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New Video Of Attacker Unloading Truck Used In Killings; DHS & FBI Warned Law Enforcement Last Month About Potential Vehicle Ramming By Lone Attackers Over Holidays; FBI Says New Orleans Attacker "100% Inspired By ISIS". FBI: New Orleans Attacker "100 Percent Inspired By ISIS"; House Speaker Vote Tomorrow A Key Test Of Johnson, Trump & GOP; Investigators Arrive At South Korean President's Residence To Carry Out Arrest Warrant. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired January 02, 2025 - 17:00   ET

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

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Well, if you ever miss an episode of The Lead, you can listen to the show wherever you get your podcasts. The news continues on CNN with the one and only Wolf Blitzer in "The Situation Room."

[17:00:32]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Happening now, breaking news, exclusive new video of the New Orleans attacker unloading the truck used in the slaughter on Bourbon Street. This as authorities now believe he acted alone. The Louisiana state attorney general joins us this hour with an update on the investigation. The FBI says the attacker was, quote, "100 percent inspired by ISIS." We're going to show you how the terrorist group remains a very deadly threat around the world.

Plus, what we're learning right now about the driver of a Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas. Officials say he shot himself in the head just before the blast as they hunt for a motive and potential ties to terrorism.

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

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.

BLITZER: And we begin with the breaking news on the deadly truck ramming attack in New Orleans. New information is now emerging about the driver as authorities now believe he acted alone. CNN's Omar Jimenez is joining us live from New Orleans right now where Bourbon Street just reopened.

Omar, what are you seeing there and what are you hearing from investigators?

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf. Well, for starters, yes, Bourbon Street is now reopened for the first time since this deadly attack took place. You can sort of see the scene. It's less crowded than maybe it typically would be.

Over there in Canal Street down behind us, you see there are actually major barriers blocking the entrance. It's open to pedestrians, but it is still closed to vehicles. That said, there is still a major security presence here. As you see some of these police vehicles being let in. You also might notice some of those yellow barriers on the sidewalks as well. That is new.

We saw those being installed over the course of today. And for those that have seen the surveillance video of this truck coming through, it did initially go over part of the sidewalk. And then, of course, it would have come down this direction onto the street over toward this area as well. Again, all of it now reopened to pedestrians for the first time.

And on the investigatory side, you were talking about some of it before you were coming to me. The FBI today saying, as opposed to yesterday, that they believe this driver acted alone. Remember yesterday they believed he wasn't solely responsible for this. They said this new conclusion comes as a result of actually going through interviews, going through phone and laptop records, where they also uncovered that they believe this is 100 percent ISIS motivated.

Another big aspect of this, too, there is a major football game going on. It was delayed today. That is also under -- that is also underway. We were over there earlier talking to some fans and they were nervous. Some of them were out that very night when this happened in the early morning hours.

But they are all at the game with also an increased security presence as well. There was music coming through earlier. And a little bit closer to the entrance of this, there are flowers laid out, 14 of them for the 14 killed in this attack, Wolf. But as you can see, Bourbon Street is now back reopen. And although it may not be as crowded as it might typically be at this time of night, it'll be curious to see if that changes as the night goes on, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, we shall see. Omar Jimenez on the ground for us in New Orleans. Thank you very much. There are also some new questions tonight if potential warning signs were missed after CNN reviewed internal government documents warning law enforcement just last month of potential violence from lone offenders around the holidays and the potential use of vehicles as deadly weapons. Here now is CNN's Brian Todd.

Brian, what can you tell us about these warnings?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, at the moment, these warnings seem to have been very far sighted and on the mark, but national security experts tell us the reality is that some of these attacks are extremely hard to prevent. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over): As law enforcement officials scrambled to determine the motive of the New Orleans suspect, new information tonight on recent warnings that these very same types of attacks could occur. According to two internal memos obtained by CNN, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI issued a joint bulletin to law enforcement agencies on December 6 warning about threats from lone wolf offenders and the possibility of vehicle rammings. The bulletin warns that lone wolves could hit, quote, "soft targets in the homeland during winter holidays," and that those offenders have historically used simple tactics such as edged weapons, firearms or vehicle ramming.

[17:05:11]

BETH SANNER, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: The big picture on this attack is that this has actually been a long time coming and now we're at a point where the American public are waking up.

