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Trump, Mamdani to Meet Face-to-Face After Months of Verbal Attacks; Hearing in Mishandling Classified Info Case Against John Bolton; Army Doctor Accused in Massive Sexual Misconduct Scandal. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired November 21, 2025 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

DAVID CULVER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Casting out demons. There's no database that records this, right? So a lot of this is anecdotal.

You're relying on these individuals who are carrying these out. Nonetheless, they're seeing more and more young people, millennials, Gen Z, coming forward asking for regular purges, essentially, of demonic possession. That's how they perceive it.

So who are these individuals? A lot of them are folks who are dealing with isolation, addiction, grief, fear, you name it. And they feel like this is a way for them to find healing.

Now, it's controversial too at times because some of these folks will push away from medication and mental health professionals, while the exorcists who we interviewed say they push for that to go alongside the spiritual treatment. So they really want people to stay on their medications and stick with mental health providers. And they try to do this as a joint journey.

But, Kate, these are experiences that I would walk into some of these places. They'd be family churches. They would be a garage, a hotel conference room where these exorcisms would take place.

And it really just shocked me to see the individuals who would step forth and what they would feel leaving those rooms.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Wow! David, thank you so much. This really is quite a fascinating exploration here.

You can learn much more about it and see David's full report and investigation. Be sure to tune in to a new episode of "THE WHOLE STORY WITH ANDERSON COOPER, THE EXORCISTS," One Whole Hour, One Whole Story. It airs Sunday at 8 p.m. Eastern on CNN.

A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts now.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: And we are standing by to see what happens when New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani shows up at the Oval Office. New reporting on how he is preparing and just what kind of reception he is expecting. An Army gynecologist at the center of what might be the largest sexual

misconduct case in the history of the U.S. military. This morning, at least 65 women accusing the doctor of wrongdoing. This is a remarkable story.

And caught on camera, a truck slamming into a restaurant while customers were eating dinner. We've got new reporting on what happened.

I'm John Berman with Sara Sidner and Kate Bolduan. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: In just hours, a highly anticipated meeting that could bring high drama to the White House. We may only hear about it but never see it. President Trump will host New York City Mayor- elect Zohran Mamdani at the White House this afternoon.

And this morning, we're learning about Mamdani's preparation for this high-stakes meeting by calling on some high-profile Democrats like Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer for advice on how to best communicate with President Trump.

The president has been repeatedly insulting Mamdani, threatening to withhold federal funds from New York, and referring to him as a communist over and over again, which he is not. Still, Mamdani has said he wants to talk to the president and focus on ways that he can help New Yorkers.

CNN's Gloria Pazmino has been following Mamdani's trail for the longest. What are you learning this morning about this meeting?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Look, this is high stakes. This is a really big moment for the mayor-elect, but frankly, also for the president. We have seen in the last few days that President Donald Trump has been speaking about affordability.

He has talked about how Democrats use this word and reference to groceries in order to win the last bunch of elections that we saw just a couple of weeks ago. But of course, as we know, affordability and groceries and the cost of living is something that is on the minds of so many Americans and was certainly on the minds of many of the New Yorkers who voted for Zohran Mamdani just a few days ago and elected him to be the next mayor. So we're going to see a very interesting back and forth, hopefully.

For now, we're told that this meeting is behind closed doors, but Sara, you know things at the White House can be a bit unpredictable. And the question here is whether or not Donald Trump might open up those doors and allow the cameras to come in. And what happens then will be even more interesting, because we've seen how some of these public meetings play out before, where he meets with whether it's state leaders or leaders from other countries.

Sometimes he tries to embarrass them. We saw Volodymyr Zelenskyy get berated for not wearing a suit to the White House. So it could really go off the rails. And Mamdani knows that he has to kind of be on his feet. So he got some advice on how to do that from Senator Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, Governor Kathy Hochul. All of them have had conversations and have a relationship, even if a tense one at times, with President Trump.

We know that Mamdani is on his way.

[09:05:00]

He tweeted just a short while ago a selfie from what it looks like the inside of an airplane. There you see him. He says it was just an airplane emoji.

So he is on his way to D.C. But considering what we know about how these two men have spoken about one another in the last few months, I think there's a lot of people who are going to be closely watching to see how it goes. Take a listen to just how Trump and Mamdani have been talking about each other in recent weeks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's going to be hard for me as the president to give a lot of money to New York, because if you have a communist running New York, all you're doing is wasting the money you're sending there.

