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Laura Coates Live

Two Guardsmen Shot in D.C.; GA Prosecutor Drops Criminal 2020 Election Case Against Trump; New Documentary Explores What Government Knows About UAPs. Aired 11p-12a ET

Aired November 26, 2025 - 23:00   ET

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

[23:00:00]

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR AND NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And that is a problem because that is a terrible --

UNKNOWN: That's where we are.

HILL: -- in this country, right? And I will say this is a woman who is raising two young men.

UNKNOWN: Yes.

HILL: If I ever saw my boys use that language or not stand up for a woman when it was used in front of them, I would be questioning where I went wrong with them because that's not the way to behave. That is separate from this, right? From the actual tone of the article.

UNKNOWN: Right.

HILL: But yes, it's an important point as well. We're going to have to leave it there.

UNKNOWN: Happy Thanksgiving.

HILL: It was a pleasure.

UNKNOWN: No desert for you, Trump. Go to bed without desert. That's it.

HILL: Don't forget. Please join me alongside my dear friends, Sara Sidner and John Berman, tomorrow morning. We will see you at 8 a.m. "Thanksgiving in America." It's all happening, all the good stuff. "Laura Coates Live" starts right now.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): This is CNN Breaking News.

LAURA COATES, CNN HOST AND SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Good evening, everyone. I'm Laura Coates here in Washington, D.C. with the breaking news tonight. Two National Guardsmen are listed in critical condition after police say they were targeted and shot in broad daylight right here in the nation's capital. It happened a few blocks from the White House. We're all waiting to learn any updates about these two guardsmen who are from West Virginia. We'll bring you the very latest when we have that information. But we are learning a lot more about the suspect. We're also getting new video from the immediate aftermath of the attack. Now, this one shows police giving CPR to one of the guardsmen on the ground. Now, as the camera pans over, you can briefly see what looks to be the second guardsman who was also surrounded by police. We also have this video appearing to show a struggle between law enforcement agents and someone on the ground.

Executive assistant chief of the Metropolitan Police Department described what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFFERY CARROLL, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT CHIEF, METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT: The suspect came around the corner. He immediately started firing a firearm at the two National Guard members. So, at that time, there were other National Guard members that were in the area. They heard the gunfire. They actually were able to intervene and to kind of hold down the suspect after he had been shot on the ground. So, law enforcement got there within moments.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: Multiple law enforcement officials are telling CNN that the FBI believes they know who the suspect is. Those sources say his identification matches a 29-year-old man from Washington State who immigrated to the United States from Afghanistan in 2021. He was apparently granted asylum earlier this very year. And we're told he is not cooperating with investigators.

President Trump released a video statement a short time ago praising the guardsmen who were shot and promising to deploy 500 more troops to Washington, D.C.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: This heinous assault was an act of evil and act of hatred and an act of terror. It was a crime against our entire nation. It was a crime against humanity. I have directed the Department of War to mobilize an additional 500 troops to help protect our capital city. We will make America totally safe again, and we will bring the perpetrator of this barbaric attack to swift and certain justice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: I want to bring in CNN's Brian Todd who was live on the scene where the shooting happened. Brian, you have been talking to witnesses, authorities. What did you learn about how this ambush unfolded?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Laura, from every account, it unfolded in a matter of seconds. And, as you said, it was an ambush, indeed. Mayor Muriel Bowser saying this was a targeted shooting. According to our colleague, Evan Perez, and law enforcement officials who he spoke to, this gunman came upon three National Guardsmen and engaged them in shooting before they even saw him. This unfolded right behind me.

There is the scene right behind me. Our photojournalist, Albert Lutan, can show you how they're processing the crime scene right now. That's where those strong temporary lights are set up right there. That's the Farragut West Metro station.

According to law enforcement sources who spoke to CNN, when the gunman started shooting, at least one of the National Guardsmen tried to take cover behind a bus shelter, but then a third guardsman engaged him in gunfire, and that's when the gunman was apparently wounded.

We talked to eyewitnesses who heard the gunshots, and then saw the flurry of activity in the immediate aftermath. One of them, Ryan Akied (ph), a college student from Cornell University, here to visit his family in Thanksgiving. He was at Potbelly sandwich shop just a few feet away from the shooting. About 30 seconds after he exited the sandwich shop, he heard the gunshots, he turned, he saw a man on his stomach on the ground with his hands behind his back being held down by at least one person. Ryan (ph) said that he assumed that was the shooter. He also saw several people giving CPR to one, at least one victim.

