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The Impeachment Hearing; President At Army-Navy Game; Fatal Stabbing At NYC College; Bevin Pardons Criminals On Way Out; Volcano Erupts In New Zealand; Trump After Vote: Democrats Trivializing Impeachment; "Richard Jewell" Sparks Controversy For Portrayal Of Late Journalist; Thunberg Trolls Trump After He Mocks Her In Tweet; ALS Advocate And Ice Bucket Challenge Inspiration Dies At 34. Aired 8-9p ET

Aired December 14, 2019 - 20:00   ET

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

ANA CABRERA, CNN HOST: Look at this rockstar reception, when the president took the field at the annual Army-Navy game. The president holding his red keep America great hat, and, along with the secretary of defense, lining up for the playing of "The National Anthem." He also flipped the coin at midfield before the official kickoff.

Then, the president mixed it up with cadets and midshipmen in the stands during the game and in the players' locker room. Here he is being presented with the number 45 jersey by the Army football team.

Let's go live to the White House now and CNN's Jeremy Diamond. Jeremy, the president has returned to the White House this evening, presumably back to focusing on the weighty issue of his likely impeachment next week in the House.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He certainly is. And the president, we're told behind the scenes, has, really, been trying to direct a lot of the messaging effort surrounding impeachment and the White House's efforts to push back, at times growing frustrated when he felt like the White House messaging wasn't quite hitting the mark that he hoped that it would on T.V. or in the front-page headlines.

But the president, for now at least, perhaps focusing on the silver lining of impeachment. And that is the fund-raising boon that this impeachment process has been for the president's re-election campaign.

The president, in fact, tonight, he just left the White House and is on his way to a fund-raising reception at his own hotel here in Washington.

CABRERA: And, Jeremy, according to "The New York Times," a Democratic Congressman from New Jersey, Jeff Van Drew, is planning an event at the White House, possibly in a couple of days. What do you know about this?

DIAMOND: That's right. Well, sources are now telling us that Congressman Van Drew, a Democrat from New Jersey, is expected to switch parties and become a Republican, at some point soon, over this impeachment inquiry. Now, Van Drew had actually voted against opening the impeachment inquiry. And he signaled, recently, that he would vote against impeaching President Trump, unless some new, shocking revelation were to come about.

And now, Van Drew actually met with President Trump yesterday at the White House. And the president, himself, urged Van Drew to switch parties and become a Republican. But that isn't the end of it. We're told now, our Congressional Correspondent Manu Raju is hearing that House Democrats, or several Democrats, have been urging Van Drew not to switch parties and, in fact, urging him to stay a Democrat, remain in the party.

But the Congressman is, nonetheless, already taking flack, including from New Jersey's Democratic Governor Phil Murphy, who writes in a tweet tonight, Congressman Van Drew has long voted against core Democratic values. Betraying our party by siding with Donald Trump is the final straw, as grassroots activists, local party leaders in his district and I have made clear in recent weeks.

A lot of this, of course, is, indeed, about the politics of Van Drew's own district. He has been feeling, we're told, that he's losing support among the Democrats in his district over his position on impeachment. And that is part of the reason why he's considering now, we're told expected to, switch and become a Republican.

CABRERA: And, Jeremy, we have this just in to CNN. New information about when the Trump administration is preparing to announce a long- anticipated drawdown of troops from Afghanistan. What can you tell us?

DIAMOND: That's right. Well, I'm told by a senior administration official that the administration is preparing to announce the withdrawal of about 4,000 troops from Afghanistan. This official told me that that decision could come as early as next week but that the timing is still very much in flux.

This is something that's been long anticipated from this administration. In fact, the president, himself, floated this possibility back in August, when he said on a radio program that he expected to reduce the number of troops in Afghanistan to about 8,600 total. That would, indeed, be that 4,000-troop drawdown that we're now being told is in the works. So, again, something that's been long anticipated but we're told is now, finally, coming down the pipeline -- Ana.

CABRERA: OK. Jeremy Diamond at the White House. Lots there. Thank you.

Again, the full House vote is expected to take place on Wednesday. And if the president is formally impeached, he'll face a trial in the Senate. Senators are supposed to serve as impartial jurors in the case. And, because of that, many Republicans have refused to weigh in on the Ukraine scandal. But not Senator Lindsey Graham. Listen to what he told CNN's Becky Anderson today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA, CHAIRMAN, JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: I want this to end as quick as possible for the good of the Senate, for the good of the country. And I think the best thing for America to do is get this behind us. We know how it's going to end. I am trying to give a pretty clear signal, I have made up my mind.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN MANAGING EDITOR: I wasn't in any doubt.

