Return to Transcripts main page
Erin Burnett Outfront
Trump-Mamdani Love Fest: MAGA "Confused", Dems Celebrating; Trump: Zelenskyy Is Going To "Have To Like" Peace Plan; MAGA Uproar Over Huckabee's Secret Meeting With Convicted U.S. Spy. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired November 21, 2025 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:26]
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next:
Trump's over-the-top praise for Zohran Mamdani has MAGA up in arms. Did he Mamdani outwit Trump?
Also breaking, Trump now trying to force Ukrainian President Zelensky into accepting a peace deal that seems like it could have been written in Moscow by Putin. New reaction from officials around the world coming into OUTFRONT this hour. We've got some breaking details there.
And why did Mike Huckabee, the American ambassador to Israel, meet with a man convicted of spying on the United States? Republicans tonight are demanding answers.
Let's go OUTFRONT.
(MUSIC)
BURNETT: And good evening. I'm Erin Burnett.
OUTFRONT tonight. A love fest that MAGA hates. President Trump, the same person who called radical communist and not smart tonight had a totally different view. He couldn't have praised the Democratic socialist more. The two men met face to face for the first time, and as the cameras rolled, with many expect a moment more like Zelenskyy.
Here's what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He really ran an incredible race against a lot of smart people. I think you're going to have hopefully a really great mayor. I think he is going to surprise some conservative people, actually. He said, a lot of my voters actually voted for him.
MAYOR-ELECT ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D), NEW YORK: One in 10.
TRUMP: And I'm okay with that.
REPORTER: Are you affirming that you think president Trump is a fascist? MAMDANI: I've spoken about.
REPORTER: That's okay. You can just say, okay. Okay. It's easier. It's easier than explaining it. I don't mind. Some of his ideas really are the same ideas that I have.
I expect to be helping him, not hurting him. I want him to do a great job.
REPORTER: Would you feel comfortable living in New York city under a Mamdani administration?
TRUMP: Yeah, I would. I really would. Especially after the meeting. I'll be cheering for him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: I mean, it's incredible. It's really incredible to see that. I'll be cheering for him. He doesn't mind he calls him a fascist. Happy his voters voted for him. It's all a good thing.
Well, you know what? You might -- you're not alone if you're asking, who is this man in the Oval Office?
Some in MAGA are as well, including far right activist Laura Loomer, who just a few moments ago, as were coming to air posts this. Why did Zelenskyy receive a harsher welcome at the White House than Mamdani? Interesting. If socialists are doing a good job, then I guess nobody needs to vote them out during the midterms. If you're a Republican, why not just stay home in 2026 and 2028? Since Mamdani policies are amazing. I'm confused.
Well, you know what? On this one, she's got a point. I mean, let's just remember how Trump treated Zelenskyy compared to what you just saw.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Your country is in big trouble. Wait a minute. No, no, you've done a lot of talking. Your country is in big trouble.
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: I know.
TRUMP: You're not winning. You're not winning this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And Mamdani, who ran an entire campaign based on making Trump the boogeyman, was, well, today, smiles and appreciation. In fact, there was a lot of appreciation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAMDANI: I appreciated the time with the president. I appreciated the conversation. I am really looking forward to delivering for New Yorkers in partnership with the president, on the affordability agenda. I appreciated the meeting we had and the work that we can do. One thing I also appreciated is in our meeting, to appreciate a portrait of FDR.
TRUMP: When the mayor saw that portrait, he said, sir, do you mind if I have a picture taken by that point? It's an amazing portrait. I hope the picture comes out good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURENTT: I mean, I wonder if he went in planning to use the word appreciate, or if it just became the crutch of the day when he's saying, what do I -- what do I say?
Okay. And it was, of course, a lot of words, but you saw the action, right? You saw Trump kind of reach out and touch Mamdani. They were tapping each other, laughing about when a question about taxes was being asked. And at the end of their meeting, a very hearty handshake, right? With a double tap there from Trump.
But while some powerful MAGA voices are livid, very, very different view from Democrats, at least right now, Democratic social media influencer Harry Sisson, sort of the you know, Laura Loomer on the other side, Trump says Trump just folded and slobbered all over Mamdani. He talked a big talk on social media, but in person he was patting him on the back and complimenting him. Interesting.
I like how they each ended with she ended with confusing. He ended with interesting.
But New York City's Democratic comptroller Brad Lander wrote, pretty sure Zohran just termed Donald Trump into agreeing that he's a fascist because frankly, it was just a couple of weeks ago that Trump was saying this about Mamdani.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: And Mamdani, whatever the hell his name is in New York.
