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House Democrats Wants Mike Duffey to Testify; President Trump's New Poll Number is Up; New Details on Jayme Closs' Kidnapping Being Released; Bad Weather Threaten Travelers in the U.S.; New E-mails Show Damning Information About Ukraine's Aid; North Korea is in Wait and See Mode; No Sign of Calm Between Protesters and the Hong Kong Government. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired December 23, 2019 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[03:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: Viewers here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Natalie Allen, and this is CNN Newsroom.
A twist in the battle over the upcoming impeachment trial. Newly released e-mails shed light on exactly when aid to Ukraine was frozen. One top Democrat calls these e-mails explosive.
Now to Australia where bush fires continue to rage across the country. We'll hear from people who are trying to defend their homes from these infernos.
Also, many are praising comedian Eddie Murphy's return to Saturday night live. But now we're hearing from disgraced actor Bill Cosby. He disagrees on that sentiment.
Three a.m. here in Atlanta. We appreciate you joining us.
Our top story, the U.S. Senate Democratic leader is again pushing for White House officials to testify in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. This comes after newly released documents show that White House official Mike Duffey e-mailed other officials to freeze aid to Ukraine just 90 minutes after Mr. Trump's July phone call with Ukraine's leader.
Chuck Schumer says the e-mail demonstrates why administration officials need to testify.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY), SENATE MINORITY LEADER: Until we hear from the witnesses, until we get the documents, the American people will correctly assume that those blocking their testimony were aiding and abetting a cover-up. Plain and simple.
So, I'll close by saying this. President Trump, release the e-mails. Let the witnesses testify. What are you afraid of? (END VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEN: For more on this development, here's Jeremy Herb in Washington.
JEREMY HERB, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Newly released e-mails reveal that the White House's order to freeze Ukraine aid came roughly 90 minutes after President Trump's call with President Zelensky on July 25th.
The e-mails provide new detail to our understanding of how exactly the White House held up the aid. In the July 25th e-mail, White House budget official Michael Duffey ordered the pentagon to hold the aid and signaled the decision could be politically explosive.
Duffey wrote, "Given the sensitive nature of the request, I appreciate your keeping that information closely held to those who need to know to execute direction."
An Office of Management and Budget spokeswoman said that it would be reckless to tie the withholding the Ukraine aid to the president's call. Pointing out that OMB had previously notified the agencies the aid would be withheld.
The e-mails are being released only now because a judge ordered them turned over to the center for public integrity in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. We already knew the broad time line of the withholding of the aid. Security assistance was first ordered held in early July and agencies were notified on July 18th. Then the aid order was formally sent on July 25th, the day of the president's call.
What we've learned from the new e-mails is that the two actions occurred roughly 90 minutes apart. The president got off the phone with Zelensky at 9.33, and Duffey sent the e-mail ordering the aid to be held at 11.04. Now the greater context of Duffey's e-mail is unknown because he defied a subpoena during the House's impeachment inquiry.
The question will now be forced into the Senate as to whether to pursue Duffey's testimony as Democrats have demanded. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has not signaled he will accept any witnesses the Democrats are pushing for, but the key number is 51. That's how many senators are needed to approve any witnesses for the trial.
Jeremy Herb, CNN, Washington.
ALLEN: Well, President Trump is spending the holiday at his resort in Florida. While he is there, he is also expected to continue preparing for the impeachment trial in the Senate.
CNN's Kristen Holmes has more on what the president expects from that process.
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ultimately, it's not going to be up to the president even if he would like it to be. It's going to be up to the senators what exactly this trial looks like. And when we really break it down, it's going to be up to those Republican senators.
You know, we have heard Mitch McConnell say time and time again that he's working in lockstep with the White House. But we also know that Mitch McConnell has a different idea of what he would like this trial to look like than the president.
President Trump had expressed behind closed doors that he wanted to have a big trial. He believed that this would exonerate him. He wanted to have a lot of witnesses and Mitch McConnell and other Republican senators have really tried to steer the president in a different direction, essentially saying that the more witnesses are, the more likelihood there could be problems for President Trump.
