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The Situation Room

White House Christmas Decorations; Brian Walshe Murder Trial; Pete Hegseth Under Fire. Aired 11:30a-12p ET

Aired December 01, 2025 - 11:30   ET

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

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[11:32:42]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: We have more breaking news we're following.

Sources familiar with the matter now tell CNN President Trump will hold a meeting later today about the next steps he's planning to take involving Venezuela, this as the Trump administration faces growing scrutiny for reportedly carrying out a follow-up strike on a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean back in September after an initial attack failed to kill everyone on board.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Number one, I don't know that that happened. And Pete said he did not want them. He didn't even know what people were talking about.

So we will look into it. But, no, I wouldn't have wanted that, not a second strike. The first strike was very lethal. It was fine. And if there were two people around -- but Pete said that didn't happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Joining us now to discuss this issue, the former Secretary of Defense under President Obama Leon Panetta.

Mr. Secretary, thanks so much for joining us. You also previously served as director of the CIA and as a key member of the House of Representatives.

What's your view, first of all, of where the U.S. relationship with Venezuela stands right now?

LEON PANETTA, FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Well, it's obviously at a very sensitive point.

We have deployed a huge force to the area. Almost 15,000 of our men and women in uniform are there. The president seems to be engaged in discussions with Maduro. I think, right now, there's a lot of pressure, obviously, on Maduro. But I'm not quite sure whether or not it's going to lead to some kind

of resolution of this issue. So, right now, it's very unpredictable. That's probably the best you can say.

BLITZER: Very potentially very dangerous as well.

The defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, is strongly defending his operations in the Caribbean, saying they are -- quote -- "lawful" and -- quote -- "in compliance with the law of armed conflict."

But if the U.S. military knew about survivors from that initial September 2 strike and sought to strike again and kill everyone on board who had survived, is that illegal? Is that a war crime?

PANETTA: I don't think there's any question that that's a war crime if it happened in that way.

[11:35:04]

I think the best thing that's happening now is that the Armed Services Committee in both the Senate and the House have indicated that they're going to do a full investigation of this issue. And I think that's what's needed, because there's obviously going to be a lot of different viewpoints.

You heard what the president said. But I think, ultimately, it's up to those committees to find out exactly what happened, and, if it was a war crime, to make sure we hold people accountable.

BLITZER: And those Armed Services Committees in the Senate and the House, they have access to the most sensitive classified information. So I'm sure they will get that and find out exactly who gave those orders and what was done.

What was your reaction, Mr. Secretary, when you first heard about President Trump's directive for airlines and pilots to avoid all Venezuelan airspace?

PANETTA: Well, it was pretty clear that, if the president was concerned about airspace, that it was only a matter of time before we would start conducting attacks on land in Venezuela.

That was certainly my sense. You don't clear airspace unless we're going to see some attacks take place by U.S. armed forces. So that tells me that we're either very close to starting a war in Venezuela, or, if Maduro is able to comply and step down, then I think that that would be probably the best resolution of all.

BLITZER: Yes, what told me that the U.S. potentially is very close to a war with Venezuela is when the U.S. deployed its largest aircraft carrier battle group, the USS Gerald R. Ford, to the region with a lot of troops and a lot of warplanes ready to take action. That's a very significant move, isn't it?

PANETTA: Look, any time you deploy a force of that size to a country, to an area near a country, that tells you that this is a serious moment in which any action by either side could very well result in a war.

BLITZER: Yes, that's my sense as well.

In your view, Secretary Panetta, do the Trump administration's actions against Venezuela right now appear to be aimed potentially at what's called regime change, or are you encouraged that the president has spoken with Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro?

PANETTA: I think it's pretty clear that, although the president hasn't really made clear what the strategy really is, I think there's not much question that it's about regime change and having Maduro step down.

And I suspect that that had to be the subject of any conversation between the president and Maduro.

BLITZER: We will find out, I'm sure, at some point.

I want to switch gears and talk about Ukraine while I have you, Mr. Secretary. The U.S. special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is traveling to Moscow today after a weekend of meetings involving the U.S. and Ukrainian delegations, who had all gathered in Florida.

Do you have any faith at all that this new round of talks potentially could lead to peace?

PANETTA: Well, frankly, I get very nervous about Witkoff going to Moscow, because he tends, when he meets with Putin, to come out basically talking Putin's points. So I'm nervous about that.

On the other hand, I think the talks that were held in Florida between the United States and the Ukrainians seem to have made good progress. Secretary Rubio said something that I thought was very important. He said, this is not just about the end of the war. This is about an end that leaves Ukraine sovereign, independent with the opportunity for real prosperity.