TODD (voice-over): Indeed, back in 2010, Al Qaeda's branch in Yemen published an article calling vehicles the ultimate mowing machine, promoting the use of four wheel drive pickup trucks because, quote, "the stronger the better." And encouraging attackers to pick up as much speed as possible while maintaining control and, quote, "be able to strike as many people as possible in your first run." Analysts say it's their simplicity and subtlety that have made vehicles attractive weapons for terrorists.

PETER BERGEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: You don't need any special preparation. Buying a gun might attract attention. Certainly making bombs is something that might attract attention. Might also suggest some degree of training. Who knows?

TODD (voice-over): Following that December 6th bulletin and after the December 20th vehicle attack on a Christmas market in Germany that killed at least five people and injured more than 200, the Department of Homeland Security sent another warning to law enforcement, reiterating that mass gatherings were potential targets and that vehicle ramming had been used in the U.S. as a tactic before.

One of those bulletins referred to the attack on a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin in November 2021, when a suspect driving an SUV killed six people and injured more than 60. Still, analyst Beth Sanner says there's only so much law enforcement can do to prevent vehicle attacks.

SANNER: You can do things around big events like blocking off entrances to the venues using, you know, dump trucks, other large vehicles, but you can't close off everything. And it is incredibly expensive to really shut down events. And you have things like parades where people are moving down streets.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (on camera): Beth Sanner says none of this should discourage anyone from going to large outdoor gatherings, but she says there are some things that citizens can do to protect themselves at these events. Pay attention to where the barriers are and where there could be spaces that vehicles could get through those barriers. Don't stand near the edges of entryways and don't constantly look at your phone. Wolf.

BLITZER: Good advice indeed. All right, Brian Todd reporting for us. Brian, thank you very much. Brian is always there for us on the scene.

Coming up in our next hour, by the way, I'll speak with the secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas. He's going to be standing by live.

For more insight into the investigation, we're joined now by the Louisiana Attorney General, Liz Murrill.

Attorney General, thank you so much for joining us on this very busy day for you. It's been roughly, as you know, about 36 hours since the attack, Bourbon Street is reopened. The Sugar Bowl is underway. Are you confident New Orleans is now secure and safe?

LIZ MURRILL, LOUSIANA ATTORNEY GENERAL: Oh, yes, absolutely. I mean, I just returned from New Orleans and there is an enormous police presence in New Orleans. I feel very confident that the city is incredibly secure. And, you know, it's just been a tough 36 hours.

BLITZER: Very tough indeed. No way to start a new year.

CNN, Attorney General, has obtained some exclusive video from a doorbell camera showing the suspect outside of his rental home just a few hours before the attack. How important will bystander video and photos, for that matter be for this overall investigation?

MURRILL: You know, it's been very important. And I know that the FBI is still asking for all kinds of tips and footage and any information on any interaction that anybody had with this individual so that it can help them create a more complete picture of all of his movements. And, you know, even before that, long before that, they want to put a better picture together of who this person was and how he came to be so radicalized and so hate filled that he mowed down 40 people on Bourbon Street yesterday morning.

BLITZER: Horrible situation. CNN, Attorney General, has obtained memos from the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI warning law enforcement just last month about potential lone actors using vehicles as weapons. What more do you think could have been done to prevent an attack like this one?

MURRILL: Well, you know, this is a known risk. I mean, I think that everybody has been preparing this. We knew, I think all law enforcement has known that lone actors, lone kind of wolf actors, could be a threat, but long before a month ago. So that's not breaking news, I think, to law enforcement. Certainly we've expected potential for things like that to happen in New Orleans because there are parades all of the time during Mardi Gras.

[17:10:07]

And, you know, so you're all constantly dealing with traffic, not necessarily people who are angry and want to kill other people, but you always have the risk of drunk drivers and things like that. So, I think there's just always been some effort to protect against that in New Orleans. And there was a vehicle placed at the front of Bourbon Street, it did not cover the entirety of the area, so the sidewalk was still open.

BLITZER: And that was so horrible. Indeed. Did you or anyone in your office receive any sort of credible threat information about some kind of attack around the New Year's holiday?

MURRILL: No. No one has reported receiving any kind of threat that would have led anybody to believe that there was anything other than the kind of trying to prepare and avoid the possibility of some kind of act. But nobody had any information or any kind of threat.

BLITZER: We know dozens were injured in this brutal attack. And you said yesterday, Attorney General, that some were now still fighting for their lives. What can you tell us about how they are doing right now?

