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The Source with Kaitlan Collins

Trump Says He's Taking Higher Dose Of Aspirin Than His Doctors Advise; Kristy Lee Pulls Out Of Kennedy Center Over Political Branding; Rose Parade Banner Demands California A.G. Probe Deadly Wildfires. Aired 9-10p ET

Aired January 02, 2026 - 21:00   ET

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

SARA SIDNER, CNN HOST: It is a dire situation.

Thank you from all of us. I'm Sara Sidner. Have a good weekend. I'll see you again Monday at 07:00 a.m. for "CNN NEWS CENTRAL."

In the meantime, the news continues. "THE SOURCE" starts now.

ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN HOST: Tonight, new questions about President Trump's health and the health of his economy.

I'm Elex Michaelson in for Kaitlan Collins. And this is THE SOURCE.

Happy New Year. Thanks for being with us. Kaitlan enjoying some much deserved time-off.

President Trump is kicking off the New Year, like a lot of Americans, he's focusing on his health. But unlike most of us, he does not have a resolution to work out more or lose some lbs. He says his health is fine, and that you should be taking his word for it.

In interview with The Wall Street Journal, the President sought to tamp down recent speculation, for starters, about those bruises on his hands. President confirmed that he does, in fact, use makeup to cover them up, and he says there's a perfectly good reason for them.

He tells The Journal he takes a higher dose of aspirin than his doctors recommend. Quote, "They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don't want thick blood pouring through my heart." And "I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?"

Dr. Jonathan Reiner, who's a CNN Medical Analyst, and was former Vice President Dick Cheney's longtime cardiologist, says, that only raises new questions about the President's health.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: So, what doesn't make sense to me is why somebody who is obviously self-conscious of the discoloration on his hand, would take a dose of aspirin, which would be more likely to cause bruising.

And we know with clarity that a higher dose of aspirin causes more bleeding, which is why we don't use that dose of aspirin. So why, in the face of something that obviously bothers him, would he insist on taking a higher dose of aspirin? So, it just makes -- makes no sense to me.

The other piece of this, by the way, is that we have no history of the President having heart disease or prior stroke. So why is he even taking the aspirin? It's not recommended.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: So, in the interview, the President also confirmed that he tried wearing compression socks to deal with swelling in his lower legs.

The 79-year-old Commander-in-Chief says he did not get an MRI in October, as the White House told us that he did. Instead, he got a CT scan, which doesn't take as much time or produce as detailed of images as an MRI. President told The Journal, he regrets getting any scan whatsoever. Quote, "In retrospect, it's too bad I took it because it gave them a little ammunition."

President's revelation that he finds treadmills boring is certainly relatable to a lot of folks. And while his love for fast food has been well-documented. The Chair of the Republican National Committee described a single meal, where Trump consumed, quote, "French fries, a McDonald's Quarter Pounder hamburger, a Big Mac and a Filet-O-Fish."

I haven't eaten all that at one time since my frat days.

The questions about the President's health coming as millions of Americans are worried about their own health, as those enhanced Obamacare subsidies have now officially expired, expired January 1st, sending premiums soaring for around 20 million Americans, some as high as 115 percent higher.

The President, tonight remains in Florida, where he spent the day doing some shopping, specifically pursuing samples of marble and onyx for the White House ballroom, project with a price tag that keeps going up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We're donating a building that's approximately 400 million. I think I'll do it for less. But it's 400. I should do it for less. I will do it for less. But just in case, I say 400.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Want to get with my political sources.

On the left, Adam Mockler of MeidasTouch, whose videos routinely reach millions.

And Michael Knowles, host of "The Michael Knowles Show" on The Daily Wire, whose videos routinely reach millions on the right. Gentlemen, Happy New Year. And welcome.

MICHAEL KNOWLES, CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATOR, HOST, "THE MICHAEL KNOWLES SHOW" ON THE DAILY WIRE: Happy New Year.

ADAM MOCKLER, HOST, "THE ADAM MOCKLER SHOW" ON MEIDASTOUCH NETWORK: Good to be with you, sir. Nice to see you.

MICHAELSON: Michael, after all the concern on the right about President Biden's health for years, are the questions about President Trump's health legitimate?

[21:05:00]

KNOWLES: Elex, I have to ask you, do you imagine Joe Biden ever picking up the phone for The Wall Street Journal, and going on and on about his unusual, eccentric health care regimen? Of course not. This is--

MICHAELSON: No.

KNOWLES: This is night and day.

So with Biden, we know, actually, probably the most prominent anchor at this very network, wrote a very popular book about the massive White House coverup of Joe Biden's physical and cognitive decline.

