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CNN This Morning
Oregon Could Decide Today If Trump Will Remain On Ballot; Supreme Court Under Pressure To Address Trump Ballot Eligibility; Law Enforcement Prepares For Revelers, Threats; Huge Waves To Hit California Coast For Third Day; Republican Candidates Push Ahead Of Iowa Caucus; Civil Rights Leader Kicked Out Of AMC Theater Speaks Out; Top Political Stories Of 2023. Aired 7-8a ET
Aired December 30, 2023 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[07:00:00]
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS REPORTER: The alley-up to Luke Cornett put the Celtics up 2 with 32 seconds left. Boston was playing without Jason Tatum who had set out this one with an injured ankle. They would hold on to win 120-118. They're 16-0 at home this season. League bests 25-6. And, you know, will the Raptors be tired after that loss? The Pistons, they certainly hope so.
They're trying to avoid the worst losing streak in NBA history tonight. The Detroit's lost 28 in a row, tied with the Sixers in 2015 for the most all-time, uh, they are victors. So, you know, those fans in Detroit, hoping that the Raptors are tired after that Celtics game because, I mean, come on, you got to win a game.
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: You just need to get one just to break the trend. Just get one. Andy, Andy Scholes, thank you so much.
SCHOLES: All right. Next hour of CNN THIS MORNING starts right now.
Good morning to you. It's Saturday, December 30th, closing out 2023. I'm Victor Blackwell. Amara Walker will be with you this afternoon. So, it's just you and me this morning. All right, as soon as today, the Oregon Supreme Court could decide whether to keep former President Trump's name off the 2024 primary election ballot.
Liberal advocacy group filed a 14th amendment lawsuit earlier this month. They argue that Trump is ineligible to run for office because of his role in the January 6th insurrection. Now, in briefs filed yesterday, Trump's lawyers organ court to dismiss the case and keep him off the primary ballot. Other states have already weighed in on this issue.
Maine joined Colorado on Thursday in banning Trump from its primary ballot, but both rulings are on hold right now, caught up in court battles. Sources say Trump is expected to appeal them on Tuesday, CNN's Paula Reid reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAULA REID, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): The Supreme Court facing increasing pressure to weigh in on whether states can remove former President Trump from the 2024 ballot, after Maine became the second state to kick him off based on the 14th Amendment's ban on insurrectionists holding public office.
SHENNA BELLOWS (D), MAINE SECRETARY OF STATE: No Secretary of State has ever deprived a presidential candidate of ballot access based on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. But no presidential candidate has ever engaged in insurrection and been disqualified under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.
REID: In Maine, ballot eligibility questions first go to the Secretary of State, not the courts. Trump has called for Democrat Shenna Bellows to recuse herself in this case because of previous comments about January 6th, where she tweeted, "The Jan 6 insurrection was an unlawful attempt to overthrow the results of a free and fair election." She did not remove herself from the matter and now the issue Trump and the state's Republican party vowed to appeal.
JOEL STETKIS, CHAIRMAN, MAINE REPUBLICAN PARTY: Our voting rights, enshrined in the constitution are sacred to us and to have one particular person, remove, remove -- really, the top candidate from the ballot because she dislikes that person, just smells of politics.
REID: The question of Trump's ballot eligibility has been debated in multiple states, with only Maine and Colorado taking him off the primary ballot. Even California, on Thursday, opted to include him.
In a statement, the Trump campaign accused Colorado and Maine of election interference, attempted theft of an election, and the disenfranchisement of the American voter.
Even some of Trump's rivals have criticized states taking him out of the running instead of leaving it to voters.
CHRIS CHRISTIE, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It makes him a martyr. You know, he's very good at playing poor me, poor me.
RON DESANTIS, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Can you have a Republican secretary of state disqualify Biden from the ballot because he's let in eight million people illegally?
REID: The Colorado GOP has already appealed that state's ruling to the United States Supreme Court, asking the justices to take up three key questions.
Does section 3 of the 14th amendment apply to a president? And is section 3 of the 14th amendment to be enforced by states? And also asking whether the GOP has a First Amendment right to choose its candidates. Trump is also expected to appeal.
