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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
CNN Projects: Dem Hobbs Defeats GOP's Kari Lake for Arizona Governor; Biden Meets with World Leaders at G20 Summit in Indonesia; Adviser: Trump to Announce 2024 Campaign in Mar-a-Lago. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired November 15, 2022 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:27]
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Right now on EARLY START, another denier denied. What Arizona's Kari Lake is saying after her election defeat?
Plus, stealing some thunder. What Mike Pence is saying about Donald Trump just hours before his former boss begins another White House run.
Plus, tough times for so called tech genius, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Sam Bankman-Fried. The risk of betting on rock star billionaires.
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ROMANS: Here we go. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Christine Romans.
Another prominent election denier goes down in defeat. CNN projecting Democrat Katie Hobbs will win the race for governor of Arizona. She narrowly beat Trump-endorsed Kari Lake by about 19,000 votes at the last count. Hobbs, thanking the voters of Arizona in a tweet running, democracy is worth the wait.
Lake choosing not to acknowledge Hobbs' victory tweeting: Arizonans know B.S. when they see it.
In an interview on Fox shortly before the new ballot count from Maricopa County that would prove decisive, Lake baselessly cast doubt on the anticipated results.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KARI LAKE (R), DEFEATED ARIZONA GOV. CANDIDATE: I don't believe the people of Arizona would vote for her and that she would win. But if that's what happens at the end of the day, how do you certify an election that is this botched?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: It's unclear what Lake's next move might be. Right now, President Biden is at the G20 summit in Indonesia meeting
with the world leaders, including Turkey's President Erdogan just moments ago.
CNN's Kevin Liptak joins us live from Bali.
Kevin, we're seeing a video there of that handshake, a lot of the focus on the scene has been on the war in Ukraine. What's happening?
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah, that's, right and this is been the topic that is going to loom over these talks. You know, dating back months. White House officials have been looking ahead to the summit and talking about how they would handle the dynamic at play here. There were talks of boycotts, talks about walkout. None of that eventually came into path because the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, decided not to show up.
But it is still the overriding topic that the leaders are talking about behind the scene. And we understand that there is now an effort underway to circulate a leader's declaration that would condemn the war in Ukraine and specifically condemn the after effects of the war -- high energy prices, high food prices. And what a senior admission official said is most countries have signed on to that declaration.
Of course, left unsaid there is that some countries are still hold out. And that is sort of the dynamic of the G20. It is not like the G7, where all the countries are aligned, sort of focused on the same thing. It's a much more sprawling group, different ideologies, different geographies, different national interest that are at play.
And so, as President Biden goes to meet world leaders at the summit, speaks to them on the sidelines as pull-aside talks, he is trying to convince them to sign on to this declaration, to take a firmer stance against Russia.
And when you think about the equivocal nation, the nations that have been expressed strong support for Ukraine or strong opposition to Russia you are thinking about India. Even the countries, the G7 host, Indonesia, hasn't necessarily been a strong as some white outs officials would like.
Now, remember President Biden has said, repeatedly, that he doesn't believe Russia should be a member of the G20 at all. That is not really a discussion right here at the summit. It would require all of these other countries to agree with him on that. And that's really a nonstarter that we do expect to see more about this declaration, more about this language about Russia over the next several hours, days as the summit continues -- Christine.
ROMANS: All right, a lot happening there you're covering it all for us. Thanks, Kevin. Nice to see you.
All right. Tonight, former President Donald Trump said to make his highly anticipated special announcement which a top aide has already appealed, would be another one for the White House.
Meanwhile, former vice president, Mike Pence, tells ABC News the country would have better choices than Trump in the future.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
INTERVIEWER: Will you run for president in 2024?
MIKE PENCE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT: Well, we're giving it consideration in her house, prayerful consideration.
INTERVIEWER: Do you believe he can beat Donald Trump?
PENCE: Well, that would be for others to say. And I would be for us to decide whether or not we want to test that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Be sure to tune in one former Vice President Mike Pence joins Jake Tapper for a live CNN town hall that is tomorrow night at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
All right. The January 6 Committee says former President Trump has failed to comply with the subpoena for testimony and documents.
[05:05:04]
The panel has previously held witnesses in contempt of Congress for defying those subpoenas. The committee chairs are not looking at the next steps. Trump sued the committee, challenging its legitimacy with multiple courts have already upheld.
