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wrong guy. we have new details about the ivy league grad turned accused murderer. plus, who is flying multiple nearly car sized drones over new jersey? the fbi has now launched an investigation to find out, and the white house is now commenting on the drones and what's been uncovered. >> and witness the moment that cnn's clarissa ward discovers a prisoner trapped inside a locked cell. days after the fall of the assad regime in syria, we are following these major developing stories and many more, all coming in right here to cnn news central in jail and playing defense. >> luigi mangione will plead not guilty, says the attorney for the 26 year old ivy leaguer accused of gunning down unitedhealthcare ceo brian

thompson just over a week ago. the attorney is insisting on mangione innocence despite mounting forensic evidence that allegedly ties him to the crime scene in midtown manhattan and to the ghost gun, the weapon that was used. >> the nypd says investigators have matched that gun that was found with mangione when he was arrested monday to shell casings that were found at the crime scene. and the nypd commissioner says mangione fingerprints matched ones that were found on material gathered in the search for the killer, including a water bottle and a food wrapper. sources also say that his prints were on a burner phone that was found at the crime scene, but mangione attorney says he has yet to see any of the evidence himself, and he tried to cast doubt on it i still haven't seen that evidence. >> lawyers need to see evidence. those saying you have something and getting that admitted into court are two different things. um, the and in fact, so what we're talking

about is fingerprint evidence and some ballistics, those two sciences in and of themselves have come under some criticism in the past, um, relative to their credibility, their truthfulness, their accuracy let's talk about this now with greg mccrary, former fbi profiler and cnn legal analyst joey jackson, who's a criminal defense attorney. >> greg, you just heard the defense attorney there trying to diminish the evidence that the nypd says that it's found are fingerprints and ballistic evidence like this pretty credible very credible. >> he's got an uphill struggle. i'm not a lawyer, but i think he's got an uphill struggle with that sort of defense. again, it's going to be the totality of the circumstances that put him at the scene. he's in possession of the murder weapon. the ballistics match. his fingerprints are there. there's probably going to be dna evidence if there isn't already. you've got the photographs. and all in all of

that. so to me, it looks like a pretty, pretty tight case. >> joey, this attorney is essentially doing what you would want a defense attorney to do in questioning not only the evidence itself, but the process by which it was gathered. i do wonder, given some of the details that we're getting, at one point you might start trying to talk to your client about a plea deal in this case, potentially bars immediately. >> and good to be with you and brianna. listen, the bottom line is that many of what the attorney is doing absolutely right. every piece of evidence needs to be challenged. and it should, but it's going to be what we call admissible evidence. that is, if there's a trial, a jury will see it. the things that he raises. the attorney i speak of is talking about issues of weight, not admissibility. yes, you can argue, right. weight of the evidence, how compelling and powerful it is. most people, most jurors believe that fingerprints is very powerful. you have a fingerprint on a bottle of water in an alley that you were seen going into.

whose else could it be? there's a rapper, right? also meaning a cereal bar wrapper that was found with his fingerprints. who else could it be? you have a manifesto and other items and pieces of evidence that are there. you have something which, you know speaks to your issue of confession. you have something showing you what appears to be you shooting a weapon. who else could it be? and so everyone deserves the presumption of innocence. no one should be prejudged. but based on how this is coming in. and then there's other circumstantial evidence. briefly, your mom can't get in touch with you and files a missing persons report. you're committed to a wedding, and you don't respond there. you're off the grid. no one can find you. right. it's just so many things. in addition to the actual physical evidence that will be admitted that go to show that, you know, he's got a significant problem. the defendant and the defense attorney. >> yeah. he had a faraday bag to block electronic signals going to any device that he might be carrying, which is very strange for someone to be

carrying. so then, joey, what would a defense be? >> i think what you need to do as the attorney is doing is you need to challenge every bit, right? the bottom line is that you're entitled to have a jury of your peers that are 12 people impaneled, which they will be right in manhattan, and they'll generally be 4 to 6 alternates there. and the people should be held to their proof beyond a reasonable doubt. what specifically is the proof? what is the ballistic evidence? is there any contamination with respect to that evidence? how was the chain of custody? has it been stored properly? was there any basis that it could be, for example, mixed mingled with others? right. what other issues relate to that in terms of any other evidence? did he have a manifesto? what specifically did it say? you can, as the attorney, rely upon press reports. there will be a time that you get to examine this evidence to evaluate the evidence, but at the same time, right, you kind of have to, at the end of the day, call a duck, a duck, a spade, a spade.