Now, we did hear from vice -- the vice president's chief of staff Marc Short, who said that the president is actually looking forward to a Senate trial. Take a listen.
[03:05:02]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARC SHORT. CHIEF OF STAFF TO VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE: He's frustrated with what he finds to be a completely unreasonable impeachment. So, sure he's frustrated by that, but he's also anxious to get not just acquitted but exonerated in the Senate. So, he's looking forward to his opportunity to have a fair trial in the Senate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now, while Short says that he is looking forward to this Senate trial, if you looked at the president's Twitter feed, you may not believe that. He spent the day tweeting at Nancy Pelosi, calling her crazy, slamming Democrats, bashing the process overall.
But when it comes down to it, this is where we are. You have Senate Republicans and Democrats, and really overall Democrats and Republicans who have really dug in their heels on this process. Democrats again wanting witnesses. Republicans not wanting a long trial. And now we have a Congress that's not back in session until early January.
ALLEN: Richard Johnson is a lecturer in U.S. politics and international relations at Lancaster University. He joins me to talk about these developments from Bedford, England. Hello there, Richard. Good morning to you.
First up, so new information this weekend that a top administration official said stop the aid 90 minutes after President Trump's phone call with the Ukrainian president and said keep it hush-hush.
Does this put renewed pressure on the Republicans in the Senate to present witnesses in order to present this new information? And if they don't, how will that look? RICHARD JOHNSON, U.S. POLITICS & INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS LECTURER,
LANCASTER UNIVERSITY: Well, this is definitely fuel to the Democrats' fire in trying to get to open up witnesses to this trial.
I think if we look at the politics of this, to speak frankly, it's difficult to see the Democrats getting to that two-thirds threshold in the Senate. So what they think, I think what the Democrats want to do is to try and control time, to try and get some more facts out there, to try and shape the narrative, not just thinking about the immediacy of the vote that will eventually happen in the Senate if there is a trial, but thinking then for the months to come how the American public understands what has happened in this impeachment process. And eventually to allow the American public to lend their verdict in November.
ALLEN: Right. Well, yes, because more public document releases are scheduled in January to groups that have sued for these documents, and that's how these e-mails this weekend came to light. So that might be another reason why Nancy Pelosi is withholding the impeachment articles until there is a Senate trial that the Democrats deem fair, and perhaps there are witnesses that are brought forth.
JOHNSON: I think that's right. I think that we've got these documents coming out. The impact of those documents may be somewhat limited in the sense that, you know, they're telling us what we already know.
And I think what the value of the witnesses are is much greater because I think the witnesses, if there are, if they're interrogated in a public way, you know, again helps to shape that public understanding of this trial in a way in which perhaps just more documents being read out wouldn't necessarily have the same kind of cut through.
So although the documents I think are important and the judicial process which is going on to reveal more of these is an important part of the Democratic case in a way, I think it really is -- for the Democrats, it's the witnesses who matter perhaps most in the coming weeks.
ALLEN: Right. And her decision not to submit the articles, apparently, she took advantage of a gray area there, and not many saw that coming. She's also trying to put more pressure on President Trump perhaps, who wants a quick acquittal in the Senate. That's very important to President Trump. How do you see that angle of the story?
JOHNSON: I think Nancy Pelosi is showing herself once again to be a very canny political operator. It's been fascinating to watch this from the U.K. given that a lot of the American impeachment proceedings come from old British parliamentary practice. And it used to be the case that sometimes the House of Lords would just dismiss impeachment articles that would come out of the House of Commons.
And so actually by holding back these articles until you can be guaranteed the trial will happen was the practice of sort of 18th century British parliamentary practice as well. So, I don't know if Nancy Pelosi has cracked open the history books or she just, you know, she just sees the rules in front of her and is able to use them as best she can, but that's what she's trying to do.
She's trying to ensure that this is not going to be a trial that gets dismissed within the first week. You make opening arguments and then it closes the same week. She wants this to be a proper trial. She wants these witnesses to be heard, and she wants this to be able to go on as long as it can to shape the public understanding of what's happened with respect to Ukraine.
