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Supreme Court Upholds Republican-Friendly Voting Maps; FBI Arrests Man Who Allegedly Planted Pipe Bombs Outside DNC, RNC; Democratic Socialist Announces Run for D.C. Mayor. Aired 6-6:30a ET
Aired December 05, 2025 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BRIAN ABEL, CNN ANCHOR: Certainly, sounds like a color scheme to start the New Year.
[06:00:04]
All right. Art lovers and -- and party goers are gathering in Miami Beach to kick off the 23rd edition of Art Basel. The art fair features nearly 300 galleries from dozens of countries.
And there's one bizarre installation that involves wandering robot dogs fitted with the realistic-looking heads of billionaires and artists such as Andy Warhol. The creepy canines leave behind photos instead of typical pup waste.
Thank you for joining us here on EARLY START. I'm Brian Abel in Washington, D.C. CNN THIS MORNING starts right now.
AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: OK. New revelations from the admiral in charge of the deadly strike on a suspected drug boat. Do they spell trouble for the Pentagon? CNN THIS MORNING starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JIM HIMES (D-CT): What I saw in that room was one of the most troubling things I've seen in my time in public service.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: A 41-minute struggle for survival casts doubt on claims that the targets were, quote, "still in the fight."
And everything is bigger in Texas, including partisanship. The Supreme Court weighs in on a huge redistricting fight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAM BONDI, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: This cold case languished for four years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: Trump officials say they've caught the D.C. pipe bomber and thrown serious shade at the Biden team. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JANEESE LEWIS GEORGE (D), D.C. MAYORAL CANDIDATE: I'm running for mayor because it's time we had leaders who fight for the people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: Democratic socialists are having a moment in New York and in Seattle. Is D.C. ready to follow?
And he's got legions of fans, and prosecutors are struggling with key evidence. Could accused killer Luigi Mangione somehow walk free?
It's 6 a.m. here on the East Coast. This is a live look at New York City. Good morning, everybody.
It is Friday. It's Friday, December 5. Thank you for waking up with me. I'm Audie Cornish, and here is where we begin, with control of Congress hanging in the balance.
Legal and political fights over voting maps are breaking out across the country. But the battle in Texas now seems to be over, at least for now.
In a 6-to-3 decision, the Supreme Court struck down a lower court's ruling which found the newly-drawn congressional maps were unlikely unconstitutional, because they were drawn -- due to being drawn with voters' race as the main factor.
The Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito says that's not the case. He writes that the maps in Texas were adopted for, quote, "partisan advantage, pure and simple."
And this means bad news for five current Texas Democrats, who will now be running in much redder districts. For three members, their districts will flip from voting for Kamala Harris by huge margins a year ago to new districts, which would have voted for Trump.
Joining me now in the group chat, Noel King, co-host and editorial director of "Today, Explained," the podcast; and Rob Bluey, president and executive editor of "The Daily Signal"; and Lulu Garcia-Navarro, CNN contributor and "New York Times" host of "The Interview."
OK. So basically, this is not a case like the Louisiana case that said, is the Voting Rights Act still relevant? Let's talk about race. This is not what Alito did here.
Can you talk about what he did and how he did it? Because it was brief. And the liberals on the court are like, what the heck? You guys should have talked about this a little more.
NOEL KING, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, "TODAY, EXPLAINED": Yes. And it seems like what happened here is that the lower court issued an opinion, and the lower court was overruled by the Supreme Court.
And I think the question now is, do lower courts decide that they are just going to stay out of this, knowing that, if these gerrymandering fights head to the Supreme Court, you know, the rulings are not -- the rulings are going to overrule them?
From the beginning, this has felt like a real race to the bottom, unfortunately.
CORNISH: Yes.
KING: I mean, gerrymandering, what I think we're looking at now is more gerrymandering and more gerrymandering and more fights. More partisan fights.
CORNISH: What I'm hearing on the right is there are many states, many districts that do not represent the people who live there overall. And therefore, this is some sort of much-needed adjustment.
I want to show you a poll from Texas voters, as they've been thinking about this.
But I'm wondering if there's a miscalculation, meaning if you're not performing so well with Latino voters, and you think, like, now's our time. There's the poll. Do you approve of the Texas maps? You know, we kind of know who does. It's the Republicans.
ROB BLUEY, PRESIDENT/EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "THE DAILY SIGNAL": It's the Republicans.
CORNISH: In California, this looks the same way, but it says Democrats.
But is -- are they -- are they betting correctly? This seems like a gamble. You're assuming you're going to pull the same coalition you did last time with Trump.
BLUEY: We'll find out in 11 months.
CORNISH: Yes. There's like a bunch of unhappy Latino voters.
BLUEY: Yes.
CORNISH: Right? Who maybe are, like, fine, put me in this district.
