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U.S. Launches Deadly Strikes On ISIS Terrorists In Nigeria; Israel Defense Minister: "Will Never Withdraw" From Gaza; Kimmel Tells British Viewers "Tyranny Is Booming" In U.S.; Trump Targets T.V. Networks In Posts Over "Negative" Coverage; Ashlee Buzzard To Be Arraigned On Murder Charge In Daughter's Death. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired December 26, 2025 - 08:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:32:09]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Following some breaking news overnight, President Trump saying that the U.S. launched airstrikes on Islamic State targets in Nigeria. Shortly after that announcement, the Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on social media, quote, "more to come." The Nigerian government confirms the two nations coordinated in carrying out the operation. The attack comes after President Trump has warned for months that the United States could take action there, claiming that ISIS has been targeting Christians in the region. CNN's Kevin Liptak is in West Palm Beach, Florida where the president is spending the holiday with much more on this.

Kevin, what's the latest with this?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, we understand that this strike involved dozens or more than a dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from a U.S. Navy vessel towards two ISIS camps in the northwestern part of Nigeria. What U.S. Africa command says is that multiple ISIS terrorists were killed, at least according to the initial assessments. And it does come after weeks of pressure from President Trump on the leadership in Nigeria to do more to stem what he has called a systemic slaughter of Christians in that country. And last night President Trump wrote on Truth Social, "Tonight, at my direction as commander in chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS terrorist scum in northwest Nigeria who have been targeting and viciously killing primarily innocent Christians at levels not seen for many years and even centuries."

The president goes on to say, "I've previously warned these terrorists that if they do not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay. And tonight, there was."

Now, these strikes do appear to have been coordinated with the Nigerian government. What the Nigerian foreign minister told CNN earlier today was that he had spoken with Nigeria's president and he says that the president had given the go ahead here. You know, the president has been pretty focused on this issue for the last several months. You'll remember back in November, he had directed the Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to draw up options and warned that the U.S. would go into Nigeria, quote, "guns a blazing if they didn't do more to stop these persecutions." We should note that both Muslims and Christians have been subject of violence in Nigeria.

It's a complex security situation. But President Trump warning that more strikes could be in the offing if these attacks don't stop.

BOLDUAN: Another conflict we're watching very closely Russia's war in Ukraine. We'd heard President Zelenskyy say that he's going to be meeting with President Trump soon. There's now more detail kind of coming together on how soon and what that's going to look like. Kevin, what are you picking up?

LIPTAK: It's very soon. And what President Zelenskyy says is that he will meet President Trump on Sunday. So just in two days time. The White House hasn't confirmed that meeting just yet, but it clearly comes amid some significant progress. You know, the most progress we've seen in trying to bring the war in Ukraine to an end.

[08:35:13]

You know, President Trump just said recently that he didn't think it would be useful to sit down with Zelenskyy unless they were close to a deal. So this does signal some significant work has been done. You know, Zelenskyy just spoke in the last couple of days with Steve Witkoff, with Jared Kushner, the president's envoys who are trying to resolve this conflict. The major sticking point right now seems to be those territorial concessions. Moscow and Vladimir Putin have so far not backed off their maximalist demands, namely that Ukraine give up the entire Donbas region.

That is something that will have to be massaged with Zelenskyy. Also unclear is whether Putin has signed off to this multipoint peace plan that the president has proposed. So clearly a very important meeting taking place down here on Sunday.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. Kevin, thank you so much for that. I really appreciate it.

Sara.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Joining me now, Aaron David Miller. He's a former State Department Middle East negotiator and is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Thank you for being here.

Let me just start with the strikes in Nigeria that President Trump ordered. The president is making this about Christians being killed there, the deadly strike carried out on Christmas Day. Nigerians foreign minister told CNN that the strike was approved by the Nigerian president and coordinated with the United States. But he says the issue they're facing is not about religion. So how do you see this?

Are these strikes actually strategic for the United States or something else?