MURRILL: Well, I know that there are at least there are over 20 people still in the hospital. I think 23 is the count that I saw last. Ten of those people are still in critical condition. And we've lost a number, you know, a significant number of lives. I think this morning they confirmed 14, 15, counting the truck driver, but 14 people because of his actions.

And we've got 10 people still in critical condition. So, I mean, it was a terrible loss.

BLITZER: Terrible. One final question, Attorney General, before I let you go, the Super Bowl is scheduled to be in New Orleans early next month. Are you guys ready for it? Are the fans, the 80,000 or whatever number of fans who are planning on attending, are they going to be safe?

MURRILL: They are going to be safe. I'm confident that they're going to be safe and that we're going to have a great game and a great time in the city of New Orleans for the Super Bowl. You know, I know that everyone, including me, are doubling down our efforts to reevaluate every possible weak point in our city. The Super Bowl committee will be part of that. The federal government will be part of that, and state and local officials will be part of that.

So I'm confident that we are going to look at this again with fresh eyes after this incident, and we will have a safe Super Bowl.

BLITZER: Let's hope, indeed. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, thank you so much for joining us, and good luck to you. Good Luck to all the folks in your state.

MURRILL: Thank you. Thanks for having me. BLITZER: And coming up, our law enforcement and national security experts will break down all the new information on the New Orleans attack, whether it could have been prevented and the danger it could happen again. Plus, how ISIS is unleashing and inspiring terror and violence here in the U.S. and indeed around the world. Stay with us. You're in The Situation Room.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:17:04]

BLITZER: We're back with the breaking news on the deadly attack in New Orleans, including the role Islamic terrorists played in influencing the attacker. We're joined by former FBI and homeland security officials.

And Joshua Skule, I'll start with you. The FBI says they believe the attacker was, quote, "100 percent inspired by ISIS." And they say they will dig deeper right now into his, quote, "path to radicalization." What are investigators looking for specifically?

JOSHUA SKULE, FORMER FBI EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR INTELLIGENCE: So investigators are looking to see when did he start becoming inspired by ISIS by reviewing their online propaganda. What were their triggers in his life? Were people around him aware that this was happening? Was there something that got reported that may not have made it to the FBI or others? Anything that would lead them to believe or look at where he started and how it got to this point.

BLITZER: Candice DeLong is with us as well.

Candace, the suspect is now believed to have acted alone. But we also know he also made videos showing his support of ISIS. A classmate of Jabbar tells CNN he recently became, quote, "enthralled in his Muslim faith," direct quote. What could that suggest to you?

CANDICE DELONG, FORMER FBI PROFILER: Well, one of the things that struck me about this man is he's a little bit older. Actually, he's quite a bit older than the average person who becomes radicalized to a point where they will commit murder. They don't see it as murder, but of course, that is what it is. This man, from what we've been told, did well in the military but did not do well in civilian life. And here he is, middle age, 42 years old, couple of divorces, at least a couple, job losses, things of that nature.

Things were not going well for him. When someone isolated as he was and vulnerable as he was, that is the perfect breeding ground to -- for an idea to take out their anger on the world. Call it radicalization if you want to, but scratch the surface of a terrorist and you have nothing more or less than a murderer.

BLITZER: Yes.

DELONG: He wanted to kill certainly did.

BLITZER: Certainly did. Juliette Kayyem, CNN has learned that Homeland Security and the FBI warned only last month of the threat of violence from lone offenders and the potential use of a vehicle ramming device. Did New Orleans officials overlook a potential threat here?

JULIETTE KAYYEM. CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: They -- those kinds of warnings are sort of typical and they're not specific. They are sort of here's what the general trend is, and we certainly knew that for a couple of factors. We knew what ISIS was trying to do in terms of amplifying their relevancy as they've lost, you know, their capability to organize big events. They make themselves more relevant by even, you know, having these lone wolf actors, these individuals, sort of ascribe to them.

[17:20:16]

The second is the war in Israel against -- between Hamas and Israel is being used by groups like ISIS to say, to sort of a general, you know, we hate the west philosophy.

The third, and this is where this becomes relevant for New Orleans, is because of Germany, because of what happened in Germany before Christmas and other incidents. We knew that car --

BLITZER: I think we just --

KAYYEM: Knowing these three things --

BLITZER: We lost you for a second there. Juliette, repeat your last thought.