if all of the evidence is coming in in this way, does your client want a trial? everyone is entitled to that. but right? is it worthy to have one? of course it is, because that's our criminal justice system. what i think though, brianna and boris though, when you look at whether you're going to have a trial as a defense attorney, it comes to, well, what offer is on the table. we're not there yet. but looking into this, when i say offer, what is the prosecution saying they'll do for you? i don't think in this case they're going to do anything right, meaning by way of making it so that a trial is avoided, i think they're going to want life right 25 to life. top count, murder in the second degree. and so maybe it's worth having a trial. maybe it's worth challenging the evidence. and they should. but how? the evidence is coming in to greg's earlier point, i know he said he's not an attorney, but, you know, he sounded like one because it was pretty compelling evidence that he presented the realities. are the realities, right? the jurors are going to hear what they hear. they're going to decide what they decide. and if they show beyond a reasonable doubt that he's guilty, then that's what it will be. >> greg, i do wonder, as mangione is fighting extradition to new york, if

that in any way complicates the work of investigators right now, and whether they can get access to him in pennsylvania well, they may not get access to him, but it may be a break in a way that they have time. >> now, while the lawyers litigate this stuff to continue with the investigative efforts. and that is the background and the information. and where was he and what was going on, and who was he dealing with and who was he talking to on that burner phone when it looked like he was on the way to the to the crime scene, the way we analyze this thing, we break it down into sort of three components or domains. the pre offense, offense and post offense behavior. so we want to know everything that happened prior to the offense, all the planning. we want to get all of this in in place. he bought receiver of the gun. he fabricated the rest of the weapon, fabricated the silencer. all this goes to

premeditation and planning. and then the stalking of the, you know, of the potential victim in finding out where he was and when he was going to be there. all that is pre offense sort of stuff. then if you look at the offense itself, it's very cold. it's very predatory, which is typical of what we see in this lone actor. targeted violence. it's not he's not filled with emotion and rage. it isn't that sort of thing at all. it's very cold. comes up, shoots him in the back and and jogs off. and then the post offense behavior is making all these efforts to elude, uh, you know, identify and avoid identification and apprehension. and this goes on for days. and that was even before, if you think the way he checked in using false id, he paid cash, you know, all all of that sort of thing, wearing the hoodie and all of this shows that he understood the wrongfulness of what he was doing and was trying to avoid

detection and apprehension. and in all of that, i think will create a pretty compelling picture of a guy who knowingly he's not crazy. he knew what he was doing and went ahead and did it anyway. >> greg mccreery, joey jackson, appreciate the analysis. thank you so much. >> always. thank you. thank you. >> the man who is set to lead the prosecution of luigi mangione is calling the support for the accused killer, quote, abhorrent. manhattan district attorney alvin bragg also had this warning for those cheering on the murder of brian thompson, a father of two. >> celebrating this conduct is abhorrent to me. it's deeply disturbing. and what i would say to members of the public, people who, as you described, are celebrating this and maybe contemplating other action that we will be vigilant and we will hold people accountable. we are at the ready. >> bragg is one of multiple

authorities condemning the celebration of luigi mangione alleged actions, including the governors of both pennsylvania and new york. but support for the accused murderer only seems to be growing. here's more from cnn's randi kaye. whoa, whoa. >> back up. >> he's accused of cold blooded murder on a new york city street. yet support for luigi mangione is exploding online. >> if we let o.j. off the hook, why can't we let luigi off the hook? >> on tiktok, the hashtag free luigi is inspiring videos like these. >> we need to go ahead and get down to business and figure out how we're going to help my boy, luigi. we need to put some money on the man's books. make sure he can have honey buns for days. okay? while he's in there, this tiktoker echoed frustrations, writing, people are tired of being treated like a number. >> people get into these jobs and positions and forget that these numbers that they're interacting with affects actual people's lives. >> others offering themselves

