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Isa Soares Tonight
Smith Drops Trump Election Subversion and Classified Documents Case; Hard Right Candidate Win First Round in Romanian Presidential Race; Scientists Speeds Up Forest Restorations; Menendez Brothers Case Delayed Until January. Special Counsel Jack Smith Drops Cases Against Trump; Ceasefire Deal Between Israel and Hezbollah Closer Now Than Ever; Foreign Ministers Gather for G7 in Italy. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired November 25, 2024 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, special counsel Jack Smith ends his
election subversion and classified documents cases against President-elect Donald Trump. We'll bring you the latest details in just a few minutes.
Then a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah may be closer than ever.
We'll be live in the region to discuss the potential path to at least temporary peace. Plus, foreign ministers gather for the G7 in Italy, the
Middle East and Ukraine are top of the agenda. But first, breaking news. We're just telling you about special counsel Jack Smith says he will drop
the 2020 federal election subversion case and the classified documents case against Donald Trump in filing to dismiss the felony charges facing Trump
in the election case.
Smith wrote, "this outcome is not based on merit or strength of the case against the defendant, and he pointed to the Justice Department policy, of
course, that bars the prosecution of a sitting President. Trump had vowed to fight, if you remember, Smith, once he returned to the White House next
year.
Our Jack Cohen -- Zach Cohen, has been following the case and bring us all the latest. So, Zach, talk us through this. Both cases because you know,
tossing them both out this -- you know, these are cases that he has been working diligently, doggedly for, for so long for, right? Talk us through
this.
ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, sort of the culmination of two years of work by Jack Smith and the federal prosecutors
on his team coming to an end. It seems today in the D.C. case, that case that revolves around the criminal charges against Donald Trump for his
alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
Jack Smith announcing in a filing today that he is moving to dismiss that case, essentially trying to bring it to an end here before Donald Trump is
inaugurated. And he makes very clear in this court filing that it is the result of the 2024 election, the one that Donald Trump just won, that has
really changed the game for him and the way that this case could ultimately not proceed.
Jack Smith writes that Donald Trump will be inaugurated as President on January 20th, and because of the longstanding Justice Department protocol,
not to federally prosecute a sitting President, Jack Smith, making the case that he has to end his election subversion case against Donald Trump.
But as you mentioned in the intro, Jack Smith also writing that this decision is not because of the merits of the case that he and his team have
put together against Donald Trump. He argues that the charges against him and the case that they built that garner those charges are still just as
legitimate as they were prior to today's motion to dismiss.
In the classified documents case, he similarly cites the 2024 election and Donald Trump's victory in that, saying that Justice Department protocol
means that he cannot continue his federal prosecution of Trump. But interestingly, in that case where Donald Trump had two co-defendants, two
former employees at his Mar-a-Lago resort, that were also charged with allegedly attempting to obstruct the investigation, the prosecution against
them will continue because they, unlike Donald Trump, will not be the sitting President starting on January 20th.
So, ultimately, this does mean that Donald Trump is -- the two federal cases against him are effectively over, though, I will note that in both
cases, Jack Smith is filing to dismiss without prejudice, which does technically leave the door open for the cases to be reinstated after Trump
leaves office.
SOARES: Yes, look, and I think it's important, Zach, to just point out to our viewers just watching and listening in to the breaking news is that,
you know, as we look at the Jack Smith is saying here, he -- they -- he's not saying -- special counsel is not saying they believe that the
President-elect did not commit these crimes, these alleged offenses, I should say.
I mean, instead, and you pointed this, I'm just going to read it out again, that "prohibition is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the
crimes charged. The strength of the government's proof or the merits of the prosecution, which the government stands fully behind." So, those words
quite carried a lot of weight. Just speak to what the reaction has been if there is -- if there has been a reaction so far from the Trump camp.
COHEN: Yes, the Trump camp is responding to this in the way that we would anticipate, calling it a, quote, "major victory". I mean, going on to say
that the voters in this country on election day have given Donald Trump a mandate. That's something we've heard from the Trump campaign repeatedly
since he was elected, citing the scope and the size of his election win.
[14:05:00]
But again, as you mentioned before, Jack Smith reinforcing in both of these court filings that this decision, this move to dismiss the case against
Donald Trump has nothing to do with the merits of those criminal charges with the strength of the case that he believes he's put together against
Donald Trump. It has to do solely with the fact that Donald Trump will be inaugurated as President on January 20th, and that DOJ, longstanding DOJ
guidance is, you do not prosecute a sitting President.
I just want to take a minute to point out that Jack Smith does acknowledge how unprecedented of a scenario we are in right now, because we've never
had a former President be convicted of federal crime or -- sorry, be charged with federal crimes. We've never had somebody who was a criminal
defendant be elected President.
