Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Colombia Blocking U.S. Military Deportation Flights; Trump Administration Launches Immigration Enforcement Blitz In Chicago; Interview With Oregon Democratic Congresswoman Janelle Bynum; Trump On Gaza's Future: "Clean Out That Whole Thing"; Trump Fires Inspectors General From Over A Dozen Agencies; Southern California Gets First Rainfall Of The Year This Weekend; Elon Musk Speaks At German Far- Right Party AFD's Campaign Launch. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired January 26, 2025 - 14:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:00:39]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Sunday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

We begin with this breaking news.

Moments ago, President Donald Trump says he has issued his first tariff on Colombia after two U.S. deportation flights of undocumented migrants were not allowed to land in Colombia.

CNN's Steve Contorno is joining us now live from Florida. Steve, tell us more.

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fred.

Just moments ago, Donald Trump reacting to the news that Colombia had blocked planes carrying undocumented migrants from delivering those individuals back to their home country, and Trump now retaliating with tariffs and threats of more tariffs.

He said in a post on social media, quote, "I was just informed that the two repatriation flights from the United States, with a large number of illegal criminals, were not allowed to land in Colombia. This order was given by Colombia's socialist President Gustavo Petro, who is already very unpopular amongst his people. Petros' denial of these flights has jeopardized the national security and public safety of the United States."

So he has then gone on -- goes on to say that he is taking some action against the Colombian government, including a 25 percent tariff on goods coming from Colombia immediately. And he is threatening to raise that to up to 50 percent next week.

He also is calling for a travel ban and immediate visa revocations on the Colombian government officials, and sanctions on party members and family members that support the Colombian government. So Fred, this is an early example of how Donald Trump's immigration

crackdown is already colliding with his foreign policy and trade proposals. And the first of maybe more to come, Fred.

WHITFIELD: And then Steve, how immediate are we talking?

CONTORNO: Well, he says in the post that these -- the 25 percent tariffs are, quote, "an emergency" and will go into place immediately. And then in one week the 25 percent tariff will be raised to 50 percent, which would be quite a steep climb.

Of course, Trump has already proposed sweeping tariffs on many of the U.S.' trade partners, including a 25 percent trade tariff on Mexico and Canada that he says might go into effect next month.

He is also promising a trade tariff on goods coming from China in recent weeks if they don't negotiate a new deal with the United States.

So clearly this has been top of mind for Donald Trump for more than a year. He has said he will use tariffs to get the international players to act in the best interests of the United States, and to raise revenue for the country.

And we are starting to see him use them as a sort of stick to try to get countries to do the U.S.' bidding, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Ok. Steve contorno, thank you so much. We'll check back with you.

So all of these policies are already deterring some migrant groups from continuing their journey to the U.S. as well.

CNN correspondent Rafael Romo is joining me now with details on that. Before we get to that, Rafael, I know you've been in contact with a number of people in Colombia, not necessarily in the last few minutes that this just happened.

But in general, the kinds of imports that would come from Colombia to the U.S. involves food and the tariffs then being imposed near immediately, according to, you know, Trump's directive here would mean any kinds of products would cost more to Americans from Colombia.

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. There's a very long commercial relationship between the two countries. And as far as I can remember, in the last few decades, the relationship has been very good.

We're talking about a lot of agricultural products -- bananas, a lot of tropical fruits that we consume in the United States that come from Colombia.

And so if you start seeing the beginning of a trade war between the two countries it's going to affect not only Colombia as a producer, but also a lot of consumers here in the United States.

[14:04:48]

ROMO: Now, when you look at this whole issue, you need to look at the numbers, facts first. During his first week in office, the Trump administration has arrested just over 1,400 undocumented immigrants, at least those are the figures that were publicly released by authorities on January 23rd, 24th and 25th.

During the same period, Fred, An additional 1,243 undocumented migrants already detained in jails around the country have been identified for removal.

but U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement data shows the total of removals for last year was over 271,000, which means during President Biden's last year, the average was more than 5,000 deportations per week, compared to 2,600 this past week.

