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Laura Coates Live

Laura Coates And Guests Talk About The Year In Politics; Marcus Collins Provides List Of Top Cultural Moments; Gabby Giffords Speaks Out; Laura Coates Interviews Calvin Duncan; Laura Coates Interviews Kevin O'Leary. Aired 11p-12a ET

Aired December 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]

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SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, FORMER SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH, SALEM RADIO HOST: Trump is going to win the Nobel Prize. Everybody is going to go crazy. He is going to come to a resolution on Russia-Ukraine. They'll give him the Nobel Prize.

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN ANCHOR AND SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: All right. We'll see if that one comes through, everybody. And thank you for watching "NewsNight." You can catch me any time on your favorite social media X, Instagram, and on TikTok. CNN's coverage continues next.

LAURA COATES, CNN HOST AND SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Welcome to "Laura Coates Live" on this Friday night. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. We've got a great show for you this evening.

You'll hear from former congresswoman Gabby Giffords in a rare interview that covers everything from the attacks on her husband to her personal recovery.

I've also got an uplifting story of a man who spent nearly three decades in prison for a crime he didn't even commit, who this year became an elected official in the city of New Orleans.

Our favorite marketing professor is also joining us. Dr. Marcus Collins has his list of the top five cultural moments that shaped our year.

And you know what? Mr. Wonderful, Kevin O'Leary, is here but not on politics, not on business, no. Instead, Kevin is talking to us about what it was like acting in the brand-new film "Marty Supreme."

But first, tonight, I want to take stock of the political story as it really drove 2025 and look ahead to some political New Year's resolutions for 2026.

Joining me now, Neera Tanden, former adviser to President Biden, and CNN political commentator and Republican strategist Shermichael Singleton. Good to have both of you, guys, here. Glad to talk to you. I want to begin with you, Shermichael, because I think this really tells one of the main stories of 2025. It's always the economy stupid, as they say. January, his approval rating, President Trump, was what? Forty-two percent. Now, it's down to 33 percent. How do you blow that lead?

SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: I mean, look, it's higher than what it was at this point in the first Trump administration, Trump 1.0. So, I guess that's one thing that the president can brag about.

COATES: Very glass half full.

SINGLETON: But the economy is a very real thing. And James Carville coined the term, what, in 1991, I was one years old then, it's always the economy, and that's never going to change people's bottom lines, affordability. Now, the housing crisis is a big issue for people my age. I mean, most of my friends don't own a home. I'm kind of like in a rare field of people who actually own a house.

And so, you think about the culmination of all of that stuff and compounded. People aren't thinking about Biden much anymore. Now, they're thinking about Trump and Republicans because at the end of the day, they gave us the keys to the palace under the guise and premise that we would fix the economy. We got to speed it up a little bit.

COATES: That's flipped as well, right? Democrats are now favorably considered in terms of the economy. That's a change of 2025. How does it enter 2026?

NEERA TANDEN, POLITICAL CONSULTANT, DEMOCRATIC THINK TANK, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS: Well, I think affordability is the crucial issue. It has been an issue for many years. And I think the real challenge for President Trump is that he promised people he would make the -- make inflation come down on day one, cost of living would come down. So, there was expectations there. And I can say from being in the White House and President Biden's term, people really do hold you responsible for those prices, as we learned.

And so, you know, I think the real challenge for President Trump is it's not just how he's messaging, it's his -- it's his policies. I mean, his policies on tariffs are actually raising costs, not reducing costs. So, I think that's a big question for 2026. How he's actually going to manage an agenda of not just talking about costs, but actually lowering them when it's his own policies on tariffs that are part of the challenge.

COATES: Let's talk about this year, stepping back, because the year started with Democrats' loss, really, on the messaging. Let's just be fair. They were --

TANDEN: That seems fair to say.

COATES: There you go. I think it is. I mean --

TANDEN: I think fair to say.

COATES: -- look at the headlines from just earlier in the year.

TANDEN: Yes.

COATES: We have no coherent message. Democrats struggle to oppose Trump. Can Democrats find their way out of the wilderness? The Democrats' problems are bigger than you think. I know Dems are obviously feeling good after the special elections, but are they -- should they be optimistic given the struggles earlier this year?

