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Backlash Escalates Over Heavily Redacted Epstein Files; U.S. Working To Intercept Another Vessel Near Venezuela; Vice President Vance Speaks At Turning Point USA's Youth Conference; Salvation Army Needs Volunteers To Save The Holidays; Holiday Travel Do's And Don'ts With The Points Guy; New CNN Film Features Comedic Actor Chevy Chase. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired December 21, 2025 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:00]

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Continued success to you, guys, Ross and Matt Duffer, the Duffer brothers. Thank you.

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Thanks so much, gentlemen. Really appreciate it.

DUFFER: Yes. Thank you for having us.

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The news continues now on CNN. Merry Christmas.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour here in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Erica Hill in Washington. Jessica Dean has the night off.

We begin this hour with the growing outrage over the partial and heavily redacted release of the Epstein files. Tonight, the Justice Department says they've now restored this photo, which contains an image of Donald Trump. It's been restored to the online database after being taken down yesterday. It was one of the few mentions of Trump in the thousands of files that have been uploaded to this point.

The two lawmakers who really led the charge in forcing for the release of the documents say they are now considering holding Attorney General Pam Bondi in contempt of Congress because of the excessive redactions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA): I'll tell you why. I've talked to the survivors. Why this is such a slap in the face. One of the survivors said they released her name accidentally, but they still have not released the FBI file about the people who abused her at her request. And the problem here is that there are rich and powerful people, we all know this. There are 1200 victims. There are rich and powerful people who either engaged in this abuse, covered it up, or were on this island.

And what the American people want to know is who are these people? And instead of holding them accountable, Pam Bondi is breaking the law. And this is the corrupt system, the Epstein class, the people are sick of.

REP. THOMAS MASSIE (R-KY): The quickest way, and I think the most expeditious way to get justice for these victims is to bring inherent contempt against Pam Bondi. And that doesn't require going through the courts and give her -- and basically Ro Khanna and I are talking about and drafting that right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: CNN senior White House reporter Kevin Liptak joins us now.

So we now know that this image has been essentially reinstated, put back online. What more is the administration saying about what happened here?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I think they're very much on the defensive, both about these images that appeared and then disappeared, but also just about this release generally. You hear it from Republicans and Democrats that they're not following the letter of the law by not releasing all of those documents within that 30-day deadline that expired on Friday, but also questions about why so much information was redacted.

You hear from advocates and victims who wonder why some of the big revelations that they were hoping to get from these documents just didn't appear. When it comes to this question of the photograph that included an image of President Trump, what the Justice Department said earlier today was that this image was flagged by the Southern District of New York for, quote, "potential further action to protect victims."

And they say that out of an abundance of caution, the Justice Department removed that information as they reviewed it and then, quote, "after the review, it was determined there was no evidence that any Epstein victims are depicted in the photograph, and it has been reposted without any alteration or redaction."

And that sort of echoes what we heard earlier today from Todd Blanche. He's the number two at the Justice Department who explained that some of these documents were coming back down because there were some questions raised about potentially exposing some victims' identities. Listen to a little bit more of how he explained this whole process.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TODD BLANCHE, U.S. DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL: There were a number of photographs that were pulled down after being released on Friday. That's because a judge in New York has ordered us to listen to any victim or victim rights group, if they have any concerns about the material that we're putting up. And so when we hear concerns, whether it's photographs of women that we do not believe are victims or we didn't have information to show that they were victims, but we learned that there are concerns, of course, we're taking that photograph down and we're going to address it, if we need to redact faces or other information, we will, and then we'll put it back up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIPTAK: Now, the thing that Blanche was adamant on was that this decision to remove the document had nothing to do with President Trump himself. He said, quote, "We are not redacting information around President Trump." And he was, you know, very harsh in pushing back on this question of whether the administration was following the letter of the law. He says that this is a very arduous process for the Justice Department.

He says there are about a million papers and documents that they're sifting through. More than 100 lawyers who are trying to go through these documents and ensure that no victims' identities are exposed here. So very much trying to tamp down on some of the criticism.

[18:05:03]

Of course, the criticism of the Trump administration around the Epstein matter did not begin on Friday. It's been brewing for several months, much of it derived from President Trump's own supporters, who are very much animated by this entire issue. You've heard the White House chief of staff just in that interview released last week, saying she thought that the attorney general, Pam Bondi, had whiffed the whole thing.