DONALD TRUMP, 45TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They're trying to take the election away from the voters.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
REID (on camera): Even in states like Michigan and Minnesota, where they opted to keep Trump on the primary ballot, those judges left the door open to re-litigate this issue in the general election. So, the Supreme Court does not weigh in here. This is an issue that could hang over the 2024 election through November. Victor.
BLACKWELL: Paula Reid for us. Thank you so much. Final preps happening right now as law enforcement across the country are getting ready for New Year's Eve. Organizers in New York are concerned that the Israel- Hamas conflict could bring violence to Times Square. On Friday, the city rehearsed the big confetti toss. People there will be shoulder- to-shoulder in the streets. An estimated one billion people will be watching. The NYPD says, that lone wolf attackers could use the ball drop to make a statement. CNN Law Enforcement Reporter, Mark Morales, is in Manhattan.
[07:05:23]
MARK MORALES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTER: Well, Victor, law enforcement is concerned right now with how the Israel-Hamas war trigger an extremist to do a lone wolf attack. That's coming from an assessment done by ten law enforcement agencies which include the FBI, Homeland Security, and the NYPD. Yes, there is precedent for something like this if you remember last year, a 19-year-old extremist attacked NYPD officers near a Times Square checkpoint about an hour and a half before the ball dropped.
Now, in response to that, the NYPD has been implementing something like that to prevent just that type of an attack or to make the response that much easier. They've closed additional streets so that emergency vehicles can move in and out a lot quicker. And they've implemented a lot more training and drilling about how to prevent those types of attacks. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN CHELL, CHIEF OF PATROL, NEW YORK POLICE: So, lone wolf attacks are very tough. Like you saw last year, unfortunately we had a lone wolf attack about 10:00 at night. But our cops were aware of their surroundings, they reacted quickly, their training, and they mitigated the threat. So, lone wolves are hard to track down. Our intel division will be working 24-7 like every day trying to look for lone wolf attacks. But it's imperative that our cops be aware of their surroundings, stand tall, and react quickly to their training. And that's what they did last year.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORALES: Additionally, the NYPD will be monitoring protests. Since the Israel-Hamas war started, there have been almost 500 protests here in New York City. So, they'll be prepared for demonstrators. They'll have extra NYPD officers on site to help deal with that. And that's in addition to the regular security that's going to be here on that night from law enforcement. We're talking about drones that are going to be in the air, radiation detectors, rooftop snipers. That's all going to be here in Times Square in preparation as the ball drops. Victor.
BLACKWELL: Thank you, Mark. People along the West Coast, we're talking California all the way to Oregon, are bracing for a third straight day of massive waves and flooding. Relentless storms in the Pacific Ocean are unleashing towering waves some more than 20 feet. Lots of injuries, some rescues required, destructive surge is going to the streets in some places on the coast. Here's CNN's Lucy Kafanov.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LUCY KAFANOV, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): The terrifying moment a monster wave slammed into the Ventura, California coastline. Bystanders running for their lives.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you doing OK?
KAFANOV: The surge sweeping people and vehicles down the street. At least eight people taken to the hospital.
JOHN FRIZZEL, WITNESSED LARGE WAVE: This wave just came to me out of nowhere. Just this rush. I mean you saw it. It was six, eight feet deep. I'm kind of just shaking. I'm just trying to hold on to positive thoughts.
KAFANOV: The wave so strong this lifeguard had to be pulled to safety by Good Samaritans.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is insane. When I was up on the pier, I actually felt the pier shaking. It doesn't even seem real.
KAFANOV: The massive waves pummeling the coastline, wreaking havoc, flooding streets and businesses. Like this beachfront restaurant in Santa Cruz.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just feel bad for the restaurants. I know they just went through renovations from the last time this happened.
KAFANOV: While coastal residents have seen plenty of Mother Nature's wrath, there's still concern.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a pure state of panic, to be honest, as far as the community goes, because you know there's plenty out there that are not prepared.
KAFANOV: Crews and residents now dealing with the aftermath.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now, we're just trying to keep the houses from flooding.