TANDEN: Yeah. I think the challenges earlier in the -- earlier in the year were really a function of the fact that a lot of Democrats, Democratic voters, were concerned that their leaders weren't really standing up to Trump, that they weren't demonstrating fight. And, you know, it felt like Trump was kind of an offense to their values on a daily basis and no one was really defending those values.

So, I think you've seen in the last really six months as Democrats have found their voice on health care, they took on the shutdown. And, you know, in the last several weeks, we've seen Republicans kind of in knots about health care, the discharge petition.

[23:05:00]

A lot of these issues are now moving to areas where Democrats have advantages, and I think we're seeing stronger results.

SINGLETON: I think -- I think it's isolated to certain Democrats, right? Because if you look at the national approval for congressional Democrats, especially among independents, sort of that deciding group in very close districts, it's negative 61 points, according to our Harry Enten, several weeks ago. You look at the core CPI, inflation is down 2.7 percent. Now, some could argue that if we didn't implement tariffs, it probably would be at that 2 percent, which is what the Fed really, really desires. I feel confident near that we're going to probably get there next year.

So, when you assess those things, you assess a bond market that is stabilizing. When you assess the fact that folks want to invest in the United States again, we're still leading the world in terms of our economic engine moving in the right direction. If that stabilizes, if wages continue to increase, I think it's going to be a little more challenging for my Democratic friends to make the argument that it's solely about the economy.

COATES: I want you to respond to this, but I am curious about DOGE, which had a very big role earlier in the year. We end in the year talking about tariffs. The year began with DOGE and the idea of the promises, to your point, of what was going to change. Was it a mistake for the Democrats -- for the Republicans to have the emphasis with Musk and DOGE?

SINGLETON: Look at Virginia, my state. About 6 percent -- maybe 5.86 percent of Virginia workers are federal workers from the lowest levels to the highest levels. And a lot of those people lost their wages right before the holidays. That had a real impact on increasing turnout, including among constituencies that Republicans got in November of last year. We lost some of those groups. Some of the grounds we made with --

COATES: That's the shutdown. I'm talking about DOGE in particular.

SINGLETON: Right. But I'm saying, Laura, DOGE eliminated about 240,000 jobs. Federal workers, a lot of them reside in Virginia. My advice at the time -- Neera, you would probably agree with me on this. I had advised Republicans to follow the Clinton blueprint from the 90s --

TANDEN: Yes.

SINGLETON: -- in terms of federal elimination. We could have rolled this out over time.

COATES: What tickles you, apparently.

(LAUGHTER)

TANDEN: I remember it. Actually, it was good advice.

SINGLETON: Right. We could roll it out over time. And I think Democrats, some of them, would say, you know, this is strategic, this makes sense, you're giving federal workers an opportunity to find work elsewhere, we're not just going to fire people carte blanche. And that's what we did. And the result was people in Virginia said, heck, no, we're not voting for Republicans. As a result, we lost the state. And I think those ramifications may be felt next year. But again, if the economy stabilizes there, I think you guys are in trouble.

TANDEN: I think the challenge on the economy, honestly, is you've just listed a number of things like the bond market and other things were just -- honestly, those were great in the Biden years. Stock market went up, bond market went up, people were really upset about costs.

SINGLETON: That's true.

TANDEN: That's the challenge, which is, at the end of the day, I would say the additional point is one concern we didn't have in the Biden years was job losses. In the last several months, we've seen significant job losses.

So, you know, I think the president likes to talk about how the stock market is doing because a lot of CEOs tell him that's really important. And that's great for the people who are in the stock market. That's an important share of the country. But the majority of the country is not benefiting from that stock market.

And I think the truth is, what really voters are focused on is how to make ends meet. And if prices stay high, that is going to be a problem. And it's a problem for Donald Trump, just as it was for his predecessor. SINGLETON: That's a very, very true point. I agree with that. I think of interest rates, though, do get to 2 percent. That's going to be beneficial across the board, home interest. I think about credit card debt. All of those things are going to be beneficial and tangible for people in their everyday lives.

I also want to see the president made the point a couple weeks ago that he really wants to focus on housing. That's a big deal. We have a supply issue, number one. But number two, I would also advise trying to put young men back to work to build the houses that the country needs. That's a winning strategy across the board.

COATES: Let's talk New Year's resolutions because, of course, you know, that's a hop, skip, and a jump away.

