>> i like to sleep cool and i like to sleep even cooler. >> and i really like it when we both get what we want. >> introducing the new sleep number climacool smart bed. sleep up to 15 degrees cooler on each side. visit a sleep number store near you. this is the story of the one who doesn't just see a broken dock. he sees work stalled to a halt. >> thankfully, he has granger offering the scale to deliver fast call. click granger com or stop by granger for the ones who get it done. >> you make good choices. they've shaped your journey to leave all that your life built. rock solid for generations. with ambition like that, you need someone who elevates advice to a craft. at ubs, we match your vision with insight and expertise to shape a unique outcome for you. advice is our craft.

>> kelli stump luther. never too much new year's day at eight on cnn it's wednesday, december 25th, christmas day. >> merry christmas to those who celebrate right now on a special edition of cnn this morning. i'm hoping for a secure borders. >> i'm hoping for economic change. >> donald trump meant what he said. he's going to do what he said. >> getting the message. the voters have spoken and will soon find out if donald trump and his team were listening. plus, making history the president elect's second inauguration will be unprecedented in more ways than one. and santa is coming to town. >> santa. oh my god. >> i know him, i know him. >> holiday blockbusters, from traditional favorites to modern classics. which christmas movie are most americans turning on today? good morning everyone. merry

christmas to you and yours. i'm kasie hunt. it's wonderful to have you with us. we're going to have all of that and more that we just ran through ahead with our panel. but first, let's get a check of this morning's headlines. >> thanks, casey. i'm danny freeman in new york. a very merry christmas to all of our viewers out there. we're following breaking news this morning. dozens of survivors, but dozens more feared dead after a christmas day plane crashed near aktau, kazakhstan, in central asia. now, we want to warn you, some of this video may be disturbing. this right here. this was taken moments after the plane crashed as rescuers scrambled to pull people out of the burned wreckage. cnn's nadia bashir joins me now from london. nadia, you've been following this story all morning. what more do you know about this crash? >> well, we are still waiting to get more updates from the authorities clarifying the cause behind this crash. but as you mentioned, we have been seeing yet more video around the crash and the moments before the plane hit the ground. video showing that the

plane had been circling, circling the airfield somewhat erratically before making what appears to have been an emergency landing, crashing to the ground and bursting into flames. and remarkably, there were survivors. despite the pretty devastating impact that we've seen in this video. there is video emerging showing survivors, some of them bloodied and injured, emerging from the wreckage, according to authorities, at least 29 people, including two children, survived that crash. they have been taken to hospital for immediate medical attention. and as you can e ams surrounding the crash site in dozens feared dead. this plane was carrying 67 people, 62 passengers, five crew members on board. we are yet to hear from authorities on the status of the remaining passengers on board, but again, dozens are feared dead, so we will be waiting for those updates. but this

is, of course, a moment of anger and anxious moment, a sad moment for many of the family members of those who were on board, perhaps waiting. still for more information on that. this was an azerbaijan airlines flight traveling from the azerbaijani capital, baku, to grozny in the russian region of chechnya. as you mentioned, it made that emergency landing about two miles from the kazakh city of aktau. at this stage, according to russian aviation authorities, preliminary information suggests that the pilot may have been forced to attempt an emergency landing as a result of a bird strike. but we are still waiting for more updates and a fuller picture of what exactly led to this crash. danny. >> so, so scary. and you're right, a lot of anxiety for many families this morning, but incredible that there are some survivors now. beshear. thank you very much. and overnight, russia launched a massive christmas morning aerial attack on ukraine's energy sector. an attack ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy condemned as inhumane. at least one

person was killed in the dnipro region after russia launched more than 70 missiles and 100 attack drones. ukraine's air defenses managed to shoot down many of them, but several still hit their energy sector targets, leading to blackouts across the country. you can see here some of the damage in kharkiv to residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, as well. and back to back storms are making a mess of travel for some this christmas morning. a winter storm walloped the sierra mountains. just look at this video right here, causing slick conditions that forced trucks to pull over and wait out the weather on christmas eve. the west coast, now bracing for yet another powerful storm. and this all comes as millions in new york today enjoy their first white christmas in many years. meteorologist chad myers has more from the weather center. good morning chad. merry christmas. it was nice to see some snow on the ground in new york. uh, it doesn't all have to be in buffalo. >> i mean, we can spread it out in new york city a little bit. here's staten island, a little picture here. now, some of this

did melt yesterday, and now we're down to 27. so watch out for slick spots. watch out for some icy spots. these are all the areas here that really did have a very white christmas. but now we're seeing a wet christmas down here across parts of louisiana. there could be some strong to even severe weather today, but i think the real risk is some flooding. but in flooding that has been parched with the drought over the past couple of months. so i guess you'll just take it when you can get it. just don't want it all to come down at one time. moving ahead to thursday. pretty good travel day. they'll be rain across parts of the south and also in the deep south itself. but then by the time we get into sunday, when a lot of you are going to try to get back on airplanes in new york, we have rain and also all of that cloud cover to say, look at what has happened in the west and what will still happen in the west with this storm. danny, we are going to see spots that have 1 to 2ft of additional snow. if you decided to go on a ski vacation, whether it is coeur d'alene, north, up to or ponderay up there, snow coming down, finally, some powder for