up as alibis. >> listen, luigi mangione could not have killed that ceo that morning. i know, because he was on a zoom call with me organizing a fundraiser for kids and canines with cancer free luigi. >> the propping up of mangione is so outsized, one tiktoker even suggested time magazine should make him their person of the year. >> fremont boy, he didn't even do it. >> mangione has inspired merchandise too. online retailers are selling free luigi christmas ornaments, sweatshirts and coffee mugs, one emblazoned with the words i'm in love with a criminal. mangione lawyer told cnn that people have been reaching out to his office offering to pay mangione legal bills. he's not sure he'd accept the money. >> obviously, my client appreciates the support that he has, but it just doesn't sit right with me. >> a legal defense fund has also been set up on behalf of mangione. by wednesday afternoon, the fund had reached over $30,000. some of the anonymous donors included the

words deny, defend, depose in their message, at least one referred to mangione as an american hero. in altoona, pennsylvania, where mangione was arrested at a mcdonald's after an employee called police, support for him has given rise to threats in the community. >> we have received some threats against our officers and building here. we've started investigating some threats against some citizens in our community. we're taking all those threats seriously. >> the mcdonald's is being targeted to fake reviewers online writing, never eating at this mcdonald's again. imagine going to grab a big mac and witnessing officer snitch snitch. employee of the month calling the feds on a hero, referring to mangione, another fake review reads why go here when taco bell is just across the way and knows how to keep their mouths shut? >> yo, good morning to everyone other than the person that snitched to my dog luigi like you. why didn't your mother teach you? snitches get stitches. >> back in new york city,

so-called wanted posters have turned up, possibly suggesting some sort of rallying cry. the posters show faces of executives and ceos, including brian thompson, who mangione allegedly gunned down his is marked with a red x. it's unclear who is behind the posters. randi kaye, cnn, atlanta. >> thanks to randi kaye for that. still to come, the fbi launching an investigation into the mysterious drones spotted over new jersey as both a coast guard and a u.s. military research facility acknowledged these sightings. a former fbi intelligence agent will join us. >> plus, he promised to bring down the price of groceries if elected. but in a new interview, president elect donald trump admits it might be easier said than done. what he's now saying about lowering costs. and kari lake, a trump loyalist and fierce election denier, has just been picked to head a global news outlet funded by the u.s. government. the move, though, is sparking fears inside the organization.

that, and much more coming up on cnn news central can't fool myself. >> it was the most exciting time in the world. >> his life had extremely joyful moments and some really difficult moments. >> you only come across an artist like luther vandross once in a lifetime. >> luther. never too much new year's day on cnn. okay, everyone, our mission is to provide complete, balanced nutrition for strength and energy. >> ensure with 27 vitamins and minerals, nutrients for immune health, and ensure complete with 30g of protein. >> i've been worn by celebrities, athletes and world leaders, but i've always felt most comfortable up here with the folks that made me who i am. i'm right at home out here on the land, and i'm in my lane on the shoulder of the interstate because this is where i come from. i've been showing up here for nearly 200

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sergey kislyak took this cell phone video wednesday night from her home in chatham in morris county. >> she says that large object with the flashing red and green lights was hovering just above her neighbor. >> there's so many things in the sky right now, and they're all kind of doing different things. look it up. look at all these up here. look how close they are to each other. yeah, commercial flights wouldn't be that close. no. no way. not three. all in the same spot. look, there's another one coming down. and look to the left. coming to the right. just out of frame up there. yep. not to mention all the ones over here there's two behind here. there's two over there. yeah. look you can imagine why it's unnerving for folks on the ground, but at times, the drones have been spotted near sensitive areas, too, including a military facility and president elect donald trump's golf course. >> we're joined now by joshua skule. he's a former fbi executive assistant director

