Return to Transcripts main page
Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
U.S. Officials Estimate Quake Death Toll Likely To Surpass 10,000; Trump Secures Deal With Law Firms As Two Other Firms Sue; Trump: We Have To Have Greenland; Trump Targets The Smithsonian In New Executive Order; Official: Ecuador Preparing To Host U.S. Troops To Support Operations Targeting Violent Drug Gangs; "Fentanyl In America: A Way Out" Airs Sunday At 8ET/PT. Aired 8-9p ET
Aired March 28, 2025 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., U.S. SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: We're going to make him do raise your hand if you want Governor Morrisey to do a public weigh in once a month.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: Now, the Governor was unfazed. At least he seemed to be saying that he is committed to Kennedy's vision of making America healthy again. He pledged to support to MAHA, as they call it, and saying he will work to block the use of SNAP benefits to purchase soda in his state of Virginia, which has the highest obesity rate in the United States at about 40 percent.
And before we go, I just want to make sure everyone knows this, you should not miss a special "The Whole Story." Our own Kate Bolduan is investigating America's fentanyl crisis. It's Sunday at eight o'clock with Kate.
Thanks so much for joining us. AC360 starts now.
[20:00:48]
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, "ANDERSON COOPER: 360": Tonight on 360, one of the most devastating earthquakes to strike Southeast Asia in the past century. We have a live report from Bangkok, Thailand tonight.
More fallout from that Signal group chat controversy. New comments from the Vice President and why current and former U.S. officials say two of the texts may have done long-term damage to our country's foreign intelligence efforts.
Also tonight, how the President wants to reshape the Smithsonian, our nation's largest museum institution with his new executive order targeting diversity, equity and inclusion and calling for, "restoring truth and sanity to American history."
Good evening. Thank you for joining us.
We start with that devastating earthquake and aftershocks in Southeast Asia, where more than 150 total are now confirmed dead. But the U.S. Geological Survey is saying tonight the number could be more than 10,000. The images are ghastly and unforgettable.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(Video of building that collapsed in Bangkok during recent earthquake)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: That building under construction collapsing. That was in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, collapsed from the intensity of an earthquake whose epicenter was roughly more than a thousand miles away in the country of Myanmar, formerly Burma.
A Thai official says 110 people are still trapped under that rubble of that building, 12 have been rescued. At least ten people are dead from the one building. One who survived the quake spoke to CNN that he heard three booms. His eyes filled with white dust. He was blind and just began running, hoping to find a way out. Other disturbing images speak to why many of the buildings in Thailand did not collapse.
This is a swimming pool near the top of what a Bangkok's many high rises. Our Derek Van Dam says that this pool is actually doing what it's supposed to be doing in an earthquake, that many of the newer buildings in Bangkok have pools at the top to dampen earthquake activity in areas of the world prone to earthquakes.
Now Myanmar, where the quake was centered, is likely to be in far worse condition at this moment. Here you see the Mandalay Airport in Myanmar. Parts of the ceiling collapsing as people fled.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(Video of inside Mandalay Airport in Myanmar during recent earthquake.)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Mandalay is where the epicenter was. Information is scarce out of Myanmar tonight. It is an isolated nation dealing with a long-term Civil War.
Much of what we do and know has actually come from the military government that controls a small portion of Myanmar. The quake hit around lunchtime, and what video is coming out of there shows panic in the streets, flattened buildings. In addition to the 7.7 magnitude quake, there were several aftershocks.
Myanmar is one of Asia's poorest nations. A U.N. official told CNN that tens of millions were already in need of humanitarian aid there, and millions were internally displaced.
The fact the government is even showing these images to the world and asking for assistance, is one sign of just how devastating the true picture might be.
I want to go to our senior international correspondent, Will Ripley, who is in Bangkok at this hour. What are you seeing there in Thailand -- Will?
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the sun has just come up in the early morning hours here, so were getting our first look at this pile of concrete and steel, which was a 30-story skyscraper under construction until the ground started shaking violently here, as you mentioned, hundreds of miles from the epicenter, shaking lasted well over a minute in Bangkok.
The construction workers had very little notice trying to run out and escape. And so, they do believe that around a hundred people are still trapped inside. They don't know how many of them may still be alive.
But rescuers who have been working by hand, trying to not disturb the delicate balance of the rubble, even though they have heavy machinery in here, they're not using it close to the building. And they say they could hear things like cell phones ringing, but they're having a hard time making verbal contact with people.