skiers to play with because it has been a couple of dry couple of years in a row where we haven't had real natural snow and they've been skiing in that snow cone that they make with a man made snow. >> yeah, but no more powder shushing back and forth on the powder for this holiday season. i love it. chad myers, thank you very much. merry christmas. see you next hour. all right. that's a look at your top stories on this christmas day. now back to casey. >> 2024 nearing the end. what a year. what an election year. >> it is now clear that we've achieved the most incredible political thing. look, what happened. is this crazy? >> four years after he lost the 2020 election, after he attempted to overthrow the results of that election in ways that resulted in dozens of criminal charges after a violent mob stormed the capitol to try to prevent the certification of his defeat,

and after being injured in one of two assassination attempts against him, donald trump prevailed in the 2024 election, winning the electoral college, and for the first time, the popular vote. the former president made gains across the country in blue states, in red states, in rural areas, in cities. and in fact, my colleagues here at cnn wrote the day after the election, this quote, trump made gains with nearly every demographic group compared with his 2020 loss. cnn's exit polls showed, and his apparent near mirroring of the 2016 map would indicate that he paid no political price for his lies about fraud in that election. his efforts to overturn it, or the criminal charges he has faced since then. and that is the crux of it. enough of the electorate decided that change was more important than any concerns over trump's behavior. and it's why, in part, this moment from harris was so damaging. >> would you have done something differently than

president biden during the past four years? >> there is not a thing that comes to mind in terms of and i've been a part of, of, of most of the decisions that have had. >> impact, not a thing that comes to mind. that was according to cnn's exit polls, almost the exact opposite of what voters wanted to hear. almost three quarters of voters said they were either dissatisfied or angry with the way things were going in the united states. and as incumbents, president joe biden and vice president kamala harris were unable to change, as they might say, the vibes. trump, by contrast, was able to seize on the anger and dissatisfaction by promising major radical change. >> we're going to pay you back. we are going to do the best job. we're going to. we're going to turn it around. nothing will stop me from keeping my word to you, the people. we will make america safe and strong, prosperous, powerful and free again. >> all right. our christmas day

panel is here. alex thompson, cnn political analyst, national political reporter for axios elliot williams, cnn legal analyst, former federal prosecutor and star wars fan kate bedingfield, cnn political commentator, former biden white house communications director. and brad todd, cnn political commentator and republican strategist. welcome to all of you. thank you for being here. alex, i actually kind of want to start with you on this. as we look back at just an incredible campaign, much of which you covered as you were covering then candidate joe biden. and just, you know, i'm interested in your reflections on the arc of it, especially for the outgoing president and his decision to there were so many unbelievable things that happened in the course of this campaign. but really, his decision to drop out of the race and hand it to kamala harris was such an unprecedented moment for all of us. >> and his decision to run in the first place at 80 years old, i think will also be one of the more consequential decisions of this election cycle. and i think actually, when we look back, we'll probably think of this election

was over in june and july. the combination of that debate performance and then the assassination attempt, which you saw in the favorability ratings, trump sort of had his highest favorability of his entire political career after that moment. and then the kamala harris of it all, i think you can you obviously pointed out some mistakes that she made. you could say she should have gone to joe rogan, all these little, little tactical things. but in the end, the kamala harris 107 day campaign was a hail mary pass. and i think they actually got closer than some democrats expected. she only lost across three states by 250,000 votes. now he still won the popular vote, but she had a chance to pull the inside straight. and i think that's how we'll look back on this election. >> well, and kate bedingfield, i think the popular vote piece of it is one of the things that has led to a feeling that donald trump will enter office with a significant mandate, because it really kind of showed a a significant switch from 2016 where, yes, he won the

electoral college, but he lost the popular vote. how do you think what message do you think democrats took away from that piece of it? and what should they be taking into the future? >> yeah. look, i think there's no question that the political winds are at donald trump's back. i do think as we have gotten farther and farther from the election, i think democrats are absorbing it a little bit less as a, you know, to use obama's words, a shellacking and a little bit more of a look at where voters are dissatisfied with the status quo and how democrats can can think about really tacking to their concerns, particularly on the economy. i think, you know, there this is not a great moment for the democratic party. they are in the political wilderness, but out of the wilderness can arise opportunity. and i do think there are a lot of hard conversations happening about what the direction should look like. and i think there will be, i hope, positive growth from that. when you have those hard conversations, when you take a look at what isn't working, you come to, you come to a new, a new

direction. so, um, you know, i don't think that all hope is lost for the democrats. and i think there were people on november 6th, seventh and eighth who were saying, all hope is lost for the democrats. i don't think that that's true. >> to your point about the popular vote. it was actually a relatively close election. now, to your point, democrats ought to be alarmed when they're losing working class black people in queens and bronx and places that ought to be democratic in manhattan, ought to be democratic strongholds. now, they still won, but lost to the totals that they should have had. but donald trump won by, i believe it's 1.5% in the popular vote. by way of comparison, reagan won 84 by 18 points. that is a shellacking. that is a national mandate. and when it comes to the business of governing a country that is still very divided and still very close, regardless of what congress looks like, it will just be interesting. >> biden also won 4.5% in 2020, by the way, so i am all for

