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Five Stabbed at Hanukkah Celebration; Five Killed in Louisiana Plane Crash; Somalia Suicide Car Bomb Attack Rocks Capital; Top Political Stories of 2019. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired December 29, 2019 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): This is CNN breaking news.

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Hello, everyone. I'm Natalie Allen at CNN Center in Atlanta. We have breaking news out of the state of New York.

An orthodox Jewish community north of New York City is in shock after five people were stabbed late Saturday while celebrating Hanukkah. Authorities say the suspected attacker was apprehended a short time later. At least two of the five victims are reported in critical condition.

Precise details about what happened are still being verified. We know the attack took place inside the home of an orthodox Jewish rabbi, where about 100 people were gathered to mark the seventh night of Hanukkah.

We want you to hear now from a man who confronted the attacker. He said the rabbi had just lit a candle when a stranger burst in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARON KOHN, WITNESS: I saw him walking in by the door. I asked, who is coming in, in the middle of the night, with an umbrella. While I was saying that, he pulled it out from the thing.

And he started to run into the big room, which was on the left side. And I had thrown tables and chairs, that he should get out of here.

And it ended the guy was the carry arrest guy. He was bleeding here, bleeding in his hand, all over. I run into the other room because I tried to save my life. I saw him run down this way so I ran out.

(CROSSTALK)

KOHN: -- came along with me. They're still hysterical. What time is now, I don't even know the time now. And they're still hysterical right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ALLEN: So fortunate, they have apprehended a suspect. CNN's Polo Sandoval is heading to the scene right now.

What are you learning about this attack?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: As we head to the scene, we're continuing to gather information. What we know about the victims, the injured here, they were among the dozens gathering at the rabbi's home, taking part in this Hanukkah celebration on Saturday night.

Authorities confirming that at least five people were stabbed, were injured, trying to get information on who they are and the latest on their condition here.

And the main headline right now and of course, the biggest concern at this point, was a suspect. And according to a police chief in a nearby town, the suspect was apprehended, is in custody. Authorities are trying to speak to the individual right now. We don't know much more.

This investigation is still in the preliminary stages. Already, we have heard a massive response and reaction from authorities in and around the New York area. New York's governor, Andrew Cuomo, tweeting after this stabbing happened, that he was horrified by the events in Rockland County, which is a short drive from New York City.

Reiterating a message, that we have heard for the last several days here, amid a string of anti-Semitic incidents taking place in New York City. Today, we counted eight of them that happened this week alone.

And so, we have seen, not just in Rockland County but here in New York City, we have seen a massive response, a deployment of New York City police officers, at area synagogues because there have been many members of the Jewish community that have been approached and assaulted by various individuals.

So of course, the question now becomes, what was the main motive here?

Our understanding is this is going to be -- this being investigated as a hate crime, would be something that we could potentially see here in the coming hours, as authorities piece this investigation together.

But the main takeaways right now, this Hanukkah celebration, that took a terrible and terrorizing turn, only a few hours ago, just outside of New York City, leaving at least five people dead, when a knife- wielding individual made his way to that party -- Natalie, back to you.

ALLEN: Yes. I can imagine the fear that was going on. You know, as we have learned, the rabbi was lighting a candle, dozens of people are there. And then, suddenly there is someone in there with a knife.

If we can put up that list of the issues that have been dealt with in New York since December 23rd, it seems like every day, there's been something going on. The mayor is saying, we must do something. And people are adamant that the Jewish communities need to have extra protection.

[02:05:00]

ALLEN: What more are they talking about?

SANDOVAL: That's important context you bring up here, Natalie. Before tonight's terrifying events here, we had been following this uptick in anti-Semitic incidents that have been taking place or reported, in around the New York City area.

Just this morning, we see the video from the NYPD, showing us an attack on a Jewish gentleman who is wearing traditional religious attire, when a hooded individual walks up to him and punches him.

It resembled an incident on Christmas Eve, as well, where individuals, many of the cases are happening in Brooklyn, New York, members of the Jewish community were approached and assaulted.

