good morning, everyone, and welcome to "cnn this morning." it is saturday, december 9th, i'm amara walker. >> i'm victor blackwell. thank you for joining you this morning -- thank you for joining us this morning. >> it was my birthday and thanksgiving. >> it's been a couple of weeks. >> i had to get that out. a federal appeal court has upheld the gag order in trump's election aversion case. who he can and can't talk about and how he is responding to the ruling. hunter biden is facing new criminal charges. what the white house is saying. >> it was an emotional day for family members of the victims of ethan crumbley. >> i came within sight. you intended to kill me. >> the sentencing he and hiss parents are u no facing. the potential impact and the major cities we're walking through the weekend. and major rivalries kick off today. the 124th army/navy game on "cnn this morning." we begin with both leading presidential campaigns being forced to deal with legal issues in the run-up to the first primaries of the 2024 election cycle. president biden is in los angeles today campaigning for the first time since his son hunter was charged with new counts of tax evasion. he's accused of a four-year tax evasion scheme and spending millions of dollars on things like drugs, escorts, and exotic ca c cars. president trump is facing his own legal battles. the gag order will largely remain in place. trump immediately responded he vowed to keep the fight on getting the gag order viewed. cnn senior justice correspondent evan perez has more. >> victor and amara, an appeal's court has largely uphead the gag order on trump saying he can be barred from making certain comments about court staff and family members. he called it a violation of his first amendment right. in the ruling, the three-pudge panel from the d.c. court said they did take the step lightly, recognizing trump as the former president and as the candidate for president, and they said mr. trump's documented pattern of speech and its demonstrated real-time real-world consequences pose a significant imminent threat. the judge went on to say he's a criminal defendant like any other and must stand under the same court procedures like all other criminal defendants. that's what the ruling means. friday the court push bed backe on trump's trying to push back the trial date. the judge said to allow trump to delay the case would be counter productive, and burden the judicial process. president biden is trying to keep the focus on his campaign and his economic record and not his son's legal troubles. >> speaking in las vegas friday, biden touted his progress on infrastructure reforms while targeting trump about what he promised when he was president. what has been the white house's response to hunter biden's latest charges? >> reporter: at this time the white house says they will not comment on the additional charges filed against hunter biden at this time, but yesterday white house press secretary jean-pierre had this to say. take a listen. >> the president said this before and he will continue to say, which is that he loves his son and supports him as he continues to rebuild his life. i'm not going to tell you beyond what the president has said over and over again. he's proud of his son. >> reporter: what's also important to note is president biden appears to be standing up for his son as of a few days ago. the reality of the bigger situation is that biden is facing several political jajs as he runs for re-election. and hunter biden's latest charges against him will become another important obstacle he'll have to face as he runs for re-election. >> thank you very much. joining us to discuss all this is cnn analyst and defense attorney joey jackson. i'm not aware that's new evidence. how does hunter biden's legal issues go from a potential plea deal with no jail time to now, you know, up to 40-some years in prison based on tax and gun charges? >> yeah, amara, good morning to you. i think the simple answer is the climate of the times. the reality is, as you noted, there was a plea deal in place as it related to gun charges, his possession of a weapon during his time, which is impermissible. but the latest related to the tax charges, a failure to pay $1.4 million in collective years 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and so you're in court several months ago and everything was in place and it was a plea deal ready to be had for misdemeanor charges, which means you face less than a year. they're insignificant. but, ba boom, it was blown up by the judge because there was no promise by prosecutors whether that would be the end all and be all and the defense attorney said, hey, wait a minute, i thought this collectively deals with hunter biden's problems, and we're here because they're saying, hey, we treated you favorably, there were whistle-blower calls from the irs saying the fbi agents and justice department officials were intervening. so i guess jack weiss involved in the investigation says, let's hand it this way. of course, hunter biden faces 17 years, not that he'll ever get that. it's a felony-related nine counts of tax charges, and it's the system that's gone mad, and we're in a different universe right now. >> you think counsel weiss is overcorrecting? he's saying it's politically motivated and if his last name was not biden, he would not be charged. does he have a point? >> i think so and so do a number of officials including one of our former attorney generals mr. holder who's indicated as much. the taxes were paid two years ago. we have to have a system that operates fairly, that has meaning and basis, and that applies equally and evenly to all. if the whole objective of the justice system is to get and mete out justice, if justice were paid already, he should have paid then when he should have, there should have been no lies or anything else, but there are programs aplenty for defendants who have not paid taxes. there are those matters that are handled civilly in the criminal context. at the end of the day, there has to be some resolution dealing with fairness and politics and not deal with biden. >> people are watching this and some may lose their faith in the justice system. moving on to trump's legal battles, on friday, this appeals court, the three-judge panel, largely upheld this gag order from his federal election subversion case. tell me about this ruling because it allows him to criticize jack smith among a few other things, but do you see this as a big blow to trump? >> so i do. here's the reality. the reality is the court has to balance consideration and