top of the hour, i'm poppy harlow in new york. they were bitter enemies during the presidential campaign, but today, president-elect donald trump and mitt romney shook hands in a meeting that may have included talk about the job of secretary of state. to say that trump and romney have held and had a rocky relationship is putting it mildly. romney called trump a con man, a phony, and a fraud who would bring trickle down racism to america. trump called romney a choke artist for losing the 2012 election. but that was then, apparently this is now. what remains to be seen is whether they'll join forces. we did hear from trump today

that an appointment could be made today. but first, phil mattingly is live for us in new jersey. we just heard from romney. what did he say? >> reporter: that's right, poppy. i think the interesting element, a couple weeks ago, you wouldn't even imagine a hand shake between these two men, let alone the meeting they had here. mitt romney flying to new jersey to sit down with donald trump. donald trump said it was a great meeting. mitt romney said it was a meeting focused entirely on foreign policy. take a listen. >> we had a far-reaching conversation with regards to the various theaters in the world where were interests of the united states of real significance. we discussed those areas, and exchanged our views on those topics. very thorough and in depth discussion in the time we had.

and i appreciate the chance to speak with the president-elect, and look forward to the coming administration and the things -- >> governor -- >> thank you. >> reporter: and poppy, the significance of only focusing on foreign policy, there's a lot of talk about a potential cabinet position for mitt romney. that speculation largely is around the position of secretary of state. now, we haven't gotten any comment one way or another from advisers in the wake of that meeting related to the cabinet position specifically. of course, the big questions are, is that something donald trump wants and more importantly, is that a position mitt romney would want in a trump administration. there's been several important meetings today. a lot of respect shown by mike pence and president-elect donald trump in advance. a lot of people trying to read the tea leaves right now, poppy. >> is there any sense that you got, phil, from either side as to whether either man has offered an apology in the wake of the harsh campaign rhetoric, that they both used against one

another? >> reporter: we asked both. both ignored those questions when they came out. i think the interesting element is when you talked to people that are close to romney, they made clear what he's focused on is trying to help the president-elect. their disagreements haven't changed and we have talked about when it comes to foreign policy, they diverge in key areas, something that might stand in the way of a secretary of state position. but when you talk about what romney is considering why this is important, it's because he wants to see whoever the president is, whether it's a democrat or republican, succeed going forward. that's why he wanted to have this meeting. >> but can they get past their personal issues and get on the same page on policy issues when it comes to russia, which is front and center right now. phil, thank you for the reporting. keep a close eye on that door behind you, my friend. >> all right. >> let's bring in my panel. joining me, lonny chen, and mitt romney's former public policy

director. also with us, former congressman jack kingston and former adviser to the trump campaign. lonny, let's just listen to this two men, okay, during this election. let's roll it. >> donald trump is a phony, a fraud. >> mitt was a disaster as a candidate. >> he's playing the members of the american public for suckers. >> romney let us all down. he was a poor campaigner. >> he gets a free ride to the white house and all we get is a lousy hat. >> romney choked like a dog, he choked. >> his promises are as worthless as a degree from trump university. >> i have a lot of trends. by the way, mitt romney is not one of them. >> so first of all, if he gets the secretary of state gig, if it's offered, he definitely has to give romney a hat along with it, right? >> it's a great hat. >> honestly, on the personal

stuff, you know mitt romney, can they get past it and get they get on the same page with policy? >> governor romney expressed his point of view, as did donald trump. now the campaign is over, mitt romney has made it clear he wanting the help the president-elect govern effectively. so he's thought deeply and clearly about this stuff for a long time. he wants to share information with the president-elect and i'm sure vice versa. i think the key now, and governor romney has made this abundantly clear, we want to help the president-elect govern effectively. >> congressman, to you, on these policy issues, and let's just dive into russia, donald trump has spoken very highly, praising vladamir putin, said he thinks he's a good leader. he said wouldn't it be better for the united states to be friends with, and have a good relationship with russia than what we have now. mitt romney in 2012, when he was running, called russia the greatest geopolitical threat out there.

