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First Move with Julia Chatterley
Car Plows into Crowd at Christmas Market in Germany; 50-year-old Saudi Plows Car Through a Crowded Christmas Market; U.S. House Passes Funding Plan. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired December 20, 2024 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Horrific news out of Germany, where at least two people were killed, an adult and a toddler. German officials say they were
killed by a 50-year-old Saudi man who drove his car through a crowded Christmas market. He's a Saudi physician and he'd been living in the
country since 2006. German authorities say at least 68 people were wounded.
Coming up Sunday on State of the Union, Republican Senator Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware Sunday morning at
9:00 Eastern again at noon here on CNN.
The news continues on CNN with Wolf Blitzer in The Situation Room. Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year.
RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome. I'm Rahel Solomon. And we are following two breaking news stories this hour. Right now, in
Washington, U.S. House voting on a stopgap funding bill to avert a government shutdown, and it is expected to pass. And tragedy at a Christmas
market in Germany, a car plowing into holiday shoppers. At least two people have died and 68 have been hurt.
Let's begin this hour in Capitol Hill. I want to welcome in Larry Sabato. He is the director of the Center for Politics at the University of
Virginia. Larry, great to have you on this eventful evening, certainly in Capitol Hill. Talk to me a little bit about just sort of how we got here.
It looks like third time may be the charm for House Speaker Mike Johnson. What are your reactions? I mean, certainly, they got here, but not without
a lot of drama.
LARRY SABATO, CENTER FOR POLITICS DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Yes, this was a manufactured crisis, completely unnecessary. The two parties had
already reached agreement on this bill to continue funding the government temporarily, really, until March or so. And with some added Christmas tree
ornaments, which generally happens at this point.
And then, all of a sudden, Elon Musk, even before Donald Trump, those two co-presidents, co-presidents Elon Musk and Donald Trump, decided that they
didn't like it. That it had too many Christmas tree ornaments and was too favorable to the Democrats, creating a crisis that resulted in the whole
deal falling apart and very nearly coming up to the midnight deadline and shutting down the government tonight, which fortunately does not appear to
be happening.
SOLOMON: Larry, what do you make as we look at the tally here that more Democrats voted for this than Republicans? I mean, the significance of that
and what does that mean for Mike Johnson?
SABATO: It's very important. Democrats have just rescued Republicans from an out and out disaster that would have started Trump's second term kind of
like the first term went, lots and lots of chaos. So, that's not what Republicans want. That's not the image they want to project, but that's
exactly what they have done.
For Mike Johnson, had this not come together in the way that it did, he probably would have been out as speaker once that vote was taken somewhere
around January the 3rd. But he'll probably be able to hold on because to pick another speaker would lead to days of drama and dissension among
Republicans again, just as we have seen in the past few years.
So, it's a warning to Republicans more than to Democrats. It's a warning to Republicans, a warning to President Trump that chaos begets chaos.
SOLOMON: And for our audience, we are hearing from our colleagues in Washington that the bill has officially passed now. Larry, talk to me a
little bit about sort of the implications of this. So, the fact that the debt ceiling component of this was dropped, I'm curious what you make of
that. Representative Massie, for his part, said, in some sense, it's an institutional victory here, which is the president said, and we didn't
jump. The president said jump, and we didn't jump, obviously referring to the president-elect there. What is that message to the president-elect?
SABATO: That is a very good point. Thirty-eight House Republicans yesterday voted directly against the orders of Donald Trump. He's at the
peak of his power right now. I think he thought that he would be able to control almost all, if not all of them. Thirty-eight of them said no. And
of course, Trump immediately started threatening some of the key ones with primary challenges for their next election, but it had no impact.
If Trump can't force them to vote his way right now at the peak of power, maybe the message will get to him that he can't automatically count on
their votes for everything he wants without some negotiation, without some compromise. He may even need some Democratic votes. This is a very closely
contested House of Representatives, only a few votes between the Republican majority and the Democratic minority.
SOLOMON: And to that end, you throw in the -- you throw into the mix a figure like Elon Musk, who is also clearly holding some weight into this.
It makes the politics of Washington even more complicated.
[18:05:00]
SABATO: Well, it does. And you know, he is the richest man on Earth. $430 billion. And while I haven't known many billionaires, I have learned one
thing about them, they've been very successful in one sector of life, and they believe, incorrectly, that they're experts in every sector of life.
They are not. And Elon Musk really doesn't understand how the government works. Maybe, maybe he learned something from this, although I'll believe
it when I see it.
SOLOMON: And just on a more logistical and practical matter, what happens now?
