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CNN International: Trump Admin. Tries to Clarify Remarks on Taking Over Gaza; Trump Orders Ban on Transgender Women in Women's Sports; CIA Offer "Buyouts" to Workforce; Doubts Over Trump's Immigration Policy in Red Nebraska; U.S. Postal Service Briefly Pausing Package Deliveries from China. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired February 05, 2025 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: To the world and to everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Lynda Kinkade.
Just ahead, the White House tries to clarify some of President Trump's comments about taking over Gaza amid a global backlash. Surrounded by young athletes, the president signs an executive order banning transgender women from competing in women's sports. And the CIA offers so-called buyouts to its entire workforce if they resign by tomorrow.
We begin with a day of confusion, questions and clarifications over President Donald Trump's plan for the U.S. to, quote, "take control of Gaza." On Tuesday, Mr. Trump said the region could be rebuilt and turned into what he described as the Riviera of the Middle East.
Well, today, the world grappled with the meaning of that. The White House attempted to clarify his remarks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: This is an out of the box idea. That's who President Trump is, that's why the American people elected him. And his goal is lasting peace in the Middle East for all people in the region.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, France, and Germany are among those against the president's proposal. Critics say it would be a direct violation of international law and would amount to ethnic cleansing. Palestinians in Gaza also strongly condemning the president's plan, many of them vowing to remain and rebuild.
Well, meantime, some Republicans are praising the idea. House Speaker Mike Johnson called it a bold move to ensure peace in the region.
Jasmine El-Gamal is a former Middle East adviser at the Pentagon and joins us now live. Good to have you with us.
JASMINE EL-GAMAL, FORMER PENTAGON MIDDLE EAST ADVISER AND MIDDLE EAST ANALYST: Thanks for having me, Lynda.
KINKADE: So, a bold idea that could ensure peace is what we just heard from Mike Johnson. 24 hours after Donald Trump said the U.S. would take control of Gaza, we are getting some sort of clarity and certainly many more questions about this proposal. Who will defend the Palestinians if the U.S. did move in to take control?
EL-GAMAL: Well, I think the response from the Arab states has been really, really clear and really immediate. All of the big Arab states, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, they all came out right after this press conference.
In fact, the Saudis put out a statement at 4:30 a.m. their time. They really didn't even wait until normal business hours to put out a statement saying that this idea of forcibly relocating people in Gaza outside of Gaza, which would be tantamount to ethnic cleansing was an absolute (INAUDIBLE) for them.
The reaction was really swift. I think a lot of people were really confused and taken aback by why President Trump should say such a thing, you know, because he started out really clear on what his ambitions were in the region. He campaigned on a message of peace, of ending wars, of ending U.S. involvement in the Middle East. He pressured Netanyahu to sign the ceasefire deal, sending his special envoy, Steve Witkoff to the region to do so, and people were really expecting a continuation of those conversations about peace, about phase two of the ceasefire, about how Trump could help the region move forward towards that piece. And so, that really threw them for a loop when he started talking about these ideas.
KINKADE: Yes, this certainly came out of the blue, this suggestion to relocate 2 million people, 2 million Palestinians outside of Gaza. Some have suggested that this is Donald Trump's way of negotiating. Do you believe that?
EL-GAMAL: I do and did suspect that that's what it was. It still was a needlessly provocative and almost cruel way to start a negotiating process just because of the fear and the anxiety that it really made so many people feel. That said, you already see today that senior members of his administration, including the national security adviser, saying that this is his way of pressuring Arab states to put forward their own ideas as to how the region could move forward.
[18:05:00]
Now, of course, the Arab states have been in conversations about how the region could move forward, about what a post-Gaza plan could look like, those plans haven't been clear enough, but they have been in conversations about what that look like.
What we didn't hear anything of during this visit and in the last 24 hours after this press conference is what Prime Minister Netanyahu is willing to do to maintain his end of the deal when it comes to the ceasefire. Phase two of the negotiation -- the negotiations over phase two of the ceasefire agreement are supposed to be starting right about now. And there are certain concessions that Prime Minister Netanyahu is going to have to make, like withdrawing from Gaza and ending the war permanently. Now, those are things his right-wing coalition members are extremely against.
We haven't really heard much from the Trump administration how exactly they're going to get Prime Minister Netanyahu to maintain the ceasefire and enter into those negotiations over phase two of the ceasefire deal in good faith.
