he is ramping up his efforts to keep his white house records secret by asking the justices to step in. we want to welcome our viewers here in the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." let's get straight to the breaking news. the guilty verdicts in the trial of former police officer kim potter. we'll go to minneapolis tonight. potter has now been convicted on two counts of manslaughter in the shooting death of daunte wright. >> reporter: wolf, yes. when that guilty verdict was read, little emotion from the former brooklyn center police officer. after spending 26 years protecting and serving, she now will spend time behind bars. >> we the jury on the charge of manslaughter in the first degree find the defendant guilty. >> reporter: former brooklyn center police officer kimberly potter guilty on both counts of manslaughter tonight in minnesota. >> find the defendant guilty. >> reporter: potter said she meant to shoot her taser during a traffic stop in april but fired her gun instead killing 20-year-old daunte wright almost instantly. >> i shot him! oh, my god! >> reporter: shortly after the verdict, crowds outside the courthouse chanted wright's name. while the state pushed to reassure potter's police family. >> when a member of your profession is held accountable it does not diminish you. in fact, it shows. it shows the whole world that those of you who enforce the law are also willing to live by it. >> reporter: the jury took nearly 27 hours to deliberate whether her actions were criminal, ultimately deciding potter abused her position as a police officer. over eight days in minneapolis, jurors heard from 33 witnesses including tearful testimony from potter, herself. >> i didn't want to hurt anybody. >> reporter: the defense aimed to prove the 26-year police veteran was protecting her fellow officers during a risky traffic stop. in closing arguments they faulted wright for not cooperating. >> she says, taser, taser, taser. and he said, okay. stop. i give up. no. no. daunte wright caused his own death unfortunately. >> reporter: the state asked jurors not to focus on potter's intention. but on the consequences of her actions. >> this was a colossal screw up. a blunder of epic proportions. it was irreversible. it was fatal. >> reporter: wright's family reacting to the news outside court. >> every single emotion you could imagine just running through your body at that moment. >> reporter: potter was taken into custody and handcuffed by a sheriff's deputy inside the hennepin county courthouse. this all started back in april, following the traffic stop. this is the item that was dangling from daunte wright's rear view mirror, a car freshener similar to this in the shape of a christmas tree. and this christmas daunte wright's family will be without him. wolf? >> i want you to stand by. i also want to bring in the state attorney for palm beach county, florida, and defense attorney shan wu. dave, are you surprised potter was found guilty on both charges? >> i am a bit surprised, wolf. i thought this was more of a second-degree manslaughter case, which would mean that prosecutors need to prove that potter created an unreasonable risk and consciously took a chance of causing daunte wright's death or serious bodily injury. i am not the only one who thought that. the prosecutors actually charged this as a second-degree manslaughter case and only later in september did they upgrade it to first degree after urging from daunte wright's family. according to reports the jury concluded this was second-degree manslaughter two days ago and then only this morning did they decide she was guilty of first degree manslaughter. i think what probably convinced them was the fact that she had extensive training on this taser as a veteran cop of 26 years, and, also, she held her gun for six seconds at daunte wright. i think they thought, well that is beyond the pale and she should have been convicted of the highest offense. >> the jury was in their fourth day of deliberations today when they finally handed down this verdict. they had previously asked the judge and it caused some interest out there, what they should do if they could not come to a consensus. it seems like this was a rather tough decision for those 12 men and women. >> i think that's right. i think we should expect it was a tough decision. this was a difficult case. you have somebody expressing what seems to be remorse and shock at what happened. but this jury was working very steadily at the case. and i agree with dave. i also had thought it was likely there would be the second-degree conviction. however, i think it was significant they were asking to examine the weapons. the whole time she had the weapons and the training that jury getting to handle the weapon and the taser may have made a difference. >> potter took the stand in her own defense and all of us saw either live or on tape when she broke down several times as she recounted what happened during the fatal traffic stop. what impact do you think her testimony, her emotion had on the jury? >> well, the defense counsel rolled the dice and put her on the stand because they thought they could appeal to the jurors' hearts whereas the prosecution was appealing to their heads. look, the elements of the crime have been met here. she broke down on the stand and