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The Lead with Jake Tapper

Tensions In Minneapolis Escalate Outside Federal Building Protest; Source Says, DOJ Investigating Minnesota Governor, Minneapolis Mayor; California Opens Probe Into XAI Over Sexualized A.I. Imagery; Trump: "I Greatly Respect" That Iran Canceled 800 Executions. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired January 16, 2026 - 18:00   ET

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

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Welcome to The Lead. I'm Jake Tapper.

This hour, a renewed threat from President Trump today as tensions continue to escalate at the protest side in Minneapolis. And now the Trump administration is facing a new lawsuit. It claims that immigration agents are violently arresting U.S. citizens in Minnesota based on their appearance. The White House calls the allegations disgusting and false. I'm going to talk to one of the lawyers behind the lawsuit in just a moment.

Also, California launching a new investigation into Elon Musk's Grok after controversy erupted this week over what's called digital undressing. Users could upload a photo of a real person Grok's A.I. tool would generate a version of that person wearing much less clothing. And, sadly, it was being used also on images of children. Elon Musk claims he's putting guardrails in place. Is he? How much will that help?

And a new college football champion will be crowned just a few days, and one high school is gearing up to watch seven of their alumni take the field. So, are they picking sides or headed down to Miami ahead of Monday's big game?

The Lead tonight, tensions continue to escalate between federal law enforcement personnel and protesters in Minneapolis today. CNN Crews saw agents for agents forcibly taking down a costumed protester who was dancing in the street. Last night, tear gas and percussion grenades were deployed at protesters outside the Whipple Federal Building. These protests, of course all stemming from last week when a federal agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good. That area now a flashpoint for broader protests against President Trump's sweeping immigration crackdown.

Yesterday, President Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, which will allow him to deploy the U.S. military to Minneapolis, against the wishes of the governor. But today the president suggested that he won't necessarily go that route, at least not for now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: It has been used a lot and if I needed it, I'd use it. I don't think there's any reason right now to use it, but if I needed it, I'd use it. It's very powerful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: CNN's Shimon Prokupecz is on the ground in Minneapolis for us. Shimon?

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, very cold Minneapolis. And I think the weather is part of the story here tonight. We're certainly not seeing the crowds that we saw last night. Jake, we're at another side of the Whipple building, the federal building. I just kind of want to show you what's happening here. As federal agents are leaving, this is what we've been seeing over the last several as they try to leave here. This is where the confrontation start, some of the protesters will walk in front of the vehicles as the agents are leaving.

And we saw that last night, when there were a lot more people here. Some of the protesters were walking in front of the vehicles. But not only that, they were also attacking the federal law enforcement vehicles that were coming out, and that's why we saw that escalation.

Certainly, as things stand right now, there's any talk of bringing in military here would be ridiculous because not much is happening. And, certainly, I think the weather will help keep things calm here. There's probably on the other side there are more people there. But so far, since we've been here tonight, it's been very peaceful and just small pockets of confrontation as vehicles are trying to leave.

But I do also want to point out quickly that people in the community around Minneapolis, it's really striking to see how sad people are and just how afraid they are. And, really, they are just hoping that whatever is going on right now comes to an end and they could go back to living their lives. And I think that's such an important part of this story for the folks here. There's just a lot of fear right now, Jake.

TAPPER: Shimon, are the protests that you're seeing, are they widespread across the city or are they confined pretty much to the area where you are outside the federal building?

PROKUPECZ: No. It's all right here. It's this one small area. It reminds me, Jake, you'll remember when I was in Portland, the attention, all of that, you know, when the president was claiming that it was a war zone, it was all centered around one small street outside of that federal building. And it's the same thing we're seeing here right now. These protests are not extending outside of this one particular area, Jake.

TAPPER: All right. Shimon Prokupecz in Minneapolis, stay safe and stay warm.

Joining us now, Catherine Ahlin-Halverson, staff attorney at the ACLU of Minnesota, which filed that lawsuit I told you about against the federal government, saying that federal agents have been violently stopping and detaining U.S. citizens based on their appearance. Catherine, how many of these cases are cited in your lawsuit and tell us about one of them? For example, you say one man was shoveling snow with his mom when masked federal agents pulled up in unmarked vehicles.