ZOHAN MAMDANI, (D) NEW YORK MAYOR-ELECT: I have many disagreements with the president. And I believe that we should be relentless and pursue all avenues and all meetings that could make our city affordable for every single New Yorker. I intend to make it clear to President Trump that I will work with him on any agenda that benefits New Yorkers.

If an agenda hurts New Yorkers, I will also be the first to say so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: Now, Sara, as diametrically opposed as these two men are, I also think that they actually have something in common, and that is they both have figured out a very effective way to communicate with their supporters. These two are from New York. They're both from Queens.

I think President Trump sees something in Mamdani that perhaps I would venture to say he admires, you know, the way that he has used social media to really reach out to his supporters. And, you know, his focus on affordability and really what is a populist message that he himself used to get so many of his supporters.

SIDNER: Right, the affordability issue is the economy. It's just another word for it. And that's how Donald Trump got into office himself.

This is going to be an interesting meeting, and what we are all waiting for to see if it is actually going to be made public. We will see. Gloria Pazmino, thank you so much for your great reporting -- John.

BERMAN: All right. With us now, Republican Strategist Neil Chatterjee and Executive Committee Chair of the New York State Democratic Committee, Christine Quinn, a New York City person through and through.

And Christine, let me ask this to you. I know it's the wrong neighborhood. They're both from Queens. But if this were like a West Side Story thing, what happens when the Sharks and the Jets both show up to the Oval Office?

What's going to happen today?

CHRISTINE QUINN, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR, NEW YORK STATE DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE: Well, I think the ending is going to be very different than it was in the play or the movie. You know, look, the mayor-elect is doing what is customary, going to see the president, the mayor-elect of the biggest city in the country. And he's going to take his affordability agenda to the president.

And hopefully, they will be able to find some common ground because the mayor-elect has said over and over, he'll work with anybody who is committed to making the lives of New Yorkers better and more affordable.

BERMAN: Do you feel, Neil, that that is where the incentive structure is here from a political standpoint? That both of these men have an incentive to behave and make this a constructive discussion? Or are they perhaps incentivized to make it a show?

NEIL CHATTERJEE, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Yes, look, this is all going to be theater. And maybe not the Sharks and the Jets. My daughter is starring in the Outsiders later today. It's the Socs versus the Greasers. This is going to be pure theater. It is good politics for both of them.

For the president, he wants to elevate Mamdani. He wants him to be the face of the National Democrat Party. He wants Republicans to run against Mamdani in the midterms. And this is a way of platforming him, giving him a big stage, putting him on the stage, making him that figure.

For the mayor-elect, this is an opportunity to demonstrate fight. That's what the Democrat base wants right now. They want someone who's willing to go toe-to-toe and fight with President Trump.

I do think this will be largely theatric. I do think, as was previously mentioned, these guys kind of, you know, have similar approaches, though different ideologies.

And I think this is great for both of them, to be totally honest, politically.

BERMAN: All right. If Neil's right, Christine, this is the Outsiders. Will Mamdani stay gold, Ponyboy? If President Trump does go after him, as a constituent here in New York City, do you want him to rise to the occasion? Do you want to see him? Is it more important that he goes toe-to-toe with the president, or is it more important that he charms him and gets what he wants from him?

QUINN: Well, I think we can all agree his campaign was both Tony Award-winning and Academy Award-winning, but that said, keeping this theme going. Look, I think the mayor-elect is incredibly focused on getting every level of government and every level of society committed to making the biggest city in the country more affordable for everyone. So no matter what your job is, you can have a full, dignified life, a life where your children can do better than you.

I think he is going there, you know, with an open heart and open mind to see where they can come together.

[09:10:00]

I don't believe, knowing the mayor-elect, that this is really about theater. It's about trying to get a goal accomplished.

We're out of the campaign. We're into governing.

BERMAN: So what's interesting is that Zohran Mamdani has been talking about affordability since he launched his campaign, and he's been doing it in a way that connected with voters. Neil, President Trump has been using the word affordability for like a week and doesn't seem to like it.

