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Democrats Hold Mock Hearings Ahead Of Monday's Impeachment Hearing; FBI Investigating Pensacola Attack As An Act Of Terrorism; Inside Melania Trump And Ivanka Trump's Complicated Relationship; President Trump Is Tweeting North Korea's Kim Jong-un Doesn't Want To Interfere In Elections; Bloomberg Covering Bloomberg; The Legendary Puppeteer Behind Big Bird And Oscar The Grouch On Sesame Street Died Today At Age 85; Impeachment Hearing Will Get Under Way On Capitol Hill. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired December 08, 2019 - 19:00   ET

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

[19:00:00]

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

KATE MCKINNON, ACTRESS: And maybe one strudel. OK. Hello.

(LAUGHTER)

MCKINNON: What's up, my -- my dudes? Sorry, Donald, you snoozin', you losin'.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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

Tomorrow, President Donald J. Trump will be on trial. At least that's how Democrats are hoping it will appear. All weekend, Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee have huddled in the capitol, holding mock hearings to prepare for tomorrow's impeachment hearing. It will likely be one of the last before the Committee votes on articles of impeachment.

Here's how "The New York Times" describes this huddle.

History can get cluttered sometimes. The rooms are littered with empty soda cans, pie leftover from Thanksgiving, and boxes pulled from shelves containing files from past impeachments. There are recurrent calls for tech support, caffeine, and blankets because the rooms can get called, like the pizza. With so much grand talk about constitutional duties undermining the founders and honoring oaths, there is also the mundane and the workaday.

Not exactly glamorous, but here's what it's all leading to. Democrats say tomorrow's hearing will run exactly like a trial with opening statements and rounds of questioning. And they're confident that if Americans were the jury instead of Republicans, the President would be convicted.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JERRY NADLER (D-NY), CHAIRMAN, HOUSE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY: We have a very rock-solid case. I think the case we have, if presented to a jury, would be a guilty verdict in about three minutes flat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: In what appears to be an effort to avoid the appearance of a trial, the President's legal team won't be taking part. They say the entire process, which has pretty much gone by the book, is a sham.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond is live for us at the White House. Jeremy, the White House isn't taking part but will obviously be taking notice. So what are they doing?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, so far, what we're seeing from the President and from this White House is more of the same, and that is continuing to criticize this impeachment inquiry. The President, over the weekend, continuing to call this process a hoax and a sham and dismissing this impeachment inquiry altogether.

But, of course, it is getting very real this week as we could see the House Judiciary Committee formally introduce those articles of impeachment by the end of the week. As you said, though, the White House will not be participating in any of the House Judiciary Committee hearings to come, notably the one that is scheduled for tomorrow.

That is after that letter from the White House Counsel Pat Cipollone on Friday essentially dismissed this inquiry as completely baseless and said it would be a reckless abuse of power for Democrats to move forward with introducing those articles of impeachment.

The message, though, from the President that, I think, we'll continue to see this week is what he laid out in a tweet late last week, which was, if you're going to impeach me, do it fast.

The President and this White House really want to get past this process in the House of Representatives where there is a Democratic majority. Instead, they're shifting their gaze. They're moving on and looking towards the Senate where the President, of course, will face trial if indeed he is impeached as we now expect him to be.

The Senate, of course, controlled by Republicans, and the President and his White House are saying that they believe they can get a fair trial over there -- Ana.

CABRERA: Jeremy Diamond at the White House for us. Thank you.

I want to bring in White House correspondent and associate editor for POLITICO, Anita Kumar; and White House correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks, April Ryan.

Anita, what are the benefits and risks of the President's legal team not appearing at tomorrow's hearing?

ANITA KUMAR, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT AND ASSOCIATE EDITOR, POLITICO: Well, Jeremy is right. I mean, the White House feels that if they appear, it legitimizes what they have been saying is an illegitimate process, right? It makes them part of that, and they just don't want to be there for that.

But, you know, a few weeks ago, the President was very upset. He was very frustrated that Republicans around the country weren't supporting him more, defending him more.

