Return to Transcripts main page
Hala Gorani Tonight
Romney Versus Giuliani For Secretary Of State?; Shoppers Flock to Stores For Black Friday Deals; CNN Gains Access To Secret Plane Spying On ISIS; The Horrors Of Living In Mosul; U.K. Football Scandal; Is Trump Amassing A Cabinet Of Billionaires?; France Prepares For 2017 Presidential Elections; "Brady Bunch" Actress Florence Henderson Dies. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired November 25, 2016 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(HEADLINES)
[15:00:25] ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Zain Asher in for Hala Gorani tonight. We are live at CNN Center, and this is THE WORLD
RIGHT NOW.
Most of us here in the U.S. got a much needed break over Thanksgiving and turkey, but that probably was not the case for President-elect Donald Trump
and his transition family were certainly very busy working the phones, finalizing some staff appointments and setting interviews for key
vacancies.
We heard a short time ago that Trump has chosen a prominent campaign finance lawyer, Donald McGahn as his White House counsel. The U.S.
president-elect has also tapped K.T. McFarland as his deputy national security advisor. She served in the administrations of three Republican
presidents and is currently a national security analyst with Fox News.
Now we are not expecting any cabinet level appointments until after the weekend, but the transition team has scheduled more big meetings Monday in
New York. Now both Trump and his vice president, Mike Pence, will meet with eight potential hires next week.
The presidential transition team often takes great pains to keep any sort of internal descent over key appointments private. So it is pretty
remarkable that a senior Trump advisor is exposing some very deep divisions over the role of secretary of state.
Kellyanne Conway says she has gotten a deluge of concerns about Mitt Romney, one of the leading contenders. She says that many of Trump's loyal
supporters feel his nomination would be a betrayal. Romney was a very fierce critic of Trump during the campaign. Rudy Giuliana, another leading
contender stuck by his side and was very, very loyal.
Let's talk more about this with Nahal Toosi, foreign affairs correspondent for "Politico." So Nahal, thank you so much for being with us.
I'm just curious, when you look at Kellyanne Conway's tweet, she's talking about all the sort of negative reaction to Mitt Romney. Why would she say
that? Why would she sort of air publicly the fact that there are a lot people who are against Mitt Romney becoming secretary of state?
NAHAL TOOSI, FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT, "POLITICO": I think it's possible that she feels like if she goes public through Twitter or on
television that's the best way to get her point of view across to Donald Trump. And you know, it's very interesting because it shows that there is
deep factions even within the Trump camp who are concerned about who is going to be loyal to him and who is going to perhaps run a rogue agency.
ASHER: Now when you think of sort of Mitt Romney and what his sort of foreign policy views are. He talked about Vladimir Putin as being a thug.
He talked about the fact that he has killed journalists and also said that he is America's number one foe. Does that sound to you like someone whose
thinking can actually be compatible with someone like Donald Trump?
TOOSI: Well, let's not forget that Mitt Romney also said some very nasty things about Donald Trump himself. So that's one of the most interesting
things --
ASHER: I guess, it's politics, right?
TOOSI: Exactly. And so this question of where he stands on Russia is actually very, very important because many say that Romney was indicated.
That Russia is the number one threat to the United States geopolitically, but Trump does not seem to agree, and so that could be a huge point of
friction from day one.
ASHER: OK, so Nahal, standby. I just want to bring in Josh Rogin into the conversation. Welcome aboard, Josh. So one thing I'm curious about from
your perspective, Josh, is why is it -- when you look at Donald Trump's picks, why is it that experience, foreign policy experience seems not to be
relevant. It seems not to matter?
JOSH ROGIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, what you've got is you have a split in the Trump transition team and it's a pretty stark one that's
boiling over into the public space and we can see it on Twitter right now. Some believe that you should have foreign policy professionals who have
contacts and experience.
And people on their staff who know our relationships and some people believe it's not really that important after all. You know, overall we
have to remember here that all of the people in the Republican foreign policy establishment were pretty much never Trump or basically a 100
percent of them.
[15:05:02]And the question is whether or not Donald Trump will overcome that and welcome him back into the fold, and Mitt Romney would be a huge
signal that he is willing to do. At the same time you have the loyalists striking back and trying to prevent that very thing from happening. So
it's not really about experience or not, were you loyal to Donald Trump or not.
ASHER: You know, it is interesting. One thing I'm curious about is how Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliana are handling this. Mitt Romney has been very
quiet. He went on a vacation over the Thanksgiving weekend. But Rudy Giuliani has been more public. He has been publicly campaigning for this
position. What is the smart move? I'm going to ask Josh that.
