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Hamas Threatens to Delay Hostage Release as Trump Issues an Ultimatum; France Joins the Artificial Intelligence Race; Federal Judge Blocks Public Health Research Fund Cuts in Some States; Greenlanders Oppose Trump's Move to Buy Greenland. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired February 11, 2025 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[03:00:00]
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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church.
Just ahead, Donald Trump defies the critics again, imposing new tariffs on steel and aluminum aimed at China and making clear he's not done yet.
An already fragile ceasefire made even more tenuous. Hamas threatens to postpone the release of hostages while the U.S. President issues an ultimatum.
And with the White House pushing for a quick end to the war in Ukraine, we'll hear from citizens and soldiers about what a possible ceasefire could mean.
UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Rosemary Church.
CHURCH: Good to have you with us.
Well, it is Day 23 of Donald Trump's second term in the White House and the U.S. President is still flooding the zone with executive actions designed to advance his agenda.
He is expected to sign more executive orders today at the White House following his announcement of 25 percent tariffs on all imports of steel and aluminum. He says there will be no exceptions and no exemptions. The President calls it a big deal making America rich again, but critics point out that similar tariffs during his first term only ignited a trade war and raised prices for American consumers.
Meanwhile, the administration is facing protests and legal headwinds.
A judge has extended a pause on a buyout plan for federal workers. Another judge says the administration has violated his order to unfreeze billions of dollars in funding for environmental health and other programs. And in a third case, federal employees told a judge the administration has failed to reinstate USAID workers who were put on leave.
President Trump and the Justice Department say the judicial branch is overreaching.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Well, you get some very bad rulings and it's a shame to see it. Frankly, they want to sort of tell everybody how to run the country when they say that certain people in charge of massive agencies are people doing very, very important people, smart people doing investigations of fraud.
And they don't talk about what you're looking at. All they say is, oh, it's unconstitutional. Judges should be ruling. They shouldn't be dictating what you're supposed to be doing.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
CHURCH: And on the international front, President Trump is doubling down on his plan to relocate all Palestinians from Gaza. He reiterated in an interview that aired Monday the Palestinians would not be allowed to return to their homeland.
President Trump's comments come as a fragile ceasefire in Gaza appears to be on shaky ground, with Israel and Hamas accusing each other of breaking the terms of the deal. Mr. Trump is weighing in on the issue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: As far as I'm concerned, if all of the hostages aren't returned by Saturday at 12:00, I think it's an appropriate time. I would say cancel it and all bets are off and let hell break out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Hamas is threatening to postpone the hostage release scheduled for Saturday, accusing Israel of firing on displaced Palestinians returning to the north and not allowing all types of aid into the enclave. Israel's defense minister now says Hamas is in violation of the agreement and he's ordering troops to be ready for the possibility of new fighting in Gaza.
CNN's Nada Bashir joins us now live from London. Good morning to you, Nada. So what's the latest on the fragile ceasefire and of course the possible consequences ahead if it doesn't hold?
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well there certainly is mounting concern, particularly off the back of those remarks from U.S. President Donald Trump yesterday. And of course there has been outcry, as you mentioned, from Israeli officials, warning from the Israeli defense minister for the military to be on the highest level of alert.
We know of course that the Israeli military has also said that it is preparing at the highest level of readiness for any possible scenarios going forward in the Gaza Strip.
[03:04:55]
But there is of course mounting pressure on both sides to uphold this ceasefire agreement to ensure the longevity of this at least first phase and of course the focus on trying to re-engage both sides as they move towards negotiations on that crucial second phase of the ceasefire agreement.
Now at this stage it does not appear as if this could be a guarantee of a total collapse of the deal. We have seen issues in the past with regards to the terms around the return of Palestinians to parts of northern Gaza.
Those issues were resolved and the messaging that we've been hearing from Hamas officials appears to suggest that this is essentially a warning to Israeli officials to uphold their end of the agreement, namely when it comes to the supply of humanitarian relief items and medical supplies into the Gaza Strip.