CATHERINE AHLIN-HALVERSON, STAFF ATTORNEY, ACLU OF MINNESOTA: That's right, Jake. We have brought a lawsuit on behalf of three named plaintiffs and an entire class of Minnesotans who are being terrorized by federal immigration agents in Minnesota.

[18:05:06]

Our client, Mr. Adruss (ph), who was finishing an overnight shift working as a home healthcare aide, was shoveling snow to get his car out when masked ICE agents stopped him and his mother. They accused them of not having valid I.D. when they showed them their valid U.S. citizenship I.D. and detained them for a lengthy period and criticized them for speaking Somali to one another in the conversation.

And this is happening all over the cities. We have put in many statements from individuals who have been stopped, arrested, brought to the Whipple Building who have -- are U.S. citizens and have other immigration statuses that make this a totally inappropriate violation of their rights. And as you said, Jake, many are using significant force against these individuals.

TAPPER: So, a DHS spokesperson said in an email to CNN that the allegations in your lawsuit are, quote, disgusting, reckless, and categorically false. What makes someone a target for immigration enforcement is if they are illegally in the United States, not the skin color, race, or ethnicity. DHS law enforcement uses reasonable suspicion to make arrests, unquote. What's your response to that?

AHLIN-HALVERSON: Well, first of all, reasonable suspicion is not the law, Jake. The law says that to make arrest and arrest without a warrant, an agent has to have probable cause, and that's a high bar that they have to show, and they're not meeting it here by the president's and Secretary Noem's own admission. But beyond that, it's clear that's not happening because people are offering their I.D.s and there is no basis for stopping them.

They're -- individuals are being stopped for buying groceries, you know, shoveling snow, driving down the road going to work. And then they're not allowed to show their I.D. They're detained physically. They're putting cars and driven around the city while the officers do facial recognition checks on them. And then they are dropped often in a different location from where they were picked up. Sometimes they're brought to the detention building itself for hours before they're released.

TAPPER: You have asked the U.S. District Court of Minnesota for an emergency order to stop ICE and other federal agents from continuing to violate Minnesotan's Fourth Amendment rights, which protects Americans against unreasonable search and seizures. If you succeed, how might that change the way ICE is operating in Minnesota? AHLIN-HALVERSON: Well, we filed a motion for a preliminary injunction and a motion to certify a class this afternoon asking for that emergency relief, and we are asking the court to issue an order that requires these federal agents to not only honor the rights that are set forth in our Constitution and in our law in their conduct, but also to document what they're doing. And that is something that we can ask for, the court can order and then we can find out what's happening so that we can enforce that order and ensure that federal agents respect the constitutional rights of everyone in Minnesota.

TAPPER: Catherine Ahlin-Halverson, thanks so much.

And while Minneapolis is currently in the spotlight, other reports of ICE arrest across the country continue to gain attention. A new ProPublica reports examined some disturbing incidents saying, quote, we found more than 40 cases of immigration agents using banned chokeholds and other moves that can cut off breathing. ProPublica also has a piece this week titled, quote, we found that more than 170 U.S. citizens have been held by immigration agents. They've been kicked, dragged and detained for days.

Let's discuss with ProPublica Investigative Reporter Nicole Foy, who wrote both of these important stories. Nicole, thanks for joining us.

So, back in November, CNN's, Victor Blackwell spoke to the subject of one of the cases you profiled, a gentleman named Arnoldo Bazan. I want to show a small portion of Victor's interview with him along with the video of the arrest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[18:10:00]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: When they pulled your dad over, Arnoldo, was it clear that these were ICE agents?

ARNOLDO BAZAN: No, sir. The cars were unmarked and it didn't say nothing about anything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: So, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told us that ICE did not assault Arnoldo and his father. She said that when ICE attempted to pull over the father, he, quote, recklessly rammed his car into a federal law enforcement vehicle and fled, unquote. What have you learned since about Arnoldo as it relates to the physical impacts of that arrest?

