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Deadly Shooting At A Naval Base In Florida; President Trump Not Backing Away From His Attorney Rudy Giuliani's Brazen Trip To Ukraine; More Pictures Of Rudy Giuliani In Ukraine; Hillary Clinton Opens Up About Personal Life, Losing To Trump; Melania Trump Takes Offense To Professor Invoking Son's Name During Impeachment Hearing; U.S./China Trade War Leaves Farmers On Edge; Peloton Actress Trades Bike For Cocktails In New Ad. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired December 07, 2019 - 16:00   ET

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

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ANA CABRERA, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Ana Cabrera in New York.

The breaking news right now here on CNN. President Trump speaking at the White House just a short time ago about yesterday's deadly shooting at a naval base in Florida. We know the city of Pensacola is still shaken from that killing, three people at the hands of an air force lieutenant from Saudi Arabia.

His exact motivations are still not clear. He is also dead so investigators can't get anything directly from him. But details have emerged in just the past few hours that appear to throw new light on the shooter's attitude toward the United States and his possible desire to hurt and kill people.

The President telling reporters a few minutes ago he spoke personally to the king of Saudi Arabia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I spoke with the king of Saudi Arabia. They are devastated in Saudi Arabia. We are finding out what took place whether it's one person or a number of people. And the king will be involved in taking care of families and loved ones. He feels very strongly. He is very, very devastated by what happened, what took place. Likewise the crown prince.

They are devastated by what took place in Pensacola. And I think they're going to help out the families very greatly. But right now they send their condolences. And as you know, I have sent my condolences. It is a very shocking thing. And we will find out -- we will get to the bottom of it very quickly.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CABRERA: I want to bring in our Law Enforcement Analyst and former FBI Supervisory Special Agent, James Gagliano. Also with us, CNN's Brynn Gingras and our national security reporter Kylie Atwood.

Brynn, we just heard from the defense secretary as well. What did he say?

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. He is really just talking about the nature of this investigation, really, the big question here is motive. And there is no answer as to what was the motivation behind this gunman on Friday morning here at the naval base in Pensacola.

Let's listen to some sound and I Will give you more context after we hear from defense secretary Esper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK ESPER, DEFENSE SECRETARY: I can't say it's terrorism at this time. I think we need to let the investigators, the FBI do its work. And tell us, get us the facts, and we will move up from there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GINGRAS: And so of course this investigation doesn't have necessarily a title to it, but there are so many agencies involved with the FBI taking the lead, of course. We have been talking about how this is a global investigation. We have FBI attaches in Saudi Arabia asking questions. And then of course people here on the ground asking questions as well.

We have learned from sources that there were Saudi nationals detained after the shooting and answering investigative questions. You know, of course they are going to want to know more about what was the movement of this gunman. What were the places he was visiting? What sort of things was he saying to his friends there on the naval base before actually carrying out this act? So that is all part of this investigation that's still happening on the ground.

We also know there are members of JTT, Joint Terrorism Task force. Their investigators still on the campus, working through that crime scene, which we understand is two levels of a classroom, both inside and outside collecting evidence. So there are still much in the infancy stages but a lot of work getting done both here and abroad -- Ana.

CABRERA: OK. Brynn, stay with me. Let me bring in James and get more information on maybe how the investigation is unfolding. We hear the Pentagon chief saying he wants to let the FBI do its work. What does that work look like right now at this stage?

JAMES GAGLIANO, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, as was just pointed out, it is a huge crime scene. It is multi floors. And Ana, I think one of the critical pieces here is we are kind of sifting through and trying to divine through the investigative tea leaves. The FBI has been pretty tight lipped about this. Last night the special agent in charge of the Jacksonville office Rachel Rojas gave a very curt statement and didn't name the shooter was. We have gotten more details today.

This is still not been declared an act of terror. Here is where they are going to get their information. Obviously the forensic harvesting of intelligence and evidence from the crime scene, itself. But we also know that there were ten Saudi nationals that are also being detained.