KAFANOV: While also preparing for what's to come.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are expecting higher waves coming in, and it only takes one for you to be washed out.
KAFANOV: Parts of the California coast could see towering waves through the weekend. Coastal flood and high surf alert stretching from the southern border to the Bay Area. Officials urging caution.
CHIEF JESSE PERI, STINSON BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT: The ocean is a very dynamic, dangerous place. Always, as a kid, it was never turn your back on Grandmother Ocean. So, make sure you know that.
KAFANOV (on camera): Now, the dangerous waves have prompted authorities to close the pier here in Manhattan Beach. But as you can see behind me, authorities are certainly not enforcing that at the moment. People have been streaming in and out here all day to take selfies, take photos. Of course, these waves are not to be taken lightly. Authorities say that the swell can come up very quickly and catch people unaware and so folks are very much being encouraged to keep their distance. Lucy Kafanov, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: Let's bring in meteorologist, Allison Chinchar, she's in the CNN Weather Center. First, I just learned that Ocean was a grandmother. I did not know it was grandmother ocean until that story, but how much longer are these waves expected to last?
[07:10:11]
ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I mean, it's a good question. The short answer is soon, but not soon enough. Because we are still anticipating seeing waves maybe cause damage, just like you're seeing here in this video with the flooded road waves, a lot of that water seeping in and around homes. You've still got these high surf warnings pretty much up and down the state of California here, whether it's warnings or even the advisories farther off in the northern coastline.
Also, the coastal flood warnings because as all of that water gets pushed on shore it has to go somewhere. Unfortunately, yes, we're seeing it sometimes in the homes and businesses and covering those roadways. You've also got some pretty heavy rain coming in with this system too. So, you've got rain and then a lot of heavy snow up across portions of the Sierras. This is likely all going to continue for today. The bulk of this wrapping up later on this afternoon, but then there's a secondary system that's set to arrive by the back half of the weekend.
As for the other half of the country, we also have another system in the Northeast. A lot of folks paying attention there. Not necessarily what it does today, but hoping it can get out in time before New Year's Eve festivities. The good news is that low pressure does, but we have a secondary one that's going to be diving down on Sunday through the Midwest and Great Lakes region, that's going to begin to shift farther east into the Northeast and mid-Atlantic by the time we get to Sunday night.
And there's that secondary system that you see there that's headed into areas of Southern California bringing even more rain. So, places in the east like Scranton and Pittsburgh may be dealing with a soggy New Year's Eve forecast.
BLACKWELL: All right, Allison, thank you so much. Former President Trump's legal issues not hurting him when it comes to voter support. So, is there a way that Trump could lose the Iowa caucuses in two weeks? It would be a historic collapse if it happened. Plus, a civil rights leader says he was kicked out of a movie theater for using his own chair in the disabled section. That man, Bishop William Barber, will join us ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[07:16:15]
BLACKWELL: We're only a couple of weeks away now from the first test in the 2024 presidential election, the Iowa caucuses. January 15th is the date. Candidates head back on the campaign trail today. Former President Donald Trump remains in the dominant figure there for the nomination in the state. The caucuses will provide an initial moment of truth for Trump's comeback bid and could also help anti-Trump Republicans decide which of his challenges to rally behind. Joining me now is the Des Moines Bureau Chief for the Gazette, Aaron Murphy. Aaron, good morning to you.
All right, two and a half weeks out, two and a half weeks or so. Haley and DeSantis right now, I feel like that's the race to watch, this race for second, because Trump is so far ahead. How strong is a "win for these candidates" if second really is what they're realistically going for? He froze. All right control room, what we're doing now? He's back. All right, did you hear the question, Aaron?
AARON MURPHY, DES MOINES BUREAU CHIEF FOR THE GAZETTE: I'm sorry about that.
BLACKWELL: That's all right
MURPHY: So, I think you asked the, the question for these last 16 days leading up to the caucuses, because as you noted, former President Trump has such a large lead, it's very unlikely that either Ron DeSantis or Nikki Haley is going to be able to catch him and win the Iowa caucuses. Now, it's important to remember that you don't have to win Iowa. You just have to have a strong enough finish here to remain viable and relevant moving forward.
