Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

No Major European Allies Attend Trump's Board of Peace Ceremony; Vance to Visit Minneapolis as Tensions High Over Immigration Crackdown; Soon, Jack Smith Testifies Before House Judiciary Committee. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired January 22, 2026 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking this morning, foreign policy frenzy, but to what end? Confusion now on what deal has been reached on Greenland and the official launch of the so-called Board of Peace with no major European allies.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Here in Minneapolis, where the vice president, J.D. Vance, expected to land in a very polarized community to speak with local officials as well as community members. This after an appeals court allowed ICE to continue to use its aggressive tactic against protesters. We will be live in just a bit here.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: And forecasters call it one of the most extreme winter storms in years, and it is on its way. And at least 125 million people across 24 states are facing down this threat now.

I'm Kate Bolduan with John Berman and Sara Sidner. This is CNN News Central.

BERMAN: All right. The breaking news this morning, any minute now, President Trump is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. And the president's envoys are set to meet Russian Leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow. This is the latest round of negotiations on the war in Ukraine.

It has been a busy morning, to say the least. A short time ago, the president officially launched his so-called Board of Peace. 19 nations attended the signing ceremony, but the only European ally president, Hungary's authoritarian leader, Viktor Orban, the absence of any other major European allies was notable there.

The board was created to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza, though the president has hinted the scope could be much, much wider.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Once this board is completely formed, we can do pretty much whatever we want to do. And we'll do it in conjunction with the United Nations. You know, I've always said the United Nations has got tremendous potential, has not used it. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: All right. Also this morning there are new questions about what the president called a framework of a future deal on Greenland. He retreated on his latest tariff threats to European allies, but what was actually agreed to remains a bit vague.

Let's get right to CNN's Kaitlan Collins, who's been working round the clock in Davos with the very latest. Like I said, a whole lot of activity, but a whole lot of questions too.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, John, there is. And I was just in the president's speech as he was sitting down with the world leaders that we know have signed on to this Board of Peace. Many of them were either on that stage or represented by some of their top senior aides on stage there.

The White House says that they believe about 30 of the 50 countries, 50-ish, I would say, they didn't specify exactly how many people have been invited, but about 30 of those have signed on to being on the Board of Peace. According to the White House, these invitations, though just went out last Friday, which is why the White House says you didn't see all of those members on that stage. And then the president says that everyone wants to be on the board of peace and that he has gotten no rejections almost, or very few.

We do know that there are several countries that are at least still skeptical of this and have not yet committed to joining. That includes the United Kingdom, France, Norway, several others, Italy as well, that have not yet said yes to this. One person who has, according to the president, said yes, is President Putin of Russia. That is something that Kremlin has not yet confirmed, though they've been talking about using his frozen assets in the United States to pay to be on the Board of Peace after that first three-year term is up.

All of that is still up in the air, and it's still a big question of what exactly the future of the Board of Peace is going to look like. The White House is certainly touting it. And when we were just in the room a few moments ago, we heard not just from President Trump, but from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff as well, who, as you noted, John, are headed to Russia later today.

They really focused on Gaza and quite an ambitious plan, as far as Jared Kushner going through a PowerPoint basically to rebuild Gaza. And one slide that I saw estimated cost probably about $25 billion. It's not clear who exactly is going to pay, what that $25 billion that they have for their vision of reconstructing Gaza, but that is at least what the president was setting out to do today before he's got these other bilateral meetings with their world leaders, including Ukrainian's President Zelenskyy, who was not initially slated to be here.

[07:05:06]

We did just spot him though, as he's set to meet with the president soon. John?

BERMAN: So, Kaitlan, as we wait for word on, what comes out of that meeting, what is actually known about what kind of deal there is over Greenland, if there is in fact a deal?

COLLINS: Not a ton of detail. We were waiting for the president last night as he was finishing up meetings here at the Davos forum. And when he came out, that was when he had announced the middle of that, after that meeting with the NATO secretary general, that they had reached that framework. When he came out, we asked for details because it wasn't really clear the timeline, whether or not it's still included U.S. ownership like the president has been demanding. All of those were still huge questions here.

And the White House says basically that the details will be released once it's fully agreed to. So, this is still very much a perspective deal, but it has gotten the president paid to back down off his tariff threat and obviously as he was ruling out military force in Greenland yesterday, he told me it's an infinite deal that would go on for forever, John. When I asked the president if he still wants to own Greenland, as he has made very clear that he wants to do.

So, there's still a lot of questions there in terms of what exactly that's going to look like. And I'll tell you, I just spoke to Kevin Hassett, one of the president's top economic advisers here on the sidelines of Davos. He said those details still aren't fully known to him either. And, obviously, he works in the economic sphere, but the tariff threat that the president had made that relevant to his portfolio.