that could have led to sympathy because that is consistent with the way she acted after she shot daunte wright. she was very upset. she said i'm going to jail. that could come back to haunt her. another way her testimony could haunt her is she was so upset t that -- in the end it could have come back to hurt her that she testified and now she is facing up to 15 years in prison. >> potentially 15 years for the first degree and another ten for the second degree. given the fact she has no criminal record it could be reduced. you're there in minnesota. you've been covering the trial. you've been doing an excellent job the whole time. what is the reaction now from community members as news of this verdict sinks in? >> as soon as the verdict was read, there was a loud applause outside of the courtroom. members of the community are speaking right now in brooklyn center at city hall. this is the same group of people who pushed for the firing of kim potter as soon as they learned she had shot and killed daunte wright. people are relieved. there is also a sense of sadness. they want this to come to an end. i spoke with one activist after the verdict was read. he said this is a measure of accountability. and words matter. people in this community as well as the wright family are choosing and using their words carefully. they're not saying justice. they are talking about accountability. they feel this officer who had 26 years of experience, who was qualified or certified to use that taser back in 2019 was held accountable today. they all go back to this, wolf. a car freshener. >> that's why that traffic stop occurred in the first place. as you know, the defense lawyers asked that she be released on bail awaiting sentencing. the prosecution said they want her behind bars. the judge said, yes. she has to be behind bars right now. were you surprised by that? >> no, i wasn't, wolf. not surprised either by the request not to have her held pending sentencing nor surprised by the judge refusing that. once you are convicted beyond a reasonable doubt the tables turn. it is different. and for a person convicted of taking another person's life it would be normal for them to be detained. understandable that the defense counsel would ask for that. i think the lesson here for society at large is hopefully we're beginning to see the justice system treating police officers just like everybody else. they should be given just as much fairness as everyone else but nothing special in terms of giving them extra luxuries or benefits of the doubt once convicted. >> she was convicted on two charges today. we'll see in february how long she has to serve in jail. in the meantime she is in jail right now. guys, thank you very, very much. coming up there is more news in the situation room. covid cases are surging here in the united states as well as holiday travel. how the omicron variant is complicating it all, next. is struggling to manage your type 2 diabetes knocking you out of your zone? 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ask your health care provider today about once-weekly ozempic®. oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! you may pay as little as $25 for a 3-month prescription. tonight the new coronavirus omicron variant is causing a dramatic rise in covid cases across the united states and also seriously complicating holiday plans for so many americans as holiday travel is reaching prepandemic levels here in the u.s. cnn's nick valencia has the latest for us. the u.s. and the world are facing a second covid christmas and new year's. what is the latest? >> reporter: a second covid christmas and in many ways life has scaled back to times reminiscent of the start of the pandemic. with the christmas holiday just around the corner, testing sites like the one we're at are being inundated with lines stretching for hours. tonight as omicron surges, americans are scrambling for covid tests ahead of the christmas holiday. the u.s. is struggling to contain one of the largest strikes in covid-19 cases since the pandemic began. but the tsa says the concerns have not slowed holiday travel, which on wednesday was higher than prepandemic levels. 20 million people are anticipated to fly between now and january 3rd >> i am also traveling today, home, and so i wanted to get tested before i went home. >> reporter: in the latest scientific advancement against the virus this week the fda authorized two antiviral pills to treat covid-19. paxlovid made by pfizer and molnupiravir by merck are intended for high risk individuals and must be taken within the first few days of symptoms. the biden administration has purchased 10 million courses of the pfizer treatments with the first 250,000 being rolled out in january. >> we know that this is another game changer, after a number one game changer, which are the vaccines. >> reporter: four weeks after omicron was identified in the u.s. it has been detected in all 50 states, washington, d.c., and puerto rico. >> omicron spreads so quickly among the community that even though there is a chance that the disease may be milder, the case loads potentially could be so high that that would still put a strain on our hospital system. >> reporter: the u.s. is now averaging over 164,000 new covid-19 cases each day up 36% from one week ago. icu beds are