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Epstein Survivors Speak on Capitol Hill; Trump to Welcome Saudi Crown Prince to White House; Gaza Reacts to Security Council Passing U.S.- backed Plan; House Speaker Will Vote for Releasing Epstein Files; Trump Suggests Striking Drug Facilities in Mexico and Colombia; AI Could Help Air Traffic Controllers with Certain Tasks. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired November 18, 2025 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
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TERESA HELM, EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: -- to get spoken over and drowned out by the political darts whizzing by. Not today, though. Today our truth and our
power has steadily risen up. We are at the peak. Our voices prevail today.
Our voices initiated the coming together of both political parties. That's pretty big, I think. Republicans and Democrats, we all stand together
today. We all stand together for justice.
And we must continue to do so to protect the integrity of our country and our democracy. Truth and justice must prevail. The children today are those
that will lead this nation one day. Think about that.
What does that mean to each of you?
If anyone doubts that this does not directly contribute to the fate of our country and democracy, I challenge you and I urge you to think again. Our
voices are a fundamental pillar of future generations. Today, that's what we stand here for, accountability, action and justice.
Let's get this vote done today. Let's send it through the Senate and straight to president Trump's desk for signing. I'd like to be there that
day that he signs. I'm sure all of us would like to be there.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
HELM: Today is a good day and let's keep moving forward. Thank you so much.
HALEY ROBSON, EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: I just want a hug.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.
ROBSON: Hey, guys. We're actually pressed for time, so we are not going to be taking questions. Going further, I bring back Ro Khanna. He's going to
do closing conversation and comments.
REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA), OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE: Well, thank you, Haley.
Teresa is right. It's pretty big, what the survivors have accomplished today. And I just want to say how eloquent, strong and admirable they were.
Let's give them a round of applause for their courage.
(APPLAUSE)
KHANNA: Thomas and Marjorie and I will take a few questions from people who haven't go ahead.
(CROSSTALK)
KHANNA: Go ahead.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Talk to me.
KHANNA: That's been a red herring all along. The survivors have always been in favor of this legislation. And there's a provision in there you can
read, if you would just read it, that protects them. Now if he wants to offer more --
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: Right, "This is not a hoax and we will not be erased."
Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein have been speaking directly to U.S. lawmakers ahead of a vote in the House later today on a bill that will compel the
DOJ, the Justice Department, to release all of the Epstein files.
Many of those survivors speaking for the first time about the sexual and mental abuse that they suffered as teenagers, some of them holding up
pictures of themselves.
You've also hearing -- you are hearing now from Thomas Massie. You're just about to hear from Ro Khanna and Marjorie Taylor Greene, who have been
supporting the survivors and have been pushing for this bill.
And the message from these survivors is really a very simple one. They are looking for accountability, they are looking for action and they are
looking for justice. Well, that vote to be held about 3.5-4 hours from now. More on that, of course, on CNN.
Well, hello and welcome to what is another hour of CONNECT THE WORLD here on CNN. I'm Becky Anderson. This is one of two major stories we are
covering this hour. A lot more from Washington soon.
For now, let's get you to the other story that we are following. And next hour, the Saudi crown prince arrives there in Washington at the White House
for a meeting with president Donald Trump that could reframe the parameters of Saudi-U.S. relations.
[10:05:03]
It's being treated as a state visit for Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of the kingdom, with a military band at the welcoming ceremony later
and a black tie dinner tonight.
Between the festivities, they are set to discuss the future of the Middle East after the Israel-Hamas war and Mr. Trump's desire to get the kingdom
to sign on to the Abraham Accords, to effectively normalize relations with Israel.
That was largely put on hold, of course, after the October 7th attacks. A U.S. official says that the two countries are also working to finalize
agreements on defense and security cooperation. And to that end, president Trump announced what would be a major arms sale to the kingdom on Monday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: No, I am planning on doing that. They want to buy. They've been a great ally. They've got to like us very much. Look
at the Iran situation. What we did in terms of obliterating, you know, -- they're we obliterated their nuclear capability. Yes. I will say that we
will be doing that. We'll be selling F-35s. Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, Kevin Liptak is back with us this hour from the White House.
This is this is extremely important. The U.S. president there saying that he will sell F-35 fighter jets to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The White
House clearly pulling out all the stops for this visit, not only on the tangible results that we might expect but also on the pomp and ceremony at
this point.
Fair to say that this is a sign that the administration is viewing its relationship with the kingdom as extremely significant?