AARON DAVID MILLER, FORMER STATE DEPT. MIDDLE EAST NEGOTIATOR: Thanks for having me, Sara. Look, I think the strikes seem to me to be largely performative. I mean, the United States is confronting these insurgencies in West Africa. They feed on Nigerian government corruption. They feed on linguistic, cultural and religious differences and on disputes between herders and farmers.

So the roots of the insurgency are not going to be extinguished by U.S. Drone strikes, no matter how effective they may be. And, you know, understanding the anger, 12,000 Nigerians have been killed over the last year, but as many Christians and Muslims. So the president's charge of genocide, I think is not only rejected by the reality on the ground, but it's rejected, as you pointed out, by the Nigerian government.

I'd also add that if in fact the U.S. is going to have any success against the Islamic State in Boko Haram in East Africa, it's going to also have to have soft power and the dismantling of USAID, which was a critically important actor in Nigeria, agricultural support for farmers, immunization problems, shelter, all of this is critically important, I think, to a long term effective strategy, if there is one, to root out these extremists and insurgent groups.

SIDNER: All right, I want to move on because of your expertise to what is happening between Israel and the United States. Monday, President Trump is expected to be meeting with the Prime Minister. The Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday again insisted that Israel will never fully withdraw from the Gaza Strip. But that goes against Trump's plan that Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza. What do you see evolving from this meeting between Trump and Netanyahu, particularly on this sticky sticking point?

MILLER: I mean this is the sixth meeting in the first year of the president's second term between Benjamin Netanyahu. I think it's the six between Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump.

Look, I think my view, I'll give you straight out, I don't think Trump and Netanyahu trust one another. I think both of them are experts at the art of the con, but they do need one another. Netanyahu needs Donald Trump to face the biggest challenge, frankly his main priority this coming year in 2026, to win an election. He's going to need President Trump support not as a bystander but as an active campaigner. And the president needs the prime minister to ensure that his much touted Gaza 20 point plan and the first phase which has been almost finalized and implemented, doesn't crater.

So I suspect there's frustration growing. I think there's a perception in the administration that the prime minister is slow walking, moving phase one to phase two. I suspect the tensions will remain below the surface, but I think the administration's patience with Benjamin Netanyahu is growing very, very thin.

SIDNER: I do want to ask you about this plan the Wall Street Journal reported on, about this rebuilding plan which is part of phase two called Project Sunrise from the Trump administration is $112 billion 10-year plan which they say will turn this, you know, war torn Gaza into a futuristic city with resorts and whatnot, where the U.S. would commit to pay about 20 percent of some construction costs. [08:40:17]

And at the same time, we're seeing this from the foreign affairs publication which sees it this way, it says Gaza's new normal, it says persistent limited conflict is more likely than peace. What is the reality as you see it now?

MILLER: Right now, and Sara, I think you broke the code. Right now the reality is that, you know, Gaul may have been divided into three parts, but Gaza is increasingly going to be divided into two, the 50 plus percent that the Israelis occupy and the 47 percent that Hamas controls. And let's be very clear, Hamas has -- Hamas has been fundamentally weakened even as a political organization, certainly as a military organization, but it remains the most preeminent Palestinian actor on the ground. So, yes, you could see Operation Sunrise or this project build in the Israeli controlled parts of Gaza, but in the remainder of Gaza, Hamas controls, no one's going to invest and you're going to have very little security.

SIDNER: Aaron David Miller, thank you for spending time with me this morning. I do appreciate you.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Also this morning, a new twist in the feud that President Trump has fueled with late night T.V. Host Jimmy Kimmel taking his late night bit overseas on and on British T.V. giving what was billed as an alternative Christmas message.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!"Listen, I can tell you that from a fascism perspective, this has been a really great year. Tyranny is booming over here. You may have read in your colorful newspapers my country's president would like to shut me up because I don't adore him in the way he likes to be adored. The American government made a threat against me and the company I work for and all of a sudden we're off the air.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: President Trump also spent some of his holiday week fixated on this feud as well, saying in a Christmas Eve message that networks that he sees as giving him negative coverage should have their broadcast licenses, quote, "terminated." President also singling out late night in particular like late night host -- like late show host Stephen Colbert calling for CBS to take him off the air immediately. Here with us now, CNN Senior Media Analyst Sara Fisher, who's also senior media reporter with Axios.

