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The Lead with Jake Tapper

Now, Peak Day For Air Travel As Millions Head Out; Americans In Limbo As White House Delays Healthcare Announcement; Oldest Survivor of Tulsa Race Massacre Dies at 111; Kentucky Governor Beshear Says "We'll See" About Potential 2028 Run; Trump Pardons Keep "Gooble" and "Waddle" Off The Menu. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired November 25, 2025 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:00]

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: Welcome to the lead. I'm Erica Hill in for Jake Tapper.

This hour, the rush is on, millions of Americans battling long lines and severe weather. Today marks the busiest day of the Thanksgiving travel period. And after some serious issues earlier today, a line of storms is set to cause even more problems tomorrow. We are live at the airports and in the CNN Weather Center tonight.

Plus, brand new numbers show Americans growing even more concerned about the state of the economy. Now, the data shows what many of us see when we go to the store that the cost of goods is going up. We're going to break down what all of this data means for your wallet.

And one of the most influential organizations in Republican politics is starting to set the table for 2028. We'll tell you which candidate the group is preparing to support after President Trump leaves the White House.

And gobble and waddle, served up pardons at the White House today, but only after another very important tradition. We're going to take you behind the scenes with the Willard Hotel to show you where these birds enjoy a little quality R&R ahead of their big day,

The Lead tonight, the severe weather, which is already causing major issues as millions of Americans hit the roads and take to the skies for their holiday celebrations. Atlanta's airport, the busiest in the United States, is recovering from severe thunderstorm warnings that even forced air traffic controllers today to evacuate their tower. And a potent winter storm is poised to cause even more flight delays and potentially jam up the roads from New York to Ohio, Michigan into the Dakotas. The FAA expects this is actually going to be the biggest -- busiest, rather, Thanksgiving travel period that we've seen in 15 years, and today the busiest day of them all.

CNN's Derek Van Dam is tracking the latest forecast for us from the CNN Weather Center. We're going to kick things off though with our friend, Pete Muntean, who is at Reagan National Airport just outside of Washington, D.C. How is it looking for travelers at this hour, Pete? PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: You know, I just checked the live road traffic right now, a lot of red on the map for folks trying to get to the airport, although things pretty smooth once you get inside the airport. The Terminal 2 TSA checkpoint here, the north terminal checkpoint, is moving pretty smooth, the wait time, about five minutes, according to Reagan National Airport. 2.7 million people anticipated to be screened at checkpoints like this one across the country when the day is said and done. The big day is still ahead though. Sunday will be the biggest of the Thanksgiving rush, everybody coming home all at once. That's when TSA anticipates screening 3 million people in total.

A thing to underscore here is that the cancellations today have remained only in the dozens, but the delays really climbed into the thousands. This is the departures board here at DCA. You can see some yellow around Atlanta. The hangover from the problems there earlier today when the control tower had to close down for about ten minutes, could be completely evacuated, a condition called ATC0, because of heavy winds and severe storms there.

I've spoken to travelers here today from North Carolina, from Texas going to Michigan, they say they're really taking all of these snags today in stride. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was a 70-passenger plane with 50 people on it. So, it was like, actually, I don't know. I expected it to be packed and it was not. So, that was great.

MUNTEAN: Pretty easy day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. I don't know why we've been taking the car for years instead of just flying here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You got to flexible and roll with it. And if opportunity presents, which was this, because it was nonstop, I took it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Be patient. That's the key. Just be patient. Go with the flow.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don't check bags in. It'll save you some time. Travel light if possible, but also, you know, be kind to others. Let people pass if they're trying to catch a quick connection and, yes, just keep it simple.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MUNTEAN: Here's the deal. We could see some grounds stops according to the Federal Aviation Administration as the day and the night goes on here at Reagan National Airport that's on the list, Philadelphia, also the three New York airports, Newark Liberty, LaGuardia, and JFK also in Atlanta. Again, not totally out of the woods yet, and still some bad weather out there. Of course, a lot of people are going to consider driving instead. And AAA says, of the 80 million people, it anticipates traveling 50 miles or more during this Thanksgiving rush, about 90 percent of them will drive.

Right now is kind of the worst time. The confluence of folks going home from school or maybe even going home from work, if they were working today, combined with holiday travel, it can really pump up the normal traffic to about four times the norm when it all meets together. So, if you're going to leave tomorrow, leave early in the day, AAA says, or consider waiting until Thanksgiving day when things are a lot more smooth.

