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Hala Gorani Tonight
Obama, Trump Coordinate Peaceful Transition Of Power; Can Trump Fulfill Promises Once He Takes Office?; Anti-Trump Protests Spread Across The U.S; Iraqi Federal Police Deny Unlawful Killings
Aired November 10, 2016 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Welcome to a special edition of THE WORLD RIGHT NOW in a historic day for the United
States and the rest of the world. I'm Hala Gorani.
It is a powerful symbol of a new beginning at the end of a long and bitter presidential campaign with a stunning result. We're watching history
unfold at the White House today. Barack Obama is paving the way for his successor meeting with Donald Trump in the oval office.
A room that represents the seat of power in the United States. These pictures are meant to send a message that after trading brutal insults on
the campaign trail, both men are now working together on a peaceful transition.
And America's democratic institutions are alive and well. The meeting ended with a handshake and these words to reporters. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I just had the opportunity to have an excellent conversation with President-elect Trump. It was wide
ranging. We talked about some of the organizational issues in setting up a White House.
We talked about foreign policy. We talked about domestic policy, and as I said last night, my number one priority in the coming two months is to try
to facilitate a transition that ensures our president-elect is successful.
And I have been very encouraged by the -- I think interest in President- elect Trump's wanting to work with my team, around many of the issues that this great country face and I believe that it is important for all of us
regardless of party and political preferences, to now come together, work together, to deal with the many challenges that we face.
In the meantime, Michelle had a chance to greet the incoming first lady. We had an excellent conversation with her as well and we want to make sure
they feel welcome as they prepare to make this transition.
Most of all, I want to emphasize to you, Mr. President-elect, that we now are going to want to do everything we can to help you succeed because if
you succeed then the country succeeds.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you very much, President Obama. This was a meeting that would last for 10 or 15 minutes,
and we were just going to get to know each other, we had never met each other. I have great respect.
The meeting lasted for almost an hour and a half, and it could have gone on for a lot longer. We really discussed a lot of difference situations, some
wonderful and some that need focus.
I very much look forward to dealing with the president in the future including counsel. He explained some of the difficulties, some of the high
flying assets, and some of the really great things that have been achieved.
So Mr. President, it was a great honor being with you, and I look forward to being with you many, many more times in the future. Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: And Donald Trump by the way went on to say very good man about Barack. A big change in tone from the campaign rhetoric we've been
hearing. Sara Murray joins us from Washington, D.C., our politics reporter, and CNN political analyst, Josh Rogin as well.
Sara, I'm going to start with you. Josh Earnest, the press secretary said it might have been, quote, "A little less awkward" that one-on-one meeting
that we might have expected. What more do we know about what happened inside that room?
SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Well, they were also -- I mean, there is good reason to question why it would be awkward. Remember Donald Trump
is a guy who questioned for a very long time whether President Obama was even born in the United States.
Josh Earnest said that was not something that came up during this meeting. But look, I think it was telling that they met for 90 minutes and it was
telling to see the president come out afterwards and you know, say some complimentary things about Donald Trump.
And make it fair that this was going to be a peaceful transition of power, and to hear Donald Trump say that he is willing to turn to the former
president for counsel.
[15:05:04]Look, this is going to be a Republican town in January. It will be Donald Trump in the White House. There will be a Republican House.
There will be a Republican Senate.
And as such that means that Republicans could undo a lot of President Obama's legacy. So I think to see them still meeting there in the oval
office after all of those harsh words were exchanged on the campaign trail, it's a big moment.
GORANI: Yes. I just want to remind viewers of some of what Donald Trump had said on the campaign trail about Barack Obama and also what President
Obama said about Donald Trump. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I hope he was born in the United States. If he wasn't, it's the greatest scam in history, not political history but in history.
OBAMA: Donald Trump is uniquely unqualified to be president.
TRUMP: He is the founder of ISIS.
OBAMA: You don't see him hanging out with working people unless they're cleaning his room.
TRUMP: We have a person in the White House that's having a lot of fun. It's like a carnival act.
OBAMA: He's erratic. If his closest advisors don't trust him to tweet, why would any of us trust him with the nuclear codes?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Josh Rogin, how do you from that to he's a very good man. He's a very good man?
JOSH ROGIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, you don't and this was a long tradition in Washington having what we call the gripping grin to
(inaudible) the differences, but these two men intensely dislike each other.
And what Sara is exactly right. Trump is promising to unravel the Obama agenda, ruin Obama's legacy, and work with Republican majorities in the
House and Senate to do it.
There is no way to reconcile those two things, and you know, of course, it's correct for President Obama to do everything he can to ensure
transition of power, and it is helpful to show the world that we can have agreements to disagree.
