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Final Goodbye For President Carter Begins In South Georgia; Sources: Attacker Used Rare Compound In Explosive Devices; Temporary Vehicle Barriers Now In Place On Bourbon Street. Olympian Edwin Moses Recalls Impact Of 1980 Olympic Boycott; Judge: Conviction Will Stand, But No Legal Penalties; Soon: Biden Honors Recipients With Presidential Medal Of Freedom. Aired 12-1p ET

Aired January 04, 2025 - 12:00   ET

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

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[12:00:44]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

We begin this hour with the start of a long, heartfelt farewell to the late President Jimmy Carter. The first of six days of tributes and observances is underway right now as the nation and the world honor the life and legacy of America's 39th president who passed away Sunday at the age of 100.

An emotional moment this morning when former and current Secret Service agents who protected Carter during his lifetime carried his casket right there to the hearse. And then there was this ceremony at the National Park Service in Plains, Georgia, where the two longest- serving staffers rang the farm bell 39 times.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

(BELL RINGING)

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WHITFIELD: His motorcade is now slowly making its way from his South Georgia hometown to Atlanta. And in a few hours, it will stop off at the Georgia Capitol in Atlanta, where Carter served one term as governor and as state senator. After a moment of silence honoring his service, the motorcade will then head to the Carter Center in Atlanta, where a service will be held later on today.

We have a team of correspondents covering today's ceremonies. Jeff Zeleny is at the Carter Center. Let's begin with Eva McKend in Carter's hometown of Plains, Georgia, where the motorcade made its way to a host of small towns, places where Jimmy Carter and family have made history and made special moments for so many regular residents there. EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Fred, when the motorcade came through, it was solemn, it was emotional, it was quite quick. And you saw people waving American flags, saluting the former president. In many ways, it would have been just what President Jimmy Carter would have wanted his hometown of Plains to be in the spotlight.

And all this week, we've been speaking with residents here, and it seems like just about everyone has a Jimmy Carter story about the way that he impacted their lives on a personal level, whether it was visiting a sick family member and praying over them or being involved in food distribution at food pantries before he fell ill.

They were someone that -- he was someone that they could really rely on. He was their neighbor, he was their friend. But he also touched many lives through Sunday school lessons at the Maranatha Baptist Church that he taught for many decades.

That is how he interacted with many people across the country, and those are some of the people that traveled here to Plains today. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

DARCY BUCK, ATTENDED PROCESSION FOR PRESIDENT CARTER: He talked to me like you and I are talking, and it was first surreal because he was the president of the most powerful country in the world, but he talked on a genuine one-to-one level, and it will always be something I treasure.

RICHARD SMITH, ATTENDED PROCESSION FOR PRESIDENT CARTER: He was just an awesome person with courage and character and intelligence, and he was just a good guy. I've been up here probably a dozen times to go to Sunday school with him teaching it, and he's just so down-to-earth.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

MCKEND: So, Fred, you hear there just a remarkable level of accessibility that a former president, you could show up in his tiny town of about 540 people and then go to the local church and see him teach Sunday school and have these warm moments with him. That is what so many Americans have the opportunity to experience.

So that is part of the tributes here, one of many, but perhaps the most important will be the tributes that come from his hometown here of Plains. And this, of course, Fred, will be his final resting place on Thursday. Fred?

WHITFIELD: Yes. Indeed. I know a lot of people look forward to those last few moments they have with a former president. I love one of the moments that your -- one of your guests earlier today described a woman who talked about how he came over, he saw a wobbly chair, took the chair, and she's wondering, what are you doing? And he ended up returning it fixed?

MCKEND: Yes, in his 90s, in his 90s, just about 10 years ago. He saw something was broken, he didn't ask, he just picked it up and he fixed it.

WHITFIELD: Beautiful moments like that.

Eva McKend, thank you so much.

[12:05:06]

Let's go now to Jeff Zeleny at the Carter Presidential Center, the site of Carter's non-profit organization, his presidential library and museum. Jeff, what will take place there later today when the motorcade arrives and are people already lining up to be able to get a glimpse?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, as the motorcade makes its way here to Atlanta, it will at first stop by the Atlanta State Capitol. Of course, that's where Jimmy Carter first served elective office at the state level as a state senator.

