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CNN International: Notorious Mexican Drug Lord Appears In U.S. Court; Trump & Zelenskyy Hold Critical Meeting At White House; Judge Pauses Mass Firings On Some Federal Workers. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired February 28, 2025 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:00]

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ISABEL ROSALES, HOST, "CNN NEWSROOM": Hello, and welcome to our viewers from around the world. I'm Isabel Rosales.

Ahead on CNN Newsroom, Zelenskyy heads to the White House. Happening soon, President Trump will host the Ukrainian President just days after falsely calling him a dictator and blaming him for Russia's invasion. Plus, Mexico has extradited dozens of cartel leaders and members to the U.S., including notorious drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero. We're live in Mexico City with the latest. And suspicious enough for an investigation, why officials are now digging deeper into the death of Gene Hackman, his wife and dog.

This is a live look right here at the White House, where we are expecting the U.S. President to kick off a critical meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is set to arrive any moment now. The Ukrainian President becomes the third European leader to visit Donald Trump since Monday, capping off a week of diplomacy to try and end Russia's war on Ukraine. President Trump is aiming to secure and sign a rare earth mineral agreement to pay for U.S. contributions to the war effort. Zelenskyy, meanwhile, wants security guarantees, saying the future of his nation is at stake.

While the details of this deal are murky, there are widespread doubts over the size of Ukraine's mineral wealth and how easily it can be extracted from the war-torn country, particularly in Russian-occupied eastern regions. There is also uncertainty over whether President Trump will offer those security guarantees sought by both President Zelenskyy and European leaders. Trump has been reluctant to commit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: They're going to have security. You're going to have security. You're going to have soldiers. I know France wants to be there. He is -- the President has said he wants to have soldiers there. I don't think we're going to even be necessary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: CNN's Nick Paton Walsh brings us the view from Kyiv. Nick, talk to us about how serious this is, how it is for Zelenskyy.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. I mean, this is a defining moment, really, of his presidency, possibly the most important time since the beginning of the evasion where he famously stood in central Kyiv and told the Biden administration he didn't need a ride out of here. He needed ammo. This is about healing a relationship with Kyiv's most important military and financial backer in the form now of President Donald Trump, a man, as you mentioned, who he had a horrific relationship with over the past 10 days alone.

But Trump, it seems, after the visit of French and British leaders, keen to forget that, asked about calling Zelenskyy a dictator yesterday, said he can't believe he said that, sort of seemingly mind -- not mindful of the consequences of the highest office in the United States saying things like that. Zelenskyy will arrive, it seems, with a rare earth minerals deal pretty much nailed down. It's unclear who will be signing that. The draft we saw from Wednesday morning suggested there will be the Ukrainian Foreign Minister and U.S. Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, who penned the deal. But clearly, the two men together will meet some part of that.

The deal itself is not enormously consequential in terms of what it spells out. It only refers to the relevant resources that will be further described in a later deal, which will be, we understand, negotiated the moment this first deal is signed. So, it doesn't really say exactly which of Ukraine's assets the United States will be able to put 50 percent of the revenue from into this reinvestment and reconstruction fund for Ukraine, and it doesn't even provide security guarantees for Ukraine, just as the United States would support them, trying to get security guarantees.

So, a lot of fudging happening, but really it's about trying to be sure that the U.S. President gets the sense that Ukraine is committed to a deal, in his mind, to repay the grants the Biden administration gave Kyiv, and that also Zelenskyy gets a chance to meet Trump, to have this relationship on the path to repair, and I think to ask the most crucial question of Trump. He said he wanted to ask was, where does he stand in terms of continuing U.S. aid at the pace and scale at which the Biden administration provided?

This is also really about interpersonal relations, as we saw with President Trump meeting French President Emmanuel Macron, meeting British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. This is very much about him feeling liked, perhaps, charmed, and the notion that deals can be struck by better people who understand each other better or treat each other better, seems also to be at the heart of Trump's relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia. Clearly, he was, for a while, dragged into the Kremlin's orbit in terms of geopolitical security by a series of phone calls he had with Vladimir Putin, and it took Macron and Starmer's intervention to sort of drag the United States back into its traditional European orbit.

[11:05:00]

But, a lot rests on this meeting for people in Ukraine here for the remarkable last two to three weeks of whiplash diplomacy we've seen across Europe, here in Kyiv, and in Washington too. It's important to remind everyone that since Trump called Zelenskyy a dictator, 47 Ukrainian civilians, at least, have been killed by Russian strikes here. 222 civilians injured. That's according to a tally by CNN of Ukraine official statements.