GRAHAM: I'm not trying to pretend to be a fair juror here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: This along the same lines of what we heard from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell this week as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: Everything I do during this, I am coordinating with the White House counsel. We'll be working through this process, hopefully in a fairly short period of time, in total coordination with the White House counsel's office and the people who are representing the president.

[20:05:08]

And I'm going to coordinate with the president's lawyers. So, there won't be any difference between us on how to do this. I'm going to take my tips from the -- from the president's lawyers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: I'm going to bring in former federal prosecutor, turned defense attorney, Shan Wu, and former federal prosecutor, Gene Rossi. Gene, do these comments concern you at all?

GENE ROSSI, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Absolutely. And Shan and I were both prosecutors in the District of Columbia. And this is as if you have a voir dire or jury pool. And before you pick a jury, the jurors say they're going to vote guilty or not guilty. If this were a court of law, they would be struck for cause or peremptory strike.

And what really disappoints me, Ana, is they have to take an oath before they become jurors. And they have to take an oath that they will be fair and impartial, because we are interpreting the Constitution of the United States.

And I have to do a shoutout to Tom Daschle of South Dakota and Trent Lott of Mississippi. They were the two senators, Democrat and Republican, who worked together like statesmen. And they worked out the impeachment process for President Clinton. And they added integrity. They added class. And they made us all proud, regardless of whether you thought Bill Clinton should have been impeached or found not guilty, those two senators did it the right way. And I'm, frankly, embarrassed and ashamed by Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham.

CABRERA: And let me ask you, real fast, Gene, before I turn to you, Shan. You know, you talk about Tom Daschle. And he, actually, told our Dana Bash that he, too, was in touch with White House officials during that process, involving Clinton's and the Senate trial there. So, do you see, you know, his connection and coordination with the White House differently than the coordination that's happening between McConnell and the White House?

ROSSI: Totally different. Here's why. Tom Daschle was not a lapdog for the president. Tom Daschle consulted with the - with the administration and President Bill Clinton's team to work out who was going to give the argument. I think Dale Bumpers gave the argument for President Clinton and one of the White House counsel folks. So, there has to be some communication. No doubt about that.

But Mitch McConnell is taking it up 15 notches, and he's, basically, doing the bidding of the White House. And that, frankly, is wrong.

CABRERA: Shan, what's your take on this?

SHAN WU, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, I agree with Gene. If this was in a courtroom prosecution, it's a nonstarter. It's outrageous, their comments. And I guess the critical distinction here is that it's not in the courtroom. It's in Congress.

I take issue with people who say it's a purely political proceeding. It's not. It's a very basic legal proceeding, enshrined, right, in our most basic legal document, the Constitution. But it's not in the courtroom. It's not subject to the courtroom rules. And I think that the senators, like McConnell and Graham, are quite aware of that.

So, no question that they are not impartial jurists. And I think, to me, that shows that the Democrats' strategy may be a little bit off. I think they should have gone broader to bring out the misconduct. Because the real jury here, practically not the Senate, because their outcome is quite obvious, at this point.

The real jury is going to be the American people at the election polls, and they need to get a different message out to them.

CABRERA: Senator Graham also says he wants this trial to go quickly. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRAHAM: This thing will come to the Senate and it will die quickly. And I will do everything I can to make it die quickly. I don't want to call anybody. I don't need to hear from Hunter Biden. I don't need to hear from Joe Biden. We can deal with that outside of impeachment. I don't want to talk to Pompeo. I don't want to talk to Pence. I want to hear the House make their case, based on the record they established in the House. And I want to vote.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Gene, is that likely how it will go?

ROSSI: I think that's how it will go. I don't think Giuliani's going to testify. And this may shock you, Ana, I agree with Lindsey Graham. We do have a record. And Shan is right, this is not a criminal trial. It's a political trial.

But there are some limits to how outrageous this process can be. But they have a great fulsome record. Put it forward. Maybe have people argue on both sides of the aisle for and against impeachment. But I think they have enough record. And if he gets acquitted, so be it. If he gets removed, that's the Constitution.

