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Trump Heads to Alaska; Trump Comments Ahead of Summit; Kira Rudik is Interviewed about the Trump-Putin Summit; Lawsuit over D.C. Police Takeover; Oklahoma Issuing Anti-Woke Assessment. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired August 15, 2025 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

CLARE DUFFY, CNN BUSINESS WRITER: Platforms in order to comply with this law. And then there is sort of logistical questions, like, what happens if you leave the state of Mississippi, can you just sign up when you're out of state? Users could sign up for VPN's that hid the location of their internet traffic. And so I think questions about practically how this becomes implemented in a way that teens can't just get around it.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Which also raises the question that has been circulating broadly, especially in Washington, is the state by state approach or a nationwide approach.

DUFFY: Exactly. And it's going to be really interesting to watch this because there are lots of states that have either passed similar regulations or are looking at doing so. Again, in an effort to keep kids safer. But these practicality questions are going to be really interesting to watch.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely.

Clare, thank you so much.

A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts now.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Right now, President Trump is on his way to Alaska for that historic sit-down with Vladimir Putin, saying just moments ago he is not going to this meeting to negotiate in terms of a land swap for Ukraine, and also again promising the consequences for Russia will be severe if it does not end the war.

Breaking overnight, Attorney General Pam Bondi taking over Washington, D.C.'s police force, installing (ph) in an emergency police commissioner, saying that D.C. needs to end its sanctuary city policies. But does she actually have the authority to do any of that?

And a CNN exclusive. A conservative media company now playing a role in weeding out so-called woke teachers in Oklahoma, opening yet another new front in the culture wars when it comes to education.

I'm Erica Hill, with Kate Bolduan. John and Sara are out. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL. ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

BOLDUAN: The breaking news this morning, new comments from President Trump aboard Air Force One on his way to Alaska for his high-stakes summit with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. (INAUDIBLE) for the meeting as he seeks to bring an end to the more than three year long war on Ukraine. I want to play for you what he told reporters aboard Air Force One just a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine. I'm here to get them at a table. And I think you have two sides.

Look, Vladimir Putin wanted to take all of Ukraine. If I wasn't president, he would right now be taking all of Ukraine. But he's not going to do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: President Trump has expressed optimism and is doing so still about ultimately coming to an agreement to stop the fighting in Ukraine. But a U.S. official also tells CNN now that, quote, all options remain on the table, including the president walking out if he doesn't think Putin is serious about cutting a deal.

I'm going to show you the site of where the two leaders will be meeting. A U.S. military base in Anchorage, Alaska. The summit is to begin at 11:30 a.m. local time, 3:30 p.m. Eastern. And afterward, there are plans for now for the two leaders to both -- to hold a joint news conference together.

CNN's Kristen Holmes on the ground for us in Anchorage.

What we -- we hear -- hear these new comments from President Trump, which are very important as he's heading in. What kind of stage does it set, what we've heard from him?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it was interesting to hear what he talked about and how he chose to refer to the Russian president and what this trip was all about.

I do want to note, he was asked a question directly about the increase in violence or the continuation of violence in Ukraine at Russia's hands, even last night going into this summit. And he said that he believes that Putin thinks that this helps him at the negotiating table, that it doesn't actually help him, but that he believes that Putin is of the mind that this kind of violence will actually help him make a deal.

He also talked about territory swaps. He said that that was up to Ukraine to decide. And as you noted, saying that he wasn't there to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine, but instead was there to bring Putin to the table. The other interesting part that I heard him say was a lot of talk

about business with Russia, saying that he was open to potential business deals with Russia if they were, in fact, to get the war solved (INAUDIBLE) a lot of Russian businessmen on this trip with Vladimir Putin. And I will, of course, note that both his treasury -- Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, as well as his head of commerce, Secretary Howard Lutnick, are on the plane with Donald Trump as well.

One interesting point is that he said he wasn't doing this for his health. He was doing this to help save lives. That's why he wanted to have this negotiation.

Of course, as we have noted, a U.S. officials telling me that all options are still on the table, but that they are feeling cautiously optimistic. They have been feeling cautiously optimistic since yesterday. You're hearing Donald Trump getting a little bit more bullish by the moment here ahead of that meeting.