You can see him almost say, you know, they call it affordability. He puts it almost in air quotes there. And it seems to be something the administration is having a challenge discussing. Listen to what J.D. Vance, the vice president, says about this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT: Even though we've made incredible progress, we understand that there's a lot more work to do. And the thing that I'd ask for the American people is a little bit of patience. This economy was not harmed in 10 months.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: So now, Neil, they're saying people have to wait a little bit. While they're running the campaign, it was the type of thing like day one, I'm going to do X, Y, and Z. Now they're going to have to wait.

But to what extent do you think that the White House is struggling, not with the economy, but with the messaging on the economy?

CHATTERJEE: Yes, look, this is -- they're making missteps to be totally candid. You know, my background's in energy and electricity. Electricity prices were a huge issue in the November elections in Virginia, in New Jersey. Electricity prices are through the roof. And inexplicably, the administration has been taking steps to create obstacles to the deployment of clean energy, of solar and battery storage and wind. At a time when demand is through the roof and we need every available electron. I think they have time to get it right.

But they need to make some shifts on policy. Don't constrain clean energy at a moment in time when we need it. If you want to bring down electricity prices, let's unleash all of the above energy, which is what the president talked about on the campaign trail.

They haven't governed in that way. I'm hoping they will course correct.

BERMAN: Neil Chatterjee, Christine Quinn -- go ahead.

QUINN: And you know, John, the problem with having to wait with all of these failed policies is people lose their jobs, people lose their homes. Time is a terrible thing in this affordability crisis. It's real life for Americans.

BERMAN: Just in terms of political messaging, saying wait, wait, wait is always a hard thing to sell, but we'll see what else they have over the next coming days and weeks. Neil Chatterjee, Christine Quinn, great to see you both. Thanks for playing along -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: So next hour, the case against President Trump's former national security adviser, John Bolton, heads back to court. He's pleaded not guilty to 18 charges for allegedly mishandling classified information.

Let's get to CNN's Katelyn Polantz, who's outside the federal court in Maryland right now. Katelyn, what's expected today?

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: OK, this case is about the alleged mishandling of classified information. And today, in court for John Bolton, it's going to be about just how much classified information may be part and central to this case. How much of the evidence is classified and how much will have to be worked through by the defense team as well as the prosecutors as they prepare for trial. We're going to get a sense of just how much is at hand here, and maybe not by the numbers, but at least by the time it will take to get to trial.

Just in an update yesterday, both the defense team and the prosecutors, they told the court that most of this case, it's all classified information. There is some unclassified information that John Bolton's team is already beginning to get. But because of that and because of the protections that are around classified information, we're not even going to be able to look at a trial date until the beginning of fall next year.

That is a long time of preparing for a case in this district. And just a reminder, Kate, of what we are looking at here. This is 18 counts against the former Trump national security advisor, long time national security professional in the federal government, John Bolton. What was seized from his house earlier this year by federal agents was printed out documents as well as a lot of electronics that they say John Bolton was using to collect on his own personal accounts, his notes, diary-like entries of his time, what he was even being briefed on in a national security context, so that he could allegedly then write a book with it. He was sharing it with his wife and his daughter, the prosecutors say here.

And so this is one of those moments where we are going to hear again about that search of his house, what they were finding, and that the prosecutors say a lot of that is still going to be classified, and that's going to take some time for everybody to work through to prepare for trial -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: Katelyn, thank you so much for that -- Sara.

SIDNER: All right, thank you to you and Kate.

[09:15:00]

Still ahead, exclusive new CNN reporting this morning, the Army facing what could be the largest sexual misconduct scandal in U.S. military history. More than 65 women have come forward with accusations against an Army doctor. Our Brianna Keilar will be up live with that story.

Plus, earnings reports from some of America's major companies showing warning signs about the economy now. The CEO of Gap is joining us for how tariffs are impacting the company and how they are leaning into DEI policies.

And a new social media trend leading to lots of damage and teens in handcuffs. We're learning about the door knock challenge that I'm sure you've seen.

[09:20:00]

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SIDNER: This morning, the Army is now investigating what could be the largest sexual misconduct scandal in U.S. military history. The case involves a Texas Army OBGYN described in the lawsuit as a, quote, predator in uniform. So far, at least 65 women, including at the Army Medical Center at Fort Hood, accused Dr. Blaine McGraw of sexual misconduct.

