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At Least Five Dead, 1,000 Structures Destroyed As Deadly Wildfires Rage In Southern California; Georgia GOP Expels Trump Critic Geoff Duncan From Party; Today: President Carter To Be Laid To Rest In Plains, Georgia. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired January 09, 2025 - 05:30   ET

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

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[05:32:15]

KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: All right, it's 5:31 a.m. on the East Coast. It is 2:31 out west in the Pacific Palisades. There you can see some of the fires that are still burning out there on the West Coast.

Good morning, everyone. I'm Kasie Hunt. It's wonderful to have you with us.

We do have more now on our top story. At least five people killed, and thousands of homes and businesses destroyed as five major wildfires rage in Los Angeles County. The death toll is expected to rise. The newest fire is the Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills triggering new evacuation orders.

The most destructive fire in Los Angeles history, the Palisades Fire is still scorching the seaside area between Malibu and Santa Monica. It has exploded to more than 16,000 acres with zero containment, destroying at least 1,000 structures.

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GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM, (D) CALIFORNIA: I really am long-term optimistic but the devastation -- to hear people wailing and crying, concerned about their pet and their family -- they're just bewildered about what's just -- what they're experiencing. And again, not just experienced. I'm just not talking past tense. This is happening in real time.

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HUNT: All right, CNN's Marybel Gonzelez is live on the ground in Pacific Palisades. Marybel, good morning. I know you've been on the ground covering this. You and I spoke at this time yesterday.

The scale of this devastation -- the idea that for people in the Pacific Palisades, even if their home perhaps was spared, the entire community has been burned to the ground. There's no schools or libraries to go back to.

MARYBEL GONZALEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kasie. That's right. And, you know, we can just see the level of just damage that this fire has caused in such a short period of time.

We are in the downtown area of Pacific Palisades. We were here not even 10 hours ago and we're driving up this morning and just seeing how much destruction this has left behind.

Right on this block where we're standing, for example, there was one business that was on fire. But as you can see now there's now only one of them standing next to us and that's a veterinary center. This one behind us completely burned down. We're even seeing some small spot flames pop up behind us.

But, you know, this is far from over. Just across the street there's a church that has been completely burned to the ground. We also saw some flareups coming up in a block -- a few blocks over.

And as you mentioned this is devastating for the people here. It's not just these businesses -- these brick and mortar stores -- it's people's livelihoods. It's people's jobs.

[05:35:00]

We spoke to one man yesterday who wanted to see for himself just what had happened to the cafe where he worked -- he had worked and had gone to for many years, and it was burned to the ground.

So we're talking about complete and utter devastation. And as you mentioned the costliest fire in Los Angeles County history here in the Pacific Palisades.

HUNT: Marybel, of course, the winds still pretty high there. Briefly, what do you expect today? Are firefighters going to be able to move to a more aggressive firefighting posture as opposed to just saving lives?

GONZALEZ: You know, that is the hope but right now the two biggest fires are at zero percent contained. We know that those winds are not expected to subside until tomorrow, posing a challenge for firefighters trying to get to these areas that are -- have been the hardest hit. We are not in the clear by any means and we are not out of the woods.

HUNT: All right, Marybel Gonzelez for us this morning. Thanks very much for that report.

Let's turn now to our meteorologist Derek Van Dam. Fierce wind, as we were just talking about, has been fueling these fires. Derek, walk us through what the next 24 hours may look like for the firefighters who are just trying to help what is an absolutely desperate situation.

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well Kasie, this morning I was encouraged to see this -- video of helicopters flying in the sky using their water techniques to help douse the fires on the ridges with the ongoing big -- large wildfires that are still out of control across Los Angeles. Remember, that's the major difference between this time yesterday and what's happening right now. So the winds have relaxed enough for that firefighting aircraft to actually fly because yesterday they were restricted because the winds were too erratic, too strong, and too intense for those aircraft -- fixed-rotor aircraft and helicopters to come in and help with the containment efforts. So that was encouraging for me.