ROGIN: It is definitely smarter to be very, very quiet. The "New York Times" reported that Donald Trump personally was really upset when Rudy
Giuliani was giving interviews openly lobbying for the secretary of state position. It's not a good look. OK, you seemed to be trying to pressure
your boss into doing something that he may or may not want to do.
That is Rudy Giuliani's (inaudible). He is good insight to what kind of secretary of state he would be if chosen. He's not shy. You know, he's
not diplomatic. That might be what Trump wants. If he wants some more traditional diplomat then he's going to choose Mitt Romney or somebody else
like Bob Corker or David Petraeus.
ASHER: And they're talking about the fact that there might be conflicts of interest in terms of Rudy Giuliani's relationships with foreign
governments.
But Nahal, let me bring you in because I want to mention another tweet from Kellyanne Conway. She says Kissinger and Schultz as secretaries of state,
flew around the world less, counseled the president a lot closer to home more and were loyal. Good checklist. Nahal, what is she trying to say
with that?
TOOSI: There have been some reports that there are worries that perhaps Rudy Giuliani does not have quite the vigor to do a lot of travel that
sometimes is required of the secretary of state. So that could be a bit of step tweeting that kind of points to this notion --
ASHER: The fact that she mentioned loyalty.
TOOSI: Loyalty as well. That is a very obvious one, but also this one this idea that he doesn't necessarily have to travel that much. Others in
the past didn't and they did fine in terms of advising the president.
ASHER: Josh, if you were Mitt Romney, would you be waiting by the phone right now?
ROGIN: I would say yesterday his stock was at an all-time high. Today it's falling rapidly. OK, if I were placing bets, I would definitely short
the Mitt Romney pick because the bottom line is that what Trump wants most is he wants picks that people are going to like. He wants to show unity
and good management.
The more each of these candidates get muddied up in the press, the less there is for Trump to pick in. So if he just wants a secretary of state
who could appease the foreign policy establishment and not cause any problems, Mitt Romney looking less and less like that guy.
At the same time, it is hard to know because there is only one man in the world who really knows who Donald Trump is going to pick and that is Donald
Trump.
ASHER: It is striking how similar all this is to an episode of "Celebrity Apprentice," but all these contestants coming and going. But as you
mentioned, Donald Trump did it to himself, saying "only I know the winner." So we shall see. Josh Rogin, Nahal, thank you so much. Appreciate that.
It is the day after Thanksgiving in the U.S., and many Americans will be shopping until they drop. They will be seeing what they hope will be
amazing bargains for holiday gifts.
Black Friday has become a fixture across the pond in the U.K. as well. Thousands of shoppers flooded London's Oxford Street to check out discounts
offered by retailers like John Lewis and (inaudible) as well. CNN's Alison Kosik reports on the shopping bonanza. She's in New York.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALISON KOSIK, CNN MONEY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This year's Black Friday frenzy kicking off with hundreds jamming the streets outside Macy's
flagship store in New York City. Early bird shoppers taking over entire departments in search of steep discounts.
It's that time of year when all-out chaos endues over jumbo sized TVs and shoppers battle it out over who gets the biggest deals. This excited crowd
caught clambering over electronics at a Walmart in Columbus, Mississippi.
Even though Walmart is trying to reduce the brawl by handing wrist bands to a limited number of customers for hot items and increasing staffing.
Still, across the country, retailers are welcoming the long lines ushering in eager bargain hunters and customers are braving inclement weather.
Shoppers at this Best Buy in Portland standing in the rain for hours. Foregoing Thanksgiving dinner to flood the aisles in search of big ticket
items ready with cash in hand.
[15:10:00]The National Retail Federal says holiday sales this year are expected to top $650 billion, a 3.6 percent increase from 2015. On Cyber
Monday, at least 36 percent of consumers plan to nab their deals online.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Alison Kosik reporting there.
Meantime in Chicago, protesters are calling on shoppers to boycott stores in the city's famed Magnificent Mile to raise awareness about what they say
is police misconduct.
Rosa Flores joins me live now from Chicago. So Rosa, basically the protesters have actually wrapped up. It's not happening right now, but it
was happening earlier.
But from what I understand, do you think that using Black Friday is a smart way to go about it? Police misconduct happens all-year round, according to
these protesters, but obviously Black Friday happens once a year.
ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Zain, the message from protesters is very clear that they do not want Black Friday to be business
as usual in the Magnificent Mile. That's the street that you can see behind me.
Now let me set the scene for you because that protest just wrapped up, but you can see that there are still police officers here, because there is a
very big police presence around the protesters.
Because what they did was they marched, very slowly, along the Mag Mile, which is lined by high end stores. So the objective from these protestors
is to stop people going inside. The big question is why.