Unclear what actually happened behind closed doors. As we've noted, we will see them briefly, the two leaders, when they sit down for their bilateral meeting, and then we won't see them again until a potential joint press conference later this evening.

[09:05:08]

A lot of questions as to how exactly this is going to go, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. But the stage is set.

Kristen, (INAUDIBLE).

Erica.

HILL: While President Trump is making it clear what he expects to come from this summit, what does Vladimir Putin want? This morning, CNN has new reporting, the Russian leader's goals may have less to do with Ukraine and more to do with trying to reset relations with the United States.

CNN's Nic Robertson joining me now.

And, Nic, some of that, I would say, was even alluded to in those comments that we heard from President Trump as he was asked about him, talking about these business leaders who are making that journey, along with Vladimir Putin, to Alaska.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, and a diplomatic reset. One of the things on Russia's agenda is sort of normalizing diplomatic relations with the -- with the United States, being able to sort of run its embassies at full -- embassy at full tilt and -- and -- and -- and other, you know, government offices here in -- in the United States.

This is something, of course, that would be a distraction away from the central issue of Ukraine, which President Trump has said he really wants to hear whether or not Putin is going to be willing to sign up to a ceasefire. But Russia will come at this, as Vladimir Putin so often does, with a whole range of different issues. The Russians have talked about possibly getting back into the New Start Treaty to limit intercontinental ballistic missiles, which is due to expire next year, which, by the way, a couple of years ago they just decided to stop, you know, to stop meeting the terms of that agreement. So, they're sort of putting other things back on the table.

But the worry for European leaders is that Trump will be distracted by these other issues and not focus on Ukraine. And I think it's worth just sort of remembering what the Europeans are saying here. They had the coalition of the willing meeting just a couple of days ago. And the number one issue said that the only way forward was for Russia to have a ceasefire. And anything less than that, any prevarication by Putin that distracts President Trump from focusing on that is going to be a real concern.

And I think, you know, when you look at the sartorial choice, if you will, of the -- the Russian foreign secretary -- foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, the fact that he wore a sweatshirt that said the USSR, some diplomats would see that as a somewhat truculent move going into this. Of course, the USSR, the Soviet Union, that was Ukraine, run by Moscow. I mean, what kind of diplomatic messaging is that? Is that the mood in the Moscow camp? This is something President Trump will really have to decipher. And the Europeans will be watching really closely.

HILL: Yes, certainly. And certainly much being made of that sweater as well this morning, Nic. I'm glad you pointed it out. Thank you.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: And joining us right now is Kira Rudik. She's a member of the Ukrainian parliament.

Thank you for being here, especially on this important day.

Do you think that President Trump can bring an end to this war?

KIRA RUDIK, MEMBER OF UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT: Hi, Kate, and thank you so much for having me.

Well, we want to think that here on the ground because, for us, a lot in the stake. But also we do not quite believe that the diplomatic solution is possible here. And we have been saying this since the day one. Until you know what is the way to make sure that Putin will keep his part of the bargain, you cannot get to the table with him.

And what we see right now, it is still unclear what security guarantees can be presented to Ukraine. And instead, there is a hope that Putin somehow will want to end the war. However, there has not been a single fact, up till right now, that would confirm that he wants to end the war, that he's ready to end the war. He continues attacking our cities. There is still push on the frontline and the air raid siren in Kyiv went off just a couple of hours ago.

BOLDUAN: On the security guarantees, the president -- President Trump is on the flight over to Alaska right now. And he spoke with reporters and they asked about security guarantees for Ukraine as part of these negotiations.

Let me play for you what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: What about the possibility that -- the possibility of the United States providing security guarantees to Ukraine?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Maybe. Along with Europe and other countries. Not in the form of NATO, because that's not going to -- you know, there are certain things that aren't going to happen. But, yes, along with Europe there's a possibility of that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Along with Europe, there's a possibility of that, but not in the form of NATO, you assume means not in the form of NATO membership. What is your reaction to hearing the president say that today?

