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USSO Commander on Capitol Hill to Brief Lawmakers on Boat Strikes; Pentagon Claims Strike Survivors Were Still "in the Fight"; Watchdog Finds Hegseth Violated Protocol with Signal; Putin Tells Indian Media Russia Will Take Donbas by Any Means; Gaza Officials Say at Least Five Killed in Camp Strike; ICE Zeroes in on Somalis in Minneapolis; New Season of "Variety's" "Actors on Actors" to Air on CNN; FIFA in Advanced Preparations for 2026 World Cup. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired December 04, 2025 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome back to the second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Christina Macfarlane in
for Becky Anderson. And I want to go straight to this top story happening on Capitol Hill right now.
Members of the U.S. House and Senate Armed Services Committees are meeting with Admiral Frank "Mitch" Bradley. He is the Special Operations Commander
the White House says ordered a double tap strike on a suspected Venezuelan drug boat in the Caribbean in September.
New CNN reporting sheds light on what he might be saying. Pentagon officials are defending the second strike, saying that survivors were
still, quote, "in the fight," and sources expect that will be a big part of Bradley's briefing.
The briefing comes as outrage is growing over U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's role in the strike. Both the secretary and the president, Donald
Trump denied having had any knowledge of the second strike before it happened.
Well, CNN's Arlette Saenz is joining us from Capitol Hill.
And as I was saying there, Arlette, there is concern over how he's been handling this.
So how do you expect lawmakers are going to approach this today and what will they be looking for from Admiral Bradley?
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Admiral Bradley and the joint chair of -- the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine, arrived here at the
Capitol a little over an hour ago to begin briefing lawmakers throughout the day about this double tap strike on an alleged drug boat in the
Caribbean back in September.
Lawmakers want to get more specifics about how exactly this situation played out, what prompted Admiral Bradley to give the order to launch that
second strike, as they are trying to determine whether or not he had the legal authority to do so.
Now there is notable reporting from our team covering the Pentagon this morning that says that people who have been briefed on the strike said that
the Defense Department has been arguing that those survivors were, quote, still "in the fight."
Because they had radioed for help after that first strike and theoretically could have continued trafficking the drugs that were alleged to be on that
boat if they had been rescued.
A source, an official tells CNN that that is part of the argument that Admiral Bradley plans to make as he briefs lawmakers today and that he also
plans on showing them video of this scenario.
Now this is something that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have pressed for, to get video and audio of the strike as they're trying to
gather all the facts about what happened.
But yesterday we heard from Senator Mark Warner, who is the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee and this is what he said he hopes to ask
and hear from Admiral Bradley today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MARK WARNER (D-VA), RANKING MEMBER, SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: I want to hear the truth. One strike, two strikes, three strikes.
How many people in the water?
What was the presumption?
You know, how does striking, if it was just two individuals in the water that were struggling for their lives, what was the validation of second
strike?
When did it take place?
And again, we've got secretary Hegseth at some point bragging about how he was in control command. Then he shifted his story. Now he's claiming fog of
war. I mean, there's a pattern here. There's a pattern here of chaotic behavior.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: There's been quite a good amount of scrutiny from lawmakers, especially Democratic lawmakers of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in the
days after the reports first emerged that there was that second strike, targeting survivors on that alleged drug vessel.
With many Democratic senators alleging that he may have committed a war crime with this act. But we will see whether Admiral Bradley's explanations
given to lawmakers in a classified setting today, whether that might appease any of their concerns or if they still will continue to have
questions about the legality of these strikes.
MACFARLANE: All right. We will keep close eyes on that door behind you and check in a little later. Arlette, thank you.
I want to get more from our Zach Cohen, who broke the story that Pentagon officials will defend the double tap strike on a suspected Venezuelan drug
boat.
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ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: We do expect Admiral Bradley, who's been left to really make this case behind closed doors to
lawmakers today, to lean on that.
A similar argument to say that these survivors of this, of the first strike, were still "in the fight" and that they were seen attempting to
continue their drug trafficking mission, so to speak.
Which, again, he also -- we are also hearing from sources that he plans to show lawmakers the unedited video, unedited video footage from that strike,
which should show the entire series of strikes rather than the initial strike that is captured in the video already released by the Pentagon.
So we're still waiting for the unedited footage to be released by the Pentagon to the public. We heard Donald Trump, the president of the United
States, say yesterday that he would support the Pentagon releasing everything they have on this strike.
But that clip of Admiral Bradley obviously not responding to questions from -- shouted by reporters is a good microcosm of how this has gone. The
public still really in the dark about what actually happened on September 2nd and what the potential legal ramifications are.
And I talked to U.S. officials, who say that, regardless of whether -- this one strike is not a unique in raising legal questions, that the entire U.S.
military campaign in the Caribbean is also legally dubious and potentially is one that should have never happened in the first place.