BLUEY: Sure. I think there's a couple of things going on. No. 1, historically, we know that the president, who's the incumbent, does not perform well in the midterm elections. That's been true for Democrats and Republicans.
I think Republicans are trying to do everything that they can to make sure that this narrow margin in the House at least stays that narrow and doesn't flip to the other side to the Democrats.
CORNISH: Yes.
BLUEY: And then to your earlier point, Republicans look at the six states of New England, and they see not a single Republican representative in the U.S. to your earlier point, Republicans look at -- at the six states of New
England, and they see not a single Republican representative in the U.S. House, despite the fact that about 40 percent of the --
CORNISH: So, they don't see, Hey, we've lost ground there. Maybe people don't like us as much.
BLUEY: Still, 40 percent of --
CORNISH: Yes.
BLUEY: -- of the voters in those states vote for Republicans.
CORNISH: Should the same go for, like, Tennessee where there may be Democratic voters there, but it's not reflected?
BLUEY: As I said, it's a race to the bottom, because both sides are now going back and forth.
CORNISH: Well, here's --
BLUEY: Look at what California did.
CORNISH: -- the people who are dealing with it. Here are some voters, sort of how they're thinking about this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Intentional gerrymandering in order to control the vote. And are we really represented by the proper representative?
I think it's just a way so they can keep control and power and -- and continue on with the next two years as -- as to what they're doing now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Compromise and -- and seeing all sides of the issue and then making a decision is the best possible form of government. And we're silencing those voices. We're marginalizing -- marginalizing them. And my voice is marginalized, as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: Lulu, how are you thinking about this?
LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes. I think it's unsurprising that Alito voted the way he did. Completely unsurprising.
The way that it works is that, when these sort of shadow docket cases come up, they're done by region. Alito's region is Texas.
CORNISH: Yes.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Ergo, unsurprising that this is the way that this played out.
That said, it does have wider ramifications. And we do know that this court has wanted to undermine the Voting Rights Act. Right? And that is the question of how you disenfranchise voters based on race. The court -- this conservative court has repeatedly made decisions that kind of chip away at the strength of that.
CORNISH: Yes. They're moving away at that race argument.
LULU-GARCIA: Right.
CORNISH: As we move further away in the history.
LULU-GARCIA: And so, this is, I think, fits squarely into that, you know?
CORNISH: OK, you guys stay with me. We've got a lot more to talk about.
Coming up on CNN THIS MORNING, another triumph for Letitia James. A grand jury won't indict. Will the DOJ try again?
Plus, he's accused of planting pipe bombs on the eve of the January 6th riot. So why did it take almost five years to find his identity?
And Coca-Cola walking the line. Why a new ad has landed them in trouble with the man in black.
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[06:12:07]
CORNISH: All right. After nearly five years, the FBI has a suspect in custody for the pipe bombs ahead of January 6th. And it's a crime that MAGA world claims was a conspiracy against President Trump.
The FBI says Brian Cole Jr. is charged with use of an explosive device, allegedly planting them outside both the Democratic and Republican National Committee headquarters the night before the Capitol riot.
For nearly five years, there were concerns on the right about some larger potential cover-up in the case.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DON BONGINO, DEPUTY FBI DIRECTOR: Folks, I'm telling you what happened. There is a massive cover-up, because the person who planted those pipe bombs, they don't want you to know who it was. Because it's either a connected anti-Trump insider, or this was an inside job.
Those bombs were planted there. This was a set-up. I have zero doubt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: OK, that was from 2024. But after Cole's recent arrest, Justice Department leaders were eager to take a victory lap, pointing fingers at the Biden administration.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BONDI: All of our prosecutors have worked tirelessly for months, sifting through evidence that had been sitting at the FBI with the Biden administration for four long years. Let me be clear: there was no new tip. There was no new witness.
What I will tell you is that evidence has been sitting there, collecting dust.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: OK. Former federal prosecutor and CNN legal analyst Elliot Williams joins the group chat.
So, Elliot, I want to make sense of this for two reasons.
ELLIOT WILLIAMS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes.
CORNISH: Political, because as we heard as recently as last year, people were talking about this as some sort of cover-up. And this is not what was announced yesterday.
WILLIAMS: Yes.
CORNISH: No one came out and said an FBI plant did this. None of that happened. What did happen that was notable to you?
WILLIAMS: Well, look, we should step back and celebrate this as a law enforcement victory, regardless of who was responsible.
CORNISH: Even though it took four years?
WILLIAMS: Well, OK, everybody who's concerned about how long it took, you know, JonBenet Ramsey's parents would like to have a word. Like, high-profile cases sometimes take a long time to solve.
Now, that's not to say the Biden administration didn't prioritize it or what -- I don't know. I wasn't there. We don't know what the staffing situation was.
