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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

Hostages Freed; Trump: This Is The Historic Dawn Of A New Middle East; Shoshany: Today Is A Deeply Emotional Day For Us Here In Israel; Former President Obama Discusses The State Of The Democracy Under Trump In Final "WTF Podcast" Episode; Movie Legend Diane Keaton Dies At 79; Senior Prosecutor Removed As Trump-Appointed Lindsey Halligan Reshapes Key U.S. Attorney's Office. Aired 8-9p ET

Aired October 13, 2025 - 20:00   ET

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

NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I spoke to the beleaguered department that oversees all this, and they tell me progress solving homelessness is slow, and it's absolutely frustrating but there is progress. The county count, they suggest that homelessness is falling across L.A. and falling here on Skid Row.

The mayor of Skid Row, who you just heard from, he doesn't believe that. and the Rand Corporation, they do their own count and they say -- yes, it's falling in Venice and Hollywood but homelessness is still rising here on Skid Row -- Erica.

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: Still, as the mayor points out, an issue that needs addressing. Nick, appreciate it, thank you.

Thanks to all of you for joining us here on "OutFront."

AC360 starts right now.

[20:00:44]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN HOST: Tonight on 360, joy in Israel as hostage families are reunited with their loved ones in a moment they waited for 737 days.

And later, former President Obama sounds off on a Trump 2.0 and how he says the guardrails of our democracy have been deliberately damaged.

Plus, remembering Diane Keaton, the Oscar winning actress whose career spanned half a century from "The Godfather" to "Something's Gotta Give."

Good evening, John Berman here in for Anderson. It is an historic night. More than two years in the making, and it follows a day with so many joyous scenes like this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(VIDEO OF EMOTIONAL REUNION BETWEEN HOSTAGE AVINATAN OR FINALLY REUNITING WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND NOA ARGAMANI.)

(END VIDEO CLIP) BERMAN: That is hostage Avinatan Or finally reuniting with his girlfriend Noa Argamani. Both were kidnapped from the NOVA Music Festival on October 7th. Noa thrown on the back of a motorcycle by Hamas fighters. She was freed from Gaza last June by Israeli security forces.

This is the first time they are seeing each other since their abduction. In this, that is Bar Kupershtein, who was a paramedic at NOVA, reuniting with his family. Kupershtein was reportedly kidnapped by Hamas when he returned to the festival multiple times to treat and evacuate the wounded.

His father, wheelchair bound from a car accident years ago. You can see there is lifted up to stand and embrace his son over and over again. These scenes played out today, 20 hostages freed in all tears of love, of pain, of time lost and of dreams come true. All the hostages are now out of Gaza.

And this was the scene in the occupied west bank today. Cheers and cries of "God is great!" As prisoners who had been serving life for long-term sentences were released by Israel as part of the hostage exchange.

In Gaza, celebratory gunfire as more than 1,700 detainees held without charges by Israel were released. Families reunited in the hope that the war is now truly over.

Now, as this was all happening in Israel and the Palestinian territories, President Trump arrived in Jerusalem to meet with hostage families and to deliver an address to the Knesset.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: This long and difficult war has now ended. You know, some people say 3,000 years, some people say 500 years. Whatever it is, its, the granddaddy of them all and in an unprecedented achievement, virtually the entire region has endorsed the plan that Gaza will be immediately demilitarized, that Hamas will be disarmed, and Israel's security will no longer be threatened in any way, shape or form.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: At moments, the President spoke directly to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: If you would have gone on for three four more years, keep fighting, fighting, fighting. It was it was getting bad. It was getting heated. The timing of this is brilliant.

And I said, Bibi, you're going to be remembered for this far more than if you kept this thing going, going, going, kill, kill, kill. It would be not -- it would not be the same and I just want to congratulate you for having the courage to say that's it we've won. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: This is a historic achievement for President Trump, and one that even many of his political rivals have praised. But it is important to note that this is phase one of the President's peace deal, and the future remains uncertain for other phases of his 20- point plan.

The plan, for example, promises amnesty for Hamas members who "commit to peaceful coexistence and to decommission their weapons." Already, there are reports of Hamas reasserting control in parts of Gaza and targeting those who allegedly collaborated with Israel during the war.

