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Jimmy Carter's State Funeral Set For January 9; Officials: Pilot Reported Bird Strike Before Crash; Storms Could Put A Damper On NYE Celebrations. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired December 30, 2024 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:00:35]

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN HOST: Welcome to THE LEAD. I'm Phil Mattingly in for Jake Tapper.

The tributes are pouring in to honor the life and legacy of former President Jimmy Carter, who died yesterday at the age of 100 in his hometown of Plains, Georgia. This hour, we'll bring you details of his official state funeral in Washington, D.C., which will be held on January 9th, with President Joe Biden delivering a eulogy.

We'll also share stories you may not have heard about his lasting foreign policy initiatives, his life in the White House, his family and his humanitarian work, post-presidency. It was that work that has earned him the respect of Americans across the ideological spectrum, despite the time, was an unpopular presidency.

In fact, president of the United States -- well, that's just merely one title that describes him. Carters biographer, Jonathan Alter, put it this way, quote: He was the first American president since Thomas Jefferson who could reasonably claim to be a renaissance man, or at least a world class autodidact. He then listed off Carter's many skills included peanut farmer, naval officer, electrician, nuclear engineer, master woodworker, missionary, home builder, fly fisherman, poet, and so many more.

We begin with CNN's Rafael Romo, who's in at the Carter Center in Atlanta, and Eva McKend, who is in Plains, Georgia.

Eva, to start with you, former President Carter was obviously larger than life in Plains, where he lived out the majority of his 100 years. What's the mood there, and what are you learning about the arrangements for his official state funeral?

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Phil, it is a mixture of sadness and pride here in Plains today. You know, after President Carter left the White House, he could have lived anywhere in the country. But he decided to return here to rural Georgia, to this community of just about a few hundred people.

And so, in the coming weeks, we will talk about his legacy of service, his character, his compassion. But for the people here in this community, he was their neighbor. You know, just a few years ago, they would see him walking right here in downtown plains or teaching at Sunday school here. And it is this connection to rural America that resonated with so many Americans, including a woman that we caught up with who drove here today from Alabama.

Take a listen to what she told us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARA CALLOWAY, ALABAMA RESIDENT VISITING PLAINS, GEORGIA: I was so emotional when it was announced that President Carter had died. I felt a closeness to him and the fact that he had come from a small southern town like Georgia had traveled the world and had come back and realized there was so much injustices in the -- in America. And I think he will be remembered for just being an honest man, a caring man, a family man, a man who loved God, a man who loved people and many wanted to see a better world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKEND: And, Phil, that state funeral will take place in Washington on January 9th. Next hour here at Maranatha Baptist Church, where President Carter led

Sunday school for many years. There's going to be a prayer vigil.

What I'm hearing from folks here is the most present concern is being there for the Carter family in this moment -- Phil.

MATTINGLY: Let's go now to Rafael Romo, who is at the Carter Center.

Rafael, what are you hearing from visitors there today?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's just such a tremendous outpouring of love and support, with people stopping by to pay their respects, to bring flowers. And, Phil, we have been discussing the many accomplishments of President Carter, both during his time at the White House and in later years when he led this institution, the Carter Center, to promote human rights and democracy around the world to fight disease, to seek international peace.

But we've also heard about how behind the scenes, behind the scenes, the president helped many people around the world, and also here in Georgia in many different ways. Earlier, I had an opportunity to talk to Laura Neuman. She's a senior advisor for peace programs here at the Carter Center.

And yes, she spoke about how proud they are about the accomplishments of President Carter and everything he was able to do during his presidency and in his several decades here leading the Carter Center. But she also wanted to share with us a personal story and how the president, without telling anybody about it, was instrumental in helping her bring her adopted daughter from Guatemala. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURA NEUMAN, SENIOR ADVISER FOR PEACE PROGRAMS, THE CARTER CENTER: She was my reference and he helped me bring my daughter from Guatemala. So, I think, you know, like you will hear from everybody. President Carter was many, many things, but he was absolutely what you saw. There was no pretense to President Carter, and he had courage of his conviction. And we learned that every day at the Carter Center.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: And, Phil, we also got a little glimpse as to how President Carter was behind the scenes, how he was as a boss, and Laura Neuman was telling us that he would question and challenge everybody here just to make sure that everybody was giving their best, to make sure that the causes that they were fighting for really had 100 percent commitment. Very telling the story that Laura Neuman told us.

