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Trump Says, I Don't Care If Hegseth Testifies About Second Boat Strike; Trump Heads to Pennsylvania to Tout Affordability After Calling the Issue a Hoax and a Con Job; Supreme Court Hears Case That Could Alter How Campaigns are Financed. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired December 09, 2025 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: This morning, Hegseth in the hot seat. The defense secretary set to brief Congressional leaders on the deadly boat strikes in the Caribbean as the president backtracks on releasing video of that double-tap strike that some are saying may be a war crime. And Congress is threatening action against Hegseth that if he doesn't release it.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: The reign of Jimmy. Counted out by some just a few months ago with the most powerful critic on Earth, Jimmy Kimmel gets a new 12 months in late night.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: And a pickup truck flies across a freeway and oncoming traffic. You can see this wild video and the wild ride that this person took.

I'm Kate Bolduan with John Berman and Sara Sidner. This is CNN News Central.

SIDNER: The Trump administration will face new questions on Capitol Hill this morning about the deadly double-tap strike on an alleged drug vote in the Caribbean. Sources telling CNN the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine will brief the lawmakers known as the gang of eight. They're the Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate and the top members of the Intelligence Committees.

The briefings come as Congress is turning up the pressure to release the full video of those September 2nd strikes, a provision tucked into the new defense spending bill would cut heck's travel budget unless he releases the unedited version to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees.

Now, President Trump said last week that he would have no problem releasing the full video, but now he's backtracking on that and says he'll leave the decision in Hegseth's hands. And breaking overnight, in a new interview, the president was asked whether Hegseth should appear before Congress under oath. Here's what he told Politico.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The defense secretary, should he testify, Pete Hegseth, under oath before Congress about that controversial second strike on the alleged drug boat on October -- on September 2nd?

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I don't care if he does. He can if he wants. I don't care. You know --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think he should?

TRUMP: I don't care. I would say do it if you want, Pete.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you --

TRUMP: He's doing a great job.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you watched the video --

TRUMP: He was stopping -- I watched everything. Yes, I watch everything. I see a lot of things --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And do you believe that second strike was necessary?

TRUMP: Well, it looked like they were trying to turn back over the boat. But I don't get involved in that. That's up to them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: CNN Senior National Security Reporter Zach Cohen joining me now. What more do we know about this briefing today to the gang of eight?

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, Sara. We're told that this briefing should cover a range of topics including operations around Latin America. And this is really the first time top lawmakers will have the opportunity to directly question Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about his role in that September 2nd strike, where, of course, we've been just talking about how the U.S. military conducted a double tap strike appearing to kill the survivors who made it through the first strike.

And, obviously, this comes after General Caine and Admiral Bradley, the special operations commander who oversaw that strike on September 2nd, went to the Hill last week and spoke to lawmakers, walked them through what happened that day, and also showed them that unedited video of that strike of lawmakers obviously emerging from that briefing last week.

Split along party lines, Democrats really pushing for the release though of this video that Trump was -- did commit to and said that he supported last week only to backtrack in recent days. You can expect lawmakers, I'm sure, to push Hegseth to release that video today as well when he -- Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe meet with these top lawmakers behind closed doors.

But I want you to listen to what Hegseth said over the weekend when he was pressed on whether or not he plans to release this unedited video.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, Mr. Secretary, you will be releasing that full video?

PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY: We are reviewing it right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is that a yes or no?

HEGSETH: That is for -- the most important thing to me are the ongoing operations in the Caribbean with our folks that use bespoke capabilities, techniques, procedures in the process. I'm way more interested in protecting that than anything else. So, we're reviewing the process and we'll see.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: So, Hegseth obviously a bit non-committal there.

[07:05:02]

But lawmakers on both sides of the aisle really turning up the pressure on Hegseth and even including a provision in the new defense policy bill that would withhold some of Hegseth's travel expenses if he does not provide the Senate and House Armed Services Committees with that unedited video.

So, we'll have to wait and see what happens, but Hegseth having to go to the Hill and confront those lawmakers today.

SIDNER: Zach Cohen, thank you so much for your reporting this morning. John?

BERMAN: All right. Breaking just moments ago, in that same interview with Politico that we aired a little while ago, President Trump called the economy A-plus, plus, plus, plus, plus. I think I have all the pluses there. That's not what the American people seem to be saying in recent polls, where nearly 70 percent say the economy is getting worse. Just weeks ago, the president said the idea of affordability crisis is a con job. Still, White House advisers know they need to address these concerns. Today, the president is set to speak to supporters in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania.