[19:05:00]
The Mamdani thing is a -- it's a disaster waiting to happen.
He's not a socialist. He's a communist. Okay? This is not a socialist. This is a communist.
I call him my little communist. He's my little communist mayor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Okay, so he said that online. He called Mamdani a 100 percent communist lunatic, adding that he looks terrible. His voice is grating. He's not very smart.
So, gosh, guess he woke up today on the different side of the bed. Now says he is rooting for the man he calls his little communist. And as for Mamdani, remember this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAMDANI: I am Donald Trump's worst nightmare as a progressive Muslim immigrant who actually fights for the things that I believe in. I am not Donald Trump. I will follow the laws as they are, as opposed to bend them to my own will.
What he's doing is focusing entirely on this agenda of punishment and cruelty.
I will not be intimidated by this president.
And if there is any way to terrify a despot, it is by dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power. So, hear me, President Trump, when I say this, to get to any of us, you will have to get through all of us so Donald Trump, since I know you're watching I have four words for you. Turn the volume up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Which makes what we saw today, of course, truthfully extraordinary. In fact, so extraordinary that I could just play this again and again the whole hour. Even Fox was stunned.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN KILMEADE, FOX NEWS HOST: We were watching that press conference. I think J.D. Vance is jealous. I think he -- the president wants to use him as a running mate. They really got along fantastic.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: I mean, that's something. Kristen Holmes is OUTFRONT outside the White House.
Okay, Kristen, so, we see Laura Loomer is livid. Henry Sisson is thrilled but who is playing whom here?
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erin, if I answer that, then I'm going to get a lot of trouble no matter what I say. But I can tell you this. This is based on just covering President Trump being here every day. This is not a man who goes into a meeting and thinks that he has to act with diplomacy.
We saw the meeting with Zelensky, but that's not the only meeting in which he's been sitting down with a business leader or with a leader of a foreign country and has essentially become entirely combative. He wheeled video cameras or video videos in for the leader of South Africa, and accused him of genocide. This, again, is not somebody who feels like he has to put on a show just because someone is next to him.
And I will tell you from watching that clip and watching it with my mouth open, because it really could have gone any way here. President Trump seemed genuinely charmed by Mamdani. He had nothing but praise for him. And you played that clip there of him calling the mayor- elect, calling President Trump a despot. President Trump reacted to that. A reporter asked specifically, he said, I've been called worse before, so it's not really even that insulting.
I mean, it was moment after moment in which president Trump essentially went back on so many of the things that he had said, saying he would be comfortable living in New York city, saying he was cheering him on. And big reminder here, President Trump has been threatening this idea of withholding federal funds from New York, particularly if Mamdani one that seemed to be an issue of the past. Now, he downplayed that significantly, saying he was rooting him on.
BURNETT: All right. Well, Kristen, thank you very much. It's incredible. These are the times we live in every day. You might feel incredulous and things are extraordinary in a really good or a really horrible way, just depends on the day. Kristen, thanks very much.
All right. I'm here with my panel. Max and Ben are here. S.E. is joining us.
Okay. So, we're sitting here together on the set watching this, Max. It's pretty incredible. It's pretty incredible. Actually, I don't know what parts my favorite part, whatever part you're playing at the moment is my favorite part, but I'm looking down at my paper right now and he says, are you affirming President Trump is a fascist? Mamdani starts to kind of go, Mamdani.
And Trump goes, that's okay. You can say yes. And he goes, okay, yes. It's -- and then and -- I mean --
MAX ROSE (D), FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE: I don't think I know anything about politics anymore after. I don't even know why you have me on here. I feel like every single rule that I ever knew about this business just got thrown out the window.
One day ago, Donald Trump threatened to hang multiple members of the House and the Senate. Mamdani, one of the leaders of the Democratic base, the following day goes in and heaps praise on Donald Trump and the Democratic base applauds him for it.
[19:10:03]
Donald Trump, who has previously caused -- called Mamdani the most evil human being in the world, perhaps the only chance he has of retaining the Republican majority in the house is by making him the most evil guy in the world. He heaps praise on him.
I don't understand anything that's going on now, but it's awfully entertaining.
BURNETT: Do you get it?
BEN SMITH, EDITOR IN CHIEF, SEMAFOR: Yes, totally. Of obvious, of course. Yes. Has anything ever been said? No. I think there's like two big things here. One is there are both populists in the sense that they, you know, appeal to people who think that the entire elite is corrupt, both parties, everybody else in each of their parties, you know, ought to be tossed out. And they share this kind of basic appeal that they are the new face.