Phil, now back to you.

MATTINGLY: Such great personal stories from Rafael Romo, Eva McKend. Thanks so much.

With us now, Joey Recker, he's a plains, Georgia native and the mayor of Plains. Population, give or take, 500, 600 people.

Mr. Mayor, I really appreciate your time.

I think what's so striking. You just heard it from some of the personal stories from Eva on the ground there. The world has lost a leader. It has lost a humanitarian.

Plains has lost a great neighbor, a farmer, a Sunday school teacher.

How are people in your town responding today?

MAYOR JOEY RECKER, PLAINS, GEORGIA: Well, we're sad, but we're but were proud. We couldn't be more proud to have been his neighbor, his friend. You know, he's always the president of the United States. And he has earned and deserves that respect.

But to most of us, he was Mr. Jimmy and would wave to us and talk to us when he walked by or rode by on his bicycle with Ms. Rosalynn. And it was just a -- a great, great place to live. And a large part of that is because of the man that Jimmy Carter was.

MATTINGLY: Mr. Mayor, was it surreal that you would just walk by a president, a former president, a former first lady? Or was that just the norm for you in town? It strikes me as just amazing to think about.

RECKER: I guess when we left town to talk to others and would talk about President Carter, it seemed very surreal to them. But to those of us that lived here in town, I guess we just grew up with it. It just became a part of what Plains is. And. I'm actually -- the back of my house joins land that goes up to the back of President Carter's house, and I could sit on the back porch and see him and Ms. Rosalynn holding hands and walking through the field together, and we just wave and leave them alone and let them have their time together.

And that's -- that's just the way we -- that's just the way we do it here in Plains.

MATTINGLY: I was always struck whenever the former president, whenever the first former first lady would talk about Plains, there was never any question. It seemed in their minds that they were going to go home. That was where they were from. That was where they were going to live.

They weren't going to live in Washington. They weren't going to live in Atlanta. What is it about the community that would draw them back like that?

RECKER: Well, I think President Carter has always just loved this town and more so love these people. And the people love him back.

You know, it was just home. He grew up just down the road in Archery and walked those railroad tracks to come into this little town.

And, you know, it's an old saying, but it's just the truth. There's no place like home. You can go anywhere in the world you want to go. But home is home. And I -- and I think that's what President Carter felt about this town. And -- and he is, you know, we felt the same way about him.

MATTINGLY: We've been discussing the arrangements for the state funeral. Is there any sense about how Plains may honor or continue to honor President Carter's legacy now that he's gone.

RECKER: Well, we will always be the home of the 39th president of the United States, President Jimmy Carter, and our neighbor, Mr. Jimmy.

In October, I'm very proud that the city council and myself, we did sign a proclamation on the 1st of October, his 100th birthday, and we proclaimed that day as Jimmy Carter Day here in Plains, and for from that day and forevermore. And we will always remember our neighbor, our friend, our president. And we will do something every year on October 1st to commemorate him.

And I don't know what that looks like yet, but plans will be in place every year to make that day his birthday special for -- forevermore here in Plains.

MATTINGLY: Plains, Georgia Mayor Joey Recker, thanks so much for your time.

RECKER: We really appreciate it.

MATTINGLY: Thanks for having me. Thank you.

RECKER: Let's discuss now with Kate Andersen Brower, author of exploring the White House and former Carter White House communications director Gerald Rafshoon.

Gerry, I want to start with you.

When Jimmy Carter ran for governor, he was the second time in 1970, you were a young advertising executive, and he was an underdog then. You signed on to work with him. What brought you to that? Why did you decide to do that?

GERALD RAFSHOON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I started in 1966, the first time he was running for --

MATTINGLY: First time, okay.

RAFSHOON: First time. I had lived in Atlanta and I had worked with 20th Century Fox, and I'd moved to New York, uh, to be the advertising director for a movie called "Cleopatra" with Elizabeth Taylor. And I decided when I moved to New York and I was promoted by the company, they said, we can't give you a big raise, but once "Cleopatra" comes out to be a lot of money and then we screen "Cleopatra", and I said, they ain't going to be no raises.

And so I went back to Atlanta, and with 20th Century Fox and started my own advertising agency. And then people said, you ought to get involved in do a couple of -- I had the largest theater chain, and Paramount was a client, and Krystal Hamburgers, which was a big fast food place in the South.