The war is continuing to brutally take a toll on Ukraine's population here, and Russia is continuing to inch forward along the frontlines. And indeed, North Korea, who have joined in Kursk region, inside Russia, where Ukraine has launched an incursion, have committed, we understand, from South Korean and Ukrainian sources, more troops to this fight. Iran also on Russia's side. And so much of Europe's pitch towards the United States has been about this becoming an increasingly global conflict, one in which China almost has skin in the game because of the North Koreans being here, to some degree.

Europe appears to be edging forward to provide the security guarantees which Ukraine so desperately wants and doesn't think it will get from the Trump administration. Remember, Trump has been clear, along with his Secretary of Defense, they won't put boots on the ground here inside of Ukraine, although he did yesterday holed out a possibility that the Russians simply wouldn't want to tackle any -- or create any trouble inside of Ukraine in the event of a peace deal, because American companies would be on the ground mining, extracting the minerals for this rare earth minerals deal.

I should remind viewers that the history of American involvement in Russia has often been pretty problematic. They've had a pretty rocky ride in the past when it came to nationalization and the dismantling of the Russian oligarchs that occurred under Vladimir Putin. So, no guarantee that suddenly American commercial interests will prevent Russia from pursuing a war that it so urgently seems to need, a wider victory that it would get if the frontlines were frozen as they are.

But, the Europeans will be having another meeting in London on Sunday, where Zelenskyy will attend to further discuss exactly what their version of a peace plan looks like, and what kind of reassurance force they'll be able to provide. Keir Starmer of the UK saying that they would put planes in the air for the first time yesterday in the White House.

ROSALES: Hey, we're keeping a close look at the White House right now where any moment now Trump is set to greet Zelenskyy.

Nick Paton Walsh, thank you.

All right. CNN's Senior White House Reporter Kevin Liptak joins us now. Kevin, what is the administration saying ahead of this meeting? What are the expectations of the day?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, they're certainly framing this minerals agreement as a win, both for the United States and for Ukraine. But, I don't think it's overstating yet to say that Zelenskyy will be here talking about more than what is on that piece of paper. He is trying essentially to advocate for the future of his entire country to a counterpart who at best views him skeptically, and at worst, views him with open hostility. So, the stakes really could not be higher.

And I'm just looking outside, you see the color guard getting set up there for his arrival at the West Wing any moment from now. What they're saying is that this mineral deal essentially will be able to reset relationships between Trump and Zelenskyy, between the U.S. and Ukraine. And I think when you hear President Trump talking about it, he really does frame it as essentially back payment for previous American financial assistance to Ukraine. It doesn't contain any future assistance, either financial or otherwise, and it doesn't contain any security guarantees, which is part of why Zelenskyy balked when he was first presented with it by the American Treasury Secretary last week.

American officials are framing this deal as a security guarantee of its own type, saying essentially that if the U.S. and Ukraine are intertwined financially, that will be an insurance policy against further Russian aggression. But, that is nothing like the security guarantees that Zelenskyy wants. He wants American military muscle to be able to come back in to prevent more Russian aggression. So do the Europeans. If they're going to send their own peacekeeping troops onto the ground in Ukraine, they will need American military support on the back end. So, this is all something that the two men will want to discuss.

I do think the atmospherics of this meeting will be very interesting. You never really want to dwell too much on the body language, but I think it will be important here just to see how these two men are getting along. For all of Zelenskyy's political aptitude over the last three years in trying to rally Western support and trying to talk to these Western leaders about the importance of providing support for Ukraine, he has also rubbed a lot of leaders the wrong way. He can be sort of brush in his attitude, including with the Biden administration. They were not always pleased with how he spoke to them, how he was relating to them.

And so, I think it will be interesting to see how he calibrates that approach with President Trump, who is so attuned to how he is being treated and how he is being spoken to.

