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Manhunt Under Way After UnitedHealthcare CEO Fatally Shot; Hegseth Vows To Fight Like Hell With Nomination In Peril; Supreme Court Appears Poised To Endorse Tennessee Law Banning Gender-Affirming Care For Trans Youth; Delta Stowaway Back In U.S. After Flight Lands In New York; South Korea Reeling After Martial Law Whiplash. Aired 6- 7p ET

Aired December 04, 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]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Happening now, breaking news in New York. A massive manhunt underway right now for a suspect on the run after the CEO of UnitedHealthcare was shot and killed just outside a Manhattan hotel. Why police believe the attack was targeted.

Also breaking, Pete Hegseth says he's ready to fight like hell to salvage his imperiled nomination. Donald Trump's pick to leave the defense department spending another day up on Capitol Hill, as sources now tell CNN the Trump transition team could replace him with the Florida governor, Ron DeSantis.

Also this hour, we'll bring you a live report from JFK International Airport in New York, where the woman who stowed away on a Delta Airlines flight to Paris last week just landed back here in the United States. CNN's producer who was on that return flight is standing by for details.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in The Situation Room.

We begin our coverage tonight in New York, where we just got new images of a gunman suspected of fatally shooting the CEO of UnitedHealthcare in what appears to be a targeted killing.

Let's go to our senior crime and justice correspondent first, Shimon Prokupecz. He's at the scene of the shooting in Manhattan. Shimon, you're getting your first look at where the shooting actually took place.

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Wolf. We are on the street where this happened outside the Hilton. The police just reopening the street to traffic, and so this is our first look.

This is where the shooting took place. This is the side entrance to the Hilton Hotel. This is where the gunman police say was waiting for the CEO as he was making his way inside here to go to the conference. What police say happened was the CEO, Brian Thompson, was walking from the luxury hotel, which is just behind me. He walked from that hotel, walked up this street to get inside the hotel to go to the conference as the gunman was here waiting for him.

As video, which we obtained, shows, you could see the gunman, as he's standing there waiting, and as the CEO approaches, he starts firing. Police say he fires some shots. The gun then malfunctions, and then the shooter clears the gun. It jams. But they say he seems to know how to operate weapons. He clears the jam and continues firing, striking the CEO in the head and the leg. And then obviously we know that the victim died.

Police then say that the shooter went across here, across this street through this alleyway here, Wolf. Let me just show you where this is where we have reporters here. Sorry about that. Sorry. So, they walked this way and they say he went through this way, through this alley. They found a phone here. And then there is ebike station just around here, Wolf. That is where he got on a bike, police say, and then drove north on 6th Avenue and through Central Park. And that is the last time, police say, they saw him.

BLITZER: And, Shimon, I understand the NYPD has now just released some more of the images of the suspect from a Starbucks right near the hotel, right?

PROKUPECZ: Yes, Wolf, that's right. That Starbucks, those images that police just released a short time ago, those images were taken at 6:17 in the morning. 6:17 in the morning is when police say that he was at that Starbucks, perhaps making a purchase. We don't know. And then just a short time later, he walked two blocks south. That Starbucks is at 56th Street and 6th Avenue. We're here at 54th Street. So, he walked two blocks south, waited for the CEO and then opened fire on him.

BLITZER: All right. Shimon Prokupecz on the scene in New York for us, Shimon, thank you very much.

I want to bring in our Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller, along with the former D.C. chief of Homeland Security and Intelligence Donell Harvin. We're also joined by former Senior FBI Agent Katherine Schweit.

[18:05:00]

Let me start with you, John. What are your sources, and you have excellent sources in the NYPD, what are they telling you about where things stand with the manhunt?

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Well, they're working with this in layers. They've got the video canvas where they see him as far as Central Park, but they've expanded that out to the east side of Manhattan now to see if they can pick up his trail.