can the two men get on the same policy page? >> i think they can, because number one, everybody serves as the pleasure of the president, even if you're a cabinet member. you have to implement the president's policies. but i don't believe mitt romney would sign on if he did not believe in the policies and did not say yeah, this is the direction we're going in. one oh of the things i do think is important when you look at romney calling the shot directly, that earns him a lot of respect. but at the same time, here we have john kerry trying to work on a peace accord in syria with put putin's representative. so you have to be aware of your enemy but work with them. >> john mccain even this week came out with very, very stern warning to -- he didn't use the president-elect's name, but it was clear who he was talking to when he said, you know, trade carefully here when dealing with russia, particularly as it pertains to syria. >> but, you know what? i think they're all on the same

page, maybe just a different spot. when you think about kerry trying to work with russia right now and syria, and mccain saying it's a good thing to do it, but engage very carefully, i think you have to be very leery of russia. but at the same time, as president-elect, i think it's better for trump to set the tone instead of saying enemy number one, putin and russia, i'm going to take them on. he's saying olive branch, let's see if we can get together. >> let's change topics. steve bannon, who donald trump has tapped to be his chief strategist and senior counsel in the white house just gave an interview. here's a quote from it. darkness is good. dick cheney, darth vader, satan, that's power. it only helps us when they get it wrong. when they're mind to who we are and what we're doing. lonny chen, as a conservative and republican, what is your

reaction to that kind of rhetoric, that language from the man who will have trump's ear for the next four years? >> yeah, i think there is a certain element of politics here that translates over from the campaign to governing. obviously, the way that was said probably is a little bit darker than certainly would be in my taste. >> probably? darth vader? >> well, right. but look, i think the goal here for the trump white house now is they're building an organization that will govern. but remember, also building an organization that will entrench republicans in authorities. >> he went on to say we're going to govern, republicans for the next 50 years and flip this economy around. congressman kingston, trump ran on this platform of "make america great again." here's how elizabeth warren reacted to him picking so far all white men for his appointments thus far. she tweeted, when you're meeting

with donald trump, maybe you could bring your binders full of women with you. what do you believe that these appointments thus far tell the american public about the last time that donald trump thought america was great? he ran on make america great again. now he's putting people around him to do that. what should we read from that? >> i think elizabeth warren is being elizabeth warren. god bless her, she is a very loyal opposition, and i'm sure she will promise to be for the next eight years. but he's going to have a great cabinet and it will be diverse and look like america. and he's going to have advisers surrounding him that look like america. >> but these don't. congressman, you must admit that these three don't. >> they don't have to, because -- he doesn't have to please elizabeth warren or the left right now. >> but you just said his picks will look like america. and perhaps the next picks will

be more diverse. >> elizabeth warren did everything she could to oppose him. she lost. so he doesn't have to worry about what she has to say. she's still in campaign mode. he is going on his own timeline. a week ago, the story was, where are the cabinet picks he's behind? when in truth, most cabinets take six to seven weeks to put together. >> great point. president obama did not name one for three weeks. so he's not alone in that respect. >> but with michelle rhee there, a democrat, he's going to have a diverse opinion and diverse racial differences, and i think it's going to be good. the end product is going to be excellent. >> there's a lot more appointments that need to be made. thank you very much to both of you. coming up, right now president obama is in lima, peru, attending the annual apec

summit and what is foremost on the minds of many world leaders' mind is what is next with president-elect donald trump? that is all coming up live in the cnn newsroom, live in lima. and donald trump's cabinet and senior staff taking shape. who would voters like to see in the president's inner circle. and high security at trump tower. the unique challenge of keeping a president-elect safe right in the heart of new york city. you're live in the cnn newsroom. i'm only in my 60's. i've got a nice long life ahead.

big plans. so when i found out medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses, i got a medicare supplement insurance plan. [ male announcer ] if you're eligible for medicare, you may know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. call now and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement insurance plans, it could save you in out-of-pocket medical costs. call now to request your free decision guide. i've been with my doctor for 12 years. now i know i'll be able to stick with him. [ male announcer ] you'll be able to visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. plus, there are no networks, and virtually no referrals needed. see why millions of people have already enrolled in the only medicare supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp. don't wait. call now.

president obama this weekend in south america. he arrived in lima, peru last night to attend the annual apec summit, that is the group of countries around the asia

pacific rim. peru is one of three latin america countries that are in apec. athena, 61 days left in office. how much of his focus on this trip is the transition, and what is he saying? >> reporter: we know that the white house is very interested in making sure that there is a smooth transition to power for president-elect donald trump. you heard the president say this over and over. but on this trip, both in your and here, he spent a lot of time trying to reassure world leaders is going to remain engaged and honor alliances, chief among them nato in your. now that he's here in peru, he has a chance to reassure the leaders that the u.s. is going to remain engaged. he just wrapped up a town hall with about 1,000 young leaders from latin america and the caribbean. this is the kind of event he likes to do in countries across the world. he's done quote a few of them, answering questions from young people. he talked today about democracy.

