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President-Elect Donald Trump Gave An Hour-Plus Long Speech And Rally At Mobile, Alabama; President Obama Vowing To Retaliate Against Russia For The Election Related Hacking; More Than Five Years As The War Rages On In Syria; McDowell County Is Pinning Its Hopes On President-Elect Donald Trump; Exclusive Interview With Tony Burch; John Glenn, Marine, Colonel, Astronaut, United States Senator Died At 95 Years Old; Aired 7-8p ET

Aired December 17, 2016 - 19:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:00:11] POPPY HARLOW, CNN HOST: Top of the hour. I'm Poppy Harlow. You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

We begin with politics and president-elect Donald Trump just wrapping up the final stop on his thank you tour with an hour-plus long speech and rally at Mobile, Alabama. During his victory lap, he called the people of Alabama this is where it all began. He also said American should never give up. His speech echoing some familiar campaign theme. He promised to take America back to they told old days and they focused on job.

Our Ryan Nobles was on the ground.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN NOBLES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Donald Trump making good on a campaign promise returning here to Mobile, Alabama, the site of one of his first major campaign rallies. It was back in August of 2015 that Trump brought out a crowd of some 30,000 people. And on Saturday, he told a similar sized crowd that this is where it all began.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you very much. This is where it all began. Remember that incredible rally we had and people came out and it was like this. It was packed, incredible, and people said something is going on there, right. That was the beginning, wasn't it? That was the beginning. And if you remember, even though you don't have to vote for me, maybe four years we'll take a look, right? But you know what, I said I'm coming back to see you in Alabama, right?

NOBLES: Now Trump gave the crowd a history lesson detailing state by state his victory on election night. What Trump didn't do was wade into some of the complex policy issues that awaits him when he takes office. He didn't mention China or Russia, despite the U.S. relationship with both of those countries becoming a growing situation for the incoming Trump administration. Instead, the president-elect focused on many of his campaign promises, specifically how he plans to help the American economy.

He did go off script a bit criticizing the current first lady Michelle Obama for an interview that she recently gave to Oprah Winfrey where she suggested that a sizable part of the country lacks hope because of a Trump's election victory.

TRUMP: Michelle Obama said yesterday that there is no hope. But I assume she was talking about the past, not the future. Because I'm telling you, we have tremendous hope. And we have tremendous promise and tremendous potential. We are going to be so successful as a country again. We are going to be amazing. And I actually think she made that statement not meaning it the way it came out. I really do. Because I met with President Obama, and Michelle Obama in the White House, my wife was there, she could not have been nicer. I honestly believe she meant that statement in a different way than it came out. Because I believe there is tremendous hope and beyond hope we have such potential.

NOBLES: Trump now has doing his estate in Palm Beach, Florida, where he spends the Christmas holiday with his family. He is not expected to make any news but there is a chance that we could learn more about appointments to his administration in the coming weeks.

Ryan Nobles, CNN, Mobile, Alabama.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Ryan, thank you very much.

Let's bring in CNN political analyst and "Washington Post" columnist, Josh Rogin.

Good to see you, Josh.

JOSH ROGIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Good to see you, too, Poppy.

HARLOW: Listening to that hour-long speech, it sounded a lot like a campaign speech. He has the bully pulpit, the world is listening, and most of the time was spent with a lot of it I see about half was attack. That's how a lot of attacks on the media. He did not mention Russia, the Russian hack. He did not mention China stealing a U.S. Navy research drone. He went after Hillary Clinton, a little bit mocking her campaign, buying fireworks, thinking she would win, et cetera. What did you make of it that he spent more time on that? And then came around at the end and promised jobs, promised that those people who have been forgotten he said would never be forgotten again.

ROGIN: Well, I think you got it exactly right. He is still campaigning or at least he is relishing the end of the campaign. You know, everyone talks about will Donald Trump pivot to a more presidential stance and speak more like a judicial president would. Well, he has not pivoted yet. And he is definitely seem to be relishing these last moments before he takes office.

