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Paramount Eyes Trump's Support In Bid To Buy Warner Bros. Discovery; Trump Endorses Blakeman For NY Gov. After Stefanik Ends Campaigns; Dems Worry Surge Of Progressives May Imperil House Odds; Dems Fret Rush Of Liberal Candidates Could Cost Them The House. Aired 12:30-1p ET
Aired December 22, 2025 - 12:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:30:00]
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: -- ready for air? Why was it publicized on Friday, only to be pulled back over the weekend? That's the mystery at the heart of this story, and that's why staffers at CBS are worried about corporate meddling by CBS parent Paramount, and by the prospect of political interference, like pressure from the Trump administration.
MANU RAJU, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, and that latter point here, Brian, is that we just can't ignore the contest, because the owners of CBS want President Trump on their side as they pursue --
STELTER: Right.
RAJU: -- a deal for Warner Bros. Discovery, who of course is CNN's --
STELTER: Yes.
RAJU: -- parent company, and that deal would reshape Hollywood and really the media landscape as well.
STELTER: Maybe it's a total coincidence, but just this morning, Paramount came out with a revised offer for Warner Bros. Discovery, including CNN. Billionaire Larry Ellison now providing his personal guarantee for the financing.
At the same time, CBS is in the news for this journalism scandal that has really rattled staffers there and across the media industry. You know, President Trump's been raging about 60 Minutes in the last couple of weeks. He wrote, for example, on Truth Social, quote, "For those people who think I'm close with the new owners of CBS, please understand, 60 Minutes has treated me far worse since the so-called takeover than they've ever treated me before. If they're friends, I'd hate to see my enemies."
Now that reads to me like the President knows that he has leverage right now. He knows Paramount's vulnerable. He knows Paramount wants his approval, and he's pushing hard to get positive coverage from 60 Minutes as a result.
You know, this is an interesting situation, because you have some staffers really concerned about interference there, really disturbed by the situation. At the same time, though, Manu, one CBS staffer said to me, look, reporters now have direct access to the audience. So the news can still get out one way or another. Quote, "There's no stopping reporting."
And I noticed today, a lot more people suddenly interested in what's going on in that prison in El Salvador. Last month, Human Rights Watch said that many of the abuses of prisoners, quote, "constitute torture." Manu?
RAJU: And we'll see, indeed, if that report ever sees the light of day. Brian Stelter, thank you for the latest --
STELTER: That's right.
RAJU: -- on that building controversy.
And up next for us, a swift endorsement after a stunning dropout. The Republican that Trump is now backing for New York governor joins me next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:36:25]
RAJU: Now to one of the marquee campaigns of 2026, the race for New York governor. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is on a glide pad to the Republican nomination after Congressman Elise Stefanik abruptly ended her bid. And President Trump endorsed Blakeman over the weekend, saying, quote, "Bruce is MAGA all the way, and has been with me from the very beginning. He's working tirelessly with the brave heroes of ICE, Border Patrol, and law enforcement to keep our border secure, stop migrant crime, safeguard our community, and ensure law and order."
And Bruce Blakeman joins me now from his office on Long Island. Mr. Blakeman, thank you so much for being here. Really appreciate your time. So I want to start --
BRUCE BLAKEMAN (R), NEW YORK GOVERNOR CANDIDATE: Thank you.
RAJU: I want to right there with what the President said about you. Would you consider yourself a MAGA Republican, as President Trump suggests?
BLAKEMAN: Well, I support President Trump, and I'm grateful and blessed to have his endorsement. I know people can have disagreements with President Trump on various policies, but let's talk about some of the good things that he's done, like slashing prescription drug prices, as he did last week, or bringing down the cost of gasoline to make it more affordable for everyday Americans and people here in New York State.
And brokering a peace agreement in the Middle East, bringing home the hostages, taking out Iran's nuclear weapons program. There's a lot of things that President Trump did very well. And while people may have disagreements with his policies, I also think they have to recognize the good things he's done.
RAJU: Yes, but he says you're MAGA all the way. Are you MAGA all the way?
BLAKEMAN: Well, yes. Listen, what's wrong with Making America Great Again? I want to make New Yorkers happy again. New Yorkers are miserable under Kathy Hochul. High taxes, the highest taxed state in the United States. Overregulated, people leaving the state, businesses leaving the state.