he said democracy is more than just elections, it's a free press, free throw dom dom of re the rule of law. but he also said democracy can be frustrating. take a listen. >> democracy can be frustrating, because it means that you always don't get 100% of what you want. democracy means that sometimes you have to compromise. and it means that the outcomes of elections don't always turn out the way you would hope. >> certainly the outcome of this election did not turn out the way president obama had hoped. one more point he made during this town hall is he believes the relationship between the u.s. and latin america won't see major changes under a trump presidency. he thinks that there could be tensions arising over the issue, issue of trade.

but doesn't foresee a huge change in the approach to latin america. we will see if he's right. >> and he's been assuring world lead thaers the u.s. is committed to nato, something the president-elect threw into question during the campaign. athena, thank you for the reporting. up next, we'll take you out of new york and out of washington, d.c., into america. we'll take you into alabama, a state that went for donald trump by nearly a 2-1 margin over hillary clinton. what do people there think about trump's cabinet picks so far? as of now, it's been all white men named to the cabinet is. that okay with you? >> it is, yes. >> reporter: would you like to see a woman? >> i would, yes.

weand sustainability goals asool one of our top priorities.mental i definitely rely on pg&e to be an energy advisor. anything from rebates, to how can we be more efficient? pg&e has a number of programs, to help schools save on energy. when i see a program that fits them, then i bring it to them. with the help of pg&e we've been able to save a tremendous amount of energy and a tremendous amount of money. we're able to take those savings and invest it right back into the classroom. together, we're building a better california.

this week, donald trump made some mayor picks from his cabinet and white house staff. there are concerns among some about some of their backgrounds and temperament. so what do poem in the states that voted heavily for donald trump think about the advisers he's selected so far. our gary tuchman traveled to alabama to gauge reaction there. >> reporter: in hefflin, alabama, the nomination of jeff sessions is the talk of the

town. >> i was surprised but glorified. i'm just overjoyed with it. i athink he's going to do us a great job. >> reporter: this is where we came to talk about sessions and other trump nominees. as of now it's been all white men named is. that okay with you? >> it is. >> reporter: would you like to see a woman? >> i would. >> reporter: but not necessarily. if etch is qualified white men, that's okay? >> it is. >> i'm not a feminist, it doesn't matter. as long as they know how to do their job. >> reporter: 88% of the people here cast votes for donald trump. but we had questions. jeff sessions in 1986 wanted to be a federal judge. he was rejected by a republican committee because of racially charged comments he made. he called the naacp communist inspired, un-american. do you think that should disqualify him? >> no. because 30 years ago that was something common for somebody to

say. >> reporter: if he said something hike that more recently, last year, would that be enough to disqualify him? >> yes. >> 30 years ago, i went to an all-white school, maybe longer than 30 years. but they had an all white school and all black school. i was all for that because i didn't know any better. >> reporter: if he made those comments today -- >> that would bother me, yes, it would. >> reporter: what about the nominee for national security adviser, who was a controversial advocate for trump on the campaign trail. he's talked about islam and said islam hides behind being a religion. did that trouble you? >> i don't think that's true. it may be his opinion, but i don't think it's true. >> reporter: does it bother you, should that disqualify him from being the national security adviser? >> well, maybe he knows a heck

of a lot more about it than i do. >> reporter: then there's congressman mike pompeo for cia chief. this woman feels he may not have the proper experience. does that trouble you? >> a little yes, sir. >> reporter: but donald trump picked him. >> we can't agree with everything he does. >> reporter: but there seems to be a general agreement that the transition is going fine. do you think there's some in the news media that just don't get snit >> they never had it. >> reporter: gary tuchman, cnn, hefflin, alabama. >> gary, thank you for that reporting. coming up next, a new search of immigrants racing to come into the united states before donald trump becomes the next president. i'll speak with my next guest, bill richardson, former governor of new mexico. what needs to happen? he's with us next.