[11:10:00]

Yesterday, Trump did moderate his language somewhat on Zelenskyy. He did not repeat his claim that Zelenskyy was a dictator, but he also didn't retract it. And so, it was an important moment. I think what was also interesting was how President Trump described Vladimir Putin, taking essentially a credulous attitude towards the Russian leader. Listen to exactly what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I think he'll keep his word. I think he is -- I've spoken to him. I've known him for a long time now. We had to go through the Russian hoax together. That was not a good thing. It's not fair. That was a rigged deal and had nothing to do with Russia. I don't believe he is going to violate his word. I don't think he'll be back. When we make a deal, I think the deal is going to hold. (END VIDEO CLIP)

LIPTAK: So, after that, he said his attitude was trust and verify. But, it is that trusting attitude that really sends shivers down the spines of the Europeans, of the Ukrainians. All of the leaders who came here this week, Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer, even the Polish President who Trump saw over the weekend, came with the message that Putin can't be trusted. They came with examples. They pointed to all of these peace agreements, Minsk One and Minsk two, that Putin violated in Ukraine, and essentially said that he is not a good faith actor when it comes to these peace agreements. But, so far, that message does not appear to have penetrated.

ROSALES: Kevin Liptak, thank you for your time.

Let's go to Kira Rudik. She is a member of the Ukrainian parliament, and she joins me now live in Kyiv. Kira, I really appreciate your time for you coming on the show. Let me start with, is Zelenskyy essentially at the White House to argue for his country's entire future? What is the Ukrainian viewpoint on this?

KIRA RUDIK, MEMBER OF UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT: Hello, Isabel, and thank you so much for having me. We know and we believe that today's meeting is so important because it will be a warming up of the U.S.-Ukraine relations that were really hectic over the last two weeks, and here on the ground, we have been under a lot of stress, added to the constant stress that we are under because of the war. So, we really hope that President does well. And even though I'm a opposition party leader, I can tell you, we are all united right now behind the President, because we know that he will probably have some tough negotiations.

What he needs to come out with is not just this framework deal signed, but actually persuading Donald Trump that Ukraine needs to be protected, not just by his trust to Putin's word, but actually by some actions of U.S. and Europe working together on the real security guarantees.

ROSALES: Let me dig a little deeper on that. Zelenskyy is looking for reassurance here, that the U.S. has got his back. How does he approach the man that is Trump, the ego, a man that had called him a dictator just days ago? How does he approach that?

RUDIK: I think and I wish President "wisdom", to put aside all the personal things, because we all remember that the goal of this meeting is not for President Zelenskyy and Donald Trump to become friends. The goal is future of our country and our nation. So, he will have to remain his strong stance that actually made him what it is, and put him at the position that he is right now, having a deal that is much better that initially was requested, and explaining Donald Trump the clear benefit that he is getting. Today, Donald Trump will get a win for U.S. s citizens. He will come out and say, look, I did something good for American people. I'm delivering on my promise. We in Ukraine are giving him that.

Right now, we need to figure out, OK, like, what is the future? Are there any future wins? And I really hope that this talk will be a start of realistic, pragmatic, but like really close to the reality steps that need to be taken.

ROSALES: And Kira, will one of the goals for Zelenskyy also be undermining the faith that Trump has in Putin?

RUDIK: That is true, and there is a very easy way of doing that. Ask for any realistic fact of Putin wanting peace. Isabel, right now, when we are talking, the emergency energy outages started in Kyiv because Russia didn't stop attacking us for a second, since Donald Trump was in office, and since he was saying that Russia wants peace, and he thinks that Putin is ready for peace.

[11:15:00]

The battles continue on the frontline, and Russia's attacks continue to the peaceful cities of Ukraine. Was it probably a good way of showing goodwill from Putin to stop that, or return some of Ukrainian children that were kidnapped? Sure. But, he didn't do that because he doesn't need to do that. He thinks that he can fool Donald Trump, the President of the strongest democracy, and we really hope that he would not be able to do that. And today, President Zelenskyy needs to operate with the fact that we have and that are open to all the international spectators that Putin cannot be trusted. He is breaking all kinds of deals that he is into, and he didn't stop attacking us. So, the belief of Donald Trump about Putin's goodwill is an illusion.

ROSALES: Kira Rudik, I so appreciate your perspective. Thank you for coming on.

RUDIK: Thank you, and Glory to Ukraine.

ROSALES: Ahead, more on the high-stakes talks expected at the White House. The U.S. President is promising what he calls a, quote, "very big deal with Volodymyr Zelenskyy." More details coming up. And after 40 years on the FBI's most wanted list, a notorious Mexican drug kingpin is expected in an American courtroom. That story just ahead.

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ROSALES: All right. A live look now at the White House, where any moment we're expecting Ukraine's President to arrive for a critical meeting with Donald Trump. They're expected to sign a rare earth minerals agreement. The Ukrainian President is the third European leader to meet with Donald Trump since Monday, capping off a week of diplomacy to try to end Russia's war against Ukraine.