And somebody said, you ought to get involved with -- Jimmy Carter's running for governor. And I said, well, I'm not going to do a political campaign. I know what -- I've heard what it's like. And you spend a lot of time there, and if you lose, you're a loser. And if you win, it really doesn't do that much because you've neglected all your other clients.

And then I heard a commercial on the air, and it was a country and western singer singing a jingle.

MATTINGLY: Yeah.

RAFSHOON: Jimmy Carter is his name. Jimmy Carter is his name. Jimmy Carter is his name. Number one for governor? I almost smashed into a telephone pole, and I went into my office. It was on a Sunday, and I'd gone in to do the paperwork.

And I called my friend Hal Gulliver, who had been trying to, to get me involved. And I said, Hal, that jingle that he just put on that you got Jimmy Carter. Take that jingle off the air. People think he's Jimmy Davis, the governor of Louisiana. I mean, it's just awful.

And he says, God, I -- excuse me. Damn it. I told you, I want your help. I said, don't -- I don't want to get involved. I'm not going to get involved in politics. Just tell him to take the jingle off the air.

So then the following Monday, I was babysitting my children, and my wife was out. And I got to thinking, you know, I like the guy. He seemed like, you know, he's not a racist, and he's a moderate, and I know he's running in sixth place right now, but maybe if we if he lets us do something creative, other people will hear it and we'll get other clients.

So I arranged to see him up at the Dinkler Plaza Hotel, which is where their headquarters was. MATTINGLY: Right.

RAFSHOON: And he was running the 1966 for the first time. And he was he was a state senator, and he was a Democrat and one of the few families, the Carters were the few families that voted for Lyndon Johnson versus Richard Nixon.

MATTINGLY: Right.

RAFSHOON: And, so I said, well, I called my friend Gulliver and managed to go up to the Dinkler Plaza Hotel, and it was a two suite -- two room suite. There was a bedroom where he, when he came to town, he could sleep, spend the night when he goes out, going all over the -- driving all over the state.

MATTINGLY: Yeah.

RAFSHOON: And, so, at the other room was a conference, that was a conference room. And there were two coeds from the University of Georgia who were holding down giving out brochures and everything, and they had been recruited by our youth director from the student director by the name of Hamilton Jordan.

MATTINGLY: Yeah, of course.

RAFSHOON: Who later became chief of staff of the White House.

MATTINGLY: In that meeting like -- that -- that meeting was what did it? That meeting was --

RAFSHOON: No.

(LAUGHTER)

RAFSHOON: So they put me in the bedroom.

MATTINGLY: Okay.

RAFSHOON: Which also had a desk, and I'm waiting for him. And all of a sudden the door opens up and he comes in. This guy, he's got on khakis and he's got on a tie and he's with -- a lawyer from Atlanta who's had some connection with the Kennedy family.

[16:15:09]

He'd been a Joe Kennedy's roommate and also a political science professor from southwest Georgia teachers college, who was the political science professor. He was a Greek immigrant.

And he said, well, what have you got? I said, well, for one thing. Take that jingle off the air. I said, it's the worst thing I've ever heard. People think you're -- it's Jimmy Davis, the country and Western singer.

MATTINGLY: And he listened. Did he listen?

RAFSHOON: Huh?

MATTINGLY: Did he listen? Well, it's a good sign for somebody in your space.

RAFSHOON: I said, and just take that off the air.

KATE ANDERSEN BOWER, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yeah, but that's the thing that, just to interject is the point that you're making is that nobody knew who he was. Yeah, right. Like, you know, Rosalynn Carter had to go out and look for antenna for radio stations around the country. The peanut brigade would go around trying to introduce people. When he was governor of Georgia, people had no idea who he was.

RAFSHOON: He was always the underdog whenever he ran for anything.

BOWER: Yeah.

RAFSHOON: So this is the first time he ran for governor.

MATTINGLY: Yeah, real quick though.

RAFSHOON: And so I said, take it off the air. And so what are you going to say? I said, we're going to put it all on television. Well take the whole $60,000 and put it all on television.

BOWER: And then he became his communications director in the White House. So Gerry is one of the people who really helped Carter become a household name. And then Carter brought him into the White House, made him the communications director.