When it comes to Donald Trump. This is a man who says he hates exercising. This is a man who says that people are born with a finite amount of energy, and he doesn't want to waste it on frivolous activities. This is a man who brags about his McDonald's input. And yet, what are we seeing from him? We see a ton of energy. The man barely ever sleeps. I was in the longest Cabinet meeting ever in White House history, with him. The Cabinet secretaries were falling asleep. This guy was going and going and going.

I think there are all sorts of ways the left can criticize Trump. I don't think that his stamina, his energy, or his health are one of them.

MICHAELSON: I mean, Adam, to that point. What do you say to people that says, Look, he's still doing his job. Is there any evidence of any of this stopping him from doing his job? And in fact, he is more engaged than President Biden was, at least publicly.

MOCKLER: Well, first of all, Trump has repeatedly fallen asleep in Cabinet meetings.

And I reject Michael's framing that he was transparent with The Wall Street Journal. What he said to The Wall Street Journal is that he is in, quote, Perfect health, he's in perfect shape. This is exactly what Trump criticized Biden for. He is now doing the exact same thing.

We see Trump falling asleep in the middle of press conferences on camera. We all see it. We see his swollen ankles. We see his black bruised hands. He's reportedly taking three to four times the recommended dose of Aspirin, which shows that his judgment is clearly off. His health is deteriorating far more than the White House is revealing.

But what I find the most concerning, I think, the most concerning out of all of this has to be the insecure projection in regards to the autopen. So, he removed Biden's portrait and he replaced it with the autopen.

But when Trump is asked -- when Trump is asked about multiple pardons, including the pardon of the Binance founder, or even the pardon of the former Honduran President, Juan Orlando Hernandez. Trump, says, quote, I don't know him, or I don't know the guy.

So, you can't, in one breath, accuse Biden of using the autopen, then not even know who you pardoned yourself, which is either one of two things. He doesn't know who he's pardoning on a daily basis. Or he does know, and he willingly pardoned the former Honduran President who trafficked 500 kilos of cocaine into the U.S.

Michael, which one do you think it is?

KNOWLES: Well, I think the fact that you're deflecting--

MOCKLER: So know, does not know, who he's pardoning?

KNOWLES: --from the topic of the debate here -- Adam, excuse me. The fact that you're deflecting from the topic of the debate, which is supposedly President Trump's health, to some pardons that you don't like, I think gives away the whole game, which is that of all the many--

MOCKLER: You deflected to Biden.

KNOWLES: --events for which the Democrats could try to criticize President Trump, his health is simply not one of them. The man has an extraordinary amount of energy, even to the point on the bleeding and the aspirin. He says that he's taken this level of aspirin for 25 years because he's superstitious. And I believe him, because if that weren't true, it's a bad excuse.

So people can criticize Trump, based on all sorts of conventional wisdom. But his entire political mantra is defying conventional wisdom. It seems to be working out well. I think Democrats need a new song.

MICHAELSON: Michael, Americans may be more concerned with their--

MOCKLER: He took a 75--

MICHAELSON: --their own health care at this point. We know those enhanced Obamacare subsidies have finally ended, which means that millions of Americans have just seen their health insurance premiums go up. For Republicans, do they now own this, and is that bad politics for your party?

KNOWLES: The Republicans don't own the health care issue, but it is a big problem for them.

It's worth remembering that the American health care system, as we know it, began under Franklin Roosevelt, accelerated under LBJ, and was supposedly completed, perfected for all time by Barack Obama. Obviously didn't work out that well. But the American health care system has been driven by Democrats, but it's in a bad state. And now the Republicans have unified government. So, it is a big issue.

If you look down at all of the issues, Democrats are on the wrong side of most 80/20 issues. The one issue that they continue to lead on, however, is health care, and I think Republicans ignore that at their own peril.

If the Democrats can keep momentum up, through the midterm elections, it will be because of health care. That's what they bet the government shutdown on, and that was a smart calculation. Now, it didn't work for them in the government shutdown. They might have better luck in the midterms. But Republicans cannot ignore it.

MICHAELSON: Let's talk about it--

MOCKLER: I actually--

MICHAELSON: Go ahead, Adam. Real quickly.

MOCKLER: I'll do and say, I disagree that the government shutdown aspect didn't work.

I can just speak for -- from a personal lens. One of my close friend's mom didn't understand that she was reliant on these ACA subsidies until the government shutdown hit. And now she's been laser-focusing on what's going to happen next. Because, it's hard when you're a paycheck-to-paycheck American, a 400 percent increase in your premiums could be lethal for you. So now, she actually did see that 400 percent increase, and she's been hyper-focused on this since the government shutdown. So, it did help bring awareness to the issue.

MICHAELSON: So that issue of affordability goes hand in hand--

KNOWLES: I agree the issue of Obamacare--

(CROSSTALK)

MICHAELSON: --with the health care issue as well.

