find him.
But the bottom line is the Starbucks is just trying to actually just identify him. And then that's when you can start all of your tactical operations, on how to locate him.
HUNT: The initial thought was that this was someone who was very professional, his face was covered, the clothing that he was wearing seemed to be easy to change. He had a backpack.
FOGG: That's right.
HUNT: But then there have been some things found at the scene that suggest maybe he was more of an amateur than they initially thought. The phone that was left, what is -- do you think this is someone who is very practiced at doing this kind of thing.
FOGG: Well, the fact that he had a silencer and the fact that he targeted this man and it was premeditated says to me he might have been even a hired gunman. We just don't know, but the reality is, is he knew what he was doing.
He knew exactly what he was doing and he waited. He stalked him and he shot him. So the bottom line is I think he's -- he's an expert. He knows what he's doing. So that's what they're going on.
HUNT: All right. Matt Fogg for us this morning -- Matt, thank you very much for being here I appreciate it.
FOGG: Thank you.
HUNT: All right. Straight ahead here on CNN this morning, turmoil in France. The prime minister forced from office after pressure from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
Plus, could Jeff Bezos become a Trump ally during his second term in the White House?
And Pete Hegseth's full court press against the allegations that threaten his pursuit to be defense secretary.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY KIMMEL, COMEDIAN: Pete Hegseth says these are all lies, and he's also promised that if he gets confirmed by the Senate, he will stop drinking. But if not, he's storming the Capitol grill at happy hour.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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[05:11:20]
HUNT: All right. Welcome back.
French Prime Minister Michel Barnier ousted by the country's parliament just three months into his term, throwing France further into political turmoil.
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YAEL BRAUN-PIVET, FRENCH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT (through translator): Due to the adoption of the motion of censure and in compliance with Article 50 of the Constitution, the prime minister has to tender to the president the resignation of the government.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Lawmakers on both the left and right, supporting a no confidence motion, the first successful vote of its kind since the early 1960s.
Barnier is facing backlash over an attempt to ram through part of his annual budget earlier this week. French news outlets reporting he is set to formally resign this morning, making him France's shortest serving prime minister in history. His cabinet is expected to serve in a caretaker capacity until new leadership is named by French President Emmanuel Macron. Macron is scheduled to address the nation later today.
With all this, let's bring in CNN international anchor Max Foster.
Max, good morning to you. Can you help us understand some of the dynamics at play here and how
the right wing, in particular in France is driving some of the dynamics?
MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: So we had some European elections and the far right did extremely well in them for the -- for the country of France. President Macron decided to assert himself by calling a snap election, which just didn't go the way that he expected.
Not only did the far right do better than expected but so did the far left, and he's caught in the middle as a centrist. And he refused to negotiate who he was going to appoint as prime minister. He forced Barnier into that job, and the left and the right, bizarrely, have come together to oust the prime minister.
This is really not so much a story about Barnier, who you see there. It's really about Macron and what he did with this snap election, forcing a prime minister on the country. He's now been ousted.
So the big question is what this means for Macron. All eyes on that national address today. He's not a popular president. He's got some explaining to do.
HUNT: So, Max, we heard from Marine Le Pen who many will know as the face of the right in France. Let's listen to what she had to say about Macron specifically. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARINE LE PEN, PARLIAMENTARY LEADER, FRANCE'S FAR RIGHT "NATIONAL RALLY" PARTY: I am not pushing for. I am not asking for the resignation of President Emmanuel Macron. I am saying there will come a moment when, if we don't take the route of respecting the voters and political forces and elections, well then the pressure on the president will, of course, be stronger and stronger. But he's the only one who will make the decision who will have the last word on whether he wants the French people to vote again before 2027, or whether he wants to stay in the horse at any price, so to speak.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: What do you make of how she's framing this in this moment? And how does this turmoil that she's discussing there play in more broadly to the way things are changing in Europe?
FOSTER: Well, it's fascinating seeing how she's handling this. I think she's very much trying to come across as a statesperson. So someone that could potentially be president, the, you know, the speculation is that she never wanted to be prime minister. If that was offered to her, she would want to be president. She would make the leader of her party the prime minister.
And she's speaking in this sort of language. You don't really associate with her. She's not calling for him to resign but she is really calling for him to resign. And the reason she's couching it in that way is because he can't be forced out. The president isn't -- can't be forced out by parliament in the way the prime minister is.
So he needs to resign.
[05:15:02]
And she's basically appealing to him to do that. As you know, Kasie, definitely not his style. Everyone's expecting him to ride it out until 2027, but you know, he's under immense pressure.
And the reason this matters is because France is central to the European Union, as is Germany both countries are in political crises. A snap election also being held in Germany, and you've got the two most powerful countries in the European Union weakened and unable to deal with bigger issues, frankly, right now, like Ukraine or dealing with the new Trump administration, who appears to have it in for the European Union. So it has a huge impact.
HUNT: It really does.