KAYYEM: Well, knowing these three things that this was the kind of attack they wanted to perform, the questions about how did New Orleans protect Bourbon Street are legitimate questions now because there's very little we can do to stop each individual lone terrorist. But there's a lot more we can do to try to protect the public when they're out at events like this.

BLITZER: Yes, that's true.

Joshua, the FBI is working to try to fill in the details of Jabbar's movements just ahead of the attack. What are they hoping to learn?

SKULE: They're hoping to gain evidence on where did he purchase the bomb making materials. Were there indications that neighbors saw, as we saw, that potential, that he had rented a house in the area? What did the neighbors see in Houston? What evidence is there to his path to radicalization? Was he looking for devices, computers, phones, anything else that could give them a better sense of who he was when he started to radicalize, how he moved to conduct this savage attack?

BLITZER: Candice, CNN obtained exclusive doorbell camera video showing the attacker outside his Airbnb rental only hours before the deadly incident in New Orleans. How could this help investigators?

DELONG: Well, of course, it would depend on what it is. I have not seen that. I don't know what it is. I think what's probably going to give them the most amount of insight into what was going on with this guy are his information on his devices and interviewing anyone they can find that interacted with him, even in a minor way in the last few days. Something happened that at middle age, at 42 years old, he decided to do this. The average radicalized individual is in their early 20s, not their early 40s.

BLITZER: Good point.

Juliette, Bourbon Street reopened just ahead of today's Sugar Bowl. What do you make of that turnaround time and what does this mean for next month's Super Bowl in New Orleans?

KAYYEM: Well, I think as the FBI made it clear that they were not looking for other perpetrators. It becomes rational, however difficult, given the mourning that has to occur for the jurisdiction for the city to move forward. This is a huge challenge across the world, is when is too soon too soon. We've seen cities locked down in response to terror or violence, as we saw in Lewiston, Maine, most recently after a mass shooting. And so there's a couple of criteria.

One is, can people be kept safe? I think the FBI made it clear today that they felt that this was lone wolf. They weren't looking for anyone else. There was confusion yesterday, as we've noted a number of times.

The second is they're just putting a lot of manpower and woman power on the street, on Bourbon Street as well as the Sugar Bowl, which is relatively easier to protect because it's a single site. Those are things that jurisdictions are looking about, and I think it is important to do. This is. This is the symbolic nature of terrorism. If an individual can close down a city, cancel a bowl, make people not enjoy the benefits of the city, this is what we love about cities, community engagement, fun being out on streets, then they win a lot more than just the attack itself. So I'm a big proponent of this opening early as long as people are safe.

BLITZER: All right, guys, important analysis indeed. Thank you very much to all of you.

Up next, the breaking news in Las Vegas, where authorities are revealing new details about the Cybertruck explosion just outside the Trump Hotel there. What police are saying about some of the striking similarities to the New Orleans attack?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:28:44]

BLITZER: There's more breaking news we're following, the investigation into that Tesla Cybertruck explosion just outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. Authorities now revealing new information about the man who rented the vehicle. CNN's Natasha Chen is in Las Vegas with our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) NATASHA CHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Authorities have said they believe the driver of the Cybertruck that exploded just outside the entrance doors of the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas was 37-year-old Matthew Livelsberger. His body was burned beyond recognition and police are waiting for additional forensic analysis for final confirmation.

SHERIFF KEVIN MCMAHILL, LAS VEGAS METROPOLITAN POLICE: In how we're trying to identify him, and I'm feeling comfortable to give you this information is a tremendous amount of substantial evidence.

CHEN (voice-over): The motive for the bombing remains unknown, but police say Livelsberger died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head just before the explosion. They found two guns, a military ID, a smartphone and a smartwatch inside the Cybertruck. They've also identified two tattoos they said Livelsberger had.

MCMAHILL: One of which was on the stomach and one of which is on the arm. That we can see bits and pieces of it as in comparison to what it is that we now know he had on his body. That has given us a lot of confidence that this is in fact the same person.

CHEN (voice-over): Livelsberger was an active duty member in the Army Special Forces operation serving in Germany with previous tours in Afghanistan. He held the rank of master sergeant as senior enlistment, according to four U.S. officials.

