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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
House To Vote Tuesday On Bill To Release Epstein Files; Epstein Accusers Call For Release Of All Files; Potential For Mudslides In L.A. Burn Scar Areas; Trump Says U.S. Plans To Sell F-35 Stealth Jets To Saudi Arabia; Citizens Protest As Federal Agents Surge In Charlotte; Trump Says He Would Sign Bill To Release Epstein Files. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired November 18, 2025 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[00:00:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: Too many more broken bones. That would be nice.
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LAURA COATES, CNN HOS: I love his movies. I love them all. What's your favorite?
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: So my favorite is "A Few Good Men" because, I mean, I love the Aaron Sorkin writing is so perfect in that scene with Jack Nicholson. It was one of the great scenes of all time, although "Top Gun: Maverick" is pretty close to a perfect movie for that genre.
COATES: I watched it like 10 times.
MICHAELSON: It is so amazing.
COATES: I love it all. I love "A Few Good Men." I love "Rain Man." I love them all. I love Tom Cruise. Have a great show. I'm going to watch him right now.
MICHAELSON: All right. THE STORY IS starts right.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: THE STORY IS, Epstein files. We're hours away from a vote in the House to release them.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Let the Senate look at it. Let anybody look at it. But don't talk about it too much.
REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): Donald Trump appears to have chickened out. He's caved. It's a complete and total surrender.
MICHAELSON: With us live in studio, Epstein victim Alicia Arden and her attorney, Gloria Allred. THE STORY IS, U.S. foreign policy. President Trump prepares to welcome
Saudi Arabia's prince at the White House. Big new developments in the U.S.-Venezuela relationship.
THE STORY IS, Border Patrol raids Charlotte, North Carolina. Yet this driver says he's an American citizen. We take you to the protests.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: Live from Los Angeles, THE STORY IS with Elex Michaelson.
MICHAELSON: And welcome to THE STORY IS. I'm Elex Michaelson.
After weeks of delays because the government shut down and repeated attempts by President Trump to downplay the issue, the House of Representatives will finally vote on a bill that would force the Justice Department to release the Jeffrey Epstein files. The measure now expected to get broad support from Republicans after a complete 180 by President Trump, who now says he will sign the measure if it lands on his desk. Remember, it has to next go through the Senate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: So I'm for any -- I don't -- they can do whatever they want.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: You would sign it?
TRUMP: We'll give them everything. Sure, I would. Let the Senate look at it. Let anybody look at it. But don't talk about it too much because honestly, I don't want to take it away from us. It's really a Democrat problem. The Democrats were Epstein's friends. All of them. And it's a hoax. The whole thing is a hoax.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Both Democrats were friends with Epstein and Trump was friends with Epstein. And we've seen plenty of both. A White House official tells CNN that the president has not directed the Justice Department to stand in the way of turning over any files to Congress, but the president did ask the Justice Department to open a criminal investigation into various high profile Democratic figures connected to Epstein.
Now, because that could mean that there's an ongoing investigation, that ongoing investigation might prevent the Justice Department from actually turning over those files. Remember that ongoing investigation opened up just days before this vote.
Meanwhile, Epstein's accusers have released a new video calling for the release of all the files.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was 14 years old.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was 16 years old. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was 16.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 17.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 14 years old.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This was me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is me when I met Jeffrey Epstein.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is me when I met Jeffrey Epstein.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's time to bring the secrets out of the shadows. It's time to shine a light into the darkness.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Joining me now live is one of Epstein's accusers, Alicia Arden, and her attorney, Gloria Allred, who represents numerous Epstein survivors.
Gloria, Alicia, thanks so much for being here.
Alicia, let's start with you. Why is it important for you for these files to be released?
ALICIA ARDEN, EPSTEIN ACCUSER: Well, I've always wanted the truth, and I have always said that the time when I did file the police report, if it would have been more investigated, I feel that I could have saved the victims from going through what they went through. So now I want the files to be released because I think we all need saving. And it's the truth that has to come out. It's been going on too long for myself and for the victims.
MICHAELSON: So when you say the police report. So you were the first to file a police report against him. This was back in 1997.
ARDEN: Yes.
MICHAELSON: This happened in Santa Monica. You were 25 years old?
ARDEN: Six.
MICHAELSON: 26?
ARDEN: Yes.
MICHAELSON: And he pretended to be a Victoria's Secret talent scout?
ARDEN: Victoria's Secret and I had wanted to be in the catalog very badly like any young model would. And I had a lot of tear sheets. I was in a lot of magazines, and I was opposite Cindy Crawford in one, and I knew that I could be in it. If, you know, I was thinking that he was really a scout. [00:05:06]
MICHAELSON: And so he says, come here for an audition, essentially. And it turns out that he has nothing to do with Victoria's Secret, and he gropes you.
