>> not necessarily. andrew, although i do miss joy poking fun at me behind my back. >> what is questionable? >> footwear and sassy black quips? first of all, i miss being thin. >> there's shoe that i need to kill her. >> honestly. >> are you are. you're in the bar and there are cats everywhere. they are licking each other. >> there are cats. >> there. i mean, yes, yes, this is a place you can come enjoy a drink or two and talk to cats. >> it's a cat bar. i mean, i don't know how much more clear i can be about the objective of this place. >> oh, gosh. yeah, we do. every year keeps coming around again. the new year's eve

tuesday, december 31st, right now on cnn this morning. >> i think he would be remembered for. it's been an honest man. >> remembering jimmy carter. funeral preparations are underway to honor the 39th president as america and the world pays tribute. plus, this i'm really humbled and honored to have president trump's endorsement for speaker again thrown a lifeline. donald trump endorses mike johnson and the house speaker fight. but will it be enough to save him? and this. >> the program from top to bottom is a scam and a con. >> a maga civil war. the president elect's advisers versus his base fighting over immigration policy. now donald trump is weighing in. then later.

>> three. two. one. happy new year. >> it's the biggest party of the year. final preparations underway right now for the ball drop in new york. and it's officially 2025. in other parts of the world. it's 6 a.m. here on the east coast. here's a live look at auckland, new zealand, where it is now officially 2025. good morning, everyone, and happy new year's eve. i'm paula reed in for kasie hunt. it is wonderful to have you with us as neighbors, friends, former colleagues and even everyday americans are saying farewell and will have the chance to say more goodbyes to jimmy carter for six days next week. america's 39th president died sunday at the age of 100, surrounded by loved ones at his home in plains, georgia. a

state funeral for carter is now scheduled for january 4th in plains. over a two day period, he will lie in repose in atlanta before he is brought to washington, where he will lie in state at the u.s. capitol. carter's funeral at the national cathedral is set for january 9th, where president biden will give his eulogy. he will then be returned to plains for the burial of the late president. is being remembered as a statesman and a humanitarian who restored ethics and integrity to the white house after the watergate era. >> he was genuine. he was honest. and that was transmitted and in how he behaved with everyone. i think that genuineness is what came through. you know, he was he was good. he was ethical. he spoke his mind. he sometimes said things that people didn't agree with, but those were you always knew where he stood. >> carter came from humble

beginnings, starting out on the family peanut farm before ascending to the white house. but in plains, georgia, he will always be remembered simply as a neighbor and a friend. >> to most of us, he was mister jimmy and would wave to us and talk to us when he walked by or rode by on his bicycle with miss rosalynn, and it was just a a great, great place to live. and a large part of that is because of the man that jimmy carter was. >> cnn's eva mckend has more on reaction to carter's death in the place he called home. >> a mix of sadness and pride here in plains, georgia, as residents in this small town reflect on the life and legacy of president jimmy carter. and while over the coming weeks, we will hear about his lifetime of service, his courage, his commitment to social justice, when you speak to people here, they remember him as their neighbor. it wasn't that long

ago when you would see him walking on the main street here, or teaching sunday school at maranatha baptist church. take a listen to how the people here in plains are remembering carter. >> he was someone that all everybody in the community always looked up to. somebody that always brought positivity and somebody that was spiritually strong. and this is somebody from worldwide that we're going to miss. and he left a very good example for us to live by. >> let's face it, the carters will always be alive in plains. so we want to continue the spirit and continue the good in the world to go all over the world. >> and he could have chose to live anywhere. but he comes back home. you know, i take it personally. i said, well, he came back home to let me know that you can do the same thing. >> there are going to be multiple celebrations of life over the coming days. he will return here to plains before ultimately a funeral will take place in washington, where

president biden will eulogize the former president. paula, eva mckend, thank you. >> now let's bring in cnn politics senior reporter stephen collinson and megan hayes, former white house director of message planning for president biden, and matt gorman, former senior adviser for the tim scott presidential campaign. megan, i want to start with you. as you know, for the former president carter, he took a lot of pride in being able to reach across the aisle. and i want to take a listen to something he said about bipartisanship. now, this was in the 90s, so long after he left office. but let's take a listen to what he said. >> i think our american society now is divided worse than it has been since the war between the states and it's and the division. is dramatized by the division in washington. there's practically no harmony now between the white house and the congress and the american people. look at this as kind of a comedy of errors or farce.

