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First Episodes of New "Harry & Meghan" Docu-Series Released; Sources: Trump & Allies Worried After Walker Defeat; College Murder Mystery. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired December 08, 2022 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:30]

BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR: Hello again, and a warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States, and everywhere in the world. I'm Bianca Nobilo. It's 5:00 a.m. on the East Coast of the U.S., and 10:00 a.m. here in London, where we're following a developing story this hour.

The new Harry and Meghan docuseries released in the last two hours, viewers worldwide tuning in to hear from the royals just as we are here at CNN.

Here's what we know so far, Prince Harry delivers a scathing indictment of the media in the first few minutes, and Meghan reveals why she decided to stay and work with documentary.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MEGHAN, DUCHESS OF SUSSEX: I'm not going to say that it's comfortable, but when you feel like people haven't gotten any sense of who you are, for so long, it's really nice to just be able to have the opportunity to let people have a bit more of a glimpse into what's happened, and also who we are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: With me now, my co-anchor and royal correspondent Mike Foster. We're also be speaking with royal historian Kate Williams in a few.

Max, so now two hours you've had to digest and analyze, what are the biggest takeaways as far as you're concerned?

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, there are similar themes really that the Sussexes have spoken about in the past, this idea that they were under attack by the British media and palace system wasn't there to protect them. In fact, there was conspiracy working against them and that was between the palace or elements in the palace and the media.

So when they wanted to answer back to many of the much of the misinformation as they call it in the British media, the palace would often say, let's just leave, it let's not pursue this. And, male members of the family would also say that the other -- their partners, their wives have been through similar things. So, therefore, you just need to grin and bear it effectively.

These were ideas that Meghan and Harry refused to accept, and Harry would point out to those members of the family that they are something different here. It is the matter of the wife's race, and this was coming up in media coverage. And they felt that the palace should be doing more to protect them, and they weren't protecting them enough. This is part of the documentary, a part that stood out to me.

NOBILO: I'm so sorry, we are going to a sound bite there, we have Kate Williams with us as well.

Kate, something which surprised me so far about the documentary, and I'm sure it will surprise our viewers around the world, is Meghan discusses how there's no one who teaches you exactly what to expect, how to behave. She even references the "Princess Diaries" saying there is no school where someone tells you to cross your legs like this, or expect this at a walk about. She says she Googled the British national anthem.

Is that the case? And why isn't there a support system to help people adjust to being a royal?

KATE WILLIAMS, CNN ROYAL HISTORIAN: Yes, this is what she says, no education, no one helping, her and particularly as an American who did not necessarily understand the British royal system, she says it was particularly difficult. This is really a pointed comment, she did not understand what the royal walk about what was, you didn't know what it was.

They certainly know this has been the case before. It was expected in the royal family that Diana would know what to do because she come from an aristocratic background, her family had been involved with the royal family, but it's very different being a member of the royal family to working as a court for the royal family. Diana didn't have much guidance. Kate obviously had a very long relationship with William, so there's lots to see.

But certainly one thing we do know about Meghan is that some people who were sent to tell her what to do, including Lady Susan Hussey. Recently, there's been racism row of what Lady Susan Hussey said to the charity balls at Camilla's reception. So if there was anyone sent to help Meghan, they would clearly not someone who could help her.

I think this really suggests a very outdated institution. If women and people you marry are not into their complicated role, everyone is watching for you to fail. There could be mistakes made at any moment.

If no one is actually saying this is how to do, we give a hand, over perhaps that is needed and there's urgently how he has talked about modernization, that this would be a key her for modernization for royal family gets this guidance.

NOBILO: Right, Max, this is an interesting point. I feel like whether it was inadvertent or intentional, the docuseries is acting to some extent like a bit of an expose of an institution that is quite opaque and arcane to a lot of people, to anyone that is not in it. [05:05:09]

How damaging do you think it is going to be in terms of how people perceive the monarchy, especially as there are increasing tensions as it sits sometimes on comfortably in the egalitarian modern society.

FOSTER: Well, one of the attractions of the monarchy, the mystique, you don't really know what happens behind palace walls. They are exposing all of that and saying actually this quite mundane and it's not perfect, and being a princess is not what it's all crack to be.

