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Indonesian Tsunami Death Toll Now At Least 429; Kevin Spacey Facing Felony Charges; Releases Bizarre Video; Pope Francis Calls For Rejection Of Materialism; Social Movements That Shook Up 2018; Melania Trump And Holiday Decorating Tradition; Top Movies To Watch Over The Holidays. Aired 7:30-8a ET
Aired December 25, 2018 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[07:30:00] MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Disaster officials say the massive wave injured nearly 1,500 others, with 154 remaining missing. Officials say the height of the wave reached over 16 feet in the area with the greatest damage.
Actor Kevin Spacey facing indecent assault and battery charges for alleging assaulting an 18-year-old man in July 2016. The announcement coinciding with a bizarre video Spacey posted in his defense, titled "Let Me Be Frank." It's a play on his former "HOUSE OF CARDS" character, Frank Underwood.
KEVIN SPACEY, ACTOR: You wouldn't be the worst without evidence, would you? You wouldn't rush to judgments without facts, would you? Did you?
If I didn't pay the price for the things we both know I did do, I'm certainly not going to pay the price for the things I didn't do.
RAJU: Spacey will be arraigned January seventh and no comment yet from his attorney.
On this Christmas, Pope Francis delivering a message condemning materialism. While leading the traditional Christmas Eve mass at the Vatican, he called on people living in developed countries to reject greed and live a simpler life.
I'm Manu Raju. Merry Christmas. More headlines in 30 minutes.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: This year, we experienced major movements that may have changed the course of history. We wanted to have a conversation about these political and social shifts with people who wrote about them or were directly involved.
So joining us now, "New York" magazine senior correspondent and CNN contributor, Irin Carmon. She's also co-author of the book, "Notorious RBG."
Lee Gelernt -- he's deputy director of the ACLU's Immigrant Rights Project and lead attorney in the lawsuit over separated families.
And, Cameron Kaskey. He's a survivor of the Parkland High School massacre and co-founder of the "March for our Lives" movement.
Thank you all.
LEE GELERNT, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, ACLU IMMIGRANTS' RIGHTS PROJECT, LEAD ATTORNEY IN LAWSUIT OVER SEPARATED FAMILIES: Thank you for having us.
BERMAN: It's an honor to have you here on this here. And I want to start with you because we were talking earlier in our political segment about the Kavanaugh hearing and I suppose there is a question about whether it would ultimately happen shows the power or the limits of the #MeToo movement.
IRIN CARMON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR, SENIOR CORRESPONDENT, NEW YORK MAGAZINE, CO-AUTHOR, "NOTORIOUS RBG": I think the lesson that we keep learning, again and again, is that the people who are at least accused of sexual violence are not just the person who is jumping out of the bush. It's not just the person who is supposedly coming across the border. It's people at the very highest precincts of power.
And I think that the Kavanaugh hearing was a reminder for a lot of people that the allegations against him show that these are the people who are making the decisions that shape our lives. They are people who are making our laws, they're shaping our culture.
And this year proved that #MeToo was not some kind of passing trend. It was something that we are still contending with. The ways in which the highest precincts of power are credibly accused of engaging in this kind of behavior.
Now, in the end, there were parts of this that felt like deja vu, right? We had the Clarence Thomas hearings in 1991. Anita Hill testified in a kind of echo of what we saw this year with Christine Blasey Ford and Brett Kavanaugh.
And just like with Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed. And I think that for some people, that was a deeply disappointing moment.
But the difference was that actually, more people believed Christine Blasey Ford than believed Anita Hill. More people believed Christine Blasey Ford than believed Brett Kavanaugh. And with Anita Hill, more people believed Clarence Thomas.
And I think you could make the argument that the kind of movement, and fierceness, and anger that arose from Brett Kavanaugh's nomination hearing led to that Democratic wave that we saw in November where you had a record number of women who were elected.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Beyond the Kavanaugh hearings, can't you also make the argument that there has been a real cataclysm in terms of the #MeToo movement and the huge names, certainly in T.V. news and beyond, that it brought down -- I mean, people that were once seen as truly indispensable lost their jobs because of allegations -- you know, credible allegations?