And so I think as we see these documents come out, drip, drip, drip, you can be sure that some of the furor that the administration is very much trying to tamp down, it doesn't appear as if it's going to be tamped down for the foreseeable future for President Trump -- Erica.

HILL: Absolutely. Certainly not going away. Kevin, really appreciate it. Thank you.

We are also closely following tonight developments surrounding Venezuela. U.S. officials telling CNN the United States is pursuing a vessel in international waters near Venezuela. Now, it's understood that this tanker was sailing toward Venezuela to pick up oil when U.S. Coast Guard personnel attempted to board. The vessel itself is under U.S. sanctions for links to Iranian oil. And this is the second vessel targeted this weekend by the Trump administration.

All of this, of course, coming after President Trump this week announced a total blockade, in his words, of sanctioned oil tankers into and out of Venezuela as he looks to ramp up pressure on its leader, Nicolas Maduro.

Joining me now, CNN global affairs analyst Kimberly Dozier.

So, Kim, when we look at what is happening here, the U.S. is really focusing on this pressure point of oil for the Venezuelan economy. How would you assess that as a strategy based on what we're seeing?

KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, at least it doesn't bring up the outrage that hitting the alleged narco terrorist boats does. The actions of seizing a vessel with sanctioned oil on it, it's something largely recognized in international law. It's something that the U.S.'s European allies would like the U.S. to be doing to Russian ghost fleet oil tankers. But what it does is also ratchet up the financial and economic pressure on Maduro and on his allies like Cuba.

This oil is often headed to Cuba, which either uses it, I believe, for free. And what it doesn't use, it sells on. So it's a lifeline both for the Venezuelan regime because Maduro uses it to pay for the security forces and all the people who help him stay in power. And then it helps allies like Cuba also stay in power with regimes that are thought to be not so democratic.

HILL: And in terms of, you know, as you point out, in terms of how it's being received, certainly more well-received, as you point out, than the targeting of these alleged narco terrorists, is it also, in many ways, a more effective pressure campaign that sort of buys the administration a little time as well? We know the president has teased there could be further intervention potentially on the ground, but this would seem to put a pause on that.

DOZIER: Well, what it does is hopefully try to ratchet up enough pressure on Maduro that if President Trump decides to take military action, say, in the form of aerial strikes, the kind of thing that he ordered against Iran, that Maduro would be in a fragile enough state to actually want to leave power. It is -- the American public is largely against the idea of a military invasion, according to multiple major polls, though, that is split with Democrats and independents on one side and most of the Republicans apparently favoring some quick strike.

The problem with quick strikes is they might not work. And if Donald Trump decides to strike Maduro with some sort of air operation, and Maduro still stays in power, that makes Trump look weak. So in the interim, while he buys time before such a strike by grabbing this oil, it will hopefully, from the strategy perspective, take the support away from Maduro and make him consider options like perhaps fleeing to an ally like Moscow.

HILL: Perhaps not surprisingly, Republican Senator Rand Paul is really pushing back on this pressure campaign from the administration. Here's a little of what he had to say, specifically addressing the seizure of oil tankers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY): I consider it a provocation and a prelude to war. And I hope we don't go to war with Venezuela. Look, at any point in time, there are 20, 30 governments around the world that we don't like that are either socialist or communist, or have human rights violations. We could really literally go through a couple dozen, but it isn't the job of the American soldier to be the policeman of the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HILL: There is some concern about what could happen should Maduro be forced out of power. What would be left there on the ground, and the role that the U.S. would be expected to play there. Is it your sense that that has been sort of thought through and gamed out by the administration, based on your sources?

[18:10:10]

DOZIER: Well, of course, the administration hopes that if they got Maduro to leave, that someone like Maria Machado, who just won a Nobel Prize and is a popular politician in Venezuela, would take office. But Maduro leaves behind a military network and also an insurgency network, armed gangs across the country that could make it very hard to stabilize that country or, worse for Trump, he could try to take some sort of action and yet Maduro prevails.

So he's really in a rock and a hard place situation. If he does launch something, though, it can become a Vietnam-like situation. That might sound like an exaggeration, but, you know, it looks easy from the outside. But once you invest a little bit and that doesn't work, and then you invest more, all of a sudden you can find yourself in a situation, an armed conflict where there's no way to get out and declare victory. And that would start to turn Trump's own base against him. They don't want to see any return to a forever war.