The civil lawsuit alleges that Army investigators recovered, quote, thousands of photographs and videos from Dr. McGraw's cell phone. The images depict female patients, many of whom remain unidentified, taken over the course of multiple years, according to the lawsuit. Some of the women also claim they spoke up and felt the Army swept their concerns under the rug.

CNN anchor Brianna Keilar doing this story for us, joining us now this morning. You have this exclusive new reporting on what led the Army to investigate this doctor. What are you learning this morning? BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, Sara, that's right. And my colleagues Izzy Khurshudyan, Haley Britzky, and I spoke to dozens of sources for this story, including a number of victims. We discovered the Army investigated this doctor at least twice before, in 2022 and 2024 in Texas and Hawaii, due to patient complaints. And nothing came of it.

And that many patients had complained in some fashion over the years. I spoke to multiple sources and learned what prompted this investigation was actually a husband raising hell. It was the husband of a female Army officer who was a patient of Dr. McGraw's.

This is a combat veteran, a former infantryman who served in Afghanistan, a job where you keep your head on a swivel. You're constantly taking inventory of your surroundings. And that's what he apparently was doing at his wife's appointment that he had accompanying her to last month when this gynecologist began a transvaginal ultrasound.

He saw the doctor was recording his wife in this very vulnerable situation, according to a source familiar with what the husband later told Army investigators. The couple tried and tried to report it to the hospital to base leadership at Fort Hood.

It was a very frustrating process, we learned from sources. And at one point, the husband, apparently boiling over, actually screams in a hotel lobby, I just caught a doctor recording my wife's vagina. That was about a month ago.

And an Army-led criminal investigation ensues from there. Investigators find that visual evidence on Dr. McGraw's phone, sources told us. They start alerting women in those images.

They start sending out letters to the approximately 3,000 patients that he saw at Fort Hood and also Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii. And one alleged victim files that lawsuit, that civil suit last week, accusing Major McGraw of recording her pelvic and breast exam. We spoke with victims and sources who are in touch with many victims not mentioned in that lawsuit who say McGraw frequently had a phone in his pocket.

We have obtained video and also a picture of him in the clinical setting, so you can see what they're talking about. And I spoke with one victim who said McGraw gave her a forceful, unscheduled pelvic exam that actually resulted in breaking her water before her scheduled date to be induced. And then she says he took steps to hide that he'd even done the exam.

The Army suspended this doctor. He checked into a civilian inpatient mental health facility, we learned, according to court records. And we've also learned from sources that he was scheduled to leave that facility yesterday.

Right now we're waiting to see, Sara, what move the Army makes and what could be one of, if not the largest, sexual misconduct case in military history.

SIDNER: My goodness. What is the doctor or his representative saying and what is Fort Hood saying as well?

KEILAR: Major McGraw's lawyer gave me this statement acknowledging new allegations since that lawsuit came out last week, saying quote, "... beyond the allegations themselves, we've seen no records to support that patients were touched in a way that was not medically indicated. We believe that the Army previously resolved at least one of the allegations because of an eyewitness account by another provider present. We'll continue to cooperate. We remain disappointed at Army law enforcement's handling of the investigation."

Fort Hood says that they recognize the great trust and responsibility inherent in caring for our soldiers, families, and beneficiaries, and will continue to care for everyone involved throughout this process. But legal counsel, Sara, at Fort Hood has taken what's seen as the unusual step of subpoenaing communications between one law firm and the more than 60 McGraw accusers that they represent, communications that you might expect would be privileged.

[09:25:00]

And this really speaks to the bigger issue that many of these alleged victims are feeling, which is what they describe as an instinct by the Army to protect the institution, rather than these individuals, these soldiers, these military family members who make up the Army. And certainly taking that unusual step, according to what legal experts describe it as, a step that they expect will be an unsuccessful effort to subpoena communications of these alleged victims, and their lawyer does not feel to them like an effort to protect them.

SIDNER: The attorney-client privilege is a huge privilege that courts are loathe to undo. Brianna Keilar, great reporting from you and the team. Thank you so much for this story. Wow! -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: Ahead -- ahead for us, GAP is the largest specialty apparel company in the United States, and the CEO of GAP will be joining us to talk about the company's latest earnings report, their viral denim campaign, and much more.

And it's being called the holy grail of shipwrecks, the incredible treasures that have now been brought to the surface 300 years later.

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