For the viewer, what is the difference between an investigative detention and an arrest? An investigative detention you can usually hold somebody for about 24 to 96 hours to determine if there is enough probable cause to arrest. Now in this instance, if they are considering it terrorism, they can expand that to 14 days. We will know soon, Ana, whether these folks are charged. If they are not charged they have to be released in the next day or so.

[16:05:29] CABRERA: A U.S. based intel group has revealed this gunman harbored what is being described as extreme anti-American views.

James, what is your reaction to that?

GAGLIANO: You know, this kind of stuff is what we mine after an event like this. Because it gives you some type of insight into the cause ally. What was this person thinking? Generally speaking, in any of these attacks, going from lone offender attacks to, you know, something where somebody was inspired and directed, worked within a conspiracy.

Here is what happens. Ninety percent of the folks that plan and prepare for this type of event have some type of screed or manifesto or social media postings or notebook jotting down their vile rhetoric and the preferred ideology. So this is not surprising. This is generally what the FBI finds in the wake of these.

CABRERA: But James, he did pass a vetting process not just before he came to the U.S. but they re-ran it to do the check yesterday and there was nothing we are told. There were no red flags that would have prevented him from participating in this program.

GAGLIANO: He was able to purchase a firearm in Florida. Absolutely.

And here's the thing. These people are usually vetted within their own country. They were sent over here as part of an exchange program. I served with some of them in the army. They attended west point when I was at west point. So here's the thing. People that are arguing we can't let this happen.

We have to do this when we're selling weapons and sharing information with the Saudis because they are buying weapons platforms and systems that we need to make certain that they are able to use. They can only get that training here in the United States. If we are going to work with folks in a coalition, unfortunately, this is just a necessary evil right now.

CABRERA: Kylie, as we have been talking about, the officials investigating right now have also detained additional Saudi nationals. What more can you tell us about that? And speak to this is a global investigation and how it may be working on an international scale.

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes. So, as you guys have been discussing we have learned that additional Saudi nationals have been detained for questioning. So we really don't know a lot about that, however. We don't know what their relationship is to the shooter. We don't know what types of questions they were getting. We don't know where they were detained.

But the bottom line here is that the FBI investigators are really digging in to folks they think could tell them more about this unfolding investigation so they can determine what the motivation was, who this shooter was. The things that they didn't know before this awful incident occurred.

And now President Trump said today that he spoke with king Salman and that Saudi Arabia is devastated by this. He also said that king Salman is going to be helping some of the families, indicating Saudi Arabia is ready to help some of the families of these victims who were killed or hurt in this shooting.

The other thing to consider, however, that this is a little bit of a contentious moment in the U.S./Saudi Arabia relationship. And we have learned that Saudi Arabia is sending lawyers down to Florida to be on the ground. We don't know exactly what they are going to be working on, but there are a number of things for them to be doing here.

With regard to those additional Saudis who have been detained, Saudi lawyers could be looking at that. They could also be helping facilitate this assistance that the Saudi king has promised to these families. So there are a number of things that have to be worked on for both Saudi lawyers and these FBI investigators.

CABRERA: Brynn, also breaking this afternoon we have learned the name and now heard from the family of one of the people killed in that mass shooting at that Navy base in Florida. He is ensign Joshua Kaleb Watson, just 23 years old, recent graduate of the U.S. naval academy in Annapolis. And I want to show you what Watson's big brother wrote today on Facebook.

Today has been the worst day of my life. My youngest brother gave his life for his country in a senseless shooting. Joshua Kaleb Watson saved countless lives today with his own. He died a hero. We are beyond proud.

That identification was made by Watson's family not by base officials. When can we expect to hear about the other victims?

GINGRAS: Yes. As far as that is concerned, Ana, the FBI says they are respecting naval protocol which is to alert the media or give more information at least 24 hours after notifying next of kin. But that Facebook message just tears at your heart strings, right.

It even talks about now he can never wrestle with him again and the nickname he gave his brother who seemed like just a rising star, 23 years old, killed in this incident here on the naval base where he was excited to come after graduating from the naval academy in Annapolis. He said he was excited to become a jet fighter. And, yes, he is one of those people killed of the three. And then there were others injured.

