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Defining Issues in Year Two of Trump Administration; 170,000 U.S. Troops Deployed Overseas This Christmas; Tips to Make Holiday Returns Easier. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired December 25, 2018 - 08:30   ET

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

[08:30:01] JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome back to this special Christmas Day edition of NEW DAY.

We have a lot to get to this half hour, including a look at the biggest issues that defined President Trump's presidency this year.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: But first, let's get a check of your headlines at the news desk.

MANU RAJU, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning and Merry Christmas. I'm Manu Raju.

A plea for mutual understanding from Pope Francis. His annual Christmas message at the Vatican, he called for people with different ideas to respect each other. He specifically prayed for Syria and Yemen, and for Israelis and Palestinians to resume talks.

At least 429 people now confirmed dead in the devastating Indonesian tsunami. Disaster officials say the massive wave injured nearly 1,500 others, 154 remain missing. The height of the wave reached over 16 feet in the area with the greatest damage.

A federal judge orders North Korea to pay the parents of Otto Warmbier nearly half a billion dollars. Fred and Cindy Warmbier filed a wrongful death suit against the regime, which detained Otto in 2016. He died last year days after he was returned to the U.S. and he was allegedly tortured. North Korea did not respond to the suit, yet any damages awarded would likely come from North Korea's frozen assets in the United States.

Actor Kevin Spacey facing indecent assault and battery charges for allegedly assaulting an 18-year-old man in July 2016. The announcement coinciding with the bizarre video Spacey posted in his defense titled "Let Me Be Frank," a play on his former "House of Cards" character Frank Underwood.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEVIN SPACEY, ACTOR: You wouldn't believe 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.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: No comment yet from Spacey's attorney.

A special Christmas for nearly 300 convicted felons in California. Governor Jerry Brown issuing 143 pardons and 131 commutations. Brown also ordered new DNA test in a high-profile 1983 quadruple murder. Inmate Kevin Cooper and supporters maintain he was framed. Governor Brown did not grant a pardon to the brother of San Francisco Mayor London Breed. The lawyer asked the governor to clear Napoleon Breed's 44-year sentence for involuntary manslaughter.

I'm Manu Raju, have a very merry Christmas.

(MUSIC)

CAMEROTA: From the many indictments and the ongoing special counsel investigation and North Korea and Russia and the contentious confirmation battle of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, it's been quite a year. It's been quite a consequential second year in office for President Trump.

BERMAN: That's one way of seeing it.

CAMEROTA: Yes. So, let's discuss all this with CNN political analyst David Gregory, CNN senior political analyst John Avlon and CNN senior political reporter Nia-Malika Henderson.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: Merry Christmas.

CAMEROTA: Is there any way to sum up the year, David Gregory, of what it's been like?

DAVID GREGORY, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: You know, I just think the headspace for President Trump is so clouded by the Mueller investigation and any perceived slight to him. I mean, he walks around with a sense of being aggrieved and under siege. And he's so reactive and he's reactive to all of that, that his -- as a gut player, that temperament and that gut feeling of always searching for a fight is foremost on his mind and it really is what has clouded everything else including areas where he's shown some promise.

That's the piece that I think really hangs over the second year is the desire to fight and the inability to restrain himself or to have anyone restrain him from that instinct.

BERMAN: I think that's exactly right. I think if you took the Mueller investigation as an overlay to everything else that happens, it would be sort of instructive, right? You would have a sense of what his mood was approaching each and every one of those things and on the one hand, I understand the frustration. I mean, the president feels too much attention is being paid to it, but on the other hand he's letting it get to him. He's letting it dictate the other things he should be doing. HENDERSON: Yes, I think that's right. And if you were to look at his

Twitter feed over this last year, it would be dominated in many ways by talking about the Russia probe, about Mueller, about this idea that it's a witch hunt, this idea that he doesn't see any collusion. So, yes, he can't find a way out of it. I mean, if you compare what happened with Bill Clinton, Bill Clinton was sort of a happy warrior while the Starr investigation and impeachment hearings were going on, kept saying I'm going to focus on the people's business.