And you heard from people saying, David Urban said in the last hour game recognize game. There's something about them that gives them this overlapping appeal. But also, it is season five of the Trump show. Ratings are flagging. We have an exciting new character, and like Trump, you can just see Trump, the TV programmer loves it.
He was talking at the end. Did you see all that press in there? So much press. And I think the core of that, and Trump understands how much we're enjoying watching this. Like this is a show he directed that we are watching and enjoying.
So, you're welcome. Thank you, Mr. President.
BURNETT: S.E., Trump just posted some pictures from the meeting which continue along the same sort of attitude. You know, pictures of -- you know, them looking very obviously pleased and happy to be there.
S.E., it does put a whole new kind of spin on the great man theory of history here. You know, you get two men in a room and all of a sudden, you know, it is it really just come down to some sort of a personality click. These are the pictures that he just posted. We're scrolling through. There, all of them looking really happy.
SMITH: Oh my god.
S.E. CUPP, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think that, you know, there's something to be said for Trump, a winner. And I think Trump sees in Mamdani a winner. Right? This sort of out of nowhere, he goes from zero to hero in a few months. Mamdani does in New York City.
And I think Trump kind of admires that. And, you know, as Ben says, he loves the press attention that Mamdani courts and cultivates. He loves that this guy is charming. And I think Mamdani understood the assignment really well. And he buttered Trump up early by talking about one of Trump's favorite things to talk about building buildings in New York City.
And I think he got him really put, put Trump really at ease, which I don't think is hard to do. I think you just have to flatter him. And I think Mamdani got that. And I think the calculation for Mamdani was, well, you know, my base wanted to see a fighter, but if I can keep Trump's troops out of New York City and if I can keep federal funding flowing into New York City, I think they'll be really happy with that, too.
So, I think he's trying out this posture with Trump. I think Trump is trying out this posture with Mamdani. But guys, tomorrow is a new day. They could both turn on each other on a dime, and Trump is going to need this foil that he's told all of MAGA to be afraid of when it comes time for the midterms. So I wouldn't expect the detente to last forever.
BURNETT: I mean, just to state the obvious and basically from what Laura was saying, Mamdani success comes out of Trump's pocket. And I mean, I don't mean literally, although I suppose it literally might, but it from a voting perspective, right? If Mamdani succeeds in a Democratic socialist can get things done in New York, that's really bad for Trump in the midterms.
ROSE: Well, I certainly would not want to be at least Stefanik right now, who announced that she's running for governor of New York purely based off of --
BURNETT: Trump contradicted her today, said she's wrong. He doesn't agree with her. What she calls Mamdani a jihadist.
ROSE: Right. So, you know, this is that's what makes all of this so odd because you have many members of Congress. This is partially kind of why I'm so taken aback by this whole situation. You have many members of congress who really wouldn't be caught dead in the same room as Donald Trump. I think partially, rightfully so. I mean, this is the guy that has been impeached multiple times. We think about January 6th, we think about the ICE raids and this and that and what we're seeing right now is in the end, and we were talking about this, a revolution in our politics that said that way is not working.
It's an anti-establishment --
BURNETT: Yeah.
ROSE: -- you know, momentum that I think in some ways came out here, but it certainly they both of them together synchronously broke every rule that --
BURNETT: They did.
ROSE: -- I've seen.
BURNETT: Now, I want to get to numbers. I sometimes like to do that. I like numbers.
Ben, Trump spoke about Mamdani and he, you know, that there's that overlap, right? That populist overlap that you're talking about in the Venn diagram. Here's how he put it.
(BEGIN VDIEO CLIP)
TRUMP: A lot of my voters actually voted for him.
MAMDANI: One in 10.
TRUMP: And I'm okay with that. We agree on a lot more than I would have thought.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: So on the Venn diagram of a lot of my voters voted for him.
[19:15:01]
The numbers actually 10 percent. And that's how many, what percent of Trump's 2024 voters voted for. Mamdani. Can you contextualize that? It would seem, in the context of American politics, that that is obviously a lot. But what does that mean?
SMITH: Well, you know, Mamdani started his campaign. The first thing he did, first video, he wandered around a couple of neighbor -- working class neighborhoods right after the election, interviewing people about who they voted for. And a lot of them said they voted for Trump and may not -- maybe it's not numerically that many, but it -- but these are actual swing voters, a pretty rare thing in America.
BURNETT: Yeah. I mean, to me, it's like 10 percent to some might sound like a little. But when it comes to Trump and Mamdani.