SABATO: Well, what happens now is the government continues to operate. And over the holiday season, the troops and the TSA workers and the people who
run airport control, traffic control, they will actually be paid. And many of them live paycheck to paycheck. So, that's really important.
The government goes on, but the controversies will continue as we begin the new year and as the Republicans take over everything starting in early
January for Congress and then, of course, with President Trump's second inauguration on January 20th, one month from today.
SOLOMON: Which is why we always appreciate your insights and perspective. Larry Sabato, thank you. He's the director of the Center for Politics at
the University of Virginia. Grateful.
SABATO: Thank you, Rahel.
SOLOMON: All right. Now, I want to bring you up to date on that Christmas market attack in Germany, a car plowing into holiday shoppers. At least two
people have died and at least 68 people have been hurt.
The CCTV video of the incident is too graphic to air. We will however show you some of the images, and I do want to warn you that they are disturbing.
They show some people lying on the ground. Others are running from the car in panic, some jumping into the market stalls to avoid it.
A local official says that the suspected driver is a Saudi doctor who has been in Germany since 2006. He's believed to have acted alone and is under
arrest. Let me bring in my colleague, Richard Quest, who has been following these events. Richard, we haven't shown the video, but it is widely
circulating on social media. It is horrific as we learn about these victims, an adult and a toddler. What more are police saying?
RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR-AT-LARGE AND CNN ANCHOR, QUEST MEANS BUSINESS: Well, this was a Christmas market. It was 7:00 in the evening on
a Friday night. The Friday before Christmas. So, the place was packed. Absolutely heaving. Not only with people doing last-minute shopping, but
just revelers. This is where people go just before Christmas. They -- families, co-workers.
And then you have the video of this car on a straight line, goodness knows how fast it must have been, we'll get that number at some point, and it
just goes right through the narrow alleyways between the Christmas stalls and people go flying.
Now, what we know is that the driver is a 50-year-old Saudi doctor in Germany, as you say, since 2006, now arrested. We don't know any reason for
why he did what he did. In other words, was this, in some sense, Islamic militants related or inspired or radicalized, which would seem to be the
suggestion from modus operandi of precedent, or something completely different related to Germany's political crisis and the awful situation and
chaos in Germany at the moment.
We do know, Rahel, that this was an extremely serious incident that people thought couldn't have happened after the 2016 incident in Berlin.
SOLOMON: Yes. And you know, Richard, you make the point about we don't know the motivation, but I have to wonder, you know, in the days until --
or maybe the hours until we learn the motivation for all of those who attend Christmas markets, obviously very popular in Germany, but very
popular here in the U.S., very popular here in New York, very popular in my hometown of Philadelphia. You have to wonder about the fear this event now
creates for anyone who may be thinking about attending a Christmas market in light of this.
QUEST: Yes, of course one does. Because after the 2016 attack, when eight people were killed, and then the attacking (INAUDIBLE), and then several
others, it had always been -- we always know that these were relatively soft targets, to use that horrible phrase, but you had expected that there
would be robust security. And that's certainly the case in major cities.
Now, Magdeburg, where this took place, is a regional center. It's a large city. It's two hours west of Berlin. So, one might have expected this would
have been a focal of attention in terms of security. And yes, to your point, there will be concern for people. I would expect right across all
countries, Europe, U.S., Australia, wherever there's a Christmas market taking place, local law enforcement, along with authorities are saying,
have we got in place the necessary security so that, A, this couldn't happen and, B, if somebody tries it, we can stop it?
[18:10:00]
SOLOMON: Yes. And I want to sort of circle back to the video that we both referenced at the top of your reporting there, just the sheer number of
people who are in the path of this speeding car. Talk to me a little bit about what we know in terms of the number of fatalities is the expectation
that that may increase just because of the sheer number of people who were in the line of this car.
QUEST: Yes, and I'm glad you mentioned that, Rahel, because, frankly, I'm surprised that we haven't yet seen that number rise. If it doesn't go much
greater than two, then we are the beneficiaries or society, and they are the beneficiaries of good luck more than good management. Because the way
those people were knocked down like 10-pin balls and pins was so horrific.
Certainly, you know, I'm not speculating when I say this, you can pretty much take it to the bank that there will be people with life-threatening
and life-changing injuries. And I still think it's a fair racing certainty that the fatalities will rise. You've only got to look and just see the
terrible.
I mean, if you look at that picture -- OK, if you look at that picture again of the actual -- that we have shown, you can see the swathe on the
left of the picture, where the car -- the route the car took. And you can see how people had been thrown out of the way, because before that picture
was taken, it was just one mass of people.
SOLOMON: Yes, it's almost even hard to fathom, to be honest, because the car is moving so quickly that you almost have to sort of go back to
understand if that in fact was the car. Richard Quest, we appreciate you being with us this evening. Thank you.
