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The Situation Room

Jeffrey Epstein Survivors on Capitol Hill; Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired November 18, 2025 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[11:00:00]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: But what is your message to her and other parents who blame Roblox as a vehicle for their child being harmed? And do you think at a certain point a parent just has to accept there could be some level of risk?

DAVID BASZUCKI, CEO, ROBLOX: Any situation like what we just heard is extremely tragic.

I want to highlight, much of what you hear about is not happening on Roblox, and many parents aren't aware that many other apps that kids have access to allow image sharing, allow texting.

BROWN: But, just to be clear, it's a vehicle for other platforms, right.

BASZUCKI: So it is why one of the biggest things we do on Roblox is literally try to keep people on our platform, where they're not sharing images, where texts can be filtered, where we can monitor for critical harms.

We are optimistic what we're rolling out today, which is a gold standard, we will become the thing that all of the apps start to look at for keeping kids safe.

BROWN: That's what everyone wants, to keep kids safe.

David Baszucki, thank you very much. Appreciate your time on the show.

BASZUCKI: Thank you very much.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: And the next hour of THE SITUATION ROOM starts right now.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

BROWN: Breaking news, any minute now, the controversial crowned friends of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, will arrive at the White House. His deal with the president could have major consequences for the Middle East.

BLITZER: And survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse up on Capitol Hill making a final appeal to lawmakers. The long-awaited House vote on releasing the Epstein files is now just hours away.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer with Pamela Brown and you're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

In the coming hours, the House is expected to vote to compel the U.S. Justice Department's release of files on the Epstein investigation. The measure now has very strong support from both Republicans and Democrats and is expected to pass.

BROWN: It would then go to the Senate, where it faces a less certain outcome. But in a sharp reversal, President Trump now says he is ready to sign the bill if it reaches his desk.

Survivors of Epstein's abuse spoke earlier this morning on Capitol Hill, along with the brother of Virginia Giuffre, one of the most prominent and outspoken survivors. She died by suicide in April.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SKY ROBERTS, BROTHER OF VIRGINIA GIUFFRE: My sister is not a political tool for you to use. These survivors are not political tools for you to use. These are real stories, real trauma, and it's time for you to stop just talking about it and act. Vote yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Our M.J. Lee and Arlette Saenz are on Capitol Hill.

Arlette, House Speaker Mike Johnson finished talking just a short time ago. He has also had quite the reversal on this upcoming vote, right?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Pamela, House Speaker Mike Johnson now says he will vote in favor of releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files, saying that he sees some flaws in this measure, but ultimately Republicans are committed to transparency.

But it is a remarkable shift in strategy from the House speaker, who for months has sought to delay and prevent this vote from even happening. Just to backtrack, in August, he had sent the House home early for recess, in part to avoid a vote on this matter.

And then he delayed the swearing-in of Arizona Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva, who was the 218th signature needed for this discharge petition to force a vote on the House floor relating to these files to happen. He did end up swearing her in last week, which has set off this chain of events.

But Johnson's reversal mirrors President Donald Trump's shift on this after he said that he now supports this measure as well. But Johnson in his remarks just a short while ago also sought to place blame on Democrats, saying they could have released the files when they were in control of Congress and the White House. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): Democrats are trying to use the Epstein matter as a political weapon to distract from their own party's failures. And in a desperate attempt, they're trying to somehow tie President Trump to the scandal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: Now, Johnson says he will support this measure, but he does want to see changes to this bill, such as trying to do more to protect the identities of the victims of Jeffrey Epstein's crimes.

Johnson said that he has spoken with Senate Majority Leader John Thune about possible changes to the bill once this goes over to the Senate. But, right now, it's still unclear whether Thune will bring this up for a vote in the Senate and whether they will get enough Republican senators on board to pass this and send this to President Donald Trump's desk for his signature.

What proponents of this measure here in the House are hoping is that there will be an overwhelming majority that will then pressure the Senate to act. Johnson said that he does believe that there will be unanimous support for this bill when they vote in the next three hours on this measure.

[11:05:10]

But there's also some concern among supporters of this bill about whether the Justice Department would actually release the files once the president, if the president does sign this into law.

So a lot of unanswered questions still remain about the future of these Epstein files, but there will be a significant moment in the House this afternoon as the majority of Republicans are expected to support this measure that they once tried to block.

BLITZER: All right, Arlette Saenz up on Capitol Hill, thank you very, very much.

