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The Situation Room

Russia-Ukraine Peace Efforts Continue; New Video Revealed in Australia Terror Attack; Warner Bros. Discovery Recommends Rejecting Paramount Buyout Offer; Interview With Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN). Aired 11:30a-12p ET

Aired December 17, 2025 - 11:30   ET

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

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WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Breaking news: CNN's parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, is now recommending that shareholders reject a buyout offer from Paramount. That deal would be worth more than $100 billion. The final decision rests with the WBD, the Warner Bros. Discovery, shareholders, to clear the way for Netflix to buy the company.

And that sale could radically change Hollywood and the entertainment industry as a whole.

CNN's chief media analyst, Brian Stelter, is joining us right now.

Brian, how is Paramount responding first of all, this morning to these developments?

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Paramount continues to say that the Netflix deal on the table is -- quote -- "inferior."

This all revolves around the financing for the deals, especially the Paramount deal. You know there's that phrase good for the money? Sometimes, you'll hear someone say, yes, but are they good for the money? That is the fundamental concern being raised by WBD when it comes to the Paramount hostile takeover bid.

Paramount, controlled by the Ellisons, David Ellison and his father, Larry Ellison, the Oracle billionaire, Paramount is much smaller than Warner. So it's trying to buy a much bigger company. Paramount says its financing for its proposed deal is -- quote -- "airtight."

But the WBD side has questioned why Paramount's owners are enlisting outside help from sovereign wealth funds, from Saudi Arabia, for example, instead of personally backstopping the bid with Larry Ellison's vast wealth. So that is what this corporate tug-of-war is now in some ways about. It's about the financing for Paramount's bid.

Paramount is expected to offer more than $30 a share. We have heard many analysts say they expect Paramount to offer a higher bid, but that has not happened yet. Instead, this morning in a Paramount press release, the company says -- quote -- "WBD'S own narrative of the actions that led to its inferior transaction with Netflix reveals a process which was not run to secure the best offer for WBD shareholders."

So, Paramount firing back this morning, saying that it's going to continue this pursuit of all of WBD, including CNN,but, for now, Netflix moving forward saying it's confident it can get its deal for Warner Bros. and HBO across the finish line, Wolf.

BLITZER: And while most of our viewers, Brian, as you know, may not necessarily be following all these corporate tussles, if you will...

STELTER: Yes.

BLITZER: ... this sale could affect a lot of Americans in a very real way, right?

STELTER: Yes, for a couple of different reasons, number one, Netflix getting even bigger, taking control of HBO. That's a big deal for anybody who loves programming on HBO or who cares about Warner Bros. brands, that storied movie studio potentially changing hands.

When it comes to Paramount, that brings in the CNN X-factor as well. Who's going to own CNN in the future? We heard President Trump make an extraordinary comment last week, saying it's -- quote -- "imperative" that CNN be sold to a new owner. That was him signaling that he favors the Ellisons, favors the Paramount bid.

[11:35:00]

We have heard from some press freedom groups in the last few days saying it's extremely uncomfortable and inappropriate for the president to be weighing in on who should own a news network like CNN. The group FIRE, for example, saying -- quote -- "It is wildly inappropriate and has no place in a free society for the president to try to be choosing who would own a news network like CNN."

So there's a lot at stake here, but this battle, it's going to play out for months, maybe even years to come. There could be litigation over the future of WBD, and this could very well wind up in the courts, Wolf.

BLITZER: Yes, lots at stake, to be sure.

Brian Stelter, thank you very, very much.

STELTER: Thanks.

BLITZER: Coming up, we're asking Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar about President Trump's recent racist attacks against her and her fellow Somali Americans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I love this Ilhan Omar, whatever the hell her name is. She comes from her country where -- I mean, it's considered about the worst country in the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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BLITZER: Happening now: President Trump's Customs and Border Patrol chief, Gregory Bovino, is now back in Chicago for what are being described as immigration enforcement operations.

Chicago is certainly not the only city grappling with the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.

Our next guest, Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, says ICE is -- quote -- in her words, "terrorizing" immigrant communities in her district. The president has labeled Ilhan Omar and Somali Americans, many of them in the Minneapolis area, as -- quote -- "garbage," his word, "garbage."

The congresswoman joins us now here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Congresswoman, thanks so much for joining us.