(LAUGHTER)

I want to know what it is, but I don't want -- no one tell me about a gym membership. I want to know the political New Year's resolutions you have. What's yours?

TANDEN: My resolution is that, you know, this year demonstrates -- like Democrats should actually focus not on circular firing squads or (INAUDIBLE). I know that's kind of something that's fun for everybody --

(LAUGHTER)

-- but actually, focus on how you build a big tent to win elections. We did see Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger able to build that big tent, which is also built -- they were attracting Trump voters back. People who voted for Trump voted for them, was about 7 percent of each of their votes. That's really important. That's an important -- that's an important opportunity for Democrats in the future.

SINGLETON: I hope that resolution doesn't -- doesn't come.

COATES: Oh my goodness.

SINGLETON: I just got (INAUDIBLE).

(LAUGHTER)

TANDEN: So rude.

(CROSSTALK)

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COATES: -- non-rude --

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-- resolution.

SINGLETON: Look, I want the Republican Party to not take Black men for granted. Donald Trump received 21 percent. The last Republican to do that well was Richard Nixon of all Republicans. Think about that. That's a long time ago.

And then more broadly speaking, young men -- young men age 23 to 30 have seen their unemployment go up to 6 percent compared to women in the same age group at 3.8 percent. So that's clearly a real issue in this country with young men with economic dislocation. And two, I would argue more, esoterically speaking, trying to figure out what their purpose in life and to the broader community is. Republicans need to deliver on that.

COATES: They're going to be able to tell you what their greater purpose in life? That's a hell of a resolution.

(LAUGHTER)

I mean, can I -- can I sign up for the answer?

TANDEN: (INAUDIBLE). I don't really feel like esoteric. That's it for getting --

COATES: You know what?

TANDEN: -- White House.

(LAUGHTER)

COATES: And you're right there. Let's all find our greater purpose. Neera, Shermichael, thank you both so much. Up next, from good genes to artificial everything. We're taking a look at the corporate moments that made America laugh and cringe.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: Six-seven.

UNKNOWN: Six-seven.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: The 6-7 meme was just one trend that captured the cultural zeitgeist in 2025. And brands, well, they tried to capitalize on those moments with, well, uneven success.

Our next expert looked at the top five trends of the year from humans versus A.I. machines to using slang as strategy featuring the 6-7 meme and what they taught us about our culture and our brands.

Professor Marcus Collins is here. He's a clinical assistant professor of marketing at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. He's also the author of "For the Culture." He joins us now. Good to see you. I had to tell you, it took me a couple months to process what my kids were doing with the 6-7, and then they tried to pretend like I wasn't doing it correctly, even though I knew it was, I knew I was.

But let me talk to you, professor, about what's going on. I want to dig into a couple of these trends. Let's begin with the humans versus machines. And you actually point to that recent McDonald's ad using A.I. as an example of what not to do. So, wait, should brands not use A.I. or is there a better way to do it?

MARCUS COLLINS, CLINICAL ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF MARKETING, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN: I mean, I think if you want some pushback, backlash, torches, and pitchforks from social media, you probably shouldn't use it so much. Not yet, at least.

I think there's way too much tension happening between creativity and the machines. Right? This sort of a dance between being an artisan and being an engineer. And at the moment, you know, people think that creativity resides in humanity, not in the A.I. So, brands can use these technologies for efficiencies and productivity. But I think, right now, people don't have a taste for it when it comes to creativity.

COATES: Says a human professor. OK. Let's talk about another trend. You spotted products being politicized. And there's no better example of that than the Sydney Sweeney ad for American Eagle where people accused her of promoting racial and genetic superiority. Remember this?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SYDNEY SWEENEY, ACTRESS: Just so we're clear, this is not me telling you to buy American Eagle jeans.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.

SWEENEY: You see what I did there, right?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: Just a couple weeks ago, she came out and said that she does not support those views and that -- quote -- "I'm against hate." But what's the big takeaway for brands here, given what happened in that ad alone?

COLLINS: That what you intend to say isn't exactly what people hear, that we are constantly making meaning. This is why brands are cultural artifacts. What they're signaling to the world is saying something that they want to intend the audience to take away, but the audience ultimately decides what it actually means to them.

