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CNN This Morning

Over 450 Drones And 30 Missiles Hit Ukraine's South; Former Michigan Coach Sherrone Moore Charged With Stalking, Home Invasion; GOP Chairman Threatens Clintons With Contempt Of Congress In Epstein Inquiry; Extreme Cold Temps Leaves Millions Facing Harsh Weekend; Guardsman Wounded In Shooting Can Now Breathe On His Own. President Trump's Approval Rating on Economy Falls to Lowest Level Ever; Fired Michigan Coach Sherrone Moore Arraigned in Court; President Trump Sued Over East Wing Demolition. Aired 6-7a ET

Aired December 13, 2025 - 06:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:00:30]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: December 13th. Good to have you this morning. Welcome to CNN This Morning. I'm Victor Blackwell. Here's what you need to know this weekend.

First, breaking overnight, Russia pounded Ukraine with hundreds of drone and missile attacks. And it happens just ahead of another critical meeting between the U.S. and Ukraine. We'll get you caught up on that.

Also new this morning, the former University of Michigan football coach charged with several crimes is now out on bond. What we learned from its arraignment and when he'll be back in court.

And doctors are calling this a miraculous recovery. The National Guardsman hospitalized after being shot in the head is now breathing on his own. The have an update on his condition ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got you, sir. OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm glad somebody's got me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Unbelievable video. Police in Florida rescued an elderly man who was dangling from a roof. The entire thing caught on body cam video how he ended up there in the first place.

We're starting off with breaking news. Massive power outages across Ukraine after Russia hit the country with hundreds of drone strikes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia used more than 450 and fifty strike drones and 30 missiles. There are several injuries reported. More than a million people are without power.

Now, this attack happened just hours after CNN learned that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff will meet with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and other European leaders in Berlin this weekend. President Trump is putting pressure on Ukraine and Russia to end their years long war.

The NATO chief praised President Trump's effort on Thursday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Secretary General, what chances do you think Trump's peace proposal?

MARK RUTTE, SECRETARY GENERAL OF NATO: Well, I must say what the president is doing is amazing, is crucial and I really want to commend him for it because he was the only one who could break the deadlock with Putin. He did. So he got the conversation going from February onwards. He was only, I think four weeks in office when this all started.

And I'm trying to do everything I can. And I know also the allies here in Europe and Canada are doing everything they can to make this into a success. But it is. You always need 2 to 10 goes. It's also a big test of Putin whether he wants to play ball. We'll see. We'll see. I hope he will.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: It's expected that French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz will also be at this meeting. Those same leaders told President Trump in a phone call that only Ukrainians can decide to give up territory as part of a peace deal.

Former Michigan head football coach Sherrone Moore is out of jail. He posted bond late yesterday. He'll be back in court late next month. Prosecutors released some disturbing details of the alleged incident that led to his arrest.

The school fired him Wednesday with cause, they said that he was in an inappropriate relationship with a staffer. Prosecutors say the two broke up Monday and the woman went to school to tell them about their relationship. And just hours after his termination, prosecutors say that he went to that woman's home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATI REZMIERSKI, PROSECUTOR: He then at some point soon thereafter came to her apartment in the address that is alleged in the complaint, barged his way into that apartment immediately, then proceeded to a kitchen drawer, grabbed several butter knives and a pair of kitchen scissors and began to threaten his own life. I'm going to kill myself. I'm going to make you watch. My blood is on your hands. You ruined my life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Moore faces a felony home invasion charge, misdemeanor stalking and breaking and entering charges.

The chairman of the House Oversight Committee says former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton must show up for depositions next week or he will begin contempt of Congress proceedings.

President Clinton's deposition is scheduled for December 17th. Secretary Clinton's is for December 18th. The former president is among a who's who of powerful and influential persons who have turned up in the latest photos from Jeffrey Epstein's estate.

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released them to the public on Friday. They also include President Trump, Steve Bannon, Woody Allen, Bill Gates, Richard Branson and others.

