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London Bridge Terror Attack; Trump, Lawyers Face Sunday Deadline to Participate in Hearing; Taliban Appeared To Be Caught Off Guard By Trump's Announcement; Three Men Exonerated After 36 Years In Prison; Appalachia-Based Podcast Riffs On Leftist Politics. Aired 4-5a ET
Aired November 30, 2019 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): We are learning more about the man accused of a deadly terror attack in London and the civilian heroes who helped to stop him.
Plus, Donald Trump says the Taliban wants peace talks. Why that statement appeared to surprise the militant group.
And Iraq's prime minister says he is stepping down as protests continue to rage.
Welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. Live in Atlanta, I'm Michael Holmes here at CNN World Headquarters. CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.
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HOLMES: Welcome, everyone.
We are learning new details about Friday's fatal knife attack near London Bridge in London which is being declared an act of terrorism. Police say a man and a woman were killed, three other people wounded and taken to the hospital.
The attacker, who has been killed by police, has been identified as 28-year-old Usman Khan from Staffordshire. He was convicted in 2012 of a foiled terror plot and was released from prison last year.
The video of the incident is disturbing. Police do believe that the attack began in a place called Fishmongers Hall where Khan was attending an event sponsored by Cambridge University. Not clear yet exactly why he was there.
Khan then ran to nearby London Bridge, where passersby wrestled him to the ground. Police quickly moving in.
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HOLMES (voice-over): One witness said Khan appeared to have two knives, one of them taped to his hand. No one knew at the time that the bomb vest he was wearing was a fake. In the aftermath, London's lord mayor praising the people who took action.
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SADIQ KHAN, MAYOR OF LONDON: Members of the public didn't realize at the time there was a hoax device and there really are the best of us, another example of the bravery and heroism of ordinary Londoners running towards danger, risking their own personal safety, to try to save others.
I want to say thank you to them on behalf of all Londoners but also because it shows the best of us.
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HOLMES: CNN's Nick Paton Walsh recounts for us the terrifying moments as Londoners were, again, confronted by terrorism.
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NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Terror returns to London Bridge. Recorded by witnesses from multiple angles, a group of people appear to restrain a man on the ground. Members of the public pull back.
Firearms police drag one man away. Then two shots are heard.
CRESSIDA DICK, COMMISSIONER, LONDON METROPOLITAN POLICE: I am deeply saddened and angered that our city of London has again been targeted by terrorism.
It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to inform you that, as well as the suspect, who was shot dead by police, two of those injured in this attack in the London Bridge area have, tragically, lost their lives.
WALSH: A knife is seen pulled from the scuffle, yet still many ordinary Londoners appear to have thrown themselves at the assailant to restrain him.
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I also want to pay tribute to the extraordinary bravery of those members of the public who physically intervened to protect the lives of others and, for me, they represent the very best of our country. And I thank them.
OLIVIA BIZOT, WITNESS: I was also in the Boston Marathon attacks in 2013 and also a very similar experience while I was at the marathon, sort of 20 minutes or something -- I can't remember how long -- but just before it actually happened and sort of a very similar thing of just having a flood of people just running and not really knowing what was happening and just fear, like, a huge amount of fear on their faces.
And you could feel it as well in the energy of just everyone stressing out. WALSH: A similar horror befell London Bridge in June 2017, when three attackers drove a van into pedestrians and then launched a savage knife attack, some also wearing hoax explosive vests. Police killed the attackers in minutes, but, still, eight victims died.
After that attack, roadside barricades went up in London, some visible in these videos today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Excuse me. What happened?
WALSH: London Bridge would have been bustling at that time with commuters and workers in the city.
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WALSH (voice-over): The extraordinary speed of the police response and reaction of members of the public a sign of how practiced and anticipated the horror of such attacks are in London -- Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, London.
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HOLMES: One of the people who helped take down the attacker was Tom Gray, a London tour guide. Here is what he said happened.