So -- but Admiral Bradley, a respected career Navy SEAL, he is the one who the White House and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth say oversaw the
operation on September 2nd. And he's now the one that's going to face intense questioning from lawmakers on Capitol Hill today.
Again, we expect him to push back on any allegation, though, that it amounted to a potential war crime.
MACFARLANE: Yes. And it's a big day for the admiral all around, because we also have that watchdog report that found that Hegseth risked endangering
troops by sharing sensitive military plans in the Signal chat.
So what more are we hearing about that?
COHEN: Yes. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth really dealing with these dueling controversies, both the ongoing questions about the military
strikes in the Caribbean and also the release of, potentially as soon as today, the release of this inspector general report into his use of Signal.
Which me and my source (sic) told me and our colleague (sic) Jake Tapper yesterday, a classified version that was reviewed by lawmakers determined
that Hegseth put -- could have put U.S. troops at risk and jeopardize mission objectives by sending information to other Trump officials via
Signal.
Now Signal is a commercial messaging app. It is encrypted but it's not a classified government system. And it's one that sources say is more highly
vulnerable to things like, let's say, a foreign cyber attack or a hacking attempt.
So the inspector general coming to a similar conclusion that we've heard critics say, in the aftermath of those revelations earlier this spring
about the messages Hegseth sent, that he shouldn't have been using Signal and he shouldn't have been using his personal device to communicate this
information.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: Zachary Cohen reporting there.
Well, CNN national security analyst Carrie Cordero joins us now from Washington.
Carrie, I'm sure you've been listening in. And now that this hearing is underway, I first just want to get your thoughts on the case Bradley is
expected to make here to lawmakers, that the survivors were, quote, still "in the fight" because they appeared, as we saw it or heard about it
before, to be radioing for help.
So would that be enough to legally justify this strike?
CARRIE CORDERO, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: I think what that will do, if that is the line of argumentation that the Defense Department and Admiral Bradley
are going to take, is it is going to lead the conversation with lawmakers to the bigger question of the legality of this U.S. military campaign more
broadly.
And that really is the heart of the matter. There is, of course, questions about this particular strike that's alleged to have gone back to kill
individuals who were -- had survived a first strike.
But there really are bigger questions that lawmakers and the American public still haven't had answered, which is the administration's legal
theory for how continuous, persistent, lethal action against these alleged drug-running boats satisfies legal requirements.
MACFARLANE: Yes. Bigger questions, too, for Defense Secretary Hegseth, because, if Admiral Bradley's testimony is true, that the survivors still
posed a threat, then does that turn the focus back on him and whether he did order for survivors to be killed?
And as we heard senator Rand Paul saying yesterday, do you think that will mean that ultimately the buck stops with Hegseth?
CORDERO: Well, I do think that, with respect to that particular strike, the lawmakers are really going to ask Admiral Bradley to give them a
perhaps minute-by-minute, tick-tock of what happened when orders were given.
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Who had knowledge of what, because what they are going to be looking for as pertains to that specific strike is accountability. They're going to want
to know who made the ultimate decision, whether legal advice was given, whether the secretary himself was involved in the decisionmaking regarding
that specific strike.
And so it goes to their lawmakers' confidence in the Defense Department's leadership. And I think they will want to know specifically who was
involved in every step of the way. And so they may ask him to go just minute-by-minute for what transpired.
MACFARLANE: And as we are in this moment, where there is so much scrutiny on Hegseth, in some ways, you know, there was a forewarning from Hegseth
himself about what might happen under his leadership, when he wrote in his book that he thinks current rules of engagement on the battlefield are
outdated.
And, of course, he questioned the need for the Geneva convention as well.
So in retrospect, I mean, does that make this current scenario that we're in here inevitable?
CORDERO: I think it -- so his prior writings, before he was in government, should have been -- and to some extent were -- the subject of lawmakers'
scrutiny when he was confirmed.
But he was confirmed, them knowing his public record on these types of issues by the Senate anyway.
So at this point, what lawmakers need to understand is, how is legal advice -- and I say this from the perspective of a national security lawyer -- how
is legal advice playing into the secretary's decisions and command decisions now that he is in government?
And I think that's really more important than what his views were prior to coming in government. And again, it goes to the question of what the U.S.
government's legal analysis is for why these individuals on these boats are lawful combatants.
Why the Defense Department assesses that they can continue to engage in lethal action against these alleged drug-running boats and how it fits into
a broader theory that these activities by the Defense Department comport with the law of armed conflict.
MACFARLANE: Yes. And on that point, as you mentioned, the legality of all this, the Trump administration, you know, are justifying its attacks by
designating the Venezuelan cartel Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization; therefore, making this war on drugs effectively a war on
terror, by their logic.
But virtually every expert has cast doubt on that claim.
So how do you see that standing up?