And one of the reasons that they've decided to sit it out is that they do feel that House Republicans -- he's more satisfied that House Republicans are defending him, that they have been aggressive.

He saw them in the House Intelligence Committee hearings, and he saw them last week in the House Judiciary Committee. So he feels that they are doing an adequate job, and he's feeling more satisfied with that.

So that's another big reason that they have decided to sit that out, but, remember, the bottom line here is they don't think they're going to change any votes. Whether he participates or not, it's probably going to be on large -- largely on party lines.

CABRERA: April, the President has weathered crisis after crisis with the same playbook, which is, deny he did anything wrong, declare what he did was OK, and then kind of do it out in the open. I mean, we saw that with Russia, if you're listening. We're now seeing it with Giuliani.

APRIL RYAN, WASHINGTON D.C. BUREAU CHIEF, AMERICAN URBAN RADIO NETWORKS: Yes, and then there's Ukraine. And then there's China, you know, with the President making it public.

And not only that, Ana, you know, the President would say one thing, and then there would be videotapes showing that he said something else or something else has come up to show directly what the President says is not true.

[19:04:59]

So the bottom line is this president has to have a public appearance of a win. Going into this impeachment hearing, there's great consternation as it relates to this whole impeachment process. But at the end of the day, the public face is, we're OK, we're fine, Rudy Giuliani's still my guy.

The Senate will not acquit me, but at the same time -- well, the Senate will acquit me. He will not be removed, but at the end of the day, he will be impeached. But at the end of the day, in the Senate, he will not be removed, so this president has a win.

But at the end of the day, it goes down to the American public and the voters --

KUMAR: Right.

RYAN: -- what they hear, what they feel, and what they can understand because this is a very cerebral process. And the Democrats have to get it right because Election Day is just months away in the caucuses and in some other states. So this could bode well for the President if the Democrats don't play this right.

CABRERA: I want to talk more about Giuliani's trip to Ukraine last week. He went specifically to dig up dirt on the President's political rivals. He's been very clear about this.

Yesterday, we saw the President embrace his trip. He said Giuliani wanted to turn his findings over to Congress and the Attorney General. But today, on the morning shows, Republicans tried to distance the President from Giuliani. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MARK MEADOWS (R-NC), MINORITY MEMBER, HOUSE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND REFORM: I don't know that any role -- I don't know of any role that Rudy Giuliani is playing on behalf of the President of the United States. I think he is over there as a citizen. I think part of that is probably trying to clear his name. I mean -- but --

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: But he is the President's personal attorney.

MEADOWS: He is the President's personal attorney, but I don't know that he's over there at the President's direction. In fact, I would suggest that he's not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Anita, is the White House worried about the President's relationship with Giuliani?

KUMAR: You have seen -- just as we just saw Congress Meadows, you've seen Republicans, for months, tell the President personally that he needs to cut his ties with Rudy Giuliani. I think last week's trip has only solidified that, but the President really has resisted.

He -- there is some tie between the two of them. He is reluctant to get rid of him. He wants him there. He thinks he's a fighter and that he is standing up for him.

And so, there are a lot of people that are worried about Rudy Giuliani's role. But the President, so far, has really been reluctant to change anything there.

It was really startling to hear the President say he wanted him to testify -- rather that Rudy Giuliani wanted him to testify because, in the next breath, the President said he didn't know what Rudy Giuliani was -- would say.

So I think that the Senate -- Senate Republicans are going to come up with a witness list for this trial and really figure out if, in fact, that should be -- you know, if he should -- he should testify.

CABRERA: Let's talk more about that witness list. I want to play something from another staunch Trump defender, Congressman Matt Gaetz, because he is now saying that having Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney or Secretary of State Mike Pompeo testify could help President Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC NEWS ANCHOR: Rudy Giuliani has said he's actually representing the President while he's over there. And of course, it's the President who's blocked his top witnesses with direct evidence from coming to the Congress. You believe that Rudy Giuliani, Mick Mulvaney, Mike Pompeo should all come testify now?