CABRERA: Shan, what's smarter, a quick trial like senators want, maybe no witnesses, or a long, drawn-out trial like the president is inclined to have?

[20:10:05]

WU: Here, for the Republicans, they definitely want a quick trial. I think that it was very telling, the senator's remarks, that he doesn't want to hear from Pompeo. You're darn straight he doesn't want to hear from Pompeo or any of those folks.

For the Democrats, I really think they would be better suited not necessarily by a long and drawn-out trial, but a more comprehensive reference to all the misconduct. I think it was a mistake not to charge the obstruction of justice from the Mueller report.

But there's a little bit of the back door for the Democrats, because it's not a courtroom. As Gene well knows, in the courtroom, you're very tightly constrained on things like character evidence, what's relevant versus prejudicial.

ROSSI: Right.

WU: Here, they don't have those constraints, so they might be able to work in a whole lot of character evidence and other misconduct anyway.

CABRERA: Gene, here's what I don't get. Republicans keep on saying this entire case is based on hearsay information. That the case is thin. But then, they don't want to call those who could have firsthand knowledge, like Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Mick Mulvaney, the Acting Chief of Staff or even former national security advisor, John Bolton. Who decides which witnesses to call?

ROSSI: Well, I think that would be an agreement between the Senate leader and the minority leader. But I got to say this. This is not a case based on hearsay. And Shan will tell you, this is a case where you have the defendant, essentially the president of the United States, confessing. That's number one. His chief of staff, an alleged conspirator, confessed. You have the transcript of the call. I -- you don't need much more. You have Sondland who is relaying information that it was a quid pro quo.

So, when they say it's based on hearsay, those people in the House Judiciary Committee in the minority, I don't know how many cases they tried, but they didn't try very many.

CABRERA: "The New York Times" makes this point. With the Senate split 53 to 47 between Republicans and Democrats, including the two independents who vote with Democrats, Mr. McConnell has a thin margin. They write, if Democrats stick together and four Republicans defect, Mr. McConnell could lose control of the proceedings. Viewed another way, he can lose only two votes, if he wants to push through a resolution with only Republican support.

Shan, do Democrats have more power than they're getting credit for?

WU: I think they do. And, again, I think, in order to have any shot of getting some of those defections, I think they need to really make their case very strongly on the Ukraine issues. But I think it would be helpful to remind everybody all the other terrible stuff that is going on.

Now, they can make a lot of those points by, kind of, sticking to their two articles. But I think, again, the more that they bring to the table about the misconduct, the blanket obstruction of Congress, all those things really going to the heart of these Constitutional offenses, because that's what they are.

I mean, rather than all these analogies that the Republicans want to make, this is not a crime, trying to read into the offense technical elements of a crime. It's a Constitutional offense. And they really need to show the Republicans and show the American people the gravity of that offense against our Constitution.

CABRERA: Shan Wu and Gene Rossi, good to have both of your expert minds with us. Thank you.

ROSSI: Thank you.

WU: Good to see you.

CABRERA: On the eve of impeachment and all through the House, not a creature was stirring but a president was tweeting. New reporting about how the drama has been affecting the president's mood.

[20:13:42]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CABRERA: She was a musician, a songwriter and aspiring journalist. The people who knew her say she had a personality no one could copy. And, tonight, we have new details in the stabbing death of Barnard College freshman, Tessa Rae (ph) Majors. Majors was walking in New York City's Morningside Park Wednesday afternoon, when she was attacked just blocks away from the Barnard Campus.

A 13-year-old boy has now been arrested in the case. The teen is reportedly telling police, he watched as two of his friends grabbed the young woman in an attempted robbery and then slashed her.

CNN's Polo Sandoval has been following this all day for us. Palo, police now have a second person in custody, right? What else are you learning?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No charges filed against that third person yet, Ana. But I can tell you that what we heard from this juvenile yesterday really did paint a clear and very disturbing, chilling photo of what took place in that Manhattan park on Wednesday. Police say that the teen was found with a knife and admitted to being involved in Wednesday's attempted robbery and the deadly stabbing.

But the question here, to what extent? They say, according to "The New York Times," the 13 year old faces a felony murder charge. Basically, he's not actually accused of stabbing Tessa Majors, however he is believed to have taken part in the robbery.

