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CNN This Morning

More Epstein Files Released; It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like... The Flu; ICE Detains Woman Whose Lawyer Says is a U.S. Citizen. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired December 23, 2025 - 06:00   ET

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

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR: However, Banksy's representatives have only confirmed that this one work is his.

[06:00:09]

Powerball jackpot has jumped to an estimated $1.7 billion for Wednesday's drawing. That's after nobody won the grand prize on Monday.

New jackpot still short of the all-time U.S. Powerball record of $2.04 billion. That was in 2022.

Monday's drawing still produced nine million-dollar winners, so check your tickets. The numbers are 3-18-36-41-54 and a red Powerball of fif [SIC] -- of 7. Excuse me. Got to get that right.

All right. Thanks for joining us here on EARLY START. I'm Rahel Solomon, live in New York. I will see you tomorrow. CNN THIS MORNING starts right now.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this morning with breaking news. Another batch of Epstein files released overnight by the Justice Department.

CNN is going through those documents now, and we're going to share as much information as we can as we learn more.

We also have new details on the relationship between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. Flight records show Trump, quote, "traveled on Epstein's private jet many more times than previously has been reported, or that we were aware." That's what an assistant U.S. attorney from the Southern District of New York wrote in an email dated January 8, 2020.

Now, the emails also say there were several flights back in the '90s where Trump was a passenger, along with Ghislaine Maxwell. And there's at least one flight where Epstein and Trump traveled alone. That was back in 1993.

Now, the president yesterday, before these documents were released, was calling the Epstein reporting a distraction. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: You probably have pictures being exposed of other people that innocently met Jeffrey Epstein years ago, many years ago, and they're highly respected bankers and lawyers and others, and they'll end up, because of guys like Massie, who's a real lowlife, whose polls are down to about 9 percent, by the way, the great state of Kentucky. He's just being used by the Democrats. Because what this whole thing is with Epstein is a way of trying to deflect from the tremendous success that the Republican Party has.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Joining us now to discuss, Stephen Collinson, CNN senior politics reporter; Penny Nance, president and CEO, Concerned Women for America; Maria Cardona, CNN political commentator. You guys, welcome to the show.

PENNY NANCE, PRESIDENT/CEO, CONCERNED WOMEN FOR AMERICA: Thank you.

CORNISH: Thanks for being here.

I want to start with you, Stephen, because when the first files came out, there were so many redactions or jokes online about the big black squares. Do you think this shows that the pressure is working to release more?

STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: It could be. Often in Washington, there's not necessarily a conspiracy. Scandals are often caused by incompetence.

So, it could be the Justice Department is getting its act together. That said, the way the Justice Department has behaved during the Trump administration doesn't give them an awful lot of benefit of the doubt.

In terms of these flight logs, we knew before that Donald Trump had traveled on Epstein's plane on several occasions. This adds to the volume of that information, and I think it will put the spotlight back again on whether the president is being completely candid about his relationship with Epstein.

In those remarks, it was interesting that he appeared to be siding more with the people who used to know Epstein and whose reputations could be tarnished by the disclosure of information --

CORNISH: Yes.

COLLINSON: -- rather than the survivors who have been expressing great dissatisfaction at the pace of these disclosures.

CORNISH: I want to raise something, because one of those people is Bill Clinton, his spokesperson. Actually, responded online on Twitter, calling, actually, for more additional material related to the former president to be released.

At the time, they said, "What the Department of Justice has released so far and the manner in which it did it, makes one thing clear: someone or something is being protected. We do not know whom, what or why, but we do know this. We need no such protection.

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think that's actually really smart, because it goes against what Donald Trump is trying to do, which is distracting people, trying to put the spotlight on Bill Clinton; when in fact, everything that the Department of Justice has done, from dragging their feet; to putting things out there, incredibly redacted; to putting things out there that include pictures of Trump and then taking them up -- taking them out and then putting them out again.

I mean, the incompetence, to your point, Stephen, points to what I believe is a fear of what actually is in there.

NANCE: Well, I don't --

CARDONA: The more that there is drip, drip, drip, you know, it doesn't make sense.

NANCE: Well, and my -- I disagree with my dear friend Maria. And that is to say, like, listen, President Trump signed the bill, the law that requires the release of all of this.

[06:05:00]

I -- as a -- as a -- as a survivor of an assault, I feel very strongly that this issue has to be treated with the respect that it deserves. And all of these victims deserve justice. That's what I told Alex Acosta.

CORNISH: So, what's your response to the victims who are saying --

NANCE: Hold up.

CORNISH: Look, I don't think the president is treating this --

NANCE: Well --

CORNISH: We don't feel satisfied by what we're hearing. And I don't mean to interrupt you, but you have victims speaking out repeatedly.

NANCE: Yes. And I believe they will get what they deserve. I believe in time they will.

And I actually think that this began with Alex Acosta when -- when he was -- was the prosecutor --

CORNISH: Yes, in Florida.