REP. MATT GAETZ (R), FLORIDA: Well, I believe that Rudy Giuliani has indicated that he wants to, so I think that's a moot point as it relates to the other members of the executive branch. The President has to make decisions not only for him but for the presidency. I think it would inure to the President's advantage to have people testify who could exculpate him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: OK. April, Republicans have the right to call their own witnesses. Why aren't they calling for these officials to testify then?

RYAN: Oh, well, let's look at this in a broader scope. If this was in the 1990s when Bill Clinton was going through his impeachment hearing, this -- this relationship between a president and a personal attorney slash friend, that's political suicide.

But today, in 2019, you know, Rudy Giuliani -- the finger has been pointed at Rudy Giuliani and has been pointed at Mick Mulvaney. It's been pointed at Pompeo. And yet, people understand that they have been doing the President's bidding according to the witnesses and the transcripts that we've heard from these hearings, in the public hearings.

So the bottom line is they are all walking in lockstep with the President, and that's why they feel that it would be great for them to speak. But you also hear from those witnesses who testified to the contrary that these people were part of the problem when it came to the issue of Ukraine, obstruction of justice, bribery, obstruction of Congress, you know, extortion, all of that.

So it depends upon how much they have, what leverage they have over these people. It could go in the President's favor or it could go against the President.

CABRERA: Anita, sources tell us the Judiciary Committee could vote on articles of impeachment as soon as this week. What does the White House think impeachment will mean for Trump's re-election chances?

KUMAR: Well, they are hopeful that if we're going down this road and he does get impeached, that there will be a quick Senate trial in January, at the beginning of the year. And they feel confident that he will not be removed from office, so they -- you know, you can imagine the President going around the country next year at his rallies saying that he was vindicated.

[19:10:10]

And they actually feel -- you know, the President has talked how this impeach is not a good thing. It's a stain -- it's going to be a stain on his legacy. But they are actually feeling is -- if they're going down this road and he's -- he can say he's vindicated. Look, they tried to get me, they've been trying to get me since day one and I was victorious.

And that's the message you're going to see from the President. And there are some people that feel that it could very much help him in his re-election campaign.

CABRERA: It does seem like Democrats would have the talking point that they -- if they impeach, that they impeached, they held this president accountable. And then, President Trump would have the "I'm exonerated" talking point, so perhaps it's an -- it's a break-even. I don't know.

RYAN: Yes.

CABRERA: Anita Kumar, April Ryan, thank you, ladies, for that great analysis.

RYAN: Thanks, Ana.

CABRERA: I appreciate your insights.

KUMAR: Thanks.

CABRERA: A search for a motive. Tonight, we are learning more about the Saudi military officer who opened fire on a U.S. Navy base. New details about the weapon, new details about who is being questioned, and new details about the victims next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CABRERA: The FBI is still not 100 percent sure what drove a Saudi military officer to open fire on a U.S. Navy base on Friday, killing three American servicemen and wounding several others.

These are the three men who died. The oldest, just 23 years old. Their killer, a lieutenant in the Saudi Air Force, was shot dead by police officers.

[19:15:02]

Today, in Pensacola, a somber moment when police escorted the bodies of those three sailors to a waiting plane. They were transferred to the military's mortuary at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware this evening. The major question still unanswered tonight is, why did this happen?

The FBI has no concrete answers yet but says they are treating the incident as an act of terrorism.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RACHEL ROJAS, SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE - JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA FIELD OFFICE, FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: I can tell you that we are looking very hard at uncovering his motive, and I would ask for patience, so we can get this right.

The Saudi government has pledged to fully cooperate with our investigation. I thank the Kingdom for their pledge. Work with the presumption that this was an act of terrorism. This allows us to take advantage of investigative techniques.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: CNN's Brynn Gingras is just outside the Naval Air Station Pensacola.

Brynn, so what does the FBI know at this point if they're not clear on the killer's motive? They have the weapon he used. They have some videos taken of the aftermath. What else?

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Ana. I can tell you they know more a lot more than they're actually telling us. That's for sure. They're being pretty tight-lipped.

We know that they know that this gunman acted alone on Friday morning. But they said the big question that they are working to answer right now was, did he act as somewhat of a lone wolf, or was he part of some bigger network, some bigger organization? They said that's the real objective at this point.