Spending money on illegal migrants that could have been used for infrastructure, for schools, and for our hospital systems. I think people want a fresh, new approach, and I've gotten independent voters, independent women voted for me in a majority, crossover Democrats, common sense Democrats. I have broad appeal to the African American community, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans.
I am a Republican that appeals to everybody across the spectrum because not only do I share American values with the President, but I also know how to reach out to communities and give them what they want. And what they want is they want more affordable -- a more affordable economy, job creation, making sure that their families are more prosperous so they can afford the necessities, the lives --
RAJU: Mr. Blakeman --
BLAKEMAN: -- and luxuries.
RAJU: Yes.
BLAKEMAN: Go ahead.
RAJU: I just wanted to just jump in because, you know, President Trump lost New York by 13 points in 2024. Are you going to campaign alongside him next year?
BLAKEMAN: Well, I campaigned with President Trump here in Nassau County, which has the same demographics as the state of New York. Basically --
RAJU: And you plan to do that in the -- next year in 2026 campaign, stump alongside President Trump?
BLAKEMAN: Absolutely. I have no problem doing that. I support President Trump. Look, New Yorkers can spot a phony from a mile away. Kathy Hochul wants to talk about President Trump because she's got failed policy. She's got a record of misery and failure here in New York State.
I'm going to talk about making New York State prosperous, safe, and making people happy again in New York State.
RAJU: Mr. Blakeman --
BLAKEMAN: I have a very positive message, just like I did here in Nassau County. [12:40:05]
RAJU: I want to ask you about the past 72 hours in your race. It's been quite a tumultuous 72 hours. Your GOP primary challenger, Elise Stefanik, abruptly suspended her campaign. Have you spoken with her about her decision? And if you did, what did she tell you?
BLAKEMAN: I haven't spoken with Elise yet, but she is very bright, articulate. She's been a very outstanding member of the House of Representatives. And, you know, being in the public life is very, very grueling. And I certainly understand, with a young child, while she wants to spend more time with her family, and she's young, she's got a bright future, she'll be back.
RAJU: I want to ask you about something that Elise Stefanik did say repeatedly while she was a candidate. She said that the New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is a, quote, "jihadist." But when Mamdani visited President Trump at the White House, the President struck a very different tone. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President, Republican Elise Stefanik has campaigned multiple times by calling Zohran Mamdani a jihadist. Do you think you're standing next to a jihadist right now in the Oval Office?
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No, I don't, but she's out there campaigning, and, you know, you say things sometimes in a campaign.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Isn't that sort of --
TRUMP: She's a very capable person. But you'd really have to ask her about that, but, you know, I don't particularly -- I think I met with a very -- I met with a man who's a very rational person.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RAJU: So is the President right? Is he a very rational person, Zohran Mamdani?
BLAKEMAN: Well, I don't know whether he's rational or not. I don't know if I'm qualified to say that, but I certainly disagree with his policies. His rhetoric is very troubling.
RAJU: Would you go as far as what Stefanik said and call him a jihadist?
BLAKEMAN: I'm not a name-caller. I have positive messages, but I'll use what he calls himself. He's a socialist, which I think is a failed economic policy. It's never worked anywhere. Winston Churchill said socialism is shared misery.
I don't want to make people miserable. I want to make people happy, and that means putting more money in their pocket. So I certainly don't share his economic philosophy, and I don't share his philosophy with respect to law enforcement. I think that sending social workers to a police call is foolish.
RAJU: You mentioned the economy. Of course, that's likely going to be issue number one in your election. The President has been -- has given himself a grade of an A plus, plus, plus, plus. That's five pluses. But a CBS/YouGov poll from this weekend shows 63 percent of U.S. adults disapprove of President Trump's handling of the economy. So, Mr. Blakeman, would you give the President an A plus, plus, plus, plus on the economy?
BLAKEMAN: Listen, I think the polls are very fickle, but let's look at what he's done just recently. His program to materially slash prescription drug prices I think is incredibly important to so many people who rely on prescription drugs --
RAJU: But does he --
BLAKEMAN: -- just to stay healthy.
RAJU: But does he deserve an A plus, plus, plus, plus?