QUEST: Thank you.
SOLOMON: All right, I want to now bring in Daniel Brunner, who is a retired FBI special agent, now president of Brunner Sierra Group. Also
great to have you, Daniel. Just talk to me about the difficulty of securing events like these. They're open air, lots of people, really popular events.
How difficult is it to properly secure in an area like this?
DANIEL BRUNNER, RETIRED FBI SPECIAL AGENT: Well, that's always been the question of law enforcement since really 9/11, which changed the dynamics
of opening and, you know, areas and protecting them. You have various open areas. You know, you have the Las Vegas -- the country concert where's
there was a massacre there and shooting, but that was from a high-level hotel. Then you have the Christmas market here in Berlin in 2016 and this
attack. You have constantly -- you have variables you have to look at.
I don't know what happened here. We don't know what the security procedures were. Since the 2016 Berlin attack, obviously there was a focus on
protecting the open-air market situation in the United States. You have the same thing in Philadelphia, New York City. You have open-air markets,
Christmas markets where people want to go and do their shopping and feel in a sense of security. But at the same time, you have to balance that with
secure, you know -- by, you know, law enforcement protecting.
So, finding the right balance between having it comfortable for the community and not make it feel like you're in a bubble protected that you
have to find the right --
SOLOMON: Daniel, if I can jump in here. Just stand by for one moment. I want to get to some breaking news. House Speaker Mike Johnson is now
speaking. Let's go there live and listen together.
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: -- piece of legislation. It funds the government, of course, until March of 2025. That was a big
priority for us. This is America first legislation because it allows us to be set up to deliver for the American people.
In January, we will make a sea change in Washington. President Trump will return to D.C. and to the White House and we will have Republican control
of the Senate and the House. Things are going to be very different around here. This was a necessary step to bridge the gap to put us into that
moment where we can put our fingerprints on the final decisions on spending for 2025.
We also, in this bill, as you know, took care of Americans who desperately needed and deserve the assistance. We had a record hurricane season.
Hurricanes Helene and Milton, in particular, did dramatic damage across at least six states. The Carolinas, the Virginia, from Florida, Tennessee, all
the way through. And they have been waiting for the federal government to assist. We did that tonight in this bill.
We also took care of our farmers, many of whom are on the brink of collapse, because of Bidenomics, frankly. Because the inflationary cost of
their inputs and the inability they have right now to get loans from the banks and the lenders to put their crops in the ground, to put the seeds in
the ground in the spring. So, we had to take care of that, and we did.
We are excited about this outcome tonight. We're grateful that everyone stood together to do the right thing. And having gotten this done now, it's
the last order of business for the year, we are set up for a big and important new start in January. We can't wait to get to that point.
We encourage swift passage in the Senate now. They need to do their job, as the House just did. We will all go home.
[18:15:00]
I want to wish everybody a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays and in a Happy New Year, because I hope not to see you until we get back
over that.
So, we -- I was in constant contact with President Trump throughout this process, spoke with him most recently, about 45 minutes ago. He knew
exactly what we were doing and why, and this is a good outcome for the country. I think he certainly is happy about this outcome as well. Elon
Musk and I talked within about an hour ago and we talked about the extraordinary challenges of this job. And I said, hey, you want to be
speaker of the house? I don't know. He said this may be the hardest job in the world. I think it is.
But we're going to get through this. We are going to unify this country, and we are going to bring the America first agenda to the people beginning
in January. We cannot wait to get started. I hope you all have a great holiday.
SOLOMON: OK. You've just been listening to U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson there giving comments after the House passed the spending bill at the 11th
hour. Now, it goes to the Senate. A few things we learned here. He said that he spoke to Trump. Speaker Johnson said he spoke to Trump 45 minutes
ago. He said he knew exactly what we were doing and why, he's happy about this. Critically, he said he also spoke to Elon Musk about an hour ago.
Elon Musk, according to Johnson, saying that the speakership may be the hardest job in the U.S.
A few comments from Johnson here. He said this was a necessary step to bridge the gap. We are set up for a big and important new start in January.
A few things that we believe about the bill, $100 billion goes to disaster relief, $10 billion in aid to farmers. What was critically important this
time around is that the debt ceiling component was dropped from this. Take from that what you will, but that apparently was one of the things that got
this across the finish line. Again, it goes to the Senate.
Also really interesting is that when we look at the final tally, it was more Democrats that voted for this than Republicans. Let's bring in our
Correspondent Lauren Fox, who I believe is on Capitol Hill to give us more details about exactly how this all went down. Lauren.
LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. What we know right now, obviously, is this was a dramatic turn of events over the course of the
last 48 hours. Yesterday in the evening, it seemed as though there was no clear path to keeping the government funded. Now, the House of
Representatives doing that, and we also are waiting to see how quickly the Senate can move this legislation. That, of course, is the next stop for
this bill, and we have just a couple of hours.
Now, if the Senate looks like it's making a good faith effort, obviously, the weekend would give some time in order to make sure that if there were
was looking like there was going to be a government shutdown, nobody would really be affected until Monday. But I will tell you that a lot of aides
that I'm talking to right now in the Senate feel like this could get processed very quickly, in part because lawmakers just want to get home for
the holidays.
This is also the last vote of the last of the -- of this session. And a lot of members maybe lost re-elections, maybe are retiring, they are anxious to
get home as well. So, those jet fumes could prevail tonight. But obviously, one more stop, one more set of circumstances, one more set of politics to
watch across the Capitol in the United States Senate.
SOLOMON: Certainly, a critical stop. Lauren, help us understand why third time was apparently the charm here. Was this really all about the debt
ceiling component or why now?
FOX: Well, I think there were a couple dynamics happening. Yes, Democrats were opposed to increasing the debt ceiling in this moment, despite the
fact that they're going to have to use extraordinary measures starting in January to keep paying America's debt down, the reality is that they were
probably going to be a couple more months.
And Democrats, knowing that Republicans are going to control the House, the Senate, and the White House, they wanted that leverage, right? And their
argument is that if we give them the debt ceiling now, it just emboldens them to move forward with their tax package sooner and more quickly without
any consequences and without any other issues that they perhaps would have to deal with. It really just paves the way for Donald Trump and
Republicans.
I think there's a second dynamic, though, that's really important here, and that is the fact that this is really the first negotiation of Trump's
second administration, and Democrats could not be seen as setting a precedent in which Donald Trump gets to come in at the 11th hour or Elon
Musk gets to come in at the 11th hour and set new terms for negotiation that had already been set between Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic
Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
The two of them have had a really cordial and fruitful relationship over the course of the last several months. It was back in May that Democrats
helped save Johnson's job when a couple of Republicans were trying to oust him. And so, there's a long-established trust there. And I think that that
trust was certainly breached last night. And you heard that from a lot of Democrats.
[18:20:00]
And I think that this was really about the debt ceiling, but it was also just about sort of teaching Republicans, in the eyes of Democrats, how they
can negotiate moving forward. So, this might have been a lesson for everyone involved.
SOLOMON: Yes, that's a really interesting point. Lauren Fox on Capitol Hill. Appreciate you being there. Thank you. And stay with CNN. We'll be
right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOLOMON: Welcome back to "First Move." And returning to our top story this hour in Germany, where a car plowed into this Christmas market in what
emergency services are calling an attack. This is the scene in the city of Magdeburg, about two hours west of Berlin. At least two dozen people are --
at least two people, excuse me, are dead and dozens are wounded.
Authorities say that the suspected driver is a doctor from Saudi Arabia, who has been living in Germany for almost 20 years. He is now under arrest.
I want to now bring back in Daniel Brunner, who is a retired FBI special agent. Now, president of Brunner Sierra Group, and also joining us is
Rachel Rizzo. She is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Europe Center. Her research focuses on European security. Good to have you.
Daniel, pardon the earlier interruption, but I want to let you finish your thought. We were talking about how difficult it can be for law enforcement
agencies to secure Christmas markets like these because they're outdoors, because they have so many people. I want to let you finish your thought
there.
BRUNNER: No, I appreciate it. Thank you. So, it is very difficult to protect an open-air market like this. It is considered and what people have
been using the words soft target. But in Germany, particularly, they've been trying to set up difficulty -- make it more difficult for vehicles to
gain access to.
This -- obviously, this individual who's allegedly is the person behind this figured out a way to get around the ballers, the blockades, but
there's always a way to figure out. In 2017, New York City saw the same type of attack when a U-Haul truck was rented at a Home Depot and was
driven down in New York City near the World Trade Center -- the excuse me, the Freedom Tower, killing eight individuals. So, the U.S. has seen this.
I'm sure security is going to be ramped up. There's always the possibility of copycat attacks, repeat attacks around the holidays. So, I'm -- I
suspect there will be an increase of security at all locations in New York City, Philadelphia, L.A. to avoid and prevent a repeat attack. And I'm sure
that all the locations in Europe are going to be doing the same thing at this time.
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SOLOMON: Rachel, what do you make of what we know about the driver here? He's older, he's a doctor, he has been in Germany for almost 20 years. Last
I read, he has permanent residency. I mean, how significant is it sort of what is happening domestically in Germany right now? Politically, it is
extremely turbulent.