Regardless of the pace of removals, the rhetoric is already having an impact on would-be immigrants. CNN spoke with some migrants in Guatemala who changed their mind about pursuing their American dream after learning two things, Fred.

One, the U.S.-Mexico border was closed for asylum seekers; and two, the application to apply for asylum, known as CBP One, was shut down in Donald Trump's first day in office.

In other words, even if the number of deportations is not higher than before, it seems like some migrants, at least the ones from Central America, are already deciding on their own to go back out of fear that if they reach the U.S. southern border, their effort will not pay off.

This is what the migrants told us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAMON HERRERA, HONDURAN MIGRANT (through translator): That's what's driving me to go back, because I can't press forward. Not anymore. I have to find a way to return to Honduras.

That's what's driving me to go back, because I can't press forward. Not anymore. I have to find a way to return to Honduras.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: In case you didn't catch the last thing the migrant from Honduras said, he told our reporter that he left his home country on January 20th, the very same day of the inauguration.

On the other hand, there are at least two countries in the western hemisphere that are blocking deportation flights. It is not a surprise that Venezuela is doing so, since its relations with the U.S. have been frosty for years.

But earlier today, and this is what we were talking about at the beginning, Fred, Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced he is also blocking the U.S. military flights, saying, quote, "The U.S. cannot treat Colombian migrants as criminals. I deny the entry of American planes carrying Colombian migrants into our territory. The United States must establish a protocol for the dignified treatment of migrants before we receive them."

And as we reported Saturday, both Mexico and Guatemala said they will allow U.S. military flights transporting their citizens back home.

One minor point that I would like to add, there's already a summit being called by Latin American countries to discuss the issue of migration and what's happening here in the United States.

WHITFIELD: And this is interesting. All of this is happening really right now. It's unfolding as we are sitting here.

So with these U.S. military flights, we saw from the White House pictures, you know, yesterday and the day before that, they were departing with migrants.

And now our understanding is those that were landing in Colombia or expecting to land in Colombia today they will have to turn around. They wouldn't even be able to land on soil to even refuel. Any kind of refueling is going to have to happen in the air making their way back to the U.S.

And then what we don't know is what happens to all of the people who are on these planes back on U.S. soil, presumably, if that's where they end up on these U.S. military flights.

ROMO: And there's a shortage of beds already. It's a problem that the U.S. has had not right now. it's the same problem that we've seen in previous administrations.

And remember, one of the largest groups coming to the U.S. in the last few years was Venezuelans. Well, guess what? The relationship between the two countries is so bad that Venezuelans says, no, we're not going to take any flights whatsoever whether they are our citizens or not. And so that tells you a lot about what's going on here.

Also, what's going to happen to the migrants coming from across the world, migrants coming from China, which the relationship with the U.S. Is not the greatest. Migrants from countries like Nepal. How is the U.S. going to transport all of those people on the other side of the world?

But again, very, very concerning the fact that it seems like we're at the beginning of a trading war between Colombia and -- Colombia and the U.S., and that may include some other countries in the near future.

WHITFIELD: Interesting.

All right. Rafael, as we learn more, thank you so much. We'll see you again soon.

All right. Appreciate it.

We also have this breaking news out of Chicago, one of the first cities to see President Trump's immigration crackdown in full force now -- a different phase of it.

Several federal agencies that now have increased authority launched an operation earlier today and arrested undocumented immigrants according to multiple sources.

[14:09:48]

WHITFIELD: White House border czar Tom Homan telling ABC News today that he is being realistic about deporting all migrants who entered the U.S. Illegally.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM HOMAN, TRUMP BORDER CZAR: There's no number on it. So my success can be based on what Congress gives us. More money, the better we're going to do.