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, almost essential, I would say. You know, the White House, in this administration, the Trump
administration has not pulled out the diplomatic stops in the way that they are doing today for Mohammed bin Salman.
You have the bands, you have the black tie dinner. This is a state visit in everything but name. A White House official says that that is only because
Mohammed bin Salman is not actually the head of state of Saudi Arabia. That's King Salman.
But if he was, this would be a state visit. And you can see how the president is really prioritizing relationships with Saudi Arabia but also
other Gulf countries, as this second administration proceeds.
And this is really something of a return to the diplomatic fold for MBS. You know, the last time he was here at the White House was in 2018. That
was the same year that the Saudi dissident journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, was assassinated at a Saudi consulate in Turkiye. The CIA later assessed that
MBS likely ordered that killing. He has denied that.
But that led to a degree of diplomatic isolation that started to thaw during the Biden administration. Even though President Biden said that he
would make Saudi Arabia a pariah, he traveled to Saudi Arabia, fist-bumped MBS and now we are here today, really kind of culminating his return to the
American diplomatic fold.
And there are a number of critical issues that they will be discussing in the Oval Office, starting with security. We expect them to agree on a new
security agreement. It stops short of a treaty that would require congressional ratification.
But it is upping the U.S.-Saudi defense partnership and relationship to a degree that I think the Saudis have been looking for for quite some time.
We also expect the president to speak more about those F-35 sales. That could cause some consternation in Israel.
Israel, at this point, is the only country in the Middle East that has those F-35s and they have been concerned in the past that a sale to another
country could potentially erode their military edge.
But president Trump, making clear that he plans to move forward with that. We also expect them to talk about a new partnerships in AI, new
partnerships on civilian nuclear power. That's something that Riyadh has been looking for from the United States for quite some time.
At tonight's dinner, there will be a host of lawmakers, governors, executives; we also expect the soccer player, Cristiano Ronaldo, who I know
you spoke to last week. He will be here at the White House today as well.
All underscoring how important this visit will be for president Trump but also for the Saudis.
Now the one thing that president Trump is looking for from MBS, that isn't likely to come to fruition today, is an agreement for Saudi Arabia to
normalize relations with Israel, to join the Abraham Accords, kind of the president's signature diplomatic accomplishment.
There have been discussions about that, you know, dating back to the president's first term. The precursor that the Saudis have said is
necessary in order for that to proceed is a clear pathway for Palestinian statehood.
[10:10:00]
Which at this point doesn't seem to exist so that doesn't seem like it will be finalized today. But certainly a major priority of president Trump's
that will be discussed in the Oval Office, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes, good to have you. Thank you very much indeed.
Kevin Liptak at the White House.
So the crown prince's visit, coming on the heels of the United Nations Security Council passing president Trump's plan for the next steps in Gaza.
It calls for a so-called board of peace to lead the transitional government and the creation of an international stabilization force inside the
enclave.
The U.S. ambassador to the U.N. gave more details on the plan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL WALTZ, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Today's resolution represents another significant step toward a stable Gaza that will be able
to prosper and an environment that will allow Israel to live in security.
The board of peace, which will be led by president Trump, remains the cornerstone of our effort.
The board will coordinate the delivery of humanitarian assistance, facilitate Gaza's development and support a technocratic committee of
Palestinians responsible for day-to-day operations of Gaza's civil service and administration while the Palestinian Authority fully implements its
reform program.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, the -- CNN's international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson, back with us this hour.
And the two stories that have been playing out here -- we're an hour away from the arrival of the crown prince of Saudi Arabia at the White House.
And we are just some hours after a vote on a U.N. Security Council resolution on Gaza.
And let's be quite clear, the sequencing, the timing of this vote at the Security Council on a U.S.-drafted resolution and getting this across the -
- getting this across the line is really no surprise to anybody who is a keen watcher of this region and what has been going on in the Israel-
Palestinian file.
So Nic, just give us your take, if you will, of what we are seeing emerge here.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes.
I think the significant development, if you will, that comes out of what we witnessed at the U.N. Security Council, is now a legal path forward, to
continue to move ahead with a legal, now, basis of which -- with which to move ahead with the 20-point plan that president Trump put forward, that
significant in of itself.
And it gives a little more detail, although, you know, critics will say not enough detail on some of the specificity we just heard from the U.S.
ambassador to the U.N. there, saying that, you know, the reforming of the Palestinian Authority.