So, that's what those two campaigns are trying to do right now is mount some kind of a surge and close that gap at the very least to show the voters in New Hampshire and South Carolina, et cetera on down the road that they deserve a look as you noted as an alternative before President Trump. We haven't seen it happen yet, but it's crazy as it sounds with 16 days left there is still time. We've seen late surges in Iowa before. It can happen.
BLACKWELL: Are you seeing any surges, any momentum as we get into 2024?
MURPHY: Yes, I have to say not yet, and what I do see is very incremental. Look, Iowa Republicans are giving Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis a look. They're drawing interest at their events here, but it just doesn't feel yet, you know, when I compare it to previous cycles, and when you've seen this happen to people like Pete Buttigieg and Rick Santorum, it doesn't quite feel like that yet. That's not to say it can't happen, but I just haven't seen evidence of that quite yet.
BLACKWELL: So, DeSantis has invested so much of his campaign, his resources, in Iowa. If a, he comes in third, and I'm talking a close third, we're talking maybe two or three points of, within two or three points of Nikki Haley, can he make an argument to go on and remain viable after so much of an investment there?
MURPHY: It will be a lot harder to, I think, without a doubt. As you noted, he has devoted a lot of his resources and attention to Iowa. He's visited all 99 counties in the state. He's got a team here. He's got a SuperPAC here supporting him, whereas Nikki Haley has sort of spread out her and taken a more broad approach to the early states. So, if Ron DeSantis places that kind of focus here, it can't even finish second to Donald Trump, can't even edge Nikki Haley. I don't want to say nail him to coffee because that's me making a prediction. It's not up to me, it's up to the voters. But I sure think it would be really difficult for him to make the case that he's a viable option moving forward.
[07:20:08]
BLACKWELL: The controversy of the week has been Nikki Haley omitting slavery in the question about the cause of the civil war. Is that resonating with Republicans at all in Iowa?
MURPHY: Yes, and full disclosure, I haven't been to an event here in Iowa with Ambassador Haley since she made those comments, so I haven't had a chance to ask people who are coming out to see her. But just generally speaking, from what, when I do talk to Iowa Republicans at these events, I don't see that as a deciding issue one way or the other. They have their big issues that they're focused on, like Republicans pretty much anywhere. Immigration, foreign policy, the economy. I don't see this, you know, kerfuffle over this statement being something that moves the needle in any meaningful way.
MURPHY: Aaron Murphy, good to have you. And we fought our way through the Internet gremlins to get you back. Thank you so much. We'll talk again over the next 16 days. Still to come, that time of year, the seasonal viruses are spiking across the U.S. and Americans rushing into emergency rooms. A look at the concerning trend ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[07:25:08]
BLACKWELL: The CDC reports seasonal viruses are on the rise. The agency estimates there have been more than seven million illnesses and 4,500 deaths related to the flu this season, with hospitalizations and deaths trending upward. COVID-19 cases also on the rise nationwide. The CDC reports emergency room visits because of the disease are up about 12 percent. Hospitalizations up nearly 17 percent.
Deaths up nearly 10 percent. Joining me now to talk about this and other health issues, making news, is Dr. Jayne Morgan. Good morning to you. All right, let's start with the, and let's put RSV in there as well. We've got COVID, flu, RSV trending upward. I remember talking with you at the start of fall about the fears about a tri-demic of these three. Is that what we're seeing? Are these the expected surges of this type and this time of year? DR. JAYNE MORGAN, CARDIOLOGIST: Actually, we're seeing both. And what is happening is that people may be getting successive infections. In other words, you're infected with one virus, let's say the flu, and as you're recovering, you actually get infected with a second virus, something different, maybe COVID, maybe RSV, and your symptoms then linger and prolong, and you think it is one thing that is going on and on and on that is not, from which you're not recovering, but in fact, you're being infected with multiple viruses, and when you are infected with one virus, it lowers your immunity and makes you more susceptible to other viruses as well. And this is what we are seeing sometimes, multiple infections and people are unaware of that.