That's consistent with another eyewitness account, a lady who said she also heard the shots, turned, and then saw several people giving CPR to one of the victims.

[23:05:04]

According to Jeff Carroll, the assistant police chief for Washington's Metropolitan Police Department, the gunman came around a corner, and then raised his gun and started firing at the National Guardsmen.

So, there you have the witness accounts, Laura. You have the scene behind me. They're still processing it as you have been reporting. We've been reporting all night. According to FBI Director Kash Patel, the two National Guardsmen are in critical condition at one hospital. The gunman is apparently being treated at another hospital.

COATES: Oh, my goodness. Brian Todd, just for the audience, this is Blocks from the White House here in Washington, D.C. Thank you for your reporting.

I want to get to chief law enforcement and intelligence analyst John Miller. Also, former Minneapolis police chief, Medaria Arradondo, is here with us as well. Thank you both for being here. John, what are your sources telling you about this suspect, and do we know why?

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: So, no on the why, but we are beginning to get a richer picture of the man who is in custody and wounded from this shootout that came out of this brazen attack today.

We are told his name is Rahmanullah Lakanwal, that he came here in 2021 as part of the allies' welcome operation to get people out of Afghanistan during the fall of the Afghan government, the rise of the Taliban, that takeover that had so many desperate people flooding to the airport. Somewhere between 77 and 85,000 people came over as refugees to the United States.

And there was a vetting process, but it was one complicated by the condition of records in Afghanistan, the accessibility, the difficulty with names, finding experienced people who had worked in Afghanistan who knew their way around that and dealing with our own compartmented record systems.

But we know that he has been here since September of '21, applied for asylum in '24. Don't know why the delay between '21 and '24. But he was granted asylum in April of this year, we are told, at least from those who have reviewed the records and come up with that preliminary timeline.

But none of that gets us to your earlier question about motive. That is where the Joint Terrorism Task Force in D.C. with the FBI led team, the D.C. Metro Police, and all the other agencies are pooling their resources and doing searches on his background, searches into his social media, tracking his phone and his travel and his car, looking for video, as well as executing search warrants on a residence in Bellingham, Washington, which is believed to be his last known address.

COATES: Chief Arradondo, I mean, this attack was brazen. It was done in broad daylight. It's in one of the areas that one would think would be the most secure, in a place like Washington, D.C., a few blocks from the White House. You're talking about cameras everywhere. So, what does that tell you about the suspect's plans leading up to attack and even his plans and how he thought he would escape?

MEDARIA ARRADONDO, FORMER MINNEAPOLIS POLICE CHIEF, AUTHOR: Yes, Laura. And I think certainly, our national law enforcement expert John Miller's intel on just sort of the history of this individual, what we know to this point, I think is very telling. I think it's at least going to allow investigators to try to continue to put the pieces together.

But, clearly, at least from the preliminary information we have, this shooter, he was determined to go into that area just off of 17th and I Street, and he engaged, at least it seems like the video surveillance footage that they have, that he engaged these national guardsmen, they were not expecting this, obviously, and he ambushed them.

Clearly, there's other National Guard in the area. As my friend, John Miller, said, there's U.S. Secret Service, Uniform Division in the area, U.S. Capitol Police, and also D.C. Metro. So, it doesn't appear that he had any sort of escape brought at this time that we know of and, you know, he's certainly planning on probably being engaged, which he was.

And so, certainly, as John pointed out, there's going to be parallel multiple investigations. Currently taking place, obviously, JTTF looking at the federal investigation piece. D.C. Metro will look at the assault, attempted murder, state charges investigation. And then, as John said, in the State of Washington, it'll be very important to see if he had any local contact --

COATES: Right.

ARRADONDO: -- with the local police authorities out there in that county or city in Washington, D.C. What were his associates, friends, co-workers? Were there any sorts of information that would have led them to think that he would make this trip to D.C. and do this horrific act that he did?

[23:10:04]

COATES: I mean, John, DHS is stopping indefinitely immigration requests for Afghan nationals. You were aware of the vetting process during your time at the NYPD. Can you tell me how the -- how his immigration status might actually impact the investigation domestically?

MILLER: Well, his immigration status at the time of the crime, as far as we can tell from the review of DHS records, was legal. It may have even given him asylum status that allowed him to legally purchase a firearm. That's a part of the case that ATF is going back on, which is where did that gun come from? When was it purchased? By whom? But it is possible if you are granted asylum as opposed to having pending asylum to purchase a weapon legally in many places. So, that's going to be another part.

