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New York Ten Primary; Task Force Recommends FEMA Overhaul; Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) is Interviewed about Health Care; Joe Walsh Auctions Memorabilia. Aired 9:30-10a ET
Aired December 11, 2025 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[09:31:25]
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, there is a really interesting developing political story here in New York City. If you watch cable news, you know this guy. This is New York Congressman Daniel Goldman. He was a staff counsel during the first impeachment trial for one of the committees of President Trump. He was on TV a lot. He's a congressman who does a lot of work in the city and speaks out frequently against the president. He's in big trouble, potentially, in a Democratic primary, being challenged by Brad Lander, here, who is an ally of the mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani.
So, what's going on here, and what does it say about the Democratic Party?
With us now, CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten.
Again, I say big trouble. What do the prediction markets say?
HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Yes, big trouble, big trouble. I mean, this, you rarely ever see it here, chance to win the New York Ten Democratic nomination. In fact, the challenger is the favorite, Brad Lander, on this side of the screen, a 77 percent chance to win the Democratic nomination. The incumbent, Dan Goldman, only at 22 percent. Now, 22 percent ain't nothing. It wouldn't be shocking if he comes back and wins. But when you have a primary campaign in which the incumbent starts out as the underdog, that is massive. That is truly something you very rarely see outside of scandal, which he really doesn't have.
BERMAN: And again, Brad Lander tied himself very closely to Zohran Mamdani in the mayor's race here. How did Mamdani do in this district?
ENTEN: Yes, I think this kind of gives the game away, right. Why is Brad Lander the favorite at this point compared to the incumbent, Dan Goldman? And that's because this is such a left leaning district. I mean, just take a look here, in the 2025 New York City mayoral Democratic primary, Mamdani beat Andrew Cuomo by 36 points. You jump ahead to the general election, where you had a more conservative electorate, Mamdani still won by 25 points. So, this is a very left- leaning district. No wonder Brad Lander, who, of course, Mamdani is backing at this point, is doing so well. BERMAN: Any sense of what one of the issues could be here separating
them?
ENTEN: Yes, I mean, one of the big issues here, of course, is Israel. And Brad Lander is seen as more dovish on it than Dan Goldman, who's seen as more hawkish, more in Israel's corner.
Who do Democrats sympathize more with? This is a national story, right? In 2017, Democrats nationally sympathized more with the Israelis by 19 points. Now it's the Palestinians by 50 points. So, what we're talking about is a Democratic electorate, like the one in New York Ten, that is much more receiving of an anti-Israel or certainly more pro-Palestinian message, at least with sympathies lying.
BERMAN: And what do we know about liberals voting, you know, in Democratic primaries?
ENTEN: And, yes, you know, you talk about this switcheroo, right, going from Israel to Palestinians. How about this, the Democratic electorate nationwide? Again, this is a story. Yes, it's New York Ten, but we're also talking nationally. Democratic voters have become much further to the left. We're talking about the percentage who identify as liberals, 33 percent in 2001, 45 percent in 2015, and now 56 percent of Democratic voters. And Brad Lander looks like he might very well take advantage of it.
BERMAN: Again, which is why we see this truly stunning number in the (INAUDIBLE).
ENTEN: This -- you rarely ever see this.
BERMAN: All right, Harry Enten, thank you very much.
ENTEN: Thank you.
BERMAN: A lot of breaking news this morning. We'll be right back.
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[09:38:59]
BERMAN: We've got exclusive new reporting this morning. CNN has learned that President Trump's FEMA task force plans to recommend a dramatic downsizing, an overhaul of the agency. This would be the most sweeping change or changes in decades.
Let's get right to CNN's Gabe Cohen for all of this.
Gabe, you've been reporting on FEMA extensively over the last several months. This is really the culmination of that. What have you learned?
GABE COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, John, it is a big day for this agency.
So, just to backtrack for a second. Trump put together this task force earlier this year to draw up plans to help him eventually overhaul FEMA, which he had been trashing even back on the campaign trail after Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina. Well, now we have obtained which -- something that could be the final draft of this task force recommendations, which they're expected to vote on today.
What they are proposing here is, as you say, perhaps the most dramatic overhaul of FEMA in the last two decades, but it does not include any plan to eliminate the agency altogether as Trump and as Secretary Kristi Noem have been vowing to do for months now.
[09:40:07]
Instead, what this task force is recommending is slashing FEMA's workforce by about 50 percent, renaming the agency, giving it a new branding. One of the names that officials have floated in recent months is the national office of emergency management, or NOEM, if you like that acronym, John. And they want to shift disaster funding to a block grant system where payments are sent to states more quickly, typically within 30 days after a disaster has hit, in order to get money in the hands of people more quickly and to empower the states.