If that's the goal, then I think they're clearly moving in a much better direction than the plan that came out early on, which was virtually a surrender by Ukraine.

BLITZER: This brutal Russian war against Ukraine has gone on now for nearly four years. Let's hope it ends soon.

Mr. Secretary, thanks very much for joining us. We always appreciate your expertise, Secretary Leon Panetta. Thank you.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Coming up: Nearly three years after his wife's disappearance garnered national attention, Brian Walshe is now on trial for her murder. And prosecutors have called their first witness -- the latest from inside the courtroom when we come back.

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BLITZER: Happening now: The prosecution has called its first witness in the very high-profile trial of Brian Walshe.

He's accused of murdering and dismembering his wife, Ana, on New Year's Day back in 2023. Earlier this month, Walshe admitted to dumping Ana's body and misleading police, but not to her murder.

[11:45:08]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is your mind clear here today?

BRIAN WALSHE, DEFENDANT: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tell me in your own words, sir, why are you here?

WALSHE: I'm here to plead guilty.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On those two counts?

WALSHE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And you understand that your trial is starting today?

WALSHE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On the first indictment?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Ana's remains have still not been found.

Joining us now is CNN legal analyst Joey Jackson and CNN's Jean Casarez, who has covered this case extensively.

Jean, opening statements, I understand, just ended. And for the first time, we're hearing directly from the defense that Brian Walshe found his wife unresponsive in their bed?

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right.

We had wondered, where is the defense going to go? Because he pleaded guilty to intentionally misleading a police investigation, pleaded guilty to conveyance of a body, which includes, in a sense, the dismemberment, but he didn't kill her, he didn't murder her.

Here's what the defense said in their opening statement, a surprise to all, that it was a tragic, tragic medical condition, that they had a wonderful New Year's Eve with a friend. Ana used to work for him, and that man left the house about 130. They then went up to their bedroom for the night and he decided about an hour later he was going to wash the dishes. So he left the bedroom to go down to the kitchen, tidy up, washed the

dishes, came back up. Ana was in the bed unresponsive. He couldn't move her. She was gone. And then she rolled off onto the bed, onto the floor. And that's when he started to panic.

So that is the defense theory right there, that it was out of his hands. It was sudden death, sudden death that medical science still has not really defined or understands to a great deal. And you will hear people, experts talk on this, the defense said.

And, of course, the prosecution is saying this was not only intentional, but it was deliberately premeditated murder by Brian Walshe.

BLITZER: Interesting.

Joey, since Walshe did plead guilty to those lesser charges, will the jury hear about that? And does that change in plea tell us anything at all about the defense strategy that's upcoming?

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes, Wolf, so, based upon the strategy, it seems clear that what the defense is doing is conceding the fact that he disposed of the body. That's helpful, because the fact is that now you can limit the evidence with regard to whether he did dispose of the body.

They have got all kind of information, that is, the prosecution, with regard to him being at dump sites with different garbage bags, et cetera. They have done DNA analysis with regard to that. So it's clear that he did something and they're connecting it to him doing that, and he's admitted he did that.

It's clear that he lied to the police, particularly now where the defense admits in their opening that he knew she was dead. How did he lie? He says she went to work early. He says that, by the way, he calls her job and he's looking for her. Why would you look for someone who's dead?

He just continues to lie in terms of where she is, where she's going, why she would be going there, et cetera. So it just puts on the table the issue of how she died. The defense, as Jean noted, is arguing that, hey, it was sudden death. The prosecution has to establish that it was an intentional premeditated murder to get first degree.

And so it narrows down the issues for the jury and they just have to reach a determination, that is, the jury, as to how this actually happened, whether it was premeditated, et cetera. Final point, he's got a lot of explaining to do if it was sudden death.

A normal person might call 911. A normal person might go nuts and just say, hey, somebody help me, run over to the neighbor. It comports with human experience. A normal person doesn't chop up their wife and dispose of the body and do Google searches on how long it takes for the body to decompose, how long it takes for the body to smell, how would I get my inheritance, et cetera. So those are issues the defense certainly has to overcome, having

played guilty to the other issues, now narrowing it down as to whether or not he's guilty of this first-degree murder charge, which, by the way, Wolf carries a life in prison without the possibility of parole.

BLITZER: Is the defense, you think, Joey, angling for a plea deal?

JACKSON: I mean, listen, they have been, but there has not been a plea deal. We know that, in this jurisdiction, Massachusetts, they cannot plead guilty if it's first-degree murder. You have to hold -- the state has to really -- the commonwealth, they call it, be held to their burden of proof.

And so they, in terms of the prosecution, is saying, no deal. And the only way you get a deal is if you have, for example, a case where it might fly either way, there's probably issues in terms of the evidence that the prosecution thinks need to be shored up. Here, the prosecution is pretty certain that they can meet their burden.