[08:35:10] What you have with Donald Trump doing something very different. Focusing very much on Mueller trying to damage his reputation and then you have obviously the Republicans to get pulled into this in many ways and respond to the way he's responding to Bob Mueller. So, it's been a bit of a myth I think for the --

GREGORY: It's also interesting that there is -- I talked to a Democratic strategist recently who said the thing about President Trump, he overwhelms the system. He certainly overwhelms the media with how much he says on how many subjects he says it. So, Mueller alone, if you think about -- if you did a word cloud for Donald Trump there would be so many words on so many subjects so outside the lines, it's literally hard not to feel overwhelmed, the system itself feeling overwhelmed.

BERMAN: Not to mention spell check overwhelmed.

CAMEROTA: Dictionaries are overwhelmed.

JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: And making up words every day. But I think the dominant emotions of the president and elsewhere do go back to the tools of fear and anger, and it's Christmas. And so, President Scrooge doesn't exactly fit the day, but you'd hope that he would find more redemptive in the powers of the presidency and less about simply venting his spleen and the power of resentment, because he'll point to the good economy and he'll say he's not getting enough good credit.

I think you could find silver linings in his presidency even if you disagree with the president and I think, you know, that's perhaps an exercise that's worthwhile on a Christmas morning, but the fact that he's consistently shown negative emotions of the presidency, and history shows that it doesn't do well for anyone.

BERMAN: I think any exercise is valuable on a Christmas morning because you need to stretch out and get the body moving. I think, first of all, it's hard to believe it, the two summits, Helsinki and Singapore, with Kim Jong-un happened this year, right? I mean, it feels like a hundred years ago they happened, but I feel like they're so instructive when figuring out this presidency.

Take just Singapore with North Korea, because this is something that I think only Donald Trump could have done as president. I don't think any other president has, and I don't think any other president would.

CAMEROTA: And he wanted to break convention and he wanted to shake it off and he wanted to do things other people couldn't achieve and becoming pen pals with Kim Jong-un, having a good relationship with Vladimir Putin, he attempted to do both of those this year.

BERMAN: Is it worth it with North Korea -- as we sit here at the end of the year, is it worth it?

GREGORY: It might be. I mean, what was happening before wasn't working, but part of that period of time of decades of not working North Korea achieved what it wanted which is a nuclear deterrent. It was able to achieve the nuclear program to a point that it was satisfied.

Now, provocations of the West, and Trump saying we're not going to put up with that anymore and then the summit tree and the "I love you" notes and all of the rest and the pressure China to wield some influence. I don't know that any of it has done any lasting good except, but lower the temperature for now.

AVLON: Yes, I think the flow through -- I mean, what you're describing is in the doctrine is an elevation itself, but because it is the Christmas season, he certainly is effusive of feelings of love for Kim Jong-un and dictators around the world. And perhaps, there's the flow through, he does have an affinity for dictators and perhaps a belief he can break through stalemates with some version of real politic, sugar with his personal charm, but the actions don't actually change.

There's the problem -- we know through CNN's own reporting that missile silos are being built just in land, the underlying threat hasn't changed, but the temperature. What's strange is seeing the leader of the free world, the president of the United States, expressing love for the North Korean dictator, creating cover for the crown prince of Saudi Arabia in the face of the murder of a journalist and an American resident, and refusing to, of course, ever say anything bad about Vladimir Putin.

BERMAN: Helsinki in 15 seconds or less, we'll move on to different subjects. With the benefit of hindsight now, five months, the Helsinki summit where he stood side by side with Vladimir Putin.

GREGORY: The president has been willfully ignorant of who Putin is and the threat that Russia poses. That is clear based on what we know so far from the Mueller investigation about all of the contacts with Russia, no one ever saying this could go down a really bad road. They think of them as just kind of another actor with whom you can negotiate, not seeing it for what it is.

CAMEROTA: OK. So a victory for President Trump this year, Supreme Court justice is seated. And after all of the drama of the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearings the president won.

HENDERSON: Oh, he won and conservatives and Republicans now wanted this. I mean, this has been a dream of Republicans for decades to have that controlling vote on the Supreme Court and that's what they have at this point. So, we'll look for any number of decisions down the pike about abortion, about affirmative action, about voting rights, about the death penalty -- all of these things you've got Republicans excited about what this new court will bring them. [08:40:07] And you know, they're strategizing paid off. I mean, the real victor with Trump and Mitch McConnell, as well.