RACHEL RIZZO, NONRESIDENT SENIOR FELLOW, ATLANTIC COUNCIL'S EUROPE CENTER: So, you're right. He has been in Germany since 2006, is a Saudi national,
but has German residency. And something notable is that this attack today took place almost eight years to the day after the 2016 Christmas terrorist
attack in Berlin where dozens of people were injured, 13 people were killed, and that attack was perpetrated by a Tunisian national, the attack
that ISIS eventually claimed.
One thing to remember is that Germany has early elections coming up in February, just a couple months from now. This is after Chancellor Scholz's
government fell apart just the day after the U.S. elections in November. And the AfD, the Alternative for Germany, a far-right political party, will
no doubt use this terrorist attack to ramp up anti-immigrant and anti- Muslim rhetoric I think in the lead up to the election in February. This party is polling at around 19 percent nationally. So, we'll have to see
what happens with that over the next couple of months.
SOLOMON: Yes, to your point, I mean, the attack on 2016 was December 19th, we're December 20th. So, it is an eerily similar coincidence. Daniel, let
me ask you what you make of what we know about the suspect so far and so early. Clearly, police have his identity. They know what he -- kind of work
he did, where he's from, what would you expect to be happening right now behind custody in terms of the types of information they're trying to gain,
the types of questions they may be asking him?
BRUNNER: Well, one of the first things they're going to want to do is, are there any other attackers out there? Is this a coordinated conspiracy? Is
he part of a group? Is there a coordination leadership that may be coordinating attacks in similar cities across Europe or in the United
States? So, that will be the first thing to determine, is the threat neutralized? Then the next thing we'll be doing is to go backwards to
figure out, conduct the investigation, where he was radicalized, how he was radicalized, if he's radicalized, or is this just an individual attack that
he just happens to be from Saudi Arabia, and he's not been radicalized by overseas terrorist organization.
So, they're going to be looking at all the picture, the entire picture, his electronic signature, his laptop, his phones, everything will be looked at.
His interview. Family members will be interviewed, friends, colleagues, to see where the path of violence commenced. Where did he go off the tracks?
He's been residing in Germany since 2006, and he's been a member of the community, a doctor. Where did that all change? Where was it? Or was he
always like this and just a sleeper cell just waiting for the moment to attack? These are all questions that are being asked right now.
But right now, the immediate is to make sure that there are no other attackers. There are no other threats to Germany, Europe, and the United
States.
SOLOMON: Yes. And, Rachel, to that point, and I'll let you get the last word here, but Christmas markets are especially popular in Germany, but
especially popular in a lot of places that celebrate Christmas, certainly here in the U.S., in New York, in Philadelphia. Just talk to me sort of
about the fear that this may now create in different communities around the world and whether -- and again, we don't know the motivations of this
person, but whether that is sometimes part of the intent, the fear that it creates.
RIZZO: Yes, absolutely. And I think Daniel's right. We don't know yet that this alleged attacker was radicalized. But even if he wasn't, I think the
fear that this kind of attacks strike into the hearts of people who just want to gather, to celebrate with their friends and family is one of the
reasons behind it.
For the last eight years, you know, every Christmas season, the German interior minister comes out and says to people, remain vigilant. We don't
have any reports of potential attacks, but these are -- as people on your show have said before me, these are soft targets with many thousands of
people. If someone wanted to attack, they could.
So, this has sort of become a fixture of Christmas markets around Europe. It's not just Germany. It's all over the place. It's in Europe, in the
United States. And I think that, you know, Daniel was right, that's part of it. And I also think that over the next few days, couple of weeks, this is
certainly going to be in the back of people's mind as they decide when and whether they want to gather in large groups like this, whether or not they
feel like they can be kept safe from another attack like this.
[18:30:00]
SOLOMON: Yes, absolutely. We'll leave it here. Daniel Brunner, we appreciate you. Rachel Rizzo, appreciate the time as well. Thank you.
RIZZO: Thank you.
SOLOMON: We're going to take a short break and we'll have more news after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOLOMON: Welcome back. And updating you on the breaking news out of Germany. At least two people have been killed and dozens hurt after a car
plowed into a busy Christmas market in the town Magdeburg Friday night. Officials say that they have arrested the suspected driver at the scene who
they believe acted alone. This video from social media shows the moment of his arrest. They say that he is a 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia who
has been in Germany since 2006. They say that he has a permanent residency permit.
Reaction is coming in from across Europe. French President Emmanuel Macron says that he is, quote, "profoundly shocked by the news." The president of
the European Council said that he is appalled by the attack and says that the E.U. stands in solidarity with Germany. Germany's chancellor, meantime,
will travel to the area on Saturday. Officials now say that some of the injured victims have been flown to a hospital in a nearby city because the
hospitals in Magdeburg have exceeded capacity.