NANCE: -- that gave him the sweet deal in Florida.

CARDONA: Yes. I agree with that.

NANCE: And President Trump actually fired him for it when this all became clear. It should have happened sooner, but it did. And I actually think that we have done ourselves, as conservatives, a

disservice not requiring this to all come out immediately.

CARDONA: Yes, agreed.

NANCE: Because the truth is that all the victims have said that Donald Trump was not guilty. In fact, Virginia Giuffre said that. I'm sorry. I think I'm saying her name wrong. Said that he didn't even flirt with her.

So, this is -- the issue is not about Donald Trump, but it is an issue about some very powerful people.

CARDONA: Then why is it taking so long?

CORNISH: Well, let me pause because --

NANCE: Because I think they're concerned about their --

CORNISH: We're actually going to learn more about the documents, No. 1.

We're going to have a survivor on later today. So, you'll get to hear from them directly. And it's important to note that the president, as you said, has not been accused of being involved in Epstein's criminal activity.

We're going to be watching for what comes out of those documents today.

Coming up on CNN THIS MORNING. D.C. gun laws are now being criticized. Why the Trump administration is suing the nation's capital over its weapons restrictions.

Plus, fans feeling blindsided after the Kansas City Chiefs call an audible to move across state lines.

And Greenland says it's not up for grabs after the president sends a special envoy to the territory.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We need it for national -- we need Greenland for national security, not for minerals.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:1

CORNISH: It is ten minutes past the hour. Here are five things to know to get your day going.

Five people have been confirmed dead, including a 2-year-old, after a Mexican naval plane carrying medical patients crashed into Galveston Bay in Texas. Now, this happened on Monday.

Two people were pulled from the water. One person still unaccounted for. The flight was carrying burn victims.

Heavy fog had been reported in the area at the time, but the cause of the crash is still under investigation.

And the Trump administration suing the local government of Washington, D.C., over its gun laws. The Justice Department claims D.C. is imposing an unconstitutional ban on AR-15s and other semi-automatic weapons.

And the president appears to be once again making a play for Greenland. Yesterday, he announced the appointment of a special envoy to the self-governing Danish territory, Denmark's foreign minister called the appointment completely unacceptable.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARS LOKKE RASMUSSEN, DANISH FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): Out of nowhere, there is now a special U.S. presidential representative who, according to himself, is tasked with taking over Greenland. This is, of course, completely unacceptable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: In a social media post, Trump reiterated his claim that Greenland was essential for national security.

And Barry Manilow, diagnosed with early stage lung cancer. He says he's set to undergo surgery to remove a cancerous spot on his lung. The singer will be rescheduling his January concerts.

Manilow is 82 years old.

And the Kansas City Chiefs are out of the NFL playoffs, and soon they'll be out of their home stadium. The team announced they'll be leaving Arrowhead Stadium and the state of Missouri. A new stadium with a dome is being built in Kansas. It's expected to be ready in 2031.

And after the break on CNN THIS MORNING, the Trump administration puts a stop to naturalization ceremonies, a move that has sparked debate over presidential power. How lawmakers are responding.

But first, this: flu season is ramping up. Doctors say they're actually worried.

In the meantime, good morning. Very early morning to L.A. The region bracing for a storm that's expected to slam Southern California with heavy rain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:17:47]

CORNISH: This week we're not just spreading holiday cheer. We're passing around germs, as well.

A flu super strain is spreading across the country. In the CDC's latest report, positive flu cases are up nearly 15 percent from the week prior.

Health agencies across 14 states report high or very high transmission of the virus, mostly concentrated in the Northeast. In New York, state health officials sent out a health alert to its hospitals after flu cases spiked 83 percent, week over week. The surge is hitting about a few weeks earlier than normal.

And joining me now is Dr. Michelle Morse. She's the acting health commissioner with the city of New York. Thanks for being with us.

DR. MICHELLE MORSE, ACTING HEALTH COMMISSIONER, NEW YORK CITY: Thanks for having me.

CORNISH: So, I understand this is a "K" variant which is being blamed for the surge in flu cases. Can you talk about what you are seeing, apparently, in city hospitals? I

MORSE: It is an incredibly busy time. It's respiratory viral season, and flu is the predominant virus we're seeing right now.

Our hospitals are quite busy. That is normal for this part of respiratory viral season for us. However, we are seeing a significantly higher number of flu cases 2 or 3 weeks earlier than we normally would in respiratory viral season.

And that, we do think, is because the strain of flu that's circulating most widely right now is the H3N2 strain. Any season where that strain is predominant tends to be a bit of a more intense and severe flu season.

And as you alluded to specifically within the H3N2 strain, subclade K is a recent subvariant that has really taken over and is causing, I would say, lots of cases across New York City.

CORNISH: Can I ask you a question in layman's terms, which is I got the flu shot. Was there any point in doing that or is this not really going to help me?