and it's very disgusting to see it. >> so there he's issuing a warning about the cost of partisanship. but clearly folks didn't really listen. >> right. and i think that, you know, president carter reminds me a lot of president biden, where he reaches across the aisle. they were getting things done. but unlike our incoming president, where it's very divisive and very, you know, not for the times. jimmy carter did do that. he did have a diplomacy about him and a statesman about him that did reach across the aisle to get things done and whether people liked it or not. and he did have a lasting legacy where he was able to accomplish things that we probably would not be able to accomplish today in our environment. >> yeah. now, i also want to talk that senator amy klobuchar echoed some of this sentiment. let's take a listen to what she said. >> as usual. jimmy carter, ahead of his time, what he identified as the fact that in the old days, you'd try to work things out and end up friends. later, he himself worked with republicans, and he knew how important it was. i continue to believe in the hardest of times

that while you stand your ground, and he certainly showed us how to do that, he was stubborn, as you just pointed out. but you also look for common ground when you can of course, he did look for that common ground. >> he was able to find it, but he also lost his bid for reelection. i mean, how hard is it to find common ground? >> well, it's a lot easier if you're jimmy carter and have over 60 democratic senators and and never had to deal with a republican house. it was entirely democratic. so i think we keep it in context of that perspective as well. but look, i mean, look, jimmy, jimmy carter was a good man. and i think one of the things we're going to have to, to, to reckon with as we get into more of the more modern presidencies, it's rarely will legacies be entirely good or entirely bad. they're going to be mixed bags. when we look at certain things. and i know, stephen, you wrote a piece on that this morning a little bit. but look, i think he had a tremendously effective post-presidency. i think some of the things he did, particularly around hamas literal and figurative embraces of them, did not age well. but

that being said, i think he was not he was out of his depth as president in a lot of respects. however, i think what he did, looking back, deregulating the airline industry, the trucking industry, the home brewing industry, essentially deregulating the beer industry, you know, it does look good in retrospect, too. and that's one of the things we have to grapple with. it's hard to say. entirely good, entirely bad, a lot of these things. >> and, stephen, you have a new piece on cnn.com about the global impact of carter's presidency. you write the depths of carter's experience on the global stage and achievements that endured to this day in the middle east, asia and the western hemisphere hold important lessons and point to opportunities for his 21st century successors, starting with trump in his second term. so what is the lesson that trump should take away? >> well, i think you make a good point when you talk about mixed legacies, because we tend to think of one term presidents as failures. but over the years, their achievements spool out and they become to look a lot more significant. of course, carter lost in the landslide to reagan that was

seen at the time as a disastrous presidency. but what i think we can take away from it is that a lot of the issues, especially globally, that carter dealt with iran, the issue that ended his presidency with the hostage crisis, how to deal with the kremlin. managing relationships with china, a lasting peace deal in the middle east, which no other subsequent president has managed. these are things that trump is going to deal with on his first day in office. and we saw recently, for example, how the president elect reopened one of the most settled aspects of carter's legacy, the panama canal. if the president elect decides to throw to. to throw away the panama canal treaty, he's going to deal with exactly the same issues about instability in the western hemisphere. american power. how you defend the canal that carter dealt with and led to him making the panama canal treaty in the first place, handing back the waterway to panama, going back to the middle east in 2019.

>> our colleague wolf blitzer sat down with carter and talked about the camp david accords, which, of course, brokered the treaty between israel and egypt. and wolf asked him if he had if he had served a second term, what he would have wanted to happen next in the middle east. let's take a listen to what he said. >> there's still a peace treaty to this very day between israel and egypt. it never has. >> i don't think a single word has ever been violated in that, in that particular thing. but i think we still need to to remember that the palestinians don't have the promises that were made to me during the camp david accords. >> and if you had been reelected, what would have happened? >> it's hard to say, but i think that had i been had another term, i would have implemented completely the camp david accords, including the relationship between israel and the palestinians. >> well, that seems pretty timely today. do you think this is something we could see the u.s. try to approach in the next four years? >> the palestinian issue is going to be at the center of

president trump's attempt to broker this alliance between moderate arab states, israel, and the united states to try and further isolate iran. the question is, will trump and more importantly, will prime minister netanyahu take steps that the saudis are requiring to go forward with that negotiation to give at least some hope to the palestinians of some self-determination in the future? that was the big issue that they couldn't get past egypt and israel and the camp david accords. it's still a central issue in the middle east today. >> all right, stay with me. we'll have more, because up next on cnn this morning, the latest layer of maga infighting, trump comes out in support of visas for high tech workers. how his stance on the issue paints a broader picture of his upcoming term. plus, house speaker mike johnson gets the key endorsement in his battle to hold on to that gavel. and we're remembering esteemed journalist and cnn anchor aaron brown, who passed

away at 76 years old. >> i think there was, a pervasive sense of not so much what's happening, but what's next. what i would say about that is that to some extent, that went on not for minutes or hours, but for days. >> and it has been one wild year. >> i know that whole live stream was crazy. >> and following actual news right? oh, boy. >> new year's eve live with anderson and andy tonight at eight on cnn and streaming live on max. >> 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 change my future. thank you. you're so welcome. >> get the smile you want from