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TOM GRAY, WITNESS: When we got there, he was wielding two knives, one was duct taped to his hand. All I could do after the guys held him down and were sort of pinning him to the ground, kind of try to stamp as hard as I could on his wrist, try and release the knife, as it were.
So I kicked the knife away, went northbound up London Bridge and, after that, the police got there almost instantaneously. And at that point we were told he had a bum vest on. And so we cleared house and got out of the way.
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HOLMES: Usman Khan in his previous terror offenses, he is Pakistani by origin and was 19 when he was arrested with eight others for a plot to bomb London's stock exchange. This was back in 2010.
His original sentence was reduced partly because he pled guilty. Police launched a covert operation that involved nearly 1,000 officers and staff. Khan was released in prison in 2018 on license, which is a form of strict parole, to serve out the second half of his sentence from home.
With us now from London is terrorism expert Sajjan Gohel.
Always good to see you, sir. The interesting thing here, police were on the scene so very quickly. But the whole incident does speak to the effectiveness of these low tech attacks, if you like, easy to perpetrate, difficult to deal with. SAJJAN GOHEL, ASIA PACIFIC FOUNDATION: Unfortunately, Michael, it is very easy for an individual to take hold of a knife and then stab his way through a busy commuter section of London. We have seen this now on multiple occasions.
If he is connected to ISIS, they have been encouraging this. This has eerie similarities to the previous London Bridge attack some 2.5 years ago.
HOLMES: Yes. And wearing a fake suicide vest, too. The only reason you would imagine to do that is because you're going to get shot. It does seem stunning that this attacker was convicted in 2012 for terror activity, released on license while clearly still a threat.
Should he not have been monitored?
It's hard to stop everything but is this a security failure?
GOHEL: Certainly it's going to be investigated. There is a fallout as to why he was released early, depending on how he had pled guilty in his trial, the fact he may have been released early on good behavior.
This is a significant event. Several people have died. But the fallout of this and how terrorists that have been convicted will be treated in the aftermath will have wider ramifications, not only in the U.K. but across Europe and potentially North America, too.
HOLMES: I was going to ask you that, that it's going to color the debate of those already in custody And when you've got a situation where even those who have gone through the system and are slipping through the cracks, it speaks to the challenge of those not yet sent home to European countries.
GOHEL: And there are huge question marks as to whether rehabilitation - de radicalization actually works. Countries like Saudi Arabia have de radicalization programs. But there are a significant number of people who graduate from those programs that reoffend.
Some of them ended up forming and creating Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen. So these approaches may sound good, they get a lot of funding.
But can they produce successful results in removing an ideological doctrine from someone who is so hardened as it is?
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GOHEL: And this person transcends two types of terrorism. He was potentially connected to Al Qaeda, which is why he was originally convicted. And then in his attack yesterday, that seems to draw similarities to ISIS.
So terrorists can move from one group to another.
HOLMES: The terror threat in London was downgraded. What impact, if anything, might that have had?
GOHEL: I don't believe that would have a significant impact. That is decided by the Joint Analysis Terrorism Centre, JTAC, basically a collection of different governmental agencies, intelligence and law enforcement bodies, that pool together their resources.
And that's based on the information available but that does not impact an operational capability or in resources. In fact, on the contrary, there was probably more police in central London yesterday because it was Black Friday. It was a busy shopping day. So the police were vigilant and already prepared for potentialities.
HOLMES: Yes. They do have quick response units placed all around the place. As you point out, that is a heavily policed part of London. We have to leave it there. Sajjan Gohel, thank you so much. Always appreciate it.
GOHEL: Pleasure.
HOLMES: Dutch officials looking for a suspect who stabbed three minors in The Hague. Video shows crowds of shoppers running away. Police say the situation is complex and they have not named a suspect nor a possible motive as of yet.
The Dutch national broadcaster, NOS, reports no indication at the moment that terrorism was a factor. Dutch authorities are asking for witnesses to come forward.