And then if you saw in the speech, he said, well, maybe I'll just continue to do this. Maybe, I will continue these rallies, continue the style. It seems to have worked for him so far. He doesn't see any reason to change. So there is a feeling here he might simply just redefine what it means to be presidential.

And for Donald Trump that means a couple things that you pointed out. One, he takes everything personally, OK. He lashed out at "the New York Times." He lashed out at Paul Krugman's to simply calling him (INAUDIBLE) in response to a tweet that Paul Krugman sent out earlier. He lashed out of the media in general. He lashed out of the few other of his enemies. So this is not a change. This is a continuation of exactly who Donald Trump is and probably who Donald Trump is going to remain.

[19:05:24] HARLOW: Do you read it as more about the messaging than about the policy, or not? Because, I mean, does the context of this is that it comes on a day where he has tweeted, you know, about China stealing that U.S. research drone, you know, Navy drone, and then saying they would return it. He tweeted about that. And he does it in, you know, within 24 hours after President Obama held that long press conference yesterday where he pointed his finger at Vladimir Putin said in a hacking like this doesn't happen without the man at the top knowing. Neither China nor Russia was mentioned once.

ROGIN: Yes. Well, interestingly, Jason Miller, Trump's spokesman tweeted out that Donald Trump deserves credit for having China return the drone which they promised to do. There is no real evidence for that. So, you know, again, this is sort of a campaign mode, not a governing mode.

But I think if you look at the difference really between the long press conference that President Obama gave just yesterday, and the long rally speech that Donald Trump gave just now, what you really see is a two different styles, one focusing on a president who is a very high IQ, OK. He is very cerebral. He wants to explain things in great detail.

And Donald Trump who has a very high EQ. It is called emotional intelligence. He knows what people want to hear. He knows how to get people rallied up. That's his talent. He is very good at it. The crowd respond to that. It is probably what got him elected. And that is going to be the biggest difference.

You want to know what is the next four years is going to be like? It is going to be a president who speaks from off the cuff, from his heart, not really with a great grasp of the facts, not really with any policy specifics yet. And that is who Donald Trump is. So we should not expect anything different. Hopefully when he becomes president, we will get those policy details. I think he didn't talk about them because they simply don't exist.

HARLOW: Not -- you don't think that he was just speaking to the crowd, he was in front of them and the crowd who was in front of why are there people that voted for him. You know, at least some of them for economic opportunity saying we have been forgotten. He promised a return to old America and those jobs, et cetera. You don't think he was just talking to the crowd he was front of and addressing their primary concern, the economy and jobs? ROGIN: I mean, I have seen Donald Trump give a lot of speeches over

his thank you tour and dozens and hundreds of speeches over the last year and a half. He basically is the same guy no matter who are he is speaking to. He is not tailoring his message to one crowd or the other except to say now I'm talking to this state or now I'm talking to that state or thank you Michigan or thank you, Pennsylvania.

He is who he is. He is pretty (INAUDIBLE). He is pretty authentic in a way. Again, these facts are wrong. The policy details don't exist. All of these things are true. But, you know, he is, in a way, emotionally honest if not sort of factual and specific. That's what people like about him. That is what he is going to continue to do.

HARLOW: Josh Rogin, nice to have you on. Thank you so much.

Let's talk about Russia now. President Obama vowing to retaliate against Russia for the election related hacking. This is the president suggested yesterday without directly pointing the finger pretty much saying that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin must have known about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Not much happens in Russia without Vladimir Putin. This is pretty hierarchical operation. Last I checked, there is not a lot of debate and Democratic deliberation particularly when it comes to policies directed at the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Jill Dougherty is with us, CNN's former Moscow bureau chief.

Jill, nice to have you on tonight. And let me get your reaction and your thoughts and particularly what you are hearing out of Moscow and how the Russian media is responding.