NICOLE FOY, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER, PROPUBLICA: Well, we've learned that this is still something that obviously a 16-year-old boy who's a U.S. citizen and has no reason to expect to be arrested by immigration agents is still really struggling with. Not only has his father been deported, but he's an athlete and he had a number of physical and mental struggles to overcome, and it's still something that is really difficult for him to recount today because the effects of a chokehold, they're dangerous and they're really difficult for someone to go through, especially when you're a 16-year-old kid.

TAPPER: DHS told us that in the face of violent behavior and death threats, quote, our officers have behaved with the utmost professionalism and followed their training to use the least amount of force necessary, end quote. Your reporting, however, says, quote, we reviewed footage with a panel of eight former police officers and law enforcement experts, they were appalled. This is what bad policing looks like, they said, and it puts everyone at risk. Did the officers you spoke with indicate how they might have handled things if it had been one of their officers?

FOY: All of the officers we spoke with when we showed them these videos, particularly many pointed out this case of what happened to the Bazans, and one former official who had decades of experience in Border Patrol and in ICE said that they've arrested human traffickers, drug traffickers, people with really serious criminal backgrounds and they never found cause that they could remember to use a chokehold in this way.

They've -- all the officers that we spoke to, including many former law enforcement, said that this is the kind of thing that for -- normally for a police officer would get you disciplined, possibly fired. And, certainly, this was something that federal trainers for immigration agents said they were never taught. This was not so something you were supposed to do. And it is explicitly banned in DHS policy unless there is a threat of a deadly force, of a serious, dangerous threat to life.

TAPPER: Let's turn to your other piece on ICE detaining more than 170 U.S. citizens. Your reporting says, more than 20 of those citizens reported being held for more than a day without even being able to make a phone call to their loved ones or an attorney. In some cases, their families didn't even know where they were.

FOY: Yes. This is something too that I think we're still -- we're already seeing reports come out of Minnesota and Minneapolis, as there's been a surge there, and this has continued across the country. Many U.S. citizens have reported being arrested and sometimes very violently, forcefully, and suffering, serious injuries, and then they simply disappeared off the map. Their families have struggled to find out where they are. They're then often released two or three days later without any charges despite being held for this period of time, without access to a lawyer, without access to a phone call, and some have alleged even access to sufficient medical attention.

TAPPER: Nicole Foy, thank you so much for your important reporting. I appreciate it.

President Trump confirming that he did take that Nobel Peace Prize medal from the award's actual winner, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, when she offered it to him. Despite that gesture, he still says he's not supporting Machado to lead Venezuela. We'll hear why ahead.

Plus, Jimmy Kimmel offers to give Trump any of the awards he's won if the president goes through with one thing that Kimmel wants him to do. What is it? That's ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:15:00]

TAPPER: And we're back with our breaking news in our National Lead. A source tells CNN that the Justice Department is now investigating Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

Let's get straight to CNN Anchor and Chief White House Correspondent Kaitln Collins. Kaitlan, what exactly are they being investigated for?

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It's not totally clear yet, Jake. This is just breaking and we have confirmed that the Justice Department is investigating Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. A source familiar has told me that that confirms what was reported earlier by CBS.

And, essentially, Jake, as we're still trying to figure out what exactly the contours of this investigation are, we have a pretty good idea so far. And we heard from the deputy attorney general, Todd Blanche, earlier this week after we had heard these comments from Mayor Frey, from Governor Walz following the shooting of a woman by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.

Earlier this week, Todd Blanche was saying that ICE operates in a bunch of different counties without incidents going on. He referred to what's happening in Minnesota as an insurrection and said it's the direct result of a failed governor, and in all caps, terrible mayor who he accused of encouraging violence against law enforcement, something that Todd Blanche called disgusting. And he said, I'm focused on stopping you from your terrorism by whatever means necessary.

So, Jake, I think that gives us a pretty good sense of what exactly it is that the Justice Department is at least trying to base this investigation off of. Where it goes, it's not really clear right now, but this does come as the FBI director and the deputy attorney general were seen in Minneapolis today as they've been surging law enforcement to the area, as those tensions have only continued since the shooting of Renee Good.