[09:10:02]

RUDIK: The truth is, right now Ukraine is providing security guarantees to Europe because we are basically standing in between Europe and Russia. And Russia didn't give up their ideas of restoring Soviet Union, as we have clearly seen today and heard from dictator Putin many times beforehand.

So, well, let's hope that President Trump just can't tell whatever is on his mind, and let's hope that it is still in works, because without the security guarantees, none of the talks will make -- will make any sense. And without the idea of how Europe and the United States can be standing against Russia for European security. Again, these -- all the ideas about peace, all the ideas about President Trump getting the Nobel Prize for it. They will be just talks and will not lead to any serious conclusions.

Also, we are right now in the situation when the United States is in a weaker position because President Trump promised to impose sanctions on Russia and he did not do it. This is something that you cannot absolutely do with the dictators, because they take it as a weakness and they will continue pushing, and they will think that they have an upper hand.

After today's discussion, no matter how it ends up, President Trump will have to make some actions. He will have to show that he makes business because Putin keeps humiliating him with the attack on July 4th, right after the call with American president, and with doing zero things that President Trump asked him. I want to remind you that Ukraine has done everything that President Trump asked of us. We have agreed to a ceasefire. We have voted and ratified the rare minerals deal in Ukrainian parliament. So, President Trump, right now, has no things to ask us of and all things to ask Russia of. And if he wouldn't get anything of Russian dictator, that will be a very bad sign for the United States in geopolitics, and a very bad sign for the democracies. BOLDUAN: With that, Ms. Rudik, what is your message or your ask of

President Trump, if you could, as he heads in to meet with Vladimir Putin today?

RUDIK: We believe that President Trump really wants to put an end to the war. We wish him luck today. And we hope that he will take all the information that was given to him seriously, that you cannot trust Putin.

But to make it a success, a success for everyone, for Ukraine and Ukrainian people, for Europe and for the United States, it cannot be a peace without Ukraine being involved in the decision maker. We are here. The same people who declined to give up in 2022. We will not accept something that is not of our interest. If it is coming from outside or if this is something that is a capitulation for Ukraine.

So, if we want all of us to make it a success, it needs to be a really strong, fair solution that will include Ukraine's interests.

BOLDUAN: Kira Rudik, member of the Ukrainian parliament, thank you very much today.

Erica.

HILL: The breaking news just into CNN, the D.C. attorney general is now suing the Trump administration in response to its attempted takeover of the city's police department. The very latest on that move.

Plus, the controversial new test for teachers. How one state is trying to weed out so-called woke educators.

And one Minnesota fisherman's find. How it helped to crack a nearly 60 year old missing person's case.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:18:18]

HILL: Just breaking this morning, Washington, D.C.'s attorney general is now suing the Trump administration, challenging its takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department. That legal action coming after Attorney General Pam Bondi tightened control over D.C., naming an emergency police commissioner, and also rescinding the city's sanctuary policies in a new directive. That move also cleared the way for D.C. police officers to help federal immigration authorities find and even detain people in the nation's capital. None of this sitting well with officials in the district.

CNN's Gabe Cohen joining us now.

So, Gabe, we had heard some pretty strong reaction initially overnight. Now the lawsuit. What do we know about it?

GABE COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, look, Erica, this lawsuit is the most forceful response that we have seen yet from local D.C. officials about the president's takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department. This, of course, as you said, coming after last night when Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed Terry Cole, the head of the DEA, as that emergency police commissioner to lead the Metropolitan Police Department. Effectively push out the current chief of police, Pamela Smith.

We heard an immediate response from local officials saying that is not legal at the time. And now this lawsuit takes it to another level. This was just filed, and I want to read this statement from the local attorney general for the District of Columbia, Brian Schwalb, who wrote, "by declaring a hostile takeover of MPD, the administration is abusing its limited, temporary authority under the Home Rule Act of 1973, infringing on the district's right to self-governance and putting the safety of D.C. residents and visitors at risk. The administration's unlawful actions are an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call D.C. home.

[09:20:02]

This is the gravest threat to home rule that the district has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it."

Essentially, the attorney general here locally, Brian Schwalb, is saying that the Trump administration is brazenly violating the Home Rule Act of 1973, which does say that the president can request police resources from the District of Columbia. But the argument in this lawsuit, and we're still sifting through it, Erica, this morning.