ALLEN: Right. When you say shape public understanding, we know that Mr. Trump's approval rating went up on the day of impeachment. So that will be interesting to watch the public's reaction as this goes forward.
[03:10:07]
We always appreciate your comments. Richard Johnson, thanks for your insights.
JOHNSON: Thank you.
ALLEN: A source with knowledge of Kim Jong-un's mindset tells CNN there is a low chance North Korea's promised Christmas gift to Washington will be a missile test. The source also says that the North Korean leader is expected to take a wait-and-see approach in dealing with the Trump administration.
This, of course, coming as recent satellite images show activity at a military site associated with the production of long-range missile launchers.
So, let's go to Paula Hancocks. She is covering these developments from Seoul, South Korea. Paula, what do you make of the latest?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Natalie, there have, as you say, been some satellite imagery that does appear to show that there have been new buildings, new work done at one particular site where production of ICBMs, these intercontinental ballistic missiles, has taken place. We also know there's been changes at the Sohae satellite launch site.
So, these are developments and imagery that officials are poring over at this point to try and see if it gives any indication as to what this potential Christmas gift could be that North Korea had threatened to the United States, this year-end deadline.
One source telling CNN that it was a very low expectation or likelihood that there would be some kind of missile launch or significant launch before Christmas.
So, what we're hearing as well is that Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, did have this meeting with his top officials over the weekend, discussing military going forward, discussing what would happen within the military and also the political sphere in North Korea going forward.
There has not been a specific message towards the United States coming from that meeting. We could well hear something like that in the New Year address. This is what many people will be looking for, this New Year address just a year ago.
Of course, Kim Jong-un was talking very warmly about South Korea, was talking very warmly about the potential of what was happening with talks going well with the United States. It's likely to be a very different New Year's address and could well give us an indication as to what to expect over coming weeks.
ALLEN: All right, Paula Hancocks following that from Seoul. Thank you, Paula.
Well, young protesters in Hong Kong face the possibility now of years behind bars. Next here, we talk with one protester who could go to prison.
And then we'll get reaction from a pro-establishment leader I will interview about what's going on and what might happen next.
[03:15:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ALLEN: Protests in Hong Kong have been raging now for more than six months. Ever since the unrest began in June, more than 6,000 demonstrators have been arrested, many students who have risked everything for democracy, including their freedom.
CNN's Anna Coren looks at how their arrests are impacting the city's overburdened judicial system.
ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On a Sunday afternoon back in October, thousands of Hong Kong protesters take to the streets shouting their demands in the pouring rain. Among the crowd is Matthew (Ph). It's not his real name. He's asked us to hide his identity.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are now here to fight for our freedom, and most importantly to fight for our future.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: It's this sense of duty that's driving the protest movement, and for months he's been on the front-line clashing with police. Are you scared about getting arrested?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, of course. I don't want violence to happen. But the government just don't listen to us, so what are we supposed to do? There is only one single option for us, and that is a revolution.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: But a week later, Matthew's fight comes to an abrupt end. Undercover police dressed as protesters arrest him. He's charged with possession of offensive weapons, a crime that carries a three-year prison sentence.
Out on bail, Matthew agrees to talk to us again. We meet at his friend's cramped apartment. Protest posters cover the walls. The enormity of the situation has sunk in, but he has no regrets about his involvement.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, not at all. The only regrets I have is not being careful enough.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: For this soft-spoken career professional, he knows the seriousness of his alleged crime means he may end up with a criminal record but says that's a sacrifice he's willing to make for what he believes is a greater cause.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe Hong Kong will have fundamental change and my future has just become insignificant compared to what happened to Hong Kong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: Over the past six months, more than 6,000 protesters have been arrested of which more than 40 percent of them are students. And while a small proportion of them have actually been charged, pro-democracy lawmakers and activists fear Hong Kong will lose a generation of future leaders.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TED HUI, MEMBER, HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL: When people with heart or with ideals and really values what they believe, these are people with quality. They are the future of Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong government is treating them -- damaging them, put them into rooms.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: Almost a thousand protesters have been charged with offenses ranging from unlawful assembly to the more serious crimes of rioting, assault, and arson. A third of them are students.