And you were part of the Camp David Peace accords. And when I talked to Gerry about Jimmy Carter, you've talked about him being like a father figure to you. And we went down to Plains together, and you could see them interact.

And it's -- it is obvious that there was so much affection between you and President Carter and Rosalynn. Mrs. Carter, it was like a family bond between them, even after decades.

MATTINGLY: Right, which seemed to extend as well.

RAFSHOON: Two of us, Hamilton, Gerry and Jody Powell.

MATTINGLY: Yeah. And all the way through, and it was that affection that seemed you could hear it from the mayor as well.

We've got a lot more to get to.

RAFSHOON: But what happened was I told him, take it, take the commercials off and put it all on television. And, you're not going to talk.

BOWER: And it changed everything. And then he became president.

RAFSHOON: The message is there's a man running for governor. His name is Jimmy Carter. He's a farmer. He's a businessman. He went to Annapolis. He worked for Ribicoff, and come see him.

Listen to him. Hear what he has to say. Better yet, tell him what you have to say.

MATTINGLY: Which he listened to very clearly and became the ethos of his entire campaign.

We've got to take a commercial break. I just want to say thank you guys very much. Before his death, former Vice President Walter Mondale wrote a eulogy for the president. He served with Jimmy Carter, of course.

And this hour, I'll be joined by -- live by Mondale son, with a preview of that message and his family's relationship with the Carters.

Plus, leaving Washington, D.C., didn't mean leaving politics behind for Jimmy Carter. The impact he had on every commander in chief who served after him. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:22:03]

MATTINGLY: Back with our national lead.

President Carter's four-year White House tenure was marked by world shifting events, some undeniable achievements, such as the peace treaty he brokered at Camp David between Israel and Egypt, while other events tarnished his reputation, such as the Iran hostage crisis.

Here's a look back at Carter's unique mark on the American presidency.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY CARTER, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: I intend to give our new president my support, and I intend to work as a citizen, as I've worked here in this office as president for the values this nation was founded to secure.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): For Jimmy Carter, a farewell address to the presidency that planted the seeds to a legacy reshaping four decades.

CARTER: Thank you all.

MATTINGLY: Focused in his work at the namesake Carter Center, fighting diseases in developing countries and monitoring more than 100 international elections, but enhanced by his unofficial role as roving ambassador to the world, an un-appointed, and at times, in the view of his Oval Office successors, unwelcome cause, one that put him face to face with dictators and rewrote the book for a former president as only the original political outsider could. A role he never seemed to shed even within the most exclusive club in the world, but one Carter seemed to embrace, if not relish, as he offered advice and at times pointed criticism.

CARTER: This administration has been the worst in history -- worst in history.

MATTINGLY: During George W. Bush's presidency, Carter was especially vocal in his opposition to the Iraq war.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: You believe the United States under this administration has used torture?

CARTER: I don't -- I don't think it. I know it, certainly.

BLITZER: So is the president lying?

CARTER: The president is self-defining what we have done and authorized in the torture of prisoners. Yes.

MATTINGLY: Carter's 1994 trip to North Korea, during a period of tension over their nuclear program, put the Clinton administration in a difficult spot.

CARTER: The words that I used with President Kim Il Sung was that, in my opinion, the sanctions effort was being held in abeyance.

MATTINGLY: Carter cutting a deal with North Korea and then talking to CNN before President Bill Clinton.

BILL CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: I don't know what he said, and I don't know that you know what he said. All I know is what I said, and what I said is the policy of the United States of America.

MATTINGLY: And yet, while Clinton was angry at the time, years later, he awarded Carter the Medal of Freedom.

CLINTON: Grateful nation says thank you.

MATTINGLY: Carter once candidly responded to a question about whether President Barack Obama called him for advice.

CARTER: Unfortunately, the answer is no. President Obama doesn't. But previous presidents have called on me.

MATTINGLY: And Carter's relationship with President Donald Trump deteriorated after this comment about the 2016 election.

CARTER: He lost the election and he was put in office because the Russians interfered on his behalf.

MODERATOR: So do you believe President Trump is an illegitimate president?

CARTER: Based on what I just said, which I can't retract.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[16:25:03]

MATTINGLY (on camera): Carter's 1999 Medal of Freedom was followed three years later by a Nobel Peace Prize, two plus decades more after that of working on the most intractable diplomatic solutions. There's no question he ruffled feathers inside the West Wing at times. There's also no question he led one of the most consequential, if not the most consequential, post-presidency lives ever.

