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Trump Attacks Pelosi, Impeachment After Call To Troops; U.S. closely Monitoring Pyongyang's Missile Launch Sites; Pope Francis Leads Christmas Eve Mass; Pope To Deliver Christmas Message In Vatican City. Aired 1-1:30a ET
Aired December 25, 2019 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[01:00:16]
JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. Live from the CNN center in Atlanta. Ahead this hour, yukking it up. Donald Trump makes light of a veiled nuclear threat from North Korea which could see an end to diplomacy and a new hardline policy from Pyongyang.
Getting stronger, a powerful typhoon has made landfall in the Philippines and appears to be intensifying.
And after another year scandals and missteps, Pope Francis delivered a Christmas Eve message for those who made a complete mess of things.
The U.S. president is celebrating the holidays at his resort in Florida, but that does not mean he's taking a break from criticizing Democrats, and in particular, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Trump seems especially irritated with Pelosi could not sending articles of impeachment to the Senate. A move which has left the president in impeachment limbo. Indicted for crimes, but now denied his day in court, at least, for the moment.
Here is CNN's Boris Sanchez, reporting in from West Palm Beach.
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: With impeachment effectively in a holding pattern and with President Trump staying at Mar-a-Lago, surrounded by supporters, feeding some of his worst instincts, the president lashed out after a chat with troops on Christmas Eve.
The president aiming his vitriol at one specific target, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: -- and Merry Christmas.
SANCHEZ: Immediately after delivering a Christmas message, thanking U.S. troops for their service, President Trump delivering a Christmas rant on impeachment. TRUMP: They treated us very unfairly. They didn't give us due process, they didn't give us a lawyer, they didn't give us anything. Now, they come to the Senate and they want everything.
SANCHEZ: As the process reaches a standstill, Trump voicing support for Mitch McConnell. Saying the Senate majority leader has the right to do whatever he wants with the impeachment trial.
TRUMP: We're in a very good position. Ultimately that decision is going to be made by Mitch McConnell, and he will make it -- and he has the right to do whatever he wants. He's the head of the Senate.
SANCHEZ: And the president, again, lashing out at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
TRUMP: She hates the Republican Party. She hates all of the people that voted for me and the Republican Party, and she is desperate to do --
SANCHEZ: Even predicting impeachment will cost Democrats control of the House in 2020.
TRUMP: She got thrown at a Speaker once before she lost like 63 seats. 61 of 63, tremendous, a record-setting number of seats. I think it's going to happen again.
SANCHEZ: Trump also using the moment to spread debunked conspiracy theories. Repeating false claims about the FBI spying on his campaign, and suggesting Attorney General William Barr is working to take them down.
TRUMP: Hopefully, it's going to be taken care of. And the Attorney General is working and everybody's working.
SANCHEZ: As the president spends the holiday consumed with political battles, the White House announcing the promotion of a key official who was on the line during Trump's famous July 25th call with President Zelensky of Ukraine.
The news special representative on international telecommunications policy Robert Blair. A top aide to Mick Mulvaney, who refused to testify before House impeachment investigators.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: During his conversation with the troops, the president told them that he mostly spends his time at Mar-a-Lago working. A short while later, our cameras captured him golfing for the second day in a row, at least, the second day in a row.
Of course, there's nothing wrong with President Trump hitting the links and relaxing, but we shouldn't forget how often he was critical of former President Obama for golfing, and how angry he was that taxpayers had to foot the bill.
Boris Sanchez, CNN, traveling with the president in West Palm Beach, Florida.
VAUSE: And the president has made light of a veiled threat from North Korea, which is promised a so-called Christmas gift if there's no relief from U.S. economic sanctions by year's end.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We'll see what happens. Well, let's see, maybe it's a nice present. Maybe it's the present where he sends me a beautiful vase as opposed to a missile test. Right? I may get a vase. I may get a nice present from him. You don't know. You'll never know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: A source familiar with North Korean leadership, says the gift could see a new hardline nuclear policy. There's also speculation of a possible nuclear or long-range missile test.