democrats under reading this and convincing themselves, you know, that this was this was really not as bad as it was. >> i mean, the state that swung the most in the state legislature, from democrat to republican, was vermont. vermont, like the least religious, least conservative state in the country, democrats lost up and down the ballot, and donald trump took the gains that he'd made in 2016 with the white working class and extended it to working class voters of color. that is a major, major change. we are in the middle of a realignment, the end of the fifth political party system is political science professors call it is here. this is a pretty historic time, and it's not. >> and to to back that up, the alignment is not rich or poor or left or right social issues. it's college versus not. it's what many would call quote, unquote the elites versus everybody else. that is where american politics seems to be well, and where you live. >> do you live around people who are more college educated than the rest of the country? it's not even really about your degree. it's about the

kinds of people you choose to be around you. >> well, i was just going to say this is the debate about what democrats do next. do you under-read or do you overread? do you, you know, sort of overcorrect and, you know, there are some data points that democrats can point to. the fact is they still won senate races in wisconsin and michigan and nevada. but at the same time, no, you know, reagan did win by 18 points, but no republican, no presidential candidate has had the headwinds, many self-inflicted with you know, obviously, he had four different court cases going on. he obviously tried to overturn the last election, the amount of headwinds he was facing and was able to overcome would also be a, you know, suggest that maybe this is, you know, in some ways a more impressive victory. >> and i think the idea that democrats need to abandon the things that are core to their policy agenda, things like focusing on infrastructure, focusing on health care protections. now, absolutely, there needs to be a re a reimagining of the way democrats communicate, the way they talk. although to alex's point, obviously, a number of senate democrats outperformed vice president harris. so when

i say not all is lost, i think, you know, what is important is for democrats to not lose sight of the fact that the backbone of the things that they have historically fought for do speak to those working class voters. what they've got to figure out is how to better explain that. >> all right. coming up next here on cnn this morning, trump's second inauguration, now just a few weeks away. doris kearns goodwin joins us with more on what that might look like. plus, the image that helps define the 2024 election. we'll talk to michael smerconish about his take. and like the gifs that keep on giving your favorite holiday movies a lamp. >> oh, wow. >> can't fool myself. it was the most exciting time in the world. >> life has 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 you make good choices, always planning ahead. >> like to not just chase a career, but one day. follow your heart. with ambition like that, you need someone who elevates advice to a craft. at ubs, we match your vision with insight and expertise to shape a unique outcome for you. advice is our craft. i just need. >> make exceptional the standard in the all new buick enclave experience. truly effortless driving that invites you to let go. and stunning technology that's in a class of its own, with quiet tuning that comes standard and room to bring everything along for the ride. the enclave puts you at the center of it all. buick

exceptional by design. >> best part of the party? snooping in the bathroom. oh! party fell. not listening to your dentist. make the sonicare switch for a champ. be gentle. be effective. be you. i love you your parents have given you some amazing gifts. >> but what about the inherited ones? celebrate them with ancestry dna. the simple test that shows your deep family roots from your mom's side and your dad's side, with some serious detail. trace the journeys and history that shaped who you are today and see the traits they pass down. your connections to the past are all waiting. see just how gifted you are. for only $39. >> doctor box. there were many failed attempts to fix my teeth. i retouched all my wedding photos and it was even affecting my health. i trusted you because you specialize in dental implants. you created a permanent solution and

customized my teeth. so it still felt like me. my new teeth have improved my life and changed my future. thank you. you're so welcome. >> get the smile you want from the number one provider of fixed, full arch dental implants in the u.s.. schedule a free consultation at. >> are you ready for this? >> are you ready for this new alka-seltzer plus cold or relie

absolutely free text draw to 369369 today. >> nba on tnt. steps into the new year with a night of action beaming with stars. my goodness. >> play celtics. >> timberwolves 70. sixers warriors coverage begins january 2nd at seven. presented by state farm on tnt. >> all right. we are joined now by great friend of the program, michael smerconish. he's usually with us every friday. and michael, we wanted to know what you thought. was there a

moment or an image that really defined where we've been over the last year in politics and where we're going? >> first of all, happy holidays and thank you so much. i love being your guest on fridays. so thank you for welcoming me so often onto your program. it's lovely. i do have an image. >> thank you. >> yeah. thank you. and i dressed holiday ish. my turtleneck. look, that's holiday ish. as far as i go. >> i was trying to go ahead. tell us. >> so i do have an image in my head, and it's not the one you might be thinking of. casey, let me approach it this way. you know what it's like to grow up in the philly burbs, and you go to the jersey shore for hopefully a week of vacation. or, as we put it, down the shore, and each one of those jersey shore towns has a distinct personality. wildwood, new jersey is a working class shore town. when donald trump went to wildwood, new jersey, last spring and drew 80

to 100,000 people in a boardwalk appearance, and there's this image of trump, and he's in front of a ferris wheel, and he's walking out on stage, and it's a little carnival barker ish, because that's wildwoods boardwalk. but that was stunning to me because here was a billionaire attracting tens of thousands. we always argue about how many people were there. there were a hell of a lot of people there that day. and trump comes out and he tells the story about how frank sinatra said, you never eat before you perform. but i just i just ate an enormous hot dog. and the crowd roared in its approval, and i thought to myself that he could attract so many people in a state he's never going to win, no matter what he says. he's not competitive in new jersey, but to go to wildwood, new jersey and put on a show and attract the number of people that he did, that struck a chord with me. that was a moment where i said, this populist appeal by a republican is