So, I think it's done some damage to the brand to that extent. And also, the idea they didn't fully embrace Meghan who is biracial, and that was one of the issues here when they say they did not take her race into account enough, that is a criticism of the system, and not diverse enough. So, these are criticisms are being laid before and Kate was referencing some of that.

Harry also making the point that they struggled a bit with the idea of this American actress coming in, and he actually thinks members of the family believed it wouldn't last, this relationship. He talks about how he connected with Meghan in a way through his mother, they are very similar people, experienced very similar treatment in the British media, that was something that he wouldn't accept, he did not want to see that happening all over again with his wife as happened to his mother.

This is a moment from the documentary.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX: To see another woman in my life who I love to go through this media frenzy, that is hard. It is basically the hunter versus the prey.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: The conspiracy theory he was talking about between royal correspondents, he says the press pack of royal correspondents is essentially just a pr arm of the royal family, it has been an agreement that has been there for 30 years. So these sort of systems, he does not believe should be broken, and that is effectively what pulled him out. That press pact is one thing that has also a large part of the rest of the media, which has completely you know running wild as it were and do come up with lots of speculative stories which they're frustrated with as well.

So, which part of the media are they talking about? And actually, I think there is something more from the palace which would say this conspiracy theory does not exist, it is just a ruling system where we have one camera instead of 30, and media outlets need to share the footage.

NOBILO: Kate, I'd like to ask you about this idea that Harry outlines in the documentary where he says that the royal press pack functions essentially as an extension of the PR arm of the royal family of the palace. You obviously constantly are in communication with these people, you work alongside them all the time, is that your assessment of the reality?

WILLIAMS: Well, what Harry said, yes, he said there is an extension of the PR arm of the palace, and he did not go into much more detail there. But we do know from some of the trainers that he is later going to say that it was not just a media attacks on him, there were also leaks and plants coming from it seems within the royal household.

So he's going to talk about relationships between possibly members of the royal family, and journalists outside so clearly he very much feels as if there was an agenda out to get him and it is interesting if he says it's an extension of the PR arm of the royal family, he's suggesting that the PR arm did not want good PR for Harry and Meghan, because that is the inference he's making there, and the PR arm was saying some is good, some not so good.

So, certainly, but I do think that there is an important role from the palace. Here my personal feeling is, we saw this huge amount of criticism of Meghan and Harry for some many reasons, I think some of that could have been stopped by the palace. Some of that could have been -- remember there was Harry and Meghan had bought cottage $2.4 million of taxpayers' money, spent on, that was what happened with all royals. They all get a property, crown money spent on it, never was criticized before.

The $2.4 million was all over the place, headlines. I think the palace could have put out a statement saying this is usual practice for royals. We are happy with the 2.4 million. It does not need this coverage.

But they didn't. The coverage just did run wild, you know, it continued and certainly I think we will have over the next coming days, I think we will have a lot of -- I don't think falloff from the you family, but lots of sources who will make what they think clear, lots of journalists who will have -- will say points. So I think this is just the beginning, this is the opening, there will be lots more comments coming from the media, those who will disagree with, us and of course next week we have three more episodes, and it seems to me as if those three episodes will be the ones in which Harry makes it clear how stories are planted against him.

NOBILO: You do get that sense it is ramping, up and it is interesting when you say the opportunity to nip the story in the bud.

[05:10:02]

Was it a function of this communication strategy just to not oxygenate the media, or was it more calculated than that. I think that's the question.

Max, we also heard from Doria Rogland, Meghan Markle's mother who was lauded by many in this country for the impeccable composure and craft that she exhibited especially when thrust into this institution, the royal wedding and that media feeding frenzy.

What did we hear from her?

FOSTER: Yeah, that was interesting, wasn't, it that vision of her at the royal wedding on a room effectively supported by Charles actually at one point that was quite extraordinary imagine what she has been going through, particularly living over on the other side of America and dealing with all the pressure that comes with that and we heard from the very first time this morning --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DORIA RAGLAND, MEGHAN'S MOTHER: I felt unsafe a lot, I can't just go walk my dogs, I can go to work, there was always someone there waiting for me, following me to work. I was being stalked by the paparazzi.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: So there are lots of fresh voices in, here and in context really I would say, Bianca, to a lot of the themes that the Sussexes about before, I think they do see this as effectively a historic document, what happened behind the scenes from their point of view. They also point out very early on Netflix, too, the members of the royal family were invited to comment as part of this documentary, but they declined to.