Sara Fischer, first on Kimmel, what's the back story here on why Kimmel's offering up this message in the U.K.?

SARA FISCHER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA ANALYST: Because I think he sees what's happened here, Kate, and he wants to make sure that something similar does not happen in the U.K. If you take a look at the broadcast environment there, the BBC Ofcom, which is the regulator that regulates the BBC, has threatened to remove and revoke broadcast licenses and funding for the BBC. So I think he sees a parallel and he wants to make sure that the people in the U.K. see it as well and that they address it. I also think that Jimmy Kimmel sees this as a moment to bring unity between two countries that have long been allies. You know, he made a reference in his speech that the U.S. still loves the U.K., that we should still continue to be allies and partners.

And basically this was his way of saying to those people, you know, forget about what's happening here. There are so many people in the U.S. who do stand for free speech and democratic principles. Listen to us.

BOLDUAN: And President Trump, as I mentioned, used his Christmas holiday in part to go even further at broadcast networks and late night in particular, calling for broadcast licenses to be terminated. I mean, what are you hearing about how seriously, like, he actually could take this threat?

FISCHER: He can't. National networks do not have broadcast licenses, Kate, only local affiliates that rely on publicly owned spectrum have broadcast licenses. Now there are some national networks that own local affiliates such as CBS, NBC and ABC, but to unilaterally pull those broadcast licenses is nearly impossible. He would face so many challenges in the courts. But ultimately, Kate, the people who follow President Trump on Truth Social, they don't know that.

They just see this as the president's strong arming networks that he perceives as being liberal and having bias against them. And it honestly sounds very normal to them at this point. President Trump has been attacking late night hosts like Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel as well as Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon for so many years. These attacks are nothing new. But what I will say is important is they come amid this big environment --

BOLDUAN: Right.

FISCHER: -- where the president is taking more aim at media companies.

BOLDUAN: That's a great point. It's not -- this very clearly is not a one off. It is part of this growing picture of the president's focus and what he's trying to do.

[08:45:01]

It's good to see you, Sara. Thank you very much.

SIDNER: Sara, Sara, Sara.

BOLDUAN: Sara, Sara.

SIDNER: I like it.

BOLDUAN: Sara.

SIDNER: Keep doing that. BOLDUAN: Doctor, doctor, doctor.

SIDNER: Doctor, doctor. We're off the rails, but it's Friday and we're allowed.

Later today, Ashlee Buzzard will be arraigned in California after being charged in her daughter Melodee's death. What more we could learn about this case? And ho, ho, hold on, Santa. White Police pulled over Mr. And Mrs. Claus.

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BOLDUAN: Happening today, the California woman accused of killing her nine-year-old daughter is expected to face a judge. Ashlee Buzzard is her name. She was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of murder after authorities this week said that her daughter Melodee's remains were found in rural Utah. Police have been searching for Melodee for months. The sheriff said that it was apparent that the little girl died from multiple gunshot wounds to the head.

[08:50:08]

Early October was the last time that she was seen alive on surveillance video. You see it here while on a multi-state road trip with her mother. The Santa Barbara County sheriff is calling this turn of events shocking, calculated and cold blooded. Investigators say they believe the killing was planned for before they left on this road trip.

Joining me right now is CNN Legal Analyst, criminal defense attorney, Joey Jackson.

The details when they revealed this after finding her remains were just tragedy upon tragedy and it is a lot. Joey, you're right. First on the today, what is Ashlee Buzzard going to face today?

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: All right. So good morning, Kate. What ends up happening is today is called an arraignment, not an arraignment, there's a few things that are of significance. The first thing are the formal charges. Do you understand what you're being charged with?