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new year's eve party. i remember the wrigley field, december 31st blues, blackhawks on tnt and streaming on max. >> do you have the votes? >> i think we do, kellyanne. i'm really humbled and honored to have president trump's endorsement for speaker again. he and i worked so well together, so closely together, and we have a lot of big things to do. he recognizes that what we need right now, i think my colleagues recognize this as well. this could be the most consequential presidency and congress of the modern era. >> mike johnson, fighting to retain his role as house speaker ahead of friday's house vote. and he's got president-elect trump's full backing. trump, writing on social media, quote, johnson will do the right thing, and he will continue to win. mike has my complete and total endorsement. but this morning, there is resistance among republicans. and with a historically slim majority, johnson can only afford to lose one vote. and that's if every

member votes on friday. so to break this all down, let's bring my panel back in. all right, stephen, here's a brand new test of trump's grip on the gop. he's just about 20 days out from his term. so his message appears to be to republicans. don't blow this up. >> right. and i think it would be madness for the republicans to engage in some prolonged speaker fight, given the fact that they've got a tiny majority. they want to get big bills done to get them on the president elect's desk. when he walks into the oval office in three weeks time. but having said that, the majority is very fragile. it only takes 1 or 2 republicans to, to, to, to hold out, to try and get a concession, sometimes on budget issues. so trump's endorsement i think is very important. but we saw in the way that the year end spending deal blew up just before christmas how difficult this is going to be for republicans this year. >> and matt, a gop representative thomas massie, he's, of course, part of the republican resistance. he posted this on x, quote, i

respect and support president trump. but his endorsement of mike johnson is going to work out about, as well as his endorsement of speaker paul ryan. we've seen johnson partner with the democrats and to send money to ukraine, authorize spying on americans and blow the budget. all right. there's a lot to unpack there. bottom line is johnson thinks he has the votes, but should he be so confident given this sentiment? >> yeah, i don't think this is a surprise coming in for trump. i think what one of the lessons of trump throughout this whole, i would say next 6 to 8 months is if he really wants to get some of these things done, he's going to have to get involved, i think himself and get his priorities over the line. and i think, look, johnson has stayed very close to trump and has really allied with trump in a major way. i think it's very fair to say that the johnson agenda is very much the trump agenda. so i don't think it's going to be a problem for him. and he does have a little bit more wiggle room because mike walz, elise stefanik, have not yet resigned and will not, at least by the time the speaker vote happens. so he has a little bit more wiggle room than he does if

they had. >> so what do you think is happening behind the scenes right now to get these votes locked down? >> well, i don't think it's it's a surprise that you have trump, jim jordan and elon musk all coming on the same day, really reaffirming their support after the holiday, but before with enough time to then whip the votes in advance of friday afternoon's vote. so i think, look, the the team in the speaker's office is working this very, very hard. it's not a shock that you see johnson on a holiday week where maybe a speaker of the house wouldn't be normally appearing on fox news, coming out there. and i think kind of taking a victory lap over trump, i would expect to see him on a few more shows between now and then. i think he it will be close. don't get me wrong, he'll be okay, but they also have to get this done before monday, before the six to certify the election. >> so it's like they don't really have a lot of space there. so i think that some of trump endorsing johnson. yes, it's for his agenda. but it's also a little bit selfish on his part because they need to they need to certify the election on the sixth 1,000%. >> right. >> they don't have time. >> people are far more likely to to mess around. in 2023 democratic senate, democratic