HILL: That's what my grandparents did for years.

[18:05:01]

They would drive Thursday morning. And I like that advice. Keep it simple and be kind, from that traveler you spoke with. Pete, thank you.

Well, this blast of Arctic Cold air that is set to sweep across the country could really have an impact on holiday travel, both in the skies and on the roads. A number of states are already under winter weather alerts as this large system moves through into the East Coast. Look at that there.

CNN's Derek Van Dam is tracking it for us in the CNN Weather Center. Derek?

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Erica, it's certainly challenging holiday travel conditions across the Deep South. Remember earlier this morning we had a ground stop at Atlanta's Hartsfield Jackson International Airport because of strong thunderstorms that move through.

Now, we've got a renewed threat of additional thunderstorms to the west of Atlanta Metropolitan, highlighting this area across Central Alabama, damaging winds, a couple of tornadoes, large hail cannot be ruled out, according to the storm prediction center. It's part of a larger storm system that's over spreading rain to the East Coast.

I'm going to stop this high res forecast radar imagery at 7:00 A.M. tomorrow morning. JFK to Boston, all the way to the nation's capital could be some rain impacting I-95 corridor and some of the airports there, and then we start to see the cold air wrapping behind it, helping kick in the lake-effect snow machine. We have several states with winter weather alerts. We won't be measuring this in inches. This will be in feet for some locations across Northern Michigan, Wisconsin, and into portions of Minnesota, several inches of snow for Western Michigan as well.

So, potentially, some travel delays at the airports, O'Hare on Wednesday, LaGuardia to Boston, all the way down to the nation's capital. But by Thursday, Thanksgiving day, that cold front responsible for the wild weather moves off the East Coast, we can breathe a sigh of relief because things are going to clear out with the exception of some shower and thunderstorm weather across Southern Florida as the tail end of that cold front moves through. But it's going to dramatically cool our temperatures bringing us back to more seasonable daytime highs as we end off the holiday week. Erica?

HILL: All right. Derek, I appreciate it, thank you.

Joining me now, the international president for the Association of Flight Attendants, Sara Nelson, and Expedia travel expert Christie Hudson. It's good to see you both.

So, Sara, it has now been 12 days since the government officially reopened following the longest shutdown in history. Is air travel finally back to normal?

SARA NELSON, INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT, ASSOCIATION OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS: Air travel is not going to be back to normal for quite some time. And the weather combined with the stretched staffing both at TSA and at our air traffic control is going to make things a little bit harder. So, if things are slowed down, that's for safety. And people really need to remember that give themselves plenty of time when they're coming to the airport.

Looking ahead, also checking your flight ahead of time, making sure that you're packing in layers, you're bringing your empty water bottle to fill on the other side of security, and making sure that you're packing your bag from an empty bag so that you don't have any prohibited items that would slow you down too.

HILL: Yes, you don't want to slow you down, and the people behind you don't want that either. Christie, for travelers who may be impacted, you know, Sara mentioned the weather, there could be some slowdowns as well, if a flight is severely delayed or canceled, what about a refund? How should they handle that?

CHRISTIE HUDSON, EXPEDIA TRAVEL EXPERT: Yes. There are a few things you can do to be prepared. Luckily, cancelations are statistically pretty rare, delays, not so much. So, if you do find yourself this weekend on a canceled flight or you are going to miss a connection, there's a couple things you can do. First is get where you're going. So, go speak to the gate agent. At the same time that you're waiting for the gate agent, pull open the airline app and start a chat with a representative or call to see who can get you sorted first.

Another thing you're going to want to do is call your hotel or your car rental company and let them know if you're going to miss a pickup window or miss your check-in time so that you're not marked a no-show and forfeiting those reservations. A lot of times you are, going to be eligible for some kind of compensation or accommodation if you are canceled. Delays, it depends how severe the delay is.

HILL: All right. So, as we look at all of that, you know, the transportation department launched a nationwide campaign urging travelers to improve their behavior. Here's a little bit of what Secretary Duffy had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN DUFFY, TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: I would encourage people to maybe dress a little better, which encourages us to maybe behave all a little better. Let's try not to wear slippers and pajamas as we come to the airport.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Don't come in your P.J.s, be nicer to everybody. Sara, do you think these suggestions, in all seriousness, could that help to improve air travel? We're looking at some live pictures here of Reagan National right now.