But I think, you know, as Chief Arradondo pointed out, we have a committed individual here who showed up today, sure of his target, trying to take them by surprise and apparently with a plan that didn't have an end game, that did not include the risk of being killed right there, the risk of being wounded or the risk of not getting away. Notably, we are told by Evan Perez's reporting that he was not carrying identification, which indicates, you know, that he had thought this through going in.

COATES: John Miller, Chief Arradondo, so glad for both of your expertise. Thank you so much.

ARRADONDO: Thank you, Laura.

COATES: My next guest is a retired major general with a 36-year military career, including serving as the commanding general of the Illinois National Guard. General William Enyart joins me now. He's also a former Democratic congressman.

Very glad to have your expertise tonight, general. I mean, what a tragedy. I mean, these two National Guardsmen were shot just doing their job. It has to be extremely unnerving for all the men and women who are serving right now and very scary. How do you think the leadership ought to address this?

WILLIAM ENYART, RETIRED MAJOR GENERAL, FORMER ADJUTANT GENERAL OF ILLINOIS NATIONAL GUARD, FORMER ILLINOIS REPRESENTATIVE: Well, Laura, thank you for having me on tonight. And indeed, this is a tough thing to talk about tonight. During my career as a commander, we had troops in combat 365 days a year, 24 hours a day for the entire time I commanded the Illinois Guard. And for that five-year period, indeed, we had troops in combat in Iraq first, and then Afghanistan for 20 years. So, you know you're going to take casualties in a war, and that's a tough thing to do. And it was certainly the toughest thing that I had to deal with and the grieving families and the grieving troops.

This is even worse than combat losses because this is on our hometown streets. These guardsmen were simply following orders, doing what they'd been commanded to do. It's not just difficult for their families, but it's difficult for the entire Guard family, the entire Military family. We all suffer this and it brings back too many memories of too many losses during those war years.

COATES: General, as you know, the president is now calling for an additional 500 troops to Washington, D.C. Is there any part of you that understands that very decision tonight?

ENYART: Well, frankly, I don't understand it. The National Guard is a combat military force. That's what we're trained to do. We're trained to be combat soldiers. Two roles, really. There's the role of defending our great nation in overseas deployments. And the second mission is at the call of the governor, where we respond to natural disasters, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, blizzards. The list goes on. Occasionally to civil disturbances. But we're a military force. What we are not is we are not a trained civilian law enforcement force.

And to misuse the National Guard in its current deployment in Washington, D.C., in Portland, and Chicago is, frankly, a misuse and a waste of taxpayer dollars. They've spent over $500 million on these deployments. Imagine what that money could have gone for in terms of training new law enforcement officers.

COATES: I mean, sources tell us the suspect appears to have immigrated to the United States from Afghanistan in 2021. And as a result, you heard the president, President Trump is now saying that every Afghan that came in under the Biden administration, under a similar program, will have their status now -- his words -- re- examined.

[23:15:00]

What's your reaction to that announcement?

ENYART: Well, you know, there are a whole lot of Afghans who fought for us, who endangered their lives, and their lives would be at risk if they were sent back to Afghanistan. They would be immediately clapped into prison, probably tortured and possibly killed. So, to break our bonds of trust with those Afghan allies who fought with us because of one demented individual who shoots two National Guardsmen is absolutely inappropriate.

Can you imagine? Let's change the situation a little bit, a school shooting. If we deported every young American male because, typically, they're young American males who do these school shootings, we wouldn't have any 18 to 25-year-olds left in this country. So, it's an inappropriate response. Absolutely, they should be vetted, but we're not going to kick them all out. That's just not an appropriate response. COATES: The reexamination itself must be soaking a lot of fear in that very community tonight as we wait to hear what has happened to these very brave members of our National Guard. General William Enyart, thank you for joining us.

ENYART: Good to be with you, Laura.

COATES: We have much more on the breaking news out of Washington, D.C. tonight as a fellow -- former federal prosecutor joins me to look at what the suspect may be facing in court. Plus, the very heated political debate that this story is now sparking yet again over immigration and rhetoric and the deployment of the National Guard. Stay with me.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COATES: Breaking tonight, the president calling for all Afghan refugees who entered the country during the Biden administration to be re-screened in the wake of a National Guard shooting in Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: This attack underscores the single greatest national security threat facing our nation. The last administration let in 20 million unknown and unvetted foreigners from all over the world, from places that you don't want to even know about. No country can tolerate such a risk to our very survival.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: The suspected shooter is an Afghan national who Trump says entered during -- in September 2021. Let's talk about more from this and the political fallout with former senior advisor for the Trump 2024 campaign, Bryan Lanza, and senior advisor of "Our Republican Legacy" initiative, Rina Shah. Good to have both of you here today.