JILL DOHERTY, FORMER CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: Well, I mean, what President Obama said about president Putin is actually true. I mean, he is the number one guy in Russia. And practically everything that happens is a reflection of his views or the way he looks at the world, and a lot of people, in fairness, a lot of Russians support his ideas.

But you know, I was looking at the media today, Russian media, Poppy. And there was one thing that came up. You may have seen that tweet by Donald Trump in which he misspelled a word. He said he wanted to say unprecedented, he was talking about that drone that the Chinese grabbed and misspelled it as unpresidented, as in presidential. And then he corrected it.

Well, it became kind of a big deal in the media world, social media world. And the Russian media picked it up. I was quite (INAUDIBLE), I was surprised by that. Because, you know, all of the coverage, really, has been very complimentary, very pro-Donald Trump. And to see even a little hint of some type of criticism, mocking, et cetera, is interesting. And it reminded me of something in all of this, which is, you know, when you get into president Putin, yes, he may think that Donald Trump is a better candidate for him. A better president, because Donald Trump says nice things about him. But it ultimately, what they are trying to do is weaken the influence of the United States which is a way of helping Russia's influence around the world.

So - I just want to say, you know, I think we have to watch that they are not going to necessarily have a continuing love fest with Donald Trump. Donald Trump does something that will not go along with what president Putin wants, or thinks, they could very well turn on him, too. So watch that space.

[19:11:22] HARLOW: To that point, it's a very interesting point you make, let's listen to what President Obama said yesterday about how he does believe that Russia can harm the United States.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: The Russians can't change us or significantly weaken us. They are a smaller country. They are a weaker country. Their economy doesn't produce anything that anyone wants to buy except oil and gas and arms. They don't innovate. But, they can impact us if we lose track of who we are. They can impact us if we abandon our values.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: What's your assessment of that given how well you know Russia?

DOHERTY: I think it is very, very true. I mean, the president said it in a very, you know, straight ahead fashion. Russia doesn't have anything to sell but gas and oil. And unfortunately that is true. And unfortunately, Russian really doesn't innovate. And that is why you have tens of thousands of Russians out in Silicon Valley working right now because they can't start companies back in Russia. It just doesn't happen.

So, yes. I think, again, the game is by Russia as a natural thing. They want to diminish America's influence. And if they can do that by dividing Americans, or just sitting back, I think they are just -- Russian propaganda, can just sit back, put their feet up on the table, smoke a cigar, and not think of anything other than quoting what let's say Donald Trump or critics or anybody else in the United States says right now because they are watching Americans attack each other.

HARLOW: Jill, do you think that Vladimir Putin gains if too much is made of the Russian hacking? And it is incredibly serious, and it needs to be stopped. But my question to you, is, if Putin believes he has been extraordinarily successful in tilting an election, if that's the case, there is no evidence of that yet, or in undermining American democracy as we know it, is that beneficial to him?

DOHERTY: I think it is beneficial because in his view, it is a zero some gain. The more the United States loses, in his view, the more Russia gains. And you know, around the world, you can make that argument that the more chaotic, the more dysfunctional American democracy looks, the more his ideas about a managed democracy, you know, a managed democracy, managed by the top, that gains traction around the globe. Because it looks like, you know, the Americans can't even function.

And so, you know, having a strong leader, remember that is a big idea in this election. Obama's weak, Putin is strong, and now we find out that what, 37 percent of Republicans think that, you know, give their approval to president Putin. That is.

HARLOW: That is a poll that the president, President Obama, mentioned yesterday. It does not mean CNN's vetting standards for polls, but certainly one brought up by the president.

Jill, thank you. We appreciate having you on the program.

DOHERTY: Thank you.

HARLOW: All right. Coming up next, war in Aleppo Syria. On the ground with a raw look at the daily life in war torn city of Aleppo, a place where children from hospital searching to their parents.

