Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
CNN International: Aides to Defend U.S. Takeover Back Off Some Elements; Deadline Looms Over for Government Workers to Accept Resignation Offer; Trump: We will Honor the Greatest Americans in a New National Park; President Trump Talks about Victims of the DC Collision; Trump Speaking at National Prayer Breakfast; Santorini Under State of Emergency after 5.2 Quake. Aired 8-9a ET
Aired February 06, 2025 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:00]
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to our viewers all around the world. I'm Fredricka Whitfield, and this is the CNN Newsroom. Just ahead, we're expecting to hear from U.S. President Donald Trump this hour, he'll be attending a prayer breakfast in Capitol Hill, as will Benjamin Netanyahu, who has backed Trump's proposal for Gaza.
But already, Trump's closest aides have started to walk back some of his more outlandish comments about the potential displacement of 2 million Palestinians. And the clock is ticking for federal government workers. How many will -- how many will take up Trump's resignation offer?
And we're waiting for Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu to arrive on Capitol Hill for the Annual National Prayer Breakfast. Right there lots of people mingling on what is a 70-year-tradition. It's a bipartisan breaking up the bread there on Capitol Hill. And of course, when the president arrives, we'll take you there.
He is expected to speak after the breakfast, the Israeli Prime Minister will spend several hours meeting with many of the lawmakers that you see right there. Netanyahu likely to face a slew of questions about Donald Trump's stunning announcement that he wants the U.S. to take over Gaza and rebuild it.
So far, the prime minister seems to be on board with the proposal, with a smile that he was giving while Trump was making that announcement. But Palestinian officials and leaders across the Middle East say it's a non-starter. More now on the fallout from President Trump's stunning Gaza proposal.
Israel's Defense Minister has instructed the military to prepare a plan for what he calls the voluntary departure of Palestinians from Gaza. This as the Israeli Prime Minister enthusiastically seemed to back Donald Trump's plan in an interview on Fox Wednesday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: This is the first good idea that I've heard. It's a remarkable idea, and I think it should be really pursued, examined, pursued and done, because I think it will create a different future for everyone. He's the greatest friend that Israel has ever had in the White House.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Mr. Trump ignited a storm of criticism around the world when he unveiled his vision for Gaza on Tuesday. He called for the U.S. to, quote, take over Gaza, relocate some 2 million Palestinians to neighboring countries, and redevelop the Enclave. The White House and key officials are now rushing to clarify the president's remarks, walking back some major details.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: So, what he's very generally -- very generously, has offered is the ability of the United States to go in and help with debris removal, help with munitions removal, help with reconstruction, the rebuilding of homes and businesses and things of this nature, so that then people can move back in permanent.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Permanent versus temporarily resettled --
KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president has made it clear that they need to be temporarily relocated out of Gaza for the rebuilding of this effort.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Moments ago, President Trump posted on social media that no U.S. soldiers would be needed for the reconstruction of Gaza. He said that the U.S. would work with development teams from around the world to turn Gaza into, quote, one of the most spectacular developments of its kind on Earth. CNN's Jeff Zeleny has more reaction from the White House.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Against a wave of backlash from Republican Senators and indeed, leaders around the world, the White House moved to explain and walk back a bit President Trump's stunning statement from Tuesday night that the U.S. will quote own the Gaza Strip and make moves to develop it.
Now White House Press Secretary Karolin Leavitt said that the Palestinians would only have to be temporarily relocated. That was at odds with what the president said one day earlier. He said there would be a permanent resettlement. But there was still some question about the fact that if the president would be willing to send U.S. forces to the region, the press secretary said the president was leaving it open for this reason.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEAVITT: I think the president is very good when he's making deals and negotiating, not to rule out anything, because he wants to preserve that leverage and negotiations, and so I think that's what he's doing here. (END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: So, laying this out in terms of any ordinary deal the president has done certainly flies in the face of what he has long talked about. He has long criticized the never-ending wars in his views and longstanding foreign entanglements. But there certainly are some questions now, is this just an opening gambit? If so, how will this affect the second phase of the peace process?
But White House advisers are saying, the president, yes is still serious about the idea of developing Gaza and of moving the 1.8 million Palestinians.
[08:05:00]
But there is no doubt, one thing is certain, the president said everyone loves this plan. That simply is not true. Leaders in the Arab World, of course, and European nations as well, push back considerably on that.