really something to behold, especially after he's been twice impeached and four times indicted, and the conviction and so forth. that was a moment. that was a moment where i said, you just can't count him out. >> well, you know, michael, it's so interesting that you mention this because while yes, he didn't have a chance of winning new jersey, i was on the air overnight on cnn on election. election day into wednesday morning through to 9:00. it took us at cnn until about four in the morning to call the state of new jersey. i mean, that would have been normally a call that would have been made right at the close. i mean, it's interesting that you pointed that you felt that at the time, but some of what you saw there was borne out by what happened yeah, i think that's true. >> and and maybe, you know, the fact that he was able to throw the harris campaign off guard and make them compete, make them defend. that's a better way of describing it. make them defend in places that should

have been in the bag was was also very telling. i mean, i never ruled out that he could win the election. i did not see coming that he could win the popular vote. >> yeah. agreed. that was something that, you know, stood out, stood out to me as well. and michael, i do want to ask you because i will say, i think the one image that stands out in my mind from the campaign was the image of what happened in butler, pennsylvania. this was where trump's putting his fist in the air. he's yelling, fight! this is right after that would be assassin's bullet. hit him in the ear. you can see the blood on his face and obviously a very difficult moment for the country to be facing political violence, but also really an example of how donald trump reacts to the camera and steps onto the stage that even in a

moment where there is violence directed toward him, his instinct was to do this was to interact with the crowd. what does that say about him and about why he won the election? >> can i just say that as you're walking us through this recollection, it for me, it was one of those i know exactly where i was and what i was doing. i was at the breakfast counter in my kitchen at home, and i was watching that rally in real time. and there was one other person in the house. it was our youngest son, and i remember i saw what was happening and immediately appreciated. this is an assassination attempt and shouted up the stairs and said, you've, you've got to come watch this. and the way in which, to your point, trump controlled the moment and rose up and you know, and wanted to put his fist in the air and so forth, and had the the presence of mind, who knows how any of us would react in such a terrifying encounter. i don't think i'd have the

presence of mind to take control of it and make sure that the image that i'm projecting from it is one of strength. but that was a seminal moment. >> all right. michael smerconish, i always enjoy our friday conversations. i'm so grateful you take time out of your very busy day to be with us every friday. and of course, viewers can tune in this weekend. smerconish saturdays at 9 a.m. eastern right here on cnn. all right. ahead on cnn this morning, donald trump will become just the second president in u.s. history to be inaugurated for nonconsecutive terms in the white house. doris kearns goodwin joins us next. and what do most people do with holiday gifts? they don't want? the answer could surprise you. >> 2024 was a wild ride. >> it was like the craziest roller coaster ride i've ever

been on in my life. >> that was an whooping. >> tom foreman and special guests look back. all the best, all the worst. 2024 tomorrow at 11 on cnn thank you for rob frehse. rory. never thought she would live out her dream. >> then one day, she did. you were made to chase your passions. we were made to put them in a package. >> my moderate to severe crohn's symptoms kept me out of the picture. now i have skyrizi. i've got places to go, and i'm feeling free. >> controlling my crohn's means everything to me. oh, travel is everything to me. >> and now i'm back in the picture. feel significant symptom relief at four weeks with skyrizi, including less abdominal pain and fewer bowel movements. skyrizi helped visibly improve damage of the intestinal lining, and with skyrizi. many were in remission at 12 weeks, at one year, and

even at two years. >> don't use if allergic serious allergic reactions, increased infections, or lower ability to fight them may occur. before treatment, get checked for infections and tb. tell your doctor about any flu like symptoms or vaccines. liver problems leading to hospitalization may occur when treated for crohn's. >> now's the time to take control of your crohn's. control is everything to me. ask your doctor about skyrizi. the number one prescribed biologic in crohn's disease. >> and doug whoa! limu. >> we're in a parade. everyone customize and save hundreds on car insurance with liberty mutual. >> customize and zelle. >> and then i wake up and you have this dream every night. >> yeah. >> every night. >> mm. i see only pay for what you need. >> liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty. >> i've got this. hey, susan.

toothbrush. big interview. huh? nice new suit. new haircut. ancient bristle stick. make the sonicare switch. >> all right, now go knock em dead, boss. can i get the wi fi? >> i'm gonna hang here there's nothing like. >> welcome to the white lotus in thailand. >> cut! >> this is very exciting. >> aren't you a brave girl? >> there's nothing like. where's the money? >> you can't heal something unless you say it out loud. it's not the light. >> the light? there's not the

sold for less than $20. go to deal dash dot com and see how much you can save. >> andy. it has been one wild year. >> i know that whole live

stream was crazy. >> what you have been following actual news, right? oh, boy. >> new year's eve live with anderson and andy. live coverage starts at eight on cnn and streaming live on max. >> welcome back on this christmas morning, i'm danny freeman in new york with your top stories. we're following breaking news this morning. at least 29 people survived a christmas day plane crash near aktau, kazakhstan, but dozens more are feared dead. we want to warn you, some of this video may be disturbing. now, this was taken moments after the plane crash as rescuers scrambled to pull people out of the burned wreckage. drone footage shows the scope of the devastation on the ground. now, it's not known for sure yet what caused the crash, but there are preliminary reports. the plane tried to make an emergency landing after a bird strike. and this christmas morning, pope francis is urgently calling for peace and the end of the wars in gaza and ukraine. the pope delivered his 12th annual christmas blessing from the balcony of saint