about 78% full. and more than one in five are coronavirus patients. >> we are overwhelmed. our icus, hospitals are overwhelmed. our emergency rooms are really being over crowded because of the recent surge. >> reporter: early studies from the uk and south africa all show omicron is less likely to cause severe disease with a reduced risk of being hospitalized when compared to the delta variant. health officials caution more data is needed to see if similar results emerge in the united states. >> it's dangerous business to be able to rely on what you perceive as a lower degree of severity. >> reporter: new york city mayor de blasio has announced plans for a scaled back new year's eve celebration in times square with less revelers all required to wear a mask. also in new york some broadway shows are again closing their doors hoping to help stop the spread of the omicron variant. some universities are going back to what we saw at the start of the pandemic. harvard will start their spring 2022 semester online. in atlanta they have reinstated an indoor mask mandate. so much being done to stop the latest wave of covid-19. >> nick, thanks very much. nick valencia reporting. let's get more on all of this. dr. paul burton is joining us the chief medical officer for the drug maker moderna. doctor, thank you so much for joining us. for people who are fully vaccinated and boosted with moderna shots, is it clear exactly how much protection they now have from the new omicron variant? >> wolf, we've produced some lab data this week showing either the 50 micro gram or hundred micro gram booster shot with moderna provides good protection. we've seen denmark data as well this week that while there is waning of effectiveness, getting a booster shot will increase that. i think we can be confident that getting a booster shot will provide protection throughout the holiday season and the winter months. >> how quickly does protection begin to wane though, doctor, following a moderna booster dose? >> so, wolf, i think we're still looking at those data. probably from about three months on against omicron, after the second dose of the primary vaccination you'll begin to get some waning. now people are getting boosted and i think we'll have to wait a couple months until we can see how the data develop and mature to understand when will their additional booster dose if needed have to be given? >> we know that people do fare better. correct me if i'm wrong. against omicron if they've gotten a booster dose. we all know that. we've heard it multiple times. your company now says a full 100 micro gram booster dose of the moderna shot offers more protection than the current booster size dose of 50 micro grams. are you pursuing emergency use authorization right now for full sized booster doses? >> so the 50 micro gram dose is highly effective. it certainly works against delta. we see good evidence now it works against omicron. the hundred micro gram shot is actually authorized here and around the world for people with immuno compromise. that would be cancer, maybe organ transplant. we presented the data this week and i think what we want to do now is work with governments, work with health systems. let them decide as the pandemic continues to go ahead, you know, do they want to have a higher dose of the moderna vaccine or can we continue to provide protection with 50? i weathink we still need to wai and see. >> your company says its omicron specific booster could start clinical trials early next year. how soon could that shot get into people's arms? >> dr. hogue our president talked about that as well earlier this year. we're looking to begin those trials in early 2022. it will take a couple months to do the trials to get some blood to see if we make antibodies. we are confident we will but need to confirm. i think it is a second quarter scale up. >> as you know both israel and germany are now taking steps to offer fourth doses of coronavirus vaccines to certain segments of the population, people 60 and older, health care workers, others with immune problems. dr. fauci says in his word premature to be discussing fourth doses right now. he is not ruling it out down the road. where does moderna stand on a possible fourth dose? >> yes, wolf, i think we'll have to continue to see how the omicron phase of the pandemic continues. it could well be that we will need additional boosters and they'll need to be either at six months or even more frequently. i think we just have to wait and see. i think as well that is why an omicron specific booster could provide so much value because it will be so much more effective against this. we need to keep in mind that delta is still there very strongly. you. >> omicron is here right now but on a very strong background of delta. >> i hope you get that new treatment. can you give us an update on the potential timeline for the moderna vaccine for people under the age of 18? >> yes. so, wolf, we have authorization for 12 to 18-year-olds in europe and many other countries around the world. we are continuing to work with the fda here in the u.s. on that. we are doing our studies in younger kids we filed in the 5 to 12-year-old in europe as well. age again, we'll be doing that here. particular group we need to look at, very little kids, 0 to 5-year-olds we have a phase three