"The Times" also reporting that a detective testified during this teenager's hearing yesterday. He, reportedly, told the court that the teen had two other accomplices with him. That they walked into the park on Wednesday night with the intention of robbing people. The boy told detectives that he watched his two friends grab the 18-year-old college freshman, and then put her in a chokehold. And the boy claiming that that's when they removed various items from her pockets. And then, eventually, slashed her repeatedly with a knife.

A source saying that that second person, that you just mentioned that is in custody, has not been charged yet. The boy's attorney telling "The New York Times" that there's no allegation against her client right now claiming that he actually touched the victim. That he was merely present while this was taking place.

Now, we have reached out also to prosecutors right now, who will eventually decide if he will face charges as an adult. But, no doubt, this is certainly sending shock waves throughout the entire community, there at Barnard College in Manhattan, and also a campus that's being shared with the University of Columbia. And, at the same time, the family certainly expressing their tremendous loss here. Writing, we lost a very special, very talented and very well-loved young woman, Tess shone brightly in this world and our hearts will never be the same.

The question now, though, Ana, will security be the same at that park? We do know that the authorities are certainly taking a closer look at that - at that location. It's just northwest of Central Park. A highly-trafficked area by people, by pedestrians.

[20:20:00]

And, as we heard from the mayor, this, what happened here on Wednesday, as he described it, is an unacceptable reality. That something like this, this kind of cold-blooded killing, happened in a place like that is something they would like to prevent again.

CABRERA: A horrible tragedy. Life is so precious. Thank you, Polo Sandoval, for that.

Former Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin is facing backlash, after pardoning and commuting the sentences of hundreds of criminals, including a child rapist, a man who killed his parents and a mother who dumped her newborn in a septic tank. Bevin defended himself on Twitter, writing in part, not one person receiving a pardon would I not welcome as a co-worker, a neighbor, or to sit beside me or any member of my family in a church pew or at a public event.

CNN's Natasha Chen has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONCDENT (voice-over): Before walking out of the governor's mansion this week, Kentucky Republican Matt Bevin pardoned this man who sexually assaulted a 15-year-old boy, drunk driver who killed a pastor and his wife, a man who decapitated a woman and left her body in a barrel, a woman who threw her newborn in a septic tank in a flee market, a man who, at 16, killed his parents and left their bodies in a basement, and this man who raped a nine- year-old girl and served less than 18 months out of his 23-year sentence. The victim's mother says it's a slap in the face.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It feels like we're going through it all over again. We just got to the point where we felt safe leaving the House.

CHEN: Kenton County prosecutor, Rob Sanders, told CNN the man hadn't served enough to even begin sex offender treatment.

AROB SANDERS, PROSECUTOR, KENTON COUNTY COMMONWEALTH: It shocks the conscience. It's mind-boggling how any governor could be this irresponsible.

CHEN: Now, there's also a question of political favoritism.

MORGAN MCGARVEY (D), KENTUCKY STATE SENATE MINORITY LEADER: We have someone who was convicted of killing someone in front of his wife at his home who pulled the trigger.

CHEN: State lawmakers say they want to investigate the case because the family of the man pardoned raised more than $20,000 last year to help Bevin.

MCGARVEY: Bottom line, if it looks like a duck and talks like a duck, you got to look that whether it's a duck.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: That was Natasha Chen reporting.

And the death toll is rising, after a volcano eruption on a New Zealand island. Coming up, our CNN crews fly over the terrain and talk to the pilot who conducted a rogue rescue mission.

[20:22:25]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CABRERA: Officials in New Zealand are starting to release the names of the victims of the White Island eruption that killed 16 people and more still feared dead. But the challenge of getting to the island, even by air, is overwhelming.

CNN's Will Ripley managed to take a flight over the terrain this week. Here's what he saw.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): We're about to get our first up-close look at White Island, the active volcano that erupted on Monday killing a number of people. Many of them are still missing on the island right now. And this helicopter is flown by pilots who actually went to the island after the eruption. It was called the rogue rescue. They didn't have permission. They didn't have authorization. But they went to the island anyway, risking their lives in dangerous conditions. And they saved lives that day.

If you guys hadn't gone out there, what do you think would have happened?

MARK LAW, HELICOPTER PILOT: None of them would have lived.

RIPLEY: They would have all died?