HILL: No. And he has certainly said that he does not want to be involved in one either. So we'll be watching that as well.

Kim Dozier, always appreciate it. Thank you.

DOZIER: Thank you.

HILL: Turning now to Sydney, Australia, where mourners gathered on Bondi Beach Sunday to pay tribute to those who were brutally killed a week ago when two gunmen opened fire upon a Hanukkah festival there, killing 15 and injuring many more. The father of the youngest victim, 10-year-old Matilda, who of course, has now become known around the world, lit the menorah at the ceremony tonight.

The country's current and former prime ministers were there among the thousands who joined in the commemoration event. Images of the victims, who range in age from 10 to 87, were projected on large screens.

The widely acclaimed hero of this tragedy, a man named Ahmed al Ahmed, sent a message of support to the crowd from his hospital bed. The Syrian born immigrant was shot after wrestling one of the gunmen to the ground and grabbing his gun to stop further bloodshed.

Still ahead here, while it may feel far away, plenty of Americans are already thinking about the 2028 presidential election. From the top contenders to the top qualities they're looking for. What CNN's new polling reveals. Also, can Mother Nature deliver a white Christmas and hassle free holiday travel? We've got the forecast. Plus while he can't control the weather, the Points Guy can offer expert tips for smooth sailing on your holiday travels. That much more ahead right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:17:25]

HILL: Calls for unity, MAGA infighting and a special guest star all there to round out the final day of Turning Point USA's annual conference known as AmericaFest. Young conservatives hearing from speakers including Donald Trump, Jr., Vice President J.D. Vance and Erica Kirk, who of course now leads the nonprofit co-founded by her husband. And she was also joined in a surprise appearance today by rapper Nicki Minaj, who praised President Trump, saying she has, quote, "the utmost respect and admiration for our president."

CNN senior reporter Steve Contorno has the highlights.

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Vice President J.D. Vance took the stage here in Arizona to close out a Turning Point conference that has exposed some deep divisions within the GOP. And we have seen these simmering tensions play out all weekend over issues such as Israel and whether to platform conspiracy theorists.

Now, Vance said that instead of discouraging this kind of debate, he encouraged Turning Point's attendees to address it head on.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I know that some of you are impatient at the pace of progress, and my response to that is good. Be impatient. Use that desire for justice for your country as fuel to get involved in this movement in a bigger and better and more powerful way.

I know some of you are discouraged by the infighting over any number of issues. Don't be discouraged. Wouldn't you rather lead a movement of free thinkers who sometimes disagree than a bunch of drones who take their orders from George Soros?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CONTORNO: Earlier in this conference, Erica Kirk, the widow of Turning Point's founder, Charlie Kirk, announced that she was going to endorse Vice President Vance for president in 2028, even though he hasn't officially entered the race yet.

Now, Vance did not address that support when he spoke today, though he did throw some shots at some of the potential Democratic contenders, California Governor Gavin Newsom, as well as former vice president Kamala Harris, showing that some of this jockeying is already beginning on the left and the right as both parties look to what's going to happen after Donald Trump leaves office.

Take a look as well at this CNN poll of Republican and Republican leaning voters, 22 percent said that they would like to see J.D. Vance potentially run in 2028. No other Republican figure eclipsed 5 percent -- Erica. HILL: Wow. All right. Appreciate it, Steve. Thank you.

Larry Sabato joins us now. He's the director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.

Always nice to talk to you.

[18:20:00]

So, Vice President Vance, I mean, I guess somewhat of a lukewarm reaction when we talk about 2028, despite that endorsement from Erica Kirk. CNN's new polling, which was interesting, shows just 22 percent of Republican and Republican leaning voters want Vance as their 2028 nominee. What do you make of that?

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Well, you have to start with the fact that that two-thirds are saying, I guess they've refused to identify with the presidential candidate more than three years before the term is up for President Trump. I think there's some public resistance to that in both parties. But look, Vance starts out as the heavy favorite. You could not possibly describe him any other way.

Having said that, he has to worry about where President Trump's popularity goes in the next three years. The more unpopular Trump becomes, especially on the Republican side, the more difficult it will be for him to be seen as the logical successor to the nomination. Now, so far, the MAGA troops have been holding pretty strong for both Trump and for Vance. But the non-MAGA Republicans and they're still a significant, though minority part of the Republican Party, their intensity of support for Trump has been declining.