M.J., you're up there as well. Epstein survivors, as you know, have been speaking out outside Congress this morning, sending clear messages to lawmakers and to President Trump. And you have been speaking to a lot of them. Update our viewers on what you're hearing.

M.J. LEE, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL ENTERPRISE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf we have been here since this morning on Capitol Hill as these Jeffrey Epstein survivors arrived for this press conference.

And when they met outside of the Cannon Office Building, you sort of have the feeling of a joyful reunion. Keep in mind that so many of these women actually have gotten to know each other really well. Perhaps some of them knew each other actually going back to the years when they were actually being abused by Jeffrey Epstein.

For some of them, they have only gotten to know each other very recently, particularly leading up to this vote. But then, as we crossed the street with them and went over to the site of the press conference, you could really feel that the nerves were running high. You saw each of the women taking the podium for a few minutes to

remind everyone of the abuses that they suffered under Jeffrey Epstein. And I have to tell you, one of the most emotional moments about this press conference was the fact that, for so many of the women, they were holding up pictures of their childhoods, of when they were little, as young as, for some of them, 14 years old.

They say that is sort of the moment, the year, the part of their lives when they were abused by Jeffrey Epstein. And going back to that time for some of these women was clearly incredibly challenging. I want you to listen to a couple of those emotional moments, Wolf.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HALEY ROBSON, JEFFREY EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: I know everybody sees us today as grown adults, but we are fighting for the children that were abandoned and left behind in the reckoning. This is who you're fighting for.

JENA-LISA JONES, JEFFREY EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: I was a child. I was in ninth grade. I was hopeful for life and what the future had held for me. He stole a lot from me by -- at 14.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEE: And the last time that these survivors held this kind of press conference here on Capitol Hill was back in September. And I don't think that any one of them would have expected that this moment would have necessarily come.

And that is why I think we saw so much gratitude being shown to particularly the Republican House members, including Marjorie Taylor Greene, who was there at the press conference, for basically defying President Trump.

And I will just quickly note too that these survivors are going around Capitol Hill today meeting with lawmakers, making sure that they are putting pressure on them. And then, of course, they don't know what comes next once this bill presumably moves to the Senate. And that is why they're not going to let up on the pressure, is what they're telling me.

BROWN: All right. M.J. Lee, thank you so much.

BLITZER: And we have much more coming up on the Epstein files. Stand by for that.

But there's other breaking news, very important breaking news happening as well. President Trump is about to welcome the very powerful Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House. President Trump has close ties to the prince going back to his first term.

But, right now, the president is hoping the Saudis will sign on to what's called the Abraham Accords and normalize relations with Israel, while the crown prince is expected to take home a controversial new deal to buy U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets.

BROWN: All right, let's go to CNN's senior White House reporter Kevin Liptak.

And, Kevin, I remember, when I covered Trump's first term with you there at the White House, reporting about the intelligence community coming to the assessment that MBS likely ordered the killing of that "Washington Post" journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Now fast-forward seven years, right, and the White House under Trump's second term is really rolling out the red carpet for him with these elaborate ceremonies and a formal dinner, even though this isn't an official state visit.

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, there's no question.

BROWN: Or orange carpet, I should say.

(LAUGHTER)

LIPTAK: Yes, this is the full return of Mohammed bin Salman to the American diplomatic fold. His last time was in 2018. As you mentioned, it was that same year that Jamal Khashoggi was assassinated at a Saudi consulate in Turkey the CIA assessed that MBS likely ordered that killing.

He has denied it, but it did lead to a period of diplomatic isolation for him, which is clearly coming to an end today. This visit has all the trappings of a state visit. In fact, the only reason that it's not called that is because MBS is not the head of state in Saudi Arabia. That title is for his father, King Salman.

[11:10:18]

But, of course, he is the day-to-day ruler of that country and the president very much pulling out all of the diplomatic trappings, whether it's the honor guard, whether it's this formal black-tie dinner this evening. He is really being received to the White House in a way that no leader has to date in this second Trump administration.

And so it's clear that the president placing an enormous amount of value on this relationship, and they will have quite a bit to discuss. Security is one of the big things that will come up in the Oval Office today, of course, President Trump saying yesterday that he's agreed to sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia.

That could potentially cause some consternation in Israel. Israel at this point is the only country in the Middle East that has those weapons, and there's some concern that that could erode its military edge, but President Trump making clear that he's moving forward with those sales.