He ran for governor. The first time he lost and then he won and he served one term as governor. And then, of course, that vaulted him to the presidency. So it will -- his motorcade will pass the Capitol here in Atlanta before making its way to the Carter Center.

But this is the site really where the former president did much of his life's work, really over nearly four decades, more than four decades actually, through a democracy, humanitarian effort. So there will be a service inside, a private service inside the Carter Center and then his body will lie in repose for a couple days here in Georgia. And that is where people can come and pay their respects.

We're already seeing, really for the last several days, people have been leaving flowers, leaving notes, leaving remembrances to the former president. And that is something that we certainly are expecting to see more of in the days ahead. But it is the Carter Center here that really is the testimony and the tapestry to what he did for more than four decades.

Again, through working with his predecessor in office, Gerald Ford, they came together to try and work on Middle East peace. He worked on arms control. He worked on humanitarian efforts, so many things, eradicating the guinea worm in Africa.

This was really the life's blood of his post-presidency, his unfinished work, he called it. So this is going to be the site of the next chapter in this state funeral before, of course, he goes to Washington later this week, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, and that ceremony happening at 4:00 Eastern today at the Carter Center along the way.

ZELENY: Correct.

WHITFIELD: Many stops through a number of small towns in Georgia in between his hometown and there in Atlanta.

Jeff Zeleny, thank you so much.

All right, joining me now to talk more about the life and legacy of Jimmy Carter is Amber Roessner. She is the author of the book, "Jimmy Carter and the Birth of the Marathon Media Campaign". Amber, so great to see you. Thank you so much for being with us.

In your book, you write that the 1976 presidential election that Carter won was a transformational moment in U.S. history in so many ways. I mean, you say that Carter's campaign ushered in a change in how candidates run for public office and how the news media covers the campaigns. Explain more about why this was so unique in his 1976 presidential race.

AMBER ROESSNER, AUTHOR, "JIMMY CARTER AND THE BIRTH OF THE MARATHON MEDIA CAMPAIGN": Thank you so much for having me. It's an honor to share a little bit of perspective about the legacy of former President Jimmy Carter. Certainly, his run for office in 1976 was a transformative moment. He engaged in what some historians call the politics of authenticity.

And so, and then -- and of course, the news media engaged in saturation news coverage. As we started to see an elongated presidential campaign and coverage of what had been referred to as the invisible primaries prior to that point.

WHITFIELD: So he was seen, Carter, that is, you know, as a real underdog in that 1976 presidential race. He was a relatively unknown Georgia governor, governor from the South, who started out as a peanut farmer. And I learned today that he actually had an engineering degree as well.

So he really was a unique character. But perhaps his charisma is something that have staged everything. How did he pull off what would become a rather miraculous win?

ROESSNER: Well, I think that he certainly had a key understanding of the shifting media landscape at that moment in time, and certainly the political landscape. So in the aftermath of Vietnam and Watergate, he ran on promises to never tell a lie, to offer the American people a government as good as its people.

So I think he certainly understood the need for transparency, the need to bring moral reform to Washington. And then he surrounded himself with advisers who understood the power of image craft.

[12:10:10]

It's interesting to think now we often associate Reagan with ideas of media genius. But Time magazine in 1977 heralded him as a miracle man because of the genius that he showed in campaigning for office in that 76th presidential cycle.

WHITFIELD: I wonder if you could expound on that intentionality of decency and goodness and this concerted effort to bring a level of diversity unlike any of his predecessors by incorporating people of color, women, into his administration and even bringing the vice presidential office or an office into the West Wing and an office for the first lady there in the White House for the first time.

ROESSNER: Yes. I mean, so to speak to the point about the office of the first lady, I mean, he and Rosalynn, who is his chief political adviser and partner, they really transform the office of the first lady. They modernize it.

No longer do we see her talking -- like planning events and engaging in social invitations, but really pushing major initiatives such as around mental health care. He also modernized the notion of the vice presidency, giving his vice president, Walter Mondale, a tremendous amount of consultation power in his White House.