president. there was nothing substantive getting done. now you're on the clock for 100 days. they're burning real time. >> yeah, absolutely. >> and, megan, i want to listen to what republican representative don bacon told cnn. let's take a listen. oh, sorry. it's actually not sound. i'm going to be the sound here to oppose johnson now weakens the gop and strengthens hakeem jeffries. it also puts at risk the electoral college certification that you were just talking about, scheduled for the 6th of january. these guys serve as a fifth column for the dems. so to that point, democrats are watching all this. what do you think they're thinking as as this all plays out? >> well, they know they have a lot of power going into the next congress. they know that the republicans are going to have to figure out a way to negotiate with them. they have a 1 or 2 seat margin here going into the next congress. so i think what the speaker fight that will be done, johnson will get reelected as speaker. but i think when it starts to come to some of the trump policies, they will have to work with democrats. democrats hold a lot of power here to hold up trump's agenda. >> it's so interesting, so much action. even before inauguration day. we have a lot coming up in the next few

weeks. everyone stay with me straight ahead on cnn this morning. families in anguish as investigators search for answers in the south korea plane crash that left 179 people dead. plus how soggy conditions may put a damper on tonight's new year's eve celebration in the big apple. on new year's eve. >> live with anderson and andy. live coverage starts tonight at eight on cnn. >> sore throat, got your tongue? >> mucinex institute. sore throat, medicated drops uniquely formulated for rapid relief that lasts and lasts. that's my baby. try our new sugar free cough drop ins to soothe. >> we are encountering nosferatu. >> nosferatu is the best horror movie of the year and one of the best horror films ever made. nosferatu rated r now playing only in theaters. special engagements in dolby

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works better at pros. com luther never too much tomorrow at eight on cnn. >> closed captioning is brought to you by nutrisystem. lose weight and live healthy. >> check out what's new at nutrisystem. get new diets for high protein and low carb created to support your own weight loss approach. nutrisystem has a solution for you. >> new overnight cnn and the whole journalism community mourning the loss today of the renowned cnn anchor aaron brown, who passed away on sunday at the age of 76. according to his family. brown, who shaped this network's evening news format, gained prominence for bringing the country some of its most consequential news of this century. >> ah, for those of you just joining us, let's just briefly recap what we know. about an hour ago. about 845 eastern time, one plane crashed into the tower of the world trade

center tower on the right. >> brown later receiving the prestigious edward r murrow award for his nine over 11 coverage. his former colleagues here remember him as a thoughtful, diligent broadcaster with a biting sense of humor. we here at cnn send our condolences to his family and loved ones. now, turning to this mourners looking for answers following the deadly south korea plane crash that killed all but two people on a 181 person flight. cnn international correspondent mike valerio has the latest. >> it is the unmistakable outcry of grief heard throughout south korea's muan international airport. >> families unable to absorb the anguish of the jeju air catastrophe. lisa franchetti alayna treene hundreds of relatives huddling in the departure hall, waiting for news of whether their loved

ones remains are found. a friend of a couple killed in the crash said he came here to confirm for himself his friends of 30 years are simply gone. i have nothing to say, but it's tragic, he told us. i watched the news all day and for now they say bird strike could be the cause. i'm so shocked and hurt i cannot even put it into words now. so many people have chosen to stay. they're not going anywhere. and that's seen evidenced by all of these tents that go from here pretty much to the end of the terminal. they go back three tents to the edge of the check in counters. you see food deliveries throughout the day. let's keep going this way. and the echoes of grief. the scenes inside are just a short drive from the cataclysmic crash site. the tale of the doomed airliner still jutting above the

field, a mountain in the middle of the debris. more than a thousand people now mobilized to sift through pieces of the plane. the crash scene is absolutely harrowing. just a few steps away, you can see where the doomed jeju air jetliner careened through the embankment and burst into flames. more than a day later, you can still see forensics teams in their white suits combing through the debris, along with members of the police force as well as members of the south korean military. now, to my right, you can see soldiers looking through the fields and around them. to give you an idea of the force of this crash, a full football field away from where we're standing. you can see mangled, twisted chairs thrown from the jetliner. a representative of the victims families urging an even larger response. >> what i want to request from the government is to increase the manpower so that the recovery can be carried out more swiftly. >> i hope my siblings, my family, can be recovered and returned to us,

even if only 80% intact. >> mike valerio. thank you and preparations are well underway for the iconic new year's eve celebration in new york city's times square. >> three two, one. happy new year. >> an estimated 1 million people are expected to ring in the new year, city officials say there's an extensive safety plan in place for the festivities. >> security is everyone's possible responsibility, so if you see something, say something. but most importantly, do something. notify any uniformed personnel that is in the area. >> going live now to times square from earth cam, where tonight, the famed crystal adorned ball is set to drop at midnight, regardless of the weather. so what will that weather look like? let's go to meteorologist allison chinchar. all right. allison, how is it looking out there for all these folks who want to ring in the new year?