But essentially what they're saying is that Congress did not grant the president authority to actually displace the chief of police, to assert this operational control over the police department, or to rescind police policies here in the district. They can request assistance, but they cannot strip away D.C.'s autonomy. They are going to be asking for a temporary -- a temporary restraining order from a judge, Erica, to prevent the administration's takeover from going any further today. We will see what happens in the coming hours, if a judge does grant that.

HILL: Yes, absolutely. Really appreciate the update. Thank you.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Now to a CNN exclusive. Today. Oklahoma will be issuing a controversial assessment to aspire -- to begin make -- giving this controversial assessment to aspiring teachers. According to the state's top education official, it, quote, "keeps away woke indoctrinators. For now, teachers relocating from California or New York are getting the test. But that test requirement could soon expand to more states.

CNN's Sunlen Serfaty has this reporting. She's joining us right now.

Sunlen, what's going on here? Who created this?

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kate, this was created by something called PragerU, which, despite the name, is not a university. It's not an accredited educational facility. Instead, it is a right-wing media company. It was founded by Dennis Prager, a very -- popular in conservative circles. And it really is a very aligned with the MAGA movement. It's been embraced by the MAGA folks. And so it is notable that they are producing this content, this teacher evaluation, for Oklahoma. Now, their videos, which is what they really is their bread and butter on their website, they have long been accused of spreading misinformation through those videos, providing inaccurate representations of historical moments in history. And this is notable because the stated goal here of this teacher assessment, which again was created by PragerU, the stated goal is to weed out, in their words, woke liberal teachers.

Now, I had an interview this week with the state -- Oklahoma state superintendent, Ryan Walters. He's the one that called to produce this teacher assessment. Here's what he told me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RYAN WALTERS, OKLAHOMA SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION: We will not allow these leftist plans and schemes to take place here in Oklahoma. They are trying to warp the minds of our kids, to turn them into social justice warriors, instead of kids that are getting the most out of their God-given talents to go get a good job, to go live a fulfilling life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY: Now, starting today, teachers who are, again, coming from New York or California and want to teach in Oklahoma, they will have to pass this assessment. And if they do not, they will not be teaching. And in some school districts, that starts on Monday. So, this is a kind of high-stakes battle going into this academic year.

And CNN was allowed to view parts of this 50 question assessment. Parts of them have to do with the Constitution. What are the first three words of the Constitution? Other questions about freedom of religion. But in one multiple choice question that we saw talked about to select the correct chromosome pairs to determine biological sex. So, certainly there are some questionable questions on this assessment that teachers must pass before they start the school year. And certainly Democrats in the state of Oklahoma are pushing back on this and they say this potentially sets up a legal battle ahead.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: All right, Sunlen, great reporting. Thanks so much for bringing it to us. Really appreciate it.

Erica.

HILL: The breaking news, Ukraine's President Zelenskyy saying we are counting on America ahead of this high-stakes summit later today between Presidents Trump and Putin.

We're learning this morning some Americans have had a surprising change of heart when it comes to U.S. support for Ukraine. Harry Enten is going to run those numbers for us.

Plus, California's governor moving ahead with a plan to reshape his state's congressional map as he promises to fight fire with fire.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:29:12]

BOLDUAN: The breaking news, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy now making a direct plea, saying, quote, "we are counting on America" ahead of the high-stakes Trump-Putin summit set to kick off just hours -- just hours from now.

And also new this morning, a surprising turn in how Republicans here at home view the war in Ukraine. And on one issue or person, rather, Americans across the political spectrum are almost completely united.

Harry Enten back with us for more on this.

So, Harry, where -- when it comes to President Trump's base, Republicans, where are they on Ukraine right now?

HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Yes, what a big change from where we were at the beginning of the Trump administration. GOP, the U.S. gives too much support to Ukraine. Back in February, the plurality, 47 percent, said, yes, the U.S., in fact, gives too much support to Ukraine. Republicans did not like that.

[09:30:00]

But look at where we are now. Look at this. No takes the cake at 46 percent. We have had an inverse of the positions. The Republican Party has shifted, at least a little