What's in the backpack? Was it a change of clothes? Will they have an image of him switching clothes somewhere else? The key is they want to find something where he shows his face, because he was pretty diligent about trying to cover that up. The second thing, Wolf is, you know, they have various pieces of evidence. As Shimon said, he runs through that that alleyway past the Ziegfeld Theater, but they find a phone in there. They believe that phone may be connected to him, and they're working with technicians to open it and see what it will tell them. Is it a burner or does it have personally identifiable information?

They also found a water bottle. They think that that water bottle is likely the water bottle he purchased at that Starbucks along with two power bars just before the shooting. Will that give them DNA? Is there a fingerprint on that plastic bottle? That's another thing they're going to be working with.

So, between trying to find something technological, like a picture of his face through the video canvas, and then, forensically, from the clues found on the scene, there's that. Beyond that, it's the search for motive.

BLITZER: And no one knows what the motive is, at least not yet, but I'm sure they're working hard to find out what the motive could have been.

Donell, a source does tell CNN that the company was aware of concerning threats against the UnitedHealthcare group that talked about going after top executives at the company. How does that play into this investigation?

DONELL HARVIN, FORMER D.C. CHIEF OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND INTELLIGENCE: Well, it's going to play a lot into it because that means there's a potentially digital evidence and individuals that may be behind those threats. I've read reports that his wife has said that there were threats against him as well that are nonspecific.

Listen the healthcare industry has been really under siege since COVID. We were tracking threats against the healthcare industry writ large, not specifically this country -- this company, rather after -- during COVID with collusion and all these other, you know, online conspiracies.

So, you know, this is going to put front and center this industry once again. And they have to really look at how they're protecting their CEO. CEOs are walking around New York City every day unprotected. So, this is particularly alarming to them, I'm sure.

BLITZER: Katie, you're an expert when it comes to guns, and you can see in the surveillance video that the gun used has a silencer. What else can the gun tell investigators?

KATHERINE SCHWEIT, ACTIVE SHOOTER EXPERT: I think that concealing it, right, it's small. It's not like it's pulled out a big -- pulled out a big, high powered rifle. You had a very clear target in place. And with the silencer on it, what that tells us in part is that preplanning to say every possible way that I can get away, pre-staging of the bike, whatever the other things are that John was talking about. But then also the idea that the silencer is going to potentially not be picked up in the gun detection that they have around the city and just the idea that people will not know necessarily what's going on right now, a couple of shots, pop, pop, popo, you don't know what's happening, as opposed to a really loud gunshot. He was looking for a fastest way every advantage to get away,

BLITZER: John. It appears that the shooter was actually waiting for a while, a few minutes at least, at the side entrance of the hotel, as the CEO was just getting there. What does that tell you about the planning that went into this assassination?

MILLER: It raises a number of questions, which is the Hilton Hotel is a big hotel. It's got a big front door, but it's got side doors on both blocks. So there's about six different entrances he could go in. How did this killer know to be at exactly the right entrance to catch him walking down the street?

Now, one potential answer to that is he was staying in the Marriott Hotel from the Lux Collection next door. Did the killer know that and say what's the closest entrance between his hotel and the hotel where the conference is? And as Katherine points out, you know, having this gun with the silencer, when the gun jams, he clears the malfunction, he fires another shot, it jams again, he clears it, he fires a third shot, he clears it, that's left them additional ballistic evidence because each time he did that, a bullet landed on the street that he may have touched or left prints on. But it also tells us the silencer is probably the thing that's causing that gun to jam, which is common with silencers and guns that don't have a special adjustment to handle them.

So, as Kathy says, you know, a lot of planning went into this, but maybe not quite enough. Not just his professionalism, which we see, but his mistakes are emerging as well.

BLITZER: Yes, they certainly are. Donell, this shooting happened outside that busy Hilton Hotel, right in the middle of Manhattan, during the height of the holiday tourism season.

[18:10:02]

What does the brazen nature of this attack tell you?

HARVIN: Yes. I mean, as a New Yorker, you know, we're used to hearing about, you know, untargeted by random acts of violence. You know, the Christmas tree is getting lit today. There's a lot of tourists in town. It is really concerning. But as John mentioned, this individual didn't care about any of that. He scoped out his target. He was patient. He was in the right place at the right time, shows some preplanning.