We are also learning from officials here on the ground that two deputies who responded to the scene are both injured, one has been released from the hospital. There was another one was treated or rather underwent some surgery this morning and is expected to be OK. But these are the stories coming out of the community that really break your heart.

Just moments ago, Ana, I got to say, a woman came with her two daughters close in age and we were talking to her right before she laid a wreath right at the entrance to the naval academy and she just started crying. It just finally hit her what happened. And looking at her two daughters and knowing about the death of this 23-year-old, it just broke her heart.

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CABRERA: It is tragedy.

Brynn Gingras, Kyle Atwood, James Gagliano, thank you all.

President Trump defending his personal attorney's trip to Ukraine. And he says Rudy Giuliani may be ready to go before Congress.

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CABRERA: This just in. President Trump not backing away from his attorney Rudy Giuliani's brazen trip to Ukraine, another one by the way. He went just this week to dig up more dirt on the President's political rivals. It is the very thing that helped put the president under an impeachment investigation. It is also very similar to what the President was investigated for in 2016 with Russia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[16:15:19]

TRUMP: Rudy as you know has been one of the great crime fighters of the last 50 years. And he did get back from Europe just recently. And I know -- he has not told me what he found but I think he wants to go before Congress and say, and also to the attorney general and the department of justice. I hear he's found plenty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: To be very clear, Giuliani has made absolutely no secret about what he's trying to do or who he is meeting with. For instance earlier this week he was pictured with this former Ukrainian diplomat who wrote quote "to all conspiracy theorists, there is no secret on what we are doing. The truth will come out." This former diplomat has pushed the debunk conspiracy theory that it

was Ukraine not Russia that meddled in the U.S. presidential election in 2016 and yet this appears to be the type of person Giuliani is getting information from, information the President says will be presented to the attorney general.

With us now, White House reporter for "the Washington Post" Toluse Olorunnipa and the political and White House editor for "Axios," Margaret Talev.

So Margaret, Giuliani is under federal investigation for his work in Ukraine. The President is facing possible impeachment. In what world do these men think it will work out for them?

MARGARET TALEV, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: You know, this is absolutely part of the White House strategy to not only push back at the Democrats' approach in Congress in this impeachment inquiry but to say there is nothing wrong with what the President did and there is nothing wrong with what Rudy Giuliani did. And as an example of that we are just going to keep doing what we were doing.

There is also an expectation that part of what Rudy Giuliani is doing is gathering information for a sort of documentary or film of some kind that is going to be produced and shown on a conservative network that some of the President's base watches. That will focus more on Biden, Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, or make the case that Rudy Giuliani did nothing wrong.

And, of course, where the rubber meets the road where this all comes to a head is this question of is Rudy Giuliani going to be asked to appear once impeachment moves to the Senate? And what position will the White House take, will the president continue to hold him close?

CABRERA: Toluse, Congressman Matt Gaetz is a staunch defender of the president and he couldn't even defend what Giuliani was up to earlier this week. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MATT GAETZ (R-FL): I think it is a little weird Rudy Giuliani is over in the Ukraine right now. And I'm not here to defend Rudy Giuliani.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Toluse, are people close to the President worried about his relationship with Giuliani?

TOLUSE OLORUNNIPA, WHITE HOUSE REPORTER, THE WASHINGTON POST: There are definitely some people concerned that Rudy Giuliani is giving the President more legal problems, more problems when it comes to impeachment than he is solving.

You have to remember that a couple people that Rudy Giuliani was close to have already been indicted. And if he was such a great crime fighter maybe he would have known that he was associating with people who were committing crimes. And it's not clear that the President is aware of some of these challenges, some of the issues that Rudy Giuliani is causing.

You haven't heard very many Republicans defending Rudy Giuliani and his antics or amplifying some of his accusations about Ukrainian election meddling. A lot of it is conspiracy theory and action. And it does appear that the President is embracing those conspiracy theories but not very many of his defenders are.

And it is making it harder for the president's defenders to say the president was actually concerned about actual corruption, actual real things happening in Ukraine when Rudy Giuliani is pursuing all of these various conspiracy theories. This idea that it was Ukraine and not Russia that hacked into the 2020 -- 2016 election. It makes it very difficult for anyone to defend that and to defend the president when the president holds Rudy Giuliani so closely.