And while Donald Trump is cracking jokes, CNN's Paula Hancocks reports U.S. officials are closely monitoring missile launch sites inside North Korea.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: No Christmas present from North Korea to the United States as of yet, but it was what was promised by Pyongyang if the United States didn't change its attitude.
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HANCOCKS: But certainly, officials here in South Korea and also in the United States will be watching closely to see if anything happens.
Now, we do know that recent satellite imagery has shown that there has been increased activity at two of the main sites in North Korea. One of those has been linked to ICBM production.
These are the intercontinental ballistic missiles which could potentially hit mainland United States. And this kind of imageries have prompted the Trump administration officials to tell CNN that they believe there could be preparations underway for an engine test or a component of the missile program tests of some description.
We did hear from one source with -- who is familiar with North Korean thinking, telling CNN that they believe the chances of an ICBM test or a nuclear test over Christmas time are very low.
also pointing out that Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader could well take a wait-and-see approach given what is happening domestically for the U.S. President Donald Trump to figure out if he is going to be weakened by what is happening there, and if, of course, he would even be able to adhere and to keep to any deal that he would make with North Korea in the future.
Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.
VAUSE: In Hong Kong, new clashes broke out on Tuesday between police and demonstrators. Authorities accused the protesters of setting fires, blocking roads, and hurling petrol bombs. They responded with tear gas and warnings of arrests.
One protester was determined to avoid of being arrested. First, taking out a police officer, then jumping over the second-floor railing on the shopping mall. So he goes -- he was injured in the fall and taken to hospital, and later arrested.
The death toll from a militant attack in the West African nation of Burkina Faso stands at 35, all of them civilians, all of them women.
According to the country's president, 80 jihadists were killed during an offensive on a military base. Seven soldiers were killed defending it. Over the past year, a local insurgency has been bolstered by jihadists from neighboring Mali. Hundreds have been killed and thousands forced to flee their homes.
In Chile, large forest fires are raging in the coastal city of El Paso -- Valparaiso, sorry, excuse me.
Emergency officials say about 100 homes have been damaged and 90,000 people are without electricity. Sorry.
Firefighters are working to contain the blaze but strong winds and high temperatures are feeding the flames.
To the Philippines now where they're dealing with a powerful typhoon. Typhoon is slamming the islands with intense rain and wind. This is the video before landfall. It shows water streaming into one house as the storm was raging outside.
Meteorologist Allison Chinchar joins us now with more on this. And, it's unusual for the storms to gain strength when they hit land, right?
ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely, yes. Normally, we talk about how when they cross into land, they weaken or, at least, if nothing else, they just stay where they are. This one has done the exact opposite. It made landfall at 150 kilometers per hour.
Now, winds are sustained at 175 kilometers per hour. So, not only has intensified, it's intensified rather quickly and quite high. The forward movement still to the west at about 19 kilometers per hour.
And believe it or not, we still anticipate, at least, a little bit more strengthening over the next 48 hours. Because of that, this is why we still have some of these public storm warning signals out for much of the central region of the Philippines.
With blue color indicating signal one, the yellow color signal two, and even a few spots getting a signal three there. That's where we expect some of the strongest winds and some of the heaviest rainfall in the short term forecast.
Notice again, perhaps as high as 185-kilometer-per-hour winds still expected with this storm. But once it finally gets well out, save out the next 72 to 96 hours from now, then we finally start to see some weakening with this particular storm as it approaches Vietnam. So, good news for those areas especially along the coastal regions of Vietnam.
In terms of rainfall, several areas in the central portion of the Philippines have already picked up over 100 millimeters of rain. The concern is that even more rain is expected. Some spots still could pick up an additional 50 to 100 millimeters total. Keep in mind, that's on top of what they've already had.
So, a lot of these areas could likely end up topping somewhere between 200 to 300 millimeters of rain before the storm finally does end.