To Virginia now, the suspect in the shooting of the University of Virginia faces three counts of second degree murder. The gunman's father is now revealing what his son told him before the shooting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS JONES SR., FATHER OF UVA SHOOTING SUSPECT: He's really paranoid when I talk to him about something. He wouldn't tell me everything. He said some people were picking on him or whatever. He didn't know how to handle it.
I just told him to go to school, don't pay them no mine, do what you have to do. You only have one more year. Why did it have to get this far? He could've called me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: CNN's Miguel Marquez has more from the UVA campus in Charlottesville Virginia.
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MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ten- fifteen, Sunday night, police say gunshots fired on the university of Virginia campus.
ROB WEGMUELLER, STUDENT, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: We heard some of the shots and then almost immediately rumors were flying.
MARQUEZ: One witness tells CNN they heard shots inside a bus as it pulled up to campus. The door's flying open, people tumbling out.
JAMES E. RYAN, PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: The shootings occurred on a bus full of students returning from a field trip. Three of the victims did not survive.
MARQUEZ: Ten-forty p.m., UVA police tweet a shelter in place order. For the next 12 hours, students trapped wherever they were, in libraries, and dorms.
PETER LARSEN, STUDENT, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: We were basically turning the lights off, hunkered down, trying to just stay put. I was feeling pretty anxious.
MARQUEZ: The dead all football players, all with their lives ahead -- Devin Chandler, D'Sean Perry and Lavel Davis Jr.
In a statement, their coach said: These were incredible young men with huge aspirations, and extremely bright futures. Our hearts ache for their families, their classmates, and their friends. These precious young men were called away too soon.
Around 11:15 Monday morning, in the middle of a press conference, the news everyone was waiting for.
CHIEF TIMOTHY LONGO SR., UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA POLICE: We just received information the suspect is in custody.
MARQUEZ: Henrico police say they picked up that suspect, the University of Virginia student and former football player, about 75 miles away from the Charlottesville campus.
UVA's president says he wanted to additional students, one in good condition, the other critically injured.
JAMES E. RYAN, PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: My heart is broken for the victims, and their families, and all of those who knew and loved them.
MARQUEZ: This is not the first time the suspect has come to the UVA police departments attention. They say he was involved in a threat assessment with an investigation revealing a 2021 concealed weapon violation.
The accused shooter for now faces multiple murder and handgun charges.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARQUEZ (on camera): A vigil was held on the University of Virginia campus, students pouring out from around the university to attend after a very somber day, and also all around campus signs popping up as Charlottesville strong, UVA strong, and the number 1, 15, and 41, the jersey numbers of those three players who died.
Miguel Marquez, CNN, Charlottesville, Virginia.
ROMANS: All right, Miguel, thank you for that.
Jay Leno is recovering after being seriously burned in a gasoline fire. The former "Tonight Show" host was working on one of his cars in his garage over the weekend when TMZ reports, the vehicle caught fire. Hospital spokesperson says Leno, who is 72, is being treated for burns to his face and hands. He is in stable condition.
Americans coast to coast are getting an early taste of winter with frigid temperatures and the storm system that will bring the first significant snowfall to northern states. Let's get to meteorologist, Pedram Javaheri.
Who is in the path of the snowstorm?
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, good morning Christine, the transition happening for the winter season here are big-time cold air, coming in across parts of the Midwest. We're going to begin to seen some snow showers kicking in. And notice, these temperatures, absolutely conducive to support what. Their lower 30s and spots even in the teens and other spots as well.
And you'll notice, there's a quick-moving system here pushing right across portions of eastern third of the U.S. And, eventually, will bring in a quick shot of snow showers across areas of the Midwest, and even interior portions of New England. So, watch this for this afternoon on the evening, a notice accumulations beginning to pick up.
Generally speaking, accumulation wanted three inches. Not a significant amount. Notice, just south of this there's plenty of rainfall to be had in that line. Some slushy snow begins to accumulate, give to that reminder that winter is around the corner. Basically across the northern areas of Iowa northern areas of Missouri given on the snow showers.
But really, the cold air is going to be the top of the town here. Wind chills in the twenties in Minneapolis about 33 degrees in Chicago at this hour and notice even across the southern where U.S. where the middle 60s are considered normal this time of year, the upper 40s are in store. In fact, some of these temperatures, when you take a look at exactly when you should expect to see these observations, Atlanta, St. Louis.
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It takes the latter portion of January for Atlanta to be as cold as we expected here as we go into the afternoon hours.
