Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

Interview with Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-HI): Army: Fort Hood OB-GYN Accused of Sexual Misconduct is in Jail; Trump Says Costs are Dropping, Americans Report Increases. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired December 09, 2025 - 14:30   ET

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

[14:30:00]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Democratic women lawmakers on Capitol Hill have written a letter to the Pentagon's Inspector General, joined by a number of their colleagues in the Senate, demanding accountability for what they say is the Army's failure in stopping widespread sexual misconduct. More than 80 women are now accusing Army OB-GYN Major Blaine McGraw of sexual misconduct, according to two lawyers who are representing accusers. A civil lawsuit against the doctor accuses him of repeatedly groping a female patient and secretly recording intimate videos of her during a recent pelvic and breast exam.

Sources say they expect more accusers to come forward, especially after the Army sent letters to more than 2,500 patients McGraw came into contact with during his time, not only at Fort Hood in Texas, but also at Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii. The scale of the alleged abuse is roiling the Army, as it could become one of, if not the, largest cases of alleged sexual misconduct in U.S. military history. Military officials at Fort Hood suspended McGraw last month.

Fort Hood says the criminal investigation is ongoing, and McGraw is now in a Texas jail in pretrial detainment, though he has not been arrested and charged.

Joining us now is CNN national security reporter Haley Britsky. Haley, could that change, or are we expecting that the Army could charge Dr. McGraw?

HALEY BRITZKY, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: So there are expected charges coming down the pipe. What that looks like, how many there are, what those charges are specifically, we still don't know yet. But he is in pretrial confinement until that happens.

A defense official said earlier that part of that pretrial confinement is due to seven alleged infractions on sort of the terms of agreement he had with his chain of command, so his military leadership, on sort of where he could go, where he couldn't go. So there were seven issues there that kind of resulted in this extended pretrial confinement. And we heard from the same defense official that the military was using location data on his phone to kind of determine where he had been and when to answer some of those questions.

KEILAR: That's really interesting. And of note, McGraw's lawyer told CNN that he, quote, "Did not violate the restriction. He was on the base the whole time for each allegation. Dr. McGraw is not a threat to anyone. The pretrial confinement is forcing the government to rush the investigation as his speedy trial rights are now implicated." The lawyer going on to say, "It's a bad decision, plain and simple."

Lawyers of victims say they're relieved that he is in jail, that he doesn't have this ability to kind of come and go. We're talking about dozens of women who have pretty stunning allegations here.

BRITZKY: That's right. I mean, like you said earlier, this is dozens of women, not only in Texas at Fort Hood, but also in Hawaii from when he was at Tripler Army Medical Center. So the Army has reached out to thousands of women at this point for potentially having been caught up in this.

And what women are saying was he would put his phone in his shirt pocket and allegedly record them, just like we have a photo showing in this photo that his phone is kind of in his shirt pocket with his camera facing out -- a photo obtained by CNN. So a lot of women are saying that they had this experience. Some women saying that he groped them, that he did unnecessary medical exams.

We, you know, of course, his lawyer has said that they haven't seen any records to support that patients were touched in a way not medically indicated. But more and more women are coming forward and saying that they had these experiences with him when he was their medical provider. It's a really serious issue.

And the Army is saying they're taking it very seriously.

KEILAR: All right. We'll be looking to see. This is certainly just the beginning of things. Haley, thank you so much for the very latest there.

And we're joined now by Democratic Congresswoman Jill Tokuda of Hawaii.

[14:35:00]

Congresswoman, I should note Tripler Army Medical Center, which is this prior duty station of this doctor, where he's also accused of misconduct, is in your state, very close to your district.

Have you had conversations with leadership at Tripler about this? What have they told you?

REP. JILL TOKUDA (D-HI), ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: You know, we have not had direct conversations with Tripler leadership. I can assure you that's in the works. But in what is honestly a rare move, our entire congressional delegation did send a letter to the Army, to Secretary Hegseth, saying that there must be an immediate, urgent and thorough investigation by the inspector general into this case.

It's absolutely unacceptable. This should never happen anywhere in our country.

KEILAR: Yes, we saw that from the senators and the Congress of Hawaii, all sending that letter to Pentagon officials. You're also part of this letter from the Democratic Women's Caucus that is going today, as we understand it. CNN has seen this exclusively.