NELSON: Encouragement to be kind and nice to each other is a very good thing. It's a really important thing to remember. We do this magic of flight by coming together with a little bit of solidarity understanding, though we're checking a little bit of our own freedoms in a small amount of space, we got to put our tray table up. We got to have our seat belts on. We got to stow our bags and make sure that you're not putting coats in the overhead bins where someone's bag could go so your coat's going to get squashed.

[18:10:05]

Just be thoughtful about the people around you. It's going to go a lot further. And flight attendants really would just like to encourage people to keep their shoes and socks on. It's good for your safety. It's easier for getting through the airport, and we're all going to be a lot happier on board.

HILL: I will second that. I may not be a flight attendant, but as a frequent traveler, yes, please keep your shoes and socks on.

Really quickly, Christie, before I let you go, when we look at the roads we heard the numbers there earlier. I think at this point, at least 73 million people expected to travel by car overall this holiday. When it comes to severe weather, any advice for families who can't escape traveling on these busy times?

HUDSON: Yes, everything is just going to take longer. So, build in that time when you're leaving home, leave in the wee hours of the morning. Reserve your parking spot ahead of time so that there's smoother travels there. Make sure you're bringing a carry-on instead of checking a bag. That helps you skip an entire queue at the airport. So, all of these little things can really pile up to make sure that you're optimizing your time, you're going to get through security as fast as possible and then just be patient.

HILL: There you go. And maybe pack a snack never hurts. Sara Nelson, Christie Hudson, thank you both. Happy Thanksgiving.

NELSON: Thanks, Erica. Thank your crews. And thank you. Happy Thanksgiving.

HILL: Well, as President Trump makes his way to Florida to celebrate Thanksgiving, will he be working on his new healthcare proposal that was expected to be announced yesterday, that's next.

Plus, we are digging into the best ways you can save money as you put the final touches on your Thanksgiving feast. A couple of tips and tricks for you just ahead. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:15:00]

HILL: In our Politics Lead, moments ago, I spoke with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, where his reaction to news that President Trump had postponed revealing his healthcare plan following some pushback from House Republicans. Here's what the minority leader said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): It appeared as if the president and the administration was prepared to extend these tax credits for at least two years, or at least provide a good faith proposal for Congress to consider until House Republicans, led by Speaker Johnson, apparently intervened because they have zero interest in keeping healthcare affordable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: CNN's Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins joining me now with more. So, I should point out to Senator Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire told me a short time ago that there have been bipartisan conversations in both the Senate and the House, which begs the question, is the president planning to work on this potential plan over the holiday, Kaitlan?

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, and the question is also just how big and bipartisan that is. I mean, certainly there have been these conversations, but it doesn't appear clear at all that Republicans at least have garnered around or gathered around some deal where they can be united on when it comes to what to do about healthcare costs and these subsidies specifically.

And so whether or not this is something that the president is working on while he spends the next few days at Mar-a-Lago, you can see here is Air Force One at Joint base Andrews and the president and the first lady are about to arrive there before they head to Florida, that's a big question.

And there's not a lot of time, Erica, because we do know that the majority leader over in the Senate, John Thune, has promised to bring a vote on healthcare subsidies to the Senate floor in December, I believe, around the second week was the timeframe that lawmakers had said they believed is when that would happen. I've heard from Republicans who say they expect at the same time that they bring a vote on the extension of these healthcare subsidies to the floor for a vote that Republicans also want to present their own plan.

But I think the huge question tonight that still is unanswered in Washington is what that plan is going to look like. Because right now, there's a lot of House Republicans who do not want to extend the Obamacare subsidies, and the House speaker, Mike Johnson, has made pretty clear he doesn't think that there is a lot of appetite among his caucus for that. And so that's a huge question in terms of what actually this is going to look like because there have even been House Republicans who before have railed against Obamacare, likened it to a disaster, who said they could get behind a two-year extension of some of these subsidies, changing it a little bit from the threshold that has been in place for the last few years. But it's still an open question of whether or not that is something they can do.

And I think the president delaying rolling out his own healthcare proposals this week really, Erica, just exposes the huge divisions within the Republican Party about what exactly to do here. But they don't have a lot of time. I mean, by the time they're back in Washington after the Thanksgiving break, this is going to come to a head at that point.

HILL: Yes, that clock is ticking and it is getting louder by the day. Kaitlan, I appreciate it. Thank you.

You can catch more of Kaitlan's reporting on her show, The Source with Kaitlan Collins tonight and every weeknight at 9:00 Eastern right here on CNN.