ARDEN: And he gropes me and he tells me to come take off my clothes, and he wants to manhandle me, manhandle me. I never had heard that word in my entire life, and I've still never heard it. I want to manhandle you. Come over here. Started touching my breasts, my buttocks. I was in a bra and underwear, which is likely is common that you have to be in a bra and underwear and show your body if you want to be in Victoria's Secrets. And I was very happy to do so. But he really wasn't with the magazine in the end.
MICHAELSON: Yes. And Gloria, the interesting thing is she went to the police.
GLORIA ALLRED, ATTORNEY FOR EPSTEIN ACCUSERS: She did go to the police. That's what we asked people to do. She has proof that she went to the police because she has the police report. But no prosecution ensued. And that is so typical of what so many survivors have been facing over the years. Denied justice. Denied justice. When Jeffrey Epstein got that sweetheart deal in 2008, in Florida.
Denied justice again when he was arrested, incarcerated, waiting to stand trial, and then died in custody. Denied justice now, until -- well now, President Trump says release the Epstein files, vote in support of it. But guess what? They don't have to take a vote at all.
MICHAELSON: Right. He could release --
ALLRED: He could just release it.
MICHAELSON: He could release them himself right now.
ALLRED: Exactly.
MICHAELSON: And yet he's -- why do you think he's not?
ALLRED: Delay, deny, avoid, evade. We don't know, but I don't -- I can't read his mind. I want to thank him for saying Republicans, you can support this file, this release of the files. However, he could just pick up the phone, call Pam Bondi, the Department of Justice right now, and it would be released.
MICHAELSON: Yes. And so back to your story, Alicia. So in 1997, you go to the police. You say this happened to me, and they did not believe you, right?
ARDEN: No, I was very discouraged. I wanted a female police officer. They said, why are you filing a police report? I said, I just ran out of the hotel room. I was being attacked. I was going to be raped. I had to get out. And so -- and he offered me $100 as I was leaving. And I did not want that. I said, I'm not a prostitute. I want to be in Victoria's Secrets and Victoria's Secret. So I had told them all that and they just didn't believe me. They had
me leave and told me to come back. And I did. I went back to my job in Hollywood and thought about it. And I went back and I said, I have to file this. What if he's doing this to other girls?
MICHAELSON: Yes. And then -- and then to hear for all these years because that was 20 years before MeToo, right, when people suddenly, finally started to feel seen and to feel heard to then know that all this happened afterwards. How does that make you feel?
ARDEN: Well, that's a good point, Elex, because what happened to the MeToo movement, is it still around? Does it protect myself and the victims? I don't really know much about it anymore, and I don't want them to be afraid if they're in a situation like me or whatever situation they find themselves in to leave and go to the nearest local police department and say, I'm here to file on something that's happening to me in this hotel room or wherever it is, and I want to file. I'm not leaving. I'm doing it. They should be strong.
MICHAELSON: What do you want to see in those files?
ARDEN: I'm ready and prepared to see anything that's going to come out of the alleged pedophiles that have assaulted my friends, the victims, and I'm ready to see who the men were and how on earth they got to where they were. They were friends with Epstein. How did this go on for so long? So I'm ready and prepared to see them.
MICHAELSON: I mean, because we're hearing, Gloria, just today about Larry Summers, who was the head of Harvard, who was a top adviser to Barack Obama, to Bill Clinton, and that he was apparently involved with this. He's now saying he's going to step back from his role at Harvard. But, I mean, there could very well be some heavyweights on the Democratic side in this, too.
ALLRED: That's correct. And of course, the time with Jeffrey Epstein a while back there was another Democrat at the time that was good friends with him, and his name was Donald Trump.
MICHAELSON: Who was a Democratic donor at the time and invited Bill and Hillary Clinton to his wedding.
ALLRED: Right. Yes. And now is asking the Department of Justice to investigate former President Clinton. He doesn't say what evidence he has that President Clinton did anything wrong. And, of course, President Clinton denied it.
MICHAELSON: And there's no evidence that Donald Trump did anything wrong so far.
ALLRED: Exactly. Exactly.
MICHAELSON: There's none.
ALLRED: Right.
[00:10:03] MICHAELSON: Important point.
ALLRED: Well, of course, we don't have most of the evidence. And that's another point. The Department of Justice, because of the subpoena that the House Oversight Committee issued has released about 50,000 pages of files. But there's another 50,000 pages that have not yet been released. So why this dribble, dribble, dribble? Why not just get it all out?