study ongoing there. we're testing 25 micro grams of our vaccine in those little kids, but it is particularly important with omicron given the data we've seen this week from south africa there. >> dr. paul burton thank you so much for what you and your colleagues are doing. the vaccines and boosters of course are so critical saving so many lives here in the u.s. and around the world. thanks so much for joining us. i hope you have a merry christmas and a happy new year. >> you, too. thank you, wolf. >> thank you. up next former president trump appeals to the united states supreme court, escalating his fight to keep his white house records secret. but it's also a game, of information. because the nfl is connected. and at any moment, the fate of the season can come down to this. billions of secure connections, per second. when the game is on the line and the game is always on the line touchdown! the nfl relies on cisco. 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>> reporter: this just came in a few minutes ago from the house. they are asking the supreme court to speed up consideration of this important issue as whether these 700 pages or so the national archives is planning to turn over to the committee can be turned over. as you know the former president has filed a request to delay that and for the supreme court to consider whether his claim of executive privilege basically supercedes the decision from president biden who has said the documents should be turned over. we're talking about, wolf, 700 pages that includes drafts of speeches, handwritten notes from his former chief of staff mark meadows, as well as a draft of a proclamation honoring two police officers who were -- who died following the insurrection. these are documents that the committee says will really put a -- shine a light on what was going on inside the west wing, inside the white house, as the former president was trying to block certification of the election and overturn the election results. they say it is key for the supreme court to take this up as soon as possible. they're asking for the supreme court to look at -- to consider this at their conference on january 14th. >> evan, trump's legal team has had at least some success so far on blocking documents from being handed over to the committee, right? >> right. they waited until the final day, the last day before the archives would have turned over these records to make that filing with the supreme court, which automatically, wolf, extends this stay. and so, look. you can see from what they've been doing they have been trying to run out the clock. they have an interest. the former president does, in trying to delay this decision from being made because in case it doesn't go his way these documents could end up in the hands of the committee and be part of this investigation the committee says will shine a light on what happened in those key days. >> evan perez, thank you very much. let's get to more on this and bring in our chief legal analyst jeffrey toobin author of the book "true crimes and misdemeanors, the investigation of donald trump." in court filings the former president's legal team argues this. i'll put it up on the screen. the limited interest the committee may have in immediately obtaining the requested records pales in comparison to president trump's interest in securing judicial review before he suffers irreparable harm. what do you think the court will make of that argument? >> you know, president trump has filed some frivolous lawsuits since he left office. this is not a frivolous lawsuit. this is a case he could definitely win in this supreme court. now, the four judges who have all ruled on this case so far are all democratic appointees and now he's heading to a court with six republican appointees and, you know, even chief justice john roberts who has not been ruling in donald trump's favor in many recent cases, he is someone who believes in strong executive power. and it is unquestioned that the documents at issue here relate to the core functions of the presidency. the key question here is, is congress's interest enough to overcome the traditional deference given to executive branch material especially when, here, the current president joe biden thinks the material should be turned over. there is not a lot of law in this area. the supreme court is writing not on a blank slate but a somewhat blank slate and six conservative justices could easily rule in trump's favor. >> as you know, the house is asking the supreme court to expedite its review of this case. how quickly do you expect the court might take this up? >> i do think they'll act quickly. they have recognized in recent weeks there are a lot of controversies that can't wait until the traditional june end of the supreme court term. they ruled very quickly on the texas abortion case. i expect they will. i think they actually will agree to hear this case. i don't pretend to know how it will come out but i think they'll agree to hear it and probably will put it down for argument within a month. this case could get resolved in the spring but, still, the spring may not be soon enough to get the committee the information it needs because they are running out a clock as well. and it's understandable why they're asking the supreme court to act as quickly as