KINKADE: Yes, you're right to point that out, Jasmine. The ceasefire and hostage deal was barely mentioned during that long press conference yesterday in light of Donald Trump's proposal to take control of Gaza. Netanyahu was asked whether he's optimistic about phase two and he simply said, we'll see, we'll try. What's at stake here if that fails?
EL-GAMAL: The stakes are huge. Obviously. I mean, we all have seen the devastating impact that the war in Gaza has had on people living in Gaza, Palestinians, the spillover effect that it's had in the West Bank with increasing settler violence, increasing -- an increasing tempo of Israeli military operations in the West Bank, as well as increased activity by Hamas trying to stir up trouble as well.
So, the longer that this goes on, the longer that people suffer, the longer that hostage -- hostages, Israeli hostages who are still being held in Gaza and their families suffer and the farther away that regional peace that we have all been looking to that the Saudis have indicated they are willing to talk about if there is a commitment to that two-state solution to the creation of a Palestinian State. All of that is pushed back.
And so, this was supposed to be a really critical moment when those issues were discussed, where questions were asked of Prime Minister Netanyahu about his intentions. And unfortunately, Trump's remarks really just pushed all of that under the rug at a time when we really can't afford to be pushing those conversations down the road much longer.
KINKADE: Jasmine El-Gamal, we appreciate your analysis and perspective. Thanks so much for joining us.
EL-GAMAL: Thanks for having me.
KINKADE: Well, how is President Trump's plan going over with the people inside Gaza? CNN's Jeremy Diamond filed this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the ruins of Gaza, Sami Ramadan (ph) is determined to clear the rubble where his home once stood. And he is determined to stay.
We will not leave. Occupation and colonization will vanish, and we will stay, he says. As long as we live on this land, we will stay. We will die here. Even if in a tent, I will live in the ruins of my home.
Like so many here, he swiftly rejected President Trump's proposal to permanently displace Gaza's 2 million Palestinians in favor of a U.S. takeover, and the president's rationale for doing so.
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: What's the alternative? Go where? There's no other alternative. If they had an alternative, they'd much rather not go back to Gaza and live in a beautiful alternative that's safe.
DIAMOND (voice-over): But hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have decided to return to their homes. Alongside tents pitched amid the rubble, they have already begun to rebuild. They say they are undeterred by the scale of the destruction.
I don't care what Trump says or anyone else. Look, my house is completely destroyed. There's not even a roof. But here I am. I am staying.
Jordan and Egypt, the two countries Trump is pushing to accept Palestinian refugees, reiterating that Palestinians must be able to remain in Gaza amid what will be a year's long reconstruction. While Trump says his proposal is a humanitarian one, human rights experts call it a crime against humanity.
NOURA ERAKAT, HUMAN RIGHTS ATTORNEY AND PROFESSOR, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY: Their removal route is equivalent to their forced exile, permanent and forced exile, the ethnic cleansing of Palestine, and the denial of their return, which is already a Palestinian condition.
[18:10:00]
DIAMOND: So, there's no question in your mind that what President Trump is suggesting here is ethnic cleansing.
ERAKAT There should be no question in anybody's mind. Trump is saying it himself that this is about the removal of Palestinians. He's calling Gaza, a home to 2.3 million people, a home to an indigenous people, a demolition site because the U.S. funded that demolition by air, by sea, by ground. And now, in order to complete the project, they want to remove Palestinians altogether and then to claim ownership of it.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Trump's proposal is being heralded on the right-wing of Israeli politics, where lawmakers have long pushed for the forcible displacement of Palestinians.
BEZALEL SMOTRICH, ISRAELI FINANCE MINISTER (through translator): Those who carried out the most horrific massacre on our land will find themselves losing their land forever. Now, with God's help, we will work to permanently bury the dangerous idea of a Palestinian State.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling Trump's proposal worth pursuing. But even as he stopped short of a full-throated endorsement, Netanyahu's broad smile said it all. He and the new U.S. president now speaking the same language.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE) KINKADE: Well, President Trump also focused attention on his domestic agenda Wednesday. At the White House ceremony, the president signed an executive order aimed at preventing transgender athletes from competing in women's sports in the U.S.
Dozens of female athletes were at the ceremony, which the White House billed as a No Men in Women's Sports Event. President Trump saying the war on women's sports is over.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Under the Trump administration, we will defend the proud tradition of female athletes and we will not allow men to beat up, injure, and cheat our women and our girls. From now on, women's sports will be only for women.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, this is just the latest Trump administration effort to limit trans rights in the U.S., including moves to bar transgender troops from serving in the military. LGBT advocacy groups call the measures discriminatory. Ron Brownstein joins us now. for more on this. Much to discuss, Ron, as always.