Generally there could be a formal reading of those charges. We know the charge is first degree murder, meaning premeditation. You meant to do it, you planned it and you did it. Do you understand that? Yes, I do.

Thereafter, do you understand your constitutional rights with regard to having an attorney, et cetera? Because it's about notice and in fact, you're entitled to have an attorney. Next thing is about custodial status, whether there'll be bail. I suspect that there will be no bail here based upon the nature of the offense. In fact, it's not even bail eligible to the extent that it's life without parole.

And then thereafter you delineate the next steps. There's a discovery process. Discovery of what? Information against you. What is the evidence?

What are the police reports? What is surveillance? This way your attorney gets it and you can move to the next step, which is, you know, it's on.

BOLDUAN: The strength and weakness of any case, obviously is evidence dependent. This has been such a -- the search for this little girl has been so public. The mother has been in the spotlight from the beginning. There had been even in accusations that she had held someone hostage in her home for a time. There was a lot of focus on the mother even before this.

What do you see being key here as this case now gets built as they --

JACKSON: Yes.

BOLDUAN: -- and you're dealing with something so heinous as the death of this child.

JACKSON: So I see a few things. The first thing I think is going to be critical is the timeline, right?

BOLDUAN: Yes.

JACKSON: Remember how this started? It started because the school was saying, hey, where is she?

BOLDUAN: Right.

JACKSON: We have, you know, her whereabouts are unknown and based upon that, you have to credit the police. What did they do? They did a check at the home and she was not there. That is, the little girl, mother had no explanation. And so it continued, right, the timeline.

They then determined that as authorities, that she was traveling all around various states with her daughter. They then identified, surveillance, noted that she had a wig on. Her daughter had a wig on as well. That's relevant. Why, Kate, it shows consciousness of guilt.

You're traveling on a trip, what do you need to change? You know, what do you need to disguise for? In addition to that, they noted about the license plates. Why would you indeed, change a license plate back into a gas station, et cetera. And so I think the timeline will be important.

The consciousness of guilt issues will be important. And then of course, the evidence will be important. In terms of the search warrants. There were search warrants executed on the home at a locker they had in the car. And there was a cartridge, the spent cartridge that matched the cartridge that was around, hate to say it's early in the morning.

The body, cause of death, multiple gunshot wounds to the head. All of that is going to be relevant, how it tracks back to the mother. You know, what she was doing, how this was planned. It just seems to be an awful set of circumstances. Innocent till proven guilty. Of course, everyone deserves a presumption of innocence. Excuse me. But here, there's an awful lot of evidence leading to the conclusion that the mom could be responsible.

BOLDUAN: Yes. Joey, thank you for being here. I really appreciate it.

JACKSON: Of course. Thanks, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Sara.

SIDNER: All right, if you buy frozen shrimp, this is on our radar and it should be on yours, too, you should check your freezer this morning. The FDA announcing another recall on frozen shrimp due to possible radioactive contamination. About 83,000 bags imported from Indonesia are impacted after potential exposure to cesium 137. The products were sold under the brand Market 32 and Waterfront Bistro in 17 states at supermarkets like Albertsons, Safeway and Price Chopper.

All right. Santa and Mrs. Claus almost landed themselves, well, worse than on the lot -- naughty list this Christmas. A couple dressed as old St. Nick and his wife were pulled over for speeding in Ohio. The deputy kind of cracked up when Santa told him that he had a concealed carry weapon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Santa.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: CCW (inaudible).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Santa has a CCW?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir. Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Times are -- times are rough.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got to protect.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: I mean, he does have to get places fast. Don't worry, kids, that's not the real Santa. They were just dressed up. Santa was let go with a friendly warning, and lucky for him, Merry Christmas, no ticket.

[08:55:08]

OK. Kick off the year with comedy legend Chevy Chase in a sharp, funny and revealing new CNN film featuring candid interviews with Chase's family, friends, co-stars, and of course, Chevy himself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHEVY CHASE: AMERICAN ACTOR: Apologize.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Huge fan, Mr. Chase. Huge fan. CHASE: Thank you. I appreciate that. Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would you like a signed picture?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you have one available?