So, both acknowledging the reality of DOJ protocol and the rules that are set forth in that, but also the unprecedented nature of the situation that
Jack Smith finds himself in.
SOARES: Zach Cohen, appreciate you breaking it all down for us, this breaking news coming in to us right here on CNN. Thanks, Zach. I want to
bring in David Weinstein, a former state and federal prosecutor who was listening to that. So, David, I mean, just to get your reaction, first of
all, perhaps not surprising given what we had heard in a few weeks following on from President-elect Trump's win. Your reaction here.
DAVID WEINSTEIN, PARTNER, JONES WALKER LLP: Isa, not surprising at all. I think we all saw this coming. Look, the special prosecutor has a number of
things to consider at this point in time. The first thing he considered was our country and how difficult it would be for our country to operate in
contravention of all established principles at the Department of Justice, to be prosecuting someone who is going to be the sitting President of the
United States.
And so, he put that ahead of everything else, and he moved to dismiss. Now, both Judge Chutkan and the judges in the 11th circuit have to grant this
motion. I see no reason why they wouldn't. And so, these cases will be dismissed as he asked for, without prejudice. He also made a strong point
to say in there that, he's not saying anything about the strength or the weakness of the case.
That has yet to be determined, that's up to ultimately a jury in any criminal case. But by saying that he is sort of positioning himself for
what he expects to come once the former President becomes the sitting President, and any actions might be taken against him as it regards the
11th circuit case, not surprised by his decision there either.
Remember there are two other private citizens involved in that matter. He did not move to dismiss his appeal as to those people. However, what
remains to be seen is what will happen come January when the Department of Justice changes, and there are new people in the Department of Justice who
will be handling that appeal.
Will they move forward with it, or will they then seek to dismiss it against those individuals as well? And also, will the then sitting
President pardon those two individuals and take care of those criminal cases forever and for all time to come. The one reason the department would
continue to move forward is that the issue there is the appointment of special counsel, that's going to come up regardless of who sits in the
White House.
And that's an issue that is under consideration, and courts have decided one way or the other, most -- not the way that was decided down here in
Southern District of Florida as to that issue. So, a lot of balls still in the air.
SOARES: And you know, you said and you and I were just saying that it expected, given what we had heard, following on from President-elect's win.
But I mean, this must be, David, a devastating blow to the special counsel, of course, the work and the time involved. Just talk to that.
WEINSTEIN: Well, look as a prosecutor, you evaluate the evidence along with your investigators, you present it first to the grand jury. They
consider it, they either return an indictment or no true bill. And then from there, you move forward and you take your case to a jury, and 12
people decide whether or not you proved your case beyond a reasonable doubt.
And any prosecutor either wants a jury to decide one way or the other, whatever the verdict is, we accept it as prosecutors and as a former
prosecutor and as a current defense attorney. Whatever the verdict is, I accept the verdict, but we want that verdict to be found by these 12 people
or you negotiate a settlement.
And so, certainly, the special prosecutor has to be disappointed that there was no final hearing on the evidence in the case, and questions will remain
unanswered.
SOARES: Do you think, David, we'll get any of the report -- any of the report be released at all? Do you think the new upcoming administration
will try to stop it in any way? Do we see -- do you think it will see the light of day basically?
WEINSTEIN: Well, right now, the current administration is in charge of preparing this final close-out report and memorandum. Keep in mind, he's
not dismissed against the other two defendants and the other case --
SOARES: Yes --
WEINSTEIN: That remains in the Southern District of Florida. So, he can't publish anything there because that's still an active case so-to-speak.
[14:10:00]
With regard to January 6th, if they get the report out in time before the incoming President is the President, it's up to the current Department of
Justice to decide whether or not to release it.
SOARES: David Weinstein, really appreciate you talking us through the breaking news coming to us this hour. Thanks very much, David, appreciate
it. Turning now to new hopes that a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah could be near. The Israeli Prime Minister's office tells CNN, Israel's
cabinet will vote on a ceasefire agreement on Tuesday.
A source says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already approved the deal in principle, but not everyone in the government is on board. Far-
right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvil(ph) -- Itamar Ben-Gvir, pardon me, excuse me --
(CLEARS THROAT)
SOARES: Calls it a historic mistake. He says Israel should press on until, quote, "absolute victory". Even amid the ceasefire efforts, Israel is
carrying out powerful airstrikes on Beirut.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(EXPLOSION)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And this blast you just heard there rocked the Lebanese capital, southern suburbs today, more than 3,000 people in Lebanon have been killed
in Israeli attacks since mid-September. Israel meantime is warning that Hezbollah rocket fire could ramp up ahead of a ceasefire vote. It says 250
projectiles fired from Lebanon crossed into Israeli territory over the weekend.