[20:05:00]

After his speech, the President headed to Egypt for a signing ceremony attended by the leaders of Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, France, Germany and the United Kingdom, among others.

Not in attendance, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Publicly, he declined the invitation for an upcoming Jewish holiday. Privately, according to an Israeli source, he was concerned about the prospect of being pictured with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Clarissa Ward, CNN's chief international correspondent, starts us off tonight from Tel Aviv.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Two years of anguish and agony, finally giving way to joy. For the mother of 23-year-old hostage Bar Kupershtein, taken at the NOVA Music Festival on October 7th, this was the hug she had dreamed of. Bar's paralyzed father is helped out of his wheelchair so he can finally hold his son, amid wails of raw emotion.

For hostage, Segev Kalfon, even the sight of his family was all too much. Scenes of tearful reunions between the final 20 living Israeli hostages and their families punctuated this historic day.

"You're home, your home," the mother of 24-year-old Guy Gilboa-Dalal cries in disbelief.

In Hostages Square, the beating heart of the movement, to bring them home, tens of thousands of Israelis gathered from the early hours singing "Habaita" or "Coming Home."

The crowds cheered as the first images of the hostages emerged before their release. Surreal scenes of them calling their loved ones as Hamas militants stood in the background.

After reuniting with their immediate families at Re'im Military Base, they were flown to hospitals looking down at the crowds gathered to welcome them home. WARD (on camera): You can hear the crowd cheering as you see those hostages traveling via helicopter to Ichilov Hospital. This is a moment that these people have been waiting for 737 days.

WARD (voice over): In Gaza, they have known the pain of waiting, too. The applause erupted as some 1,700 Palestinian detainees emerge from crammed busses outside the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, held without charge by Israel throughout the war, they waved to the crowds, tearful.

Some returned to the worst possible news. This man learned that his wife and daughters were killed in an Israeli airstrike. "My wife and my children, my family is gone," he says, clutching a birthday gift for his two two-year-old daughter.

For many in Gaza, joy still feels like a distant dream. The scale of loss and destruction leaves little room for it. And as Israel turns the page on a very dark chapter, Gaza is opening a new and uncertain one.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WARD: John, earlier this evening, Hamas also released the remains of four hostages. They were seen coming out of Gaza into Israel in coffins. You may remember there were supposed to be 28 deceased hostages released as part of this agreement, but Israel has said that it may take some time to actually locate and transport all the remains of those hostages out of Gaza, back into Israel, to give those families the closure that they really need to mourn their dead and to say goodbye.

And until that happens, John, you will continue to see that clock. I don't know if you noticed it in our story there, that clock that has been capturing every minute, every hour of every single day that these hostages have been gone. And that clock will continue to tick until every one of those deceased hostages is brought home -- John.

BERMAN: The clock ticks on. Clarissa Ward, in Tel Aviv tonight. Thank you very much.

President Trump is on his way back to Washington tonight after that whirlwind trip to the Middle East. CNN's Kristen Holmes joins us from the White House with the latest.

Kristen, what else did the President have to say about this cease fire deal?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, look, it was a President Trump's speech. So he went all over the place. We heard a lot about the ceasefire deal, as well as other things. We heard that it was a historic dawn in the Middle East, a time to transform the region.

[20:10:00]

At one point, he also asked the President of Israel to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But one of the most critical things I heard President Trump say over and over again today was essentially giving praise to all of the leaders, particularly the Arab leaders who helped this to come together.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: What we're doing, because what we've done is something very unique and very special. So, it's perhaps the wealthiest and most powerful group of nations ever assembled at one time, which is a big thing. We have achieved together in recent days, a change that really is historic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And one other thing to note, President Trump made something very clear during this speech, particularly clear to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He wanted to tell him to take the win and to repeat over and over again that this war is over.

BERMAN: Take the win. So, what are you hearing from your sources about how the President is planning to capitalize on this moment?

HOLMES: Well, John, look, they really want to use this momentum. They feel Really good right now. So, there's a couple of things that they have been trying to get done and these are not easy feats. Whether or not they can get any of them done of course is going to be something that were watching to see how they handle.