Joining us now, CNN senior political commentator and former Obama administration official, Van Jones, and Tia Mitchell, the Washington bureau chief of "The Atlanta Journal Constitution".

Van, to start with you. You know, President Carter didn't hide his true opinions. And one of the questions I always had was, did that ever hurt Democrats politically?

VAN JONES, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Sometimes it did, sometimes it didn't. But what I will say about Jimmy Carter, who you are when you're striving for power, how you act, that reveals something about you. Who you are when you have power reveals a lot more. Who you are when you've lost power, that is the true test.

He lost power, but he didn't lose purpose. And he -- and he again, when you say he did more in his post-presidency than anybody else, he did more in his post-presidency than any 4 or 5 presidents did. And that lets you know that that guy, that that outsider who was running, who said he was wanting to be a different type of leader, he meant when he was striving for power, he meant it in power. And more importantly, he meant it after power.

That's why he's going to be beloved and talked about for a long time.

MATTINGLY: And, Tia, your newspaper broke the news of President Carter's passing. I would urge everybody to go look at "The AJC" right now. The full presentation of everything your team has put together is really something else.

You actually met both President Carter and Rosalynn a few years ago. What were they like?

TIA MITCHELL, ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION: So it was just an interesting -- it was brief, but even in those brief moments, it taught me a lot about them. I went to Sunday services at Maranatha Baptist, where they were longtime members. Of course, President Carter taught Sunday school there up until the pandemic, really. And I went a little bit post pandemic, but the crowds were gone. Very few people in Sunday service and I sat in the back with the visitors.

And Rosalynn Carter got up to greet us again. They were both in their 90s at that point, and, um, she individually spoke to every single visitor. And when she found out I was an AJC reporter, she said, oh, you've got to go meet Jimmy. And she walked me to the front of the church and said, Jimmy, this lady is from the AJC.

And he stuck out his hand and I shook it and he said, all right, young lady, it's time for Sunday school. Go back to your seat. So even then, you know, he was not going to delay the services. He was not going to throw everything off. He was like -- we are here for Sunday school. It is time. Go have a seat. And just their hospitality, but also their piety, their dedication to

their church, their dedication to each other. It all showed in that brief interaction.

MATTINGLY: You know, Van, I want you to listen to something that President Carter said during an interview with CNN nearly 30 years ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARTER: I think our American society now is divided worse than it has been since the war between the states, and it's -- and the division is dramatized by the division in Washington. There's practically no harmony now between the White House and the Congress and the American people look at this as kind of a comedy of errors or a farce. And it's very disgusting to see it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: I think what's striking when you listen to that 1996 interview, there's still a lot of truth to that view.

JONES: Hey, look, we look back at the '90s now as a high watermark of bipartisanship. You know, we act like Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich were best friends hanging out, cutting taxes together. But, you know, politics is always tough. You know, we have a partisan system, you know, if you -- if you don't have disagreement, that's called a dictatorship.

When you have disagreement, that's called democracy. The question is, can you manage it? And, you know, I think we should really admire what Jimmy Carter tried to do with his moment in power.

He talked about the environment. People beat him up for talking about energy efficiency. That's now mainstream stuff. He was trying to bring peace to the Middle East. Don't you wish he had been successful -- more successful? He got Egypt to the table. What if he had gotten others to the table?

Listen, most people today think of politics as some social media game, some stunt, some way to get on television. He wasn't doing that. He was doing a different style of politics. And I think the country would do a lot better with a lot more Jimmy Carter style politics than the stuff we're dealing with today.

MATTINGLY: Tia, before I let you go, you also have covered the White House plenty in this administration. President Biden will deliver President Carter's eulogy on January 9th, one of the last big speeches before he departs office. What do you expect in that moment?

MITCHELL: Well, I expect -- I expect President Biden to speak a lot about his personal relationship with the Carters. That goes far beyond politics.

[16:30:01]

I also think he's going to talk about Carters legacy and what he took away from Carter, both as president and, of course, post-presidency.

Last night, he spoke about decency being his biggest takeaway and the fact that Jimmy Carter kind of remained who he was very humble, always friendly to everyone he met, whether you were someone in power or just a regular person on the street. And so I expect a very personal, heartfelt message from the president when he eulogizes Jimmy Carter on January 9th.