SMITH: Yeah, you'd think they were. And it does, it does tell you that American politics is more complicated than it than I think because people talk about he's very hyper partisan terms. Voters are weird and complicated and often overlapping in these ways.
But I mean, I don't know, there's also just a personal element here, right? You have like a, a guy from Queens who always wanted to be loved by the Manhattan elites. Mamdani basically is a Manhattan elite, you know, who has who has dreams of being loved by the guys in Queens. Theres a little of that, too.
BURNETT: S.E., you covered the Mamdani race, I mean, just indefatigably, obviously. And every night. But, you know, I know every day is unpredictable in the sense of what we witnessed today. But big picture. Do you see any chance of this relationship lasting when both of them have made the entire core really of their platform, and specifically Mamdani election and his victory speech was about having the other as the anti?
CUPP: I think they both still really need each other for that. Like I said, Donald Trump needs Mamdani to be the scary boogeyman for the midterms and Mamdani who is really, you know, ultimately a soft spoken, kind of affable guy gets to look tough when he talks about Donald Trump and New Yorkers want that tough talk. They were there for that. You know, this was a local election. But they nationalized it, too. In addition to Trump and Mamdani nationalizing it, they wanted someone who was going to take on Trump.
And when Zohran Mamdani gets to talk tough about Trump, he seems bigger. And, you know, like, like a New Yorker's New Yorker.
So, I don't think this will last. I think they both need each other to be to be villains in their stories. And I'm sure at some point over the next year, they'll give each other that opportunity.
BURNETT: Well, thanks to all of you. And I'll also just say this in the world, every day we hear about how A.I. is taking everything over. I don't think A.I. could have predicted that and handled that well. So thank God for human beings and they're both human beings. Those two, whatever you may think of them. Thank you.
And next, take the deal. Trump pressuring Zelenskyy tonight to accept his so-called peace plan. It is a plan that sells out a lot of Ukraine. It rewards Putin and we are getting new reaction tonight from America's allies. Plus, pleading the Fifth. Sources telling CNN that Jeffrey Epstein's
former accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, will refuse to answer questions if she's called to testify before congress.
And as CNN exclusive, a new reporting tonight in a growing sexual misconduct scandal at one of Americas largest military bases could be the biggest sexual misconduct story in American military history. We'll tell you about the secret tapes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:22:43]
BURNETT: Breaking news tonight, President Trump strong arming Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy into accepting a so-called peace deal. That, well, is pretty much what Putin's been asking for all the way along.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: He'll have to like it. And if he doesn't like it, then, you know, they should just keep fighting, I guess. At some point, he's going to have to accept something. You know, he hasn't accepted. You remember, right, in the Oval Office not so long ago I said, you don't have the cards.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: We actually just played that moment a few minutes ago, didn't we?
Zelenskyy says Trump's plan comes down to, quote, either the loss of dignity or the risk of losing a key partner. Stark way to put it.
Trump giving Ukraine six days to respond. But here are some of the concessions Ukraine must make. And as I said, these are things Putin has been asking for all the way along that would give Putin Crimea. It would give Putin all of Ukraine's Donbas region, even though Russia does not control it.
It would reduce Ukraine's military to 600,000 personnel, which is a cut of hundreds of thousands of troops, which of course, would completely make them unable to fight Russia again. And it would bar Ukraine from joining NATO, which of course, has been Putin's goal.
Also, these have been nonstarters for Zelenskyy for years and for Ukraine. In 2023, when I interviewed Zelenskyy in Odessa, he told me then that the war could not end with Russia even controlling Crimea, which is something, of course, Trump has made a core of this deal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: To be clear, in victory in peace, is there any scenario where Crimea is not part of Ukraine?
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: It will not be victory then. (END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: As for Putin, in addition to getting all of the things I listed, Putin would come back into the G-8.
Zelensky says Ukraine is now facing one of the most difficult moments in his history. Putin, of course, is thrilled with this, saying the plan could, quote, serve as the basis for a final peace settlement.
Jim Sciutto is OUTFRONT with breaking news, because, Jim, I know you've been speaking with officials in the United States as well as Europe. I mean, I thought it was important just to mention that G-8 point at the end, on top of all of that, Russia is welcomed with open arms back to the core of the international community.
[19:25:05]
And you are getting some very strong reactions to all of this, this hour. I know.
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Erin, I can say without exaggeration that my phone was lighting up today with reaction from Ukraine to Europe to here in Washington. Frankly, to this plan with one consistent description of it, that it would amount to a Ukrainian surrender.