BLAKEMAN: So I think that's great. I think he's brought gasoline prices down. I think that basically his program with respect to tariffs will increase the number of manufacturing jobs in New York State. So there's a lot of things that President Trump has done that has really been very beneficial, and the stock market's back up.
Let's wait and see. He's only been president for 11 months, but he's done an extraordinary job in the last 11 months.
RAJU: Well, should he pull back from the tariffs on Canada that has a huge impact in New York?
BLAKEMAN: Well, look, I agree with President Trump that it needs to be a level playing field. We've lost so many manufacturing jobs in New York State that I think it's really important that we rebuild our manufacturing base here in New York State so that we're not dependent on foreign countries for those jobs, that we give those jobs to New Yorkers.
RAJU: OK.
BLAKEMAN: So I'm very much in favor of putting people to work. I've talked to union leaders. They like the fact that President Trump is so focused on creating jobs. I want to create jobs in New York State. So I've been talking with union leaders around the state on how we can create jobs, how we can increase --
RAJU: Mr. Blakeman --
BLAKEMAN: -- pay so we can make benefits better as well. So people want to live a life where they don't have to live paycheck to paycheck, and that's part of my job.
RAJU: I want to ask you about a rift within your party, about how and whether to police anti-Semitism and whether to reject voices like the white supremacist Nick Fuentes. This is what Vice President Vance said yesterday. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JD VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: President Trump did not build the greatest coalition in politics by running his supporters through endless, self-defeating purity tests. He says, make America great again because every American is invited.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RAJU: So, Mr. Blakeman, if you were elected, you would be one of the most prominent Jewish Republicans in the country. Do you think that Vice President Vance and the party leaders should be more forceful in rejecting anti-Semitic voices?
[12:45:08]
BLAKEMAN: Well, I think when President -- Vice President Vance talks about purity, he's talking about the fact that we have a big tent in our party, and someone like me, who's a pro-choice Republican, has the opportunity to run for higher office because we don't have purity tests. But let me say this about Nick Fuentes. I think he's a nut, I think he's dangerous, and we don't need him in our party.
RAJU: Do you think that the Vice President should say that too?
BLAKEMAN: I don't think he was talking about Nick Fuentes. I think he was talking about the fact that we don't have litmus tests in --
RAJU: But the President hasn't gone that far either. Do you think the President and Vice President Vance should align themselves with what you're saying that, you know, he doesn't belong in your party?
BLAKEMAN: I speak for myself, they speak for themselves. I don't put words in their mouth. So the fact of the matter is, I know that President Trump's record as being the best friend of Israel and the best friend of the Jewish people of any president we've ever had speaks for itself.
So I have no problem with President Trump when it comes to his war on anti-Semitism and his ability to make sure that our greatest ally in the Middle East, Israel, stays safe and secure. So I think President Trump gets an A-A-A-A-A plus for what he's done. And I think the Jewish people are very, very happy that he stood up to anti-Semitism as strong and firmly as he's done.
RAJU: I think that's also five A-pluses, if I was counting correctly there, Mr. --
BLAKEMAN: There you go.
RAJU: -- Mr. Blakeman, thank you so much for taking the time. I really appreciate it.
BLAKEMAN: Thank you so much.
RAJU: You got it.
BLAKEMAN: Great to be with you. Merry Christmas.
RAJU: Likewise. Merry Christmas.
Next, Democrats versus Democrats. Why the primaries might be the biggest obstacle to the party reclaiming the House from Republicans. Brand-new CNN reporting, that's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:51:16]
RAJU: Is Zohran Mamdani the model of a modern major political candidate? Well, many progressive Democrats seem to think so. And it's sparking potentially costly primary fights across the country. And worries across the party that Democrats could squander precious resources in some of the wrong places.
My new piece out on CNN with my colleague Sarah Ferris spotlights fears among House Democrats over this left-wing surge. They fret that Democrat-on-Democrat sparring may imperil their chances at retaking the House in 2026.
Gregory Meeks, whose zip code will be governed by Mayor Mamdani, explained the liberal candidate rush this way, quote, "I think we've got individuals who might be caught up in the moment, caught up in the internet." And Congressman Juan Vargas was even blunter, saying, quote, "The problem is they're attacking their own. It's like attack the other guys. We will have spent this energy and money fighting amongst ourselves. And it's really dumb."