CABRERA: Margaret, the next impeachment hearing is on Monday but the President's legal team now says they won't be taking part. And this is even after they said previously that there wasn't due process. So what is the strategy behind this not taking part in this hearing?

TALEV: Yes. The White House legal team and the President's advisers have concluded that the best way for them to deal with the outcome that appears to be inevitable now in the House which will be a vote of articles of impeachment coming forward and then a vote, is to diminish and ignore the process, to sort of flout it in terms of gesture.

It is like Rudy Giuliani being in the Ukraine. And to focus more of their attention on the Senate. And part of the thinking is they can't help themselves in the House anyway and could potentially hurt themselves but that by not legitimizing it, by sort of ignoring it and saying this is a sham.

They can shape the public view -- convince the public it is not a legitimate inquiry by the House and that their legal attention is better spent focused on the Senate which is of course controlled by the Republican party and where the vote actually matters in terms of the president's duration in office.

[16:20:20]

CABRERA: Let's take a look though at what Republicans in the house are trying to do in the upcoming hearing. They have released a witness list. They want Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, congressman Adam Schiff, the whistle-blower.

Toluse, I assume there is zero chance we'll hear from any of those witnesses. But it is interesting who Republicans are not calling Mick Mulvaney, secretary of state Mike Pompeo, first-hand witnesses to all the president is accused of.

OLORUNNIPA: Yes. It does appear they do not want to hear from those specific witnesses and those witnesses do not want to testify before Congress. They also haven't asked for Rudy Giuliani to testify even though the President seemed to hint at the idea that Rudy Giuliani wants to present his information to Congress.

So they are pushing at least on the Republican side for this impeachment investigation to be something that they can use to go against Democrats, use to pursue these theories that Democrats were involved with election interference with Ukraine in 2016. And not necessarily to get to the bottom of what happened.

The lawyer they brought up, Jonathan Turley, to testify earlier this week, said that more people need to come forward and testify before this could go forward but he actually wanted to hear from fact witnesses, Mike Mulvaney, like John Bolton. And the Republicans are not taking his advise.

They do not necessarily want to hear from those people because the White House has said that none of those people should be testifying, should be putting forward this information. And even as Republicans have said this is all second and third-hand information they are not trying to get to the bottom of things by asking the people who have first-hand information about what the President was to doing to testify.

CABRERA: Toluse Olorunnipa and Margaret Talev, thank you both.

TALEV: Thank you.

CABRERA: House speaker Nancy Pelosi cashing in on a viral clash with a reporter. The details ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:26:02]

CABRERA: There are even more pictures of Rudy Giuliani in Ukraine. More online postings showing the President's personal attorney with more Ukrainian officials in Kiev. All of it adding to the case that Giuliani is doing the exact kind of maneuvers that led to the impeachment inquiry of his most famous client, the President.

This photo posted Thursday shows Giuliani with a former junior Ukrainian diplomat who has pushed the debunked theory that Ukraine not Russia interfered in the 2016 elections.

And now we are learning courtesy of the "New York Times" that Giuliani's trips were organized around the filming of a multi part TV series.

Joining us now, CNN's Chief Media Correspondent and Anchor of "RELIABLE SOURCES," Brian Stelter.

Brian, what do we know about this TV drama?

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Maybe it is appropriate that in the reality TV age with the reality president this is what Rudy Giuliani is doing, working this far right-wing cable channel called ONN to make a documentary series trying to support the President and attack Ukraine. That is the general idea according to sources familiar with this.

ONN is such a small channel. It is not even rated nationally by Nielsen. So this is not a major player. This is not a major channel. Most of our viewers don't have access to it on their cable or satellite line-ups.

But ONN has gained the attention of the president and Rudy Giuliani. It is willing to put on a lot of conspiratorial programming. And that is kind of what is going on here. But I think really what this is about, Ana, is Rudy Giuliani loves cigars. He has been seen a lots of cigar around this.