[21:10:00]

And now, this issue of affordability was a big part of the New York City Mayor's race. Now the largest city in the country has a new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, the youngest mayor of New York in more than a century, propelled to victory by voters who were fed up with the high cost of living, something he talked about often.

Want to bring in now to the conversation, New York Political Anchor for Spectrum News, columnist for New York Magazine, Errol Louis. Errol, we've seen a lot of symbolism surrounding Mamdani's inauguration. But what is the biggest difference that we're seeing in terms of policy, how it actually affects real people?

ERROL LOUIS, POLITICAL ANCHOR FOR SPECTRUM NEWS, HOST, "THE BIG DEAL WITH ERROL LOUIS," COLUMNIST, NEW YORK MAGAZINE: Well, with less than 48 hours under his belt, the policies that we know he's going to focus on, Elex, are the ones that he campaigned on.

Getting a rent freeze for the million or so rent-stabilized apartments here in New York, something that's been done before. Getting free child care for the whole city, which is going to be a big ticket item. He's going to be going up to the state Capitol to try and secure the funds for that, although he would rather tax the rich in order to get it done.

And then free and fast bus service. Right now, there are a lot of people who take advantage of a half price program that we have here in New York City. He wants to basically do away with that and replace it with just making the busses faster and free for all.

So, he's already putting people in place. He's staffing up. He's naming his deputy mayors. And he's getting started on the campaign agenda that he ran on.

MICHAELSON: So, that's a very progressive agenda. Adam, you grew up in the middle of the country. You know folks in swing states. You know, not just the folks on the left who watch networks like CNN. Is that agenda something that will help appeal to swing state voters? Are you worried that that could actually hurt the Democratic Party if that becomes the focus?

MOCKLER: I think it depends on how this plays out. A focus on affordability is always going to be good, politically.

And if we compare it to Trump, Trump ran on a lot of populist outside- of-the-box issues. But it didn't really harm people's view of him or make people view him as radical.

Zohran also has some outside-of-the-box ideas on affordability, but he's showing up when he needs to. I mean, he spent his first day, on the ground, talking to people about the problems that they're facing in their unit.

So, Zohran doesn't have to be perfect or a perfect beacon of liberal policy. But it's refreshing to see someone who's addressing the housing crisis front-on, head-on. And it seems like Trump agrees.

Remember, they met in the White House, and Trump said that he and Zohran reportedly agreed on a lot more than expected, and one of those large points of agreement was housing. So maybe they don't agree on the exact policy, but there seems to be an agreement that affordability, regarding housing, needs to be a focus.

MICHAELSON: Well, and speaking of housing. He also signed some executive orders focused on housing. But he also revoked some put in place by his predecessor, including one that expanded the definition of antisemitism, and another one that barred city employees and agencies from boycotting or divesting from Israel.

Errol, how is that playing in New York?

LOUIS: Well, it's early days, because he just did it yesterday, on his first day.

For background context, people should understand that the prior mayor, Eric Adams, signed a lot of these executive orders, after Zohran Mamdani won, back in November. So, these were kind of symbolic. It's not like there's some existing structure that's now being torn down.

What Mamdani did was come in and said, Look, any executive orders that were signed after Eric Adams was arrested and indicted about 18 months ago -- which was, in fact, the case -- are null and void, and we'll find other ways to pursue some of the goals that the city wants to pursue.

But basically, he was saying the last year and a half of the Adams administration was hopelessly tainted by the fact that he was facing federal corruption charges, that he was rescued from, in a very unusual maneuver, by President Trump, personally, it seems.

MICHAELSON: Yes, and Michael, Mamdani drew a huge crowd in the freezing cold. He beat the entire Democratic establishment in the primary and the general. And even President Trump was impressed by him when they met.

Is there a risk that Republicans who sort of saw him as their way to beat Democrats in this next year, maybe underestimating his appeal, the way that people have underestimated him for much of the last year?

KNOWLES: Mamdani is an extremely talented politician. There's no doubt about it. He's also quite predictable. The anti-Jewish executive orders could be predicted. This is a man who, during his brief rap career, praised in a rap song, Hamas supporters. He's called to arrest Netanyahu. He opposes the existence of a Jewish state. So that's not surprising at all.

What's also not surprising is that the housing executive orders, the problem for Mamdani, though, is, while he's calling out a problem that is important to many Americans across the political spectrum, he's ignoring the biggest driver of the housing increases, which is mass migration. HUD just released its worst case housing report about two weeks ago, and it shows that 60 percent of the growth in rentals nationally, and 100 percent in New York, owes to mass migration.

[21:15:00]

And so, you've seen rents decrease consistently, year over year, for the last four months. Why is that? This is six months into President Trump's mass deportation policy, or moderate deportation policy.