At 111 years old, the oldest survivor of the Tulsa race massacre has died. But Viola Fletcher's fight for justice is still very much alive. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:20:00]

HILL: A truly remarkable 111 years old. Viola Fletcher was the oldest survivor of the Tulsa Race massacre. She recently died. She took her traumatic childhood though, and she turned it into action, pursuing justice for one of the worst episodes of racial violence in American history.

CNN's Omar Jimenez sat down with Fletcher multiple times throughout her final year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VIOLA FLETCHER, TULSA RACE MASSACRE SURVIVOR: No, that's just what we're here for is for justice.

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): She was known as Mother Fletcher, the oldest living survivor of the Tulsa race massacre. Viola Ford Fletcher was seven years old at the time, but the memory, even over a century later, never faded.

What do you remember about the time?

FLETCHER: People getting killed and houses, property, schools, churches, and stores getting destroyed with fire and it just stays with me, you know? It's just the fear that I have lived in Tulsa since, but I don't sleep all night living there. JIMENEZ: In 1921, a rumor, a black man assaulted a white woman ended in a white mob destroying Tulsa's Greenwood neighborhood, a thriving black-owned business district at the time. Thousands of black residents were arrested, while others were robbed, beaten, and killed.

Fletcher was born in Oklahoma, and in the decades since the massacre, she's largely stayed silent, fearful of retaliation for even speaking of the violence that changed her life forever. But those years of silence eventually powered her voice.

FLETCHER: I'm asking my country to acknowledge what happened in Tulsa in 1921.

JIMENEZ: And she sat with CNN multiple times over the years.

[18:25:00]

FLETCHER: People getting shot and falling dead.

JIMENEZ: She and the other living survivors at the time were pursuing a lawsuit against the city of Tulsa and other related departments alleging they were complicit in the 1921 massacre and that its effects were still being felt today. They argued they should be compensated by the city for damages.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Make us whole. That's all we ask.

JIMENEZ: Fletcher's brother, Hughes Van Ellis, died waiting on that justice in October 2023 at the age of 102. The Oklahoma Supreme Court dismissed their case in 2024. Now, 111-year-old Lessie Bennigfield Randle is the only living survivor. When she learned the news of Fletcher's passing, she said, that breaks my heart. I will miss her dearly, God bless her, as was relayed to CNN by her granddaughter. And Fletcher's grandson, Ike Howard, told CNN in part, maybe she was given more years so she could bear witness, so she could help us all understand and heal.

The last time I sat with her, her hearing wasn't always perfect, but as we wrapped up --

you look great, you sound great.

FLETCHER: Well, good.

JIMENEZ: Oh, you heard that?

Viola Ford Fletcher, 111 years old.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JIMENEZ (on camera): And those smiles come with a pain. Her family says she could never truly escape and one they hope this country never forgets. And, yes, her legacy will continue through the Viola Ford Fletcher Foundation, but it's also reflected in the title of the memoir she wrote with her grandson, don't let them bury my story. I want to read just a quick bit of it because I think it captures who she was, saying, it's easy to be consumed by the darkness, to feel small in the face of adversity, but you are not small. And it goes on to say, hold on to hope, stay true to yourself, and never let anyone bury your story. Erica?

HILL: Omar, thank you. Such an important reminder and such an remarkable legacy.

Still to come here, the new numbers that show how Americans are really feeling about the economy despite assurances from the president that this is currently the, quote, greatest economy in history.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:30:00]

HILL: In our Money Lead, despite President Trump's repeated assurances that we have the greatest economy ever, Americans aren't buying it. According to the confidence board's monthly survey, consumer confidence dropped dramatically this month. Take a look at that, hitting its lowest level since April when Trump first announced those sweeping tariffs up turning global markets.

CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich is here to break all this down. So, in terms of that confidence drop, just how much was it, Vanessa?

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Erica, we've been starved for new data and we got three new pieces of data today, but two of them are backwards-looking. Let's take a look at producer prices first. These are the price increases that businesses have been seeing, and in the month of September. You can see that prices increase for businesses 0.3 percent on an annual basis, up 0.2 percent. So, we're moving farther away from that 2 percent target of inflation that we normally like to see for businesses.

Also, one key category that is a little bit obscure but we're paying close attention to is final demand trade services. What that essentially shows is that the margins or the profits that businesses take home are shrinking. They shrunk in August and they're shrinking again by 0.2 percent in the month of September. That signals that businesses are absorbing a lot of those higher increases, higher prices, so that they don't have to pass those costs down to the consumer.