Let's get more from our Nic Robertson, who Is following all these lines for us out of Jerusalem. So, Nic, we have been here before, both sides have
been close to striking a deal before. Are we any closer? Does this seem different to you? What are you hearing?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It does feel different. And it feels different for a number of reasons. I mean, we could
talk about the strikes on Beirut today and the incoming Hezbollah rockets. Just yesterday, 250, a really high number, both sides are really ramping up
their strikes on each other.
And that is typical of what we saw in 2006 just before the two sides signed a ceasefire deal there. So, I think there's that part of it, the
atmospherics. But you also have the French-U.S. diplomacy here. You know, the French at the moment saying that there's a possibility that Macron and
Biden could co-announce a ceasefire in the coming 36 hours.
So, that's part of the mood music, but this different to before. I -- you know, there's a real potential for a political victory here for Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. If he can get a deal and get people, all those 60,000 people who were evacuated from the north of Israel back in October
last year, get them back. That's a political win for him.
So, there's a lot that's shaping this. And I think one of the points you picked up on there, what Itamar Ben-Gvir; National Security Minister said
continue with the fight against Hezbollah. That's his message for the Prime Minister. The Foreign Minister has described this deal as one where
Hezbollah needs to go back north of the Litani River, 30 miles north of the border.
That's the old U.N. agreement. But also, he said that Hezbollah mustn't be able to rebuild and become a force in the region again. That's a
sovereignty issue for Lebanon. It's hard to see how Israel can be involved in that. But it does feel despite these points that we're getting close.
And we understand that the Prime Minister Netanyahu will meet with the constituent member parties of his coalition, clearly with an idea to
persuade them of why they should vote the way that he wants it to go.
And I think his office at the moment is conveying a sense that this will happen. So, I think there's a lot around this at the moment that makes it
feel different, it could slip-up, but it seems to be edging close.
SOARES: Nic Robertson for us there in Jerusalem. Thanks, Nic. I want to go now to Alon Pinkas; a former Israeli Consul General in New York for more.
Alon, great to see you. So, what are your thoughts then on whether this feels any different we're closer here to a deal?
ALON PINKAS, FORMER ISRAELI CONSUL GENERAL IN NEW YORK: Well, you know, I don't know more, appreciate than astute correspondents that Nic Robertson,
so I subscribe to -- no, seriously, so, I subscribe to what he said. But let's look at it from a slightly broader historical perspective. Agreements
such as this have been signed many times, and by definition, you're signing an agreement with a Lebanese government that doesn't really exist.
Lebanon is a failed state politically. So, you're essentially signing an indirect deal with Hezbollah, which is not a sovereign government. That by
definition is tenuous. It is temporary. It is circumstantial. It is almost bound to be violated or transgressed in the next 2 or 3 years. All that
being established, it's good that there is an agreement, even if you look at the four phases of it, a lot of moving parts, a lot of things can go
wrong.
You know, a phase one is a ceasefire, and phase two, as Nic mentioned, is a Hezbollah retreat north of the Litani River, which is 45km north of the
border.
[14:15:00]
Then, in phase three, Israel withdraws and only then does Israel and the government of Lebanon begin negotiations on the demarcation border. And
there's one more -- a very important, very critical, addendum here, Isa. And that is that, Israel, according to the agreement from what I've -- from
what I understand, retains the right to operate against Hezbollah if it deems it violated the agreement.
And that would be in a sign later -- side letter, I'm sorry, signed by no less than the President of the United States of America. I -- you know, I
can't see Hezbollah in the long run adhering to or complying with such idea, but I hope I'm wrong.
SOARES: And there's another element in this, and Nic touched on this. It's not the fact they want -- Israel wants to see Hezbollah push back from the
Litani River, per the U.N. agreement, but it also wants to make sure that Hezbollah does not re-grow. I mean, that is a big ask, right? How do you
even -- how do you even ask that and expect them to --
PINKAS: That --
SOARES: Stick to that?
PINKAS: That's an excellent point, Isa, and that's the foundation of why I said this is tenuous and circumstantial. Look, the agreement is supposedly
based on U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 from August 2006. That's 18 years ago. In that Security Council Resolution, there was a clause saying
that Hezbollah needs to disarm. Did they disarm? No.
Last week, the incoming -- the newly-appointed Israeli Defense Minister said that our aim in Lebanon is to disarm Hezbollah. Is that in the
agreement? No. Does anyone think that Hezbollah will disarm? Absolutely not. But here's my answer to your important -- I think -- look, Hezbollah
is an organic Lebanese organization.
It is very powerful socially, religiously, politically and obviously militarily. But it is also an Iranian proxy --
SOARES: Yes --
PINKAS: And it's been militarily degraded to the point of perhaps pulling Iran involuntarily into this conflict. Meaning that there are people in
Tehran who may think that Hezbollah has turned from a -- from an asset to a liability, meaning that this agreement, if it is signed, hopefully, it will
be signed. But once it is signed, is a result of heavy Iranian pressure on Hezbollah. Food for thought.