Now they're going to be some redactions. How many, we don't know. We do know some obviously. And I've said this for a long time. They are going to redact the child sexual abuse videos that were taken by Jeffrey Epstein and were found.
MICHAELSON: And apparently the name of the victims.
ALLRED: Yes. And of course, the names of the victims were any way that they are identified, even if their names are not known. Are they going to redact the names of men who have not been prosecuted?
MICHAELSON: Right.
ALLRED: Who may or may not ever be prosecuted? That's a question. And as you said, if they're saying they're going to investigate President Trump and then they name some other Democrats. By the way, will any Republicans be investigated or is it just Democrats? Is it going to be a real prosecution as well as an investigation of Democrats, or is this just political persecution?
MICHAELSON: And, Alicia, to that point, about the politics of this, because we got to remember that you and other people are victimized by this. It's really not about the politics at all. It's about people that were really hurt. And I know this is really emotional for you. I know it was emotional today at a press conference for you.
I was wondering if you could expand upon that idea that this is really about human beings. It's not about a political football because so much we watch on, frankly, the cable news coverage of this on both sides is trying to blame this side or blame this side. And we're forgetting about the people, the real people that are hurting because of this monster.
ARDEN: Right. And everyone should be investigated, whether it's Democrat or Republican, like Reed, Summers, the Clintons, and all of Morgan Stanley, everyone should be investigated. It doesn't matter what side you're on. Everyone should be investigated how they knew Jeffrey Epstein and why did they go? And if they went to travel with him and what were -- how were they friends with him?
ALLRED: And did any of them enable or assist or conspire with Jeffrey Epstein and-or Miss Maxwell to sexually abuse young girls, sex-traffic them and so forth? These are very important questions.
MICHAELSON: And lastly, real concisely, Alicia, if this actually does come out after all this time and if names are named and if there is some sense of justice, what will that mean to you? ARDEN: Well, I think in my heart I will have -- I will be a little
relieved to know who these people are. And quite frankly, justice and the truth for myself and the other victims. And a little bit sad as to why these people really could go down that road and, like, victimize myself and the other victims. And why would they, why would they do that to us, and why would -- and I think I will be a little afraid. I'm prepared, but a little shocked to see those names.
ALLRED: I have to say how proud I am of Alicia and all the other survivors who have continued to persevere and are not giving up because they know that the truth matters, and they're determined to find it out.
MICHAELSON: Yes, it does. Thank you so much. Thank you for sharing your story and being brave to come out here. Thank you so much.
And Gloria, always great to see you.
ALLRED: Thank you, Elex.
MICHAELSON: Now let's turn to this. THE STORY IS the weather in Southern California. A weekend of record-breaking rainfall as storms swept across the state. Dramatic video shows the moment a man trapped by floodwaters is rescued by first responders. Luckily, someone nearby heard his cries for help. Firefighters were able to pull him to safety.
CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam has more on the storms.
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: This is what happens when you set daily rainfall records across Southern California. This is coming out of Naples near Long Beach. People were kayaking through their neighborhoods. There may be some smiles on the young people's faces as they get to do something they've never experienced before. But you better believe that the parents and the homeowners of this particular location may be thinking something completely different.
That is, of course, water entering homes and businesses, and all I see there is dollar bill signs, right? That costs money to clean up. So we have this rainfall total that, by the way, has set the November wettest rainfall total for Santa Barbara. We saw daily rainfall records in places like Long Beach as well as UCLA. Some of the heaviest of rain across Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. But it's really that transverse mountain range there that's helping wring out all the moisture from these atmospheric rivers that continue to pound the state of California.
[00:15:03]
This was a little bit of a different setup, kind of a low that's traversing the coastal areas, but it's going to bring more rain into Southern California through the overnight period, and could time with the evening rush hour commute as well. So we want to take that into consideration. A widespread one to locally three inches of rainfall. And that puts some of the heaviest rainfall in these hard hit areas from the weekend. So look out for the potential of landslides and mudslides because we
still have our burn scars throughout this area from earlier this year. And if you put water on top of that, of course, all gravity always tends to win in these situations, and that can cause serious concerns in terms of landslides.
Back to you.
MICHAELSON: Derek Van Dam, thank you so much.
Up in the Sierra, the same storm soaking Southern California are dumping fresh snow. Higher elevations are getting anywhere from three to 18 inches. More snow looks possible later in the week. This is really important for California because this is where we get most of our water, even in Southern California, and it's great news for ski resorts hoping to open in time for the Thanksgiving rush.