Republican Senators also said that there simply would not be an appetite for an investment of aid from the U.S. or forces as well. So, there's some doubt now, just one day after the president made that stunning announcement in the White House, what the future of that may be, but he certainly is committed to doing something new, he said in the Middle East. Jeff Zeleny, CNN, the White House.
WHITFIELD: All right, CNN's International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson is joining me now, live from London. All right, so Nic, what about this kind of about face now, or maybe even clean up? It's not a permanent removal, but maybe just temporary, says Marco Rubio and Karoline Leavitt. Is that what's being interpreted?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, let's interpret what President Trump had to say on his social media platform. He had ample opportunity to listen to Marco Rubio, listen to his own press secretary, and amplify what they have been trying to cast this as, which is a temporary removal of people.
I didn't see that word, temporary departure coming back. I didn't see that language in his post. He made it very clear that Gaza would be handed over to the United States after the fighting is finished there. He didn't make it clear that these beautiful new homes that would be built there would be available to the Palestinians who have left and come back.
And I think it's very instructive, if we look at the way that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has responded to this as well. He is taking part of it and amplifying it and putting a spin on it that's going to try to tamp down some of the criticism that this would be a forced expulsion and ethnic cleansing of more than 2 million people here, saying, what could possibly be wrong if Palestinians want to leave?
Why -- you know, why would we stop them leaving? And this is what the army has been instructed to do. We've heard from the Israeli Defense Minister today, Israel Kats saying exactly that is instructed the army to find a way to help allow Palestinians to leave, who Gaza who want to leave voluntarily. They're not saying voluntarily, go and come back later. They're saying leave voluntarily.
So, both of -- both Israeli officials and President Trump have had a chance to listen to what the walk back has been, and they're not amplifying that walk back. So, I think we are still in a position of not understanding fully what President Trump wants, and witnessing an Israeli government that wants to, if you will, cherry pick the best for them, aspects of that that they think might be, might be achievable.
WHITFIELD: All right, Trump also said, Jordan and Egypt perhaps could carve out some land for these Palestinians. They have already since reacted by no, no, thank you. But are there other Middle Eastern neighbors who are commenting on the language that's come from the White House, the confusion that it's now presented?
ROBERTSON: Look, I think the United States Gulf partners, and the biggest one here being Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman MBS in Saudi Arabia, is not -- is not head on, criticizing what President Trump has said. They don't feel the need to do that, because they've reiterated their position that the way forward for Israel and for the Palestinians is for there to be a two-state solution, a Palestinian state.
And for the Saudis and for the others in the Gulf to them, it's entirely obvious, if you force all the residents of Gaza to leave, then there's no -- there is no Palestinian state possible, and that would be something that would just be unachievable. I think that language and their positioning is very clear.
I was listening to an Egyptian diplomat earlier today, and he was put on the spot about this plan and about the leverage that the United States has over Egypt in terms of aid and support for the government, despite Egypt being a very important ally, positioned and valuable for the United States.
He said, absolutely no way the Palestinians get to stay. There's nothing about that that's going to change. The pushback is loud. Look, I mean, the real pushback is going to happen behind closed doors in Washington, when King Abdullah of Jordan and President Abdel Fattah El Sisi of Egypt make their trips there, and they are doing that in fairly short order.
I think the Jordanian King is in London today for meetings and expected to move on to Washington. So, they're going to make their case heard with friendly, friendly nations before they get to Washington. But the truth and the reality will take shape behind closed doors in the White House.
WHITFIELD: All right. Nic Robertson, thank you so much.
[08:10:00]
All right "The New York Times" reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu himself was surprised by the announcement, though, somebody who knows him well cast doubt on the notion. Former Chief of Staff to Benjamin Netanyahu, George Birnbaum told Kasie Hunt that the Prime Minister is a shrewd politician.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE BIRNBAUM, FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF TO BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: I would say this. Netanyahu is a very astute follower of political chess. And we saw a few announcements prior to the Prime Minister's arrival that were a little strange. One was the announcement that the King of Jordan would be coming to visit the White House in a couple of weeks.
And while, with all respect to the King of Jordan, I can think of two dozen world leaders that the president would invite to the White House prior to the King of Jordan. We also saw the announcement of a very unique arms sale to Egypt just a day prior to the prime minister arriving. Of course, Egypt and Jordan being two key players in President Trump's plan.