This is all about a smoke machine. He is trying to create as much smoke or as much fog as possible to create confusion and so chaos and distract us from the basic facts that we know that have been described by witness after witness on Capitol Hill in the past few weeks. I mean, frankly, I think that smoke machine is sometimes working.

CABRERA: Well, it makes people wonder what to believe as the President has put out this idea don't believe what you see or hear. We have covered that before as well.

Let me ask you about the ongoing kind of bizarre feud between FOX's Sean Hannity and late night's Jimmy Kimmel. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: When Jimmy Kimmel -- we had a big fight that I won and I dare him to start it up again. I really -- Jimmy, start it. Just start up one more time.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'll join in.

HANNITY: Oh, I have a lot to bring out. I was just ready on the verge of unloading it all. My offer stands. Hey, Jimmy Kimmel, I dare you. Start up again. You will -- I will unload like you have never seen. I've got it all racked up ready to go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: What is going on here, Brian? I thought this had been put to bed.

STELTER: Yes, I thought so, too. Jimmy Kimmel has really challenged Hannity talking about Hannity's performance, his schtick, and his pro Trump persona.

I think what Hannity is doing is kind of like Trump, he knows how to pick fights, how to brand himself and promote himself as somebody by picking on -- by picking other villains or other targets. That's what he is doing, right. He is using Kimmel as a symbol of the liberal media in this case the liberal Hollywood elites even though Hannity, himself, is an elite, you know, a millionaire tens of times over etcetera.

CABRERA: You talked about Trump's proclivity to brand in a good way for himself.

STELTER: Yes.

CABRERA: We saw Nancy Pelosi and her team kind of getting in on the branding game as well, tweeting out a picture of a don't mess with Nancy crew neck sweat shirt. This was after the now iconic moment where she squared off with a Sinclair reporter who asked her if she hated the President. Fill us in on the history there, though. Because there is a reason why she -- that particular reporter might have touched a nerve.

STELTER: Right. This is James Rosen who works for Sinclair. A collection of local TV stations which has a -- the owners of Sinclair have a conservative bent. And Rosen came over from FOX News a little while ago to Sinclair.

[16:30:00]

Rosen has a lot of fans in the press. But he also has detractors who say he may have a conservative bent. And Nancy Pelosi has ribbed him before. Criticized him for questions before.

I thought it was interesting that he was there at that presser, throwing that wildcard question. Frankly, I think it's good when we see politicians have to be challenged in that way and we see how they react.

Perhaps it is good for both the reporter and Pelosi to see how she'll engage in a question like that. I thought it was a good thing.

CABRERA: All right, Brian Stelter, good to have you here.

STELTER: Thanks.

CABRERA: Thanks for your take.

Catch Brian tomorrow morning on his show "RELIABLE SOURCES," at 11:00 a.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

Still ahead for us, why Hillary Clinton says she is disappointed in Bernie Sanders.

And we are learning new details about the Saudi soldier who killed three at a Florida naval base and the heroic efforts by the sailors who tried to stop him.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CABRERA: Hillary Clinton finally faces the man she avoided in a runup to the election. Things get very interesting. Clinton sat down with Howard Stern for a wide-ranging interview where she opened up about everything, from her sexuality to losing the election to loving someone other than Bill.

Here's CNN National Correspondent, Jason Carroll.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[16:35:11]

HILLARY CLINTON, (D), FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE & FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & FORMER FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: You know I went to the inauguration of Donald Trump, which was one of the hardest days of my life, to be honest.

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): And call it "Hillary Clinton Unplugged," sort of.

HOWARD STERN, HOST, THE HOWARD STERN SHOW: Bill was the first you loved?

CLINTON: No.

STERN: No?

CLINTON: No, there was somebody before him.

CARROLL: For two and a half hours, the former Democratic presidential candidate talked and her personal life and politics with Sirius XM's Howard Stern.

CLINTON: I don't know if I was too nice but I was certainly, you know, very careful. And the reason is, look, I grew up at a time when, if you were going to get through a door as a woman, you did not react to anything.

CARROLL: Among the highlights, how Clinton felt about President Trump's victory and inauguration.