What's it like on the ground right now, not just for you, but for your fellow Somali Americans -- and I have known many of them over the years, they're very hardworking, very decent people -- and to hear the president of the United States call them garbage?

REP. ILHAN OMAR (D-MN): Yes.

In -- many in Minneapolis and certainly in Minnesota are experiencing a state-sanctioned violence. We're seeing people being stopped, dragged out of their cars, people detained for hours, many who are citizens. And it is really terrifying.

But what we are also seeing is people showing just how resilient and united Minnesotans are in defending their neighbors, documenting the actions, the unlawful actions that we are seeing from ICE agents. And we're seeing them come together.

BLITZER: I know that the Trump administration's immigration crackdown has become very personal for you, even though you're a member of Congress. You have said that federal immigration agents actually pulled over your son on Saturday and asked him to prove his citizenship.

He is, of course, a U.S. citizen, as are you. The Department of Homeland Security says -- and I'm quoting them -- "ICE has absolutely zero record of its officers or agents pulling over Congresswoman Omar's son" and have accused you of seeking to -- quote -- "demonize ICE as part of a P.R. stunt," their words.

What do you say to that?

OMAR: Well, if ICE is saying that they have documentation of every single person that they have pulled over in Minneapolis, we would love to see that record, because we have certainly, myself and the governor, have been asking them to share information with us in the ways in which they have interacted with Minnesotans, and they have not been able to provide a single information.

So it is amazing that they're able to put out this statement definitely -- and saying definitely that they did not pull my son over, when they haven't been able to answer anything else, and ICE has been known to lie when it comes to their enforcement.

BLITZER: I know you're aware of what President Trump has recently said, not only about you, but I also want to play some of what he said and give our viewers a little bit more context right now and then we will discuss. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Ilhan Omar is garbage. She's garbage. Her friends are garbage. These aren't people that work. These aren't people that say, let's go, come on, let's make this place great. These are people that do nothing but complain.

But when they come from hell and they complain and do nothing but (EXPLETIVE DELETED) we don't want them in our country. Let them go back to where they came from and fix it.

(KNOCKING)

TRUMP: Thank you very much, everybody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Most of the Somalis in Minnesota, in the Minneapolis area are now U.S. citizens. He's talking about U.S. citizens.

OMAR: Yes, he's talking about Americans.

BLITZER: Yes.

OMAR: No, we are doctors, we are teachers, we are entrepreneurs, and we are elected representatives of our state.

And so these vile comments and this sort of creepy obsession that he has on me and Somali Americans really is dangerous and it's beneath the office of the presidency.

BLITZER: When President Trump attacked you again a few days later during a separate event in Pennsylvania, his statements were actually met with cheers from the crowd, and many of them were shouting, "Send her back," their words, "Send her back."

What goes through your mind when you hear that kind -- and do you fear at all for your safety?

OMAR: I mean, it is a dangerous language, dangerous rhetoric. I do worry that they will take action once they realize that the sad news is that I am here to stay and Somali Americans are here to stay.

BLITZER: As they should be. They're U.S. citizens.

OMAR: Yes.

BLITZER: Almost all of them are now U.S. citizens, naturalized U.S. citizens. And...

OMAR: Yes, over -- nearly 60 percent born in the United States.

BLITZER: And they're very good U.S. citizens, to be sure.

OMAR: Yes.

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BLITZER: President Trump signed a proclamation yesterday expanding the list of countries with full or partial travel restrictions from 39 -- to 39. That's up from 19. And Somalia is on that list. What's your reaction to that?

OMAR: I mean, the biggest worry of the new executive order is that it does separate families. It doesn't create an exception for U.S. citizens to have their family members be able to come visit and celebrate milestones with them.

And so this is a very cruel, inhumane immigration policy that he is putting in place.

BLITZER: We're also learning this morning that at least four Republicans -- and this is a separate issue -- have signed onto a Democratic-led discharge petition to force a vote on extending the Obamacare health care subsidies.

What do you make of that development?

OMAR: Republicans seem to be fed up with the president not understanding the affordability crisis that Americans are experiencing. And this health care crisis that is upon us will add to that.

So, many of them are saying no to the president, standing up for their constituents. And that number, since this morning, has already doubled. And so I look forward to that discharge petition coming to the floor and many more Republicans voting with us.

BLITZER: And a lot of folks in your district are going to be impacted if they don't increase those subsidies.