We're going to take a short break. When we come back, the White House is on the clock to decide whether it wants to participate in the upcoming House impeachment hearings. We'll discuss.
Also, anti-government protesters celebrate on the streets of Iraq after the embattled prime minister makes a major concession.
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HOLMES: Updating our top story, police say 28-year-old Usman Khan killed two people and wounded three others before police shot him to death on Friday on London Bridge. It is believed the attack began at Fishmongers Hall. Some viewers will find the next video disturbing.
Khan ran towards London Bridge. Bystanders then tackled him. Police say a bomb vest he was wearing turned out to be a fake. Khan was a convicted terrorist who was released on parole after serving eight years of a 20-year sentence. (MUSIC PLAYING)
HOLMES: Now to the impeachment inquiry into U.S. president Donald Trump. The White House has one week to tell Democrats if it wants to participate at all in the House proceedings. Mr. Trump's lawyers were facing a deadline as the House Judiciary Committee prepares for its first hearing on Wednesday. Alex Marquardt reports.
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ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Tonight, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler telling President Trump in a letter he has now until next Friday to determine whether or not he will participate in the next round of impeachment proceedings.
That's in addition to a Sunday deadline the White House was given to say if it will take part in the Judiciary's first impeachment hearing set for Wednesday the 6th.
Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham had first responded to the invitation, saying Nadler's offer is being reviewed, but: "The president has done nothing wrong and the Democrats know it."
REP. STEVE COHEN (D-TN): When you complain and complain and complain and then you have an opportunity to put your story to the American public and you don't want to do it and you don't want to be subject to cross-examination yourself, it shows you don't have a very good story and a very good defense.
MARQUARDT: This coming week, the House Intelligence Committee is expected to submit to the Judiciary Committee its report detailing the findings of its eight-week-long investigation, which included historic public witness testimony with current and former officials with roles related to the Ukraine scandal.
REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (D-FL): I think there's a mountain range of evidence that has come to light through public testimony, through the private depositions that I have had an opportunity to listen to.
MARQUARDT: Nadler will use the Intelligence Committee's report as a guide to help write the articles of impeachment on those Ukraine- related charges, the allegation being that the president traded a White House meeting with Ukraine and military aid in exchange for dirt on the Bidens.
Democrats are also considering additional articles, including obstruction of justice based on the Mueller probe, all this as most Republicans continue to bash the process and stand by the president.
SEN. JOHN KENNEDY (R-LA): This will be the first partisan impeachment in the history of our country. I think Chairman Schiff and Speaker Pelosi knew from the very beginning what -- how they would vote and what they were going to try to prove. MARQUARDT: And amid all of this, Ukrainian officials are now trying to figure out how to improve the tattered relations with the White House.
Two sources telling CNN that Ukraine could still announce new investigations. What kind is unclear. Ukraine, of course, got that security aid money in the end, but they are still very reliant on the U.S. for both political and financial support as they fight with Russia in the eastern part of the country.
They very much need the Trump administration's help going forward -- Alex Marquardt, CNN, Washington.
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HOLMES: And University of Essex government professor Natasha Lindstaedt joins me now to talk about this.
What are you expecting, the big question, will the White House take part in it?
You can't really complain about not being heard if you don't turn up.
NATASHA LINDSTAEDT, UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX: Right. And I think that's been Trump's main argument, that no one close to the president has spoken up -- that is, of course, because these people have been blocked -- and that he hasn't had a chance to tell his side of the story.
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LINDSTAEDT: I think what he's going to do is pretend to entertain this idea that he might show up, claiming that he has absolutely nothing to hide, and then stonewall the process from the onset.
He feels if he disengages the entire thing, he'll be able to run out the clock and this will tire voters. They are going to be tired of hearing about all of this impeachment. If he just refuses to cooperate by running out the clock, then it will be a more difficult situation for the Democrats to convince voters that he did something that was impeachable.