BLACKWELL: The JN1 variant of COVID now is the leading cause of COVID infections in the U.S. That has been on a pretty remarkable trend upward considering the percentage of people who were contracting JN1 just a couple of months ago. What do we need to know about this variant? Any difference than the others that we faced?
MORGAN: And you're absolutely right, Victor. It's on a remarkable trajectory. So far, it is still a variant of interest by the World Health Organization, so we're keeping an eye on it. The symptoms don't seem to be remarkably different from any of its sisters and cousins and relatives within this Omicron family.
However, it does have advantages in that it is taking over the rest of the family. So, it is more infectious and more susceptible and therefore has some evolutionary advantage. It remains to be seen whether or not it can evade some of our immunity. And so, we're keeping an eye on it as a variant of interest, but you're absolutely correct. It is increasing. And as we see these hospitalizations increasing as well, it's something to watch.
BLACKWELL: This is a really bad time of year for this next one to be happening because these viruses can trigger asthma attacks. Manufacturer GSK is going to discontinue the production of the inhaler, Flowvent. And this is starting Monday, starting at the beginning of the new year, the company is going to make what's called an authorized generic version, but that one does not appear to be covered as widely by insurance, so patients may have to use some alternatives. What's the significance of this change?
MORGAN: And this may be of some concern, and actually GSK created these authorized generics really back in October and have been rolling them out. The issue that patients will face is that often you don't have your inhalers refilled every three or four months. And so, within that interval, since October to January, you may not have had a refill. And by the time you get a refill in the new year, that's when you discover that your medication has been discontinued. And even doctors may not have awareness of it.
The good thing, if there's a positive in this, is that the generic should cost less for patients. However, when we look at the other side of it, it may be difficult to find and difficult to source, but also it may not be covered by insurance carriers, may not yet be on the formulary, these generics, and so may cause some interruption in patients who are dependent on these medications right at a time when our winter viruses are increasing and these viruses trigger asthma attacks.
BLACKWELL: All right, Dr. Jayne Morgan, this is our last interview of the year, so you have a happy new year.
MORGAN: Happy new year to you too, Victor.
BLACKWELL: All right, see you in the new year. Just ahead, a civil rights leader speaks out after he was kicked out of a movie theater for bringing his own special chair. He joins me next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[07:34:31]
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: A civil rights leader who was kicked out of a North Carolina screening of "The Color Purple" this week is now speaking out in favor of Americans with disabilities and protections for those people. 60-year-old Bishop William Barber.
He was prevented from using his own chair at the Greenville AMC theater on Tuesday. He was then escorted out of the theater by police. He carries that chair with him because of a disability.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REV. WILLIAM BARBER, CO-CHAIR, POOR PEOPLE'S CAMPAIGN: I've been on Broadway.
[07:35:00]
BARBER: I've been to the White House with this chair.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
BARBER: They called an officer of the law, the AMC theater in Greenville, North Carolina, they would not make amends to simply do the right thing. But we'll deal with it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: Well, AMC released this statement, "AMC's chairman and CEO Adam Aron has already telephoned him and plans to meet with him in person, in Greenville, North Carolina next week to discuss both this situation. And the good works. Bishop Barber is engaged in.
And Bishop William Barber is with me now. Bishop, good to see you again, unfortunately, to talk about this. But let's start at the beginning. You were there, I understand, with your 90-year-old mother at this theater, you wanted to have this moment to watch this movie with her. You travel with this chair because of a type of arthritis.
Yes, as you said, you've carried the chair with you many places. Tell me what happened, how this escalated?
BARBER: Well, thank you so much, Victor. And you know, I'm not ashamed of carrying the chairs because of a disability and people with disabilities should never be ashamed.
People in biblical history, real history have had disabilities, you know. But with all the real issues that is going on, you know, voting rights struggles and struggle for health care, struggle for living wages, the struggle against anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and racism.
When we come in with the chair that I've carried everywhere, from Broadway to the White House, to national pulpits, two managers say you can't bring that chair in here, I let them know what's an ADA, a chair necessity. I know the law, Title Three. Title Three doesn't say you have to alert place in advance.