CARMON: Yes. I mean, I think that there was so much reporting in 2017 and I remember thinking wow, there's -- is there going to be more? Is this just a couple of weeks? Is this just a flash in the pan?
But, 2018 we saw that there was still so many stories left to tell and they were stories of hotel housekeepers, and they were stories of farm migrant laborers, and they were also stories of people working in the most powerful places in this country.
And so what does it mean? Whose voices did we not hear because of this kind of systemic violence? Who was pushed out? Who decided that they couldn't tolerate it, and what does it mean that our very cultural areas in our lives are shaped by people who are engaging in this kind of violence?
BERMAN: So, Lee, I want to talk about what you've been focused on for the year. Immigration in the news, as it always is --
[07:35:00] GELERNT: Right.
BERMAN: -- and there's always a discussion about the border -- strengthening the border. There was the argument over the so-called caravan -- the thousands of people who moved toward the United States to see asylum.
But you were particularly engaged in one facet of this which, to a certain extent, flipped the whole argument on its head. Family separations --
GELERNT: Right.
BERMAN: -- where the president -- the administration, through their actions and decisions, decided to separate children from their parents. And it was met with not universal but by far, a clear majority outrage where people said it was a bad idea.
So what was different about that, specifically?
GELERNT: Yes, I think you're putting your finger on it. We do a lot of immigration work at the ACLU and people agree with us, people don't agree with us.
But we rarely saw that kind of outcry from both liberals and Democrats, and Republicans and conservatives. I mean, there was an outpouring. That's the first time that this administration has backed down on anything and they did it partly because of our court case but I think in significant part because of the public outcry.
And I think what was different is that we were able to tell human stories. It wasn't abstract policy arguments, it wasn't a blue or aggregate statistics. It was these little children being torn away from their families, sitting in government facilities, one years old, two years old, three years old, asking where is my mommy.
When people heard that they forget about sort of what they think about macro immigration policy and they said look, whatever we may agree or disagree with the ACLU about, we do not want little children being taken away.
And I think one of the pivotal points was when Laura Bush came out and wrote an op-ed in "The Washington Post" and said look, we just have to agree on this. We cannot take little children away from their parents.
CAMEROTA: And yet, as we speak, there are still children separated from their parents.
GELERNT: Right. I mean, it's not over. And not only are the separations still continuing, but I think the trauma that we've inflicted on these children could potentially last for a lifetime. I mean, that's what I think is important that people not think well, just because they've been reunited we can forget about this.
When I speak with families, the parents tell me the child is still asking is someone going to come and take me away again in the middle of the night. That's the kind of trauma that no 3- or 4-year-old should ever have to live with.
CAMEROTA: Cameron, we want to turn to you now. And, of course, we all remember -- I mean, the whole country's heart was broken by what happened in Parkland.
You guys -- the students there -- you just immediately sprung into action. I mean, that was one of the things that made, I think, the country has hope that something might change because you all just, in your grief, dove into action.
And so, how do you see where the year ended with the "Never Again" movement.
CAMERON KASKEY, SURVIVOR, STONEMAN DOUGLAS SHOOTING SURVIVOR, CO- FOUNDER, MARCH FOR OUR LIVES MOVEMENT: Well, I think the Parkland movement is a very multifaceted thing. I think that there were a lot of different people from a lot of different parts of the political and ideological spectrum who were able to come together and say we have one common goal here and that is people can't remember Parkland as the city where everybody cried.
And there have been so many mass shootings. I mean, I was born in 2000 and I was raised on these things. They were every year or so and they're ramping up right now.
But, you know, every time we turn on the T.V. there was a mass shooting and there were these mothers and parents crying. And all I knew after the shooting that there were a lot of politically-charged things that were going through my mind. I certainly had political motivations when I founded the March for Our Lives.