But what does the future hold? What does the next several hours hold? Well, that's so important because we still have our five large, active fires across Los Angeles County, most of them at zero percent containment. You would know about the Palisades, Sunset, and Eaton fire. The Lidia Fire at 40 percent containment. The Hurst Fire at 10 percent. So making some ground there just north of the San Fernando Valley. That's good news.

But the winds unfortunately are going to pick up through the course of the day, so we have another stretch of strong winds not as powerful as yesterday. However, this will fan additional flames and it will continue to blow embers around. That's the concern.

North to northeasterly winds -- that means it blows off shore. Still, our typical Santa Ana wind-prone areas. And then we look towards Friday for real considering -- real relaxation in the winds. So that's when we anticipate the winds to really start to participate in this effort.

Now, the winds have knocked down power for so many people, not to mention the amount of people who have lost electricity because of the ongoing fires. Red flag warnings. No longer a particularly dangerous situation.

But another factor to add on to this is the quality of the air from all of the fires that have been burning. The smoke that has just engulfed Los Angeles is thick, it is palpable, and it is dangerous. So people here are breathing in what I like to consider is toxic smoke, especially if you're in the thick of it. So wearing those masks are so incredibly important if you're in Los Angeles County.

HUNT: All right, good to know. Derek Van Dam for us this morning. Derek, we'll see you later on in the show. Thanks very much for that.

The 18 largest California wildfires on record have all burned in just the past two decades prompting scientists to invent the term "mega fire" to describe fires that act in ways that would have been considered impossible a generation ago.

Our next guest, former Los Padres hotshot firefight Jordan Thomas, is the author of "When It All Burns: Fighting Fire in a Transformed World." And Jordan Thomas joins us now live from Boston. Jordan, good morning to you.

Tell us what your experience was like as you once worked to fight fires like this and what it may mean both in the context of what we are seeing now. I mean, these firefighters are still struggling to start to really contain these -- that they're at zero percent containment -- and what it portends for the future. JORDAN THOMAS, FORMER LOS PADRES HOTSHOT WILDLAND FIREFIGHTER, AUTHOR,

"WHEN IT ALL BURNS: FIGHTING FIRE IN A TRANSFORMED WORLD" (via Webex by Cisco): Hi. Thanks for having me on.

It's difficult to imagine the levels of intensity and exhaustion the firefighters are facing at this moment. The intensity because these are extremely personal fires for people because they're defending their neighborhoods and their communities. And if the firefighters haven't lost something they know somebody who has.

And there's really very little you can do when the winds are this high and when the vegetation is this dry. And exhaustion -- they're facing extreme exhaustion because it's the winter. So this is normally when people would be recovering from what is one of the most difficult jobs on Earth. But instead of recovering they're out fighting wildfires right now.

[05:40:10]

So it's a perfect storm. And what we can expect with the future with climate change is that this -- we can expect to see more of this.

HUNT: Jordan, these firefighters, of course -- I mean, and we were on the air here 24 hours ago at this time covering as this -- covering it as this was -- it had exploded last night. Obviously, those firefighters that have been out there -- some of them are looking at having been out 24-36 going on 48 hours.

What does it look like if you are a firefighter? Is there any chance to rest as this is unfolding? I mean, what are the sheer logistics of trying to keep these lines refreshed?

THOMAS: The firefighters are going to be out there defending what they can until it's -- as long as they need to. People are extremely strapped for resources right now, so it partially depends on where they are.

If they're out in the -- there's three zones that you normally talk about. You have the urban zone, you have the wildland urban interface, and then you have the wildlands, and each on its own will look quite a bit different.

But I think just expanding on this point it's important to broaden out to the bigger context as well and not just think of these as natural disasters but think of these are results of some of our political choices to continue burning fossil fuels and to continue driving climate change, which is putting firefighters in these situations to where they're working all-night shifts or working for nights on end without getting any rest, or working all year round fighting fires instead of having the opportunity to recover.