The question becomes why have we seen at least eight reported incidents in the last seven days here in New York City, especially as the members of the Jewish community turn together for Hanukkah?

We turn to officials from the Anti-Defamation League, an anti-hate group, an association that does monitor these kinds of incidents. I asked why we're seeing this. And they believe there's multiple factors here.

One of them is rising tensions in some of these neighborhoods where Jewish families have resided, historically. And some of the tensions are due to rising housing prices or housing opportunities, for example.

And also, an issue of mental illness, according to the ADL. Some of the individuals apprehended and responsible for assaulting the members of the Jewish community, that has been a factor.

There really is a lot of nuance here and some important framing that we do have to take into account, as the investigation into this latest incident begins.

But we need to be clear, this investigation is only a few hours in. We still -- police have not clearly established a motive.

However, when you take a step back and you look at what's happened, in New York City, for the last seven, eight days and then consider what happened, just outside of New York City tonight, at this Hanukkah celebration, it certainly does lead to many questions.

ALLEN: Absolutely. And 2.5 weeks ago, an attack in Jersey City as well.

The question is, are these isolated incidents or is something else going on?

We know you and your photographer are almost to the scene. We'll talk with you again as you get there and get more information for us. Right now, we want to talk with Evan Bernstein. He's the New York

regional director of the Anti-Defamation League.

You're in Monsey, Evan. This has been a horrible attack on day seven of Hanukkah, in the middle of a celebration.

Can you set the scene for us, about what's happening there now and what the people -- how the people are responding to this terrible incident?

EVAN BERNSTEIN, ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE: I've been on the scene here since about 11:15, when we received word about the stabbings that took place. I got here before the crime scene was being established.

I had an opportunity to talk to first responders and law enforcement and meet the rabbi who was leading the celebration in his home. And I went across the street to his synagogue, where he continued to celebrate the Hanukkah holiday with his congregation, despite there was a horrific act that took place in his home moments before.

It is a horrific time for this community. Talking with so many of the community members, they're here around the crime scene, being sequestered as the FBI came and other law enforcement started to make the crime scene less accessible, clearly.

You know, more and more personal conversations about just the immense amount of fear right now that people are feeling that are openly orthodox. They know so many family members that live here in Monsey, have family in Brooklyn and what's taken place there over the past week, is so unprecedented with the series with anti-Semitic assaults.

And just a short time ago, having the act of anti-Semitic domestic terror that took place in Jersey City, where openly orthodox Jews were murdered in cold blood. Right now open orthodox Jews in the greater New York City area are feeling tremendous amounts of fear and want this to stop.

This has been an unrelenting amount of hate experienced over the last two years, especially in Brooklyn and Monsey had it. There's been an underreporting of anti-Semitic incidents in Monsey.

[02:10:00]

BERNSTEIN: And now things are ramping up here and we want law enforcement to do the best job they can. Thank God they've been able to make an arrest. But to have it happen during Hanukkah, at a Hanukkah celebration, all these acts taking place over the holiday of Hanukkah has been devastating for the Jewish community here in the greater New York area.

ALLEN: Certainly understand. And that's New York I read a report in "The Washington Post" just a few days ago chronicling these incidents all across the country. As you say, they've been underreported, they're happening so often.

The big question is why? BERNSTEIN: One of the issues we have in the openly orthodox community, the Hasidic community, is traditionally the way people report to our audit, the way we get our information at the ADL, that has been tracking anti-Semitism since 1979, they either call us directly or especially now go online. We get most of our reports that way.

A lot of the members of the Hasidic community don't have the technology available to them. Also, they are sometimes fearful of dealing with traditional law enforcement or even agencies like ours that have been around for over 100 years. There's a disconnect.

We're trying very, very hard to work with leadership in the orthodox communities so they feel comfortable enough to report. One thing we're trying to explain to them, is when you report to an organization like ours, it works so directly with law enforcement. Law enforcement then has a better picture of what's taking place in a given community.

So this underreporting, people take it and don't do anything with it. They talk to their family and don't report it. They don't report it to the police or anybody. It really, like a tree falling in the woods, it doesn't help the community.