We're joined now by CNN's Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour. Thank you so much for coming on. Let me start with The Wall Street Journal labelled this, "The mineral deal that Ukraine cannot refuse." What do you think about that?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well, I Volodymyr Zelenskyy is very much under huge amount of pressure. Remember that he actually had wanted and did offer the United States a mineral deal under the Biden administration. There was very advanced talks about it. But, when it was clear that Trump was winning the election, they did not go through with that agreement, and they waited to offer it to President Trump. The only thing is, they did not expect to offer, and they have said they will not offer to, quote, unquote, "sell their country". It's meant to be a joint venture. It's meant to be something that benefits both. So, that we're going to have to see. It's unclear what the actual details are, although a lot of drafts have been floating around in public.

But, there is always American interests, and of course America was going to get under the (inaudible) priority interest and all those who'd helped Ukraine during its war, priority interest in any kind of future business regarding minerals or the like. But, as I say, it has to have an economy, and Ukraine has been very reluctant and refused the very first Trump deal.

[11:20:00]

But, beyond that, Volodymyr Zelenskyy absolutely needs to get security guarantees which have not been written down or even discussed in this deal, not even discussed in the meetings with the European leaders who met President Trump this week.

ROSALES: And if that doesn't happen, no security guarantees, does Europe have the capacity to back up Ukraine without the Americans?

AMANPOUR: Yes and no. Europe could if it was able to, and things were permissive via ceasefire. It could never put troops in between warring parties. But, if there is a ceasefire or a peace deal, it has already said that it would put boots on the ground. But, that cannot be all. Former NATO commanders, all sorts of commanders in the field, British, European, American, have said that only an American, quote, unquote "backstop" can secure any kind of peacekeepers, and a backstop means using American air power, either as a no-fly zone or to make sure that nothing happens on the ground that Russia does not try again to create another invasion under the guise of a peace negotiation or of a ceasefire deal. They have to be able to have air defenses which America could provide, and they need the intelligence.

There are many things that Europeans can do. But, over the years, NATO has been a collaborative force, and the United States happens to have some of the heaviest lifting and the biggest capacity. So, they have to help even if it's not on boots on the ground, and that is what the European leaders and President Zelenskyy is trying to seek clarity on. Without that, it's going to be incredibly difficult, and it may just mean that Ukraine cannot accept any kind of peace or ceasefire that leaves them sort of hanging in the wind there. They might just have to fight on, and Europe will have to keep providing the weapons.

ROSALES: Christiane Amanpour, as always, so smart on the subject and so many others. Thank you.

All right. We are still waiting for the Ukrainian President to arrive at the White House. We will bring that to you, of course, the moment that it happens.

Meanwhile, a notorious Mexican drug lord is expected in a New York courtroom in just a couple of hours. Mexico extradited Rafael Caro Quintero to the U.S. Thursday. The U.S. Justice Department says he is one of 29 extradited cartel members. Caro Quintero has been on the most wanted list since the 1985 kidnapping, torture and murder of DEA agent Enrique Camarena Salazar. Mexico's Navy recaptured him in 2022, nine years after the cartel kingpin was released from jail on a technicality.

And actually, hold that thought real quick. We'll get to that story, but we have live images right now. You can see right there the Ukrainian flag, an American flag, a car is arriving, and there he is. That is Zelenskyy shaking the hand of Trump right there, arriving for that critical meeting with the President, and what's possibly at stake here is the future of Ukraine. Both of them obviously aiming for something in these talks, Trump aiming to secure and sign a rare earth mineral deal that he calls a repayment to the U.S. Of course, there has been so many questions and skepticism over just how lucrative Ukraine's rare earth minerals would be. And Zelenskyy, a man on a mission, he needs to secure a security agreement from the U.S.

Let's get back now to CNN's Valeria Leon, who joins me now from Mexico City with the details of that extradition. Valeria, bring us up to speed here.

VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Isa. So, the Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum referred briefly to the recent slew of extraditions during her morning press conference. She was asking these extraditions, where merely a bargaining chip used to put a further hole on the 25 percent tariffs on Mexican goods that Trump has announced will come into effect as soon as this Tuesday.

So, the Mexican government is still waiting to see if this unprecedented extradition might put a stop to the tariffs completely, or at least give them some time to suspend their coming into effect. The Mexican President this morning announced that the Attorney General, along with the Mexico Security Secretary, will be in charge of making public the details of this historic extradition of alleged drug traffickers to the U.S.