So, the prime minister may have been surprised that the announcement came so quickly, but I believe that he probably was reading the tea leaves a little bit, and that President Trump did have something in mind by having these two very strange events occur so early into his presidency, regarding the invitation of the King of Jordan, as well as the arms sale to Egypt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right, tens of thousands of Palestinians, including many who now have to rebuild houses destroyed by the Israeli strike, say they won't leave their ancestral homes. CNN's Jeremy Diamond reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the ruins of Gaza Sammy Ramadan (ph0 is determined to clear the rubble where his home once stood. 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. Like so many here, he swiftly rejected President Trump's proposal to permanently displaced Gaza's 2 million Palestinians in favor of a U.S. takeover, and the president's rationale for doing so.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: 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): Palestinians 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 & PROFESSOR, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY: Their removal 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.
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.
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.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 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 a broad smile making clear he's thrilled by Trump's return. Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Quit or face the unknown that's the decision thousands of federal workers have to make within the next few hours, coming up reaction to the U.S. government's offer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:15:00]
WHITFIELD: It is decision day for millions of U.S. federal workers, they must decide by midnight tonight whether to take the government so called deferred resignation offer. Those who resign will still get paid through the end of September. If workers don't take the deal, the Office of Personnel Management warns they are at risk of losing their jobs.
The aim is to shrink the federal workforce and reshape it, in some cases, replacing career employees with political appointees. Protesters marched against the buyouts in Washington on Wednesday, and we've just learned, the Trump Administration plans to put environmental justice and civil rights workers at the Environmental Protection Agency on administrative leave.
Alayna Treene is joining us now from the White House with details. Alayna, I mean, today is the deadline for federal employees to take the -- you know the so-called buyouts. Is it legal? What can we expect? ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, unions are arguing it
is not, and they've also been urging many of these federal workers not to opt in to this offer, but just to break it down for you more, Fred. We know that at 11:59 tonight, that is the deadline for federal workers to accept this program.
They are referring to it as the deferred resignation program, others buyouts, but really, they would be voluntarily placing themselves on paid administrative leave, meaning they will get paid and also benefits through September 30th. Again, there are questions, though, of whether the government can actually follow through on that.
Unions are arguing that, given the government is not funded beyond the end of March. There are questions of whether or not they could live up to that. But we have seen memos from the Office of Personnel Management, which is under the White House, of course, that say that they can be guaranteed to do that.
All to say there are a lot of questions about what this could mean, and a lot of people haven't been given a lot of time to make this decision. The memo first went out offering this deferred resignation program to federal workers. We were told around 2 million federal workers just last week, and again, they were given until today to decide.
Now, I'm also told that as of now, at least 40,000 people within the government have accepted this that's -- you know in comparison to the 100,000 target that the government has for who they want to accept this and we also know that despite this this program and its deadline, we do know that the White House and the Trump Administration are preparing for sweeping, widespread layoffs very soon after today.
So, even If people have not accepted this program, or are accepted to put themselves on paid administrative leave. That doesn't necessarily mean that their jobs are safe. This is just one way, of course, that we are seeing both Donald Trump but also Elon Musk at the helm of the Department of Government Efficiency, are really trying to shrink the overall size of federal government.
We've had story after story about different agencies being targeted and being let go, not just as it related to the diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility order that Donald Trump had signed his first day on office, but also for other employees as well. So, a lot of people across government are bracing themselves for these potential layoffs as they also weigh whether or not they should opt into this program and whether or not they can trust that they will continue to be paid through the end of September, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, Alayna Treene thank you so much. I want to go straight to Capitol Hill because president has arrived there at the National Prayer Breakfast. He's talking, let's listen.
TRUMP: Also become a great friend. You become much friendlier when you have a majority of two or three or four. Could even be five pretty soon. But for a little while it was one that's Mike Johnson, Speaker, thank you very much. Mike, very much. (APPLAUSE)
[08:20:00]
TRUMP: And thanks, as well to somebody doing a fantastic job. Senator Thune, thank you very much. Senator, it's not easy. It's not easy. It's really great. And Leader Scalise, Steve, wherever you may be, I know I think you're here someplace. There is a brave guy, too. Brave guy, I always say it.
And Senator Chuck Schumer, Chuck thank you very much. Thank you. Senator Harrison, thank you very much. Thank you -- very nice to see you, Congressman Jeffries, thank you and many other very distinguished leaders in the room, great, great group of people. If we -- if we could ever come together, it would be unbelievable. May not happen, but it should, and maybe it will.