CORDERO: So they did designate -- the administration designated Tren de Aragua as a terrorist organization, which is -- these are designations that
are made under a couple different legal authorities, under U.S. law by the secretary of state and the Secretary of Treasury.
They generally trigger other types of legal tools under U.S. law to go after those types of organizations, such as sanctions or financial
consequences. Those designations under U.S. law are not specifically tied to the authorization to use lethal force.
So they are really, although they play into the administration's and they support the administration's overall new policy approach of treating
international drug cartels as terrorist organizations, those specific authorities do not authorize lethal action.
MACFARLANE: As you know, Hegseth is facing dual crises at this moment. And the Trump administration presidency has been so norm-busting that it's --
sometimes we have to take a step back and remind ourselves of what should be the norm with regard to this Signalgate watchdog report that came out
overnight.
I mean, is this a sackable offense?
Should it be a sackable offense?
Would that have happened under any other administration?
CORDERO: So there have been, in different administrations, questions and allegations about handling of classified information generally. This
particular allegation of the secretary using a commercial mode of speaking about ongoing operations is a novel type of allegation.
And again, I think it goes to the overall scrutiny that lawmakers are placing on secretary Hegseth in terms of their confidence in him. When
these allegations were first made earlier in the year, he was able to withstand the scrutiny and remain in his position.
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However, when all of us are able to see the public version of that report and lawmakers are able to talk about it in a public way, you know, that,
incumbent in combination with the questions over the secretary's handling of these strikes, may all contribute to a continued erosion of confidence
in him by lawmakers.
MACFARLANE: Yes, an erosion of confidence from lawmakers but not, it seems, from president Trump for now. Carrie, we really appreciate your
thoughts. Thank you so much for your analysis.
CORDERO: Thank you.
MACFARLANE: OK. Still to come, as a Ukrainian delegation heads to the U.S. for a fresh round of peace negotiations, Vladimir Putin reiterates one of
his key demands to end the war.
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MACFARLANE: Russian president Vladimir Putin is digging in on one of his key demands to end the war on Ukraine. President Putin vowing that Moscow
will seize Ukraine's Donbas region by military or other means.
It comes as the Ukrainian source tells CNN a delegation from Kyiv is traveling to Miami for a fresh round of peace talks with their American
counterparts. That's after a lengthy meeting between Putin and U.S. negotiators in Moscow this week that ended without a compromise.
Well, let's get the latest from international security correspondent Nick Paton Walsh. He is live in Kyiv.
So Nick, how do you read Putin's comments as this Ukrainian delegation prepared to meet with the Americans?
And does this set back progress in essence?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Look, I mean, he's not just saying he'll either take Donbas through
diplomacy or by force, he's saying he'll take Donbas and Novorossiya, which is a term, frankly, we haven't heard for quite some time.
Historical, used at the beginning of one of the first or the second invasion in 2014 and referring to a significant swath of Ukraine that
Russia, from tsarist times, claims is essentially its territory, probably pointing to the remainder of Kherson and Zaporizhzhya regions that are not
occupied by Russia.
So essentially, Putin perhaps returning to his maximalist territorial ambitions for Ukraine.
Is this part of a negotiating strategy?
Did he actually receive the proposal from Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, in the Kremlin on Tuesday more welcomingly, with perhaps greater recognition
for concessions?
We don't know. We do know that Ukraine's top negotiator is in Miami today, going to be getting a proper debrief from both Jared Kushner, Trump's son-
in-law, and his envoy, Witkoff, presumably going through the more detailed elements of the Kremlin response, if indeed there was detail to that
response.
It may simply have been that Putin took whatever concessions were being presented to him after these lengthy U.S.-Ukraine talks, trying to get
something together and said, no, I want more. But there has been a significant flurry of activity by the Europeans, by the Ukrainians.
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Most of it, I'm sure, an element of debriefing to try and be sure everyone is aware of exactly what the results of those meeting were but also
probably, too, a bid to show there is continued diplomatic activity to find some kind of compromise.
But it's really been Russia who've offered the most detailed assessment of that meeting, talking about a 27- 28-point plan, four (ph) other separate
documents, and essentially saying no compromise was reached and they saw no immediate need for Trump and Putin to meet.
Remember, Trump has said, I'm not really going to get involved in this until the deal is done.
He also yesterday talked about how he thought that the meeting had gone well and indeed that the U.S.-Ukraine relationship or their proposal had
gone well. It does appear at this point that the Kremlin have dug their heels in about what territory they want.
We still don't publicly know whether a concession or a land swap was part of what Witkoff brought with him. We've heard very little from Volodymyr
Zelenskyy, Ukraine's president, in terms of the detail of what was offered or the detail of what he's willing to go along with.
That is clearly by design. He had a press conference today that turned into statements only, essentially, in which negotiations were not mentioned
alongside his Cypriot counterpart. So a lot not being said, a lot of activity being projected by Ukraine and its allies.