I'm being realistic. We can do what we can with the money we have. We're going to try to be efficient, but with more money we have, the more we can accomplish.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: National correspondent Gloria Pazmino is following all of this. And Gloria, while were hearing, you know, the language of illegal immigrants, isn't that part of the problem that perhaps some legal migrants might also be swept up in the pursuit of looking for illegal immigrants?

So what do we know about the operations that are currently underway in Chicago? And the distinction being made about who is being rounded up?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well Fred, whether or not that distinction is going to be made is something that certainly so many different advocates, not just in Chicago, but across many different cities, are worried about.

And we are starting to see now the very first action that Trump promised, right. He said that he was going to launch mass deportation efforts. And we're seeing evidence of that starting out in Chicago.

One thing that we're seeing that is different is that the federal government has deployed all of its law enforcement agencies to help in this effort. That includes the FBI, the DEA, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the ATF. They are all working with ICE in this effort.

And that is significant because they're going into cities like Chicago, where local law enforcement has said that they will not help in the enforcement of these immigration rules.

Also very significant, two senior Trump administration officials are in Chicago this morning. They are on the ground. You're seeing images there of Tom Homan, the border czar, and of Emil Bove. He is the acting deputy attorney general, and they are on the ground overseeing the operations. We have a statement from Bove saying that this morning, quote, "I had

the privilege of observing brave men and women of the department deploying in lockstep with DHS to address a national emergency arising from our four years of failed immigration policy in Chicago and across the country, FBI -- several other agencies he names are working with prosecutors to stop this invasion and make America safe again."

So Fred, what's interesting here in part, is that we're seeing these federal agencies working together with ICE. We know that mass deportations, and Homan has talked about this, require an incredible amount of resources.

So part of the question now is, how are some of these cities going to respond? We heard from Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker earlier today talking about this. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. J.B. PRITZKER, ILLINOIS: These are not people who are causing problems in our country. And what we need is a path to citizenship for them.

We need to secure our border. We need to get rid of the violent criminals. But we also need to protect people, at least the residents of Illinois and all across the nation who are just doing what we hope that immigrants will do.

We're not going to help federal officials just drag them away because somebody pointed at them and said, oh, that person's brown, or that person's not from here, check it out maybe they're undocumented.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: So far we are also seeing the response from some of these communities, right Fred. There are a handful of organizations in Chicago who have filed a lawsuit in federal court to try and get an emergency hearing to stop these mass deportation raids.

They are saying that this is because they are targeted in Chicago because of its sanctuary city status, and that that amounts to a violation of the First and Fourth Amendment rights, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Gloria Pazmino, we'll check back with you. Thank you so much.

All right.

Joining me right now is Oregon Democratic Congresswoman Janelle Bynum. Good to see you, Congresswoman.

So just moments ago, President Trump says he has issued his first tariff on Colombia after two U.S. deportation flights of undocumented migrants, or at least migrants who were rounded up and to be deported back to Colombia. Those flights got refusals from Colombia to land.

So Congresswoman, we're just learning about it. You are, too. Now presumably, what's your reaction to this?

REP. JANELLE BYNUM (D-OR): Well, I think it's a lot of sensationalism. As a mom of four kids, you know, I try to tell my kids, make sure you take care of what you're supposed to be taking care of. Keep the main thing the main thing.

And for me, this really is about jobs and costs. And I question -- you know, I think I heard the word "collision".

[14:14:46]

BYNUM: And I think this is a collision of our values, a collision of execution on how we're going to lower costs for the American people, how we're going to make life better for them.

And as a mom and a lawmaker, I'm really concerned.

WHITFIELD: So -- and what you mean there in that statement is we're talking about produce groceries, some of which come from Colombia, that will now be subjected to a 25 percent tariff, at least the country of Colombia will, as a result of the President imposing these tariffs.

And you're saying that's then going to be handed off to the consumer here in the U.S.? And so potentially this plan backfires.

BYNUM: For those of us who have to pay for our food and for those of us who are potentially in the restaurant and hospitality industry for, you know, for those of us who are participating in trade, that is all going to levy a cost on us.