All right. Max Foster for us this morning -- sir, always grateful to have you. Thank you for being here.
All right. Still to come here on CNN THIS MORNING, a massive Manhattan manhunt. The suspect who gunned down the UnitedHealthcare CEO still on the run, but he left a few clues at the scene.
Plus, Trump's pick for defense secretary back on Capitol Hill today. Pete Hegseth meeting with senators as he denies new reports of alcohol abuse at work.
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[05:20:37]
HUNT: All right. Twenty minutes past the hour. Here's your morning roundup.
Jury deliberations resume in just a few hours. And the New York City subway chokehold trial. Former Marine Daniel Penny facing manslaughter charges in the death of former street performer Jordan Neely. His defense argues he was trying to protect the other people on the train.
The Supreme Courts conservative supermajority appears ready to allow Tennessee's law banning gender affirming care for minors. During oral arguments Wednesday, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh suggesting the issue should be left up to legislatures, a decision expected by July.
The Russian woman accused of stowing away on a Delta flight from New York to Paris, now in FBI custody. She is due in court today after being returned to the U.S. yesterday. It is still unclear how the 57- year-old avoided TSA checks to sneak onto the flight last week. She is expected to face at least one federal charge.
All right. Time now for weather. The Great Lakes, parts of the Northeast, getting hit with more snow. The eastern part of the country seeing a drastic drop in temperatures.
Lets get to our meteorologist, our weatherman, Derek Van Dam.
Derek, good morning. It is, in fact, cold this morning.
DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yeah. Good morning, Kasie.
And were dealing with a clipper. We've been talking about this now for the past couple of days. It came in hard. It came in fast, and we're feeling it this morning. And that means conditions are going to be treacherous, especially for some of those northern New England interior regions.
So here's a look at the latest winter weather alerts. And I want to point out what's just been issued by the national weather service. This is a blizzard warning for Erie, Pennsylvania, just off of Lake Erie. The winds there whipping. Of course, we're getting that lake enhancement with the snowfall.
But also in combination with this clipper that's moving through, it's going to be near whiteout conditions for that area, and along the I-90 -- Interstate 90 corridor right here that had such travel troubles last week from the lake effect snow event.
So this is the storm system moving through. The majority of this is rain right near the coastline. But you work your way just a couple of miles inland. It is cool enough and high enough elevation where this is wet snowflakes that are falling from the sky. Even along the Boston area, the Massachusetts turnpike into the I-90 corridor.
This is an area that could see some slick spots this morning, but it's not really accumulating too quickly. Another quick 1 to 2in of snowfall on the on the ground, but higher elevations could see certainly more than that now.
Temperatures here really warm enough for rainfall. You can see New York to Washington. So, with this system moving through, but Boston flirting with that freezing mark. That's why we have that light snow mixing in at times.
But, of course, behind it, the big story, the wind that is dropping our wind chill values into the single digits and lower teens. It is very, very cold. So, bundle up as you head outside this morning.
Again, the additional snowfall for this area, 1 to 3 inches in general. There is a windy day ahead of us across the Northeast. It is cold. It is chilly.
Be prepared, windy as conditions settle in by this evening for New York -- Kasie.
HUNT: All right. Good to know. Derek Van Dam for us this morning -- Derek, thank you. I'll see you next hour.
VAN DAM: Okay. All right. HUNT: All right. Still ahead on CNN this morning, another one of the
world's richest men optimistic about a second Trump term. Why Jeff Bezos believes the Trump White House will be different this time.
Plus, Trump's choice for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth remaining defiant in the face of the growing list of allegations against him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HEGSETH: What you're seeing right now with me is the art of the smear. It is the classic art of the smear. There's no reason to back down. Why would we back down?
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[05:28:49]
HUNT: All right, 5:28 a.m. here on the East Coast. It's 4:28 a.m. in Dallas, Texas, where we find this beautiful live shot this morning.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Kasie Hunt. It's wonderful to have you with us.
Donald Trump's choice to lead the Department of Defense remains in peril on Capitol Hill. In the face of allegations of past sexual misconduct, alcohol abuse and financial mismanagement at veterans groups. But amid all of those allegations, Pete Hegseth remains defiant and says the president elect is telling him to keep fighting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HEGSETH: Hey, Pete, I got your back. It's a fight, they're coming after you. Get after it. We're going to fight like hell.
There's no reason to back down. Why would we back down?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Hegseth is also denying that he has ever had a problem with excessive drinking.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HEGSETH: First of all, I've never had a drinking problem. I don't, I've never -- no one's ever approached me and said, oh you -- you should really look at getting help for a drink. Never. I've never sought counseling, never sought help. I respect and appreciate people who do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: But new reporting Wednesday night from "The Washington Post" cites several employees from his time as a fox news host that seemed to undercut those claims. They write this, quote: Hegseth had a reputation as a heavy drinker, according to six former Fox News employees who worked directly with Hegseth and saw him drinking on the job or visibly drunk at work events.