But let's not pretend these guys like each other, I mean, they're --
GORANI: But 90 minutes, Josh, it was scheduled for 10 to 15, something allowed them to find some sort of common ground for the conversation to
last that long.
ROGIN: I'll tell you what I think that is. The Trump team like most of the nation did not expect to win the election, OK. I've been talking with
people and agencies all over the government today and yesterday.
The Trump transition team is not ready, OK. They haven't done the work. They're scrambling. OK, well, let's give Trump credit. He wants to figure
out how to take power and the logistics of that are important.
Also President Obama is about to go on an international trip to Peru and Germany. So I know for a fact that's part of what they discussed. They
want to be on the same page, at least publicly.
But let's not pretend that a meeting is a sign of progress or a sign that these two guys get along, they just don't.
GORANI: OK, a little bit of a pessimistic kind of outlook. Other people have been a little bit more positive about the tone during this meeting and
the subsequent news conference. But let me ask you, Sarah, this is the first time that Donald Trump meets in person, one on one, Barack Obama,
right?
Because he was at the White House Correspondents Dinner, we know he heard him sort of direct barbs at him at that dinner. And I believe the first
time in the oval office, right?
MURRAY: Right. Yes, that's correct. I mean, it is their first meeting despite all of the animosity, all the harsh words that have been exchanged
between the two of them. Yes, they're at the White House Correspondents Dinner in which they didn't actually meet.
These are not two guys who know each other particularly well. I think, look, to Josh's point, there are still plenty for two people to talk about
even if they don't like each other and even if they don't agree about the direction of our country.
You know, it was also potentially an opportunity for President Obama to point out the things in his legacy that he thinks are worth preserving, and
to point out what would happen to people across America to Donald Trump if he does decide to appeal the health care law.
But I also think we have to remember the backdrop of which this is all happening. This is happening as we saw people last night were spilling
into the streets into cities to protest President-elect Donald Trump.
They woke yesterday morning, young women, Muslims, African-Americans, Latinos, and they were fearful about what a Donald Trump presidency would
mean. So I also think it was possible that there was some of that discussion.
Some of the discussion of what it is like to take over a country that is fractured and wounded, and the role of the presidency and just sort of the
weight of the challenge that Donald Trump is supposed to take on now.
GORANI: And briefly, as you mentioned, Sarah, I mean, this could be self- serving in some ways for President Obama wanting essentially in the last two plus months to protect at least some of his legacy, to perhaps soften
the transition in that way.
By the way, Josh, quickly, Donald Trump hadn't tweeted until victory night for him. His first tweet dropped 38 minutes ago, happy 241st birthday to
the U.S. Marine Corp. He is certainly being careful on social media.
ROGIN: Yes. We'll see how long that lasts. Again, every time we see Donald Trump sort of take the mature, adult conciliatory approach, we go
through this sort of pattern of saying, well, maybe he's changed, maybe this is going to be the new Donald Trump. I'm open to that possibility.
[15:10:08]I believe that we should judge President-elect and President Trump by his actions, you know, campaigning is different than governing.
So OK, let's give him a chance, but my prediction is that he is still Donald Trump and this is the beginning of a very contentious, very heated,
very antagonistic time in Washington between the coming Trump administration and Democrats.
GORANI: All right, and possibly throughout the country if these protests are anything to go by. Sara Murray, Josh Rogin, thanks as always to both
of you.
Donald Trump as you will remember made lots and lots and promises to voters during the campaign. Can he actually fulfill any of them especially in the
timeframe that he setup?
Trump has repeatedly pledged to repeal and replace Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act. He vowed to build a wall along the border with
Mexico. That's one of his most infamous promises.
Withdraw from climate change treaties and trade deals and tear up the peace deal with Iran. Let's not forget he said he would appoint a special
prosecutor to investigate Hillary Clinton.
Let's take a closer look at Trump's policies and how his first 100 days in office could play out from supporter and CNN political contributor, Scottie
Nell Hughes, joins us now via Skype. She is in Nashville.
So Scottie, first of all, list of first 100-day promises, what are the priorities on this list for President Trump once he takes office in
January? What will happen in the first 100 days?
SCOTTIE NELL HUGHES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: First of all, Hala, I have to tell you that I need a nap after this past campaign season. I think
most people that have been a part of this campaign are saying can we take a nap?
And Mr. Trump is not giving it to us because he is already on the ground because he did released a very ambitious 100-day plan back in October that
if he's able to pull it all, I don't know what we will do for the next three years.
Because everything they're so much jampacked into it. So I think they're all priorities to him. A lot of these are he's going to introduce the
legislation.
A lot of people think, OK, you know, repeal and replace Obamacare, those first 100 days. Yes, he will fight for it, he will introduce the
legislation, but a lot of this is going to up to Congress to be able to pass.