From the earliest days of our republic, faith in God has always been the ultimate source of the strength that beats in the hearts of our nation. We have to bring religion back. We have to bring it back much stronger. It's one of the biggest problems that we've had over the last fairly long period of time. We have to bring it back.
Thomas Jefferson himself once attended Sunday services held in the old House Chamber on the very ground where I stand today. So, there could be nothing more beautiful than for us to gather in this majestic place. It is majestic and reaffirmed that America is and will always be one nation under God.
At every stage of the American story, our country has drawn hope and courage and inspiration from our trust in the Almighty deep in the soul of every patriot is the knowledge that God has a special plan and a glorious mission for America, and that plan is going to happen. It's going to happen. I hope it happens sooner rather than later.
It's going to happen, and it's his hand that guides us every single step of the way and all of you, and the things we have to do is see the defining role that faith and prayer have played in the life of our nation. And you just have to look at this building, and you can look at each other. You can really look at each other.
It's defined almost everyone in this room. I think faith has been very strong with the people in this room. Just steps away from here in the Hall of Columns is the Statue of John Winthrop, who famously proclaimed that America would stand as a city upon a hill, a light to all nations with the eyes of all people upon us.
Today, almost 400 years after that famous sermon, we see that with the Lord's help, the city stands taller and shines brighter than ever before, or at least it soon will. In that same hall, we also find the Statute of the Great Roger Williams, who founded the State of Rhode Island, named its capital city, Providence, and built the First Baptist Church in America.
It's Williams that we have to thank for making religious liberty part of the bedrock of American life, and today, we must protect the fundamental freedom with absolute devotion. We must stand strong, just like generations of Americans have done on the battlefields all around the world, feet away from the magnificent rotunda, another statue watches over visitors to the Capitol.
George Washington, the founder of our country, often called for Americans to join together in prayer very often and more than two centuries later, this morning, we heed President Washington's wisdom and follow in his mighty footsteps. He was a strong man and of great religious strength.
The stories of legends like Washington, Winthrop and Williams remind us that without faith in God, there would be no American story. Every citizen should be proud of this exceptional heritage. We have an unbelievable heritage, and we have to use that and make life better for everyone. That's why, as we approach the 25th times 10 Anniversary.
[08:25:00]
Think of that. 250 -- 250 years we'll be celebrating next year of our country's founding; I have signed an executive order to resume the process of creating a new national park full of statues of the greatest Americans who ever lived. We're going to be honoring our heroes, honoring the greatest people from our country.
We're not going to be tearing down. We're going to be building up. It will be called the National Garden of American Heroes. Some of you will be on that soon to be hallowed ground, some of you. Let's see. I can pick a few of you right now by looking, here's a couple of you right now I can see, let's see, it's the president's sole opinion.
And I've given myself a 25-year period, and then somebody else. By that time, it will be very, very built up. It will be something very special, and I hope that Congress will fully fund this wonderfully unifying project at the first possible opportunity. It's not going to be a lot of money. Going to be very important, however.
So, that more of our people can be inspired by the faith and courage of patriots like those who we honor in these halls. One of the incredible Americans whose memory my order will celebrate is also recognized with a statue in the Capitol representing the great State of North Carolina. And that's a man known who everybody loved, Reverend Billy Graham.
He was something my father used to take me to watch the Crusades. He would take me to Yankee Stadium. I remember it so well. I remember it more than I remember any Yankee game. And I've seen a lot of Yankee games, can you believe it?
And Billy didn't have a bat, so, you know, it was pretty good. It was amazing. You'd have 60 or 70,000 people, and they loved him. They loved him. I saw him with Franklin. I don't know if Franklin is here. I just don't know, but I've gotten to know Franklin. He's done a great job with helping on tragedies, on problems like in North Carolina, California. He's always the first one there. Work he does is his father is very
proud of I can tell you that, but Billy Graham was very special. One floor below us, Reverend Graham's statue stands with an open Bible, the page turned to a letter from the Apostle Paul, which reads, let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season, we will reap if we do not give up. Never give up. Never ever give up.
You can't -- how about me? If I would have given up, I would not be here right now. Who the hell knows where I'd be. It might not be a good place. If it was up to the Democrats, it would not be a good place at all. Never ever give up. There could be no better message for the leaders gathered here, and you are real leaders, and we must never give up, and we must never grow tired.
We must never grow weary, and we always must practice good. As you know, last week, only a few miles from here, our nation witnessed a terrible tragedy when 67 people were killed in a horrible accident near Reagan airport. As one nation, we take solace in the knowledge that their journey that night did not end in the icy waters of the Potomac, but in the warm embrace of a very loving God.