And so, no matter what the play is of the defense, the issue is, from the prosecution's perspective, they want to hold them accountable for what they say is a premeditated first-degree murder. And that's what this should be, regardless of what they say, the prosecution will note in terms of sudden death, which is the claim of the defense.

[11:50:11]

BLITZER: What's some of the other evidence, Jean, the prosecutors plan to use in this case?

CASAREZ: Well, this is a no body case, and that is not good for the prosecution, because juries like bodies to determine what a cause of death is.

But here is what the prosecution does have. According to the legal documents, they intend to put on some experts from the medical examiner's office who assessed the hacksaw that was used, and it found fragments of what they are considering bone and tissue matter. And the DNA showed it was Ana Walshe.

So they -- I think they're trying, going to try to show, we may not have the full body, but we have some of the body here for the jury to assess. And I think they believe that will help them. But some of these Google searches show a state of mind of the defendant, because they start out on December 27, what is the best state for a man to get a divorce in?

And then they go into about how long before a body begins to smell, how to decompose a body. At 6:24 a.m. that morning, January 1, how long for someone who is missing to be able to inherit from them? And we heard a brand-new Google search we had never heard before in the opening statements about the terminology of murder, that, if you're dealing with murder, is there something that a detergent can help, so it doesn't appear as though there has been a murder?

So the defense -- it's circumstantial, but the defense is going to try to build in, so they can show that premeditation to commit what they say is that heinous, heinous murder.

BLITZER: All right, Jean Casarez, Joey Jackson, to both of you, thank you very, very much.

And don't miss a moment in court. Live coverage of the Brian Walshe trial is streaming right now on the CNN app.

And coming up, a brand-new look inside the White House, as the first family shows off its new holiday digs.

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BLITZER: New this morning, the White House is leaping right into the Christmas season, starting the month by showing off this year's holiday look.

Members of the press got a tour of the vivid decorations first thing this morning.

Let's go to our senior White House reporter, Betsy Klein, who is on the scene for us.

Betsy, what can you -- what can people who visit the White House over the next few weeks expect to see?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Wolf, you might recall that controversy over those blood red trees for first lady Melania Trump back in 2018, but Melania Trump playing it safe this year with a home is where the heart is themed.

And this comes as White House tours have been halted for the last three months as the White House ballroom construction has gotten under way. This required officials to create a reimagined and abbreviated White House tour just in time for the holidays.

But this tour now is going to be about half the length of the previous tour because the East Wing and East Colonnade that guests originally entered through no longer exists. And I just want to take you room by room. It started in the East Room with an America 250 theme honoring the country's 250th birthday tree bases with the America 250 logo, red, white and blue ornaments.

Then to the green room, where there are two 6,000-piece LEGO puzzles of President Trump and President George Washington's faces, as well as a castle of cards, trees made of dominoes. And on to the blue room, where there is the official White House tree. It's an 18-foot concolor fir from Michigan decorated with ornaments featuring every state and territory's official flower and bird.

In the Red Room, it plays homage to the first lady's Be Best platform with thousands of blue butterflies. And then the State Dining Room, where the star of that room is the official White House gingerbread. It's 120 pounds of gingerbread iced to look like a replica of the White House, including a special tour of inside the official White House residence.

Now, all of this is the product of about 150 volunteers who spent the Thanksgiving holiday working around the clock to make this happen. I spoke with Amber Welch, who is one of those volunteers here from Oklahoma.

She told me that it was so important to her to come here. She fastened hundreds of bows. She affixed wire to ornaments in the Blue Room. She told me that so many historical things have happened here and this is her part to play.

Now, I also want to take you by the numbers here. This was 75 wreaths. There are 51 Christmas trees throughout the White House complex, along with 2,000 strands of twinkling lights lighting up those trees, 25,000 feet of ribbon, 2,800 gold stars, and 10,000 of those butterflies, all creating a very festive White House this holiday season -- Wolf.

BLITZER: So how can people who want to visit the White House get permission to enter?

KLEIN: Well, you can get a tour to get through your member of Congress.

But I reached out to my member of Congress a couple of weeks ago, and they said that tours were already booked through January. So I think that anyone looking to tour the White House this year, if you haven't planned ahead, it might be too late, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Betsy Klein reporting for us.

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Betsy, thank you very, very much.

And, to our viewers, thanks very much for joining us this morning. You can always keep up with us on social media @WolfBlitzer and @PamelaBrownCNN. We will see you back here tomorrow morning, every weekday morning 10:00 a.m. Eastern for two hours.

"INSIDE POLITICS" with my friend and colleague Dana Bash starts right now.