MATTINGLY: Tia Mitchell, Van Jones, always appreciate your time. Thanks so much.

JONES: Thank you, brother.

MITCHELL: Thank you.

MATTINGLY: Well, much more on President Carter ahead.

But next, to another major story we're following, U.S. investigators are heading to the scene of a tragic and deadly plane crash in South Korea. Just as we learned what the pilot reportedly said in the moments before crashing.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:34:33]

MATTINGLY: In our world lead, we're now hearing from one of the two survivors of the deadly plane crash in South Korea. Hospital officials say the flight -- flight attendant only referred to by his surname, Lee, told doctors, quote, when I woke up, I had already been rescued.

We're also hearing from officials on the ground that the plane's black boxes have been recovered. A video shows the Boeing 737 skirted along the runway on its belly before crashing into a wall and going up in flames.

While the cause of the crash is still being investigated, officials say pilots shouted "mayday, bird strike!" The fiery crash killing 179 people and leaving two crew members as the lone survivors. Now for those families of those on board, one international airport has become a place of mourning as they await to hear about their loved ones remains.

I want to bring in retired United Airlines Captain Kit Darby, and former senior NTSB Investigator Greg Feith.

Kit, I want to start with you.

The plane's two black boxes have been recovered, one of which has been partially damaged, we're told. How long does it take to process? And are you concerned if it's damaged, that it could affect really telling the full story here?

KIT DARBY, RETIRED UNITED AIRLINES CAPTAIN: Well, we certainly want to know the full story from both black boxes. It depends on the extent of the damage. It could be a quick repair or it could be months if we have to put it back together piece by piece.

MATTINGLY: Kit, I think the biggest question is obviously why this happened. The plane appeared to crash land on the runway without any landing gear, and officials, as I just noted, said the pilot made a mayday call shouting "bird strike".

What do you make of the reporting about the bird strike and the reporting the landing gear may not have been down at all?

DARBY: Well, from the video, the gear wasn't down, the flaps weren't out, the spoilers weren't deployed on the landing. This was a very complex situation, actually, beyond most training events, you might land with no flaps, but not -- not the combination of events here.

So the bird strike, you know, in my experience, would not normally lead to any gear or flap problems. We'll have to see what happened to understand how this airplane made a gear up, flaps up, no spoilers on landing -- landing on a runway that was marginal in length, a very a very tense situation.

MATTINGLY: Yeah. And underscoring just how many questions remain right now.

Greg, Southwest Airlines, which also flies Boeing aircraft, put out a statement saying, quote, we are engaged with the FAA and Boeing and will take any steps they recommend as the investigation unfolds.

What's an investigation like this mean for airlines here in the U.S.?

GREG FEITH, FORMER SENIOR NTSB INVESTIGATOR: Well, there are a couple of things, Phil. One, the NTSB and the FAA are in route to South Korea to help with the investigation because we are the state of manufacturer. That is, Boeing is here.

We have a responsibility, especially with the FAA, for continued airworthiness of that aircraft. So it's going to be incumbent upon the investigators to find out if there is any kind of mechanical malfunction or failure that could be systemic in this aircraft, or was this a maintenance related issue, or was this a crew performance issue?

It's evident that whatever happened, there was a high sense of urgency to get the airplane on the ground. They aborted the first approach, circled back around in a teardrop, tried to land on the opposing runway, but as Kit said, they didn't have the gear the airplane really configured for landing yet. It probably was configured on the initial approach.

MATTINGLY: And, Greg, how big could an investigation like this become? And I guess you mentioned the U.S. investigators heading over. How do investigators from different countries here work together on this?

FEITH: It's really a synergistic process because you're bringing various levels of expertise here. We're bringing Boeing. We're bringing the FAA. There is a joint program with the engine manufacturer. Of course, the

Koreans, the South Koreans will be -- will be the lead investigative authority. All this information will be ferreted out.

It's all about developing the facts, conditions and circumstances, putting them into context and really understanding where the whole process of this accident started, the fact that they hit this wall, its not a wall, it's actually the stanchion for the localizer antenna for the instrument approach system. So the question there -- that's what really caused the catastrophic damage in the significant fatalities. And the question is why did the airport have that kind of system there? It was supposed to be frangible.