for intelligence. he's also the president of bow wave. thank you so much for joining us, sir. we appreciate the time. law enforcement so far has not publicly identified these drones. but john kirby, the national security council spokesperson, was asked about this at the white house. here are his remarks. >> we have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus how is it that you go about determining where these drones are coming from? >> if they're evading any opportunity for detection? >> well, they're attempting to evade detection. obviously, people if there are drones, there are seeing them. i think john kirby also said that many of these things are believed to be unmanned vehicles versus unmanned drones. so i think the determination with the federal government, which is not just the fbi but the faa and the

coast guard, is looking at this, looking at flight patterns will be very key to trying to determine out what this is and what it is not. >> they have avoided radar detection, and they appear to be operating at night, and they've turned their lights off to try to avoid police helicopters when approached. i wonder what that tells you about their capabilities. >> well, i think drone technology is advancing every day. obviously, we use them. american military use them, law enforcement uses them. and there are more commercially available, higher powered drones available to regular citizens. i think this needs to get uncovered. if i was living in new jersey, i would be concerned. i think there are investigations also take time if, in fact, that they're trying to evade detection, if they are doing something that is near a military installation. no doubt dod is also very concerned. so if all of this is happening and it's corroborated, there will be technical means for which you could track these vehicles what

are the risks of having drones surveilling critical infrastructure or points of interest like trump's golf course? well, certainly, you know, getting a bird's eye view if you're looking to do something nefarious and having the ability to see and map out what is that facility, whether it's the president elect's golf course, whether it's a military installation, um, all would have to be met with, what are your what are you trying to accomplish? but it certainly gives you a very vast amount of information off of that bird's eye view. and it's something that, you know, as i mentioned earlier, that dod or military or law enforcement use regularly, i do wonder, as at least one federal lawmaker has suggested, could you just shoot these drones out of the sky if they're flying over sensitive areas? so that's a that has been a long debate. you know, if you go back several years where somebody flew an unmanned, a drone that landed on the white house lawn, how

did it get there? how was it tracked? how do we allow that to happen? unfortunately, in the united states, you know, unlike in war, if you shoot a if you shoot a drone down, it's going to it's going to land somewhere and potentially cause more damage. and right now, based on all available reporting, no one has reported anything that's armed. now that's still concerning because they're saying there's no threat. but how do you know there's no threat if you don't know much about it? >> yeah, that's an important point. josh. school. we have to leave the conversation there. appreciate your time thank you. up next, president elect trump backing down on one of his biggest campaign promises. he's admitting in a new interview he may not be able to bring down the price of groceries. plus, hear what the president elect is now saying about another one of his campaign promises to pardon january 6th insurrectionists. stay with us. we'll be right back welcome to times square.

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save. one ( 800) 584-1923 live better, debt free. >> listen to chasing life with me, doctor sanjay gupta. wherever you get your podcasts. >> in a new interview with time magazine, president elect donald trump admits he may not be able to bring down your grocery prices. asked if that means his presidency would be a failure, he says, quote, i don't think so. look, they got them up. i'd like to bring them down. it's hard to bring things down once they're up. you know, it's very hard. end quote. but bringing those costs down was one of his top campaign promises. here's trump back in september vote trump and your incomes will soar. >> your net worth will

skyrocket. your energy costs and grocery prices will come tumbling down tumbling down. >> cnn's matt egan joins us now for a deeper dive. matt, what are prices like now compared to when trump was in office? >> well, boris, no doubt. it's just gotten so much more expensive to buy groceries. and that, of course, is a major frustration for voters. you know, before covid, we didn't really notice the price increases at the supermarket. they were pretty gradual. and then we had covid happen and prices just went through the roof. since february of 2020, supermarket prices are up by 27%. you can see it on that chart right there, just a significant move higher. now, thankfully, they're no longer skyrocketing, but they're also not coming down. and some items have gotten more expensive over the last 12 months. butter prices are up by 4%, pork chops 5%. and look at that. eggs

almost 40% more expensive. that, of course, is largely due to bird flu. now trump during the campaign he did talk about making prices plunge. and i know that made some economists scratch their heads because even though falling prices sounds great, it's not really how things work. and actually when you have prices plunge too much, that can become a negative because people will stop buying things. and that can be a tough thing to get out of. so i do think it makes sense for trump to kind of tap the brakes here, because it's not going to be easy to make supermarket prices fall dramatically. >> yeah, it's the first part of that promise that would help alleviate inflation. it's bringing wages up. right. but to the point of other campaign promises that donald trump has made, he's talked about raising tariffs on imports that could actually exacerbate inflation. >> yeah. that of course, is a major concern, boris. now the president elect has said that his tariffs would not be inflationary. and mainstream economists say otherwise. and