So, the fact that Mamdani is simultaneously talking about housing affordability, but insists that New York remain a sanctuary state means, he's not going to solve the problem. He's just going to build a big -- big bunch of ugly projects that are only going to allow New York to continue to fester, sadly.

MICHAELSON: Adam, how do you respond to that?

MOCKLER: I think that wealth inequality is a massive problem--

LOUIS: Big--

MOCKLER: --in New York and across the United States. But wealth inequality isn't being driven by immigration. Wealth inequality is being driven by the richer getting rich--

KNOWLES: Housing rules.

MOCKLER: --rich and richer due to Trump's policies, due to Republican policies. I think it's really easy to divide Americans who say--

KNOWLES: We're talking about housing though.

MOCKLER: --You should be mad at your immigrant neighbor.

But the cost of housing is rising due to wealth inequality, due to the supply. Not due to immigration.

KNOWLES: No, it's migration.

MOCKLER: So build more housing.

KNOWLES: The report says migration anyway.

LOUIS: Yes, let me -- let me say something about that.

MICHAELSON: Errol, last word to you.

LOUIS: The average rent in Manhattan right now is between $3,500 and $5,000 a month, and that's for about maybe 600 square feet. I guarantee you, it is not migrants to New York City that are driving the prices that high.

MICHAELSON: What do you think is?

KNOWLES: No but--

LOUIS: Well, we have -- we have a bifurcated market. We actually have a glut of luxury housing, but there's nobody there to take it. We have a lot of different problems. It really has to do with the cost of insurance. It has to do with the cost of the bureaucracy. Getting projects approved is, it takes much too long.

KNOWLES: Errol, I think you just made the point.

LOUIS: So, getting back to your earlier question. There's been -- one of the things Mamdani did sign as an executive order, creates a task force to try and knock down some of the barriers that make it so expensive to build in New York. We've got to get tens of thousands of units built as quickly as possible, and it's really just a supply and demand question.

MICHAELSON: And we certainly have those here in Southern California as well.

KNOWLES: Well--

(CROSSTALK)

KNOWLES: --you just made the point. There is a glut of luxury housing.

MICHAELSON: Yes.

KNOWLES: But not lower-end housing. So yes--

MICHAELSON: That's -- that's--

KNOWLES: --that is the problem. That's where the migrants are going. That's where the poor New Yorkers need to live.

MICHAELSON: All right. That's going to have to be the last word, because we're out of time.

Adam. Michael. Errol. Great to talk to all you. Loved getting a bunch of different perspectives, here on CNN. Thanks so much for being with us. Happy New Year, once again.

LOUIS: Thanks.

MICHAELSON: Up next. As we approach five years since the January 6 attack on the Capitol, we're hearing from the former Special Counsel himself on camera. Look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So did you develop evidence that President Trump was responsible for the violence at the Capitol on January 6?

JACK SMITH, ATTORNEY AND FORMER SPECIAL COUNSEL FOR THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE: So our view of the evidence was that he caused it, and that he exploited it, and that it was foreseeable to him.

The decision to bring charges against President Trump was mine. But the basis for those charges rests entirely with President Trump and his actions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: We almost never see this. Jack Smith actually speaks. He stands firm against attacks from House Republicans. This video was just released. We'll show it to you and give you the background story when we come back.

[21:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MICHAELSON: As Americans prepared to ring in the New Year on a day when most people weren't paying much attention, the House Judiciary Committee released hours and hours of testimony from former Special Counsel, Jack Smith. That release includes eight hours of video and the transcript of Smith's closed-door congressional hearing from last month. At the time, Smith asks that his testimony be conducted publicly, like previous special counsels.

Smith repeatedly placed the blame for charges related to Donald Trump's retention of classified documents, and attempts to overturn the 2020 election, squarely on the now President of the United States.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: The evidence here made clear that President Trump was, by a large measure, the most culpable and most responsible person in this conspiracy. These crimes were committed for his benefit. The attack that happened at the Capitol, as part of this case, does not happen without him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So did you develop evidence that President Trump was responsible for the violence at the Capitol on January 6?

SMITH: So our view of the evidence was that he caused it, and that he exploited it, and that it was foreseeable to him.

The decision to bring charges against President Trump was mine. But the basis for those charges rests entirely with President Trump and his actions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: My legal source is former Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Tom Dupree.

Tom, what did we learn new from all these hours of Jack Smith testifying?

TOM DUPREE, FORMER U.S. DEPUTY ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL: Well, in some respects, the most interesting thing we learned was we got a bit of insight into Jack Smith himself.

Throughout this prosecution, he really stayed behind the scenes. He didn't give a lot of press conferences. He was kind of a man of few words, who might appear from time to time at a hearing.