MATTINGLY: Yeah. The scale of what investigators are looking at is certainly wide. Kit Darby, Greg Feith, thanks so much for your time. Appreciate it.

DARBY: Thank you.

MATTINGLY: And up next, I'll be joined by someone who personally knew President Jimmy Carter, the son of Carter's vice president, Walter Mondale. His personal memories of the late president and the message he'll deliver at Carter's funeral.

That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:43:19]

MATTINGLY: We're back with our national lead. Storms could put a damper on New Year's Eve celebrations this year, with heavy rain expected tomorrow night in New York, just as an estimated 1 million people packed into Times Square for the iconic ball drop. This comes as storms are already causing issues for holiday travelers across the country.

CNN's Whitney Wild is at Chicago's O'Hare Airport.

Whitney, you're in Chicago. How are travelers faring that you're talking to so far?

WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: They're -- they're doing pretty well. I mean, here at O'Hare, it's been, you know, big crowds and thinner crowds. Right now, we're in a bit of a lull here, so its really easy to get through security. The delays are not that bad. Cancellations are not that bad.

I mean, right now, you can see -- I mean, you're getting through security in like 5 to 10 minutes at worst fill. So it looks pretty good here. This is a really busy travel week. I mean, just at O'Hare and Midway alone, the Chicago Department of Aviation thinks they're going to process at least 3.6 million passengers between December 20th and January 2nd. So a really busy travel week here in Chicago, nationwide, also a record breaker beginning with Thanksgiving and all the way through New Year's, Phil. Just on the 29th alone, TSA says they processed almost 2.8 million passengers. That is a big jump from how many people they processed in 2023, across the board, numbers ticking up.

But right now, here at O'Hare, things are looking good. Cancellations, though nationwide at about 105 when we last checked; delays in the U.S. based into, within and out of the U.S. is around 3,600. So not great.

But the people I talked to, even people who were delayed, had good spirits.

MATTINGLY: I mean, I'll take Zen at O'Hare any day of the week.

Let's bring in meteorologist Chad Myers.

Chad, what's the forecast look like for New Year's Eve?

[16:45:01]

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, wet for New York City, for sure. And there might even be lightning and thunder in the area. So if you're going to be outside a lot in New York City, and many of you will be, keep that in mind. Maybe you have some kind of a safe place to go.

No real weather right now. This is a great news. People trying to get in and out of airports and airports are doing very well. We have some rain changing over to snow in Omaha, but not a major hub. I mean, I lived there a long time. Not too many planes in and out of there going through Eppley.

There's the snow though, moving into Chicago, maybe later on tonight into tomorrow, but it should be mixed with rain and snow. So, therefore, not really a big icing event here. And really for the entire country here things look pretty good.

Please do not get outside here in New York City without a raincoat though, because there could be a couple of inches of rain in some spots. Certainly not the warmest and not the coldest for the rest of the week, or even for the -- into next week. But it does cool down again later in the week next week.

I mean, the coldest we've seen so far. And if you're in L.A., please don't shoot off any fireworks. We have a significant fire hazard here with very dry winds. Could see winds gusts to 55 miles per hour. Please be careful out there in L.A. and all the way through the mountains and the passes and the canyons.

MATTINGLY: All right. Whitney Wild, Chad Myers, thanks so much.

Well, plans are being finalized to honor the late President Jimmy Carter. What we're learning about the ceremonies in Atlanta and Washington, D.C., and how you can pay your respects.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [16:50:13]

MATTINGLY: A cornerstone of Jimmy Carters life, one that allowed him to connect with so many, was his faith.

Jake Tapper explores that side of the former president's legacy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARTER: I, Jimmy Carter, do solemnly swear.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jimmy Carter faced the American presidency the same way he faced nearly everything else in his life -- with unflinching faith.

CARTER: I have just taken the oath of office on the bible my mother gave me just a few years ago.

TAPPER: And as Americans look to President Carter to lead them, President Carter looked to God for guidance.

CARTER: With God's help and for the sake of our nation, it is time for us to join hands, in America.

TAPPER: As a devout evangelical, the pride of Plains, Georgia, was active in his hometown church well into his 90s.

CARTER: Well, thank you for coming this morning.

TAPPER: Both as a student of faith and as a teacher.

CARTER: My father was a Sunday school teacher. He taught me in -- when I was a child. I still teach Sunday school when I can.