SOARES: And you know, that -- those are the sort of the conversations that I'm guessing, Alon, will be discussed tomorrow when the Israeli cabinet is
expected to vote, right? We already -- Nic touched on this --
PINKAS: Yes --
SOARES: As well. Ben-Gvir said, "an agreement with Lebanon is a big mistake. A historic --
PINKAS: Yes --
SOARES: Historic missed opportunity to eradicate Hezbollah." And I imagine the likes of Bezalel Smotrich will, you know, push against that as well.
What is the likelihood, in your view, that this will go ahead, that this will get the green light here?
PINKAS: Oh, it will get the green light. First of all --
SOARES: Yes --
PINKAS: You know, these two self-ordained field marshals haven't served in the military for one day. I mean, Smotrich served ten months as a clerk --
Ben-Gvir did not even serve. So, these -- you know, eradicate Hezbollah and go until the final victory is fortune cookie nonsense. You know, they just
spurred it out.
I doubt that, you know, they will express their opinion. They want to be on record that they warned against this because it will be violated inevitably
within a year or two years or two and a half years. I don't think there's any chance that this does not pass the cabinet. And then Mr. Netanyahu will
say, yes, you listen, gentlemen, you know, with all due respect, this is something that I owe Donald Trump.
He's not -- he's not going to say Joe Biden, he's going to say Donald Trump. I -- we need to do this for Donald Trump's sake. He needs to come on
-- into the White House, into the Oval Office on January 20th with a clean slate. So, let's do this for him --
SOARES: Yes. How much is this a win for Netanyahu?
PINKAS: Not much --
SOARES: Yes --
PINKAS: Not much. Because look, Hezbollah retains a considerable missile arsenal. They -- yes, they have been degraded militarily, significantly
even. And yes, their top echelon, their top leadership was eliminated, assassinated, killed, targeted, whatever. But they're still there. They're
alive, they're kicking.
They have thousands of missiles. They still control Lebanese politics. Nothing can happen in Lebanon without them. So, Mr. Netanyahu can brag that
he won points here. But this is certainly not what he had hoped would happen eventually.
[14:20:00]
SOARES: Be interesting to see what those, of course, have been -- the Israelis who have been pushed away, left away from their homes, well, how
they will react, of course, to the news and how quickly --
PINKAS: Oh, they will be very -- they will be very hesitant at first to go back on the basis of some agreement that was signed.
SOARES: Alon Pinkas, always great to get your thoughts and insight. Thanks, Alon, good to see you.
PINKAS: Thank you.
SOARES: Now, the White House is condemning the killing of an Israeli Rabbi in the United Arab Emirates, calling it a horrific crime against those who
stand for peace, tolerance as well as co-existence. Authorities in the UAE have arrested three Uzbek nationals in connection with the death of the
Rabbi, who had been filmed by a friend days before his murder.
He had been missing since Thursday. On Sunday, the UAE Interior Ministry confirmed his body had been discovered. Israel says he was killed in an
anti-Semitic act of terror. Still to come tonight, as global conflicts reach new flashpoints, America's top diplomat joins a G7 meeting one last
time before Donald Trump takes office.
Plus, first responders at the site of this morning's deadly cargo plane crash near Lithuanian airport. The latest on what investigators are
learning is coming up straight ahead. You are watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: The conflict in the Middle East and Ukraine are high on the agenda for the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting. The top diplomats from the group of
seven are gathering in Italy, including U.S. Secretary of State, as you can see there, Antony Blinken. It's his last G7 meeting before President-elect
Trump takes office.
In amid uncertainty over the future of U.S. funding for the war in Ukraine, Britain's Foreign Secretary urged his allies to back Kyiv. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID LAMMY, SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN, COMMONWEALTH & DEVELOPMENT AFFAIRS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM: It's hugely important that this G7, that
all colleagues across the G7 continue to stand with Ukraine for as -- for as long as it lasts. And we are confident that Ukraine can have the funds
and the military equipment and kit to get through 2025.
Our assessment is that Putin shows no signs at all of wanting a negotiation. We have to ensure that the Ukrainians are equipped for the
fight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Jennifer Hansler is at the U.S. State Department following all the latest developments. Jennifer, good to see you. So, let me start first on
what we were talking about in the last few minutes.
[14:25:00]
And that is that ceasefire looking possible closer than ever between Hezbollah and Israel. What are you hearing from Secretary Blinken on that
front and the efforts of course, to end the war in Gaza?
JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT REPORTER: Well, Isa, U.S. officials are saying that there has been progress on a deal, but nothing is agreed
until everything is agreed, and they are not there yet. They are saying there is not a deal just yet, but they are hopeful to continue to make
progress, to actually bring this conflict between Lebanese Hezbollah and Israel to an end, to get this diplomatic resolution in place.
Now, we know this was going to be a topic of conversation among those G7 Foreign Ministers in Italy today. Today's focus was on the Middle East by
and large, the first session of that ministerial this morning focused on the region and the escalating tensions in the Red Sea, where we have seen a
number of attacks by the Houthis on shipping and containers and vessels that were going through that main waterway.
Later, in the afternoon, this just started. There was going to be a meeting between Secretary Blinken and some of his Arab counterparts to discuss the
ongoing conflict in the Middle East in Lebanon, in Gaza, as well as the humanitarian situation in Sudan. So, there is a lot of ground that they
were going to cover here today, Isa, particularly on the conflicts there in that region.
SOARES: And just focusing on another conflict, and we heard David Lammy, the British Foreign Secretary was talking about there, and that is, of
course, in Ukraine. I know that the Biden administration has been pushing Jennifer to try and solidify its support for Kyiv before Trump takes
office. How much will the next administration's agenda you think loom over this G7 meeting, you think?
HANSLER: That's absolutely the specter that is going to be hanging over these meetings, particularly tomorrow, and they're expected to focus on
Ukraine, how to shore up that support even if the U.S. takes a step back from its ongoing support for Kyiv. The incoming President has suggested
that he would not necessarily provide the same level of military assistance or financial assistance to the Ukrainians.
He has suggested instead that he wants to see that war come to an end. So, there is a lot of uncertainty about how the next administration will handle
this war. Now, you heard from David Lammy there and a number of other European officials have said, this is the time for Europe to take up that
mantle to continue to support Ukraine's fight against Russia even if the U.S. takes a backseat here.
Blinken of course, will be underlining the U.S.' support right now under the Biden administration. How they have tried to surge weaponry to Kyiv,
how they have tried to surge assistance there, and we've just seen in the past weeks, Isa, a change in the administration's policy on long-range
weapons to allow those U.S.-provided ATACMS to strike further into Russia.
They are also providing anti-personnel landmines, which are controversial weapon of war for the Ukrainians to use in this fight, everything they can
to try to bolster them before they leave office in less than 2 months here.
SOARES: Jennifer Hansler, great to see you. Thanks, Jen. Now, Russian state media says a British man has been taken prisoner while fighting for
Ukraine in Russia's Kursk region. The news agency "TASS" names the man as 22-year-old James Scott Rhys Anderson, a British military veteran.
The U.K.'s foreign office confirmed it was supporting the family of a British man following reports of his detention. People of various
nationalities, often former soldiers have fought against Russian forces in Ukraine's international legion, bolstering of course, Kyiv's manpower in
the war.
Officials in Egypt say at least 17 people are missing after a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea. Rescuers saved 28 others and it happened just south of
the coastal town of Marsa Alam. Some were airlifted to receive medical treatment. It's not yet clear what exactly caused the boat to sink, but the
Egyptian Weather Service had warned on Saturday about rough sea conditions.
Investigators are trying to find out why a cargo plane crashed near Lithuania's capital this morning. The DHL plane skidded into a home and
burst into flames, you can see there, as it was arriving at the Vilnius Airport, and you can see that moment was caught on video. One person was
killed, but remarkably, three others on board survived along with a dozen people inside the house.
Still to come tonight, Donald Trump's camp is calling it -- we will look at the breaking news we had at the top of the hour, of course, with the cases
being ended there by special counsel Jack Smith. We'll have the breaking news after this. Plus, Romania sees one of the biggest electoral upsets in
recent history. How a little known far-right candidate has taken the lead in the presidential race there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:00]
ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Return now to our breaking news. Donald Trump returned to the White House. He will no longer be facing
charges in the 2020 federal election subversion and classified documents case. Special Counsel Jack Smith has in the last, what, 45 minutes or so
said he will drop both cases, pointing to the Justice Department policy barring the prosecution of a sitting president. He did leave open the
possibility that charges could be brought against the president-elect again the future.
A Trump spokesperson called today's move a major victory for the rule of law. While legal experts may debate that, one thing is clear, Trump's
efforts to delay court proceedings at every turn was clearly, well, a successful one, leaving Smith without any options.
A short time ago, a House Democrat had this reaction. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. DANIEL GOLDMAN (D-NY): I think it is a shame for justice in this country. It establishes that Donald Trump is above the law. The Supreme
Court put him above the law in that opinion that Paula just mentioned. But now, he appears to escape full accountability for what were crimes charged
by a grand jury.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Let's get more on this breaking news as well as the confirmation challenges that the president-elect faces. We're joined by politic -- CNN
Senior Reporter Stephen Collinson. Stephen, let me start the breaking news then that we just heard. We're now hearing the special counsel, Jack Smith,
kind of is leaving the door -- the open possibility of charges against Trump could be brought again.