And keep in mind, and you know this well, that when Ukrainians say this, this is not just political talk, right? This is -- this is existential to them. They're talking about the survival of their country as an independent state. One Ukrainian military commander said this to me. He said Trump is stubbornly pushing Ukraine into capitulation and also humiliating Europeans. The whole idea looks naive and stupid.
I spoke to a Ukrainian member of parliament, Halyna Yanchenko, and I think quite deliberately, she used some colorful language, describing her reaction to this peace proposal as described, she said it looks like they are pissing on your boots and telling you it's raining. She went on to say to me that, listen, this would be forcing my country, Ukraine, to its knees.
What was interesting to me in particular, though, Erin, was that that criticism extended across The Atlantic to here in Washington and among both Democrats and Republicans. You heard the Republican chairman of the senate armed services committee say this was unacceptable.
And Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican member of Congress from Pennsylvania, he said this Russian drafted propaganda, that's how he's describing President Trump's peace proposal must be rejected and disregarded for the unserious nonsense that this is.
And this is important, Erin, because there is discussion now of a discharge position on Capitol Hill that would allow congress to vote on a new punishing sanctions package for Russia in effect over President Trump's support. And it's notable because we did see this just happen. Now, on the Epstein files. Right. You had Republicans defy their president.
So, the question now is that criticism from Republicans of this peace proposal strong enough that they force through legislation to increase the pressure on Russia, as opposed to what we're seeing now, which is pressure on Ukraine?
BURNETT: Yeah. And to put all of those things in it, giving all that, that territory to Putin as well.
SCIUTTO: Yeah.
BURNETT: All right. Jim Sciutto, thank you very much.
I want to go now to Bridget Brink. She's a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine under Biden, as well as part of Trump's second term, now running for Congress in Michigan as a Democrat.
Ambassador, I really appreciate your time. You know, just hearing what Jim Sciutto is reporting about, Brian Fitzpatrick, specifically the Republican congressman who calls this proposal unserious nonsense and says it reads like Russian drafted propaganda pretty stunning words to describe it and to come, of course, from an elected Republican congressman.
Is this how you see it?
BRIDGET BRINK, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE: That's, Erin, thank you so much for having me on. That's exactly how I see it as well. I believe that this so-called peace plan is really a capitulation by Ukraine, and it fulfills Putin's wish list. You went over some of the points. There are 28 of them. But I would just highlight three.
One is that Ukraine is required to cede territory that Russia could not take in four years of fighting. Two, it basically reduces the Ukrainian military to the point where it would be and the country would be weak and vulnerable. And third, it requires no NATO enlargement that applies to Ukraine. But even more broadly.
So, it essentially delivers Putin a clear strategic victory. It's unthinkable for Ukraine. And it is not in our national security interests.
Appeasement never works to end war. It didn't work in 1938, and it's not going to work today.
BURNETT: It is incredible. After all of the back and forth. Right. And the failed summit and then Trump talking tough. And then this is what gets put on paper.
I mean, I think after all of that, it is still somewhat stunning, Ambassador. And Zelenskyy insinuated in what I played, that if he doesn't accept this deal, right, that the choice is either Ukraine or lose American support, right? That was -- that was a very explicit choice.
Trump was asked about that in the Oval Office earlier, and he didn't address it directly. He certainly didn't deny it.
What -- so what do you think is happening here? And what message does it send Putin that this would be put out there in the way it did? No NATO enlargement of any sort, all the land that that he had wanted in Ukraine, that he's back in the G-8. What does Putin get from this?
BRINK: Well, Putin gets everything that he wants. And maybe I'll say just the message I think we should be sending is that America does not bow to dictators.
[19:30:04]
It's just not who we are and what we need to do is fight for freedom and democracy at home and abroad. And the reason that I resigned from my position and spoke out, and I'm running for Congress is because we cannot be an America that is undermining our own democracy, stripping people of their health care and destabilizing our own economy, or even, as of yesterday, having our head of state actually threaten members of Congress, members of Congress who have also served our country.
So this is why I'm here, and this is why I'm running. We need to stand up and we need to speak out, and we need to be the America that supports our foundational values.
BURNETT: And you are speaking out. Some of the others we've heard speaking out. I mean, I talk about Brian Fitzpatrick. There are others, but one of the strongest things was actually said from one of the top officials in Estonia, which has a lot at stake at this, right, with when it comes to Putin and his territorial ambitions.
Marco Mickelson said if Ukraine accepts this, there will be no Ukraine anymore. If Europe accepts this, we must prepare for a direct war with Russia, which are stunning words in the context of what we have now heard out of senior French officials more than once in the past six months, which is that the French people should be prepared for the possibility that french children will die fighting a war with Russia.