And you have demands of leadership or certainly of the inspector general at the Pentagon. You really want them, you meaning dozens of lawmakers, to take a look at a number of things. What are you looking for from the Army, from the Pentagon in terms of accountability here?

TOKUDA: Well, first of all, let's remember and step back and think about the victims here at some of their most vulnerable, sensitive times in their lives. Literally, you go as a woman to an OB-GYN to get life-saving, life-giving care. And to have this kind of thing happen to you without even your knowledge in some case, this is an absolute breach and break of trust.

And so the Democratic Women's Caucus is demanding strong, firm accountability, answers to questions. There had to have been some kind of warning sign, some alarm bells going off. Why did nothing happen prior to the incidents where, you know, people were complaining at Fort Hood?

Did anyone see something? Are there adequate reporting systems for both healthcare professionals, nurses, colleagues, as well as patients to be able to say, this man isn't right? You know, you should never have a phone with a lens camera visible while you're doing such an intimate procedure or any kind of screening.

And again, as we've heard, sadly, through some of the news reports, unnecessary screenings and examinations that this man took. And now we know, had photographic and video documentation, thousands of images of women who didn't even realize what was going on, trusted their doctor and that trust was broken. And so we're demanding answers and accountability.

And quite frankly, this must never, must never happen again. So what are they immediately putting into place in terms of protections for all of our women, for all of our service members and their families who go to military hospitals and clinics to receive care?

KEILAR: I've talked to accusers of Dr. McGraw's. Some of them, a number of them are Republican voters. They're now all over because we're talking about Tripler in your state of Hawaii.

We're talking about Fort Hood in Texas, but military families move frequently and you now have accusers who are in so many states all over the country, potentially all over the world even. I guess my question is what -- knowing that, right, this is a broad swath of individuals who have these complaints, who are lobbying these accusations, this letters from Democrats. Are you talking to your Republican colleagues?

What are they telling you? What kind of answers do they want?

TOKUDA: You know, we will be talking to our Republican colleagues. This absolutely has to be a bipartisan push to make sure that everyone is held accountable because to your point, sexual assault, abuse, what happened as a result of, you know, McGraw, that didn't discriminate based upon your political identification. In fact, it was even worse than that.

We're talking about our service members who protect and serve every single one of us. We're talking about their families that sacrifice so much so their loved ones can go out onto the battlefield and during those times they were actually attacked if you think about it. It was a perpetrator literally hidden in a medical suit there.

And so we need to stand together, Democrats, Republicans, independents, human beings, women, to say enough is enough. We demand answers. We demand accountability.

And we have to remember to your point, thousands of potential victims scattered throughout the country and the world. We have to make sure that they get the support, the trauma-informed care, the help that they need when they need it. Literally people are going to start finding out, not knowing, but finding out as these pictures and videos go out as more information gets sent out.

These letters are being received, people stationed, potentially not even in country. We have to meet them where they're at and make sure they get the care and support that they need as a result of this trauma that sadly was because we failed.

[14:40:00]

The Army failed, Tripler failed, Fort Hood failed to protect them in some of their most vulnerable times.

KEILAR: And now that this is out there, right, we know there were previous complaints that didn't go anywhere. But now that we are where we are with this investigation, do you think the Army is taking this case seriously enough?

TOKUDA: I'm not going to trust that they're taking it seriously enough. That's why you see the kinds of letters, you see the kinds of actions. We need to keep beating the drum.

We need to keep holding the Army accountable as well, that this is such a serious offense. And more importantly, this is just the one we found out about. We have to make sure that there are systems of accountability, of reporting, alarm systems, as I said earlier, in place to make sure this never happens again.

Sadly, this is not the first time this year that we're talking about medical doctors, you know, as now sexual predators, you know, basically assaulting, attacking, making victims of their patients, the patients they're supposed to be protecting and caring for. We have to absolutely not just send a letter and tell the Army to do its job. We have to make sure and hold the Army accountable to do its job.

So we're not letting go on this one. The victims demand no less, they deserve no less. And so you can be assured that the Democratic Women's Caucus, the Hawaii Congressional Delegation, we're going to make sure we get those answers. But more importantly, we get accountability and we get justice for the victims.