But the -- but the first thing I thought was when people think Parkland, I can't have them thinking about a bunch of crying people. I want them to think about a city that got up and said no matter what happens to us, no matter what you can do to us, no matter what you can do to our kids, we will come together and we will say we are stronger than any evil or hate that can attack us. And I think that that's why the Parkland movement has been so successful, whether it be -- you know, no matter where you are politically, when people hear the word Parkland they don't think about crying, they don't think about hurt, they don't think about families being destroyed. They think about people standing up and people daring our country to do better, whether it be in gun control or school safety or whatever it is that you believe is the issue here.
And it's heartwarming, really, to see that a lot of families have been able to be remembered as these strong, resilient people. I mean, the victims' families. So many of them have risen up and shown so much strength.
There were several -- Lori Alhadeff and Ryan Petty ran for school board after their children were murdered months before. These are people who are so strong and inspiring.
And really, being able to look back on everything that's happened and see that so many people were able to take this horrible thing and make something of it, it's amazing, really.
BERMAN: One cause you're working on now -- first of all, it's inspiring to hear you talk about the change that you believe you've achieved. And by the way, completely apolitical change. What you're talking about there isn't pro- or anti-gun. It's just wanting to be heard and wanting people to think about Parkland in a different way.
[07:40:04] But one of the movements you're working on now is to have Peter Wang, a Parkland victim -- you want to have him be a recipient for the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- explain.
KASKEY: Well, you know, a lot of people right now are looking for heroes and as we come to the one-year anniversary of the shooting at my school, I think about a hero.
I think about Peter Wang who was a young student who was going to the military, and he was going to defend our country and he was going to continue to fight for what he believed in. And he lost his life defending the other students from our school.
So, Peter Wang receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- I mean, that's a no-brainer. This young man was as American as it gets. He was a hero and he lost his life, and there are people who owe their lives to him. There will be children had, people will -- there's really no telling just how many lives have been affected by Peter's heroism.
So no matter who you are or where you come from, I think it's very easy to see that -- especially coming towards this one-year anniversary -- Peter winning this award would be an overall victory, really, for everyone.
CAMEROTA: Well, Cameron, Irin, Lee, thank you all very much. We have followed all of these movements so closely and, of course, we will continue to stay in touch with you. Thank you so much.
GELERNT: Thank you for having me.
CAMEROTA: It's a tradition many look forward to every year -- the unveiling of the White House Christmas decorations. And this year's decorations -- well, I think it's fair to say they set the Internet on fire.
We're talking with a woman who has insight into how that all comes together, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[07:45:17] CAMEROTA: It's the Trump family's second Christmas season in the White House and we want to take you inside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and get the scoop on this year's decorations chosen by first lady Melania Trump.
With us to do that is Coleen Christian Burke. She's the author of "Christmas with the First Ladies" and Coleen helped decorate the White House under Laura Bush and Michelle Obama.
Great to have you here.
COLEEN CHRISTIAN BURKE, FORMER WHITE HOUSE DESIGN PARTNER, AUTHOR, "CHRISTMAS WITH THE FIRST LADIES: THE WHITE HOUSE DECORATING TRADITION FROM JACQUELINE KENNEDY TO MICHELLE OBAMA": Thanks for having me.
CAMEROTA: Merry Christmas.
BURKE: Merry Christmas.
CAMEROTA: OK, so --
BURKE: Should we talk about it?
CAMEROTA: Let's do it because Melania Trump's Christmas trees --
BURKE: Yes.
CAMEROTA: -- have gotten a lot of attention.
BURKE: They sure have.
CAMEROTA: So let us pull this up. So they are these all very dramatic red decorations.
BURKE: Absolutely.
CAMEROTA: What is your thought when you look at her -- first, just the red trees?
BURKE: So let's talk about the red trees because they've kind of been the most controversial --
CAMEROTA: Correct.
BURKE: -- and they've gotten a lot of flak. Some people think they look like the Flyers' new mascot in Philadelphia -- a different confeve (ph) program.
CAMEROTA: Maybe we can pull that up. Hold on, let me see that. So, the Flyers' mascot --
BURKE: Gritty.
CAMEROTA: -- named Gritty.
BURKE: Some people -- named Gritty.
CAMEROTA: I need to see a split screen.
BURKE: There he is.
CAMEROTA: No, they don't -- they look nothing like this.