Now Hamas has said that it remains committed to the ceasefire agreement, that we may still see the release of hostages in exchange of Palestinian prisoners as planned on Saturday. Now they have issued this statement with five full days' notice as a sort of warning to Israeli authorities to see some sort of movement on the humanitarian relief coming into the Gaza Strip.
Now as you mentioned Hamas has highlighted several areas where they believe Israeli authorities have failed in terms of upholding their end of the ceasefire agreement, including of course the supply of tents, of prefabricated homes, of rubble lifting mechanisms as well to provide support for that rebuild effort and of course in terms of the supply of medical aid as well.
We've heard from one diplomat who was told CNN the U.N., Qatar and other nations had requested permission to deliver shelters or temporary shelters for Palestinian civilians who have been displaced and that those requests were denied by Israeli authorities. We have reached out to Israeli officials for comment on that.
It's important to underscore that what we have seen this morning is more aid trucks coming into the Gaza Strip but it's unclear whether these aid trucks are carrying those specific items that Hamas says they haven't seen entering the Gaza Strip so far, at least haven't seen in the full scale that they would like to see under the terms of the ceasefire agreement.
Now of course there will be mounting pressure on both sides to uphold this agreement on all fronts. We know of course Israeli officials have characterized this warning of a postponement of the release of hostages as a complete violation of the ceasefire agreement on the part of Hamas and there is certainly mounting pressure within Israel as well.
We have seen families taken to the streets of Tel Aviv, many protesting, calling on the government to do all they can to ensure the safe return of all hostages held captive in Gaza.
There is certainly mounting concern around the medical conditions and the living conditions faced by hostages of course following the release of three hostages last week who appeared to be clearly emaciated upon their release and of course there is pressure on the Palestinian side as well for Hamas to follow through on that deal.
Many families waiting to see their loved ones released from Israeli jails as part of that agreement and there will certainly be diplomatic pressure mounting on both sides. We know of course today that the Jordanian King Abdullah will be meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.
The situation in Gaza and of course the ceasefire agreement will certainly be a key focus in those discussions but again there are still several days until we see that planned release of hostages in exchange of Palestinian prisoners.
Whether this goes ahead smoothly remains to be seen. At this stage not a guarantee of a full collapse of the deal but certainly a threat to what is already a very fragile ceasefire agreement.
CHURCH: Nada Bashir, joining us live from London. Many thanks for that report.
Donald Trump's new 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum are aimed primarily although indirectly at China. Even though the U.S. imports very little steel straight from China but Beijing remains the largest steel producer and its steel does make its way into the United States second hand.
However it's these countries that appear poised to take the biggest hits from the new U.S. tariffs: Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Vietnam. China's own tariffs on nearly $14 billion of U.S. imports kicked in on Monday. They're in response to the initial tariffs imposed by President Trump last week.
And CNN's Steven Jiang is following this live for us from Beijing. He joins us now. Good to see you Steven. So what's been the reaction in China to President Trump's 25 percent steel tariffs and of course how might this impact the economy there?
STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Yeah Rosemary, so far Chinese officials have said very little about these latest tariffs and on Monday a foreign ministry official did address this issue in general terms saying there are no winners in a trade wars and protectionism is quote-unquote "a dead end."
But of course this is a long-standing complaint when it comes to the Chinese steel sector. That is a lot of countries, not just the U.S. actually have said the Chinese steel makers have been flooding the global markets with cheap products, often at below cost prices because of the country's quote-unquote "industrial overcapacity."
[03:10:08] Now Beijing has always denied this and pushed back very hard and that's why these latest tariffs will likely cause pain for the Chinese steel sector. But very interestingly though on Monday the Chinese cabinet held a meeting and without mentioning the term industrial overcapacity in its readout the government said it would quote-unquote "optimize the country's industrial layouts and the market supervision and phase out outdated and inefficient productions in some sectors."
So there seemed to be this tacit acknowledgement about this issue and their attempt to address it but remains to be seen if Beijing will launch any countermeasures specifically in response to these 25 percent steel tariffs on steel and aluminum.