That's why I think the meeting with Paul Ryan was so important today, I think why you saw Senator Mitch McConnell give a very diplomatic answer on
building the wall.
I think right now you're seeing these meetings happen on how we are actually going to get these things implemented and not have the stalemate
that we've had the last eight years.
I do think the staff that -- the things President-elect Trump would do himself, he will do. Things like, you know, repealing all of the executive
orders of President Obama, he can start working on those, making sure he does it legally.
GORANI: Which executive order in particular?
HUGHES: He said all of them. He's going to repeal all of them. He said all of the executive orders --
GORANI: Does that blanket repeal of all the executive orders --
HUGHES: All of the illegal lot of the illegal executive orders because to a lot of conservatives that elected him --
GORANI: But give me an example.
HUGHES: As to overviewing Congress, there is a couple things, Barack Obama has done I think almost as many, if not more than President Bush had done.
So a lot of these executive orders that he's done that the Congress is saying, you know, whether it be a law of the Obamacare --
GORANI: It is a law --
HUGHES: It's law but for some of the different specifications within it. But all of those -- he says term limits for Congress. That's something
that President-elect Trump is going to try to push through, the hiring freeze. That he can do.
That he will not hire except for military and emergency services. He can do that within his legal (inaudible). That every regulation that he has
passed that he repealed will go with it.
GORANI: But it's not that easy, though, as you know, Scottie, a campaign promise is easy to make, and then you make it to the White House, the oval
office, and you have to work with Congress people. You have to work with the Senate, even if the Republican Party controls a majority of both
houses. You say I'm going to repeal Obamacare, fine, what do you replace it with? When do you replace it with something else?
HUGHES: And that's why I said he is going to introduce the legislation for it. That's what is great about this is he actually is taking from day one
though. And we are seeing these conversations happen on television right now.
Amongst Republican senators and congressmen that we have not been seeing. We've not seen the discussions. So I know if they're happening on air and
in front of the cameras, I only imagine behind the doors we will get this done from day one.
That is one thing I've learned about watching Mr. Trump, now we have President-elect Trump, he sleeps three or four hours a night because he has
so much going on. He expects to (inaudible).
(CROSSTALK)
GORANI: But I got to ask you something about the tone. I mean, during the campaign we heard him, you know, repeatedly say pretty incendiary things
about minorities, Muslims, Latinos. He's insulted Barack Obama. He called her Crooked Hillary non-stop for 18 months. Today, we saw a very different
conciliatory, lower key President-elect Trump. Was he acting during the campaign or is he acting now?
HUGHES: You don't present the same -- you have the same principles. You have the same product, but it's how you present it to the different crowd.
Today we saw what everybody said, he needed to be more presidential. That's what you saw today and I think -- it was actually wonderful.
[15:15:10]It was very healing for Americans to see and President Obama did an excellent, classy job, and the standard was set by President George W.
Bush when he invited him to the White House. So I think this is actually one of the beautiful parts that we've had for such a tumultuous year and a
half.
It is wonderful to see two men meeting together for 90 minutes, getting along enough to say let's have more of these. I think that is what our
country needs to see in the leadership. I think that does for more America than the divisiveness that we've seen for the last even four to eight years
that have happened between Congress and the president.
GORANI: Scottie, finally, you saw these massive protest of people who said in the streets of many American cities, he's not my president. Hillary
Clinton won the popular vote. This is the particularity of the American electoral system is you can win the popular vote and lose the Electoral
College vote. What do you say to those people who are despondent and angry today?
HUGHES: My heart hurts for them. That is very sad that we're seeing that. I would that we would be a country that could (inaudible), but their issues
need to be listened to. They are out there because they feel like that they did not get a voice, their voice was ignored.
That's not good. We don't need to have that in America and I'm really hoping over the next few days, next few weeks and next few months that
those folks that are out there protesting is like their voice is not being represented in the White House.
That we could somehow have that conversation with them and have their grievances and attention given to them. And President-elect Trump always
said I'm going to listen to you and let's see if we can come up with a solution together. That was very sad, I think, for all Americans to watch.
GORANI: Scottie Nell Hughes, thanks very much. She is in Nashville, a political commentator and Trump supporter, thanks for joining us on CNN.
We appreciate it.
Of course, we saw Donald Trump meeting Barack Obama. That meeting between the sitting president and president to be is one we have seen down the
years. It's an American institution, but take a look, here is a throwback Thursday for you.
This seems like a lifetime ago, this was in 2000 when President Bill Clinton welcomed President-elect George W. Bush to the White House. It
just feels so simple. Here we're talking about pre 9/11, pre-Arab spring, pre-Iraq war, and pre-Afghanistan.
Incidentally, by the way, that was another election when the defeated candidate, Al Gore, won the popular vote, but ended up not winning the
presidency. Remember 2000, that was only 16 years ago. A lot more to come this evening, take a look.
(VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Demonstrators chant harsh words for Donald Trump outside the Trump Tower in New York. They are among thousands of protesters across the
nation. We say they will not accept a Trump presidency. We speak with one of the organizers.
And national security will be another big topic in Donald Trump's inbox when he takes the reign in January. We'll breakdown the issues involved
and how they might affect you around the world, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:20:31]
GORANI: Thousands of Americans are refusing to accept Donald Trump's victory. Rallies popped up across the United States yesterday from New
York to Portland to Los Angeles. Take a look at some of the video.
(VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: We had a lot of protests yesterday when it was dark and today daytime, this is in San Francisco, California. Now these protests as you
can have continued. A group of young people are making their voices heard in San Francisco in this case. They're saying whose streets? Our streets,
and not my president.
Let's get more now on the nationwide protests from Deb Feyerick.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Protests breaking out in at least 25 cities. Hundreds of demonstrators stopping
traffic in Los Angeles on the busy 101 free way while thousands more protested on the streets of L.A., burning Trump's head in effigy.
Police arresting dozens of protesters across the country. In Chicago, thousands marching down an eight lane highway to the site of Donald Trump's
hotel. The disappointment of some voters turning to anger.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hillary had more votes. More human beings voted for Hillary. This isn't fair. This country needs you to stand up and walk
into the Supreme Court and say one vote equals one vote.
FEYERICK: In New York, at least 5,000 people including pop star, Lady Gaga, protesting outside of Trump Tower.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You saw this incredibly qualified woman to be president being superseded by a man who has no qualifications at all for the office.
FEYERICK: Thousands more targeting Trump's newest hotel in Washington, D.C. just blocks from the White House. The march turning to peaceful
demonstrations and vigils. Most of these protests erupting in major cities where Hillary Clinton won like Portland, Oregon and Denver, Colorado.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Protestors held a candle light vigil on the nation's capital on Wednesday night. Ben Wikler organized the protest. He is the Washington
director for moveon.org and he joins me now.
So Ben, first of all, I'll ask you the question that many people have asked you, I'm sure, which is what's the point. Donald Trump won the election.
You're not happy about it, obviously. What's the point of protesting the democratic results of the election?
BEN WIKLER, PROTEST ORGANIZER: So one of the most important reasons for people to gather across the country and I should say, people gathered in
hundreds of cities across the country overwhelmingly in peaceful calm vigils, reflections, gathering, sometimes in protest with chanting.
Almost everyone who is out on the streets last night, everyone who is out on the streets today, are sending a message to the country but also to
ourselves and each other that we're not alone. This is a very scary moment for a lot of people.
They're worried that their families may be ripped apart. They're worried that may be expelled from the country or they may be rejected with a ban on
Muslims.
And what we are seeing to ourselves through these gatherings is that there are still a majority of people in this country who is stand for America
that's for everyone. That is a rejection of what Donald Trump ran on.
GORANI: Right. But so the results are final, do you accept that Donald Trump is going to be your president come January?
WIKLER: I'm not thrilled about it, but look, we have elections. We have an Electoral College. We have a constitution. The question is how we
respond to the world that we're now in. I think the clear answer for millions of people is not to stand by while Donald Trump enacts a radical,
unconstitutional extremist agenda.
That frankly most Americans don't support in its particulars. This is a president-elect -- this is a person who ran on this idea of banning
Muslims, of deporting 11 million people, of policing mosques, and doing a thousand things that are frankly un-American and we don't want to let those
things just happen.
GORANI: And what his supporters say, many of them have told me, well, he didn't mean all of this literally. Really what it mean was he is going to
be tougher on illegal immigration. The Muslim ban, by the way, he softened that position and in fact, some of it really was taken out of a campaign
website.
And that now he is going to, quote, "act presidential." This is what we heard from his surrogate, for instance, Scottie Nell Hughes.
[15:25:05]Were you reassured at all when you saw that oval office news conference with President Obama and Donald Trump today in Washington?
WIKLER: I'm glad to see that so far he has not violated any fundamental norms of democracy that is encouraging -- that's a pretty low bar. I'd
also like to see him urging his supporters not to spray paint swastikas and write make America white again in place around the country.
We're seeing an uptick in violence and hate crimes. I think if Donald Trump wants to be a president for all of us, he should urge his supporters
to reign it in. He should urge everyone to come together.
His first speech where he said we need to heal the wounds. That was a good first step, it's time to dial back the hate and the rage. And that's
something that we need to see happening with Trump supporters right now.
GORANI: Did you vote for Hillary Clinton?
WIKLER: I absolutely voted for Hillary Clinton.
GORANI: OK, so obviously -- can I ask in what state? Was it in the District of Columbia?