The images shed some new light on the scope of Epstein's relationships.

[06:05:03]

One photo shows Trump with six women whose faces were redacted by committee members. Another depicts what appears to be a bowl of novelty condoms with the caricature of Trump's face and text that, well, reads, I'm huge.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What were your reaction to those new photos that were released?

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Well, I haven't seen it, but, I mean, everybody knew this man. He was all over Palm Beach. He has photos with everybody. I mean, almost there are hundreds and hundreds of people that have photos with them. So that's no big deal. I know nothing about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: After Democrats initially made 19 photos public, later they released 70 more, many of them taken on Epstein's private island. Democrats on the committee say that they're currently reviewing thousands more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ROBERT GARCIA (D-CA): We've actually only reviewed about a fourth of the 95,000 photos that were actually sent to us late last night. And so as we're going through those photos, we're putting more photos out to the public. Some of what was sent to us in this documentation is also quite disturbing.

So we have to be very thoughtful and careful about how we protect the survivors and how we protect the victims of Jeffrey Epstein. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: The White House released a statement accusing House Democrats of selectively releasing cherry picked photos with random redactions.

House Republicans plan on putting their new health care package on the floor for a vote next week. Now, the narrow health care package leaves out a critical component, extending enhanced Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire at the end of this month.

Republican leaders say they will allow a separate vote on an amendment to restore those subsidies, a move being hashed out by centrists right now. Without an extension, though, experts say premiums will skyrocket in the new year, potentially doubling on average for millions of families.

And instead of direct premium subsidies, the GOP plan focuses on expanding association health plans for employers. It also includes funding for a cost sharing program to help lower income patients with deductibles and co pays.

President Trump was asked what Americans should do when those important federal subsidies expire. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's your message to those 24 million Americans who will see their insurance premiums go up?

TRUMP: Don't make it sound so bad because, you know, obviously you're a, you know, Cinco fan for Democrats. You're obviously a provider of bad news for Republicans. Let me just say something. The Republicans, I think I can speak for Tom and most other people. I think what most Republicans want to see is what I want to see. And I leave it to them and hopefully they're going to put great legislation on this desk right here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: King Charles describes a milestone in his cancer recovery, calls it a personal blessing. The King says that he is responding well to treatments and that those treatments will be scaled back in the new year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KING CHARLES III, KING OF THE UNITED KINGDOM: Today I am able to share with you the good news that thanks to early diagnosis, effective intervention and adherence to doctors' orders, my own schedule of cancer treatment can be reduced in the new year.

This milestone is both a personal blessing and a testimony to the remarkable advances that have been made in cancer care in recent years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: King Charles announced his cancer diagnosis in February of 2024 after undergoing a prostate procedure. Doctors describe his upcoming treatments in the new year as a precautionary phase.

There's new video of a dangerous high speed chase. This was in the Florida Keys. It happened in early November. Video just released this week. But watch it. Officials say a Monroe County sheriff's deputy was nearly sideswiped by that Range Rover.

Deputies tried several times to stop him, but he took off, swerved around cars, cut through a park. At what point? They say that he was driving at 120 miles per hour. The chase ended when the Range Rover slammed into a boat. You see it here? That's when the troopers moved in, pulled the suspect from the vehicle.

23-year-old Christopher Smithers now faces multiple charges including fleeing and eluding.

Right now, if you're waking up in the Midwest, places like Wisconsin feeling temperatures well below zero. And that's theme across much of the Midwest. Meanwhile, more snow is moving into the Northeast. CNN's Allison Chinchar is here. It's December.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEROLOGIST: Balmy Minneapolis right now. It is a balmy minus 19.

BLACKWELL: Comfy cozy.

CHINCHAR: I guess. And we're just having to step out your door this morning. That's the lovely temperature you are facing. And honestly, it's not even the coldest on the map. We've got some that are even colder than that.