But as you mentioned they did respond earlier to those 10 percent additional tariffs but even those measures affect less than 9 percent of U.S. exports into China. So it is worth noting that so far both sides seem to be fairly restrained because remember Trump said during the campaign repeatedly that he would impose up to 60 percent tariffs on Chinese imports.
Obviously that hasn't happened. Instead we have heard the president say quite a few times that how he likes Chinese leader Xi Jinping quote-unquote "a lot" and how the two men have a great personal relationship including doing the very recent pre-Super Bowl interview.
So the Chinese are aware of this and they're obviously trying to take advantage of this personal rapport real or perceived to avoid unnecessarily antagonizing Trump at this juncture to avoid deepening these trade clashes right now and instead they're focused more on working out a broader trade deal with the U.S. president especially since China continues to face a lot of economic headwinds at home as well.
Rosemary.
CHURCH: Steven Jiang, joining us live from Beijing. Many thanks.
A U.S. district judge has again extended the deadline for federal workers to accept the Trump administration's so-called buyout offers or deferred resignations. Whether those offers are legal or not is still in question.
CNN's Paula Reid has more.
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PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well federal employees did not get the clarity they were hoping for on this deferred resignation offer they have received from the Trump administration. On Monday a federal judge in Boston heard arguments from the Justice Department defending the administration and from lawyers representing unions about the validity of this so-called buyout offer.
Now lawyers for the unions they have been discouraging their members from accepting this offer saying it's not clear that the Trump administration has the power to enforce this or make sure people get paid and they were even noting to the judge they said they've only been given two weeks' notice to make decisions that impact their livelihoods.
They said this is not what Congress intended when it reformed this civil service. They also told the judge that they believe the administration is trying to push out civil servants so that they can be replaced with Trump loyalists.
Now the Justice Department defended its actions saying that this was all part of the federal government's authority to manage its workforce and argued that the buyout program offers a humane off-ramp to federal government employees who might have structured their life around remote work opportunities which have of course come to an end.
The judge said that he would resume the sort of pause on the deadline to accept this while he contemplates this larger question about the validity of this offer. So all eyes on that judge a Clinton appointee up in Boston as many federal employees are mulling possibly accepting this offer.
Paula Reid, CNN, Washington.
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CHURCH: Still to come, France joins the A.I. race. We're live in Paris with the latest on the international summit aimed at shaping the future use of Artificial Intelligence. Back with that and more in just a moment.
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CHURCH: Welcome back everyone.
Well the future of A.I. security is high on the agenda at the second day of the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris. Political and business leaders will soon meet to continue talks on how to create effective guardrails for AI without stifling innovation.
J.D. Vance is attending the summit on his first international trip as U.S. Vice President. He is set to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the summit. Mr. Macron has been vocal about Europe's need to accelerate its pace in the A.I. race as well as rely on clean power to do so.
CNN's Melissa Bell joins us now live from Paris with the latest. Good to see you, Melissa. So walk us through some of the main goals of this summit and of course the discussion so far.
MELISSA BELL, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yesterday was very much about the business and tech leaders being here and Emmanuel Macron telling the assembled crowd here that this had been about replacing France on the map. He announced that 109 billion euro private foreign and French series of investments that lead to the biggest ever data park being built here in France and in Europe.
But it was also about sending a message about where Europe needed to be on regulation. Until now what we've seen are three different approaches, right? The state-backed Chinese tech, the American deregulation that we've seen further since the arrival of the French administration and European Union that has been much clearer about regulating A.I. so far. We saw it with the A.I. Act.
[03:20:04]
The message coming from here the Grand Palais yesterday from Emmanuel Macron was that that needs to ease. This is what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT: I have a good friend in the other part of the ocean saying drill baby drill. Here there is no need to drill. It's just plug baby plug. Electricity is available. You can plug it. It's ready.
It's a wake-up call for a European strategy. But this strategy will be a unique opportunity for Europe to accelerate, to simplify our regulations, to deepen the single market and to invest as well in computing capacities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BELL: Now that message apparently heard in Brussels. We heard from the European Commissioner for Tech saying that the message had been heard loud and clear. The A.I. Digital Act would have to be implemented in ways that were innovation friendly.