This is so tragic to think about, this happening at all, let alone broad daylight in the nation's capital with National Guardsmen. It's just surreal. I wonder from your perspective, Bryan, how this shooting will impact the discussion that's now happening yet again about immigration.

BRYAN LANZA, FORMER DEPUTY COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR TRUMP 2016 CAMPAIGN, FORMER SENIOR ADVISER FOR TRUMP-VANCE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: Listen, it brings us to the forefront. Every conversation we have right now about illegal immigration, illegal aliens being in this country or even refugees, there tends to be a violent conversation. You hear about, you know, tragedies of young women who are being assaulted, of young kids, of everything.

So, we shouldn't be surprised. It's tragic. I'm glad we're doing additional screenings. It's pretty clear that the negative impact of Joe Biden's open board policies continues to affect the American people.

COATES: Tell me what your perspective is, Rina, on this. I'm always surprised when there is a shooting. I know you're talking. I know I'm not naive to think so. But the idea that the immigration discussion has been very broad, whether it's H-1B visas or it's conversations about, you know, jobs and health care or DACA, it's a very broad, big umbrella conversation. But this now is going to be focused on a very different aspect of it and far more nuanced, particularly as you're talking about Afghan withdrawal. How do you see this?

RINA SHAH, CEO OF RILAX STRATEGIES, GEOPOLITICAL ADVISER, POLITICAL STRATEGIST, SENIOR ADVISOR OF OUR REPUBLICAN LEGACY: This is heartbreaking for me because these two National Guard members are from my home state of West Virginia. These are part-time members. This took place just blocks from the White House, a place that I'm at almost daily nearby.

No one serving our country should face this on the streets. They weren't in a war zone. They were here because they were patrolling D.C. sidewalks under this Trump crime emergency business, that executive order from August. And I think what it has done is turned our Capitol into a militarized photo op.

Well, let's go beyond that and look at the shooter's profile. I'm not struck by the fact that this is an Afghan, this is a young male. And in every politically-violent situation we have seen, whether in Minnesota with the late state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband executed in cold blood or Charlie Kirk, politically-violent incidents happen to be taking place at the hands of young males. What is happening in this country?

COATES: Well, the Minnesota shooter, I understand, was middle-aged. I see your point --

SHAH: Sure.

COATES: -- about the gender demographic there, but the concern that you're articulating is --

SHAH: The concern is that these are males by and large thinking it's all right to pick up arms and go execute somebody that they believe doesn't agree with them. These National Guard members are seen to be an extension of Trump. You can't go execute the president easily, so let's get these National Guardsmen who were there under his orders.

COATES: What's your response to that? You have a different perspective, it seems.

LANZA: Listen, I -- Columbine was young males. You know, the shooting in Connecticut was young males. There is a problem with the young males that has been recognized. There needs to be policy solutions for them. You saw this last election. Young males, you know, felt completely disenfranchised by the Democratic Party. That's why they came to the to the Republican in record numbers.

[23:25:00] Yeah, there is a problem with young males. Oftentimes, they feel ignored. Oftentimes, you know, they told they're not good enough. Oftentimes, they say, you know, you got to give -- you know, you got to do all these other things. Yeah, there is a challenge.

SHAH: As a young American woman, I was told I was not good enough.

LANZA: Yes, sure.

SHAH: That doesn't make me want to go execute somebody in cold blood with a firearm.

LANZA: But it is young -- I mean, you pointed out it is young males that have these problems.

SHAH: Right. But it's systemic.

LANZA: So, what's the policy solution? Absolutely.

COATES: You know what's interesting about this? That it has gone from, even in this conversation, away from immigration to one about gendered violence --

SHAH: Right.

COATES: -- which I think is a different conversation than I think what's happening. First, Vice President Vance tonight even tweeting this: "Already some voices in corporate media chirp that our immigration policies are too harsh. Tonight is a reminder of why they're wrong."

Rina, you're focusing on the gender aspect of it. The vice president speaking about immigration. Which do you think is the more palatable and compelling point for voters?

SHAH: Look, politically, this is a gut check for the MAGA playbook because weaponizing the Guard for domestic optics clearly doesn't work when you then cry out, oh, this was an act of terror. It's backfired because essentially, we're hearing Trump's own words be echoed today.

You can say this is proof we need tougher borders, but we all need to be asking, how does seeking these weakened warriors, these people that bravely put on our country's uniforms, how does putting them on the urban beat really square with supporting our troops when D.C.'s real crime drivers, things like poverty, guns, those things are getting ignored?