Also, later, we take you to West Virginia to find out just how president-elect Donald Trump won over voters in coal country.

You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:17:58] HARLOW: More than five years as the war rages on in Syria. This week, as the bombardment of Aleppo intensifies, thousands of children including women, thousands of civilians I should say, including women and children remain trapped in freezing temperatures there. They wait and they pray, hoping that they will with evacuated. Regime forces and their allies are on the brink of retaking all of Aleppo. This is U.S. secretary of state John Kerry calls the violence there unconscionable. The United Nations this week described the situation in Aleppo as quote "a complete melt down of humanity."

These are just some of the faces to remind you if the war's youngest victims. 5-year-old (INAUDIBLE), bloodied after surviving an attack on his home in Aleppo earlier this year. This one also brought international sympathy but really no new intervention. (INAUDIBLE) drowned as his family fled to Syrian war.

Just two amongst the thousands of innocent children shattered by what was happened in their country, their country where they have only known war for their existence.

Today, rebel groups says the on again, off again evacuation agreement in eastern Aleppo is back on track. Before the ceasefire, though, reporter Matt Fry, a journalist working for the UK's channel 4 news captured a glimpse of the hell that Aleppo has become. We must warn you some of these images are incredibly graphic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATT FRY (ph), JOURNALIST (voice-over): Tender words for a child that can't find it is owner. Aleppo is a grim stage of ever diminishing cause of survivors and these are the last of the last.

(INAUDIBLE) is the only adult left of three families whose apartment block was obliterated by a Russian or Syrian bomb.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

[19:20:27] FRY: (INAUDIBLE) comes across the neighbor. The teenage boy is called Mahmud. He used to live upstairs. The baby boy he is holding is his little brother, Ishmael Mohammad, one month old. His face is the only restful thing in this bedlam.

But this is the sleep of the dead. Ishmael was suffocated in the ruins and Mahmud doesn't want to let go of his brother's body.

Aleppo is a place where the children have stop crying.

In the car, Mahmud is still cradling his baby brother. War has reverse roles. And the boy now acts like the father he lost.

A nurse leads in a brother and sister. They go from room to room. We don't know their names and they don't know yet if they are orphans. They left their father in the rubble and they are looking for their mother.

(INAUDIBLE) now is confirming the fear she feared most. Why have you left me she called out to the daughter that she describes as her rock knowing this question in this place has no real answer.

And in another room, brother and sister are still waiting for news of their mother on another hospital bed, blanketed with dust. Exhausted beyond words by a life beyond description.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Next, where has the international community been and what else can be done to help these innocent victims of Syria's civil war?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:26:28] HARLOW: Before the break, we showed you some of the heartbreak and horror that despairing Syria right now. Five years into this brutal civil wars, hundreds of thousands of people, including many, many children have been killed.

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon is with me. She is the senior fellow at the Council for Foreign Relations. She also wrote an opinion piece on CNN.com tilted "responsibility to protect: empty words after Aleppo."

Thank you for joining us, Gail.

GAYLE TZEMACH LEMMON, SENIOR FELLOW, COUNCIL FOR FOREIGN RELATIONS: Glad to join you.

HARLOW: You begin your piece with these words. The duty to prevent and hold genocide and mass atrocities lies first and fore most with the state. But the international community has a role that cannot be block by the invocation of sovereignty. These are words from the United Nations back in 2005 regarding the responsibility to protect, but instead you say the international community has quote "talked, spread blame, and talked more."

LEMMON: Yes. I mean, I think if you look at what is happening to mothers and fathers on the ground in Syria. And Poppy, you and I have talked for months now about how this is really a crisis that the world watched in real team on You Tube, on monitors, on computers, and done almost nothing to aid the parents, the kids, the little ones who are being shelled and bombarded facing starvation, facing siege. All in real-time with all of us watching. And the whole idea of the peace was the responsibility to protect is so much worse. But if you're suffering on the ground, that's all they are.