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Hey, Lynda.
KINKADE: So, of course Trump campaigned on taking away the rights of transgender people, and he's doing just that. First, the administration removed the transgender references from their federal government websites. And today, we saw the executive action banning transgender people from competing in women's sports in college.
What we know is that there is currently fewer than 10 trans people in college sports in the U.S. So, why are the focus on this?
Ron BROWNSTEIN: Well, you know, it is -- in every generation there is a cultural wedge issue that conservatives have used to basically activate the most culturally conservative parts of the electorate and to convince them that society is evolving in a way that undermines their values and that you need to vote for me to stop it.
George W. Bush in 2004 ran by promoting a series of ballot initiatives across the country to ban same sex marriage. And when that issue was kind of overrun by changing attitudes and Supreme Court decisions, Republicans have focused on this question. There will be something else, I guarantee you, in five years to fill the slot here. I mean, this is a slot that has to be filled, I think, in the way that Republican campaigns are run.
But having said that, you know, public opinion varies depending on the question. I mean, there is broad support for banning trans girls from competing in high school and college sports. There's much less support for the other big initiative Trump has pursued, which is trying, through executive order, to ban gender affirming care for minors, to basically take that right away from parents. So, the public is still kind of sorting through all of these issues. But on what he did today, he probably has the broadest support on this whole agenda.
KINKADE: And on another issue, Elon Musk is already the richest man in the world. He's now the most powerful unelected official in Washington. And he has access now to the Treasury payment system, which, of course, includes sensitive personal financial information of most taxpayers. Should we be concerned and which institutions could potentially rein him in if needed?
BROWNSTEIN: Yes, I think people should be concerned. I mean, you're talking about someone who was denied security clearances during the previous administration by the Air Force because of concerns about his contacts with foreign governments, also concerns about the way SpaceX, his company, was not -- it was -- the government felt was not fully reporting how it was handling highly sensitive information and now, has pretty much unfettered access and, according to the White House, top secret clearance for the deepest -- you know, the plumbing of the federal government.
[18:15:00]
So, yes. I mean -- and it's not clear at all that there's going to be much pushback on this from Republicans in Congress to the opposite. I mean, you know, what we see week after week is that even compared to his first term, the will to resist Trump among Republicans in Congress who are uneasy about anything he's doing and his appointees is kind of vanishing.
So, that leaves the courts. And you know, I have felt what we all the way through and certainly, it becomes more clear every day that the U.S. courts, in particularly the six Republican appointed justices on the U.S. Supreme Court, is really going to be the fulcrum, is really going to be the arbiter of what our constitutional democracy looks like after four years of Donald Trump because he has made very clear in the first few weeks on a whole range of fronts, including international law, that he does not plan on being limited by the letter of the law, on firing inspectors general, on some of the way that they are purging the departments in -- without regard to civil service rule.
So, there is a real set of issues that are steaming into the courts. And ultimately, the Supreme Court, I think, is going to be the one, far more than Congress, that decides how far Trump can go and how far Musk can go in shredding what we have considered our traditional limits on the arbitrary exercise of executive power.
KINKADE: And some of those issues, you just mentioned, Ron, prompted these protests across the country today. 50 protests in 50 states rallying against all sorts of things, from the immigration raids. We saw some of the signs being held up by protesters that said, you know, don't let democracy die. Others demanding that the Democrats, quote, "do your job." What should the Democrats be doing right now?
BROWNSTEIN: Well, look, I mean, Trump promised shock and awe, and he has delivered that with incredibly consequential changes on a broad variety of fronts domestically and internationally. And as I said, many of which explicitly are ignoring congressional statutes. Democrats have looked kind of odd and shocked themselves in the first couple weeks.
I mean, Trump won the popular vote this time after losing it twice. And so, they really have been uncertain about how to respond. But I think you are seeing the clear backlash among the, what, 75 million people that didn't vote for Trump that want to see more out of Democrats. There's a limit to how much they can do, but it's not zero.
I mean, Republicans are going to need Democratic votes in all likelihood, virtual certainty, to raise the debt ceiling and avoid a calamitous default on the federal debt. And also, just to keep the government funded and open, because there are enough conservative Republicans in the House who will never vote for those things.
So, they do have a coming point of leverage to push back, particularly on some of the things that Trump has done in allowing Musk to, you know, rummage through the federal government. And I think the pressure on Democrats, after kind of treating this as politics as usual in the first two weeks, to do more, to express more of the concerns of their voters is irresistible. I mean, this is only moving in one direction.