WIKLER: Unfortunately, it was in the District of Columbia, I grew up in Wisconsin, so I went out to Wisconsin and that was one of many states were
Trump carried the day in terms of these votes and people are very scared about what's to going to happen next.
GORANI: So let me ask you one last question about the future. So online I've read a lot of people lamenting obviously the fact that Donald Trump,
those who supported Hillary Clinton and certainly are scared of a Donald Trump presidency, saying, it's not enough to complain now.
We need to organize for midterm elections in two years that are extremely important. We need to become more active. How will you change your
strategy going forward? This is a blow to anyone who supported Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party in this election. What will you do
differently?
WIKLER: Well, the first thing is not to take things lying down. I think a lot of people right now want to curl up into a ball on the floor or huddle
under their seats. It's important that people stand up and fight.
The second thing is don't just look at the presidency, but look at state houses across the country. They will be redistricting in 2020. We need to
win in the state houses in 2018. We need to win back the House and Senate, and make sure Donald Trump is a one-term president if he survives that long
in our constitutional system.
This is an all-hands on deck moment for the democracy and I think it's something where if you voted for Hillary Clinton, if you voted against
Donald Trump in whatever way, now is the time --
GORANI: Even, a quick last one, there are those that voted for Jill Stein, Gary Johnson, today complaining Donald Trump made it, do they need to share
some of the blame for the Donald Trump victory that they are so unhappy about?
WIKLER: You know, I welcome Jill Stein supporters and Gary Johnson supporters. I would welcome recalcitrant Donald Trump voters. Everyone
needs to get on board because things are going to get really, really challenging for those of us who believed in the basic ideas of the
Constitution and of America. We're all going to need to stand together to make things don't go completely off the rails.
GORANI: Ben Wikler, thanks very much, moveon.org and one of the organizers of those gatherings and demonstrations. Thanks for joining us.
WIKLER: Thank you.
GORANI: Still to come, President Barack Obama is calling for it and so is Hillary Clinton. But are the Democrats ready to unite behind that man,
Donald Trump after such a bitter campaign?
And from Russia with love, Vladimir Putin welcomes the election of Trump. We are live in Moscow.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: Just two days after his upset victory at the polls, Donald Trump visited the White House today, his future home, and the seat of American
democracy. President Barack Obama gave him a warm welcome and said they had a, quote, "excellent conversation." Both men spoke to reporters, their
words meant to assure America, reassure America and the world that a peaceful transition of power is in the works.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OBAMA: I just had the opportunity to have an excellent conversation with President-elect Trump. It was wide ranging. We talked about some of the
organizational issues in setting up a White House.
We talked about foreign policy. We talked about domestic policy, and as I said last night, my number one priority in the coming two months is to try
to facilitate a transition that ensures our president-elect is successful.
And I have been very encouraged by the -- I think interest in President- elect Trump's wanting to work with my team, around many of the issues that this great country faces and I believe that it is important for all of us
regardless of party and political preferences, to now come together, work together, to deal with the many challenges that we face.
In the meantime, Michelle has had a chance to greet the incoming first lady. We had an excellent conversation with her as well and we want to
make sure they feel welcome as they prepare to make this transition.
Most of all, I want to emphasize to you, Mr. President-elect, that we now are going to want to do everything we can to help you succeed because if
you succeed then the country succeeds.
TRUMP: Thank you very much, President Obama. This was a meeting that would last for maybe 10 or 15 minutes, and we were just going to get to
know each other, we had never met each other. I have great respect.
The meeting lasted for almost an hour and a half, and it could have gone on for a lot longer. We really discussed a lot of difference situations, some
wonderful and some that need focus.
I very much look forward to dealing with the president in the future including counsel. He explained some of the difficulties, some of the high
flying assets, and some of the really great things that have been achieved.
So Mr. President, it was a great honor being with you, and I look forward to being with you many, many more times in the future. Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Very different tone, isn't it? I mean, remember, Donald Trump during the campaign said President Obama founded ISIS. He questioned his
citizenship among other things. President Obama himself also directed barbs at Donald Trump saying, the day before the election, if he can't be
trusted with his Twitter account, you know, can he be trusted with the nuclear codes.
Hillary Clinton set the tone for her party when she conceded to Trump saying he deserves the chance to lead. Clinton's former Democratic rival,
Bernie Sanders says he, too, is willing to give Trump that chance, but also made it clear he intends to hold Trump accountable.
Sanders issued a statement reading, "To the degree that Mr. Trump is serious about pursuing policies that improve the lives of working families
in this country, I and other progressives are prepared to work with him to the degree that he pursues racist, sexist, xenophobic, and anti-environment
policies, we will vigorously oppose him."
[15:35:07]Our next guest has eloquently given voice to some Americans' fears about what a Trump presidency could look like. We are joined now by
CNN political commentator, Van Jones. He supported Hillary Clinton in the election.