Well, it's rather ambiguous, at least the wording of the draft that we saw of the resolution, rather ambiguous about who would oversee that, how it
would be implemented, who would judge it, what it would lead to and the language following on from there about a path to a, you know, the
possibility of a Palestinian dispensation.
It's still vague. That aside, this is a major step forward inasmuch as Israel has always resisted internationalization with -- of the issues
within its own borders. And this brings into the fold here and into the territory of Gaza the -- an international stabilization force, an
international oversight body.
The board of peace, President Trump's its head; we don't know who else will be there. So that is a key step. But within that key step, we're already
hearing massive differences of opinions. No surprise on both sides. Israelis are looking to that international stabilization force.
We heard it today from the prime minister. We heard it from the Israeli ambassador to the U.N. yesterday, to implement the disarming of Hamas.
Hamas has already rejected the idea of the board of peace. It's an international guardianship.
They don't believe that an international force should be coming in and disarming them, that they think that it makes that force a proxy of Israel.
And this does seem to be a view reflected by Palestinians in Gaza. This is what some of them told us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The decision is, of course, rejected because the forces that will come will protect Israel, not protect
Gaza. And they will disarm and occupy people. That is impossible. Any forces stationed at the borders must protect the people of Gaza from
Israel, from Israeli aggression.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): This decision, for me as a citizen, I absolutely reject it, completely reject it. We don't want
outsiders, even if they're from among us, to come and control us.
[10:15:00]
ROBERTSON: So just on that issue alone, there's clearly a division of opinion. Hamas, the people of Gaza, for the most part, don't want that
international stabilization force in there or doing a certain role, certainly not disarming Hamas.
But on the other side, Israel absolutely expects that stabilization force to disarm Hamas. This is not new and not a surprise that the two sides
would have a different opinion. Of course, the devil is in the detail about how the how the border piece will interpret its role.
And I think, in that context, this is a very challenging path forward. However, it's been enabled by this vote and that's the significant thing.
ANDERSON: Got it. All right, Nic, thank you for that.
Nic Robertson is in Jerusalem for you tonight.
Well, my next guest is Middle East analyst and good friend of this show, Firas Maksad.
On today's visit by the crown prince of Saudi Arabia to the White House, he says, "This is a remarkable comeback for U.S.-Saudi relations, driven less
by normalization with Israel and more by bilateral interests between the two countries."
Firas joining us now live.
I just want you to explain, if you will, the significance there of what you penned.
Why is this move, from framing this relationship around normalization to that of a bilateral relationship, important for us?
FIRAS MAKSAD, MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA MANAGING DIRECTOR, EURASIA GROUP: Yes, Becky, thank you for having me. It's good to be back on the
show.
It is extremely important because much of the framing, particularly in Washington but more broadly in the West about the Saudi-U.S. relationship,
has been centered on this idea of Saudi Arabia normalizing with Israel.
Obviously, what has happened in the past two years, since October 7th, is that both sides don't want to be held hostage to the complex politics of
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
And so what we see today, a highly symbolic, almost state visit, even though the crown prince is not technically a head of state, is again yet
another data point that the relationship is proceeding forward, based on bilateral interests and also animated by growing U.S. great power
competition with China.
The kingdom positioned in a key way to give the United States a leg up, an advantage, so to speak, in some crucial industries in its competition with
China. That doesn't mean, of course, that normalization is no longer a factor.
We all know that it is a key priority for president Trump. He sees it as one of his pathways to that much coveted Nobel prize that he is seeking. He
will probably have to circle back to that later on in his term.
But those crucial kind of early elections, expected in Israel -- their shifting of Israeli politics in 2026 will be a key factor in normalization
-- will have to wait.
ANDERSON: Yes. And multiple sources that I have spoken to, Saudi sources, have said there will be no policy announcement on normalization on this
trip nor this year. Perhaps we might expect to see some softening of the language around the prospects for normalization going forward.
But as you rightly point out, the crown prince has been very, very clear about the need for a credible pathway toward a Palestinian state. We talked
earlier with Nic Robertson about what this U.S.-backed resolution, that was voted on and passed by the Security Council last night, looks like.
There is some language in that around a Palestinian state. But as I understand it, it's not just, you know, using the term "Palestinian state"
but phase two, for example, of this Gaza plan needs to be implemented or at least in progress before the kingdom of Saudi Arabia is prepared to really,
you know, consider further efforts on normalization.
So let's take that off the table. You listed what you expect to see out of this, a security commitment from the U.S. stronger than what they provide,
for example, for Japan. Sources I've spoken to suggest that the crown prince want as deep if -- wants as deep, if not deeper, a defense agreement
than Qatar got recently.