KINKADE: Ron Brownstein, as always, appreciate you. Thanks so much.
BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me.
KINKADE: Well, still to come, the Trump administration takes aim at the CIA in its bid to remake the federal workforce. How across the board buyout offers could affect U.S. national security net.
Plus, package perplexity. The U.S. Postal Service stops accepting parcels from China and Hong Kong, only to reverse course a few hours later. We'll explain what's going on next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:20:00]
KINKADE: Welcome back. In the latest sign of turmoil inside U.S. federal agencies, the CIA is offering so-called buyouts to its entire workforce, and it's raising concerns about the country's national security. Federal employees are bracing for mass layoffs. Our own Rene Marsh spoke with one of the workers impacted.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I keep having to start over.
RENE MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And this was not supposed to be the thing that you needed to start over from.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I felt like going to the federal government was a way to find stability over the long-term -- MARSH (voice-over): This woman who spoke with CNN on the condition
that she remain anonymous was in one of the first groups targeted by an executive order, employees connected to DEI programs. A single parent with three kids, school loans, steep rent, and now facing unemployment.
MARSH: What is the general feeling across government amongst your fellow federal workers right now?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Grief. They're angry, many that are confused, but all kind of grieving in their own way. The work that many of us do directly impacts the lives of some of our most vulnerable citizens. The people that we serve through these programs that are going to be in far dire straits than we are.
MARSH (voice-over): It's a story playing out across all agencies of the U.S. government. 2.4 million jobs, the country's largest employer, now in the Trump administration's crosshairs for a dramatic downsizing.
SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): They're shuttering agencies and sending employees home in order to create the illusion that they're saving money.
MARSH (voice-over): CNN has spoken to federal workers at multiple agencies, all who have been placed on administrative leave and are worried about being fired. But even those whose jobs had nothing to do with DEI have been targeted, according to a union president, some because they had participated in diversity training under the first Trump administration. Others had volunteered to plan events like celebrating Black History Month.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a perfect storm. You are sidelining a lot of your federal workers, making them feel fearful. And it doesn't take long for these systems to kind of break down. And for the institutional knowledge that's lost to have like real world impacts.
MARSH (voice-over): At least 75 career employees at the Department of Education faced the same fate, also placed on indefinite leave as the president crafts an executive order that will urge Congress to pass legislation that would shut down the agency.
The Trump administration's plan to slash the federal government includes firing employees who have been on the job less than a year, offering buyouts and restructuring job titles, classifying employees as political appointments, making it easier to fire them.
REP. DON BEYER (D-VA): I would characterize it as chaos. In just department after department, people have no idea who their leader is, what their job is. Can they come to work tomorrow? It's really the worst thing I've seen in federal government in my life.
MARSH: How does it feel to be targeted for the work that you're so passionate about? It's OK, you can take your time.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It actually makes me proud of the people that I've worked with and the things that we've done.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[18:25:00]
KINKADE: Our thanks to Rene Marsh there. Well, joining me now is Brett Bruen, president of the Global Situation Room and a former official in the Obama administration. Good to have you with us.
BRETT BRUEN, PRESIDENT, GLOBAL SITUATION ROOM AND FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL AND STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Great to be with you.
KINKADE: So, over 2 million federal government employees have been sent an e-mail asking them to resign by tomorrow. What's the risk of purging the federal government of dedicated, experienced civil servants, especially in critical agencies like the CIA?
BRUEN: Well, the risk is that key government services, as you allude to, will not be performed, will not be performed on time. And when it comes to something like the Central Intelligence Agency, as the name Suggests we may have gaps in critical areas of the world in critical threats, and that's dangerous stuff.
KINKADE: And of course, this certainly reminds me of what the president's unelected deputy, Elon Musk, did when he took over Twitter. He, of course, is leading the charge to downsize these agencies. And when he took over Twitter, he sacked half the workforce, and then HR had to use an accidental termination category to re- onboard some of those employees because they sacked too many. Is it likely we'll see a repeat of that?
BRUEN: Well, let me explain for the audience. You know, it's one thing if you run a social media platform and you're out in Silicon Valley and you just decide, you know what, we're going to disrupt things. The consequences may be that, you know, social posts don't go out as fast or as far.
You know, we produce the podcast for the former head of the CIA, Leon Panetta, "One Decision." And one of the things I've learned spending time with him is that intelligence takes time. And it's -- I mean, we're talking about years, decades to develop those contacts, those relationships, that understanding. Elon Musk coming in and hacking off half a quarter, even a third of the Central Intelligence Agency is going to leave us with decades of work and a dangerous path ahead.