And that is not in keeping with what the American people said they wanted. They wanted lower costs.

So that's why I'm saying there's a collision. You know, on one hand, were taking our eye off the ball in terms of making life easier for Americans and dealing in a lot of chest puffery and sensationalism and not focusing on keeping the main thing the main thing.

We have to lower costs for Americans. We have to lower costs for small businesses, and we have to make sure that we keep strong trade around the world.

WHITFIELD: And what is your reaction to what we're seeing is a plan and then the execution of the plan. And now perhaps some misjudgment on actually carrying through the plan.

People were rounded up. They're put on these U.S. military planes. They're in the air on the way to Colombia. That country says you can't land here.

Now, these U.S. military planes have to make their way back, right? To the -- to the U.S. the costs incurred and the goal is not met ultimately.

BYNUM: So of course, execution is everything. And I think lawmakers have to stand up and say, how do we keep the main thing the main thing?

Listen, I've been elected five times now in a purple district, so not one ideology reigned supreme. But what people want to have is safe communities, and they want to have a lowering of their costs.

What I think is happening right now is a whole lot of chaos, and chaos makes us take our eyes off of what really counts. And that is that is, I think, kind of the miss here. You can't create chaos over here and then say you're lowering costs for Americans over here. It's not jiving.

WHITFIELD: Ok. So I wonder now, your personal mission as a U.S. congressperson, you have pledged that you -- it is your mission or your hope that there will be an effort at real bipartisanship.

You're a Democrat. The president is a Republican. However, it's your view and that of many other members of Congress that we've been hearing in the past 24 to 48 hours that it's important to try to get things done.

As the first Oregon freshman lawmaker, you know, to serve in the House Financial Services Committee in 28 years, how are you hoping to be able to work with your colleagues to get the job done, even if you have political differences and hopefully finding common ground in accomplishing some missions?

BYNUM: Well, eight years in the Oregon state legislature, I was able to produce, for instance, 23 bills on civil rights, along with a big, you know, billion-dollar bill on CHIPs and Science Act.

I've been able to do, you know, a range of legislation because I've always focused on being bipartisan. I tell my team where the head goes, the body goes. And so I've always looked to reach across the aisle.

One thing that I noticed as a as a freshman was my first day in the Financial Services Committee, I looked over across the room and I saw my new friend from freshman orientation, Tim, and I waved to him and I wondered, I said, why is Tim all the way over there? And I realized that they had the Republicans on one side of the room and the Democrats on the other side of the room.

In the state legislature, we were always set D-R, D-R, D-R. And so what that did was it created a spirit of bipartisanship, even if we didn't agree. And we tried to move the committee along so that bills passed out with bipartisan support.

That structural gap in Congress right now is just one little piece of the -- of the missing link there to try to get us to work together.

(CROSSTALKING)

WHITFIELD: Do you think we can try and make an effort to make that kind of structural change if --

BYNUM: I'm going to ask the chairman, like, hey, can we mix this up and see what he says?

[14:19:48]

WHITFIELD: All right. Wery good. Congresswoman Janelle Bynum, so great to have you. Thank you so much. And congratulations on your new post.

BYNUM: Thanks. Take care.

WHITFIELD: All right. President Trump floating his plan for postwar Gaza. In his words, quote, "clean out that whole thing". We'll go to the region for reaction next.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:24:55]

WHITFIELD: All right.

President Trump raising eyebrows this weekend with his comments on Gaza. Speaking to the press aboard Air Force One on Saturday, the president said he thought more than a million Palestinians in Gaza could be moved to nearby Arab countries.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: And we just clean out that whole thing. It's, you know, it's over the centuries it's had many, many conflicts, that site.

And I don't know, it's -- something has to happen. But it's literally a demolition site right now, almost everything is demolished.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Jordan's foreign minister coming out today saying it would not support relocating Palestinians from Gaza. We're also seeing dramatic video of thousands of people trying to return to northern Gaza.