But it does show you, Jake, who the Justice Department is focusing their targets on when it comes to the aftermath of the shooting of Renee Good here. And right now, it is the Minnesota governor, Tim Walz, and the mayor here, both of whom have been criticized by multiple White House officials for their comments, including Mayor Frey, telling ICE to get the F out of Minneapolis the day that she was killed, and Governor Walz as well making multiple public comments talking about the massive federal presence in their state.

[18:20:17]

And so now it's an investigation by the Justice Department. It's not clear yet, Jake, that either of them have actually been served subpoenas as a result of this and where this is going to go. It seems to be in the very early stages of whatever investigation this is, but that is what we have learned so far, Jake.

TAPPER: Just to underline this, there is this horrifying incident in Minneapolis where an ICE officer kills a woman. At the very least, it's an ambiguous situation as to whether or not it was a justified shooting. I'm not saying that it wasn't, but I am saying that I can't think of any other instance where there wouldn't at least be a basic investigation on something like this.

The Justice Department immediately almost says, we're not going to investigate this, but now they are investigating the mayor and the governor where this took place?

COLLINS: And it was the same person, Todd Blanche, the Deputy attorney general, who confirmed, Jake, that there would not be an investigation into the actions of the ICE agent here. They said that there was no basis for a civil rights investigation. That's the only investigation that would be prompted as a result of this. And so that was our clearest indication we got yet earlier this week that that was not happening. And now we're learning here tonight that they are investigating apparently comments made by the governor and by the mayor.

Whether or not that leads to anything, obviously, Jake, we don't have any idea yet. And I should note, we just learned about this a few moments ago. I reached out to Mayor Frey's office to see if they have any comment. We haven't yet actually heard from them their thoughts on this either. But, obviously, Jake, to your point, this is what the Justice Department is focusing their investigative efforts on as this has continued to go on, and they've been very critical and said that the comments by the mayor, by the governor, they believe, are impeding law enforcement and the actions that have been playing out in Minneapolis ever since.

TAPPER: Kaitlan Collins, thanks so much.

Don't miss Kaitlan Collins on her show, The Source with Kaitlan Collins. Her guest tonight include Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. That's tonight at 9:00 Eastern, only on CNN.

California just sent one of Elon Musk's companies a cease and desist letter after its chat bot was, quote, digitally undressing actual people. California's attorney general will join us next to explain exactly what he's demanding and what comes next in his fight against Musk.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:25:00]

TAPPER: Back with our breaking news, a source telling CNN that the Justice Department is now investigating Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.

Joining us now is California's attorney general, Rob Bonta, General Bonta, we have you on to talk about a different story, but I do want to get your reaction to this news, first. What do you make of this?

ROB BONTA (D), CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL: It appears that the Trump administration is doubling down on their political weaponization in. Minnesota and in Minneapolis. They've doubled down time and time again, threatened the Insurrection Act. Of course, one of their officials is responsible for the death of an American citizen. And they keep leaning in, and doing more and increasing the attack and turning the screws. But the problem is they do it without basis, without facts, without evidence, without any receipts. So, they go on the attack all the time, but they do it without any basis very often.

So, we'll see what happens here. Of course, I'm always open to evidence, interested in argument. But this administration has earned no trust. They've politicized the U.S. DOJ, they've gone after their enemies list, and this could be another example of that.

TAPPER: Let's go back to why we booked you. Former first buddy Elon Musk is facing mounting scrutiny along with a new investigation into his artificial intelligence chat bot that's on X or Twitter. It's called Grok. And the controversy centers is around what's known as digital undressing. Grok has been allowing users to upload photographs of real people, including children, and then take off their clothes, not naked, but sexualized, putting them in bikinis, lingerie, in some cases, using A.I. to post fully nude images.

You just sent the company a cease and desist letter. What are you asking for? What what are you demanding?

BONTA: Yes. We launched an investigation two days ago and sent a cease and desist letter earlier today demanding that XAI and the non- consensual sexualization of children and women on their platform using their chat bot, Grok. And it needs to end immediately. We've asked that all laws be complied with, including child pornography laws and child sexual abuse material laws and California's laws, and that they tell us by the end of the day on Tuesday exactly what they've done to comply with those laws.