And Van on the night of the results, you said -- and this was widely shared on social media among other places, what do you tell your kids, if you have
a bully in the White House that they shouldn't bully their friends and classmates, et cetera, et cetera.
After you have a chance now to digest this a little more, you have seen the oval office appearances by Donald Trump and President Obama, have you
softened your position at all?
VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I don't think my position was hard in the first place. I think my position was a position of a lot of people
who do not -- who did not think the campaign that he ran was a campaign worthy of the country or the office.
So my position about that campaign and the way that he conducted himself in that campaign has not changed and won't change. But there is a difference
in our country between campaigning and governing.
We have -- my view is unlike a lot of the conservatives when it came to President Obama, I'm actually looking to see what he does, who he appoints,
what in particular he proposes, and I will look at those things and where I agree, I will support, and where I don't agree, I will fight.
That is very different by the way than the way the Republicans treated President Obama. They went from an opposition party, which isn't healthy
to an obstruction party. We're supposed to have disagreement.
That's a democracy. Dictatorship, everybody has to agree. Democracy, nobody has to agree. We're supposed to have disagreement. They're
supposed to be constructive.
GORANI: Got it. No, when I say soften your position, I should have worded it differently, are you reassured a little bit more now after two days of
having not just digested the results, but seeing Donald Trump and how he spoke about Barack Obama after having accused him of founding ISIS saying a
great man, I have a lot of respect for him, he's a great person, et cetera, et cetera. Is that kind of reassuring you a little bit about the
transition?
JONES: Well, it is more reassuring than if he were still on that rhetorical path for sure. The problem is Donald Trump throughout the
campaign, he would change his position. He would appraise someone and he would attack someone.
His personality is such that it's very hard to say, you know, which Donald Trump are you going to be dealing with, that is the Donald Trump that we
saw talking to the president of Mexico.
And then later, that same day, he was whipping up everybody about the wall, which he never mentioned to the president of Mexico. So there is a trust
deficit that built up over the course of the campaign.
But you know, deficits can be turned into surpluses if there is, you know, goodwill, good faith, good follow through, et cetera. But we saw a
campaign that if my child had ran a campaign like that in grade school, I would have put my kid in time-out and possibly taken him out of the school
because that campaign was not worthy of office or our country.
GORANI: So what did you tell your kids then?
JONES: Unfortunately, I was on live television when it was going on and they were --
GORANI: In the last couple of days or so.
JONES: Well, you know, my kids were upset. A lot of kids were upset. Look, we really do have two different countries. We have a country that
celebrated Trump and think that he's great and they kind of overlooked some of what they see as rhetorical excesses.
And you have other people who have a hard time seeing the positives of his campaign because it's marbled through with so many outrageous and offensive
statements, and so some people focus almost only on those negative comments. Some focus only on the hope of change, and we don't live in the
same country yet.
My comments, by the way, were carefully constructed to point out that there were positive things about that campaign. It was a rebellion against the
elites. That's a good thing, but it was marbled through with very nasty negative toxic things and we were not talking about that on the air and I
insist that we do so.
GORANI: We're not going to look back. Last question, looking forward for the Democrats, obviously it's been analyzed quite a bit what they did wrong
this time around in the last couple of days. What needs to happen going forward? Because it seems like they did not connect with a very large part
of the electorate?
JONES: Well, you know, there are Democrats overall, who have been failing now for many midterm elections, many state elections, many governors'
races, et cetera. So there's a real need to rebuild this party from the bottom up.
And then we came up short in the presidential as well. As far as I am concerned, a big set of opportunities are now opened up because the
Republicans are now going to have to take some responsibility for our health care system.
They just stood back and kicked it and throw rocks at it. They are going to have responsibilities there. If the Republicans begin to do things that
remind people that this party sometimes in governance overreaches, it opens up an opportunity for us to remake our case.
[15:40:14]GORANI: Van Jones, appreciate your time. Thanks for being with us.
JONES: Thank you.
GORANI: Vladimir Putin flexing his muscles, the threat of ISIS at home and abroad, just a couple of the many, many national security issues that will
face President-elect Trump when he sits down in the oval office.
He is already receiving daily highly classified intelligence briefings, the same in fact given to President Obama. Let's go live to the Pentagon.
CNN's Barbara Starr is there. So reaction just generally speaking at the Pentagon as you continue to cover that beat to this pretty stunning
victory.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Hala. You know, it is very important to remind the world that the U.S. military is under civilian
control. The president will be the commander-in-chief. He will have the undivided loyalty of the U.S. military from the most senior commander to
the most junior enlisted soldier.