Some people heard eugenics dog whistling. Some people heard a double entendre for jeans. Some people saw sexual objectification of women. What it means? It depends on who you are and how you saw it. Wherever the situation may be, Sydney Sweeney is not trying to keep that smoke these days. She does not want that same energy because she realizes that the cost of being on the wrong side of the argument could pay very dearly in other avenues that you try to pursue yourself in.

COATES: I do wonder in the future if you've got people doing ads, they're going to think, well, hold on a second, do I -- what's the political connotation of this? I mean, it's not the first time we've seen it, by the way, whether it's -- I remember there was -- wasn't it -- Kendall Jenner had an ad once and about -- I think it was Pepsi. There was the idea of protest.

COLLINS: Yes.

COATES: There was all this confusion there. And then, again, that was in and of itself not the first time we'd seen backlash and interpretation. So, maybe focus groups next time. We'll see.

Professor, we talked to you earlier this year when Cracker Barrel faced backlash over changing its logo and removing the old timer and the barrel. Now, it, of course, reversed to changes. But "The Wall Street Journal" reports that customers are still staying away in part because they think the quality of the food has now gone downhill.

[23:20:01]

So, I mean, what happened? The core mission was lost here? Was the focus on the ads and the brand? What do you think went wrong?

COLLINS: It was a cacophony of all of it. You know, I think when people started to think about Cracker Barrel in the midst of the controversy and all, the consequences that come along with it, they start to evaluate the value proposition and say, you know what, food isn't even that great, which I think is the problem for the brand who was trying to reinvent itself.

The pushback that it got from one side of the aisle, if you will, was that they were being too progressive, they were being woke, and they were trying to change. But the issue at hand is that they needed to change because their product needed some upgrading, unfortunately.

COATES: Do you think, sometimes, we're always in touch with a new thing and sometimes -- what's the saying? Leave well enough alone? Is that what advertisers take away from all this?

COLLINS: You know, there's this idea called MAYA, most advanced yet acceptable, is that we want things to feel new and novel, but we tend to gravitate to things that also feel familiar. And that's a tension that marketers have to balance.

And if we think about all these changes that happened in 2025 with regards to brand moments that had an impact and shaped culture, they were all these moments that were dancing across these tensions. Either you found yourself on one side of it or the other side of it. Either way, they had some pretty massive blowbacks -- drawbacks that impact the business one way or the other.

COATES: Somewhere, my niece, Maya, is like, I knew my name was an acronym.

(LAUGHTER)

Somewhere, she's saying it. I can hear you, girl. But let me tell you, what made you choose these five areas collectively? Was it about -- what was it about them that defined the year for you when you chose these five top cultural trends?

COLLINS: At the core, they changed how we made meaning of the world around us. It changed how we thought about body positivity versus beauty standards. It changed how we thought about things being popular like 6-7, but also being intimate where something only you and I know like when your mom and dad start saying and you go, oh man, it was cool until you did it, dad.

(LAUGHTER)

I mean, this tension that exists is really how we navigate the world. You know, consumption at its core is a cultural act. And these acts that we take on, what we buy, how we style ourselves, how we wear our hair if you have it, of course, or who we date and where we work and what we eat and how we vacation, these things are all expressions of who we are. They are all byproducts of our cultural subscription. Each one of these moments really challenged what was considered normal.

You know, is it OK for president to tell a cable channel to take off your talent? Like, is that normal? No. But this is the balance between free speech and control. It's happening all around us this year. I think that is going to help us think about how we engage in next year. And hopefully, we find ourselves on the right side of that tension.

COATES: Well, we will see. Here's to 2026, right? Professor Marcus Collins, thank you so much.

COLLINS: Keeping all fingers crossed.

(LAUGHTER)

Up next, a CNN exclusive. In a year marred with political violence, former congresswoman Gabby Giffords is here reflecting on her own experience and speaking out about the threats facing her husband.

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[23:25:00]

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COATES: In a year marred by political violence, there was one person I really wanted to speak with, survivor and former congresswoman Gabby Giffords. Back in 2011, she almost died after an assassination attempt on her life. Now, she doesn't do many interviews because she has aphasia, a disorder caused by damage to the part of the brain that is responsible for speaking. But Giffords took our call and joined me here on set along with the executive director of the Giffords Law Center to prevent gun violence. You will see in this interview that Gabby's spirit is as strong as ever.

We began our conversation talking about her husband's message to the troops that has now resulted in an investigation. Here is senator and retired Navy captain Mark Kelly.