Winds, also John, are going to be a concern again because we keep seeing this storm intensify, so, widespread areas could still be looking at some power outages to be a concern for the next 24 to 36 hours.
VAUSE: Allison, thank you. I appreciate the update.
We'll take a short break. When we come back, Christmas Eve at the Vatican and a message from Pope Francis. God loves even the worst of us. Will have more on that and the hidden messages, perhaps.
[01:09:57]
Also ahead, good news from Britain's royal family after a brief pulse scare just in time for Christmas, we'll explain news, back in a moment
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POPE FRANCIS, SOVEREIGN OF THE VATICAN CITY STATE (through translator): Christmas reminds us that God continues to love us all, even the worst of us. You may have mistaken ideas, you have may -- have made a complete mess of things. But the Lord continues to love you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And that was Pope Francis, maybe indirectly addressing the scandals which have rocked the Catholic Church. It is Christmas Eve sermon, he said the birth of Jesus was a reminder of God's unconditional love and forgiveness.
John Allen is CNN's senior Vatican analyst. He has more now on the rest of the papal message.
JOHN ALLEN, CNN SENIOR VATICAN ANALYST: Pope Francis ushered in Christmas 2019 with the Vatican's traditional midnight mass, even though it's not actually midnight, it's celebrated at 9:30 p.m., local in Rome. But nevertheless, it's the beginning of the Christmas season. And he delivered a message of hope and optimism to begin the Christmas season.
The Pope's reflection was on the God's free love that's reflected in the traditional Christian belief. The God chose to become a human being, born into a poor family that would soon become refugees. In that -- in that act of love, God shows that His love is not fickle, it is patient, it is permanent. It does not depend, according to Pope Francis on one's accomplishments or worthiness. God loves us, the Pope said, simply because we are. And in that message, he said lies a permanent sort of testimony of hope.
Now, this was the beginning of a very busy Christmas season for the Pope. On Christmas day, he will celebrate a private mass. And then, he will deliver his traditional irby et orbi message that is to the city and to the world, which is a kind of 360-degree review of the global situation, and it's sort of lays out the pope's core social- political humanitarian priorities at the -- at the end of one year and the beginning of another.
The next day, December 26th, which is the church's traditional feast of St. Stephen, the church's original martyr. The Pope will deliver a noontime Angelus address. And that will lead us then into the New Years -- on New Year's Eve.
The pope will celebrate a Vespers service at which are the traditional Latin hymn, Te Deum. Thanking God for the year that is concluded will be performed. And then, on New Year's Day, he will celebrate a mass and also deliver the church's annual message for the World Day of Peace.
[01:15:03]
ALLEN: And all of this is a kind of normal, extremely busy schedule for the energizer bunny of popes. A pope who absolutely has no off switch. On December 17th, Pope Francis celebrated his 83rd birthday.
But nevertheless, throughout this holiday season remains extraordinarily good to go. And obviously, desiring to deliver a troubled church and a troubled world. An upbeat message of hope for the holidays.
In Rome, for CNN, this is John Allen.
VAUSE: And in the place where Jesus is believed to being born, celebrating the return of a holy artifact. After more than a thousand years, a tiny sliver of wood, well, the most sacred relics of Christianity has made his way back to Bethlehem. That was on prominent display during midnight mass.
The wood is believed to be from Jesus's manger and was taken by the Vatican in the seventh century. But, Pope Francis has decided the time has come to give it back. And Palestinians are now hopeful the relic will bring a much-needed boost in tourism.
Britain's Prince Philip is joining the rest of the royal family for Christmas after a short stay in a London hospital. The 98-year-old Duke of Edinburgh was admitted as a precaution on the advice of his doctors.
We get details now from CNN's Anna Stewart. ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: It must be a huge relief for the royal family. Prince Philip was discharged from a London hospital early Tuesday morning after a four-night stay. And he was walking out of the doors as you can see unaided.