As you duly noted, he appoints more women and people of color to his administration than any president prior. And he is really intent on making an impact in the aftermath of Vietnam and Watergate, in being transparent, in offering a credible government.

WHITFIELD: And then we would continue to see trying to make that impact in the aftermath of his presidency as well.

Amber Roessner, thank you so much. Appreciate your time, your expertise and the breadth of your knowledge of the 39th president.

ROESSNER: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, still ahead, new questions about the explosive devices planted inside coolers by the New Orleans attacker. They contained a rare compound not previously seen in the United States. Now, investigators want to find out how the suspect got it.

And later this hour, a New York judge upholds President-elect Trump's felony conviction in his hush money case. We'll take a closer look at whether Trump could face any penalties as he heads back to the Oval Office.

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[12:16:41]

WHITFIELD: All right, new details now in the deadly New Orleans truck attack. Sources tell CNN investigators are trying to figure out where the former Army veteran got a rare organic compound used in the explosive devices that he planted along Bourbon Street.

And now we're hearing from the half-brother of Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who expressed his shock over the New Year's Day attack.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He grew out his beard and he became more modest in his dressing. Nobody's seen anything like this coming. This is completely out of character film, you know, these actions. And they're also not any type of representation of what it means to be a Muslim.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN's Rafael Romo is following this for us. So we're learning more about the victims as well. What can you tell us?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's a very sad moment, as you can imagine, an emotional moment, too, for the families of those who died. And a royal source has told CNN that a British man killed in the New Orleans terrorist attack was the stepson of a woman who was the nanny of Prince William and Prince Harry.

British media reported Edward Pettifer was the stepson of Alexander Pettifer, formerly known as Tiggy Legge-Bourke, who served as nanny for both princes for several years and is remembered as someone who supported them after their parents, Charles and Diana, separated and especially following the death of the Princess of Wales.

The royal source has told CNN that King Charles is deeply saddened after learning what happened. Regarding the investigation, CNN has learned that a security firm warned five years ago that the Bourbon Street area was especially vulnerable to a vehicular ramming attack. Both the FBI and ATF say the killer set fire to the short-term rental location where he stayed to destroy evidence, including precursors for bomb-making material.

The FBI also says the killer intended to use a transmitter found in his truck to set off two improvised explosive devices that he had previously placed on Bourbon Street. In an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper, Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser accused New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell of failing to secure Bourbon Street despite requests made years ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

BILLY NUNGESSER, LOUISIANA LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR: The mayor, the mayor and her team failed miserably. You know, today I sent out a video of the balusters in front of Jackson Square. Historical Jackson, two years we've been asking to get them replaced. I didn't let that out to the public because we didn't want people to know you could drive through that pedestrian mall.

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ROMO: And New Orleans Mayor Cantrell said the day after the tragedy that over 10 years ago, the city undertook an infrastructure project that included installing bollards on Bourbon Street, but they would frequently malfunction and had to be replaced. She also said at the time of the attack, there was already a plan in motion to get those bollards replaced.

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MAYOR LATOYA CANTRELL, CITY OF NEW ORLEANS: We were able to build in bollard replacement into our Super Bowl infrastructure package. And because of that, the city of New Orleans has moved forward with that infrastructure that is nearing completion. Bollards were not up because they are near completion. With the expectation of being completed, of course, by Super Bowl.

(END VIDEOCLIP) [12:20:07]

ROMO: Meanwhile, the Orleans Parish coroner released the list of 12 of the 14 people who died in the attack. Seven of the victims were from Louisiana, but there were also others from Alabama, Mississippi, New Jersey and New York, as well as the British national that we were talking about. One person, Fred, remains unidentified.

WHITFIELD: OK. Well, let us know when you learn more.

Rafael Romo, thank you so much.

All right, joining me right now for more on this perspective is former FBI Special Agent Jason Pack. Jason, great that you could be with us. I wonder, as we hear from the brother of the suspect now and how he is described, as our Rafael was just reporting, as having seen changes in his brother and that, you know, along the way he was being radicalized or had been radicalized.