OMAR: Yes, some people are going to see their premiums go up twice as much as what they were paying. And that is not something most Americans are able to afford.

BLITZER: And very quickly, what's been the general reaction in your community to what the president has been saying, garbage? OMAR: Yes, it's been met with disgust. But it's also been met with

resilience and people saying, these are my fellow Minnesotans, and I'm going to stand up for them.

BLITZER: Well, good luck to you. Good luck to all the Somali Americans. Good luck to everyone in Minnesota right now. It's a very tense situation.

OMAR: Thank you.

BLITZER: Appreciate it very, very much. Thanks for joining us.

OMAR: Thank you.

BLITZER: And just ahead: Ukraine's president now says his negotiators could meet their U.S. counterparts in a matter of days, as more countries are turning up the pressure to try to reach some sort of peace agreement.

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[11:51:48]

BLITZER: Happening now: The first funerals for the victims of this weekend's brutal attack at Bondi Beach in Australia, they're taking place.

And this comes as investigators are learning more about the motives of the father-son duo behind this horrible terror attack and their connections to ISIS.

CNN's Will Ripley has more from Bondi Beach.

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WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New dashcam video reveals the first minutes of the Bondi Beach massacre and two bystanders bravely trying to stop the attack.

A husband and wife confront the older gunman, the father, Sajid Akram, leaving his car, rifle in hand. Watch closely. The man in the purple shirt drags the attacker to the ground, wrestles for control, rips the gun out of his hands, swinging it almost like a bat.

The gunman takes another rifle from his car, opening fire on the man and woman. Australian media is identifying them as possibly the first two victims of Sunday's attack. The video also reveals a crucial piece of evidence. Look at the windshield. You see that black flag bearing what appears to be the logo of the Islamic State?

ANTHONY ALBANESE, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: It would appear that there is evidence that this was inspired by a terrorist organization, by ISIS.

RIPLEY: Investigators are now looking beyond Australia. Police say the shooters recently traveled to the southern Philippines, a region long plagued by ISIS-inspired violence. Philippine officials say the pair arrived on November 1 for military-style training, leaving nearly four weeks later, returning to Australia just over two weeks before opening fire on Bondi Beach.

(on camera): More than 24 hours after the shooting, Bondi Beach remained an active crime scene. You have police tape blocking off the whole area. There's this outdoor cinema where people basically dropped their stuff and ran. The whole area kind of feels eerily frozen in time.

NAVEED AKRAM, SUSPECT: This will come for you on the day of judgment.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Video is also emerging of the younger gunman, the son, Naveed Akram.

AKRAM: Allah will reward you for whatever actions you do in his cause. Inshallah, this will save you on the day of judgment.

RIPLEY: A Sydney-based Islamic street preaching group confirms Akram appeared in a handful of videos in 2019 handing out pamphlets during public outreach. The group says Akram was just 17 at the time. They insist they have had no contact with him since.

In a statement, the group says it's horrified by the attack and appalled by the actions of both father and son.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're allowed to have strong views, but to go and do that, well, it's just wrong.

RIPLEY: Lockie (ph) told CNN affiliate Nine News he's a former co- worker of the younger shooter he calls Nav. He says Nav quit his bricklaying job about a month ago and often talked about his love of hunting.

QUESTION: It looked like he could handle a gun.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Yes. Well he had. We used to talk about shooting down at Crookwell, and he'd say to us -- he actually said to me once -- I said: "Oh, we would go for a shot down there one day." And he goes: "Oh, I don't know if that'd be good for you."

OK, that's a bit weird, but he's a bit of a weird cat.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Will Ripley, thank you very much for that report.

Other important news we're following today, the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, says, if Ukraine fails to cede the territory he is demanding, Moscow will seize those lands through military might, his words.

[11:55:06]

Here's what he said just a little while ago. Listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We would prefer to do this and eliminate the root causes of the conflict through diplomacy. If the opposing country and its foreign patrons refuse to engage in substantive discussions, Russia will achieve the liberation of its historical lands through military means.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Our CNN military analyst retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton is here with me in this SITUATION ROOM.

Colonel, thanks very much for joining us.

So what do you make of Putin's latest comments on this, this morning?

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, Wolf, one of the key things to note is that they have been trying to do this via military means for four years now almost, and they have not succeeded.