I want to now bring in CNN's Senior National Security Analyst, Juliette Kayyem. Juliette, I want to share with you some news that we're just
getting. So, apparently no explosive device was found in the suspect's car. This is after reports that initially police had thought or were looking --
Juliette, do I have you?
OK. It looks like we're having some technical issues with Juliette. We'll get her re-established and try to bring her in later in the show, but
joining me now is Christopher Schuetze, a reporter for The New York Times based in Berlin. He is currently writing the story on the attack.
Christopher, what more can you share with us? You're obviously a lot closer to the scene of the attack. What's the latest that authorities are saying?
CHRISTOPHER SCHUETZE, NEW YORK TIMES REPORTER: Well, so far, not much has changed in terms of the horrible death toll that two people died, an adult
and a young child, and there are quite a few wounded more, than 65, and some of them are wounded heavily. I think 14. So, there may be a change in
that number of people who died by the end of it. That's what we're hearing now.
[18:35:00]
SOLOMON: And I can also share with you that we're learning that no explosive device was found in the suspect's car, that is according to a
local public broadcaster. Christopher, because you were in Berlin, it's hard not to wonder about sort of the psyche in Germany after the last
attack, which was obviously devastating. More than a dozen people killed, lots of people injured. And the striking similarities, even in terms of the
date of this attack.
SCHUETZE: Yes. I mean, it's not so unusual because, of course, these were both attacks on Christmas markets. So, that would have to happen in
December. That's when Christmas markets are on.
It is shocking. I think for Germany is really -- you know, still, we were just commemorating that date of that attack in Berlin. It's interesting
that since then, they've actually put up quite a bit of security on these business markets. There are security barriers around them. I just finished
reporting a big piece on business markets. I've seen all these big holders and all these sorts of barriers that they build. And this one also had
barriers and it sounds as though the driver found a way to get through the one little hole in these barriers to drive into the Christmas market.
SOLOMON: What can you tell us just about -- obviously, we don't know anything about his motivation now. It's one detail that we are waiting to
learn among many, but what can you just tell us about the politics of Germany right now. I mean, hard to miss just the nature of some of the
turmoil right now. I mean, you have elections coming back up, it's been a turbulent time even politically for Germany right now.
SCHUETZE: It's a turbulent time. I do think we need to be cautious just because we don't know very much about this case. I will say that these
Christmas markets are soft targets. These are places that intelligence and authorities and police worry about people attacking because there's a lot
of people together, and they're not a really protected way. So, we've seen these attacks with --
SOLOMON: Christopher, my apologies. I'm going to have to jump in here and go to some breaking news. Democrats Hakeem Jeffries speaking on Capitol
Hill. Let's listen together.
REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY), U.S. HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: -- the government at levels requested by President Biden in order to meet the needs of the
American people in terms of their health, safety, and economic well-being.
House Democrats have successfully fought for families, farmers, first responders and the future of working-class Americans. House Democrats have
successfully fought for $100 billion in disaster assistance in order to make sure that those everyday Americans whose lives have been turned upside
down in terms of hurricane, storms, tornadoes, wildfires, floods and other extreme weather events can get the assistance that they need to address the
problems they've been confronting.
House Democrats have successfully stopped extreme MAGA Republicans from shutting down the government, crashing the economy, and hurting working-
class Americans all across the land. House Democrats have successfully stopped the Billionaire Boys Club, which wanted a $4 trillion blank check
by suspending the debt ceiling in order to enable them to cut Social Security, cut Medicare, and cut nutritional assistance while providing
massive tax breaks for the wealthy, the well off, and the well connected.
This is a victory for the American people. We have successfully advanced the needs of everyday Americans, but there are still things to be worked
on. And we look forward to that fight in the new year. Happy Holidays.
SOLOMON: OK. We just was listening to House Democratic leader there, Hakeem Jeffries, speaking after we heard House Speaker Mike Johnson speak a
little short time ago after the House passed the spending bill almost at the last minute, certainly within hours here.
[18:40:00]
A few things that we heard from him there. He said House Democrats have successfully stopped the Billionaire Boys Club from suspending the debt
ceiling. He talked about House Democrats have successfully stopped extreme MAGA Republicans from shutting down the government, crashing the economy.
Really emphasizing, as you would expect, the role that House Democrats played here. We should point out that there were more Democrats that voted
for this bill than Republicans. And then lastly, he said, this is a victory for the American people. We have successfully advanced the needs of
everyday Americans, but there are still things to be worked on.