Legal experts believe the court system is not equipped to handle the sheer volume of trials, the first scheduled to start early next year.
[03:20:00]
And if the majority of protesters are convicted, there's concern the prison system will be overloaded. The Hong Kong police tell CNN they want to see further prosecutions and say the only thing holding them up is the slow speed of the courts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHANNES CHAN, CHAIR PROFESSOR OF LAW, UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG: At the moment, weapon don't know how many more will be charged or what offenses they will be charged. This is not just the court but even the police and the prosecutions are not ready. But it just shows this is not only the strains on the judiciary but the prosecution and the police are not even prepared to handle all this mess.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: We catch up with Matthew just before his court appearance. He's feeling nervous. But while he and hundreds of front liners like him may end up behind bars, he's confident the fight for Hong Kong will continue in his absence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After six months, we have already given so much on the protests. So many people got arrested. So many people got beaten up, and life has been sacrificed. We just cannot stop right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: Anna Coren, CNN, Hong Kong.
ALLEN: And joining me now to talk about the situation is Holden Chow from Hong Kong. He's a member of the legislative council and vice chairman of the pro-establishment DAB Alliance. Thank you so much for joining us, Mr. Chow.
HOLDEN CHOW, VICE-CHAIRMAN, DAB: Thank you, Natalie. Thank you.
ALLEN: Sure thing. Well, strong sentiments from that young man there in that report. You know, what he said, I don't want violence, but the government just doesn't listen to us, so what are we supposed to do? The only single option for us is a revolution. What is your response to a statement and a sentiment like that?
CHOW: Well, with due respect, I beg to differ. With whatever reason you cannot resort to violence because if you resort to violence, you end up with a mess. We end up with six months turmoil and eventually if the violence carry on, it will break the city.
And it's sad to see that the youngsters coming out to commit sort of riots or commit violence and people get injured, not only the police but also the protesters. So, I think nobody wants to see anybody get injured, and of course one more thing to say even if you have any kind of resentment, if everybody follows the logic that you resort to violence, eventually it will break the city. And everybody got a price to pay. So, I'm against the very idea of the escalating violence committed by these people.
ALLEN: Well, they say that they won't do this if the government will listen. What about that? CHOW: Well, I think they have different demands. They have the so-
called five demands. But to be very honest, I've been talking about this for a long time.
To resolve this conflict, one of the ways to resolve it is by dialogue, but by dialogue, you also have to talk to these people and say if we can find some way in the middle to resolve this conflict, you know, for the people who raise the five demands, even if the government makes some kind of concession to any of the demands there -- for example, people say they are calling for setting up an independent inquiry into the police.
But even if the government does so, does it mean that is able to pacify the crowd? You know, in the past we've seen that when the people call for withdrawal of the extradition bill, the bill was withdrawn. But they don't count it.
And later on, they have some other demands coming up, and they even called for sort of dissolving the police. But how could the government respond to this sort of demand?
So, I think if people could calm down and try to find a solution in the middle, I think that's the way out. But if they insist on their sort of five demands, not one less, and they insist on that kind of stance and with the hostility towards the government, sadly I don't see there's a way out. It's not a good way to solve the problem right now.
ALLEN: Yes. Last question for you. Could you ever imagine it would be this bad when this started?
CHOW: Well, I think nobody could actually imagine the situation turn very worse like the situation now. But what happened is, I would say, even for the opposition camp, the Democrats, their leaders, their lawmakers, I think they have responsibility too because they are political leaders. They are supposed to lead the public opinion or sway the public.
[03:25:08]
But sadly when all this violence erupted, when the breaks or the petrol bombs being thrown everywhere in the city, when people get injured, they simply turn a blind eye to everything, and they just even don't condemn or they try to find excuses for this violence, and they are the political leaders. They are supposed to sway the public opinion.
Now sadly, I think they lead the public to believe that the violence is inevitable, is acceptable, and that's why -- that's one of the reasons why we end up with that mess today.