BERMAN: David, Nia, John, thank you vey much. Merry Christmas to each and everyone of you.

CAMEROTA: Thank you all.

Well, the Democrats managed to capture the House in the midterm elections and what will the fallout for both parties be at the end of this year? We look ahead in the New Year. We dissect all of it, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: One hundred seventy thousand U.S. troops are deployed overseas and more than 150 countries this Christmas, far from family, friends and loved ones. So what's this day like for them and is there anything we can do to help them cope with being away from home for the holidays?

Joining me now to discuss is CNN military analyst, former army commander general of Europe and 7th Army, Lieutenant General Mark Hertling.

A string of titles, well earned and deserved there, General. You and I have had a chance to talk about this before, being away from family for the holidays, serving overseas, you absolutely miss your family, would love to be home, but there is a different side of it as well. Explain.

LT. GENERAL MARK HERTLING, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yes, it's an emotional roller coaster, John, that's for sure. You're missing, you are a little bit lonely, but you're trading your biological family for your military family, truthfully.

[08:45:06] And the leaders and your fellow soldiers, sailors, air men, marines, coast guards men, they all make the best of what some might consider a bad situation, but truthfully I have never seen in my almost 40 years in the service anyone complaining because they had to serve on this day.

You know, you've got marines at embassies, guarding today while other people are off. You got soldiers and sailors and air men all fighting fights, doing the kinds of things, doing engagements, but certainly they know that their duty comes first and truthfully, they're proud of that, but no doubt about it they miss their families and they take a little bit of time to think about those on this very special day.

BERMAN: And I know it varies from posting to posting whether or not you are in an active war zone or not, but walk me through a typical Christmas Day overseas for someone serving in the military.

HERTLING: Well, it depends. If you are in a combat zone literally nothing changes. It is -- it's not Christmas day, it's Groundhog Day. If you get a great meal, which is a focus by a lot of people to ensure, people who are deployed get a great meal that day and they do have a chance to come together and reflect, it's a good thing.

I guarantee you that soldiers or sailors have made Christmas trees, either they've received it from home in a package or they've made it out of something they found around their environment and I've seen a lot of strange Christmas trees made in weird places. That's part of the focus.

And they give each other gifts. If it's your favorite MRE potentially or even something that you have had shipped from home, you go I have it to your fellow soldiers and it becomes a brightening of the day. But there is that moment of sadness, you're hoping for some kind of contact, either through a Skype call or maybe a telephone call, depending on where you are, all of that becomes extremely important.

But they're doing their duty. They're serving. Commanders will come around and perhaps deliver the meal to someone on a post or a guard station or they might just bring some cookies or baked goods if they are in a peacetime environment and their spouses have made that for other people, they will deliver them to the soldiers under their command.

In some cases, the junior leaders knowing that some of their junior soldiers might not be able to go home or have contact, they will invite them into their homes to experience a family environment that they might not otherwise have, get them out of the barracks and dormitories and have them with the sergeants or lieutenants that have the ability to do that.

BERMAN: You're talking in some cases about 18, 19 year olds, 20 year olds who may not have been away from home for Christmas, period, let alone in a war zone. I am curious you mentioned you give each other presents, is there any present you remember receiving overseas in a war zone from another soldier?

HERTLING: I do, actually, John. You know, as long as you brought it up, in 1990 we deployed right before Christmas, right after thanksgiving, right before Christmas to Desert Shield which would eventually become Desert Storm. I was part of an advanced party on a cavalry squadron. A bunch of us were standing around in the cold of the Saudi Arabian desert with no one else around us, we didn't have a mess hall, all we had was MREs and someone gave me what they knew was my favorite MRE which happened to be -- well, I won't tell you what it is.

BERMAN: Come on, it's a cheeseburger MRE, right?

HERTLING: Yes. No, no, it was not a cheeseburger MRE, it was ham and pork slices, that was my Christmas dinner, and it was disgusting but that was the thought that counted, I guess.