That is the way the United States works and now in preparation for being commander-in-chief, these briefings will begin. We've had a little
additional clarification, these more high level intelligence briefings are expected to really begin (inaudible) the president-elect at any point as
soon how the arrangements can be made.
And then he will get even more detailed briefings, the so-called crown jewels of U.S. intelligence, you know, how the U.S. intelligence community
operates around the world, how they conduct covert operations, what is going on, what are the most up-to-date threat.
So the Pentagon is arranging itself as is the rest of Washington to be prepared to deal with the president elect's transition committee. When
they are contacted by them and to be ready to support whoever is nominated to be secretary of defense.
The confirmation hearing to whoever that will be certainly some weeks off when there is a new Congress perhaps. So this building will be ready to
help brief that person and their team to get them ready for those hearings -- Hala.
GORANI: And I want to ask you, Barbara, about some of the most controversial proposals. We of course are broadcast around the world and
some of the ones that have gotten the most headlines and most coverage out of the United States is Donald Trump's we're going to bomb the you-know-
what out of ISIS
Calling the Russian Vladimir Putin a strong leader, and especially his comments on NATO saying if you don't pay your fair share, we can't
guarantee that we will protect you in case of Russian aggression, et cetera.
At the Pentagon, is there some concern with some of the more controversial proposals?
STARR: You know, it's really interesting. The Pentagon so often the troops reflect the United States of America and the views across this
country and I think it's fair to say that many troops are wondering just like so many Americans, just like people around the world, will President-
elect Trump live up to the letter of all his campaign promises or as --
GORANI: We hear that a lot.
STARR: And it's really interesting. The American troops are the American people and you see this broad cross section. So yes, you do come across a
lot of people in the military who have that very question and there are no real answers to it yet. It is that old cliche. Time will tell, but in
this case that may actually be true. I don't think anybody really knows -- Hala.
GORANI: Right. We'll have to all wait and see, and be patient. Thanks very much, Barbara Starr, at the Pentagon for joining us.
One of the biggest question mark about Trump's foreign policy is how he will handle relations with Russia. What will that first meeting be like
with Vladimir Putin?
A Kremlin source says that during the campaign, some of Hillary Clinton's team traveled to Moscow on an unofficial visit, but Trump's campaign
apparently did not and it is denying Russia's claim that his team had contact through the Russian Embassy in Washington.
Let's get more on all of this. Our Clarissa Ward joins us now from Moscow. Tell us first, Clarissa, about these members of the Clinton team
establishing some channels of communication with officials in Russia.
CLARISSA WARD, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Hala, this seems to be kind of a he said, she said, because the day began with a
source in the Russian Foreign Ministry telling the Russian news agency, "Interfax" that in fact the Trump campaign had been in touch with Kremlin
officials during the campaign.
That claim was swiftly denied and then seemingly moments later, we heard a different report also coming from the Foreign Ministry that in fact it was
the Clinton campaign, who had come out and spent some time in Moscow, reportedly talking to kremlin officials.
Again the Clinton campaign has issued a denial. It's difficult to know where the truth lies. Whether it's somewhere in between two.
[15:45:00]Obviously, we know that Trump does have some tangential connections to the kremlin via his previous campaign manager, Paul
Manafort, who is a close aide to Victor Yamakovich (ph), the former president of Ukraine, who was Kremlin-backed.
But the question right now I think that most Russians are really asking themselves is what is this relationship going to look like? People here
are definitely celebrating. They're definitely optimistic.
They definitely think it will be getting better, and in fact, one spokesman for the President Vladimir Putin called Demetri Peskov (ph) actually went
so far today to describe the foreign policies of Putin and of President- elect Donald Trump as being, quote, "phenomenally close."
That is a pretty emphatic statement, Hala. Nonetheless, there is some serious work remains to be done. There are some serious differences of
opinions to be resolved -- Hala.
GORANI: Right. And we remember the reset with Russia several years ago that didn't go so well towards the end of President Obama's second term.
Has there been any communication between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump since his victory?
WARD: So far there has been no official communication. We know that President Putin delivered a message congratulating Donald Trump, the
American people on this successful election. And it is just so interesting to see, Hala, I have been here for a week.
When I arrived the coverage was so relentlessly negative about the U.S. election. It was being demonstrated as an epic failure of western
democracy. They were saying the vote was rigged, and Donald Trump would be assassinated before figures of authority, and the U.S. would allow him to
become president.
Fast forward to today and you're seeing a completely different attitude. People are extolling America's democracy, extolling the choice of Donald
Trump as president. But as I just said before, Hala, there are some key thorny issues.
You've mentioned some of them already, differences of opinion about Syria, differences of opinion about Ukraine, differences of opinion about NATO.
Donald Trump has taken a much more conciliatory tone in his rhetoric about those issues.