KINKADE: On top of the CIA situation, we know several top executives at the FBI have also been fired. If Trump fills those roles at the FBI and the CIA with loyalists, what signal does that send?
BRUEN: Well, I think we are starting to lose the notion that the Justice Department -- I remember when I was at the White House, you could not talk to the Justice Department because they wanted that division of church and state, that separation, the notion of justice being impartial. And you heard from President Trump today in the Oval Office when he was there for the swearing in of the new attorney general, suggesting that her impartiality when it came to Democrats sometimes would be the case. I mean, that is a pretty radical notion that we just not -- have not had here in the United States.
KINKADE: Yes, it's certainly a frightening notion. Of course, many of the federal agencies are likely to be downsized. The biggest target, of course, is USAID. Its headquarters closed earlier this week. We've seen federal employees across the country holding these rallies today, 50 protests in 50 states.
But so far, we know only 20,000 federal government employees have accepted the resignation offer out of about 2.3 million. What does that tell you?
BRUEN: Well, it tells me it's not a good offer. And if I could just briefly focus on USAID, I mean, I've been getting messages from former colleagues who are coming back from overseas, not certain about their future.
The U.S. is the largest funder of foreign aid programs. I mean, we're talking about programs, these are global health programs, stability, security programs, education programs. There is going to be a ripple effect. You know, we're communicating around the world here on CNN International. I mean, the consequences, the collateral damage from this is going to be substantial.
And you know, what is worrying to me is that we will see the rise of new pandemics. We will see instability. We will see democracy start to crumble in other countries around the world because USAID, those programs on the frontlines are not there.
KINKADE: Brett Bruen, president of the Global Situation Room, we appreciate your time. Thank you.
BRUEN: Sure thing
KINKADE: Well, Elon Musk's approach toward cutting government jobs is evoking memories for people who worked at Twitter. As we were just discussing, he laid off thousands of staff within days of taking it over.
Well, some of those former workers now have words of advice for federal employees. Our Clare Duffy has more.
[18:30:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE DUFFY, CNN BUSINESS WRITER: Yes, many former Twitter employees say they're having deja vu watching what Musk is doing inside of the government. Of course, one of the things that's been most striking to see is just the speed with which Musk has tried to come in and cut costs, cut staff, cut entire departments.
You'll remember that at Twitter, when he started, within days, he had cut most of the company's senior executives, 50 percent of the staff. And one former Twitter employee told us that this is in keeping with Musk's sort of algorithm for change. The first step of which, this person said, is to question every requirement. Assume every requirement that anybody ever gives you is dumb, question it, eliminate it wherever possible. And basically ask, do we even need this thing? Should we? Should we even have it to begin with? And start cutting from there.
We're now hearing former Twitter employees offering advice to federal government workers, both publicly and quietly about everything from how to communicate with other colleagues securely through platforms like Signal to more personal advice about how to navigate this kind of upheaval.
Yao Yue, a former principal software engineer at Twitter, posted on X, she said, don't comply without question. Don't fold over in advance. Find small routines that anchor you and make you feel in control, even just for a few moments each day.
Now, federal government employees have until Thursday to decide whether to take this buyout offer that's been offered to them, but there are questions about whether they can count on that money actually coming through if they do take the offer.
I spoke with Shannon Liss-Riordan. She's an attorney who represented many of the former Twitter employees who sued the company over alleged unpaid severance. The company, of course, has pushed back on that, but she said there are questions about whether Trump has received the approvals needed to be offering this buyout. She's already getting questions from federal government workers, and she said she's telling them basically, you need to decide what's in your best interest. She said there's no way to predict exactly how this is going to come out.
Now, OPM told me that if the government were to renege on this commitment that employees resignations would essentially be moot, but I think there are big questions about whether these folks can really count on that commitment at this point.
Clare Duffy, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, still ahead, it was one of the cornerstones of Donald Trump's election campaign, tackling illegal immigration. But even in a state that voted big for him, there are concerns about his hardline policy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:35:00]
KINKADE: Welcome back to CNN Newsroom. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Good to have you with us.
Let's check today's top stories. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi is expected to review cases against President Trump, including those by New York prosecutors. A source telling CNN that she plans to issue memos aimed at curbing the so-called weaponization of the Justice Department. The new attorney general was sworn in at the White House earlier Wednesday.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is investigating after a Japanese Airlines plane hit the tail of a parked Delta Airlines jet. It happened at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Wednesday morning. No injuries have been reported.
