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Pope Francis, Queen Elizabeth, They Delivered Their Annual Messages; Service Members Surprising Their Families Just In Time For The Holiday Season. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired December 25, 2018 - 14:30   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:33:02] BASH: More now on our breaking news. An 8-year-old boy has died while in custody of U.S. custom and border protection. The child was from Guatemala.

Let's get straight to CNN's Jean Casarez.

Jean, what do we know?

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they do not know the official cause of death right now, but they have given a timeline. The customs and border patrol are saying that it was yesterday afternoon, she and her father made the 2,000 mile trek crossing over into Mexico. They were apprehended. And the border patrol agent yesterday afternoon believed that little girl wasn't feeling well. So she and her father were transferred to the medical center in (INAUDIBLE), New Mexico.

They were initially believed it was a common cold. They were going to released her, then they noticed she had a fever. So they gave her a prescription for antibiotics and Ibuprofen. And then she was released. So she and her father went back yesterday afternoon became yesterday evening, she began throwing up. So they were transferred immediately back to the medical center and she died shortly after midnight this morning.

Now compared that with the little girl, Jakelin Caal Mcquin, that died several weeks ago, seven years old from Guatemala. She and her father came over into New Mexico. She started vomiting, wasn't felling well, deteriorated quickly and died two days later. Her body was just taken back to Guatemala, by the way. But now, the professional responsibility arm of the customs and border patrol will be looking to see what this little boy, eight years old, his official cause of death.

BASH: Absolutely tragic. No matter what the circumstances to lose an 8-year-old or any child at all.

Jean, thank you so much for that report. We are going to stay on it as we get more information.

And up next, President Trump is still fed up with the fed blaming the fed chairman for tanking the stock market. The President said there's nothing to worry about. Is he right? We are going to discuss that next.

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[14:39:07] BASH: Well, markets in the U.S. are closed today, but we saw both the Dow and the S&P 500 tanking yesterday, Christmas Eve. They both had the worst days, closing days ever on Monday. Still, many experts say these are actually not clear signs that the economy is about to collapse.

So what is driving the anxiety? Well, this morning President Trump expressed confidence in his treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin, but he took another shot at the fed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sir, do you still have confidence in Secretary Steven Mnuchin?

TRUMP: Yes, I do. Very talented, very smart person.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What about the fed chair?

TRUMP: We will see. They are raising interest rates too fast. That's my opinion. I mean, the fact is that the economy is doing so well that they raised interest rates and that's as a form of safety, no way. President Obama didn't do much of that. Much easier to run when you have no interest rate. We had a very low interest rate. We have a normalized interest rate. A normalized interest rate means a lot - you know, it's good for a lot of people. They have money the bank. They get interest on their money.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[14:40:14] BASH: Let's get straight to CNN's Richard Quest, CNN's business editor at large.

Richard, Merry Christmas to you. Thank you for joining me. So we talked about the Dow suffering its biggest Christmas Eve lost ever. Overnight, the Nikkei and Japan closed significantly lower. This morning, the President also said investors shouldn't be worried. What's your take?

RICHARD QUEST, CNN'S BUSINESS EDITOR AT LARGE: Of course they are going to be worried. It just seem the Nasdaq markets and the S&P go to a bear market and the Dow is all but down 18 percent from its recent highs.

So I'm sorry, Dana, but it's quite simple. Yes. Look, the economy is not about to collapse but the markets are heavily down and may possibly might go low.

The analogy that's best to give you here and I think like this. Imagine you have a nice -- you have a fire, a garden fire, a camp fire, you have got the embers are just starting to go out. What the President and Mr. Mnuchin at the treasury did over the last couple of days was throw gasoline on those embers. Just when the market was starting to calm down, he comes out with this extraordinary statement about liquidity in the market. Dana, nobody had asked about liquidity in the market.

BASH: No, they hadn't.

QUEST: Nobody was worried about it until he said it wasn't a problem.

BASH: That's right. And I think with the President you are referring to the fact that he keeps attacking his fed chair for raising interest rates.

Just real quick, you know, the President, this is one of the many reasons why a lot of his advisers have said publicly and privately to him stop focusing so much on the stock market because unemployment numbers are good, other economic indicators are good. Do you agree with that that the economy is on a whole in good shape separate from the stock market?

QUEST: Everything I hear says the economy is rock solid. And there's no great underline fisher waiting to crack. Yes, there are some issues about that. There was some issues about borrowing. But there is nothing. The banks, for example, the banks are worlds apart from what they were in 2008. There is no banking crisis waiting to happen.

Look. You have a market, a bull market that's lasted nine years, the longest on record and it's time to either take a breather or go in the opposite direction. But that is a normal, cyclical downturn in markets. It is nothing to suggest that anything like 2008 or 2009.

And At one point on the President and the Dow, live by the Dow, die by the Dow is the way the old saying goes. So yes, it's fine to Trumpet it up all the way past election and inauguration. But what happens if this bear market goes by 12 to 18 months and the economy slows to 1.5 or one percent or thereabouts?

It will feel slow and sluggish. And the President could be facing a reelection campaign with some very sour economic times. It is not going to be a collapse.