HOLMES: And was that part of the Democrats' strategy when it comes to impeachment, they are going to keep it simple and leave other violations off the list, things like possible obstruction and emoluments and things like that?
LINDSTAEDT: I think they want to make sure that all options are on the table, not just with this whole Ukrainian probe but also with the Mueller probe. They did feel there was a case of obstruction of justice.
But what I think Nancy Pelosi tried to outline is that there was a bribe that took place and that is mentioned in the Constitution as a potentially impeachable offense. And they want to sell this to the American public, not just that this was a quid pro quo. This was a bribe from a person of power withholding military aid that
was so desperately needed for Ukraine to stave off Russian aggression. And a bribe is an impeachable offense.
HOLMES: There are risks there for the Democrats.
Could they decide on censure rather than impeachment?
LINDSTAEDT: This level of abuse of power, they feel, has just gone too far and that they are at risk of shifting our norms, our democratic political norms, if we go on and allow this president to continue to abuse power in the manner in which he has.
Now they know that there are risks involved in pursuing this impeachment. Number one, the Senate is not likely to convict. The Republicans have been engaging in the project and they've made it clear that they're not going to convict. They don't think it's an impeachable offense.
But they also know that you have to look to 2020. And they want to make a case without alienating independent voters and they're hoping if they keep their case very simple that these independent and Democratic voters will feel that the Democrats did the right thing.
HOLMES: Afghanistan, it was fascinating; Donald Trump there visiting the troops over Thanksgiving and he talked about the Taliban, he said they didn't want to do a cease-fire but now they do want to do a cease-fire. It will probably work out that way.
Any suggestion that's even true?
Or did Donald Trump just riff the notion that talks had restarted and talks are on the table?
There is no confirmation of that. The Afghan leadership and even the Taliban are kind of going, huh?
LINDSTAEDT: Right. I don't think this was a strategic plan to cause confusion. I think he was just riffing. They've made it very clear that's not in the options. They're not going to agree to a cease-fire ahead of time because that is what the president wants and they consider that government to be completely illegitimate.
They hope when the U.S. leaves, they can take over Afghanistan. they feel they have the upper hand and therefore they don't need to agree to any kind of cease-fire.
HOLMES: And that is the thing, when you think about it. The Taliban have the control. They certainly have the patience. And they know that this president is running into an election. He had run on this, getting out of Afghanistan.
And the other thing, the Taliban aren't likely to go after the government and go after a nice coalition. They're going to want to run it like they did before. LINDSTAEDT: Exactly. They want to be in charge. They have said they are open to some power sharing arrangement but that wouldn't involve the current government, which they view to be a puppet government. And I think that they sense that Trump wants to leave and that this was one of his campaign promises.
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LINDSTAEDT: And they think if they push hard enough, Trump is going to make a spontaneous announcement and leave. Once the U.S. does leave, that is the only deterrent or credible force to stave off the Taliban, which is growing increasingly powerful and wants to take over the whole government.
And then we're sort of back to where we were in 2001.
HOLMES: That is a worrying thing; 18 years of war in Afghanistan, I've been there several times and saw how the Taliban had left society there and how they run that place.
What would it look like for the U.S. in terms of its own reputation if they leave, the Taliban goes back to running it like they did pre- 9/11?
LINDSTAEDT: I think the U.S. is in a difficult situation because the two options don't look very good. You have the Taliban, which hasn't been at all democratic, which completely has violated human rights and women's rights.
And then you have this secular government, that doesn't have enough legitimacy in terms of being able to control the entire country and is very weak and has been hobbling along very, very weak, almost failing.
In terms of what the U.S. reputation is going to look like, it's not going to look particularly good. It sends a message that the U.S. is not able to commit you to what its initial objectives were and leaves things in a bigger mess then when they arrived.
HOLMES: Natasha Lindstaedt, always good to see you. Thanks so much.
LINDSTAEDT: Thanks for having me.