COATES: The president wants to have -- excuse me. The president is going to have and wants to have 500 more troops who were here. There has been an order just this past week from a judge saying that it was the illegal deployment of these guardsmen.

SHAH: Right.

COATES: Do you think that his shooting will serve as justification for the president of United States to continue their presence here in this district and beyond?

LANZA: I can't speak to beyond, but I can certainly speak to here. You're certainly going see an increase, right? And I think you have the mayor of D.C. who, at some point, was apprehensive about these National Guardsmen. Now, she has welcomed them. The community has welcomed some of these National Guards. What you have is a sicko who decided to make a political opinion by ambushing two of our National Guardsmen.

And, you know, this is the kind -- it's not Trump policies that led to the sicko who wanted to shoot these National Guardsmen. It's a sicko who thought that gun was a solution to his problems. Immigration is a huge problem in the United States.

SHAH: Sure.

LANZA: Illegal immigration is an even bigger problem.

SHAH: These are ---

LANZA: And you can't just ignore it and say, you know, well, you can't do anything about it, you can't deport these illegal aliens, you can't go forward. You have to do something. And those are the policies that the American people wanted with President Trump. And the fact that he's moving forward with these policies and now he's being blamed for these shootings --

COATES: Does the same hold true for -- that happened under President Biden's watch, that he arrived? That this is, obviously, somebody who acted on their own accord? According to what we know right now, that it's not -- is that president's fault either?

LANZA: It's Biden's fault. Listen --

COATES: President Trump (INAUDIBLE).

LANZA: Listen, I think -- I think -- I think everybody is responsible for our immigration crisis. You go back to Reagan who allowed amnesty to take place and who never let the enforcement take place. I mean, you have generations of presidents who have failed. And we're now at the tipping point where everybody is really frustrated.

And that's why Trump came into office, because he said he was going to do something. He said open border policies did not work for the United States, and we're seeing a result of open border policies.

COATES: To be clear, I think we're all in agreement. The person who has committed this heinous act needs to be held to account, and we're all praying for these two guardsmen, politics completely aside. Bryan, Rina, thank you both.

Up next, what kind of charges might the suspect face? A fellow former federal prosecutor will join me to lay that all out. Plus, case closed. The historic criminal case against Donald Trump in Georgia is now over. Why the prosecutor-in-charge said it was the right call to make. We'll talk about it next.

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[23:30:00]

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COATES: President Trump says the suspected shooter who injured and shot two National Guard members will -- quote -- "pay a very steep price" and promised to bring the -- quote -- "perpetrator of this barbaric attack to swift and certain justice," saying, "if the bullets going in the opposite direction haven't already done that." He said that in his video statement.

The suspect is currently in the hospital. Investigation in its early stages. Sources say the suspect is not cooperating.

I want to bring in former federal prosecutor, Brendan Ballou. He worked in the National Security Division. Brendan, thank you for being here. This is unbelievable. The location, the impact. Let's talk about it all because at the very least, an attempted murder charge times two is likely here, right?

BRENDAN BALLOU, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Absolutely. So, like you said, I think attempted murder is sort of the table stakes here. There are both sort of standard charges that I'm sure the assistant U.S. attorneys over in the D.C. U.S. attorney's office are thinking about right now. Attempted murder, attempted murder with a firearm, attempted murder or assault on a government employee or officer.

One of the sorts of complicated legal issues that they're going to have to figure out from the outset is whether a National Guard soldier is an officer or employee of the United States or aiding an officer or employee of the United States. So, I think those are the sort of baseline charges that they're going to be thinking about --

(CROSSTALK)

COATES: -- why is that -- hold on. Stop there. Why is that such an interesting point? How would they not be at the direction of an officer of the nation?

[23:35:00]

BALLOU: Absolutely. So, you know, typically, National Guardsmen are paid for by the state. So, they wouldn't necessarily be considered an officer of the federal government, rather of a state government. But the statute allows for the crime to extend not just to those who are direct employees of the United States, but those who aid them. And so, that would probably be the government's argument for saying why the statute applies.

COATES: An important point. Let's talk about it. Go ahead, Brendan.

BALLOU: No, no, sorry. You know, two sorts of angles that the administration or the DOJ might be thinking about right now are -- one is, you know, sort of a terrorism angle. You know, there are statutes that prohibit, you know, murder or assault when it's done in the name of terrorism that transcends national boundaries. Now, the suspected shooter is a foreign national, but there hasn't been any public reporting yet saying that this is connected to some sort of transnational terrorist ideology or anything like that. So, I think that might be, at least based on the initial public reporting, hard to sustain at the moment.