So, for the next 72 hours, basically, they're going to be digging through this as delicately as possible, hoping that they can find more survivors. They've already rescued at least 16 as of the latest count, and they've been bringing them to get medical care right by an area where families are seated, Anderson, waiting for news about their loved ones. It's just been an absolutely heart wrenching night for them and a sleepless night for many, many people here in the capital of Thailand.
But one can only imagine how bad it is. Hundreds of miles away, more than 600 miles away, at the epicenter of this earthquake in Myanmar.
[20:05:16]
COOPER: Yes. What is the latest is the latest information coming out of there, and how difficult is it to get actual information out?
RIPLEY: Well, you know, on a good day, they only have electricity about 12 hours a day in Myanmar. But the infrastructure in the closely affected areas is completely gone by most accounts on social media that have been trickling out.
Some of the videos we've seen have shown a number of building collapses, a major bridge collapse. But again, I think the most troubling aspect of it is what were not able to see and the people that we're not able to hear from because they might be isolated or they might be stuck in untold situations.
And because they don't have the rescue apparatus to activate in Myanmar because of four years of Civil War and different militias controlling different parts of the country, just getting a handle on how many people need help, where they are, that in and of itself is going to be a Herculean task, never mind navigating the complexities of getting into the country to help those people who are undoubtedly in dire need right now, even if we don't know how many or what their condition is.
COOPER: Will Ripley, thanks very much. We'll continue to follow this and bring you any news throughout this hour.
Now, to new developments in two major controversies facing the White House, one day after Attorney General Pam Bondi said there would be no investigation into the President's National Security team and how a journalist was mistakenly added onto a non-governmental, commercially available chat app during a discussion of sensitive details of an imminent attack. The Vice President said this today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J.D. VANCE (R), VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We all accept that a journalist should not have been invited into the chat and members of the administration, including my dear friend Mike, have taken responsibility for it.
If you think you're going to force the President of the United States to fire anybody, you've got another thing coming. President Trump has said it, on Monday, on Tuesday, on Wednesday, on Thursday. And I'm the Vice-President saying it here on Friday, we are standing behind our entire National Security team.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Once again, the administration made clear that its views the affair is over, even as Democrats demand investigations. Even as we learn more about how sensitive some of the messages were. Current and former U.S. officials now tell CNN, saying that two of the texts in that Signal chain may have done long-term damage to the U.S.'s ability to gather intelligence on the Houthi group in the future.
The first was from CIA Director John Ratcliffe, quoting from the text. "From CIA perspective, we are mobilizing assets to support now, but a delay would not negatively impact us, and additional time would be used to identify better starting points for coverage on Houthi leadership."
Now, keeping them honest, the officials who spoke with CNN said that the last part from Ratcliffe about wanting to identify better starting points for coverage on Houthi leadership is a potential problem. It doesn't just suggest that they are watching them, it also suggests how and that clearly the CIA is using technical means, like overhead surveillance to spy on their leadership.
Now, this was the other message from the chat that sources said was troubling. It's from National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, quoting now, "Typing too fast. The first target -- their top missile guy -- we had positive I.D. of him walking into his girlfriend's building and its now collapsed."
The sources say that such a description would give the Houthis a clear opportunity to see who the U.S. was surveilling, and potentially figure out how, thus enabling them to avoid that surveillance in the future.
Also tonight, more news on Trump's attempt to secure concessions from major law firms, as well as punish those he sees as employing political enemies. He's made a second deal with a law firm, this one a major firm Skadden Arps. Unlike Trump's attacks on other law firms, Skadden Arps was not the subject of an executive order that could have threatened its business interests, or at least not yet.
The President calls it a settlement. The law firm, in a statement, calls it an agreement. Trump also says the firm would provide at least $100 million in pro bono legal work during the administration. Now, the announcement comes as two more firms targeted by the President in recent days, WilmerHale and Jenner & Block, both affiliated with members of Robert Mueller's special counsel team, filed lawsuits against the President's executive orders.
And late tonight, word that a federal judge in Washington has sided with at least one of those firms, temporarily barring the White House from revoking Jenner & Block's security clearances in federal contracts.
Joining me now is Maggie Haberman, senior political correspondent for "The New York Times," and former federal prosecutor Jeff Toobin.
So, Maggie, Vice-President Vance says that they are standing behind the National Security team. Is that your sense of what's happening inside the White House?