HARLOW: And here is what President Obama said yesterday, Gayle. You know, he was asked about this in the press conference he gave yesterday afternoon (INAUDIBLE). And he was asked if he feels responsibility.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: There are place around the world where horrible things are happening. And because of my office, because I am president of the United States, I feel responsible. I ask myself every single day is there something I could do that would save lives and make a difference and spare some child who doesn't deserve to suffer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: And he has said in previous interviews that the war in Syria haunts him. It haunts him every day. Do you believe more that more should have been done on his watch with regards to Syria?

LEMMON: Well, Poppy, I mean, it is (INAUDIBLE) when you have been talking to people inside the Obama White House who have said for years, since 2013, 2014, 2015 and I have found back through all my notes, that the cost of inaction was never really fully weighed. And that is the concern for a lot of people who wanted to see more done early on. I mean, this is an administration who feels it was elected very understandably to end wars in the Middle East, not start them. And so there was a desire to stay out at almost all costs.

HARLOW: But you wonder about, you know, former president Bill Clinton talks about his biggest regret while in office and talk about the, you know, the lack of intervention and waiting too long to intervene and help in Rwanda. When you think about the lessons learned from history, what's your take?

LEMMON: You know, the lesson that I have learned inside this administration I think that when it comes to Syria is all from the Iraq war. You know, it was all the idea that we do not get involve unless you can guarantee that getting involved will not have second and third round effects that make things work.

But when you talk to young activists, and I was talking to several this week. And yesterday morning, I was doing a lot of what's happening, and a lot of people were talking about how the international community for them is an idea that no longer exists, right. When you can watch bunker busters fall on moms and dads trying to protect their kids in Eastern Aleppo, it's very hard to believe the international community is a real thing.

[19:30:07] HARLOW: President Obama also said this in an interview just a few months ago to our Fareed Zakaria when he was asked about, you know, exactly this, what to do in Syria, and he regrets what alternative action there could be. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: But the idea that under any circumstances we would be in a position to take over Syria, and do in Syria what we have done in Iraq, and then maybe go to Yemen and do the same thing there, and maybe go to Libya and it would be endless.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: So, to your point about Iraq and lessons learned, he addressed that there. There is so much finger pointing. You heard also yesterday the president say the Assad regime and Russia, frankly, have brought on their hands. In some 30 days the crisis falls into the lap of president-elect Trump and his administration.

Given your expertise on the region and on the civil war, what is the number one thing you think it is that they should do to help those innocent victims and children that we just saw?

LEMMON: This has been the question, right? All along, what you see the president addressing is the kind of civil war that is going on inside the Obama White House about to intervene or not to intervene, and what happens if we don't, what's the cost of inaction, what's the price tag. And in this case, it is a very much emboldened Russia and Iran who are shaping facts on the ground.

In terms on what you can do, this is always been a wonder. Is it a possibility as president-elect Trump has been talking about to create safe zones in Syria. Because right now even civilians getting in and out of Aleppo, where do they go? Like where do they go that is going to be safe? Almost no place offers that safety. But the question is will president-elect Trump be able to have enough pull with Russian and Iran and Syrian regime to allow any kind of safe zone to exist and that is a very much and open question.

HARLOW: And you have called the war in Syria, the war that has run out of adjectives, and it certainly has.

Gayle, thank you very much.

LEMMON: Great to join you, Poppy.

HARLOW: For all of you watching, if you want to help, just go to CNN.com/impact. A lot of ways there that you can do something.

Still to come, why would a town run by Democrats vote overwhelmingly for Donald Trump?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But if he will try, just half, try to help us, that's more than we have had in eight years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: We're taking you to coal country. A West Virginia mining town counting on the president-elect to come through for them.