None of us knows exactly when our time on earth will be over. You never know a truth I confronted a few short months ago when there was an incident that wasn't it was not fun, it was not a good thing, but God was watching me, the chances of me being here, my sons are shooters. They're really good shooters, Don and Eric and they said the chances of missing from that range with that gun are but.
Don equated it to a one-foot putt. That's pretty bad. Two feet I can see missing, but one foot you can't miss. It was the equivalent of a one-foot putt, is what he told me. He said in fact, he gained some religion. He gained he went up 25 percent. And if you know him, that's a lot.
(APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: But he said, there had to be somebody that saved you. And I think I know who it is that he looked up and I said, whoa, Don that's come. You've come a long way.
[08:30:00]
He's a good guy, but they -- my two sons, just really couldn't believe it. Had I not turned that right turn just at that time. And the audience, 55,000 people standing this way. There were just a few people in the back on the bleachers. There was nobody over there, except for my all-time favorite chart in history, a chart on immigration. Immigration saved my life, see, so we're going to be good for immigration, OK?
But had I not made that turn boom, and quickly, it was almost as though a deer bolted. You know, they say the only way you miss when you're a good chart is if it bolts. I bolted. I turned to the right to look at the chart, and I said, wow, what was that? What was that? So, you never know, but God, did that. I mean, it had to be the chances of turning. There's no reason to turn to the right. You know, the chart is rarely brought down. I brought it down maybe 20 percent and 20 percent of the time, and it's never on my right, it's always on my left, and it's always at the end of the speech, never the beginning of the speech.
And if I was a little more than that 90-degree angle, it would be no good. And if I was a little less, it would be, had to be perfect. Thing went right along the edge. It didn't affect my hair. Can you believe -- might have touched it, but not where it counts, not the skin part. But no, honestly, it's a very -- it changed.
It changed something in me. I feel even stronger. I believed in God, but I feel much more strongly about it something happened so. Thank you. Thank you. But that event, like the tragedy last week, should remind us all that we have to make the most out of every single day that we have who would think that you're in space and two things collide.
The odds of that happening are so small, even without proper control. We should have had the proper control. We should have had better equipment. We don't. We have obsolete equipment. They were understaffed for whatever reason. I guess the helicopter was high. And we'll find out exactly what happened.
But the odds, even if you had nothing, if you had nobody, the odds of that happening are extremely small. It's like, did you ever see you go to a driving range in golf and hitting balls, hundreds of balls, thousands of hours. I never see a ball hit another ball. Balls going up all over the place. You never see them hit.
It was amazing that that could happen. There was a lot of mistakes made, and it should have never happened. But regardless of that, it's amazing that it happened. And I think that's going to be used for good. I think what is going to happen is we're all going to sit down and do a great computerized system for our control towers, brand new, not pieced together, obsolete like it is land based, trying to hook up a land-based system to a satellite system.
And the first thing that some experts told me when this happened is you can't hook up land to satellites, and you can't hook up satellites to land. It doesn't work. We spent billions and billions of dollars trying to renovate an old broken system, instead of just saying, cut it loose and let's spend less money and build a great system done by two or three companies, very good company specialists.
That's all it is. They used 39 companies. That means that 39 different hookups have to happen. And I don't know how many people of you are good in terms of all of the kind of things necessary for that and its very complex stuff. But when you have 39 different companies working on hooking up different cities and different people, you need one company with one set of equipment.
And there are some countries that have unbelievable air controller systems, and they would have -- bells would have gone off when that helicopter literally even hit the same height, because it traveled a long distance before it hit it was just wouldn't stop because you follow the line, but bells and whistles would have gone off.
They haven't worked, actually could virtually turn the thing around. It would have just never happened if we had the right equipment. And one of the things that's going to be, I'm going to be speaking to John and to Mike and to Chuck and to everybody, we have to get together.
[08:35:00]
And just -- as a single bill just pass, where we get the best control system. When I land in my plane, privately, I use a system from another country because my captain tells me I'm landing in New York, and I'm using a system, I won't tell you what country, but I use a system from another country because the captain says this thing is so bad, it's so obsolete, and we can't have that.
So, we're going to have the best system and lot of money, but it's not that much money, and it'll happen fast, and it'll be done by total professionals. And when it's done, you're not going to have accidents. It's just not -- they're not, they're virtually not possible to have.