And in the filing, I'm just going to read out what it says here. In the 2020 election case, it said, Trump's inauguration sets out our two
fundamental compelling national interests. On one hand, the constitution's requirement that the president must not be unduly encumbered in fulfilling
his weighty responsibilities. And on the other hand, the nation's commitment to the rule of law and the longstanding principle that no man in
this country is so high that he's above the law.
You know, as maybe not surprising to many of us that this has come given, of course, the president-elect -- that Trump has won, but what are
Americans to make of the news given, you know, the competing interests that, you know, Jack Smith has rights about?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: I think this is going to have huge reverberations for the way that Trump's presidency unfolds, and
it is going to send a precedent down through future decades that could be exploited by a future president.
[14:35:00]
Smith will be remembered as a prosecutor who tried something extraordinary, to try to call a sitting president, as he then was, to account for using
his power to defy the will of voters in a democratic election. The fact that he failed and the fact that the Supreme Court granted Trump sweeping
immunity for official acts the congressman mentioned there is going to weigh on the way that Trump rules in the coming four years. He believes he
has almost absolute authority, and that was a ruling that came directly out of this case.
Ironically, Smith's attempt to prevent Trump from coming back to power through legal means, you know, therefore made him even more powerful, as
did the fact that this case, for many Trump voters, was a rallying call that they unified around Trump. It played into his claim that he was
victimized by the Justice Department.
And as I said, a future president may look at this and believe that if they lose that election, they may pay no price as Donald Trump paid no price for
trying to subvert democracy.
SOARES: And Donald Trump, via his spokesman, Steven Cheung issued the following statement. The American people re-elected President Trump with an
overwhelming mandate to make America great again. Today's decision by the DOJ ends the unconstitutional federal cases against President Trump. It is
a major victory for the rule of law. The American people and President Trump want an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice
system, and we look forward to uniting our country.
I mean, the last line should send, perhaps, shivers down the spine of anyone, really, who works in the Justice Department. I mean, we're talking
about the weaponization of the Justice Department. I mean, how palpable -- is this something -- how palpable is that concern?
COLLINSON: I think it's hugely concerning. Trump has already said he will fire people, not just Jack Smith, had he still been there, but people in
the Justice Department who helped and who worked for him. He has argued that the Justice Department has weaponized against him, a fact that, you
know, doesn't take into account the crimes he's alleged to have committed the most heinous crimes against democracy, if you're trying to defy the
will of voters.
And just last week he appointed or nominated an attorney general, Pam Bondi, who is on the record as saying prosecutors will be prosecuted,
investigators will be investigated. She has openly said that they will try and go after people that investigated Trump, even though they were pursuing
the rule of law, they got their indictments through a grand jury and they brought cases in the legal system. But this is a huge victory for Trump and
a validation of the strategy of his lawyers to delay all of these cases with the help of many conservative judges until the election.
Trump had to do his part, of course, and he won the election. And in one way democracy has spoken because the voters voted for Trump.
SOARES: Yes, no doubt. He's rubbing his hands with glee right now. Stephen Collinson, as always, appreciate it. Thanks, Stephen.
COLLINSON: Thanks.
SOARES: Now, I want to go to Romania, where in a shock result, a little known hard right candidate has won the first round of the presidential
election. Calin -- I'm hoping Anna will correct me here, Georgescu ran as an independent, campaigning on an anti-NATO, pro-Russia stance. He was
polling in the single digits before the vote. But a shock twist came first on Sunday, winning 23 percent of the vote.
Polls had predicted the country's left-wing prime minister would be the favorite, but he now says he'll resign after coming in third. A runoff
between the two top candidates scheduled for December the 8th. And Anna -- so just Calin, I should say. Calin is the first name.
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I went for Calin. But you know what, neither of us are experts here. We're learning with us.
SOARES: We did seek the help of a local Romanian for this, but clearly, he hasn't gone in. Just who is this man? Where did he come from? What do we
know about him?
STEWART: OK. So, Calin Georgescu isn't well known outside of Romania, and he isn't actually that well known even inside the country. He isn't a
leader of a political party. He isn't even a member of a political party. Currently, he was a member of the AUR, which is the far-right party that
did run in this election, but he was expelled for some of his views, which included praising leaders of a fascist movement in Romania from World War
II.
He has run on a campaign that is anti-NATO, pro-Russia. He's very much on the right. And his campaign's also been about nostalgia, bringing Romania
back to old Christian social values.
SOARES: It sounds very Trumpian. I mean, in terms of bringing back, going back --
STEWART: Make Romania great again.