HILL: Yes, it certainly has. I was also struck by in this polling CNN asked which qualities voters want to see in their next president. This is across party lines here. You can see that topping the list, it's honesty. They want someone to be honest and truthful, followed by empathy and integrity. They want somebody who helps people, works on the economy. Affordability is in there but further down, and also cares about the average American.

You know, at this point, as you point out, we are three years away, as we know. But is this typical, would you say, in terms of what voters focus on when they're asked questions like this?

SABATO: Yes. In general, in the beginning of a cycle, they'll frequently cite personal characteristics that go down the boy scout or girl scout credo. They want, you know, a Mother Teresa as the nominee. Very quickly we get away from that because it's not realistic, and it certainly doesn't reflect modern politics. So it's good that people still want those things. They'll have to settle.

I'm sorry to tell you that, Erica. They'll have to settle.

HILL: All right, well, we'll see how that goes. I was really struck this week, and I feel like it sort of got buried in some of the other news, but New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik abruptly ending on Friday her bid for governor. She also said she's not going to seek another term in Congress. She says she'll finish out the current one.

She, of course, started her career in Washington 10 years ago or so as a moderate conservative. She is really now known for her full throated embrace of President Trump. Her shift to a member of the MAGA faithful. Did this surprise you at all, what we heard from her?

SABATO: Well, not running for Congress was a surprise. I'm not surprised she decided not to run for governor because at least at this point, it's looking like 2026, the midterm elections, including the governors election in New York, are leaning Democratic. And I'm being cautious in saying leaning. It's more than that in blue states like New York. So she probably made a realistic decision there.

In not running for Congress, I think she is acknowledging that in MAGA world the loyalty road is one way. It's a one-way street. And while she had strong support from President Trump and the other MAGA leaders for a while, that tended to fade, and it even faded in the House with the speaker of the House who has not had the warmest relationship with her of late. So she's made a good choice for her.

She can have another career. She's young and energetic, or she could wait a while and come back. And sometimes the people who can step off the stage are the smartest ones, because most politicians just can't step off the stage unless they're thrown off the stage.

HILL: Yes, it is often tough for them to walk away, that is for sure. I also wanted to get your take before I let you go. I was struck by what Ezra Klein wrote in "The New York Times" today. He says the Trump vibe shift is dead, noting that in his view, and I'm quoting him here, "Trumpism is failing both the voters and the vibes," saying that they want more honesty. They feel lied to at this point. They want somebody who is actually going to address the issues that they feel. Do you agree with him on that assessment?

SABATO: I think it's true for right now. The CNN Poll of Polls has Trump's popularity at 39 percent, which after 11 months is not very good at all. Now, maybe it will be higher than that, although I doubt it's beyond the low 40s come the election of 2026, but it could also be lower. Some polls already have it in the mid-30s. So the Trump vibe is not doing well right now. And if it continues to do poorly through the midterms, that means President Trump for the second half of his second term will probably have a Democratic House.

Maybe not a Democratic Senate. That's uncertain. But without having full control of Congress, it's not going to be a fun trip through the second half of the second term.

[18:25:08]

HILL: May not be, but it will always be an interesting one if we can talk with you about it, Larry. So I appreciate it as always. Thank you.

SABATO: Thank you, Erica. Thanks a lot.

HILL: Still to come here, have you heard the iconic Salvation Army bells outside your favorite store this season? If you haven't heard them, you're not alone. We have a closer look for you at what's behind the silence and what that could mean for those in need this holiday season.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: As Gaza faces the monumental task of rebuilding from the Israel- Hamas war, a message of hope and resilience from the leader of the Catholic Church in Jerusalem.

[18:30:06]

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa presiding over mass in Gaza City today, his fourth visit to the enclave, but his first since the church there was hit by a deadly Israeli strike in July.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARDINAL PIERBATTISTA PIZZABALLA, LATIN PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM: I remember that during the war, especially the beginning, there were plans to transform here, you know, Gaza, into a resort. But we are here. We will not be resorts. We will be in our life as we want.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: His Christmas message comes amid growing concern that the fragile ceasefire could collapse, along with the rebuilding phase.

Well, the well-known red kettles turns out they're not as full this year. A major shortage of bell ringers is having a significant impact on holiday donations for the Salvation Army.

Joe Vigil of CNN affiliate KTVU has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE VIGIL, KTVU REPORTER: Silence is not the sound the Salvation Army wants to hear, where bell ringers typically fill their red kettles.