BURKE: Looking a little shaggy. They're a little shaggy.
CAMEROTA: Oh --
BURKE: But they actually have historical importance because the cranberry tree has been a tradition in the White House since Betty Ford, and she had about a 2-foot cranberry tree that was always in the Red Room. And it was -- for those of who follow White House Christmas decorations, Michelle Obama -- first lady Michelle Obama mixed it up when she did a cranberry mantelpiece.
CAMEROTA: But hold on a second. What is -- these are cranberry trees?
BURKE: They're made of cranberries, so --
CAMEROTA: These are all made -- the reason they're red is that they're all made of cranberries?
BURKE: Correct, they are all made with sprigs of cranberries. So there's Styrofoam underneath and then they're covered with cranberries.
So it's really a reinvention of a very long-lasting, longstanding White House decorating tradition.
CAMEROTA: That's really good to know. But, obviously, she did it in a more dramatic fashion.
BURKE: Sure. I mean, there are 43 of them -- they're huge. And, you know, people either love them or hate them. Some people think they're very kind of design forward and some people think they're a flop.
So --
CAMEROTA: Your thoughts?
BURKE: Well, I love the cranberry so I love the inspiration behind it. So I'm going to say I'm on the plus side.
CAMEROTA: OK, fantastic.
And so, if we compare some to -- there are other pictures of the Blue Room. It's just very dramatic. It's just very beautiful.
I mean, beyond the red trees, I think that we have video of -- look at this. I mean, look at the elegance.
BURKE: Isn't it amazing? So that is an 18-foot tree. It weighs about, you know, hundreds of pounds. It takes a gallon and half water a day to keep --
CAMEROTA: Oh my gosh.
BURKE: -- that baby alive.
CAMEROTA: Wowie.
BURKE: And you know what's fun about this tree is it actually has a blue ribbon on it with all the state's names embroidered on it. And, Jackie Kennedy used blue ribbon the very first year we had a Christmas theme.
CAMEROTA: That is really nice.
BURKE: So there's lots of connections to other first ladies.
CAMEROTA: Yes, and we appreciate you giving us all those sort of historical touchpoints.
BURKE: Well, I'm here to serve.
CAMEROTA: I really like that.
So, here's another one. It's called "Skyline, New York City." Let's see if we have a picture of this and see what this one represents -- watch this.
BURKE: Isn't that beautiful? So this is actually made of paper.
CAMEROTA: OK.
BURKE: There are four of these throughout the White House, so we have the skyline of New York City, St. Louis, Chicago, San Francisco. Very --
CAMEROTA: What's Christmassy about this?
BURKE: Well, you know what? The theme, we should say, is "American Treasures," so Mrs. Trump is celebrating what makes America special. And our skylines are beautiful.
And the fact that these are done by artists and they're very intricate and three-dimensional, it's just a nice way to make the theme come alive.
CAMEROTA: You've made me fall in love with it. BURKE: There you go.
CAMEROTA: OK.
Next, gingerbread house Washington. So let's see what this is compared to some more traditional looking -- is this a gingerbread house?
BURKE: This is this year. This is the whole Mall in Washington, D.C.
CAMEROTA: All made of gingerbread?
BURKE: Yes, covered in white chocolate.
CAMEROTA: I could eat that, right there.
BURKE: Well, they've been baking it since last summer so I don't know if you want --
CAMEROTA: I'm OK with that.
BURKE: OK, then yes, you can eat it.
CAMEROTA: I'm fine with that.
BURKE: You can eat it.
So, all covered in white chocolate.
CAMEROTA: Delicious.
BURKE: Delicious.
But what's amazing is how many buildings we have this year. So we actually have the Lincoln Memorial, complete with Lincoln. We have the Capitol. We have the Washington Monument.
So this is a massive, massive gingerbread display, which is really funny when we think back where it evolved from, which was a very tiny little A-frame gingerbread house.
CAMEROTA: We have a picture of it. We have Pat Nixon old --
BURKE: Well, good -- there you go.
CAMEROTA: There you go.
BURKE: So, see the transformation?
CAMEROTA: I do.