KEILAR: Congresswoman Jill Tokuda, thank you so much for being with us today.

TOKUDA: Thank you.

KEILAR: Still ahead, the president giving himself an outstanding grade when it comes to the economy. Americans, though, are not feeling that.

[14:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Tonight, we'll see President Trump make the case for his economy. He's going to speak at the Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono in the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania.

This is the first of what's expected to be many trips across the country attempting to convince Americans that the economy is stronger and costs are generally lower. The president sharing his optimistic message during a new interview with Politico. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Energy has come down incredibly. Prices are all coming down. It's been 10 months. It's amazing what we've done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Multiple recent polls, though, show Americans are feeling the squeeze. More than three quarters in a November Fox poll labeled the economy as not so good or poor.

Let's discuss with business journalist Roben Farzad, the host of Full Disclosure. Robin, great to see you, as always. I wonder what you think the president can actually do to tackle affordability and to make a difference in the day-to-day economic lives of Americans.

ROBEN FARZAD, BUSINESS JOURNALIST AND HOST, FULL DISCLOSURE: I mean, it sounds extreme but hope that the Supreme Court reverses him on tariffs. I mean, that would give -- that would give relief to price pressure. And then he could plausibly say, look, I tried and the courts thwarted me.

I tried to go to the defense of U.S. manufacturers. But that's certainly, you know, the economy has not really needed that as an extra excuse for companies to hike up prices. And you've seen that he's had to relent with certain countries and in certain negotiations.

So there's only so much he can do. And in fact, he's trying to browbeat what's left of Jerome Powell at the Federal Reserve to cut rates at this time, which indeed could be inflationary in the end. SANCHEZ: I do want to ask you about the potential for the Fed to cut rates tomorrow at their meeting, but I wonder how effective you think the president could be at sort of messaging that overall things are better than Americans think they are when, as you saw in that poll, a lot of folks are having a hard time.

FARZAD: Yes, you can't really have it both ways. If everything is hunky-dory and peachy keen, you're not, you know, urging the Federal Reserve to slash interest rates, not just by a quarter point here or there, but aggressively, whereas housing is still near an all-time high. The stock market is near highs.

You and I have talked about the K-shaped economy so much, but there's so much pain at the working class level. If you see the real kind of jobless numbers backing out of COVID, numbers that more resemble 2009 when we were in the financial crisis. I think the headline Bureau of Labor statistic numbers don't bear that out.

But if you have capital, if you have assets, you're feeling great. It's expensive to eat out. Your grocery cart is still expensive.

I think a lot of people out there don't realize that inflation isn't round-tripping. You know, the killing of inflation doesn't mean we round-trip back to 2019 prices. Prices are always sticky upwards.

There are other nefarious things such as, you know, shrinkflation. I recently went and got a filet-o-fish. It's like the size of my ring finger, you know.

Companies have tried everything, and everybody is fed up out there. They were assuming that price relief would have meant that we return back to 2019 prices, and that's just not the case.

SANCHEZ: I'm not sure if I'm more surprised that the filet-o-fish was the size of your ring finger or that you were going for a filet-o- fish. You're a brave man, Roben Farzad.

FARZAD: I crave it. I crave it once or twice a year, that steamed bun. I'm sorry. I digress with you always.

SANCHEZ: It's all right. We're open to all viewpoints. Adjusting for inflation, JP Morgan found that median income for working-age Americans is slowing.

So to your point about the K-shaped economy, if wages aren't growing, undoubtedly frustrations will grow, right?

FARZAD: Yes, you have to make a monthly nut.

[14:50:00]

If that's rent, if that's your mortgage payment, if you're blessed enough to have a home, it's filling up the grocery cart. People are cutting back on dining out, even casual dining. It's very hard to make ends meet when you're not seeing the wage gains that are still going up with above-trend inflation. I mean, this is not the best of both worlds, where it's not too hot, not too cold. The Fed could be cutting rates. If anything, we're more worried on balance about inflationary pressures.

You haven't slaked that yet. Time was you had to throw the economy into a deep recession to kill the kind of inflation that we saw in 2022. And I don't think anybody wants that medicine.