We're going to take a short break. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOLOMON: Welcome back. And we return now to one of our top stories. A car plowed into a busy Christmas market in Germany, killing at least two
people, an adult and a toddler and injuring about 70 others. It happened in the City of Magdeburg, about two hours west of Berlin by car.
Emergency services are calling it an attack. The suspected driver has been arrested. Authorities say that he's a doctor from Saudi Arabia who has been
living in Germany since 2006. For more on this, I want to welcome Glenn Schoen. He is a security and terrorism expert, as well as CNN's Senior
National Security Analyst, Juliette Kayyem. Good to see you both.
Juliette, let me start with you. This new detail that we're learning, according to a local public broadcaster, that no explosive device was found
in the suspect's car, that followed some earlier reporting where authorities thought that there might be an explosive device. What does that
or doesn't that tell you?
JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST AND FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY, U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY DEPARTMENT: I was waiting for
confirmation of this because I think if there was an explosive device, it would have just given us more sort of, you know, information about the sort
of gravity and depth of training or planning that went into this.
I will admit to you, this profile is not typical in some ways. You know, when you think of Germany, you think of the terrorism that they face in the
past and sort of directly ISIS related, people coming in or Syrian refugees. This is someone who has been in Germany, has strong ties to
Germany for almost 20 years. He's a professional. He's his age is also older than most terror attacks we've seen of late. He's in his later Middle
Ages.
And so, we will wait on figuring out the motive that he is from Saudi Arabia is obviously relevant because you're going to want to know what kind
of travel did he have there? Was he in contact with people? Was he angry about Middle East politics or was it something much more German related?
Either him particularly, he had an issue going on or the German politics that are in disarray right now.
[18:45:00]
So, the exact motive -- his identity is not making it totally clear what the exact motivation is.
SOLOMON: Glenn, let me ask, I mean, what types of conversations would you expect are happening in intelligence communities, law enforcement
communities, really around the world and places that celebrate Christmas and may also have popular Christmas markets?
GLENN SCHOEN, SECURITY MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT AND SECURITY AND TERRORISM EXPERT: Well, certainly look right now, did this person indeed act fully
alone? I mean, that's the initial assessment, but of course, they have to take a deeper dive into this person's background. And was there any kind of
signaling out there that prompted this person to act that might get more people to act?
We've had intelligence services in Britain, France and Germany and the Netherlands just in the last few days, certainly in the last two and a half
weeks, focus their attention on the possibility of attacks around Christmas time. There's always a gap right after it with a date of almost equal
concern, which is New Year's. We've seen plotting separately from Christmas around New Year's for at least in the last three to four years, not just,
by the way, in those countries, but further afield as well. Think of Turkey, think of Italy in the past.
So, certainly, law enforcement is looking the propaganda that's been coming out in recent weeks, particularly from Islamic State, but not solely. Is
that being a factor driving things right now? And in addition to that, Juliette's absolutely right. We don't know yet, you know what this Saudi
tie in the background means, but certainly, it will drive debate. And the one hand, analysts will want to know was there by any chance a Gaza motive
in this one, or is this going to cause greater concern about possibly more refugees coming in from Syria because of the news there the last few weeks.
SOLOMON: Juliette, you know, I spoke with a New York Times reporter from Berlin a short time ago, and he was telling me that many Christmas markets,
but including the Christmas market here, at the scene of this crime, this attack does have heavy security. They have barricades, he said, and he said
that, it appears at least from his reporting, that the suspect found the one place in this Christmas market that apparently did not have the
barriers. What does that suggest to you in terms of how much preplanning may have gone into this or whether he may at least be a local to this area
and had come to this market before casing this event if you might?
KAYYEM: Right. This is the interesting thing about his ties to Germany. He is -- you know, he has strong ties. He has a profession there. He clearly
knew this marketing. He's from the area or he lives around the area. And so, could have, in previous years, even noted some of the vulnerabilities
or gone in the last couple of days. These markets exist for much of December.
So, he could have gone on previous days, seeing where a commercial activity maybe comes in and out, where the vendors come in and out and viewed that
as a vulnerability and then was just able to penetrate the weakest part of what's already a soft target, even though there was hardening at these
Christmas markets, you simply cannot make them impenetrable because of the pedestrian nature of it, the openness, the sort of ins and outs of the
stalls, all of it makes for a vulnerable situation that can be made less vulnerable, but certainly, there's always going to be those openings.
I do know that throughout Germany now, you know, this isn't just a singular attack, we are a few days from Christmas. All of these markets, if they
remain open, because that will be a decision by localities, will increase their security because of just the -- as we were saying, just the worries
that this is copycat, that it's related to either the Middle East or Gaza or even something domestic. We just don't know yet.