ALLEN: We'll see what happens next in this struggle. Certainly, something has to be remedied. We appreciate your insights. Thank you, Holden Chow, for us in Hong Kong.
CHOW: Thank you. ALLEN: Well, emergency teams are trying to contain an oil spill on
the Galapagos Islands. Officials there say the disaster happened Sunday. Watch what happens here when a cargo vessel overturned in San Cristobal.
Local media report no one was injured, but you can see what's about to happen as crew members jumped off the ship as it began to capsize. The Galapagos Islands are about 1,000 kilometers west of Ecuador. They're regarded as one of the most ecologically important places on the planet.
Well, if you're watching internationally, thank you for being with us. African Voices Change Makers is next for you. If you're joining us in the United States, I'll be right back with more news.
[03:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ALLEN: Welcome back to CNN Newsroom. I'm Natalie Allen.
Let's take a look at our top stories for you. As Australia's firefighters are continuing to battle dozens of deadly bush fires across the country, the prime minister is pushing back at a growing call for increased action against climate change. He says his government is taking appropriate response to the fires, saying it would be reckless to lower Australia's targets for carbon emissions.
Turkey's president says about 80,000 Syrian refugees escaping violence in Idlib province are heading to the Turkish border. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly says his country cannot handle this fresh wave of people. He blames Syrian and Russian attacks on the province for the refugees. He's sending a delegation to Moscow on Monday to discuss the situation.
The U.S. Senate minority leader -- that's Chuck Schumer -- is again calling for White House official Mike Duffey to testify in the impeachment trial. Democrat Schumer cites newly released documents that show efforts to freeze aid to Ukraine began 90 minutes after U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart in July. Shortly after that call, Duffey sent an e-mail telling officials, hold off sending the aid.
A Democratic senator says he believes there are gaps in the impeachment case against the president. Doug Jones, one of the more moderate members of his party, says those gaps were caused by Mr. Trump's refusal to let officials testify. Jones says he's keeping an open mind when the impeachment trial begins.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. DOUG JONES (D-AL): I think these are really serious allegations. I'm trying to see if the dots get connected. If that's the case, and I think it's a serious manner, I think it's an impeachable matter. But if those dots aren't connected and there are other explanations that are consistent with innocence, I will go that way too. What I really want to see though is to fill in the gaps. There are
gaps. Now people can make up their mind with gaps in testimony, but I would like to see a full and complete picture.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEN: So, of course, now that the president is impeached, as we're referring to, the Senate will eventually hold a trial to determine if he should be removed from office. But before that happens, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has to send over the articles of impeachment, which she says she will not do until a clear and fair path forward is presented.
So how does impeachment work in the Senate with a trial? CNN's Victor Blackwell explains.
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: House Democrats and White House officials are spending the holidays prepping for the president's Senate trial. Here's how it will all work. The rules were written for Andrew Johnson's trial in 1868. Everything is minutely choreographed. The sergeant of arms kicks things off and you'll be seeing a lot of him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye. All persons are commanded to keep silent on pain of imprisonment by the Senate of the United States is sitting for the trial of the articles of impeachment exhibited by the House of Representatives.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: Well then, senators take an oath of impartial justice in weighing the arguments presented in the trial.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you solemnly swear that in all things appertaining to the trial of the people of William Jefferson Clinton, President of the United States now pending, you will do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws, so help you God?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: At least two Republicans, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, have already declared they are not impartial jurors.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): I'm not trying to pretend to be a fair juror here.
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), MAJORITY LEADER: I'm not an impartial juror.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts presides. He's got the power to compel the Senate to vote, and he has the power to decide things like the rules of evidence. But he can be overruled. If a senator disagrees with him, he or she can ask for the full body to vote.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I want the whistleblower who put in a false report to testify.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: Yes. You know by now that President Trump has talked about calling witnesses like Hunter Biden, Adam Schiff, the whistleblower. But he'll need 51 senators to agree. Witnesses cannot just be called at will by the prosecution or defense. And if a senator wants to question a witness, they have to put that in writing and give it to Chief Justice Roberts.