Talk to me about the challenges, not just for family members to identify what's going on and how potentially dangerous this is, but even for law enforcement, for the FBI to be able to know what kind of information to gather about an individual, what may be portrayed publicly and how to piece it together as to whether that person's actions can at all be anticipated.

JASON PACK, FORMER FBI SPECIAL AGENT: Good afternoon, ma'am. Thanks for having me. Yes, those are some good questions, and that's part of what the FBI and the investigative team are looking into right now. The most visible part of the investigation probably over now, you saw ERT folks on Bourbon Street picking up the pieces.

And now, as the investigation moves forward, you don't see these visible things, and so people think the FBI and the investigators aren't doing very much. But what they are doing is asking the very same questions you just posed.

What was going on in his life before this happened, and when did it start? And so they're out there interviewing probably the same family members that the media is trying to get a hold of, too, and putting this comprehensive picture together of just what happened.

I think we've known from the investigation so far that there is indications, though, in his life over the past couple of years of some financial difficulties. There's some indications of some personal relationship problems. And so, in an act of desperation, you look for somebody who will agree with you, and unfortunately in this case, it was the ISIS ideology that he found to choose the outlet for it.

WHITFIELD: Interviewing people and, of course, reviewing video and images, just like what we're seeing right here, CNN has obtained exclusive video of the suspect, Jabbar, loading that now infamous rented white truck. What can be learned from this video as investigators continue to review it and try to piece together all that preceded the attacks? PACK: Yes, I think they'll take what they've recovered both from the truck here at the Airbnb and also as a result of the search warrant at his residence in Houston. They'll take that down to Huntsville to the TDAC lab. It's part of the FBI laboratory. It's called the Terrorist Explosive Device Analytics Center.

They have pieces of bombs from all over the world that have been used in terrorist attacks. They'll be able to see if anything matches any of the components there that they've seen. Sometimes they find things, but, you know, it seems now it's not directed by a foreign organization directly, but self-radicalized over the Internet.

And so there may or may not be things there, but those are leads you have to cover to do a thorough investigation.

WHITFIELD: And we also now know that investigators are looking into this rare organic compound that has not been used in an attack in the U.S. What are your thoughts on this mystery material, how this person may have obtained it, what its potential actually is?

PACK: That's where the TDAC laboratory experts will come in because if it's been used anywhere else in the world, they should have access to that, or they can send out what we call leads to U.S. embassies throughout the world where this may have come from, and through our legal attache program or the FBI's legal attache program.

They'll be able to work with host law enforcement countries to see where that source may have come from and what it is and if it's popped up on intel agency radars around the world.

WHITFIELD: And that there are these so-called cooler IEDs or what's being described as kind of cooler IEDs. Does that still substantiate to you that this person acted alone, or is there more to it potentially involving others?

PACK: Yes, Ms. Whitfield, I think everything that the investigators have so far, and again, we're only four days into this investigation, point to him acting alone. And so that's why these non-visible parts of the investigation are so important.

As the media moves on and the public moves on and we mourn the victims that have died in this senseless act, the investigators are busy at work behind the scenes looking at all these clues, and they're trying to put a timeline together of his entire life, all of his associates, and put all these pieces of the puzzle together to make sure that there are no stones left unturned in this case.

WHITFIELD: And, of course, we just heard the New Orleans mayor talk about reinforcements being put into place around the Superdome in time for the Super Bowl just weeks away. What sort of changes do you believe or modifications might be made, especially as a result of what just happened on New Year's?

[12:25:11]

PACK: Well, the U.S. government, through the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, have this critical infrastructure protection program. They work with state and local governments all the time, and so they'll take what's learned from this.

I know the FBI and the DHS had a call yesterday with almost 6,000 state and local officials on the phone talking about this case, what they've learned, and what some indicators might be to keep their communities safe nationwide.

And so they'll take some of that information, they'll give that to the critical infrastructure folks, and they'll take those and apply those to the Super Bowl plans if any modifications need to be made. I'm quite sure that it'll be the most secure -- one of the most secure places on the planet coming up on Super Bowl Sunday.

WHITFIELD: All right, Jason Pack, thank you so much for being with us. Appreciate it.