Speaking of the consumer, retail sales, again, backwards-looking, to the month of September, increasing by 0.2 percent, but look at that compared to where we saw retail sales over the summer, when it was a bit more robust, so a bit of a slowdown. But also if we just do a little bit of math, if we subtract the price increases, consumer price increases from the month of September, which we're up 0.3 percent, but we're subtracting that from sales, you actually get a decrease in retail sales by 0.1 percent in the month of September.

We also got consumer confidence. That is for November, so much more recent. In this consumer confidence survey, there's an opportunity for people to write in how they're feeling, what they're concerned about. Tariffs and trade was a big thing for people. Also prices and inflation, just talked about that. But we are still seeing that people are planning on spending at restaurants, bars, and they're going to do takeout. And that's an indication that people are still willing to spend a little bit. That's discretionary spending. That's usually where people start to cut first.

So, you can see a little bit of nervousness and a little bit of shaking confidence, but people still willing to show up in spend. That's the resiliency that we've been seeing for months now from the U.S. consumer. Got to wait and see how that really shapes up for the holidays, Erica.

HILL: All right. Vanessa, I appreciate it. Thank you.

Also in our Money Lead, how can you and your family save a little money on those last-minute Thanksgiving groceries? Taylor Haugen is a food and lifestyle TikToker showing how your family can have their favorite holiday foods while staying within your budget, and she joins us now. Taylor, it's great to have you here.

So, you know, a lot of people at this point, they are ready to go. They've done the planning, they may have done the shopping, and then let's say Thursday morning rolls around and there is a mishap in the kitchen, something goes terribly wrong. Is there any way to really avoid blowing the budget when you have to make an emergency fix?

TAYLOR HAUGEN, FOOD AND LIFESTYLE TIKTOKER: Yes. Thank you for having me here, Erica. On Thanksgiving especially, you should expect mishaps to happen. That's just how it goes. So, what I do every time before I shop, I make sure to check my pantry because every time I'm comparing my grocery list to my pantry or my fridge, I find things I totally forgot about.

So, you might be surprised when you are really messed something up, how you can fix it, like with stuffed stuffing in a box, you can just spruce this up with like sauteed celery or an onion.

[18:35:12]

And with most of my recipes, I'm always using onions. So, I know I have one of those laying around. It's soup season, so we are using plenty of celery. There -- it's going to feel disastrous and not good, but I full confidence that you can bring it back.

HILL: Right. Take a breath, you can bring it back. There's going to be something there, which is good to know.

It is -- I mean, I was just at -- I was at a grocery store two days ago and I feel like every time I go, there are little things that surprise me that have all of a sudden jumped in price. So many things are more expensive this year, and especially if you're cooking for a crowd. How have you changed your plans to try to make things a little bit more budget friendly? I know you told me in the break that you're hosting. HAUGEN: Yes, I am hosting, I -- saving money on groceries is my jam. That is what I do and share with, show people how to do. There are so many huge retailers who discounted their prices on groceries. So, when you go shopping for the necessities for those meals, you'll find that they reduce the prices for us. They are listening to us and a lot seem to be hearing us and want to help us.

So, even today, I went to Aldi, and all of, like the celery, the onions, the chicken broth, they were significantly reduced. And to make these beautiful meals, like this green bean casserole, you just need a few cans of green beans, cream of mushroom, and like a splash of milk, and it all comes together so beautifully. So, there are plenty ways. And you can also shop online now. You can see who has cheaper prices Aldi versus Walmart and all your other local stores.

HILL: So, you mentioned, though, you like to do a lot of that shopping, right, and put that information out there to your followers. I mean, what got you started on this road? What inspired you to start making this type of content?

HAUGEN: So, I first started posting because I saw how expensive school was, and that was terrifying. It also said lots of people drop out because they can't afford financing. And I -- that just absolutely terrified me. I saw people, I was like, I love to create. I'm going to start creating videos. I started showing my grocery halls, and people were asking me how I'm able to reduce the cost so significantly, and that's because I use the same ingredients across the different dinners, so that way we are eating homemade meals every night, but we still don't have to buy ten different ingredients for each meal.

HILL: Yes, the planning certainly goes a long way. Taylor, it's great to have you with us and Happy Thanksgiving.

HAUGEN: Yes. Thank you, Happy Thanksgiving.

HILL: Thanks so much.