It doesn't say you have to do any of that. It says they have to accommodate you. Instead of accommodating me, these two managers say no -- say to me several things. Number one, you need to go get a doctor's note and come back. No, we're not going to allow this chair. We only allow a wheelchair. No, you can't bring it in here. And I've done it in theaters and other places time and time again.
They were in clear violation of the law, both the constitutional, and just the law of kindness. You know, I'm a gospel preaching the gospel says when you call a feast or public event, invite the crippled, invite the blind, invite the least of this to come in.
It was traumatic for my mother. We had planned this day as a part of a whole week of celebration for her. And I -- and then and they were black. One of them was black, one of them was, I think, Latino. And that hurt even more, that people who benefit from the Civil Rights Act benefit from ADA, benefit from struggle, my mother helped integrate school systems in North Carolina with literally called officers of the law with guns and their own security guard with gun, to remove me from a place, threatened to charge me with trespassing, when I had every right to be there, as do thousand and thousand of people throughout the zone.
BLACKWELL: So, you say that they called the police. I read and correct me if this reporting is wrong, is that you also called because you were concerned about how you were being treated?
BARBER: Well, actually, what I did was I call 911 to ask if someone could come, they explained to them because I saw the situation escalate. And I saw this security guard with a gun.
I didn't know what his training was. I didn't know who he was. But I did know is that things turn out pretty bad sometimes when an African American man is suggested to be arguing or whatever. And police are called in.
This is not a police matter should have never been escalated. In fact, the Greenville police were quite kind. And they even apologized. And said, they didn't even want to be there. And once I got outside, because the manager threatened to shut down the theater in order for them to arrest me.
But once I got outside, they left. They left. And --
(CROSSTALK)
BLACKWELL: You have -- you had this conversation with the chairman and CEO already. Tell me about that conversation.
BARBER: Well, some of it, I can't, because we've committed to confidentiality until Tuesday. But I think I know that our brother Aron is very sincere. I believe he's very serious about what kinds of changes. He doesn't want this happening at AMC. I believe that he wants AMC to mean to disabled people.
You know, we will -- we will accommodate you carefully. AMC should be, if you come here, you will get accommodations meaningful and carefully. I mean, that's what he really wants. So, we're going to have a serious, long term time conversation, not just one conversation about what needs to happen. They have 10,000 screens across the world.
And, you know, we cannot be in the 21st century, kicking people out of a theater who merely want to watch a movie, because a manager either this likes the law, or this law --
(CROSSTALK)
BLACKWELL: Yes.
BARBER: Or this -- law, or dismisses the law.
BLACKWELL: Yes. Well, listen, you took a chair and put it in a section that is made for people who need a special chair.
BARBER: Exactly.
BLACKWELL: I'm sorry that this happened to you. Bishop William Barber, I thank you so much for your time. And we, of course, will follow what happens with this.
We've got, first of all, coming up at the top of the hour, and of course, we're going to get into Nikki Haley in her omission of slavery as the cause of the Civil War.
[07:40:05]
But I think we've been scrutinizing the wrong answer. It's the nine words after that, that you rarely hear that I think we should get into today. So, we'll do that with Michael Harriot, right at the top of the show.
Also, a mother says that her disabled adopted son could be forced out of the U.S. back to Haiti in a few days. She is been working for years because of the loss of paperwork and documents in the earthquake back in 2010. She says that those final documents to keep her son in Indiana, they force him to leave and she is concerned about his ability to survive once he gets back. She is with us.
And Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, he issued an apology this week. He's got a new collaboration album coming out. Maybe that has something to do with it. Can he resurrect his image? What do you think of the apology? What happens next there?
It's all coming up at the top of the hour in "FIRST OF ALL", right here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[07:45:10]
BLACKWELL: We have certainly had more than enough political drama in 2023.
CNN correspondent Eva McKend has the top 10 political stories of the year.
EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER: When it comes to the top 10 political stories of 2023. This was another big year with unprecedented chaos in Washington, courtroom spectacles, and accusations of brazen corruption.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MCKEND (voice over): At number 10, Senator Bob Menendez faces corruption-related charges.