The more they report, the more resources they get, the more we work with law enforcement to make sure they get those resources and elected officials to make sure there's funding to help keep the communities secure. That's something we are trying very, very hard to do.

I can't tell you how many people in the community over the last few years I've spoken to, that have said, things have happened to them. Horrific things happened to them. And yet, they don't feel compelled to report it out of fear, out of fear of retaliation or really feeling like no one is going to do anything and nobody cares.

We're trying so hard to be on the ground, to work with leadership and turn that around and make it so reporting can be accessible and open.

ALLEN: And to mirror what you just said, the mayor of New York City, Mr. de Blasio said, after this, we will not allow this to become the new normal. We'll use every tool we have to stop these attacks, once and for all.

We mentioned the Jersey City attack 2.5 weeks ago. That was an area where more orthodox Jews were moving into that area and people were killed in a market there. It's becoming more widespread. And people aren't wanting to report it there, sometimes.

But tonight, the good news is, the person is in custody and we'll learn more about them.

Has anybody described this victim?

BERNSTEIN: The perpetrator, we don't know much about the perpetrator. He was arrested in New York City. That's been confirmed by law enforcement. What I've heard from law enforcement, also, there was five people that were stabbed. One is in critical condition. Clearly, we hope that everybody impacted by the stabbing physically is

going to be able to come out of this, you know, as healthy as possible. The ripple effects on the community is clear. We want to get the information on the perpetrator. We want to find out what the mindset was and why this happened.

And the community is committed to make sure that law enforcement has that space to operate, to be able to do its due diligence and make sure this investigation is done at the highest level possible.

ALLEN: All right. Evan Bernstein with the Anti-Defamation League. We really appreciate you talking with us, Evan. We'll talk with you again, as this story develops, perhaps.

To our viewers, stay with CNN as we continue to cover this breaking story. I'll be right back.

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[02:15:00]

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ALLEN: More now, on our breaking news out of New York State. Five orthodox Jews have been stabbed while celebrating the seventh night of Hanukkah at a rabbi's home. A witness said there were 100 people there when a man entered and pulled out a knife.

It happened in the town of Monsey in Rockland County north of New York City. Police say they have a suspect in custody. We'll bring you information on this story as we get it.

We turn to a tragedy surrounding a U.S. college football playoff match. A small plane bound for the LSU-Oklahoma game crashed shortly after takeoff in Lafayette, Louisiana. Five of the six people onboard were killed.

Among the victims, a sports reporter who is also the daughter-in-law of one of LSU's coaches. The sports director of our affiliate WVLA attended the game and describes how the deaths impacted it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN HOLLAND, WVLA SPORTS DIRECTOR: It's been tough. Word started matriculating (sic) through the tailgates and word around the press box. She's friends with so many that cover this team and down there in New Orleans. Certainly was an in-game host for the New Orleans Saints and the Pelicans but also covered the LSU tigers.

And the family connection to LSU's offensive coordinator. So when they walked out on the field, I mean, just to be honest, you could see it on a lot of the staff's faces, coming out onto the field. It was visible. It was plain. It's so tough to focus on what you have to focus on. That's work.

Unfortunately after such an unfortunate loss, his daughter-in-law, but we caught him coming out of the locker room.

[02:20:00]

HOLLAND: Tears in his eyes. So he was emotional on the field, during practice, during the warmups. So it has affected him. He's not usually one who likes to wear his emotions on his sleeve but he certainly has today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: Understandable there. The lone survivor from the plane is in critical condition. And three people on the ground were also injured.

U.S. President Donald Trump may be getting a little R&R in Florida but there's no hiding the fact he is obsessing about being impeached. His Twitter account is boiling over with angry tweets and retweets, including some he reposted from bogus accounts.

At least one retweet had the alleged name of the whistleblower, whose complaint triggered his impeachment, even though that person's identity is protected by law.

Much of the president's rap has been directed at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He's belittled her as crazy multiple times in the last week as he often uses name-calling when he's angry.