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TUCKER NORRED, BOREAL MOUNTAIN RESORT SPOKESPERSON: Thanksgiving is kind of the big first week for Tahoe. So with that, you can see Truckee is going to start getting real busy. Beds are going to start filling up. The restaurants will be bustling, and that's when a lot of these ski resorts always plan their projected opening date. If you look around the lake, it's anywhere from this week to next week.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Thanksgiving is, of course, the busiest holiday for travel, and this year roads and airports are expected to be busier than ever. AAA predicts nearly 82 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home. That's 1.6 million more travelers compared to last Thanksgiving, and a new record. At least 73 million will travel by car, with about six million expected to take domestic flights over the holiday period.
The White House is making its final preparations for the arrival of the Saudi crown prince on Tuesday. Coming up, why President Trump says he'll sell fighter jets to the kingdom. Plus, the United Nations approved President Trump's Gaza peace plan. What's really going on? A big, big day in foreign policy. A top foreign policy mind from UCLA live in our studio, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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MICHAELSON: As President Trump considers possible military action on the ground in Venezuela, he's lashing out at the country's president, Nicolas Maduro.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Look, he's done tremendous damage to our country, primarily because of drugs, but really because we have that problem with other countries, too. But more than any other country, the release of prisoners into our country has been a disaster. He's emptied his jails. Others have done that also. He has not been good to the United States. So we'll see what happens.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Now, despite his remarks, both leaders have signaled that they are keeping the door open to negotiations. The Trump administration tries to pressure President Maduro to step down. On Sunday, the U.S. State Department announced it will designate Venezuela's Cartel de la Soles as a foreign terrorist organization, which could allow for future U.S. strikes inside Venezuela.
Venezuela's government and analysts familiar with the country argue that cartel doesn't really exist. Now, this all comes as America's biggest and most lethal aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford has arrived in the Caribbean. The U.S. is now believed to have about 15,000 military personnel stationed in that region.
The United Nations is giving the green light to President Trump's 20- point plan that aims to implement a more sustainable peace in Gaza. On Monday, the U.N. Security Council passed a U.S. backed resolution that includes the establishment of a Board of Peace as a transitional authority. The U.S. ambassador to the U.N. praised the vote, calling it a major milestone for Gaza.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE WALTZ, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: Today's resolution represents another significant step towards a stable Gaza that will be able to prosper, and an environment that will allow Israel to live in security.
The Board of Peace, which will be led by President Trump, remains the cornerstone of our effort. The board will coordinate the delivery of humanitarian assistance, facilitate Gaza's development and support a technocratic committee of Palestinians responsible for day-to-day operations of Gaza's civil service and administration while the Palestinian Authority fully implements its reform program.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Hamas is pushing back on the resolution. The militant group says that giving any stabilization force, quote, "tasks and roles inside the Gaza Strip, including disarming the resistance, strips it of its neutrality and turns it into a party to the conflict."
President Trump says he plans to sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. His comments come as the White House prepares to welcome the Saudi crown prince on Tuesday. According to experts, that move could disrupt the current balance of military might in the Middle East, with Israel worried about maintaining its aerial superiority. On Monday, President Trump told reporters Saudi Arabia is a, quote, "great ally."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: No, I am planning on doing that. They want to buy it. They've been a great ally. They've got to like us very much. Look at the Iran situation. What we did in terms of obliterating, you know, there -- we obliterated their nuclear capability. Yes, I will say that we will be doing that. We'll be selling F-35s. Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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MICHAELSON: Joining me now is Dr. Benjamin Radd, political scientist and senior fellow at the UCLA Burkle Center.
Dr. Radd, thank you, joining us live here on THE STORY IS. Welcome for the first time.
BENJAMIN RADD, SENIOR FELLOW, UCLA BURKLE CENTER: Thank you for having me here.
MICHAELSON: And I love that jacket. Very nice.
RADD: Thanks.
MICHAELSON: You're winning on the style front tonight.
RADD: Thank you.
MICHAELSON: Let's start with this, this idea of the F-35. Why does that matter? And why is Israel so concerned?
RADD: Well, Israel right now has a unique qualitative military edge in the Middle East. It's the only country in the Middle East that has these F-35s in its -- at its disposal that provides it with, again, this edge that other nations don't have and it gives Israel the benefit in aerial combat. We saw that come into play this past summer in the conflict with Iran. Giving this to the Saudis neutralizes or takes away that edge, first concern.
The second concern is the Saudis have strategic partnerships, security partnerships with the Chinese, with plans to have further relationships with the Chinese on that front. What happens now if there are these very sophisticated U.S. Military assets, these fighter jets, and the Chinese have access to them? Is there a chance the Chinese could steal some of the technology directly or indirectly, even with the Saudis not knowing?
So that concern is there, exposing the U.S. security assets and also, again, weakening Israel's position as the dominant force there.