They say they want to hit the pockets of the city. The pockets of these big stores to send their message and their message is against police
brutality and gun violence.
And Zain, they're actually asking for something very specific. They're asking for the city to elect a police accountability board. Not to be
appointed by the mayor, but to be elected by the people. They believe that that is the solution for making a safer Chicago for everybody -- Zain.
ASHER: All right, we'll see if these protests will have an impact. Rosa Flores live for us there, thank you so much. Appreciate that.
We want to turn now to France where five people are being held on suspicion of turning an ISIS attack. Prosecutors say they were being directed by
terrorists inside Iraq and Syria who were allegedly communicating via encrypted messages. France has been under a state of emergency since the
terror attacks in Paris just over one year ago.
Now inside Iraq and Syria, coalition forces are battling the ISIS within their stronghold. Much of that campaign has been helped thanks to teams in
the air.
CNN has gained exclusive access to a secretive plane that is spying on ISIS militants. Our CNN international correspondent, Fred Pleitgen has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fighting ISIS in a space suit. We can only identify the pilot by his first
name, Captain Steven and by his call sign, "Meat Head." He is about to be embark on a high altitude reconnaissance mission in a U-2 spy plane.
We were given rare access to the preparations, launch and landing of one of these highly secretive missions that have a clear objective, one of the
pilots told me.
MAJOR MATT, U.S. AIR FORCE: We're able to get out there and track these guys and get the information back to the fighter types and the bomber
types, and they have the best intel and the best information about where they are, and do what needs to be done.
PLEITGEN: The U-2 could fly extremely high more than 70,000 feet and get pictures and other information to forces on the ground very fast. It is a
cold war airplane flying since the 1950s, but its cameras have been completely upgraded.
(on camera): With its many technological upgrades, the U-2 Dragon Lady remains one of America's main assets in the information gathering effort
against ISIS.
But of course, intelligence gathering happens on many levels and much of it happens through drones like this Global Hawk, which patrols in the skies
above Iraq and Syria almost every day.
(voice-over): The information from these surveillance platforms is key to helping jets from the U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition strike their targets.
Support of forces combatting the group on the ground in places like Mosul and Iraq.
But while the U-2 can soar higher than almost any other plane, it's pretty hard to land. We're in a chase car that speeds after the jet helping to
guide the pilot to the ground after an almost ten-hour mission.
Peeling himself out of the cockpit, Captain Steven says he believes the U-2 is making a major impact.
CAPTAIN STEVEN, U.S. AIR FORCE: Things we can do while we're up there, and how often we're up there, we're constantly in the air providing support for
those who need it most.
PLEITGEN: And the need for the U-2 services will remain in high demand while ISIS maybe losing ground, the group remains both deadly and elusive.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, in the Middle East.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[15:15:07]ASHER: All right, still to come here on THE WORLD RIGHT NOW, the horrors facing innocent civilians in Mosul as Iraqi forces battle ISIS for
(inaudible).
And the judge's words for a British serial killer about his strict sentence. All of that and much more when THE WORLD RIGHT NOW continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: Welcome back to THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. Iran's president says the hands of ISIS are drenched in blood after a suicide bomb in Iraq kills
dozens of pilgrims from his country. The truck bomb detonated at a (inaudible) station near Hila (ph) alongside busloads of pilgrims.
President Hassan Rouhani have called on the Iraqi government to keep up its campaign against ISIS. The terror group said the attack was in retaliation
for the battle for their stronghold in the Iraqi city of Mosul.
Now hundreds of innocent people have been killed or wounded in the intense fighting to retake Mosul from ISIS. Among them was an 18-month-old girl
who died instantly as shrapnel from a mortar round tore through her body. CNN's Phil Black has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These people have just lived through the horror of urban warfare. They cowered in their
homes for days. Prayers and white flag their only protection as Iraqi forces fought their way through the neighborhoods of Eastern Mosul against
fierce ISIS resistance.
Now there is little food, water, or medicine. No electricity, but there is much relief.
(on camera): ISIS is like (inaudible) and it is gone now.
(voice-over): You can hear the fighting in the near distance. It is still dangerously close. ISIS is gone from these streets, but its ability to
harm these people has not passed.
(on camera): Just 24 hours ago we are told a family was sitting here outside of their home when a mortar struck just a short distance away and
an 18 month old girl was killed.
(voice-over): Her name was Amira Ali. Her father, Omar, is overwhelmed by grief. He cries "what did she do wrong? She was just playing. She's gone
from me and she's my only one."
Every day this make shift clinic inside Mosul sees the terrible consequences of mortars fired into civilian areas. It's a bloody
production line. The wounded are delivered, patched up quickly and loaded into ambulances to transport to hospitals.