So here's what we're looking at for right now. You see all these color shaded areas. These are where all those extreme cold alerts are in place because it's not just taking into account the temperature, it's also taking into account the wind.

[06:10:05]

So again, yes, there's a minus 19 is what it feels like in Minneapolis, but you've got a minus 27, a minus 34 and it feels like minus 5 right now into Chicago. Here you can see again we've got some temperatures over the next few days. It's going to be a delayed effect for those in the Northeast.

But look at the Midwest. Minneapolis, Chicago, St. Louis. Gradually you're going to get back up to above average. It's just going to take about three days. And then as I mentioned, in Northeast it's going to take more like four or five. But we will get those temperatures a little bit warmer. The problem is in the short term because that cold air is in place.

Any moisture that's coming through is in the form of rain. So here's a look at the radar in the form of snow. Here's a look at the radar and you can see a lot of that snow filling in. More of it is going to fill in as we go through the rest of the day as that system itself begins to move from the Midwest to the Northeast.

BLACKWELL: All right, I know you'll be watching it. Allison, thank you.

Could we soon see a collab between Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett and soon to be former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene? There is one issue that could bring them together. I asked Representative Crockett about that and her run for Senate. Also, the Epstein files and more.

Plus, a National Guardsman is defying the odds. He was shot in the head and given little chance to live. We'll have an update on his long recovery.

And officers rescue this 86-year-old man dangling from the roof of his home will explain what he was doing on the roof in the first place.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:16:15]

BLACKWELL: The White House is calling out the release of new photos showing President Trump with Jeffrey Epstein. In a statement, they say Democrats are selectively releasing cherry picked photos with random redactions to try to create a false narrative and that the Democrat hoax against President Trump has been repeatedly debunked.

But Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, they're defending their approach to releasing this information. And one is my next guest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett of Texas joins me now. Thank you for coming in.

REP. JASMINE CROCKETT (D-TX): Absolutely.

BLACKWELL: OK, so let's start with the photos that have been released this week. Democrats on House oversight released some of the photos from the Epstein estate that it received as a result of a subpoena. Republicans on House oversight say this oversight Democrats are chasing headlines by releasing a handful of selectively censored and cherry picked photos from the Epstein estate.

And they say that you and other Democrats should be ashamed of your disgusting behavior putting politics above justice for the survivors. What's your response?

CROCKETT: I will say that number one, the Republicans didn't want to do anything as it relates to the survivors. I mean, think about the fact that when it came down to even getting a vote on the floor, we couldn't get Republicans to sign onto the discharge petition. Finally were able to get that all done once they finally swore in Adelita Grijalva. So don't talk to me about what's disgusting because we know that they

don't stand for the survivors whatsoever. At the end of the day, we are getting information, but we're not getting information because Trump's DOJ is releasing that information. We're getting information because the Epstein estate is releasing information.

And in this latest tranche, we're talking about 95,000. So yes, I mean, we're not necessarily for us, for our purposes, saying, well, here's the full 95,000. Everybody go at it. We are obviously picking out and making sure people can see some of the more kind of interesting things.

BLACKWELL: Yes, sure. 19 of 95,000 photographs, which is, I did the quick math, 0.02 percent of these photos. And what are people supposed to learn from a photo of the President with six redacted photos of women or a Trump condom? Why pick those and release those if you're not chasing a narrative?

CROCKETT: Well, listen, I think that obviously the narrative is around the President and women. Obviously the narrative is around the fact that he was with Epstein. The narrative is around the fact that Epstein was an abuser.

And so if we're seeing that there's these large groups of women that are also around the President. If we're seeing that they're talking about things like condoms, like, I'm sorry, I mean, I'm 44 years old, but I don't remember. And if somebody knows of something like this, but there's never been like a Jasmine condom situation.

And so when we're talking about sex trafficking, I think that is very relevant. And so we need to know what all is in the rest of the files. And this is to keep the pressure up for people to say we need to know.