possible. >> as you know, the january 6 select committee is now seeking to interview republican congressman jim jordan. let's listen to how he responded to that news. >> we just got the letter today, brian. we'll review the letter but i got to be honest with you. i got real concerns about any committee that will take a document and alter it and present it to the american people completely mislead the american people like they did last week and it turns out it looks like it wasn't just one document they did this with. it was others, other text messages as well. so i got real concerns with that. >> what do you say to that? >> his close ally and friend congressman perry from pennsylvania also was asked in a very similar way to testify before the committee and refused denouncing the committee as a witch hunt. it sounds as if congressman jordan is heading the same direction. the question now is whether the committee will move to a subpoena. it is very unusual perhaps unprecedented for a house committee to subpoena fellow house members. that could raise a lot of complex legal issues and likely wind up in the courts. i think the question of whether congressman jordan testifies as a practical matter is up to congressman jordan because the courts will tie it up for months. >> they certainly will. jeffrey toobin as usual thank you very much. just ahead we visit one of many hospitals here in the united states, currently overwhelmed with covid patients as the omicron surge worsens. this is your home. this is your family room slash gym. the guest bedroom slash music studio. the daybed slash dog bed. the living room slash yoga shanti slash regional office slash classroom. and this is the basement slash panic room. maybe what your family needs is a vacation home slash vacation home. find yours on the vrbo app. ♪ - love you. have a good day, behave yourself. - like she goes to work at three in the afternoon and sometimes gets off at midnight. she works a lot, a whole lot. - we don't get to eat in the early morning. we just wait until we get to the school. so yeah. - right now, here in america, millions of kids like victoria and andre live with hunger. and the need to help them has never been greater. when you join your friends, neighbors, and me to support no kid hungry you'll help hungry kids get the food they need. - if we want to take care of our children, then, we have to feed them. - your gift of just 63 cents a day, only $19 a month, at helpnokidhungry.org. right now. will help provide healthy meals and hope. - we want to our children to grow and thrive and to just not have to worry and face themselves with the struggles that we endure. nobody wants that for their children. - like if these programs didn't exist, me and aj, we wouldn't probably get lunch at all. - please call or go online right now with your gift of just $19 a month. and when you use your credit card, you'll receive this limited edition, t-shirt, to show you're part of the team that's helping feed kids and change lives. - if you're coming in hungry, there's no way you can listen to me, teach, do this activity, work with this group. so starting their day with breakfast and ending their day with this big, beautiful snack is pretty incredible. - whether kids are learning at school or at home, your support will ensure they get the healthy meals they need to thrive. because when you help feed kids, you feed their hopes, their dreams and futures. kids need you now more than ever. so please call this number right now to join me in helping hungry kids. or go online to helpnokidhungry.org and help feed hungry kids today. it is a scene playing out in hospitals across the united states right now. doctors, nurses, other staff are reaching a breaking point as their wards fill with covid-19 patients while the country rides out another wave of the pandemic. cnn's senior national correspondent sara sidner is in santa fe, new mexico for us. you saw first hand how exhausted the staff is at one hospital. share with our viewers what you saw and heard. >> reporter: there is incredible christmas spirit as there always is in santa fe, new mexico. inside the covid unit they feel like here we go again. their unit is overflowing again with coronavirus patients. icu is beyond capacity and this is after the vaccines are available. in santa fe, new mexico the annual holiday light display dazzles the eye and lifts the spirit. but these are lights grabbing all the attention just down the road. this is a covid icu suddenly as busy as it ever was. >> it is clinically, psychologically impossible to keep doing this day in and day out especially for the past year or two. even the strongest respiratory therapists i have have broken down at times. >> the staff is resilient but despondent some days and plain old exhausted most. suffering and death greet them every day. >> they come it me and they say i do need a break. help me. >> when you talk about things like pulling them out and people breaking down it sounds like a war zone. that is the same language soldiers sometimes use. >> yes. >> is that what it feels like? >> yes. to the point of it being almost unbearable. to see that, these are very good people. good respiratory therapists, good clinicians who want to do the best possible job. and they just can't. they can't do it. >> there was a moment