MORSE: That is the most important message. The flu shot actually is still quite protective. And I'm glad you got the flu shot. Everyone six months and older should get it.

[06:20:04]

The power of the flu shot is, it's going to keep you out of the E.R. It's going to keep you out of the hospital, and it's going to keep you from having worse complications.

In New York City, we see 1,500 to 2,000 deaths from flu and pneumonia every respiratory viral season. That number is way too high.

In fact, if we had higher rates of flu vaccination, we would see those numbers be much lower.

And the most important thing, as well, is that what we do know is that the current updated flu shot is still offering quite a bit of protection from the worst and most dangerous outcomes from the flu, despite the emergence of the subclade K strain of the H3N2 flu virus.

CORNISH: So, some of the symptoms people are familiar with: fever, chills, cough, body aches, headaches. But I -- in the aftermath of COVID, right, in these years later, we're all much more attuned to respiratory illnesses, whether it's RSV, or on the panel, we were talking about mono.

Can you help people figure out what to do when, like, all of these different things are, in a way, converging?

MORSE: That's absolutely right. We are seeing lots of viruses circulating right now.

And the most important thing to do, if you're starting to feel sick, those flu-like symptoms that you described, is to get tested. You can do home tests. You can go to see your provider.

If you get tested, then you'll know. Is it flu? Is it COVID? Is it RSV? Is it something else?

And the reason that's important is particularly for people who have a history of medical issues or chronic conditions. You might qualify for treatment for flu or treatment for COVID. And those treatments tend to make your symptoms resolve more quickly. They decrease your chances of the worst complications again, like being in the E.R., the hospital, or death.

And those -- those medications specifically for COVID can decrease your chances of developing long COVID, as well.

So, it's really good to get tested as early as you can to see what you have, see if you qualify for treatment. And then hopefully, you'll feel better as quickly as possible.

CORNISH: OK, Dr. Michelle Morse, good luck.

MORSE: Thanks so much.

CORNISH: Ahead on CNN THIS MORNING, her attorney says she's a U.S. citizen. ICE says she is not. Next, the fight unfolding over a Maryland mother who is being held by ICE and is now bound for deportation.

And a lawsuit over the renaming of the Kennedy Center. Why one lawmaker says it was illegal to add President Trump's name.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:26:48]

CORNISH: Breaking news: the Justice Department has released tens of thousands of new documents from the Jeffrey Epstein files. We're going to be combing through the documents now here at CNN.

We're also learning new details about the relationship between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein this morning. An email, for example, from an assistant U.S. attorney from the Southern District of New York in January of 2020, states that flight records show Trump, quote, "traveled on Epstein's private jet many more times than previously has been reported, or that we were aware."

Now, it's important to note: the president has not been accused of being involved in Epstein's criminal activity.

It's now almost 26 minutes past the hour, and here's what else is happening right now.

Another person confirmed dead after a U.S. boat strike on a suspected drug boat. This one happened on Monday.

So far, more than 100 people have been killed in these strikes since September. The White House calls them narco terrorists. Some lawmakers say the administration has not offered evidence to prove that.

And a Democratic congresswoman is suing Trump officials over the move to rename the Kennedy Center to the Trump Kennedy Center. So, the suit claims Trump's board altered the venue's name without congressional approval. She wants the name switched back.

And a judge orders the Trump administration to return nearly 140 Venezuelan migrants who were wrongfully deported to El Salvador. The ruling says officials did not follow proper immigration procedures.

The government argues the deportations were lawful under national security rules.

And from wrongful deportations to wrongful detainment. The administration is accused of increasingly taking Americans into immigration custody.

ProPublica, for example, has reported that as many as 170 citizens have been detained by immigration forces this year.

A Maryland mother may be the latest case, and the circumstances are desperate enough that her attorneys turned to the Internet for help in a post that's gone viral.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VICTORIA SLATTON, ATTORNEY FOR DULCE CONSUELO DIAZ MORALES: My name is Victoria Slatton. I'm an immigration attorney. I currently have a client who is a U.S. citizen who is in ICE custody.

They're blatantly ignoring orders from the court. They're not allowing me access to my client, and I am at a loss. And I'm incredibly angry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Dulce Consuelo Diaz Morales is in ICE custody after being picked up by immigration agents in Baltimore on Sunday, December 14th. She was then moved to Louisiana, despite a court order.

Her attorneys say they have a birth certificate, immunization records, and witnesses that can testify to Diaz Morales's birth on U.S. soil.

In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security claims that she is, quote, "an illegal alien from Mexico" and that "she did not provide a U.S. birth certificate or any evidence in support of her claim."

Now, joining me now is that attorney, Victoria Slatton. Thank you so much for being here.

SLATTON: Thank you for having me.

CORNISH: So, I understand that your client was allegedly picked up. Was it like outside a Taco Bell? And at the time, did friends, family, did she try to present legal documentation?

SLATTON: I don't think she had -- she presented documentation, but I know her sister Shirley did say she was born here and begged them to stop.