MAGGIE HABERMAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Literally at that moment, standing with him, I don't know that they will be standing behind him forever. The Vice-President said the same thing was said the same thing was said Wednesday and Thursday by President Trump. I don't actually recall President Trump saying on Wednesday and Thursday that he was standing with Mike Waltz. I recall him saying it Tuesday and then we saw what the Vice President said today. I think the President does not want and we have all heard this multiple times, to be perceived as giving in to the press, because we are all covering this.
He also does not like the narrative about firing people. He thinks he fired Mike Flynn, his first National Security Adviser, in the first term too quickly amid controversy.
All of that said, the question is how much longer this goes on, whether there are new disclosures, whether there's more pressure and will Trump look at Mike Waltz the same way because Trump does not like Jeffrey Goldberg, the journalist in that Signal chat.
[20:10:29]
COOPER: And does the President's view of Mike Waltz in the same way he views Pete Hegseth? Seems like Pete Hegseth was sort of his guy was Waltz.
HABERMAN: No. Now, that doesn't mean that Trump does not like Mike Waltz prior to this week, it does not mean that he may, you know, enjoy a decent relationship with him again in the future. Or, you know, if the future could even be Monday. But Mike Waltz doesn't have a historically long relationship with Donald Trump.
Pete Hegseth has a relatively long one. Remember, Trump wanted to appoint Pete Hegseth to a Cabinet secretary role in the first term. He, you know, he thinks that Pete Hegseth is out of central casting. Pete Hegseth has shown a willingness to do what Trump wants in terms of what Trump describes as "woke" generals at the military and other moves.
So, there was a clear effort by Trump on Wednesday not to support Mike Waltz, but actually to cauterize Mike Waltz off and to defend Pete Hegseth. But again, Trump changes, you know, not infrequently when these kinds of controversies happen. We'll see how it plays.
COOPER: Jeff, it's clear that in Pam Bondi's Department of Justice, she's the Attorney General. There is not going to be an investigation. I want to play what she said yesterday, and it's important to just remember, this is the attorney general of the United States who frankly, sounds more like a pundit on, you know, Newsmax or somewhere. Let's watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: In terms of the Signal's chat controversy that's going on. Is DOJ involved at this point? If so, why? If not, why not?
PAM BONDI, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Well, first, it was sensitive information not classified, and inadvertently released and what we should be talking about is it was a very successful mission.
Our world is now safer because of that mission. We're not going to comment any further on that. If you want to talk about classified information, talk about what was at Hillary Clinton's home that she was trying to bleach bit, talk about the classified documents in Joe Biden's garage that Hunter Biden had access to. This was not classified information.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: I mean, I don't know why I'm surprised. I'm not surprised, but it's still stunning to hear.
JEFF TOOBIN, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Well, it is and it's, you know, the what about-ism that we hear, you know, so often on cable news. But the issue here is this information is so much more sensitive than anything that came up in any of those other investigations.
COOPER: Which were investigated.
TOOBIN: They were investigated. I mean, whether there should be a prosecution is, you know, I don't think anyone could say at this point, but is it worth an investigation? Pilots lives were potentially at stake. Intelligence assets are --
COOPER: Because she's also making several declarations that it was inadvertent that that wasn't classified. She has no way of knowing this.
TOOBIN: Because there was no investigation. And there is not going to be an investigation because, you know, political partisans are in charge of the Justice Department, not people who care most about the integrity of investigations.
HABERMAN: Had the same thing happened with lower level government officials, there almost certainly would have been an investigation. And that is something that I think is bothering a number of people watching this.
COOPER: In terms of the actions against these law firms. I mean, Jeff, you and I have talked about this a lot. I find, I mean, this is unprecedented. People don't care about fancy law firms and I understand that. But this is unprecedented action that gets at something everybody should be concerned about, because your ability to hire an attorney, if the government comes after you or you have been fired unjustly by the government, if you can't hire good attorneys --
TOOBIN: And the way the President is going about This violates several different provisions of the Constitution. It's a violation of the First Amendment rights of the lawyers. It's a violation of their client's rights. It's a violation of due process to just do this without any sort of investigation. That's what the judge held in the Perkins Coie case a couple of weeks ago. Apparently today, that's what the judge held in the Jenner & Block case.
So, I mean, the judges are stepping up, but the costs to these law firms, simply by the filing of these actions, even though they're obviously constitutional, unconstitutional, are very serious, and they are all paying a price.
COOPER: And yet it is very effective for the President to do this. I mean, he's now -- he has tens of millions of dollars of free legal work from firms. He will likely rack up more. I mean, clearly, it seems like he smells blood in the water and will go after more firms.