HUNT: Jordan, what do you think should be the changes that result from what we're seeing here? I mean, we -- there is the question of more resources for the people who are out there that you are talking about that are fighting these fires. But there are, as you also note, political questions, some of which are starting to be answered by insurance companies who are starting to refuse to insure people who live in these areas.

What do you think is the best plan going forward?

THOMAS: That's a really good question and it's a question with a lot of different facets.

I think that one of the most important points that people should keep in mind is that this is a result of climate change and land management, and that these should both be considered together. And what's really important is that you can't just blame California for this land management because over half of California's land is under federal jurisdiction.

So if we want to be managing these lands correctly in ways that don't have these wildfires happening we need federal investment into the public agencies that are managing these lands in California, like the Forest Service. While right now a lot of rhetoric is the opposite where there's a lot of rhetoric about slashing public agencies. If we want to take responsibility for these wildfires we need to take responsibility for our public lands as well, which is over half of California's land.

HUNT: All right, Jordon Thomas for us this morning. Sir, very grateful to have you on the show. Again, Jordan is the author of "When It All Burns: Fighting Fire in a Transformed World." You can get it now if you're interested in learning more about all of this. Jordan, thanks very much.

All right --

THOMAS: Thanks so much for having me.

HUNT: Of course.

All right. Still ahead here on CNN THIS MORNING as Donald Trump prepares to return to office his grip tightening over the Republican Party, and now anti-Trump Republican leaders are paying a price. We're going to speak with Georgia's former lieutenant governor Geoff Duncan who has now been kicked out of his old party.

Plus, the latest on the deadly wildfires raging in Los Angeles County. Firefighters desperately fighting to get them under control at this hour.

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[05:48:20]

HUNT: All right, welcome back.

Donald Trump set to back in the White House in just 11 days, and with Republican majorities in both chambers of Congress, Washington will be firmly under his control.

Across the country Republicans are falling in line. The Georgia GOP voting to oust a Trump critic who was once one of its leaders. In a unanimously passed resolution this week the state party expelled their own former lieutenant governor Geoff Duncan, arguing he undermined Republican candidates and used his affiliation with the party for personal gain. The resolution also bans Duncan from running in any future races as a Republican.

Duncan, who has criticized Trump for his efforts to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results, endorsed Harris in the 2024 race.

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GEOFF DUNCAN, (R) FORMER GEORGIA LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: If Republicans are being intellectually honest with ourselves our party is not civil or conservative; it's chaotic and crazy. And the only thing left to do is dump Trump.

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HUNT: All right, joining us now to discuss is Geoff Duncan, former Republican lieutenant governor of Georgia. Geoff, always wonderful to see you on the show.

Can you talk a little bit about what it was like to learn that this resolution was going forward in the party that you were once a significant leader of?

DUNCAN (via Webex by Cisco): Yeah. I mean, my first thoughts that came across my mind were what took them so long? There's been a growing divide between myself and the Georgia Republican Party for years.

There's been a growing divide amongst many Republicans in Georgia when the party started focusing 110 percent of their efforts on trying to defend a rigged 2020 election -- in their words, not mine -- and committing 100 percent of their financial resources, or a majority of their financial resources to defending folks that were indicted for felony counts. And then the additional issues that continued to parlay from that point.

[05:50:15]

So, no -- no surprise. And quite honestly, badges of honor come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, and this is one of those where I don't want to be associated with a group that thinks that the best direction forward is chaos and confusion.

HUNT: What do you think is the best direction forward? Democrats are doing some introspection, at least, in terms of trying to figure out how to deal with a second Donald Trump presidency. Some of them talking about doing it differently than they did in 2017.

What do you think the best way is to approach President Trump when he comes back?

DUNCAN: Well, I think two parts to that question -- or to the answer.

I think one is it's up to Donald Trump. If he shows up and wants to be a serious leader that takes on some serious challenges and tackles them with a level head, I think there's an opportunity for the Republican Party to kind of heal up and get back on its tracks. But if he continues to be a petulant child and only look to satisfy grievances that him and his family have, then this is going to be a train wreck for four years.