So, this is urgent. We're moving at speed and we're demanding action from Elon Musk and XAI

TAPPER: Have you heard back from Musk or anyone at the company?

BONTA: Not directly to us at this point. We do know that they've got some attorneys to start working with us. So, we hope we'll get to a good place immediately. I have seen Elon Musk's public posts, which don't seem to be consistent with actual facts, but we're interested in what the facts are. We're going to get to the bottom of this. If any laws are broken, we're going to hold Elon Musk and XAI accountable.

TAPPER: Earlier this month, Musk posted on X that anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content.

[18:30:06]

Is that true? Are they abiding by that? Do you have confidence that he can actually address this issue or that he will address this issue?

BONTA: You know, it seems like a deflection. He's pointing the finger at users when other A.I. companies are able to put guardrails in place so that you cannot create such material because it's illegal. And so this is an intentional choice. It's a decision. It's by design that Grok can create these sexualized, non-consensual images of children and women. And he needs to use his ability to stop it immediately.

TAPPER: California Attorney General Rob Bonta, thank you so much. I appreciate it.

Much more on our breaking news just ahead, the Justice Department launching an investigation, we're told, into top Democrats in Minnesota, Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. For what? We don't know.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: Back with the Breaking News in our Politics Lead, a source telling CNN that the Justice Department is investigating Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, both Democrats, allegedly for obstructing law enforcement.

[18:35:04]

Moments ago, I received a statement from Governor Walz. It says, quote, two days ago, it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell, before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous authoritarian tactic. The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her, unquote. And a source in Governor Walz's office also tells me that they have not been notified of anything.

My panel is here. Arshi, your reaction?

ARSHI SIDDIQUI, FOUNDER, BELLWETHER GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS: I think it's troubling, but it is a pattern, that we have seen. And in some ways, it feels like it's a -- you know, I mean, Governor Walz and the mayor have really been upset about not being kind of read into this investigation. So it's almost like a strong offense is a good defense. And so, clearly, we see the Trump administration going after these folks because they really want a seat at the table on something that's -- they are at the frontlines of, in terms of the shooting.

TAPPER: Your reaction, T.W.?

T.W. ARRIGHI, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Yes. I'm not a lawyer, so it's hard for me to say the validity and how much legs this case has. But I've been very troubled by, the attitude that both Governor Walz and the mayor of Minneapolis have had toward ICE, get the F out of our city, encouraging them to videotape them peacefully.

The problem with encouraging people to at all impede or be even on the near sidelines of any law enforcement operation is that bad things can happen in these high tense situations. And what I'm most disappointed at is when you read the rap sheet, the people picked up from ICE in Minnesota, you had multiple, instances of convicted rape of minors, multiple homicides, deportation orders dating back to 1996. That's older than my 28-year-old sister have birthday tests. So, those are really what's troubling me the most and what I think troubles people across the country.

I want ICE to behave responsibly. With great power comes great responsibility. And they need to tighten some things up. But encouraging people to interfere with law enforcement is bad.

SIDDIQUI: But there has not been one, you know, talk or thought about, okay, maybe some changes that need to happen in terms of training, in terms of the masking, in terms of all of these pieces. And I think that's the challenge. I think there's no way this works with ICE unless there's a strong partnership at the local level, and that partnership doesn't exist.

So, until that happens, I think you're -- and I agree with you in terms of respecting what ICE is trying to do, it's a really difficult job, but you're putting folks on the ground training, somebody kills somebody point blank and then calls them an F-ing B. I mean, that's -- clearly, there is a problem. I'm not trying to get ahead of the investigation, but that aspect of it is clearly a problem that needs to be addressed.

ARRIGHI: Yes. No, I'm all for making sure that, that the situations are in place that our law enforcement and ICE are behaving responsibly. But what you saw with Ms. Good is she was there trailing and, you know, videotaping these law enforcement operations there. We can go back and forth about who's -- I don't really care. It's a tragedy all the way around. But I think the fact that she was there and thought it her duty to be there and sort of put her body between law enforcement and their activities, I think, is dangerous in and of itself.

TAPPER: So, you have a legal background, right? Are you an attorney?

SIDDIQUI: I am.