HOLMES: An American man has been arrested, accused of helping North Korea evade U.S. sanctions. According to the U.S. Justice Department, Virgil Griffith traveled to North Korea to teach cryptocurrency after the U.S. denied his request to travel there. He faces up to 20 years in prison.
U.S. immigration authorities have deported a worker injured in the New Orleans Hard Rock Hotel collapse last month. Attorneys for a Honduran national say he was targeted for reporting unsafe conditions at the hotel's construction site before the disaster. At least two people died in that collapse. He was arrested two days later.
Officials deny any connection but activists say the deportation could cause potential whistleblowers to remain silent. When we come back, we're learning more about that deadly terror attack in London. Witnesses describe what they saw and heard as the chaos unfolded. We'll have that.
Also, heavy snow and strong winds putting travel plans at risk for millions of Americans. We're going to have a look at the impending winter storm, just ahead.
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HOLMES: And welcome back to our viewers in the United States and here around the world. I'm Michael Holmes.
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HOLMES: Let's get back to the situation in London. Here is how some witnesses described the alarming scene.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Earlier today, I heard a couple of gunshots and then I saw some people running away.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) the area.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A rush of people running into the cafe and the manager ran and shut the door and locked it. Everybody was basically under the tables and we were told shots were heard. Then we saw police coming to the bridge.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Members of the public were fighting with a man that was -- it looked like he was trying to be pinned down. I saw a shine of light coming across from the man on the floor and I realized it was a knife. And then the police went over with some guns and it ended with the man being shot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm now in a position to confirm that it has been declared a terrorist incident.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd like to thank members of the public who risked their own safety this afternoon. They are the best of us.
HOLMES: In the wake after the attack, Metropolitan Police have decided to increase the patrols in the city.
Turning now to Iraq, anti-government protesters declaring victory after the prime minister announced he will submit his resignation. Demonstrators have been denouncing alleged corruption and unemployment and a lack of basic services. CNN's Arwa Damon reports from Baghdad.
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ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Demonstrators danced, shot off tiny fireworks in Baghdad's Tahrir Square as the news spread.
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DAMON (voice-over): The Iraqi prime minister would resign. It's a celebration that came at an unbearable, unnecessary price.
"Wake up, wake up," a mother shrieks over her son's body. He one of more than one of 40 gunned down in 48 hours, in the southern Shia city, where eyewitnesses describe streets being turned into rivers of blood.
This young man killed there wears a T-shirt that says, "We want a nation."
This is the scene at the morgue, home to some of the Shia Islam's holiest sites. A heartbreaking post asks, "Does anyone know this young man?"
"He's my son, Mehti," is the first comment.
The square at the epicenter of demonstrations is lined with shrines, nearly 400 countrywide. Observers pray. For Sadib, it's her way of thanking them for the future she can now dream of for her two children, who she brought here for the first time.
"Yes, they are too young to really understand," she says, "but I want them to come and experience this."
There is a sense and a determination that this will be the chapter in Iraq's bloody history that finally alters the status quo that has governed the population's lives since the U.S.-led invasion, one that traded Saddam Hussein's dictatorship for another form of captivity, defined by chaos and violence, rampant corruption rising unemployment divisive sectarian politics in Iran's looming shadow.
"Iran wants to make us a part of Khomeini's Islamic republic," this man says, "just like ISIS wanted to make us a part of their state."
Rare to hear such harsh words expressed publicly against their neighbor. But militias and political influence wield ultimate power here. The barrier of fear is breaking. Iraqis want to control their own destiny and are willing to risk it all.
The prime minister's anticipated resignation is just a first step. For those who have taken to the streets, it's about reclaiming their country and upending the political system that has brought more destruction than democratic rights -- Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.
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HOLMES: Millions of people in the U.S. are getting ready to head home this weekend but they could be in store for a travel nightmare. Coming up, we'll take a look at the winter storm headed their way.