>> so the good news is, it's not going to be that cold. in fact, given comparison, comparing it to other years, it's actually going to be on the mild side. but yes, we are going to have some showers to contend with, not just in the early end of the festivities, but really through most of them from 8 p.m. all the way through midnight. you do have those shower chances in effect, but the the temperature itself is going to be in the upper 40s to lower 50s when we compare that to other years, that's not too far from, say, the top five warmest of the new year's eve ball drop. so again, it could be worse. it could be a cold rain. at least it's going to be on the milder side. now. the rain itself is all coming from this system right here. that's currently in the midwest, bringing rain to portions of chicago, indianapolis and even a few rumbles of thunder across cincinnati. that's going to continue to slide to the east as we go through the day to day. now, on the southern side, we also have some very gusty winds, up around 40 to 50mph. that includes knoxville and lexington, kentucky. we also have the potential for some strong to severe storms today across the mid-atlantic, looking at mainly strong wind gusts, you're talking

philadelphia, washington, d.c., baltimore, even atlantic city, new jersey. the system itself will continue to slide to the east again around the evening rush hour tonight, really starting to spread. more of those showers into the mid-atlantic, as well as the northeast. and some snow starting to see that change over there across portions of michigan, as well as wisconsin and illinois. by tonight in time for the ball to drop. yes, we do have some rain. unfortunately, in new york, also around philadelphia, pittsburgh, even around hartford, connecticut. also looking at some showers. so don't forget to take that poncho with you. because remember, most places do not allow umbrellas. >> good point allison chinchar. thank you. and it's new year's eve, so you know what that means. the boys are back for the biggest party of the year. join anderson cooper and andy cohen for new year's eve. live coverage starts tonight at eight on cnn. and coming up on cnn this morning, redefining post-presidency how jimmy carter's decades of humanitarian work away from the

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your free information and your free gift. that's one 804 799944 1-800-479-9944. >> hello colonial penn luther. >> never too much. tomorrow at eight on cnn welcome back. >> the holiday feud between factions of trump's maga base over h1-b visas came to a head over the weekend, with the president elect coming out in support of the program that allows the brightest foreign workers, many of them engineers and computer scientists, to live and work in the u.s. the broader debate reveals a significant rift in trump's maga base. just weeks before he is set to take office. cnn's brian todd has more. reporter. >> the president elect finally weighs in on a controversial issue that pits two of his top advisers against his maga base, donald trump now defends the h-1b visa program, which allows thousands of highly skilled

foreign workers to immigrate to the u.s. every year to fill specialized jobs. trump told the new york post, quote, i've always liked the visas. i have always been in favor of the visas. that's why we have them. i've been a believer in h-1b. i have used it many times. it's a great program. >> it's one of the first signs of disunity or disharmony in the folks who support trump, and who are going to make up his administration, and this is likely to be an ongoing point of tension. >> trump is now siding with billionaires elon musk and vivek ramaswamy, who trump has tapped to lead the new department of government efficiency. musk and ramaswamy have defended the h-1b program, musk posting recently that it's the reason he's in america and, quote, take a big step back and blank yourself in the face. i will go to war on this issue, the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend. but musk and ramaswamy's stance is being slammed by trump's maga supporters, like his former white house strategist steve bannon, who said on his podcast that h-1b takes jobs

from american citizens. >> the program, from top to bottom, is a scam and a con. there is nothing in this program that should continue to exist. nothing. the coders are going to work for a third of the salaries and work like indentured servants. that's not american citizens. >> trump's comment that he's, quote, always been in favor of the h-1b visas isn't true. he previously opposed those visas and restricted access to them several times during his first administration. in an effort to curb legal immigration. but in the 2024 presidential campaign, trump had changed his tune on skilled workers coming to the u.s. >> what i want to do and what i will do is you graduate from a college i think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country. >> musk, who was born in south africa, came to the u.s. as a foreign student, later worked in the u.s. on an h-1b visa. and it's his companies and those of other tech giants who've recently courted donald trump, which stand to benefit

from more h-1b workers in the u.s., at least at this early stage. >> some of the tech leaders, including musk, who bet on a trump administration to deliver them policies that would be favorable to their industry and to their businesses, may be seeing some return from that. >> all right. well, my panel is back to discuss all this further. stephen, i want to start with you, because you had a big picture piece for cnn.com on this, where you write in the coming weeks, trump's ability to reconcile the differing interests among conservative budget hawks, hard line maga lawmakers and competitive moderates who may be vulnerable in the 2026 general election will dictate the fate of his aggressive legislative plans on immigration, budget trimming and tax cuts. so this is a test, right? >> i think this issue does show the fissures in the new trump coalition. it's very interesting this time around. it's not just the maga grassroots working class base. you've got this new tech silicon valley aspect to it that said, you know, all presidents have to manage their coalitions.

