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Senate Could Vote Today on Deal to End Shutdown; Flight Delays, Cancellations Worsen Amid FAA Cuts; Book Chronicles Trump's 2nd Term Focus on Revenge. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired November 10, 2025 - 06:00   ET

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

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AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: Senators take the first steps to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. So how long before it's finally over? CNN THIS MORNING starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ANGUS KING (I-ME): Is there a guarantee it will pass? No.

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CORNISH: Well, Democrats cross party lines with a gamble on health care.

And sweeping pardons. President Trump clears Rudy Giuliani and others who backed his effort to overturn the 2020 election.

And two top news bosses quit over their network's edit of a Trump speech. ABC's Jonathan Karl talks to us about the pitfalls of covering his presidency.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Total had a disaster nightmare.

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CORNISH: Travel, misery and the warning that air traffic could be reduced to a trickle.

And say it ain't so. Two pitchers charged in a Major League Baseball betting scandal.

It is 6 a.m. here on the East Coast. This is a live look at the White House. Good morning, everybody. Yes, it's Monday, November 10. I want to thank you for waking up with me. I'm Audie Cornish, and here's where we begin.

In just a few hours, we could be one step closer to ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. So, eight Senate Democrats broke away from the rest of the party last night, cutting a deal with Senate Republicans. A final Senate vote could happen today, as flight cancellations pile up nationwide and food benefits hang in the balance for millions of Americans.

The deal would reopen the government in exchange for a future vote on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies. Senate Majority Leader John Thune promised that vote will happen by mid-December.

It also reverses federal layoffs made during the shutdown and funds the government through the end of January.

Breakaway Democratic caucus members defended their vote late last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TIM KAINE (D-VA): There was no guarantee we would ever get to an ACA solution.

Now we've got robust SNAP funding and a guaranteed vote -- not a guaranteed outcome, but a guaranteed vote -- on ACA tax credits.

KING: To put people through the pain that they're now in, and yet not achieve the result that you're going for, which is some deal on the ACA, to me, just didn't make sense.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Joining me now in the group chat, Sabrina Rodriguez, national politics reporter at "The Washington Post"; Isaac Dovere, CNN senior reporter; and Catherine Lucey, White House correspondent for Bloomberg News.

So first, I want to give people a sense of the mix of Democrats who came down for this vote, because most of them, they're retiring or they're not up for reelection. So politically, the stakes are not high for them.

But, Isaac, I want to start with you, because the red flag to me was Dick Durbin. He's No. 2 Senate Democrat. He's not going to get involved in this unless leadership in general is like, OK, now it's time.

EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Well, I mean maybe. He's retiring himself. He's done next year.

And he, as the No. 2, voted for the deal. But Chuck Schumer and Brian Schatz, who is seen as the leader in waiting, voted against it. Schatz is very --

CORNISH: Don't they have to? I mean, they're on shaky ground with the progressives in the party.

DOVERE: I mean, they -- they both voted for the deal that was made with Trump in the spring. So, it is a little unclear what happened there.

I do think what you see here going on is something that has been happening within the Democratic Party for these nine plus months of the Trump presidency, which is that there is a divide in the Democratic Party, not over age or ideology. We sometimes talk about that: progressives or not. That's not what is going on.

It is a divide between people who see this as needing to fight --

CORNISH: Yes.

DOVERE: -- and having a posture of fighting, and fighting Trump, and fighting for something; and those who, basically, are approaching this as we need to figure out a way through this, negotiate business as usual, whether it's an emergency situation or not.

CORNISH: Yes.

DOVERE: And that is what is playing out.

CORNISH: The axis of compromise. I want to talk about the folks who are on the end that's more of the fighting: 39 Senate Democrats, right, could still vote against this. Here's some of them.

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SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): I know, as part of this resolution, that the majority leader is going to say, Well, Democrats can create, put together their own bill, and it will come to the floor here in the Senate for a vote.

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As everybody here knows, that is a totally meaningless gesture.

SEN. JOHN HICKENLOOPER (D-CO): I mean, I voted no just because I was so pissed off. I'm just frustrated that -- that you're right. Forty days, and they still -- We gave them every chance to negotiate. A moderate doesn't have to put the whole thing back. And they wouldn't do it.

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CATHERINE LUCEY, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, BLOOMBERG NEWS: I mean, pissed off, I think, is probably an accurate reflection of where a lot of Democrats, both on the Hill and in the country, are this morning.