Also --
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TANYA TURNER, THE TRILLBILLY WORKERS PARTY: You know what you're getting. This man has had the same vision for 40, 50 years.
HOLMES (voice-over): In a rural community known for its support of U.S. president Donald Trump, one podcast looking to change opinions through comedy.
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HOLMES: Welcome back. As the Thanksgiving holiday comes to a close in the U.S., millions of people braced for a travel nightmare. This weekend, a winter storm expected to bring heavy snow, strong winds to the central United States and the northeast.
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HOLMES: In Baltimore, Maryland, three men now free in time for the holidays after spending almost 40 years in prison for a murder they did not commit. CNN's Brynn Gingras has this report on why their convictions was overturned.
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BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Free at last.
ALFRED CHESTNUT, WRONGFULLY CONVICTED OF MURDER: Oh, man. I've been always dreaming of this, for this day.
GINGRAS: Baltimore police ripped these three men from their homes on Thanksgiving Day, 36 years ago, for a murder they did not commit.
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RANSOM WATKINS, WRONGFULLY CONVICTED OF MURDER: We're smiling. We're happy that we're free. But we've got a lot to fix.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely.
WATKINS: This should have never happened.
MARY STEWART, SON EXONERATED OF MURDER: This is the first time I have been able to hug my son in about 20 some years.
GINGRAS: Hugs weren't the only things missed. Two of the men have never driven a car. They've actually spent more time behind bars than their homes all because of what happened in 1983.
Back then, police arrested and charged 16-year olds Alfred Chestnut and Ransom Watkins and 17-year-old Andrew Stewart for the killing of a teenager at a Baltimore middle school.
Police, say the murder was over a sports jacket. Their smoking gun, a similar jacket found inside Chestnut's home despite no blood or gunshot evidence. His mother even had a receipt of purchase according to court paperwork. Still, they were sentenced to life behind bars.
WATKINS: I hate to put it like this, we went through hell.
GINGRAS: A break in the case came when Chestnut filed for information and uncovered a pile of unseen evidence. Young witnesses were interviewed by police without their parents and told to "get their story straight".
An anonymous phone call even ID another suspect who was seen wearing the stolen jacket and confessing to the crime. But none of that was ever given to the men's defense team, attorneys say.
For decades, the men maintained their innocence. Chestnut refused to confess even when the parole board considered releasing him if he did. Baltimore's Conviction Integrity Unit eventually looked over the case and set them free.
CHESTNUT: I'm looking forward man, living the rest of my life.
ANDREW STEWART, EXONERATED OF MURDER: Too many people are losing their lives in prison that don't deserve and we got to do something about it.
GINGRAS: The state attorney, says she's going to work on creating a compensation fund for those wrongfully convicted because it currently does not exist in the State of Maryland -- Brynn Gingras, CNN, New York.
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A leftist group in the United States making sure their voices will be heard this coming election year.
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TURNER: We are in the unhealthiest congressional district in the country. There is no one here that doesn't support health care for all people.
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HOLMES: Coming up, how a comedy podcast is rallying support for a presidential candidate who is a Democrat. (MUSIC PLAYING)
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HOLMES: Some rural areas are known for their unwavering support of president Donald Trump. But one comedy podcast is trying to change opinions. CNN's Elle Reeve has more.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rand Paul was there looking every bit of 4'7' after his procedure.
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ELLE REEVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the Appalachian Mountains of Eastern Kentucky...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Former city council man just --
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REEVE (voice-over): A trio of leftist activists have figured out how to make people listen to them.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is this really where the Democratic Party is?
REEVE (voice-over): The Trillbilly Workers Party is Tanya Turner, Tarence Ray and Tom Sexton. Their popular leftist comedy podcast is recorded in a cabin in Whitesburg, a ton of 2,000 in what in the popular imagination is rock solid Trump country.
TANYA TURNER, TRILLBILLY WORKERS PARTY: I think some Trump supporters that I know that I would consider as stereotypical Trump voters are completely disassociated and think it's funny.