And I'm sure some details to be imparted in Miami in these forthcoming talks.
Where does it go?
I think the fear is that the Ukrainians, with the European allies, want to certainly maintain this sense that work is being done, that there is
compromise to be reached, that there is activity they can engage in to prevent the likely next phase of this.
We've been through this process so many times before. And that's White House frustration that often ends in pressure on the negotiating parties.
In the past, we've seen Trump realize it's easier to pressure Ukraine and do that rather than pressure the Russians.
And I think that's what many in Kyiv are fearing here. They need to keep this feeling like it's moving forward or risk potentially another bout of
threats, potentially from president Trump.
MACFARLANE: Nick, thank you.
Let's turn to New Delhi, where Russian president Putin arrived a short time ago for a two-day state visit. Indian prime minister Narendra Modi is
hosting a private dinner for his guests tonight ahead of their summit on Friday.
It's Putin's first trip to India since the start of the Ukraine war and comes as Modi tries to steer a diplomatic course that balances India's
relationships with both Russia and the U.S.
For days now, Russian and Indian flags have been flying in the Indian capital, with posters of Putin gracing public places and government
buildings. Joining us from New Delhi, senior international correspondent Will Ripley.
So Will, high on the agenda for Putin's visit are more defense deals with Moscow.
The question, though, is, how much support is Putin likely to get?
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it seems as if things are off to a good start. Prime minister Narendra Modi was at the
airport. He greeted Putin as he walked off his plane and the two jumped into a limo together and they sat and talked as they drove to that private
dinner.
It's a similar scene that we saw play out in China after the SCO summit a few months ago, where they actually stayed in the parked limousine and
talked for nearly an hour. So the two have a have a warm relationship that has been on display publicly, repeatedly, in recent months. See them
holding hands, smiling, joking.
They did the same thing together with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. And so we already know that a number of deals are basically already negotiated and
the two are going to be signing them here in Delhi tomorrow.
Deals on energy, deals on fighter jet sales and potentially even technology sharing, with Russia offering to help India domestically produce the
Russian fighter jets that are the backbone of their air force.
There's also, on prime minister Modi's agenda, an effort to try to rebalance trade between the two countries. Right now, India is buying a lot
more from Russia, especially when it comes to the cheap oil that's been on sale ever since the Ukraine war began.
Russia is not buying a whole lot from India. Prime minister Modi is under political pressure here to change that. So there's a lot that they can do.
And, of course, they know the optics are important.
And somebody in the White House, specifically president Donald Trump, is going to be watching very closely after that summit in China, when they got
in the limo and talked together.
President Trump, I think it was on Truth Social or somewhere, you know, basically said he thinks that the U.S. lost India to Russia. So obviously,
you know, he loves to be in the room with these guys as well. He likes to be part of the conversation.
The fact that he's sitting on the outside watching the two of them, projecting confidence, projecting the fact that they have leverage and they
have other options besides the United States. that's got to be getting under his skin just a little bit.
Even though both Modi and Putin have a lot that they need to sort out with president Trump. Modi would like to get a trade deal secured with the
United States. He'd like to dial down some of the tensions that have been rising in recent months, particularly over the purchases of Russian oil.
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And, of course, we know that Russia, as Nick was just saying, they're talking with the United States about ways to end the war in Ukraine. But it
seems like they feel, on the Russian side, they have a lot of leverage.
And this trip to India, Putin showing that he has strong, powerful friends, including the leader of the world's largest democracy, certainly bolstering
his case that he doesn't really have to give up much. He can keep on fighting until he gets what he wants.
MACFARLANE: Will Ripley in New Delhi, thank you.
Well, we're joined now by military analyst Franz-Stefan Gady.
Franz, it's great to have you. I'm sure you were listening in there. And, you know, I just want to start with this latest line from President Putin,
vowing that Moscow will seize Ukraine's Donbas region by military or other means.
I mean, when we consider the talks that have just happened this week, it was somewhat predictable, was it not, that Putin was always unlikely to
accept any deal when the odds right now are currently stacked in his favor, both on the front lines and diplomatically?
FRANZ-STEFAN GADY, RESEARCH FELLOW, INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES: Yes, you're absolutely correct on this matter. Vladimir Putin,
Russia thinks that it still has military options and that it currently is winning on the battlefield in Ukraine.
Russia is taking significant casualties but it is slowly advancing and attriting Ukrainian forces. So it was always unlikely that Russia would
accept a temporary ceasefire or even commence serious peace negotiations, just because it is still in the process of creating military facts on the
ground.
MACFARLANE: I mean, we are, in effect, back to square one potentially. But with options now more exhausted for Ukraine than in previous rounds of
peace negotiations, you've said that Ukraine now faces a terrible catch-22, which is to agree to concede the Donbas in exchange for a fragile peace or
fight until Russia force and take it from them.