[03:35:03]
So, don't expect much of the showboating we've seen so far. Then we get to the vote. It takes 34 senators to acquit. There are 54 Republicans so let's do the math. That means that 20 of them would have to side with the Democrats and two independents, assuming that all of those members will vote to remove him from office.
Now, all 100 senators then stand at their seat to cast their decision as either guilty or not guilty. That sounds easy enough, but it isn't always so cut and dry.
Senator Arlen Specter confused clerks in the final moments of the Clinton impeachment by saying not proved, therefore not guilty. He decided to borrow a line from Scottish law. He was making the point he didn't necessarily think Clinton was innocent, just that it had not been proved. But it didn't make much of a difference. His vote was still counted in the not guilty column.
ALLEN: So in less than six weeks, the first major contest of the U.S. presidential election will begin. It is the Iowa caucuses, and it's considered a big indicator of where voters stand.
Several Democratic presidential candidates toured the state this weekend. In fact, so many have been in Iowa for some time. Of course, they're making pitches. Among them, former Vice President Joe Biden, and he spoke about the impeachment process.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The fact is that it's really hard on the country, impeachment. There's nothing -- there's nothing to celebrate about it. There's nothing to celebrate about when a nation goes through an impeachment process. It really is a reflection of at least the concern or thought of failure in our system, and the rest of the world looks at us and wonders what's going on.
But in this case, don't get me wrong. Donald Trump has brought this on himself. He indicted himself on the White House lawn when he said, we're left no choice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEN: The Iowa caucuses will take place February 3rd.
Well, here's a question. Has impeachment hurt President Trump or cost him supporters or Republican voters turning their backs a bit on him? According to this weekend's polls, month and no.
Take a look at the numbers. According to the polling group FiveThirtyEight, an average of polls shows the president this week saw his highest approval rating in more than two and a half years, just shy of 45 percent. And that happened the day he was impeached.
Looking at the president's entire term in office, public opinion has held steady despite many scandals and his impeachment. Analysts say the reason for that is the strong economy.
And now the election. The latest CNN poll shows the president still trailing Joe Biden but by a narrowing margin. And look at last weekend compared to two months ago. The president also closing the gap when it comes to other Democratic challengers, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
Keep in mind that this poll was done before the House impeached the president. And remember we just said the strong economy is the likely reason for President Trump's steady numbers. That new CNN poll shows 76 percent of Americans believe the economy is good. We haven't seen that number in a poll that high in 18 years.
It's all about the economy in the key swing state of Wisconsin. Donald Trump won that state in 2016 by a narrow margin. But now with the next election looming, the group black leaders organizing for communities thinks he could be beatable.
Our Kyung Lah joined them as they went door to door to get out the vote.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Five three two zero six. That's what we're fighting for, you hear me? Together in numbers, we're strong.
KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A time tested organizing tool.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: BLOC by black.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's your name? Is the head of the Household home?
LAH: With an eye to recent history in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm from Black Leaders Organizing for Communities.
LAH: Keith Giden (Ph) and Sean Kendricks are canvassers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Out here working on a cold day.
LAH: Walking through a majority black neighborhood neglected for decades economically and politically.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The only way to fix the problem is to talk about the problem.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're the change.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You hear me? All you got to do is get onboard and be a part of the change.
LAH: Their group BLOC hopes to increase black voter turnout in ignored districts in the critical swing state of Wisconsin.
You don't see that every day?
BERNARD BONDS, MILWAUKEE RESIDENT: No. The only time I see people talking to them is Jehovah Witnesses coming door to door in our black community. I'm just keeping it really in. I don't want to just hear what you got to say. I want you to come show me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[03:39:57]
LAH: In 2016, Hillary Clinton didn't campaign in the state during the general election. In Milwaukee County, 43,000 fewer Democrats voted for her than Barack Obama in 2012. Lower Democratic turnout here helped Donald Trump statewide. He flipped Wisconsin by fewer than 23,000 votes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. GWEN MOORE (D-WI): It's the surprise of the 2016 election is you actually have to campaign black people as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAH: Wisconsin Congresswoman Gwen Moore warns in 2020, Democrats cannot forget that lesson.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOORE: We need to focus on those people who did not vote and to educate them.