TAPPER: You're an attorney?

SIDDIQUI: Not a non-practicing attorney.

TAPPER: But you have a legal background. So, let me just game this out because I'm not a lawyer either. So, if the idea is that they are impeding, that if the charges -- and, again, we haven't -- not only have we not seen any subpoenas, Governor Walz's office hasn't either, according to a source there, but if they are accusing Walz and Frey of impeding law enforcement's ability to do their job, what would Frey and Walz have had to do for that to be a legitimate charge?

It is true that Walz and Frey have encouraged protest, which is, you know, protected by the First Amendment, protected by the U.S. Constitution. Where is the line between saying you have every right to go protest, you have every right to videotape ICE officers, et cetera, and illegality?

SIDDIQUI: I mean, Jake, just taking a step back, though, I think, if anything, there has been this sense that they're not giving them any information at all, so in terms of the state and local. So, I think I'm not sure if you've seen Walz and the mayor take the tone down.

Literally, the mayor made an impassioned plea on T.V. saying folks who are protesting, they're making things more difficult and more challenging on the ground. So, I think, if anything, they've tried to take the temperature down and we've seen this administration take the temperature up at every level.

So, the issue has been at hand is more -- has been there's no state and local involvement in this investigation right now. So, I'm not sure where the -- how they can be impeding anything.

[18:40:00]

ARRIGHI: I would contest Tom Homan's made a number of impassioned pleas to let them have access to their jails and let them have access to the immigration records. These people with deportation orders dating back quite literally to 1996 had no business being in this country after they received their deportation orders for these most heinous crimes, they should have been released. Had they been given that information by the authorities in Minneapolis and Minnesota, we might not be in this full situation we are in now.

And, look, you know, this has led to that officer who'd been -- got 30 stitches on his leg in a previous ICE mission, who -- there's claims he might have had internal bleeding. These have real world implications on both sides of this fence. And I wish that the people -- the local officials and states across this country would play ball with federal law enforcement to make sure we don't have these people on our streets who are dangerous and here illegally.

SIDDIQUI: But there are examples of ICE working well with state and local officials. And going back to your point, Jake, in terms of what would be impeding the investigation, I mean, we don't see any evidence of the Trump administration asking for certain things. So, I don't -- it's hard to see where that line is. We haven't seen that. Where we have clearly seen the mayor and Walz say, listen, we should be a part of this investigation because ICE can only truly function if there's trust, transparency, and also a strong partnership at the local level.

ARRIGHI: I agree with that.

TAPPER: Do you have any concerns, just to read the -- go back to the comments of Governor Walz, he talked about the investigations into the Fed chair, Jerome Powell, into Mark Kelly. I mean, I could go on and on, but we only have 19 minutes left on the show. Do you have any concerns that the Trump administration is using the Justice Department for retribution?

ARRIGHI: I have concerns that a lot of administrations in the past have used it for retribution. I think each one of these cases is remarkably different. I see, that the Kelly case different from the Powell case different from this case. And I'll just take each one as they come. I'll wait and see what this looks like when we get more information from this -- from that reporting. And I look forward to making a judgment call when I see it.

TAPPER: What about you?

SIDDIQUI: I would just push back a little bit in the sense that I know coming up there have always been concerns from the White House about even contacting DOJ on these types of pieces.

TAPPER: During -- you're talking about during the Biden or the Obama administration?

SIDDIQUI: Yes, exactly. I mean, from the beginning of my career for many years, there have always been concerned about keeping that line because of trust, transparency, and confidence in the process.

ARRIGHI: Well, I think Donald Trump would say that that confidence was shattered during the Russia gate investigation in the Obama years and all the subsequent investigations to Donald Trump that came later.

TAPPER: All right. Thanks to both of you. I really appreciate it.