But are Russia's chances of that so certain, given they have failed to achieve taking the Donbas and other land after four years of intensive
warfare now?
GADY: Well, war is always highly contingent. Of course, it's unclear whether Russia can accomplish those objectives over the next couple of
months. So within the next couple of years.
However, having said that, it is clear that the war overall is not going well for Ukraine, that it is trending slightly negatively for Ukraine and
that Russia currently is making advances in the Donbas. So it's probably likely that Russia is going to gain additional territory in the Donbas over
the next couple of months than not.
So I think time is on Russia's side in this matter. The West, Trump, NATO, other supporters of Ukraine may have clocks. But Vladimir Putin and Russia
certainly have time to just wait out the West.
And I just want to ask, what is actually the current rate of Russia's advance?
So you hear different reporting every day. But sources have been suggesting that Russia has made its biggest advances in Ukraine for a year this
November.
What is the reality?
GADY: Well, it depends how you look at it. And it also is really important to look at what exactly was seized. Russia has made some advances, right.
But it doesn't really mean that it has tremendously accelerated its advance over the last couple of weeks.
And I think it's frankly also a wrong metric in the war of attrition to just look at how much territory one side or the other side takes. What's
much more important is the number of casualties, the number of equipment, other materiel destroyed in this conflict.
And here Russia is taking significant losses but Ukraine is also suffering. And it's unclear whether Ukraine can sustain the losses it has been
sustaining over the last couple of months in the long term, because the biggest challenge for the Ukrainian armed forces remains manpower
currently.
MACFARLANE: So if Ukraine agree to concede some territory here for peace, there's still no assurance of security guarantees.
So what could force Russia to end this conflict beyond military means and, you know, beyond the battlefield?
How crucial is it, for instance, that Russia's frozen assets be freed for Ukraine's survival, essentially, here?
GADY: Well, I think this diverts from, I guess, the first order question that we still haven't been able to answer in Europe or in the United
States, probably perhaps better answered in the United States than in Europe. And this is really the following.
What is really -- what is Ukraine really worth for our own security?
[10:30:00]
What is Ukraine really worth for Europe's security architecture and what are we willing to do?
What are we willing to risk in the defense of Ukraine's independence?
And currently, it seems to me that the grand strategy behind all of this is that, whatever we are doing, we are making sure that we are not going to
get into a direct military confrontation with Russia.
And Russia knows this, right?
So Russia actually has what's called escalation dominance. So whether these assets are going to be seized or not, I think, is besides the point. I
think we need to first answer this first order question.
Are we really prepared to perhaps militarily confront Russia in the event of a potential ceasefire?
Because that's the only way, in my opinion, how we can avoid a followon war or a succession war once there is a ceasefire in place. I think the rest,
these are secondary issues, frankly. I think first order questions need to be answered here.
MACFARLANE: Yes. So security guarantees and our Europe and NATO allies in it. Franz-Stefan Gady, we appreciate your thoughts. Thank you.
GADY: Thank you.
MACFARLANE: OK. Up next, children are reported to be among those killed by the latest Israeli strikes on Gaza. Well have more details about the attack
and what it means for the fragile ceasefire.
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MACFARLANE (voice-over): Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD. Here are your headlines this hour.
President Trump is to host the presidents of Rwanda and the Congo at the White House. The leaders are expecting to sign a peace deal aimed at ending
the conflict between Congo's army and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group.
A Ukrainian source says a delegation from Kyiv is on its way to Miami to meet American negotiators for a fresh round of peace talks. This comes
after a lengthy meeting in Moscow between Russia and the U.S. earlier this week. The Kremlin calls those talks substantive, though they ended without
a breakthrough.
On Capitol Hill, lawmakers are meeting with Admiral Frank "Mitch" Bradley to learn about a U.S. military strike against a suspected drug boat. He's
the Special Operations commander, the White House says, ordered a double tap strike on that boat in the Caribbean in September.
Gaza officials say at least five people were killed on an Israeli strike on a displacement camp in Khan Yunis overnight. Here you can see the tents up
in flames. Two children are reported to be among the dead and dozens more are being treated for their injuries. We'll get to those images in just a
moment.
Earlier, I spoke to CNN's Jeremy Diamond last hour about the attack.
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JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: The Israeli military claimed that it was targeting a Hamas terrorist in retaliation for Hamas militants
in the southern part of Gaza, attacking Israeli forces wounding five soldiers, according to the Israeli military.
[10:35:12]
But in this Israeli strike in Southern Gaza, this local hospital says that at least two children are among the dead as a result of this strike. And
this, of course, follows what we have been watching over the course of this ceasefire, which is that it has not always been a ceasefire for
Palestinians, where we have seen more than 360 Palestinians who have now been killed in Gaza by the Israeli military since this began.