Investigators in Sweden are searching for a gunman's motive in what's been called the worst mass shooting in the country's history. At least 10 people were killed in an attack at an adult education center on Tuesday. Police say the suspect was found dead and that it appears he shot himself.
In Mexico, hundreds of National Guard soldiers have begun arriving at the country's northern border to fight against drug trafficking and to help control migration. Mexican President Claudia SHEINbaum has pledged to send a total of 10,000 troops to the border as part of a last-minute deal that was reached with Donald Trump. In return for the deployment, the U.S. president delayed rolling out 25 percent tariffs on imports from Mexico for at least a month.
In the past few hours, the White House has given an update on the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration. The White House says more than 8,000 people have been arrested since President Trump's inauguration. Of those, 461 have had to be released because of various reasons. One of them, not enough detention space. The White House says more funding is needed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We are doing everything we can to deport and detain illegal immigrants, but we need Congress' help to increase funding for Border Patrol and for ICE to increase detention capability in our facilities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, even in red states, Donald Trump's immigration crackdown is not necessarily being met with universal support. In Nebraska, there are concerns that its agricultural industry could be hit by a lack of workers. John King spoke to people there as part of CNN's All Over the Map series, which examines key issues for U.S. voters across the country.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The Nebraska prairie, it's calm and quiet as the rolling farmlands wait out winter.
CROWD: This is what community looks like.
KING (voice over): But even here, the new Trump agenda stirs passion and fear.
CROWD: Love over hate. KING (voice over): Immigrant workers are critical in a state where cattle outnumber people by more than three to one. Nebraska is second to Texas in U.S. beef production, sixth in pork, and its cornhusker state nickname celebrates its role as an agriculture giant.
JOHN HANSEN, PRESIDENT, NEBRASKA FARMERS UNION: If we have a hitch in the get along in Nebraska, it's a big enough processing state, it's going to be felt in the food chain.
KING (voice over): By hitch in the get along, Nebraska Farmers Union President John Hansen means a Trump immigration crackdown that rounds up undocumented workers.
HANSEN: Do we need better enforcement? I think we do. There's a constructive way to do it, and there's a less than constructive way to do it. And so, it remains to be seen how we proceed.
KING (voice over): This is a red state, and its Republican governor is offering support if the Trump White House puts Nebraska on its immigration crackdown list. Fear is the word you hear most from immigrants, even those with legal status.
"GIN", NEBRASKA RESIDENT: This first term was more of like, let's see if this can happen. This year is more, I'm going to do it.
They go to school.
KING (voice over): Gin has a green card now and is working towards citizenship, but he has family and friends who are undocumented, and he asked that we not use his full name.
GIN: It's a scary time for my community, for people I care for aren't basically are not lucky enough like I am.
KING (voice over): Rumors of ICE activity spread fast, as did word that agents can now enter schools and churches.
GIN: It starts up people getting scared. Basically, it starts off like, have you seen immigration? Have you seen this? And you see the fear in people's eyes. Just the fact that they can't go out to the store, they can't go get groceries or even hospitals. It's just a hard time.
KING (voice over): Immigrant advocates like Mary Choate say clients are worried now about sending their children to school or showing up for English classes and other services.
MARY CHOATE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR LEGAL IMMIGRATION ASSISTANCE: We really want to keep immigrants and refugees involved in the community so - because - because they're so integral to our community. But it's been very difficult for them to be able to do that because they fear going outside of their homes.
[18:40:00]
KING (voice over): "G" is seeking asylum. She was a journalist back home in Honduras, targeted by the government, she says, after reports detailing corruption.
"G", ASYLUM SEEKER (through translator): If I go back to Honduras, they will kill me.
KING (voice over): She entered the states a year ago using a Biden administration phone app that Trump eliminated on day one.
KING: Your lawyers tell you you're in the asylum process and you should be OK. But with Trump as president, are you worried?
"G" (through translator): Of course. For sure.
KING: Why?
"G" (through translator): Because he tries to implement quite strict policies with immigrants in general. And I think even more with people who have just entered the country. At least with the program I entered with, there is some instability, so to speak. So, of course, that increases anxiety and concern.
With Trump's arrival, I have felt very unstable. I have a lot of anxiety. I suffer from insomnia and I cannot stop thinking about the possibility of being deported. I cannot go back.
KING (voice over): Nebraska State Senator Kathleen Kauth is pushing a new E-Verify law that requires employers to certify their workers are legal. Simple and common sense, she says. But Kauth concedes, the polarized national debate might make it harder to win over Democrats.