But this testimony was really the first opportunity, I think, the American people had, to hear from him, at length. Over eight hours of testimony, it's available on video, to really see and hear directly from Jack Smith, about the evidence he collected, and why he took the particular investigatory steps he took.

So, in some respects, the most important thing we learned was about the prosecutor himself, and what led him to make the decisions that he did. MICHAELSON: And let's hear more from him directly, about what he saw as the strength of the January 6 case against President Trump. Here's some of that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: One of the strengths of our case and why we felt we had such strong proof is our witnesses were not going to be political enemies of the President. They were going to be political allies.

[21:25:00]

We had numerous witnesses who would say, I voted for President Trump, I campaigned for President Trump, I wanted him to win.

The Speaker of the House in Arizona. The Speaker of the House in Michigan. We had an elector in Pennsylvania who is a former Congressman, who is going to be an elector for President Trump, who said that what they were trying to do was an attempt to overthrow the government and illegal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Of course, he never got to put that case before a jury. Based off of your experience of running prosecutions, did Smith have the goods for a conviction against President Trump, if he did?

DUPREE: He certainly had a lot of evidence. It's always hard to make a judgment or a prediction or speculation about how a jury would have reacted to that evidence, particularly since the jury would also be hearing evidence that would support the defense, and hearing arguments from the defense.

But I will say this. That clip we just played, where we heard Jack Smith talk about how a lot of his evidence was from individuals who were supportive of President Trump. That argument I know, really resonates in the ears of a lot of prosecutors, a lot of Justice Department alums, because what it says is it says that the evidence Smith was going to use, to prove his case, did not come from people who had an axe to grind with Trump, his political foes.

To the contrary, they came from people who were supportive of the President, who are loyal Republicans, who are conservatives, and had no motive in the world to lie or to otherwise do in President Trump, but they were simply testifying as to what they saw and heard around the days that surrounded January 6.

MICHAELSON: And you think back at the January 6 committee, they went out of their way to highlight Republican after Republican. Barely heard from any Democrats with that period of time.

So, we've heard about this concept of Smith potentially getting prosecuted himself. Some have warned against that. Is there anything that would potentially be actionable against him? Should he be worried? DUPREE: Well, look, he clearly was taking a risk, and he knew it when he went to testify. President Trump has made no secret about his desire to see Jack Smith prosecuted, if at all possible.

And look, anytime someone testifies under oath, at least in theory, you're running the risk that someone could later accuse you of committing perjury or making a false statement.

I didn't hear anything, and I certainly haven't seen any claims that he did say anything that could subject him to criminal liability during his deposition testimony. To the contrary, it seemed as though the questions that he got, even from Republicans, were, for the most part, thoughtful, respectful.

I thought there were actually some very useful and helpful exchanges that we heard. Questions from Republicans, from Democrats. I thought it was good that they gave Jack Smith a chance to actually speak and explain himself. It's something that doesn't always happen at congressional hearings and depositions. But we heard a lot about from his perspective, about what led him to build his case, and what led him to take the investigative steps that he did.

MICHAELSON: And of course, the Trump administration is going after James Comey for what they say was lying under oath. So, to your point about the risk of that, that is something that prosecutors can go after you for. We'll see if that case is successful. So far, it has not been.

Tom, thank you so much for sharing your perspective. Really appreciate it.

DUPREE: Thank you.

MICHAELSON: Tonight. Another performer closes the curtain on the Kennedy Center, or the Trump-Kennedy Center, not sure what to call it. This time, it is the composer of the smash-hit "Wicked," now refusing to step inside the venue in protest of the renaming of the Center.

I will speak live with one of the artists who has canceled a concert there. Is she concerned about getting sued? Stay with us.

[21:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MICHAELSON: Tonight, the Oscar-winning composer behind "Wicked" says he will no longer step foot inside the newly-renamed Trump-Kennedy Center, after the Center's Board of Trustees added President Trump's name to the landmark performing arts institution, last month. In a statement to CNN, Schwartz told us the Center, quote, "Is no longer apolitical, and appearing there has become an ideological statement."

In the wake of that sudden name change, several other artists have pulled out of Kennedy Center appearances, including my next guest. Singer-songwriter, Kristy Lee, canceled her performance scheduled for January 14th. She joins me live tonight. Kristy, tell us more about your decision. Why cancel?

KRISTY LEE, SINGER-SONGWRITER, SINGER-SONGWRITER WHO CANCELED KENNEDY CENTER PERFORMANCE: Well, when I made my decision, it was, in all honesty, behind closed doors. It was a private conversation. I didn't really intend it to become a public conversation.