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SEN. MARK KELLY (D-AR): Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: And here is former congresswoman Gabby Giffords.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COATES: A lot of rocks have been thrown at your husband recently, particularly after he, along with other members of Congress, had the video reminding or just saying to officers and, of course, to service members that they should not follow illegal orders.

[23:29:58]

What has been your reaction to the way that your husband, Senator Kelly, has been targeted by the president?

GABBY GIFFORDS, FORMER ARIZONA REPRESENTATIVE: He is my best friend. He is so funny. I love him a lot. Fight, fight, fight every day.

UNKNOWN: Yes.

GIFFORDS: Yes.

COATES: It's a hard fight, though, especially when you've got so much criticism.

GIFFORDS: We're a team. We're a team.

EMMA BROWN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GIFFORDS: Yes. Yes. You know, Gabby, of course, was the subject of an assassination attempt 15 years ago. We've seen a real rise in political violence in this country. Over the summer, we lost Melissa Hortman, you know, in Minnesota. We saw Charlie Kirk assassinated. There is a real need to tone down the rhetoric and for our leaders on both sides of the aisle to help us build bridges across party lines.

And so, I think it has been really disappointing to see the president, you know, threaten Senator Kelly and other members of Congress and senators the way that he has. But one thing about Gabby and Mark is that they've seen far scarier things --

(LAUGHTER)

-- than Donald Trump over --

COATES: You have faced an assassination attempt. And I can't believe it has been 15 years. And thinking about all of the moments of gun violence since. You mentioned the assassination of Charlie Kirk. What was your reaction to that horror?

GIFFORDS: Forgiveness, forgiveness, forgiveness.

COATES: You have chosen to forgive the person who has tried to assassinate you. How?

GIFFORDS: Do not look back. I hope others are inspired to keep moving forward no matter what.

BROWN: Yes. You know, Gabby -- Gabby's superpower is that she is always focused on the future. You know, the thing that she says to everybody is move ahead. And I think also, you know, you were really moved that Erika Kirk forgave Charlie's shooter. It was an awful, awful thing that they went through. He was an Arizonan. It's an Arizona family. Gabby and Senator Kelly, obviously, home in Arizona, represent Arizona. And I think, you know, we really understand Gabby came out right after that shooting and wrote an op-ed with Jeff Flake.

GIFFORDS: Yes.

BROWN: You know, making the point that political violence is hurting Republicans and Democrats alike, and there is so much that we can do. But political violence is at this intersection of extreme rhetoric and easy access to guns, right? That's where we come in.

COATES: She's referring to the Giffords Law Center to prevent gun violence, the organization the congresswoman started after she was shot. Each year, it grades the states based on their gun control laws.

GIFFORDS: California, excellent, eight plus. Mississippi, not so much.

BROWN: Yes.

COATES: Each state has different levels.

BROWN: Each state has different laws, yes. So, we put out a scorecard every year that gives every state a grade A to F.

COATES: So, what makes California better than Mississippi in this respect?

BROWN: Yes. So, it has something like universal background checks. It has red flag laws. It has funding for community violence intervention. It has a safe storage law that requires parents to lock up their guns so their kid can't get it.

COATES: This is all in California?

BROWN: All in California.

COATES: So, it's missing in a place like Mississippi.

BROWN: All of those things. Yes, all of those. I mean, Mississippi has barely any gun laws, right?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(APPLAUSE)

COATES: You know, part of your recovery wasn't just in terms of vocabulary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

It also included how you were thinking, how you were able to understand information, even -- even telling time, right? The clocks.

GIFFORDS: Nemenesis.

(LAUGHTER)

COATES: The clock was your nemesis.

GIFFORDS: Nemesis, yes.

COATES: My goodness.

BROWN: Yes, yes, yes, when the bullet entered Gabby's brain, it scrambled a lot of what you and I can do so intrinsically. She had to relearn how to use a clock.

GIFFORDS: Yes.

BROWN: You know, relearn how to speak, relearn how to walk --

COATES: Because it entered her brain.

GIFFORDS: Brain.

BROWN: Yes, yes. So, her thinking is clear. Her musical ability is interesting.

GIFFORDS: Amazing.

BROWN: Amazing.