Let's get to the White House. CNN's Kevin Liptak is there. Kevin?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes. And actually this will be something of a rarity for the president in this term. You have to go all the way back to April to find a similar sort of campaign- style event where the president is out speaking to his supporters, talking about his agenda. Many of the president's allies think that that has just been too long, that it signals a lack of focus on the issues that got him elected to office. And that is part of why today's event was put on the schedule really to kind of address some of those concerns and essentially road test his message about the economy and about his claims that he's bringing down prices. Now, whether Republicans hear from Trump today what they want to hear I think is another question. The president has really chafed at this idea of affordability over the last several weeks suggesting it's essentially a way of setting him up by his political rivals. Listen to how he's framed it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: The word affordability is a con job.

Affordability is a hoax.

They use the word affordability. It's a Democrat hoax.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KIPTAK: Now, recent political experience has shown that it can be a difficult task for a president to try and convince Americans that the economy is better than they think it is. Joe Biden tried that and pretty much failed.

So, the president has really lost his edge on the economy when it comes to polls. Many Americans saying that prices for energy, for groceries, for housing, for education are really eroding their paycheck. And so how the president is received up there in the Poconos could be a real signal for how his message is received going forward.

And this is a critical swing district. It voted for Biden in 2020, for Trump in 2024. The freshman Republican, Rob Bresnahan, who represents that district, a top target for Democrats in the next year's midterm elections. The president, according to his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, will be out there campaigning. That's something of a shift from how presidents normally handle midterm elections. But she says that the president will be campaigning next year like it's 2024 again. John?

BERMAN: Again, I wonder if we will hear the economy grade as A-plus, plus, plus, plus, plus when he is on the stump today.

Kevin Liptak at the White House, great to see you. Thank you very much. Kate?

BOLDUAN: You are A-plus, plus, plus.

BERMAN: Plus, plus.

BOLDUAN: Sometimes minus, but often plus.

Coming up for us, after getting pulled off the air, Jimmy Kimmel gets a contract extension.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, JIMMY KIMMELL LIVE!: Our show's been renewed until May of 2027 or until the world ends, whichever comes first.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: TBD on that.

And millions of Americans are bracing right now for freezing temperatures and also dangerous flooding in some places, an atmospheric river ripping across several states.

Plus, speaking of a surf and turf smuggling scheme gone wrong, what happens when a drone tries to smuggle crab legs and a steak into a prison?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:10:00]

BOLDUAN: This morning, the Supreme Court is back at it. The justices set to hear arguments in a case that could really revolutionize and really change forever how campaigns are financed, possibly eliminating one of the few remaining checks on big money in politics.

The case is an interesting one brought by Republicans, including then- Senate hopeful J.D. Vance. It seeks to overturn the 2001 decision and erase limits on how much political parties can spend in coordination with candidates for Congress and the White House. Then there's Democratic and campaign finance experts though. They are arguing that move would open the floodgates to the influence of wealthy donors and politics today even further.

CNN's Senior Legal Analyst Elie Honig has much more on this. Els, campaign finance back before the high court. Walk me through what you see in this case and what really is at stake.

ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Well, Kate, over the past 20, 25 years, the Supreme Court has really loosened up campaign finance regulation across the whole array. One of the few restrictions, however, that remains in place is there are upper limits on how much a person can donate to the political parties, primarily the Republican and Democratic National Committees, if those parties are going to spend that money in coordination with specific candidates.

Now, as you see here, those limits do vary according to the type of office that's being sought and what state we're talking about here.

Now, the challenge today basically says those limits should be removed and a person should be able to donate essentially however much they want without limitation to the DNC or RNC to then be used in coordination with a candidate.

[07:15:04]

The argument is political donations are a form of political speech. They're protected by the First Amendment.

Now, the counter argument is Congress does have and needs to have the power to set some upper limits on that spending. Otherwise, as you said before, the challenges are arguing it'll become a free for all, and we will have essentially unlimited donations that can just be sent through the DNC and RNC. So, as you said, this could reshape the way our campaign finance works.

BOLDUAN: Well, is there a view on -- okay, oral arguments today and we have midterms, you know, obviously coming up in '26. Could this impact that?

HONIG: Yes. I mean, look, we are likely to get this decision this term. The term usually runs through the end of June. Sometimes it kicks over to the first couple days of July. So, yes, we could see a midstream adjustment. If this decision, let's assume it comes down when the big ones normally do, mid to late June, then all of a sudden that those floodgates, if the decision goes the way of the Republicans and the administration here, then we could see the floodgates open right then and there.

BOLDUAN: Fascinating. Okay. Also, it was a big day yesterday as well at the high court. The Supreme Court Justices heard arguments on -- the specific case was whether the president could fire the head of the FTC even without cause. But, essentially, the takeaway seems to have been from oral arguments that the conservatives on the bench seemed ready to back what is President Trump's push to effectively take over independent -- these are independent agencies within the federal government and put in, or take off at will what he -- who he chooses. What did you hear in oral arguments?

HONIG: That was definitely my takeaway, Kate. There were not a lot of poker faces from the justices. It was quite clear to see where they all stood.