BASH: Yes. It is cyclical and the President realizes that. It's just not the greatest thing to be the guy in the oval when that happens.

OK, I can't let you go without reminding everybody that you scored a very big interview, a very big interview a couple of years ago and it's worth bringing back because you got an interview with the man himself, Santa Claus. Let's watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUEST: Tell me, Santa, what is it like traveling in your sleigh? Is it like first class with (INAUDIBLE)?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's very comfortable. Very comfortable. Where do you think the designers of first-class got their ideas?

QUEST: Are you looking forward to your trip, Santa, around the world?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, yes, it's a nice trip. It is a long one but it is really nice trip.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: I mean, you have all the big gets, Richard Quest.

QUEST: Doesn't get bigger than that. You talk about the man in the White House. Now this is the man in the real White House.

BASH: Richard, thank you so much. Thank you. I'm glad we got to share that again and most importantly thank you for sharing your insights because there a lot of people who are opening presents but, you know, a little bit rattled about what was going on and what has been going on with the market and the economy. Merry Christmas, Richard.

QUEST: Seasonings greetings to you.

BASH: Thank you.

And up next, Pope Francis, Queen Elizabeth, they delivered their annual messages. Today was about unity, calling for peace between every nation and every culture.

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[14:49:20] BASH: On this Christmas day, two world leaders are delivering strong messaging encouraging unity.

Queen Elizabeth delivered her annual Christmas message saying people should treat each other with respect, regardless of their differences.

And at the Vatican, Pope Francis pleaded for mutual understanding and peace.

CNN's Leone Lakhani has more.

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LEONE LAKHANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A message of love, acceptance and respect from two word leaders this Christmas day. At the Vatican, Pope Francis used his annual address to pray for countries ravage by conflicts. He called on the international community to set aside differences in Syria for the sake of the nearly six million people forced to flee their homes after years of war.

[14:50:07] POPE FRANCIS, CATHOLIC CHURCH LEADER (through translator): May the international community work decisively for a political solution that can put aside divisions and partisan interests, so that the Syrian people, especially all those who were forced to leave their own lands and seek refuge elsewhere can return to live in peace in their open country.

LAKHANI: Standing at the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, the pontiff said his thoughts also turned to Yemen where he hope to choose will finally bring relief to people exhausted by war and famine.

It comes as the United Nations says that war in Yemen has pushed it to the brink of the worst famine in a hundred years.

Here in the U.K., Queen Elizabeth II said the message of peace on earth was never out of dates.

QUEEN ELIZABETH II: Even with the most deeply healed difference, treating the other person with respect and as fellow human beings is always a good first step toward greater understanding.

LAKHANI: The 92-year-old monarch is neutral on political matters. But her message comes as the country remains divided on a Brexit deal as the U.K. prepares to leave the European Union in March.

Leone Lakhani, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: And up next, they are the videos we just can't get enough of, service members surprising their families just in time for the holiday season. Don't miss these heartwarming reunions in just a moment.

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[14:57:01] BASH: Heartwarming images that we just can't get enough of. Service members surprising their families just in time for the holiday season.

CNN's Polo Sandoval has more on this long awaited reunions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A visit to Santa Claus.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So what would you leak for Christmas?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For my dad to come home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh.

SANDOVAL: Turned into a special delivery for these two Minnesota sisters.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Daddy!

SANDOVAL: Their father, a soldier stationed in Kuwait surprised his daughters just in time for Christmas. It's among the many emotional reunions caught on camera between the military and their families this holiday season. The Wisconsin boy's older brother serving in the army.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is your brother.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's up, buddy? SANDOVAL: Surprised him at school with a big hug after five months

apart. The soldier that marched down the hall to his other sister and brother.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It made me feel warm inside.

SANDOVAL: In this viral video, a little boy presented with a large Christmas gift.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you think it is?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know. I don't even have an idea yet.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think you are going to like it.

SANDOVAL: Inside the box, a loved one.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my God!

SANDOVAL: The person that posted this wrote, and if you got to unwrap the only Christmas gift he asked for, a few days early.

A small army of family members kept this airman from even getting through the door in Sacramento.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What the heck?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Surprise!

SANDOVAL: And finally at a Christmas choir concert in Indianapolis, an unexpected interruption.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Miss April Henton, you have a present under the tree.

SANDOVAL: It led to a mother serving in the Navy, embracing her daughter just in time for Christmas.

APRIL HENTON, DAUGHTER: It's been a long years and so many things happened and I just missed her so much. And it just makes this Christmas extra special, her surprising me.

SANDOVAL: For some of these service members and other deployment could be next. But for now the current marching orders include being home for the holidays.

Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: Merry Christmas, everybody. I'm Dana Bash in for Brooke Baldwin.

Families are coming together on this holiday. The same can't be said here in Washington for two parties deadlocked on funding the government. So today, Christmas day, is day four of a partial government shutdown and President Trump is not giving an inch. He spoke to reporters just before he sent seasons' greetings to U.S. troops.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I can't tell you when the government's going to be open. I can tell you it's not going to be open until we have a wall, a fence, whatever they would like to call it. I will call it whatever they want. But it is all the same thing. It's a barrier from people pouring in to our company -- into our country from drugs.

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