PACK: Thank you, ma'am.

WHITFIELD: All right, and we continue to monitor the scenes out of Georgia as President Jimmy Carter makes his final trip to the Carter Center in Atlanta. They're, earlier today, leaving Americus, Georgia.

And while the country honors the 39th president, we're also looking at his life and legacy and challenges. Among them, the boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games.

Up next, we'll speak with Olympic gold medalist Edwin Moses, who was impacted by that decision. Stay with us for that conversation.

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WHITFIELD: Welcome back. This is video from earlier today of President Jimmy Carter's motorcade. It's en route now from Carter's home in Plains, Georgia to the Carter Center in Atlanta today. The procession is expected to arrive there at around 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Carter's one-term presidency is marked with many consequential world events, including the U.S. led boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games. President Jimmy Carter would later call that, I'm quoting now, one of the most difficult decisions, end quote, as president. The decision made indelible impacts on hundreds of American athletes, many of whom had reached their performance peaks for the Moscow Games, only to never be able to recover or qualify for the next games in four years.

Carter made the decision about the Olympic boycott after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan and felt Moscow hosting the games would be a triumph for communism. Olympic gold medal hurdler, Edwin Moses, was one of those athletes whose Olympic endeavors were interrupted by that 1980 boycott. But not completely sidelined. He won gold in the 400- meter hurdles in 1976 and in 1984. He is also the star of his critically acclaimed documentary "13 Steps," revealing some of the power behind his undefeated streak that spanned a decade. And Edwin is joining us now. So great to see you.

EDWIN MOSES, OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST: Thank you. Very glad to be here. WHITFIELD: And so many congratulations on your documentary which is winning so many awards, Italy, Palermo, Paris, the list goes on. Congratulations to you.

MOSES: Thank you very much.

WHITFIELD: And we're so glad to have you to kind of reflect on some very pivotal moments during the Carter presidency. The 1980 boycott directly impacted you at the time. Were you angry? What was your feeling? I mean, so many athletes have said, you know, it -- it -- it really was a gigantic defeat for them.

MOSES: I was with two teammates from 1980, just over the Christmas holiday and we're still talking about it. Everyone was very disappointed. The U.S. Olympic Committee, they had 2,500 delegates back then. And they, two-thirds of them voted for us not to go. The athletes, we didn't have any power, we didn't have any representation back then. So we really suffered.

And many of my colleagues are still in a state of PTSD from not having to have the opportunity. Half of us went back to 1984, but the other half never had the opportunity again. So I was one of the lucky ones. I went back in '84, won again and then 1988. I was extremely lucky to the aberration.

WHITFIELD: Right. I mean, what an incredible opportunity.

MOSES: Yes.

WHITFIELD: But also, yes, I mean it comes with mixed emotions. You were able to, you know, pick up and -- and carry on. So many others were -- were not. This really was a geopolitical decision, you know, the Olympic Games are to be peacemaking, peacekeeping. At the time, were athletes thinking of this or were they feeling kind of conflicted that the Olympic Games should not be part of this geopolitical struggle?

MOSES: Well, you know, in '72 they had the Israeli massacre. At the Olympics in '76, many people don't remember, but the African countries boycotted. It took my main competitor John Akii-Bua out. I was looking forward to running against him in the 400 hurdles. Then in '80 we boycotted. 1984 there was another boycott with the Eastern bloc countries that did not come. So politics and sports go together.

Spike Lee said it in the film. You can't separate sports from politics. And it was during the Cold War, United States versus USSR versus the ESPOC (ph) countries. It was a virtual. We were like warriors who were competing behind the Iron Curtain. And we didn't get to go in '80. Looking back on it did change things for sports in general. Sports became professional, more or less professional. In 1981, 1984, the Olympic Games changed the whole outlook of marketing, the way marketing is done in sports today.

WHITFIELD: Wow, incredible. And then when you think of the Carter presidency, I mean, all of this was taking place with the 1980, you know, boycott. This was taken taking place during the Iran hostage -- MOSES: Yes.

WHITFIELD: -- crisis as well.