BLACKWELL: OK, let's talk now about the subsidies that are expiring at the end of the year, the Affordable Aare Act subsidies. Two votes failed this week in the Senate. There are a couple of discharge petitions, bipartisan small groups in the House. One for a one year extension, one for most Democrats are signed on to a three year extension discharge petition.

Do you think that some of those worried or vulnerable Republicans are persuadable to bring on to the Democratic discharge petition that has a larger group so far to get to that to 18?

CROCKETT: I would hope so, but I don't think so. Sadly, what we've seen is that the Republicans currently in the House are more afraid of the President than they are of their own constituents. We've even seen that with the Georgia congresswoman, Marjorie Taylor Greene.

[06:20:02]

She seemingly decided that she just could not be on the opposite side of the president. She has given a lot of reasons as to why it's problematic. One of them is because of the danger. We have seen a consistent trend of Republicans that have decided, you know what, I just don't want to deal with being on the opposite side of him. It's really unfortunate, though, because weren't elected to please one

person. Most of us serve in the house. We serve 766,000 people. We should be paying attention to what it is that makes best sense for the people that we serve. That's what a representative government looks like. Unfortunately, that is not what we are experiencing right now.

BLACKWELL: You mentioned Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who will be leaving Congress at the start of the year. She is one of the signatories of one of those discharge petitions. Is it worth or would you be willing to make that call to convince her to join you and the rest of the Democrats and if they would get you to 218 before she walks out the door?

CROCKETT: Listen, anything that will make sure that my constituents are taken care of, I will do it. So if that is what it would take, I would absolutely make the phone call. I know that there have been some reporting before about the fact that after she came out talking about the death threats against her, my office actually reached out to her office to see if she wanted to work on legislation together.

Because at the end of the day, I don't think any of us should be OK with political violence. We can disagree, but at the end of the day, I just don't think that anyone should be worried about their life. And unfortunately, that's a reality for many of us that are serving in elected office right now.

And so I thought if there's any type of legislation that could catch some headlines and also pull people together, it would be legislation that Marjorie and I brought forth together.

BLACKWELL: And what happened with that?

CROCKETT: We didn't get a phone call back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: And the congresswoman announced this week that she's jumping into the Texas Senate race. Polls suggest that she's leading the Democratic prim opposite state Rep. James Talarico. But shortly after that announcement, veteran Democratic strategist James Carville had this to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES CARVILLE, VETERAN POLITICAL STRATEGIST: You listen to her talk. It's a lot more about herself than it is the voters.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: And I asked Congresswoman Crockett about that criticism.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROCKETT: Yes, we've been breaking a lot of the rules as it relates to how we have announced. But honestly, I've always broken the rules.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Hear more of what Congresswoman Crockett has to say about her Texas Senate campaign and her critics tomorrow on CNN This Morning, starting at 6.

Next, raging floodwaters in Washington state. Take a look at this home just ripped from its foundation, floating down the river. We'll find out if there will be any relief from the intense rainfall.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:27:10]

BLACKWELL: I've got some good news for you this morning. It's regarding that National Guard soldier who was shot in the head in D.C. two weeks ago. Doctors say that Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe is now breathing on his own. He's standing with assistance. CNN's Brian Todd has more on his recovery.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a recovery that doctors are describing as miraculous. National Guard Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24 years old, one of two Guard members shot and wounded in a brazen attack on the streets of D.C. on the day before Thanksgiving, is now breathing on his own and can stand with assistance.

This despite suffering a gunshot wound to the head. That's according to Dr. Jeffrey Mai, a neurosurgeon at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in DC. Dr. Mai, in a news release from the hospital, said the impress improvements are, quote, important milestones that reflect his strength and determination, end quote.

Dr. Mai said Wolfe is now ready to transition from acute care to rehabilitation. Wolfe's family has chosen not to disclose where his rehab therapy will be.