MICHAELSON: And meanwhile, that G that the U.N. resolution in terms of this is not something Israel wants either. Right? But it's something that the Saudis would want.
RADD: It's something the Saudis want. And it's bookended by the prospect of statehood being the ultimate goal here. Now, this is sort of a loose, vague reference to -- MICHAELSON: Statehood for the Palestinians.
RADD: For the Palestinians.
MICHAELSON: An actual two-state solution.
RADD: Absolutely.
MICHAELSON: Which has been talked about for decades but has always seemed like something that's not going to happen.
RADD: Absolutely. And it calls for both in Gaza and the West Bank, you'd have, if the Palestinian Authority gets its act together on the conditions established by the Board of Peace and others, then it's determined that they've met these thresholds. And then discussion of the statehood can then be had.
Now, Israel doesn't even want statehood as a line item here. And so it's a nonstarter from that perspective. And for the Saudis, that is an issue.
MICHAELSON: And that idea of a two-state solution is something that previous Israeli prime ministers have been open to, but not this current prime minister right now, Benjamin Netanyahu, who says, no, we're not doing that?
RADD: Not only -- yes. Not only have they been open to, I mean, they've committed to it.
MICHAELSON: Right.
RADD: That's, you know, we saw that with former Prime Minister Rabin, who lost his life pretty much as a consequence of his position.
MICHAELSON: OK. So now let's talk about what's happening tomorrow or today at the White House, depending on where you're watching us. And this is going to be the Saudi crown prince arriving and getting a hero's welcome at the White House. They're rolling out the red carpet. It's not technically a state dinner because he is technically not the leader of the country, but is essentially acting that way. His father is the leader of the country.
What about Jamal Khashoggi, the journalist who was murdered by the -- by the Saudi crown prince?
RADD: I mean, it's remarkable that bin Salman was persona non grata on the international stage, in the Western world, especially, following the disclosures of his government's role in the Khashoggi killing. You heard President Biden during the campaign back in 2024 talking about how he would stick it to the Saudis. He would make sure to sort of hold them to account. And he backed away from that.
So we've now seen the U.S. effectively flip its position on this. A lot of it is because Middle East is a complicated place. The U.S. needs allies. It's concerned about threats from regional players, about maybe the Chinese or the Russians making inroads into, you know, strategically and traditionally what's been sort of a U.S. space. So it's forcing the U.S. now to reconsider those positions.
MICHAELSON: Who is MBS, this young new leader of this region?
RADD: Yes, he is an interesting person. He's, you know, relatively young. I think he's 40 years old, charismatic type. He has both demonstrated a commitment to Saudi Arabia's traditional values, but also liberalizing, opening up the country. Greater reforms, greater social reforms, especially for women. And he's also formed -- forged a relationship, a business and personal relationship with the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
And we've seen that over the years as they've raised money, and the Trump family and the Kushners have also launched business ventures, investment funds with the benefit of the Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund, which is one of the largest in the world.
MICHAELSON: And in some ways, that helped in negotiating in the Middle East in terms of the Abraham Accords, right? That relationship turned out to be helpful there.
RADD: It did. And it shows how complex these interpersonal, business, government, diplomatic relationships can be.
MICHAELSON: But how much money are we talking in terms of Jared Kushner getting from this?
RADD: I mean, it's -- this isn't reported, right? But it's probably, you know, hundreds of millions of dollars, if not billions in these investment funds. I don't know the precise amount, but it is enough to make it worthwhile. It's enough for the Saudis to see the Trump family or Trump, and by extension, the Kushners and others, a worthwhile investment, and for Trump to see the same in the Saudis.
[00:30:08]
MICHAELSON: We're going to see a whole lot of love at the White House --
RADD: Oh, yes.
MICHAELSON: -- in the next two days.
RADD: Yes.
MICHAELSON: Dr. Radd, thank you so much for coming in.
RADD: Thank you again.
MICHAELSON: Really appreciate it.
All right. Still ahead, protests are breaking out as federal agents are sent into Charlotte, North Carolina. We will take you there and show you some disturbing new video when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:35:07]
MICHAELSON: The British government has announced sweeping reforms of its asylum system after months of protests and criticism from voters.
The plan involves increasing the amount of time it takes for refugees to settle permanently to 20 years, which would be the longest in all of Europe.
It would also pressure home countries to accept the return of illegal immigrants.
The Trump administration is suing California over its law banning the masking of immigration agents. It's meant to go into effect in January and would stop most law enforcement officers from wearing masks during operations.
The move comes after months of aggressive immigration arrests made by masked federal agents, showing little identification. Now, this has made it difficult for members of the public to know whether they're legitimate arrests or some sort of unlawful kidnaping.