LAW: Yes. I'm confident about that.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Mark Law was the lead pilot on that dangerous rescue mission to White Island just moments after Monday's eruption. Flying over the volcanic crater, ash still billowing, he saw people desperately in need of help.

LAW: The people who were horrendously burned, their faces all covered in dust and their mouths were just full of dirt. You could just tell they were in incredible pain.

RIPLEY (on camera): This is going to be a really powerful moment for us, because it's the first time we actually see White Island up close since this horrific tragedy. And to know that there are still people who are there and the conditions are too dangerous to go and retrieve their bodies. Don't really know what to expect.

(voice-over): My first thought, as we approach White Island, how striking, how beautiful. Soon, I remember all the people lying there, somewhere beneath that billowing plume of white smoke. Rescuers still unable to reach their bodies. It's heartbreaking.

LAW: It's gutting. We were going back to get the folks that had passed, and we could have done it. We wouldn't have to, you know, wait and worry and wonder. You know, it's gutting.

RIPLEY (on camera): It's got to be frustrating.

LAW: It's really frustrating.

RIPLEY: You want to get back out there.

LAW: Yes. Yes, we do.

RIPLEY (voice-over): But will they ever be able to go back? Should they go back? This area's livelihood depends on White Island tourism. Thousands visit each year. Around a century without a single death. That doesn't change what happened. It doesn't change the fact that so many people will never go home.

Will Ripley, CNN, Whakatane, New Zealand.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: Coming up, new reporting about the president's state of mind as the full House heads towards an historic impeachment vote.

[20:29:10]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:30:32]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's a scam. It's something that shouldn't be allowed and it's a very bad thing for our country and you're trivializing impeachment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: That was President Trump ripping House Democrats and trying to minimize the vote putting him one step closer to impeachment. But behind the scenes, sources telling CNN the president has taken a more somber view peppering aides with questions about how impeachment is polling and griping about having to go through it.

The New York Times also reporting that long after his staff has gone home, long after the lights have gone out elsewhere around the Capitol, the besieged 45th president honkers down in the upstairs residential portion of the executive mansion venting his frustration and cheering on his defenders through social media blasts.

No matter what some of his critics say, advisers said, he genuinely does not want to be impeached, viewing it as a personal humiliation.

Even in private, he accepts no blame and expresses no regret but he rails against the enemies he sees all around him.

Joining us now, a CNN Contributor and Trump biographer, Michael D'Antonio. He is the author of the book, The Truth About Trump.

Michael, what does the president care about more, the public humiliation of impeachment or the possible political advantage it may give him?

MICHAEL D'ANTONIO, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I think in the short term, he's very concerned about the humiliation. He is a person who spent his entire life concerned about his public image, preening for cameras, trying to build up his image, including, exaggerating his wealth.

[20:35:12]

So the idea of being what only the second or third, if he's impeached, president ever impeached, I think would be devastating to him. Over the long term, he will consider this matter of his re-election and whether somehow the base is motivated by this investigation and impeachment vote and by the outcome of the trial. But right now, I'm sure that this is weighing on him as a stark embarrassment and really a stain on his name and his legacy.

CABRERA: There are famous accounts of Richard Nixon talking to the paintings in the White House and President Clinton playing with campaign buttons to stay calm when they were facing impeachment.

Well, on Thursday, the president set a personal record by sending out 123 tweets in one day. Is that how he deals with pressure?

D'ANTONIO: Well, it sure is. We know that he's a tweeter in chief and he likes social media. I think he very much likes being able to reach the people he considers to be his supporters directly without the filter of the press or even interference from the messengers or messaging experts in the White House.

But I think he's -- I've heard from very good sources that he's spending a lot of time dialing up old friends and even members of the cabinet into the wee hours of the morning trying to console himself seeking consolation from them, not so much strategizing as venting.

CABRERA: Interesting. Peter Baker and Maggie Haberman of The New York Times also report what Trump advisers worry about is the snap- back of his anger once the impeachment process is over. They predict he will be furious and looking for payback. Is that how you see this playing out?

D'ANTONIO: Well, he does have quite a temper and the people around him know this. Or he's not a person to hold in his anger. He vents it. I think if it turns out that the Senate conducts a very sober trial where no witnesses are permitted and there's not a lot of eloquent statements on the president's behalf and he has to listen to the House managers deliver their excoriating indictment of him, it will make him quite angry.