SOARES: -- make again, which is, you know, very Trump style populism that we have seen, right, across Europe, from Finland, Italy, Slovakia, Hungary,
Croatia, and the like. But you know, I was reading one Romanian historian said, this was a TikTok win. You don't need a party, you just need to go
viral on social media. And he has gone viral for sure. How has he managed to do this?
[14:40:00]
STEWART: This has been, in many ways, a TikTok campaign. And if you watch some of the videos, I think he will understand why it may be resonated so
well on that platform. I think we've got a bit of a video we can show you right now, actually. You can see playing judo, swimming, riding a horse, a
strong man, not dissimilar, I would say, to some videos we've seen of President Putin the past. Clearly, emanating this sort of strong man
ability -- and the music along with the video, which I'm afraid you can't hear is truly awe inspiring. But this has been a TikTok campaign.
And I would say the diaspora of Romania, outside of the country, almost the vote was double for Georgescu outside of the country.
SOARES: How do we explain that then?
STEWART: Well, this is why perhaps social media plays such an important role in this election, for people who weren't in the country, you know,
experiencing the campaign on a day-to-day basis, it translated extremely well. And particularly, for those Romanians who may be hard back to it was
a gone era in Romania.
SOARES: What happens -- now, we're looking at the presidential election outcome, the breakdown of the votes. This is round one. What happens next?
I mean, can he win?
STEWART: He could win. I mean, as you can see, Elena Lasconi, who is the center right leader of the USR, she came in second with 19 percent.
However, the party you didn't see, which came fourth, is the far-right party. It had 14 percent of the vote. If those votes go to this candidate,
one would imagine it's entirely possible he could be the next president of Romania. The runoff will be the 8th of December. And before then, they also
have parliamentary elections. So, there'll be a new government and prime minister.
SOARES: A lot to go on and more TikTok videos no doubt. Anna, appreciate it. Thank you. And still to come tonight, scientists are coming up with
incredible ways to speed up the restoration of forests. In fact, many of the trees have fungi to thank.
Plus, it was one of the highest profile murders of its time, nearly three decades after being sentenced. The Menendez brothers are appearing in court
again. We'll have the latest on the case just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Well, as part of our Going Green series, we've been highlighting innovative solutions to help revive degraded ecosystems right around the
world. Today, we are taking you to Scotland, where a team of scientists are tapping into the power of fungi to help accelerate forest restoration
efforts. Our Julia Chatterley has a story for you.
[14:45:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOBY PARKES, CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, RHIZOCORE: The fungal kingdom is one of the largest groups of species. We think there's about two and a half
million species of fungi on the planet. And that represents a huge opportunity for not only understanding biodiversity, but for understanding
what those fungi can do for us.
JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN ANCHOR, FIRST MOVE (voice-over): Plant scientist Toby Parkes believes what lies underneath the Earth's surface can
significantly help restore what grows above it.
PARKES: There's a very specific group of fungi known as the mycorrhizal fungal group that naturally fertilize trees and improve their growth and
survival. And in return, the trees provide synthesized sugars to the fungi.
CHATTERLEY (voice-over): Over the last 300 years, an estimated one and a half billion hectares of woodlands have been wiped out globally, causing
not just the loss of trees, but also their fungal networks.
JACK HOOPER, COO, RHIZOCORE: As the world combats climate change, one of the key strategies we have is trees. Not only do we expect them to draw
down tons of carbon, but also to replace materials that are very carbon intensive. We're going to have to find new places to plant trees.
PARKES: When you plant trees in an area like a pasture land or ex- agricultural area or that hasn't had trees on for a very long time, they often die in quite large numbers in the first one to three years. Also,
they're not growing as much as they could.
CHATTERLEY (voice-over): Research suggests that without fungi present, trees are less likely to obtain necessary nutrients and thus, won't thrive,
which can hinder reforestation efforts.
PARKES: We had to find a way of introducing these local fungal species to the sites where the trees are being planted.
CHATTERLEY (on camera): To solve this problem, Rhizocore developed Fungi Pellets to help young saplings flourish when planted together. Rhizocore
has partnered with tree planting organizations across the U.K. and Australia where Jack says they've seen improved growth and survival rates.
HOOPER: We've seen typical results of 20 to 25 percent improvement in growth and 20 percent improvement in survival rates in the first year.
Trees will also have faster growth in the first five to 10 years. And this is really important for establishing a forest.
CHATTERLEY (voice-over): But Rhizocore's long-term goal is to build a fungi library to explore what else these organisms can do for our planet.
PARKES: There is going to be an explosion of innovation within this space as we discover more and more about what fungi can do and the benefits it
can provide.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And for more on this series, you can visit cnn.com/goinggreen. Well, the storm known as Bert has killed at least five people across the
U.K. The storm hit the region with flooding from heavy rain.