You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:35:53] HARLOW: One of the poorest parts of West Virginia is pinning its hopes on president-elect Donald Trump. McDowell County was once a thriving community of coal miners and their families. Now, it is a tough place to find good paying work. People there blame the collapse of the coal industry.

So our Martin Savidge travelled there, introduced us to them and tell us why they're betting on the president-elect.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In McDowell County, things are so bad, the sheriff has to plead with commissioners not to lay off half of his deputies.

MARTIN WEST, SHERIFF, MCDOWELL COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA: Not only the layoff going to hurt the sheriff's department tear us in half, I think it will hurt the whole county.

SAVIDGE: Things are so bad, 32-year-old, Adam (INAUDIBLE), husband and father, has been laid off four times in one year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's hard, I'm not going to lie.

SAVIDGE: Things are so bad, the local Walmart closed. It was the local food bank's biggest supplier.

Once home to million dollar coal fields, today McDowell County ranks last for almost everything in West Virginia with one exception, deaths due to overdoses of prescription opioids. It ranks number two. And people here blame the collapsing coal industry for all of it.

So when one candidate says;

HILLARY CLINTON (D), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business.

SAVIDGE: And the other says;

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: We are going to put the miners back to work. We are going to put the miners back to work.

SAVIDGE: Is it any wonder why 75 percent of the country voted for Donald Trump?

There is something else you need to know. This is no Republican strong-hold. Every elected official here is a Democrat, including the sheriff.

WEST: Elected nine times as a Democrat. And when you voted for president this time, I voted for Trump.

SAVIDGE: And county commissioners.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I voted for Trump.

SAVIDGE: Like his father and grandfather, Adam Roark is also a Democrat and a coal miner. He was thrilled on election night.

ADAM ROARK, COAL MINER: Facebook was going off. I mean, this is all exciting. And most of like 96 percent of us were coal miners.

SAVIDGE: In a state whose residents like to point out most jobs here are linked to coal mining, folks already feel the difference. They especially like Trump's pro-fossil fuel choice to have the EPA.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Since the election, the coal industry seems to have changed a little bit.

SAVIDGE: Roark has been called back to work in (INAUDIBLE) mines and other operations are opening back up.

Do you believe it is going to come back the way it used to be?

ROARK: At the moment, not 100 percent the way it used to be, but I think it is going to get back up close to it.

CECIL PATTERSON, MCDOWELL COUNTY COMMISSIONER: We're hoping that president-elect Trump, when he was elected, well he can probably do anything, you know what, he can't. But if he will do half, just try to help us; that is more than we've had in eight years.

SAVIDGE: No one I spoke with is expecting a return to the days of king coal, but in McDowell county, thing are so bad they will settle for just about anything.

This is voting no based on party. This was voting based on --

PATTERSON: Hopes and dreams.

SAVIDGE: Martin Savidge, CNN, Welch, West Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Hope and dreams. Marty, thank you so much for that piece.

Also today, full military honors at the memorial service for American space pioneer and long-time U.S. senator John Glenn. A Marine Corps honor guard led the procession from Ohio state house to auditorium. On the Ohio State University campus, John Glenn died on December 8th. He was 95 years old. Among the speakers honoring Glenn today, the vice president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: John was one of the happiest people I ever knew. No, think about it. One of the happiest people I ever knew. He had that infectious smile. Even when things looked like everything was crashing down, John would walk into my office or walk in to a caucus with a big smile on his face and I would wonder where in the hell has he been.

The best description of John Glenn that I have ever heard, and I knew him for 40 years. He said John, came out of the heart of the country like you kids do and he stole America's heart. He came out of the heart of the country, and he stole America's heart.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[19:40:39] HARLOW: John Glenn, marine, colonel, astronaut, United States senator. He will be buried at Arlington national cemetery this spring.

Coming up live in the CNN NEWSROOM, it has been 20 years and the murder of 6-year-old Jonbenet Ramsey still remains unsolved. Now word the new DNA testing is planned. What are authorities hoping to find. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:44:07] HARLOW: The murder of 6-year-old Jonbenet Ramsey is one of the biggest unsolved crimes in recent history. She was found dead in her family's Colorado home 20 years ago this month.