They also want to raise the threshold to make it harder for states to qualify for that aid, which means that they are going to have to front the bill more so for major disasters and maybe handle smaller ones entirely on their own. A lot of experts, I will tell you, agree with these changes.
But, John, what is most controversial probably in this proposal that we've obtained is keeping FEMA inside the Department of Homeland Security. There has been outcry from a lot of FEMA insiders, from lawmakers, even from members of this FEMA review council, that the president put together.
But Kristi Noem, who co-chairs this council, pressured the group to keep her control over the agency. And, John, as of this draft that we obtained yesterday, she seems to have won out.
BERMAN: All right. Well, we'll have to see how exactly the details when this does come out and how it is received. Gabe, you're all over this story. Thanks so much.
Kate.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Congress is on the clock right now. Millions of Americans are facing down a deadline for their health care subsidies to expire, which would mean their health care costs will be -- will go up. Premiums are set to double, on average, for more than 20 million Americans who use them. Today, the Senate is set to vote on two dueling proposals to deal with this issue before they expire at the end of the year. Democrats want to extend the subsidies, as is, for three years. Republicans want to let the subsidies expire, instead putting new funding in to boost health savings accounts, HSAs, as you know them, to help people pay for their health care. Is there time, though, to pull together an actual fix? Let's find out.
Joining us right now is Democratic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, member of the Senate Democratic leadership, of course.
Senator, these measures, from all the -- you tell me if you disagree, but these measures I've -- from all the smart people I'm talking to are going to fail. Does that mean health care subsidies are going to expire? Because is there realistically time to come together on a fix before the end of the year?
SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL): Well, if it's a fix that involves changing some major laws, of course not. We need to do triage. And the first thing is to face the emergency that millions of Americans face when these tax credits disappear. I think of the waitress in the Chicago loop restaurant I ran into with my wife last Sunday. She's 63 years old. She's gone through a lot of problems, orthopedic problems and other things that she's dealt with. She tells me her health insurance premium is going to double, and she doesn't know how she's going to pay for it. I understand that, and I hope that my colleagues in the Republican side of the aisle will come to her rescue first, and then talk about major change, major reform after.
BOLDUAN: Are the votes going to fail today?
DURBIN: Well, I hope I'm wrong, but I'm afraid they will. The Republicans have it within their power to extend these tax credits. Virtually all Democrats are going to vote for it. But we need 13 of them to step up.
BOLDUAN: This was the centerpiece of Democrats holding out against Republican pressure to end the government shutdown. You were one of the eight senators who voted with Republicans to reopen the government. You took a lot of heat for breaking with the -- with the majority of the Democrats on this. Even the governor of Illinois was very critical. I remember at the time, I remember -- I wrote it down. He said, this isn't a deal, it's an empty promise. If the subsidies expire now after all of that, was it worth it for you?
DURBIN: Well, absolutely. There had to be an end to this government shutdown. We ran the risk of air traffic controllers not doing their important lifesaving work. We ran the risk of losing the SNAP plan, the basic feeding program for millions of Americans. It was time for it to end. And we got a promise from John Thune, the Republican Senate leader, that we would get this vote before Christmas.
So, we have this vote in time to help people. That's what we were aiming for. And make sure the Democratic promise of standing behind health care for Americans was kept. And this vote today gives us that chance. There was never, ever a guarantee that the Republicans were going to support that effort. I still hope they will, but it's a long shot.
BOLDUAN: Yes. We also have video released by the attorney general of U.S. Coast Guard seizing a Venezuelan oil tanker allegedly carrying sanctioned oil.
[09:45:03]
You, as with your position on the Judiciary Committee, have questioned the legality of the boat strikes that were carried out by the -- by the U.S. military off the coast of Venezuela. Do you question the legality of this oil tanker seizure as well?
DURBIN: Well, of course I do. And I just want to tell you that the Constitution makes it clear that any president, before he engages in an act of war, has to have the authorization of the American people through Congress. The Republicans in the Senate have rejected that premise, but I think it's sound constitutional law. This president is preparing for an invasion of Venezuela, simply said. And if the American people are in favor of that, 'I'd be surprised. They want to know more before we get into a real fighting war.
BOLDUAN: I have to ask a different topic, quite different, but President Trump said something during his Pennsylvania speech that you seem to see as vindication from the way back. Let me play this.
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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We had a meeting and I say, why is it we only take people from shithole countries, right?
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BOLDUAN: That gets to, let's go back then to 2018, Senator. It was reported that he'd said during a closed-door meeting that you were in that he said that. You confirmed it was said. And then you were attacked for it. Listen here.
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SEN. TOM COTTON (R-AR): I certainly didn't hear what Senator Durbin has said repeatedly. Senator Durbin has a history of misrepresenting what happens in White House meetings, though, so perhaps we shouldn't be surprised by that.
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BOLDUAN: Senator, have you had a conversation with Tom Cotton about this? I mean, after what President Trump just said.