this is nothing new. i think the question is going forward, will trump side on more issues with elon musk and people, the millionaires and billionaires and his cabinet who've got strong self-interests as they go into the government for their own businesses? or will he step back and be worried about alienating some of his most loyal supporters in his first term? we didn't see many occasions when he was willing to get out in front of that core support. >> and stephen, i want to start i want to bring to you this from the wall street journal editorial board backing trump on sunday, writing, trump may be wrong in trying to save tiktok, but he is right to endorse the value of h-1b visas in the dispute between elon musk and steve bannon, mr. trump is choosing the side of enlightened nationalism as opposed to the blinkered declinist version. so how do you square this with his america first mantra that arguably propelled him back to the white house? >> well, i think this goes to my point i made with talking

about the johnson. he's going to have to get involved, i think, a little bit more deeply. a lot of this disagreement happened over the holiday when he really wasn't involved, and once he did, it has declined to even the people who are still opposed are attacking musk, notably not donald trump. i think that's a very notable tone and message change. and i think, look, it's really important as we're also seeing, again, to bring it back to congress. i think republicans are very, very keen on the fact that their first priority, they need to be things that unify. so look, h-1b is an important immigration part. i don't think it will be in that first package, especially with this fissure. you're going to be seeing things like whether it's border wall funding, wall things that they know could pass relatively easily. i think it's a trump's objective to get points on the board as quickly and as effectively as possible, and maybe get some democrats have called elon musk, quote, president musk, of course, during the spending fight. >> but what does this controversy, the visa controversy tell you about elon musk's role within the larger maga movement? >> i think he has a substantial role in the larger maga movement. you see that? you saw that with the funding fight.

you see that here. he's always normally the first person out. and it's interesting that you say that people are attacking musk over trump. they understand that attacking musk is getting underneath donald trump's skin as well. as he put out a statement, he talked about it. and so i do think he has a large part to play here. and i think that we will see how he impacts sort of some of the policies going forward. and to steven's point, is it going to be for the working class or is it going to be for the millionaires and billionaires? because so far it's for the millionaires and billionaires like elon musk and the new york times reports. >> this federal data shows mr. trump's companies have received approval to employ over 1000 workers through the 2h2 programs in the past 20 years, mr. trump's companies have applied for a dozen h-1b visas since 2019, but that most of these applications for quality control manager positions were subsequently withdrawn. currently, mr. trump's winery in charlottesville, virginia, is seeking 31 foreign vineyard workers. work. farm workers under h-2a program, offering them $15.81 per hour. so does trump have a vested interest here? is

that potentially why he flipped? >> i can't speak to that. it's a good winery. >> it is a good it's a really nice winery. >> it is their cider. their cider is named johnny appleseed. fun fact, but no, look, i would also push back is this dichotomy between the maga base and the millionaires and billionaires side in the h-1b, for example, the democrats support h-1b expansion. i mean, i don't know if you would characterize them siding with millionaires and billionaires over that same thing. almost everyone when i work for jeb bush in 2016 primary, aside from donald trump and others, were in support of h-1b expansion as well, or at least keeping the status quo. so i would push back a little bit on this dichotomy that it's either maga base or h-1b is millionaires and billionaires, that that's not the case. >> all right. where do we see this going? really quickly, i'm going to do a quick round robin. where do you see this going in the next few days? do you think they can resolve any of these issues? >> i but i think to what end. right. i think this is a little it's a holiday disagreement because i think there's a slow a slow stuff on x when we actually have the the speaker

fight going into the first 100 days, this will not be an issue. >> i agree, i don't think this will be in the top 100 days issue. i don't think this will be part of their major immigration package. i think this is just another food fight that's like you said for the holidays. it just gives us all something to talk about. >> everybody's fighting for family. yeah, no matter what form that takes. how about you? what do you see in the next three weeks? >> they've been trying to fix h1-b visas since george w bush's immigration plan. so the chances that it's going to get done any time soon are pretty slim. >> it's hush up ahead on cnn this morning, the new year down under sydney australia gears up to usher in 2025 with their world renowned fireworks show. in just a matter of hours. plus, how the legacy of america's 39th president extends far beyond his four years in the oval office war may sometimes be a necessary evil, but no matter how necessary, it is always evil, never a good