Right now, Israel is holding up the return because of a dispute with Hamas over the return of a civilian Israeli hostage.

Joining us right now is Arwa Damon. She is the president of International Network for Aid, Relief and Assistance. She is also a former senior CNN international correspondent. Arwa, great to see you.

All right. So first off, your thoughts on the president saying he thought more than a million people would be moved out of Gaza with this operation.

ARWA DAMON, PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL NETWORK FOR AID, RELIEF AND ASSISTANCE: I mean, one really needs to understand just how terrifying this is for Palestinians to hear. I was chatting shortly thereafter with a friend of mine, and she was saying, you know, you need to recognize that the only thing that people, especially in Gaza, have to hold on to right now is the land.

The only sort of win they have, although you can't really call it a win, is that they still kept the land. And this is why you see those crowds just waiting to be able to move from the south to the north.

Because if they're going home, even if home is rubble, at least they are still holding on to that.

And what this statement by President Trump has done is just send ripples of fear that history is repeating itself.

Many people say that they are terrified that they are going to go through what their grandparents and great grandparents went through back in 1948, the Nakba, the great catastrophe when Palestinians were forcibly displaced during the creation of the state of Israel, only to realize that they weren't ever going to be granted the right of return and were effectively going to become forever refugees.

And these are stories that, you know, are passed down through generations that, you know, the generation that's alive today would hear but never would really think could happen to them.

And now it is happening to them. The fear that it's going to be happening to them is something that is so palpable that it is almost paralyzing many of them.

WHITFIELD: I remember hearing from a woman yesterday who is likely in that crowd, making her way to northern Gaza, who said, you know, she knows there will be rubble, but she can't wait to get home just to be there.

So you know, what are people likely to see once they arrive in northern Gaza? And it's going to be a very difficult journey because so much was destroyed. Roads are not, you know, recognizable. They're impassable.

You spent a lot of time there already during this conflict. But what are they likely to see once they arrive?

DAMON: Very little that they actually recognize. And there's a sort of new level of shock that descends on someone when they actually get to what was their neighborhood, what was their street, what was their home. And they aren't able to recognize anything that makes it feel remotely familiar.

And this is an emotional, deeply emotional journey that very few have actually gone through up until this point.

I remember when I first went to Gaza City and then further north to Jabalya, just my mouth literally hanging open. I was at a complete loss for words.

And I came back to the guest house and my friend said, I've never seen you like this. You've gone sheet white.

I have seen that same reaction. I have seen so many who ended up being able to go back to Gaza City, for example, because they work with international organizations so they were on humanitarian missions, coming back completely sheet white.

And it really sort of forces the emotional barricade that people have had to build up just to be able to keep going and survive every single day, to shatter in a million different ways.

[14:29:47]

DAMON: And when you think about the fact that hundreds of thousands of people are going to near-simultaneously go through that same shock and trauma of really having to confront the depth and breadth of everything that was destroyed, coupled with the fact that, you know, the rebuilding effort is just its almost mind blowing in its enormity.

[14:30:06]

And then how are they going to survive in, in the rubble of what was their home with no basic necessities being available? Still enormous challenges when it comes to clean water, sanitation, access to medical care. I mean, nothing that actually created home exists in Gaza anymore, except for what people are going to be able to -- to pull out from underneath the rubble.

WHITFIELD: Yeah. And still, the uncertainty of whether humanitarian aid is going to make its way in, as promised during this ceasefire deal.

Arwa Damon, thank you so much. Always appreciate your perspective. We'll have to leave it there for now.

All right. Meantime, President Trump is defending his firing of independent government watchdogs from multiple government agencies. How leading members of Congress are now reacting, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:35:27]

WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back.