factors. yes, there's a strong imperative for first amendment rights particularly during a campaign, and you should be able to have your political speech and state your piece in terms of what the message and narrative and theme is. at the same time, you're a criminal defendant in the case. we have a justice system that has to work. people in the justice system have to be protected. jack smith, public figure, court said, hey, rip him apart all you like, call him a thug, a gangster, whatever you do, but stay away from relatives and attorneys and stay away from court staff. let's not get potential violence in things you say. what you say could matter. people could be harmed. people could be affected. so you want to have a court as they did strike a balance as it relates to that. also in terms of witnesses, right, you cannot go after witnesses if it relates to them involved in a case, but you can generally talk about mike pence, talk about the other former attorney general, of course, mr. barr, but you just have to be careful. this is about a balancing act that is going to protect, i think, people from violence in our criminal justice. still to come. life without parole. the oxford school shooter receives the toughest sentence possible after the shooting in 2021. and nikki haley, how well she needs to finish to call it a success. a supreme court rocks a woman with a fatal fetal diagnosisis in attempting to ge an abortion. the latest on the contentious court battle ahead. ethan crumbley was 15 years old when he killed four schoolmates at oxford high school in michigan in 2021. now he's the youngest person in the country to receive a life sentence. >> prior to the sentencing the judge listened to victim impact statements from parents and siblings of the victims along with students and teachers who survived that are forever marked by what happened that day. cnn's jean casarez was there. >> reporter: families finally getting their chance to be heard. >> our family has been navigating our way through complete hell. >> it feels like time slows down and everything arounds you speeds up. it's been two years but feels like yesterday. >> reporter: madisyn's mother the minute she learned her 17-year-old daughter was dead. >> it's a day that has forever changed my life. i look through the glass. my scream should have shattered it. my daughter's lifeless bodies with lying on a cold metal gu gurney. >> i felt like she was saying, i'm proud of you. i'm proud of you for taking the higher route, not going down that path of anger. >> reporter: madeline johnson didn't know walking to class that day would to be last time she would see her friend. >> i didn't know our good-bye would be permanent. i would i would see her next h hour. >> reporter: she thought a balloon popped. then she dropped. >> i fell to the ground. i heard screams, but i couldn't run. >> reporter: right next to her hana st. juliana. >> i told her, don't worry, please stay with me. i saidet o it over a thousand t. >> reporter: she died from her injuries. her father spoke. >> i'll never walk her down the aisle as she begins the journey of starting her own family. i am forever denied the chance to hold her or her future children in my arms. >> reporter: in addition to the four students killed, seven other people were shot that day but survived including riley france who was hit in the neck and marley darnell who was a teacher at the school. >> i can no longer sleep after having flashbacks of a bullet entered one side of my neck and coming o it the other. >> because i came within your line of sight, you intended to kill me, someone you didn't even know. >> reporter: the shooter was sentenced to life in prison without parole. >> there's nothing he could ever do to contribute to society that could make up for the lives he's so ruthlessly taken. >> i want the person who did this to know madisyn would have been your friend. she would have treated you with nothing but kindness had you not killed her. i don't know how much emotion you're capable of, but i hope re i hope you feel the fraction of theoneliness i've felt for the last two years. >> what we won't let you steal from is a life. >> reporter: the charges of ethan crumbley's parents will be going to trial learlier next year. this is the first time that the parents of a mass school shooter have been charged with a crime itself. james and jennifer crumbley both charged with involuntary manslaughter that they in buying that gun for their son knowing he had mental issues they were on notice that something like this could have happened. their trials have now been severed. they will have individual trials, but the first trial, it is believed, will begin january 3rd. with months until the next presidential election, how could the distractions impact biden and trump while on the trail? only six weeks before the caucuses now, and gop presidential candidate nikki haley is back in iowa. >> she says she expects to go head-to-head against former president donald trump. here's eva mckend. >> reporter: in her fourth town hall appearance, nikki haley took questions from iowan on a range of issues, everything on the future of social security to china. she implored iowans to get out and caucus for her in the next few weeks, meaning she's the best person to go against donald trump. she wants to have a good showing and continue this momentum. >> the way i look at it, we need to have a god shood chance of a showing in iowa. >> reporter: voters find haley appealing, they think she's a good alternative to trump, although, they don't think she can beat him in this contest. they will be seeing her in the next few weeks. this is one of five events she will hold over the course victor, amara? >> thank you. let's go down to errol louis. good morning to you. we try to separate the legal confrontation and political confrontation. it seemed they're intertwined. let's get the political angle into what's happening with hunter biden and the charges. this is james comer. here's what he says about those new charges. >> my concern is weiss may have indicted hunter biden to protect him from having to be deposed. >> how much sense does that make? >> good morning, victor. it makes no sense. the reality is if he is, indeed, criminally indicted and facing those charges, he will have every right and every legal almost obligation to protect himself by invoking the fifth amendment. you can have all kinds of things. so i -- you know, i think they may have outsmarted themselves, and, of course, the political question, this was always only about one thing, intending to give talking points about