and it has been one wild year. >> i know that whole new live stream was crazy. >> what you have been following actual news right? oh boy. >> new year's eve live with anderson and andy tonight at eight on cnn and streaming live on max. >> it's the most wonderful time with the kids. jingle. be of good cheer. >> it's the most one. >> whether your phone's broken or old, we've got you with verizon. anyone can trade in any phone, any condition. it's your last chance to get iphone 16 pro with apple intelligence on u.s. and ipad and apple watch series ten all three on us. that's up to $2,000 in value only on verizon. hello. >> you spend $315 a month on subscriptions. >> how? i only have like 3 or 4. >> that's what you think. with rocket money, you can see our upcoming charges in one place, including the subscriptions you forgot about. like what? like that meal delivery kit you

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you. >> it's 49 minutes past the hour. here's your morning roundup. a federal appeals court has denied donald trump's request for a new trial in the civil lawsuit brought by e. jean carroll. the court also upheld the jury's verdict, which found that trump sexually abused carroll and awarded her $5 million for battery and defamation. and china is denying the u.s. accusation that it backed the hacking of the treasury department. officials are calling it a major incident carried out by a suspected agent for china. cnn has learned that treasury workstations and unclassified documents were breached earlier this month. treasury officials plan to hold a classified briefing about the hack next week. >> of normal. >> that's a marvelous liftoff for. india has launched its first space docking mission using an indian made rocket. the launch was deemed successful after

reaching an altitude of about 292 miles. india plans to test the docking technology around january 7th. and it's officially 2025. in new zealand. australia is next, just a little over an hour from now, the city of sydney will ring in the new year with its world famous fireworks show we're seeing this every year. >> you're watching it on the news in the bbc and stuff, but this year we're going to make a special trip. >> why? we've always wanted to come, and this year we both turned 60. happy birthday. thank you. thank you. so this is our big trip. so we're so happy to be here. >> cnn will be live from australia at the top of the hour. and this morning, the nation remembers a legacy that, much like jimmy carter himself, couldn't be bound by

expectations. carter did not let his work be confined to four years in the oval office. and he lived to see an age no president ever has. he was 100 years old. cnn's phil mattingly takes a look at carter's work after his presidency. >> i intend to give our new president my support, and i intend to work as a citizen. as i've worked here in this office as president for the values that this nation was founded to secure for jimmy carter a farewell address to the presidency that planted the seeds to a legacy reshaping for decades. thank you all. >> focused in his work at the namesake carter center, fighting diseases in developing countries and monitoring more than 100 international elections, but enhanced by his unofficial role as roving ambassador to the world. and unappointed, and at times, in the view of his oval office successors, unwelcome cause, one that put him face to face

with dictators and rewrote the book for a former president as only the original political outsider could. a role he never seemed to shed even within the most exclusive club in the world. but one carter seemed to embrace, if not relish, as he offered advice and at times pointed criticism. >> this administration has been the worst in history. worst in history. >> during george w bush's presidency, carter was especially vocal in his opposition to the iraq war. >> you believe the united states, under this administration has used torture? >> i don't. i don't think it i know it certainly. so has the president lying? the president is self-defining what we have done and authorized in the torture of prisoners. yes. >> carter's 1994 trip to north korea, during a period of tension over their nuclear program, put the clinton administration in a difficult spot. >> the words that i used with president kim il sung was that, in my opinion, the sanctions effort was being held in abeyance. >> carter cutting a deal with

north korea and then talking to cnn before president bill clinton. >> i don't know what he said, and i don't know that you know what he said. all i know is what i said, and what i said is the policy of the united states of america. >> and yet, while clinton was angry at the time, years later, he awarded carter the medal of freedom grateful nation says, thank you. carter once candidly responded to a question about whether president barack obama called him for advice. >> unfortunately, the answer is no. president obama doesn't. but previous presidents have called on me. >> as for his relationship with president donald trump, does america want kind of a jerk as president? >> oh, apparently from his recent election? yes. >> phil mattingly cnn washington. >> my panel is back to discuss the life and legacy of jimmy carter. we're talking earlier about how legacy is complicated. there's always going to be some good, some bad, a bad, always a mixed bag. but what do you see carter's legacy as? i mean, look, i, to