Now, look, the case, as you said, is about a law passed by Congress back in 1914, creating the FTC, the Federal Trade Commission. And in that law, Congress said, but the president can only remove the commissioners for good cause, for bad behavior, for misconduct, for bad performance on the job. Donald Trump comes in office in 2025 and says, no, I don't think that's binding on me. I'm the head of the executive branch. I'm the president, and I'm going to get rid of one of these FTC commissioners because I don't think she furthers my agenda.

That FTC commissioner then sued and the six conservative justices very clearly seem to agree with the notion that Congress cannot come in and limit the president's power over hiring and firing of executive branch officials, including these independent agencies, the FTC and many others.

The liberal justices strongly disagreed. They seem to think it would give the president too much power. But, ultimately, Kate, this is a numbers game and I'm fairly certain this one's going to come out 6-3 in favor of the administration.

BOLDUAN: And kind of -- and going to the theme that we have been seeing of the power that the Supreme Court has confirmed and is affirming that the president really does hold.

It's great to see you. Thanks so much, Elie. Sara? SIDNER: All right. Thank you, Kate.

Ahead, cash purchases bottles of ammonia and a hacksaw, new evidence in the trial of Brian Walshe, who is charged with killing his wife. What we expect when court resumes today in that case.

And 109 years young? The Orioles surprise their fans of the year at his birthday party.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:20:00]

BERMAN: If you stay up late enough, anything can happen. Overnight, I saw something I have never seen before, a player throwing an interception and also fumbling on the very same play.

I want to get right to CNN's Andy Scholes, who has no turnovers yet this morning. Andy, has this ever happened in the history of history?

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: I've never seen it. You've never seen it. It's never happened since they started tracking play by play. But, Berman, I mean, Eagles fans just shaking their head, not very happy this morning. I mean, they had to be just pulling their hair out last night as they watched Jalen Hurts turn the ball over five times.

And the funniest play is one we mentioned. It's probably the funniest play in the entire season. Second quarter, Hurts throws the interception to Da'Shawn Hand. He fumbles it though. Hurts recovers that fumble, but then he fumbles it as well. As I mentioned, since they started tracking play by play back in 1978, Hurts is the first player ever to commit two turnovers on the same play.

Now, this game ended up going to overtime after the Chargers kicked the field goal. Eagles were driving to win the game. But Cam Hart, incredible play, tips it, Tony Jefferson grabs it for the interception to win the game. Hurts, as I mentioned, five turnovers. Chargers win 22-19 to get to 9-4. Eagles drop to 8-5 with the loss.

All right, the finalist for this year's Heisman Trophy were announced yesterday. Four guys are going to be going to New York, Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia, Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love, and Ohio State's Julian Sayin. Mendoza, huge favorite to win the award after leading the Hoosiers to an undefeated season and top seed in the playoffs. The award will be given out Saturday night.

Colts meanwhile are in a bad place right now when it comes to quarterbacks, so they're trying to go back in time to find one. According to multiple reports, 44-year-old Philip Rivers is set to work out for the team. Rivers played for 17 seasons, including his last season with the Colts back in 2020. Rivers is now a grandpa.

According to ESPN, the Colts have not decided to sign Rivers and he has not decided yet if he actually wants to try to play. Colts' lost Daniel Jones for this season and back up Riley Leonard is dealing with a knee injury. But, finally, this will make Philip Rivers feel young. Happy 109th birthday to Orioles super fan Arthur Green. The team surprising Green at his birthday party last night and presented him with a letter saying that he's going to be the team's 2026 fan of the year. The World War II and Korean War veteran, he threw out the first pitch at a game back 2023 when he was 106.

Green moved to Baltimore when he was four years old. He's a lifelong baseball fan. But, John, you saw that video there, I mean, he is the best looking 109 year old I've ever seen in my life.

BERMAN: Yes. Like 109 is the new 40. Like I don't get it. He actually could lead the Orioles in like home runs and stolen bases probably based on their recent play. He's got a future of this game.

[07:25:00]

SCHOLES: He has seen a lot of bad seasons there in Baltimore, right?

BERMAN: Andy Scholes, great to see you this morning. Thank you for that.

SCHOLES: All right.

BOLDUAN: I want to check his credentials. I'm questioning that he is 109.

BERMAN: Right? Prove it.

BOLDUAN: Prove it, sir. Like you look too good.

All right, let's do this now. The creator of an app that warns people about the location of ICE agents now suing the Trump administration. Why? That's ahead.

And Jimmy Kimmel makes a big announcement about the future of his show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIMMEL: I decided I was give it a lot of thought and decided I would like to spend less time with my family. And so --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SIDNER: Breaking overnight, President Trump declaring in a new interview Ukraine is, quote, losing.

[07:30:01]

Trump's comments to Politico that Russia is in a stronger position, came at a key moment in the negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.