Still ahead here, Democratic governor in a red state has some advice for his party on how to flip rural areas blue ahead of next year's midterms. But is anyone listening? Our panel weighs in.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:40:00]

HILL: In our Politics Lead, there are just 343 days until next year's crucial midterms. Yes, we have the countdown for you. You don't need to worry about keeping track. That, of course, will decide which party controls Congress during the final two years of President Trump's term. And while the 2028 presidential contest is still way far out on the political calendar, Vice President J.D. Vance just got a big boost from Charlie Kirk's widow, who is now, of course, the CEO of Turning Point USA, Erika Kirk. Here's what she told Megyn Kelly about supporting a possible Vance presidential campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ERIKA KIRK, CEO, TURNING POINT USA: Don't worry. It's already -- you know, it's in the works. But that was a thing that my husband was very direct about on. It was, interestingly enough, one of the last few conversations we had was how intentional he was about supporting J.D. for '28.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Back now with the panel to chew over some 2026, '28 trail mix, if you will. We're working through the food this week because it's Thanksgiving week. So, the vice president said he would wait until the midterms to talk to President Trump about running. President Trump, though, of course, weighed in, it was just last month, talking about who he would like to see take over the Republican Party. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: J.D., obviously, the vice president is great. I think Marco's great.

I think if they have a formed a group, it would be unstoppable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: So, T.W., having Turning Point lining up behind the vice president, great for the vice president, potentially perhaps not great for any other 2028 hopefuls who are not named J.D. Vance.

T.W. ARRIGHI, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: For sure, but there is a long way to go, I would just note. But it's not a surprise to me that Erika Kirk echoed what Charlie had said to her in support of J.D. Vance. He's been a J.D. Vance guy for a very long time. J.D. Vance is young. He understands the MAGA movement and he brings a new element to it, which is mostly a more intellectual flare to Trump's agenda, something that Charlie Kirk, a very well-read guy himself tried to do at rallies all over the country. J.D. is also a great debater, something Charlie relished.

So, it's no surprise to me that the Kirks and Turning Point are behind JD Vance. I think a large part of the party will be. But, again, there's a long way to go. So, we'll see how this all plays out. But there's no doubt if J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio teamed up, they'd be a force to be reckoned with.

HILL: There is a long way to go. So, before we get to 2028, of course, we have the 2026 midterms. Democrats really hoping to capitalize on the momentum that they saw those wins they had at the ballot box earlier this month. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, a Democrat in a red state, penned this advice for his party, quote, "Tackling affordability is not enough."

[18:45:01]

"To truly lead again," he writes, "Democrats must be the party of aspiration." Going on to say, "Another is to start talking like normal human beings again. We're not going to win the messaging battle if we say that Trump's policies make people, quote, 'food insecure.'"

He says people are hungry. Just say they're hungry.

Sabrina, is the governor right here, that it is more about just having a normal conversation. It is not just talking about affordability, but it's how you have that conversation. And is that enough to flip some rural areas blue as he claims?

SABRINA SINGH, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR & GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Yeah, he's right. He's absolutely right. And I think, you know, we kind of lost that in 2024. But I think, you know, during the presidential election. But I think this year, what you've seen is Democrats coalesce around very simplistic message that are resonating with Americans, when we talk about health care prices rising.

I mean, that is something that people are seeing when they are sitting down the kitchen table and trying to understand how to pay their bills, or you're talking about grocery prices rising. And so, you saw that whether it was in Virginia, New Jersey, or, of course, the mayor's race in New York City, this message has been distilled down to not just affordability, but really reaching Americans. I think all over the country and resonating with them.

But he's absolutely right, too. You know, we have to be focused on the midterms. And, you know, we can talk about 2028. It's a little bit like putting the Christmas tree before Thanksgiving right now. But we you know, as Democrats, we have to be laser-focused on the midterms because that could potentially win us back a chamber which gives us a lever of check and power in D.C., which we don't have right now.

HILL: You talk about the focus on the midterms, but of course, when you have a governor on you can't not ask him about whether he is considering a run for the White House. That happened earlier today on CNN. Here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. ANDY BESHEAR (D), KENTUCKY: I'll sit down with my family and we'll see. We need to not only win this next presidential election, but we need to heal this country, make things less partisan, and restore that American dream for each and every family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: So, he didn't say no, T.W. It's important to note. We do know California Governor Gavin Newsom is considering a run. Who would Republicans rather run against, Newsom or Beshear?