Dr. Mai said, quote, while this remains an early phase of healing, his progress gives us every reason to feel hopeful about what lies ahead. Wolfe's parents, Melody and Jason Wolfe, also issued a statement thanking the staff at MedStar Washington Hospital Center for the care that he received, saying of the doctors and nurses there, quote, the care has been remarkable and they have told us Andy's progress is miraculous, end quote.

Now in giving this update, Dr. Mai also shared new details of the emergency treatment that Andrew Wolfe received in those critical moments after the shooting, saying he was airlifted to Washington Hospital Center where trauma teams performed emergency surgery to control bleeding and remove pressure on his brain.

Wolfe, along with fellow Guard member Sarah Beckstrom and others were performing what were called high visibility patrols when police say the gunman rounded a corner near the Farragut West Metro station in Washington and fired at them from close range. Beckstrom died on Thanksgiving Day, the next day as a result of her

injuries. The alleged gunman, an Afghan national identified as 29 year old Rahmanullah Lakhanwal, has pleaded not guilty to charges including premeditated murder and assault with the intent to kill. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: We have some new numbers about exactly how Americans feel about the economy. There's a new AP NORC poll that shows that only 31 percent of U.S. adults approve of how President Trump is handling the economy. That's down from 40 percent in March. And it's the lowest economic approval he's registered in an AP poll in his first or second term.

With me now professor of public policy at the University of Michigan, Betsey Stevenson. Professor, good to have you with us.

Let's talk here about the cause of what's happening because Democrats say a lot of this is driven by the president's tariff policy.

[06:30:00]

The White House and the Republican allies will say that this is Biden's economy, that the president inherited a mess. What we heard from the Fed Chair this weekend -- this week, rather, I guess, both messages. Let's play what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEROME POWELL, CHAIR, FEDERAL RESERVE OF THE UNITED STATES: If you get away from tariffs, inflation is in the low 2s, right? So, it's really tariffs that's causing the most of the inflation overshoot. We hear loud and clear how people are experiencing really costs. It's really -- it's really high costs.

And a lot of that is not the current rate of inflation. A lot of that is just embedded higher costs due to higher inflation in 2022 and '23.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Now, inflation was at 9.1 percent in the Summer of 2022, came down to about 3 percent, I guess, at the end of the Biden administration. Can both be true? It's both tariffs and it's the 2022 inflation that we're feeling?

BETSEY STEVENSON, PROFESSOR OF PUBLIC POLICY, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN: So, I love that you played that clip. And I wish you had actually played what he said next, which is the other problem is that, you know, if consumers are really still frustrated about the higher price level, the fact that prices are now higher, inflation, it might slow down, but we're still going to have higher prices.

The best thing we can do is have a robust and growing labor market so that people get higher wages that help them deal with the higher prices. And the problem in the economy right now is that we still have ongoing price rises. That's what we -- is inflation, that is -- that are higher than the Fed wants and higher than the public wants.

And those price rises, those price that -- higher rate of inflation is coming from tariffs as you heard Chair Powell say. It's also being driven a little bit by the immigration crackdown, which is reducing the supply of people willing to work in some industries that are important for Americans, like construction, which then translates into housing prices.

So, we've got the ongoing price increases. But yes, it's also true that people are still frustrated because we saw prices rise quite quickly coming out of the pandemic. They're never going back down. It's a frustrating experience that they're never going back down. And we're going to have an ongoing higher prices.

The best thing that could happen is that wages go -- rise faster than that price level. And so, we're also dealing with a slowing labor market. And I think you put those things together and Americans are feeling pretty frustrated.

BLACKWELL: Yes, you mentioned the slower labor market. You were chief economist at the Department of Labor during the Obama administration. So, let me come to a question on jobs, now, the Fed thinks actually that BLS, the Bureau of Labor Statistics may be overstating job creation by maybe 60,000 a month. So, instead of actually adding jobs, losing jobs monthly, you buy that?