Each of us is blessed with a precious chance to help lead America to renew our pledges of faith and everything else, and bring us to new heights and create a future of promise for our people and for ourselves. You know, we have the most important people in the country in a true sense here, because you're the ones that are going to make the decision.
You're the ones that are leading us into so many different things, whether it's the right air control system or the right size military or what to do and what not to do. Most important people, and many of you are very religious. I know so many of you very religious, and I just think that our country has been so badly hurt.
We're very hurt by what COVID did to religion. It really hurt it badly. People couldn't go to church for a long period of time, even going outside. They were given a hard time, and I'm not blaming anybody for that, but it was very hard to gather. So, they start using computers, if that.
And when they come back, it's just, you know, a whole new experience they have to get used to. But it is starting to come back. We had a fantastic thing happen yesterday. The army had the best recruitment numbers that they've had in more than 15 years. They think it could be 25 years, actually, they're going to probably put that out.
But more than 15 years just now. And we were worried about it. We were talking about it numerous times that you know, we don't have people joining our military services. We don't have people joining our police force. We have to cherish our police, it's so dangerous. You open a car and somebody starts shooting.
They have blackened windows. You don't even have any idea who's in the car. Oftentimes, they have the dark windows, which are not, in theory, supposed to have, but they have them. The door opens and a gun is pointed at your face, and you can't do a thing about it. It's just nothing you're going to do about it. Your friends will take them out, and it's happened so many times, but you just it's so such a dangerous thing. We have to cherish these people. So today, we join our hearts and prayers in recommitting to putting our country first. We have to put our country first, making America stronger and greater and more exceptional than ever before.
And we have to make religion a much more important factor. Now we have to make it an important factor. And if we do that, it's going to be our job is just going to be much easier. It unifies people. It brings people together. Democrats are going to be able to have lunch again and dinner with Republicans.
And I remember just as growing up, I'd see, you know, I revered senators, congressmen or something very special, but they were out to dinner all the time. We had an old congressman, maybe some of Sey Halpern from Queens, and he was a friend of my father, but he'd have dinner with -- he was a Democrat, would he'd have dinner with Republicans, and he'd be out. It wouldn't even make a difference today.
It's like shocking. And it shouldn't be. Have to get together. We really have to get together. We all know what's right and what's wrong, and there's going to be compromise on both sides, but we have to just do the right thing, and we have to get together. You did it with Marco Rubio, you got everybody who was 99 votes, and the only vote was our VP who maybe.
We should have been there just to make it 100, but I think I would have been angered if it was 100 that might be a step too far right. But no, it was great to see a vote. Pam Bondi had support from Democrats and some of the others had some pretty good support. So, you know, it's doable.
We had a recent bill having to do with a very beautiful young lady who was killed from Georgia. And that bill was very bipartisan.
[08:40:00]
It was very beautiful thing to watch, actually. And so, I think we just have to, if possible, we have to unify. There's big division. I mean, some people want an open border and some people want a closed border. We want it closed and they want it open. That's a big difference.
How do you solve that problem? It's a big difference. Some people want men in women's sports, and some people don't. And I was with somebody yesterday who was so upset that the bill was signed where men cannot participate in women's sports, and I said he's a very smart guy, went to a great school, was a great student.
And he actually feels, you know, that should happen, men should be able to play meaning transition into women sports. And you talk to him, and it's just, you know, I don't understand it. I think it. I don't understand how the problem ever got started in the first place, just seems so simple. But he's a good person, and just believes it, and just believes it not going to be easy to convince him otherwise. So where is a middle ground? It's hard to have a middle ground if there's two ways. I mean, you can either do it or you can't, but I think a lot of good things are going to happen.
You know, a lot of people might be surprised to hear me say that, of all people, but I think a lot of good things are going to happen, because our country's got some big headaches, but we have tremendous spirit right now. The spirit is as high as it's been. It was up 49 points this morning.
49 points, that's a -- that's -- it's never it's the biggest increase in the history of whatever the poll was. So, the spirit is there. That's a big factor. That's probably the hardest thing to get back. To be honest, the rest is easy. The rest is easy. So, I want to just thank you all. I want to congratulate a lot of the new members. I see so many of you that ran great races, David.
I was a great race, but so many that ran great races, and on both sides, you ran some incredible races. So, it's good to be with you. And God bless everybody. We want to come together and the happiest, the person, the element, the everything that's going to be happy. People of religion are going to be happy again.