But one, of course, is phase two. You saw him there with show of show of force with these Arab leaders sitting there, essentially showing that they were going to keep the pressure up on Hamas, but also showing that they were going to keep the pressure up on Iran, because that is something else that President Trump and his team want. They believe that they can get an Iran nuclear deal. They think that Iran has not been as weak as it is in this moment, in almost ever and this is the time to seize that moment.

The other thing Zelenskyy, President Zelenskyy is coming to meet with President Trump on Friday here at The White House. They are also looking to try and get a win in Russia and Ukraine, in that war.

BERMAN: We'll see if there's a breakthrough there. Kristen Holmes, thank you so much for your reporting tonight.

Joining us now, former Middle East and North Africa coordinator for the National Security Council, Brett McGurk, former Trump White House communications director Alyssa Farah Griffin and former special Presidential envoy for hostage affairs under Presidents Trump and Biden, Ambassador Roger Carstens.

Ambassador, let me start with you. As someone who has worked on so many hostage cases, I'm wondering if you can talk about the emotions of a day like today, seeing so many people reunited with their families after more than two years.

ROGER CARSTENS, FORMER SPECIAL PRESIDENTIAL ENVOY FOR HOSTAGE AFFAIRS UNDER PRESIDENTS TRUMP AND BIDEN: Well, John, I probably won't shock you if I told you that I cried all day long. I've been watching it on T.V. it's been captivating. I've been there, I've watched it, but I've never been in the family's shoes.

But I've seen, you know, husband collapse into his wife's arms after being held for quite some time. And I witnessed that over and over today, watching a mother grab her son, tears of joy shouts, people shaking with emotion.

But it's just phase one in a way of reclaiming their lives. After meeting their families, they're of course going to go into the medical rehabilitation units. They're going to meet a team of doctors, a team of psychologists, dietitians, and they're going to do the hard work of making sure that their bodies are okay, and that they're prepared to deal with the PTSD that they've suffered, and that they're ready to reintegrate into society and back into their family life.

BERMAN: It is such a long road ahead for them. You know, Brett, you helped lead the negotiations for two of the previous ceasefire and hostage releases in Gaza. This time, what was it that you think got Hamas to ultimately decide to release all the hostages?

BRETT MCGURK, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Honestly, John, it was pressure. I mean, there was a ceasefire deal in place in January. It lasted to March. That was a three-phase deal. Their hope that you get to phase two of that deal, which is basically where we are now. But we had six months in between. A lot happened in that six months in between. You had the 12-day war in Iran, which really just significantly weakened and took Iran completely off the field and Hamas basically didn't have that cover.

Mohammed Sinwar, the brother of Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of October 7th, he was killed by the Israelis. He was a real hardliner, an obstacle to any deal. So you had this just this mounting pressure on Hamas and then importantly, this is what's really extraordinary as I look back on the last month. That failed attack by the Israelis in Doha on the 9th of September really galvanized the region. And I thought The White House is very effectively used that moment to basically build a consensus among Arab and Muslim majority states to tell Hamas, your time is up, enough, take this deal.

And the deal that is in place now is the best possible deal Israel was going to get. So, it's that confluence of events and I think some very effective diplomacy that got every living hostage out. It's just a momentous day. We cannot lose sight as Roger just said, the humanity of this day and also the guns are silent in Gaza, except for Hamas' guns. They are trying to reclaim authority in the streets, and they're going to try to do that.

[20:15:07]

But, you know, Turkey, Qatar, Egypt, everybody with influence, you've got to keep that pressure on Hamas, because if Hamas does reclaim power in Gaza, there's really no hope for a political horizon and longer term peace. Hamas is an obstacle to longer term peace. BERMAN: Yes, I'm going to come back to that in just a second. I think that's a really key point. Alyssa, as we mentioned, you know, President Trump has received praise from many quarters, including across the aisle today. And you heard Kristen Holmes talk about how he may want to use some of the momentum overseas in Ukraine and whatnot but what about domestically? Does any of this capital rub off on some of the challenges he faces here in the United States? Alyssa, can you hear me?

ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Oh, John, I think I forgot you, sorry about that. Listen, President Trump and his negotiating team deserve tremendous credit. This is a remarkable, historic diplomatic achievement.