MAJOR KYLE SMITH, SALVATION ARMY: Every year, it's just hard to get bell ringers.

VIGIL: Major Kyle Smith says the Salvation Army has 70 locations where bell ringers collect money to help many in need.

You have 70 locations you're usually at. What number are you at because of the shortage?

SMITH: You know, we're only between 25 and 30 max.

VIGIL: The Angel Tree effort resulted in an abundance of toys for families in need this year, but the lack of bell ringers has left the Salvation Army short about $100,000 of the $300,000 it would typically collect. That goes to feed people, house people and help many homeless veterans. The major says part of the problem is many just don't realize how to become a bell ringer.

RONALD BAKER, SALVATION ARMY: This is my 15th season.

VIGIL: Ronald Baker explained to us what ringing the bell has meant to him and what it could mean for you.

BAKER: It would be a good way for them to get something back to people. It's an easy job because you're out among people. You're just being yourself and that's it. You can't find it easier or better job.

VIGIL: The Salvation Army hopes a different ring will help fill the gap. You can sign up for a shift or shifts by simply going to RegistertoRing.com.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: Still to come here, the week's holiday forecast and some very important travel tips from the Points Guy.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:37:10]

HILL: More than 122 million people are expected to hit the roads and also take to the skies this week for the year's busiest travel season. Multiple storms, however, along with the surprising weather pattern change, well, that's threatening to disrupt not only the holiday travel, but also the hopes that many people have for a white Christmas.

CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar joining us now with the latest forecast.

Allison, what's ahead?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We have not one, not two, but three separate back-to-back systems expected to impact the West Coast this week. And that could cause some travel delays for multiple different cities.

Here's a look at the forecast radar through the evening hours. Tonight you've got most of the heavy rain focused across portions of Oregon, Northern and Central California. As we transition into Monday, though, we really start to see more of that begin to transition south. But at the same time, you also have the next round beginning to impact the Pacific Northwest. So areas like Seattle getting yet again another round of rain.

By the time we get to Wednesday and Thursday, though, then we start to see more of that rain funneling down into portions of Southern California, including Los Angeles and San Diego. But the heaviest rain is certainly going to be for Northern and Central California. You see a lot of that orange and red color here, indicating widespread totals of three to six inches, but it's not out of the question for some of those areas, especially to get the training of the storms back to back to pick up maybe seven or even 10 inches of rain all the way through Thursday this week.

Snow is also expected to be very heavy. We could be looking at multiple feet. We're talking three to six feet of snow across portions of the Sierras as we count all three of those systems. And it's not just the snow and the rain, but the focus here is really going to be the potential for the excessive rainfall and what that could mean in terms of flooding. This is going to be the target point for the remainder of the day today.

But even as we head into Monday, you'll notice it's a similar scenario Tuesday, Wednesday and even Thursday. The only difference is later into the week, more of the focus shifts farther down to the south, including areas of Southern California. It's that rain that's going to keep areas of the West Coast a little on the cooler side. So temperatures here are expected to remain at or even below normal.

But that's it. Everywhere else you see all of the orange and the red color on the screen indicating temperatures that are above average, not just talking five degrees above average. In some cases, we're talking 15 to 30 degrees above average. That means record temperatures. Every single one of these dots you see here on this map is a forecast record high on Christmas Day. More than 40 of those dots on that particular map because temperatures are expected to be very, very warm.

This in turn means it's not looking so good for folks who maybe perhaps wanted a white Christmas. The only areas where we're going to be increasing the snow count over the next few days is certainly going to be out west. So the Sierras, the Cascades, the Olympics and the Rockies, and perhaps portions of the green and white mountains in the northeast.

[18:40:00]

HILL: All right, Alison, thank you.

Well, unless you're Santa and you've got your own personal sleigh and, you know, a few reindeer to pull it, get ready to join millions of your fellow travelers in the coming days. With the holiday cheer, you could also see some flight delays, maybe a little lost luggage, definitely some traffic. So how can you focus on the peace of the holiday season instead of the headaches?

We're going to turn to Brian Kelly for that, the Points Guy, who certainly has some great thoughts and advice.

Brian, good to see you. So I'm curious if you had to give one of your top travel tip, your top hack for the holidays, what would it be?

BRIAN KELLY, FOUNDER, THE POINTS GUY: Well, get the app Flighty. Flighty is great. It gives you so much intelligence on your flight. You can actually see where your plane is coming from. So while most of the country is going to have really great weather this week, as we see, you know, on the West Coast, it's a different story. If your plane is coming from San Francisco to pick you up in Chicago, it might be delayed.