Of course, that's going to obviously lead them to motive, right? So they want to know, was he tied to any certain ideology that would actually be able to make the declaration that this was a terrorist act?

And how they're doing that, they say, is conducting interviews. That was the big objective of what they said in this -- this morning's news conference, was still conducting all these interviews, not just with the Saudi nationals that we've been talking about, people who knew him very closely, friends of his, but also classmates, people who were in that room at it time, some of his superiors.

But as far as those Saudi nationals, we got a little bit more clarification about them. You know, we've been saying that they were detained, and they did help investigators talking to them.

We are told that they are restricted to only stay on that base. They're not allowed to leave. And they are continuing to work with investigators trying to get some of these answers.

We've learned from a source that they have talked to investigators, basically saying that there was a time when this gunman returned from his home in Saudi Arabia and he just seemed different. He was becoming more observant, more religious. He wasn't drinking. He wasn't the same person.

So investigators are really trying to answer what triggered that change and really create a timeline of the last few weeks, the last few months, to get some answers, again, as to that motive, Ana.

CABRERA: And, Brynn, what are we learning about the victims?

GINGRAS: Yes. I mean, you -- you know, every time you have said that there wasn't one that was older than 23, I mean, that just always hits me because they were so young.

And I think that's really impacted this community. Three men who -- emotional video that we have of seeing the procession of the three hearses come by us, being brought back to the naval base and then going, of course, up to Dover as you mentioned.

But their names, of course, so important -- Joshua Watson, just 23 years old; Mohammed Haitham, 19; and Cameron Walters, 21. They were known as heroes. Family members, principals, they have all said that they ran toward the gunman, trying to save others and lost their lives for that courageous last act.

But it is so touching -- heart-breaking, rather, to, you know, think about these kids. I mean, they were kids. And that's what people here in the community have been saying to us, is they were so young.

CABRERA: We honor their memories tonight and salute all those in the Armed Forces serving. Thank you, Brynn Gingras, for your great reporting there in Pensacola, Florida.

Republicans are still pushing a debunked conspiracy theory, the Kremlin talking point that Ukraine, not Russia, meddled in the 2016 election. So what are the implications of this? The weekend presidential brief with Sam Vinograd is next.

[19:19:18]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CABRERA: They are the two women who have the President's ear, but what is the relationship actually like between first lady Melania Trump and first daughter Ivanka? The new book, "Free Melania," is pulling the curtain back. And as Kate Bennett reports, it's complicated.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATE BENNETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER (voice-over): Unprecedented describes most things about the Donald Trump administration. One unique element? The presence of the President's daughter, Ivanka Trump, and her relationship to first lady Melania Trump.

Glamorous stepmother and stepdaughter since 2005. But it was 2016 during the Presidential campaign --

IVANKA TRUMP, DAUGHTER OF PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: My father, Donald J. Trump.

(APPLAUSE)

BENNETT (voice-over): -- when the dynamic between the two women shifted to politics. Most times on the campaign trail --

MELANIA TRUMP, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: Hello, Iowa.

BENNETT (voice-over): -- Melania Trump not interested in doing traditional spousal appearances, so it was Ivanka Trump, as surrogate, who stepped into the role.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I just want to thank you, honey, because, great job.

BENNETT (voice-over): Staying on as the female face of the administration and the family after Trump became president.

I. TRUMP: This is the first U.S. government, all of government, approach to empowering women in the developing world.

BENNETT (voice-over): Taking on, as senior advisor, some of the more traditional first lady issues involving women, child care credit, and female entrepreneurship.

TRUMP: A real power named Ivanka.

(LAUGHTER)

TRUMP: And she would call me and she would say, Daddy, you don't understand, you must do this, you must -- and I said, OK.

(LAUGHTER)

BENNETT (voice-over): Creating an odd dynamic, switching off front seat/back seat as the two women in Trump's orbit. A relationship that one source with knowledge of the relationship says has created a, quote, cordial but not close dynamic and, at times, friction. There are similarities that have reportedly caused static.

