Return to Transcripts main page

The Situation Room

Trump Ramps Up Immigration Crackdown; Pause on Asylum Decisions May Be Indefinite; Manhunt Underway in Stockton, Carolina; Trump to Hold Venezuela Oval Office Meeting; Witkoff Heads to Moscow for Ukraine Talks. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired December 01, 2025 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:30:00]

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, let me walk you through them. In the retrospective category, they are reviewing all asylum cases that were approved under former president Joe Biden. They are also re-examining all green cards issued to people from 19 countries of concern. Remember, the president has barred travel from some of these countries.

Now, looking forward, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency charged with providing these benefits, is pausing all asylum decisions and the State Department is pausing visa issuances for travelers with Afghan passports.

So, you can see here how the entire, especially asylum system in the United States, is essentially blocked. It is shut down while they do their additional vetting and reviews of these cases, which is going to have ramifications not only for Afghan nationals in the United States, but also likely for people from so many other countries. And remember, Wolf, there's already a backlog of millions of cases. So, this is going to be a massive undertaking.

Now, the president himself did not say when this would end. These pauses, as they've announced, if anything, he indicated that it would be indefinite. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I don't think they're all third world, but in many cases, they are third world. They're not good countries. They're very crime-ridden countries. They're countries that don't do a good job. They're countries that don't register from the standpoint of success. And we frankly don't need their people coming into our country telling us what to do. We have criminals that came into our country and they were naturalized maybe through a Biden or somebody that didn't know what they were doing. If I have the power to do it, I'm not sure that I do. But if I do, I would denaturalize. Absolutely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALVAREZ: Now, denaturalization there, that could lead to legal action, depending on how the administration moves forward with that. Of course, what you heard there from the president is also what propelled him into the Oval Office. So, this has been something he's talked about at length. But now we are seeing how it's not just the illegal immigration that he's cracking down on, but in many ways, the legal immigration system, especially people who are already here residing in the U.S. with permissions from the U.S. to do so. So, a lot to watch on this front, especially into how they move forward with this.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We're also learning some new information, Priscilla, about the suspect, right?

ALVAREZ: Yes. The Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem, speaking over the weekend saying that he was radicalized in the United States. This is someone, by the way, that we know had worked with the CIA for over a decade in Afghanistan. This was something that the United States did do in partnering with Afghans and then bringing them to the United States after the fact.

So, in this case, this is an individual that came to the U.S. in 2021 after the withdrawal, but he was granted asylum in April of 2025. So, that was during the Trump administration, which tells you two things. One, the process takes a long time, but it also raises questions about the vetting, a U.S. official saying that he was clean on all checks. So, this is something that is continued -- will continue to be looked at. But for now, the Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem, saying that he was radicalized in the United States and they're continuing to look into this.

BLITZER: All right. Priscilla Alvarez, thank you very, very much. Excellent reporting as usual. Also happening now, a new winter storm is barreling across the plains heading to the northeast, dumping additional snow on areas hit hard over the weekend. Whiteout conditions stranded drivers in Des Moines on Saturday. This new storm brings fresh travel headaches for people trying to get home from the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Let's go live right now to CNN Meteorologist Derek Van Dam over at the CNN Weather Center. What kind of impact, Derek, will this new storm bring?

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That's right, Wolf. So, the rumors are true. A nor'easter is brewing. But of course, the devil is in the detail. In advance of this storm, we already have over 25 states with winter weather alerts impacting over 70 million Americans. It stretches from northern New England all the way to Kansas.

Yes, there's a lot to talk about, a lot to break down. But here is the storm at question starting to gather strength. There's a low-pressure center right about here over Missouri. It's going to pick up moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. This is on top of the wintry weather that's already fallen across the eastern half of the country this past weekend.

Here it is, gathering strength and moving along the eastern seaboard. I've timed this out Tuesday morning, not raining just yet in New York and Boston, but that is crucial because that I-95 corridor, this looks like this will be a cold rain. But you move inland, the interior, the Berkshires to potentially the Poconos Mountains, this will be an impactful snow event for the interior of New England. This is an area we're highlighting across the Ohio River Valley, northern New England into Vermont, New Hampshire could pick up over a half a foot of snow while that busy I-95 corridor, a cold, wet rain. So, there's the detail you need to know.

We don't expect significant snowfall in New York or D.C. or Boston for that part. But the southern portion of the storm also creating an ice storm concern for western portions of North Carolina and Virginia, so something to consider. Wolf.

[10:35:00]

BLITZER: All right. Meteorologist Derek Van Dam, thank you very much for that update. And just ahead, President Trump striking a positive tone on Ukraine peace talks as Steve Witkoff heads to Moscow for a face-to-face meeting with President Putin.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Happening now, there's a full-on manhunt underway for a suspect after a mass shooting Saturday at a child's birthday party at a banquet hall in Stockton, California. Four people were killed, including three kids, children aged eight, nine, and 14. At least 11 others were injured. People gathered for a memorial service yesterday where the city's vice mayor urged the suspect to turn him or herself in.