asmy family tree,ing i discovered a woman named marianne gaspard... it was her french name. then she came to louisiana as a slave. i became curious where in africa she was from. so i took the ancestry dna test to find out more about my african roots. the ancestry dna results were really specific. they told me all of these places in west africa. i feel really proud of my lineage, and i feel really proud of my ancestry. ancestry has many paths to discovering your story, get started for free at ancestry.com you're smart. you already knew that. but it's also great for finding the perfect used car. you'll see what a fair price is, and you can connect with a truecar certified dealer. now you're even smarter. this is truecar.

thope to see you again soon.. whoa, whoa, i got this. just gotta get the check. almost there. i can't reach it. if you have alligator arms, you avoid picking up the check. what? it's what you do. i got this. thanks, dennis! if you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance, you switch to geico. growwwlph. it's what you do. oh that is good crispy duck.

donald trump will not take office for another two months, but something remarkable is already happening along the u.s.-mexico border. it seems all of his talk about building a wall on the campaign trail is fuelling a surge of new arrivals in places like south texas. our paula sandoval traveled there and that region where some immigrants who just entered the country say they were racing against time. >> reporter: it's the second south texas border surge, and there are hardly any empty seats on the buses that pull into the central station. thousands of undocumented immigrants fleeing crime and poverty are again saturating america's immigration system. they turned themselves in to authorities at the border, the process then released with an

ankle monitor. what brings you to the united states? [ speaking foreign language ] >> he says the level of crime in the country is what brings him and his son carlos here. >> reporter: before heading north, they made a brief stop at a shelter. this is run by sister norma. >> the violence is terrible. they fear for their lives, especially their kids. >> reporter: volunteers have been walking them from the bus station to the shelter and back for two years now. but what's new is the numbers we're seeing. we hear from the officials here in south texas that will tell you there is another reason why so many people are rushing to the u.s. >> they all know about president trump, they know about a wall. they know that. >> reporter: the mayor suspects

it's no longer poverty fan thing wave. >> if you talk about building a fence, you better get of here now before january and the swearing in ceremony. >> reporter: back at the shelter, the new arrivals are weighing in. who comes here fearing that donald trump planned to build a massive border wall? [ speaking foreign language ] we found this 17-year-old and her father. now that you're in the u.s., are you afraid of mass deportations? she tells me she fears being returned to her native honduras. on the banks of the rio grand, more migrants emerge and turn themselves in to authorities. it's a seemingly endless flow of families arriving night and day. >> there's a big fear in that

community about what's going to happen. but ultimately, we have to respond to the fact that they're human beings. >> reporter: carlos and his son are starting the u.s. stretch of his journey, like so many others who are now in their shoes, they face an uncertain future. >> that is a fascinating story. fascinating reporting, thank you for it. it seems counterinintuitive that people who fear deportation under donald trump would rush to come here. and yet they're undeterred. why is that? >> reporter: that is a key question here, poppy. i posed it to some of these families fresh after they crossed, and the answer to them was simple, the fear over the gangs and the violence in central america is so much greater than the fear of being deported while here in the united states. as a result, they're taking chances. that's the key here, that the violence, the poverty, those are still the main driving factors. but now, especially after this presidential election, it seems

there could be perhaps a third reason to get on u.s. soil sooner than rather. >> thank you very much for the reporting. let's stroll down a little bit more on immigration reform with governor bill richardson. he's had numerous positions in the government, former governor of new mexico. he previously called donald trump's immigration positions "ludicrous, impractical and racist." what does he think now? he is with me. thank you for joining me, governor. >> thank you, poppy. >> donald trump is standing by his pledge to build this border wall. he did concede that it could be a fence in some places. but in terms of deportation, he and the house speaker paul ryan have walked that back and said this deportation force not a priority right now. for you, someone who has dealt with this firsthand as a governor of a border state, what is the most useful thing you think president-elect trump could do to curve illegal immigration?

>> first of all, i do think that we need to enforce our laws and just because trump is coming in doesn't mean you open the border. so i'm for securing the border, more technology, more border patrol, but at the same time, you have to be realistic. and i think you need to establish a path to legalization to the 11 million that are here in the united states today, that are working, that are contributing. yes, turn back the criminals, although i think president-elect trump misstated the number of criminals. he said there were close to 2 million, and it's closer to 200,000. i'm for deporting those. >> he was actually called the deporter in chief. president obama has deported so many more people than his predecessor. >> that's right. i think you deport those that are criminals, that have