My panel is back who are -- my very smart panel is back. He said this is very dumb, referring to these primary, these interparty fights, which we see play out election cycle after election cycle, particularly when you're the party out of power. Sometimes it threatens your chances of the majority, as it had for Senate Republicans in the past. Will it threaten Democrats' chances of the majority this time?
AARON BLAKE, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: I mean, it's too early to say. But I will say, you know, we had a very similar situation back in 2010 when the Tea Party was coming along, running all these primaries against establishment Republicans. That didn't stop Republicans from winning big in the 2010 election.
So sometimes these two things go hand in hand. You have a little bit of momentum. More people are interested in politics. They want to influence the course of their party because they're out of power, could soon be in power.
I think there's an argument to be made that that's a healthy thing for the party. I think the question is, where are these primaries taking place? Gregory Meeks' district, that's not one that Democrats are going to lose in this election. Juan Vargas' district, same thing. If you start getting Mamdani candidates in these swing districts, that's when you start having worries.
RAJU: And that's the real question. And -- but it's still a test case about where the energy in the party is right now when you zero in on some of these districts. One of them is in New York with Dan Goldman, who's the incumbent Democrat there, facing a Mamdani-inspired primary challenger who launched his campaign this way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Keep fighting, Brad.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take a look at this video. It's Brad Lander being arrested by ICE.
BRAD LANDER, NEW YORK CITY COMPTROLLER: I've always believed that you fight for the things you love. And I love this city.
I'm running for Congress because the challenges we face can't be solved with strongly-worded letters or high-dollar fundraisers. And not by doing AIPAC's bidding. In a district that knows our safety, our freedom, our thriving is bound up together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RAJU: And I asked Goldman about this Brad Lander candidacy. He said, "I think that when people look at my record and they learn about the work I've been doing in the last three years, people will realize they have someone who's representing their interests." He was talking his progressive record, of course. How do you see these primaries playing out?
JASMINE WRIGHT, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, I think that the Democratic Party is searching for a message. Yes, they found a good one because they won a lot in those special off-year elections on affordability. But they have to find maybe perhaps something larger than that when you're looking at how low just generally Democrats' approval rating.
I mean, 18 percent was in one of the most recent surveys about how people see the Democratic Party or approve of the Democratic Party. And so I think that they're looking for something potentially bigger than affordability that can really bring up all the different factions in the party. And so I think you're going to see that play out in the primaries.
Obviously, something that I heard a lot from Democrats over the last three days is about the autopsy that the DNC is now scrapping over the 2024 election.
[12:55:06]
A lot of Democrats have sent me a lot of expletive lace texts, true cowardice is how one person put it. And so, I think that you're both seeing them trying to push towards the future --
RAJU: Yes. WRIGHT: -- in some of these primaries, go through a couple of these internal fissures, but also try to figure out how much of the past we want to include in that future.
RAJU: I mean, a lot of this is a generational fight beyond the ideology.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Without a doubt. I mean, we're seeing that play out once again. It's not been sort of solved. But I think a bigger thing, I mean, to Aaron's point earlier, it doesn't matter in some of these like blue districts, but it will matter in some Senate races.
Take Michigan, for example. The Michigan Senate race is very critical to Democrats even having a prayer of trying to win the Senate. It's an uphill battle. But the outcome of that primary, the --
RAJU: You have a Bernie Sanders candidate versus an establishment candidate.
ZELENY: Exactly. And Bernie Sanders all these years later. That fight has still never really been resolved from the 2016 campaign between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. So he's getting very much involved in this. But it does matter in a lot of races.
So Democrats could easily find their majority next year. It may not hinge on the outcome of primaries, but boy, it could stop them. Like in a state like Nebraska, for example --
RAJU: Yes.
ZELENY: -- Don Bacon's district, he's not running. If Democrats have too progressive of a candidate there, it'll harm that seat. So it's a big deal.
RAJU: It really is. I asked AOC if she was going to get involved in these primaries, she said she has not made a decision yet on which to engage in. So we'll see what she decides to do in 2026.
All right, thanks for joining Inside Politics. CNN News Central starts after this very quick break.