President Trump is defending his controversial decision to abruptly fire inspectors general from more than a dozen federal agencies. It's the job of those government watchdogs to investigate waste, fraud and corruption in the federal government. Democrats and even some Republicans have questioned the legality of the purge, which appears in violation of a law requiring Congress to be notified 30 days in advance of such removals. Trump was asked about the move by reporters on Air Force One yesterday.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

REPORTER: Can you talk to us about the firing of the inspectors general? Why did you do that?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Because it's a very common thing to do -- and not all of them.

Some people thought that some were unfair or some were not doing the job. And it's a very standard thing to do.

REPORTER: Do you plan to bring your own people in those positions, Mr. President?

TRUMP: Not my people, they're not my people. I don't know anybody that would do that, but we'll put people in that who would be very good.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: I'm joined now by John Dean, a CNN contributor and a former Nixon White House counsel.

John, great to see you.

All right. So your reaction to these firings and, you know, Trump being asked on Air Force One and he's justifying why he did it.

JOHN DEAN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: This is a law that went into existence during the Carter administration. It was really a direct reaction to Watergate, one of the reforms and the oversight abilities of an agreement between both the executive and the Congress to have somebody right on the spot that could check out reports of abuse, misuse, fraud, what have you.

It is kind of startling since this law was amended as recently as 2022 on the firing procedure, and it's very clear it was a reaction to Trump's first administration, where he fired a couple of inspectors general and didn't do it properly. So he knows what the procedure is, that you have to inform Congress with a real rationale for the reason for removal, and you have to do it 30 days before you do the removal.

WHITFIELD: So while you call it startling that he would do this, will it be that much more shocking to you if there are no real ramifications? I mean, like you said, I mean it -- Congress put this in place. And so this would -- this is a clear violation, but can Congress penalize, you know, further investigate. Is there anything that can be done as a consequence of the president's actions?

DEAN: I think, Fred, what's going to happen is that many of the inspectors general are going to go to work on Monday. We'll have to find out. They have indicated that they realize they have not been properly removed. They are people who are -- their first duty is to enforce the rule of law. They've been dismissed contrary to the rule of law.

So I think the issue may come to a head tomorrow when they go to work and to see what happens then. So this is contrary to Mr. Trump's statement. This is not common. This is not standard procedure.

But a president does have the right to have who he wants in these executive posts. But he's got to follow the law to get there.

WHITFIELD: Uh-hmm. Okay. So like you said, you know during Trump's first term, he also gutted his administration of independent government watchdogs that he saw as disloyal, partly in reaction to Trump's last IG firings. Congress built these guardrails. And like you mentioned in 2022, further protected them.

So, this is what some members of Congress are thinking and saying today as a result of Trump's actions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): The American people, if we don't have good and independent inspector generals, are going to see the swamp refill, they're going to see rampant waste, fraud. They're going to see corruption. It may be the president's goal here when he's got a meme coin that's making him billions, is to remove anyone that's going to call the public attention to his malfeasance.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): Yeah, I think, you know -- yeah, he should have done that. But the question is, is it okay for him to put people in place that he thinks can carry out his agenda? Yeah, he feels like the government hasn't worked very well for the American people. These watchdog folks did a pretty lousy job. And he wants some new eyes on Washington. And that makes sense to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Does that make sense to you? I mean, Senator Graham is essentially justifying Trump's actions.

[14:40:02]

He's saying, well, yeah, you're not supposed to do that. But in this case, he really should be able to surround himself with people that he likes.

DEAN: I'm going to assume that senator graham has forgotten what the existing law changed in 2022, actually, is, that there is a procedure for removal before you can start filling these posts with new people. So well see on Monday what happens if they show up for work and if they're escorted out of the office, which has happened before, or if they indeed file court actions to protect their jobs?

WHITFIELD: All right. We shall see. John Dean, thank you so much. Always appreciate your perspective.

DEAN: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Southern California is getting its first rainfall of the year. It's a much needed relief for fire battered Los Angeles, but it also brings new threats, potential mudslides. Details next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:45:41]

WHITFIELD: All right. Heavy rain is expected for the wildfire ravaged communities of southern California. While it will give firefighters some much needed relief containing the four fires potentially still burning near the Los Angeles area, the increasing threat of mudslides in those areas could certainly cause new problems.