Yesterday, she addressed the United Nations and directly called out the Iranian regime. In moments, Iranian activist Masih Alinejad will join us live to share what she's heard since delivering that powerful message at the U.N.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:46:38]

TAPPER: We're back with the world lead in President Trump's response today to CNN when asked if he's backing off any kind of U.S. military strike on Iran in response to the deadly protests in that country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: When you urged protesters in Iran earlier this week to keep fighting in the streets, you said that help was on the way. Is help still on the way -- or has your bar for any intervention changed?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As you know, Iran canceled the hanging of over 800 people. They were going to hang over 800 people yesterday, and I greatly respect the fact that they canceled that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: On Tuesday, President Trump wrote on Truth Social, Iranian patriots keep protesting, take over your institutions, save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price in all caps, he added. Help is on the way. But the next day, Wednesday of this week, President Trump claimed that he'd been told in good authority, he said, that the killing in Iran had stopped and that there were no plans for executions.

Let's bring in Masih Alinejad. She's an Iranian journalist and activist, and bravely confronted Iran's U.N. representative yesterday about would-be assassins who tried to permanently silence her.

Masih, I'll get to the U.N. appearance in a second. But first, on these anti-government protests in Iran, there are reports of some 2,800 people having been killed, maybe even more. President Trump says he respects that Iran called off some 800 executions yesterday. I guess -- is he being told everything that's going on because at least two separate human rights organizations say Iran carried out more executions last year than it had in decades, and that the killing is continuing in Iran.

So, what's your reaction to all this?

MASIH ALINEJAD, IRANIAN JOURNALIST AND ACTIVIST: Massacre unfolded in Iran. More than 20,000 people, up to 20,000 people have been killed. We don't know the real number right now. People inside Iran are telling me that it's like a war situation. The military rules, like they see the cars every corner, military cars, every corner of the streets.

They stormed into people's houses and shooting people. They stormed into hospitals and finishing the injured, the wounded. So, this is the situation.

The Islamic republic doesn't understand the language of diplomacy. I strongly believe that this is a good news, that if they stopped because of the pressure of President Trump, they stopped hanging and executing 800 people.

But let's be very, very clear. The Islamic republic uses diplomacy to buy time. We know that very well that during Obama's administration, they used the same tactic buying time and cheating to rebuild the nuclear weapons. That's the same.

They always use diplomacy to cover their -- you know, to tell the rest of the world that, you know, we're going to reform. But this regime cannot be reformed. They are treated their own people like ISIS. What is different between Islamic republic and ISIS, Jake?

The Islamic republic hang people. Last year, more than 2,000 people were executed by the same regime. So ISIS behead people. They actually hang people.

ISIS bring people on TV, forced them to do false confession and then kill them. This is the Islamic republic. It's in the DNA of the Islamic republic.

So I strongly believe that President Trump is a man of action, if he put pressure on the Islamic republic to stop executing them.

[18:50:02]

But at the same time, the Europe should join President Trump, because the only way that we can stop this regime to kill innocent people is actually treating them -- treat them like ISIS.

TAPPER: So, I want to play that dramatic moment when you confronted Iran's U.N. representative yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALINEJAD: You have tried to kill me three times. I have seen my would- be assassin with my own eyes in front of my garden, in my home in Brooklyn. My crime? Simply echoing the voice of innocent people that you killed them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TPPER: Had to take a lot of courage to say those words to him, to his face.

ALINEJAD: It was not easy for me to sit down and listen to the lies of this regime that we have been hearing for years and years. Jake, this was the same regime at the United Nations that they brought my sister on TV to disown me publicly. This was the same regime representative that they put my brother in prison to punish me. This is the same regime that they brought more than 50 people on TV to denounce me, to do false confession. This is the same regime that they sent killers here in New York to kill me, the same regime that now using the same AK-47 to kill innocent people in the streets.

To be honest, I am very pleased that the U.S. government invited me. They gave me an opportunity to face-to-face, telling them that they are the killers of innocent and unarmed people, but at the same time, I want to call Europe to take actions as well. Join the United State of America, be strong in the face of these killers. They are not the legitimate government. They are slaughtering people in Iran right now. And my heart is broken.

TAPPER: Masih Alinejad, thank you so much. Really appreciate it.

Only one team is going to be crowned college football champions on Monday night. But for Miami high school, it's a win regardless, with one school leader comparing their situation to Haley's Comet, something that will never happen again in their lifetimes. What am I talking about? Well, I will explain next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:56:27]

TAPPER: In our sports lead, millions of Americans will be tuning in Monday night to watch college football's next champion be crowned between the Indiana University Hoosiers and the University of Miami Hurricanes. Perhaps none of us will be watching any closer than the students and staff at Columbus high school in Miami.