So, Isa, this will happen in about two hours in Mexico City, when we should have more details about this milestone in U.S.-Mexico relations. Both the Mexican Attorney General and the Security Secretary were in Washington yesterday to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to review this efforts that Mexico has made to reduce the flow of fentanyl coming into the U.S.

[11:25:00]

So, this surprise extradition come as Mexico scrambles to seal a deal with Washington to avoid being hit with the trade duties that Trump has linked to illegal immigration and drug trafficking, and the decision to extradite came after emergency negotiations between the two nations, Isa.

ROSALES: Valeria Leon in Mexico City, thank you so much for that explanation.

Well, just ahead, will the critical meeting between Donald Trump and the Ukrainian President hold out the possibility of a long-term relationship, and what could that mean for Russia's war in Ukraine? A live report from Moscow next. Plus, Elon Musk's move to lay off thousands of government workers runs into a snag. Why a federal judge has hit pause, all of that when we come back.

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ROSALES: Welcome back. You're watching CNN Newsroom. I'm Isabel Rosales. Here are some international headlines we're watching today.

The Vatican says Pope Francis is resting today after a, quote, "quiet night", but adds that the 88-year-old pontiff will not lead Ash Wednesday service for only the second time during his 12-year papacy. It's been two weeks since the Pope was admitted to the hospital for double pneumonia, then later developed some mild kidney issues as well. The Vatican says the 88-year-old is improving, but his prognosis remains unclear.

Hundreds of thousands of people rallied across Greece on Friday demanding justice for victims on the second anniversary of the country's deadliest train crash. Some protesters clashed with police in Athens. They're angry about safety gaps and an unfinished investigation, and they're calling for improvements to rail safety. 57 people were killed in the collision. Victims' families accused the government of negligence and a cover-up.

An Israeli source tells CNN that the negotiating team working on the next stage of the ceasefire-hostage talks will return home on Friday, but the negotiations are expected to continue on Saturday. And an Israeli official has been telling CNN, the military would continue to occupy that critical Gaza-Egypt border. A potential second phase of the ceasefire deal requires the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from Gaza.

A critical meeting just got underway between Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. Zelenskyy arrived just a few moments ago. He is the third European leader to meet with the U.S. President since Monday, looking for a way to end Russia's conflict in Ukraine.

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The two presidents are planning to sign a deal for the U.S. to obtain natural resources, especially rare earth minerals from Ukraine. But, just how much can actually be acquired, remains in question.

CNN's Senior White House reporter Kevin Liptak is back. Kevin, what are we anticipating next here?

LIPTAK: Yeah. We just saw Zelenskyy pull into the West Wing portico, President Trump out there to meet him. All smiles at this point. Zelenskyy, of course, in his standard military drab outfit, sort of reflecting visually that his country is still very much at war, as he prepares to make this case for President Trump for the future of his country, to allow Ukraine a voice in these negotiations that Trump is beginning to try and end the conflict. Of course, this minerals deal that Trump has negotiated at the center of their negotiations. Trump frames it as essentially back payment for previous U.S., assistance to Ukraine.

What it doesn't contain is any security guarantees, which is what Zelenskyy wants to talk about today, talking about how the U.S. can prevent Russia from regrouping and re invading once this ceasefire is in effect. And so, how they talk about it and what they come to an agreement on will be very important. They are now gathering in the Oval Office, and we'll see them -- a tape of them in a few moments from now. And I think it will be interesting to see just exactly how they get along with each other. Obviously, Trump is someone who, at best, has demonstrated skepticism towards Zelenskyy, but at worst has voiced open hostility. And so, I think the body language will be important here. Are they friendly? Are they sort of warm to each other, or is it a colder discussion?

Zelenskyy, for all of the political acumen that he has demonstrated over the last three years and talking to political leaders and rallying support for Ukraine, he is also someone who rubs a lot of foreign leaders the wrong way, including in the Biden administration. They weren't always happy with how Zelenskyy was talking to them with President Trump. That could become much more of an important aspect of his relationship. Trump is someone who is highly attuned to how he is being spoken to. So, how this meeting unfolds will be very interesting, and we'll see that happen just a few moments from now.

ROSALES: High pressure and high stakes. Kevin Liptak, thank you.

Let's bring in our Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Matthew Chance for more on this crucial meeting. He is joining us from Moscow. Matthew, what is the Kremlin watching for in these talks?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Oh, well, I think they're going to be watching this meeting with some satisfaction, because, to some extent, from the Kremlin point of view, this is the laying low, the humiliation of one of Russia's most steadfast rivals. President Zelenskyy arriving into Washington. His country is essentially on the verge of being carved up without much influence he is going to be able to have in that process.