(LAUGHTER)

(SINGING)

COATES: You made me a better singer. I'm always here (INAUDIBLE). Are you kidding?

(LAUGHTER)

Look, I am curious about your journey because after all that you have been through, some people would give in, give up or not fight as hard as you have fought on the policy level. Why do you keep fighting to change the laws? Why do you not want to just be in the private life?

GIFFORDS: I want to make the world a better place. I want to make the world a better place.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COATES: Next, Calvin Duncan was serving life in prison for a murder he didn't even commit. That is until he cleared himself. And what he has done since is a twist you won't see coming.

[23:35:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COATES: Our exonerated series tonight brings you the story of an inmate turned exoneree turned elected official. It is the unimaginable experience of Calvin Duncan, a New Orleans man who spent more than 28 years in prison for a crime he didn't even commit. He was wrongfully convicted of a deadly shooting in 1981 and sentenced to life in prison.

[23:40:01]

But life behind bars did not get in the way of Duncan's relentless effort to clear his name, sparking his self-taught legal career, helping other inmates navigate their cases as well.

In 2011, Duncan finally gained his freedom with the help of the Innocence Project of New Orleans. He was officially exonerated a decade later. At age 60, he graduated from law school. He launched a long shot bid for office. And today, he is New Orleans's newly-elected court clerk. Calvin Duncan is also the co-author of "The Jailhouse Lawyer." And I had the pleasure to sit down with Mr. Duncan recently. Here is that poignant conversation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COATES: Mr. Duncan, first of all, it's very nice to meet you. And just hearing about your story, I mean, it brings tears to my eyes to think about what you have endured and to think that behind you, your own campaign poster has resulted in a victory. Congratulations to you. Can you tell me what this moment feels like for you?

CALVIN DUNCAN, AUTHOR, CRIMINAL COURT CLERK IN NEW ORLEANS: Well, thank you. Yes, this moment is -- I don't know. I can't find the correct adjective to describe it other than it restores my faith that God is always in control. And whenever we do it impossible, he's definitely going to show up. So, this was a long shot. It was a long -- I've been wanting to do this over 40 years.

COATES: Wow.

DUNCAN: And God made it possible for this to happen.

COATES: Well, you have beat the odds in so many ways and restored so many people's faith in what justice could look like eventually. But I want to take people back to the injustice that you suffered. I mean, back into the early 1980s, you are 19 years old, and people -- the police arrested you for a murder, robbery you didn't even commit. You got sentenced to life in prison. But it was you who decided through your hard work that this would not be the end of your story. You began to study the law behind bars. Talk to me about that.

DUNCAN: Yes, Laura. I was 19. I was in a job call in Oregon. And two detectives came to arrest me for a murder that happened in New Orleans that I didn't commit. And I was trying to tell them that they had the wrong person, but they insisted that I was the right person.

But then I was extradited to New Orleans. And they put me in a jail, on a unit with guys that already had the death penalty. Some of them had life sentences. And I told them that I didn't commit my crime, and they told me that I was going to be executed. And the reason why they say I was going to be executed, because they say you have the same lawyer that I had, the same judge, same prosecutors, and my lawyers wasn't going to come see me. So, I asked them, how can I help myself?

And they told me that I -- in a book, it talks about -- one of my friends, Big Duggar (ph), he told me that I had to become a lawyer. But they didn't have any legal material back there for me to start studying. So, I would keep newspaper clippings. I always say when rich people got arrested, they always put some part of law in the article. And I would cut those articles out and start creating my own law book. And then I actually filed a motion, a handwritten motion to the Supreme Court. And I titled the motion "Motion for a Law Book."

And I explained to the judge, the Supreme Court, that look, my lawyer is not coming to see me, I'm facing a death penalty, and I need to learn the law in order to help myself. And they told me -- first, I sent it to the wrong court. But then they -- I'm remanded into the trial court. Then I got a copy of a Louisiana criminal court procedure.

COATES: Wow.

DUNCAN: And that's when I knew I was a lawyer. I start practicing law.

COATES: Well, it's good to have you as a colleague. Welcome to the practice of law because you have done more with that degree than many lawyers could ever hope to. And you freed an innocent man yourself. And you talked a lot about the preservation of records. And that wasn't just important to your own exoneration. But you have made that a big part of your campaign, preserving these records. You say that that is so important if people really want to pursue justice. Can you remind us why?