The other angle that the administration might be thinking about is bluntly, this DOJ has been very eager to use a lot of the charging statutes that were used after January 6 for rioters, Proud Boys, and Oath Keepers. So, they might be thinking about charges like seditious conspiracy or even insurrection. So, those might be charges that they'll be thinking about.

One consideration that DOJ might have is bluntly, they have struggled in the D.C. grand juries to secure indictments. And so, where their natural inclination might be to go big, the concern about losing some of these charges might caution them to be a little less ambitious.

COATES: Well, this fact pattern might be distinct. We will see. I want to turn now to Georgia on this, where a prosecutor, a new one, dropped the election interference case against Trump and more than a dozen of his allies. The prosecutor writing -- quote -- "To reiterate, it is not illegal to challenge election results." Did this prosecutor have no choice?

BALLOU: Well, whether or not he had a choice, he was the one that got to make it. You know, this was a case that was taken out of Fani Willis's hands, the Fulton County D.A., and placed in this sort of nominally nonpartisan Georgia prosecutor's council.

You know, I think that this prosecutor, at some level, did the right thing by making an official decision, explaining his choice rather than simply letting the indictment drop for lack of prosecution. He also made clear in his reasoning that the election was lost, that, you know, Donald Trump lost the 2020 election.

That said, as he went through the individual charges, not just against Donald Trump, but against the various alleged co-conspirators, former government officials, former fake electors, and so forth --

COATES: Yes.

BALLOU: -- I have to say, you know, I think this is a person who is approaching this not necessarily from a hyper-partisan lens, but did see a lot of problems in this prosecution, but didn't really seem to try to overcome or surmount those problems. So, at some level, I think he was ready or eager to see this case die.

COATES: Brendan Ballou, thank you so much. All right, are you dreading politics coming up at the Thanksgiving table? And how should you handle those political hot takes? You know who's here? Scott Jennings and Bakari Sellers are going to give you some pro tips for all of us, and that's next. But first, we on this show have something adorable to be thankful for. We want to welcome the newest member of the "Laura Coates Live" and CNN family, Baby Theo. Heather (ph), we are so happy for you and big sister Eden (ph) and your entire family. What a blessing. Have the best Thanksgiving.

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[23:40:00]

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: I just wish you weren't a liar.

UNKNOWN: I wish you wouldn't call me a liar.

UNKNOWN: Don't raise your voice at me.

UNKNOWN: I am not raising my voice.

UNKNOWN: You do not talk to me like that.

UNKNOWN: I hate you!

UNKNOWN: I said you don't talk to me like that!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(LAUGHTER)

COATES: We all desperately, desperately want to avoid that from happening tomorrow at any of our Thanksgiving tables. But after the political year we've had and have been having for years, let's face it, it might be hard to do. According to a new Fox News poll, 76% of Americans will not avoid family or friends they disagree with, but 22% say they will. So, odds are even if you don't want to, there's going to be someone in your circle who will engage.

So, if that happens, we got you covered tonight with advice from two of the best who do this for a living, CNN political commentators Scott Jennings and Bakari Sellers, both happened to be a New York Times bestselling author, with Scott just recently -- congratulations -- earning that title.

Gentlemen, welcome to the second annual edition of the segment that we call "Thanksgiving Topics You Definitely Don't Want to Talk About but Just Might have to Thanks to a Crazy Uncle or Aunt." Maybe it's aunt, how you may pronounce it, whatever.

Bakari, I'll start with you here, OK? All right, imagine this. Someone says, Mamdani is the leader of the Democratic Party, as a way to cast the entire party as socialists. Give us the Seller's spin on how to handle that one.

BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Can I have some more macaroni and cheese?

(LAUGHTER)

Who made the potato salad? You know, I'm really, really looking forward to the ham tomorrow or the day after on my little sweet Hawaiian rolls with a little mustard --

COATES: I forgot the Hawaiian rolls.

SELLERS: -- anybody entertain me with that nonsense.

[23:45:00]

COATES: I'm sorry. I just forgot the Hawaiian rolls.

SELLERS: You got to learn how to pivot. Stick and move. Stick and move and pivot.

COATES: All right, Scott, how would you do it?

SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, FORMER SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH, SALEM RADIO HOST: Oh, me? I would embrace that topic. I mean, he is the leader of the Democrats. And I think -- Bakari, I don't know why you're avoiding this topic, my friend. You should embrace the new socialist energy running through the Democrats.