NOBILO: Max Foster and Kate Williams, thank you both. We'll have more from you later in the show.

It has been a rough month for former President Trump, multiple court losses backlash over a dinner at Mar-a-Lago and now another defeat for one of his handpicked Senate candidates.

Herschel Walker was the former president's last hope to put a spark into a lackluster 2024 comeback bid for the White House. Now there are questions among Trump's inner circle about whether his candidacy is a good idea.

CNN's Kristen Holmes has more

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Allies and advisors to former President Trump are deeply concerned about what Herschel Walker's loss means for the former president. They had hoped that Walker would win, of course Walker being Trump's handpicked candidate in that Georgia election. And would breathe new light into what has been a lackluster launch of his 2024 campaign.

They also hoped that a win would and these calls for new GOP leadership, after so many of Trump's candidates in the midterms failed. Now what they're seeing is quite the opposite. They are concerned that this loss is going to lead to more people, more demand for people to challenge former president Donald Trump when it comes to 2024. Remember, this loss of walker's coming off a very bad week for the former president.

And we are told that he has been stewing at his Mar-a-Lago resort. He is calling allies. He is calling advisers, he is upset about his campaign success so far. He is upset about those verdicts in New York, and he remains upset about Herschel Walker.

Now there is a reason for this. We are hearing from a number of people who are former Trump supporters who are saying, it is time to move on. I want to reach one quote here, and this is from someone close to Trump.

This is what they, said they said, Donald's got this problems right now, and they are so numerous that I don't think he can win. I want to back a winner. There are a lot of friends of mine who don't want Trump at the top of the ticket, because they feel like it's a killer.

That is a pretty strong statement here from somebody who has backed Donald Trump and even spoken to him recently. This is somebody close to the former president.

One thing to keep in mind, though, is even with all of this, we talked to advisers, we talked to Republicans who do not support Trump, but say they are wary of him because they say they have been down this road before, and they believe there is still a portion of the base who does not really care about any of this and only cares about supporting Donald Trump.

So that is something, of course, that is yet to be seen, but certainly seems like a pivotal moment, a moment which the former president has the most politically vulnerable he has been in years.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: There is new legal trouble for Donald Trump, too. The Justice Department pressurized former president for months about fully complying with a May grand jury subpoena to turn over all materials with classified markings. Now his lawyers say that they have just found more.

Here's CNN's Evan Perez.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPODENT: A team hired by Donald Trump's lawyers found two more documents that were marked classified in a storage facility when they conducted a search of four Trump properties recently. The Trump team turned over the documents to the FBI which in August conducted a search of the former president's home in Florida.

[05:15:04]

The Justice Department lawyers have repeatedly told the Trump lawyers that the government believes there are still additional documents missing and that has raised the prospect that Trump was disobeying a federal grand jury subpoena this summer that ordered him to turn over all government records that were marked classified.

A source tells CNN's Kaitlan Collins that the Trump lawyers oversaw the searches of four properties. Trump Tower in New York, Bedminster golf club and office location in Florida, and a storage unit where those two documents were found and we are the general services administration's had shipped Trump's belongings after he left the White House. Trump's lawyers offered to let the federal investigators observe the search, and has -- but the offer was declined.

A spokesman for Trump said the former president and his counsel, quote, continue to be cooperative and transparent with the federal investigation.

Evan Perez, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: Coming up, an emotional meeting for police with the families of four University of Idaho students who were murdered last month.

And winter has come early to parts of the Western U.S., with bitter cold temperatures and heavy snow.

Derek?

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yeah, Bianca, we have opened up the storm door for a large swath of the United States, storm after storm, lining up, it's going to bring rain and snow to millions. I will highlight all the details of this active pattern coming up shortly after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:20:40]

NOBILO: New details are emerging from the Harry and Meghan docuseries that dropped in the last two hours. The duke and duchess of Sussex talk about their love story, and how they got together, and Harry speaks about being harassed by the paparazzi and about what his mother, Princess Diana, endured.

He says it is hard to watch another woman in his line go through that same feeding frenzy. Harry also describes a conspiracy of sorts between the media and royal palace. We will bring you more revelations from this documentary as we get them.