So Flighty gives you that intel if you're going to have trouble with your flight and it will also help you plan what other flights you should take. But also, I'll say TSA precheck. It still boggles my mind how many people don't have it. And that helps you cruise through the airport. Even if the line looks long in precheck, it moves so much faster because you don't have to take things out of your bag. You go through a metal detector instead of that scanner. So trust me, get precheck if you don't have it already.

HILL: Absolutely. So let's say you have precheck or you're thinking about precheck versus clear versus digital I.D. What makes the most sense? Should you go straight to digital I.D.?

KELLY: So TSA precheck, for those who aren't aware, has a program called digital I.D., and that's with the major airlines. You can opt into this program for free if you have precheck. So that's a no brainer. Now, in terms of Clear, I'm a big fan of TSA precheck, but I also have Clear because it does help in a lot of different airports. And if you're traveling with older ones or kids and you need an extra hand, Clear has this new program called concierge, where their reps will actually meet you at the curb and help you check your bags, go through security, and that starts at like $99.

So that might be a little gift to get yourself if you're stressed about managing the airport. You know, splurging a little bit on that experience to make things go well.

HILL: Yes. Or maybe a gift for an older loved one who's traveling. Thank you for providing me with the last minute gift idea. I didn't know I was getting that in this segment, but selfishly, I'm very happy about it.

Tell me, what are the things that you always pack in your carry-on?

KELLY: Yes. You know, you've got to control your environment. I've always got my noise canceling headphones. A lot of planes these days still don't have reliable Wi-Fi, although, you know, in 2026, we hope to have a lot more airlines with Starlink and free internet. Delta, United and American Airlines now finally is coming. But you never know when it's going to work. So I always have my, you know, a laptop. I download my own entertainment.

And also just getting back to more apps, Mobile Passport. So I highly recommend getting Global Entry. But if you travel internationally, if you don't want to pay for the Global Entry, $120, there's an app called Mobile Passport. And that works in a lot of U.S. airports. And that will help you really get through U.S. immigration because sometimes those longs can be -- those lines can be really, really long.

HILL: Yes, they certainly can. I was struck this week when I saw that American Airlines announced it's no longer going to offer miles or rewards on basic economy tickets. Are airlines starting to move away from loyalty programs or try to slim them down? KELLY: So they're not moving away from loyalty programs. They're just

moving away from the cheapest fares. And I think this is a good reminder to people, you know, a lot of times, basic economy that doesn't allow you to get change your ticket or get seats so cheap can be expensive. So sometimes the difference between a normal economy fare and basic is relatively minimal.

I'd also like to remind people American Airlines and a lot of other airlines now are charging more for solo passengers. So often, if you can book with someone else, you can save as much as 50 percent because they're trying to target business travelers who travel one off. So unfortunately, in 2026, we predict a lot more of that A.I. pricing the airlines just to gouge us for even more revenue. So always price check.

And sometimes if you can book with one other person, you can save a ton of money. And also booking round trip. One-way fares, which historically have been about half the price of a round trip domestically, we're now seeing those dramatically increase for one way. So I usually like to book one-way fares, but, you know, price it out and always look at round trip. You might be able to save a lot.

HILL: Before I let you go, we talk a lot about, you know, flying when it comes to traveling. A lot of people will be driving. I know you were a big fan of a particular parking app. Tell us more.

KELLY: Yes. So Spot Hero, this is great whether you're going to be in a city, don't pay drive-up prices to parking lots. Spot Hero is amazing. You can save a ton of money. LAX Airport, for example, almost $500 for a week to park. But you can get a Spot Hero spot at a lot right next to LAX, which actually may be easier than taking a shuttle. They can drop you off at the curb, and it's $120, so save a ton of time and money.

[18:45:02]

And also for rental cars, sometimes it might make sense to take an Uber to an offsite car rental like a local edition versus the airport one. You can save up to 40 percent, and you don't have to take the rental car shuttle. Yes, you have to pay for the Uber locally, but it can save a ton of money than the airport car rental.

HILL: Which is key. And then that's more money to spend at your destination.

Brian, great to see you as always. Happy holidays and safe travels.

KELLY: Thanks for having me.

HILL: We'll be right back.