[19:25:03]

M. TRUMP: This is a very special place. I will never forget.

BENNETT (voice-over): Melania Trump's first big solo trip was to Africa, and Ivanka's first big solo trip was also to Africa.

Melania Trump was the first to introduce highly produced mini videos of her events for public consumption. Ivanka now makes her own short films with voice-overs and music.

On trips with Trump when Melania goes, Ivanka's profile diminishes. When she doesn't -- TRUMP: Mike, "Beauty and the Beast."

BENNETT (voice-over): -- Ivanka often steps forward.

(APPLAUSE)

BENNETT (voice-over): In a way, splitting the traditional norms but sharing one key component.

M. TRUMP: I give him many advices. But, you know, sometimes, he listens; sometimes, he doesn't.

BENNETT (voice-over): They both have the ear of the President.

I. TRUMP: I'm candid in my opinions and I share them, solicited or otherwise.

(LAUGHTER)

BENNETT (voice-over): Kate Bennett, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: As Democrats are huddling this hour on the Hill, mapping out the next stages of the impeachment inquiry, Republicans are continuing to push a Kremlin-created conspiracy theory. So what does that mean for our security? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:30:15]

CABRERA: In less than 24 hours another critical impeachment hearing will get under way on Capitol Hill. Democrats are prepping to lay out their case against the President, and sources say they plan to treat this like a trial with a possible House Judiciary Committee vote on articles of impeachment coming as soon as this week.

But in an effort to shift the focus, some key Republicans are trying to push that debunked Russian talking point that Ukraine meddled in the 2016 election including Senator Ted Cruz.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): Russia clearly interfered in our election, but here's the game the media is playing. Because Russia interfered, the media pretends nobody else did. Ukraine blatantly interfered in our election.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: That brings us to your weekend presidential brief with CNN national security analyst Samantha Vinograd. This is a segment we bring you every weekend the most pressing issues President Trump will face tomorrow. So, Sam, Trump's former top Russia advisor Fiona Hill, testified that

the idea Ukraine not Russia interfered in our election is a quote "fictional narrative perpetrated and propagated by Russia." Can you break down the security implications of people like Cruz continuing to push out this debunked message?

SAMANTHA VINOGRAD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Ana, Putin hits a home run every time Republicans further this fictional narrative. We have an intelligence community and guess what? It's not based in Moscow. Our own intel officials have warned lawmakers that Russia is engage in a campaign to frame Ukraine for 2016 election interference. But Ted Cruz and others are relying on Russia's assessment rather than out own intelligence community. That undercuts our own experts.

At the same time propagandizing for Putin really detracts him our ability to counter Russia's information work there. Putin used to have to pay (INAUDIBLE) to spread Russian lies. Now, he can just count on Cruz.

And finally, Ana, when Cruz and others further this Russian talking point it detracts from other vital interests which is supporting Ukraine. And this couldn't be happening at a wort time.

Tomorrow Ukrainian President Zelensky is meeting with Putin for the first time to engage in peace negotiations related to the conflict in eastern Ukraine. But he is entering those negotiations at such an advantage. Putin knows that Trump was willing to put security assistance which by the way is used to deter and defend against Russian. Trump was willing to put that on hold. And now we have American lawmakers, Republicans indicating that Ukraine interfered in our elections, another lie. So Zelensky is entering these negotiations from a position of weakness vis-a-vis Vladimir Putin.

CABRERA: Meantime President Trump is tweeting today about another country's leader, North Korea's Kim Jong-un. And he said Kim doesn't want to interfere in our elections. What is he talking about?

VINOGRAD: Well, it is very unusual to hear President Trump say that he doesn't want a country to interfere in our elections. But we do know that Trump and his campaign and administration have used this fantasy of denuclearization as a success story both on the campaign trail and for the administration more generally.

But, Ana, denuclearization isn't a reality. It isn't even a pipe dream. We had the North Korean representative to the U.N. say that denuclearization is no longer on the table. And our own intelligence community said that denuclearization would happen several months ago. Trump was outraged when they say that.