Do you think this is a reality?
BRINK: I think this proposed plan will not end the war. It will only lay the groundwork for future war. And so, it is a danger to Ukraine, to Europe and to us, because if Ukraine is taken and more pressure is put on other NATOs, including other allies, including NATO allies, that also brings the United States directly into this war.
It is -- it is a disaster from start to finish. We need to remember who we are. We need to stand for our values. That includes freedom and democracy at home and abroad.
BURNETT: Ambassador Brink, I appreciate your time and thank you so much.
BRINK: Thank you.
BURNETT: And next, we have new details about Jeffrey Epstein's former accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. A new plan of action if she's actually called to testify. Sources telling CNN she has no intention of talking. So, what does that mean about what she knows?
Plus, MAGA accusing Trump's ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, of going rogue after he met with a convicted spy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:36:39]
BURNETT: Tonight, president Trump's MAGA base erupting after it was revealed that Trump's ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, met with a convicted spy who gave U.S. secrets to Israel.
Tom Foreman is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEVE BANNON, PODCAST HOST: Should Huckabee be recalled immediately for this action, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would think so. Steve. Absolutely.
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): MAGA influencers are hammering Mike Huckabee amid reports that the U.S. ambassador to Israel held a previously unknown meeting in July with Jonathan Pollard, an American caught spying for Israel. There is no universe where it's appropriate. We need an investigation. Shocking behavior.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can't sit down with traitors.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Pollard, an American intelligence analyst in the 1980s, was discovered stealing classified documents and selling them to the Israelis. Some top secret. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit espionage, spent almost 30 years in prison, and then later moved to Israel, where he had been given citizenship.
MIKE HUCKABEE, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL: We're just getting started. Watch what happens.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Huckabee, a former Republican governor of Arkansas who had pushed for an early release for Pollard, was given the Israeli ambassadorship by President Donald Trump, who has a deep interest in the region.
TRUMP: We took a big cloud off of the Middle East and off of Israel.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Trump called for the bombing of Iran's nuclear program, shepherded peace talks for the war in Gaza, and deepened ties with Saudi Arabia. Yet Huckabee appears to have left his boss in the dark on this move.
KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The White House was not aware of that meeting, but the president stands by our ambassador, Mike Huckabee, and all that he's doing for the United States and Israel. FOREMAN (voice-over): According to "The New York Times", which broke
the story, Huckabee's meeting with Pollard was not even on the ambassadors schedule. And when a "Times" journalist spoke to Pollard, the paper says he said he did not regret spying for Israel, and he castigated Trump, calling him a madman who has literally sold us down the drain for Saudi gold, all fueling the inferno among those who think the ambassador has gone rogue.
BANNON: I've called for him to be recalled before. Just some of the stuff he's saying in Israel, which is outlandish, outrageous and just dead wrong.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen, but when treason season begins, were going to have to call it out.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOREMAN (on camera): Huckabee has said little. The embassy has said "The New York Times" story is full of holes, but very pointedly, the embassy has also not denied that this meeting took place, leaving all the troubling questions about it, Erin, exactly where they are.
BURNETT: It's really, really incredible. All right. Thank you very much, Tom.
And next, sources telling CNN tonight that Jeffrey Epstein's former accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, plans to plead the Fifth if she's called to testify before Congress.
Plus, exclusive reporting tonight on what could be the biggest sexual misconduct scandal in the history of the U.S. military.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:43:55]
BURNETT: Breaking news CNN learning that convicted Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell will plead the Fifth if she is called to testify before the House Oversight Committee, which led the Republican chairman, James Comer, to suggest to "Politico" that it was unlikely the committee would bother to bring her in.
Comer also saying both Bill and Hillary Clinton must appear for depositions as part of the Epstein investigation. And if they don't comply, he'll start contempt proceedings.
OUTFRONT now, Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna. He and Republican Congressman Thomas Massie were the lead sponsors on the bill that is now law forcing release of all the Epstein bills.
You all you guys were Don Quixote tilting at windmills for months, and suddenly everybody got on board and really incredible moment in history.
Congressman, I appreciate your time. I actually have a lot I want to ask you about because of what just
happened in Washington today with Trump and Mamdani. But first, Ghislaine Maxwell, she spoke to Todd Blanche, the deputy attorney general, for hours over multiple days over the summer. She put it all on tape. She talked about, Trump being great. She said all of these things.
But now, when it comes to going in front of your committee.
[19:45:02]
So again, fine to go with the attorney general, deputy attorney general. But she goes in front of your committee. She's going to take the Fifth and not answer the questions.