And that was quite a significant one. F-35 fighter jets, Trump has said they'll get those; tech agreements very specifically on AI and on advanced
tech.
Firas, how far will the U.S. go in these deals?
I mean, what should we be expecting as far as concrete agreements and action, tangible results out of this trip?
[10:20:00]
MAKSAD: Becky, you and I started this conversation talking about the symbolism of the visit. Obviously, for the crown prince of Saudi Arabia,
this is very much as good of a comeback as they come, given the ebbing and swaying of the relationship of the past couple of years.
I would say that this is probably the apex, the best the U.S.-Saudi relationship has been in recent history. But this is not just a symbolic
visit. In fact, I know from both sides that, until the very last moment, there was some very tough negotiation taking place.
Both the crown prince of Saudi Arabia and president Trump pride themselves of being fellow strongmen, tough negotiator, Who understand the art of the
deal. And there were even some whispers in Riyadh -- and I was there not too long ago -- about the possible rescheduling of the visit if they don't
get what they want.
And that defense commitment from the United States was just at the top of the list of what is expected. U.S. sources tell me, exactly as you put it,
this is something that will be even a stronger commitment than what the U.S. provides the Japanese.
Yes, it will stop short of being a treaty commitment because that is pending domestic U.S. politics and Israeli politics very much still tied
into normalization. But nonetheless a very significant written commitment to the defense of Saudi Arabia.
And if that wasn't enough, again, the sale of these F-35 aircrafts, you know, the latest American technology, is also key to underscoring the
closeness of the relationship, the only country aside from Israel in the Middle East to be granted that sale of the F-35.
Now all these things, Becky, all the AI chips and whatnot, they are not one and done, check the box and we're done. It's a process. So you know, the F-
35 will require 8-10 years to deliver. There's a very long (INAUDIBLE).
It could still very much be subject to congressional politics and holds. So again, the normalization bit still will factor in in the years to come. But
nonetheless, coming out of this visit, some very important announcements that, you know, put forward that bilateral relationship.
ANDERSON: This is a pivotal moment for U.S.-Saudi relations. I'm going to get you back at the back of this hour, Firas, when we will be just moments
away from seeing the crown prince treated as a head of state, effectively, by the U.S. president at the White House top of this next hour. And you and
I will speak then.
Thank you for your support on our programming and look forward to speaking to you again in about 35 minutes. Thank you.
All right. Let's get you the U.S. markets numbers. And that is what we are looking at present.
So we are what, 40, nearly 50 minutes into the -- or just over 50 minutes into the trading day today?
And while investors have been talking about whether these markets are looking fizzy, whether these tech stocks are looking overblown, you know,
if nothing else, it does seem as if investors are taking some profits out of these markets, doesn't it, at present. The Dow, the Nasdaq and the S&P
500 all trading lower, nearly 1 percent or more.
Right. We could see something incredibly rare in Washington today, unity.
Could Republicans and Democrats demand in one voice to release all the Epstein files?
We are looking out for that vote later today as well. It's a busy day in Washington. Stay with us for more.
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[10:25:00]
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ANDERSON: Well, it is an issue that will not go away. It has plagued president Trump and divided Republicans. And today it comes right to
Capitol Hill.
Just hours from now, the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to hold a vote on the Epstein case files. Now this legislation that they will be
considering today seeks to force the Justice Department to release all of the documents that it has related to the case.
It still needs Senate approval. But president Trump's U-turn on the subject appears to have given Republicans the green light to vote yes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I'm all for it. You know, we've already given 50,000 pages. You do know that.
We'll give them everything. Sure, I would. Let the Senate look at it. Let anybody look at it. But don't talk about it too much because, honestly, I
don't want to take it away from us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Arlette Saenz joining us from Capitol Hill.
Arlette, this vote expected to happen later today. The Republican Party lining up behind this bill, it seems, to force the release of the Epstein
files. This is a complete reversal from just some days ago.
Can you just explain for our viewers how this gained so much traction at this point?
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, after months of delay and efforts to prevent this vote from even happening, the House will be voting
to release the full Jeffrey Epstein investigation files a bit later this afternoon, in just a little over three hours.
It comes just days after president Donald Trump threw his support behind the measure after he had sought to stop this vote from happening. It's a
remarkable shift for both the president and speaker Mike Johnson, who, back in August, had called an early recess so that they wouldn't have to vote on
this matter.