He was admitted at the end of last week for observation and treatment for a pre-existing condition and that was on the advice of his doctor. A precautionary measure but one that raised concerns given the duke is 98 years old.
Buckingham Palace have released a statement saying His Royal Highness would like to thank everyone who said their good wishes. The duke has been helicoptered up to the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk to join the queen and the rest of the royal family for Christmas.
Although, a few family members are missing this year. The duke and duchess of Sussex have chosen to spend some private family time in Canada. And to mark baby Archie's first Christmas, they published a very special, very cute Christmas card on The Queen's Commonwealth Trusts Twitter page, with Archie front and center.
On Christmas Day, the queen's annual Christmas speech will be broadcast. And since it's pre-recorded, we have an idea of what she will say. As ever with a speech, a lot of attention is put on this subtext.
This year while referring to the life of Jesus, she says, "Small steps taken in faith and in hope can overcome long-held differences and deep-seated divisions to bring harmony and understanding. The path, of course, is not always smooth, and may at times this year have felt quite bumpy, but small steps can make a world of difference."
Possibly, a reference to Brexit there has been a turbulent year in U.K. politics. We will hear more from the queen when Her Majesty's full Christmas speech is broadcast.
Anna Stewart, CNN, London.
VAUSE: Still to come here, the Game of Thrones made a perhaps spectacular dramatic end to a very long run. But who will sit atop the iron throne of all the entertainment news of 2019?
More on that when we come back.
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VAUSE: 2019 was a record-breaking year for Avengers at the box office and Old Town Road on the music charts. CNN's Stephanie Elam has a look at the year in entertainment.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
EMILIA CLARKE, PORTRAY DAENERYS ON GAME OF THRONES: Dracarys STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Winter came and went. The final battle for the Iron Throne. Avengers pack a punch at the box office, and Lizzo storms the airwaves with her Juice.
Here is a look at the top entertainment news in 2019. Number nine, Jeopardy host Alex Trebek's courageous battle against pancreatic cancer.
ALEX TREBEK, HOST, JEOPARDY: I have some news to share with all of you.
ELAM: Trebek announced his stage for diagnosis in March, and vowed to aggressively fight the disease. He underwent intense chemotherapy and resurface just five months later to announce he was on the mend.
TREBEK: I'm happy to report, I'm still here.
ELAM: And ready to return to Jeopardy for its 36th season. And a touching moment, Trebek choked up during a very special final Jeopardy round.
TREBEK: What is we love you -- that's very kind, thank you.
ELAM: A T.V. star embroiled in a hate crime scandal is number eight. Empire actor Jussie Smollett, who was gay and black claimed to have been the target of a racist and homophobic attack.
Police, say Smollett stage the attack to gain attention.
EDDIE JOHNSON, SUPERINTENDENT, CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT: Jussie Smollett took advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career. Smollett was indicted on 16 felony counts, but prosecutors later dropped all the charges. Smollett maintains his innocence.
JUSSIE SMOLLETT, AMERICAN ACTOR, EMPIRE, FOX: I would not be my mother's son if I was capable of one drop of what I've been accused of.
ELAM: He didn't return for the show's sixth and final season.
A new type of battle brings us to number seven. The fight for your streaming views and subscription dollars. Joining heavy hitters Netflix and Hulu are the new kids on the block. Apple T.V. Plus, Disney Plus, and soon, Peacock and HBO Max.
Netflix is still the king with over 150 million subscribers. But industry insiders are watching the impact these new platforms will have against their established rivals.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Content is arguably at the core of any streaming service. That's why we've seen record-setting production and licensing deals over the last few years.
ELAM: Oprah, Reese Witherspoon and J.J. Abrams are just some of the names behind original content coming out soon.
And number six, a sad farewell to a 90210 legend and a beloved rapper.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Once again I prevail.
ELAM: In March, Nipsey Hussle was shot and killed near a clothing store he owned in Los Angeles.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's what he follows me --
ELAM: The Grammy-nominated rapper collaborated with dozens of artists, including Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, and Drake. He embraced his role as an activist, Hussle had been scheduled to meet with city officials the next day to discuss ways to stop gang violence.