And St. Louis, same story, and also these temperatures are kind of the middle of December in line with what you'd expect with what we're going to see here.
The Arctic blast, continuing into the latter portion of this weekend early next week. So, Minneapolis, you can expect to be cold this time of year, it gets significantly colder in January like a nature by the time we get to Friday and Saturday and the temperatures rebound back up again closer to seasonal averages.
Western U.S., Christine, watching it and Santa Ana begin to develop with some gusty winds that are also in store across that region. Could see some gusting cross parts of southern California, about 50 60 miles per hour because of the areas -- pick up in the month of November.
ROMANS: Yeah. All right. Nice to see you, P.J., thanks.
JAHAVERI: Thank you. Yeah.
ROMANS: All right. Just ahead, Ukraine's president visiting a newly- liberated city and talking about the end of the war with Russia.
Plus, why the Kremlin just banned actor Jim Carrey from stepping foot on Russian soil.
And with Donald Trump hours away from running again, Mike Pence answers this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
INTERVIEWER: Do you believe that Donald Trump should ever be president again?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
INTERVIEWER: Do you believe that Donald Trump should ever be president again?
PENCE: David, I think that's up to the American people. But I think we'll have better choices in the future.
INTERVIEWER: Better choices than Donald Trump?
PENCE: And for me and my family, we will be reflecting about what our role is on that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: That's former vice president, Mike Pence, just hours ahead of Donald Trump's anticipated announcement, today, that he is running for president in 2024.
Let's bring in Margaret Talev, CNN political analyst and managing editor at "Axios".
Nice to see this morning, Margaret. It sounds like Pence is testing the water said his former boss a bigger announcement tonight, let the 2024 Republican side of the games begin I guess.
MARGARET TALEV, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Christine, good morning. And that is right. Look, we have seen Mike Pence take steps in this direction for, well, basically for the better part of the last year and a half and the two years.
But I think a statement there brings to clarity what we're looking at, which is several Republicans were interested in the 2024 races. And they believe it's time for the party to put Donald Trump behind them, testing how they're going to message that. How directly they're going to stay that and how they're going to position themselves.
And I think we'll really be hearing Trump's announcement tonight in the context of that. Ron DeSantis, probably, is the most formidable opponent. Certainly early polling, whatever that's worth, it's not worth much. But, at this stage, the 2024 race certainly showing Ron DeSantis is sort of the most prominent Republican and opposition.
What is Trump counting on? He's counting on trying to bring back the magic of 2016, where there were so many challengers to him in the field that it actually ended up creating a clear path for him. So, in some ways, today sort of marks the beginning of the 2024 presidential primary.
ROMANS: It kind of seems like the color of the reported that I'm hearing, he's trying to roll back the clock a little bit here and be like the underdog, like it was in 2016. What are you guys hearing about what this is going to look like, how this team -- you say here, that logistics are well organized and professional attention to detail for tonight for the president, for the former president.
TALEV: Sure, of course, I mean his whole biggest powers is power as a communicator's understanding of television and putting on a show for viewers. Donald Trump, looking early signs tell us that a prayer back version of 2020 was a very large operation. And he didn't ultimately win. Obviously, the challenge for any candidate in trying to create the magic of two campaign to go is that he was an unknown at the time. And America now knows what would a Donald Trump presidency be like.
So, I think that he wants to recapture the winning spirit of 2016. But, it will be very hard to recreate the conditions of 2016. And, tonight is not an ideally suited moment for the former president. He's really weakened by his losses and how that comfort to Republican losses, not being able to capture the Senate, being on the cusp of barely squeaking out, the House and losing all of the next election denies airs races in the battleground state.
But our reporting, Jonathan Swan, one of my colleagues, reporting that Trump and his team felt that they had really no alternative because he kind of walked to the edging that November 15th is going to be the day. He'd weakened if he didn't come out tonight.
ROMANS: You mentioned those election deniers. I mean, that's a cornerstone of the presidents mantra, right? But those election deniers, one by one, have gone down in defeat here. Kari Lake lost to Katie Hobbs in Arizona, another case where election denialism did not animate voters and she sort of tweeted something about it was BS, like she didn't even really concede here. I mean, I wonder how that resonated with the former president.
TALEV: Right. Well, she is so closely aligned with his persona, a view as someone who could be a running mate for him or, perhaps, take the mantle from Monday. So, it's not hugely surprising that would be a hard to imagine and are coming out and saying, you're right, 19,000 votes, all concede.