criminal backgrounds that threaten the united states. i think we need to tighten our visa requirements so that if we don't get incidents like we did in san bernardino, people that are hostile to america. but at the same time, i think building a wall, finding ways to keep muslims out, having a repressive policy is not going to be a solution. constructive immigration reform is good for the budget, it's good for business. it creates jobs. it's good on the border. look, i was a border governor. illegal immigration on the border with mexico has decreased. >> but you've also said and yes, you are a democrat, but you have said we need more border security, not necessarily a wall. but you've also put the blame squarely on both democrats and on republicans. where has been the biggest impasse? where has the biggest failure been on both sides? >> well, the failure has been in

the stroncongress, the fact thay have not passed a comprehensive immigration bill. governor george bush proposed a good bill that said we're going to secure the border but have a path to citizenship, find a way they can pay back taxes, get rid of the criminal element, embrace american values, have jobs, have families that are safety for the american people. i'm for that. but i think democrats, if anything, should have put immigration reform a league e h priority. >> you brought up -- >> my point is that both parties need to focus on immigration reform. i'm not just blaming the republicans. i'm saying it's a collective problem in american policy, but

donald trump solution, the ones he's talked about in the campaign, building a wall, deporting. how are you going to deport 11 million people? >> as i said, the house speaker and donald trump said that is not the priority right now. but i want to get to this issue of muz hslims entering the unit states. donald trump, at one point, called for an all-out ban. but he still promises what he calls extreme vetting. let's take a listen to some of the things he said during the campaign, something that fdr did during world war ii that he eventually apologized for. >> what i'm doing is no different than what fdr -- fdr's solution for germans, italians, japanese, you know, many years ago -- >> so you're for internment camps? >> no, i'm not, no, i'm not.

you look at franklin roosevelt, a respected president, what he was doing with germans, italians and japanese, because he had to do it. look, we are at war with radical islam. >> you certainly aren't proposing internment camps? >> not at all. >> he said i'm not proposing internment camps, but in the same breath fdr did what he had to do. governor, what do you think the stance from his administration will be ultimately when they have to deal with how are they going to handle this issue? >> well, he's now president, and so a lot of that campaign rhetoric i think he has the potential to put it aside and moderate it, that's what i hope happens. i'm not encouraged by his national security adviser espousing almost anti-muslim views across the board. that's not a good start. but again, we have to see how he's going to govern. i believe what we need to do is

we can't punish and we can't go after arab countries that help us to combat terrorism from radical muslims. that's what is happening. i think if he just increases the visa vetting, makes security more a -- from countries where there have been terrorism like sudan, i think those are sensible reforms. but to have a ban on muslims is counterproductive. we need international support from muslim countries to curb the terrorists coming into america and harming the american people. >> let me ask you about this, kansas secretary of state -- you know what? stand by, stay with me. i have breaking news. let me go to phil mattingly in new jersey with some breaking news. phil, what are you hearing? >> reporter: poppy, i think one of the more interesting meetings, we've been focused on the mitt romney meeting.

but what we just saw was retired marine general james mattis walk out of a rather long meeting with president-elect donald trump. i'm told from trump's transition sources there's a good reason that meeting was long. donald trump is very intrigued about the idea of general mattis ending up in his cabinet, ending up in his administration. we've been talking a lot about various candidates, what positions they may end up, and what i'm told is a leading candidate to be defense secretary is james mattis. his name has been floating about over the last couple of weeks. but i'm told definitively now that the president-elect is very intrigued about the possibility of james mattis ending up in his cabinet. and just for background, james mattis was very well known during his time in the military as a general in the marines, very well known for his service in iraq and known as being bipartisan. both the obama administration and republicans on capitol hill think highly of him. this is something we need to keep a close eye on, because there is a very good chance that

at some point he ends up in a trump administration. >> you mentioned the service in iraq and afghanistan, who led the task force in southern afghanistan in 2001. were you able to hear the comments that donald trump made about him as they were departing together just a few moments ago? >> reporter: we asked donald trump if he had something to say, if he wanted specifically general mattis to be in his cabinet. while he wouldn't say anything about that, he said over and of again how impressed he was with the general's resume, and how impressed he was with the general as a man. this was coming after this meeting, in a meeting i was told was very important as we go through the process, in a meeting that was longer than just about any other meeting today except for 2012 nominee mitt romney. so donald trump praising general mattis as they walked out of that meeting, as he considers the possibility of making general mattis his first defense

secretary. >> his team, trump's team said we may have a national security role announcement today. would this be it, secretary of defense? >> reporter: no, i'm told this wouldn't be it. there's still some time in the process to be made. it would be in the national security sector, but a lower level position than cabinet secretary. >> great reporting, phil mattingly. thank you so much. governor richardson, my thanks to him for his patience, letting me jump in there. we'll take a quick break. much more with governor richardson right after this.