CLINTON: I mean, obviously I was crushed. I was disappointed. And I was really surprised because I couldn't figure out what had happened.

STERN: And you had even written a losing speech when you lost that.

CLINTON: No, no.

STERN: You only had victory in mind.

CLINTON: No. And everything was pointed in that direction.

You put on the best face possible. And you know, Bill and I are sitting with George and Laura Bush, and then he started on that speech, which was so bizarre.

And that's when I got really worried. Then that carnage in the street and the dark dystopian vision. I was sitting there like just, wow! Couldn't believe it. And George W. Bush says to me, well, that was some weird shit.

(LAUGHTER)

STERN: Wow! CARROLL: Clinton also took aim at Republican leaders such as South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, a man she once worked with across the aisle when she was a New York Senator.

CLINTON: Lindsey was good company. He was funny. He was self- deprecating. And he also believed in climate change back in those days.

STERN: Really?

CLINTON: Yes.

STERN: He would say I'm concerned about the future for my children?

CLINTON: Well, he hasn't had any children. But he was concerned about the future, yes, absolutely.

I saw him as somebody who had been working to try to figure out what he believed and how had you could do things.

STERN: Has he sold his sole to the devil?

CLINTON: I don't know the answer to that. That's a fair question, however.

And what I don't understand is how he went from being the friend and the, you know, real confidant of the maverick, John McCain, who, you know, I didn't agree with politically but I found him to be a man of integrity, a man of real strength of conviction.

Now, you know, I don't know what's happened to Lindsey Graham. I'll be honest with you. I haven't talked to him in a long. He wrote -- you know how "Time" magazine has like the top 100 people and all that. One year, back a couple years ago, when I was in it, he wrote the tribute to me. And then now it's like -- it's like he had a brain snatch. You know?

CARROLL: Clinton uncharacteristically candid regarding whisperers about her personal life.

CLINTON: Well, contrary to what you may hear, I actually like men.

(LAUGHTER)

STERN: All right, this -- that is the other thing.

(CROSSTALK)

CLINTON: That's the other thing.

STERN: Raise your right hand you never had a lesbian affair?

CLINTON: Never.

STERN: Never.

CLINTON: I've never even been tempted.

CARROLL: There were no questions during this sit down about Former White House intern, Monica Lewinsky, and the inappropriate relationship she had with then-President Bill Clinton.

Stern did get Clinton to open up about life and love before Bill Clinton.

STERN: Was there someone before Bill that you would consider marrying?

CLINTON: No.

(CROSSTALK)

STERN: But in love.

CLINTON: But in love.

CARROLL: When Stern tried to press Clinton on the field of 2020 candidates, she pledged to support whoever the Democratic nominee might be. Though she did have a few choice words for Bernie Sanders.

STERN: Do you hate Bernie Sanders?

CLINTON: No. I don't hate anybody.

STERN: Bernie could have endorsed you quicker.

(CROSSTALK)

CLINTON: Yes, he hurt me. There is no doubt that he hurt me. But going back to the indictments, cause that's what was really important.

STERN: Have you ever spoken to Bernie about that?

CLINTON: No. No. I mean,

(CROSSTALK)

STERN: You don't talk to him?

CLINTON: I don't talk to him. I mean, we did when he finally he finally endorsed me and all that.

STERN: But you were upset with him?

CLINTON: Yes, disappointed. Disappointed.

STERN: OK.

CLINTON: I hope he doesn't do it again, to whoever gets the nomination.

STERN: Right.

CLINTON: Once is enough.

CARROLL: Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: I want to bring in someone who spent much of her professional life researching the residents of the White House, first ladies in particular. Kate Anderson Brower is joining us now.

This is her book, "First Women, The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies."

Kate, great to have you here.

We've never heard this former first lady so unguarded, being asked those really personal questions, her love life, her sexuality. Do you think the fact that she is being so open signals anything in particular about her future in politics?

KATE ANDERSON BROWER, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I think a lot of people would have liked to have seen this from her back in 2016, right? This kind of unleash the real Hillary coming through. It was nice to see.