CNN's Brynn Gingras traveled to Miami to find out why.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Go 25 miles south of Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, where college football's biggest showdown is set for Monday night, and you'll land here, Columbus High School, a school that's, well, got some skin in the game.

DAVE DUNN, HEAD FOOTBALL COACH, CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS HS: We have seven people with Columbus or Columbus alums that are all tied to this game.

Welcome back.

GINGRAS: Thank you.

GINGRAS (voice-over): That's Columbus's football coach Dave Dunn. We first met last year when we came to chat about Fernando Mendoza, Indiana's breakout quarterback, a Heisman winner who played for Dunn.

GINGRAS: Last time I saw you -- wait, Fernando hadn't won the Heisman. I.U. hadn't yet won the Big Ten. They certainly weren't playing for a national championship.

DUNN: Yes.

GINGRAS: What a rise.

DUNN: Yes.

GINGRAS: What do you think?

DUNN: It's been an unbelievable month.

GINGRAS (voice-over): A fairy tale season that will be capped off when Fernando and his brother Alberto, his backup quarterback at I.U., return home to take on Miami. They'll face friends, three high school teammates play for the hurricanes.

Miami's head coach Mario Cristobal, and assistant coach Elex Mirabal round out all Columbus High alumni who will be on the field.

DUNN: And I coach with coach Mirabal here. He was an offensive line coach here at Columbus, and Coach Cristobal's nephew was on our staff. And his two sons are on our team. All five players played for me here.

GINGRAS: What does it just feel as a coach?

DUNN: It's like a proud father moment. Almost. How many times do I get a chance to see seven of our people compete for a national championship in our backyard?

GINGRAS; Are you getting text messages from friends saying, hey, coach, you should brush your shoulders off? This is pretty cool that you got this many players playing in a national championship game.

DUNN: A few of those, but probably more ticket requests. I've got more of those than I have accolades, but it goes with the territory.

JOHN LYNSKEY, AMBASSADOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS, CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS HS: Let's go way back. Yeah, this is 1986 and 1987 school year.

GINGRAS (voice-over): The connections to this school run even deeper. The Mendoza brothers' dad also played football at Columbus alongside Mario Cristobal.

LYNSKEY: Fernando was an offensive lineman. And there's Mario Cristobal leading the team onto the field.

MARIO CRISTOBAL, UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI HEAD COACH: It's always special when you get to play against, with or against guys that you know or knew growing up.

LYNSKEY: This is Haley's Comet. This will never happen again. A Heisman trophy winner from Columbus high school playing his hometown university, which he was a fan of, coached by two guys who played with his father in high school. And the game is in Miami. Figure that.

GINGRAS: What makes this school so special?

LYNSKEY: It becomes part of your DNA. And I think that is passed on from generation to generation.

GINGRAS: So do you cheer for the person that thanks you in their Heisman speech, or do you cheer for the side where you\re friends with the coaches and you coach some of those players?

DUNN: It's like trying to pick your favorite kid. It's not an easy question to answer. So I'm just -- I'm there to root both -- everybody, both teams on.

GINGRAS: Do you have a shirt that's like split in half?

DUNN: No, I don't yet. Someone asked me what color you're wearing. Red or green? I go, I'm wearing blue.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GINGRAS: Jake, come on. Day, night. This entire football field is going to be transformed into a giant watch party. And whether it be Mendoza and IU or University of Miami, that comes out on top. This high school says it doesn't matter. Its a win-win situation for them. It's going to be a great game -- Jake.

TAPPER: Thanks to Brynn Gingras for that report.

Coming up Sunday on "STATE OF THE UNION", I'm going to talk to former Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic senator from Arizona, Ruben Gallego. That's Sunday at 9:00 a.m. and noon Eastern, only on CNN.

Until then, you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, X and on TikTok @jaketapper. And you can follow the show on X and Instagram @TheLeadCNN.

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"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts now. I will see you Sunday morning.