CHASE: I might. I might have one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were at the AFI tribute to Gregory Peck. Way, way in the corner, Mary Hart was interviewing someone live and Chevy said, I wonder if I can hit her with this role. And he whipped it as far as and hit her right in the head in the middle of the thing. And then he had to sit down like a kid.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was at an event and this young caterer came up with a tray full of chocolate mousse, like shots of chocolate mousse. And she, would you guys like some chocolate mousse? And Chevy looked at it and he stuck his finger in one, took it out. No, thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: "I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not" premieres New Year's Day at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and the next day on the CNN app. And I can say I've watched it and it is really, really good. It's got a lot of -- I laughed and there were some tough moments there, Kate. He's known for being a bit tough as well as funny.

BOLDUAN: Chevy Chase is a complicated man. I think that's what --

SIDNER: Yes.

BOLDUAN: -- makes him so interesting.

SIDNER: Exactly.

BOLDUAN: Right? Complicating (inaudible).

SIDNER: Here, here to that. Here, here to complicated people.

BOLDUAN: Exactly.

Moving on. They were -- they were the moments caught on video that we could not stop watching. CNN's Boris Sanchez has the top 10 most viral moments of 2025. That was so funny.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Number 10, Trump targets Iran. Hours after the United States began its precision airstrikes on three nuclear facilities in an unprecedented aerial bombardment of Iran, the president spoke to the nation.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success. SANCHEZ (voice-over): In the aftermath, some members of Congress openly questioned the constitutionality of the strikes, while others, especially MAGA lawmakers, supported the administration.

Number nine, L.A. devastated. Satellite images showing the breadth and depth of the runaway Eaton wildfire fire. The fast moving flames this past January forcing thousands to flee their homes in search of higher and safer ground. Devastation like this will take years to rebuild.

Number eight, a shocking midair collision caught on tape. On January 29th of this year, an American Airlines flight operated by American Eagle and a U.S. army Blackhawk helicopter collided over the freezing Potomac river at night. The tragedy caught on tape. The jet was on final approach to Reagan National while the helicopter had been performing a required flying evaluation. All 67 people aboard both aircrafts died.

Number seven an American is Pope. In May, shortly after the death of Pope Francis, the College of Cardinals elected their next leader. And to the surprise of many, the choice was this man, Chicago's very own Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, the first Augustinian Pope.

POPE LEO XIV: I invite you to recognize the marvels that the Lord has done.

SANCHEZ (voice-over): Even more surprising, he briefly spoke in English during his first Mass.

Number six, hot mic. Justin Trudeau, who at the time was Canada's prime minister, overheard making a jaw dropping admission to business leaders back in February, essentially telling them that President Trump's talk of making Canada a 51st U.S. state was no joke. So far, Canada remains Canada.

Number five, Cramer speaks out. Famed CNBC broadcaster Jim Cramer, appearing on Erin Burnett's show earlier this year, admitting he was misled by the Trump administration's tariffs policy. Listen.

JIM CRAMER, CNBC BROADCASTER: Over and over again the president said, listen, it's going to be reciprocal. So you do it, we do it. And that was going to be so good. And I really believed in it. And I like a sucker tonight.

SANCHEZ (voice-over): Number four, swallowed whole. A father on a kayak captures the moment his son Adrian was briefly swallowed by a humpback whale off the coast of Chile. Adrian told CNN he didn't realize at first it was a whale and thought he just got caught up in a big wave.

ADRIAN SIMANCAS, SWALLOWED BY WHALE: If the whale had hit me, it would be more dangerous.

SANCHEZ (voice-over): What a story to tell his grandkids.

Number three, beauty influencer gunned down. Valeria Marquez was shot and killed by a man who entered her salon, all while on a TikTok live stream in Zapopan, Mexico. Her death sending --