BURKE: So that was probably 10 pounds and now we're at like 500 pounds in gingerbread.
CAMEROTA: Oh my gosh.
Well, Coleen Christian Burke, the book, again, is "Christmas with the First Ladies." It is wonderful to have you give us the historical --
BURKE: Thank you.
CAMEROTA: -- context of all of this. Thanks so much for being here.
BURKE: My pleasure. Merry, merry.
CAMEROTA: Merry to you, too -- John.
BERMAN: All right. So if you want to catch a movie this holiday break we've got the films you and your family will not want to miss. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[07:53:28] BERMAN: All right.
The holidays are here and that means time to relax and watch a couple of movies with the family. But between hitting the theaters or streaming at home, the choices can be overwhelming. Fear not, we've got the answers for you right here.
Joining us not to take us through their top picks, CNN chief media correspondent and anchor of "RELIABLE SOURCES," Brian Stelter. And, CNN contributor and "ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT" host, Nischelle Turner.
Merry Christmas --
NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN CONTRIBUTOR, HOST, "ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT": Hi.
BERMAN: -- to both of you.
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA CORRESPONDENT, ANCHOR, "RELIABLE SOURCES": Thank you.
TURNER: Merry Christmas.
BERMAN: Nischelle, I want to start with you. Give me your top three movie picks for movies in the actual theaters. You know, the kind you walk into and sit down and lean back. Top three movies in the theaters right now.
TURNER: OK, you ready for this?
First of all, can I just say I feel a little left out? I feel a little like the crazy uncle that doesn't get to come to Christmas dinner because I'm not on the couch with you guys.
BERMAN: When the shoes fits.
TURNER: But, that's OK.
BERMAN: When the shoe fits.
TURNER: All right. So this is going to be -- my family's Christmas tradition is to go to the movies on Christmas and there's some great things to pick from, in my estimation.
The first, at the top of the list, one shining star, is "Mary Poppins Returns." I mean, it -- the reviews on this film are that it's practically perfect. Now, I was a little skeptical -- very excited about it, but a little skeptical because the child in me loved Mary Poppins so much. But I am told Emily Blunt gives the performance of her career.
We've already seen her recognized during awards season coming up. Lin-Manuel Miranda, as well. The movie, as well.
And this is like the next generation of Mary Poppins. So, first of all, "Mary Poppins Returns."
[07:55:00] Then, I would say "Bohemian Rhapsody." If you have a chance, go see it. The reviews on this one not as good as "Mary Poppins Returns," for sure, but the last 20 minutes of this film are worth the price of admission.
I mean, you feel like you're at a Queen concert. I was in the audience going Radio Ga Ga with everybody else. And you come out and it's so intoxicating.
I could have been called the life and times of Freddie Mercury and not a Queen biopic because I think stories about Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon were a little bit lacking in the film, and that's kind of where it went a little downhill for me. But the movie, itself, is definitely worth going to see.
And then, my last one -- I mean, "If Beale Street Could Talk." It's Baldwin, it's brilliant. It's talking about race relations being told through a love story and it is one of the most arresting films I've seen.
There's a new actress. Her name is KiKi Layne. She smacks me in the face in this movie. It's told through, you know, her point of view and kind of all of the love around her, and her struggle to try and still keep humanity in her heart through some really trying times.
One of the best movies I've seen this year, for sure.
BERMAN: All right. Nischelle sold the heck out of those three films.
TURNER: Pow.
BERMAN: Brian Stelter, match it. Your top three in the theater?
STELTER: Well, I'm going to be a little bit heavier, a little bit darker if that's OK. I think --
TURNER: Oh, boy.
STELTER: -- the -- you know, it's Christian Bale and an all-star cast looking back at the Cheney years. It's just -- it's incredible to see them take on these characters, to take on these men and women. Look, a lot of conservatives say the film is tilted and unfair toward Cheney, but viewers can decide. They can check it out and decide for themselves.
Also, speaking of kind of -- it's actually a much darker theme -- this new movie "The Mule" with Clint Eastwood playing this man trying to pull one more heist. It's just remarkable. Look, I could watch Clint Eastwood all day. To watch him take on this role was breathtaking.