And I really believe you can't be happy without religion. Without that belief, I really believe it. I just don't see how you can be. So, let's bring religion back. Let's bring God back into our lives. Thank you all very much. Thank you very much. Great honor. Thank you.
WHITFIELD: All right, President Trump there at the National Prayer Breakfast, there on Capitol Hill, a bipartisan gathering. This is tradition that dates back 70 years, and he focused primarily on religion, saying religion needs to be incorporated in more things, including in politics.
Corey Brettschneider has been listening to the speech. He's a Political Science Professor at Brown University and the Author of The Presidents and the People: Five Leaders, who threaten democracy and the citizens who fought to defend it. All right, good to see you. So, what did you hear in all of this?
COREY BRETTSCHNEIDER, POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR AT BROWN UNIVERSITY: Good to see you.
WHITFIELD: Because he talked a lot about, you know, bringing religion back, he says, and made reference to the assassination attempt when, you know, he got shot in the ear there in Pennsylvania, saying that was a moment that changed him, and he feels more compelled to incorporate religion into his life.
And then he also talked about how important it will be to it would produce a happier nation to have religion being incorporated more in everything from in interactions in politics and beyond. What did you hear that is particularly resonating with you? BRETTSCHNEIDER: Well, I'll say one thing, which is that this was meant to be a moment to reflect on deep questions of life, and instead, he turned it to himself and talked about God saving him, and that might play to his base. But it speaks to a kind of well narcissism that you see with this president, that even when the theme is supposed to be about religion and freedom, and religious freedom in particular, he turns it back to himself.
I also was struck by the fact that he invokes Roger Williams, who's famous in the United States for the argument that you shouldn't impose religion on others. The idea of our establishment clause that says we don't have an official religion and we don't have laws that respect the establishment of religion.
[08:45:00]
And yet he talked about in a way that sounded to me like. He wanted to bring religion back into public life in a way that well threatens a kind of coercive aspect, and at least didn't clarify the idea of religious freedom, which is that in this country, we not only don't have an official religion, but we don't impose religious ideas on people.
That's supposed to be the idea of religious freedom in the United States. And I would have liked to have seen, you know, he could speak to his own faith, but in a way that shows respect for those who don't share it. That's the meaning of Roger Williams. Finally, I'll say about recruitment and police, that tangent.
It's just a huge irony in the nation's capital, where he's pardoned insurrectionists who attack Capitol police to be invoking care about police in that way?
WHITFIELD: Yeah, I mean that really was such a contradiction and quite stunning to hear. So, Corey, let's turn now to you know, one of Donald Trump's more controversial now Cabinet nominees. Because, again, some people have still not been confirmed, and overnight, Democrats protested Russell Vought's nomination as White House Budget Director by holding marathon floor speeches there.
Vought is one of the main architects of Project 2025. He's expected to be easily confirmed Thursday night, allowing him to oversee the federal agencies that he actually wants to eliminate hidden camera video, you know, over the summer, a captured vote who calls himself a Christian nationalist, talking candidly about pursuing the right-wing blueprint for a second Trump term. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUSSELL VOUGHT, PROJECT 2025 ARCHITECT: In an ideal world. I mean, I think we could save the country, in a sense of, you know, the largest deportation in history. And once you -- once that starts, there's going to be -- you're going to be winning a debate along the way about what that looks like, right? And so that's going to cause us, get to -- get us off of multiculturalism, just to be able to sustain and defend the deportation, right? If we're going to have legal immigration, can we get people that actually believe in Christianity? Is that something or do we have to have, you know, are we not allowed to have ask questions about Sharia law? So, I want to make sure that we can say we're a Christian nation, and my viewpoint is mostly that I would probably be Christian nationalism. That's pretty close to Christian nationalism, because I also believe in nationalism.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right, so let's get straight to the point here. You know how much of a serious threat is Russell Vought to our constitutional democracy?
BRETTSCHNEIDER: Wow, you heard it. I mean, that is an attack on the fundamental ideas of freedom, including religious freedom, to continue the theme that we were on from the Prayer Breakfast. Trumps, you know, might have indicated some ideas in that direction, but here you heard the quiet part out loud.
WHITFIELD: Yeah.
BRETTSCHNEIDER: As I said, the idea of our Constitution is that we don't impose religion on other people that we respect multiple views. We respect the idea of religious and cultural pluralism. That's the embedded in the first part of the First Amendment, talking about Congress shall not establish an official religion.