But the simple fact is it can take years to solve major cases, even ones that involve cell phone towers and data and so on.
And so, this rush to point -- to switch from calling it a conspiracy to -- to wagging a finger at Joe Biden, which is ultimately sort of a bit of a MAGA playbook in this era, it's a little bit rich at this point. And again, we should just celebrate what happened.
CORNISH: I want to talk about the deputy director, Dan Bongino, not just because we played him in the introduction, but because he's talking about this now. Let me at least play a little of the presser for you.
[06:15:05]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BONGINO: You're not going to walk into our capital city, put down two explosive devices, and walk off into the sunset. Not going to happen. We were going to track this person to the end of the earth. There was no way he was getting away.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: Rob, you also noticed that last night Bongino was asked directly, Hey, you used to say this was an inside job. What happened? What did he say? What did you make of his answer?
BLUEY: Yes. Well, Bongino used to be a commentator, and that was his job, I think, to have provocative things on his show, and that's probably why he's justifying what he did then versus what he did now.
My understanding is, Kash Patel told Dan Bongino that this was his priority: to get this case solved, to Elliot's point. And they did prioritize it. They wanted to make sure that there was resolution to this.
I think that there's also the contrast between what conservatives and Republicans felt. There was an unfair prosecution of those who entered the Capitol, maybe sometimes peacefully and didn't -- didn't take part in any -- any disruptive action versus the pipe bomber.
And so, that's why I think you saw this prioritized.
And the other thing I'll say, just to Elliot's point, they did say the investigation is still ongoing. So, we don't know all of the facts yet. They're just beginning. They have the -- the arrest. But now is the process to figure out exactly what the motive was.
CORNISH: But does it throw cold water on the thing that says this was an inside job?
BLUEY: It would have to.
CORNISH: Like, why were people saying that?
BLUEY: I don't know. I don't -- I don't know that we know the answer to that yet.
CORNISH: We do. Did they come out and say that?
BLUEY: Yes. But they also said that they -- they have a lot more evidence to examine as to exactly why this person did this.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Come on. Come on, come on, come on. If they had even the whiff of a suspicion that this person had any affiliation to law enforcement, I think that would have been the headline.
And they know who he is, right? They've -- we've got his picture. We know where he lives. He was very reclusive. I mean, they have a pretty good profile.
CORNISH: For years, allegedly. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Yes. So, I just -- you know, this is the thing that I always find really hard when we talk about this, is that there's always like, well, we don't know everything. Perhaps there was a "there" there.
And we see now that Dan Bongino was just literally talking out of his butt.
WILLIAMS: And I think that's the -- Lulu, you know, the most important point here. We -- we're -- it's not just Dan Bongino in the minutes and the rush and the anger right after January 6th that he was making these comments. It was literally months before being named the FBI director -- deputy director, that he was up there making these crackpot conspiracy theories and this idea of --
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Because it's lucrative.
WILLIAMS: Yes, and --
GARCIA-NAVARRO: It's lucrative.
WILLIAMS: And what changed in the 3 or 4 months or however long it was, between making money off of his opinions and becoming -- CORNISH: Can I add one other thing?
WILLIAMS: -- and pushing this.
CORNISH: Both Kash Patel and Bongino have suffered some reputational blows in the FBI on the right. And I want to show you something. There's been some reporting. "The New York Post," Miranda Devine did a story about unnamed sources at the FBI who were disappointed with their work. Here's that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIRANDA DEVINE, COLUMNIST, "NEW YORK POST": There seems to be some of the criticism is an obsession with social media. You know, being very thin-skinned to criticism, not listening to the people who have, you know, a background in these things. I mean, Kash Patel and Dan Bongino, neither of them is well-versed in the ways of the FBI.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: So is part of this, Noel, that they needed a win? So, they --
KING: Yes. They definitely needed a win. They badly needed a win, and they got one.
The question I have for Elliott, if you don't mind, is when this guy goes to trial --
WILLIAMS: Yes.
KING: -- does it help him at all that Bongino and Patel were yapping in any sense before he was arrested? WILLIAMS: I mean, I think he can make an argument that somehow his
case is prejudiced. But no. You know, what these folks had said in private.
Really, what's more important is can you get 12 jurors who can be fair in Washington, D.C.? Now, look, you take your time and pick a jury, and sometimes it happens. But no, I don't think that those --
CORNISH: And we're going to talk about more juries in a moment OK, so, Elliott, stay with us. You're going to come back later.
After the break on CNN THIS MORNING, is it a White House cover-up? Two different stories coming out about that double-tap boat strike. Going to talk about what we're learning about what really happened.
Plus, New York and Seattle did it. Is D.C. ready for a socialist mayor?