But, you know, I think he imagines that works for him, that getting out on the campaign trail, especially going to these rallies which are really like therapeutic events for him. He gets a kind of Gestalt Effect from venting his feelings and getting feedback from the crowds, expressing that anger in that way may feel good to him.

CABRERA: He definitely seems energized at those rallies.

D'ANTONIO: He does.

Cabrera: Michael D'Antonio, always good to have your insights. Thanks for being here. I appreciate it.

D'ANTONIO: Thank you, Ana.

CABRERA: Coming up, breaking down the controversy behind Clint Eastwood's new movie about the Olympic Park bombings and the media firestorm that upended the life of an innocent man. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is a bomb in Centennial Park. You have 30 minutes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know how to protect you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think like your client is guilty as hell.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They want to fry you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:40:46]

CABRERA: A big studio movie opens this weekend that puts a major real-life event in U.S. history on the big screen. It's about Richard Jewell, the man who was falsely accused of planting the deadly bomb that exploded in Atlanta during the 1996 Olympics.

That's Richard Jewell on the left. The actor that plays him, Paul Walter Hauser on the right.

Here's a clip from the new movie, "Richard Jewell.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You always look at the guy who found the bomb just like you always look at the guy who found the body.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Jewell fits the profile of the lone bomber. A frustrated white man who is a police wannabe who seeks to become a hero.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're running it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't talk. I talk. Say it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't talk.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This might be the only way to clear your name. I want you to say there's a bomb in Centennial Park. You have 30 minutes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trying to be their best friend.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was raised to respect authority.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Authority is looking to eat you alive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Now this film is directed by Clint Eastwood with some heavy hitters in the supporting cast too. Kathy Bates, Jon Hamm, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell.

CNN Senior Writer on Media and Entertainment, Brian Lowry, joins us now.

Brian, you've seen this movie. Your full review is on cnn.com. Did this movie get everything right?

BRIAN LOWRY, CNN SENIOR WRITER ON MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT: Well, I think, you know, fact-based movies never really get everything right. There are always some liberties taken. But I think in this case, what's really triggered controversy around the film was the depiction of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter who broke the story played by Olivia Wilde.

And it's an extremely unflattering portrait and according to people who work with her and her at the editor of the paper where she worked, completely misleading in terms of what she did in order to get the story.

CABRERA: And now the actress, Olivia Wilde is speaking out. She's been very vocal about that particular criticism of the movie. What is she saying?

LOWRY: Well, she's kind of made a mess of this. She originally said -- the movie very strongly implies that she -- that Kathy Scruggs, the character she played, slept with her source in order to get the story.

And at first, she defended it as sexist, that people were criticizing her because she was being sexual which completely missed the point of what people were upset about which was the ethical consideration of a reporter and especially a female reporter which in film has a very kind of long ignominious history sleeping with a source in order to get a story.

[20:45:16]

She then tried to clean that up and said that that wasn't the way that she read it and that wasn't her understanding of Kathy Scruggs, but it's hard to have seen the film and come away with really any other impression that that's what they were implying.

CABRERA: Interesting. Her tweet says, I do not believe that Kathy traded sex for tips. Nothing in my research suggested she did so and it was never my intention to suggest she had.

Another movie based on real life events, "Bombshell" is out in select theaters now. It looks at the culture in politics behind the scenes at Fox News. It got several nominations for the SAG Awards this past weekend.

Megyn Kelly is reacting to it saying it was incredibly emotional watching Charlize Theron play her on screen. Here's a quick look at "Bombshell."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You may have heard there was a dust-up involving yours truly and presidential contender Donald Trump.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God. Did he just accuse me of anger menstruating.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wait, am I going to be the story?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm going to be the story.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Brian, your take on the movie. Should we expect any bombshells?

LOWRY: Well, I don't think there are any real bombshells if you followed what's going on at Fox News over the last few years. And it does follow a miniseries on the same topic, "The Loudest Voice" which aired on Showtime.

But I think the two of them work really well together in a way. They're viewing them in tandem. The miniseries focused on Roger Ailes, the late head of Fox News.

And the movie focuses on the women of Fox News were instrumental in essentially bringing leading to his downfall. You saw there Charlize Theron who was just uncanny as Megyn Kelly. I mean, she captures the tone of her voice in a way I don't -- she sounds more like Megyn Kelly than Megyn Kelly does her time.