Twitter says a glitch in its service is keeping some of Mr. Trump's 68 million followers from seeing all of those messages. But the president's latest tweets have not been deleted.

Besides playing golf, President Trump is with guests at his Florida resort and soliciting their advice about his upcoming impeachment trial. CNN's Kristen Holmes has more for us from West Palm Beach.

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KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Trump may be physically here in Florida but his mind is clearly back home in Washington and on impeachment. While he's been mixing and mingling with guests and members at Mar-a-lago, we're also told he's been picking their brains, asking people who should be part of his defense team when it comes to the impeachment trial, what their defense strategy should be?

While we've seen President Trump on the golf course numerous times, we've seen him on Twitter far more, tweeting almost every day, attacking impeachment, Democrats and of course House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Clearly, the president is perturbed by the fact that the Speaker has not transmitted over those articles of impeachment to the Senate. To break down where we stand, at an impasse between Democrats and Republicans on what exactly a fair trial would look like. The Speaker would like some sort of commitment from Republicans, which

she has yet to receive. Democrats believe a fair trial would include witnesses and documents. And again, Republicans have not conceded to that.

So it will be interesting to see how this plays out, given the fact that both parties appear to have dug in. Several Republicans told me they hoped it would play itself out, that Speaker Pelosi, once the House was back in session in early January, would feel the political pressure to transmit the articles over to the Senate.

However, take a listen to a top Democratic congressman, Dan Kildee, who spoke to CNN.

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REP. DAN KILDEE (D-MI): I think we have to wait until we have some assurance that the trial is not going to be some sort of a sham or a joke.

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KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: I mean, I'm talking extremes here. Like into February?

KILDEE: Well, I mean, that's certainly possible but I'm not going to get ahead of the Speaker.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And February is a long ways away. But we have learned from sources that Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, is now open to the idea of bringing the impeachment trial procedures and rules to the Senate floor without any Democratic support. All he needs is a simple majority.

One thing to keep your eye on is the more moderate Republicans.

Are they going to be on board with these Senate trials that have no Democratic backing? -- In West Palm Beach, Florida, Kristen Holmes, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: The latest on Australia's bush fires now, that continue to rage around that country. Volunteer firefighters will now be compensated for battling the fires in New South Wales, Australia. The state government announced they will get about $200 a day to replace lost income. Prime Minister Scott Morrison faced mounting criticism for previously sidestepping questions about paying them.

Here in the U.S., nearly 20 million people are under some form of winter warning or advisory as a winter storm dumps rain, wind, snow and ice as it moves across the central U.S.

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ALLEN: We will have much more on the knife attack on people identified as Hasidic Jews during a Hanukkah celebration in New York in a moment. We'll also have reaction from the Israeli government. A live report from Jerusalem is just ahead.

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[02:30:00]

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ALLEN: I'm Natalie Allen at CNN Center in Atlanta. If you're just joining us, we are following breaking news.

Police in Monsey, New York, are on the scene of a mass stabbing at a Hanukkah celebration. At least five people were wounded, two of them critically. The suspect is in custody.

According to witnesses, about 100 people were inside the home, you see here, of an orthodox Jewish rabbi to celebrate the seventh night of Hanukkah. The rabbi had just lit a candle when the attacker entered the home. A witness describes the chaos that followed.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOHN: I saw him walking in by the door. I asked, who is coming in, in the middle of the night, with an umbrella. While I was saying that, he pulled it out from the thing.

And he started to run into the big room, which was on the left side. And I thrown tables and chairs, that he should get out of here.

And it ended the guy was the carry arrest guy. He was bleeding here, bleeding in his hand, all over. I run into the other room because I tried to save my life. I saw him run down this way so I ran out.

(CROSSTALK)

KOHN: And two ladies came along with me. They're still hysterical. What time is now, I don't even know the time now. And they're still hysterical right now. And as I said, they catched (sic) him. I hope not like last time, they never catch the guy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did he say anything --

(CROSSTALK)

KOHN: -- he went down and drink coffees and danishes.

(CROSSTALK)

KOHN: And I'm -- thank you for everybody who came down to help us, down to Ramapo. And whatever.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did he say anything when he was -- ?