of light and hope. >> we thought cases were going down. >> reporter: this clinical nurse manager was filled with hope when the vaccines were approved and was one of the first in new mexico to get the shot. >> it was that light at the end of the tunnel. then all of a sudden it was, wham, bam, here we are again. >> he couldn't possibly have accounted for the number of people who would refuse the vaccine. >> in the beginning i was an antivaxer because of my immune system, but not anymore. >> reporter: what was it that kept you from going to get vaccinated? >> i do not have a very good immune system. >> reporter: a lot of times doctors will tell you if your immune system is compromised go get vaccinated. what were your concerns? >> my heart issues. i know there was a lot of clotting in the first few. and i did have an example of not a good reaction from a friend who did get vaccinated. >> reporter: she never got the vaccine. instead got a bad case of covid and was unable to breathe. do you regret it now? >> do i regret it? yes and no. i wish i had gotten vaccinated sooner. i wouldn't be here. that's the regret. >> reporter: i have talked to a lot of doctors and nurses and i heard a lot of people who say i don't want to retire. i don't want to leave but i don't know what to do. >> i am at the end of that spectrum as well. but this is my family and my community. we are the city of holy faith. just been a lot. >> reporter: the unending pandemic surges have taken a toll. >> we have lost 110 nurses this year. >> reporter: that is 25% of the hospital's nurses. >> it is across the board. most definitely nursing, respiratory, but also food and nutrition and custodial support and techs and medical office assistants and registration. it is across the board. >> reporter: the remaining staff are fighting back death alongside their patients. there is no respite, not even for christmas. >> they've been seeing over this time a couple patients a day who just don't make it. there is another statistic that is really troublesome. this is across the country. about 25% of those who end up on ventilators are the only one to survive. we're talking about 1 in 4 people who end up on ventilators and the staff says we just don't want to see this anymore. they have a request to the public as they have requested for a very long time. please, get vaccinated. save yourself and help them. wolf? >> get vaccinated. get boosted. wear a mask when necessary. it would save your life. sara, thank you very much. excellent report indeed. very moving. sara sidner in santa fe. coming up the challenges for president biden as he nears one year in office including questions about whether he has been proactive enough in fighting the pandemic. e ride, you'll have many questions. challenges. and a few surprises. ♪ but wherever you are on your journey. your dell technologies advisor is here for you - with the right tech solutions. so you can stop at nothing for your customers. it's the most joyous time of year. especially at t-mobile! let's go to dianne. i got the awesome new iphone 13 pro and airpods, and t-mobile is paying for them both! and this is for new and existing customers. upgrade to the iphone 13 pro and airpods both on us. only at t-mobile. to be a thriver with metastatic breast cancer means asking for what we want. and need. and we need more time. so, we want kisqali. women are living longer than ever before with kisqali when taken with an aromatase inhibitor or fulvestrant in postmenopausal women with hr+, her2- metastatic breast cancer. kisqali is a pill that's significantly more effective at delaying disease progression versus an aromatase inhibitor or fulvestrant alone. kisqali can cause lung problems, or an abnormal heartbeat, which can lead to death. it can cause serious skin reactions, liver problems, and low white blood cell counts that may result in severe infections. tell your doctor right away if you have new or worsening symptoms, including breathing problems, cough, chest pain, a change in your heartbeat, dizziness, yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, tiredness, loss of appetite, abdomen pain, bleeding, bruising, fever, chills or other symptoms of an infection, a severe or worsening rash, are or plan to become pregnant, or breastfeeding. avoid grapefruit during treatment. ask your doctor about living longer with kisqali. feel stuck with student loan debt? move to sofi and feel what it's like to get your money right. ♪ ♪ move your student loan debt to sofi— you could save with low rates and no fees. earn a $1,000 bonus when you refi— and get your money right. ♪ ♪“i got you babe” by etta james♪ ♪ get groceries, gifts, & more fast and easy. so last minute guests are the only thing you'll be waiting on. ♪ joy. fully. ♪ tonight president biden insists he hasn't begun up on passing $2 trillion spending bill. he's trying to send a message as he closed a challenging year for his administration and for the nation. let' bring in our senior white house correspondent phil mattingly. the president is facing head winds as he approached the one year mark of his presidency. is there a sense of urgency. >> there is more work to be done and no question about that. if you talked to white house officials 11 months ago, they would have hoped and i think to some degree assumes they would be