The governor of California said the situation is, quote, "like a dystopian sci-fi movie."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(GLASS BREAKING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Federal agents making their presence known in North Carolina, although the driver of this vehicle says he's in this country legally.
CNN's Dianne Gallagher is there for us right now. And, Dianne, a protest is underway.
DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Elex. And you can kind of see a little bit behind me here as people are showing support for immigrant-owned businesses.
We have seen a bit of a paralysis throughout the Charlotte immigrant community since the DHS Border Patrol operations began three days ago here.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ICE out of Charlotte now!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ICE out of Charlotte now!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ICE out of Charlotte now!
GALLAGHER (voice-over): Protests in Charlotte as tensions escalate in North Carolina's largest city. At least 130 people arrested so far by Border Patrol agents in Homeland Security's latest immigration crackdown, dubbed Charlotte's Web.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
GALLAGHER (voice-over): Over the weekend, federal agents smashed a car window and yanked a man out of his vehicle and onto the ground.
The man says he's been an American citizen for six years and showed officers he had a had a RealID. He was briefly detained and released.
In a statement, DHS said, "During an enforcement operation in Charlotte, this individual became erratic, refused lawful commands, and had to be removed from his vehicle. DHS law enforcement followed their training to remove him."
REBA HAMILTON (ph), CHARLOTTE RESIDENT: Get the hell out of my yard.
GALLAGHER (voice-over): Surveillance video from Reba Hamilton's (ph) home shows a minivan quickly driving off early Saturday. Then masked Border Patrol officers get out to confront the two men hanging Christmas lights in her yard.
HAMILTON: That's where they were. That's how far they got.
GALLAGHER: So, they were up here just sort of wrapping the tree?
HAMILTON: Just wrapping the tree.
GALLAGHER (voice-over): The East Charlotte grandmother says she didn't know what to do, so she recorded the officers.
When asked by FOX News Monday about the now-viral video, Gregory Bovino, Trump's top border official on the ground in Charlotte and Chicago, defended the actions.
MARTHA MACCALLUM, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: What do you say to people when they look at that and say, That falls outside of this purview of getting criminals out? What do you say to them?
GREGORY BOVINO: Martha, do we know the criminal records of those so- called landscapers?
GALLAGHER (voice-over): Video shows the interaction lasted just 90 seconds, and they left without detaining the two men. Hamilton (ph) believes they were profiled.
HAMILTON (ph): They were looking for brown people, and they found some.
GALLAGHER (voice-over): Homeland Security releasing this wild video, claiming the driver of a white van, a U.S. citizen, tried to ram into law enforcement, quote, "while they were conducting an operation" on Sunday.
After a high-speed chase, the driver was eventually arrested. DHS says firearms were found inside the vehicle, and one officer was injured in the incident.
GOV. JOSH STEIN (D-NC): Everyone wants to be safe in their communities, but the actions of too many federal agents are doing the exact opposite.
GALLAGHER (voice-over): Many businesses have closed up shop, like this popular Colombian bakery, which shut its doors for only the second time in 28 years after federal agents were seen chasing down community members.
MANOLO, BAKERY OWNER: I decided not to -- to risk my customers, not to risk my employees and not risk myself and my family.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Dianne, in terms of the bakery that you mentioned in that story, you're standing right by there. What's the future of that?
GALLAGHER: Yes. So honestly, Elex, Manolo tells me he's not sure. It's kind of an indefinite closure right now, because they don't know how long this particular Charlotte's Web operation is going to last here in the Queen City.
He does not anticipate reopening while the Border Patrol officers are here in the city, at least if it remains as active as it is right now.
We've seen support outside of his bakery, pretty much around the clock. We saw various Neighborhood Watch people who patrolled this street, walking around blowing whistles if they saw SUVs that they thought had Border Patrol officers in them, trying to make sure parents who were picking their kids up from school didn't run into any sort of problems.
[00:40:05]
And then obviously, a lot rowdier, these protests at night.
I do want to point out the Department of Homeland Security released additional information on Monday night about the 130 undocumented immigrants they say that they arrested over the weekend in Charlotte.
They say that 44 of them have a criminal record. It's unclear if they mean convictions or charges, but we're talking about items like assault and also driving under the influence. They also say that two of the people arrested were known gang members -- Elex.
MICHAELSON: Dianne Gallagher, with an unbelievable ability to keep her focus in a very loud late-night protest happening right now in Charlotte.
Dianne, thank you so much. Really appreciate it.
Joining me now in a much quieter studio is Melanie Mason, the senior political reporter at "Politico."
It's amazing how she just -- she just kept going. MELANIE MASON, SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER, "POLITICO": She's locked in.