Also announcing that digital laws here in the European Union would be simplified soon at European level. Now today, Rosemary, is all about the heads of state. We're going to hear from Emmanuel Macron, Narendra Modi also who's co-hosting this summit.
And as you said J.D. Vance who will also be having a working lunch with the French President looking here much more at issues that go beyond A.I. and tech and what can be done. He told Breitbart News before he left Washington to hasten the end of the war in Ukraine. Rosemary.
CHURCH: Melissa Bell in Paris. Many thanks for that live report. I appreciate it.
Well U.S. President Donald Trump suggested Ukraine quote "might be Russian someday" while announcing plans for a multi-billion dollar rare earth agreement with Kyiv.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: They have tremendously valuable land in terms of rare earth, in terms of oil and gas, in terms of other things. I want to have our money secured because we're spending hundreds of billions of dollars and you know they may make a deal, they may not make a deal, they may be Russian someday or they may not be Russian someday but we're going to have all this money in there and I say I want it back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: The remarks come as a U.S. special envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg is expected to visit Ukraine next week.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced he also plans to meet US Vice President J.D. Vance at the Munich conference. But Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister says any peace negotiations with Ukraine must include Moscow's indisputable ownership of annexed Ukrainian regions.
Well, all this comes as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes for a ceasefire in the conflict. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh speaks with Ukrainians near the war-torn front line on this issue.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The sound they long for here of peace, of normal.
INESA, SLOVYANSK RESIDENT (translated): I just want it to stop. Stop the bombing. There's no future now. We don't see it. Who does? Do you see it?
PATON WALSH (voice-over): Ten years ago the war began here in an eastern town like this, Slovyansk.
We were there to see ceasefires fall apart or used by Russian separatists to just take more ground, a memory and distrust that endures.
PATON WALSH: Really do they move further into the town or just stay in this position?
That Russian field unrest now a decade later transformed into an ugly conflict that's now entering into its fourth year.
UNKNOWN (translated): Wait, let's look at the tree again.
PATON WALSH (voice-over): Hundreds of dead or injured daily but this drone war can feel here like high-stakes gaming.
UNKNOWN (translated): It seems they're in the trench. Got it Lucky Strike. Let's strike it one more time. Fly, check it and strike the dugouts. One wounded (EXPLETIVE) is crawling.
UNKNOWN (translated): Was the strike successful?
UNKNOWN (translated): We struck the enemy. There are bushes, he will try one more time.
PATON WALSH (voice-over): For those below a petrifying scramble in the frozen mud, the tiny buds of death above.
PATON WALSH: This very remote world of chat groups and drone cameras so removed from the absolute horror of what's going down on the ground there. Both sides torn apart, entrenched warfare not been seen for a century in some places.
VOLODYMYR SABLYN, BATTALION COMMANDER, 66TH MECHANIZED BRIGADE (translated): The enemy is beyond the river.
PATON WALSH (voice-over): Volodymyr is a week or so shy of his decade anniversary fighting Russia, joining in 2015 when Moscow seized the nearby town of Debaltseve literally during a ceasefire. You better really mean it if you talk peace here.
SABLYN (translated): The conflict was frozen, and it only led to a full-scale war.
[03:24:57]
I think if there is a ceasefire now, it will only get worse for us. Because the enemy will restore itself form new military units again, regroup and attack again.
PATON WALSH (voice-over): So many Ukrainians suggesting now that if NATO wants the war to stop, it should put its troops between them and the Russians as peacekeepers.
UNKNOWN (translated): It would be real guarantee of security in Ukraine. Because Russia, no matter how much they say that they are not afraid of anyone, they are afraid of America and NATO as a whole.
PATON WALSH (voice-over): One certainty as we head out to see the front is this same drone setup and carnage is being mimicked by the Russians not far away. Dusk can bring a brief break in Russian drones in the skies but this red dot means there's one above us.
UNKNOWN: Sky is dirty. We have to go.