KOHN: He said something. But I couldn't hear what he said. And he right away, boom. And he start --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did you see him pull out?

KOHN: The knife from the holder, in the case.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was in a case?

How big was it?

(INAUDIBLE) --

KOHN: Almost like a broomstick.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, that's a big one.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How many people were inside?

KOHN: One.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, how many people were at the party inside?

KOHN: I would say --

(CROSSTALK)

KOHN: -- I would say it was at least 100 people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Was this a Hanukkah party?

KOHN: Yes. I mean, it was the rabbi. The rabbi had --

(CROSSTALK)

KOHN: -- lighting the candle.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you see him stabbing people?

What did you see?

KOHN: Yes. I saw him stabbing people. And I started throwing folding chairs and tables. Must have been (INAUDIBLE).

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did he say anything?

KOHN: No, no, no.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did he act like he knew the people there?

KOHN: No. I don't think so.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And what happened --

KOHN: -- guy -- first, we had the first men (INAUDIBLE) there he came to pick up the handicapped guy. But the handicapped guy wasn't there. And if somebody is going to -- supposed to marry his son, his first son, Monday, his head is almost cut off.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: My goodness. CNN's Oren Liebermann joins us live from Jerusalem.

That witness saying the knife was the size of a broomstick. He said earlier that the rabbi went to the synagogue and continued the service after this happened. That is remarkable.

Want to talk with you, though, whether there's been a statement released by the Israeli government about what has happened in New York in the past few hours.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There have. The news of the attack broke here early Sunday morning and shortly thereafter we began to get the responses and the reactions of Israeli leaders.

To the rabbi's point, that he continued with the service, there was even one politician here who said, nothing will stop the Jewish community of Monsey, New York, or any Jewish community, for that matter, from celebrating the final night of Hanukkah, celebrating this holiday during this winter.

The chief response here came from Israel's president, Reuven Rivlin.

[02:35:00]

LIEBERMANN: He said, "Shock and outraged by the terrible attack in New York. We are praying for the rapid recovery of those injured. The rise of anti-Semitism is not just a Jewish problem and certainly not just the state of Israel's problem.

"We must work together to confront this evil which is raising its head again and is a genuine threat around the world."

We have gotten statements from Israeli leaders and other politicians, calling on American authorities not only to act against the suspect, who we understand is in custody, but also they say anyone who would raise their hand against the Jewish community anywhere.

That's the sort of response we will see here. We have yet to get a response from Benjamin Netanyahu. He has a cabinet meeting in about an hour. I suspect he'll say something there. And of course we'll bring you his response when it becomes available. Frankly, from this end, this is something that is becoming all too

common. The Pittsburgh synagogue attack, the San Diego synagogue attack, those happened on the Sabbath. This happened on the Sabbath and on Hanukkah in the U.S., it was Sunday morning here.

But the idea remains the same, Jewish people attacked in their places of worship, where they should feel safe. And yet, we're seeing the horrific attacks happening too often.

ALLEN: Right, even 2.5 weeks ago in Jersey City, where a Jewish community is developing there and we remember, a terrific shootout that happened at a market. Two people were killed there.

So something is going on. And the mayor of New York promises this will not be the new normal.

We shall see. But you mentioned, Netanyahu is close with President Trump. Mr. Trump has not issued a statement about what happened as of yet.

But has Netanyahu appealed to him personally, about safety for the Jewish community in the past, do you know?

LIEBERMANN: Well, Prime Minister Netanyahu has been careful not to criticize president Donald Trump in any way with the rise of anti- Semitic attacks in the U.S. That's for his own politics and the relationship between him and Trump and between the U.S. and Israel.

In terms of the big picture, I don't think it's a surprise or coincidence that next month Israel will host at Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust museum, a gathering on anti-Semitism, with many of the world's leaders, including Russian president Vladimir Putin and many others.

It is on a special occasion. Next month is the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the Nazi concentration camp in Poland. The idea here is this a chance to bring world leaders together and to deal with not only anti-Semitic attacks in one specific country but around the world, seeing if they can coordinate, learn from each other, to combine efforts and to put an end to them.