STEVENSON: So, I just want to be clear that this is not like the BLS is incompetent or the BLS is --

BLACKWELL: Sure --

STEVENSON: Nefarious, but it's just very hard in the models to really be able to absorb businesses as they're not forming, right? So, and as they're shutting down to try to find -- to count, this is what we call sort of the birth death model. What's the rate at which new businesses are forming? What's the rate at which businesses are dying?

And it looks like there's a little bit of bias in that. Now, an ordinary person might say, well, wait a minute. If we know there are overstating it by 60,000, why don't we just subtract 60,000? Well, that's exactly what the Fed is doing. The Fed is saying, OK, looking historically at where the BLS has been, what's our best guess is what's going on in the labor market.

Now, they're also -- what they're trying to figure out is how many jobs do we need to add a month to make sure that we are meeting the needs of the U.S. economy? And so, that's what they're sort of talking about, is, you know, if we subtract this 60, and we look at their estimates, it looks like we're not quite having enough jobs to meet the needs.

But it's kind of hard to tell right now because we have declining labor supply because of all the actions on the -- on the immigration side. So, what's clear is employers want to hire fewer people. What's not clear is whether that's being offset by the fact that there are fewer people who want to work because of the immigration crackdowns. [06:35:00]

BLACKWELL: Betsey Stevenson, good to start with you on a Saturday. Thank you. Right, there's new video of police in Florida rescuing an 86-year-old man who was dangling from his roof. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got you, sir.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, yes, I'm glad somebody's got me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Eighty six. This man was apparently blowing leaves off his roof when he slipped and rolled towards the edge of the roof. A neighbor saw the man, his legs hanging over the edge, called 9-1-1. Tampa police and fire rescue responded in minutes. He was pulled off the roof without injury. The man thanked the first responders and said that in the future, he'll follow his wife's wishes and ask someone else to clear his roof for him. It's good advice.

All right, tonight's Powerball Jackpot is a life-changing amount of money. Coming up next, how much tonight's drawing is worth?

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[06:40:00]

BLACKWELL: Former Michigan head football Coach Sherrone Moore is out of jail after posting a $25,000 bond. He'll be back in court late next month. Prosecutors say the school fired him Wednesday after they learned of an inappropriate relationship with a staffer that ended earlier in the week.

Now, just hours after he was fired, they allege that Moore forced his way into that woman's home, threatened his own life and accused her of ruining his life. He faces a felony home invasion charge along with misdemeanor stalking and breaking and entering. Moore has pleaded not guilty.

The jury in the Brian Walshe murder trial will continue deliberations on Monday, and Walshe is accused of killing his wife, Ana, around new year's day 2023. He's admitted to disposing of her body, but denies that he killed her. Her body was never found. Now, after the prosecution called nearly 50 witnesses, Walshe's defense did not call a single one, and Walshe did not testify.

If he's convicted, he faces life in prison without parole. The top historic preservation group in the country is now suing the Trump administration to block construction of that proposed White House ballroom. The National Trust for Historic Preservation says that -- they allege, rather, that destroying the East Wing and ongoing construction is unlawful.

We're asking a D.C. District Court to halt further activity until the administration complies with the review process, and that includes a public comment period. A billion-dollar Powerball Jackpot is up for grabs tonight. This is the second billion-dollar jackpot this year. They just keep coming. Most winners choose a lump sum that is going to be about $457 million. Both figures are before taxes.

Tonight's drawing is set for 10:59 p.m. Eastern. Well, it's called America's game. Army versus Navy. It will kick off today. Tradition, pride, bragging rights on the line. We'll take you live to my hometown, Baltimore, next. Also tomorrow, Roy Wood Jr. in that fly green suit, I must point out host a holiday special featuring the United States Air Force band comedy from Roy and Craig Robinson.