PATON WALSH (voice-over): So much changes fast in this war but the shelling seems like it could go on forever.
UNKNOWN (translated): Fire.
PATON WALSH: Massive guns hiding from tiny $500 machines here. Extraordinary change.
PATON WALSH (voice-over): Little geopolitics here, just practical skepticism and hard numbers.
PATON WALSH: Do you think there could be a ceasefire here that could last?
VIKTOR, 66TH MECHANIZED BRIGADE (translated): What percentage for the implementation of a ceasefire? About 30 percent.
Because of the situation on the front, it doesn't look like there will be a truce. It's very hard.
ANDRIY, 66TH MECHANIZED BRIGADE (translated): It's about 40 percent. The other side is winning, taking territory. And we, by and large, have nothing to say.
PATON WALSH (voice-over): Just down the road, the Russians are coming, yet again. But the prize here is only victory itself. The rest is ruins.
PATON WALSH: Here it is, the sort of Soviet prize in Lyman of the railway hub here. A place that the Russians took, that they were kicked out of by the Ukrainians and are now closing in on again. Just a symbol of the relentlessness of this war.
Larysa has never left, never will.
LARYSA, LYMAN RESIDENT: (translated): Here, I ran barefoot. There, I swam in the river. I'm 72 years old now.
I don't want to (leave). My three brothers are buried here, all my aunts, uncles, dad, mom. I can't leave, I can't--
We've been hit 19 times today, 19 times since this morning. My husband is counting and I'm taking sleeping pills. Nobody's going to solve this.
Only Putin will if he says, "That's enough, I've already killed so many people."
PATON WALSH: Peace only for Putin.
PATON WALSH (voice-over): Far back, Ukraine is making the bare minimum preparations for a worst-case scenario. They've always needed the world's help to stave off disaster. Just now hope it doesn't come disguised as peace.
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Lyman, Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: And we'll be right back.
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[03:30:00]
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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back everyone.
Canada's Industry Minister is responding to Donald Trump's new 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum, calling them totally unjustified.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says an exemption for his country is under consideration, even though President Trump has said there would be no exceptions. Steel and aluminum are key components in cars, appliances, buildings, bridges and roads.
For a closer look at how President Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminum could impact Canada, CNN's Paula Newton reports from Ontario.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's on this factory floor in Canada that Donald Trump's demands for fair trade are being tested.
NEWTON: What are these over here?
ROB WILDEBOER, EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, MARTINREA: For the Silverado
NEWTON (voice-over): These are parts for the Silverado, a GM truck made in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, and they're made by Martinrea. A global auto parts supplier with thousands of workers in all three countries.
Trump tariffs would strike at the very heart of this business and its workers in North America, says Executive Chairman Rob Wildeboer.
NEWTON: President Trump would say, why Mexico? Why Canada? Why can't you just make it all in the U.S.?
WILDEBOER: I don't know anyone in our company that wants tariffs between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, because we work very well as a unit. We take care of our people everywhere. We make great parts in every jurisdiction.
And quite frankly, we benefit from that. We've got some great plants in Mexico, in the United States and in Canada.
[03:35:07]
NEWTON: Do you believe a U.S. made car then would be more expensive?
WILDEBOER: Yes, for sure. For sure.
NEWTON (voice-over): That's the math, he says. A calculation made every day here as the threat of tariffs hang over one of the most prized manufacturing industries on the continent.
Canada's auto industry directly employs at least 130,000 people in dozens of towns and cities, including Martinrea's facility in Vaughan, Ontario, just outside of Toronto. They depend on these stable jobs, as do workers at this Martinrea facility in the U.S. state of Kentucky.
WILDEBOER: I'll put my U.S. hat on, right, because we are an American supplier. We're a Canadian supplier. We're a Mexican supplier. But we have twice as many people in the United States as we do in Canada.
And in a number of communities, we're the largest employer. So Hopkinsville, Kentucky, Jonesville, Michigan and others, we're a big deal.
We're a big deal locally. We take care of a lot of people. And I would say a lot of those people probably voted for President Trump. They like this message of lower inflation, more jobs, stronger economy.