past the pandemic by this point. they thought that in june as well and that hasn't been the case. and because of the surge in omicron, because even with the vast success historically unprecedented success of the vaccine distribution effort, they're now short on tests. it is become a real problem that contributed to a administration pass two page or pieces of legislation, have one of the better economic recoveries out of an economic crisis and yet this is held up and waiving at this point in time and because of the inflation the economy is very much in question right now too. officials believe they could address the issues in the coming months but the reality is so long as covid is still a central part of life, they have problems on the public health side and the problems on the economic side and as long as joe manchin is the senator from west virginia. clearly a lot of work to be done. but white house feels like they accomplished quite a bit in the year. >> joining us, cnn senior commentator john kasich, also with us cnn senior political analyst kristen powers and author and a usa today columnist. governor, as the president is facing too strong head winds aas the year comes to an end, and one the coronavirus pandemic and issues getting his agenda through congress. which poses the bigger threat purely from a political perspective? >> well, wolf, i think obviously the virus, the pandemic is a big issue with everybody. but i think people also know that he can't control that. he could do things, for example they should have had the test kits. why didn't they order them, the government -- why didn't they spend some money so they have a couple of extra left over. i don't think it would have been a big deal at all so me look unprepared. in reflecting on his first year, and where he is today, i believe that when georgia, the georgia senate elections went to the democrats, that was a real problem for joe biden. because biden runs as a moderate, a centrist, somebody that allegedly and i believed that could pull republicans, work through an agenda that is moderate but when the senate went to the democrats and they controlled the house, all of a sudden his agenda in some ways in my opinion got hijacked to the left and that is not where the public is. so in order to get back and have strength, deal with this crisis, deal with the virus, be strong and be clear, and secondly remember what one of his advisers mike donnell said to him, appeal to the independent voters, appeal to people in the middle. if he does that, he could regain his footing. >> kirsten, i want to turn to the former president who has several times spoken out publicly about the pandemic. i want to you listen to what donald trump is saying right now. listen to this. >> ones that get very sick and go to the hospital are the ones that don't take the vaccine but it is till their choice and if you take the vaccine your protected. the results of the vaccine are very good and if you do get it, it is a very minor form. people aren't dying when they take the vaccine. >> this is very important, he should have been saying this for months and months and months, a lot of people would probably be alive if he would have publicly done a psa, done some sort of public statements making exactly that point. what do you make of this? >> well, yes, of course it would have been much better if he would have doon it sooner but it is still good that he's doing it now. and this is the second time he's done this. he did this in an event with bill o'reilly where he was saying that he had been vaccinated and donald trump pushed back and the audience when there was some booing. and he is pushing back against people like a canvas owens who is a maimer supporter of his. shows that he is at least at this point willing to do the right thing and state the obvious and the truth, which is that the misinformation that is being spread about the covid vaccine is not true and you will be much better off if you get the vaccine and much less likely to end up very sick or possibly dead. >> he should have been saying this for a long time. i give him credit for saying it now. gove governor, he could have taken a lot of credit because during operation warp speed, that came up with the vaccine, that was during his administration. >> yeah, would you label it, i agree completely with what kirsten just said, i would label it better late than never. >> i agree. >> as the old saying goes, wolf. look, i mean, he developed those vaccines and he spent the money. you have to give him credit for that. and to his credit, biden did give him credit for the development of that and it is making a huge difference. now we have to do the research and development and keep funding these drugs, this business of the these new pills that keep you out of the hospital, that is a great christmas present for people. bo get vaccinated, folks. look out for your family. >> i hope he keeps on saying. it will save lives among his own supporters. merry christmas and happy new year to both of you. >> merry christmas. thank you. >> thank you. coming up, the omicron covid surge worsens as holiday travel reaches pre-pandemic levels. we're going to talk about the alarmingly rapid spread of the new variant with our medical experts. that is next. 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