And good morning, Miami. It's about to be chilly for you. The NHL just announced it will turn the Marlins ballpark into an ice rink for the winter classic for the day after New Year's. The Florida Panthers will take on the New York Rangers.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:23:47]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D), MAYOR-ELECT OF NEW YORK CITY: A mandate for change. A mandate for a new kind of politics. A mandate for a city we can afford.
KATIE WILSON (D), MAYOR-ELECT OF SEATTLE: We will be stepping into office with a strong mandate to tackle the affordability crisis, meaningfully address homelessness, and build a city for working people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: OK, there, you just heard from two self-described Democratic socialists who won their races to become mayor in New York and Seattle, and they say they did it by talking about affordability.
Now, another Democratic socialist is hoping to follow in their footsteps in the nation's capital. D.C. Councilwoman Janeese Lewis George just announced she is running for mayor after current Mayor Muriel Bowser announced she would not seek another term.
In her announcement video, Lewis George also brings up affordability in the city, something President Trump attacked as a ploy by Democrats.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: You know, this whole thing is they use the word "affordability." It's a Democrat hoax. They're the ones that drove the prices up. And all they do is say affordability.
And you're supposed to say, oh, that means they had low prices. No, we inherited the worst inflation in the history of our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[06:25:05]
CORNISH: Joining me now to discuss is D.C. Council member Janeese Lewis George, candidate for mayor in Washington, D.C.
Good morning. Thanks for being with us.
LEWIS GEORGE: Good morning. Thank you for having me.
CORNISH: Now, I don't know if I have this right, so you can correct me, but when you were elected, even to the city council, you were a Democratic socialist. And it was the first time since the late '90s, which is to remind people Democratic socialism is not new.
So, what do you think it is about this moment where, other than Mamdani, the movement would be gaining traction?
LEWIS GEORGE: Yes. Listen, I am a third-generation Washingtonian. And -- and I have seen my neighbors priced out. I have dealt with displacement. My family has dealt with displacement.
And we have to address the affordability crisis here in the District of Columbia.
I have been elected twice to the council as a Democrat. I'm also a member of our Metro D.C. DSA, who's done a ton of work addressing affordability and helping tenants and workers.
But I firmly believe that there's nothing radical about wanting to make our community safer and more affordable. And there's nothing radical about wanting to make our government work more effectively.
CORNISH: Can I ask you something, though?
LEWIS GEORGE: I cannot be --
CORNISH: We know that D.C. and --
LEWIS GEORGE: Yes.
CORNISH: -- and the White House have clashed. Right? And there's been more and more sort of encroachment on D.C.'s home rule and its power.
We also know the president is calling Mamdani like a communist, right? Do you -- does electing you create an unnecessary lightning rod for the city?
LEWIS GEORGE: No. I have been fighting for D.C. statehood and autonomy since I was a young girl, growing up here in the District of Columbia.
So, the fight for D.C.'s autonomy and statehood are going to be paramount for me.
I am prepared to work with anyone, including the Trump administration, to make the lives of D.C. residents better. But also, as a prosecutor, I will continue to use the skills I have to negotiate.
But I want to make it clear that as mayor, it is my job to protect and defend the residents of the District of Columbia, and I will stand up and defend our residents, all of our residents, and defend our constitutional rights.
CORNISH: There has been the issue of crime, and policing has been drawn into relief because of the presence of the National Guard.
At the same time, there has been this pulling back from the defund the police movement. Mamdani is probably the best example of that.
Where do you stand on that issue? And if you don't believe in defunding the police, do you think more Democrats --
LEWIS GEORGE: Yes.
CORNISH: -- in more cities are going to have to talk the same way?
LEWIS GEORGE: Yes. You know, I think two things are true. One, we have to fund our police department here in the District of Columbia. Our officers are facing exhaustion through overtime.
And as a council member and as the D.C. Council, we have funded as many positions as we can, and we are continuing to work to recruit as many officers as we can.
Also, I want to note that, you know, as a black person in America, during a time we stood up and said, you know, we want to make sure that black people in this country are going to be protected by everyone. And if not, there will be accountability.
And so, I don't think these two are separate points. Right? We needed a police force that is adequately staffed and supported. And as mayor, that's what I will do. Because I recognize that it's important not only for our community safety, but as for us as D.C., the more -- the less officers we have, the more we have had to pay in overtime, and the more exhaustion.
If we're going to retain officers and recruit officers, it's something we have to address.
CORNISH: OK, that's D.C. Council Member Janeese Lewis George. Thank you for your time.
LEWIS GEORGE: Thank you.
CORNISH: Straight ahead on CNN THIS MORNING, we aren't taken seriously. Republican women in Congress say their voices aren't being heard. And the House speaker is brushing that off.
Plus, the World Cup inching closer. The FIFA World Cup draw is today. Who could take on the defending champs of Argentina?
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