President Trump has rejected the suggestion that he could have -- or Ukraine could have NATO membership in the aftermath of any peace deal, and he is going to have to make territorial concessions at the same time, U.S. military support, which has been crucial in the prosecution of the war against Russia over the past three years has been -- is diminishing, and may well disappear altogether in this Trump administration.

And so, I think in the corridors of power here in Moscow, in the Kremlin and elsewhere, I think there is, as I say, a degree of satisfaction that when it came to this battle over Ukraine, it's -- from the Russian point of view, I should underline, it's the Americans that blink first. It's the Western allies that, led by President Trump, that are backing off and not them. And so, there is a degree of satisfaction, I think, in the Kremlin about what's unfolding in Washington today.

ROSALES: All eyes on Washington. Matthew Chance, thank you. Still to come, the clock is ticking. Republican lawmakers struggle to

write a government funding bill as Elon Musk dismantles federal agencies. We'll have the latest developments from Capitol Hill.

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[11:35:00]

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ROSALES: A U.S. judge is temporarily halting any mass firings of federal probationary workers at some agencies. The judge in San Francisco said the move was likely unlawful. Probationary workers are employees who have been on the job for a shorter time, often less than a year. The judge agreed with unions and others, who filed a lawsuit, that the Office of Personnel Management does not have the authority to fire employees working in a different government agencies.

With more on the impact of the judge's ruling, here is CNN's Rene Marsh.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RENE MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the judge said that OPM overstepped its authority when it directed the mass firing of thousands of probationary employees government-wide, and the judge, who was appointed by Bill Clinton, said OPM does not have any authority whatsoever under any statute in the history of the universe to hire or fire any employees but its own.

At the heart of this lawsuit is a February 14th OPM memo asking agencies to send separation letters as soon as possible to probationary employees who are not essential. Those are employees who have been on the job for a year or less, or two years or less. And the judge ordered OPM to rescind its directive and inform several agencies that it actually didn't have the power to dictate the firings.

Lawyers for the Trump administration argued that OPM made a request, not a demand, and that agencies were not obligated to follow. The judge didn't buy that. The judge did acknowledge that agencies have the authority to fire probationary workers within their own agencies. He also said that he himself could not reinstate previously fired workers. So, it remains unseen what the full impact of this ruling will be.

But, it is worth noting that on the same day of the ruling, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, laid off some 800 probationary employees, and we are expecting even more layoffs today, which could bring the total to about 1,000 employees terminated. This is an agency that employs scientists and specialists in weather, climate and other research. There are exceptions to the firings, including those who oversee life-threatening disaster forecasting roles, including like hurricanes and severe thunderstorms. But, this is an agency that has been understaffed for years, even as the climate crisis accelerates and extreme weather becomes more frequent. So these terminations will be a blow to their mission. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROSALES: Republican leaders on Capitol Hill are struggling with a key question, as they stare down a fast-approaching deadline to fund the government. And that question is, how do they fund federal agencies that President Donald Trump and Elon Musk want to dismantle? House Speaker Mike Johnson is suggesting Musk's cuts could be put into the language of the upcoming funding bills. That idea is being met with opposition. Democratic votes would be needed in both chambers to avoid a March 14th government shutdown. Here is one Republican lawmaker's take on that situation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS (R-NY): It's going to need to be bipartisan. I think some of my colleagues in the Republican conference don't recognize that. And as soon as we try to work with Democrats, they want to -- they don't want to vote for it, and I think that that's really what puts us at risk for a shutdown right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: Lauren Fox is in Washington with the latest. Lauren, what are you learning?

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. I mean, one of the key questions for Mike Johnson in the weeks ahead is whether or not he tries to forge ahead with a strategy that would essentially force, try to get only Republican votes in the House.

[11:40:00]

When he is talking about trying to enshrine some of those DOGE cuts, including cuts to USAID, in the short-term spending bill, he is really talking about a bill that would only get Republican votes in the House. The trouble with that is there are a number of conservatives who have a history in the House of never voting for a stop-gap funding bill. That is why the expectation is he will need some Democratic votes. If he is going to move forward with needing Democrats, then this bill has to look very different than what it might look like if Republicans were creating it out of their own imagination. So, that is the challenge that Johnson is facing.