At times it seems endless as one ambulance pulls away another military vehicle speeds in carrying more wounded civilians.
[15:20:07]They are unloaded with great care as the medics work to help the victims of yet another ISIS mortar attack, but they can't save everyone.
This man's 21-year-old son was killed. He says a mortar just fell in front of the door. We came and he was just a piece of meat. Four or five of my
neighbors were standing with him and they're all dead.
Here, another parent falls to the dusty ground before the body of her son. These people have endured two years living under ISIS only to be killed by
the group's desperate military tactics and the total indifference to the lives of the innocent. Phil Black, CNN, Mosul, Northern Iraq.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: It is impossible to really imagine what people in Mosul are going through on a daily basis. From a scary situation in Mosul to one that
happened in France last night, police are searching for a suspect after a woman was found dead inside a retirement home for religious people.
Local official in Southern France says a masked man forced his way into the home early Friday morning. The intruder tied up a staff member and was
able to free herself and call police. A source says the knife was used to kill the victim and it appears that she was indeed the intended target.
Police do not think the attack was terror related.
A British serial killer has been told he will now die in prison after being given a life sentence for murdering four men. Steven Port killed and
sexually assaulted the men after meeting them on a gay dating website.
He gave them lethal doses of THC before sexually assaulting in his plat. Police are investigating 58 deaths that were dismissed as drug overdoses
over fears that some of those deaths could actually be linked to this killer right here.
Police forces in England are investigating claims of child sex abuse in football after a number of former professionals say they had suffered at
the hands of their coaches.
The football star, Wayne Rooney has told anymore victims not to suffer in silence, not to suffer by themselves. A hotline was set up and they got
more than 50 calls in its first few hours. Ben Chapman has more on how the scandal unfolded.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN CHAPMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It began with stories about one scout, Barry Bonnell (ph), but with allegations against more coaches
increasing by the day for more and more former players involving a growing number of clubs. What one victim described as football's dirty little
secret is getting bigger.
One of those players who spoke about his ordeal this week, the former England player, Paul Stewart, says he believes there are many more victims
still to come forward.
PAUL STEWART, ABUSE VICTIM: It's not just football. It's sport in general and the access to children in sport is greater than most places.
CHAPMAN: Today Hampshire became the third police force to become involve saying, "Detectives are investigating allegations of non-recent child abuse
within the football community." Earlier, Cheshire police said it was investigating allegations made against more than one individual.
Until now their inquiry is centered on the convicted pedophile, Barry Bonnell (ph), who abused boys while working as a youth scout and coach at
Crew Alexandra. The club says it knew nothing of his crimes until he was arrested in the mid '90s.
But the long standing head of the Footballers Union told me there were always rumors about what was happening at Crew in the 80s, though, no
formal allegations were made.
GORDON TAYLOR, PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLERS' ASSOCATION: Whether there are (inaudible) governing body could have demanded more of the club whether the
football league as it was then could have gone into Crew and demanded a whole list of answers to questions and one would have to say with the
benefit of hindsight. That clearly should have happened.
CHAPMAN: Tonight a special hotline run by the children's charity, NSPCC, continues to receive calls not just from adults claiming they were abused
as children but from parents, too.
JOHN CAMERON, NSPCC CHILDREN'S CHARITY: I didn't expect the volume of context that we have had coming through to come through at this rate. More
people coming forward now, particularly ex-professional footballers, saying that they have been victims of abuse have significantly encouraged other
people to come forward.
CHAPMAN: What is not clear is how many young people may have been failed by football.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[15:25:04]ASHER: Such an important story and we will continue to have more on that story as we gather more information about what exactly happened to
those young footballers.
A California mother who disappeared while jogging a few weeks ago has now been reunited with her family. Sheri Cafini (ph) was found on the road by
a driver early Thursday 225 kilometers from where she disappeared.
But there are loads of questions about what exactly happened to her. Authorities are searching for two women in a dark SUV in connection with
the case. The women are reportedly armed.
Still ahead, an international effort under way in Israel right now trying to get a handle on the wild fires burning across parts of the country. We
will have a update on those efforts.
Also, ahead, we are still waiting to hear who will fill some of the biggest vacancies in Donald Trump's administration including his economic team.
Much more on the transfer of power ahead, that's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. Welcome back to THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. Let's take a look at the headlines at this hour. One of Donald Trump's top advisors exposing
deep divisions over his possible choices as secretary of state. Kellyanne Conway says many of Trump loyal supporters would feel betrayed if he
nominated Mitt Romney. Romney was a fierce critic of Trump during his campaign while Rudy Giuliani, another leading contender, stuck by his side
and was very loyal.