Kim has given us an ultimatum. He has said that either United States hat to lift sanctions or really all bets are off. He has held off on long-range missile tests and nuclear tests as part of his ongoing supposed talks with President Trump. Instead he has popped off other kinds of missiles. And this weekend he claims to have initiated a test from a satellite site that could lead to an actual launch in the coming days. So what we maybe seeing is Kim preparing to resume these tests, long-

range tests and nuclear tests as he is upset Trump is not giving him what he wants. His new year's resolution is wreak havoc if sanctions aren't lifted.

Now the question is what are we doing about it? Trump and team should be talking about resuming things like offensive cyber ops, joint military exercises with South Korea and really engaging people like the Chinese to close sanction loopholes because Kim's new year's resolution is pretty clear and it's pretty frightening.

CABRERA: And while Kim does more tests, Iran has restarted activities that were banned under the 2015 nuclear deal. Could the prisoner swap this weekend indicate an opening perhaps for nuclear negotiations with Iran?

VINOGRAD: Wayne has released this weekend's major accomplishments. And built on Trump's track record of bringing Americans home from North Korea, from Afghanistan and now from Iran. It is clear that the United States and Iran are capable of engaging in secret negotiations. Those secret negotiations facilitated through this led to his release this weekend. And that's important because there are also other Americans still detained in Iran, Ana.

So the U.S. and Iran could negotiate for further prisoner swaps for Americans in Iran. The larger question of course is whether this is confidence building measure that could open the door for nuclear negotiations.

We do have a few factors in our favor. The Iranian economy is under pressure because of sanctions and economic mismanagement. And they are due to see even more sanctions imposed early next year if they continue with their nuclear activities. The Europeans have said they may put on more sanctions if Iran resumes this activity. So a prisoner swap is far cry from negotiations but it's a great place to start.

[19:35:58]

CABRERA: Sam Vinograd, I'm always grateful. You can join us. I miss here in the studio with me this weekend. But I appreciate your dedication even doing it from afar.

VINOGRAD: Always. Thanks.

CABRERA: Bloomberg covering Bloomberg. Hear what 2020 presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg is telling staffers upset that they won't be able to investigate him or any other Democratic candidate.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:40:14]

CABRERA: Politicians and the press, it's rarely a cozy arrangement especially with countless media outlets and fierce competition for scoops or so-called gotcha moments. Well, this week two examples where the questions provoked some temper. First Joe Biden getting irked at a reporter who pushed him about calling a heckler a damn liar.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Which is what Donald Trump says a lot. You cant take a joke. I was joking.

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No, no, no, no.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But the point --.

BIDEN: Don't compare me to Donald Trump. What Donald Trump says he makes fun of people, he lies. I don't do any of those things, period. The fact of the matter is this guy stood up and he was in fact lying and I just pointed out here a liar.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: And don't forget Nancy Pelosi is clapping back on a reporter who asked her if she hates the President.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), MINORITY LEADER: And as a catholic I resent your using the word hate in a sentence that addresses me. I don't hate anyone. I was raised in a way that is heart full of love and always prayed for the President. And I still pray for the President. I pray for the President all the time. So don't mess with me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Let's bring in CNN's Senior Media Reporter, Oliver Darcy.

Oliver, reporters ruffling some feathers, that's nothing new. But what do you make of the reaction? Is there such a thing as an unfair question?

OLIVER DARCY, CNN SENIOR MEDIA REPORTER: I think obviously they both took issue with those questions. And you can obviously see why they would take issue. But at the end of the day I think their answers might have been more powerful had they addressed the question and not lashed out at the reporter. I don't think it's a good look to go after the reporter for asking the question.

And particularly Nancy Pelosi, that wasn't the only time she went out of that reporter. She has gone after that reporter in the past, calling him the Mr. Republican talking points. And then later that night when she was doing the CNN town hall with Jake Tapper she kind of mocked him and mocked the network.

He does report for a conservative leaning news network across the country, Sinclair, they operate local stations and they do lean conservative. That said, she could have addressed the question and moved on. Instead she lashed out at the reporter. I'm not sure that's ever the best look. CABRERA: Let's take a look at another politician trying to control

the way the media covers him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GAYLE KING, CBS ANCHOR: But even your own news reporters have complained they think it's unfair that they are not allowed to investigate other Democratic candidates because their boss is in the race.