HABERMAN: There's no question I think he's going to go after more firms. And I could see him going after other industries. You know, this set -- the Paul-Weiss agreement, set the predicate for what we are going to see going forward. What Trump officials will say is, well, you know, Todd Blanche had to leave his firm when he wanted to represent Donald Trump or Emil Bove, the principal deputy attorney general had to do the same thing and so forth and so on.
That's just not the same as -- those were firms not wanting to take on a client. I understand there was political, you know, a climate of pressure. It's not the same as the White House dictating who can have a lawyer and from which firm.
TOOBIN: And what makes -- I'm sorry, what makes this even worse is that these law firms did nothing wrong. They hired Robert Mueller as a partner. That is within their rights. They represented clients that had interests adverse to Donald Trump. That is not an offense. So, it's not only that the actions that the President took are clearly unconstitutional, as two judges have already held. It's that he did it for reasons that were totally unjustified.
COOPER: And yet our system is not designed for this kind of assault on firms.
TOOBIN: And, the firms, it's really about their clients.
COOPER: Right. It's they're scared of losing these corporate clients, which is how a lot of them make money. And no corporation is going to hire these firms if the President is going to come after the corporation.
TOOBIN: And the President knows that.
COOPER: And he will --
HABERMAN: They're quite open about what they're doing.
COOPER: Yes, it's fascinating. Maggie Haberman stay with us. Jeff Toobin, thank you very much.
Vice President Vance and the Second Lady arrived in Greenland, as we mentioned, with a very changed itinerary. What Mr. Vance said during their visit and the more direct message from the President today back in Washington.
And later, how team Trump's push against diversity, equity and inclusion is now targeting the Smithsonian institution. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:21:15]
COOPER: Vice President J.D. Vance was in Greenland today. As we mentioned, he delivered remarks after meeting with service members on an American military base. The Vice President said he felt Greenland would be better off under the United States' security umbrella. But that, "We do not think that military force is ever going to be necessary."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VANCE: What we think is going to happen is that the Greenlanders are going to choose, through self-determination, to become independent of Denmark, and then we are going to have conversations with the people of Greenland from there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: The Vice President also accused Denmark, which is responsible for Greenland's defense and foreign policy, of under investigating in the region's security.
Vance warned about the threat from Russia and China, as well as Greenland's value to U.S. security, and said the issue was only going to get bigger in the coming decades.
For his part in remarks to reporters to the White House, President Trump doubled down on his previous comments about getting Greenland one way or another.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We need Greenland very importantly for international security. We have to have Greenland. It's not a question of do you think we can do without it, we can't.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: The President said the European Union understands his view on the territory's importance and said, "And if they don't, we're going to have to explain it to them."
I want to bring in Maggie Haberman and joining us is CNN senior correspondent Donie O'Sullivan, who recently traveled to Greenland.
COOPER: They continue on this, obviously, this is important to the President.
HABERMAN: I know, this is important to President and they're actually much more serious about it than I think people realize. I don't think these comments are just bluster. Where this ends up remains to be seen, but it's not something they're going to give up lightly. The general perception of this visit, and remember, this visit is different than what was supposed to happen.
COOPER: It was supposed to be Usha Vance going. She made -- initially made a video talking about going to the like the dog sled race, which I think is tomorrow --
HABERMAN: Dog sled, yes, cultural sense --
COOPER: -- which is a huge cultural event in Greenland.
HABERMAN: Correct, and separately, Mike Waltz and Chris Wright, the Energy Secretary, were also supposed to go on their own trip and go to visit this base. Instead, what ended up happening was there was an uproar about both of those trips. A lot of Greenlanders and Danish officials said they were not invited. And you know --
COOPER: --this is the -- about the Instagram video that she made, which was a little bit like a hostage video.
HABERMAN: And they're in the middle -- Greenland, is in the middle of figuring out what its government looks like, this is not a good time to come and visit. The U.S. officials did not back off, and instead, J.D. Vance led this delegation pretty visibly.
There was a sense from European officials that today actually took the temperature down a little bit. Believe it or not, it felt a little bit less in-your-face to folks. Again, this was a U.S. military base, but this is not going away anytime soon, if ever.
COOPER: And I mean, there is a U.S. military presence. There are legitimate military concerns here. So, I mean, this is not like some folly. It's just interesting the way it's been so public. You were there, what did you hear from people? DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, to Maggie's point, this when people sort of talk about this first, they think it sounds like a joke, but actually speaking to native Greenlanders, like, they independent -- they want to be independent from Denmark. They have been -- they very much view Denmark as a colonizer. Independence is a very popular concept there.