He was on approved leave when police say he rented the Cybertruck in Colorado arriving in Las Vegas New Year's Day. He drove up and down Las Vegas Boulevard before passing the Trump Hotel. Livelsberger then circled back and parked the Cybertruck in the entrance driveway just moments before the fiery blast, according to law enforcement officials.

Video of the aftermath shows the bed of the Cybertruck loaded with fireworks, gas tanks and camping fuel. Police credit the Tesla vehicle's body construction, forcing the blast upward and limiting the damage to the hotel driveway, even leaving the glass doors intact.

Law enforcement officials say they have not connected the explosion at the Trump Hotel to the deadly terror attack in New Orleans in the early morning hours on New Year's Day, but acknowledge the similarities. Like Livelsberger, the suspect, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, used a vehicle to carry out the attack, killing 14 people. Both have a military background. Jabbar was an army veteran and served in Afghanistan. They even rented their trucks through the same company, Turo.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If these turned out to be simply similarities, very strange similarities to have. And so we're not prepared to rule in or rule out anything at this point.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHEN: Authorities said the two semiautomatic handguns found in the truck were legally purchased shortly before this explosion happened. And I talked to some guests who were staying in the building when they heard that loud boom and said that even the windows up above the 40th floor were shaking. They actually saw some smoke even billowing shortly afterward in the stairwell and out the elevator doors. Really a frightening moment for everybody involved, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Frightening indeed. Natasha Chen, just outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas, thank you very much.

Also tonight, terrorism experts are warning ISIS still poses a very dangerous global threat. The attack in New Orleans a grim reminder of the group's reach years after U.S. And coalition forces dismantled its caliphate in the Middle East. CNN's Nic Robertson has a closer look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): 2024 saw ISIS attack spike, this massive concert hall attack in Moscow, killing more than 100 people in March. Their deadliest claimed by their most active franchise, ISIS-K or ISKP in Afghanistan. A month later, this bloody attack inside a Russian jail, four guards killed. A stabbing attack followed in Germany. They attacked in Afghanistan and Iran. Another of their estimated 10 franchises or provinces fought Nigerian troops.

AARON ZELIN, SENIOR FELLOW, WASHINGTON INSTITUTE FOR NEAR EAST POLICY: We've seen a huge increase in tempo over the last year or two. In 2024, there were like 14 or 15 arrests related to the Islamic State in the U.S.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): It's a far cry from five years ago when ISIS appeared to be on the back foot. Their short lived Iraq and Syrian caliphate beaten by U.S. and coalition partners into a seeming surrender. But not anymore according to MI5's intelligence chief.

KEN MCCALLUM, DIRECTOR GENERAL, MI5: After a few years of being pinned well back, they've resumed efforts to export terrorism. We and many European partners are detecting IS connect activity in our homelands which we're moving early to disrupt.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Taylor Swift and her Era's tour in Vienna, beneficiary of the heightened safeguarding. An ISIS inspired plot, forcing her to call off her show. What has changed, Zelin says, is that ISIS is centralizing, learning from its mistakes in Syria.

ZELIN: They integrated a lot of their provinces together under this General Directorate of Provinces, so there's a bit more coordination on the global level within its network.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): In the Mideast, the ISIS brand is apparently still attracting supporters like these three Armanis is in one of many such ISIS propaganda videos the terror group posts. Their bloody bounce back began several years ago, gaining temporary global attention, killing 13 U.S. troops as coalition forces pulled out of Afghanistan in 2021.

But since then, most of ISIS's recovery has not sparked massive global attention. 2025 might be the year that changes. [17:34:59]

ZELIN: If they can do something in the U.S., if they can do something in Europe, if they can do something in Russia, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, if they can do it, they'll do it because for them it's a global war.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON (on camera): And the success for ISIS in this context could be as simple as an attacker like Shamsud-Din Jabbar claiming as he has done to have acted in ISIS's name, even when he may not have had any physical support from them, Wolf?

BLITZER: Our thanks to CNN's Nic Robertson for that report. Nic, thank you very, very much.

I want to bring in retired U.S. Army General Wesley Clark, the former NATO Supreme Allied commander. He's a CNN military analyst. General Clark, thanks so much for joining us. Jabbar, as you well know and all of us know by now, as a U.S. -- was a U.S. citizen, a military veteran. How is ISIS ideology attracted to someone like him?