I think people --

CORNISH: Yes. But is it a meaningless gesture if it ends this thing and people are hurting?

LUCEY: I think that's the calculation that's challenging is, you know, Democrats -- but I think one interesting dynamic to look at was the senators from Virginia who split on this. Obviously, Kaine saying that it was time. They needed to do something.

Warner not -- not agreeing to this deal. And so -- and that's a state that has been, obviously, like all states hit by SNAP benefits, but also the impact on federal jobs there. CORNISH: Yes. Yes, for sure.

LUCEY: So, this is a -- is a tough dynamic for Democrats. But you have a lot of people who felt like we stuck it in here for this many days --

CORNISH: Yes.

LUCEY: -- trying to get something. You saw the election results last week. And they're not --

CORNISH: Which -- it brings me to Republicans, actually, because it could have always ended this way, which is you guys get your vote on this thing. We get our clean C.R. budget resolution. Everyone goes home happy.

This is kind of how it's happened in the past. We promise you we'll vote on this thing later. But they took a really long time to make that offer.

SABRINA RODRIGUEZ, NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER, "THE WASHINGTON POST': I mean, I think it's notable that it's less than a week out from the election, where we saw Democrats perform well across the country and in key states.

We knew that when we saw, you know, the initial conversation was, oh, this can't last too, too long. Like, this -- this will get figured out. You know, that's usually what happens.

And as it started dragging on, then there was more speculation and conversation about, wait, are both parties kind of waiting to see how things shake out in the election to sort of see who has more momentum on their side?

CORNISH: And who is getting blame. It wasn't working out the way people expected.

RODRIGUEZ: And we saw the president for weeks not really say too much about the shutdown, not talk too much or way too much into what needed to be happening. But last week we did see him talk multiple times about him wanting to see moves on this.

Now for him, it started turning into a conversation about the filibuster and wanting to kill the filibuster.

CORNISH: Which is not in here.

RODRIGUEZ: Which is not in there and is not something that Senate Republicans wanted to have to deal with. So, I think for them, that also put them in a position to say, what can we do here that moves the president away from the filibuster and gets us to a place that we can live with?

CORNISH: All right. Before I let you go, I just need to show you guys what's actually in this. First, it would extend the funding through January 30. It's not like

it extends it for the next five years or something like that. We could be back here in January.

But it does fund Food Stamps through the fiscal year '26. It also reverses some federal worker layoffs, which I think is interesting that that's in there.

It doesn't extend healthcare subsidies. As we said, there could be a vote on that, although vote not guaranteed. So, to be continued.

LUCEY: The reversal on the layoffs, I think, is the thing that Democrats will really point to as a win in this deal.

CORNISH: Yes.

LUCEY: There's been a lot of concern about that and the concern about the impact on federal workers.

CORNISH: All right. We're going to talk more about this, this hour. There's actually a lot to discuss. And as we said, that vote could be coming up.

Elsewhere on CNN THIS MORNING, the rise in antisemitism in the GOP. How the fight at one think tank is boiling over into the entire party.

Plus, a botulism outbreak linked to baby formula. The warning for parents.

And a travel nightmare. Thousands of flights cut. But with a deal on the table, will the misery end?

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just terrible. I feel like the American people are being held hostage.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's absurd. I think it's a complete failure of government. And the government is serving itself and not the people.

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CORNISH: OK, so news of a potential deal to end the government shutdown can't come soon enough for air travelers. As of this morning, more than 1,400 U.S. flights already canceled.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fortunately, we're not going to be heading back to Atlanta right now. We are all going to get off the airplane.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CORNISH: Since the FAA ordered a cut in flights Friday, day after day, delays and cancellations piled up. Over the weekend, more than 5,000 flights did not take off, and about 25,000 flights were delayed.

The FAA reduced flights as air traffic controllers go without pay. We're just weeks out from the holiday travel season.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The main thing is not really the wait time. It's just getting home safe.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm a little nervous about that. I know my mind just starts swirling. OK. What are we going to do? What's Plan B?

SEAN DUFFY, U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: It's only going to get worse. I look to, you know, the two weeks before Thanksgiving. You're going to see air travel be reduced to a trickle.