I will note that after Johnson said that he could potentially enshrine some of those DOGE cuts in this spending bill, you had a number of top Republican appropriators, including the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and Senate Appropriations Committee, making clear that their belief and their goal would be to try to get Democratic votes, to try to make this as simple as possible, and not try to enshrine those cuts. So, I thought that that was really interesting yesterday on Capitol Hill. It's really setting the course where Johnson is going to have to make a decision in short order. Does he try this Republican-only strategy first, watch it fail, then move on to a bipartisan strategy in the 11th hour, or does he go there from the beginning? And I think that that is Johnson's choice as lawmakers return to Washington next week.

ROSALES: Lauren Fox, thank you for that.

Joe Walsh is a former Republican Congressman. He knows the inner tinkerings of government and also the host of the podcast "The Social Contract with Joe Walsh." Joe, thank you so much for joining me now. Let's start on that suggestion by House Speaker Mike Johnson that Musk's cuts be enshrined into the upcoming funding bills. What do you make of that?

JOE WALSH, FORMER U.S. HOUSE REPUBLICAN: It's good to be with you. I think it's crazy. I mean, think about where we are. Those cuts of DOGE, those are unconstitutional, to begin with. So, think of this weird moment wherein Congress ceded its authority this past month and a half. They've let Trump and Musk do things that they don't have the authority to do, and now Johnson and Congress need to scramble together and keep the government open and keep -- and pass a budget, and now they're going to reach back and try to enshrine some of those unconstitutional cuts? I don't know how Mike Johnson does it, and I don't think he can count on any support from the Democrats.

ROSALES: I want to go to a soundbite by Representative Khanna real quick, and then we'll talk on the back end.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA): We need to know what's going on, and it's sad to me that it's taking the courts to get involved. I mean, the Republicans are touting DOGE should -- want to brag about this. Bring Musk there and have him explain to the American people what he is doing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: Yeah. It's a lot of frustration, and it seems like uncertainty too as to what the mission statement is that's coming from above. How likely is it that the Republicans can avoid a shutdown?

J. WALSH: I don't see how they avoid it. I really don't. I think because of the way Trump and Musk have performed this last month and a half, because of Republicans who are in control of Congress, ceding their authority and letting Trump and Musk do whatever they want, I'll tell you what, there is zero interest among Democrats now in helping Republicans get out of this mess. Many of us have been saying from day one that we're in a constitutional crisis because our founders gave us three independent branches of government. We've only got two independent branches of government right now because Congress is not independent. They're doing exactly what Trump says to do. And so, I don't think there is any interest in Democrats in helping Republicans get out of this mess, which means Mike Johnson is in a lot of trouble.

ROSALES: And if there is a shutdown, who do you think gets blamed for it? Where would public perception be on that?

J. WALSH: Well, I say this as a former Republican. Generally, the Republicans get the blame for any government shutdown, but most especially in this case, because, I mean, all of America knows who is in charge of Washington. Trump and the Republicans control everything. So, they will own all of this. And again, Democrats need to recognize, politically speaking, they're at war. Republicans wanted control? Give it to them. They'll get the blame.

ROSALES: I want to listen now to a Republican, Representative Nicole Malliotakis, and what she had to say about this.

[11:45:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MALLIOTAKIS: DOGE should be a recommendation. They should be an advisory role. But, at the end of the day, it's the secretaries under this administration, as well as the members of Congress, who should have the final say.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: But, does Musk understand that? Does DOGE? Does the President?

J. WALSH: That train left. I just can't say this enough. Look, again, as a former congressman, and by the way, our founders made Congress the legislative branch, the most important branch, but Congress, from day one, said we are loyal to Trump. We're not loyal to the Constitution. If we had a healthy government right now, I mean, Elon Musk would have been hauled in front of Congress a month ago, right, under oath and just ask basic questions like, what are you doing? Tell me what you're doing. But, Republicans decided not to do that because they fear, fear Trump and Musk. So, yeah, that train is gone, and Republicans aren't going to get out of this.

ROSALES: If you're have running strategy for both sides here, what piece of advice would you have for Democrats and for the GOP?

J. WALSH: Democrats, we have a tyrant in the White House. We have the very thing our Founding Fathers feared. Don't you lift a finger to help the Republicans? They're on their own when it comes to the debt ceiling. They're on their own in passing a budget. Democrats, don't help them. Republicans, I'll make a hopeless final plea, do your job. You are Congress. Call Elon Musk in front of you and find out what the hell he is doing, but they won't do that.

ROSALES: And the clock is ticking to March the 14th. Joe Walsh, thank you for your time. Really appreciate it.