ALLEN: That will be an important meeting. We know that you and others will be covering it. Thank you so much. Oren Liebermann, live for us in Jerusalem.

More on our breaking news, in just a moment. We'll be right back.

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[02:40:00]

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ALLEN: Again, our breaking news: New York's governor has activated the state's Hate Crime Task Force in response to a stabbing near a synagogue. Five people identified as an orthodox group as Hasidic Jews were stabbed. It happened in Monsey, in Rockland County, north of New York City. Police have a suspect in custody.

Far from New York, Somalia is grappling with another attack that's become all too familiar there. At least 79 people were killed in the capital Saturday, Mogadishu, when a vehicle laden with explosives was set off. The country's prime minister says the nation is at a state of war with terrorists. Our Farai Sevenzo is following developments from Nairobi.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FARAI SEVENZO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Once again, another truck suicide bombing in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu. We know at least 79 have been killed and over 100 were injured.

What happened on Saturday is, at a very busy junction that leads from the south of the country into Somalia's Mogadishu, was attacked by this truck bomb.

At the same time, we understand that the president of Somalia has tweeted, "This dark day robbed our nation of dozen of innocent lives. The perpetrators of this heinous act of terror will never dim the spirits of the people of Somalia."

So far no one has claimed responsibility for yet another suicide truck bomb attack in Mogadishu. But it bears all of the hallmarks of Al- Shabaab, the Al Qaeda affiliated terror group that's operating consistently in Somalia.

At the same time, we know Africa as a whole in 2020, will face these kinds of terror attacks. Mali is suffering under the same thing and as is Burkina Faso -- Farai Sevenzo, CNN, Nairobi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: I'll be back with more news right after this.

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[02:45:00]

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ALLEN: To say there's been big political news in 2019, that may sound like the biggest understatement of the year, doesn't it?

So many headlines, it's hard to remember them all. But CNN's chief political correspondent, Dana Bash, has the top nine political stories of the year.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: It has been quite the year in politics.

Here are the top nine political stories of 2019.

It didn't get as many headlines as other big political stories, but make no mistake about it.

TRUMP: Conservative judges.

BASH: The president's success in getting his judges on the bench will have implications for years to come. Thanks to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who was focused like a laser on this, the Senate confirmed a record 50 circuit court judges.

McConnell took to Twitter boasting that is already the most in any president's whole first term since 1980.

TRUMP: The Constitution of the United States.

BASH: President Trump announced his reelection campaign the day he was inaugurated, a historically early start that his team took advantage of, raising more than $165 million, nearly $100 million in this year alone.

BRAD PARSCALE, TRUMP CAMPAIGN MANAGER: It's much more efficient two years out to try to find a possible voter, possible donor. It's just a considerable advantage that the other side won't have, because you just can't replace time.

BASH: Control of those big coffers, not only his reelection campaign, but the Republican Party's, contributed to the president's firm grip on the GOP, which in various ways became even more clearly the party of Donald Trump in 2019.

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You take back our democracy.

BASH: The Democrats' 2020 presidential field took shape early in the year as the most diverse ever, more women and candidates of color running for a single party than ever before, the first openly gay candidate a major contender.

It was also the biggest. CNN's October debate was the most crowded stage in the history of presidential primaries.

KLOBUCHAR: I want to give a reality check here to Elizabeth, because no one on this stage wants to protect billionaires. Not even the billionaire wants to protect billionaires. We just have different approaches.

[02:50:00]

KLOBUCHAR: Your idea is not the only idea.

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think, as Democrats, we are going to succeed when we dream big and fight hard, not when we dream small and quit before we get started. BASH: That shrunk to seven in December, thanks to the party's increasing fund-raising and polling thresholds.

No question defined the Democratic primary fight this year more than this: Do voters want an ideological revolution or a candidate focused on relief from Donald Trump?

At the top of the field, Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are the revolutionaries, promising sweeping change, while former Vice President Joe Biden, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Senator Amy Klobuchar say incremental change is more realistic.