peter's basilica. thousands were in the crowd. you can see right there, as the pope prayed that leaders would negotiate peace in war torn ukraine and the middle east. now, this christmas is a special one for the catholic church because it marks the start of its jubilee, which happens every 25 years. meanwhile, the british royal family is also getting in the christmas spirit today after a year of health challenges for king charles and princess catherine. they, along with queen camilla, prince william and other royal relatives, attended their traditional christmas service in sandringham. charles and catherine both underwent cancer treatments this year. the king will break tradition later today when he delivers his annual christmas message from a chapel at a former hospital, instead of from the traditional setting of buckingham palace or windsor castle. and this now. happy holidays and merry christmas from spacex for nasa astronauts on board the international space station recorded a video message to send back to earth. take a look. >> it's a great time of year up here. we get to spend it with all of our family up on

the international space station. there are seven of us up here, and so we're going to get to enjoy company together from all of us to all of you, merry christmas just incredible. >> and again, can't get over that floating candy cane there. two of those astronauts, suni williams and butch wilmore, were not supposed to spend christmas in space. they were stranded by issues with their space capsule back in june. they're expected to return to earth no earlier than february. all right. that's a look at your headlines. now, back to casey just as soon as the white house wraps up its christmas celebrations, they'll start preparing for the next big event in washington. >> president donald trump's inauguration in just under a month. perhaps he'll strike a hopeful tone as some presidents have. >> we shall reflect the compassion that is so much a part of your makeup. >> how can we love our country and not love our countrymen and loving them? reach out a hand

when they fall. >> my fellow americans, as we stand at the edge of the 21st century, let us begin anew with energy and hope, with faith and discipline. >> on this day we gather, because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose, over conflict and discord, or will trump's second inaugural speech carry a similarly dark tone as his first one did? >> mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities rusted out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation, and the crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential. this american

carnage stops right here and stops right now. >> all right. joining us now, presidential historian doris kearns goodwin. she is also the author of an unfinished love story a personal history of the 1960s. doris, it's so wonderful to have you on the program on this christmas day. >> i'm glad to be with you on this very day. >> so let's start with what you. expect, perhaps to see from donald trump's second inaugural address. this, of course, is a rare time in american history where you've got. nonconsecutive inaugural addresses. >> yes, exactly. and that may be what he's going to be able to learn from that first inaugural address. it was the most unusual one, perhaps in history, because normally you break with the grievances of the campaign. you break with looking at your base, and you're really trying to reach

out to the nation as a whole. and they've almost always been hopeful, even in the hardest of times. so maybe looking back at the fact that that did not get a good reception, he's got a chance because he's one of those two presidents, cleveland and he who are the only ones who came back after a loss to reflect on that and give a different kind of address that that will reach out to the country as a whole. he had said in something a couple of weeks ago he wanted to be a president of all the people. so let us hope that the inaugural address will reflect that different kind of tone, which we just heard from these other characters. >> well, and speaking of, you know, difficult or at least turbulent at times, let's play a little bit of that. perhaps one of the most famous of these, i. franklin delano roosevelt, talking about fear itself. >> let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. >> i know you've thought a lot about this. i mean, where do

you think that stands in the pantheon of history and matters today? >> i think it's probably the most important inaugural address we had, because when he came in, people said to him right before he was about to speak, you know, if your program works when you get into office, you'll be one of the great presidents. if it fails, you'll be one of the worst. he said, no, i will be the last american president. that's how perilous democracy was. and he comes in and he starts off saying, only a foolish optimist would deny the brutal realities of the moment. the country was in the worst stage of the depression, one out of four, out of work, starving people wandering the streets, the political system, the financial system had collapsed. and he comes in and he says, not only the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. but he said, i'm going to put you to action. this is not your fault, people. it was the fault of leadership. and i'm here to provide that leadership. i have a program i'm going to send to congress. if they don't act on it, i will act as if we were at war. i will get you to work. incredibly, casey. by the end of that speech, the mood of the

country had changed. headlines read, we have a leader. we have a government. the government still lives, and hundreds of thousands of telegrams and letters came into the white house. my favorite one said, a man said, my roof fell off. i've lost my job. my wife is mad at me and our dog ran away. but now everything's all right. you are there. the mood changed overnight. it's incredible. that's the mystery of leadership. >> it really is. and you know, speaking of fdr and his leadership, and celebrating, of course, the holidays, i actually was able to tour the holiday decorations at the white house this year with with my family. it was a real privilege. and one of the rooms on the tour actually, is the room where fdr held those fireside chats. and i know when you're thinking about observing holidays at the white house, it also kind of goes back to fdr and even to winston churchill, that whole era. let's listen to a little bit of both of

them. watch. >> how can we pause even for a day, even for christmas day, in our urgent labor of arming a decent humanity against the enemies which beset it? >> let the children have their night of fun and laughter. let the gifts of father christmas delight their play. >> just what remarkable comments at such an incredibly important point in our history. of those two leaders saying, yes, we may be at war, but let us, mark, let the children mark this time. >> yes, you're so right. i mean, just think of it. this is only a couple of weeks after pearl harbor. there's blackouts all through washington. the secret service told roosevelt unconditionally he should not light the christmas tree, that