They will also discuss A.I. They will discuss nuclear civilian power. The big question is, of course, whether Saudi Arabia will agree to normalize relations with Israel. That doesn't appear as if it will be finalized today, but it's certainly something that President Trump has prioritized and expects to discuss in the Oval Office.

BROWN: And also, Kevin, what makes today unusual is just the amount of business President Trump's family has in Saudi Arabia, right?

LIPTAK: Yes, I mean, President Trump's family business is intertwined in Saudi Arabia in all kinds of different ways. And it was actually just this week that they announced a new development in the Maldives that will be developed in part by a business in Saudi Arabia.

So, these two families, these two countries are intertwined in all kinds of different ways. President Trump has made clear in the past that he has left his family business to his sons, that they are running the day-to-day of that at this point. But certainly it's not something that you can overlook as he really rolls out the highest level of diplomatic welcome for Mohammed bin Salman today at the White House.

BLITZER: All right, Kevin Liptak at the White House for us. We will continue to watch all the drama unfolding there. Thank you very, very much.

BROWN: And still ahead here in THE SITUATION ROOM: some answers into why a massive container ship took out Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge and left six people dead last year, the NTSB just revealing what it found.

BLITZER: And we will, of course, have much more coming up on the Saudi crown prince's very controversial return to Washington, what journalist Jamal Khashoggi, what his widow is telling CNN right now about her feelings on this visit.

Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:17:37]

BLITZER: Happening now: Any moment, President Trump will formally welcome the very powerful Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, to the White House. It's the prince's first visit since the killing of "Washington Post" journalist Jamal Khashoggi back in 2018.

A CIA report says the crown prince ordered the murder. He has repeatedly denied his involvement. Khashoggi's widow spoke to CNN about the visit. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HANAN ELATR KHASHOGGI, WIDOW OF JAMAL KHASHOGGI: It is very painful for me. It's very painful for me. It will be better if Jamal was here and receiving the crown prince by himself and meet with him and share with him his vision and mission and all of his idea.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Joining us right now the former Middle East negotiator Aaron David Miller and CNN political commentator and former deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh.

Aaron, let me begin quickly with you.

The relationship between these two goes back to Trump's first term, but there are still some very rough edges that Trump is trying to smooth out. Talk a little bit about that.

AARON DAVID MILLER, FORMER STATE DEPARTMENT MIDDLE EAST NEGOTIATOR: You know, it's extraordinary, Wolf. And thanks, you and Pam, for having me. It's great to be here with Sabrina.

It's extraordinary. American presidents usually take their foreign trip to Canada, Mexico, Great Britain. Donald Trump went to Saudi Arabia as his first foreign foray, which I think is indicative and reflects the fact that he considers Saudi Arabia probably the most important country in the region.

There are business interests. There's the Abraham Accords. There's the possibility of a Nobel Peace Prize. So this visit -- and there are differences, human rights, clearly, but I'm almost pretty persuaded that there will be no discussion of Jamal Khashoggi, a friend of mine and perhaps yours, Wolf, as well, no discussion of human rights today.

China is an issue, security penetration, if F-35s come up, and if the Saudis want them, they may have to agree to certain constraints with respect to China. But I think this visit basically is going to be a love affair between an American president who's literally sided with Saudi Arabia and a crown prince looking for validation and looking to put all of the troubles in U.S.-Saudi relations in the rearview mirror.

BROWN: And, Sabrina, some people are questioning the sale that President Trump has talked about of American F-35 fighter jets to the Saudis. Help us better understand why that is so controversial.

[11:20:07]

SABRINA SINGH, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Well, the F-35 is a fifth-generation fighter jet. It's one of the most complex and also most sophisticated in our arsenal of aircraft.

And so the only country in the Middle East that actually has the F-35 is Israel. So if the United States authorizes the sale of the F-35 to Saudi Arabia today, which I think we know that MBS is lobbying for that, there are deep concerns within the intelligence community, certainly within the Pentagon about the F-35 because of the complexity of the aircraft.

And, of course, Saudi and China have a very deep trading and economic relationship. And so the concern is that China could get access and see some of the system and technology that goes into the F-35. And that is something that actually is a threat to our national security and something that we don't want to have happen.

So that's why there's concerns and issues raised. And, ultimately, I think Congress should have a say in this when it comes to this sale. BLITZER: Aaron, as this formal arrival ceremony continues, and we

will watch it, we will pay attention to it, it's a very significant moment in U.S.-Saudi relations right now, this visit certainly underscores the Trump family's very close business ties to Saudi Arabia.