SANCHEZ: Yes. So on the Fed, are you expecting a rate cut?

FARZAD: Yes. I mean, this is a kind of a lame duck Fed chair. They've all but announced his successor.

They'll come out, there'll be language there. But, you know, I don't have all the confidence in the world in the Fed. It's not like they saw subprime around the corner.

It's not like they could possibly see COVID. I feel like they're just trying to keep full employment and steady prices. And you might nominally have full employment right now, but certainly people out there don't perceive price stability. There's just disproportionate pain.

SANCHEZ: Roben Farzad, appreciate the expertise, man. Enjoy that fillet of fish.

FARZAD: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Still to come, we've got record rain, frigid cold and more snow on the way. If you didn't know it by now, winter is here and we're tracking some serious danger ahead.

[14:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Now to some of the other headlines we're watching this hour, the CDC's annual abortion report that is usually released in November has been delayed until spring.

The HHS is blaming former CDC chief medical officer, Dr. Deborah Houry for the delay. But Houry, who resigned earlier this year, says that mass layoffs and funding cuts approved by HHS are the real culprit.

Also a notable reversal in President Trump's trade war with China. The president says he will now allow U.S.-based company NVIDIA to export their highly sought after AI chips. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that he would only allow NVIDIA to ship their H200 products to approved Chinese customers. He also implied 25 percent of revenue the company earns will wind up going to the U.S. government. Similar deals with other chip companies are now also expected.

And an incredible reunion after tragedy strikes actress, Rikki Lake's Hollywood home. Lake thought that photos she lost in the Palisades fire last year were gone forever. But months later, a local painter posted a video on Instagram saying she bought a box of photos from a flea market in Pasadena and recognized Lake in the stack. Rikki almost instantly got word and the painter shipped the box to her. Lake says she has no idea how those photos ended up at the flea market but was overjoyed to be reunited with those cherished memories -- Brianna.

KEILAR: That is lovely.

Today, a new Arctic blast is making a mess for millions of drivers. Take a look at this car in upstate New York as it loses control on that icy road there, actually crashed into that snowplow.

In the meantime, in the Pacific Northwest, this waterfall in Washington State is now raging as a dangerous atmospheric river is hammering the region. Meteorologist Derek Van Dam is in the extreme weather center. Derek, you have a lot to keep track of right now.

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, that's correct. Brianna, let's talk about the atmospheric river pointing this fire hose of heavy rain into the Pacific Northwest. That was jaw dropping video we saw just a moment ago of the water rushing over in that waterfall.

It's also causing treacherous travel conditions for many of the interstates in and around the greater Seattle region. The saturated ground is also toppling trees as we get a lot of wind energy associated with this atmospheric river. But I want to show you the kind of the origins of where this river in the sky that has the ability to transport over 15 times the amount of water that flows through the Mississippi River.

We call this the tropical connection, and you can see it right here. There's the Pacific Northwest and follow that moisture train all the way to Hawaii. That is the Pineapple Express, people.

It is a mild atmospheric river, meaning that snow levels are generally quite high, and this will be a lot of rain as it focuses that fire hose of heavy rainfall right now along Interstate 5 near Portland, Interstate 84 as well, looking very wet. This is swelling rivers right now, 14 of which are forecast to become a major flood stage as we go forward through this extended duration atmospheric river event. In fact, the Snohomish River has the potential to reach near record values late Friday or late Thursday into early Friday morning, something that the National Weather Service is monitoring very closely.

Millions of Americans across the Pacific Northwest currently under flood watch or flood warning. Remember, a watch means be prepared to take action if flooding occurs. A flood warning means that flooding is imminent.

Look at this future radar, and you can see how the fire hose of the atmospheric river kind of fluctuates from north to south. That is that narrow band of heavy rainfall that gets directed depending on the exact flow of the jet stream in the upper levels of the atmosphere. One thing's for sure, we have the potential for over a foot of rain in some locations, and that same jet stream that's driving the moisture into the Pacific Northwest is also driving clipper systems and cold air into the eastern half of the country.

Look at this one, not one, but two clippers will bring us snowfall across the Great Lakes and eventually into the northeast. But the big story here will certainly be the ...

[15:00:00]