[16:40:02]

I don't think she is going to be running for public office at all. But I think she is still very publicly engaged. She mentioned she is talking to Democratic candidates and warning them about social media and what is going on Facebook and Russian interference, all that.

She is still very engaged. I thought it was so refreshing and wonderful to see. It is too bad we didn't see more of this a couple years ago.

CABRERA: Were you surprised that she went on such an uncensored and unrestricted radio show and was that candid?

ANDERSON BROWER: Absolutely. It is funny because Howard Stern kept saying I've tried to get you on for years, in 2008, and then in 2016. She said she had no idea. I think that kind of also speaks for the fact that she didn't really do enough media and she said she didn't think she did enough media in 2016.

This idea that our campaign wasn't necessarily revealing this very personal side that would have helped her. Because I think those years in the White House, especially what happened in the late '90s, not Monica Lewinsky, but then there was also Whitewater, a slew of scandals, they built up this kind of barrier around themselves and it made her very knowable.

She always said she is the most famous person you don't really know. I think we now got to see a little bit of who she really is and she is really likeable.

CABRERA: Let's talk about the current first lady, Melania Trump, who is also a woman of mystery in many ways. This week, she apparently took offense when a professor testifying

before the Judiciary Committee invoked her son's name. Let's listen to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAMELA KARLAN, LAW PROFESSOR, STANFORD UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL: I'll just give you one example that shows you the difference between him and a king, which is the Constitution says there can be no titles of nobility. So while the president can name his son Barron he can't make him a baron.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: This was the first lady's response in a tweet: "A minor child deserves privacy and should be kept out of politics. Pamela Karlan, you should be ashamed of your very angry and obviously biased public pandering and using a child to do it."

So that was the first lady's first public statement about anything related to the impeachment process.

What are your thoughts about that statement and, more broadly, how she has handled this ongoing impeachment inquiry against her husband?

ANDERSON BROWER: Well, I think she should have known better than to bring up Barron, right, the lawyer. It was a mistake because it gave Melania Trump and the Trump White House kind of the upper hand because they were able to use that against her. Because you really don't ever bring up the children.

And this is for Democrats and Republicans. I mean, you had Chelsea Clinton on social media constantly defending Barron Trump. So I thought it was a big tactical error and unforced error and mistake.

But I think Melania Trump's reaction to it, to me, it did make sense. This is her son. She's very protective of him. So it was a shame to see it kind of devolve in that way.

You just never mention the children because they didn't ask for this life. Most reporters really consider the White House kids kind of off limits.

CABRERA: Kate Anderson Brower, always good to have your voice on our show. Thank you.

ANDERSON BROWER: Thanks, Ana.

CABRERA: Still ahead, Mayor Pete Buttigieg visibly surprised by a message from protesters. See how he handled this moment just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:47:39]

CABRERA: We still don't know where U.S./China trade negotiations are heading. And over the last several days, it has been a rollercoaster ride for the markets.

But beyond what's happening on Wall Street or even Main Street, there's one sector that is being hit especially hard by the impasse. U.S. farmers are suffering. And one question is whether it might affect their vote.

CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich reports from Pennsylvania.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Bill Boyd has been farming all his life. He grew up on this dairy farm in Pennsylvania.

(on camera): Is the dairy business profitable?

BILL BOYD, PENNSYLVANIA FARMER: Just like everything else in agriculture right now, barely profitable.

YURKEVICH (voice over): Made more so, he says, by the trade war.

(on camera): What are your thoughts on the trade war? Good idea? Bad idea?

BOYD: Oh, no, it was a bad idea.

YURKEVICH (voice over): Boyd, a Republican, voted for President Trump but doesn't support the president's tactics with China.

(on camera): How big of a hit has that loss of the China market been to you?

BOYD: Cost the farmers here $2 a bushel.

YURKEVICH: Is that a lot?

BOYD: Yes, that's a -- that's the profit.

YURKEVICH (voice over): Pennsylvania will be a key state in the 2020 election. It helped elect President Trump in 2016, who campaigned here on promises made to farmers like Boyd.

BOYD: I think he's sort of backstabbing the main people who got him into office in the Midwest. All those Midwest states helped to vote him in and also Pennsylvania. And he just let us down.