BERMAN: I thought everyone referred MRE was a cheeseburger MRE.

General, what can we do at home if we are lucky enough to be at home or in country with our loved ones, what can we do for the troops who are overseas on the holidays? HERTLING: Well, the ones that are parts of units, this he usually

have families within their post camps or stations that are taking care of them, but the ones that concerned me the most when I was active duty were the national guard members or the reservists because they are scattered all over the states and sometimes their family members are forgotten, truthfully. So, if you know a family member of a national guardsman or reservist who is deployed, make sure they're taken in and you wish them a merry Christmas.

Or you can, you know, have a young soldier that's in your community who is about to deploy come together with your family, if that's possible. Or just truthfully just raise a glass to them when you're standing around and enjoying your Christmas dinner or say a prayer for them. I think that's the most important thing to do and just remember that, you know, the members of the military are serving, there are others that are serving, fire departments, police departments are all out serving people on this day.

The security of our nation doesn't stop just because it happens to be a holiday and those people in all different walks of life who put on a uniform in one way or another and some that are nurses and doctors are also doing the same.

[08:50:03] So, treat all of them as servants and community members that you're thankful for and just give them a thanks.

BERMAN: General Mark Hertling, our thanks to you. Thank you for being with us this morning. Thank you for your service. Thanks for making our lives here so much better at CNN. Appreciate it, sir.

HERTLING: Merry Christmas, John.

BERMAN: You, too.

CAMEROTA: Such great reminders from him. Yes, that was beautiful.

All right. Have you opened your gifts yet? Are there some you just don't like?

Well, Christine Romans has great tips about what you should do now.

BERMAN: She won't let me buy her presents, you know.

CAMEROTA: Why?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: OK. Time for CNN business. They say it's better to give than receive, but why not kill two birds with one stone by regifting that hideous gift your aunt just gave us?

CNN chief business correspondent Christine Romans is here.

Where are you on regifting?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I think regifting is fine, just make sure you regift it to somebody who the first person doesn't find out.

BERMAN: Take the card out also. My advice, I know from experience, you need to take the card out.

ROMANS: It's the thought that counts of course, but, look, I don't want that reindeer sweater with jingle bells, right, so some retailers have a no questions asked policy to return, others have strict rules that make returning purchases frustrating or impossible.

Here is what you can do to make returns easier, OK? Don't open the box ever. Don't remove the packaging on a gift you don't want.

BERMAN: Ever.

ROMANS: Look, you risk a restocking fee if packaging isn't intact, I'm mostly talking about electronics here.

[08:55:03] And if product tags are missing, you're going to be stuck with that item.

Keep the gift receipts, don't throw them out with the wrapping paper. Some retailers will not let you return your gift without one. Some will, though, thank you, Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Others may give store credit instead. Check return policies, note time limits, you can check return policies in the store and online. Now, during the holidays, some retailers are going to extend their deadlines often until late January.

Also, bring your ID. Victoria's Secret, they use computer models to detect abuse, they can also tell which customers are often returning things over and over again, this he might ask you for an ID.

CAMEROTA: Then what happens? Handcuffs like come out of the cash register?

ROMANS: No, they're going to will ask you some questions to make sure they can keep your fraud down. It's an art giving a gift that's not going to be returned, right? So here is what people are actually giving, what's popular this year, clothing and accessories are the top gift, gift cards are number two, the national retail federation says more than half gift givers will give four gift cards on average, toys are next, then books, music and movies.

Now, do you know what is the top -- well, we are showing you right now.

CAMEROTA: Wow. Great.

ROMANS: Barbie is number one.

BERMAN: Barbie.

ROMANS: And for boys?

CAMEROTA: Ken. ROMANS: No, Ken is not on the list.

BERMAN: No, if I wait long enough -- Legos.

ROMANS: Yes, lead you to water and you will drink it. Yes, Legos are the number four gift for girls, too, number one or boys. The girls top three are doll derivatives.

CAMEROTA: That does it for this special Christmas Day edition of NEW DAY. Merry Christmas to you and your family. May it be a peaceful one.

BERMAN: We hope you have a great holiday.

"CNN NEWSROOM" begins right after a quick break.

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