Bloodshed has finally stopped in this barbaric and horrific war that Hamas has carried out. Hostages are home, as we've said, and the bodies are being repatriated back to families. This is huge and the fact that President Trump has received such significant outpouring of support, former President Bill Clinton, former President Barack Obama acknowledging this significant moment in history that regardless of politics, I think we can all praise.

I think that does put him on strong footing domestically. You know, we may forget were in the moment of a government shutdown right now. I don't think it feels like that to a lot of the country. I think a lot of Americans are watching President Trump speaking in the Knesset this morning then on his way to Egypt, meeting with other Arab leaders in the region.

And they see a President that seems in charge and that at least on this specific issue, they can truly cheer for. So I would love to see that this could somehow be motivated into trying to work something out with Russia and Ukraine, a deeply complicated issue as well. But I think -- I do think, it boosts his standing domestically, despite many challenges that he is facing.

BERMAN: Ambassador, back to you, when you were here previously, you talked about smart pressure being key at getting to this moment. So what is that smart pressure going forward and pressure on whom exactly?

CARSTENS: Yes, I think it is very nuanced, it's pressure pretty much on all different angles. You saw that at the last week of the U.N. General Assembly, where the Trump team was taking advantage of people coming to New York to separately pressure them.

Whether it was the Europeans, whether it was working with the Saudis, Qataris, the Jordanians, the Egyptians, et cetera they would apply different pressure points to get to the point that they want.

So instead of trying to offer a military solution or military pressure, it's really trying to get people to do what you want by nuancing the pressure points. I mean, Brett's a master at this can probably speak a little better to it than I can, perhaps, but I think it's set with the military conditions set by the IDF and the conversations that took place across all the stakeholders in the Middle East. They were able to come to this moment and have to like Brett said, at the end of the day, you got to give credit to the negotiating team.

Whether it was calculated or whether they also drew on intuition and their guts, they came to the right moment and got the job done by leveling this pressure in different ways across different stakeholders.

BERMAN: Brett, talk a little bit more about Hamas, which you raised earlier. What is the future for Hamas? And who is going to put that pressure on them that the Ambassador was just talking about?

MCGURK: So, John, right now in Gaza, there's a ceasefire, there's a ceasefire line. The Israeli forces basically control more than half of Gaza, and the other half, it is Hamas. And without security, it's hard to do reconstruction, rehabilitation. So you have to have an interim security force.

Now, Trump's plan, the 20-point plan calls for an interim security force. I've helped build coalitions. This is really hard work. You know, every country has their own laws, their own regulations for deploying the military forces overseas. But that hard work, I understand, is beginning under CENTCOM. And Admiral Cooper, who's the Commander of CENTCOM, trying to build that coalition, that's going to be really critical because without that interim security force, again, the only forces with weapons in Gaza are the IDF, the Israeli Forces and Hamas.

So I really hope over the coming weeks we see that interim security structure begin to develop. I don't anticipate U.S. boots on the ground in Gaza. I don't think that's a great idea, but we can do a lot from Egypt and Israel to enable that international force, together with the long term reconstruction plan.

Look, we we've done this before. I worked in the early years of the Trump administration with Alyssa and the counter-ISIS campaign, built a global coalition. It was military, diplomatic, reconstruction. That's what it's going to take, it's going to take a lot of leadership.

I noticed Steve Witkoff in the meeting, the President's Envoy with Sisi who said that work is underway. He's going to stay at it. That's going to be critical. Without American leadership. One thing on display today, John, American leadership and the power of the American presidency on display.

I've heard so many times the Chinese are coming in and going to be the main influencer in the Middle East. No, it's the United States America. We saw that today. But we have to sustain that and get that coalition security, reconstruction, everything.

BERMAN: It was quite a day. Brett McGurk, Alyssa Farah Griffin, Ambassador Roger Carstens, the three of you have seen a lot when it comes to the Middle East over the last few years, but no one really has seen a day like today. A lot more ahead tonight, including former President Obama criticizing President Trump for wanting to put the National Guard in Democratic led cities.

What Obama says that does to the democracy. First, though, more reaction to today's historic day that led to celebrations in the Middle East. I'm going to speak with a woman whose grandfather was killed on October 7th, her grandmother taken hostage, and thankfully released a little more than a month later. What today means to her and her family coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:25:30]

BERMAN: Emotional scenes as all of the remaining 20 hostages were freed from Gaza today and reunited with family across Israel after 737 days in captivity.