it would be a danger because the bombers could see it. he insisted that we have to do it. so when the tree was lit up and finally the air was, people started singing. and then both roosevelt and churchill spoke. and what churchill said after he said, let the children have their night of fun, is that then tomorrow we adults, we will go about the problem of solving this formidable problem, of making sure that we give them the inheritance of a free and decent world. so it was really an emotionally charged moment, and it got both the hope of the future and the recognition of we are in a war at that moment in time. but christmas still held, the lights were there. and the extraordinary thing is the lights then that was the last time they had the electric lights. after that it was too scary. they just had brightly colored ornaments. so finally in 1945, truman comes and puts the lights back on. and when he puts the button and they go on, he says something about, this is what the war weary world has been waiting for in these long and awful years. so that's the capstone of pearl harbor and

the 1945 the allies won that war, thank god. >> wow. i had i had no idea that truman did that. and the symbolism of the christmas tree lights, it's really fascinating. and, doris, you know, i just have to ask you kind of big picture here as we wrap up and as everyone is, you know, gathering at home for the holidays, we've just been through such a historic year, a historic campaign. how do you how are you already thinking about the year? that was the campaign. that was the return of donald trump to the white house after the history making events of january 6th, 2021, and what it all means and where it will stand when the history books are written. >> oh, i mean, i wish i were around 30 years from now to look at this year. it will be one that will form a large chapter, i think, in our history books think not only of the comeback, i think not only of the campaign. think of the two assassination attempts, and here we are. and this is the one thing the inauguration promises. a new year is coming.

there's a chance to set a new tone. you know, when jefferson won after a hugely vitriolic campaign against adams, and he came into the office and he said, we are all federalists, we are all republicans. we have to find the common good. i'm hoping that this 1940, 1945, now, this 2024 can be turned into a different year in 2025, and that the vitriol and the anger and the grievances and the fact that the country feels so divided and so polarized can begin slowly, slowly, slowly to come back to some common ground. that's what inaugurations are. there are moments of hope. and then they're followed, of course, by the 100 days. and it depends on what happens. but at least at this moment, we can imagine that things can have a better tone next year than they've had in this last year. we have to hope. we have to hope. >> optimistic view, contagious optimism. but i appreciate that. you know, the christmas spirit, shall we say. doris kearns goodwin, so grateful to have you. >> absolutely. >> thank you very much. >> thank you. >> and you can get a copy of an unfinished love a personal

history of the 1960s, on sale now, if you didn't give it to your loved ones for christmas, you know, maybe, maybe rectify that tomorrow. all right. just ahead here on cnn this morning, harry enten is here. he's been making some lists, checking them twice. christmas movies and more. up next. hi, harry santa scott. >> calvin, how can you close this up? >> peggy? >> because santa is watching this saturated fats i want to be the greatest player that i could possibly become. >> hurry, hurry, transform your website into an immersive 3-d experience with infinite reality, you can tap the power of the spatial and social web, unlock valuable data, and take

your brand to the next level. >> it's time for better shopping bolder entertainment, and bigger sports. it's time to up your web game. infinite reality. >> i joined sofi because they've helped millions of members earn more money, save more money, borrow better, and invest for their ambitions. >> join a generational player. sofi. >> get your money right. >> long after guests leave, viruses and bacteria linger. air fresheners add a scent, but only lysol air sanitizer helps erase the trace, eliminating odor and killing 99.9% of viruses and bacteria in the air. scent can't sanitize lysol can. >> dexcom g7 is one of the easiest ways to take better control of your diabetes. this small wearable replaces fingersticks lowers anc, and it's covered by medicare, not

managing your diabetes really affects your health for the future. >> the older you get, the more complications you're going to see. >> i knew i couldn't ignore my diabetes anymore because it was causing my eyesight to go bad for my patients. >> getting on dexcom g7 is the biggest eye opener they've ever had. >> i couldn't believe how easy it was. >> this small wearable sends my glucose numbers right to my phone or my receiver. with just a glance, i can see if i'm going high, low or steady so i can make quick decisions in the moment. >> now i'm a superstar. my anc is 5.7. >> my anc has never been lower, no other cgm system is more affordable for medicare patients than dexcom g7. >> don't wait, call now and talk to a real person. >> my moderate to severe crohn's symptoms kept me out of the picture. now i have skyrizi. i've got places to go and i'm feeling free. >> controlling my crohn's means

everything to me. control is everything to me. >> and now i'm back in the picture. feel significant symptom relief at four weeks with skyrizi, including less abdominal pain and fewer bowel movements. skyrizi helped visibly improve damage of the intestinal lining, and with skyrizi, many were in remission at 12 weeks, at one year, and even at two years. >> don't use if allergic. serious allergic reactions, increased infections, or lower ability to fight them may occur before treatment. get checked for infections and tb. tell your doctor about any flulike symptoms or vaccines. liver problems leading to hospitalization may occur when treated for crohn's. >> now's the time to take control of your crohn's. control is everything to me. ask your doctor about skyrizi, the number one prescribed biologic in crohn's disease. >> sail through the heart of historic cities. an unforgettable scenery with viking. unpack once and get closer to iconic