YURKEVICH (on camera): Will you vote for him again in 2020?

BOYD: Unless they come up with a better alternative, I'm going to vote for him again.

YURKEVICH (voice over): The president still trying to close a phase one trade deal with China, which could restart big buying of U.S. ag products, lifting prices.

It's a lifeline for farmers like Jesse Poliskiewicz. JESSE POLISKIEWICZ, PENNSYLVANIA FARMER: There was talks about a month ago that they were -- they were supposed to be opening back up. And I have not seen -- I have seen prices go down. I have not seen prices go up.

YURKEVICH: Poliskiewicz, a Democrat, voted for Obama and then flipped to Trump, just like North Hampton County here in Pennsylvania.

POLISKIEWICZ: Right now, I would not vote for him. I don't know who I'm going to vote for. I don't -- I don't see a good candidate.

YURKEVICH (on camera): On either side?

POLISKIEWICZ: On either side, in my opinion.

YURKEVICH (voice over): In Breinigsville, Kyle Henninger's fields are harvested, but his soybeans sit unsold.

KYLE HENNINGER, PENNSYLVANIA FARMER: The first time I ever had beans in here in my life.

YURKEVICH (on camera): Oh.

YURKEVICH (voice over): Henninger voted for President Trump and supports the trade war.

[16:50:04]

HENNINGER: There's the corn. That's your paycheck right there.

YURKEVICH: Every morning, Henninger checks crop prices.

HENNINGER: Down here is soybeans.

YURKEVICH: Hoping to find a buyer for his beans.

(on camera): How long are you willing to be patient and wait out this trade war?

HENNINGER: Other than saying I'm not going to vote for Trump, you know, that would be one way to retaliate personally. But I don't see that happening at this point.

YURKEVICH (voice-over): Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN, Mount Bethel, Pennsylvania.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: Actor Ryan Reynolds enlists the actress from the now viral Peloton ad to help sell his gin. I'll explain.

Plus, join Anderson Cooper and Kelly Ripa live as they name the "CNN 2019 Hero of the year. "CNN HEROES, AN ALL-STAR TRIBUTE," tomorrow night at 8:00 on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) CABRERA: Doctors are calling her the miracle woman because what almost killed the British woman actually ended up being the reason she survived.

Listen to this. So 34-year-old Audrey Showman (ph) was hiking with her husband in Spain last month when they got caught in a snowstorm. She suffered a six-hour cardiac arrest caused by severe hypothermia.

After finally making it to a nearby hospital, doctors were able to resuscitate her. And the hypothermia, they say, protected her body and her brain from deteriorating while unconscious. She is now expected to make a full recovery.

Doctors say, under normal circumstances, the brain usually suffers irreparable damage if the heart stops for just five minutes.

[16:55:00]

The actress featured in a Peloton bike ad that took the Internet by storm is back but with a new spin.

In case you haven't seen the ad, here is a clip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MONICA RUIZ, ACTRESS: Boston, 55.

A year ago, I didn't realize how much this would change me. Thank you.

ANNOUNCER: This holiday, give the gift of Peloton.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: The holiday commercial shows that woman watching a compilation of her year-long experience riding the indoor exercise bike as she thanks her husband for gifting it to her. This ad has been getting roasted online as some call it sexist.

But now the actress, dubbed the Peloton woman or the Peloton wife, is trading in that bike for a cocktail.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: You're safe here.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: To new beginnings.

MULTIPLE ACTRESSES: To new beginnings.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: There we go.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: This is going to be a fun night.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: The new ad was posted by Actor Ryan Reynolds for his gin brand. The caption, "Exercise bike not included."

In fluffy socks, crackling fires and cold winter chill, if those don't put you in the Christmas spirit, how about the smokey scent of chicken? Kentucky Fried Chicken is teaming up with EnviroLog to bring back the 11 herbs and spices fire log this winter season, otherwise known as a hunk of flammable chicken-scented bliss.

The logs are proving to be just as popular this year. Get this. They are actually sold out on Walmart's Web site where they are exclusively sold. Last year, they sold out in just under three hours.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)