T.W. ARRIGHI, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Oh, boy. Newsom is such a lightning rod in our party, and he's so visible. And I think there's a lot of people on the left who find him a little shifty. So, I would suspect Newsom.

But at the same time, I don't think Beshear is exactly an electrifying figure. Not only that, I don't think he'll win the nomination because his party has moved so far to the left of him, especially in the wake of Mamdani. He's not going to sniff the nomination in my estimation, this far out.

So, I think I would take my chances against either of them. If the ticket is J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio or any other number of Republicans, whether it be Mike Pompeo, whether it be Governor DeSantis, whether it be any number of people, I like our chances first, either of those two guys.

HILL : You know, there's been a lot of speculation about whether D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser would seek a fourth term. She said, no, Sabrina, how much do you think, that the Trump administration sending the National Guard into the nation's capital may have played a role in her decision?

SINGH: You know, I think part of it is also being a mayor of a city like Washington, D.C. is really hard. And you're not just seeing, you know, someone like Muriel Bowser step down, but you're seeing members of Congress also make the choice to retire early. In fact, and as Marjorie Taylor Greene just retired on Friday because, you know, the president and his rhetoric does incite political violence. And I think some people are, you know, have to take into consideration their families.

And, of course, Mayor Bowser has a young family. And so I'm sure that's a part of the calculation. I'm sure the D.C. National Guard, I mean, you have to think politically about what that's going to do for your chances as you're on the ballot. I'm sure that was a calculation as well. But regardless, I think for D.C. and for races across the country heading into this next year, were going to have an amazing slate of candidates that are going to go up against Republicans and potentially flip some seats as well.

HILL: Okay, so before I let you both go, I'm going to shift gears on you. Here we are, 48 hours out from Thanksgiving, less depending on what time you eat your Thanksgiving dinner.

My dear friend Harry Enten recently floated the idea that turkey should not be on the table for Thanksgiving. He says it is time to replace it with another bird altogether.

T.W., I'll let you go first on this one. Should the turkey stay on the table, or is it time for something new?

ARRIGHI: Absolutely. Let's not forget Ben Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird. He had a good point. Turkey is not my favorite, but I do like the dark meat.

Let's not do the subtraction. We can do two things at once. Get a ham as well.

HILL: Get a ham as well.

All right. Sabrina, your pitch?

SINGH: Well, look under this administration, turkey prices have gone up, so it might not be affordable for some people to have turkey on the table. But I've never been a turkey fan, unfortunately. So I'm all about having chicken on the table if that's an option. So that's just -- just my opinion.

[18:50:01]

Don't hate me for it.

HILL: I have to say, I would vote for the roasted chicken over the turkey any day, too, and it doesn't sound like any of us are all that excited about the turkey. So, my mom is watching. I know she's going to be working very hard --

ARRIGHI: Turkey, turkey.

HILL: But I -- but I also know that my mom would rather have lasagna. So there we go.

Sabrina, T.W., happy Thanksgiving, my friends. Thank you both.

SINGH: You, too.

ARRIGHI: Happy Thanksgiving.

HILL: Ahead of their official pardons today, Gobble and Waddle got the five-star luxury treatment at one of D.C.'s iconic hotels, and we're going to bring you the inside scoop, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: In our pop culture lead, justice served at the White House today with Gobble and Waddle were officially pardoned.

[18:55:01]

The two turkeys meeting there with President Trump, as you see, after getting a little R&R at an iconic D.C. hotel.

Joining me now is Jaap Boelens, the manager at the Willard Hotel. It's great to have you with us.

So, Gobble and Waddle staying with you at the Willard.

Did you have any interactions with them? How were they as guests?

JAAP BOELENS, HOTEL MANAGER, WILLARD INTERCONTINENTAL WASHINGTON, DC: Yeah, they were -- they were pretty good guests. And thanks for having me.

They arrived on Sunday, just in the afternoon. Red carpet welcome. We do this every year.

HILL: Uh-huh.

BOELENS: And, yeah, they checked in. They stayed within one of our newly restored rooms and had a great stay. It's a -- it's a beautiful tradition that we kicked off the holiday season.

HILL: They look -- they look pretty happy there. BOELENS: Yeah. I think so, too.

HILL: Checking out the -- checking out the digs, as it were. How did this become a tradition? Because it is a tradition, right? That your five-star hotel hosts these turkeys.

BOELENS: Yeah, I think -- I think a proximity, of course, helps. I think the Willard has long had been a residence of presidents. So, for us to host them made total sense. I think -- yeah, having done this now, I think 13 years in a row, and there might be some before that too. But being part of this tradition is a beautiful thing.