A British serial killer has been given a life sentence for murdering four men. Steven Port was told by a judge that he would die in prison. Port
gave the men a date rape drug and sexually abused them while they were unconscious.
The U.S. National Retail Federation expects holiday sales to increase to 3.6 percent this holiday season and lots of shoppers are jamming stores
this Black Friday. Fights broke out, one mall in Modesto, California. No injuries were reported.
To Israel now where police say (inaudible) are allowing residents to return to their homes after wild fires forced evacuations. But dangerous fires
are still raging in other areas. Here's Oren Liebermann with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Most of the fires in North Israel and especially here in Haifa, the largest city in Northern Israel at this point
are under control. Today has been about coming home and assessing the damage especially here where we are standing the damage is extensive.
Take a look at this home here behind me, completely destroyed by the fire. Flames came up the backside of the mountain that we're standing on, and got
to this home and all of the homes in this area. Destroying the homes from the outside and the inside.
The roof her collapsed. The appliances are destroyed. The damage going much, much further than that as well.
[15:30:03] You can see here, some people coming home for the first time after the evacuation order was lifted and seeing the extent of the damage.
The numbers here are quite staggering. Fire authorities say there were some 1,200 fires across Israel since last weekend, of which 250 are major
fires.
There are also fires in northern west bank. Those fires also at this point under control. Police say at least some of these fires are arson, some are
negligence.
It will take time to figure which is which and more importantly is that the investigation continues to figure out who was behind the fires that were
arson.
This has become not just an Israeli problem, but an international effort to put these fires and get people back as quickly as possible.
The Turks, the Greeks, the Russians, the Americans, and other countries have sent in help, sent in firefighting equipment to get these fires under
control as quickly as possible. The Palestinian Authority also sending in fire crews and trucks to help in what has become an international effort
here. Oren Liebermann, CNN, Haifa.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Donald Trump is well known as a prolific tweeter, but the U.S. president-elect appears to be taking a break from social media while on
holiday except to say this.
He says, "I am working hard, even on Thanksgiving trying to get Carrier AC Company to stay in the U.S.-Indiana. Making progress, we'll know soon."
Trump is trying to convince Carrier, the air-conditioning plant not shift jobs to Mexico and back to the video of a company executive announcing the
plant's closure went viral during the presidential campaign and became a symbol of the economic hardships facing Americans in rustbelt states in
particular.
We are still waiting to hear who exactly will help steer Donald Trump's economic policy. Sources are saying that billionaire investor, Wilbur Ross
is favored for commerce secretary.
And that former Wall Street executive turned Hollywood producer, Steven Manuchin (ph), is believed to be the leading choice to head the Treasury
Department.
So let's talk more about this with CNN global economic analyst, Rana Foroohar. Rana, thank you so much for being with us. So much to talk
about. First things first, Wilbur Ross is a millionaire. He is possibly going to be commerce secretary.
He shares Trump's views on being anti-free trade, a bit more protectionist. Does this prove that Donald Trump is going to keep his promise to American
workers when it comes to that whole free-trade rhetoric?
RANA FOROOHAR, CNN GLOBAL ECONOMIC ANALYST: He may keep his promise to American workers to be tougher in terms of negotiating U.S. trade deals,
but whether that's going to turn into jobs for U.S. workers remains to be seen.
Wilbur Ross is an interesting choice. It's funny that Kellyanne Conway is saying that Mitt Romney would be seen as betrayal. Wilbur Ross is a
private equity guy just like Mitt Romney.
A lot of people feel that he comes into companies is a big cost cutter, cuts jobs, pensions, benefits. There has been a lot of controversy around
that.
Other people feel that he's great at saving distressed companies and bringing them back to life. So I think his nomination will be contentious
one.
ASHER: When you look at the background of Wilbur Ross, not just Wilbur Ross, but a lot of people we are hearing for these picks. I mean, Trump is
surrounding himself with millionaires and billionaires.
Let me show you the list of potential people. Here's what I'm curious about. Donald Trump during his campaign made a promise to the American
worker that he was going to work for the common man. Are these people in any way, shape, or form represent the common man?
FOROOHAR: Absolutely not. In fact, what's interesting is that they represent most of the kind of trickledown economics from the Reagan era
really. This idea that you cut taxes, you make things ease your for corporations, and they invest big here at home.
That's a big position of Wilbur Ross. He wants to see the corporate tax holiday for firms to bring money back from offshore bank accounts into the
U.S. He believes that that will increase investment which will then increase jobs.
But if you look at the last 20 years, there is really no evidence that tax cuts in the U.S. have created a lot of economic growth and I am skeptical
that that is going to happen now.