from other countries is food, in particular from mexico. you look at 89% of the avocados that are imported into the united states. they come from mexico. 91% of the tomatoes. and don't forget, the president elect has said that on his first day in office, he could put a 25% tariff on all goods from mexico. so it's easy to see how that could cause prices to go even higher. we also know that the united states imports some food from canada, including peppers and mushrooms. and there's one other point here, boris, is it's not just about tariffs. the president elect has also threatened mass deportations. he said in that time magazine interview that ran today that he would use the military to the maximum extent allowed for these mass deportations. and let's not forget a large number of the people who work on farms in the united states are unauthorized workers. and so if there's fewer workers, that could mean there's less food. and ultimately higher

prices. boris. >> yeah. important to remember, a majority of agriculture workers in this country are actually undocumented. matt egan, thank you so much, brianna. >> president elect trump is also talking about another promise that he made on the campaign trail, and that is pardons for january 6th rioters. he told time magazine, quote, i'm going to do case by case. and if they were nonviolent, i think they've been greatly punished. and the answer is, i will be doing that. yeah, i'm going to look, if there's some that really were out of control, the reporter pushes quote. so you will not include those who committed violent acts. trump replies, quote, well, we're going to look at each individual case and we're going to do it very quickly, and it's going to start in the first hour that i get into office. cnn chief national affairs correspondent jeff zeleny is joining us with more a little bit of a dodge on that last question, although it seems like he's going to get started on this quickly. >> he says very quickly. look, the things are sort of mounting of the things he intends to do on the first day. but pardons

was not just the first day, he said. in the first hour, even in the first nine minutes, of course, as we know, watching inaugurations and swearing in, the president is very busy during the first nine minutes. there's a ceremony, they have a senate lunch. but look, his point is that this is a top priority for him. but it's unclear which suspects or which criminals will be pardoned. there's no doubt, though, that this is among the things that his aides are preparing a list on. so i would not be at all surprised. in fact, he's telegraphing that they are going to have the paperwork ready for at least some of them on day one. so i think that day one will be a very busy one, certainly for president trump. >> we should be expecting that. and then this interview also gave us some insight into just how much i guess respect or attention trump is going to give the controversial anti-vax views of rfk jr., his hhs pick. >> he absolutely does. and of course, this is something that the senate will be deciding upon if he is confirmed. but let's look at a couple of

those answers there. on childhood vaccinations, the reporter asked if he moves to end a childhood vaccination programs. would you sign off on that? and the president elect says this. we're going to have a big discussion. the autism rate is at a level that nobody has ever believed possible. if you look at things that are happening, there's something causing it. the reporter goes on to say, do you think it's linked to vaccines? and trump says this? no, i'm going to be listening to bobby, who i've really gotten along with. great. and i have a lot of respect for having to do with food, having to do with vaccinations. he does not disagree with vaccinations, all vaccinations. he disagrees, probably with some. the reporter goes on to ask. so that could include getting rid of some vaccinations. and trump says it could if i think it's dangerous, if i think they're not beneficial. but i don't think it's going to be very controversial. in the end, this will be controversial. there's no doubt about that, because of course, many scientific studies, all scientific studies have shown that there is no link to autism. so this will be a central part of mr. kennedy's confirmation

hearing. there is no doubt about that. so we'll be i'm certainly going to be hearing a lot more about vaccinations. this is not just the president and bobby kennedy's own a decision on this. i mean, this will be thoroughly vetted in the court of public opinion and his senate hearings. >> and just really quickly, it's a print interview, but there's a transcript of it. and we were just talking in the break. let's pull back the curtain on this. a couple of interesting moments of him and his staff trying to kind of cut off the interview, but also he offered snacks. >> look, it's a very substantive interview. this is time. person of the year, something that donald trump probably holds higher than most any other type of news media interview he could get, but he is talking about russia and ukraine. in the middle of that train of thought, he asked the reporters from time and the editors if they would like any hors d'oeuvres. they said, no, sir, thank you. and he asked again if they would like any hors d'oeuvres, just, you know, they're sitting in mar-a-lago there. so that's sort of the setting of it. and again, his aides trying to end the interview several different times. he keeps going. so again, this is the most extensive interview we've