GREG LEWIS, PASTOR, SOULS TO THE POLLS: And I love that you're ready to get souls to the polls. Amen.
LAH: That's the mission of Souls to the Polls in this first 2020 organizing meeting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEWIS: I want people to know and understand what kind of power we really have.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAH: Pastors in Milwaukee using prayer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEWIS: Blessings are coming our way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAH: To find the votes that could sway a nation's election.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEWIS: If you had the kind of power that you have in numbers and you don't use it, I just think that's a sin.
LAH: How many voters are we talking about potentially?
LEWIS: Well, I would say like 30,000, 40,000, in that area.
LAH: Just in the churches?
LEWIS: Yes, just in the churches.
BONDS: Get out and vote.
LAH: BLOC says what's different now, local lawmakers and unions are funding programs like theirs from the community, to affect the community.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How are you doing? This is the change. This is the change look like.
SEAN KENDRICKS, CANVASSER, BLOC: I'm just out here trying to change and help my people now because I know the struggle. I know the pain that they're going through.
LAH: Are you organizing locally here to get the power up there?
KENDRICKS: Correct. To get our voice heard up there where everybody else just sitting around their big round table.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In order for things to change, we need them to get out and vote, and we need to let them know the importance of voting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAH: So, check your calendars. We're still many, many months away from November 2020, but BLOC is out there now hitting those doors every single day. The reason why? They think that trying to energize and educate voters is not something that you can just wait and do just a few weeks before election day. It's something that has to start now.
Kyung Lah, CNN, Los Angeles.
ALLEN: Next here, a kidnapped 13-year-old girl and the gruesome double murder of her parents in the U.S. heartland. New details on what happened during Jayme Closs' kidnapping and her close encounter with police right after she was taken.
[03:45:00]
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ALLEN: The U.K. home secretary is considering whether to formally request the extradition of an American diplomat's wife for a traffic accident that killed a British teenager.
Just days ago, Anne Sacoolas was charged with dangerous driving in Harry Dunn's death. She left the U.K. shortly after the accident in august. Home Secretary Priti Patel met with Dunn's family on Sunday to offer her support.
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PRITI PATEL, HOME SECRETARY OF THE UNITED KINGDOM: I'm very grateful to the Dunn family today for making the time to meet with me. Obviously, I had a private meeting with them, and it's very, very difficult in terms of what they're going through right now. All our sympathies and thoughts are with them.
For me, it was a nice opportunity really to hear from them obviously about what they've been experiencing, what they've been going through and to reassure them as well in obviously what has been a very difficult and traumatic time for them.
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ALLEN: Sacoolas' lawyer has said she will not voluntarily return to the U.K. to face a potential jail sentence for what was, she says, a terrible but unintentional accident.
We are learning more about the kidnapping of Wisconsin teenager Jayme Closs one year after her abduction and unbelievable escape and rescue. Police are releasing documents that shed more light into her kidnapping.
She was just 13 when she was abducted in October of 2018 by 21-year- old Jake Patterson, there in the orange. Authorities say Patterson went to the Closs House, killed Jayme's parents in front of her, and then put her into the trunk of his car. For 88 days, she was held hostage before managing to escape his home and run to a nearby House for help.
Now Wisconsin police are releasing thousands of additional report pages. And CNN's Polo Sandoval breaks down this new information for us.
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The release of all of these documents also includes police dash camera video that was taken on that night in October 2018. If you look closely, you can see officers unknowingly pass Patterson's vehicle as they sped to the scene of this double murder/kidnapping back in October 2018.
Investigators saying at the time then 13-year-old Jayme Closs was hidden in the trunk of the car. When you listen to audio of body camera footage that was recently released, you can kill officers call it a possible suicide after discovering both of Jayme's Parents were dead.
And of course, we now know the investigation took a very quick turn when they discovered Jayme was missing. The records painting a disturbing picture of the time that Patterson spent with Jayme as he held her against her will in that remote cabin.