MOSES: Yes.

WHITFIELD: I mean, American diplomats were among those being held for 444 days.

MOSES: A long time.

WHITFIELD: So this is difficult decision making for this president. While he didn't necessarily say he regretted it, he said it was a very difficult decision. After that time you had an occasion or two to get to know him as an Ohio born Atlantan. What do you suppose his legacy is? How do you look at his presidency? How do you kind of define the man who had these very difficult decisions to make, but also tried to uphold decency and goodness?

MOSES: The one thing I give him credit for is that he -- we went to the White House in 1980 after the Olympics and he had the courage and the nerve to face the Olympians face to face, invite us to the White House and really meet with us personally, so.

[12:35:06]

WHITFIELD: What did that say to you about him?

MOSES: A lot about character. He really believed and he was a very spiritual man. He was a very smart man, academic man. And from all what they say today, was a very complicated politician because he knew a lot -- about a lot of -- a lot of things that were going on, nuclear engineer, he was a commander of a nuclear submarine. Very big in foreign policy, but he was a very spiritual man.

And it just shows the amount of work that he's done around Atlanta, building houses, eradicating disease, hunger, monitoring elections. You know, he's a man of our times and very, very honest man, very, very honest president. Everyone, we still appreciate him, even though we had a -- we didn't get to go to the Olympic Games, and it upset everyone, but it did change the nature of the Olympic movement because of it.

WHITFIELD: What are you hoping people, as we look at so many beautiful pictures that have taken place over the last, really, the last week and now today, the start of the final goodbye, his funeral, what are the emotions that you're hoping people might feel about him or about his legacy or his impact, whether it was a -- an experience of a setback like the 1980 boycott, or whether there were other things like you mentioned, I mean, his -- his efforts to help heal even post presidency.

MOSES: I think when you look back at Jimmy Carter, President Jimmy Carter, you look at a guy who has character. He was a loving man. He wasn't afraid to tell the truth, and he was willing to admit mistakes, which is something that's, you know, we're lacking in this world today. People are not responsible and taking accountability for what they do. And that's what he did.

And everyone speaks very highly of him, from eradicating the guinea worm to monitoring elections. As I said -- and as I said, he faced the Olympians, he invited us to the White House and -- and face to face, had to have conversations with us all, and he knew we're disappointed. People don't do that in today's times.

So, you know, I'm really blessed that I had the opportunity to meet him in 1980, and I've seen him a few times, but he was a great man. Great man.

WHITFIELD: Were there words that you recall or remember from that White House meeting that were exchanged with you or that other athletes shared that he conveyed?

MOSES: I remember what most people say is that he said something that was very personal to everyone. And I remember, I don't remember what it was, but whatever he said to everyone was very personal and very -- and everyone felt connected. He wasn't the type of guy who would just blow you off and shake your hand and pretend that you were there. He made it personal. And it was tough for him to do that with, you know, 3, 400 Olympians who were really, really angry.

WHITFIELD: Right. Tough. But it sounds like very genuine.

MOSES: Very genuine. Very genuine.

WHITFIELD: Olympic great, Edwin Moses. Great to have you.

MOSES: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Thank you so much.

MOSES: Thank you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Appreciate it. Thanks for sharing your memories and your thoughts.

MOSES: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: And congratulations again on your documentary.

MOSES: All right.

WHITFIELD: Really great. We'll be right back. Stay with CNN.

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[12:41:46]

WHITFIELD: Without a single vote to spare, Speaker Mike Johnson, House Speaker Mike Johnson wins his bid to oversee the narrowest U.S. House majority in nearly 100 years to GOP holdouts stood between Johnson and the gavel until President-elect Trump picked up the phone. Sources tell CNN that Trump argued Republicans needed unity and that voters would not tolerate the dysfunction that would ensue if they couldn't rally together.

With several members of the GOP expected to join Trump's administration, the House majority is set to drop to 215. That means House Republicans cannot afford even one defection if legislation passes along party lines.