And then he delayed the swearing-in of a Democratic Arizona congresswoman, who was the final signature needed on that discharge petition to force this
vote on the House floor.
In fact, House Speaker Mike Johnson just a few moments ago, as he met with his Republican conference, told them that he will now be in favor and vote
in support of this bill.
But for some who have pushed for this for quite some time, including Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican congressman, one of four --
congresswoman, one of four to vote to support this effort to release the Epstein files, this is something that they have pushed for quite some time.
And she's also gotten some blowback from president Donald Trump, who said she was a traitor as he pulled his political support for him (sic). Take a
listen to Marjorie Taylor Greene, defending herself a bit earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): He called me a traitor for standing with these women and refusing to take my name off the discharge petition.
Let me tell you what a traitor is. A traitor is a -- is an American that serves foreign countries and themselves. A patriot is an American that
serves the United States of America and Americans, like the women standing behind me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: Well, now that president Trump has thrown his support behind this effort, it is expected that a majority of the Republican conference will
vote in favor of this measure. What's unclear is whether they will have unanimous support within the GOP conference.
But then once it passes the House, there's a lot of uncertainty about what happens next in the Senate. Senate majority leader John Thune is still
working through whether he would bring this up for a vote.
And when, in the past, he had said he didn't think it was necessary because the Justice Department had released thousands of files relating to the
Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
But what supporters of this bill in the House are hoping is that having a tidal wave of support from Republicans in the lower chamber, that that will
force and pressure the Senate to act. If the Senate does take this up, they will need 13 Republican senators to get on board with the measure in order
to send it to president Donald Trump's desk.
[10:30:00]
The president has said that he will sign this but there is some skepticism from leaders of this measure about whether the Justice Department actually
will release the files.
That is something I asked Steve Scalise, the whip over in the House -- or the majority leader over in the House. And he had told me that he does
believe that those files will be released but that ultimately that will be a decision for the Justice Department.
ANDERSON: Gotcha, Arlette. All right. Thank you for that.
Arlette Saenz is on Capitol Hill.
Well, a group of Jeffrey Epstein's survivors are turning up the pressure on Congress ahead of today's vote. They have just wrapped up what was an
emotional news conference alongside several lawmakers, including Marjorie Taylor Greene, on Capitol Hill, calling for the release of these files.
Many of them stressing that the fight for transparency isn't political. Several of those women held up pictures of themselves as young girls when
they say they met the convicted sex offender.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBSON: It's time that we put the political agendas and party affiliations to the side. This is a human issue. This is about children. There is no
place in society for exploitation, sexual crimes or exploitation of women in society. There's no room for it, guys. We're not having it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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ANDERSON (voice-over): Right. Let's get you up to speed on some of the other stories that are on our radar right now.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is headed back to Turkiye on Wednesday to try to reinvigorate negotiations and expediate (sic) prisoner
swaps with Russia. Over the past few years, Russia and Ukraine have taken part in Turkish-brokered talks that led to POW exchanges.
Ukrainian officials hope to see as many as 1,200 Ukrainian prisoners returned home.
Well, New York attorney general Letitia James says the Trump administration engaged in -- and I quote here -- "outrageous conduct" to bring the
mortgage fraud case against her. And she is urging a judge to throw out the indictment.
James is accused of misleading a lender when she obtained a mortgage in 2020. Her lawyers argue the charges stem from, quote, "illegal and
unethical behavior" by government officials.
Well, bitcoin has erased all of its gains for this year, just weeks after hitting a record high. The cryptocurrency has plummeted more than 28
percent, Monday dipping below $90,000 for the first time in seven months. Analysts warn more volatility may be ahead.
Well, still to come, the U.S. and Venezuela are signaling that they are open to dialogue as a potential military conflict in the Caribbean looms
between both countries. More on that is after this.
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[10:35:00]
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ANDERSON (voice-over): Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. Here are your headlines this hour.
U.S. House lawmakers will vote on a bill later today to force the Justice Department to release all of the Jeffrey Epstein files. The measure is
expected to get broad support from Republicans after a complete reversal by president Trump, who now says he will sign it if it lands on his desk.
Pope Leo XIV, urging, quote, "concrete action" on climate change in a message, a video message to leaders at the U.N. climate summit in Brazil.
The pope criticized the lack of political will to tackle rising temperatures.
He said the Paris agreement is not what's failing. He says the problem is the failure to act on it.
Well, the widow of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi is speaking out about today's White House visit by the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin
Salman. She says seeing MBS being welcomed by the U.S. president will be very painful for her.