But with the tariffs and so forth, they're getting higher inflation, less jobs, weaker economy.
NEWTON (voice-over): Despite that pitch, even employees here know what they're up against in the Oval Office. And some told us they approve of Canada standing up to the threat.
NATIK JARIWALLA, MARTINREA EMPLOYEE: It's going to hurt anyhow. It's like either you deal it right now or in the future.
NEWTON (voice-over): And it's not just Canada. Trump is challenging the very template of free trade right around the world.
The European Union can see what's coming their way. It has one of the largest trade deficits with the U.S. It too says it will respond firmly to any tariffs.
But it is Trump's tough talk about an economic takeover of Canada that cannot be reconciled.
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: What I'd like to see Canada become our 51st state.
NEWTON (voice-over): It's triggered an uncommon anti-American backlash in Canada that may have legs.
Booing the U.S. anthem, boycotting American products, all of it so far seems to have staying power.
DON PEPPER, BURLINGTON, ONTARIO RESIDENT: Well, I think it's ridiculous. We've been friends for years, traded for years, and then all of a sudden this happens.
NEWTON (voice-over): For Martinrea's executives and its North American workers, tariffs could still be a reality within weeks, putting at risk a profitable business and good paying jobs in the U.S. and beyond.
They are asking President Trump, why mess with that?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: The Inspector General's office of USAID says the Trump administration's dismantling of the agency and its sweeping freeze on foreign assistance makes it harder to track the potential misuse of funds.
A new report from the Independent Watchdog finds the gutting of staff members across the agency means oversight could be lax, certainly less comprehensive. And that could lead to money ending up in the wrong hands, such as U.S.-designated terror groups in places like Afghanistan, Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, just to name a few.
Meantime, a federal judge has temporarily paused cuts to public health research ordered by the president, but only in specific states. The judge wants more briefings on the case, in which 22 Democratic attorneys general are challenging the White House's move.
Those lawsuits argue that hundreds of millions of dollars in allocated funds will go to waste. They say jobs will be lost and potentially life-saving health research will be put on hold.
Dr. Omar Awan is a physician and senior public health contributor for "Forbes." He joins me now from Baltimore in Maryland. Thank you, doctor, for being with us.
DR. OMAR AWAN, PHYSICIAN AND SR. PUBLIC HEALTH CONTRIBUTOR, "FORBES": My pleasure. Thanks for having me.
CHURCH: So as the Trump administration seeks to make big government cuts, three judges are now blocking some of President Trump's plans. And that includes about $4 billion in medical research funding cuts for universities, hospitals and other scientific institutions.
What would be the consequences of research funding cuts of this magnitude if the President is able to bypass the judiciary and make these massive cuts in the end?
AWAN: Well the major driver for research is money and funding, and without adequate funding, it's hard to do high-quality research. And it's really because of research that we've made so many amazing advancements in science and medicine. I mean, if you think about it, we have an oral pill that can cure hepatitis C because of research.
[03:40:03]
We have antiviral therapy for HIV because of research, and now people can live normal lives. And if you remember 30 or 40 years ago, having HIV was essentially a death sentence. And even more recently, I think something that everyone can relate to is the life of the late President Jimmy Carter, where immunotherapy drugs really saved his life.
And he was able to beat cancer, melanoma, which is a type of skin cancer that he had because of these immunotherapeutic drugs. And these are drugs that prime our immune systems to fight cancer.
So it's had a tremendous effect on the quality of life of so many Americans, so many people around the world. And it will certainly have devastating consequences for science and for cultivating innovation.
CHURCH: And how much more critical is medical research funding, especially in the wake of a global pandemic where we were all made particularly aware of just how vulnerable we are?
AWAN: Very important and very critical when you think about how much research plays a role in the development of vaccines, particularly. I mean, you know, vaccines save lives. And, you know, even in the
COVID-19 pandemic, which is just very recent, four or five years ago, we know that vaccines have saved more than 14 million lives with just COVID-19. And we're not talking about other vaccines.