♪ i want a hippopotamus ♪ only a hippopotamus will do at the united states postal service, we deliver more online purchases to homes than anyone else in the country. and more hippopotamuses, too.

you're looking at bedminister, new jersey. the president-elect, donald trump is holding what we're told are non-stop meetings this weekend with potential picks for his cabinet and white house staff. he's already had a number of them today, including very high profile meetings, like an hour and 20 minute meeting with mitt romney, formerly a foe, now they're getting along. meantime, donald trump's policies will be far reaching in some cases and will impact the entire planet. his position on climate change is being closely watched by other countries around the world, since he's repeatedly denied that climate change is man made. trump tweeted in 2012 that global warming was created by

and for the chinese to make u.s. manufacturing not competitive. this week, a chinese official rejected that notion telling a world climate conference in morocco that it was the united states that first spearheaded climate talks in the 1980s. there's this moment from the first presidential debate in september. >> donald trump thinks that climate change is a hoax perpetrated by the chinese. i think it's real. >> i did not -- i do not say that. i do not say that. >> bill richardson is with me once again. he served as energy secretary under president bill clinton. so sir, put your energy secretary hat back on and let's talk about what this could mean, because the united states and china, as you know, the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases came to an agreement in the paris climate talks. in may, when he was giving a speech on energy, donald trump said we're going to cancel the

paris agreement and stop all payments of u.s. tax dollars to u.n. global warming programs. do you believe he will do that as president, and what would the impact be? >> well, i hope he doesn't do it. but we don't know what he's going to do. i don't think he would do it, because it would be an unmitigated disaster for american foreign policy and foreign policy interests across the board. 175 countries signed the paris climate accords. the two biggest were the united states and china, who committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions as the biggest emitters. but it also included the european union. it included countries like brazil, india, the big industrialized powers around the world. so it would be an unmitigated disaster if we pulled out. he cannot be president-elect trump, a climate denier. and you can't say it's china that's perpetrating the hoax,

which he also said. you know, i'm one of those that am willing to -- all right, he said that during the campaign. i want to see what he's going to do as president. and we don't know. i think one of his biggest assets, poppy, is we don't know what he's going to do. that's a strange way to describe the asset -- >> why is that an asset? >> well, because he's made so many, i think, negative statements on foreign policy that concern me, but it seems he's walked back one issue, which president obama, when they met at the white house, possibly convinced him that nato was probably the strongest partnership that america has in world affairs. and i don't hear trump saying that we're going to pull out of nato, we're going to reduce our commitment to nato. so maybe he is moderating. i just don't know. nobody knows. >> you were energy secretary. so what would the real life consequences be if the u.s. does

pull out of this paris climate agreement? because i will tell you that i spoke with a lot of, you know, voters particularly in ohio and pennsylvania, who were very reliant on the coal industry for a really good living, that they could support their family on, and they have since lost those jobs, and they have felt the impact of some of these regulations of the obama administration, particularly on coal. so for them, it would be a net positive to their bottom line, at least in the short term. your response to that on the other side? >> well, my response is that there's scientific credible evidence across the board that greenhouse gas emissions are doing great damage to the earth. and i don't think it's related, poppy, to the issue of jobs. i think a lot of those constituents in ohio and pennsylvania, they're concerned about trade initiatives that i think jobs have been lost because of technology, not because of trade agreements or

climate change. but the consequences are, if we don't abide by this paris agreement, countries that think we're polluting the world as the main emitter, like mexico, like other countries, may put sanctions on us. sanctions, economic sanctions. you know, we can survive that. i'm not being somebody that is cataclysmic, but it makes no sense to ensure that we don't observe a climate agreement with so many countries, 175 countries under u.n. auspices where we took the lead and all of a sudden say we're not abiding. it's going to be a chaotic international situation and harm the earth. it's going to harm air pollution, man-made pollution has caused greenhouse gas emissions. that's established by science, not by politicians. >> it is widely accepted by all of the leading scientists indeed. however, donald trump has made these promises on the campaign