One thing on the other hand that I do think is interesting is a tougher stance on trade. That's something that you are seeing both on the left and
on the right in the U.S. It was a big deal in the 2016 election.
You heard Donald Trump talking about getting tougher on trade, but also Bernie Sanders. It was a weak point for Hillary Clinton. So I think there
is broad support for a tougher attitude towards trade.
ASHER: I mean, arguably it was -- his trade rhetoric that won him the election particularly when you think about breaking the blue wall, winning
over those rustbelt states. I want to ask you, Rana, what do you think is Donald Trump's priority right now, economic priority. Is it sort of
cutting taxes and cutting regulation or is it more about raising tariffs and punishing companies that outsource jobs?
[15:35:07]FOROOHAR: I think it's really much more about the tax issues. I mean, his team, the team that he seems to be surrounding himself with again
is very 1980s trickledown economics. You know, Peter Navarro, one of his chief economic strategist is one of the kings of --
ASHER: We had him on earlier. Keep going. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you. Keep going.
FOROOHAR: I think tax cuts will be focused here. I think so far a lot of the trade rhetoric is more hubris than anything else. The truth is if you
start slapping tariffs on U.S. goods that's going to hurt U.S. companies over the longer term.
We have complex supply chains, small widget coming in and out of the country. If you slap a tariff on those every single time, you will end up
increasing the cost of U.S. goods. So you have to be careful that while he's, you know, having this more inflated (inaudible) dialogue end up
taking the U.S. into a trade war.
ASHER: So what would be the market's reaction? Because obviously right now the market's reaction to Donald Trump's presidency has been somewhat
muted. I mean, on the day of the election, futures were down significantly and then they could have begun to pick back up. If there is a huge issue
with trade, as you mentioned, a potential trade war, what would be the reaction with U.S. stocks do you think?
FOROOHAR: Trade war would be extremely bad not just for U.S. stocks, but for all global assets. What is very interesting is actually the markets in
the U.S. reacted fairly positively to Trump's presidency.
This is because of a couple of things. One, the idea of corporate tax cuts. Corporations love tax cuts. You know, as Wilbur Ross study thinks
earnings could go up 30 percent with certain amount of tax cuts.
That doesn't necessarily translate into more jobs and greater incomes. That is my concern in the longer haul. We have an economy that's made up
70 percent of consumer spending. You need to get incomes up in order to have a more sustainable recovery.
So my worry is that a lot of the proposals being talked about is going to just create a short term sugar high in assets, but not really change the
underlying picture in the economy.
ASHER: All right, Rana Foroohar, appreciate you being with us. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on Trump's economic advisor picks.
Appreciate that. Thank you.
FOROOHAR: Thank you.
ASHER: I want to turn now to France that could be about to see its own year of dramatic political change. There has been a surprise at the
primary stage with newcomer Francois Fillon challenging Alain Juppe for the center right presidential nomination. The pair clashed in a TV debate last
night.
And as Melissa Bell reports from Paris, next year's election is likely to see even more drama.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As they cast their ballots in the first round of voting, Nicholas Sarkozy and Alain Juppe were the
favorites to win, but they were in for a surprise.
Francois Fillon came out of nowhere to win leaving Juppe in second place. For the first time, Republican voters have been given their say and they
did not choose the man who had been widely to become the party's presidential candidate in next spring's election.
BRUNO CAUTRES, POLITICAL ANALYST: They wanted to select the best candidate to do their first issue number one, which is to eliminate Francois Hollande
from the (inaudible). They want to get this seat. They want their candidate to be the next president.
BELL: Overwhelmingly in the first round, they chose Fillon, an economic and social conservative who won say his supporters by meeting with people
away from the cameras.
JEROME CHARTER, FRANCOIS FILLON CAMPAIGN MANAGER (through translator): A very constructive, precise, serious project. A very sincere and fray
personality, an anti-system candidate who distances himself from the media and has the opportunity to act freely. No doubt this is what appealed to
the French.
BELL: If Fillon is on the hard right by comparison, Juppe is the more moderate, the man who had been expected to draw broader support in a
primary that was open beyond the Republican Party.
FABIENNE KELLER, ALAIN JUPPE SPOKESWOMAN: He would always say my aim is to gather the French people, to get a positive view of our people. The French
population has a richness, something very positive.
BELL: The two very different visions of the party and more broadly of France were pitted against one another on Thursday night.
ALAIN JUPPE, FRENCH REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: France will need a solid president of the republic. A president who can implement brave fast
and credible reforms but without brutality.
FRANCOIS FILLON, FRENCH REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (through translator): There are more than 7,000 French people that helped me put
together the project I'm defending today. It's a precise and powerful project for our country's transformation that in line with the values that
are ours.