You know, this doesn't happen, right? You don't see -- I'll call it an assassination attempt in a major city like this.

And so, you know, everyone's taking a step back and kind of looking at this, but this is not a random act of violence. The NYPD came out and said it and I think you're hearing that today.

BLITZER: Yes, we certainly are. Katie, what does the length of this manhunt tell you? It's been going on since early this morning?

SCHWEITZ: I'm sorry, I missed your question.

BLITZER: What is the length of the manhunt tell you since it's been going on since very early this morning?

SCHWEIT: I think that, you know, as you can imagine, NYPD is being as thorough as they possibly can. They want to collect every piece of evidence in a plan to targeted event. There's a lot of evidence of planning ahead of time. They want to collect that. But you are still looking at an individual and the idea of where that individual might be and where he might've stashed his things. I mean, this company impacts, you know, according to their own website, one in four people in the United States. So, there's a lot of potential there for who you're looking for.

And so in order to find the person, you really have to do, I think, what we saw, what we did, you know, when I was in the FBI in Boston, when they were looking for the Boston bombing suspects. They had to just back up and go from the beginning of when that happened and work their way all the way back. And that's what they're doing right now. And it's going to take time, but they're going to get this guy. It will probably be pretty soon, but it might be tomorrow.

BLITZER: Well, let's see. Let's hope it happens soon. That would be very important to get this guy off the streets.

Everyone, thank you very, very much.

Just ahead the Pentagon pick in peril right now, Pete Hegseth defiant up on Capitol Hill as the Trump transition team scrambles to avoid the collapse of yet another cabinet choice.

Stay with us. You're in The Situation Room.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:15:00]

BLITZER: Turning not to the fast moving developments inside the Trump transition. Pete Hegseth's nomination to lead the Pentagon is hanging in the balance tonight as he's scrambling to find support from key Republican senators amid new signs that the Trump team could actually cut him loose.

CNN's Manu Raju is working his sources and he has many good ones up on Capitol Hill. And CNN's Kristen Holmes is standing by near the Trump transition headquarters in Florida. She has excellent sources there as well.

First to you, Manu. Hegseth just wrapped up his meetings for today with key senators. What are they telling you?

MANU RAJU, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Several Republican senators still have not taken a position yet on Pete Hegseth's nomination. Some are deeply uncertain about whether to back him. And remember, on a party line vote in the new Republican Senate next year, he can only afford to lose three Republican votes. There are more than three who are concerned and some flatly won't say how they'll vote, including Senator Joni Ernst, a key vote, a pivotal swing vote on the Republican side who met with Hegseth for 45 minutes earlier today and would only say she had a frank and thorough conversation.

Now, in these meetings with senators, including with the incoming Republican chairman for the Senate Armed Services Committee, there have been lots of discussions about the allegations about misconduct in the past. That came up in the conversation with Roger Wicker, who said that he tried to combat and rebut all these allegations about how he's misbehaved in the past, including towards women and including in his past job.

And also the question about excessive drinking that has been come up as well. Allegations that he was intoxicated while running a veteran services organization and was essentially drunk on the job. He's tried to rebut that all together and he committed to the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee that he would not drink if confirmed as the next secretary of defense.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: You told me earlier that he said that he would not drink on the job. How did that come up?

SEN. ROGER WICKER (R-MS): Well, really, I normally don't discuss what we have talked about specifically, but, you know, the allegation was made about him being intoxicated several times. And so the questions that every member will be asking him led to this.

RAJU: And he kind of obviously can't stop drinking all together?

WICKER: That's right.

RAJU: If he becomes secretary of defense.

WICKER: That's exactly right.

RAJU: Will you see the whistleblower report?

WICKER: Absolutely. Well, I will see whatever the FBI investigation provides us. I assume it will be comprehensive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: And that last question was about what was revealed in The New Yorker Magazine just a couple of days ago, saying that there was a whistleblower investigation into his services, his time serving at the top of a veteran's services organization that detailed those allegations of misconduct.