But you're being accused of aiding a foreign government. Why is it appropriate for you to go into a classified briefing?
SEN. BOB MENENDEZ (D-NJ): Bottom line is, I'm a United States senator, I have my security credentials, and an accusation is just that, it's not proof of anything.
MCKEND (voice over): Menendez and his wife are accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, including gold bars, cash, and a luxury vehicle, in exchange for the senator's influence.
The indictment led Menendez to step aside as chair of the powerful Foreign Relations Committee, but the New Jersey Democrat and his wife maintain their innocence and have pleaded not guilty. He has pledged to remain in his seat despite calls from many lawmakers to resign, including from some of his fellow Senate Democrats.
At number nine, a moving tribute to Rosalynn Carter, the former first lady, humanitarian and mental health advocate. Former President Jimmy Carter emerges from hospice care to attend a public memorial service, paying tribute to his late wife, which also brought together the First Lady's Club.
The Carters became internationally known for their humanitarian work after Carter's stinging presidential defeat in 1980. They have the longest marriage in presidential history at 77 years.
Number eight.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MCKEND (on camera): Hunter Biden's high stakes plea agreement with federal prosecutors falls apart.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ABBE LOWELL, ATTORNEY FOR HUNTER BIDEN: The prosecutors who came forward to us and were the ones to say, can there be a resolution short of a prosecution?
MCKEND (voice over): Now, he is facing three federal firearms charges and nine new tax charges. The case could pose another challenge to President Joe Biden's reelection bid, with House Republicans also investigating the president's son and pursuing an impeachment inquiry into the Democratic incumbent.
So far, the GOP led probe has struggled to uncover wrongdoing by the president.
HUNTER BIDEN, SECOND SON OF PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: I'm here today to make sure that the House committee's illegitimate investigations of my family did not proceed on distortions, manipulated evidence, and lies.
MCKEND (voice over): Number seven; foreign wars create political fractures at home from the halls of Congress to college campuses.
President Biden, calling on Americans to unite behind Israel and Ukraine in their respective conflicts.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: American leadership is what holds the world together. American alliance is what keeps us America safe.
MCKEND (voice over): But the president facing skepticism from Republicans on providing more aid to Ukraine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Republicans disagree amongst themselves about exactly how we should respond to the Ukraine question.
MCKEND (voice over): And pressure from some in the progressive wing of Biden's own party over Israel.
REP. RASHIDA TLAIB (D-MI): President Biden, not all America is with you on this one. And you need to wake up and understand that.
MCKEND: Number six.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MCKEND (on camera): The Republican race for the White House take shape.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're going to win the Iowa caucuses so that --
MCKEND (voice over): Donald Trump closes out the year as the commanding front runner for the GOP nomination, as his rivals battle to emerge as the leading alternative to the former president, after entering the race as the top threat to Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' rise was slow, amid a shaky campaign launch and a series of camping resets.
GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are going to have this debate in Iowa, before the caucus. I will be there. Donald Trump should be there.
MCKEND (voice over): Meanwhile, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley gained momentum late in the year after several strong debate performances.
NIKKI HALEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Where have you all been?
MCKEND (voice over): Amid Trump's dominance, several GOP hopefuls dropped out before the calendar turn to 2024. Including former Vice President Mike Pence, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.
Number five.
AMERICAN CROWD: -- of human rights.
[07:50:02]
MCKEND (voice over): The potency of abortion rights in a post Roe America. More than a year after the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs Wade
On the potency of abortion rights in a post roe America more than a year after the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, abortion rights proved to be a galvanizing issue for Democrats.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want to protect abortion access.
MCKEND: Helping deliver victories for Democratic candidates in off year elections in Virginia, and deep red Kentucky. And voters in Ohio, passing a ballot measure to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We did it!
MCKEND (voice over): Number four. President Joe Biden announces his reelection bid facing significant political headwinds, and setting up a potential rematch with Donald Trump.
BIDEN: This time to finish the job, finish the job.
AMERICAN CROWD: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
MCKEND (voice over): Biden's bid for a second term is imperiled by stubbornly low approval ratings and persistent questions about his age.