[10:40:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VICE MAYOR JASON LEE, STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA: I hope that the people out there in our community make the right choice and contact law enforcement, call me, call the mayor, call whoever you know, call the pastors, call your friend, turn yourself in. Because at some point, the redemption for what you did is going to happen when you see the person that created you. But you can start that process by turning yourself in and doing the right thing today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Let's go live right now to CNN Correspondent Julia Vargas Jones. So, where does the investigation stand, Julia?

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, 36 hours since this shooting and the suspected shooter is still at large. All of this took place just before 6:00 p.m. on Saturday in the banquet hall in the northern part of the city, where investigators say there was a family gathering of 100 to 150 people to celebrate a child's birthday.

Officials are urging the public for help, as we heard there from the vice mayor, because they're trying to piece together a possible motive here, saying that at this point they are exploring all possibilities, including that this wasn't someone acting alone, but they stress they don't believe there's any further danger to the community. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF PATRICK WITHROW, SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: We're confident that this was not a random act. They walked into this area and was probably looking for somebody in particular. Why they did that, what they're part of, who they are, we don't know. But this was not somebody who was unacquainted with them, we don't believe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: Now, the sheriff added that he would not say whether this incident was gang-related until they have, quote, "all of the facts." But now local, state law enforcement agencies are working with the FBI as well as with the ATF on this investigation.

Of course, the most tragic part of this, Wolf, as you mentioned, is the age of those victims, so young, eight, nine, 14 years old, and a 21-year-old. It is unclear if they belonged all to the same family, but at least one of them, we learned, is a student at the Stockton Unified District, whose parent is a teacher there, according to our affiliate KCRA.

Of those 11 injured, at least one of those is in critical condition. We don't have any further details on the conditions or identities or age of those other victims, but yesterday, faith leaders from Stockton and community members held that candlelight vigil just to honor those and to pray for those who are injured and in recovery, Wolf.

BLITZER: So, so heartbreaking indeed, and we should all pray for them. All right. Julia, thank you very, very much. Julia Vargas Jones reporting.

Coming up, the trial for the man accused of killing and dismembering his wife is getting underway right now, but her body still has not been found. The stunning plea Brian Walshe made that's raising big questions about his defense.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:45:00]

BLITZER: Breaking news, sources familiar with the matter now tells CNN that President Trump will hold a White House meeting later today about the next steps when it comes to Venezuela. This after the president issued a sweeping directive on social media, and I'm quoting him now, "Consider the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela to be closed in its entirety," end quote. Asked about his reason for doing that, here's what the president said. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We consider Venezuela to be not a very friendly country. They sent millions of people, really, and probably a number in excess of that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did your warning mean that an airstrike is imminent or should we not read it that way?

TRUMP: Don't read anything into it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: All right. joining us now to discuss what's going on, CNN military analyst, retired Colonel Cedric Leighton. Colonel Leighton, thanks very much for coming in. When he says airspace over Venezuela, Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, does that mean all commercial flights coming into Caracas, for example, are potentially subject to a U.S. air attack?

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST AND U.S. AIR FORCE (RET.): So, what it means is that commercial planes should not be flying into and out of Caracas.

BLITZER: What if they continue to fly in?

LEIGHTON: They are at risk of possibly being shot down. That's what a pilot would interpret that as, that's something called a NOTAM or notice to airmen. And what it's designed to do is it's designed to protect commercial aircraft and even military aircraft from flying into restricted airspace. So, what the president was doing there, whether he was familiar with the process or not, was basically declaring a no-fly zone over Venezuela. That's in essence what a NOTAM does when it's worded in that way.

BLITZER: CNN is also reporting that the military carried out a follow-up strike on a suspected drug vessel operating in the Caribbean back on September 2nd after an initial attack did not necessarily kill everyone on board. There were survivors. If the U.S. military knew about survivors clinging on for their lives and sought to strike again and try to kill them, would that be illegal? Is that a war crime?

LEIGHTON: Yes, it is absolutely a war crime. And under the laws of armed conflict as well as law of the sea, you are supposed to pick up anyone who is in distress in the sea. That would mean that somebody who has survived an attack like this, who is basically, you know, clinging on for dear life like these people allegedly were, they would -- the requirement then would be to rescue them and take care of them. That's what the law of the sea says. That's what the laws of warfare require. And any deviation from that could potentially be considered a war crime.

BLITZER: So, U.S. military personnel who were ordered by their superiors to go ahead and kill these people who were clinging on, hoping to survive, they were injured, but hoping to survive, were they obeying a false order?

LEIGHTON: Yes, I think that would be the case. Now, it depends on exactly what they knew at the time. So, for example, if they did not see the survivors on -- that were clinging to the wreckage of the boat, that would be potentially something where they could get out of a charge like that.

[10:50:00] But if they did see, if they were aware, or if they understood that there was even a possibility of survivors from this, their obligation was to disobey that order.