As you heard from the chairman, the incoming chairman of that key committee there, Wolf, saying that he expects to see that information in court in that whistleblower report, including more information about an FBI investigation about Hegseth's past, really underscoring the challenges he faces ahead, as a lot of senators on the Republican side are still noncommittal about backing him. Wolf?

BLITZER: Yes, major challenges indeed. Manu, stand by.

Kristen, unlike Trump's other nominees, Hegseth has been doing some media interviews to make his case publicly. Tell us about that.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf. I mean, that in itself is unique, given the fact that we have not seen any of his other cabinet picks, any of his other administration picks out there on the airwaves, and that's for a reason. Donald Trump's team does not want them essentially stepping in it before they are confirmed or before they actually get to a confirmation hearing.

[18:20:01]

It goes to show you how concerned they are about Hegseth, that they want to put him out there to try, and as you said, make his case to the American people.

He did sit down with Megyn Kelly today, in which they both seem to kind of imply that he was getting the same treatment that Justice Brett Kavanaugh got when he was accused of sexual assault when he was going through his confirmation hearings. Take a listen to what they said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think you're being Kavanaughed right now?

PETE HEGSETH, TRUMP'S PICK FOR DEFENSE SECRETARY: I had a member not 45 minutes ago look me in the eye in private, just he and I, and say, that's what they're trying to do to you. That's what they're trying to do to you. That's their playbook. Get ready for more. And they're going to make it up, just like they have so far, all anonymous, all innuendo, all rumor, nothing sourced, no verification, and they're just going to keep doing it, because you're a threat to them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now, one thing to note is that Hegseth has denied all of these allegations, but it's not just Hegseth that has been taken to the airwaves, it's also his mother. Now, this is relevant for a reason, because over the weekend, New York Times published an email she had written to her son back in 2018, when he was going through a divorce, which essentially said that he mistreated women, something that she later apologized for. She said she called him immediately and said that she was sorry, emotions were high. But she was also on Fox and Friends today making the case for Hegseth. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PENELOPE HEGSETH, PETE HEGSETH'S MOTHER: I wrote that out of love. And about two hours later, I retracted it with an apology email, but nobody's seen that. He's a changed man, and I just hope people will get to know who Pete is today, especially our dear female senators, that you would listen to him. Listen with your heart to the truth of Pete.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And that clearly goes to show you where they think the concerns are, particularly with female senators, but also they believe that email had an impact, if they're having her go out there and defend it, say that she had apologized for it.

And, Wolf, just before I let you go, I think Seth obviously is the top story here, but I do want to tell you just moments ago, we saw some breaking news out of the Trump transition. They announced a new position. This one goes to Kelly Loeffler, the former U.S. senator of Georgia. She is going to be the administrator of the Small Business Administration.

She's been an ally of his. She's also helping run the inauguration, big donor to Donald Trump. Another instance here of him really rewarding his donors with some of these top jobs. Wolf?

BLITZER: Interesting. All right, Kristen Holmes, thank you. Manu Raju, thanks to you as well.

I want to get reaction from a key Republican in the House Armed Services Committee, Congressman Don Bacon. Congressman, thanks so much for joining us.

Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal today called Pete Hegseth's nomination, in his word, doomed, doomed. Do you agree?

REP. DON BACON (R-NE): I think Pete has a uphill climb to get confirmed. He'll have an opportunity, though, to make his case to the Senate and in the hearings. But I do think it's an uphill climb. I think there's two areas of concern. One is he prepared to run an organization of 2 million people and he's going to have to make that case to the senators, but, two, all these allegations, I think, are worthy of being looked at, because in the military, if you have an affair, you get kicked out. I've known many people who have been fired and removed out of the military for having affairs. So, I think it's a relevant issue that he's going to have to convince the senators that's all in the past, he's a changed man, and that's the challenge he's going to have.

BLITZER: You're a retired brigadier general in the U.S. Air Force, so you speak with a lot of authority when it comes to the military. What is the level of concern, Congressman, from your GOP colleagues over these allegations about Hegseth, including the alleged drinking and sexual assault?