SOLOMON: Yes, you think about the fear that this certainly creates across Germany, but in many places around the world, just days before Christmas.
We'll leave it here. Glenn Schoen and Juliette Kayyem, thank you both.
SCHOEN: Thank you.
SOLOMON: And our breaking news coverage of this story continues after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:50:00]
SOLOMON: Welcome back to "First Move." Returning to our top story this hour in Germany where a car plowed into this Christmas market and what
emergency services are calling an attack. This is the scene in the City of Magdeburg about two hours west of Berlin. At least two people are dead.
Dozens are hurt. Authorities say that the suspected driver is a doctor from Saudi Arabia who has been living in Germany for almost 20 years. He is now
under arrest.
I want to now go to Frederik Pleitgen who is on the scene there. Fred, as I understand it, you have just recently gotten there. Give us a sense of the
scene and what you're seeing on the ground.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. First of all, the first thing that we see here, Rahel, is that it's absolutely -- a
massive response coming from the authorities. In fact, I'm going to get out of your way immediately and then we can sort of pan around a little bit and
you can just see that there are literally fire trucks, disaster elite trucks everywhere. There is an unbelievable amount of authorities that are
on the ground, obviously tending to the people who were injured. But also, here in the scene, sort of building up and then constructing almost a tent
city to try and help people and come to terms with the situation here.
One of the things that we have learned is that, obviously, with the many people who were injured in this attack, the hospitals in Magdeburg, and the
surrounding Magdeburg area have been absolutely overwhelmed with patients. And therefore, a lot of patients -- or some of the patients have been flown
to hospitals in the adjacent area.
One thing that you can't see here, which I can tell you, is that there's actually a shopping center right next door to the to the Christmas market.
And there are some patients who apparently were being treated there as well.
I'm going to come here and I'm going to show you the Christmas market actually from where I'm standing right now. Is over in that direction. If
you see that little sort of wall and fencing, that is the Christmas market. And apparently, the car plowed through there. It's unclear what sort of
barriers there had. I see a couple of barriers that seem to be there, but obviously, the car managed to get through there. And from what we're
hearing here on the ground, managed to drive several hundred meters though that Christmas market.
Of course, we saw that disturbing eyewitness video that was filmed, that surveillance camera video where you could see the car plowing through the
Christmas market. You could see that people were trying to get out of the way. Unfortunately for many of them, of course in vain because we know that
those stalls they don't offer much protection from a car, for instance, coming through, but it also makes those little alleys that are in there
very narrow and it's very difficult for people to try and get out of the way and get to safety, and that's obviously one of the reasons why we see
so many people who are injured.
And you've alluded to the fact that the main suspect has been arrested in his car. A black BMW, apparently a 50-year-old man from Saudi Arabia who
has actually been in this area for quite a while, was apparently a doctor here in this area. Of course, one of the things that the police are now
trying to find out, the authorities are trying to find out, is what the possible motivations are, because politicians here from this area have said
that it's unclear what exactly the motivations are.
But as you can imagine, this is the top story, the main political issue in Germany. And in fact, we have learned that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz
will also be making his way here to the scene in a couple of hours, together with the German interior minister, because one of the things that
we've been talking about throughout, as this evening has unfolded, is the fact that Christmas markets have been a known target for Germans. It was
clear that the security and the safety for Christmas markets was going to be a big issue as the Christmas season unfolded.
[18:55:00]
And so, therefore, the Germans had taken measures to try and prevent something exactly like what we've seen tonight for a car specifically to be
able to get into a Christmas markets, get past those barriers, and then obviously, cause a lot of damage, which is exactly what happened here
tonight in the City of Magdeburg.
The latest that we have is that the started around 7:00 p m., and I think that that's also significant as well, because, of course, that is basically
the main time that people would have come to this Christmas market because it's sort of after work, but it's still early enough in the evening, for
instance, for families to be around here. Also, the last Friday before the actual Christmas holiday. And so, therefore, that makes even more people
who would come here and sort of try to buy their last Christmas presents and then maybe go to the Christmas market afterwards and buy some
souvenirs.
So, a devastating time for this to happen in a devastating incident that happened here in Magdeburg. And from what we're seeing here on the ground,
a massive response happening from the authorities. As I'm speaking to you, there's actually a chopper overhead, is obviously the police pulling out
all their stops and putting in all of their assets that they have here to try and come to terms with the situation, Rahel.
SOLOMON: Yes. So many questions remain, including the motivation and, you know, what would have motivated or encourage this person to do something
like this. Fred Pleitgen, we appreciate the reporting. Thank you.
And that's just about it for the show. Thanks for joining us. Stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:00:00]
END