What is she actually saying?
REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA): Erin, it's a gut punch to the survivors. I've gotten to know the survivors over the last five months. This is someone, Ghislaine Maxwell, who abused them, who participated in Epstein's rape of young girls. And for her to be getting treatment at a less security prison is outrageous. She needs to come in front of the committee.
And, you know, the other thing that we need to do as a committee, we need to have the survivors come before the committee to tell their stories. The reason that Thomas Massie and I succeeded is because the survivors had the courage to tell their story in front of the Capitol. It's time for them to come in front of the committee. That's what they want to do.
BURNETT: So and I know they do. And obviously, you know, you want to protect any of them that choose to not do so. But many of them have chosen to put their faces out there at such great personal risk at this point in their lives.
But Ghislaine Maxwell pleading the Fifth -- I mean, what is she saying? It seems to me that if she was, had she told the truth to Todd Blanche, then she should be fine to come in and testify in front of your committee. It would seem that way, wouldn't it?
KHANNA: Well, look, she has no credibility. The government itself has found that she has committed in the past. Perjury and has not told the truth. So, she has a lot to hide. She does not. She's not being forthcoming about which other men participated in this abuse. She's not being forthcoming about the extent of the foreign system. And I think if she comes to the committee, she knows she's going to have to answer for that.
BURNETT: It's pretty -- it's pretty stunning to think that she could just say, I'm just going to take the Fifth, especially given where she is currently residing, as you pointed out.
I want to ask you about the extraordinary meeting today, and it was extraordinary between Trump and Mayor-elect Mamdani extraordinary because, yes, it was extraordinarily entertaining, but it was also the polar opposite of what either of them have said in the past. Trump called Mamdani a communist, a lunatic. Maybe the worst thing ever for history, said anyone who voted for him who is stupid. I mean, it went on and on and on, right?
And then today, it was as if, I mean, I haven't seen him behave so warmly to his own children, ever, frankly. I mean, we kept hearing him say these two words.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We're going to be helping him to make everybody's dream come true. I expect to be helping him, not hurting him. A big help. We're going to help him. But I really think he has a chance to do a great job. I think you really have a chance to make it great. I met with a man who wants to see -- really wants to see New York be great again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: So, what do you think about all that? I mean, is that -- is that genuine? Do you believe it?
KHANNA: You know what Trump likes? He likes winners. And Mamdani is a winner.
And I'll tell you, Mamdani secret sauce. He is a person of deep conviction. And unlike many politicians who look at where the wind is blowing, he actually stood for what came out of principle. And he shows that when you stand on principle, Donald Trump and the world will bow to you instead of your having to cave and bow to the Trump and the far right.
And I hope that will be the lesson for Democrats that Mamdani is showing.
BURNETT: Congressman, you obviously know that the Mamdani campaign, well, you campaigned for him. I know you have had a chance to speak with them after this meeting. Was this what they expected or was this a very different experience than they anticipated walking into.?
KHANNA: You know, the honest truth is they had no idea what to expect. But again, it speaks to Mamdani boldness that he wanted to meet with Donald Trump. Why? Because its customary for the mayor-elect to meet with the president. There are a lot of people in our side who say, oh, you can't go meet with Donald Trump. But Mamdani like me and Bernie Sanders and others believe you go and you talk to everyone, but you stand on your principles.
And what this shows is that's how you win, that you -- that people even on the other side will respect that. They respect the fact that Mamdani never ran away from being a Muslim American. He never ran away from his convictions on affordability. He never ran away from his convictions on Gaza. And he had the courage and the boldness to step in front of the Oval Office. And he's one of the few Democrats who has done that and have Donald Trump praise him.
So, the lesson is more bold, courageous new generation leadership in our party, I also think is a fresh face. It's important what he's bringing.
BURNETT: All right, Congressman, I appreciate your time. Thank you.
KHANNA: Thank you, Erin.
BURNETT: All right. And next, exclusive new reporting this hour on how allegations of sexual misconduct at one of America's biggest army bases finally came to light.
[19:50:00]
Our Brianna Keilar at the forefront of this incredible reporting. And she's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: New tonight, an exclusive CNN investigation revealing allegations of a widening sexual misconduct scandal at one of Americas biggest army bases. We are learning what led the army to investigate a gynecologist described as a predator in uniform -- that's the quote -- after years of complaints about the doctor failed to go anywhere.