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: OK. You just have to learn to live with some things. They get a paycheck, but with your paycheck comes some restrictions and responsibilities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Oliver, with your paycheck comes some restrictions?

DARCY: That is such a stunning moment to me. And I think what's almost remarkable about it is that Bloomberg should have had plenty of time to figure out what his answer was going to be to this question. And apparently that was the best thing he could come up with.

It's been, you know, generating controversy since Bloomberg news announced their policy that they are not going to be investigating Michael Bloomberg or any of the democratic presidential candidates. He is doing an interview at CBS News. And this should be at the forefront he should be prepared for. And you know, I guess, either that was the best answer his advisor could come up or he wasn't prepared for it which is, you know, stunning as well.

So I was surprised as well. If there's any way, you know, to generate controversy and really irk internally his role as a reporter is by saying basically, you know, you have a paycheck, be happy about it and don't ask questions, just completely --

CABRERA: Fill our viewers in, though, on what those restrictions are?

DARCY: Yes. So Michael Bloomberg, he has put, you know, in place for a long time that Bloomberg news is not going to investigate his personal life. They are not going to probe his organizations. And that's been there for a while.

But now that he's a presidential candidate he's -- the news organization is not going to investigate him. They are going to continue this tradition of not doing investigative journalism about Michael Bloomberg. And to level the playing field because other Democrats would say obviously this is unfair, they are saying we are not going to investigate any Democratic presidential candidates.

However, they are still going to investigate the Trump administration because the Trump administration's running the government. And that's of course prompted some protests from the Trump administration and the Trump campaign.

The Trump campaign came out this week and they said, you know, this is not fair. And because you guys are not going to be investigating us or because you are going to investigating -- you are gong to continue us, we are not going to credential you for campaign events until you rescind this policy.

CABRERA: So that just shows some of the fall out. We will see where this all ends up. One of the most talked about moments of the week was something we were never supposed to see or hear. World leaders gossiping about the President of the United States behind the scenes at NATO.

[19:45:14]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUSTIN TRUDEAU, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: He was late because he takes a four-forty minutes press conference off the top every time.

Yes. Forty minutes. He announced --.

I just watched. I watched his team's jaws just drop to the floor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: I mean, this exchange was mocked on "SNL." It went crazy on the internet. It really overshadowed the business of the NATO summit. What is it, Oliver, about these secret videos that are just so intriguing?

DARCY: I think people like to be taken behind the scenes, right? They want to go behind the curtain, see how world leaders are candidly talking about our president. And in this case that's what you saw. These world leaders clearly didn't know they were being filmed or recorded and they are talking very clearly about the United States. And you don't see that every day.

CABRERA: Talk about that fly on the wall when you think if only I were that fly on the wall.

DARCY: Right. I was stunned. I mean, I was watching this and I was think, wait, is this real? It was a stunning moment. And it did have affects to outside of that being, you know, remarkable to see the President the next day, you know, cancel this press conference he was supposed to have. He said, you know, he hadn't done a few. But that was an anticipated events. People were drawing the connection between this and the cancellation of that press conference.

CABRERA: Oliver Darcy, always good to have you here. Thank you.

DARCY: Thank you.

CABRERA: Sad day for sesame street fans. A tribute to the man who brought big bird and Oscar the grouch to life next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:50:15] CABRERA: He once described himself as the most unknown famous person

in the America. Carol Spinney, the legendary puppeteer behind big bird and Oscar the grouch on Sesame Street died today at age 85.

CNN's Richard Roth takes a look back at his extraordinary life.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): People never recognize Carol Spinney.

CAROL SPINNEY, PUPPETEER: Nobody knows me.

ROTH: What they will never forget his legendary TV characters seen around the world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: CAROL Spinney is Big bird on the educational and entertaining children's television show, Sesame Street.

ROTH: He was Oscar the grouch.

SPINNEY: I love playing Oscar. He has power I never had.

I love trash.

He's totally different than big bird.

What makes you so grouchy?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What is it that make (INAUDIBLE)\

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People. Sunny days.