put it mildly, a man who was out of his depth as president. >> clearly there were some bright spots, i think, by and large, some bright spots after he left office, though, it was controversial. i think in many ways, i think again, i'll go back to it. i think his defense and literal embrace at times of hamas was repugnant. and i think he put the, you know, current administration, whether they be clinton, bush and a bit of a bind by going and meeting with some of these dictators. 1994, in north korea. but again, i think you also can't deny the good he did both around the country with habitat for humanity, around the globe, with the carter center, and also just being a genuinely good person is, by all accounts, whether it's planes or anywhere else, a good human being. so it's complicated. >> yeah. and it's always complicated. and of course, president biden is set to eulogize carter at his funeral next week. the new york times peter baker writes this about the parallels between the two democrats that mr. carter would depart the scene at this particular stage of mr. biden's presidency, however, evokes a certain sense of deja vu. another one term democratic president whose aspirations for

another term were damaged by inflation and struggles to win the release of hostages held in the middle east. before he leaves office. mr. biden and mr. carter, of course, are different in many respects, too, and the circumstances of their departures from the white house vary in important ways, not least that mr. carter was just 56 when he left office, while mr. biden, at 82, is departing, trailed by doubts about his capacity to have even served another four years. what do you make of that assessment? >> no, i think there are a lot of parallels. i think one of the big parallels that we haven't really touched on a lot is they are both men of faith. they take they are both served based in their faith. and i think that is something that should be noted with jimmy carter's legacy as we move forward. he, you know, he always returned back to his faith. he taught sunday school, and that was like a big part of his who he was and will be part of his legacy. >> and he actually talked about his faith with wolf blitzer, talking about how it was a very important part of his marriage. let's take a listen to what he said. >> the last thing we do every night is read the

bible aloud. uh, rosen reads sometimes and i read sometimes. and when i'm overseas or when she is, we read the same passage in the bible and we kind of, you know, communicate silently. we might be on opposite sides of the world, but we still know that we share the same bible passage. >> what's your reaction to that? >> well, clearly, his faith gave him solace in the later years of his life. during his period of serious illness and the fact that he lived a lot longer than a lot of people thought. but he's also a democrat from another age, an evangelical southern democrat. he won states in 1976 like alabama, mississippi, louisiana, south carolina. that's impossible to imagine. the 1988 1980 election, reagan took away the evangelical vote and made that part of the republican coalition. so when america says goodbye to him next week, it's closing a chapter of democratic party history as well as american history, and looking forward.

>> i mean, he really redefined the post-presidency. do you think that any future former president could have could top his post-presidency career? >> well, see, i mean, look, it certainly leaving office at age 56 gave him a long run. right. and you're seeing in a similar sense, though not as long as bill clinton having a long post-presidency runway, obama will have the same. and, you know, even though we have an era of kind of older presence right now, maybe not as long of a runway, but you're right. i mean, i think there is something to be said for when you reach the highest office in the land. how do you continue? how do you top it or at least continue to serve? >> and i think president clinton really probably took notice of what jimmy carter did and probably modeled his the clinton foundation and some of what they are doing from that. and i think that that that will show, you know, that they do do that. but i do think with these older presidents, like joe biden is just not going to have the runway, donald trump's not going to have the long post-presidency in their lifetime. no. >> and it's also interesting just to we were joking about fighting with family earlier, watching the former presidents, jimmy carter sort of off on his

own. what do you think it will be like at the funeral next week? presumably they'll all attend. i mean, what do you think the vibe will be? >> it will be a fascinating dynamic because you'll have all the presidents together. uh, the funeral will almost coincide with another massive state occasion, an inauguration. so it's very rare to have this. you know, you talk about post-presidency, donald trump's post-presidency will be a new presidency. he, unusually, has a chance to start again. and that is the most unusual thing of all of this. >> yeah, of course, the focus will be on carter. but watching that that row will be will be fascinating. now we also want to tell you about a new cnn film examining the storied career of one of the most influential artists of all time, luther vandross. here's a preview. >> like from out of a dream. >> and in this dream, there was a major diva in the wings waiting for me.

>> oh, yes. >> she will appear out of somewhere. >> i was so nervous because i had never probably played in a place that big before. it's the beginning of the performance, and luther's like i'm seeking out a diva and she's here and she's there. and i really was honored when he brought me out to sing with him. my. love. >> there's only you in my life. >> tune in. the all new cnn film luther never too much premieres new year's day at 8 p.m. eastern and pacific on cnn. thanks to our panel, and thanks to all of you for joining us. i'm paula reid. cnn's special coverage of new year's eve live around the world starts now.