We have a number of people who want to get home for the holidays. They want to see their family. They want to celebrate this great American holiday. Listen, many of them are not going to be able to get on an airplane, because there are not going to be that many flights that fly if this thing doesn't open back up.

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CORNISH: Joining me now to discuss, Chris Gallant. He's a former JFK air traffic controller.

Good morning. Thanks for being with us, Chris.

CHRIS GALLANT, FORMER JFK AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Good morning. Thanks for having me.

CORNISH: So, first of all, did this help, this last couple of days of reducing the number of flights? What are you hearing from air traffic controllers?

GALLANT: I did speak with some of my older coworkers, and the reductions in traffic is significant. It does help.

[06:15:07]

There are the -- I remember working through the 2018 shutdown and just having to deal with figuring out how are you going to handle your child care, how are you going to handle your taking care of your family and being able to afford those things?

By the time you get your second paycheck, you kind of roll into this whole like, what am I doing? And how am I going to be able to survive?

And so, sometimes controllers are having to take leave. You're already talking about a already stressful situation where the staffing levels are very low. And you cut out a couple of controllers, and now your staffing levels are even worse. And it's really significant strain on the system.

It's been a really hard time, and these controllers are going through this really stressful period.

CORNISH: Sean Duffy --

GALLANT: And so just make sure that --

CORNISH: I want to play for you something. Chris, Sean Duffy, he's the transportation secretary. He was talking about these staffing issues that happened even before the shutdown. I think this goes to what you're saying. Listen to this.

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DUFFY: I used to have about four controllers retire a day before the shutdown. I'm now up to 15 to 20 a day, are retiring. So, it's going to be harder for me to come back after the shutdown and have more controllers controlling the airspace.

So, this is going to live on in air travel well beyond the time frame that this government opens back up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: What you said about people being fed up, it sounds like the secretary is saying that's the case, and it could have ripple effects to come.

GALLANT: Absolutely. I got into the FAA in 2014, and at that time, the staffing level was very low. It's even lower now. It's just never gotten better. It's never -- never gone into a direction of positivity. And that's -- that's where the struggle really comes down to.

So, reducing the traffic in these areas that are heavier with -- with -- that have heavier loss of actual controllers, I think it's important to maintain safety.

And that's the biggest thing that the FAA and NATCA, National Air Traffic Controllers Association, focuses on is always paramount priority is safety.

CORNISH: At this point, I don't know if you'd ever go back to this work. But are you getting the sense that people wouldn't want to be an air traffic controller at this point, just based on the uncertainty from government shutdowns and pay?

GALLANT: Well, the biggest thing is, is that I'm actually currently running for Congress in New Yorks 1st District, because Washington, I think, is broken.

And that's where this government shutdown kind of stems from. It's this -- this issue that Republicans and Democrats have not been able to work together. And that's the things that I want to focus on. If I do wind up being unsuccessful, going back to the FAA, I mean, I

loved my job as an air traffic controller. It was a very rewarding profession. I was a union leader there, as well, and I find it to be a very strong family. I really enjoyed the job, honestly.

CORNISH: Chris, before I let you go, then I have to ask: Do you think Democrats should have backed down? Do you agree with this decision to make a deal to end the shutdown?

GALLANT: I think they were reaching a breaking point here. We're at the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. I think that we have to figure out a way to fix the ACA credits and fix the health care for millions of Americans, that the premiums are going to skyrocket. So, we have to focus on what the issue is, and that's -- that's the issue. So, we have to come to the table, and we need to figure it out.

CORNISH: OK. That's Chris Gallant. Thank you so much for your time.

GALLANT: Thanks for having me.

CORNISH: And after the break on CNN THIS MORNING, retribution. The key word of President Trump's return to the White House. And a new book digs into that historic election.

Plus, another gambling scandal, this time in the MLB. Two Cleveland Guardians facing charges.

And good morning to Chicago. An arctic blast bringing heavy snow to the city overnight could see double -digit snowfall totals, which the city actually hasn't seen in nearly five years.

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DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution.

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CORNISH: President Trump continues his mission to rewrite the history of his 2020 election loss, and the January 6th riot at the Capitol.

This morning, a new round of presidential pardons are out, and they include key attorneys Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, for example, as well as Trump's then chief of staff, Mark Meadows. All of them were accused of trying to overturn Trump's 2020 election defeat.

And this comes as the president seeks prosecution against his political foes, whether it's Jim Comey or Letitia James. Also facing multi-million-dollar settlements with news organizations.