And, yeah, and every time, it's a different farm as well.

HILL: Uh-huh.

BOELENS: So, this time it's out of North Carolina. And, yeah, it's great to see, to come, to have them come true. They never really caused an issue. There's never really any noise complaint or anything like that. So, it's great to have them.

HILL: No noise complaints. Did they tip housekeeping? Because I would imagine there's maybe a little cleanup when they leave.

BOELENS: A little bit of cleanup. But you know, together with the NTF, the National Turkey Federation, you know, we do a good job in making it look like they were never here. So --

HILL: Is it -- are they always in the same room? And I ask that because if people wanted to stay, for example, in the turkey pardon room or suite, is that something they could do?

BOELENS: You know what? That's a great question. And we've had those requests. But it's not always the same room. But it's something to look into. But yeah, these two, as you can see here, it's -- it's a double queen room. And it's connecting. So its handler is staying next door just to keep an eye -- keep an eye out for them as well.

HILL: I mean, you got to be careful, two turkeys.

BOELENS: Yeah.

HILL: You never know. You never know what's going to happen. Because we've all heard the stories, have we not?

You know, they're not always known as being the friendliest of birds.

BOELENS: That's true.

HILL: What is your experience?

BOELENS: You know, these two particularly -- and every year, it seems like they've been trained for this. So, from what I heard, they actually trained them with music. So, as they grow up, they've been surrounded with different types of music. Humans and just, you know, actually really behaving very well. So, once you see him here on the red carpet, they never really venture

out. They never really attack. They make some, you know, the gobbling sounds. But other than that, they're great -- they're great to have.

HILL: I'm going to put you on the, on the, the hot seat a little bit for this one. So apologies, but you mentioned they're sort of trained with music. I mean, is there and I actually mean this very seriously.

Is there a playlist that they come with? I mean, is this in their rider? How does that work?

BOELENS: You know, that's -- no, that's great. So we don't play that music. But I know that at the farms any anything from rock music to classical music I know have been -- have been played. So, I'm not sure which bands favors which turkey, but it depends. It depends maybe on the farm that where they come from.

HILL: Fair point. What is it about this tradition that you and the hotel really love? Why is it so important to be a part of this and to keep it going?

BOELENS: No, I mean, for me, it's special, but I think also for the staff and the hotel. How much engagement goes into this? How many people are actually participating? And together with the National Turkey Federation making this a great success. It's really something special. I know everyone who works at the hotel is really looking forward to welcome them.

I mean, of course, it comes with a lot of media. It comes with a lot of attention. And also a lot of children love seeing this.

HILL: Yeah.

BOELENS: So, you know, having them come to the hotels, it's really special and an honor for us as well.

HILL: Yeah, absolutely. This is sort of a delicate question, but I feel like I have to ask.

BOELENS: Yeah.

HILL: Getting so close to this year, Gobble and Waddle and other turkeys in the past. Now we know they've been pardoned. But has it -- has it influenced in any way your personal Thanksgiving menu? Bottom line, do you still eat turkey?

BOELENS: Oh, I still eat turkey. You know, maybe I shouldn't say that enthusiastically, but, you know, at the hotel --

HILL: It was pretty enthusiastic.

BOELENS: But, you know, every year we prepare for a great buffet on Thanksgiving day, and it's -- yeah, it's something special. I mean, I know these farms put so much time and effort in it to, you know, to be the best farm they can be in this time as well. So, but I know it's a beautiful tradition. It goes way back. I think the first official you know, turkey

pardoning was in 1947, I believe. So that's President Truman. So that's --

HILL: Yeah.

BOELENS: -- that's a long time ago.

HILL: Yeah, it certainly is. Well, it's great to see the tradition continue.

Jaap, really appreciate you joining us today. Thank you.

BOELENS: Thank you so much. And thanks for having us.

HILL: Happy Thanksgiving.

BOELENS: Happy Thanksgiving to you as well.

HILL: Well, and on that note, before the turkey, how about you kick off your Thanksgiving with me and some of my dear friends, John Berman, Sara Sidner and a lot of other folks, as we kick off Thanksgiving in America, the big parades, the big musical acts, you will not want to miss it. Even some big shenanigans, perhaps from your hosts and our correspondents around the country.

Our live coverage of Thanksgiving in America begins right here at 8:00 Eastern.

"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts right now.