CNN's special report, "the murder of Jonbenet" airs tonight at 8:00 p.m. eastern. And a special preview, our Jean Casarez reports, a new test that will soon be done on key evidence in the case.

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Poppy, Bolder County district attorney Stan Garnett confirms with me that the next year, 2017, they will be doing brand new testing in the Jonbenet Ramsey case. Now, this all comes about because the Colorado bureau of investigation is opening up new lab with new techniques, new equipment. Forensic science is always developing so they are going to be using state of the art equipment with new techniques.

Now, he doesn't know if the testing will be on actual potential evidence in the case like her clothing or if they are going to rerun numbers and new programs with new equipment. He also said that they are going to be looking at other cold cases to see if they can find justice for those victims.

A world of caution, though. Poppy, he says that even if they find brand new DNA on this evidence that they haven't done before, they need it to corroborate other evidence they already have in the case. This is much more, he says, than just a DNA case. But he also says if anything significant comes from this testing, the public will definitely be apprised of the findings -- Poppy.

[19:45:39] HARLOW: Jean, thank you very much.

CNN Special Report, "the murder of Jonbenet" airs tonight at 8:00 p.m. eastern and pacific and again on Thursday at 8:00.

After the break, American opportunity, a designer now famous around the world tells me how she was underestimated. Also her desire to help more women climb the ladder of success.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The system I think we all need to collectively say that there needs to be more women in leadership roles. It needs to be more women on boards and not something that I'm working on here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Tony Burch using her success to do more than just improve her company's bottom line. "American opportunity" is next.

You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:49:44] HARLOW: In this week's American opportunity, her name and her brand are known around the world. Designer Tory Burch now runs a global fashion power house.

I sat down on this self-made billionaire to talk about her struggles with the word ambition and her push now to help elevate female put of the norms right there at home.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[19:50:10] HARLOW: Forbes reports that you are one of just 18 self- made female billionaires in the United States. On the path to that, did you hit any preverbal glass ceilings?

TONY BURCH, DESIGNER: I mean, I think I hit many. I think of a lot of times, I don't pay attention. When I first started the company, my parents said, buckle your seatbelt and thicken your skin. I think that was great advice.

HARLOW: Why you have struggled with the word ambition, through your life?

BURCH: That was funny. I didn't know I struggled with it. When I first started the company, the first article written on me and what we were doing, and my friend called me and she said, I love the article, but you got shy when he said, you're ambitious. And I said, yes. You know, it's funny. I did shrink away from that word. And there's a negative connotation associated with ambitious women. HARLOW: That was back in 2004. It was a "New York Times" profile on

you. What were you thinking? Why was ambition negative then?

BURCH: Well, I don't think it was a thought process. It just seemed like it was a very negative term, addressing a woman. I knew that there was that out there. And I wanted to change that desperately. I thought, wow, that just not OK.

HARLOW: You recently told "New York Magazine" that there was quote "a lot of eye rolling when I started my business." So I was reading that and thinking, Tony, what does that mean? Does that mean gender discrimination because you are a woman? Does that mean a perception that, oh, I'm just going to start a little brand? What is that? What was the eye rolling?

BURCH: There were a few pats on my back. And when I went to fund raise, I say, I wanted to start a global international business so that I could start a foundation.

HARLOW: When you have been underestimated?

BURCH: God. I'm sure many times, but I think in the beginning of the company, as I said, people thought it was quote "a vanity project." I didn't really know what that meant, but certainly, when you start a business, you work so hard, the hours are so long, that for someone to say that is a bit ironic.

HARLOW: A (INAUDIBLE) study from 2014 shows that women led tech companies, specifically, get less than five percent of funding. Less than five percent. Why is this happening in 2016? Why is funding so hard, seemingly, for female entrepreneurs to come by?