Well, a new book claims the running theme of Trump 2.0 has been revenge. It's called "Retribution: Donald Trump and the Campaign that Changed America." That book is by ABC News chief Washington correspondent Jon Karl.

Thank you so much for being here.

JONATHAN KARL, AUTHOR, "RETRIBUTION": Audie, thank you for having me.

CORNISH: So, I want to talk about this big theme in a moment. But first, to these pardons.

I know at least two of the attorneys, they actually pled guilty, right, to crimes, I believe, in Arizona and Georgia. But others like Sidney Powell, they weren't charged with anything. So, what's the point of announcing these pardons for them?

KARL: Well, this seems to be largely symbolic, and it's an effort -- you referred to it. It's an effort that continues unabated by Donald Trump to rewrite the history of the 2020 election and of January 6th.

So, you have not just the slates of alternative or fake electors being pardoned here. You have virtually his entire legal team. As you mentioned, two people who pled guilty. Kenneth Chesebro was actually cooperating in other cases, as well, a cooperating witness. Pardoned, obviously, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell. These were the people that were front and center of Donald Trump's effort to overturn the 2020 election.

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Some of them, dozens of them, had been -- had faced state charges. Obviously, a federal pardon does nothing to erase those. And those cases, by the way, aren't necessarily going -- they've all faced challenges in the courts.

So, unclear why, except to say, look, these people did absolutely nothing wrong. I was justified in what happened in 2020.

CORNISH: You know, it's interesting. The cover image of the book is, I believe, Trump post-assassination attempt, right? With his fist raised. And I feel like, for those who are supporters of the president, they're going to say, look, there are people, quote unquote, "out to get him." He is somebody who has been persecuted or villainized in a way that's been somehow over the top.

How did you think about that image in relation to the story you were trying to tell?

KARL: Well, I picked that image. And I know that image is one that draws extreme emotions, both from his supporters and from people who don't like Donald Trump.

To me, that was the image that was a defining image of the Trump campaign. Because yes, it was the moment that so many of his people pointed to, saying, look, they are out. They are out to get him. They tried to impeach him. They tried to indict him. They tried to convict him. They tried to assassinate him. That was essentially what J.D. Vance said in the -- in the immediate

aftermath of -- of Butler.

But Trump went out there. I describe that moment in detail in the book. I went through Secret Service -- transcripts of interviews with the Secret Service agents that were there. I spoke to a lot of people that were there, did intense reporting on what happened in Butler.

And that is -- that was an extraordinary moment where Trump actually fought off his Secret Service agents to go out there and raise his arm and say, "Fight, fight, fight." And became basically the rationale and the main point that they would -- that they would talk about --

CORNISH: Yes.

KARL: -- when talking about the need for retribution.

CORNISH: One of the things I've been sort of watching the last couple of months is, with the shedding of federal workers, with some of these cabinet officials and the way they've approached things, take the defense secretary and the military. There's kind of like, for lack of a better term, like a de-Baathification. Basically saying, if you are against "us," air quotes, if you are against Trump, you're out.

And are we now going to be in a very hyper-intense version of that going forward, that you basically have to have payback as you are governing?

KARL: I mean, I think that's exactly what you're seeing. And it's not just the people that Trump and the Justice Department, the Justice Department at Trump's instruction, have gone after in a criminal sense. You know, Tish James and James Comey, John Bolton.

It's -- it's going through the entirety of the federal government and weeding out anybody that hasn't proved to be sufficiently loyal to Donald Trump.

I described this happening in the end of the first Trump White House, especially after the election, when Johnny McEntee, who was his head of presidential personnel, was going through and basically conducting loyalty tests to people in the administration. That happened at the end of the Trump administration. That was the starting point for this Trump administration.

In fact, it started before he was sworn in, during the transition, where the No. 1 credential you needed to serve at basically any level in the Trump administration was loyalty to Donald Trump.

CORNISH: Well, Jonathan, thank you so much for talking about your book.

And if you'd like to read his book, it's called "Retribution: Donald Trump and the Campaign that Changed America."

And straight ahead on CNN THIS MORNING, the source of food for millions of Americans up in the air again. Why the Trump administration is ordering states to undo SNAP payments.

Plus, scrubbed and delayed. Today, Blue Origin will try again to launch its mission to Mars.

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