KATHLEEN KAUTH (R), NEBRASKA STATE SENATOR: I'm really more worried about Nebraska and focusing on, what do we need in Nebraska to understand the problem, how do we make sure that we are keeping people who are not here legally from taking jobs from people who are here?
KING (voice over): Kauth believes the state can handle any workforce disruption caused by stronger enforcement, and she is a state example of the Trump effect on the Republican Party. Any path to status or citizenship for those already here illegally must start with going home.
KAUTH: I kind of view it as a poison apple from the poison tree. Whatever the legal definition is. If your first act is to break the law, you have become a criminal. And so therefore everything after, even if it's well-intentioned, even if it's wonderful, please go back and go through the process because we do want you here, but we need you to do it the right way. And I don't think that that should ever change.
KING (voice over): Go back is the driving theme of the new Republican immigration push, and a big reason more immigrants think it's best to stay in the shadows.
John King, CNN, Lincoln, Nebraska.
(END VIDEOTAPE) KINKADE: Well, still to come, American orders from Temu and SHEIN were threatened when the U.S. Postal Service briefly paused package deliveries from China. We'll explain after the break.
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[18:45:00]
KINKADE: Well, a head spinning few hours for the U.S. Postal Service, first announcing that it would suspend all package deliveries from China and Hong Kong, then reversing course. Well, the move is believed to be tied to new Trump administration tariffs against China that took effect this week. Our Marc Stewart reports from Beijing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As the U.S. implements more China focused measures, the Chinese government is making it clear it will defend itself. At one point, the United States Postal Service suspended the shipment of international packages from China and Hong Kong. Something that could have disrupted the business models of Chinese global e commerce giants SHEIN and Temu, but withdrew the suspension only several hours later.
Nevertheless, the Trump administration has closed a tax exemption that largely helped Chinese e-retailers shipping items to American consumers, a move that could raise prices in the U.S. The back and forth comes as the U.S. and China find themselves in the middle of a trade fight, with the U.S. making the first move, implementing tariffs on China, China then retaliating with tariffs of its own.
An issue I brought up with a Chinese government spokesperson here in Beijing. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEWART: Does China feel the United States will act in good faith moving forward?
LIN JIAN, SPOKESPERSON, CHINA MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (through translator): The United States has imposed a 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods on the grounds of the fentanyl issue. China is strongly dissatisfied with this and firmly opposes it. The measures China has taken are necessary to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEWART: Chinese officials repeated what they've said in the past about fentanyl, saying that they've provided help, but it's an American problem. Despite a mention by President Trump about a phone call to take place between him and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump says he will speak with Xi, but now says he's in no rush to do it. Government officials here in Beijing didn't hint at a timetable.
Marc Stewart, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, still to come, fans and players are getting excited for Super Bowl Sunday. We'll take you to New Orleans to see the preparations
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please join me in welcoming Heman Bekele to the stage
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Another big honor for 15-year-old inventor Heman Bekele. The Ethiopian-born U.S. teen is honored at the Zayed Awards for Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi for his promising new invention, a soap that could one day prevent and treat early stage skin cancer.
[18:50:00]
Bekele was also named Time Magazine's Kid of the Year in 2024. He spoke to CNN's Becky Anderson about the honor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HERMAN BEKELE, 15-YEAR-OLD INVENTOR: I'm truly touched and also just so motivated, simply because this award is beautiful and that it recognizes humanitarianism and human fraternity. And for someone of my age as a 15-year-old to receive this award it really just shows how anything is possible and it really is so motivating for me to continue working hard on my goals especially with my age.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: And I was going to say you are just 15 years old. Herman, what do you want to do?
BEKELE: My dream in life is to be able to, you know, hyper fixate on affordability and accessibility through healthcare. And so, right now I'm doing it with the bar of soap, but in the future, I hope to do it with so many other passion projects as well, just centered around making sure that healthcare is affordable and accessible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Amazing. Well, I interviewed Herman last summer about his skin cancer prevention soap, and I have to agree he is an extraordinary young man. And we congratulate him for receiving this latest honor.
Well, excitement is building ahead of Sunday's Super Bowl. The Kansas City Chiefs will clash with the Philadelphia Eagles for the U.S. Pro Football Championship. A White House official says President Trump is expected to attend the big event in New Orleans. And Kendrick Lamar is scheduled to perform during the halftime show.
Well, NFL veteran Coy Wire is on the ground in New Orleans speaking with a former Super Bowl champ.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORT: Here with the one and only, the legend, the Hall of Famer, Marshall Faulk, Super Bowl champ, but also CFO, the Chief Flavor Officer.