Patterson describing Jayme as being, quote, "terrified and also petrified of him." She also tells investigators that he would not physically be violent with her. Patterson admitting to investigators that though he did have sexual thoughts about Jayme, who was 13 years old at the time, he never actually acted on those feelings, saying that he felt guilty about killing her parents.
The documents also describing that day in January when Jayme was able to escape that cabin. She left it wearing men's shoes and found a neighbor nearby, telling that neighbor, he killed my parents. Please help me. I want to go home.
Now that we're learning more, we can look back into May, that's actually when Patterson was not only convicted but eventually sentenced to two life sentences for the murders and also 40 years for the kidnapping of Jayme Closs.
ALLEN: She is now living with relatives.
Well flood warnings, heavy rain, and potential snowfall. Rough weather conditions are affecting millions across the U.S. Many people could be forced to change their holiday travel plans. We'll have that for you next.
[03:50:00]
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ALLEN: Disgraced comedian Bill Cosby is firing back at comedian Eddie Murphy, calling the fellow comedian a Hollywood slave. That's after Murphy hosted this weekend's Saturday Night Live for the first time in 35 years. During his opening monologue, Murphy made jokes about Cosby, who is
serving three to 10 years in prison for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman at his home years ago. Here's what Murphy said on the show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EDDIE MURPHY, COMEDIAN: If you would have told me 30 years ago that I would be this boring stay at home, you know, house dad and Bill Cosby would be in jail, even I would have took that bet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEN: Cosby's spokesman responded soon after, writing in part, "one would think Mr. Murphy was given his freedom to leave the plantation, so that he could make his own decisions, but he decided to sell himself back to being a Hollywood slave."
Well, we turn from that to a really dangerous situation in Virginia. A chain reaction led to a nearly 70-car pileup on Sunday. State police say at least 50 people were injured. Some of them are critical, we're told.
Both sides of the highway were closed for hours. Some cars were so mangled, authorities had to step from car to car on top of the cars because they were all bunched together to pull people out.
[03:55:01]
Police say the cause of the crash is under investigation, but heavy fog and icy road conditions definitely played a role.
And it's not just Virginia. Bad weather is threatening millions of people across the U.S., and there have already been thousands of flights canceled on Monday.
Pedram Javaheri is here with us. This is not going to be a merry Christmas for people that might be trying to get somewhere, Pedram.
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, you know, the first couple of days of the week, Natalie, Monday into Tuesday, definitely going to be the days that in parts of the country going to see some weather. But once we get to Christmas Day itself, if you are traveling that day, believe it or not, that day will be easily the nicest day of the week for a lot of areas across the country.
So, we'll kind of break it down for you. Across the southeast we go where we have an active pattern in place, a very slow-moving system that has produced a tremendous amount of rainfall. And by Christmas eve, it kind of parks just offshore the Carolinas but doesn't budge much.
So, we'll get some rainfall right along the coast of the Carolinas. Some of the wettest parts in the country will be right there from Savanna northward into Charleston, potentially into state capital of Columbia. And that will be kind of the wet spot across the country. Kind of broaden up the perspective for today. Notice the central
portion of the U.S. generally quiet conditions. The southwest and northwest getting some active weather but into portions of California, that's where the most impressive weather is in place once the system departs.
Because it's quite a bit of rainfall into Los Angeles County within the next couple of days. In fact, notice the yellow contours there in the bottom of your screen, that is as much as two to three inches of rainfall across the L.A. metro region through at least, say Christmas eve and Christmas Day.
And then beyond that, of course, this all translates to heavy snowfall into the higher elevations of California, into Nevada as well as Arizona.
But notice this. Highs of only 59 degrees in Southern California. Middle 50s in Atlanta. In New York City, not too bad at 51 degrees and sunny skies. And inside the next couple of days, we'll keep it generally dry across portions of the country. New York City as we go in from next, say, Tuesday into Wednesday, 45 or so degrees with sunny skies there. Natalie?
ALLEN: All right. Until Christmas. Good luck, travelers.
JAVAHERI: Good luck. Yes.
ALLEN: Pedram, thanks. And thanks for joining us. Early Start is next.
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