However, they are realistic about it. They're strategic that they know they are a population on a huge island. They cannot defend themselves and they actually are shopping for some form of strategic partnership where, you know, they can be defended.
And look, I mean, the point Greenlanders that I spoke to make say the U.S. already has a strategic partnership with us. They have a base on the island. They can have all of this and have without taking us over.
COOPER: There's something else that Vice President Vance said. I want to play that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VANCE: Denmark hasn't done a good job at keeping Greenland safe. Our message to Denmark is very simple. You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: How much is that, Maggie, you think today's trip a message to Denmark. How much is to the people in Greenland?
[20:25:12]
HABERMAN: I think it's mostly to the people in Greenland, to Donie's point. I mean, I think that the U.S. government, the Trump administration is aware that if the people of Greenland really object to this, it is very unlikely to happen. This has to happen with some kind of a permission structure, which is also, frankly, despite all the talk about, you know, Trump not ruling out military force, A -- there's a base there, as we've discussed, and B -- a military option is not really something that's being discussed.
They, you know, the U.S. would like to be able to annex Greenland in some fashion. That would be much more, I think, economic in nature than it would be military.
COOPER: I just want to play a little bit of what Usha Vance had initially sort of sold this trip as.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
USHA VANCE, SECOND LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm also coming to celebrate the long history of mutual respect and cooperation between our nations, and to express hope that our relationship will only grow stronger in the coming years.
I look forward to meeting many of you soon, and to learning from you about your beautiful land, culture and traditions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: It's interesting that how this shifted. Do you think, Donie, that they sort of realized, well, that is not really going to work out to have kind of -- be a -- of her going to an event, maybe just keep it on a military base.
O'SULLIVAN: Well, I think what's interesting about that, and also, just in the past few hours, Trump shared a video on his social media, including on X, where he doesn't always post on X, a video that sort of tugs at the heartstrings a little.
I mean, when Denmark -- when the Nazis took Denmark during the Second World War, the U.S. did step in to support Greenland. So, there is this history, this relationship there that I think you heard Vance trying to invoke that and tug on those heartstrings. But, you know, there's sort of this carrot and stick approach where Trump comes back and says, well -- we might just, we're going to take it one way or the other.
HABERMAN: Right.
COOPER: And we're showing the posting from Twitter.
HABERMAN: And just to make a point to though, Anderson, when you when you talk to folks who worked in the first Trump administration, remember this was reported on the Trump wanted Greenland at the time. He also actually talked about the Panama Canal a lot privately. He was serious about both the whole time.
He sort of played it off once it became public, and once it was clear that it was not likely to go anywhere that term. This is something he's been talking about a while. It also, to Donie's point, it doesn't just come out of nowhere. There has been an on and off effort, it has been off for a long time, but among National Security officials to look at annexing Greenland for strategic purposes for the U.S. and that is what he is following.
COOPER: Yes, all right. Maggie Haberman, Donie O'Sullivan, thanks so much, appreciate it.
A lot more ahead tonight.
Coming up, the Trump administration now targeting the Smithsonian, going after what it calls improper ideology.
And later, our American troops going to Ecuador. That country's president heads to Mar-a-Lago tomorrow to ask for U.S. help fighting drug cartels. Our David Culver traveled to Ecuador and learned they're actually already planning to host U.S. forces there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:32:37] COOPER: We've been closely following the efforts by the Trump administration to purge specific references to black Americans and gay and lesbian Americans and of course transgendered Americans from government websites, in particular the Department of Defense. This follows the executive order that's signed by President Trump banning all programs related to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.
The ban also applies to schools through the Department of Education, colleges, universities, health and human services, and the President has gone after private law firms, as we've talked about, that have DEI-related programs. But the purge is now expanding. The Trump administration is now looking to control how national museums and national parks portray American history.
The President signed an executive order last night titled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History". It mentions, by name, the Smithsonian Institution and states, in part, "Once widely respected as a symbol of American excellence and a global icon of cultural achievement, the Smithsonian Institution has in recent years come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology".
As Vice President JD Vance automatically serves on the Smithsonian Institution's Board of Regents, and this new executive order tasks him with overseeing efforts to remove what it calls improper ideology. It says Vance and the director of the OMB, the Office of Management and Budget, will quote, "prohibit expenditure on exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with federal law and policy".