DUNCAN: Yes. So, Louisiana is the incarceration capital of the world. And most of the people that comes -- went to Louisiana State Penitentiary, they came -- came from New Orleans. And when we used to write for our records, we couldn't get our records. Incarceration capital of the world, state. More people come from New Orleans. That's in prison. And we couldn't get access to our records.

[23:45:00]

And so, I didn't understand that when I was in prison other than just keep on trying to get out our records. But then when I got released in 2021, I went to the clerk office to try to get some people records that still needs -- that needed their records because if you can't get your record, you can't prove you're innocent.

COATES: Right.

DUNCAN: You can't prove that you didn't -- you want a fair trial. And so, in 2021, I started an organization called the "Light of Justice" to help people get access to the records. And I would go to all of the parishes in this state and was able to get the records, but I couldn't get the records in my own parish, New Orleans.

So, back then, I say, look, I'm going to run for this office because I realized that the people that was working there didn't understand the seriousness of having the record preserved and available. But I had to first prove myself. I got my paralegal certificate from Tulane University. Then I got an associate's degree and bachelor's degree in paralegal studies from Tulane. And at the age of 57, I got accepted in Lewis and Clark in Portland, Oregon. At the age of 20, I received my JD.

COATES: Wow.

DUNCAN: And then I came back home, 2023, and continue to try to help people get access to their records. That was a difficult task. And then I learned the day after my book launch that the position was open, and I immediately ran to the courthouse and register, it was like two hours before the deadline, and I started running for office to make sure that what happened to me does not happen to nobody.

COATES: Mr. Calvin Duncan, you have described a true inspiration, and I'm so glad that you kept on and you're here today. Thank you.

DUNCAN: Thank you.

COATES: His book, again, I know you want to read it. It's called "The Jailhouse Lawyer." We were speaking with Mr. Calvin Duncan. Thank you.

Ahead, he can make deals, he can talk politics, and he can act. Yes, Kevin O'Leary is in the buzziest movie of the season, and he's spilling all the behind-the-scenes details after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COATES: You know him as a Shark Tank judge, an entrepreneur, an investor, and a business commentator right here, of course, on CNN and "Laura Coates Live." But, you know, he was a movie star. Well, get ready, because you're about to witness Kevin O'Leary AKA "Mr. Wonderful" like you have never seen him before, because he is making his big screen debut this weekend in "Marty Supreme." The film stars Timothee Chalamet in the title role as he pursues international ping- pong stardom in the 1950s. And O'Leary, well, he plays his wealthy benefactor and a nemesis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEVIN O'LEARY, CHAIRMAN OF O'LEARY VENTURES: Marty, I'm going to make an offer.

TIMOTHEE CHALAMET, ACTOR: I'm going to do it completely on my own. Every man from self where I come from, this is how I grew up.

UNKNOWN: Hey, what are you doing?

O'LEARY: I don't think you understand the stakes here.

CHALAMET: Why is that funny? I get nervous laughter sometimes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: OK. Well, the reviews are in. And as expected, wave performances for Chalamet. Kevin? Quote -- "O'Leary delivers an undeniably impressive performance." "Kevin O'Leary is shockingly effective in a role that could have easily gone wrong." "'Shark Tank' panelist Kevin O'Leary, perfectly cast." And finally, "The most surprising turn comes from Kevin O'Leary."

Well, let's turn to this surprise, so to speak. Let's bring in the man himself, Kevin O'Leary," movie star, extraordinary. OK, Kevin, let's pretend that we, the audience, are the sharks in this scenario. Why should we see "Marty Supreme" this holiday season?

O'LEARY: I think this film does something remarkable. It captures the essence of the American dream. It's emergence after the optimism, the second World War being over, the hostile of Brooklyn, the hostile of Manhattan. And everybody thinking the future so bright. And yet entrepreneurship is a dangerous journey. It is not a destination. It is a difficult journey.

And I think the script written by Ronald Bronstein and, you know, Josh Safdie (INAUDIBLE), which I love. I mean, I love that movie with Adam Sandler. They're very sick puppies. They're very, very crazy people.

(LAUGHTER)

And I read the script, and I couldn't stop turning the pages. I mean, it's an amazing story.

[23:55:00]

It will -- it will make -- it will take you in an emotional roller coaster. You have to see it with somebody beside you. That's what I tell everybody.