A U.S. intelligence report found the Saudi crown prince approved the operation to capture or kill Khashoggi in 2018.
ANDERSON: Well, as the U.S. deploys more than a dozen warships near Venezuela, Donald Trump is now hinting that diplomatic talks with president
Maduro about combating drug trafficking could still be on the table.
Mr. Trump says he would be open to speaking directly with his counterpart, Nicolas Maduro, quote, "at a certain time."
The Venezuelan president responded on Monday, saying any talks should be face-to-face. Here is more from Mr. Maduro.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICOLAS MADURO, PRESIDENT OF VENEZUELA (through translator): War, no. Never, ever war. Those who wish to engage in dialogue will always find
among us people of their word, decent people, and people with the experience to lead Venezuela.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: So CNN's Zachary Cohen following this developing story from us - - for us from Washington.
So what do we know about potential talks between the U.S. and Venezuela at this point?
ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Becky, president Trump clearly indicating that he believes a diplomatic window may be
opening.
But we're told that any discussions internally on the U.S. side about, you know, organizing a direct face-to-face meeting or discussion between Maduro
and Trump are still very preliminary, in their early stages. And really, the timeline for any diplomatic discussion is very unclear at this stage.
We do know from U.S. sources that the Maduro regime has reached out through various intermediaries to the Trump administration, essentially seeking
some a conversation with president Donald Trump about the escalating tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela.
To date, though, we've only seen an escalation of the pressure that president Donald Trump has sought to apply on Maduro. And it remains
,unclear too, if what the demands of the Trump administration would be if the two leaders did sit down face-to-face and had a conversation.
We do know that there are some officials within the Trump administration whose objective is to see Maduro leave power; whether that's on his own
volition or through some force mechanism, whether or not that would be something that Trump would demand of Maduro in a face-to-face meeting is
really the big question here.
Meanwhile, U.S. pressure is reaching a crescendo here. We do know the USS Gerald Ford has officially entered the Caribbean Sea near the coast of
Venezuela.
Also, the Trump administration designating or saying it intends to designate Cartel de Solis and Maduro specifically as foreign terrorist
organizations, which again, is another lever of pressure that they're seeking to apply as Donald Trump refuses to rule out sending U.S. troops
into Venezuela if need be.
So really, two sides of the same coin but two very different paths that the Trump administration could choose to take here.
ANDERSON: Good to have you, sir. Thank you.
Zachary Cohen in the house for you.
Meanwhile, president Trump seems willing to ramp up tensions with other Latin American countries. He is not ruling out strikes on drug facilities
in Mexico and in Colombia if he thinks that that is necessary.
Just last week, secretary of state Marco Rubio said that the U.S. would not send troops into Mexico but would potentially provide support if requested.
Well, now Trump is sending a much more aggressive message.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Would I launch strikes in Mexico to stop drugs?
It's OK with me. Whatever we have to do to stop drugs. Colombia has cocaine factories where they make cocaine.
Would I knock out those factories?
I would be proud to do it personally. I didn't say I'm doing it but I would be proud to do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[10:40:00]
ANDERSON: Well, Mexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, said on Monday, "We must always seek dialogue and peace everywhere."
You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. Good to have you on board. Still ahead, we already have driverless Ubers, thanks to AI.
What about using artificial intelligence to deal with a shortage of air traffic controllers?
We'll have a live report ahead.
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ANDERSON: The U.S. government shutdown is now over but the air traffic controller shortage is not. For years, the U.S. has been scrambling to hire
more air traffic controllers but the longest-ever government shutdown may have made it even harder.
And that is because they were required to work at a high-stress job -- and that's what that is -- without receiving a paycheck. Well, the shutdown
exposed the immediate impact on air travel with loads of delays and cancellations. Well, now some are asking if incorporating AI might be the
answer.
Well, joining me now, CNN business tech editor Lisa Eadicicco joins me now.
Lisa, first of all, apologies. I don't think I've got your surname right. And every time I interview you, I think the same thing. So just remind me
how to pronounce that wonderful surname of yours.
And then, could AI fill the role of an air traffic controller?
LISA EADICICCO, CNN BUSINESS TECH EDITOR: No problem at all, Becky. It's Eadicicco. And there are certain things that AI can help with.
(CROSSTALK)
EADICICCO: Yes. There are certain things that AI can help with but what we're really seeing here is it being used in more of an assistive capacity
rather than taking over or doing certain parts of the job.