When I stepped away, it was just from my own personal choice. Followed my -- I just wanted -- I've been raised to follow my gut through life. And it just, it didn't sit right with me, the name change, going around Congress, I didn't feel like it represented who I am. And I have to stay true to myself.

MICHAELSON: I mean, you said in a statement that this -- your decision is not meant to hurt the Kennedy Center staff. But doesn't it?

[21:35:00]

LEE: Man, you know, I feel like I -- I see where you're coming from with that. Because, I guess, everybody, pretty much got the -- the slate got wiped clean and restructured. I don't know, I guess maybe there's a small part of me that's holding out some hope for a little bit of integrity to bleed through into what's going on.

MICHAELSON: So, the Center's President, Ric Grenell, is now threatening a million-dollar lawsuit against jazz musician, Chuck Redd, who pulled out of the Christmas Eve Jazz Jam.

Are you worried about a potential lawsuit against you?

LEE: Well, personally, I'm not, because I don't really have much to take. So, I've already said it out loud that if somebody were to come after me, they might get a fishing pole or two, and that's about it. Outside of that, I got a couple of good old dogs and maybe a good bottle of whiskey.

MICHAELSON: But Grenell has sort of made the point that this is unfair. He put -- let's put this up -- on X, he said, Boycotting the Arts to show you support the Arts is a form of derangement syndrome.

What do you say to that?

LEE: I just think it's silly, you know? I never thought that, you know, personally, I think there's a lot of us that never really thought we would hear some of the things that are coming out of the White House, or out of the powers that be.

I just can't even wrap my head around that kind of stuff, and I really don't spend too much time sitting in it, because it messes with my own personal peace, and I like to protect that. That's extremely important to me. It's more important than letting in noise that's poisonous.

MICHAELSON: So, are there any conditions where you would go back there?

LEE: Absolutely. I believe that what's happened is it's highly illegal, and I don't think that we live in a fully lawless country. At least I'm holding out hope for that. So, I anticipate that, at some point, the Kennedy Center will return back, to its rightful place, its rightful owners, which are, the people. Not some graffiti that's--

MICHAELSON: All right. Kristy Lee--

LEE: --currently sitting on it.

MICHAELSON: Kristy Lee, thanks for sharing your perspective. We appreciate it.

LEE: Hey, thanks for having me. I'm thankful to be here.

MICHAELSON: Up next. As we approach one year since the fires that left a gaping wound, here in L.A. County, homeowners are still demanding to know how in the world, two entire neighborhoods quite literally burned to the ground. One of the people looking into that in charge of the response will join us next live.

[21:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MICHAELSON: As I hosted the Rose Parade yesterday, here in California, there was one moment you may have missed. When two people on a float for wildfire survivors unfurled this banner for the world to see, that says, quote, AG Bonta Altadena Demands An Investigation.

Moments after the float passed by the cameras, one person walking with the float confiscated the sign. Demonstrators, however, believe that they got their message across to the State Attorney General.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GINA CLAYTON-JOHNSON, EATON FIRE VICTIM: We had unfurled the banner at the moment we hoped that cameras would see it. And so, once that happened, we were, you know, we felt satisfied with that.

It is the Attorney General whose job it is to investigate where and when there have been violations of laws and the dispensation of emergency services, evacuation -- evacuations, and also civil rights violations.

Altadena is a historically black community that was underserved in this fire. And people died.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Remember, nearly one year ago, the Eaton and Palisades fires killed more than 30 people, destroyed thousands of homes in L.A. County. Much of Altadena was turned into a wasteland. Many residents still are displaced. That's why the sign on the Rising Together float, a tribute to the fire victims, was such a potent message for some.

My source tonight oversees the community of Altadena. She's essentially like the mayor there. L.A. County Supervisor, Kathryn Barger, joins us live now from Downtown L.A.

Supervisor, it's first time I've gotten to say this. Welcome to CNN.

KATHRYN BARGER, LOS ANGELES COUNTY SUPERVISOR: Thank you, Elex. It's good to be on with you, and it's good to actually be interviewed by -- I've missed you. I really have missed you.

MICHAELSON: We've been together many years before, in the local level.

BARGER: Yes.

MICHAELSON: So, you were also at yesterday's parade, riding in a car with the Mayor of Pasadena. That part was not controversial. What did you make of the protesters' message, when you heard about it? Was that the right place to do this?

BARGER: I have to tell you, it's not -- I can only imagine the anger and frustration. I've talked to many survivors who, some are rebuilding. One family, I was at their home, they've moved into their home. There is a lot of angst and frustration within the community.

And so, I personally don't think it was the time or place. But let me just tell you that I'm not -- I'm not angry, I'm not upset. Because, they have to do what they have to do, and that is to display their frustration and anger.