Ireland was also affected. Storm Bert is expected to make its way across Western Europe today. High wind warnings have been issued for parts of
Germany as well as France.
And heavy rains in California have killed two people. Rivers and creeks also overflowed causing dangerous road conditions across Sonoma County,
that is north of San Francisco in Northern California. One victim was found in a car stuck in a flooded road. The second victim was found by a hiker in
an overflowing creek. The record rainfall also flooded vineyards in Sonoma's popular wine region.
Well, a devastating fire has left some of Manila's poorest families homeless. The blaze tore through a coastal shantytown in the Philippine
capital on Sunday. Officials say about 1,000 homes were destroyed and around 8,000 people were displaced. The damage is being felt especially
hard so close, of course, to Christmas. One shop owner said she lost her home as well as her livelihood. Manila's mayor is urging people to be
patient and to register for help. She says victims will be given food and shelter ahead of the holiday.
Much more on CNN. Do stick right here with us. We're taking a short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:50:00]
SOARES: And some news just coming into us here at CNN, a hearing for convicted murderers, the Menendez brothers has been delayed until January.
Erik and Lyle Menendez were originally set to make their first court appearance, you remember, in nearly 30 years at this hour. They are serving
life sentences without the possibility of parole for killing their parents.
Now, they face the possible path to freedom as a judge may decide whether new evidence in their case warrants a chance to change their sentences, but
that has now been delayed. That's coming in in the last few minutes to us here on CNN. Of course, as soon as we know more, we'll tell you, we'll
bring it up to you. But upcoming hearing now delayed due to technical issues with the video feed. The brothers have not yet appeared in today's
status conference hearing, and that's just coming in to us at CNN. Of course, as soon as we know more, we'll tell you. No cameras allowed in the
court.
Now, a French public prosecutor has requested a 20-year-old prison sentence for the man who has admitted drugging his wife and allowing dozens of men
to rape her. Dominique Pelicot has been on trial alongside 50 men since October. He is accused of arranging for the men to visit his house in
Southern France and rape his unconscious wife, Gisele, over a period of nearly 10 years.
The prosecutor told the court that Pelicot was fully responsible for his actions and suffers no -- from no mental illness. Our Saskya Vandoorne was
at the courthouse and filed this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN SENIOR FIELD PRODUCER: I've just come out of the courtroom where no cameras are allowed inside and prosecutors have
requested a 20-year prison sentence against Dominique Pelicot.
And it's really only when you're inside that the sheer scale of it hits you. Row after row of men most accused with aggravated rape. Against
Giselle Pelicot, who's sitting just a few feet away from them, with her head literally held high. Across the room from her sits the man accused of
organizing these rapes, her husband of 50 years, Dominique Pelicot. And it's really only when you're inside that the sheer scale of it hits you.
Row after row of men most accused with aggravated rape against Gisel Pelicot, who is sitting just a few feet away from them with her head
literally held high.
Across the room from her sits the man accused of organizing these rapes, her husband of 50 years, Dominique Pelicot. His eyes are often closed, and
his hands are resting on a cane. As for the men on trial, some seem to share friendly exchanges, while others just keep to themselves.
Many of the defendants could get a maximum of 20 years anchoring women's rights campaigners who have come here asking for heavier prison sentences.
After months of hearings, this case really has whipped up emotions not only here in France, but around the world, with many calling for change.
Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, Avignon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: The City of Light shining a little brighter tonight, thanks to the annual Christmas lights display along Paris' Champs Elysees Avenue. As you
can see there, 400 trees are adorned with LED lights in the shape of wine glasses, of course, possibly to encourage some festive cheer. The lights
will glitter every night until midnight through the new year.
Meanwhile, in Madrid, some residents and tourists were experiencing Sunday mass, well, like no other. Have a look at this.
[14:55:00]
You are looking at a so-called priest known as comedian Leo Bassi leading mass at a church that worships, get this, rubber ducks. A bride and groom
even exchange rubber duck rings. Each weekend Bassi mixes humor, current affairs, and some, sorry, quacking for dozens of attendees. You can just
see my face. He started the unusual church -- the church in 2012 to venerate the small things. Thanks to social media, well, it has taken off.
All those who, of course, who like rubber ducks.
And with America's Thanksgiving tradition just days away, President Joe Biden has made it far more exciting for a couple of turkeys, you can see
there, but not so much for their fellow bird family and friends. Peach and Blossom, don't know which one is Peach, which one's Blossom, in case any of
you want to ask me, received the White House turkey pardon, allowing them to avoid the oven, of course. And the dinner table, more crucially, and
make it past Thanksgiving. The first turkey pardon happened during President JFK's presidency in 1963.
That does it for us. I'm back with Newsroom after this, and I shall see you tomorrow. Bye-bye.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