In some of these cases, these are retaliatory strikes for attacks by Hamas militants, according to the Israeli military. But in other cases, as we saw
over the weekend, for example, these are attacks that have been carried out against Palestinians, including sometimes civilians, who accidentally cross
that yellow line demarcating Israeli control in Gaza and in those cases, individuals were struck as well. So another sign, of course, of this very
tenuous ceasefire.
MACFARLANE: Yes and now that all but one hostage remains have been returned, thoughts, of course, are turning to phase two of this ceasefire
deal. What are you hearing about what could potentially come next?
DIAMOND: Well, Israelis are indeed still waiting for the remains of one additional hostage, Ran Gvili, an Israeli police officer who was killed in
the October 7th attacks and his body dragged into Gaza, held hostage since then. Israelis are still waiting for his body to be returned in order to
close what has obviously been a very painful chapter for Israeli society over the course of the last two years.
But very quickly after that, attention will turn to the next phases of this ceasefire. The work to try and get to those next phases has, of course,
very much been underway. We saw last month as the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution that would lay the groundwork for this international
stabilization force to actually go into Gaza.
But we still don't have information about you know, how many troops from which countries will actually participate in that international
stabilization force, let alone seeing those troops actually enter the Gaza Strip. That will, of course, be the next major task ahead as well, of
course, as addressing the disarmament of Hamas and then later on, the Israeli government and Israeli military giving up control of territory in
Gaza as well.
All of the territory in Gaza ultimately meant to be handed over to this international stabilization force, which will be overseen by not only a
Palestinian technocratic governing board but also this international board of peace, which the president has said he will lead himself.
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MACFARLANE: And our thanks to Jeremy Diamond for that reporting.
Now Donald Trump's immigration crackdown turns to Louisiana with his top Border Patrol chief on the ground. Ahead on the show, why New Orleans is
being targeted and how the community there is banding together.
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MACFARLANE: Immigrant communities across the metro area of New Orleans say they are living in terror. Raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement or
ICE are ramping up. President Trump's top Border Patrol chief has been spotted in a parking lot in the suburb of Kenner.
Anxiety over the potential raids has been simmering for months in the area, which is a Democratic stronghold in an otherwise Republican state.
The city has now launched an online portal so people can report any instances of alleged abuse by federal agents as these raids take place. Our
senior U.S. national correspondent, Ryan Young, sent this report from New Orleans.
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RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We know from talking to folks in neighborhoods that people are avoiding going to school. They're avoiding
going to work because they're scared of being picked up.
But the operations here have been met with some people happy about the fact that they've seen some arrests being made. Last night we actually saw some
residents coming together to talk about how they could fight back against ICE.
You talk about the portal that's been set up. People are definitely recording. But let's show you this video Bonneville (ph) moving through the
streets. There were some people who were excited to see him as he was moving through the streets of New Orleans.
But obviously there's a lot of opposition to this, showing you videos from outside of Home Depot and Lowe's. We know they were out there, trying to
arrest people. At one car wash, we heard of an arrest and we were there and talking to people afterwards.
They say they were surprised to see how fast they moved in. They were able to grab people off the street. This operations goal is to get at least
5,000 people. That's a large number of arrests they want to make in the next few days.
It's not just New Orleans; it's all the way to Baton Rouge that this operation will be ongoing. It's something that we'll continue to watch over
the next few days there. Today, though, there will be a city council meeting. We'll be there in the next hour or so.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: And our thanks to Ryan Young in New Orleans for that.
Now in another city, a community of immigrants from Somalia are also living in fear. A source tells CNN a new immigration operation targeting
undocumented Somalis is underway in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.
This shopping mall, which houses dozens of Somali shops and is usually bustling, is almost deserted. There is a real fear that even immigrants who
are U.S. citizens could be swept by ICE agents.
Well, president Trump has been viciously attacking the Somali community ahead of these raids. CNN's Omar Jimenez reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, they come from hell and they complain and do nothing but bitch. We don't want them in our
country. Let them go back to where they came from and fix it.
OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Trump now making a point of targeting Somali migrants as a new ICE operation from the Trump
administration is underway in the Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota area, a federal official tells CNN. Targeting the largest population of Somali
immigrants in the country.
Minnesota's Governor Tim Walz wrote in part on X, pulling a P.R. stunt and indiscriminately targeting immigrants is not a real solution to a problem.
Trump is also going after the highest profile Somali American elected to Congress, Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar, who represents the
Minneapolis area.
TRUMP: She shouldn't be allowed to be a congresswoman and I'm sure people are looking at that and she should be throwing the hell out of our country.
OMAR: I would say the president's obsession with me and the Somali community is really unhealthy. It's creepy and I hope that he gets the help
that he needs.
JIMENEZ (voice-over): But President Trump's rhetoric is translating to policy. Somalia is one of 19 countries included in President Trump's latest
travel restrictions implemented over the summer. Now his administration will reexamine all green cards issued to people from certain countries,
which includes Somalia after the recent National Guard shooting allegedly carried out by an Afghan national.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do the Somalians (sic) have to do with this Afghan guy who shot the national?