His campaign leaning on his legislative record and drawing a contrast with his 2020 rival. BIDEN: There is an extremist movement that does not share the basic beliefs in our democracy, the MAGA movement.
MCKEND (voice over): Despite weariness from some Democrats, Biden is expected to face little resistance in winning the party's nomination in 2024, drawing long shot challenges from Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips, and author Marianne Williamson.
Several third-party candidates have also announced, including Robert Kennedy, Jr. and progressive scholar Cornel West, who could turn into wildcards in the general election.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MCKEND (on camera): Number three; embattled Congressman George Santos expel.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE SANTOS, FORMER REPRESENTATIVE OF NEW YORK: I don't care.
MCKEND: The U.S. House voted to expel the New York Republican, after a scathing ethics report and a year-long swirl of controversy about Santos' litany of lies. Santos becomes just the sixth member in history to be expelled from Congress and the third since the Civil War.
SANTOS: Why would I want to stay here? To hell with this place?
MCKEND (voice over): After winning a battle ground House District, major pieces of Santos's biography fell apart, including his claims around his education, professional experience, and family background.
Santos was later indicted on federal charges, including wire fraud and money laundering, but pleaded not guilty and has denied the allegations.
SANTOS: -- happened here. I'm not really commenting on the ongoing investigation.
MCKEND (voice over): Santos reemerged soon after being removed from office on the celebrity video message site, Cameo.
SANTOS: Well, happy, happy birthday.
MCKEND (voice over): Number two. Kevin McCarthy becomes the first House Speaker removed from the post. McCarthy's ouster came 10 months after he claimed the gavel. Following a floor fight that went five days and took 15 rounds of voting that divided the GOP and saw the California Republican bend to a series of concessions to hardline conservatives.
In the end, eight House Republicans joined with Democrats to depose McCarthy.
REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): Because it's just a few, these eight, working with all the Democrats to ruin the reputation of the Republicans.
MCKEND (voice over): The move sparked weeks of chaos and infighting among House Republicans as they struggled to coalesce around a successor before ultimately voting to elevate little known Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson as the new Speaker.
I want to thank you all for the trust that you have instilled in me.
MCKEND (voice over): Number one; the country's 45th president and leading Republican presidential candidate becomes the first former president to face criminal charges.
TRUMP: I won't be able to go to Iowa today. I won't be able to go to New Hampshire today because I'm sitting in a courtroom.
MCKEND (voice over): Trump is facing 91 criminal counts, ranging from conspiracy to obstruct justice, to racketeering. across four separate jurisdictions in New York, Washington, DC, Georgia and Florida.
Trump denying all those accusations and indictment
JACK SMITH, SPECIAL COUNSEL: An indictment was unsealed, charging Donald J. Trump with conspiring to defraud the United States, conspiring to disenfranchise voters, and conspiring and attempting to obstruct an official proceeding.
FANI WILLIS, DISTRICT ATTORNEY, FULTON COUNTY, GEORGIA: The defendants engaged in a criminal racketeering enterprise to overturn Georgia's presidential election result.
MCKEND (voice over): The Fulton County, Georgia indictment, resulting in this historic image. The first mugshot of a former U.S. president.
The former president regularly turning his courtroom appearances into campaign style events.
TRUMP: This is a witch hunt, the likes of which, probably nobody has ever seen.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[07:55:02]
MCKEND (on camera): In a preview of 2024, when the political and legal calendars are set to collide.
Eva McKend, CNN, Washington.
BLACKWELL: All right, Eva, thank you.
And remember, Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen are back to ring in the New Year from Times Square. "NEW YEAR'S EVE LIVE: WITH ANDERSON COOPER AND ANDY COHEN" starts at 8:00 p.m. on CNN.
Thanks for watching CNN THIS MORNING. :"FIRST OF ALL", begins right after quick break. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[07:59:56]
BLACKWELL: FIRST OF ALL, Nikki Haley not mentioning slavery in her initial answer about the cause of the Civil War is not what deserves the most scrutiny, nor the days of cleanup. Instead, it's her follow up response when the question are highlighted that omission.