MICHAELSON: She was like -- that is a talent.
MASON: That's a -- that's a pro --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
MASON: -- right there. Yes.
MICHAELSON: All right. So there, the talk is about immigration. And President Trump would like to be talking about immigration, even that video.
But instead, it seems like much of Washington and the country is talking about Epstein, something he clearly doesn't want to talk about.
What do you make of his decision to, after saying, No, vote against this, this is a hoax, all of a sudden, say, Republicans, you should all vote for this; release the files?
MASON: I mean, Trump has so often been seen as this master of messaging, right? This master of branding. And I can't think of an issue that he has messaged worse on.
I mean, the sort of flip-flopping, the changing of the narrative. He himself was the one that raised the salience of this issue of the Epstein files. It was his administration. Remember? It was Attorney General Pam Bondi that had those binders of the Epstein files, where they had some conservative influencers at the White House flashing those off, only to say, actually, turns out there's nothing to see here.
And I think that it was that flip-flop back and forth and then him telling Republicans, don't vote for this in Congress. And now telling them, Go ahead and vote for it. That's what's actually caused it to have more attention.
MICHAELSON: Yes. I mean, even if you don't pay that close attention to this, it seems pretty obvious that President Trump knew that he was going to lose the vote, was going to lose it big.
So, then all of a sudden, changed the narrative by saying, everybody vote for it. So that way, it looks like he's leading the troops instead of everybody walking away from him.
But, you know, one of the people that walked away from him the most was Marjorie Taylor Greene, who had been his biggest champion of Americas first. Now we see her on all these different TV shows trashing him. He's now calling her a traitor.
What's going on there? What happened with Marjorie Taylor Greene?
MASON: I mean, it's really remarkable the turnaround from this, because she really was one of his most loyal lieutenants. Remember when Joe Biden had his State of the Union? She was wearing a red MAGA hat that said, "Donald Trump was right about everything."
And that's clearly not the tune that she is singing right now.
Look, I know that there has been some people who have said that maybe this is more of a sort of personal grievance, because she was thinking of running for Senate and that he was not going to support her. He himself put that on Truth Social.
But I also think that, you know, look, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene does have a feel for, perhaps, where the base of -- of the party is.
And yes, they have been incredibly loyal to President Trump. You know, unbelievably loyal for all this time. But perhaps she is noticing, in particular along this Epstein issue, that there are some fractures.
And so, it's interesting that she feels empowered to distance herself from the president, much like Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who, of course, was leading this; or Nancy Mace, who the president tried to lean on to vote against this. The fact that -- Lauren Boebert, for example.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
MASON: So, the fact you're seeing these Republicans feel like they can take that distance -- and that just has not been the case for the rest of Trump's presidency -- it's really remarkable.
MICHAELSON: But Massie and Mace had their own sort of independent streaks where they would kind of go on weird islands before. I mean, MTG was the Trump person.
MASON: Oh, yes.
MICHAELSON: The hat early on, the whole thing. And then the fact that she's straying really is something of note.
Meanwhile, you know, we're already talking about the next presidential election, because 2028, there was this political report from your colleague Jonathan Martin that came out recently that said that Gavin Newsom is the nominee -- or the frontrunner to be the nominee, not the nominee yet.
And there was also reporting that came out last week about Dana Williamson, who was Gavin Newsom's chief of staff, who is now facing 23 criminal charges. Can you bring people up to speed, sort of in -- in a nutshell, in terms of what she's accused of?
MASON: Right. So, there -- we found out last week that there was this federal investigation into Dana Williamson, Newsom's former chief of staff, alleging all types of -- of wrongdoing, corruption, theft, essentially stealing campaign funds, along with -- with the top aide to Javier Becerra.
I think that what's really interesting about this whole story is that in Sacramento, where this happened, it's like a nuclear bomb went off. It is hard to overstate the impact.
Because somebody like Dana Williamson, who not only was a top aide to Governor Newsom but also worked for Governor Brown before that. She was an incredibly well-known person.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
[00:45:13]
MASON: Meanwhile, outside of Sacramento, it's -- it's sort of the -- you know, most people don't know who she is. They don't know what this controversy is.
And I think that goes to your question of what this means for Newsom, right?
MICHAELSON: Right.
MASON: I mean, he is -- you've seen all of these headlines that say, former Newsom aide caught up in corruption probe.
But does this stick to him? Do people remember the name Dana Williamson? Do they think that her actions reflect poorly upon him?
You know, he certainly couldn't have liked those headlines. But I think we're -- we still have to see if there's going to be a longevity to this, maybe hurting his 2028 prospects.