But when it raises that, close you'll notice that she wasn't saying that the election was BS when she thought that she might win. I can guarantee you that if she was winning by 19,000 points, she would be touting how great it was that this worked out.
She's talking about a lot of supposed irregularities. Things just aren't, none of that is supported by fact.
[05:20:01]
In, fact all of the facts suggested that this race in Arizona officials have moved very swiftly and carefully to try to protect the sanctity of the result.
ROMANS: Yes, I mean, it's just the length of time that it's taken to get to result is because of how close these races are. I mean, they are just so close.
You reported on "Axios" that former President George Bush and Barack Obama are both holding back to back democracy conferences this week. How significant do you think there in person's arm right after the midterms and the matches they're trying to deliver?
TALEV: I mean, you can't miss the symbolism of it. The link after the midterms at to Joe Biden and Xi Jinping of China, were meeting just yesterday. I talked with both of the former president's teams. And what they told me is that these two events were not coordinated. They were involved in each other's planning. This happened one day apart. We will see these tomorrow on Thursday.
But, it's sending an unmistakable message. Bush is very overseas focus, whereas Obama is above the mix of overseas and domestic focus. But they're both getting to the idea at the threat of authoritarianism. The struggle for democracy in a democratic process, the rule of law, that these are not partisan issues. And they are vital to a continued strength.
ROMANS: All right, CNN political analyst Margaret Talev, so much to talk about this morning. Thank you. Nice to see.
TALEV: You, too. Thanks, Christine.
ROMANS: All right. Quick hits across America now.
Eighteen students and a driver were hurt after a school bus crashed in eastern Kentucky. The students ranging from elementary to high school, suffering various degrees of injuries.
A third railroad workers union rejecting a tentative labor deal. The move increasing the odds of a potentially crippling strike for the country's 110,000 freight rail workers early next month. Republican Senator John Kennedy just reelected to another term in
Louisiana says he's giving serious consideration to running for governor of that state. Kennedy says, he'll announce his decision soon.
All right, just ahead, what Ukraine's president calls the beginning of the end.
And, passenger payback, the refunds about to go out in six airlines.
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[05:26:36]
ROMANS: All right. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visiting the newly-liberated port city of Kherson on Monday, declaring the retreat of Russian forces marks, quote, the beginning of the end of the war.
Nic Robertson, live on the ground in Kherson.
Nic, what else did President Zelenskyy say during this emotional visit?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, it was interesting because he said it seemed what had been happening with the liberation, he sent this real energy and vibrancy in the city. He wanted to come and experience that to help motivate him, he said. This was really something big for him, big for the nation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Flanked by troops who helped liberate the city, President Zelenskyy made a lightning trip to Kherson Monday, the nation's most significant victory in months.
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: This is the beginning of the end of the war. You see our strong army, we are step by step coming to our country to all the temporary and occupied territories.
ROBERTSON: A morale boost for the country and president alike.
Zelenskyy pledging peace on Ukraine's, not Russia's terms and vowing to reconnect Kherson's residents to the rest of the country.
Not only talking about it, he says, but we're really returning, really raising our flag.
Today's flags, a much needed temporary cell phone tower erected, reconnecting residents to loved ones, cut off since the retreating Russians destroyed the phone and Internet services.
And a truck full of humanitarian aid, the first to arrive since liberation 72 hours ago, candles, bread, water handed out to eager residents who have been without electricity and water since the Russian retreat. How much is this needed here?
SVEYATOSLAV YRASH, UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER: Desperately, I was thinking about people what was lacking, what they have lost, and basically the supermarkets don't work, shops are crazy expensive or don't work.
ROBERTSON: In the city's neighborhoods, poorly stocked street markets hint at how much more help is needed. Some goods like drinking water nearly impossible to find.
What help do you need from the government now here?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Electricity, water, and very cold in the home -- very cold.
ROBERTSON: Within hours of Zelenskyy's visit, Russian artillery destroyed a house in the north of the city, a reminder Russian troops are not far away.
Where they retreated Friday, the pontoon they used to flee across now partially sunk. The once mighty bridge crippled by U.S. made HIMARS that helped trigger the Russian collapse in tatters, too.
But the Russians didn't go far. And that's where the danger is for Kherson just on the other side of the bridge, that's where the Russian positions are. They've dug in within easy shelling range of the city.
Zelenskyy's visit perhaps the closest to the front line since the war began.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (on camera): And Ukrainian troops.