trail to bring back these coal jobs, things that if you do, you're not going to be in line with what the promises that were made in the paris accord. so that's going to be a really difficult point for him. he's going to disappoint people on either side. but he has tapped a leading climate denier, myron ebol, to head the epa's transition team. this is someone who has called president obama's clean power plan illegal. he said that climate change is phony and bogus and it is a pretext for extending government. so he's going to be the man, this is him, he's going to be the man in charge of staffing the epa and deciding who leads the environmental protection agency next. what do you expect the net result to be? >> well, i think it would be disastrous if any of those appointments are made. the fact is, all right, transition team, it's important. but i worry about who he

actually appoints to head the epa. who are the undersecretaries, who are the district directors in the various states for new mexico out of the texas region. that's what i'm concerned about. politicians, when they run for president, they had to satisfy political interests, the people that brought them to the sans as they say. so you put some of these people in the transition team. it is worrisome, especially if they've taken those positions. but i'm of the view that donald trump needs to unify the country. he did not win a mandate. hillary clinton maybe is ahead close to 2 million votes in the popular vote. it was a close election. so he's got to unify the country. my concern is the appointments are saying okay, i'm paying you off, far right. i'm paying you off to pay off my campaign rhetoric. so i want to see some more

inclusivity in the cabinet. i like the fact that he met with romney. i know romney. he's a reasonable guy. i don't know if he's the guy for secretary of state. but i think what you want to do, what you want to see is give them a chance to breathe. it's only the second week. let's see who he really appoints in these key positions. >> governor bill richardson, thank you for joining me on these important issues. we appreciate it. coming up, trump tower is about to become, well, certainly it's got a lot more police around it. take a look at the intense security that is going on all around trump tower in the middle of manhattan. we'll dive into what it means for the millions who live in this city. [vo] quickbooks introduces jeanette.

and her new business: i do, to go. jeanette was excellent at marrying people. but had trouble getting paid. not a good time, jeanette. even worse. now i'm uncomfortable. but here's the good news, jeanette got quickbooks. send that invoice, jeanette.

looks like they viewed it. and, ta-da! paid twice as fast. oh, she's an efficient officiant. way to grow, jeanette. get paid twice as fast. visit quickbooks-dot-com.

you're looking at live pictures out of bedminister, new jersey. donald trump is holding non-stop meetings with potential cabinet and white house staff picks at his golf course. we are hearing another appointment could come as soon as today. we are standing by. meantime, it is an unprecedented security challenge, guarding donald trump's home. trump tower smack in the middle of manhattan. that stretch already a nightmare. now midtown is home base for the president-elect. until inauguration in january. a white house north if you will, as the leader of the free world

plans his presidency. >> i realize this is a whole different life for me now. >> reporter: for a man used to going where he wants, when he wants, the president-elect's impromptu restaurant drew noticeable attention. trump tower is a gleaming 58-story luxury high rise in the heart of midtown. but for secret service agents, it's logistical and tactical nightmare. >> the height, all the glass. and then there's the streets around it, the threat from a vehicle born explosive device. >> reporter: the faa has established a no-fly zone and extending along the east coast. the outside of the building is tightly guarded to prevent what happened this summer when a

climber using giant suction cups scaled the exterior. and everything inside trump tower will have to be secured from the air vents to the elevators, even floors surrounding the president-elect's penthouse apartment, and his office on the 26th floor. >> the standard general rule when you're doing a security advances is one floor below, one above. but that doesn't always work. >> reporter: screening now a way of life. with anyone going in or out of the building. 58 stories of residents and commercial tenants all screened, including packages, mail, and deliveries. >> the extent you can avoid the immediate area around trump tower, that will make your life and everyone else's life easier. >> reporter: the build willing be protected by nypd and the secret service 24 hours a day, and a team in charge of securing and maintaining an area for top secret conversations.

>> we have a very successful record here in new york city in protecting venues and people. so we're very comfortable with our plan. >> deb, thank you so much for that. top of the hour. you are live in the cnn newsroom. i'm poppy harlow in new york. donald trump meeting behind closed doors with the people who could fill his cabinet and other top level positions at the white house. one man he met with is retired general who could possibly be a top candidate for defense secretary. much more on that meeting in a moment. first, though, the meeting trump had earlier today that raised a lot of eyebrows. he shook hands and met face to face with mitt romney for an hour and 20 minutes. romney, of course, the leading republican who launched a blistering attack on trump throughout the campaign. to say the two have had a rocky relationship is putting it mildly. here is a little bit of the barbs that they traded during the campaign.