BACON: Well, I heard from one Republican at a dinner, and, you know, he sort of -- he didn't whisper in my ear, but he talked quietly, nobody else could hear. He says moral issues are still important. You know, being loyal to your wife, being faithful in marriage. Now, people make mistakes. I don't want to be overly judgmental, but if there's a long history of it, a long record of it, for some people, that's a red line. Character does matter.

And so, again, you know, Mr. Hegseth's going to have to make his case to those senators that he's a changed person and people do change. And I hope that's the case.

BLITZER: You heard comments from Republican Senator Roger Wicker that Hegseth told him personally that he won't drink alcohol if confirmed as the U.S. defense secretary, coming as Hegseth is facing reports about an alleged drinking problem. Is that a promise you trust?

BACON: Well, it would be better if it was backed by several years of backing it up, doing it right during the middle of the confirmation. Again, the senators will have to make that decision. But for me, you'd want to see a two or three, five-year record of doing this.

And let me give you an anecdote, Wolf.

[18:25:01]

When I was a colonel, I worked for a three star general who was making his fourth star. He said, Don, I will fire you if you have a bottle problem, a zipper problem, or you send someone into combat that's not prepared. And that's sort of the military philosophy.

So, the military's going to be watching this too, and I think Mr. Hegseth is going to have to convince the senators, but the military men and women are going to be seeing this too, because we want the same standard up and down the chain of command.

BLITZER: Congressman Don Bacon, thanks so much for joining us. I appreciate it very much.

And coming up, the U.S. Supreme Court giving clues today on how it will rule in a landmark case on transgender rights after a day of historic arguments.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:30:00]

BLITZER: Tonight, the United States Supreme Court is taking on the most consequential transgender rights case in history. At stake, medical care for young trans people all across the country.

Our Chief Legal Affairs Correspondent Paula Reid has details.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELIZABETH PRELOGAR, U.S. SOLICITOR GENERAL: If you change the individual sex, it changes the result. And a law like that can't stand on bare rationality.

PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice over): That's Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar arguing Tennessee's ban on medical care for transgender minors amounts to sex discrimination, which is unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause.

But Tennessee argued their law protects minors from irreparable harm.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Its application turns entirely on medical purpose, not a patient's sex. That is not sex discrimination. The Equal Protection Clause does not require the states to blind themselves to medical reality.

REID: Conservative justices, like Samuel Alito, focused in on how other countries, such as the United Kingdom and Sweden, have recently shifted policies to limit access to treatments for transgender youth.

JUSTICE SAMUEL ALITO, U.S. SUPREME COURT: I wonder if you would like to stand by the statement that you made in your petition or if you think it would now be appropriate to modify that and withdraw the statement that there is overwhelming evidence establishing that these treatments have benefits that greatly outweigh the risks and the dangers.

PRELOGAR: If the court wants to go ahead and look at what's happening in Europe, the U.K. has not categorically banned this care, Sweden, Finland, and Norway, the other jurisdictions that my friends point to, have not banned this care. And I think that's because of the recognition that this care can provide critical, sometimes life saving benefits for individuals with severe gender dysphoria.

REID: But Liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor highlighting potential harm of withholding treatment.

JUSTICE SONIA SOTOMAYOR, U.S. SUPREME COURT: Some children suffer incredibly with gender dysphoria, don't they?

PRELOGAR: Yes, it's a very serious medical condition.

SOTOMAYOR: I think some attempt suicide.

PRELOGAR: Yes. The rates of suicide are striking and it's a vulnerable population.

REID: And both sides closely watching Chief Justice John Roberts, a potential swing vote as he suggested the court should leave questions of medical nuance to the states.

CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN ROBERTS, U.S. SUPREME COURT: Doesn't that make a stronger case for us to leave those determinations to the legislative bodies rather than try to determine them for ourselves?

REID: That line of questioning concerning Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

JUSTICE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON, U.S. SUPREME COURT: I'm worried that we're undermining the foundations of some of our bedrock equal protection cases.