GEN. WESLEY CLARK (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: You know, he's a man who got out of the military. He had a -- he had a really troubled personal life. He was failing in his marriage. He tried businesses, businesses failed. I think he was looking for anything to hold onto. And so unlike a young person who would be looking for some way to -- to latch onto something for his identity, this guy was sliding downhill quickly.

He -- he would take anything at this point, I -- I suppose. And somehow he was on the ISIS websites. And -- and Wolf, what it says to me is we've got to do a better job of policing the websites, knowing who's on them, knowing who's back and forth in the correspondence and answering. And, you know, this is a slippery -- this is difficult to do, takes a lot of manpower. And ISIS is learning and has learned how to elude U.S. surveillance and efforts. And -- and so this is part of their resurgence. We're just going to have to do a better job on this.

BLITZER: It's absolutely true. We've seen several instances, General, as you well know, of ISIS inspired incidents around the world in recent months. How is this terrorist organization still able to inspire these sorts of terror attacks?

CLARK: I think there are always going to be people in a globalized economy who either don't feel significant and are looking for some way to put meaning in their lives. That would be a young person who was alienated in school and early job or someone in midlife, like this terrorist in New Orleans who has failed and is looking for anything and any support.

He can be manipulated online by some clever leadership by ISIS. And this is really the danger. Maybe he didn't go online with the intent of killing a bunch of people and committing suicide, but then he's groomed into it and -- and that's what we really have to be careful of. Really, this is a -- it's a whole of society approach. It's people who are friends and relatives looking out for each other. That's where it starts.

And then it's effective government surveillance program of these websites. And then it's neighbors and police and -- and state security organizations who are clued in to the people who are at risk in their areas.

BLITZER: General Wesley Clark, as always, thank you so much for joining us.

CLARK: Thank you, Wolf.

[17:38:12]

BLITZER: And just ahead, new uncertainty tonight over tomorrow's vote to elect the next House speaker that could delay potentially certification of Donald Trump's election win.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Right now, these are live pictures. President Biden is honoring 20 Americans with the Presidential Citizens Medal. Among those receiving the award, the leaders of the January 6th Select Committee, including Representative Bennie Thompson and former representative, Liz Cheney. CNN's Kayla Tausche is over at the White House for us. Kayla, this is an extremely high honor for these two people who could be potentially targets of the next administration.

KAYLA TAUSCHE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, there's no question about that, Wolf. The 20 individuals that Biden is honoring today are receiving the second highest civilian honor. And by choosing those individuals alongside advocates for liberal causes like gay rights, veterans issues and gun safety, as well as some of his closest confidants over the course of the last several decades.

Biden is essentially sending a signal to the President-elect that he has supported these individuals and their causes, even as Trump and his team have sought to malign those two individuals and the work of their committee. Biden is also still considering a preemptive pardon for Cheney and other individuals potentially targets of retribution by the incoming administration.

And earlier today, at a separate event at the White House, I had an opportunity to ask the outgoing chair of the Judiciary Committee, Senator Dick Durbin, what he thought of the possibility of such preemptive partisans for Cheney and others, including California's new senator, Adam Schiff. And Durbin told me this. He said that essentially he's spoken to several of the people mentioned, including Senator Schiff, who don't think it's necessary. Durbin says, I'm standing by them.

So certainly that is something that is going to be watched in the final days of the Biden administration. But you can see the President choosing to elevate the people and the causes that he holds most dear, and we expect him to do that as he closes out his time in office. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right, Kayla Tausche over at the White House for us, thank you very much.

Also tonight, House Republicans are just hours away from a very suspenseful vote for speaker of the House that will test Mike Johnson's hold on the gavel and President-elect Trump's influence over his party. Johnson is scrambling to lock up the overwhelming GOP support he needs to avoid a protracted floor fight that would have serious consequences for Trump and for the new Congress. CNN congressional correspondent Lauren Fox is following all these developments for us. Lauren, so where does Johnson's fight for the votes he needs stand right now?

[17:45:03]

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, he's still trying to have conversations, Wolf, to lock up his support that he'll need tomorrow. Johnson can only lose a single Republican vote. And right now, Thomas Massie, a Republican from the state of Kentucky, has already said that he will be voting against Johnson in tomorrow's count.

Now, earlier today, Johnson met with some of those holdouts. And as those members were emerging from the meeting, they said that they've had a good conversation with Johnson, that they can continue to try to press for changes in how they try to move forward with spending bills. They want those bills to be individual.