This is your party now. You guys have all the energy. The radical socialists are here and your new socialist overlords are here to make things better. So, I would lean in if I were you. I would lean in to this topic, Bakari, as hard as I plan to lean into the sweet potatoes tomorrow.

COATES: Sounds like Scott (INAUDIBLE).

(LAUGHTER)

That's the response to that, OK? All right, I'll stick with you here, Scott, if you want to lean in. This one is for you. And I want you to imagine it in a kind of like a manic voice being said, OK? Trump isn't leaving in 2028, he built the ballroom. What's your response?

JENNINGS: Well, I mean, God willing, yes, you're right, but, you know, the Constitution unfortunately prohibits it.

(LAUGHTER)

If somebody walked up to me and said that, I would have to indulge it, you know, for at least 30 seconds. But the reality is he can't run again. We'll have an open presidential in 2028. It'll be quite exciting. Everybody can calm down. And, by the way, the ballroom is going to be beautiful. We might even have the next presidential inaugural there. You know, it's quite cold at that time of the year. So, it could be that that ballroom comes in handy sooner rather than later.

COATES: It doesn't fit that many people for an inauguration, but who knows? Bakari, what's your response?

SELLERS: Yes, my response is I doubt he actually paid the people who built it. That's what Trump is known for. But at the end of the day, the most amazing question I'm going to get on Thanksgiving, I'm sure, is, tell me more about that Scott Jennings fellow. Does he really believe what he says? And I'm going to say, yes. And I'm going to hand them a copy of this New York Times bestselling book.

COATES: Now, that's a way to spread the love. That's going to be interesting. It felt very loaded and yet sincere. OK, Bakari, here is one. The very online crowd may bring up this next one up, and they may bring up to justify, well, literally anything that they say. Here it is. But Candace Owens said it, so it must be true.

SELLERS: Yes. No, my family is not going to be somebody who says anything that has to do with Candace Owens. They don't trust her. A lot of people come be like, who is that? Candace who? Candace Owens who? Did we go to high school with her? Who is this little Black girl they have on the other side talking like this? Like there's not going to be a huge reception for Candace Owens at my table. So, I don't know what Scott's table is going to talk about, but it's going to be a lot of Candace who at the Seller's Thanksgiving.

COATES: Well, now, I'm curious. Scott, what would you say?

JENNINGS: There is a free mental health clinic at the corner of Maine and East Lilac. It's less than five minutes from here.

(LAUGHTER)

COATES: I want to end on a good note here for a second, one that I think you probably could both find some common ground on. All right, yes or no, Bakari. You've already said it. Mac and cheese deserve a spot at the Thanksgiving table, the adult table, right? Oh my God, wait, what's happening?

SELLERS: I'm ready for my food question, by the way. Here we go.

COATES: Bakari, can you see Scott Jennings right now? He has a turkey on his head.

(LAUGHTER)

JENNINGS: I'm ready. It's time for the food question.

SELLERS: That is how we imagine Scott. That is how everybody at my dinner table would imagine Scott to be. Yes, macaroni and cheese. I mean, what type of question is that? Is that the real question?

COATES: I don't think you pick up on that shade. Did you, Scott? What do you -- do you -- I -- we all mean to do it, Bakari. How am I supposed to respond to that? Scott, do you agree that mac and cheese -- you have a turkey on your head. I'm supposed to talk to you like this? You do this to me every year. First, it was a pilgrim. And now, it's a turkey and you're moving your head. What's on your Thanksgiving table? Please, is it macaroni and cheese? JENNINGS: We will have some. And, you know, we have four children. We have macaroni and cheese on our table every day, whether it's Thanksgiving or not. And so, this is like a common item. And I'm not going to eat it. I like to save room for the other stuff. But when you have as many kids as I do, macaroni and cheese is making an appearance in most meals. So, it'll be there. It'll be there.

COATES: Can we have a group chat on the side, Scott, Bakari? Check your phones. Thank you both.

(LAUGHTER)

JENNINGS: Happy Thanksgiving!

COATES: Happy Thanksgiving!

SELLERS: Happy Thanksgiving, guys.

COATES: Up next, what does the government know about alien life? An explosive new documentary claiming a decades-long cover-up with details you have to hear to believe. The filmmaker behind it all joins me next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COATES: All right, this is the age-old question. Are we alone out there? You've surely seen videos like this showing UAPs, formerly known as UFOs. You've heard about the congressional committees and reports that are trying to determine what exactly those objects are. More than 100 of these have been reported and all but one remained unexplained.