Now the Smithsonian Institution, it's made up of 21 museums, 11 of them are on the National Mall in Washington. And the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which only opened up in 2016, is one of the top five most popular of the museums.
It's no surprise the President's executive order specifically takes issue with that museum, writing, quote, "The National Museum of African American History and Culture has proclaimed that hard work, individualism, and the nuclear family are aspects of white culture. Now that definitely sounds offensive, if that's what the museum is proclaiming.
But it turns out what the President is referring to was not an exhibit at the museum, it's not something written on a wall there, etched in stone, someone wrote it on the museum's website in a section called Talking About Race back in 2020. When it got posted and noticed, it offended people and it was removed five years ago.
[20:35:03]
Historian Lonnie Bunch, the founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, who's now the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, spoke about removing it during congressional testimony in 2023.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
LONNIE BUNCH, SECRETARY, SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION: I think that the document itself was wrong and flawed. I do think, however, it's important for the Smithsonian to help the country grapple with questions of race. So I'm not going to run away from that. But I agree with you very much that that document is not the kind of document that should be at the Smithsonian.
(END VIDEOCLIP)
COOPER: So, OK, he acknowledged it was inappropriate and wrong, took it down. Now, if you've ever been to this museum, it is powerful and moving. And in times, it is disturbing as well. It's upsetting and it's unsettling. But so is our history, our shared history.
Acknowledging that, exploring it, bringing some light to the harshest parts of our history, that isn't degrading American values or dividing Americans based on race. It doesn't make us weaker. It's what actually gives this country its strength.
Weak countries rewrite their histories, erase their brutal past, and they repeat that brutality. The museum says their mission is to capture and share the unvarnished truth of African-American history and culture.
I looked at their website today. There's an exhibit right now called Reckoning, Protest, Defiance, Resilience. It's described as looking, quote, "at the ways in which visual art has long provided its own protest, commentary, escape, and perspective for African-Americans". It mentions the Black Lives Matter movement.
Now, will that suddenly be banned? There's a permanent exhibit called Making a Way Out of No Way. That's about how generations of black people, those brought here in chains in the holes of slave ships and their descendants, were told for generations that there was no way they could have rights, no way they could own land or vote or be equal, but told no way they made a way.
Will that history now be banned? Is acknowledging injustice and celebrating resilience in the face of repression, is that divisive? Is that where we are now as a nation? There's another permanent exhibit called Sports, Leveling the Playing Field. You can see Jim Brown's Cleveland Browns jersey. You can see Muhammad Ali's terrycloth robe.
Now, most people alive today remember Muhammad Ali as a beloved figure, a hero, but he was hated by many in white America for a very long time. He was divisive, refusing to be drafted because of his religious beliefs and his opposition to the war in Vietnam. He was convicted by a court of draft evasion, stripped of his heavyweight title, not allowed to box in his prime.
It took him years, but the Supreme Court finally overturned his conviction and he could box again, told no way he made a way. And he now, once again, is he now once again to be labeled divisive by this administration? As I mentioned, they're targeting national parks as well. In the executive order, it says, quote, "as appropriate and consistent with applicable law to ensure that all public monuments, memorials, statues, markers, or similar properties within the Department of the Interior's jurisdiction do not contain descriptions, depictions, or other content that inappropriately disparage Americans past or living, including persons living in colonial times, and instead focus on the greatness of the achievements and the progress of the American people, or with respect to natural features, the beauty, abundance and grandeur of the American landscape".
So you can't disparage past Americans, even from colonial times? You just got to focus on the greatness of achievements and the progress of American people? It's hard to acknowledge our progress if you can't honestly talk about our past.
I want to bring in Cornell William Brooks. He's the former President and CEO of the NAACP and currently a professor of Harvard's Kennedy School. Professor Brooks, thanks for being here. When you hear this administration talking about improper ideology, what goes through your mind?
CORNELL WILLIAM BROOKS, FORMER PRESIDENT & CEO, NAACP: First of all, Anderson, thank you for having me on and thank you for lifting up this topic. So when I think about an American president charging the vice president with rooting out improper ideology at the Smithsonian, I think about a couple things. It is not the job of an American president to charge the crown jewel of American art and history and culture with having a proper ideology, right?
So in other words, the Smithsonian was created for the diffusion, the spreading, the expansion of knowledge, not engaging in ideology or propaganda or whitewashing our American history. And so I'm absolutely insulted by this, as I believe many Americans are in terms of our intelligence and culture are simultaneously being insulted by this executive order, which is, as many of them are histrionic and hysterical, constitutionally suspect and dangerous.