Nowhere was this more on display than health care.

BIDEN: Build on ObamaCare. Add a public option.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Seventy-one percent of Democrats support Medicare for all.

BASH: Stay tuned for the answer in 2020.

2019 started with a historic new class of House Democrats, a record number of women sworn in and many more firsts, the first Muslim American women, the first Native American women and the first female House speaker in history reclaimed the gavel.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): I'm particularly proud to be a woman speaker of the House of this Congress, which marks the 100th year of women having the right to vote.

BASH: Speaking of Nancy Pelosi, going head to head with President Trump is one of the 2019 storylines, starting with the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

PELOSI: Federal workers will not be receiving their paychecks. The president seems to be insensitive to that. He thinks maybe they could just ask their father for more money. But they can't.

TRUMP: The State of the Union speech has been canceled by Nancy Pelosi because she doesn't want to hear the truth.

BASH: In October, a clash over the president deciding to pull troops out of Syria ended in a Pelosi walkout. The president tweeted a photo of Pelosi having what he called an unhinged meltdown. She owned the image, making it her social media cover photo.

PELOSI: Article one is adopted.

BASH: The year ended with the speaker reluctantly leading the House and making Trump only the third president in history to be impeached.

PELOSI: I pray for the president all the time.

BASH: After nearly two years, Robert Mueller concluded his Russia investigation with a 448-page report. On the key question of collusion, Mueller's probe did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in the election interference activities.

It noted 10 instances where the president may have obstructed justice, writing: "While this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him."

Much to the outrage of Democrats, Attorney General William Barr tried to play it as exoneration.

WILLIAM BARR, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: The evidence developed by the special counsel is not sufficient to establish that the president committed an obstruction of justice offense.

BASH: Democrats were hoping Mueller would clear it up. But his nearly-seven-hour testimony, slow-moving and drama-free, did not.

Then a whistle-blower complaint that Trump urged the Ukrainian president to investigate Joe Biden and his son Hunter in exchange for nearly $400 million in U.S. military aid.

TRUMP: That call was perfect.

BASH: Moderate vulnerable House Democrats, who had resisted impeachment before, changed their minds and called for an inquiry.

An equally reluctant House speaker announced the House would do just that.

PELOSI: The actions taken to date by the president have seriously violated the Constitution.

BASH: A day later, the White House released a rough transcript of

that July conversation. In it was what Democrats would focus their impeachment inquiry on, an apparent quid pro quo.

The impeachment inquiry would make its way through the House Intelligence Committee with closed-door witness testimonies, followed by several days of notable public testimony.

GORDON SONDLAND, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE EUROPEAN UNION: Was there a quid pro quo? As I testified previously, with regard to the requested White House call and the White House meeting, the answer is yes.

BASH: Former Trump-Russia adviser Fiona Hill called out some of the president's team for carrying out a, quote, "domestic political errand" and sent a warning.

FIONA HILL, FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL OFFICIAL: Russia's security services and their proxies have geared up to repeat their interference in the 2020 election. We're running out of time to stop them.

BASH: Republicans attacked the process, generally sidestepping the facts.

REP. DOUG COLLINS (R-GA): You can't make your case against the president because nothing happened.

BASH: Democrats drafted two articles of impeachment, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

[02:55:00]

BASH: Which passed the committee and later the full House on party- line votes, the year ending with Donald J. Trump, the third president in history to be impeached.

So, how does it all end? You're going to have to wait until 2020 -- Dana Bash, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: An update on our breaking news. A suspect is in custody after a brutal knife attack against orthodox Jews celebrating Hanukkah. At least five people were wounded, two of them critically. It was the seventh night of Hanukkah and about 100 people were inside the home that you're seeing right there of an orthodox Jewish rabbi in Monsey, New York.

That community is in Rockland County, just north of New York City. New York's governor has ordered the state's Hate Crime Task Force to investigate the incident. There have been several in the past few days against Jews in and around New York.

I'm Natalie Allen. George Howell will have another hour of news ahead and we'll continue to bring you updates on this story.