In a moment, my next guest, Anat Moshe Shoshany, will share her thoughts about that historic day. Her grandfather, David Moshe, was murdered when Hamas attacked Kibbutz near us on October 7th, and her grandmother, Adina Moshe, was taken hostage.

Now, Anderson first talked with Anat just days after the attack, and later that month, after he saw firsthand the destruction left behind at their home in the Kibbutz. This is a clip from his report, and we do want to warn you that some of this video was hard to watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, "ANDERSON COOPER: 360" (voice over): We found their home completely torched. Dishes were still in the dishwasher. They hid in their safe room when the gunmen came. Her granddaughter, Anat says Adina messaged her family. They were okay.

ANAT MOSHE SHOSHANY, GRANDFATHER DIED ON OCTOBER 7TH: My grandmother was a very, very strong. She didn't want us to be panicked, later on --

COOPER (voice over): -- worried about you in that moment.

SHOSHANY: Yes, she's this kind of woman. She always takes care of us.

COOPER (voice over) : But inside the safe room, there was reason to panic. A pool of dried blood. Evidence of what happened. David Moshe was shot and killed here, holding onto the door handle to prevent the gunman from getting in.

Shoshany: He was a hero.

COOPER (voice over): Their attackers dragged Adina Moshe out through the safe room window. She later appeared in this video posted online, sandwiched between gunmen on a motorbike in Gaza.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BERMAN: So, Adina Moshe, whom you just saw, was part of the first group of hostages released by Hamas on November 24th, 2023, after 48 days in captivity. I spoke with her granddaughter, Anat Moshe Shoshany, earlier tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: Anat, this is a day that you and so many have been waiting for. What was your reaction to seeing the hostages come home and what's the mood like in Israel tonight?

SHOSHANY: Wow, so today is a deeply emotional day for us here in Israel, for my family and for whole nation. There are a lot of emotions and excitement to finally see them get back home after a whole two years of nightmare and abuse. And yes, this is very emotional moment for us.

BERMAN: And as we mentioned, your grandmother was kidnapped on October 7th and eventually released. How is she doing now? And what was her reaction to witnessing the hostages reunite with their families today?

SHOSHANY: She was so excited and happy to see them coming back home on their two feet. What we and she has been through for 49 days, these hostages have been through over two whole years of suffering, starvation and just Hamas abused them. And this is very emotional day for us. And we were so happy to see them reunited with their families and especially the ones that was from the kibbutz, Kibbutz Nir Oz, so we're very happy to see them, but we're still remembering those who are still there, 24 hostages that were murdered in captivity or on October 7th and kidnapped to Gaza Strip that we are still waiting to get them home very soon.

BERMAN: You mentioned the Kibbutz Nir Oz. I understand your grandmother is planning to move back there. Why does she want to go back?

SHOSHANY: The kibbutz is our home. She and my grandfather lived there for almost 40 years. And this is our home, this is where we've grown up in, and I think that this is part of the community recovery, to come back there and to rebuild their home. Even after everything they've been through, we're still one big united community. And were very hopeful for peace and to come back home. This is our home, and this will remain their home. And this is the reason.

BERMAN: Now, all the living hostages did come home today, but you mentioned the bodies of some who did not survive are still in Gaza. Why is it so important to you that they be returned? And are you fearful that they may not be?

[20:30:28]

SHOSHANY: Of course, we're fearful. I think every family deserves to get her closure. What happened on October 7th and ever since is just horrifying. I think what we -- what me and my family been through for 49 days that my grandfather -- my grandmother was in Hamas captivity, there are families that going through this nightmare for over two years and these people deserve a respectful bury here in their homeland in Israel where their families can go to a grave and grief for their loved ones. I think this is like a basic right for every single family.

BERMAN: President Trump declared today, the war is over. Does it feel like it is over to you? And what do you think the future looks like?