Music from Jessie James Decker, much more. Roy Wood Jr's "VERY VERY VERY MERRY HOLIDAY SPECIAL" tomorrow at 8:00 p.m. on CNN. You can also watch it on the CNN app.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:45:00]

BLACKWELL: It is the award that every college football player dreams they'll get -- the Heisman. Annual award for the top college player in football, and now it's entering its 90th year. The award will be given out tonight. And this year, University of Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is the odds-on favorite to win the Heisman.

He already has the AP's player of the year award, and he's made a name for himself leading the Hoosiers to some major victories, defining the program. But there's a lot more that makes his nomination so special. Born in Miami, he's Hispanic, Cuban-American. It's a rarity in college football, even rare among its top ranks.

If Mendoza wins, he'll only be the third Heisman trophy winner in history to be Latino or Hispanic. A former Stanford quarterback, Jim Plunkett, won in 1970, former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young won in 2021. By the way, Mendoza is not the only Hispanic Heisman finalist this year.

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia is in the top four, too. My next guest has unique insight into what it's like to be a Latino excelling in this sport. Ron Rivera is at his alma mater, University of California, Berkeley, as Cal Football's first ever general manager. He won a Super Bowl with the Bears and coached 26 years in the NFL, and he played college football under Hispanic football great Joe Kapp, aka "the toughest Chicano".

Rivera is now also co-founder of the Hispanic football hall of fame, which aims to honor these players, the coaches, and more who have made the sport what it is today. With me now is the GM at Cal, Coach Ron Rivera. Coach, good to have you on this morning. So, you accepted the GM job in, I believe, it was March and a few months, that was after Fernando Mendoza actually left Cal. Did your paths cross at all?

RON RIVERA, GENERAL MANAGER, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS FOOTBALL: I think they did, more so his last year at Cal, I had come out to watch the Miami game and be part of that "ESPN" game-day experience, and then I came back for the big game. With his heroics, winning the game for us at the end with that last drive.

So, we got a chance to visit and talk, and it's pretty cool what he's doing right now, a little disappointing he left, but happy for him in the circumstances he's in right now.

BLACKWELL: Yes, it's a big time for him. You as we said in the intro, co-founder of the Hispanic football hall of fame, with hall of famer Anthony Munoz. Talk to me about why and especially in this moment in our country, why now?

[06:50:00]

RIVERA: Well, I think because it celebrates the contribution of Hispanic, you know, Latino players and fans that have all supported this game and have helped to watch this and helped create the opportunity for this game to grow within our community. And so, having representation is very important.

And to have a Hispanic football hall of fame that's -- you know, emulates the HBCU hall of fame, as well as the Polynesian hall of fame is very important so that we are feeling that we are represented. And I think that's important because it does bring football to our community.

BLACKWELL: There have only been two Hispanic Heisman trophy winners in history, and now you've gotten the top four, two tonight. Fernando Mendoza, Diego Pavia in this. Also in the inaugural class of the Hispanic Football Hall of Fame. I wonder, is this indicative of a different time in the game, in the sport that you have two-on-one night in opposed to two over the history of the award?

RIVERA: Well, I think it is. I think it's kind of indicating -- showing that the game has come to the community. It is now in our community, and it is -- it is very important that people see that, you know, the potential that's out there. I mean, there are so many great players right now that are playing in the NFL, and that are playing college football.

And it's neat to have two guys representing our community, the Latino community in tonight's award ceremony.

BLACKWELL: You know, this is something that in my role here on television, a lot of people I speak with, I ask about, you know, when you're the first or one of the few, how often does that come to mind? Because you're just trying to win games, right? You're just trying to get --

RIVERA: Yes --

BLACKWELL: The ball --

RIVERA: Yes --

BLACKWELL: Into the end zone. You're just trying to get a W.

RIVERA: Yes -- BLACKWELL: But how often do you think about your space in your

community and the larger community?

RIVERA: You know, it's like you said. When you're playing in the game, you're involved in the game. You're not thinking about that. But when the moment kind of settles in and you think about what you just did, the impact you've had, it's very strong. I mean, I've learned some tremendous lessons from some really great people about the responsibility that you have.