New details about the Uvalde School shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers back in May. CNN has learned Ruben Nolasco has vital information about the gunman but did not share it during the initial police response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: You what's really happened. You were there.

SHERIFF RUBEN NOLASCO, UVALDE COUNTY: Thirty minutes after it started, OK? So, I wasn't there for the 35 minutes, at least the first 35 minutes.

REPORTER: The first 35 minutes is not accurate. He was there sooner.

DEPUTY VERA: In a classroom, Sheriff. I don't know which classroom, but he's in a classroom.

REPORTER: CNN analysis of body camera footage shows Nolasco arrived at Robb at 11:49 a.m., just 16 minutes after the shooter first went inside.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: It shows Nolasco chose instead a different crime scene already under control, as far as -- a far greater disaster was unfolding. CNN will have the full exclusive story later on the day for you.

And it could be a first big break in the investigation into the murders of four University of Idaho students. People are searching for the driver of a white Hyundai Elantra that was spotted near the off- campus house for the students killed last month. They say that the occupant or occupants of the car may have critical information of this case. Police have begun returning personal items to the victims families, they still have not identified a suspect but have received thousands of tips and are asking the public for more.

We get the latest from CNN's Nick Watt.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wednesday, the Moscow police department began taking some of the belongings of those four murdered students out of the house where they leave, the house where they were killed. Police chief says some of the parents have asked for belongings back, he said maybe some of these things had fallen memories for the parents, maybe things that these parents had given it to their children and hopes that this in some very small way will help with their healing process.

The chief also says that that house is still an active crime, seen the progress is being made, in the investigation. It is now more than three and a half weeks since those four students were murdered. Around six and a half thousand tips they have received so far, they are asking for more information, particularly regarding the last movements of two of the victims, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle, who we believe we're at a frat house in the four or five hours leading up to them going home where they were killed.

Police are asking for any little -- any little piece of information, however trivial it might seem, call it in, because that might help investigators put together a clear picture of what happened that evening.

There is some frustration at the lack of progress, or at least a lack of public progress in this investigation, no murder weapon found, still no suspect in custody. Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE) NOBILO: The western U.S. getting an early taste of winter with a bitter cold temperatures at whiteout conditions forecast in some areas today.

Let's go straight to meteorologist Derek Van Dam live at the CNN weather center.

Derek, what's the latest?

VAN DAM: OK, Bianca, I remember last hour, I said to you, I was thinking about singing -- beginning to look a lot like Christmas. I thought maybe I cared about our viewers hearing a bit about singing that to them, this is the weather pattern you want to see if you are looking for a white Christmas because we have storm, after storm, after storm that's going to bring plenty of the wet stuff across the large swath of the U.S.

[05:25:05]

There is a lot to digest, but this is the first initial storm where you see the winter weather advisories across the Great Plains, and into the Midwest. This is a secondary storm impacting the Pacific Northwest and this winter storm watch. That's for a future storm that's going to impact us into the California region by Saturday and Sunday.

So lots to digest but I want you to see this avalanche threat, very interesting to note at the mountain southwest of central Colorado, very unstable snow pack at the moment, so dangerous to get out into the backcountry.

This is the first initial storm system gathering some steam, taking advantage of that gulf of Mexico moisture, you can see on the cold side of this Wichita, Kansas, a bit of mixture from the moment, that storm s going to continue to form as it races towards the northeast. That is why we have the winter weather advisories in place.

Across the Pacific Northwest, this is the second storm bringing low elevation rain, high elevation snowfall through the Cascades, Seattle, Portland, today is going to be very wet and unsettled. But this is the main event, the big snowstorm that is going to impact California with multiple feet of snow. Some computer models depicting upwards of five feet before the end of the weekend, just incredible.

So here, as timing it out, the four storm system moving across Omaha, Minneapolis, it will be too warm for snow in Chicago, I think it will be state rain for you. Is the secondary rain system impacting the northern, Rockies and third storm enters the equation by the end of the weekend this will put in a significant dent in our drought over the Western U.S.

Good news.

NOBILO: Derek, thank you so much. We'll see you soon.

VAN DAM: You're welcome. NOBILO: The first episodes of Harry and Meghan's highly anticipated Netflix docuseries have just been released. The revelations coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:30:00]