Well, now, a new documentary is going deeper into this phenomenon. It's called "The Age of Disclosure" and it features interviews with 34 different government officials and legislators, including then Senator Marco Rubio. The film tries to answer two main questions. What or who else is out there? And what does the government really know? Here's a peek.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN (voice-over): We learned that the U.S. government was involved in a long-running secret war with other nations to collect and reverse engineer vehicles not made by humans.

[23:55:01]

UNKNOWN: I have seen with my own eyes non-human craft and non-human beings.

UNKNOWN: The first country that cracks the code on this technology will be the leader for years to come. UNKNOWN: China has established its own version of a UAP task force.

UNKNOWN: You'd think for a second that they wouldn't consider using it to achieve their ends of domination.

UNKNOWN: This is similar to the Manhattan Project. This is the atomic weapon on steroids.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: Joining me now is Dan Farah, the director of the film, "The Age of Disclosure," that is available right now on Amazon. Dan, I'm so excited to talk to you. When I saw this preview and trailer, I thought, oh my God. It digs into what these unexplained videos may actually show. We've seen a lot of them, by the way. I mean, I've talked to pilots and senators, intel officials. After your conversations, what were you most surprised about when they told you?

DAN FARAH, PRODUCER AND DIRECTOR, "THE AGE OF DISCLOSURE": Well, the biggest takeaway is that there has been an 80-year cover up of the existence of non-human intelligent life. And this information hasn't just been kept from the public, it has been kept from Congress and even sitting presidents. That as a headline is perhaps the most shocking. But there are lot of shocking reveals that came out of these interviews I did.

COATES: The question for me is, why the lack of transparency? What is it that they are afraid to share or what they're afraid to share? What's the reason?

FARAH: Well, look, there's a lot of reasons, is the truth, and we unpack them all in the film. But one major reason is people who have become aware of the truth inside of government, the military, the intelligence community, over the decades, frankly didn't think the public could handle the truth. They thought it was too much. Thought it was overwhelming, it would challenge people's beliefs. And generally speaking, that was a good reason to avoid telling the public for a long time.

But I think we're at a place now where the public can handle the truth and deserves to know the truth. And everyone I interviewed feels the same. They break their silence with what they can lawfully disclose in this film, and it's a lot.

You know, aside from the cover-up of non-human intelligent life, the interview subjects reveal that the U.S. is in a high stakes secret Cold War race with adversarial nations to reverse engineer technology of non-human origin. And the stakes couldn't be higher. They compare it to the Manhattan Project on steroids.

COATES: Do you have a sense that the government is hiding information or doesn't fully understand what they are seeing?

FARAH: So, the people I interviewed in my film reveal that there is a deeply hidden UAP crash retrieval and reverse engineering program that involves elements of the military, intelligence community, and major defense contractors. That program has been hidden from congressional oversight and even from the president. So, there are certainly elements of the government that know the truth, but there are also elements of the government that are being kept in the dark.

The good news here is our president is actively pursuing the truth and the answers to all the questions he doesn't know. And I think this film sets the stage for a president to step to the microphone and finally tell the American people and the public the truth that we're not alone in the universe, that the U.S. is involved in this race to understand and reverse engineer technology of non-human origin, and the U.S. intends to lead the way.

COATES: Do you have any concern? I mean, critics have said that even with high-ranking officials in your film, you've got Rubio, you've got Gillibrand, you've got national security figures, that they say that you're still relying on speculation and claims that are not proven. So, how do you answer people who say that your documentary goes further than the evidence?

FARAH: I think this documentary is the most compelling evidence the public has ever seen. You know, it's 34 incredibly senior officials, military officials, government officials, intelligence officials, people we trust with the safety of our nation on a regular basis. Them putting their name and reputation on the line to tell you what they know and what they can lawfully disclose, you know, at risk of, you know, their reputation being attacked, at risk of a lot. They put a lot on the line to do this and tell the public what they can. And I think that's more impactful. It means more than anything.

We live at a time where if you put a 4K video of a UFO or nuclear weapons base on your program this evening, half the country would think it's A.I.- generated or some, you know, Hollywood visual effects. But our secretary of state sitting in a chair going on the record saying that the stuff kept from the sitting president, that there is real UAP activity over our nuclear weapons sites, you can't unhear that. You can't pretend it doesn't exist. You can't put your head in the sand. You can't say that that's an A.I. version of Marco Rubio saying that.

COATES: Very compelling. Dan Farah, thank you.

FARAH: Thank you. Appreciate it.

COATES: Hey, thank you all so much for watching. Elex Michaelson continues (ph) the coverage right now.

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