ROTH: Spinney says he grew up with an abusive father but a mother who encouraged his puppeteering.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How did you get that job.

SPINNEY: Jim Henson saw me performing at a puppet festival.

ROTH: In a retirement video produced by the Sesame workshop, he told us how he got to Sesame street.

SPINNEY: He said I'm going to build a large bird. I'm Wondering (ph) is you might be interested in playing it? To me it is very much like some fellow came up to me and I was a drummer and said I was a band from Liverpool. Would you like to be the drummer then?

He was a bit of a country bump kin to begin with. But then a few shows on I said, you know, I think it there should be a child learning along with it. The children of producers were all with me.

ROTH: Spinney appeared in thousands of Sesame Street episodes across nearly 50 years. Hanging up his feathers in 2018.

SPINNEY: I started with puppets when I was eight. And I kind of for years felt I should be hidden.

ROTH: He needed to stay hidden to make big bird eight feet tall.

SPINNEY: I held my arm over my head for quite a while. I could pay ceilings four hour and not dead.

ROTH: First ladies of the United States love the big bird. But one presidential candidate was less enthused.

MITT ROMNEY (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm stop the subsidy to PBS. I'm going to stop other things I like PBS. I lobe big bird.

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Somebody is finally cracking down on big bird.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How did you find out you were in the debate?

SPINNEY: I got a million tweets.

ROTH: It wasn't all song and games. Sesame Street confronted troubling social issues. Such as bullying.

SPINNEY: That's too bad.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. So long big foot.

SPINNEY: That's big bird, It wasn't very nice. It made me feel bad. I just want to be part of the club.

ROTH: Spinney could be lonely inside big bird. But he guided millions of youngsters through childhood.

SPINNEY: It probably a little bit better a place than if big bird hasn't been there and had his suffering and his joy. And I think that's what I like to recall my legacy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:57:04]

CABRERA: When you think of a hero what comes to mind? Courage, strength, leadership.

We are just minutes away from the start of the annual "CNN heroes: an all-star tribute." recognizing every day people who really do extraordinary things.

And CNN's Miguel Marquez has been working that red carpet for us tonight. Here in New York.

Miguel, the ceremony is about to get under way. Give us the preview.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I'm not doing very extraordinary things here, just working at the red carpet. But it was wonderful to speak to so many of these heroes who don't, by the way, consider themselves heroes.

I was also able to speak to the great actress about the hero she will be presenting to the world tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATHY BATES, ACTRESS: When I was reading the list of people who are being honored tonight I just -- I couldn't stop crying. Somebody who is well known like myself, it's great that we can use our celebrity for a platform. Somebody who has, I mean, like our particular guy that we are honoring tonight, Woody Faircloth. I read all about him and I just still get chills.

That he is sitting on his sofa in Denver, Colorado. And he was watching the fires in paradise. And he hears this voice that says you have to do something. And we all feel that way sometimes when we are on the sofa and we get so upset. And we think I have to do something.

And we don't do anything. And here he is, he does a go fund me. He does it all on his own. And gets in this RV with his daughter, his 6 year-old. Drives 1,200 miles on his own. And then he does more. And he starts a foundation. It mean, i's just -- it gives me chills that this man has worked wonders for people. Look. Here I am just saying thank you to this one man. And already I'm in chills and thrilled. It's uplifted my spirit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUEZ: I mean, too cool to be able to chat with Kathy Bates about this.

Important for her she says to come to things like this and do stuff like this. Because while she can bring great attention to causes that she favors. It's people like Mr. Faircloth that she is presenting tonight that don't have that opportunity and so that they can be seen by the world and change things on a small level in their community. And have this massive impact across their own community and now around the world. It's huge. Hundreds of thousands of submissions. Ten have been selected as heroes. One will be hero of the year -- Ana.

CABRERA: And I wish they could each be our hero of the year because they are s deserving. Just incredible people doing really amazing things making a difference in so many lives.

Miguel Marquez, thank you for that reporting. We will let you get our of the way and get inside.

Join Anderson Cooper and Kelly Ripa live as they name the CNN Hero of the Year.

"CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute" is next.