President-elect Donald Trump is reacting to the decision of a New York judge allowing his hush money conviction to stand. Donald Trump took to Truth Social this morning, saying Judge Juan Merchan, I'm quoting now, may be the most conflicted judge in New York state history, end quote. And of course, Trump went on to say, I'm quoting now, the judge should be disbarred, end quote.

Merchan indicated in his opinion that the case is essentially over now that Trump has been reelected and he will face no legal penalties. Still, this means he will be the first convicted felon sworn in as U.S. President. CNN's Paula Reid has more.

PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, President- elect Trump is still a convicted felon after this opinion, but there is some good news because the judge is revealing that he will not face any penalties at his January 10th sentencing. Now, the judge did have the option to impose a jail sentence here. He says he will not do that. And in a rare move, he -- he previews how he's thinking about this sentencing, saying quote, while this court, as a matter of law, must not make any determination on sentencing prior to giving the parties and defendant an opportunity to be heard, it seems proper at this juncture to make known the court's inclination to not impose any sentence of incarceration. A sentence of an unconditional discharge appears to be the most viable solution.

So to translate that, this January 10th sentencing will largely just be performative. Now, it's also notable the judge is making a big concession about Trump's role as President-elect, something that his lawyers have repeatedly argued should be factored in here. Here, the judge says, to assuage the defendant's concerns regarding the mental and physical demands during the transition period, this court will permit the defendant to exercise his right to appear virtually for this proceeding if he so choose -- chooses.

So they're essentially saying, we agree with your defense attorneys that you have a lot going on as President-elect during the transition, so you should not be burdened having to travel all the way up to New York. So that is a significant shift from Judge Juan Merchan, who has not been as receptive to similar arguments over the course of this case.

Now here, the Trump team was pushing to get the entire conviction, the entire case tossed out. They were not successful there. So they can continue to appeal the conviction even though there'll be no penalties. But it appears the Trump team is not fully satisfied with this opinion today. In a statement, Trump communications Director Steven Cheung said, there should be no sentencing and President Trump will continue fighting against these hoaxes until they're all dead.

[12:45:06] Paula Reid, CNN, Washington, D.C.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thank you Paula.

Still ahead, heavy snow, hazardous ice and severe thunderstorms. Tens of millions of Americans could soon face brutal cold weather storms. We'll break down how you may feel its impact, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A major winter storm developing today is set to impact more than 62 million people. A combination of snow, ice, blizzard conditions, all of it will stretch across at least a dozen Eastern states this weekend and into next week, making it pretty difficult to travel. Meteorologist Elisa Raffa is here. If you weren't convinced that winter is here, you will be now.

ELISA RAFFA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is arriving with full force.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

RAFFA: I mean, we've got snow, ice, impossible travel and power outages. Look at the stretch and the footprint of this storm. The impact from Kansas all the way to the East Coast, we're talking about places like Washington, D.C. with some major impacts from Kansas City to St. Louis. We're talking about impossible travel blowing and heavy snow, significant ice that will cause power outages. Ice is heavy on tree limbs and on power lines and it will take the power out in some locations.

[12:50:22]

We even have some parts of the southern Illinois going into Kentucky with extreme impacts possible. We're talking about disruptions of daily life because that ice could be so severe. Look at the stretch of all of the winter alerts that we have. All that pink is a winter storm warning mostly for some of that heavy snow across parts of Kansas, Missouri and then stretching into Ohio and Kentucky.

We also have an ice storm warning parts of south central Missouri and southern Illinois where we could accumulate significant crippling ice. All of these alerts stretch again more than 1,300 miles, so pretty far reaching for this storm. It really starts to pump up overnight tonight into tomorrow morning. That's where we'll start to find some of that snow and ice. And the moisture really pumps going into tomorrow. We have cold air squeezing in from the north, all of this moisture coming in from the south. That's where you're going to get a stretch of some heavy blowing snow across parts of Kansas and Missouri.

And then you see that pink, that's that dangerous ice that can really accumulate, especially parts of southern Illinois going into parts of Kentucky. That could really be impactful. It's rain for the south, some thunderstorms along the front. All this pushing east. By Monday morning, you're waking up to a sloppy commute from D.C. to Philly with a mix of wintry precipitation. All of this finally exiting through the day on Monday. Snow totals, we're looking at some 6 to 12 inches some totals, over a foot possible in parts of Kansas and Missouri. You see the snow footprint stretches to the east coast where you don't have the heavy snow to the north. You have that warmer air trying to get in, melting things around and causing that ice. This ice could be the most significant part with up to three quarters of an inch of ice possible. Again, that would be crippling.