TRUMP: Nothing but Somalians (sic) have caused a lot of trouble. They're ripping us off for a lot of money.
JIMENEZ (voice-over): President Trump appeared to be alluding to allegations of large-scale fraud in Minnesota as his Treasury Department
and Small Business Administration launched new investigations.
One into various allegations that fraudulently secured funds are being funneled from immigrant communities to terrorists overseas and another into
alleged networks of small business fraud.
Aspects of the latter were already proven in court, including in what's been dubbed the largest COVID-19 fraud scheme in the country, to the tune
of hundreds of millions of dollars and more than 75 people charged, going back to 2022, centered on a nonprofit and a pandemic program meant to
provide free meals to kids in need.
[10:45:00]
The convicted mastermind, Amy Bach, instead, used the money to fund lavish lifestyles but the majority of the defendants in the case are Somali.
Wednesday, the governor seemed prepared for any coming investigations.
GOV. TIM WALZ (D-MN): If they want to help us, I welcome them. I think they do an investigation, find out but I don't think anybody in here really
believes their motive and their timing is about actually doing something about this.
JIMENEZ: There are also two other sets of fraud charges that have come down in recent months, one tied to alleged fraud of an autism program,
another tied to alleged fraud of a Housing Services Program.
And for his part, Governor Tim Walz reiterated Wednesday that anyone who commits fraud in his state will go to prison regardless of color or
religion.
Now for the Somali migrants, there are tens of thousands that live in the Minneapolis area and they've been there for decades at this point.
And it's part of why we heard from not just the mayor of Minneapolis but also the police chief, acknowledge the real fear in many of these migrant
communities and reiterate that the Minneapolis Police will not work with federal immigration enforcement operations.
And it's a dynamic and a type of fear that has become increasingly familiar in immigrant communities across the United States this year -- Omar
Jimenez, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: And our thanks to Omar for that report. Well be right back after this quick break. Stay with us.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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MACFARLANE: Now it's some of Hollywood's biggest stars getting starstruck by fellow celebrities. "Variety's" series "Actors on Actors" pairs up with
the year's most compelling performers for conversations about their craft.
And thanks to a fresh partnership, the new season will stream on CNN beginning Friday. CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister has a preview.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARIANA GRANDE: I've grown up worshiping all of your movies.
ADAM SANDLER, ACTOR: Thank you. Thank you. And I'm going to give you one more back. In the car, we crank a lot of Ariana.
GRANDE: Thank you.
ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ariana Grande gushing over Adam Sandler, an actor she idolized as a kid. Now the
A-listers seated together in a rare and intimate conversation.
It's all part of "Actors on Actors," "Variety's" longstanding viral series, that will be streaming for the first time this year on CNN.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
WAGMEISTER (voice-over): The series, now in its 23rd season, pairs together some of the biggest movie stars in the world as they embark on
their Oscar campaign.
RAMIN SETOODEH, CO-PRESIDENT, "VARIETY": For the Oscars, this is really like the Iowa caucus of award season.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're speaking CNN's language.
SETOODEH: Speaking your language. This is where you have to come if you really want to win an Oscar. The last eight winners of Oscars for acting
have all done "Actors on Actors."
WAGMEISTER (voice-over): "Variety's" co-president and editor-in-chief, Ramin Setoodeh, is responsible for choosing which A-listers will be seated
together.
SETOODEH: And I'm just really, really excited that were partnering with CNN this year. CNN has been the dream home for me, for "Actors on Actors,"
for years.
WAGMEISTER (voice-over): Over the years, "Actors on Actors" has brought together stars like Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo, Cate Blanchett and
Michelle Yeoh and Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt.
This season, the featured Oscar contenders include Leonardo DiCaprio with Jennifer Lawrence, Hugh Jackson and Cynthia Erivo, Julia Roberts with Sean
Penn and Sandler with Grande, who is a frontrunner for her role as Glinda in the "Wicked" sequel.
WAGMEISTER: Ariana, you are clearly such a fan of Adam's.
(CROSSTALK)
SANDLER: Vice versa.
WAGMEISTER: Vice versa.
How much fun was this?
[10:50:00]
Just to be able to sit down and have this conversation together?
GRANDE: I've loved his work my whole life and it was an honor. When they told me that I was paired with him, I almost had a heart attack.
WAGMEISTER (voice-over): I was on set with all of the stars to catch up behind the scenes after their conversations, including Gwyneth Paltrow and
Jacob Elordi.
GWYNETH PALTROW, ACTRESS: It was fabulous.
WAGMEISTER (voice-over): Alexander Skarsgard, who sat down with his father, Stellan Skarsgard.
WAGMEISTER: Stellan, what do you think about Alex's shorts?