So unless Putin has got another tactic or some other strategy that he's using, he is not going to achieve the kind of success that he thinks he's going to achieve, at least in the short term. Now, he can try to outlast the Ukrainians, and that's really the big danger here because of the population differences and the differences in the size of their respective militaries.

BLITZER: Tomorrow, European leaders will begin what is being described as a crucial two-day summit in Belgium. They will debate whether to use frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine. If the Kremlin won't agree to a diplomatic deal, is it vulnerable to this sort of economic pressure from the outside?

LEIGHTON: Yes, absolutely, because one of the things, if you notice, Wolf, they -- Russians are very much against having their assets being used, their frozen assets being used in this way.

And what that really means is that the Russians have a major vulnerability here. They are hoping to get those assets back so that they can prop up their economy. Their economy is basically on the teetering point right now. And if they continue to do the things that they're doing without getting infusions of cash, then they might find themselves in very difficult economic circumstances.

BLITZER: Just ahead of this meeting, the president of the European Commission said Europe must take responsibility for its own security and continue funding Ukraine's defense against Russia.

Do our U.S. allies in Europe see the U.S. fading from the equation right now of this war?

LEIGHTON: Yes, most definitely, Wolf.

And one of the things that you notice is that not only language from people like Ursula von der Leyen, but also the language from people like Chancellor Merz of Germany. What they're saying is basically, we know that the United States is not going to be coming in and not going to be filling the void, and the Europeans need to step up and do it.

And they're doing it both as a European Union, as a collective, as well as individual nations like Germany, France and Britain.

BLITZER: Ukraine says it used what are being described as underwater drones, underwater drones, I have never heard of that, to attack a Russian submarine in a Black Sea port. Ukraine claims it inflicted critical damage in this, the first strike of its kind.

Is Russia simply hoping to outlast Ukraine in a war of attrition? And describe these underwater drones.

LEIGHTON: Yes, so these underwater drones are basically unmanned submarines, and they have weaponized -- they have, in essence, explosives on them, and they can swarm targets like a submarine.

So this is basically the future of warfare. So if you picture a submarine that's in dock, and it basically gets attacked by drones like this, it is extremely vulnerable, and that's what happened to this drone. So the Russians hope that they can outlast the Ukrainians. The Ukrainians are trying to use technical innovation to step ahead of the Russians.

BLITZER: Yes, let's see if that works.

So the president, President Trump, recently said, in his words, we're closer than ever on a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. But are there any real indications that that's the case?

LEIGHTON: Well, I'm really concerned about Russia's reaction to everything. Everybody in the West, from the U.S. to the Europeans to even the Ukrainians, are fairly optimistic that something's going to happen. They're trying to reach an agreement among themselves as to what this peace plan is going to look like.

But the Russians, on the other hand, are saying that they will not accept anything other than territorial concessions, as you heard from President Putin. So this is the big difference here. The Russians believe that they can outlast the West and Ukraine. The West is trying to come together and really try to create a buffer zone between the Ukrainian forces and the Russian forces.

And the way they have to do that really requires boots on the ground. And nobody is willing to say that explicitly yet.

BLITZER: What leverage does Ukraine really have left at this point to get security guarantees in place?

LEIGHTON: Well, it really depends on their ability to convince the Europeans to do these things and to achieve those Article 5-like guarantees, talking about the NATO charter that has Article 5 in it that basically allows every single group -- every single nation to protect each other. Attack on one is an attack on all. And that's the kind of guarantee that the Ukrainians want. They are

holding out for that. They hope to get those kinds of guarantees. And with those guarantees, they then believe that they can achieve some kind of peace, whether it's a cease-fire, an armistice, or something more lasting.

I would bet it won't be something more lasting, regardless of what the final outcome is.

[12:00:00]

BLITZER: I keep thinking about, when I was in Moscow when Gorbachev signed that agreement ending the Soviet Union, giving independence to the former republics of the Soviet Union, including Ukraine, and one of the conditions for Ukraine was that it had to give up its nuclear weapons arsenal, which was very impressive.

Had they not given that up, Russia would have never invaded Ukraine.

LEIGHTON: So true.

BLITZER: But the Ukrainians were willing to do so for their independence, and I give them a lot of credit for that. Let's hope for the best.

Colonel Cedric Leighton, thanks very much for joining us.

And, to our viewers, thanks very much for joining us this morning as well.

"INSIDE POLITICS" with our friend and colleague Dana Bash starts right now.