[20:40:13]
COOPER: The idea that you cannot acknowledge somebody from the past for enslaving people, for crimes they committed, for, you know, being of their time even, even if it is of their time, it seems -- that's an extraordinary thing. The idea that we can't talk about injustices of the past seems -- and acknowledge them, I don't understand that.
BROOKS: Well, Anderson, let's think about this. This executive order is an attempt to essentially make America great by propaganda. But let us note this. Unless we're honest about American history, we can't appreciate the greatness of American history.
So unless you acknowledge that 3.9 million people were enslaved in this country, you can't appreciate the Emancipation Proclamation. You can't appreciate the 13th Amendment. You can't appreciate all these artifacts and the exhibits that attest to the resilience, the beauty, the bravery of black people. So for example, in the African American Museum, you have a shawl that was worn by Harriet Tubman, who being the first woman to lead American troops into battle during the Civil War, she liberated 750 people. You can't appreciate her bravery, can't appreciate her resilience, can't appreciate her character as an American heroine unless you fully appreciate the ugliness, the tragedy, the injustice of slavery.
COOPER: You know, Rosa Parks was a divisive figure. I mean, in white America --
BROOKS: That's right.
COOPER: -- at the time, Rosa Parks would have been spat on, ridiculed, mocked. Gordon Parks, the first black photographer for Life magazine, the first black man to direct a major motion picture, directing "Shaft".
BROOKS: That's right.
COOPER: You know, can we not -- are we at a point now where we can't talk about the reality of where we come from, the reality of all of our pasts? It's a dangerous --
BROOKS: Right.
COOPER: It just seems like a very dangerous time if this is where we're headed.
BROOKS: It is incredibly dangerous because essentially this executive order charges the vice president with trying to not merely whitewash, but lie about our history. And having 21 museums, 14 research centers, essentially aid and abet this effort. But again, when you talk about divisive in this executive order, aiming to erase the divisions, how do we talk about the Civil War unless we acknowledge the Confederates and the Union?
How do we talk about the Civil War and or the civil rights movement without talking about the racial divisions in this country? So in other words, black people's racial invisibility does not establish national unity. So unless we talk about how we're divided, we can't come together.
And these museums, Anderson, I want to emphasize this, there are literally, you know, 17 million people come through these museums every year, thousands upon thousands of school children. This is their first exposure, right? Their first exposure to America's front porch, not too far from America's lawn, namely the National Mall.
They come and they literally see the beauty, the bravery, the courage, the character of this country in an unvarnished and honest way. And for, you know, for any president to essentially try to charge the vice president with creating a cultural wrecking crew, a demolition crew, is, you know, it's historically obscene.
COOPER: Yes. Cornell William Brooks, I appreciate your time. Thank you. BROOKS: No, thank you.
COOPER: Coming up next, more breaking news, our David Culver gets rare access to police and military in Ecuador on gang raids in an area that's a major trafficking corridor for drugs bound to the U.S. We'll tell you how American troops may soon be involved. The exclusive report ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:49:17]
COOPER: More breaking news tonight. CNN has learned that Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa is flying into South Florida tonight in an unannounced last minute visit. He's going to meet with President Trump this weekend at Mar-a-Lago, where he's expected to push for U.S. support in the fight against violent drug gangs in Ecuador.
CNN has learned exclusively that Ecuador isn't just calling for U.S. help, it's actually preparing to host American forces. David Culver was granted rare access on the ground, embedded with Ecuadorian police and military during overnight raids across gang strongholds. He joins me now.
David, what more can you tell us about this apparent military alliance or preparation for it?
DAVID CULVER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. Well, it's an alliance, at least, Anderson, that President Noboa is hoping to strengthen when he meets with President Trump right here in South Florida tomorrow. I mean, the president from Ecuador just arriving here late tonight.
[20:50:04]
And it's rather last minute. It's unannounced, but it's significant because it suggests that he is quite desperate to get U.S. help. And as you mentioned, we spent some time in Ecuador, more than two weeks on the ground, embedded with police and military. They are urgent in their request right now.