Plus you've got severe storms, a couple of tornadoes also possible in the mix.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh. Everything.

RAFFA: Line of storms comes through with some wind damage through tomorrow as well.

WHITFIELD: Terrible. All right, we need the news though. We got to brace ourselves.

RAFFA: Yes.

WHITFIELD: Thank you so much, Elisa.

All right. Still ahead, minutes from now, President Biden will award the nation's highest civilian awards to 19 recipients. Some big names among those set to receive the honor. We'll take you there and let you know who they are. But first, a new CNN film examines the storied career of one of the most influential artists of all time, Luther Vandross. Using a wealth of archives, Luther tells his own story along with voices of his closest musical collaborators and friends. Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(SINGING)

LUTHER VANDROSS (AMERICAN SINGER-SONGWRITER AND RECORD PRODUCER): I used to sing background vocals for Roberta Flack on the road. And Roberta sometimes would have interviews and sometimes she'd be unable to show up at sound checks. So I would sing her songs for her in sound checks to test her microphone.

What happened is that one day she had come back to theater and I was singing and she came over to me and she said, you know, you're getting a little too comfortable sitting on the stool in the background saying ohs and ahs. I really want you to make your own statement and make your own record, you know. And she in effect, fired me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[12:53:38]

WHITFIELD: What? Backup and inspiration from Roberta Flack. Be sure to watch the all new CNN film, Luther: Never Too Much, airing tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back. This afternoon, President Joe Biden will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 exceptional honorees at the White House. It is the nation's highest civilian award. And it comes just days after Biden awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal to 20 recipients, including former Congresswoman Liz Cheney and Congressman Bennie Thompson. CNN's Julia Benbrook is live for us at the White House. Julia, what more can you tell us about who will be honored today? It's an incredible list.

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There are some big names walking around here at the White House this afternoon. And the recipients represent accomplishments in a wide range of areas including from philanthropy, politics, sports and the arts. Now, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, it's the highest civilian honor and it's one that the White House says is reserved for people who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values or security of the United States, world peace or significant societal, public or private endeavors.

So let's take a look at who is being honored this year. There are 19 recipients in total, among them, Hillary Clinton, who has been honored for her decades long career in public service as well as her history making moments as first lady, as a United States senator, as secretary of state and as the first woman to lead a major party ticket as the Democratic nominee for president back in 2016.

You've also got designer Ralph Lauren, a design industry titan and one that the Bidens obviously admire. Both First Lady Jill Biden and First Granddaughter Naomi Biden have been seen in his designs. The First Granddaughter got married here in 2022 wearing a Ralph Lauren dress. Chef Jose Andres and humanitarian, his work with World Central Kitchen has had a large scale impact on communities impacted by natural disasters or conflicts around the world.

The list really goes on and on here though, Fredricka, we've got world renowned conservationist, Jane Goodall, legendary basketball player, Magic Johnson, Bill Nye the Science Guy, Vogue editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, award winning actor, Denzel Washington, and U2 frontman and philanthropist, Bono.

[13:00:08]

Now back in 2017, Biden actually received this award from then President Barack Obama. And it was a surprise, one that left Biden looking visibly emotional. Today could be a bit of a reflective moment for him as well. He's got less than 20 days left before he says goodbye to the presidency and his long career in politics. This event today is expected to start at the top of the hour. So just a few minutes away now.

WHITFIELD: Oh, yeah. And -- and that was a beautiful moment. I think everyone remembers that because it was such a surprise for Biden when Obama did that. And -- and yes, he said he was visibly emotionally, he was moved to tears. He couldn't even speak. But it was beautiful. And today's ceremony will be amazing as well. Julia Benbrook, thank you so much. And we'll get back to you, of course, when it begins.

A new hour of the CNN Newsroom starts right.