REID: ACLU Attorney Chase Strangio sharing those concerns as he made history as the first known openly transgender person to argue before the Supreme Court.

CHASE STRANGIO, ACLU ATTORNEY: Tennessee claims this sex-based line drawing is justified to protect children, but SB1 has taken away the only treatment that relieved years of suffering for each of the adolescent plaintiffs.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

REID (on camera): We don't know when the justices will reveal their decision, but we do know the incoming Trump administration is expected to reverse support for this kind of medical care.

But the justices do have some other similar cases that they could eventually take up, including one that frames this issue as a question of whether it should be parents that have the final word on the medical care their children receive. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right. Paula Reid reporting for us, Paula, thank you very much.

Joining us now, Virginia State Senator Danica Roem. She's the first out transgender state legislator in the U.S. Senator, thank you so much for joining us.

The conservative majority, as you probably know, on the court appears likely to support Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care. What went through your mind hearing the arguments today?

STATE SEN. DANICA ROEM (D-VA): Sure. So, as I was listening to the arguments, a few things that really stuck out. Number one, representing Virginia and knowing that Virginia's been on the wrong side of Supreme Court cases before, especially in the Loving case when Justice Jackson, you know, brought up that, hey, if you decide this way in the way that Tennessee is, you could potentially be undermining the rationale of the way that Loving versus Virginia has decided in terms of equal protection of the law.

But the next thing that really just -- there's a lot of things I just that just went through my mind, like listening to these arguments today, and part of it is, you know, whether they were supportive of or not of, you know, the rights of these families to make sure that they're able to determine that what's the best healthcare for them and with their doctors, it was that none of them know what it's like to live like Chase does, you know, Chase Strangio from the ACLU, who argued in front of the court today. They don't know what it's like to just feel like you're suffocating under this.

I do know what that's like. I know that Chase knows what that's like. And at the same time, you have to look at every single one of these cases that goes, where you've got a parent, you've got the child, and you have a doctor, who are working this out on a case by case basis and evaluating every single thing that makes medical care, you know, basically important and necessary here.

[18:35:21] The American people just have to ask, do you want politicians getting in the way of the decisions that you and your family are making and your doctor's make together?

BLITZER: What would be the consequences from your perspective, Senator, if transgender people don't have access to this healthcare?

ROEM: Well, the consequences are severe and rather profound, in that, number one, for a lot of these kids here, you're taking away their hope in their lifeline on this, right? And on the other hand with this, the other things that you start to worry about is what does this mean for how and how equal rights are interpreted nationwide.

And then finally, the larger question I have with this is, for your viewers in Tennessee who are uninsured right now, I have to wonder how disappointed they are to be watching their state government spend their tax dollars, making sure other people don't get the health care that they need at a time where Tennessee has still not expanded Medicaid to the almost 200,000 people who are eligible for it and about 644,000 people total who are uninsured. Whereas I, as the first out and seated trans state legislator in the country, kept my 2017 campaign promise to expand Medicaid back in 2018. Wolf, we insured more than 700,000 people because of that. This is a case of misplaced priorities when SB1 from the Tennessee legislature is about this instead of expanding healthcare for a lot more people.

BLITZER: As you know, Senator, Trump ran on a very anti-transgender platform during his effort to be re elected, and he just has been reelected. What do you think Republicans see -- why do you think Republicans see these transgender Americans, like you, for example, as a threat?

ROEM: Well, number one, look what they did 20 years ago when, you know, you were covering the 2004 campaign, right? They were singling out LGBTQ couples at that time and trying to take away marriage equality. They were trying to, you know, devise a nationwide strategy, and it worked for them for that time period. And at the same time, if there's anything that trans people know about each other, it's that we are resilient, and we will find a way to bounce back no matter what ends up happening.

And that they can try to take our rights from us, but they can't take away who we are at the core of our being. And just a general message for them is please never give up hope. And I hope that just sitting here as an elected official, I'm able to at least show them that you can succeed because of who you are, not despite it.