TAPPER: A commitment to God and family were long held hallmarks of the Carter home.

DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: The Scripture was part of his daily childhood life. Every night at supper, they would not only say the Lord's Prayer, but would read the gospel. When Carter left home for the naval academy, his faith followed. He would spend his weekends on leave doing Bible classes, tutoring people in Scripture. He talks about Jesus Christ all the time.

TAPPER: But in 1966, the lifelong Christian came to question his beliefs. His faith shaken after losing the Georgia governor's race in the primary.

CARTER: I really felt let down by God.

TAPPER: Carter's younger sister read him Scripture from the Book of James, reminding the future president --

CARTER: That a setback in life should be an institution that results in perseverance and patience and self-analysis and renewed spiritual commitment. STUART EIZENSTAT, PRESIDENT, CARTER'S FORMER POLICY ADVISER: She made

him into what evangelicals called a born again Christian.

TAPPER: With renewed conviction, Carter went on to serve as Georgia's governor and later as America's commander in chief.

The 39th president and his new vice president, Walter Mondale, had Christianity in common. They bonded over it.

WALTER MONDALE, FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: I grew up in a minister's family, and he recognized what I was about, and I think that's one of the things that pulled us together.

TAPPER: It was also one of the qualities that helped Carter become the first president to welcome the Pope to the White House.

CARTER: Let all of us here, of every faith, stand as one unto God for peace and justice and for love.

TAPPER: The president's knowledge of world religion played a key role in his brokering of the Egypt-Israel peace treaty in 1979, a key accomplishment of his administration.

PETER BOURNE, PRESIDENT CARTER'S FORMER ADVISER: Because of his intimate reading of the bible and other religious documents, he felt an intimacy with the almost the land of the Middle East, and he just thought that was the most important thing that he could do as president.

TAPPER: But Carter's devotion to service did not end with his presidency. The former peanut farmer dedicated his energy to humanitarian work, building homes for the poor even as he neared his 95th birthday.

CARTER: I happen to be a Christian, and it's a practical way to put my religious beliefs into practical use.

TAPPER: While he continued to refer to himself humbly --

CARTER: I'm a Sunday school teacher, but I have a lot of people that confide in me.

TAPPER: President Carter and his namesake, Carter Center, touched the lives of millions.

CARTER: Well, the work at the Carter Center has been, I'd say, more personally gratifying to me.

TAPPER: Founded in 1982 as part of his presidential library, the Carter Center has worked to ensure the fairness of more than 100 elections in nearly 40 countries and is credited with virtually eliminating diseases like guinea worm that had long burdened parts of Africa.

CARTER: Guinea worm is probably one of the oldest diseases remembered by human beings. It's in the bible. We think it's a fiery serpent. TAPPER: For his work, Jimmy Carter earned the Nobel Peace Prize in

2002.

In addition to his philanthropic work, Jimmy Carter was a prolific author. He published more than 25 books, touching on his belief in God, country, and kindness.

You only have to have two loves in your life, he wrote, for God and for the person in front of you at any particular time.

[16:55:05]

The person with Carter most was his wife, Rosalynn, who worshiped alongside him for more than seven decades.

CARTER: When I'm overseas, or when she is, we read the same passage in the Bible and we kind of, you know, communicate silently.

TAPPER: Even when cancer threatened to take Mr. Carter from his wife and from the life he loved, he kept his faith and looked again to God.

CARTER: Now I feel you know that it's in the hands of God, whom I worship. And I'll be prepared for anything that comes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MATTINGLY: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MATTINGLY: There is no law or written rule outlining perhaps the highest honor a U.S. citizen can receive upon death to lie in state in the U.S. Capitol. It is where a deeply divided nation gathered to pay respects to Abraham Lincoln. In 1865, following his assassination.

The catafalque, you see there, made for Lincoln has been used to support the coffins of other U.S. presidents like John F. Kennedy in November of 1963, the last president to receive the honor was George H.W. Bush in 2018.

It is an honor not limited to presidents. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was the first woman to lie in state in 2020. Now, the man who appointed Ginsburg to the federal bench, President Jimmy Carter, will rest in the rotunda for likely thousands of Americans to walk past and pay their respects. His body arrives in Washington next week.

The news continues with Wolf Blitzer in "THE SITUATION ROOM".