But the main issue will be sanctions, U.S. sanctions against Russia that have crippled the economy here. That is the number one thing that the
Russians on the ground are telling us they want to see removed -- Hala.
GORANI: All right, thanks very much, Clarissa Ward, our senior international correspondent reporting from Moscow.
Still to come, some of the other news we are following on CNN, we'll have the latest on a horrific tram crash in the U.K., whose left seven dead.
Extremely rare here. Dozens injured. Look at these dramatic images. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: Iraqi federal police are denying accusations of murdering civilians in the battle to retake the city of Mosul from ISIS. The human
rights group, Amnesty International says men wearing Iraqi police uniforms tortured and killed people in nearby villages.
[15:50:08]Amnesty is calling for an immediate investigation into this. In response, police released this video showing them helping displaced people
in the region. Officials and analysts have raised concerns, though, about sectarian violence in the Mosul operation because the collision involve
includes diverse religious and ethnic groups that have clashed in the past. Certainly not going to be an easy operation.
Now to a really horrific tram crash in the United Kingdom. It's being described as like something from a horror film. Seven people were killed,
50 plus injured after the carriage rolled over and came off the tracks. It happened (inaudible) in South London as ITV's Paul Davies reports the
driver was arrested.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL DAVIES, ITV REPORTER (voice-over): While specialist investigation teams work to establish why this tragedy happened, first details emerged at
the lives cut short yesterday. Dane (inaudible) was the first to be officially identified.
Like most of the tram passengers, the 19-year-old laborer had been making his usual early morning journey to work. His friend, Tom Dale, who escaped
with severe bruising remembers seeing Dane shortly before the tram left its rails and he blacked out.
TOM DALE, CRASH SURVIVOR: And then I don't know where he is and it was a turnout and he was under the tram.
DAVIES: Hours later Tom was still making frantic efforts to contact his friend.
DALE: I tried to find him, I tried to message him. Tried to text him.
DAVIES: Dane was a footballs fan and lifelong follower of Crystal Palace. Today supporters have been leaving scarves and flowers in the club colors
at the crash scene.
The speed of the tram took a sharp corner is still the main focus of the investigation. This video shows how emerging from a tunnel, the driver
should slowdown to 12 miles an hour as the tram negotiates this bend.
Survivor, Taiye Ajibola, recovering at home says yesterday's driver actually went faster.
TAIYE AJIBOLA, CRASH SURVIVOR: When we get to the corner, the speed increase and it -- he tumbled from his own truck about one, two, and he
landed outside.
DAVIES: The 42-year-old driver, arrested yesterday on suspicious of manslaughter, is now being questioned at length and released on bail.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: There you have it.
Now coming up, Donald Trump's election has set off a bull run on Wall Street and investors are betting he'll follow through on his big money
promises. Richard Quest joins me next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: We're back. Even as history is being made in Washington, it's also happening on Wall Street. That's because the Dow Jones Industrial
Average hit an all-time high today just after opening its trading there now.
[15:55:06]Banking shares have lead the charge since Trump's win on Wednesday. Investors are also buying big in construction. You can
understand why, perhaps, but in the red are health care companies.
Richard Quest joins me live with more. Talk to me about banks and construction companies.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN MONEY EDITOR-AT-LARGE: Banks because there will be less regulation. Many of the reforms in the regulatory institutions put in
place by Barack Obama post-2008 are likely to be removed freeing up red tape is the way it goes. So that is obviously good for banking shares so
it is believed and leading to risky business.
As for construction, infrastructure spending is a large part of Donald Trump's stimulus plans and packages for economic growth. That's good for
Caterpillar, Home Builders, Boeing, and the people that make big, expensive things.
As for hospitals, Obamacare repeal and replace will be chaos in American health care once that all gets underway.
GORANI: So more cement and less health care. Pretty much is how investors are looking at the big picture right now. What about the overall level of
the Dow? How do you explain it initially in half hours trading? We saw a big dive off of a cliff and now here we are close to 19,000.
QUEST: A very simple explanation. Basically faster economic growth as a result of his stimulus packages will be good for business is the way they
are looking at it. The other side to this is the bond market. Big sell off in bonds. The ten-year bond is now over 2 percent.
The reason, of course, tax cuts will mean higher budget deficits because lower government revenues. I promise you one thing, Hala, the U.S. economy
is going to undergo a vast, huge, experiment.
GORANI: Well, absolutely. That is truer words have rarely been said, and the dollar looks pretty stable.
QUEST: Yes, the dollar will be stable for the moment. Everyone else is so weak that frankly is the whiter shirt in the dirty laundry.
GORANI: Got it. Richard, we'll see you, not next hour, but 5:00 p.m. Eastern, which is 10:00 p.m. British time for "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS."
This has been THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. I'm Hala Gorani. Thanks for watching. "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper is up next. Stay with CNN.
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