BELL (on camera): When the result of the Republican's first ever primary is announced here on Sunday night, it will be much more than simply the
nominee's name given, it will also be the positions of the entire party whether it will be more moderate or further to the right as it looks ahead
to next spring's presidential election. Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[15:40:12]ASHER: From Brexit to Donald Trump, 2016 has been a year of shocking votes and political upheaval as well all the around the world.
But there might time for just one more twist, it's Italy's referendum on December 4th is the next big event keeping investors on edge.
On the ballot paper voters will be asked whether they support simplifying the Constitution and reigning in the number of lawmakers to pave the way
for economic reform.
But it's also become the defacto vote on Italy's leadership. Prime Minister Mateo Renzi has promised to resign in the event of a no vote and
that could mean yet another populist uprising spearheaded by Italy's largest opposition party which is led by this man, (inaudible).
He wants to pull out the euro which is why the vote could have major ramifications for the Eurozone as a whole. Earlier my colleague, Nina dos
Santos spoke to a former Italian prime minister, Maria Monti.
Despite the referendum, he says Italy's institutions are not to blame for a sluggish economy. Monti says the quest for political popularity is the
real culprit, take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIA MONTI, FORMER ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER: In my view, what has impeded Italy's economic growth in the last few decades, and what has contributed
to the increase in the public debt has not been imperfections in the institutional system. It has been much more the search for popularity or
the fear for unpopularity that most governments have been having. So I believe that that is a real important aspect and --
NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I want to ask you also, just for a second if I may, the prime minister has stated his political career on
this. He said he will resign if a no vote prevails. You said you don't think that he should resign. Do you think that that is a realistic
prospect he's made, the promise that he will resign? Why don't you think he should resign?
MONTI: Well, there is nothing in the constitution either the current one or the proposed new one or in the tradition of the country that asks him to
resign. He has very boldly asserted at the beginning that he will do so. Now, he seems to regret that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Former Italian prime minister speaking to my colleague, Nina dos Santos there.
This is THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. Still to come, the woman America called mom, tributes pour in to the actress at the heart of "The Brady Bunch."
Also sending hope into the heart of Aleppo. A Syrian girl looking for a bit magic, finds it. Thanks to Harry Potter (inaudible) J.K. Rowling.
We'll have that incredible story coming up after the short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:45:22]
ASHER: A controversial new president, violence on the streets, and a growing sense of uncertainty. No, I'm not talking about 2016 but actually
1969. The average U.S. TV viewer actually witnessed everything from a human being on the moon, to the trial of the man who killed Martin Luther
King.
But for all of the change, America was about to meet a group of people would show us that we would always have one thing in common, family, and
they were "The Brady Bunch." At the heart, a woman who held a whole family together Carol Brady, portrayed an iconic style by Florence Henderson.
Now tributes are being paid to America's favorite TV mom who died at the age of 82. I want to talk now to our Stephanie Elam, who is live now from
Los Angeles.
So Stephanie, I mean, Florence Henderson was really America's mom. For a certain generation who came of age in the `60s, in the early `70s, she
really was an icon.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No doubt about it and for generations after that, Zain, because of the reruns that were on TV all of the time in
the country. So everyone grew up seeing her playing Carol Brady. She said that she wanted to be the kind of mom that everyone wanted as their mother.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAM (voice-over): Florence Henderson captured hearts across the country as one of television's most iconic mothers, Carol Brady.
(VIDEO CLIP)
ELAM: Starring as the matriarch of a blended family, her career would forever be defined by her character on the 1970s family comedy "The Brady
Bunch."
FLORENCE HENDERSON: I created the kind of mother that I wished I had and I think that everyone longs for.
ELAM: Taking on the role was something Henderson embraced.
HENDERSON: I get so much fan mail from all over the world and everybody wants a hug from me and I hug everybody.
ELAM: In the decades following the show, Henderson never shied away from the limelight, returning to her beloved Carol Brady for multiple spin-offs
of the Brady show. But before she became a Brady, Henderson seemed destined for show business.
HENDERSON: I don't ever remember not singing and I would sing and pass the hat and I would sing for groceries.
ELAM: Henderson's career took off at the age of 17 when she landed a leading role in Rogers and Hemerstein's "Oklahoma" in 1951. Becoming a
bonafide Broadway star, her TV career progressed as she became NBC's "Today" girl in 1959. She broke barriers as the first woman to guest host
the "Tonight" show in 1962.
Henderson earned her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1996 and danced her way to a new generation of fans on "Dancing with the Stars" in 2010.