So, there are still questions even within the administration of exactly what this deal is going to look like and, of course, whether or not it's ultimately agreed to. John?

BERMAN: Yes. I suppose I should have been much more careful about even calling it a deal at this point, a framework with a lot of questions still remaining.

Kaitlan Collins in Davos, like I said, I mean, like a 40-hour day straight for you. Thank you for all the work you're doing there. Keep us posted, as there are at new developments.

All right, Sara?

SIDNER: All right. Here live in Minneapolis outside of the federal building, which now has new protections. There's a very, very high fence that has been put up here. Look this city, to some residents, at some times in some neighborhoods, feels like a city under siege. ICE now unrestrained than it was after a federal appeals court allowed ICE to go ahead and use some of the aggressive tactics it's been using after it went against a federal judge, saying they must stop things like gassing protesters.

New video showing the head of ICE operations, Greg Bovino, didn't waste any time and ended up throwing a C.S. gas canister at protesters when a few protesters got close to his officers. Here's what he had to say.

Look, that happens. And then there is newly revealed memo. The A.P. first reported this showing that ICE policy now allows agents to forcibly enter homes without a warrant, which is generally contrary to the Constitution's Fourth Amendment. You have more members of immigration enforcement than you have local police. And now police chief is saying that some of his officers have been hemmed up by ICE and is saying that they have been hemmed up, those who have been taken in deported -- excuse me, taken in and detained by ICE were people of color, and so he's saying that their rights are being violated as well.

There is so much going on here, such a polarized community. And as all of this is happening, you have the vice president, who is expected to land here in Minneapolis. And what they're saying is meet with local leaders and community members. The question is, who are those local leaders? Who are those community members? There are certain to be protests surrounding his visit as well. Kate?

BOLDUAN: All right, Sara, we're going to get back to you. Sara's on the ground in truly a frigid, frigid Minneapolis right now. So, we will get back to Sara because there is also, while frigid, the tensions are, it feels like, could be heating up in a very big way today.

We'll get back to Sara in Minneapolis all throughout the show, of course.

We're also following this right now. It is really starting to look like a supercharged winter storm from the brutal cold to the threat of ice and heavy snow. One of the most widespread winter storms in years is in the forecast for more than half the country. We have the details and the timing of all of this for you ahead.

And as Punchbowl framed it this morning, it's going to be a wild day in the House, understatement, perhaps.

[07:10:01]

Former Special Counsel Jack Smith is headed to Capitol Hill, set to face lawmakers, and tough questions from them, but this time in public. The first open testimony about his work investigating the president, that is this morning.

And then there is this video of storm surge just blasting through the windows and into this restaurant, tables going just everywhere. Hurricane force winds bringing massive waves of up to 26 feet.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: All right. A big day on Capitol Hill that could get contentious, former Special Counsel Jack Smith will testify in public for the first time before the House Judiciary Committee. Smith did speak to them behind closed doors for more than eight hours in December. Smith's legal team says he's, quote, not afraid of President Trump and is reportedly welcoming the chance to discuss the work he did on the two indictments he brought against Trump, one on Trump's role in attempting to overturn the 2020 election and the other on the mishandling and retention of classified documents.

With this now CNN Senior Legal Analyst Elie Honig, his latest book When You Come at the King, Inside DIJ's Pursuit of the President, from Nixon to Trump, covers special counsels in great detail, including Jack Smith. So, you are perfect to discuss this morning.

Elie, let me just read you a bit of Smith's opening remarks that Politico now has, Reuters too. Smith is allegedly going to say, President Trump was charged because the evidence established that he willfully broke the very laws that he took an oath to uphold. So, what do you expect from Jack Smith in public today?

ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Well, that has been Jack Smith's strongly held view from the very start of his cases. He brought those indictments, and I think today we're going to see two very different narratives conveyed depending on who's doing the questioning in five-minute increments.

When Jack Smith is being questioned by Democrats, I think you're going to hear exactly that. They're going to essentially use Jack Smith as a vehicle to articulate and remind people of the two cases that he brought against Donald Trump, one relating to the 2020 election, the other relating to classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.

I think you're going to see a starkly different picture painted when Republicans examine him. I think they're going to paint him as essentially a weaponized prosecutor, as somebody who had an axe to grind with Donald Trump politically and perhaps personally, and as somebody whose main goal was to bring Trump down before the 2024 election. Jack Smith clearly is not afraid, John, that much has been made clear. He seems eager to testify today. And, by the way, remember he's under criminal investigation by this DOJ.