SHOSHANY: See, even that we've celebrated today, the return of the 20 remaining live -- living hostages, I think there are mixed feelings. The atrocities that happened on October 7th will never be forgotten. And I think now, thanks to President Trump, thanks to all this team that worked day and night to get this deal and to get us some hope. I think we will have to learn how to live with the past and to look forward with a hope for a better future.

BERMAN: It's been such a difficult two years. We all hope the future is brighter.

Anat Moshe Shoshany, thank you so much for being with us tonight.

SHOSHANY: Thank you. Thank you so much.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

BERMAN: Up next, former President Barack Obama escalating his criticism of Trump administration policies. He says Americans have a right to be concerned.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What you're seeing right now is sort of reassertion of this idea of like, no, if you don't look a certain way, you don't think a certain way, you don't practice a certain faith, you know, you're not a real American.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

BERMAN: Also ahead, we'll look back at the long and prolific career of screen legend Diane Keaton, who died over the weekend at the age of 79. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:35:38]

BERMAN: Former President Barack Obama is the guest on the final episode of comedian Marc Maron's long running podcast, WTF, which was pre-taped before today's big events in the Middle East. And he did not hold back on criticizing the policies of the Trump administration. He said Americans are being tested right now, and that the institutional guardrails of our democracy that we had long taken for granted have been deliberately weakened.

The former president also takes issue with President Trump's attempts to send National Guard troops into U.S. cities by suggesting that ordinary street crime is an insurrection or terrorism. (BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

OBAMA: When you have military that can direct force against their own people, that is inherently corrupting. When you have what looks like a deliberate end run around not just a concept, but a law that's been around for a long time, Posse Comitatus, that says, you know, you don't use our military on domestic soil. That is a genuine effort to weaken how we have understood democracy.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

BERMAN: Former president had a lot to say.

Here now, former Trump Campaign Adviser David Urban and South Carolina State Representative Bakari Sellers. Bakari, let me start with you here. You know, the former president said that we took the institutional guardrails for democracy for granted. How significant is that message?

BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I mean, I think it's significant. And I think the fact is that there are a lot of people who realize since 2016 that democracy is extremely fragile. And I think that's what the 44th president of the United States was reiterating, the fact that she is extremely fragile.

When you're looking and juxtaposing what we have now, when you have our military on the streets of American cities, yes, that should be jarring. When you have the infringement on our pillar of journalism, yes, that should be jarring. When you have someone using the Department of Justice by fiat or even worse by tweet, yes, that should be jarring.

And so, I think that Barack Obama -- and the question that people will have for Barack Obama, because I agree with everything that he says is, one, the forcefulness. I mean, it's very hard for a former president to come out and criticize a current president.

[20:40:12]

And two, the timeliness, because there were a lot of issues he brought up in this interview that people will question, particularly law firms or mega companies that are bowing to the knee of Donald Trump. People will question, where was this when it actually happened? Because Donald Trump, unfortunately, is changing democracy at a blistering pace. And I think that it's very fearful for a lot of people in this country.

BERMAN: David Urban, so who do you think is listening to this and to what end?

DAVID URBAN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, John. Listen, I -- with all due respect to my good friend Bakari, I disagree with him on a lot of points. And John, to your point, look, this was taped earlier, right? This podcast was taped earlier.

But it didn't have to be -- you know, Barack Obama's first tweet this morning wasn't saying, hey, congratulations, Donald Trump, incredible thing that you just accomplished. Great for the Palestinian people, peace in the Middle East breaking out.

He puts out a self-congratulatory tweet about some, you know, a podcast with a guy that half of America's never heard of. So who gives a S right about it? Like, maybe emulate (ph) Bill Maher. You may not like the guy. You may not have voted for the guy, but game should respect game.

Our network, look, we're -- this network today has done nothing but great journalism of showing end to end all the great things that this administration has been able to accomplish today. The freed hostages, Palestinians returning home, the prospect of a durable and lasting Middle East peace. The people in Sharm El Sheikh, all these leaders gathering because of why? Because Donald Trump's force of personality being there.

So to Barack -- to Bakari's point, like, why now? It seems a little -- if you've got this in the can, maybe ask him to hold it for a day. Maybe don't tweet that out the first thing. Maybe tweet out something like congratulations, Mr. President. I've been in your shoes. I know how hard this is. Congratulations on getting it done.