The country has invested about $2 billion in a private equity firm launched by President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. A Trump Tower is in the works, and two other real estate projects have already been announced as well. How much are you reading into these business dealings between the two countries and how they will play into the visit today?

MILLER: Wolf, I worked in every administration from Jimmy Carter to Bush 43. No American president would ever have erased a line between the national interest on one hand and his and one day hers business interests on the other.

It's extraordinary to me. "The New York Times" runs a front-page story yesterday about our global contracts to build towers in Riyadh and Jeddah, the Kushner investment fund Affinity $2 billion. It's extraordinary the amount of self-dealing here.

And it raises real questions as to how the Trump family's business interests impact, skew the national interest and U.S. and U.S.-Saudi relations. Saudi Arabia is an important partner. I'd argue it's really -- it's more a strategic partner than an ally. There's no value affinity between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.

And I think it's worrisome, very worrisome.

BROWN: Sabrina, part of the conversation today is expected to center on this $600 billion Saudi investment pledge in the U.S.

Oh, let's listen in, actually, and watch as President Trump is about to walk out.

(MUSIC)

[11:25:18]

(MUSIC)

BLITZER: What an arrival ceremony for the visiting crown prince of Saudi Arabia, dramatic developments indeed.

Aaron, let me get your thoughts on this. And, Sabrina, I want to get your thoughts as well.

I always assumed that this kind of arrival ceremony, the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, would develop as soon as Saudi Arabia joined several of the other Arab countries and signed on to the Abraham Accords and formally normalized relations with Israel, established full diplomatic relations with Israel.

The Saudis also want some sort of security pact with the United States. I assume that would happen as well once they joined the Abraham Accords, which were achieved during the first Trump administration. And Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of the president, was very much involved in helping bring those Abraham Accords together

United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Qatar, they all joined Egypt and Jordan and fully establishing diplomatic relations with Israel. The Saudis have refused to do so, at least so far. They say they'll only do it after the Israeli government accepts what's called a two-state solution, the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Give us your thoughts, Aaron.

MILLER: You and me both on this, Wolf.

But after October 7, I think the price for Saudi sign-up to normalization with Israel has gone way up. And there's something more here as well. I think we have to understand it, and Trump should understand it as well. The average tenure of a Saudi prince, there have been seven Saudi kings, including King Salman, is 13 years.

Mohammed bin Salman, AKA MBS, is 40 years old. Assuming he becomes king in the next year or two, or whenever Salman passes from the scene, or becomes incapacitated, this man could rule Saudi Arabia for 50 years, Wolf.

And as a consequence of that fact, he is going to make decisions based on what he believes are in the best and long-term interests of Saudi Arabia. He's dealing with the Russians, the Chinese, the Iranians. All of this reflects a 360-degree foreign policy.

Unless he gets what he wants from President Trump, Senate ratification of the treaty, Senate ratification of both, not an executive order like the Qataris got, Senate ratification, advanced access to high- tech chips, semiconductors, and advanced access to the best of American security platforms, including the F-35s, and, I might add, a commitment, serious commitment with steps leading to Palestinian statehood, I don't think this guy is going to go for this deal.

Right now, Wolf, more interested in normalization with the U.S. than with Israel.

BLITZER: What do you think, Sabrina?

SINGH: Yes, I agree. I think Saudi has laid out a pretty clear line when it comes to some type of normalization with Israel. They want to see a two-state solution. They want to see Palestinians within Gaza make progress.

And so we're not seeing that with Israel. I mean, yes, the Trump administration did get a win yesterday with the U.N. Security -- with the U.N. vote. But I think what's important here is the relationship between MBS and President Trump. I mean, seven years ago, MBS was a pariah on the international stage.

And, today, I mean, quite literally, you're seeing the red carpet being rolled out for him. And while this is not a state visit, it's certainly being treated as such. And so, from the Saudis' perspective, what they want to see is a deepening in cooperation when it comes to energy, when it comes to chips and A.I.

That's something that they want to really expand on when it comes to their own technology infrastructure. They want to become less oil- dependent. And for Donald Trump, I think you laid it out earlier, there are deep financial ties within the Trump family to the Arab world. And so they want to maintain that.

And I think giving this potential sale of F-35s helps really deepen the relationship between the United States and Saudi.

BLITZER: These are very dramatic developments unfolding on the -- at the White House right now. We will continue to watch it. We will continue to monitor it.