It is a situation that is increasingly dire. They consider it a war against the gangs, and they say they're losing. So not only are they asking the U.S. for help, but right now, as we are now reporting for the first time, they're gearing up for that help.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
CULVER (voice-over): The element of surprise is essential. They've got to move fast. But with Ecuador's arm hitting into a gang stronghold, an advance team records as they move in first. Their target? A man linked to one of Ecuador's most feared criminal groups.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking in Foreign Language)
CULVER (voice-over): They detained one guy, suspected to have ties to Fito, the infamous gang leader who escaped prison last year. Soldiers rip through the place, spotting an altar. Look closely. That's Santa Muerte, a saint of death, adopted by Mexico's Sinaloa cartel and now revered by gangs across Ecuador. We see the image everywhere.
CULVER: A lot of the gang leaders live in this area, and you can see some of the markings of Choneros, which is one of the big gangs here in Ecuador, if not the biggest.
CULVER (voice-over): And this is the problem. Ecuador has become the murder capital of Latin America, and they're now turning to the United States, desperate for help.
Renderings shared with us by a high-level Ecuadorian official appear to show plans for a potential deployment of U.S. troops into Ecuador, including a floating dock that jets out some 500 feet into the Pacific, said to accommodate up to seven Coast Guard vessels.
And here, details of a workspace and possible military housing, the structure complete with offices, beds, a kitchen, mess halls and plenty of parking, allowing for a foreign force to carry out sustained security operations here, according to the source.
GIAN CARLO LOFFREDO, ECUADOR'S DEFENSE MINISTER: When troops from another country come, they come with resources, and those are what we need the most.
CULVER: And there were troops, U.S. troops here back in -- up until 2009, roughly, right?
LOFFREDO: Yes, they were.
CULVER: And does that help when there's a U.S. troop present?
LOFFREDO: Of course, it helped a lot.
CULVER (voice-over): U.S. defense officials and the White House have not confirmed any such deployment, but Ecuador's officials are hopeful.
For a decade, a U.S. military base in the port city of Manta was used as a key surveillance hub to monitor cartels operating in the region. But Ecuador chose not to renew the contract in 2008, forcing U.S. troops to pack up and leave the following year. In the time since, officials say cocaine has flooded into Ecuador, fueling deadly violence spearheaded by the cartels.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today, we will also be designating the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.
CULVER (voice-over): Applauding President Trump's Inauguration Day pledge to combat organized crime, Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa and his wife front and center as Trump took the oath of office in January.
Back home in Ecuador, Noboa finds himself in the midst of a tight run- off election, where security is the number one issue. But for many, it's too late. Grief is sweeping across Latin America's so-called island of peace, gang violence constantly claiming lives.
It's become so common here, and yet locals, as though in disbelief, tell us over and over, Ecuador was never like this before.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COOPER: David, is it clear what the U.S. military presence in Ecuador would actually look like? I mean, how would U.S. troops be utilized there?
CULVER: Right now, they're keeping tight-lipped about the exact branch or units that might come down. But while we know President Noboa wants special forces, it's unlikely that he'll get those. And for that reason, he's leaning on private contractors, like the company formerly known as Blackwater, that's operating in some of the gang strongholds, going door to door.
Outside of that, if it were U.S. forces, Anderson, it's possible that it could be the U.S. Navy or Coast Guard helping with the interdictions off the coast, or even just surveillance planes to help with some of the intel that they badly need.
COOPER: David Culver, thanks so much.
Up next, CNN investigates the fentanyl crisis in America. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:59:06]
COOPER: For the past two years, CNN Anchor Kate Bolduan has been documenting the fentanyl crisis in America, focusing on paramedics, dealers, active users, even newborns suffering from withdrawal. Here's a preview of Kate's reporting for Sunday's episode of The Whole Story.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I found you overdosed in a parking lot at the gas station, OK? You weren't breathing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Addiction is very painful. It hurts.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wanted to be clean so bad, but it's just too hard.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My mom found me in the bathroom one time, then had to call 911.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She is in severe withdrawal. Why would I bring a kid into this world addicted to drugs?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I thought, this is my poor daughter. What happened to you? What happened to you?
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Where are you? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where are you? But I know she was always in there.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's actually more dangerous to stop using if you're already pregnant.
BOLDUAN: Do people need to be using methadone for life?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now for one in each cheek, OK?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have accepted that whatever I have to do to be sober, I'm going to do it.
(END VIDEOCLIP)
COOPER: It's a very strong documentary, "Fentanyl in America: A Way Out" on The Whole Story this Sunday at 8:00 p.m. here on CNN. I hope you catch it.
That's it for us. The news continues. The Source with Kaitlan Collins starts now. Have a great weekend. I'll see you Monday.