BLITZER: We appreciate your coming in. Thank you very much. Senator Danica Roem, I appreciate it very, very much.

ROEM: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Just ahead, the latest twist in a roller coaster relationship. Why the president-elect is considering dumping his Pentagon pick for the Florida governor he once ridiculed out there on the campaign trail. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:40:00]

BLITZER: Sources tell CNN President-elect Donald Trump is considering alternatives if Pete Hegseth's nomination for defense secretary implodes. That list includes his one time rival, the Florida governor, Ron DeSantis.

Brian Todd is working the story for us. Brian, this could mark a very dramatic turn in the Trump-DeSantis relationship.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It really could, Wolf. The two men had really been antagonistic toward each other, especially since DeSantis announced he was running against Trump in this year's Republican primaries. But right now, for both men, political opportunity beckons.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice over): At a Florida memorial service for fallen law enforcement officers, a symbolic and important moment, Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis appearing together for the first time since their rancorous contest in the primaries ended early this year.

DeSantis appears to be back in Trump's good graces, as Trump considers swapping out his current defense secretary pick, Pete Hegseth, for DeSantis. And DeSantis, according to sources close to him, is interested.

MARC CAPUTO, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, THE BULWARK: Some people have compared Donald Trump's world to a professional wrestling or telenovela or soap opera. You have characters who come in and out, they fight with each other, they reconcile.

TODD: And that's how the Trump DeSantis drama has played out.

The 46-year-old governor first ingratiated himself with the then president by publicly slamming the Russia probe during Trump's first term, when DeSantis was an obscure congressman.

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): There's not been evidence of collusion with Trump's campaign.

TODD: When DeSantis ran for governor in 2018, he appealed to Trump's base with a clever campaign ad, reading and playing with his children.

DESANTIS: Build the wall. Then Mr. Trump said, you're fired. I love that part.

JACKIE KUCINICH, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: And it really kind of, you know, this bromance between Trump and DeSantis was born.

TODD: Trump's endorsement of DeSantis gubernatorial bid, many believe, sealed his victory.

CAPUTO: No Donald Trump endorsement for Ron DeSantis, almost no way he would have won that Republican primary. When he says that he made Ron DeSantis, that's not an exaggeration, that's a reality.

TODD: Then came a DeSantis announcement that Trump predictably saw as a betrayal.

KUCINICH: The fact that DeSantis decided to run against Donald Trump for president really did not endear him to the now president-elect. And you saw how nasty that was for a while.

TODD: Trump came up with a catchy, insulting nickname for the governor.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT-ELECT: Ron DeSantis. Did anyone ever hear of DeSantis, DeSanctimonious. DeSantis.

TODD: At one point, a pro Trump group produced an ad mocking DeSantis over a news report that DeSantis had been seen eating pudding with his fingers on a plane flight.

[18:45:01]

AD NARRATOR: Tell Ron DeSantis to keep his pudding fingers off our money. Oh -- and somebody get this man a spoon.

TODD: And DeSantis hit Trump where it hurt.

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R), FLORIDA: I don't know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair. I just -- I can't speak to that.

TODD: And in a town hall hosted by Wolf Blitzer.

DESANTIS: If Donald Trump is the nominee, the election will revolve around all these legal issues, his trials, perhaps convictions if he goes to trial and loses there, and about things like January 6th, we're going to lose.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (on camera): If Ron DeSantis is brought into the Trump administration, he will have to navigate a tricky relationship with Trump's incoming White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, who used to work for DeSantis and was pushed out of DeSantis circle in a very bitter internal political fight when DeSantis exited the presidential race in January of this year, Wiles posted a two word message to him on X, "Bye, bye" -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Brian Todd, good report, thank you very, very much.

Coming up, the stowaway is away no more. A live report from JFK airport in New York, where the woman who successfully snuck onto an international flight has just landed back here in the United States.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:50:26] BLITZER: Breaking news: the woman who stowed away on a Delta flight from New York to Paris last week after evading security checkpoints, is finally back in the United States after multiple failed attempts to fly her home. This, as Delta now says, and I'm quoting now, deviation from standard procedures allowed her to sneak aboard that initial flight to Paris.