BLITZER: So, disobeying that order. So, in other words, if they went ahead and obeyed that order, supposedly, presumably, they might be committing a war crime and could be punished, even though their superior officers had ordered them to do so?

LEIGHTON: Yes, that is correct. So, that is one of the problems that you have when it comes to actually handling the laws of warfare, because sometimes in the fog of war, you don't necessarily see all the things that are going on. So, a lot will depend on exactly what the responses are to the investigations, like Congress has talked about, both the House and Senate have talked about investigating this matter. They absolutely need to do that, because this is critical to the way in which not only we fight wars, as the United States of America, the types of ROEs or rules of engagement that we follow, but it's also critical in terms of protecting the lives of the people at sea, both U.S. people as well as foreigners.

BLITZER: While I have you, Colonel, turn to Ukraine as well. Lots going on. The U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is headed to Moscow today after a weekend of meetings involving U.S. and Ukrainian delegations who are gathering in Florida. What's your view of where these peace negotiations stand right now?

LEIGHTON: Well, it's very interesting, Wolf, because what you're seeing is more negotiations between the U.S. and Ukraine, which really should be allies. They should basically be in lockstep at this particular point in time. So, the U.S., Ukraine and the European Union should be speaking with one voice to Russia.

We have to remember, Russia is the aggressor nation in this conflict. When Mr. Witkoff goes to Moscow, he has to be very careful not to fall into the trap where he's doing exactly what Putin tells him to do. That's in essence what we saw with the 28-point peace plan that was floated earlier, that has now been redrafted in essence, at least according to reports has been changed quite a bit.

So, he needs to stick to that plan. He needs to stick to what he and Secretary Rubio and the Ukrainians discussed in Florida. That is really the path forward. Otherwise, we risk losing Ukraine not only diplomatically, but also actually in terms of sovereignty as well.

BLITZER: And it's interesting because these talks that are underway right now, they're happening against a backdrop of persistent Russian missile and drone strikes coming into civilian areas in Kyiv, elsewhere in Ukraine right now, killing a lot of civilians.

LEIGHTON: That's absolutely right. And what we're seeing here, Wolf, is basically the continuation of the Russian strategy here, which is to go after the civilian population. It's very similar to strategies that were used in World War II. You know, when you look at the bombing of Tokyo or the firebombing of Tokyo or the bombing of Dresden in Germany, those kinds of actions really impacted the civilian population. The theory being that if the civilian population is negatively impacted, they're going to turn on their government.

Usually, the opposite happens. The resolve of the Ukrainians will be steeled and they will fight on. And that's really where this is at. It'll be an ineffective Russian strategy based on how the Ukrainians have performed up to this point.

BLITZER: All right. Colonel Cedric Leighton, as usual, thanks very much for your expertise. We are always grateful to you.

Coming up, we'll shift gears and talk about college football coaching. A huge shake-up, the pre-playoff exit rocking the league. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:55:00]

BLITZER: A major coaching shakeup, rocking college football, right as teams are gearing up for playoffs. Ole Miss Coach Lane Kiffin packing his bags for Baton Rouge as the new head coach of LSU. CNN's Carolyn Manno is joining us right now, Carolyn, this ends a rather dramatic saga that's been dragging on and on for weeks, right?

CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Right. Weeks and months. I mean, the holdup and the decision seemed to be around whether or not Kiffin would have to be able to coach Ole Miss this post-season, Wolf, and now we know that's not going to be the case. I mean, he inked a contract with the Tiger's rumored to be worth upwards of a hundred million over a seven-year period, which would make him one of the highest paid coaches in the sport.

He said on social media, he asked the school to finish the season, but his request was denied and that his departure is immediate. So, right after the announcement, Ole Miss promoted their defensive coordinator Pete Golding to head coach.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LANE KIFFIN, LEAVING OLE MISS FOR LSU HEAD COACHING JOB: It was really difficult. This has been a really special place six years here. I know that there's a lot of feelings and emotions right now around. I hope when they settle down that there's an appreciation about what we were able to do here and having, you know, the best run that's ever been done in the history of the school and brought some exciting times.

So, I'm so appreciative to the people of Oxford and the relationships that I developed here. Just prayed a lot and made a family decision and, you know, hopefully get a chance to go, you know, impact a whole new set of people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANNO: All right. Let's go to Wolf's Bills now where Josh Allen's set the all-time record last night of career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. Allen scoring his 76-career rushing TD and a 26-7 win over this Steelers, besting the previous mark of 75 set by Cam Newton. Allen also threw for a score marking his 49th career game with both a passing and a rushing touchdown.

Meantime, between Denver and Washington, we had perhaps the catch of the year. Check out trail Jalen Hurts in the third quarter of this game. A particularly impressive one-handed touchdown grab that would give Washington a one-point lead, an absolutely awesome catch. And the very feel-good story for Denver too, where team Captain Alex Singleton made his return from cancer surgery. Watch him make a key defensive stop late in the game, punching the ball away. Denver escaped 27-26 for its ninth straight win.

But, Wolf, this was such a great story.

[11:00:00]