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[18:50:09]

HILL: Chevy Chase helped to define a generation of comedy, from his early days on "SNL" to movies like "Caddyshack" and "Christmas Vacation" that still have a loyal cult following. But just how much do you know about the man behind the laughs?

CNN's new Original Film, "I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not," offers a candid look at Chevy Chase both on and off screen. Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARINA ZENOVICH, DIRECTOR, "I'M CHEVY CHASE AND YOU'RE NOT": I'm just trying to figure you out.

CHEVY CHASE, ACTOR: No (EXPLETIVE DELETED). It's not going to be easy for you.

ZENOVICH: Why is it not going to be easy?

CHASE: You're not bright enough. How's that?

ZENOVICH: Whoa.

CHASE: Well, you asked. I know you're not going to put that on the air, and I hope not. But my answer is, I'm complex, and I'm deep, and I can be hurt easily. And I react spontaneously to people who want to figure me out, as it were. As somebody who will hold up my guard, I'm not going to let anybody figure me out, per se.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: We're joined now by the film's director, Marina Zenovich.

Marina, I'm so excited to talk to you. I really enjoyed the film. I was struck by that moment when I saw it. I sort of gasped in that moment. I didn't know he was going to be so difficult. I mean, just talk to me about why you wanted to focus on Chevy Chase.

ZENOVICH: Well, I mean, he's a fascinating character. And I kind of somehow specialize in complicated men. Not by choice. It just kind of happened. So when the project came to me, I was like, oh, that sounds really interesting.

HILL: Were you worried that it would be hard to get him to open up?

ZENOVICH: Oh, completely. And as you can see, I love that you started with that. I mean, you know, I went -- that was the first time I interviewed him. And I went to his house and I heard about his reputation, and I knew I had to bring it up, but I didn't know how. I didn't know if he'd throw me out of his house. I didn't know what. And the minute he said, you're not bright enough, I was like, oh, I have my in.

And so I said, you know, people think you're an asshole. And he was like, what? But it was -- it was hard. He was a tough interview. He really -- he's willing to go there. He wants to try to open up, but then he stops himself. So I interviewed him a few times, just trying to go deeper and deeper. HILL: You know, what I noticed, too, is it seemed to me, you know, and

I interview a lot of people, what struck me was that not only did it seem like it was probably a difficult interview to get him to open up, but also sometimes I found as a viewer it was hard to determine if he was joking or not.

ZENOVICH: Yes. I mean, he would just do -- anytime he feels uncomfortable, and I think this is something he's just done throughout his life, he would just do a bit. I mean, it would just be a joke or he would put me down. I mean, I didn't take it personally. You have to go into these interviews, kind of your goal is to get the other person to open up. It's not for them to treat you nicely, but he's always just goofing around.

And so I was just trying and trying. And I think the film kind of exposes him and really humanizes him in a way that people don't kind of know him.

HILL: Yes. And for people who aren't familiar maybe with that reputation, that he has from some people, I think that might be surprising to some. It's also, you know, interesting, given that we live in this world of cancel culture. I think the way that you're able to show, you know, multiple things can be true at once. These contradictions can exist. What do you -- what do you hope the takeaway is for viewers?

ZENOVICH: I hope the takeaway is really to repeat myself to humanize him. I mean, it's like, you know, Chevy is loved by a lot of people, especially his fans. His family and close friends adore him. He has a bit of a reputation. He's misunderstood. I mean, he's gone through a lot of trauma in his life that a lot of people don't know about. So it's, as a documentary filmmaker, it's always great to kind of show who someone is. That's the goal, that's the challenge. And I think we accomplished it with the film.

HILL: Yes, I think you did. I mean, it is fascinating watching it and learning more about him. So thank you. I really appreciate it.

Marina Zenovich, thanks again for joining us tonight.

ZENOVICH: Thank you.

HILL: And be sure to tune in, "I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not," premieres New Year's Day, 8:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN. And you can also catch it the next day on the CNN app.

[18:55:00]

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HILL: Thanks so much for joining us here in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Erica Hill in Washington, D.C. Jessica is off tonight.

Tonight, several lawmakers are accusing the Department of Justice of flouting the law in its partial release and heavy redactions of the Epstein files. Thousands of documents related to the convicted sex offender have been released over the past two days, but they include these massive redactions, which the DOJ says was done to protect victims.

One of the lawmakers who led the charge to get the files released is now indicating he is not satisfied and has some serious questions.