That's the point of our establishment clause. And yet, here you have somebody saying that we should impose the kind of theocracy on America. It really is outrageous, and let's combine it with the role that this person is going to play, because this isn't just any person.
This is somebody charged with really reorganizing the federal government, so that the protections of the civil service are no more, that they could be fired if say they don't adhere to this so-called Christian nationalist idea. And I will say again, invoking Roger Williams, this isn't a Christian idea.
There is a deep idea in Christianity of tolerance, of respect, and you see that in the nation's framers, some of whom certainly were devoted Christians and who embraced the idea that me embracing my religion doesn't mean that you can't embrace yours, that government isn't going to impose and deny religious freedom, and you hear the opposite. There a true outrage and attack on our democracy.
WHITFIELD: It's no longer rhetorical. Is this happening? It's actually happening. Corey Brettschneider, thank you so much. All right, we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:50:00]
WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back. Moments ago, we heard from President Donald Trump, who said he is going to computerize the FAA. He called the air traffic control system obsolete. His comments coming a week after a catastrophic mid-air collision between a U.S. army helicopter and a passenger jet in Washington, D.C., killing all 67 people on board both aircrafts.
Gabe Cohen is in Washington. Gabe, good to see you. So, what do you make of Trump's comments at the National Prayer Breakfast?
GABE COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, as you mentioned, it's sometimes hard to interpret exactly what he's talking about when he mentions computerizing the FAA, but it is not particularly surprising to see the president talking about essentially overhauling the aviation industry, given some of the questions and concerns that he has raised in recent days about the crash that unfolded last week that killed 67 people.
We heard during that speech, he essentially said that the FAA and the aviation industry in this country has obsolete equipment, that it is understaffed and that essentially, lawmakers have been putting a band aid, band aids on it over the years, spending billions of dollars to renovate outdated, obsolete systems.
Instead, he said they essentially need to come in with the best of the best technology come together in terms of bipartisan lawmakers, and pass a bill that can update all aviation systems and perhaps even spend a little bit more money on staffing levels for air traffic controllers.
Which, frankly, is something that I would imagine would be welcomed by many within the aviation industry, because we are talking about an FAA air traffic control team of 40 plus 1000 people who have been short staffed, working six-day weeks, in some cases, 10-hour shifts mandatory, struggling with some outdated systems.
So, what we are seeing here is, I think, not so surprising reflex from the president, who is essentially saying they need to come in and they need to change the industry. Also bear in mind that yesterday we saw Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE putting out messaging publicly saying that they were going to be making rapid safety upgrades to the FAA in the aviation industry in the United States.
Remember, Elon Musk is a major player in this space between his companies, Starlink. He's also a licensed pilot. So, it's not really a surprise that he would have a vested interest in making changes there. But again, they were putting out these messages yesterday, and it was one of those things where a lot of people within the aviation space were asking, what exactly do you mean?
Because DOGE, up to this point, has really been a slash, slash, slash agency focused on, how do we get rid of aspects of the federal workforce? Not quite clear, Fred, what they're trying to build, in this case.
WHITFIELD: Yeah.
COHEN: What type of safety changes they want to make that could make things better for people who are flying,
WHITFIELD: Yes, some real mixed messaging. People are already pretty unnerved. Can we just say some people very panicked within the federal government, and now to hear that too, still rattling. All right. Gabe Cohen in Washington, thank you so much. All right, the Greek island of Santorini is under a state of emergency right now after it was hit by a 5.2 magnitude earthquake late Wednesday.
It's the strongest tremor in a series of quakes that began last week. Some 11,000 people have fled the popular tourist island in the past few days, although evacuation efforts were hampered Wednesday when high winds forced ferries to be halted. Officials say no major damage has been reported so far, but authorities are taking precautions ahead of what could be a large-scale quake. All right, and if you're eating right now, whatever it is, may I suggest you put it down.
[08:55:00]
The next story might give you indigestion. The beetle you see right here in this jar, and 36 others, just like it, were discovered as they were being smuggled into America disguised as snacks. The insects, valued at almost $1,500 were concealed in packets of crisps and chocolate.
The shipment was coming from Japan and was intercepted at L.A. International Airport, which was pretty lucky, I guess, right, to be intercepted before it ends up in anybody else's array of snacks. Exotic insects like these are seen as a potential pest in the U.S., where they end up eating trees, plants and crops.
Hopefully you still have an appetite. Thank you so much for joining me here in this CNN Newsroom. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. "Connect the World" with Becky Anderson is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