Let's get straight to CNN's Saskya Vandoorne. She's over at JFK International Airport.

Saskya, I know you were on this return flight with her. It just landed. Describe for our viewers what happened.

SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: Yes, Wolf.

So we deplaned about an hour ago, and there were a dozen law enforcement officers waiting for Svetlana Dali. But the flight itself was pretty uneventful. Dali was compliant throughout. She seemed, you know, very relaxed and of course, it was early in the day that we left from Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport. She was already on the flight when I boarded. She was at the back of the aircraft she was flanked by two French security officials who ended up escorting her all the way to JFK and she was not handcuffed, Wolf, when I got on the on the flight, I was four rows in front of her.

So I watched her as we took off and she seemed very calm. At one point she rested her head against the chair in front of her and then during the flight, Wolf, she listened to music. She spoke to the security officials sitting next to her so very different from that behavior that we saw when they first tried to take her back to JFK last Saturday. And she caused such a disturbance then.

Wolf, you remember that she was at Charles de Gaulle Airport for seven days because Delta refused to take her back twice. French law officials I spoke to this morning said that they were adamant to get her on the flight today. It was a bit touch and go before we left. They didn't know if Delta was going to accept her and, of course, they didn't know if she was going to agree to board the plane -- Wolf.

BLITZER: So, Saskya, what happens next for the stowaway?

VANDOORNE: Well, we don't know her whereabouts right now, but we do know that law enforcement officials should be interviewing her to try and find out how she was able to evade all those security checks and we do know that federal charges will be brought against her -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Saskya Vandoorne, thank you very much. Good work.

Coming up, the latest from South Korea as the embattled president there, the president of a major U.S. ally now seems to be facing two dire options: resign or be impeached.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:57:28] BLITZER: Let's get the latest on the whiplash in South Korea one day after the country's president declared and then quickly lifted martial law. Right now, there are growing calls for President Yoon to resign or face impeachment.

CNN's Ivan Watson has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A night of dramatic confrontation at South Koreas national assembly. Troops face to face with civilian protesters.

A lawmaker challenging a soldier grabbing his gun and shaming him, yelling, aren't you embarrassed?

Hundreds of troops were deployed here in the pre-dawn hours on Wednesday, some landing by chopper sent to enforce the shocking declaration of martial law made by President Yoon Suk Yeol late Tuesday night.

But they weren't enough to stop 190 lawmakers, including 18 from Yoon's own party from voting unanimously to overturn the president's decree.

It may have been the shortest period of martial law the world has ever seen.

President Yoon's martial law decree only lasted around six hours. He withdrew it before the sun even came up on Wednesday. And now, the opposition is calling for his impeachment.

Opposition lawmakers are pushing for a vote to oust the president as early as Thursday, while his chief of staff and defense minister have both submitted their resignations.

Yoon's aborted power play barely affected business in the Korean capital.

And at the airport, international flights also faced no disruptions. But there is anger among some ordinary Koreans.

What would you like to say to President Yoon?

KIM HA-NEUL, PROTESTER: (EXPLETIVE DELETED)

WALSH: Twenty-four-year-old Kim Ha-Neul came here straight after working an all night shift at a convenience store.

KIM: If you don't speak up as a citizen who lives in Korea, then he will keep repeating the same situation and it will be more harder and harder for us to deny him as our president.

WALSH: Calls now, for candlelight vigils across the country and a protest march through the capital.

What are you chanting here?

SIYEON AHN, PROTESTER: Yeah, yeah, to arrest the president.

WALSH: Are you angry at President Yoon?

SIYEON: Yeah. I am like because, like, martial law, it's very like serious thing, but he thinks that it's not that serious.

WALSH: This country's president may face the consequences of his failed attempt to overthrow decades of Korean democracy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Our thanks to CNN's Ivan Watson for that report.

And tonight, we've just learned that South Koreas defense minister has resigned.

I'm Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM. Thanks very much for watching.

"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts right now.