And a big part of that is because there are certain things that we just don't know if AI is going to be better at than a human, especially when it
comes to communication. And that is a key part of the job of an air traffic controller -- communicating with pilots, communicating with other
controllers.
For example, if an air traffic controller hears some panic or uncertainty in a pilot's voice, they can pick up on that and maybe bring in some more
help or change the plan. And we just don't know if AI is going to be as good at picking up on those cues.
And in a job like air traffic control, there really isn't room for error or uncertainty because of the enormous safety risks that would present. So I
think, you know, the big way that AI could be helpful is tasks that require crunching a lot of data.
So maybe making projections about weather patterns to help pilots avoid turbulence, monitoring activity at airport gates, analyzing trajectories of
aircraft, things like that.
ANDERSON: While the job is well known for being high-pressured and stressful, at times, experts say that boredom can cause a lack of focus.
Is this really something that AI could remedy, do you think?
EADICICCO: So one expert I spoke with actually had the opposite concern.
[10:45:00]
That if there is reliance on AI tools and automation for parts of the air traffic controller job -- and let's say you're just really bringing in the
air traffic controller as a human in the loop to intervene when something wrong happens, for example, or when there's some kind of anomaly -- that
that might actually not always work out so well.
Because there's this perhaps fear that the air traffic controller might not be as alert because they're not as actively engaged in their environment as
they would be if they were manually overseeing the entire operation.
So I do think that is an interesting point, because it kind of speaks to also this larger issue beyond air traffic control or this larger concern,
rather, of overreliance on AI and, if people rely on AI for too many parts of their jobs, what that could mean for the future. So that that is one
concern as well.
ANDERSON: And I'm just wondering whether there's a similar type of job where incorporating AI has been successful. And I'm thinking here, for
example -- and perhaps this is where you're going with this -- driverless Ubers, for example.
I mean, you know, where do you see the similarities?
EADICICCO: So I do think there are some parallels between using AI in aviation and self-driving cars.
I think they're, in both of those cases, AI can be helpful for the same types of things, like determining proximity between different vehicles or
aircraft, crunching data from a lot of different sensors and planning out routes or trajectories, things like that. Maybe making projections about
upcoming conditions.
But at the same time, I do think the same concerns that you have when using AI in air traffic control also apply to self-driving cars.
For example, there have been concerns that maybe self-driving cars aren't as good at picking up on hand signals, eye contact between other drivers, a
lot of these different signals and cues that human drivers use all the time.
And on top of that, really quick decisionmaking, as people operating these vehicles and aircraft, we know how to make decisions and we know what kinds
of decisions we should be making in a snap.
So kind of handing over that decision making process to AI or any type of automated tool raises a lot of questions about the factors that go into
that decisionmaking.
So I do think that is where you see a lot of the parallels, that, yes, AI can be very helpful for object detection and crunching data from sensors
and seeing blind spots and things like that but maybe not quite as good as a human for decisionmaking and communication.
ANDERSON: Yes. No, good point. Thank you.
Well, Cambridge Dictionary has unveiled its 2025 word of the year, parasocial. It was actually coined back in 1956 by sociologists. But the
once-academic term has now become more mainstream.
What does it mean?
Well, it refers to a connection that people feel with someone they don't know or even with something like artificial intelligence. Cambridge cited
the example of Taylor Swift, who announced her engagement to NFL star Travis Kelce and received an outpouring of feelings from fans who don't
know her, of course. There you go.
You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson. There is a lot more ahead. Do stay with us.
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ANDERSON: We are just minutes away now from Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman's meeting with U.S. president Donald Trump at the White House.
Now he's going to be feted with all the trappings of a state visit, including a military band to welcome him in what will be a ceremony there
at the White House, and a black tie dinner later on tonight.
[10:50:08]
President Trump says he'll talk to the crown prince about normalizing ties with Israel, which, of course, he has worked to achieve in the region where
I am through the Abraham Accords.
I can tell you that multiple sources have told me that it is very unlikely to definitely not happening, the idea of any announcement or normalization
by the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. And we're going to discuss why coming up.
They'll also likely discuss defense and security pacts that officials from the two countries are working to finalize. Well, to that end, president
Trump announced that he is planning to sell F-35 fighter jets to the kingdom, a move that likely won't be received very well in Israel.
A bit earlier on CNN, retired U.S. Army brigadier general Steven Anderson gave his assessment on the potential arms sale. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIG. GEN. STEVE ANDERSON, U.S. ARMY (RET.): My concern is the balance of power. We need to make sure that Israel maintains the upper hand and they
have more advanced technology in those F-35s, because this is stealth technology, very, very powerful.