All of these systems that have screwed us over time and again, yes, they're like, you know, what else do I have but to laugh at this maniac, pushing buttons somewhere.
REEVE (voice-over): So while they ridicule President Trump, they have contempt for the Democratic Party, which they think has made too many moral compromises to help communities like theirs.
REEVE: Do you think the Democratic Party speaks to the issues facing your community?
TURNER: No, not at all. You could look at a lot of the failures of the Democratic Party, both in Kentucky but also across the country, to lead you to some of the support, of course, of conservatives and bizarre politics, like Trump, what Trump has brought about and because they've really, just, like, abandoned communities that used to support them.
REEVE (voice-over): They draw guests relevant to national politics like Kentucky sports radio host Matt Jones.
MATT JONES, KENTUCKY SPORTS RADIO HOST: I spoke at the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.
REEVE (voice-over): Jones recently explored a run against Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell.
JONES: If you beat Mitch McConnell, it changes the United States of America. It just does. And in my heart of hearts, I believe I'm the person that can do it.
REEVE (voice-over): Their audience is growing. The Trillbillies get nearly 100,000 downloads a month for their free weekly podcast and nearly $9,000 in subscriptions to their premium episodes.
While they very much draw from their own personal experiences, most of their listeners are actually from Brooklyn, Chicago and San Diego, people they think grew up in places like Whitesburg and left for jobs. They think they have a broad audience because their message is universal.
TURNER: There is no way that -- none of these rich people work harder than my mom works. And she will never be out of debt. She will never have all the things that she needs.
TARENCE RAY, TRILLBILLY WORKERS PARTY: Really, we wanted to describe what our lives are like here. More than that, we have an analysis of the country, the way things are, that's informed by our very specific struggles and experiences here, fighting against corporations or whatever. And I think it benefits the Left at large to hear that perspective.
REEVE (voice-over): The Trillbillies are examples of two trends. One, a podcast boom and, two, a generational divide between older people who are more centrist and the young leftists who ridiculous them. An army of the angriest ones go to war every day o Twitter and get tagged as Bernie Brothers.
By contrast, the Trillbillies use humor to win people over.
REEVE: What would you say to people in the cities from the coasts, who would be surprised that there are Bernie-supporting communists, socialists out here in Appalachia?
[04:55:00]
TOM SEXTON, TRILLBILLY WORKERS PARTY: We have the Internet. It's not good but we have it and we know about things. RAY: If you're a leftist in a big city, you know that there are other leftists out there in places like this. Anywhere where people have a boot to the neck, they're resisting, they're fighting back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Democratic candidate for President of the United States.
REEVE (voice-over): They're not impressed by the candidates for president in 2020 except for Bernie Sanders, who only lost the 2016 Kentucky Democratic primary to Hillary Clinton by half a percentage point.
TURNER: You know what you're getting. This man has had the same vision for 40-50 years and has absolutely moved the dialogue about what is possible in this country.
SEXTON: I can tell you this. My mother, I love her but I wouldn't consider an exemplar of progressive thought, loves Bernie Sanders. She's a very overzealous Bernie person. She's a Pentecostal Sunday school teacher.
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Health care is a human right. Medicare for all.
REEVE (voice-over): The Trillbillies believe Sanders is the only candidate who truly understands the struggles of communities like theirs and trusts he would work toward the fairer future they imagine.
TURNER: We are in the unhealthiest congressional district in the country. There is no one here that doesn't support health care for all people.
You would have to be a criminal, an absolute billionaire class sociopath to not want the sick and dying people around you in this community and in your family to not have access to quality health care. And very few people here do. That is one of the simplest nods I can give to why Bernie has support here.
REEVE (voice-over): Elle Reeve, CNN, Whitesburg, Kentucky.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Thanks for watching CNN NEWSROOM this hour. I'm Michael Holmes and we will have more of CNN NEWSROOM after the break.