The investigation into Major Blaine McGraw is widening into what could be the biggest sexual misconduct case in U.S. military history. And it all came down to one person, one alleged victim filing a lawsuit, accusing McGraw of repeatedly groping her and secretly recording her during her exams. The lawsuit alleges, and I quote, the Army gave cover to a predator in uniform. And now, because of this, the Army is confirming it is now contacting about 3,000 former patients at Fort Hood in Texas and another military medical center in Hawaii, as the investigation widens.
[19:55:03]
And OUTFRONT now is Brianna Keilar. She has exclusive new reporting on what actually led the army to investigate this doctor.
I mean, as you talk about, Brianna, I mean, this could be the biggest sexual misconduct case in American military history. Its unbelievable. But it came down to one person, a very observant husband, accompanying his wife to her ultrasound just last month. What did you find?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. That's right, Erin. That lawsuit you mentioned was filed last week by a military spouse who, according to the court filing, was identified from an image on Dr. Blaine McGraw's phone by army investigators.
CNN learned from sources that this case was cracked open by the husband of a different patient. He is a combat veteran who accompanied his army officer wife to this appointment, and saw Major McGraw recording her vaginal ultrasound, according to a person familiar with what the husband later told investigators. And to show you how he is alleged to have done that, you can see this video from an ultrasound appointment of a different patient.
Multiple accusers say McGraw often had his cell phone in his shirt pocket, camera facing out, similar to what you will see here. And we also obtained a picture as well of McGraw delivering the baby of another alleged victim, where you can also see a phone visible in his shirt pocket.
This couple, the combat veteran husband, the army officer wife, they tried and they tried to report what happened to the hospital, to base leadership at Fort Hood. It was such a frustrating process and at one point the source told us the husband apparently boiling over, actually screamed in the hospital lobby. I just caught a doctor recording my wife's vagina.
The army led criminal investigation began. Investigators seized Dr. McGraw's phone. Alleged victims say they started getting these calls from investigators, saying that their images were on the phone once they went to meet with them. Dozens of women sources tell us, and the army began reaching out to thousands of patients in Texas and Hawaii, Erin.
BURNETT: I mean, it's just unbelievable to even listen to this, Brianna. I mean, I so -- I know that so many accusers say that they did try to report Dr. McGraw over the years, right? It isn't that this just suddenly came to light, right? There are people who had tried to be heard. What have you found about that?
KEILAR: Yeah, that's exactly right. My colleagues Haley Britzky, Izzy Khurshudyan and I learned from sources that the Army actually investigated McGraw at least twice before, in 2022 and 2024, in Texas and Hawaii, because of patient complaints. And nothing came of it. We learned many other patients had complained in some fashion over the years, or at least tried to. One accuser described being in this byzantine process of trying to report him over the phone after she saw McGraw, for, of all things, a sinus infection between prenatal appointments, she says he tried to pressure her into a vaginal exam four times and a breast exam three times, and then he grazed her breasts unnecessarily and touched her vulva when shed only consented to an external abdominal exam.
The Army is now saying it's committed to supporting patients affected by these allegations, with a call center, special victims counsel and patient support services. But many alleged victims, Erin, believe that the army had many opportunities to stop McGraw from what are just these sweeping complaints of sexual misconduct. And remember, service members move every two to three years.
So, these military spouses and service members who were his patients are potentially all over the country and even the world now.
BURNETT: Wow. I mean, so where is he? Where is McGraw?
KEILAR: He has not yet been charged. We learn from court records he actually went into an inpatient facility recently, and sources told us he was scheduled to get out yesterday. His lawyer said in a statement that beyond the allegations themselves, we've seen no records to support that. Patients were touched in a way that was not medically indicated. We believe that the army previously resolved at least one of the allegations because of an eyewitness account by another provider present. His lawyer says they're cooperating and are disappointed in how investigators are handling this.
But it's important to note that many accusers or their lawyers described to us unnecessary exams for pelvic exams in a month, for example, in the case of one woman, or they describe McGraw touching them and speaking to them in a manner that was sexual rather than medical. Often without a third-party medical staff member present.
And those alleged victims, they are just reeling from one woman who told me that the memories of giving birth to her son now make her want to throw up. And it's a memory that's been stolen from her. To others who say they don't want to see another OB-GYN, they're fearful to have other children because of it, Erin.
BURNETT: Brianna, thank you so much for all of this. Just crucial reporting. Thank you.
And thanks so much to all of you for joining us on this Friday night. Check us out on X @OutFrontCNN, in Instagram and TikTok @ErinBurnettOutFront. You get OUTFRONT extras and key moments that you could have missed from the show tonight or any night. And we're also streaming every night on CNN all access.
"AC360" with John King starts now.