STELLAN SKARSGARD, ACTOR: They're too short.
ALEXANDER SKARSGARD, ACTOR: Too short?
S. SKARSGARD: Yes.
A. SKARSGARD: These are the longest shorts I've ever worn.
WAGMEISTER (voice-over): "Wicked" star Jonathan Bailey and Superman himself, David Corenswet, who serenaded each other.
And Academy Award winner Brendan Fraser and Dwayne Johnson, who are both in the 2026 Oscars conversation nearly 25 years after working together on the
2001 hit, "The Mummy Returns."
DWAYNE JOHNSON, ACTOR: He helped launch my career. Brendan was the one -- he doesn't like to take credit but it's true -- who said, OK, yes. I'll
have Dwayne Johnson, who -- he didn't even know or The Rock he wasn't familiar. But I will have him in the franchise. It's his franchise.
BRENDAN FRASER, ACTOR: The bill is in the mail.
(LAUGHTER)
WAGMEISTER (voice-over): Watching this ...
WAGMEISTER: This was so fun to be on set for the production of "Actors on Actors." And "Actors on Actors," for those who aren't familiar with it, is
one of the biggest entertainment franchises out there. So we are so excited that it is now going to be streaming on CNN.
It's really the only place that you see certainly this caliber of A-lister but also actors sitting down with each other. And that's why they get so
candid and so unfiltered. So it premieres tomorrow. The first episode out is with Ariana Grande and Adam Sandler.
MACFARLANE: And Elizabeth, that really must have been one great day at the office for you. I am very jealous and we look forward to seeing it. Such a
great concept. Thank you.
Now we are just one day away from the draw for the 2026 World Cup, which takes place Friday in Washington, D.C. It's a tournament with three host
countries, the U.S., Mexico and Canada and tomorrow's draw will lay out the possible paths for the 48 teams to make it to next year's finals. CNN's
Amanda Davies sets the stage.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Three years ago, when Leo Messi and Argentina got their hands on the World Cup trophy in Qatar, we'd
never seen a World Cup final or trophy lift like it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The last one who lifted that is Leo Messi and here it is in the Oval Office.
DAVIES (voice-over): But here we are in 2025. It's long been called the greatest show on Earth but next year's edition of the FIFA men's World Cup
should be greater than ever.
For the first time, with three host nations and more countries taking part than any other edition of the tournament.
We've had the minnows making major waves in qualifying -- Curacao, Uzbekistan, Jordan and Cape Verde amongst those benefiting from the
expansion from 32 teams to 48 and set to make their debut.
And let's not forget the big guns. Erling Haaland set to grace football's biggest stage at last with Norway. So, too, 18-year old sensation Lamine
Yamal, with European champion Spain. And one final international bow for Egypt's Mo Salah, Argentina's Messi and, of course, Cristiano Ronaldo.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Canada, Mexico and USA have been selected to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
DAVIES (voice-over): When the tournament was awarded to the trio of hosts in 2018, it was dubbed the United bid. Times have changed, politically at
least.
TRUMP: We are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
DAVIES (voice-over): With Trump's threats to annex Canada as the USA's 51st state and his far-reaching trade tariffs, this is a tournament playing
out against the backdrop of the international politics.
QUESTION: How do you see the World Cup playing out with the, you know, the tensions you have with Canada and Mexico?
TRUMP: Oh, I think it's going to make it more exciting. Tensions are a good thing.
DAVIES (voice-over): Domestic politics are at play as well, with president Trump warning he could move games away from already allocated tournament
venues in cities he deems not to be safe.
TRUMP: If we think there's going to be a sign of any trouble, I would ask Gianni to move that to a different city.
DAVIES (voice-over): From a fan perspective, two qualified nations, Haiti and Iran, are on the list of countries whose residents are currently banned
from entering the United States. So traveling supporters won't be able to attend.
The Trump administration has confirmed only players, their immediate families and national team staff will be allowed with exemptions, quote,
"very rare."
Questions about security after the 2024 COPA America final between Argentina and Colombia in Miami descended into chaos.
[10:55:00]
FIFA say ticket sales totaled nearly 2 million so far. And there's a hope that a prioritized visa process for fans from the non-excluded countries
will smooth the way for more.
TRUMP: You've been my great friend.
DAVIES (voice-over): Never before have we seen FIFA's leadership so publicly, closely allied to the leader of its host country. FIFA boss
Gianni Infantino has said their relationship is crucial.
GIANNI INFANTINO, FIFA: I'm really lucky. I have a great relationship with president Trump, who I consider really a close friend.
DAVIES (voice-over): But never before have we seen a World Cup hosted in president Trump's America. And if the club World Cup celebrations in July
are anything to go by, it's not only the football set to be center stage -- Amanda Davies, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: And that is it for me and the team here on CONNECT THE WORLD. Keep it with CNN. We have "ONE WORLD" coming up after the break.
END