And the other big concern is Chinese. The relationship that the Chinese have with the Saudi Arabian government, you know, we'd be concerned that
some of that technology, that proprietary information that has been developed by Lockheed Martin over many, many years, could slip to the
Chinese.
And so we need to make sure that there is assurances that that simply doesn't happen. But I generally support the move.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, I want to bring back Firas Maksad, managing director for the Middle East and North Africa for the Eurasia group.
And it's interesting that the retired general there talking about his concerns on F-35 sales to the Saudis and how the Chinese might, you know,
get access through the sale of those aircraft to American technology.
This, of course, is the reason why we have a UAE deal with the U.S. for F- 35 fighter jets frozen at this point. So I mean, there is -- there is some -- there is substantive reason why that guest was speaking as he did.
Look, certainly these potential arms sales and these F-35s loom large over this trip.
How does -- how do those sales and the other economic files that we are expecting to hear, either announcements on or at least discussions on, fit
into the wider context of the crown prince's visit to Washington today?
MAKSAD: Well, Becky, first let's talk about that crucial F-35 sale.
It's complex and there are multiple points of view, not only in Washington. You know, the executive of the White House and the administration folks on
Capitol Hill are having their concerns.
But even within the administration, you know, "The New York Times" reported on the defense intelligence agency, the Pentagon, really having their
concerns about potential Chinese espionage technology leakage coming out of Saudi Arabia.
The Saudis have some military cooperation with the Chinese. It is isolated to the missile program. But there are concerns nonetheless.
And we saw that play out, as you rightly pointed out, with the -- with the UAE. The Emiratis eventually just went with the French, with the Rafale
program for their jets instead of the F-35, because there were so many restrictions involved.
But the fact that the sale is going to proceed nonetheless speaks volumes about how important Saudi Arabia is for the Trump administration. Part of
it has to do with the administration's efforts in the region.
As October 7th and its ramifications played out in Syria, in Lebanon, with Iran of that 12-day war there, increasingly, Saudi Arabia became important
to the United States because it is that anchor of stability that has influence in Syria, in Lebanon, in all these places, even a back channel to
the Iranians.
And so Saudi Arabia's importance to the Trump administration regionally was very much kind of highlighted as a result of what unfolded after October
7th. And then you got the bigger -- you broaden the aperture, what's happening with China.
Critical minerals is going to be a key part of the discussion here in Washington.
Saudi Arabia not only working on securing mineral rights, locking them up versus the Chinese in Africa, but taking advantage of cheap energy in the
kingdom to become a central processing hub for critical minerals that are actually very important for the development of the F-35.
The F-35 needs some of these key critical minerals that right now Chinese have control over and have been able to successfully weaponize against the
United States in the trade war.
[10:55:05]
So for all those reasons and all these issues that will be part of the discussion here in Washington, that relationship is moving that much
closer, broadening and deepening, despite any -- or the lack of movement on Saudi-Israeli normalization.
ANDERSON: Firas, we've got about a minute and 30 seconds left. There will be folks watching this show who remember the figure of $600 billion. That's
what the kingdom has offered to invest in the U.S.
That was a big headline out of Donald Trump's visit to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia back in May. That is a princely sum, to excuse the pun.
Value for money, if you consider the big wins that this Washington trip is very likely to reveal for the crown prince?
MAKSAD: So if the $600 billion gave you sticker shock, Becky, I think we're expecting a bigger number from this trip. I've heard that the
administration was pushing very hard until the very last minute to get that to that $1 trillion number.
Now that said -- and there will be kind of a major joint investment conference tomorrow held, which both MBS and Trump are expected to attend
to announce these big numbers.
Now that said, take that with a grain of salt. The kingdom has its own priorities, does -- understands president Trump's drive and quest for big,
beautiful headlines.
But the follow-through will depend on what projects, you know, provide a return on investment and which are going to be key for the kingdom's Vision
2030 diversification plan and net security. So I'll stop there.
ANDERSON: It's so good to have you, sir. Always a pleasure. Thank you. I'm sure we'll be back in touch overnight and into the morning. This is an
important trip, not just for Saudi Arabia but for this region where I am.
And I've been in and out of Saudi Arabia over the past couple of weeks myself. Place is completely transformed. It's going to be really
interesting to see what we get out of this trip for us. Thank you.
"ONE WORLD" is up next.
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