COATES: Well, you have a big screen debut. I mean, you are playing the wealthy ink pen mogul, Milton Rockwell. And I heard you said when the director was looking to cast you, he told you -- quote -- this is his quote. "We're looking for that real asshole and you're it." That is what sealed the deal?

O'LEARY: I'd heard that 20 years earlier from Mark Burnett when he was casting Shark Tank.

COATES: Really?

O'LEARY: I'm just a guy that tells the truth. But I really connected with Milton Rockwell. I felt, you know, I would have been him in 1952 as I am in 2025. I read the part. I really enjoyed the experience.

And I think, in life, you should try things outside of your comfort zone. I've never acted. I've never read a script. I've never memorized a script. But once I got in that room with, you know, Marty Mauser, Timothee Chalamet, and Gwyneth, I was just there. It was an amazing experience for me. I really, really enjoyed it. And I've got the bug now. Next role I get, I want to be a bad guy that blows stuff up. I don't know when that's going to be.

COATES: I -- somehow, I see that for you. And, by the way, for a screen acting debut, your character is married to Gwyneth Paltrow. I mean, no small feat. You act along the heavyweights you're talking about, Chalamet, Fran Drescher. Tyler "The Creator" is in appearance. Were you nervous to share the screen with them?

O'LEARY: No. I met Gwyneth on Shark Tank three years earlier. She actually was a guest shark. She's an entrepreneur, so we kind of hit it off then. And then we met again on the set. It wasn't like there were, you know, any room to be taught how to act, yet to execute.

The thing that I learned that a lot of people understand is if you get onto a set that's perfectly designed for 1952, your clothing is 1952, your watches are 1952. You're in 1952. You're there. And then you just open your eyes and you're just in the moment. It was wonderful. I really, really enjoyed it.

And, of course, you know, Chalamet, that guy acts like sparks are flying off him. He's a crazy actor. I really enjoyed it. We rehearsed for two minutes. We got into it.

COATES: I can't wait. And I think -- I'm so happy to hear that you had this experience. And then, by the way, there's these limited edition of Wheaties boxes now with Timothee Chalamet's face on them. They've been a huge part of the marketing campaign, and they're based on this line from the movie.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHALAMET: I know it's hard to believe. But I'm telling you, this game, it fills stadiums overseas. And it's only a matter of time before I'm staring at you from the cover of a Wheaties box.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: I want you to know that I too am on the cover of a Wheaties box. In fact, two of them, one from when I was in high school and one as a grown woman. So, I just want Marty to know, I do big things. OK? Kevin, do you have a Wheaties box?

O'LEARY: No, I don't yet, but I remember that moment. You know, we just had the New York premiere tonight. I brought my children with me, my family. They got such a kick out of their father with hair on the big screen. I mean, I can't believe how fantastic I looked, I got to tell you.

COATES: Somehow -- somehow, that is the only response I could ever expect from you. Kevin O'Leary, nice to see you. And, by the way, I can send you a copy of my Wheaties boxes. Thank you.

O'LEARY: You look so hot on that. That's ridiculous. I'll definitely -- I'll eat those Cheerios, for sure.

COATES: You know what? Call me. Kevin O'Leary, thank you so much.

O'LEARY: Take care.

COATES: Hey, after you see "Marty Supreme," everyone, make sure you tune in to the new CNN film "I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not." It premieres Thursday, January 1st, at 8 p.m., right here on CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: (INAUDIBLE) Mr. Chase.

UNKNOWN: I appreciate that. Thank you.

UNKNOWN: It's like a signed picture.

UNKNOWN: Do you have one available?

UNKNOWN: I might. I might have one.

(LAUGHTER)

UNKNOWN: We were at the AFI tribute to Gregory Peck. Way, way in the corner, Mary Hart was interviewing someone live. And Chevy said, I wonder if I can hit her with this roll. And he whipped it as far as he could, hit her right in head in middle of the thing. And then he had to sit down like a kid.

UNKNOWN: I was at an event. And this young caterer came up with a tray full of chocolate mousse, like shots of chocolate mousse. And she said, would you guys like some chocolate mousse? And Chevy looked at it. He stuck his finger in one, fuck it out. No, thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(LAUGHTER)

COATES: Thank you so much for watching.

[00:00:00] Our coverage continues.