And when you talk about guys that have responsibilities, you know, guys like Tom Flores, guys like Jim Plunkett, like Joe Kapp, those type of men have had tremendous responsibilities heaped on them, and they've carried it through grace. And that's what is so impressive for our community, is to know that there are people that represent our community that are out there doing great things.

And so, that's also why we started -- we wanted to start the national -- the Hispanic National -- excuse me, Hispanic Football Hall of Fame, was that we really believe that our representation should be recognized.

BLACKWELL: Coach, it's good to talk to you this morning, and I appreciate your time. Coach Ron Rivera, now the GM at Cal, thanks.

RIVERA: Thank you, Victor.

BLACKWELL: All right, let's talk Army-Navy now. One of the college football's most celebrated rivalries kicks off this afternoon in Baltimore. CNN's Coy Wire is in Charm City this morning. Hey, Coy.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: This is called Victor Moore(ph). This is your town --

BLACKWELL: Hey!

WIRE: Buddy, and the crab soup has been phenomenal. Hey, President Trump is expected to be here today, he's one of ten sitting Presidents who have ever attended this rivalry. This will be his fifth time as sitting President. Now, the rivalry has this level of respect between the teams that is inspiring.

The players say that they hope the respect they have for each other, despite being on opposite sides, can be replicated in communities across the country. But this rivalry is also intense. The 34th President of the United States, Dwight Eisenhower, played for Army West Point, who once said Army and Navy are the best of friends, 364 and a half days of the year.

But on this one Saturday afternoon, they are the worst of enemies. We asked both teams how badly they want this win. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KALIB FORTNER, ARMY TEAM CAPTAIN: We have to beat Navy because it means a great deal to our institution and the men and women that serve this great nation.

LANDON ROBINSON, NAVY CO-CAPTAIN: We have to beat Army because it is tradition, and it's a battle of culture, and it's a battle cry to go out there and win this game.

BLAKE HORVATH, NAVY CO-CAPTAIN: And we have to beat Army because, you know, you don't want to sing first. You always have to sing second, and then we just want to bring that joy back to the whole fan base that we did last year, and, you know, share that moment with them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: Now, when you think of an Army-Navy football player, you might not necessarily think future NFL or -- well, Navy has one of the best defensive players in the nation. Landon Robinson, all American Conference sacks leader, rare for an interior lineman. So, he's so strong. They made the Landon rule at practices to protect other players from him.

He squats 700 pounds, benches 465, and weighing at 287, he has run a top speed of more than 20 miles per hour. We caught up with Landon ahead of the game.

[06:55:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBINSON: I love the work out, you know, Blake will tell you. You know, I always -- he always catch me working out. I'm always in the locker room, always coming back from some type of workout. So, having the Landon Robinson rule of, you know, when I -- when we go against the offense, when you know, I get in the backfield, just the quarterback has a halo effect, right?

You don't get close to the quarterback because you wouldn't want to hurt him. So, I think just being able to have that rule, it's an honor. But yes, I just always love to work out. I always love to find a way to improve myself. So, I think having that is just a blessing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: All right, dating back to 1890, this game is loaded with tradition like the running of the game ball, Victor. The Army West Point marathon team ran the ball 240 miles through the night and everything. West Point, New York, to M&T Stadium, communities cheering them along the way. Victor, this is America's game, highlighting some of the nation's brightest young leaders. Kickoff is at 3:00 p.m. Eastern.

BLACKWELL: Squatting 700, is that what you said?

WIRE: What?! That's like a small Volvo or something, right?

BLACKWELL: Yes --

(LAUGHTER) BLACKWELL: All right, Coy, thank you. And thank you for joining me

this morning. A heads up now. You would normally see me at 8:00 a.m. Eastern for "FIRST OF ALL", but that will not air today. "FIRST OF ALL" will be back in January. "TABLE FOR FIVE" is up next. And I'll see you back here tomorrow morning at 6:00 Eastern.

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