Now, I've been critical of Jack Smith in certain respects. I don't see anything that he's done that would be criminal that merits a criminal investigation. And, clearly, he's willing to go in front of Congress today and in front of the cameras and give his testimony regardless of that pending investigation.

BERMAN: Republican -- Senate Republicans, today it's in the House, have been very critical of Jack Smith for what they accuse him of collecting their phone records. This is of elected officials in the investigation of Donald Trump. What's your take on that?

HONIG: There is a fair political and policy criticism of Jack Smith. It's fair to ask whether his collection of the phone records of various Republican members of the Senate and House went too far. But legally speaking, Republicans are off base here. We've heard Republican members of Congress accused Jack Smith of spying on them, of wiretapping him. That's not what happened. He did not listen to or get access to the content of their phone conversations. He simply got records showing during that key three day period around January 6th, who called who, when, and for how long. That is fairly standard for prosecutors to get. You can get it with a subpoena. And, by the way, it is not something that's just been sort of surprisingly reveal. Jack Smith himself put that in his final special counsel report. So, there's no secret there. I think Republicans have overplayed their hand on that one.

BERMAN: And expect some heat on that subject though, and many others, no doubt. Elie Honig, I know you'll be watching it very closely, great to see you this morning. Thank you very much.

Widespread unemployment and inequality, the critical warning about the possible nightmare scenario of A.I., and why Duke is filing a lawsuit against its star quarterback.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:20:00]

BOLDUAN: So, this morning, the 49ers are searching for answers, trying to explain their injury-riddled roster that doomed their season, which has even birthed viral conspiracy theories.

CNN's Andy Scholes has much more on this.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes.

BOLDUAN: What is going on here, Andy?

SCHOLES: So, Kate, earlier this month, a guy named Peter Cowan posted on X about how the 49ers practice facility sits right next to an electrical substation. And his theory is that the exposure to the constant low frequency electromagnetic field degrades tendons and causes soft tissue damage over time. And that's why the 49ers keep having so many injuries every single season.

His post got more than 22 million views on X and even some 49ers players joked about it after games during the playoffs. But it's certainly not a laughing matter for the team as they had the most injuries in the league this season.

Now the Niners have practiced next to this substation since the 80s and the theory, it actually has been shot down by various scientists, but 49ers G.M. John Lynch says they're going to be looking into it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN LYNCH, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS G.M.: We've been reaching out to anyone and everyone to see. Does a study exist other than a guy sticking an apparatus underneath the fence and by coming up with a number that I have no idea what that means. You know, that's what we know exists. We've heard that debunked. The health and safety of our players is of the utmost priority. We pour into it, but, yes, we aren't going to turn a blind eye. We'll look into everything.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SCHOLES: All right. In the NHL, meanwhile, we had a good one between the Mammoth and the Flyers last night. Utah was down two in the third, now down one with under a minute left. Clayton Keller gets the steal, then the nifty move and scores to tie the game. We would go to overtime. And in O.T., Dylan Guenther to a wide open Keller here. He buries it to win it for the Mammoth, 5-4. Utah has now won four in a row.

And, finally, Duke is suing their star quarterback, Darian Mensah, to try to keep him from leaving the school. So, Mensah signed a multi- year contract with Duke that was quarterly worth $4 million this year. But on Friday, he said he was going to enter the transfer portal. Duke said, mot happening, and they sued Mensah.

[07:25:01]

They got a temporary restraining order. Mensah can go into the portal, but he can't enroll at another school or play football for another team until the North Carolina judge rules on this.

Kate, Mensah threw for 34 touchdowns this season, led Duke to its first ACC title since 1962. So, he is really good, school wants to keep him. But this is a big moment for college football. If Duke wins this case, you know, the schools all gain power in these NIL situations. If Mensah wins, I mean, it just is going to be like players can do and go wherever they want, whenever they want. So, this is certainly a case to follow.

BOLDUAN: I mean 100 percent a case of all. And it was like everyone thought, oh, this was going to be so easy, this rule change. And this is just like one example of what a mess it is. And think the school makes him stay and he doesn't stay.

BERMAN: It's going to end very well for all of them there. I'm sure a lot of smiles when this is all said and done.

BOLDUAN: Thanks, Andy. Jeez, Luis.

BERMAN: Transfer portal, interesting concept there.

BOLDUAN: J.B., no.

BOLDUAN: All right. The newly unveiled memo that asserts a sweeping new power, ICE officers can enter homes without a judicial criminal warrant.

And growing warnings of an epic winter storm, this could hit half the country more. We're talking feet of snow and deadly ICE. The forecast keeps getting adjusted. We've got the very latest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:30:00]