landmarks. local life and cultural treasures. because when you experience europe on a viking longship, you'll spend less time getting there and more time being there. viking exploring the world in comfort. >> for ben and erin, the work's never done. i'll never stop until the whole town is transformed. >> they know what they want. they don't know where to find it. >> we do. >> hometown season premiere sunday night at eight on hgtv. >> so there are so many difficult decisions we have to make for the holidays. for example, what are the best cookies, perhaps that you might bake? what is the best christmas movie to watch, and what to do with the gifts that you receive that you don't really like that much? cnn's senior data reporter harry enten is here to crunch all of the holiday numbers. harry,

wonderful to see you. let's start with picking a christmas tree. do americans, on the whole, prefer real or fake? i have to say, i am an aggressive partisan on this subject, which is to say it must be a real tree. it must be cut down. but i may i may be in the minority, i don't know. tell us. >> yeah, i was shocked by this one. sometimes i get shocked by numbers in politics, but sometimes inys get even more shocked. i mean, look at this. have a christmas tree. the vast. the clear majority. the clear majority. look at this. 55% say yes, but it's artificial. it's artificial. the girlfriend's family has always had an artificial tree. the mini tree in our house is artificial. just 22% say yes and real. >> and then there's really in the minority. >> you're really in the minority. although i guess you're tied with no tree at 22% as well. but it's artificial. people don't like going out there and buying that, throwing it out. it's just such a pain in the butt. and i know it's a pain in the butt, especially in new york city. so artificial is the one. you could trot it out year after year, and it just makes

much less of a mess. >> it does make less of a mess. i will, i will say it is actually a pain to bring it in, but i'm very attached. all right. so gifts. harry. apparently there's lots of people who, you know, get things that they they don't really appreciate. what do they do with them? >> yeah. i am not one of them. i love all of the gifts that the girlfriend gets for me. i want to be very, very clear on this. and i'm sure you love all of the gifts that you do as well. but i mean, the bottom line is this holiday gifts you don't like, get this 49% say they keep them. oh my god. i mean, i know we want to make the people around us happy, but we can be honest with each other, right? apparently not. you get 31% who say return. and i think that's the right answer. and then get this 16% say they regift it. they give it away to somebody else. oh yeah. here's your secondary gift. here you go. no no no no no return is right. but i guess about half of us feel like we have to keep everyone around us happy. >> is this a bad time to admit i have a regifting closet in my

basement right now. >> this is the right time. >> i collect all you know, things that come in the house that i don't have an immediate use for. it's actually great for, you know, don't tell, don't tell my kids that sometimes i intercept extra gifts for them. and then i have great birthday presents anyway. all right, so next up, christmas movies. what are the favorites? >> yeah. what are the favorites here? i will say that my favorite is not in the top three. so number one it's a wonderful life 9% obviously that's a classic. love it. >> it's a classic. >> it's a classic right. how the grinch stole christmas i actually remember seeing that in movies that comes in at 7% in second. and then of course a christmas story comes in at third, tied basically with how the grinch stole christmas at 7%. i mean, as a kid, you couldn't avoid this, right? it was on tbs every freaking minute. i bet it's on tbs right at this exact moment. so, look, these are the top three. but my number one die hard. unfortunately, it is a christmas movie. it came in though at. >> just want to say that's the survey. i want to see what what percentage of americans think die hard is a christmas movie. all right, next

one. harry, you've got cookies. america's favorite cookie. what is it? >> yeah. all right, so what is america's cookie when it comes to the holiday season? i mean, i don't understand this. i mean, you know, where's ginger on here? what is going on? what is going on? but but chocolate chip is not a cookie. >> harry, why did you put fudge on the list? it's not a fudge cook. >> i mean a fudge cookie. it's a fudge cookie. but, you know, you want to make it clear what's going on here. it's a fudge cookie. i want a visual to sort of represent, but it's a fudge cookie. you've had a fudge cookie before. >> two is. no, but you've never had a fudge cookie. >> they're fantastic. >> so they combine two great desserts. fudge and a cookie. there you go. a fudge cookie. two is sugar. i like i like a good sugar cookie. three is the fudge cookie. i love chocolate, so a fudge cookie kind of brings it all around. chocolate chip. just eat fudge, though i don't know, because some because sometimes you got to make compromises in life. when you're in a relationship. casey. >> that's fair. fair enough. all right. and lastly, harry, this hanukkah

actually starts tonight as well. pretty rare for christmas and hanukkah to line up like this. no. >> yeah. if you've ever watched me on air, you might notice that i say shalom a lot. so this is rather important to me. it's chrismukkah time, baby. hanukkah first. first night on christmas. it only happens 4% of the time. 96% of the time since 1900. it doesn't. so this is a great melding of two american traditions right here christmas, hanukkah, big shopping season. so i like it 4% of the time. and one little last nugget to to go out on it's bottom line. this there are in fact 16 different ways to spell hanukkah. so no matter what way you spell it, casey, you end up being correct. >> this is why we love you. harry enten. merry christmas, happy hanukkah. thank you for that. you're a gem. see you in the new year. see you. all right. okay. our panel is back. you know, lots to chew on there, but let's go with your favorite christmas movie. brad, i think we have a clip from yours. let's watch it. hi

good night daddy. >> good night. sugar. >> don't say good night yet. >> wait until we're all in bed and the last light goes out. >> okay, brad, you're going to have to explain this. this is. what is this? >> it's a patricia neal movie from the early 70s. it's called the homecoming. it's about an appalachian family during the depression. and i grew up in east tennessee, in rural east tennessee, in a very large rural family. and this rang true to me as a kid. and so i have continued to watch it. now i have to watch it alone. no one in my family will watch it with me. my kids think it's the weirdest thing ever. so i've got the award for the most boring christmas movie, but it's mine. it is a deep cut. >> but you know, i love the explanation. all right, let's roll. cats, please. when i tell you to come, you better come. >> what? >> this one is self-explanatory. >> i mean, i just the moment in the end where the dad gives him the bb gun. it just. it is so sweet and kind, and i just love it. and like everyone, my family, we watched it every year, and i probably.