MICHAELSON: Because the people that were friends with Dana Williamson, including Steve Maviglio, this Democratic consultant who came on our show last week to defend her, said, Look, this is all Trump going after her.
But the truth is, this all started during the Biden White House. And your own reporting was that Newsom got rid of her during the Biden administration.
MASON: Right. So, we spoke to Williamson's lawyer, and he said that, you know, in November of 2024, the FBI had approached Williamson. They said that, you know, they had been doing this investigation on her and actually tried to get her to flip, tried to see if she would inform on Newsom.
The lawyer says that she said no and that she promptly informed Newsom. And the Newsom administration, his office has said that as soon as he found out, he put her on leave.
So, this all happened, as you said, in 2024 during the Biden administration.
I do think that what you are hearing from Newsom allies, from allies of Dana Williamson, is a little bit more about the timing of why it is coming out now, which is under the Trump administration.
It does feel like this investigation was perhaps a little dormant for the last couple of months. There was so much activity going on in 2024, for example.
The fact that we are now, perhaps, seeing this come out just days after Newsom had some of the best headlines that he's had all year after his Prop 50 victory, I think that's where you're seeing perhaps it's a conspiracy, perhaps it's paranoia, or perhaps it's, you know, rightfully some -- some concern from the Newsom people that this might be politically motivated.
MICHAELSON: Although to say that it's like a hoax seems harder to do when the two alleged coconspirators both pleaded guilty.
MASON: Yes.
MICHAELSON: And said, yes, we did do this.
MASON: I mean, I think that --
MICHAELSON: And she did it, too, is what they're saying.
MASON: Look, that's the bind that -- that -- that Dana Williamson is in right now. I mean, she did plead not guilty. But you do have these coconspirators who have pleaded guilty. There's another co-conspirator that was cooperating with the federal government who was not charged.
And so, we are -- we -- it remains to be seen what kind of defense she can mount when it seems like the people she was working with are copping to what they did.
MICHAELSON: Yes. Melanie Mason, so fascinating to follow and always check out her work at "Politico." And check out the "California Playbook" every day for the best scoops, as well.
Thank you so much.
MASON: Thanks.
MICHAELSON: Still to come, if you purchased a ticket to the 2026 World Cup games but still need a U.S. visa, your wait time may be cut in half. And by the way, the first game for the U.S. team is right here in Los Angeles.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:52:51]
MICHAELSON: Let's talk sports. The Dallas Cowboys are fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive as week 11 of the NFL season has come to an end.
The Cowboys, on the road in Las Vegas, scoring three touchdowns in the second quarter. Dak Prescott here, hitting CeeDee Lamb, Jake Ferguson and George Pickens, put the game out of reach for the Raiders.
Dallas has their sights set on a wild card spot in the NFC. The Raiders, not so much. They fall to two and eight. A 21-year-old man could spend the rest of his life behind bars for the
fatal shooting of a beloved football coach. Cedric Irving was charged Monday with the murder of former Laney College coach John Beam in Oakland, California.
Beam was a beloved figure in the community. He rose to fame in the Netflix docuseries "Last Chance U," which focused on Beam and the Lady Eagles during the 2020 season.
He was most recently the school's athletic director, and police believe his killing was a targeted attack.
President Trump has announced that fans with tickets to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted next year in the U.S., will get fast-tracked visa appointments.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that an additional 400 consular officers will work to expedite the visa process for tourists.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: If you have a ticket for any of the games, you need to apply, if you haven't done so, as soon as possible. Don't wait until the last minute. Your ticket is not a visa. It doesn't guarantee admission to the U.S. It guarantees you an expedited appointment. You're still going to go through the same vetting.
We're going to do the same vetting as anybody else would get. The only difference here is we're moving them up in the queue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: The U.S. is expecting between 5 to 10 million visitors for the matches, set to kick off in June. There will be matches all over the country, with the first U.S. match at SoFi Stadium here in Southern California.
Still ahead --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPICE, SINGER: The first time I went to Jamaica, I cried. Just knowing the lush greenery that used to be home, the tropical beaches, the trees that is now falling to the ground, the light poles. Like, half of the island is still without electricity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[00:55:01]
MICHAELSON: My interview with the queen of dancehall, Spice. How she's using her music to make a difference in her beloved hometown -- home country of Jamaica. That's in the next hour of "The Story Is." Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MICHAELSON: Cher is ready to --
MICHAELSON (singing): -- "turn back time."
MICHAELSON: She's returning to "Saturday Night Live" as a musical guest for the first time in nearly four decades.
The Oscar, Emmy, and Grammy winner will perform on the December 20th episode, hosted by "Wicked for Good" star Ariana Grande, who oftentimes does double duty on the show.