CNN meteorologist Tyler Mauldin is here.

Tyler, they needed the rain, but not if there are awful consequences.

TYLER MAULDIN, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. This is the first rain of the season, Fredericka. And it is a welcome sight. However, too much of a good thing can be problematic. We have this area of low pressure paralleling the California coastline. It's bringing rainfall onshore right over the active fires. It's also raining very heavily right now over some of these burn scars, these larger burn scars of the most recent fires.

It's also, in addition, falling on some very arid land here. Again, this is the first rainfall of the year. It's been many months since southern California has picked up rainfall. So they are in an extreme drought. When you have a drought, the ground is essentially concrete and the rain doesn't want to go anywhere. But just sit right there on top of the ground.

So this is leading to the concern for some mudslides, some debris slides, as well as flash flooding. As we go through the next 24 hours. The rain started yesterday. It's picking up in intensity now.

We actually have a flood watch in effect from 4:00 p.m. today through 4:00 p.m. tomorrow. Excessive flood watch here. A level two out of five tomorrow, a level one out of five. But it just goes to show you how serious this situation is with all of these burn scars, this dry ground fall that were seeing here, too.

And, Fredricka, were looking at roughly two inches of rainfall in the in the higher elevations. Then around Los Angeles, Fredricka, roughly half an inch.

WHITFIELD: Oh, it would be nice if it makes a difference, if it does help. You know --

MAULDIN: It's helping the firefighters already. Again, they've been seeing the rainfall since yesterday and it certainly helped with containment.

WHITFIELD: All right. Very good. Thank you so much, Tyler.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Widespread protests across Germany this weekend as demonstrators voice opposition to the rise of the far right anti- immigration party AFD. Tens of thousands rallying in major cities ahead of snap elections that will decide the country's leadership next month. Many protesters carrying signs denouncing the AFD. The party has seen a surge in popularity, recently, becoming the first

far right party to win a state election in Germany since the Nazi era. And as the AFD kicked off its campaign, Tesla founder and head of Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk, made a surprise address showing his support for the movement.

CNN's Fred Pleitgen has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The far right alternative for Germany, AFD, kicked off its election campaign here in the Eastern German town of Halle an der Saale with a flurry of speeches, including by the party leader, Alice Weidel. And they're hoping to get their campaign supercharged with the help of U.S. billionaire Elon Musk.

He did make a surprise appearance here at the party conference via video link, where he said that he continues to support the AFD. He called for less migration in Germany. He also called for Germany to close its borders and to do more for German citizens, things that we've heard from Elon Musk in the past.

Now, the head of the AFD, Alice Weidel, she thanked Elon Musk for his support. Of course, the two are known to be quite close. They have done a video link with one another before. She also wished Donald Trump and his vice president, J.D. Vance, all the best.

And one of the things that we can see is that many of the positions of the Trump administration are also positions that the AFD has as well. For instance, they say they want to close Germany's borders. They say they want to deport more people from Germany as well.

Now, we know that other politicians in Germany, including from the German government, have called what Elon Musk is doing by supporting the AFD meddling in the German election process. A lot of them have vowed not to work with the AFD.

However, the AFD itself right now is riding high in the polls and after the election coming up in February could be one of the strongest political forces here in this country.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Halle an der Saale, Germany.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. We're also following this breaking news. President Trump just announced an emergency 25 percent tariff against Colombia. Why he says these are just the beginning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:59:40]

WHITFIELD: He is a legend, and he's sorely missed. Kobe Bryant, considered one of the greatest players of all time. A new CNN original series highlights his five years after his passing, chronicling the moments that cemented Kobe's ascension to the NBA Hall of Fame, as well as the personal transformations that occurred along the way.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, there's rookies, and everybody else.