And then Nicole Kidman is Gretchen Carlson. And it's very much like an HBO movie almost. I'm not sure people are going to rush to see it in the theater. But it's a very well made film.

CABRERA: Another movie that's getting a lot of buzz and it hasn't even opened yet, the new "Star Wars" installment called "The Rise of Skywalker."

Now, "Star Wars" fans are very different breed, Brian. Not all of them fell in love with the last "Star Wars" movie.

Is Disney worried?

LOWRY: I don't think Disney is too worried.

"The Last Jedi" was very divisive. It interestingly got very strong critical response. But the fan reaction, especially in the most vocal quadrants of social media was not favorable. And, of course, there were some people who did like "The Last Jedi" and so now you have people who are -- think this may swing too far in the opposite direction.

You know, one of the things is people get upset, people are very passionate about these films. But I can't imagine anybody who's passionate enough about these movies to want to online and vent about them not wanting to be in line opening weekend to see them.

CABRERA: OK. Brian Lowry, it is that time of year. A lot of people are hitting the movies. Thanks so much. Quick break. We'll be right back.

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[20:50:00]

CABRERA: She was just named "Time" magazine's person of the year. But when President Trump mocked her, teenage climate activist, Greta Thunberg, wasn't afraid to troll him right back. Here's Jeanne Moos.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's one thing for a comedian to joke about 16-year-old climate activist, Greta Thunberg, being named Time's person of the year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When asked what she thought about time, Thunberg said we probably have about five, six years left.

MOOS: It's another thing when President Trump goes after her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is his tweet, so ridiculous. Greta must work on her anger management problem. Hello. Look in the mirror.

MOOS: The president continued then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend, chill, Greta, chill. Reaction wasn't chill. What kind of president bullies a teenager? Thunder Joe Biden.

One cartoonist pictured them as Greta and word Greta. Thunberg herself responded by changing her twitter vile to a teenager working on her anger management problem, currently chilling and watching a good old fashion movie with a friend.

One fan compared Greta Thunberg in a war of which with Donald J. Trump to shooting fish in a barrel after her September climate speech at the U.N.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have stolen by dreams, my childhood with your empty words.

MOOS: President Trump tweeted she seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. She had made that her bio.

Just the other day, Melania Trump went after an impeachment expert for mentioning that Trump's 13-year-old.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So while the president can name his son Baron, he can't make him a baron.

MOOS: Now, so many critics are noting the irony of President Trump mocking a teen. But the first lady's anti-bullying campaign Be Best started to trend.

Things came to a head with President Trump's campaign war room literally used his head leaving critics shaking their heads. Over this, the president's head photo shopped on Greta's body.

President Trump used to like to ask the question --

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Would you rather see person of the year, man of the year?

MOOS: Just call Greta man eater of the year.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: We want to pause to remember an extraordinary life. Pete Frates, the former Boston College baseball star who help inspire a multimillion dollar movement to find a cure for ALS was laid to rest Friday after a courageous eight-year battle with the disease.

Frates was one of the most recognizable faces of the Ice Bucket Challenge. The viral sensation that swept the internet in 2014 and raised more than $200 million for ALS research.

His funeral procession, Friday, took him past his former high school in Danvers where hundreds of current students linked hands in fallen tribute. Pete Frates was just 34 years old. He is survived by his wife and daughter.

[20:55:10]

And finally, tonight, marks the anniversary of what at the time was the absolute unthinkable. The Sandy Hook mass shooting. Seven years ago on a chilly day much like today, 20 first graders and six adults were shot and killed inside an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut.

And tonight, Newtown High School has just won their state championship football game.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: For those of us who aren't members of this small community forever connected by tragedy, I think it can be hard to imagine what a win like that on today of all days may mean. But those cheers and that emotion right there, gives us an idea. It's also hard not to think about who isn't there to cheer tonight.

Those babies would be in eighth grade today. They'd probably be excited about Christmas break, nervous about starting high school, maybe even at tonight's game.

Instead, they are forever frozen in time as these smiling first graders as these caring teachers, counsellors, so please, take a moment to think of their family tonight, just 11 days away from Christmas, and always make sure your loved ones know how much you care.

That does it for me, I'm Ana Cabrera.

Up next, it's back-to-back episodes of "Inside Evil" with Chris Cuomo. Have a good night.

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