BERMAN: This was taped, obviously, before today. And I don't think that the former president have much to say --

URBAN: But John, he could have tweeted out this morning. He could have -- he didn't tweeted out -- check his Twitter feed, there's no congratulations Donald Trump anywhere. It's a little -- it looks a little small to me.

BERMAN: OK. Bakari, the former president also had criticism for Democrats here. I want to play some of that.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

OBAMA: The vulnerability, I think, comes in and saying, right, I've got some core convictions. I've got beliefs that I'm not going to compromise, but I'm also not going to assert that I am so righteous and so pure. I think this was a fault of some progressive language was almost asserting a holier-than-thou superiority.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

BERMAN: So, Bakari, what do you think about that message? You also went on to say that you can't lecture people without acknowledging that you've got some blind spots to --

SELLERS: No, I mean, he -- this is how Barack Obama talks to many people in leadership, and he's absolutely correct. I mean, you have Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer who are speaking in these paragraphs on Twitter when people want in a thirsting for just this authenticity, which many times has just been cast aside for poll tested, what are the people and the advisers in Washington, D.C. talking about.

And so Barack Obama was really on message and speaking to the American public. But I want to -- I do have to go back to something that David said. And I think that David's framing a lot is the reason that people are not necessarily having the conversation that David wants us to have.

And the reason being is because David's initial thought, the same thing with Donald Trump and Jared Kushner is let's praise Donald Trump. And that's not the framing of this. In fact -- I'm not finish. In fact, I think that a lot of people, particularly those in this country who believe Israel has a right to exist, are very happy that these final hostages came home.

They're very happy that there's peace in the Middle East. They're grateful for this. I think that there's a statement that you made that said Palestinians can return to their homes. Well, David, their homes are shattered. They have to rebuild their livelihoods.

But that's what happens in war. I completely understand that. But we also have to have an empathetic eye to those men, women and children, for example, who did not deserve to die in this battle.

What I will say, though, going forward is that we need to make sure that Israel has a right to exist and Hamas is no more. We have to be able to say both of those things with a straight face. And if Donald Trump is on that path, he gets credit.

But I will tell you this, that a lot of people are waiting with bated breath to see what happens tomorrow. So thank God all of these hostages came home. I hope all of the remains of the hostages are found. And I hope one day we can actually say something that George Bush wanted us to say a long time ago, which is that we have peace in the Middle East.

[20:45:06]

BERMAN: David, we got about 20 seconds left.

URBAN: So Bakari, real quickly. Bakari, if it's not Donald Trump and the Trump administration to thank today, who would you thank? Listen, half the world showed up in Sharm El Sheikh today to thank Donald Trump in this administration and acknowledge. But for Donald Trump, this would not have occurred.

So who would you thank if you wouldn't thank Trump --

SELLERS: On a day with -- on a day when people are returned home to their families, on a day after two years where individuals were gone, we're not talking about the swap that was made. We're not talking about the Hamas soldiers who were kidnapping babies and that's the swap that was made.

I'm not talking about the fact that Joe Biden actually had more hostages released during his deal. But what I am saying is that it's very -- it's very -- it reeks of something when you're not able to simply say, thank God these hostages are home without having to bow a bended knee --

BERMAN: OK.

SELLERS: -- or delay somebody.

URBAN: Bakari -- there's a 20 --

BERMAN: We're going to go.

URBAN: Listen, John Berman --

BERMAN: David, no, no.

URBAN: John Berman, you --

BERMAN: David, Bakari, we had the discussion --

URBAN: -- there's a 20-point plan.

BERMAN: Right, and we're on --

URBAN: There's a 20-point plan where to place --

BERMAN: We will see where it goes --

URBAN: -- that's going to be executed upon.

BERMAN: We will see where it goes in the days ahead.

David Urban, Bakari Sellers --

URBAN: But Bakari, be honest. Don't be -- just be honest. Say, great job, Donald Trump. It's OK to do, Bakari. You're not going to melt.

BERMAN: We'll take this offline. Gentlemen, thank you for being with us. We will --

SELLERS: Great job, Donald Trump.

BERMAN: -- take this offline. Thank you all for being here.