BURCH: Well, considering it half the population, is kind of shocking. It's a scary statistic. It has to change.

HARLOW: You called (INAUDIBLE) a systematic impediment for women. What does the system needs to change?

BURCH: The system, I think, we all need to collectively say that there need to be more women in leadership roles. There needs to be more women on boards. And that's something that I'm working on here. We have to be able to give people an environment that makes it easy to have a family and also be in business.

HARLOW: So, the way that, say, Germany has tackled it as they have now instituted quotas for their boards. You have to have x amount of women on your board. I mean, are we at the point where this has to be government-mandated?

BURCH: I mean, I think that's hard to do, because you also want the best person for your board and you can't just look at gender. It has to be the best person at what you do. I think women have a very different perspective and it's a mess if you don't have women on your board.

HARLOW: Are women CEOs treated differently? BURCH: It's a shockingly low number, so, yes, they are treated

differently, I'm sure. I try not to focus on that. There's definitely sexism. And that has to stop. And you see that in take shift in all forms.

HARLOW: Let's talk about family leave. A lot of people in this country don't have that, and they rely on the government and the government doesn't provide it. Looks like that's going to change.

BURCH: It has to change. And certainly, we give three months here, as well. And that's wonderful that we can do that, but there has to be -- there has to be that in place. And that's something, or, else, how do you expect women to be moms and have a career? Or if the father is the caretaker? We do it for men and women.

HARLOW: Let's dive into the foundation. When you started this company now, more than a decade ago, it was part and parcel of your vision, right? Start a company, do well, be profitable, use that power and money to start a foundation. What's the goal of the work you're doing on that front?

BURCH: So, we started a foundation to empower women entrepreneurs in the United States. And I think at some point, we want to be global, but for now, there's so much to do here now.

HARLOW: What is your dream for it?

BURCH: Well, I think if we could be that source for women entrepreneurs, globally, eventually, and that's something that I would love to do, is be a global foundation. Right now, the United States is a great starting point. We have a lot to do here, but I think if we could be an inspiration for women to embrace ambition, to understand that they can get loans, to enter some of our education programs and really feel great about what they're doing and build their confidence, that would be what I would wish for.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[19:55:08] HARLOW: Tory Burch, thank you for that.

Coming up next, what happens when a Trump supporter, who once sucker punched a protester, comes face to face with that man again? You might be surprised. The two gentlemen decided to hug it out.

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HARLOW: In our America, next.

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[19:58:43] HARLOW: Tonight, in our America. At a time of so much division in this country, there are also moments of unity. And we want to make sure that you see those, as well.

A Donald Trump supporter and the protester that he hit in the face, well, look. They are hugging it out. They met once again, this time, in a North Carolina courtroom. John Franklin McGraw elbowed Rakeem Jones in the face at a Trump rally, back in March. Now, months later, Franklin apologized in court. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN FRANKLIN MCGRAW, TRUMP SUPPORTER WHO HIT PROTESTER AT MARCH RALLY: We got caught up in a political mess today. And you and me, we have to heal our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Trump protester Rakeem Jones opened up, also, about why he accepted that apology.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAKEEM JONES, GOT PUNCHED AT TRUMP RALLY IN MARCH: I just felt good being able to shake his hand and being able to, you know, being able to actually face him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: The two men agreed to work together to try to heal the nation. The Trump supporter was sentenced to one year of probation, but again, a hug at the end of all of it.

Thank you so much for joining us tonight.

Next on CNN AT 8:00 P.M. eastern, a CNN Special Report. "The murder of Jonbenet."

And then, he was the star of the personal transformation movement, but on October 8th, 2009, James Arthur Ray pushed too far. "Enlighten Us," a CNN film tonight at 9:00.

I'm Poppy Harlow in New York. I will see you back here tomorrow night, 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Have a good night.