>> is it bad to admit i've never seen it? you have never seen it? >> i've never seen you don't get it. when people say fred keeley, what do you think people are doing when they say that? >> i've never understood it. now i do thank you. all right, let's see it. >> i don't like soul food. they still got a soul. >> and it don't mean that you got no rhythm if you don't like. >> um, so that's dropping the mic. i'm dropping the sharpie. emmet otter's jug-band christmas is this sleeper hit that people who like emmet otter's jug-band christmas really like emmet otter's jug-band christmas. and it's sort of it's a muppets film. it's jim henson. and the powerful thing about the movie is it's emmet and his mother make huge sacrifices for each other. no spoilers, i won't tell you. and it's all about the holiday season. and the songs are bangers like that. that song there, barbecue. it slaps all. watch it. >> yeah, i've never seen it. i'll have to check it out. you trust me? and alex here apparently shares this. it's a it's a real, like, sliced up little electorate there on christmas movies. but many

people love this one. >> watch, don't you like her? >> well, of course i like her. she's a peach. >> oh, every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings. >> alex. i mean, the very end. i'm a man of the people. so i picked number one. but, you know, every single time that at the very end, when his brother comes in. and cheers to george, the richest man in town, i only literally cried at two movies. and i do cry to that movie. >> oh, it's. i mean, it's worth crying over it now. so i'm going to take the anchors point of personal privilege and give you two favorite christmas movies. one is from my childhood, white christmas. let's watch it. i mean, what is not to love about this movie? and of course, the bing crosby classic that came from it. but then i have to say, the modern sorry mom version of me loves this movie. that was not a huge hit in the very beginning, but this is nancy meyers the holiday movie with you two. >> anyway, i'm head

over heels. you know. >> everybody, may i introduce? i mean kate, it's a classic 100%. >> i'm with you. we we are we are right on the same page on this one. >> i made my husband watch it with me this year. he doesn't usually. usually i have to watch it by myself. do you like it? yeah, he likes it. >> i was skeptical, but i actually think it's pretty great. >> it's aged really well. kate winslet, jack black are amazing. jude law is really good. cameron diaz, of course, with some funny moments. anyway, all right, straight out of his league one day. >> what's that? you're going to be watching it by yourself one day. >> you're going to be like, i have done that a couple of years already. like, this is a jude law movie from the mid 2000. >> all right. thanks to our panel. thanks to all of you at home for joining us. merry christmas. happy holidays i'm kasie hunt. have a wonderful rest of your day. >> andy. take a seat anderson. >> look at this. >> you're wet, disheveled.

>> there's debris hitting you. we need to be ready for new year's eve maybe you are ready. >> new year's eve live with anderson and andy. live coverage starts at eight on cnn. >> every parent knows when it's time to go into. protect mode. adding lysol disinfectant spray to your cleaning routine is three times more effective at stopping the spread of germs. >> let's monopoly go! chris kiki. >> ready tycoons. >> it's go time. cash grab! >> kiki i won again! ah! >> daddy will be back soon ah! >> oh, we're swimming in it now. rent's due. >> little. >> nothing beats playing with friends except bankrupting friends. >> give it to me.

>> i told you i don't need these anymore. i have sling, okay. >> morning. >> i only left sling. deliver the news. i need to stay informed. thank you very much. >> nice one. nope. >> sling gives us all the news we want in a quick and reliable manner. >> and at a wonderful price. >> this critical time calls for the critical news coverage that sling provides. >> okay, see you tomorrow. >> the most important news at the best price. >> sling lets you do that. i just need make exceptional the standard in the all new buick enclave experience. >> truly effortless driving that invites you to let go and stunning technology that's in a class of its own, with quiet tuning that comes standard and room to bring everything along for the ride. the enclave puts you at the center of it all. buick exceptional by design, no more gross cough sirup.

>> we all want you to feel better. i want extra tv time or i'll walk. >> how about this? introducing the only kids soft shoe for medicated cough relief. new mucinex children's mighty chews are mighty clever. >> you didn't get where you are playing it safe. you seek opportunities others don't. your growing ambition needs a partner built for growth. with markham now a part of cbs, discover new ways to accelerate growth. from insights that drive the bottom line to technology that powers enterprises. your relentless ambition deserves a relentless team. welcome to the new cbs. hi, susan honey. >> yeah, i respect that, but that cough looks pretty bad. try this. robitussin honey. >> the real honey you love. >> plus the powerful cough relief you need. >> mind if i root through your trash? >> robitussin with real honey and elderberry. can't fool myself. >> it was the most exciting

time in the world. >> his life had extremely joyful moments and some really difficult moments.