DURBIN: No, and -- no, I have not. And I don't plan on it. Let me tell you, it's no fun to be called a liar on television by one of your colleagues in the Senate. It took six years for vindication, but the president confirmed the fact he actually said that. And Tom Cotton was sitting in the room when he said it
BOLDUAN: What a twist. Senator Dick Durbin, a very important day. Let's see if there is time to get a fix for those health care subsidies. The vote coming up. Thank you for your time today.
John.
BERMAN: Life's been good to him so far. How good? See for yourself. Guitar legend Joe Walsh puts some incredible items up for auction.
And one of the most daunting tasks on earth. Now there is a robot that can do it for you. We're talking about folding clothes. This robot can do it apparently, though, very, very slowly.
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[09:51:58]
BOLDUAN: The Interior Department is moving to overhaul the design of some of its annual national park passes, replacing iconic scenic photos on the passes with something like this, the -- President Trump's face. One of the designs features him alongside, as you saw, George Washington. The revamp is part of what the department calls commemorative new designs as part of America's 250th birthday. The Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental group, though, is now suing the administration over this to prevent the change. The new pass design is set to take effect January 1st.
And take a look-i-lou (ph) at this. A new employee just joined a San Francisco-based laundry business. Yes, the robot. His name is Isaac, and it's equipped with cameras and sensors that can sort, fold and stack piles of clothes. Employees, though, do acknowledge that Isaac is a bit slow, taking about two minutes to fold an item, which John Berman says is not acceptable. But they also say it's still learning. So, cut him some slack, JB.
A poodle stolen during a morning walk is now safely back home once again after getting apparently to ride shotgun -- that is one cute doggie -- shotgun and a patrol car. Police say a masked suspect actually snatched the dog and took off in a car. They were later tracked down and arrested, the person, the suspect, who targeted the dog. And also, they say, knew the owner, which is quite a twist.
John.
BERMAN: That's kind of messed up, actually.
BOLDUAN: Yes, it is.
BERMAN: All right, this morning, what a sale. Joe Walsh is a true rock legend, both in his solo career and with the Eagles, and now he's auctioning off some of his most cherished memorabilia.
CNN's Elex Michaelson explains why.
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ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Joe Walsh is performing on guitars. He's preparing to auction off to benefit his non-profit, Vet Aid.
MICHAELSON: How are you feeling about sort of letting this go, letting your fans have some of this?
JOE WALSH, ROCK LEGEND: It's painful. I don't like thinking about when I'm not here what's going to happen to it. So, I would rather have somebody have a shot at having it.
MICHAELSON (voice over): Juliens is auctioning off 800 items from Walsh and their iconic Troubadour stage in west Hollywood.
MICHAELSON: So cool to be at the Troubadour with you.
WALSH: Yes, a lot of friendly ghosts here. They're all looking at me.
These are really hard to tune, especially if you're stoned.
MICHAELSON (voice over): One of the items is this 12-string guitar Walsh played on his album "Barnstorm."
WALSH: Holy smokes. Look at all this stuff.
MICHAELSON (voice over): Also included is this suit Walsh wore to his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
WALSH: Kind of unimpressed with what everybody wore. And I thought --
MICHAELSON: That makes a statement.
WALSH: Yes, it does.
MICHAELSON (voice over): This shirt reading "so what" reminds Walsh of the album of the same name he wrote after his young daughter was killed in a car crash.
[09:55:04]
WALSH: And it's important that you grieve, but it's important that you move on.
MICHAELSON: Yes. And so that's part of your healing?
WALSH: Yes.
MICHAELSON: That's part of your healing. That's beautiful.
WALSH: Yes, so what. Hey, Joe, (INAUDIBLE).
My father was killed in 1949.
MICHAELSON (voice over): Walsh has long supported vets after losing his own father, an Air Force pilot.
WALSH: A homeless vet. I can't stand that.
MICHAELSON: Right.
WALSH: I am a gold star kid. I lost my father when I was two.
WALSH (singing): Waiting around the farm.
MICHAELSON (voice over): Walsh is clear, this auction does not signify his retirement.
MICHAELSON: How do you see your musical legacy?
WALSH: Well, I'm not done yet.
MICHAELSON (voice over): To that point, the Eagles returned to their residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas in January.
WALSH: It's a 21st century technology, digital. Fantastic. Amazing. With a 20th century band. And that works. That works.
MICHAELSON (voice over): Juliens auction at the Troubadour is set for December 16th and 17th.
WALSH: It's time.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
WALSH: It's just plain time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BERMAN: Pretty cool assignment there.
BOLDUAN: I was thinking, that was a cool one. What fun.
BERMAN: All right, thank you all for being with us this morning. This has been CNN NEWS CENTRAL. "THE SITUATION ROOM," up next.
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