seen. but it also lays a roadmap for how he'll be held accountable and what he actually accomplishes or doesn't in the first day or even in nine minutes. >> you can get hungry during a long interview. you know, we know this jeff zeleny. thank you so much. next, a cnn crew captures just an amazing moment that you really have to see a syrian prisoner abandoned by guards for days in a locked cell, found trapped inside. see what happened after our own clarissa ward helped lead him to daylight for the first time in months. can't fool myself. >> it was the most exciting time in the world. >> his life has truly joyful moments and some really difficult moments. >> you only come across an artist like luther vandross once in a lifetime. >> luther. never too much new year's day on cnn. >> man, this looks really delicious. >> yes, i would just like to say yum yum yum yum yum yum yum

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is an author friendly publisher who understands that your labor is more than just a book. call or scan for your free writers guide. ( 800) 455-1827. >> syria's interim government says it's ready to work with the u.s. to locate americans who went missing during the assad regime, and that includes journalist austin tice, who was abducted back in 2012 and was believed to be held by the syrian government. now, tice's whereabouts are still unknown. but four days after the collapse of the assad regime, prisoners are still being found locked inside their cells. cnn's clarissa ward takes us inside a secret prison in damascus, where people had been held captive under assad's brutal dictatorship. this is a report you want to watch closely. >> deep in the belly of the regime's air force intelligence headquarters. these are english letters we are hoping to find traces of

austin tice, an american journalist held captive in syria since 2012. it's one of many secret prisons across the city. this specific branch was tasked with surveillance, arrest and killing of all regime critics. >> these are all cleaned up. >> we don't find any hints of tice, but come across something extraordinary i can't tell, though. >> it might just be a blanket, but it's the only cell that's locked. >> is he going to shoot it? >> the guard makes us turn the camera off while he shoots the lock off the cell door. whistle. we go in to get a closer look. it's still not clear if there is something under the blanket. oh. it moved. >> is there someone there don't move. >> is someone there or is it just a blanket? >> i don't know. i know, i think it's someone. hello

okay. he's just. it's just a little yeah. so. >> muffy. muffy. john joyce. journalist. journalist. >> journalist. i'm a civilian. he says i'm a civilian but that's okay. >> it's okay, it's okay hamas jay-z hamas. >> he tells the fighter he's from the city of homs and has been in the cell for three months. okay, okay. you're okay you're okay, you're okay, you're okay. nala clutches my arm tightly with both hands. >> okay does anyone have any water water my my my my my my my. okay. >> it's water. >> it's water okay.

>> you're okay. hadi. hadi. >> you're okay. you're okay. >> we start to walk him outside thank god you are safe. don't be afraid. the fighter says you are free. this is the third prison they brought me to. he says the third prison? after three months in a windowless cell, he can finally see the sky. >> hello. hello. yallah hello. the light, he says. >> oh, god, there is light. >> oh my god, there is light. okay. okay, okay, okay okay. can you come here? >> you're okay. stay with me. >> stay with repeats again and again.

>> okay. >> mike. hello, kyung lah hello, kamali for three months, i didn't know anything about my family. >> i didn't hear anything about my children neely the fighter hands him something to eat. barely lift it to his mouth. >> okay, but his body can't handle it. okay. you're okay his captors fled during the fall of damascus leaving him with no food or water. >> that was at least four days ago i'm shaking. my face is shaking. >> he says. >> the rebel tells him there's no more army, no more prisons, no more checkpoints. >> are you serious? >> he says.