But I think the second part to that answer is that both parties have a leadership problem, right? Republicans have the wrong leader at the head of their party and Democrats have no leader at the head of their party. And so there's this vacuum of genuine leadership.

And this has -- this has been something I've been saying for a long time now. I even wrote a book about it that this vacuum of leadership is just leaving Americans to just, you know, be -- you know, one issue at a time just blowing in the wind.

And we, the people, have got to be more -- you know, more strict with our requirements for who leads us as to giving us exact reasons why we go down these paths. I mean, looking for press conferences to talk about taking over Greenland and trying to merge -- you know, annex Canada, and rename the Gulf -- I mean, these are unserious ideas that don't take us across this -- these serious policy gaps that we have coming across our plate.

HUNT: So speaking of leaders, Geoff, President Biden did an interview with Susan Page of the USA Today -- an exit interview. It's his only print interview.

Now, he did tell Susan Page when -- she asked him directly, "Do you believe that you could have won in November?" And he says, "It's presumptuous to say that, but I think yes, based on the polling..."

And then she jumps in and she says -- and it's this part that really stood out to me. She said, "Do you think you'd have the vigor to serve another four years in office?" And Biden responds, "I don't know. Who the hell knows? So far, so good. But who knows what I'm going to be when I'm 86 years old?"

It strikes me, and I'm curious what you think about that admission considering that he did -- when everyone knew that Donald Trump might be returning as the nominee of the Republican Party and Democrats were casting that as an essentially apocalyptic outcome considering what happened on January 6 -- what they call threats to democracy -- that he went ahead and ran for re-election anyway.

DUNCAN: Well, the position I sit in today is just calling honest balls and strikes sitting in the middle. And the honest balls and strikes call there with Joe Biden is no, he would not have won. I think Kamala Harris was an electoral improvement and gave the Democrats a better chance to beat Donald Trump, but unfortunately, obviously it came up short.

And with regards to his age, I had a conversation with him a few weeks before that debate -- the CNN debate -- and he was very cognitively aware and very charismatic. But obviously when we watched the debate play out, he -- there was a demise that we weren't aware of. And look, the truth of the matter is I don't believe he was prepared

-- physically prepared to be able to lead this country for four more years.

It's unfortunate because if you're now looking back retrospectively I think the campaign for a Democrat to win the White House was lost within hours of him being sworn in in 2021 when he walked back from the Capitol -- or drove back from the Capitol to the White House and signed a stack of executive orders unwinding the border policy, and then waited three-plus years to actually say that was a mistake.

That was huge. That gave a huge marketing opportunity or campaign opportunity to Donald Trump, but also was real. The void at the border was real and felt by Americans in all -- pretty much all 50 states.

HUNT: Yeah.

Briefly, Jeff, I do want to ask you your -- President Carter -- he's, of course, from your home state of Georgia -- he's set to be -- his funeral will be today in Washington. He'll be laid to rest in Plains later on today.

What legacy do you think President Carter leaves?

[05:55:00]

DUNCAN: Yeah. For me, the stories that I constantly hear is he was just a man of faith. He was -- he was not afraid to love his neighbor and do it loudly and proudly. And I think that -- that's a genuine trait that our leaders sorely miss all across our country. And I think Jimmy Carter had a huge heart, and his heart was bigger than his politics, and I don't think that's a bad thing.

HUNT: All right, Geoff Duncan. Very grateful to have you on the show as always, sir. Thank you so much. Hope to see you in person next time you're here in Washington.

DUNCAN: Absolutely.

HUNT: All right. Up ahead here on CNN THIS MORNING Donald Trump's hopes for international expansion as the president-elect reimagines the Western hemisphere. We'll also Republican Congressman Zach Nunn what happens next.

Plus, the latest from Southern California where those wildfires are continuing to tear through Los Angeles County.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This hurts, and it hurts seeing the scale of it. I've lived here in the L.A. area my whole life, 32 years. It's never been this bad. It's apocalyptic.

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