They also say that they are trying to get more promises from Johnson that individual members will have more say in the initial negotiations when it comes to big pieces of legislation. Think about the upcoming tax bill that Republicans might be eyeing in the next year. But it's not clear whether or not Johnson has the votes.

Now, earlier today, he did appear on "Fox Business" and he was bullish, saying that he thought that they would be OK tomorrow, that he thought that they could potentially lock this up in the first round of voting. But we should note that earlier today, some of his closest allies still preparing for the potential that this could go multiple rounds.

And just to remind everyone, back in 2023, it took Kevin McCarthy 15 rounds of voting to become the speaker of the House. Wolf?

BLITZER: We'll see what happens tomorrow. All right, Lauren Fox reporting for us. Thanks very, very much.

Coming up, there's breaking news in South Korea where authorities are now attempting to arrest the country's president. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:51:10]

BLITZER: Now, there's a major breaking news in South Korea. Showing you live pictures. Authorities there are attempting to serve an arrest warrant against the country's embattled president. For more on that, I want to bring in CNN's Mike Valerio. He's joining us live from the capital of Seoul. Give us the latest, Mike.

MIKE VALERIO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, why this is so important for all of our viewers in the United States, with so much going on back home and the rest of the world, this is the first time, the first time that a sitting president here in this bastion of democracy that is South Korea, has faced a warrant for his arrest and detention. This has never happened before for somebody who is in office.

So what we're looking at right now, the drama of the moment. Police are corralling out protesters and we're waiting to see, Wolf, whether or not there is going to be a clash with supporters of South Korea's suspended President Yoon and police.

So bringing you back to speed or rewinding the tape a little bit, this comes one month to the day after this guy suspended President Yoon declared martial law, throwing the country into chaos because he couldn't get what he want -- what he wanted done through the parliament here in South Korea. That effort failed.

And what we're seeing right now, that is a direct result of him trying to throw this country back into a state of martial law. So he's facing charges of insurrection and abuse office, paraphrasing the charges ever so lightly. So what we're waiting to see is if he goes without incident, if there are mass protests, clashes, fights. And this warrant allows him to be questioned, Wolf, for 48 hours.

Police and investigators here in Seoul would need another warrant to keep him in custody longer. But it is a standoff with, you know, questions of how this democracy will continue -- will continue to exist while we are still under the pall of 179 people killed in that cataclysmic plane crash about three and a half hours south of where we're standing, Wolf.

BLITZER: Mike, a quick question. If he does go without incident, will he still be the president of South Korea?

VALERIO: He'll be the suspended president. So all his powers have been taken away because the parliament here has voted to impeach. So we're on our third person now, Wolf, here in South Korea to hold the powers of the presidency. That's why there is so much chaos going on in this corner of the world.

BLITZER: Major news in South Korea. We'll stay in close touch with you. Mike Valerio, thank you very, very much.

[17:53:52]

Coming up, we'll have more on the breaking news in New Orleans. Stand by for all the latest details on the deadly attack. Stay with us. You're in The Situation Room.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: Happening now, breaking news, chilling new details about the New Orleans attacker as we now have exclusive new video from his final hours. Authorities shifting gears in the fast moving investigation now believing he acted inspired by the terror group ISIS.

Also breaking, officials reveal the final fatal moves of the driver who exploded a Cybertruck right in front of the Trump Hotel. Standby for new details on the blast and the search for a motive.

Plus, we're learning about a very high level warning to law enforcement officials last month about potential vehicle ramming attacks over the holidays. I'll discuss these breaking stories with the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. He joins us live this hour.

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

We begin this hour with two major breaking stories. The investigations into the deadly truck ramming attack in New Orleans and the Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas. Authorities so far finding no definitive link despite some very striking similarities. CNN's Natasha Chen is standing by in Las Vegas. But first, let's go to CNN's Ryan Young. He has new information on the New Orleans attack.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTOPHER RAIA, FBI DEPUTY ASST. DIRECTOR: This was an act of terrorism. It was premeditated and an evil act.

RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A change in theory in a brand new timeline laid out one day after the deadly attack on Bourbon Street.

RAIA: We do not assess at this point that anyone else is involved in this attack except for Shamsud-Din Jabbar.

[18:00:03]

YOUNG (voice-over): The FBI now saying they believe the suspect acted alone after initially saying Wednesday they --