Today, America mourns the loss of everyone's favorite mom.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ELAM: Florence Henderson seemed to embody that role of a mom all of the way through her life. She was a mother of four on top of it, Zain, but
what's interesting is there was a very popular show in the United States called "Dancing with the Stars." She has been in the audience this
previous seasons that just wrapped up this week.
She was even there on Monday night, supporting her on screen daughter, Marine McCormick. She was there supporting here just Monday night looking
vibrant and healthy. So just a shocking loss for so many. Marine McCormick tweeting out saying Florence was a dear friend for so many years
and in her heart forever -- Zain.
ASHER: Stephanie Elam live for us, thank you so much.
The "Brady Bunch" was vintage television at its finest, but it's easy to forget just how cutting edge some elements of that was back in the `70s.
Entertainment journalist, April Woodard, joins us live now via Skype. So April, thank you so much for being with us.
Just explain to us, what exactly Florence Henderson meant for young women in America in the early 70s.
[15:50:00]APRIL WOODARD, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: Well, in the early 70s, she was a mom of a blended family that was almost unheard of at that time.
It represents our culture right now, but it was about being a mom to decide that were not biologically hers, but yet still supporting her husband and
supporting her kids and given them advice.
It was somewhat of a fantasy, we all admit that, but it is where we all wanted to be. It was the kind of mom that we all longed to have and the
kind of family we all longed to have as well.
ASHER: You know, she was sort, I guess, pigeoned hold because you can't really look at Florence Henderson or think about her without associating
her with Carol Brady. Did that bother her later on in her career that she wasn't able to shed that brand, image?
WOODARD: I think that she went through a period of time where it did bother her, but mostly she was a woman who embraced this role. She was the
one that knew she had this significance and impact and she became a cultural icon. Everyone was looking to her for advice and even when she
began on TV and had her show. People were looking to her as the mom of America. She was as American as apple pie and baseball here.
ASHER: So how different was Florence Henderson from the character she played Carol Brady. How different were those two women as people?
WOODARD: She was quite different, particularly in her golden years, as I would say, she recently did an interview talking about having friends with
benefits, which I'm sure everyone is familiar with that term, but multiple friends with benefits.
She brought sexy back for sassy seniors and let seniors know that hey, you can embrace your sexuality, you can embrace being a cougar, enjoying
younger men, and she was just like as long as you're not hurting anyone or yourself. Do what makes you happy, so she was progressive and not so much
like Carol Brady.
ASHER: Right. So an independent thinker. She will be missed, America's mom, as you mentioned. April Woodard live for us there, thank you so much.
Florence Henderson now dead at the age of 82, a woman who is so beloved, a hero, an icon to so many people who grew up in that generation, late 60s,
in the early 70s, but there were reruns. Plenty of people got to know Florence Henderson of "Brady Bunch" fame. She will be missed. We will
take a quick break and be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: Well, finally, as I'm sure you all know, it is certainly difficult to find a happy and positive story coming out of Aleppo these days, but
this one qualifies. For the children there, death and destruction are routine, it is normal, it is a part of everyday life, but one little girl
there used the internet to make two requests. Number one was an end to the war and number two, was a Harry Potter book. So author, J.K. Rowling,
delivered a little bit of magic. Here's Robyn Curnow with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBYN CURNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Amidst unbelievable destruction in Syria, a small bit of good news for a little girl. This is
(inaudible), a 7-year-old who lives with her family in Eastern Aleppo. And almost constant gunfire and bombardment, (inaudible) her mother tweet about
life in their city under siege.
One of her most recent posts reads, "Good morning from Aleppo, we are still alive." In a recent respite from the war, she was able to see one of the
Harry Potter movie and became an instant fan.
But you can't find Harry Potter novels in Aleppo so this week, the little girl's mother posted a message to author, J.K. Rowling saying, "Bana (ph)
would like to read the book."
And the famous writer responded, "I hope you do read the book because I think you'd like it. Sending you lots and lots of love." Rowling also
sent Bana e-books of all of her Potter novels. Bana's mother says her daughter is now happily reading and she posted this thank you picture and
video.
BANA ALABED, ALEPPO RESIDENT: I would like to thank you for the books. Thank you very, very much. I love you!
CURNOW: A little girl's wish granted, now reading to forget the war. Robyn Curnow, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Such a touching story. A little bit of good news to emerge from all of that hardship there.
The leftovers from the Thanksgiving turkey are not gone yet, but the signs of Christmas have arrived at the White House. U.S. First Lady Michelle
Obama took delivery of the White House Christmas tree with help from her nephews.
If you're worrying about how the Obamas will, quote, "decorating the five meter Douglas fir," don't lose any sleep. A team of volunteers is arriving
to get the house ready for the holidays.
All right, this has been THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. Thank you for watching. Up next is "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