But I can tell you, we are doing a full investigation. Everything is going to be transparent. And I would welcome A.G. Bonta to review all the documents that we have, as we move this investigation forward, because people deserve to have answers. There is no question about it.

[21:45:00]

MICHAELSON: Well, and our team reached out directly to Attorney General Rob Bonta's office. This is what they told us, that they're, quote, Unable to comment on, even to confirm or deny, potential or ongoing investigations.

Do you believe wildfire survivors deserve more transparency than that statement, which sounds like it was written by a lawyer?

BARGER: Well, what I will tell you is, from L.A. County standpoint, the survivors need and deserve transparency and deserve answers. That is why we commissioned the McChrystal report.

The McChrystal report came back, but we found that that report, which was commissioned by my request, while the fire was still being fought, quite frankly, because we were having so many problems with the evacuation notification system. But that led us to ask more questions.

And when the state released their report, there were huge gaps between the McChrystal report and what the state sent down as it relates to their review. So, this fire chief, end of November, is looking at both the personnel as well as procedural issues as it relates to the fire department. We are not going to leave any stone unturned. And so, again, I cannot blame or be angry with any of the survivors, because they have suffered. They have lost their homes. They have lost, some of them, everything. And it's important for me to hold up and keep my word, as it relates to transparency, and I'm going to continue to do that. And I will hold my head high and say that I am fighting for every single survivor up there.

And equity is an issue, East versus West Side in Altadena, and we're going to make sure that the people that feel that they were forgotten get answers. It may not be the answer they want to hear, but we will make sure that we provide all documentation and all support as it relates to what the findings are.

MICHAELSON: Based off of what you have seen so far, was this fire preventable?

BARGER: Well, I believe it was. Based on what I know, and that is the line that was in the Eaton Canyon that's owned by Edison, clearly, that is where the starting point was.

And it is truly unfortunate that Edison did not decommission that line. That night, we had winds that were like nothing I've ever experienced, and I've lived here my whole life, exceeding 100 miles per hour in some cases. And it should have been a commonsense thing done by the utility company. So, in my opinion, it could and should have been prevented.

MICHAELSON: That's quite something to hear you say that. That also could be a very expensive thing for Edison, depending on how this goes down the line with the courts.

Let's talk for a moment about the state response and the federal response. You've worked closely with both President Trump and Governor Newsom. You invited President Trump here, helped to coordinate his visit here.

What sort of grade would you give each of them, in terms of the way that they've responded? And have they kept up their promises that they made about a year ago, when they said that they were going to do everything to help?

BARGER: So, we'll start with the state. The Governor and the representatives that represent the Altadena area have been phenomenal. Signed executive orders immediately that provided us with the support, both financial, but also as it relates to laws that could impact the rebuilding effort in Altadena. Did that immediately.

We've created a district that's going to allow all tax dollars to remain in Altadena, passed by the state senator that represents Altadena, and signed by the governor immediately. So, I would give an A, as it relates to the job the state's doing.

Federal government. Quite frankly, President Trump, when he was out here, said when he heard it was going to be 18 months to clear the lots, said, that is unacceptable. It was done in less than a year, and that is including the hazardous waste cleanup that needed to be done. And then, FEMA and the EPA -- and the small -- SBA have been phenomenal. So, up to this point, I would -- I would say that they have held up their part of the bargain.

But now, we have to roll up our sleeves. We need to look at HUD to get some Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Relief Funds. We need to look at FEMA to help us and get reimbursed for the cost for replacement of some of the facilities that we're entitled to, under FEMA regulations. And so, it remains to be seen.

But I am all about working together. My constituents expect us. They don't care, Republican, Democrat, Independent. Our job is to deliver, and that's what I'm going to do.

MICHAELSON: So far, Congress has not passed additional relief for our region. We'll see if that indeed happens.

[21:50:00]

Kathryn Barger, the only Republican on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, which puts her in a unique position to deal with both President Trump, and Governor Newsom.

Really appreciate the time, Supervisor.

BARGER: Yes.

MICHAELSON: Thank you so much. And Happy New Year to you.

BARGER: Thank you, Elex. Take care.

MICHAELSON: Coming up. There is a new battle over taxing the rich, and it is pitting Governor Newsom against his own party. That's next.

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[21:55:00]

MICHAELSON: As Mayor Zohran Mamdani vows to tax the rich in New York. Here in California, the battle to make billionaires pay up has just begun.

This week, San Francisco venture capitalist, David Sacks, opened up a new office in Austin, Texas, and said that he has personally moved there in the wake of a proposed wealth tax in California. Other tech billionaires, like Peter Thiel, and Larry Page, the co-founder of Google, have also threatened to flee.