MARSHALL FAULK, SUPER BOWL XXIV CHAMPION AND NFL MVP IN 2000: I Love that name. Isn't that a dope title?
WIRE: Dope. Of all your prestigious titles, how did this one come to be?
FAULK: Well, this one came to be because of a partnership with Sodexo Live, the catering company, hospitality company, who take care of a lot of venues, including the New Orleans Superdome. And me being from New Orleans, but also, they heard my story of me being a guy who sold popcorn in the Superdome. So, I was the vendor at the Superdome and we collaborated on what if this partnership was formed and we got to show the hospitality and the food of New Orleans presented by Sodexo Live. I get to come out and talk about it and highlight the great City of New Orleans.
WIRE: Now, you know, this city has a reputation for its flavor.
FAULK: Oh yes.
WIRE: The Cajun cuisine. So, the pressure's on. What are we going to be working with on game day?
FAULK: Listen, we got some gumbo here for you with a little rice at the bottom. You know, for people that, you know, know gumbo, you could have a little rice or sometimes you can have potato salad. But today we gave it to you the conventional way, the Creole way, with a little rice. That right there, you know, you know, the grew is good. Yes, you got it. You got it.
WIRE: You're making me want to slap my mama right now.
FAULK: Hey, there you go.
WIRE: And I love my mama.
FAULK: Hey, there you go. And once you have that, then we brought to you, obviously, the famous beignets. You know, and listen, I don't want you to get that over your sweater. You got to tilt it to the side.
WIRE: Yes, teach me how to do it. You got to get a little tilt.
FAULK: Tilt it to the side. Tilt your head to the side.
WIRE: The official donut of the State of Louisiana.
FAULK: There you go. That's it. Right there. Most people do donuts. We do beignets. Oh, yes. And this right here, the best in hospitality. WIRE: Now, I can say I beignet, done that with Marshall Faulk. The one and only. Yes, sir.
FAULK: Awesome. Awesome.
WIRE: Now, you've played in this big game. You know all about the pressures that come with it. From all these superstars, Patrick Mahomes, Travis, Kelce, Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, all of them, they're human.
FAULK: Yes.
WIRE: But what are the distractions, the added pressures that come with this big stage?
FAULK: First of all, when you get here and you then find yourself out of your element, which is you're staying in a hotel full week and then you got to play a game. What I like is that the teams who traveled and we know that the Eagles went to Brazil. So, they have some experience on what this is. But the Chiefs, they've been here a bunch of times. So, I think both teams can handle that.
But then it's taking care of your family, making sure that everybody's settled, making sure all of that stuff is taken care of. And then getting back into your routine, let's say Thursday, you understand there's a road trip, but then Thursday, you start doing -- you're trying to create some normalcy. And then, making sure that this game, and everybody wants to say it, oh, play it like it's a regular game. No. No, you don't. You play it like it's your last game and that it's the most important game. And you go out there and hope that you can perform and rise to the occasion.
WIRE: Yes, because this might be the last time any of these guys make it back to this stage.
FAULK: You never know.
WIRE: And if anyone can prevent the Chiefs from pulling off that historic three peat, it just might be those Eagles.
FAULK: Oh, yes.
WIRE: Yes, Jalen Hurts, yes, but Saquon Barkley. And you know a thing or two about running that rock. How special is that young man?
FAULK: It is -- like I'm so happy for him. After what he went through in New York, to have a team then say -- like they didn't trade him. They just said, we don't want you. And then, you know, go back to the state where he ran the ball in college, play him two times a year. And it's just gratifying the year that he had.
[18:55:00]
Generational talent. He was injured. Put him around some good players and the diamond, it shines. WIRE: Yes. Hey, let's end this thing. All right. I need to do a cheers and a toast with legend, Marshall Faulk. I appreciate you throwing down with me today and look forward to game day for more of this. Cheers.
FAULK: Salute.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: I want some of that. Our thanks to Coy Wire there.
Well, finally, before we go, Super Bowl weekend wouldn't be the same without Puppy Bowl. The annual three-hour show will feature 142 rescue poppies from 40 states and two countries. The mission of the longest running TV event of its kind is to inspire families to adopt new, furry friends.
Among the players to watch on Sunday are this Pekingese star by the name of Smoosh. And Mr. Pickles, a Pug-Chihuahua mix from Dallas, Texas.
Well, that does it for this edition of CNN Newsroom. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Thanks so much for joining us. Stay with CNN, much more news ahead.
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