And one documentary I wanted to mention. It's called "Free Solo." It's been out for a little while but it's opening wider and wider. It's the best movie I saw all year long.
It's about that man right there -- Alex Honnold -- who climbed El Capitan with no ropes -- with nothing except, I guess, a lot of luck and a lot of skill. It's a -- just an incredible feat.
And that is, to me, the best documentary of the year and one of the best movies of the year -- all-time.
BERMAN: All right, you didn't --
TURNER: We know who got the lump of coal in his stocking for Christmas.
BERMAN: Mr. Cheery, Brian Stelter.
STELTER: Sorry.
BERMAN: But, Brian --
STELTER: It's that time of the year. It's Oscar time, right, so all these Oscar contenders are coming out.
But that new Steve Carell movie looks incredible, as well. There's a lot out there.
TURNER: "Welcome to Marwen," yes.
STELTER: Yes. That's the one I haven't seen yet but it looks amazing. Steve Carell in this world that he creates for himself based on a true story.
BERMAN: And you point out that, too. I mean, that's like a movie that's a movie. It's not a book, it's not a nothing, right? It's created out of thin air for the screen.
TURNER: Well, it's a movie -- it is based on a true story. This happened to Mark Hogancamp -- yes, it did. But the movie is so imaginative and the making of this movie is so original.
STELTER: Yes.
TURNER: We haven't seen anything like this come to the screen in such a long time. And you know what? The studio actually did a good course correction because when they put the first trailer out, they put this trailer out and it was very kind of lighthearted.
And they got a lot of backlash because of that -- because this man's story was so serious. He was beaten with almost -- to almost within an inch of his life and had PTSD really, really badly about it. And creating this world of Marwen is kind of what brought him back from the brink.
So they put out a new trailer -- it was much more serious, uplifting as well. It really focused on Steve Carell. But this, again, is Steve Carell, I think, at his best.
BERMAN: All right, we've got about 30 seconds left each for your favorite streaming film for people like me who never leave the house -- the shut-ins -- Brian?
STELTER: Favorite streaming film -- wait, let me think about it. Nischelle, what's yours?
TURNER: OK, well I have one. It's been out for a little bit but it's on Netflix right now. It's called "Nappily Ever After," with Sanaa Lathan. It's all about the tenuous relationship that us black women have with our hair and that society has with our hair. And it was just one of the best movies that I've seen in a really long time.
And also, watch "Dumplin' " on Netflix. It's a movie told through Dolly Parton's music, which is fantastic.
STELTER: And I can go old school, you know, on Christmas Day -- any version of "The Grinch." I know there's been a new version of "The Grinch" in theaters.
BERMAN: I saw the new version.
STELTER: Did you like it?
BERMAN: Yes.
TURNER: Yes.
STELTER: I love the old-school ones. My dad loved "The Grinch" and it makes me think of him on Christmas. So, for me, that's what I would find on Netflix or Amazon or Hulu. So many platforms these days --
BERMAN: Right.
STELTER: -- I can barely keep up.
But it's nice to --
TURNER: Good stuff.
STELTER: -- go back to those throwback movies on a day like this.
BERMAN: Merry Christmas, my friends.
TURNER: I'm a claymation girl so watch --
STELTER: There you go.
TURNER: -- claymations.
STELTER: Yes.
TURNER: Watch claymations.
BERMAN: Great to see you. Merry Christmas, happy holidays.
STELTER: Thanks.
BERMAN: Merry Christmas to you, Brian.
STELTER: Thanks.
BERMAN: So nice to see you.
NEW DAY continues right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They broke into the office of one of my personal attorneys. It's a total witch hunt.
MICHAEL AVENATTI, ATTORNEY FOR STORMY DANIELS: Make no mistake. There's going to be a lot of sleepless nights at the White House.
RUDY GIULIANI, ATTORNEY FOR PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Mueller should turn their attention to Comey, Strzok, Page.
CAMEROTA: Prosecutors say Manafort repeatedly lied after he'd agreed to cooperate.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's the relationship between the campaign, the Russians, WikiLeaks? The Mueller probe is moving along.