Actor Luke Perry was meant to join his original Beverly Hills, 90210 castmates, for a reboot of the show. But sadly, the 52-year-old died of a massive stroke in March. Perry was best known for playing 90's bad boy Dylan McKay on 90210. But his most recent role on T.V.'s Riverdale introduced him to a new generation of fans. Both shows pay tribute to the actor they knew and loved.
Number five, Little Nas X breaks the music charts with Old Town Road.
LIL NAS X, AMERICAN RAPPER: I got the horses in the back, horse tack is attached.
ELAM: The country rappers jam with Billy Ray Cyrus top the Billboard Hot 100 for a record 19 weeks. Just a year ago, Little Nas X was flying under the radar but that all changed when he self-released Old Town Road on iTunes, SoundCloud and YouTube.
But it was a viral TikTok meme that turned his new beat into a banger.
LIL NAS X: Yes, I'm going to take my horse to the old town road, I'm going to ride until I can't no more.
ELAM: The song hit a bump in the road when Billboard pulled it from the country charts. Generating cries of racism, but the rapper turned it around, and hit a string of personal and professional triumphs.
He came out over the summer, his single went triple platinum, and it reached diamond status.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I never really recovered from it.
ELAM: And number four, Lifetime's bombshell documentary Surviving R. Kelly.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A development now involving R&B singer R. Kelly, the district attorney in Fulton County, Georgia is apparently now conducting an investigation following the release of that Lifetime docu-series called Surviving R. Kelly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, good morning.
ELAM: The embattled singer, spent his year in and out of court defending himself against sexual misconduct charges dating back 20 years.
The R&B star was charged on 18 federal accounts in Illinois and New York.
[01:25:05]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Free you R. Kelly they go and free you.
ELAM: He has denied any wrongdoing.
R. KELLY, AMERICAN SINGER: I promise you, we're going to straighten all this stuff out. That's all I can say right now.
ELAM: Kelly remains jailed without bond.
BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH, ENGLISH ACTOR, DOCTOR STRANGE: We're in the end game now.
ELAM: And number three, Avengers End Game knock out an epic win at the box office, becoming the highest-grossing film of all time.
Diehard MCU fans packed theaters to the tune of $2.8 billion worldwide. End Game surpassed James Cameron's Avatar, which held the previous global box office record for 10 years.
CHRIS HEMSWORTH, ACTOR, PORTRAY AS THOR: I like this one.
ELAM: End Game caps an 11-year buildup in the Marvel Universe which began with Iron Man in 2008. From Captain Marvel, to Black Panther, to Thor, and Guardians of the Galaxy, the Infinity Saga netted over $22.5 billion.
Coming in at number two, the final episode of HBO's Game of Thrones.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you play the Game of Thrones, you win.
ELAM: The series finale capped off a nine-year television and pop- culture phenomenon. Making it one of the most anticipated endings in television history. The build-up through season eight had viewers anticipating an epic ending for the future of Westeros.
The finale titled the Iron Throne brought in a series record of 19.3 million viewers.
LIZZO, AMERICAN SINGER: I'd be waiting for this one. Turn it up.
ELAM: There's a new goddess on the popping hip-hop scene. Lizzo's meteoric rise makes her number one on our list. She's fierce unapologetic and her music is an anthem for self-love and body positivity. Lizzo turned her 2016 mainstream music debut into global success in 2019.
Truth Hurts topped the Billboard Top 100 chart for seven weeks. The music video has over 162 million YouTube views and she makes the splash with her confident message everywhere she goes. 2020 will be another big year for some of the newsmakers on our list. Lizzo is nominated for eight Grammy Awards, and watch for phase four of the Marvel movies to begin. Black Widow opens in May.
Stephanie Elam, CNN, Hollywood.
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VAUSE: Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause. I'll be back with headlines just a moment.
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