In a moment, look back at the career of Diane Keaton.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:51:11]

BERMAN: We learned over the weekend that movie legend Diane Keaton had died in Los Angeles. Tonight, CNN's Randi Kaye looks back at her truly amazing career.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She was, to be sure, a national treasure.

DIANE KEATON, MOVIE LEGEND: Oh, well, la-de-da, la-de-da, la-la, yes. KAYE (voice-over): One of the most beloved movie stars of the past half century, there was nobody quite like Diane Keaton, the shy outsider and "The Godfather."

KEATON: You know how naive you sound.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why?

KEATON: Senators and presidents don't have men killed.

KAYE (voice-over): A quirky romantic in "Annie Hall."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You want a lift?

KEATON: Oh, why? You got a car?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I was going to take a cab.

KEATON: Oh, no, I have a car.

KAYE (voice-over): A Bolshevik sympathizer in "Reds."

KEATON: Freedom, freedom. You mean I should be like you and not give a damn?

KAYE (voice-over): Along the way, she became an icon of beauty and fashion, of eccentricity and humor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, you look great.

KEATON: Oh, shut up.

KAYE (voice-over): And the hits just kept on coming, "Baby Boom."

KEATON: Are you telling me that I inherited a baby from a cousin I haven't seen since 1954?

KAYE (voice-over): "Father of the Bride."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wasn't stealing them. I was happy.

KAYE (voice-over): "The First Wives Club."

KEATON: I washed the shorts, I ironed them, I starched them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You did?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, you did?

KEATON: Yes, well, I mean, I supervised.

KAYE (voice-over): And the movie Keaton once said was her favorite, the 2003 blockbuster "Something's Gotta Give."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's with the turtlenecks? It's the middle of summer. KEATON: No, seriously, why do you care what I wear?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just curious.

KEATON: I like him. I've always liked him. And I'm just a turtleneck kind of gal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You never get hot?

KEATON: No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Never.

KEATON: Not lately.

KAYE (voice-over): Accepting a Golden Globe for the film, Keaton delighted in how it upended Hollywood's obsession with youth.

KEATON: A romantic comedy starring Jack and Diane, two people whose combined age is 125.

(APPLAUSE)

KAYE (voice-over): As the years passed, Diane Keaton's legend only grew. Long famous for her personal style, she published books on fashion, architecture, and photography. The woman Vanity Fair once called the most reclusive star since Greta Garbo even took to Instagram.

By any measure, Keaton's popularity with fans was rivaled only by the admiration of her peers.

MERYL STREEP, DIANA KEATON CO-STAR: Diane Keaton, arguably the most covered up person in the history of clothes, is also a transparent woman. There's nobody who stands more exposed, more undefended, and just willing to show herself inside and out.

KAYE (voice-over): And for anyone who ever wondered whether Keaton was as offbeat in real life as she was on camera --

AL PACINO, DIANE KEATON CO-STAR: And he said, "Hi, Diane. I'm Marlon Brando." And she looked up, shook his hand, and said, "Yes, right. OK, good. That's fine. OK, right."

(LAUGHTER)

KAYE (voice-over): Among the countless tributes to Keaton in recent days was a message from Goldie Hawn, who wrote that her friend had left us with a trail of fairy dust filled with particles of light and memories beyond imagination.

[20:55:00]

It made us think of the night Keaton accepted her American Film Institute Lifetime Achievement Award, taking the stage with a smile on her face and a song in her heart. KEATON: Seems like old times here with you.

Thank you. Thank you so much.

(APPLAUSE)

KAYE (voice-over): Diane Keaton was 79 years old.

Randi Kaye, CNN.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

BERMAN: What a life.

Next, a CNN exclusive on President Trump's new U.S. attorney for the East District of Virginia.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: A CNN exclusive, new action by Lindsey Halligan, a former personal attorney for President Trump, who is now his handpicked choice for U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. Maggie Cleary, a senior prosecutor in that office, was removed from the job, that's according to two people familiar with the matter.

Cleary side with prosecutors who opposed bringing the case against former FBI Director James Comey. She is now one of five career prosecutors who have either been fired or resigned since Halligan took over. And Halligan may not be done. A source says she's interested in moving around prosecutors who she believes may oppose her work on other high profile cases.

That's all for us tonight. The Source starts right now.