J. WALSH: Thank you.

ROSALES: Well, up next, the mystery surrounding the death of actor Gene Hackman, what investigators know and what they're trying to find out, right after we come back.

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK) ROSALES: Welcome back. It could take weeks to find out what caused the

deaths of actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa.

[11:50:00]

The couple were found in their home on Wednesday, though there are indications that they had been dead for days or even possibly weeks. Police say there are no signs of foul play or evidence of a gas or carbon monoxide leak. But, authorities say the deaths are suspicious, and they have launched a thorough investigation.

CNN's Veronica Miracle is tracking this story for us. Veronica.

VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Isabel, it seems like the more information we get about this story, the more perplexing it becomes. The newest information we have that you just mentioned, which is going to be a critical part of this investigation, is that the Santa Fe County Sheriff says that the bodies may have been there for a couple of weeks. So, certainly, as they're conducting their autopsies, that will play a critical role, as they try to figure out exactly what happened.

But, at this point, they do not know why Gene Hackman, his wife, Betsy Arakawa, and their dog died. The way that the bodies were found also very confusing and a mystery. Arakawa's body was found on the ground in the bathroom next to some open prescription bottle with pills scattered. Gene Hackman's body was found in the kitchen on the floor, and then their dog was found dead in their crate. But, there were two healthy dogs roaming the property, and there are some other clues that are giving authorities pause. Take a listen to what the sheriff had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF ADAN MENDOZA, SANTA FE COUNTY, NEW MEXICO: There were several doors that were unlocked at the residence. I believe the front door was closed, but unlocked, unsecured. There was one door that was ajar and that was towards the rear of the residence that two of the dogs that survived were coming in and out of the residence. We're not sure if that door was open upon the arrival of emergency personnel, or it was open upon entry of emergency personnel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MIRACLE: So, authorities had to say that, but they also say that it doesn't appear that anything was missing from the house. So, apparently, no signs of a burglary. There was no sign of a struggle. There were no external traumas on the body. So, no injuries or wounds. And there was no appearance of foul play. But, this is suspicious enough, and there are so many questions still that they are doing a thorough investigation, of course, and there was also no immediate signs of a carbon monoxide or a natural gas leak at the time when authorities showed up. Now, that doesn't mean it didn't happen at some point, and the toxicology reports will certainly play a factor in answering some of those questions. But, again, still a lot of questions to be answered. There is going to

be a press conference later this afternoon, and hopefully we'll have some more information. Isabel.

ROSALES: Yeah, just confusing, confusing this mystery. Veronica, are the family members saying anything, giving any sorts of clues as to what could have happened?

MIRACLE: Well, they have released a statement at this point. The actor's family, of course, devastated by this loss. They said, it's just with great sadness that they announced the passing of their father and grandfather, beloved by so many and millions around the world. Of course, we know Gene Hackman had an illustrious career as an actor, and this happened just days before the Academy Awards that is going to be happening this weekend. And we have heard from sources at the Academy Awards that there is going to be some kind of honoring of Gene Hackman, whether it's in the "In Memoriam" section or possibly a separate honoring of him. So, that is being played into the Academy Awards. But, of course, the family right now, grieving, as everybody just looks for answers.

ROSALES: Yeah.

MIRACLE: Isabel.

ROSALES: Hollywood legend. Veronica, do you have a sense of the timing of how long this investigation might take? I know that toxicology, for example, that's a crucial document that investigators will want to take a look at. That could take weeks.

MIRACLE: Yeah. Well, the sheriff was saying that weeks and maybe even months, depending on the backlog, if there are other cases that are ahead of this case. So, there will certainly be some significant time before we find out potentially some of the answers to these questions that we have, because, as you said, toxicology reports, the autopsies, those don't necessarily just happen overnight. So, we'll be waiting for that, Isabel.

ROSALES: Veronica Miracle, really appreciate it. Thank you.

And finally, before we go, space tourism company Blue Origin's next flight will carry TV host Gayle King and singer Katy Perry into space. They will be part of an all-female crew. The rest of the crew includes Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, fiance Lauren Sanchez, film producer Kerianne Flynn, along with scientists Aisha Bowe and Amanda Nguyen. The Blue Origin rocket will take them about 100 kilometers above the Earth's surface. That is widely considered to be where space begins. That's debate in the industry. The mission is expected to launch this spring.

Well, thank you for spending part of your day with me. I'm Isabel Rosales. Stick with CNN. One World is up next.

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