So we're able to develop these life-saving vaccines because of research. And to hinder that and to take funding away from that, particularly billions of dollars, is very disheartening, quite frankly, for the science, the medical community and everyone. Everyone should really feel outraged by the lack of funding here.
CHURCH: That actually takes us to my next question. What about President Trump's pick for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert Kennedy, Jr.? What impact could he potentially have on the American population, given his vaccine skepticism, and of course, other plans that he has for his own department?
AWAN: Well, I think it could have devastating consequences, no doubt. I mean, he is a known vaccine skeptic, as you've just stated, Rosemary. And, you know, that type of rhetoric results in vaccine hesitancy and people getting afraid to get vaccinated.
But we know that vaccines save lives. And when that happens, then vaccine rates fall, herd immunity gets threatened, and then diseases that were thought to be eradicated come back, just like what's happening with measles. And even now, recently in Texas, we just heard about 10 or 15 people getting measles.
And these are all entirely preventable if we get vaccinated. And this type of rhetoric, I'm afraid, will spread and we'll start to see more and more preventable diseases that come and start to get people sick. So, I think this could have very negative consequences for public health moving forward.
CHURCH: And doctor, what about the likely future of Medicaid? What does President Trump plan to do to it, and what are the likely consequences of his plans?
AWAN: Well, he has said that he is for Medicaid. But what the problem is, is that he also has this domestic agenda where he wants to make a lot of cuts and save money. So, congressional Republicans are now considering different avenues to make Medicaid cuts, like, for example, adding a work requirement for Medicaid.
And that can get millions of people out of Medicaid and coverage, things like dental coverage or vision coverage. And that will be a problem, because the people that benefit from Medicaid are those that can't even afford insurance to begin with.
So, we're talking about poor people, we're talking about low-income individuals, people with disabilities. They may not get the coverage that they need and that they deserve to stay healthy.
And this is a real problem when you're considering billions and trillions of dollars of cuts with Medicaid. And this is going to affect the most vulnerable populations here in America. And we really need everyone to be healthy in America in order for us to be prosperous going forward.
CHURCH: Dr. Omar Alwan, thank you so much for joining us. I appreciate it.
AWAN: My pleasure. Thanks, Rosemary.
CHURCH: It's looking likely that President Donald Trump's controversial pick for Director of National Intelligence could be confirmed. The Senate is set to vote on Tulsi Gabbard's nomination to the post no later than early Wednesday morning.
She also has the support of Senator Lisa Murkowski, seen as a key swing vote. Former Democratic Congresswoman Gabbard joined the Republican Party last year. She raised eyebrows during her confirmation hearings by refusing to condemn the actions of NSA leaker Edward Snowden.
Still to come, CNN travels to Greenland, where people are speaking out over Donald Trump's plan to buy the territory, and some are now pushing for their independence from Denmark. We'll have that after the break.
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[03:45:00]
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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.
It's an idea that many believed was far-fetched. But now President Donald Trump's goal of acquiring Greenland will be the focus of a U.S. Senate committee hearing on Wednesday.
Officially, the purpose is to quote, "examine the strategic significance of Greenland to the American economy and national security." This despite Greenland making it abundantly clear it's not for sale.
Our Donie O'Sullivan traveled there to gauge the local reactions to Donald Trump's plans.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
QUPANUK OLSON, GREENLAND ELECTORAL CANDIDATE: I really want this statue gone.
DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN SR. CORRESPONDENT: Why?
OLSON: Because why should he be up there? Why isn't it a Greenlander up there?
Trump wants to buy my country, Greenland.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): This is Qupanuk Olson.
OLSON: Today, Mikko and I are having whale skin.
[03:50:03]
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): She's known as Greenland's biggest influencer, and she's running in the island's upcoming elections. She's a native Greenlander, and for her, this statue of an 18th century missionary is a daily reminder of Denmark's control of her country.
O'SULLIVAN: So you would like to be independent of Denmark?
OLSON: Yes.
O'SULLIVAN: But that doesn't mean you want to be part of the USA?