The proposal, which is being pushed by a health care union, calls for a one-time 5 percent wealth tax on residents with more than $1 billion in net worth. If it gets enough signatures to reach the state ballot in November and wins approval, it will retroactively apply to anyone who has lived in California, as of January 1st of this year, which is why these guys moved December 31st.

Silicon Valley investors opposed to the idea have a surprising figure on their side. California's Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, who faces quite the dilemma if he becomes Candidate Newsom for President.

Wall Street Journal editorial board put it this way. Quote, "As he gears up for a presidential bid, Mr. Newsom has some choices to make between the California left and the centrist voters he'd need to win nationally. Does he worry more about losing progressives, or the taxpayers who bankroll his state?"

My source tonight is Christopher Cadelago, POLITICO's California Editorial Director, who has covered Governor Newsom for many years.

Chris, welcome to CNN.

CHRISTOPHER CADELAGO, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, CALIFORNIA, POLITICO: Thank you so much.

MICHAELSON: Well, Governor Newsom has been fighting against this wealth tax concept for years, by the way. How does his likely presidential run impact the political calculus on all this?

CADELAGO: As you say, this is not a new position for the Governor. I think that governors in California often come out against sort of ballot box budgeting because of the impact that it has on the state budget. It creates all kinds of carve-outs for various special interests. In this case, like you said, it's a health care union that's pushing this forward.

I think the important thing to understand in California, over the next few months, is this may actually divide unions, and you may start to see some unions come out on the side of Newsom here, because they'll be pushing for a higher renewal of the income and sales tax in California, and that's something that the Governor is clearly behind.

I think when you look at it from a national standpoint, I kind of liken it to the Medicare for All single-payer issue, where Gavin Newsom is pro single payer, pro Medicare for All, for all intents and purposes, from a national standpoint, but opposed to it in California, or just doesn't see it as realistic.

It's not even so much being opposed. You saw the Biden administration would not have gone for it. Of course, now with Trump in the White House, getting waivers (ph) is just not going to happen in California.

And so, I think don't be surprised if some sort of tax -- progressive tax system is part of the 2028 platform that Newsom puts out, despite being opposed to the wealth tax in the state.

MICHAELSON: Well, that's interesting. And we're about to see him on the national stage. He's got a book coming out, in February, going to be doing a big cross-country book tour. What do we expect to learn about him from that?

CADELAGO: So, this book, we've been talking to folks for a long time about this upcoming book, the date of which has been pushed back several times, probably to Newsom's benefit, given that the environment--

MICHAELSON: For years, it's been pushed back. I remember talking to him about this, a couple years ago.

CADELAGO: Yes, and the environment was so rocky, and now folks are finally looking at Gavin Newsom, so it's sort of the perfect time for him to put this out.

My understanding is this is not a book about his record. This is not even really a book about being governor. This is really going back to the backstory of Gavin Newsom.

And I think the other interesting thing is, look out for what they do with this book tour. Newsom really tries to innovate on some of these things. And I think getting outside of those like major blue population centers, the big cities, and trying to get into other parts of the country to see like -- and really, like, show folks that you can draw a crowd and some -- maybe even some of these red areas, is something he's going to -- he's going to want to do.

And I would -- I would look for sort of that sort of thing to come out from him with this book. And I think it'll make a ton of headlines. Right? We're all interested in the marriage to Kimberly Guilfoyle, and all the trials and tribulations and all the lessons he's learned. Let's see how honest he is in this assessment.

MICHAELSON: And Chris, you know the Governor as well as anybody. The California Political Playbook covers him as much as anybody. What do you think for this national audience is the biggest misconception about Governor Newsom?

CADELAGO: I think folks will start to see some of these issues people associate with California. And this is what I look for in this last year of his governorship. Next week is going to be a really big week for him. Not only is it the, you know, he's going to go back and toward the fire areas. He's got a State of the State address, and then he's got a budget presentation.

[22:00:00]

And I think what he's going to try to show, in addition to this victory in redistricting and Prop 50 against Republicans nationally, is that some of these kind of big ideas he's put forth in the state are still in the process, and I think he's going to try to show some success in those.

And so, a lot of it comes back to he's definitely more of a policy wonk than I think people think, and I think that's what he's trying to portray.

MICHAELSON: Yes.

CADELAGO: We just saw a long interview he did with Ezra Klein.

MICHAELSON: Sure.

CADELAGO: And so, that will be the part, I think, he's trying to emphasize.

MICHAELSON: Chris, thank you so much. Really appreciate it.

Thanks for joining me here on THE SOURCE.

I'll be back in two hours for my regular gig, anchoring "THE STORY IS" which airs every weeknight at 12:00 a.m. Eastern, 9 o'clock to a 11:00 p.m. here on the West Coast.

In the meantime, "CNN NEWSNIGHT WITH ABBY PHILLIP" starts right now.