>> kiara syria is free. he tells him it's the first time he has heard those words. >> he tells us his name is adel herbel and that officers from the much feared mukhabarat intelligence services took him from his home and began interrogating him about his phone. they brought me here to damascus. they asked me about names of terrorists, he says. >> did they hit you? >> the fighter asked. yes, yes, he says adel, as a paramedic, arrives. the shock sets in. there's nothing. everything's don't be afraid anymore. everything you are afraid of is gone. jens spahn hamas tens of thousands of syrians have disappeared in assad's 15 minu

herbel was one of them. he is still petrified. >> la la la la la la. >> don't be afraid. don't be afraid. the ambulance worker reassures him. every car i got into, they blindfolded me, he says. it is the end of a very dark chapter for him and for all of syria. but so many ghosts remain. clarissa ward, cnn, damascus. >> yet another incredible report by clarissa. thank you so much to her. president elect donald trump says he wants to install his ally election denier kari lake, as director of the nation's largest and oldest international news broadcaster, a move that has employees concerned, to say the least. we'll be right back believe me, when it comes to investing, you'll love carl's

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>> never too much new year's day at eight on cnn.

>> new today, president elect donald trump says he wants his ally, kari lake, to be the director of voice of america. a u.s. funded international news broadcaster. >> lake, of course, is a former local news anchor and 2020 election denier who lost her gubernatorial and senate races in arizona and has railed against the news media for years. the choice to name her as director one presidents do not typically make, by the way, is sparking fears inside of voa. cnn chief media analyst brian stelter is with us now to talk about this. what are you hearing from people inside of voice of america about this pick? brian? >> yeah. >> one employee said to me overnight, we're just hoping the guardrails will hold. another employee said, a lot of us are very disturbed by the idea of late coming in, mostly because of her media bashing over the years, as you just mentioned. you know, lake is a former local tv anchor and two time failed candidate in arizona known for her election denialism and her media bashing. she once likened

journalists to monsters. the idea that she would be overseeing this u.s. government funded international broadcaster is certainly eyebrow raising, but it's exactly the kind of thing that trump has been doing in his picks. the difference with this pick, though, this announcement last night, is that presidents don't ordinarily have anything to do with choosing the voice of america director. this job has historically been an independent post. voa is very proud of having a firewall so that its news coverage of foreign news all around the world is taken seriously and is respected by the viewers and by the public. so historically, that firewall has existed. but during trump's first term in office, he did install someone on the top of the agency that runs voa that basically went through and did a purge, investigated journalists for loyalty to trump and that sort of thing. federal investigators later found that laws might have even been broken during trump's first term in office at that agency. so now here we are again on the start of a second trump term. trump has not yet named the person that's going to run that global agency, but he has said he wants kari lake to run. voa.

>> so, brian, you kind of hit on this a bit, but i wanted you to expand on it. this this is not something americans typically watch. it's intended for an overseas audience. so who is watching and why is that firewall of political independence so important? >> yeah. historically, voa produces award winning journalism and promotes democratic values, in some cases telling america's story to the world. it exists as a counter to foreign propaganda. the idea is to provide real, fair, factual news and not propaganda. the risk, of course, is that if it seems like propaganda, if the channel or the network is turned into something that's just pro-trump as a pro-trump organ, then it would just be seen like any other kind of foreign broadcaster that's out there pushing one nation's agenda. voa, the journalist, they're very proud of their independence. but are they able to keep that? independence is going to be the question. now, the current director of the voa told me he will cooperate with the transition, but actually removing him will be difficult because after trump's first term, after that meddling that

i was describing, congress put new rules in place to make it harder to meddle in the future. there's now a board of seven people split between democrats and republicans, that have the power to hire or fire the voa director. again, we will see what that board ultimately does. this will take some time, but the fact that trump already came out and announced that he wants kari lake to run this department, it goes to show that he's doing things differently this time, he seems, or his allies around him have seemed to think through this ahead of time. and they have a plan now, will they turn voa into a propaganda organ for trump? time will tell, but there's a lot of people inside that newsroom that want to make sure that doesn't happen. >> yeah. all right. we'll keep an eye on this. brian stelter, thank you so much. next luigi mangione online trail shows repeated praise for the unabomber. today, the brother of ted kaczynski has a message for the 26 year old accused of killing unitedhealthcare ceo. >> dear doctor k, i used to think i was never meant to be

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