OLSON: No, I don't. I don't want to become a part of the USA. I definitely don't.
O'SULLIVAN: You don't want to be an American?
OLSON: No.
O'SULLIVAN: Why not?
OLSON: Why should I? Why should we just be taken by another colonizer?
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Native Greenlanders or Inuits make up almost 90 percent of Greenland's population.
O'SULLIVAN: Is all this interest in Greenland because of Trump, is it a good thing or is it a bad thing?
OLSON: In my opinion, it's a good thing because it's speeding up our independence process, so I see it as a good thing.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): When the Nazis took over Denmark during World War II, the United States stepped in to protect Greenland.
O'SULLIVAN: The U.S. military has had a presence here on Greenland for decades, but in the capital, one of the very few signs of the United States is this, the U.S. consulate, which was reopened by President Trump in his first term in 2020.
TOM DANS, FORMER U.S. ARCTIC COMMISSIONER: Americans died for this country. In my own family, my grandfather watched his shipmates die.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Another sign of the U.S. here is Tom Dans, who was appointed to the U.S. Arctic Research Commission during Trump's first presidency.
O'SULLIVAN: When Trump first brought up Greenland, people treated it like it was a joke. People thought, that's crazy. But you're saying it's crazy?
DANS: It's not crazy at all. Greenland, due to its geographic position, is kind of the front door for North America. O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): The U.S. is jostling with Russia and others
for Arctic dominance. Military bases here are prime real estate for satellite and missile detection systems.
O'SULLIVAN: So this is Danish Navy?
OLSON: This is the Danish Navy, yes.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Greenland currently relies on Denmark for security and financial support.
O'SULLIVAN: You think Greenland can survive without this?
OLSON: We will definitely need an agreement with another country, either with, or still continue the agreement with Denmark, with military, or go with U.S. or Canada.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Climate change is opening up new shipping routes in the Arctic that the U.S. want to control.
O'SULLIVAN: The Greenlanders, you've spoken to, excited about a closer relationship with the U.S.?
DANS: Absolutely. You know, I'm talking with businessmen, investors, entrepreneurs. Tremendous things are happening.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): And another appeal of Greenland for Trump is its many natural resources.
DANS: Fishing, tourism, mining, security investments, logistics. The hard thing is deciding where to start first.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Tom Dans does not have a role in the current administration, but he did campaign for Trump in the last election, along with Greenlander Jorgen Boassen.
JORGEN BOASSEN, GREENLANDIC TRUMP SUPPORTER: He's been known as Trump's son here.
O'SULLIVAN: I mean, maybe you could be.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Jorgen has made multiple trips to the U.S. in recent months, even campaigning for Trump in Pennsylvania.
O'SULLIVAN: Do you want Greenland to be part of the United States?
BOASSEN: Not of 51 states, but best and closest ally with everything, with defense, mining, oil exploration and trade and everything.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): In January, another sign of the United States here. Donald Trump Jr. arriving on the plane dubbed Trump Force One. It's all a sign here for some that there's a lot more to come.
OLSON: The feeling when I saw the plane was kind of excitement, but also like, should I be nervous now? And like the realization of Trump's words are no longer just words. Now they have become the reality.
O'SULLIVAN: And Greenlanders will go to the polls here next month in an election where Donald Trump and the United States is expected to loom large. So much so that just last week, the parliament here fast tracked new legislation, a law banning foreign political donations here that is very much seen as something that is in response to the renewed and intense interest from the United States.
Back to you.
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CHURCH: And we'll be right back.
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[03:55:00]
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CHURCH: Ed Sheeran fans in India got a brief treat over the weekend.
(VIDEO PLAYING)
The four-time Grammy winner surprised fans by busking on a busy street in Bangalore, but the performance was cut short by a policeman yanking out his guitar and microphone cable mid-song.
The city says Sheeran did not have permission to perform on the street, but Sheeran insists he was given the all clear. Sheeran is on tour in India and will hold two more shows in the country this week.
I want to thank you so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day. "CNN Newsroom" continues next with Max Foster in London.
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