donald trump to say, hey, i'm under criminal indictment, but so is my opponent joe biden. they have not managed to make that connection. hunter biden is in a lot of legal trouble. none of it reaches the white house. none of it reaches his father. you read through it. the connection isn't there. i can understand how the republican house members might be frustrated, but those are the facts. >> you say what this was about for republicans. hunter biden weighed in on that as well during a podcast. listen to what he says the motivation is. >> they're trying to -- in the most illegitimate way but rational way, they're trying to destroy a presidency, and so it's not about me, and their most base way, what they're trying to do is they're trying to kill me, knowing that it will be a pain greater than my father could be able to handle. >> what's your thoughts on that? >> you know, he takes it another step and he's talking literally for those who don't know the history. i mean, this is somebody who lost his mother and infant sister in a car accident and lot a brother to cancer. he means that literally. he thinks the republicans are literally trying to get him to succumb to addiction or commit suicide or otherwise leave this planet and thereby damage president biden. that is a heck of an accusation. he's got some evidence for it, though, and i guess it's what he's feeling, not just persecuted but feeling like there are people who want to simply eliminate him for political means. that's how tense this whole situation has gotten. >> on the way out the door, congressman kevin mccarthy has endorsed trump's re-election bid. here's what he told cbs news. >> will donald trump be the nominee? >> yes. in the republican party, yes. if biden stays the nominee for the democrats, i believe donald trump will gain the win and more republicans will gain seats in the house. >> can he count on your support? >> yes. >> that's an endorsement. >> i will support president trump. >> would you be willing to serve in his cabinet? >> sure, if in the right position. we have a relationship where we're very honest with one another. >> there's a lot there. i'd serve, i'd endorse. is this a surprise? what role would h play? is he a rpriebus here? >> i think he's trying to set the table for his future business interest. when it comes to actual politics, this is somebody who got voted out by his own colleagues. i would pretty much bet against kevin mccarthy. he's proven he does not know how to count votes. his prognostication here, he could be right, but i don't place much value on it simply because it's coming from kevin mccarthy, victor. >> rnc is allowing their candidates to participate in unsanctioned debates. cnn will host two next month, one in iowa and one in new hampshire. is there enough time for these to matter considering the margin in these polls that trump has, and if trump doesn't show up? >> well, look. it will matter because what happens for second place, as we heard from nikki haley's own mouth, if you come in a strong second, that will matter. so, yes, the politics are fluid. the politics do matter. it's graduateat that in these unsanctioned bouts, it will keep vivek ramaswamy off the stage and that alone is a service to the public. keep the conspiracy theorists off in the shadows where they belong and have a debate with real candidates in two states where they're going to be holding caucuses and primaries. that's a great service. again, who comes in second really does matter. we've seen in the past it sort of opens the door to a real con contest, a real debate, and obviously a real pick who gets to be number two on the ticket when the party finishes the entire process. still ahead, international criticism pours in after the u.s. vetoes a calling for a cease-fire in gaza. there is a high risk of collapse of the humanitarian support system. this morning more attacks along the gaza strip. the hamas-run health ministry reports at least 171 killed and 160 hospitalized after the israeli air strikes. >> meanwhile the u.s. is being criticized for vetoing a cease-fire. ivan watson is live in beirut. hello. tell us about israel's ambassador expressing gratitude for the u.s. and its veto and the global reaction. >> reporter: right. well, israel, its ambassador, thanked the u.s. for its support. basically the u.s. was the only member of the security council to vote against a resolution calling for a cease-fire in gaza. so it's a failure to stop the fighting through diplomatic means at the u.n. security council, and this has revealed the growing isolation of israel and its closest a ally, the u.s. it's created this unusual situation where you had russia, for example, on the same page as some of the world's largest human rights organizations all aligned in criticizing the u.s.'s veto for a cease-fire in gaza. the u.s. representative, he argued that putting a stop to the fighting would be, in his words, dangerous because it would allow hamas to regroup and perhaps one day again attack israel as it did on october 7th. the criticism of the u.s. veto was led by the palestinians. take a listen to the palestinian ambassador to the u.n. >> instead of allowing this council to uphold its mandate by finally making a clear call after two months of massacres that atrocities must end. the war criminals are given more time to perpetuate their crimes. >> reporter: the united arab emirates, they drafted this cease-fire res rugsolutionresol say it's tethered from its own founding document. russia chimed in saying the u.s. veto, according to a representative from russia, could lead to thousands if not tens of thousands getting killed in the middle east. a listen to the human rights, they say the u.s. stands alone, high man rights say it wants complicity with war crimes. as this diplomatic situation failed, the fighting continued. again, you had at least 71 people killed a i cording to the health ministry in gaza and some 160 wounded over the past 24 hours. back to you guys. >> ivan watson, thanks so much. still ahead, the u.s. economy notched up another solid month of job growth, it comes as actors and autoworkers come off the picket lines. >> for a lot of us, christmas is about giving back. but cnn heroes give all year long. here's a look. >> tomorrow on cnn -- >> he provided protection for migrant children at the mexico border. >> explore people making a difference in our world. >> we're wree brebuilding the c reef here in the florida keys. >> i want to make sure people in ghana have health care. >> if i see a pet in need -- >> interes >> trauma can be a path to growth. >> we share connect